Blog Tour Author Interview with Giveaway: Slippers and Thieves (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #4) by Christina Bauer

Book Info:
Title:   Slippers And Thieves
Author:  Christina Bauer
Series: Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #4
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: November 26th 2019
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Years ago, Elle—never call her Cinderella—escaped her evil step family in order to build a new life for herself in Manhattan. Today, Elle’s awful past is a distant memory. In fact, Elle even attends West Lake Prep, an exclusive high school where regular humans mix with members of the Magicorum, such as fairies, shifters and witches. Although she still must live in hiding from her evil stepfamily, Elle has always found ways to get whatever her heart desires.

That is, until Alec Le Charme.

Alec is the heir to the Le Charme dynasty of high-end jewelers. He’s also kind, charismatic, has a knee-melting smile. Elle has fallen for him, hard. Unfortunately, thanks to Elle’s evil step family, Alec is absolutely off limits. In fact, if Elle and Alec so much as kiss, it will start a magical chain reaction that would end in powerful factions of witches and wizards going to war. As a result, Elle and Alec vow to stay friends, no matter what. Then West Lake Prep holds a masquerade ball. Identities get mixed up and forbidden kisses are finally shared.

Time for the Magicorum to go to war, and for Elle to confront her hidden past in ways she never thought possible.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo / Google Play

Author Interview:

Christina Bauer is launching a new book in her Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series. Called SLIPPERS AND THIEVES, this novel reimagines the Cinderella story. Christina stopped by to answer some questions for us as part of her tour; take a look below…

1. What is your ideal place to write?  Do you have an office, or do you like to go sit in a coffee shop/library, etc.?

Weirdly enough, my ideal writing place changes depending on the book. For SLIPPERS AND THIEVES, I wrote a lot of it while in bed. (Eep! Did I write that out loud?)

Here’s how it works. I prop up about seven pillows around me in a strategic way and then write, write, write. That said, bed-writing is a relatively new thing. For previous novels, I used to work in coffee shops a lot.

2.  Do you keep a "bible" to help you remember all the characters and details of your world for writing a series?  If so, how do you organize it?  In a notebook, notecards, Google Doc, etc.?

I absolutely keep a bible for each series and I even call it by that name! Everything goes in a word doc that I update both during and after writing new novels. I also keep inspiration images for key characters and places in Pinterest. It’s a lot more visceral than a word doc and I certainly rely on that a ton. I currently have more than 100 boards and 5000 pins.

3.  As a former teacher, one of then best parts of that is hearing back from my students that they got something or learned something from me. Can you name one of your teachers that you feel was important in your life in some way?

There’s one who jumps immediately to mind! In high school, I had an English teacher named Mrs. Skoog. I’ll never forget her, as Mrs. Skoog was the first person to gave me a failing grade on an essay. That rocked my world. I’d always found writing super-easy. And now? I sucked.

Her honesty brought me to a crossroads. Do I love writing enough to work harder at my craft? I debated for a time and then went back at it. After Mrs. Skoog, I never failed another English paper.

4.  Some fun questions:

Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin?
 Gryffindor, absolutely.

Lannister, Stark, or Targaryen?

Targaryen. Dragons, baby!

Captain Kirk or Captain Picard?

Picard forever.

DC or Marvel?

Marvel, although DC deserves an honourable mention for Wonder Woman.

Physical book, ebook, or audiobook?

Ebook. I am vicious about reading a chapter and then deleting if I’m not thrilled. Ebook is the only way I find new material without killing tons of trees.

Thanks for having me by… I look forward to returning on a future tour!

 
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Author Bio:

Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Blog / LinkedIn

GIVEAWAY!

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Cover Reveal with Giveaway: The Shrike and the Shadows by Chantal Gadoury and A.M. Wright

Today Chantal Gadoury and A.M. Wright, Parliament House Publishing, and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and the trailer for their YA Hansel and Gretel Retelling, which releases on August 19, 2019! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

On to the reveal!

Title: THE SHRIKE and THE SHADOWS

Author: Chantal Gadoury and A.M. Wright

Pub. Date: March 3, 2020

Publisher: Parliament House Publishing

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Pages: 350

Find it: Goodreads, Kobo

Men have gone missing before.

The village of Krume is plagued by a haunted wood and a hungry witch. It’s been that way for as long as Hans and Greta can remember, though they have never seen the witch themselves; no one has.

When men start to disappear once again in the cover of night - their bloody hearts turning up on doorsteps - the village falls into frenzied madness.

