Promo Post: Inspired by Susan Schaefer Bernardo @MrsSJDonovan

Book info:

Title:  Inspired
Author:  Susan Schaefer Bernardo
Genre: MG/YA Fantasy/Mythology
Release Date: May 2018
Publisher:  Inner Flower Child Books

Summary:

Rocket Malone is not thrilled with the direction her life is taking. Her mom has just remarried, and they are moving from their hip cottage in Venice Beach to her stepfather’s home in Hollywood. Her best friend, Gillian, has a new friend and a new boyfriend, and Rocket feels left behind. When she finds out that her mother is pregnant with twins, she is furious. 

All of these problems are quickly overshadowed when Rocket discovers that she is descended from the Greek muses, and is therefore obligated to serve as an apprentice to the nine mythological sisters. Rocket sees herself as smart but not creative, and apprenticing to the muses does not come naturally to her. She tries to help several people, but just cannot find the right person to aid. 

Along with the fun, intelligent story about Greek gods, muses, and other mythological figures, Inspired captures the trials and tribulations of discovering oneself while dealing with the challenges of middle school. Rocket does not want her life to change, but she must adapt, learning to share her mom and her best friend while finding new ways to create her own joy. 

Rocket and her friends have some very serious problems. Rocket’s father committed suicide; her mother is in the midst of a high-risk pregnancy. Her friend Ryan lost his sister in a car accident and then was abandoned by his father; the home he shares with his mother is destroyed in a fire. These issues are thoughtfully addressed in the story as the adolescents learn not to blame themselves, to accept what is, and to help one another through the hardest parts. 

Inspired is delightful, insightful, and charming as it encourages kids to face their obstacles and chase their own passions.

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Daydreaming Is In My Job Description

Last night, I dressed up like a Greek goddess. My friends and I made sparkly tiaras together. We blew up a giant Pegasus and floated it in the pool. There was music - lyrical classical soul-stirring music - and party tunes, too. I set Goddess oracle cards and poetry books inside my giant purple tie-dyed tent. My table was groaning under the weight of platters of delicious Greek food - spanakopita and baklava and hummus and tabouleh and dolmades - yum! There was laughter, and impromptu dancing. Old friendships were celebrated, and new friendships were ignited.

Why all the excitement? Well, I wanted - needed - to celebrate INSPIRED, a novel I launched yesterday!

I have been asked...What inspired you to write Inspired?

Well, the short answer is this: I had a dream about a girl named Rocket who takes a job with Muses...and I remembered that dream when I woke up.

The long answer requires tweaking the question a bit, to "what inspired you to KEEP writing this book?"  Because this book took a very, very long time to finish. That dream came to me in 1994, when I was living in Boston, newly married, working in teaching and public relations and trying to keep alive my dream of being a professional writer. I first wrote Inspired as a movie for a screenwriting contest, which I didn't win.  I stuck it in a drawer, but the idea kept dancing at the back of my imagination.  I revised the screenplay a million times. Gave up on it. Decided it would be better as a novel, and wrote a new first draft. I wrote many, many more drafts.

Along the way, my life kept happening. We moved. We had children. I worked. I wived. I volunteered. I wrote a lot of other things: school newsletters, more screenplays, short stories, journals, grant proposals, lesson plans, marketing copy, rhyming invitations for my kids 's birthday parties.

Then, I stopped writing altogether.  I had my heart broken, you see, and I was grieving, and I became very, very stuck in a dark, sad place.

Creativity saved me. Friendship saved me. Magical women came into my life, when I needed them most, and reminded me how much I love to dance. To sculpt. To paint. To walk along the beach, crying, and write a poem about it.  I started breathing more deeply and seeing the world as wonder-full once again. And EVERYTHING began to inspire me and find its way into my book (even the hard, sad, lonely stuff like losing someone I loved and feeling lost and unwanted began to inspire my art and poetry!).

