Gold Spun Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

 

 

 

 

Gold Spun
Author: Brandie June
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Publisher: Camcat Publishing, LLC
Language: English
Hardcover: 368 pages

Description:

If Nor can’t spin gold, she can always spin lies.

When seventeen-year-old Nor rescues a captured faerie in the woods, he gifts her with a magical golden thread she can use to summon him for a favor. Instead, Nor uses it for a con—to convince villagers to buy straw that can be transformed into gold. Her trick works a little too well, attracting the suspicion of Prince Casper, who hates nobody more than a liar. Intent on punishing Nor, he demands that she spin a room of straw into gold and as her reward, he will marry her. Should she refuse or fail, the consequences will be dire.

Praise for GOLD SPUN:

"June shines in this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin...with memorable characters that will appeal to a broad range of fantasy readers." —SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

You can purchase Gold Spun at the following Retailers:

        

Excerpt 1: Prince Casper discovers Nor selling *magic* straw in the market.

“And you dropped this in the woods,” I added quickly, starting to pull off the signet ring. “I am so grateful to be able to return it, Your Highness.”

“No,” he said, his hand shooting out to stop me. “I think you should keep it.” His grip around my hand tightened as his smile broadened. Louder murmurs and gasps came from the crowd.

“Prince Casper, only royalty may wear the Famille De Rose ring.” An older nobleman in yellow and black velvet had stepped towards the prince, putting a warning hand on his shoulder.

Prince Casper removed the man’s hand, but his smile never wavered. If anything, it grew sharper. “Clearly, this young woman is an expert at conjuring gold.”

“Not at all,” I stammered, feeling the trap closing in. There was no getting out of this one. I quickly glanced around, desperately hoping not to see my brothers. It would be far better if they weren’t here. Devon and Jacobie were still by the wagon. Damn.

“You should have seen it. It was a miracle,” the old woman said enthusiastically. I tried not to cringe.

“You would be an asset against the fay,” Prince Casper said, looking smug. “Certainly, you would want to do anything you could to aid your kingdom against the fay. After all, with Reynallis devoting so many of our resources to protect the Sterling border, we wouldn’t want to be caught unaware. There is nothing I hate so much as my subjects being taken advantage of in a devious deception.” Whether anyone in the crowd could tell if he was talking about me or the fay, I could not surmise. But he and I both knew he saw through my deceptions. Chace’s den, my lies are piling up around him.

“Do not fear, girl. If you do this one, simple task for me, one you clearly do so well,” he said gesturing to my gold thread, “then you can keep my ring.”

“If I can spin gold, why would I need you to let me keep a gold ring?” I spat out. I was too terrified to be polite and already as good as dead.

“Clever girl,” the prince said, appraising me. “But as Lord Arnette pointed out, only royalty may wear that ring,” he said with a smile.

“What?” I asked, sure I had misunderstood his implication. The crowd let out gasps of awe and shock.

“Prince Casper, you can’t be serious,” a young noblewoman in a blue and silver gown said, her voice lilting with an accent. She and the rest of the prince’s retinue looked visibly disturbed by the idea.

“A room full of gold would aid our military efforts immensely. A fitting reward for such a dowry would be the realm itself. A woman able to protect our kingdom would deserve to be queen. Do this, ensure the safety of Reynallis, and—” He paused, piercing me with a look. “I shall make you my queen.”

Copyright © 2021 by Brandie June

Photo Content from Brandie June

Brandie June spent most of her childhood onstage or reading, as both activities let her live in fantastic stories. She moved to Los Angeles to study acting at UCLA, and eventually branched out into costume design and playwriting. While she spends most of her free time writing, she will still take any excuse to play dress-up, especially if it involves wearing a crown. She happily promotes more stories as a marketing director for kids’ films and anime. When not writing or marketing, she can often be found doing aerial arts, playing board games, drinking too much espresso, and coming up with new art projects. She lives with her husband, two spoiled rescue pups, a spoiled cat, six fish tanks, and five bookshelves. You can find out more about her at www.brandiejune.com and follow her @brandiejune.

 

Author Links:

Website: https://www.brandiejune.com/ 

Twitter: @brandiejune
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19793140.Brandie_June
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOriginalBrandieJune/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrandiejune/ 

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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WEEK ONE

JUNE 7th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

JUNE 8th TUESDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT

JUNE 9th WEDNESDAY #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog EXCERPT

JUNE 9th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More GUEST POST

JUNE 10th THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books GUEST POST

JUNE 11th FRIDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW

WEEK TWO

JUNE 14th MONDAY A Bella Fairy Tale REVIEW

JUNE 15th TUESDAY A Court of Coffee and Books REVIEW

JUNE16th WEDNESDAY Rajiv's Reviews REVIEW

JUNE 17th THURSDAY Lenissahh REVIEW

JUNE 17th THURSDAY The Momma Spot REVIEW

JUNE 18th FRIDAY A Bronx Latina Reads REVIEW

 

 

 

 

Red Hood Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Red Hood
Author: Elana K. Arnold 
Genre: YA Fantasy/Retellings/Fairy Tales
Release Date: February 25, 2020
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Synopsis:

You are alone in the woods, seen only by the unblinking yellow moon. Your hands are empty. You are nearly naked.