Hans and Greta, two outcast orphans, find themselves facing accusations of witchcraft and are met with an ultimatum: burn at the stake, or leave the village forever.

With nowhere else to go, they abandon their only home.

As they venture into the strange forest, their path is fraught with horrific creatures, wild and vivid hallucinations, and a mysterious man tied to the witch's past.

The Shrike is watching, just beyond the deep darkness of the woods.

Trailer:

About Chantal:

Amazon Best Selling Author, Chantal Gadoury, is a 2011 graduate from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing.

Since graduation, she has published "The Songs in Our Hearts" with 48Fourteen Publishing, and “Allerleirauh” with Parliament House Press, with future titles to follow. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues with that love of writing today.

Writing novels for Chantal has become a life-long dream come true! When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting, drinking lots of DD Iced Coffee, and watching Disney classics. Chantal lives in Muncy, Pennsylvania with her Mom, Sister and furry-‘brother’ (aka, puppy) Taran.

Subscribe to Chantal’s Newsletter! https://www.chantalgadoury.com/newsletter

Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page | BookBub |  Pinterest

About A.M.:

A.M. Wright is an Ohio native, perched on the shores of Lake Erie for as long as she can remember. She is a graduate of Walsh University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Communications, with two minors in Marketing and Writing. She has a passion for reading, writing, and drawing; and has a particularly strong love for shojo-manga and all genres of anime. When A.M. Wright isn’t focused on her day job, she is sorting through submissions, writing too many stories to keep track of, and playing video games with her fiance in a townhouse that’s just a fifteen minute drive from “The Roller Coaster Capital of the World.”

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a $10 Amazon GC, International.

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Cleaning Up My TBR With a Giveaway (US Only) - Down the TBR Hole #19

This meme was started by Lost in a Story.  Here is how it works:

• Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

Because I have so many to do, I'm going to try to do this weekly, and do 10 at a time.


1.   After Obsession by Carrie Jones:

ALAN
There she is. The dream rushes back to me. We were falling, clutching at each other, with twisting darkness all around us... The girl looks up at me and I realize I've stopped walking and am staring at her. I see something in her eyes, something like recognition.

AIMEE
And in that second I know, absolutely know, that something in my life has changed irrevocably. This is the guy from my dreams. Right here. And we are going to have to do something, save something, together. I just don't know what.

TOGETHER
Alan and Aimee have just met, but already they are bound to each other by something they can't quite name. Something that rattles the windows, haunts the waters... and threatens to tear them apart before they get a chance to find out what their connection means.  

My thoughts:
This was probably thrown in during my paranormal romance obsession phase.  Now, don't know that I am that excited by it.

Verdict:  Toss



2.  The Fall (The Rift #1) by Robert J. Duperre:

The World Will Never Be The Same...

An ancient evil, trapped in the ruins of a lost Mayan temple for centuries, has been unleashed. It takes the form of a deadly virus, one that causes violent insanity in the living and the recently departed to rise and walk. It spreads around the globe, throwing the world into chaos and war.

As it progresses, those in the States who find themselves far away from the epicenter watch it unfold with unbelieving eyes. From Washington D.C. to Dover, New Hampshire, regular people are hurled into an existence outside their control, left to deal with catastrophic situations that they are unprepared to handle. Life becomes a nightmare, and that nightmare is spreading.

First time author Robert J. Duperre presents this scenario with The Fall: The Rift Book I, the first of a four-part series. In this book, he throws his characters into a gambit; when the alternatives are life or death, self-preservation or the protection of others, what path will they choose? Is there a darkness that resides in everyone, from every walk of life, that is screaming for release? When society falls apart and we are left to our own devices, will we make the right decisions, or let the tide take us where it may? There is horror, there is death, there are the walking dead, and all around are choices.

The novel is illustrated by Jesse David Young, whose drawings capture the intense feel of the events happening within. There are twenty illustrations in all, as well as the cover art he provided. These add to the reading experience and help to throw you, the reader, head-first into the world they have created.  

My thoughts:  Eh, probably  not my type of read anymore.

Verdict:  Toss



3.  Damned (Crusade #2) by Nancy Holder:

There is a fine line between love and sacrifice….
Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Jenn. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question.

Jenn, the newly appointed Hunter, aches for revenge against the Cursed One who converted her sister. And with an even more sinister power on the rise, she must overcome her personal vendettas to lead her team into battle.

Antonio and Jenn need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness…or die trying.  

My thoughts:  
I love this author, but not sure why I have this second book in a series on my list.  I don't think I've read the first one.  