Once I started creating again, more magical things began to happen. I found new love, and my heart kept healing. Soon after that, an artist-mom-friend and I created and indie published a children's picture book about love called Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs to give to children who were grieving (like mine). A famous actor saw that book and invited us to collaborate on another picture book to help kids coping with trauma. That second book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, was sent ON AN ACTUAL ROCKET to the International Space Station and read aloud by Astronaut Kate Rubins ... And the main character of my novel is NAMED ROCKET! (it doesn't get much more magical than that, right? Crazy synchronicity!). Courtenay and I published a third picture book called The Big Adventures of Tiny House, and soon we were jetting around the country speaking at tiny house festivals and schools and libraries.

Somewhere along the way, just like Rocket in my book...I realized that I was surrounded by people who loved and cared about me, and I began to trust my voice, and I realized I was ready to launch my Rocket! I have an amazing dancing friend Kara, who also happens to be a book editor, so I hired her to be my book "doula" and help me get Inspired finally, finally edited and proofread and birthed into the world....where, hopefully, it will inspire other girls to trust their voices and create more magic in the world.

That's something to celebrate, don't you agree? 

In fact, on Mount Helikon, the home of the Greek Muses, there is always something to celebrate!

So make yourself a tiara and have a crazy costume party with your favorite people...write a love song or a tragic opera...paint or sculpt or invent a gizmo or learn an instrument or travel somewhere cool or explore a museum or hug a redwood tree or cook up an exotic dish....The possibilities are infinite! Shoot for the moon - you might land on the Space Station!

Just get INSPIRED...and see where it takes YOU!

xoxo Susan Schaefer Bernardo

About the Author:

Hello!  My name is Susan Schaefer Bernardo, and I’ve been writing poetry and stories since I could hold a crayon!   I am a big believer in the power of creativity.  The process of writing poetry or making art allows me to express and understand my emotions.  Through our imagination, we find ways to move through painful experiences and transform them into something very beautiful and healing.  

I wrote my first book Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs because I wanted to reassure my kids (and myself!) that we are always connected to the people we love.  Writing my poem “Tonic Waters” helped me cope with grief over my mother-in-law’s death.   I was so honored when “Tonic Waters” was published in an anthology and read aloud at the 2014 World Cancer Day Concert – because it meant my words might console others experiencing similar pain.  I’m currently finishing my first YA novel for girls, and I've just finished collaborating on a wonderful new book to support children who have suffered a traumatic event.  

I love to learn just as much as I love to teach, and I hold a B.A. in English (UCLA), M.A. in English Literature (Yale) and elementary/secondary teaching credentials (Pepperdine).  I keep my inner flower child happy and inspired by sculpting, dancing, exploring tide pools, raising chickens in the city, traveling to cool new places (and attempting to speak the language, even if it's just please and thank you), and taking long nature walks with my sons and our rescue terrier Poppy.  I'm happiest when I'm barefoot and surrounded by beauty.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter

Giveaway:

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Blog Tour Author Interview with Giveaway: Sons of Gods by Arthur J. Gonzalez

Book info:
Title:  Sons of Gods
Author:  Arthur J. Gonzalez
Publication date: January 25th, 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Long ago, the wrath of the three God brothers marked the onset of the Great War. The other Gods watched in horror, until they, too, were forced to take sides. Their beloved Mt Olympus collapsed, ruin was brought to all Divine, and the Age of Darkness gripped the world in its clutches. But a group of Gods was wise, and before their impending deaths, they had crafted a pact, committing to one day rebuilding the Territories – the Heavens, Seas, and the Underworld. It would usher in the world they protected and honored out from its darkness. And from it would rise the new Greats: the Sons of Gods.

Cienzo has always had an affliction for metal and fire; never did he anticipate it would one day translate to wielding dormant powers. It is during a journey to fulfill a promise to his dying sister, that he is plunged into a dark and magical world, and where great responsibility is bestowed upon him.

Is he worthy of assuming the throne of the Territories? Can shattering steel and splitting fire change his mind?

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Interview:
1.  What does your writing process look like? Do you know the whole story when you start?  Or do you just start writing and go with it (seat of the pants writing)?  If you plan it out, how do you do that?  Outline, notecards, post-it-notes, etc.?  Are you part of a writers group that gets together and helps each other with their writing?
 