And the wolf is angry.

Since her grandmother became her caretaker when she was four years old, Bisou Martel has lived a quiet life in a little house in Seattle. She’s kept mostly to herself. She’s been good. But then comes the night of homecoming, when she finds herself running for her life over roots and between trees, a fury of claws and teeth behind her. A wolf attacks. Bisou fights back. A new moon rises. And with it, questions. About the blood in Bisou’s past and on her hands as she stumbles home. About broken boys and vicious wolves. About girls lost in the woods—frightened, but not alone.

Elana K. Arnold, National Book Award finalist and author of the Printz Honor book Damsel, returns with a dark, engrossing, blood-drenched tale of the familiar threats to female power—and one girl’s journey to regain it.

Red Hood is a thrilling young adult reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood that readers are sure to enjoy. There's a lot more going on throughout the story then just a fairy tale retelling. The author talks about a lot of important issues that have been a problem in our society for a long time and continue today. Mainly topics about feminism, how females have been held down and back by men in different aspects of our culture. There's a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle references throughout the story. The author takes society and peels back the layers to show the reader what really is happening without anyone noticing anymore. Bisou's experiences are extremely detailed, especially when it comes to her body and her thoughts. She feels somewhat detached but still experiences everything as any normal person would - if that even makes sense. 

There were a lot of things that I really liked about the story - the plot, the characters (especially Bisou), the writing style, and so much more. Bisou was a fascinating main character and I really liked getting to know her throughout the book. She's kind of naive and sheltered, mostly at the beginning of the book, but as the story progresses and she is faced with unsettling truths and obstacles, she changes and becomes a strong, self assured, determined, smart, and powerful girl. I liked seeing her change and grow as a character - it almost seemed like the story was a character study of Bisou along with the original genres of the book. The other major characters were well rounded and complex, mostly Meme and James. I liked getting to know them and watch how their relationships with Bisou grow and change during the story.

One big thing for me was the author's writing style. I honestly haven't really read anything like it before. The book is told from Bisou's perspective but the reader experiences the story through her eyes. The reader is referred to as "you" throughout the book but it's clear that Bisou is the main character. It's like a mix between first and second person point of view. I have to admit that it threw me at first, but once I adjusted to the writing style, I really liked it. It was definitely unique and added along with the retelling it creates something original and fresh not just in the YA genre but across a wide span of fiction out there right now. 

This is probably going to be a book that people either love or hate with little gray area in between. There are a lot of aspects that make the story really unique - the writing style, very obvious feminist themes, and a few other things. Some readers will really like this and others might not. I personally thought it was a fantastic retelling with a strong female main character, interesting and thought provoking themes, and a really cool writing style. I highly recommend it for fans of YA, fantasy, retellings, fairy tales, reimaginings, and paranormal fiction. 

ELANA K. ARNOLD is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children’s books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets.

Win a copy of RED HOOD by Elana K. Arnold (US Only)

Starts: February 18, 2020

Ends: March 3, 2020

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Kingdom of Mirrors & Roses

 

Kingdom of Mirrors & Roses: A Limited Edition of Beauty and the Beast Retellings
Genre: New Adult Fairy Tales/Fantasy
Publication Date: August 1, 2019


Description:

Beauty and the Beast, but not how you remember it

Deep in the forest, a castle hides. No one knows who lives there, but rumors of a beast keep people away.
Cloaked in shadows, hidden from view, a prince destroyed by a curse shuts himself away from the world, ashamed of the beast he’s become.

And in the village, a beautiful girl with her nose in a book, yearns for something more.

True love is the only thing that can break his curse. True love is the one thing she’s looking for, but how can they find true love when neither knows the other exists?

Find out if love really can defy all odds in this set of thirteen captivating retellings of the classic fairytale, filled with love, hope and the strength of two people willing to do whatever it takes…

One click now for your happily ever after.