Verdict:  Toss



4.  This Dark Endeavour (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein) by Kenneth Oppel:

The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions.

In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and best friend Henry on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.  

My thoughts:
If you know me, you know I love a good retelling or new prequel to kind of retell a story. This is one that still sounds good to me.

Verdict:  Keep



5.   The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson:

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

  
My thoughts:
I liked the first one.  It's been a while since I read it, but I feel like I'm still interested enough to go on with the story.

Verdict:  Keep



6.  A Breath of Eyre (Unbound #1) by Eve Marie Mont:

In this stunning, imaginative novel, Eve Marie Mont transports her modern-day heroine into the life of Jane Eyre to create a mesmerizing story of love, longing, and finding your place in the world. . .

Emma Townsend has always believed in stories--the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates. Perhaps it's because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn't come close to filling the void left by her mother's death. And her only romantic prospect--apart from a crush on her English teacher--is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma's confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre. . .

Reading of Jane's isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane's body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she's never known--and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane's story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own. . . 

My thoughts:
I do like retellings like this.  I still think this one sounds good too.

Verdict:  Keep



7.  Starstruck by Cyn Balog:

Gwendolyn "Dough" X doesn't think she has much going for her—she carries a few extra pounds, her family struggles with their small bakery in a town full of millionaires, and the other kids at her New Jersey high school don't seem to know that she exists. Thank the stars for her longtime boyfriend, Philip P. Wishman—or "Wish." He moved away to California three years ago, when they were 13, but then professed his love for her via e-mail, and he's been her long-distance BF ever since.
At the beginning of her junior year, though, Wish e-mails that he's moving back to Jersey. Great, right? Well, except that Dough has gained about 70 pounds since the last time Wish saw her, while Wish—according to his Facebook photos—has morphed into a blonde god. Convinced that she'll be headed for Dumpsville the minute Wish lays eyes on her, Dough delays their meeting as long as she possibly can.
But when she sees Wish at school, something amazing happens. He looks at Dough like she's just as gorgeous as he is. But Wish is acting a little weird, obsessed with the sun and freaked out by rain. And the creepy new guy working at the bakery, Christian, is convinced that there's more to Wish's good looks than just healthy eating and lots of sun. He tells Dough that a mark on Wish's neck marks him as a member of the Luminati—an ancient cult of astrologers who can manipulate the stars to improve their lives. Is Wish and Dough's love meant to be—or are they star-crossed?

My thoughts:  
I don't remember adding this one, but it sounds like it is good.  I need to keep it.

Verdict:  Keep



 8.  Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto:

Three years after her husband Max's death, Shelley feels no more adjusted to being a widow than she did that first terrible day. That is, until the doorbell rings. Standing on her front step is a young man who looks so much like Max; same smile, same eyes, same age, same adorable bump in his nose; he could be Max's long-lost relation. He introduces himself as Paolo, an Italian editor of American coffee table books, and shows Shelley some childhood photos. Paolo tells her that the man in the photos, the bearded man who Paolo says is his grandfather though he never seems to age, is Max. Her Max. And he is alive and well.

As outrageous as Paolo's claims seem; how could her husband be alive? And if he is, why hasn't he looked her up? Shelley desperately wants to know the truth. She and Paolo jet across the globe to track Max down; if it is really Max and along the way, Shelley recounts the European package tour where they had met. As she relives Max's stories of bloody Parisian barricades, medieval Austrian kitchens, and buried Roman boathouses, Shelley begins to piece together the story of who her husband was and what these new revelations mean for her "happily ever after." And as she and Paolo get closer to the truth, Shelley discovers that not all stories end where they are supposed to. 

My thoughts:
Yeah, this is so not my type of book.

Verdict: Toss



9.  The Princess of Westfalin Trilogy #1 and #2 by Jessica Day George:

A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn…

Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.      

Hoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other's countries in the name of better political alliances--and potential marriages. It's got the makings of a fairy tale--until a hapless servant named Eleanor is tricked by a vengeful fairy godmother into competing with Poppy for the eligible prince. Ballgowns, cinders, and enchanted glass slippers fly in this romantic and action-packed happily-ever-after quest from an author with a flair for embroidering tales in her own delightful way. 








My thoughts:
So, both are fairy tale retellings. But as much as I want to keep and read all of these, I just don't know when I would get to them. The Twelve Dancing Princesses that the first book is based on is one of my all time favorite tales, but oh well.  