 I have a journal with favorite words. I tend to skim through this first and get those buzz words flowing in the back of my brain. I start with a rough outline, for sure. It organizes me. I also constantly pull from my phone’s notepad. I have a pretty organized folder for each story in my Notepad on my phone. Once I map this out, I come to terms with what I want to write…sort of a realistic goal. Then I will visually map it out on paper.
Then I will pop on some jams—maybe some Odesza—plug in my head phones, and get to writing. Also, I should add, that coffee is a must! 

2.  How do you come up with your ideas for your stories?  Based on what your story is about, do you have a favorite Greek god or Greek mythological character?
 
I have always been captivated by Greek Mythology. My first major introduction was in 7th grade, when I was tasked to play Hades in a class revival of the Kidnapping of Persephone. The parallels between seasons and pomegranate seeds would breed a major revolution of creative thinking for me. It would stay with me forever. 

3.  How long have you been writing?
 
Every Mother’s Day, since Kindergarten, I would write my mother a poem. It was my gift to her. They weren’t small poems either. I would get very elaborate and poetic. Every year they would evolve quite a bit. My poetry evolve to writing songs, which then evolved to short stories, which then evolved to full-length novels. 

4.  What tips do you have for aspiring writers?
 
 Don’t stop. Dedicate time and write relentlessly. You will tear apart stories, but some of the ‘faliures’ might become pieces to a larger future story. It has happened to me. So never, ever let a writing opportunity leave you. 

5.  What are your favorite:
 
Books/authors/genres:  Leigh Bardugo can do no wrong. 

Movies/TV Shows: Right now I am into Riverdale pretty hard. Old school Archikins fan. Also, I’m obsessed with Aladdin. 

Music: A little bit of everything. Odesza, Dua Lipa, Fifth Harmony, Britney, Kendrick Lamar.

Food/Writing snack: I’m an almonds, chocolate, coffee guy. 

Author Bio:

Arthur J. Gonzalez is a Young Adult author of the Photo Traveler series. Originally born in Miami, FL, you can now find him living on the West side in Los Angeles. If he’s not drinking coffee or playing with his adorable Schnoodle, Sookie, then he’s probably enjoying a nap. Also, he forgets the lyrics to nearly every song.

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Book Blitz with Giveaway: Hunted Fate (Threads of the Moirae #3) by Jennifer Derrick

Book info:
Title:  Hunted Fate
Author:  Jennifer Derrick
Series:  Threads of the Moirae #3
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: July 24th, 2017
Genres: Mythology, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Alex and Atropos have taken refuge at an abandoned mountain resort compound. Atropos is a wanted woman in hiding, and the downtime with her soul mate is a nice change of pace. But the peace will be short-lived. The authorities are after her for her role in the attack on the city of Charlotte. Zeus has put a bounty on her head. There’s also a war to prepare for—and if she wins, the gods will be deposed once and for all. But first she needs to track down Gaia, and even that won’t be simple. Gaia resides at the bottom of the ocean, and the humans and gods are already hot on Atropos’ trail…

A heart-pounding romantic adventure where Greek mythology and modern-day life collide, Hunted Fate is the third book in the epic Threads of the Moirae series by Jennifer Derrick.

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Previous books in the series:

Grab book 1 – Broken Fate – for FREE!

—

EXCERPT:

“We need whoever provides security around here. Or Hades. They’re bound to be the ones who can open this. If we can find them, we can drag them down here and slap their hand on this thing to get it open,” Alex says.
“We need another way,” Sara says, shaking her head. “We haven’t seen a single person since we got here. It’s too time consuming to track them down. And we’ll never get Hades.”
“Anyone know of any other ways to crack a palm plate?” I ask.
“Short of finding a valid fingerprint and going through an awful lot of steps to create a fake finger, the only other way is to break down the software controlling it,” Alex says.
“Are any of you hackers?”
Alex raises his hand.
“You can hack this?” I ask. “I didn’t know you were a hacker.”
“I’m not. But there isn’t a lot to do when you’re stuck at home with a terminal disease or trapped in a crappy boarding school. I taught myself a few things, made a few online friends who were a little shady. Depending on how sophisticated the software is, I might be able to crack it.”
“Would it be controlled from the computer out front?”
“It might be. Or it might be controlled from a central server that’s who knows where. No way to know without looking,” he says.
“That computer is password protected. If you try to force it, you may set off alarms.”
“Then I’ll have to be careful,” he says, heading back to the lobby.
We follow and gather around the desk while he works. The keys clack under his fingers as he mutters instructions to himself.
“Okay, I’m in the system,” he says. “While I’m here, I’m going to shut down those security cameras. No need for everyone to know where we are.”
The TV feed blinks and is gone.
He keeps typing and clicking and muttering. The rest of us sit down on the floor and wait. There’s nothing we can do.
“Huh. That could be tricky,” he says.
“What?” I ask, getting up and going around the desk so I can see his screen. Not that the gibberish there means squat to me.
“The system that controls the fingerprint scanners also controls the card locks. Worse, it’s not separated by floor. I’m not good enough to bring down only one piece of the system. It’s all or nothing.”
“What’s the problem?” I ask.
“It means that the only thing standing between us and whatever is behind those cell doors is the hope that none of them try the doors. If the inmates figure out the doors are open, then security will be the least of our problems. All of them could walk right out of here.”
“Do it,” I tell him. “It’s not like we’ll be broadcasting the locks are down. No one will notice. Hopefully.”
“Okay,” he says and goes back to pounding on the keys.
After a few minutes, the computer beeps and Alex pushes away from it.
“Done,” he says.
The words are barely out of his mouth when a series of small pops echoes around the room. They sound like they’re both surrounding us and simultaneously heading away from us.
“Aw, shit,” I say. “The locks. We forgot they make noise! We are idiots. Come on,” I say, racing for the doors on the right.
We slam through the doors and pull up in front of door number four. No one is coming into the hall yet. I’m hoping the inmates think it’s a trap and are too intimidated to try their doors. Either that or they didn’t hear the locks release. Please, just let me get out of here before hell literally opens, I think.

Author Bio:

Jennifer is a freelance writer and novelist. As a freelancer, she writes everything from technical manuals to articles on personal finance and European-style board games. Her interest in storytelling began when she was six and her parents gave her a typewriter for Christmas and agreed to pay her $.01 per page for any stories she churned out. Such a loose payment system naturally led to a lot of story padding. Broken Fate, her first novel, earned her $2.80 from her parents.
Jennifer lives in North Carolina and, when not writing, can often be found reading, trawling the shelves at the library, playing board games, watching sports, camping, running marathons, and playing with her dog.

You can visit her at her official website:www.JenniferDerrick.com.

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Review: The Hands of Time (Elementals #5) by Michelle Madow

Book info:
Title:  The Hands of Time
Author:  Michelle Madow
Series:  Elementals #5
Genre:  YA Mythology
Published:  November 25th, 2016
Source:  E-galley through Michelle Madow's street team
My rating:  4 Stars

This conclusion to Michelle Madow's Elementals series is very well done.  I was excited to see how the group that we had left would be able to close the gate to Kerberos as well as defeat Typhon.  The end of book 4 left us wondering if all that they had done so far would be enough.  If the losses they'd suffered would not be in vain.  If the final tasks would be surmountable.  The way Madow lays the story out is done in a well-thought out way, without any sort of cheating or unsatisfactory tying up of loose ends.  If you haven't read the first four in the series, you can go back and read my reviews of each of them in the links below, because I can't promise to not give any spoilers for the first four in my review of this final book.

1.  The Prophecy of Shadows
2.   The Blood of the Hydra
3.   The Head of Medusa
4.  The Portal to Kerberos  

Where we pick up at the beginning of this book, Nicole and Danielle have stepped back through the portal thanks to Chronos being able to turn back the time so that they can keep Blake from dying.  But not only Blake, they're also able to save Chris from the poison of the bite he sustained.  However they're still left without Kate, who was turned to stone by Medusa in an earlier story.  Now the four of them that are left must figure out how to get Typhon stopped before he comes through the portal, which happens to be in Sicily.  If they can do that, it doesn't mean that everything will be all perfect, because the portal will still be open, and all kinds of creatures, centaurs, cyclops, dragons, all will come through.  