Other books in the Kingdom of series…
Kingdom of Glass and Ashes (Cinderella retellings)
Kingdom of Salt and Sirens (Little Mermaid retellings)
Kingdom of Sand and Wishes (Aladdin retellings)
Kingdom of Mirrors and Roses (Beauty and the Beast retellings)
Kingdom of Thorns and Dreams (Sleeping Beauty retellings) coming soon

Goodreads / Amazon

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: The Witch's Tower by Tamara Grantham

 

The Witch’s Tower (Twisted Ever After #1)
Author: Tamara Grantham
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 11, 2019
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Description:

Gothel is a witch. Punished for the actions of her mother, her choice is simple: either she stands guard over Princess Rapunzel—or she dies. But just because a choice is easy doesn’t mean it’s pleasant. Protecting Rapunzel means watching as the princess lays trapped in a tower, bedridden by hair that is so long and heavy it’s slowly driving her insane. Gothel’s life has become one of imprisonment and solitude as well—until a prince and his handsome squire appear at the tower.

Only one object can cut Rapunzel’s hair and end the curse: a pair of magical shears. But the shears are guarded by the most terrifying witches in the land, who also happen to be Gothel’s aunts. As Gothel and the prince’s squire, Raj Talmund, work to form a plan, she finds herself more and more drawn to the mysterious young man from the Outerlands. Unfortunately, his destiny is far more dangerous than she wants to admit: to save a princess, he must kill the witch who’s been forced to guard her.

THE WITCH’S TOWER is the first in an inspired new series of fairy-tale retellings from award-winning fantasy author Tamara Grantham.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

99¢ on release week only!

Moonlight illuminated the tower as Raj and I crossed into the meadow. The handcart’s wheels squeaked as I pulled it to a stop at the base of the tower. Raj had been true to his word and purchased all the supplies we needed for winter. I couldn’t complain—I was grateful he’d done it. I only hoped he didn’t expect a miracle in return.
Now I had the chore of transporting everything into the tower. Luckily, I’d brought my largest knapsack. As I loaded vessels of lentils, bags of flour, and a few jars of syrup into my bag, Raj stood over me.
“You’re bringing all that up there?” he asked.
“It’s better than leaving it down here.”
“You really live up there all the time?”
“Yes, I only ever come out to gather edibles, or when we’re desperate for supplies.”
“But how do you get water?”
“We have a well inside the tower. Can you help me?” I tossed him an empty burlap sack. If he was so insistent on being here, he might as well help me.
“It seems like a lonely existence.”
I eyed him. Lonely? What did he know of loneliness? I didn’t feel like admitting to this stranger how desperately lonely the past five years had been, how I lay awake at night wishing I had someone to talk to, feeling as if the silence would drive me to insanity. No, he didn’t need to know any of that.
“It’s not that bad. Rapunzel isn’t one for talking, but we have a cat. His name is Jester. He keeps me company most of the time.”
“A cat?”
“Yes. He’s mostly feral. But he’s friendly enough, and he comes and goes as he pleases. He’s even learned to climb the vines to get in and out of the tower. He’s quite clever.” I adjusted the pack’s straps on my shoulders. “Now, let’s get up there before Rapunzel…” I stopped myself. “Let’s get up there.”
With the pack strapped to my back, I turned to the tower. Wind rushed past, battering my hair against my cheeks, as I prepared to speak the spell.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!” My words carried on the wind, echoing through the forest.
I waited, nervousness making my hands grow clammy as I held to the pack’s straps, but why did I feel so uneasy? Was it because Raj was with me?
I turned to him. He stood with haunting dark eyes as he watched a coil of ropy, matted hair drop from the tower’s only window high above us. I stepped to the length of hair and grabbed it, holding my breath against the scent of unwashed scalp. I never got used to that smell.
“Should I follow you?” Raj asked.
“Yes. But let me enter first.” Gripping the hair tightly, I started the climb. I made my way toward the window at the top of the tower. Halfway up, my muscles burned, and I focused on breathing to make it the rest of the way. This part was always the hardest, and the sack of supplies weighing me down wasn’t helping. Why did Varlocke have to put his daughter into such an impossibly tall tower?
When I reached the window, I grabbed the ledge. The worn stones felt smooth under my palms as I climbed over, then landed inside. As I straightened, I pulled off the pack and left it on the floor, then focused on the room. Moonlight illuminated the bare stones walls, the well sitting at the room’s center, the wooden chairs, roughly-hewn tables, huge bookcases cluttered with dusty spell journals and vials, and the bed where Rapunzel lay.
I stepped over the matted coils of hair. Pieces of rat and bird bones lay trapped in the knotted strands, seeming to glow white against the dark hair. The sound of gnawing stopped me.
She wasn’t.
“Rapunzel,” I said quietly. “What are you doing?”
The gnawing continued. I approached her on quiet feet, afraid of what I might find. Behind me, Raj scrambled inside the room.
Please don’t let it be the prince.
When I reached her side, her pale, skeleton-white skin glowed in the moonlight. She held a rat.
I exhaled, grateful it was only a rodent and not something—someone—else. A crust of bread and a handful of wild beets sat on the bedside table, but they were untouched.
Raj’s footsteps echoed, and I turned to face him. His tall, lean frame looked so out of place. Only the high sorcerer ever visited, and to have an Outlander squire inside my home unnerved me.
“Is she eating something?” he asked. “What is that?”
“Sorry. It’s the cat’s fault. He catches them and leaves them on her lap. He thinks he’s giving her a prize or something. Rapunzel does that with them sometimes—with the rats—eats them, I mean.” I stumbled over my words, feeling immeasurably mortified that Raj had to see it. But it could’ve been worse.
I approached her. She looked up, as if only seeing me now, and she hissed. With her red-rimmed eyes, it looked as if she hadn’t been sleeping, and her collarbones seemed to be protruding more than I remembered. Her white gown hung off her meatless frame, but at least it was the clean one I’d left for her. She’d managed to change clothes—at least there was that.
“Where is the prince?” Raj asked.
“I don’t know.” I scanned the room. With the large piles of hair covering the floor, he could’ve been hidden, but we should’ve seen some clue he was here—his feet or a hand poking out. Something. “You’re certain he came up here?”
“Yes, positive.”
I studied the tower more thoroughly but didn’t see anything that resembled the prince. Odd. Where was he?
“Rapunzel,” I said, turning to her, “we’re looking for a prince. Have you seen him?”
She shook her head, clutching the rat, her fingers digging into the carcass.
“Please,” Raj said. “I need to find him. His father is the king. He’ll be very sad if he loses his only son. Can’t you tell us where he is?”
Rapunzel focused on the man, but she remained silent. Outside, the sky lightened. Pink streaked through the gray as dawn approached. As the sun rose, sunlight streamed into the room, giving light to the dark places. Something thudded inside the well, and Raj followed me as I maneuvered around the coiled hair toward the raised ring of stones surrounding the deep drop that went straight through the bottom of the tower.
“Is there something in the well?” Raj asked.
“Someone probably.”
I pried open the lid. Sitting atop the wide-mouthed bucket was the prince, who stared up at us with a vacant expression. Hair coiled around him as blue bands of magic wrapped his wrists and ankles. I grabbed his tunic with both hands and attempted to lug him out. He was heavier than he looked.
“How’d he get in there?” Raj asked.
“Rapunzel. She tried to throw him down, I assume.”
“She can do that?”
“With her hair, yes. She’s clever when she’s motivated.”
“He was looking at me!” Rapunzel yelled. Well, at least she was finally speaking.

Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews.
 
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. She has been a featured speaker at multiple writing conferences, and she has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
 
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks--which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds--and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Spotlight + Pre-Order Campaign: Stain by A.G. Howard

Stain
Author: A.G. Howard
Genre: YA Fantasy/Fairy Tales/Retellings
Release Date: January 15, 2019
Publisher: Abrams/Amulet Books

Description:

A high-fantasy gothic fairytale inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea.

Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins...

After Lyra—a princess incapable of speech or sound—is cast out of her kingdom of daylight by her wicked aunt, a witch saves her life, steals her memories, and raises her in an enchanted forest ... disguised as a boy known only as Stain. Meanwhile, in Lyra's rival kingdom, the prince of thorns and night is dying, and the only way for him to break his curse is to wed the princess of daylight, for she is his true equal. As Lyra rediscovers her identity, an impostor princess prepares to steal her betrothed prince and her crown. To win back her kingdom, save the prince, and make peace with the land of the night, Lyra must be loud enough to be heard without a voice, and strong enough to pass a series of tests—ultimately proving she’s everything a traditional princess is not.  

Pre-order Stain:

WATCH FOR MY REVIEW - COMING SOON!

#1 New York Times and International bestselling Author of Gothic / Fantasy & Paranormal tales. Mystical & romantic with a side of horror. YA, NA, and Literary Romance. Repped by Jenny Bent.

A.G. was inspired to write the Splintered Series, her tribute to Carroll's Wonderland, while working at a school library. Her pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Author Links:

http://www.aghoward.com/ 

https://twitter.com/#!/aghowardwrites 

https://www.facebook.com/authoraghoward 

https://www.youtube.com/user/authoraghoward 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5186274.A_G_Howard 

http://pinterest.com/authoraghoward/ 

http://aghowardwrites.tumblr.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/aghoward_writes/ 

*Author photo and biography taken from Goodreads.*

  Preorder Stain (pictured on right) and receive:
 One Splintered prequel story booklet, one Stain enamel rose pin, and an author signed bookplate. Available to anyone 13 yrs or older in the US who preorders Stain and fills out the request form online.