Verdict:  Keep the first, toss the second for now



10.  Exes and Ohs:  A Downtown Girl's (Mostly Awkward) Tales of Love, Lust, Revenge, and a Little Facebook Stalking by Shallon Lester:

Think you’ve have some outrageous dating horror stories? You don't have anything on Shallon Lester.

 Spunky Shallon Lester has accumulated more than her fair share of embarrassing stories. In this collection of hilarious essays, she chronicles her dorky, daring, and awkward journey from waitress at the ninth circle of hell known as Houston's Time Square restaurant, to columnist at one of New York's leading gossip magazines, to MTV reality star, gleefully weaving in stories of all boys she's loved, lost, and avenged along the way.

Complete with cringe-worthy tales of:

-The time a new boyfriend found the stockpile of Magnum condoms hidden under her bed
-Getting caught stealing (borrowing?) bacon from her local supermarket
-Unwittingly getting romantically involved with the leader of a mafia ring
-Being dumped on Valentines Day (for the second year in a row), just minutes before being forced to attend El Concierto Del Amor con Marc Anthony y Jennifer Lopez. Alone. Did I mention on Valentine's day?
-An unfortunate sholess, sweaty, shoe-less run in with Ed Westwick and Chace Crawford on an East Village Street Corner

With a fresh and irresistible voice that makes you want to sit down and rehash last night's misadventures over martinis, Lester speaks volumes to anyone who's even been young, ambitious, and a little bit slutty.   

My thoughts:
This again during my phase of lots of single girl or diet memoirs. And at first when I saw this on the list, I was like, eh, I don't know if I'll ever date again, so why bother. But reading it, well, I think I might still want to actually read this some day.

Verdict:  Keep


Final Thoughts:
Only tossing half of them this week, but I'm still happy to be doing that.  Have you read any of these?  Would you suggest I keep any I'm tossing?  And if you're inspired to do this on your blog, please feel free to join in and share a link in the comments, since it's not really catching on, I'm not going to waste time with the link up this week.  It will also get you an extra entry into my giveaway at the bottom of this post.      
 

Giveaway:
Once again this is a US only giveaway, unless you are International and see a book here you really want and would be willing to pay for the difference in the shipping through Paypal or some other way.  This week I'm upping the prize, you get to pick any two books from the pictures below, as long as they don't get traded away, or picked by last week's winner, and I will pick a surprise book from the piles to add to your choice.  Here are your choices:   

2018 ARCs;

2017 ARCs:

2014-2016ARCs:

 

Once again I'm going to let you pick two, along with me throwing in a surprise third book!  Just enter the Rafflecopter below. 

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Review: The Winter of the Witch (Winternight Trilogy #3) by Katherine Arden

Book info:

Title:  The Winter of the Witch
Author:  Katherine Arden
Series:  Winternight Trilogy #3
Genre:  Fairy tale retelling, historical fantasy
Release Date:  January 8th, 2019
Publisher:  Del Rey Books
Source:  Finished copy received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:
Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

Reviewers called Katherine Arden’s novels The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower “lyrical,” “emotionally stirring,” and “utterly bewitching.” The Winternight Trilogy introduced an unforgettable heroine, Vasilisa Petrovna, a girl determined to forge her own path in a world that would rather lock her away. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, stronger than ever and determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself and her history as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

My Review:
This is a series that definitely needs attention while you read it.  You can't read this and watch tv or read a couple pages at a time and then do other stuff.  It is a story that requires you to be able to sit and read for at least a good 15 minutes or more at a time.  Not that this is a bad thing. It's just something you need to know.  Overall, I'd say this was a really great ending to a trilogy that has a lot of interesting ideas as well as historical aspects in it.    Now, if you haven't read the first two books, you should probably read those reviews first, and maybe not go on in this review, as I might spoil some things for you.  My reviews are here:  The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower.  
Now the one thing that still annoyed me a bit in this one, even though by this third book I knew who all the names referred to for the most part, was having the same character called by two of three different names, often within the same page or paragraph at time.  And sometimes those different names didn't match up like normal nicknames might, or they didn't refer to their position, like King or Prince, or whatever. Even though the author did address this point in the back notes of this book, and I understand her reasoning, it still made it a little difficult at times for the story to flow as easily for me.  Of course, that may be something that is only a problem for me, but I like to point it out, since it is one of the things that kept me from speeding through it, even if the story was really good.  I was definitely very happy for what finally happened in the bath house with Vasya and the Winter King.  I'd been rooting for that for so long!  The ending was good, and I liked again how the author talked about the actual history behind what had happened in this book and how she took her liberties with fitting the story around those things.