But when it comes to figuring out how to close the portal, before the summer solstice, it seems that one of them may have to be on the side of Kerberos, which means they will be stuck there forever, as there is no other way home.  In their searching for a way to close it, they will also try to find a way to bring Kate back, something that may only be done in turning her into a minor goddess, but could also kill her.  They will try talking to the Oracle for another way to open the portal so no one has to stay in Kerberos.  But the Oracle is in the Underworld, which will require a trip there by a few of the group.  

In the end, it mostly will work out.  There will still be some loss, but there will be things that are unexpected. 

I really liked all the tasks and things that they had to go through.  However, I knew the way that they could do what they wanted, and I think it is a little silly that it was such a surprise to everyone.  To me it was obvious as soon as they said one of them had to be on the other side of the portal.  I knew exactly who would be okay with staying there, because there would be something in Kerberos for them.  So that is my only gripe with the story.  Other than that, I loved the way they figured out how to save certain people, but I also loved how the battles weren't perfect and easy for everyong to make it out alive.  

I definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes mythology stories similar to The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, any of the Rick Riordan series, and even a little bit like Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  I look forward to future stories from this author!

 

Review - Elementals 4: The Portal to Kerberos by Michelle Madow (September Sequel #2)

Book info:
Title:  The Portal to Kerberos  
Author:  Michelle Madow
Series:  Elementals #4  
Genre:  YA mythology
Published:  August 25th, 2016
Source:  Received e-copy from author for honest review

Michelle Madow is back with another installment in her Elementals series which contains really great use of Greek mythology and modern day teens.  As with book 3, I found this to be a very quick read, in a good way.  The story was very well paced, the adventures definitely suspenseful, but once again we were left with a pretty good cliffhanger!  If you haven't read the first three books, you can go check my reviews of them out here:  Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3, before you read this review and get spoilers for those three. Now, on with my review for book 4.

When we were left hanging at the end of book 3, we've learned that Ethan was not to be trusted, exactly how I figured even with all his assurances that he was on their side, when he grabbed Blake, and the head of Medusa, and jumped through the portal to Kerberos.  Book 4 picks up basically right at that moment.  It is now only Nicole, Danielle, and Chris who are left to go after Black.  But they have no idea if they can get to Kerberos, and if they can, will the be able to get back out?  Finally Nicole's pleas to her father Apollo for help are answered.  He comes by to give each of them something to help in their trip to save Black.  Nicole gets a bow and four arrows that have special tips that will kill magically whatever they hit.  But the tip will only work once, after that, they become just regular arrows.  Danielle gets the golden sword back, and Chris gets a magical musical instrument that when played they can convince anyone except for gods, to do as they ask.  But it too has a limited time of being used before it will become just a regular old instrument. 

Once inside Kerberos they will find that Blake and Ethan have been taken to the top of a mountain by dragons.  When they attempt to follow the boys to the top of the mountain, their path is blocked by lions.  They soon find help from a god that was sent there by someone who offered help in book 3.  And he does help, in that he leads them on a safe, well as safe as can be, path to the top of the mountain to rescue Blake and get Medusa's head back.  Along this path there will be all kinds of dangers, a fog that will offer visions of people they want to see, merpeople that want to eat them, water that will cause them to have nightmares, and that is just to name a few of the things they must face.  

When they reach the top of the mountain they will have to figure out if they can still rescue Blake and get the head of Medusa, as well as what happens if there is something already wrong with any part of that plan.  

I won't go on, just will re-emphasize how quick the story is moving along, and that I cannot wait for the final book to come out!