A great fantasy, with some great history and mythology/fairy tale retelling in it.  A series I keep in my high school library, and recommend to anyone who wants more Russian themed stories. 

Blog Tour Review with Giveaway: Jaclyn and the Beanstalk by Mary Ting

Book info:

Title:  Jaclyn and the Beanstalk
Author:  Mary Ting
Genre:  YA fantasy/fairy tale retelling
Release Date:  September 4th, 2018
Publisher:  Vesuvian Books
Source:  Finished copy received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4 stars

Synopsis:

What fate awaits a girl who hears monsters at night…

Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword.

But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him.   

Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return.

Armed only with her sword and three magic beans—a gift from a mysterious old woman—Jaclyn sets out for Black Mountain to save her father.

On her climb, one bean drops and grows into a beanstalk, catching her when she falls.

She isn’t the only one that takes the ride. Jack, her childhood friend and secret crush, is following her.

Jaclyn and Jack will have to work together to save not only their fathers, but the townspeople the beasts plan to lay waste to before it’s too late.  

AMAZON | BARNES and NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for JACLYN AND THE BEANSTALK

A mash-up of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Lord of the Rings" ... RECOMMENDED ―School Library Journal

"Keenly descriptive and eloquently written with touches of sixteenth-century language, the story takes the reader into the world of monsters controlled by a diabolical villain, and into a land of mystery and magic beans." ―Readers' Favorite Review

"Mary Ting managed to surprise me at every turn, even though I must have read this story a million times as a kid. The most impressive surprise was the creation of a girl protagonist who is so much better than the original Jack. Then she brings in the boy, Jack, as the love interest. Sheer genius and a great idea. The writing is great. The plot is good, and the various themes woven throughout the story make it a very compelling tale." ―Readers' Favorite Review

Mary Ting writes with an adventurous heart, a clever pen, introducing young readers to a classic that meets fantasy, shedding light on the family devotion and a love story that buds to completion by the end. This short novel comes as a highly recommended read for parents and young adults that prefer fantasy fiction with a Christian-based theme and a creative perspective. Mary Ting is one of those writers to notice and watch. ―Kingdom's Review  


Book Trailer:

  

My Review:
If you've been reading my blog for very long, you'll know that I always look for these fairy tale retelling type of stories.  And this was a very unique one!  At first I was wondering just when we'd get into any of the things that were familiar about the Jack and the Beanstalk story, but it wasn't long before we got to the magic beans.  Even if they were introduced in a different manner, my brain was still like, "Ah-ha!  There they are!"  But this story had so much more detail and back story than the original fairy tale, and I loved all of that!  Now obviously the story is about Jaclyn instead of Jack, but the weird thing is, there was still a character named Jack, a main character actually.  I'm not sure I liked this repetition of names, but in the end, there was a reason it kind of worked.  

I liked the way little things that happened at the beginning got explained later on in more detail.  Like the way that when she touched the one sword that she saw visions.  Finding out who the visions were of, and just what they meant later on, really added to the story.  I also loved what the magic beans did not only for the beanstalks, but for the story in the end.  And you know how if you're like me, you always kind of wonder what happens after the story, after the HEA?  Well you're in luck with this tale, because the author gives a few epilogues that show us just how it all goes.  I will say that there was a definite religious/Christian slant to the story, and for me it was a bit much at one point. But since I liked how that fed into the background of our "giants" or monsters, I was okay with that.  I haven't actually read this author until now, although I've done some promoting in the past because her books sound really good.  So maybe the religious part is something that is in her stories usually? I do know that this part of the story intrigued me and made me want to do some research into the story that I only remember the basics of.

About the Author:

Mary Ting is an international bestselling, award-winning author. She writes soulful, spellbinding stories that excite the imagination and captivate readers around the world. Her books span a wide range of genres, and her storytelling talents have earned a devoted legion of fans, as well as garnered critical praise.

Becoming an author happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she had in high school. After realizing she wanted to become a full-time author, Mary retired from teaching after twenty years. She also had the privilege of touring with the Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book: No Bullies Allowed.

Mary resides in Southern California with her husband, two children, and two little dogs, Mochi and Mocha. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Being a huge Twilight fan, Mary was inspired to make book-themed jewelry and occasionally gives it away as prizes to her fans.   

WEBSITE: http://www.tangledtalesofting.com/
TWITTER: @MaryTing
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4388953.Mary_Ting
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryTing
INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/authormaryting   


Giveaway:

--Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

-  Winner will receive a $25 Dollar PayPal/Amazon Gift Card.

- Winner will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card.

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