If you're interested, here are the Amazon links where you can grab your copy and get reading:

Ebook: click here

Paperback: click here 

You can also still download the Elementals 1:  The Prophecy of Shadows for free at the author's website:  www.michellemadow.com

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Avenging Fate by Jennifer Derrick

Avenging Fate
Author:  Jennifer Derrick
(Threads of the Moirae #2)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: September 12th, 2016
Genres: Mythology, Romance, Young Adult

Still reeling after killing the man she loved, Atropos turns her attention to the twin tasks of avenging his death and freeing humanity from the deadly grip of the Keres. When she sets out on a murderous mission to retrieve her shears, her only aide is her temperamental ex-boyfriend, Ares. He is fickle at best, traitorous at worst, and assistance from him may be worse than none at all.
Along the way, she allies with a group of powerful supernaturals and learns that the crimes of the gods are more twisted and far-reaching than she realized. What begins as a quest for vengeance becomes a journey through betrayal, loss, love, and hope. It ignites a war that will pit Atropos against the gods in a battle for the freedom of humanity.
Avenging Fate is the second book in The Threads of Moirae Series by Jennifer Derrick.

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Grab book 1 – Broken Fate – for FREE!

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—

EXCERPT:

When we reach Alex’s house, I’m not surprised to see that it’s been vandalized. With no residents to defend it, it was easy pickings. The front door’s been kicked in and the frame is splintered so it won’t close properly. A couple of the windows are broken, too. Once we’re inside, I’m relieved to see that most of the damage is limited to the kitchen. Whoever came here was looking for food and not much else. The presence of a rotting, stinking corpse on the kitchen floor probably made them hurry up and get out.

I leave Ares and Elaina to gather up any dog food and supplies they can find as I make my way down the hall to Alex’s room. Stopping in the doorframe, I grip it hard to keep myself upright. The memories and the grief come fast and hard, threatening to overwhelm me. The hospital bed is still in the room, as is most of the medical equipment that kept him alive those last few days. No one’s made the bed, so the sheets are still rumpled from Alex’s body.

The IV still hangs on the pole next to the bed, and the oxygen tank is on the floor under the bed. The needle and tubing for the IV and the cannula for the oxygen rest on the mattress where I dropped them the night I took Alex away from here to die in peace. The book we were reading together lies facedown on the mattress, open to the page where we left off. Everything is frozen in time, except the most important part. Alex is gone and he isn’t coming back.

Alex’s bookcases still droop alarmingly, although they aren’t as orderly as they once were. It appears the looters rifled through them, probably looking for stray cash tucked in the pages of the books. I force myself to cross the room and scan the shelves for anything that might indicate where Emily has gone. I also check the desk, but find nothing in either place.

I cross to the bed and can’t help myself. Picking up the pillow, I hug it to my chest, burying my nose in it. I catch the last whiff of Alex’s shampoo, the same fruity-spicy scent he always used. I’m aware this isn’t good for me and it’s not helping us with our mission, so I reluctantly put it down. But I can’t resist one other thing. Grabbing the book, I fold down the corner of the page we were on and tuck it in my waistband next to the gun. It’s sentimental and dumb, but I want to remember our reading time.

When I turn to leave, Ares is standing in the doorframe, watching me with an expression that is both pitying and concerned. I can stand the latter, but I don’t need his pity.

“Don’t say anything,” I warn as I push past him and head down the hall toward Emily’s room.

“I just came to see if you’re okay. I figured this would be hard for you.”

“Just getting up in the morning is hard for me, but I do it,” I say. “I’ll be okay.”

Author Bio:

Jennifer is a freelance writer and novelist. As a freelancer, she writes everything from technical manuals to articles on personal finance and European-style board games. Her interest in storytelling began when she was six and her parents gave her a typewriter for Christmas and agreed to pay her $.01 per page for any stories she churned out. Such a loose payment system naturally led to a lot of story padding. Broken Fate, her first novel, earned her $2.80 from her parents.
Jennifer lives in North Carolina and, when not writing, can often be found reading, trawling the shelves at the library, playing board games, watching sports, camping, running marathons, and playing with her dog. You can visit her at her official website: www.JenniferDerrick.com.

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