Stormrise Blog Tour: Top Tens List + Giveaway

Stormrise
Author: Jillian Boehme
Genre: YA Fantasy/Dragons
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Publisher: Tor Teen

Synopsis:

A combat warrior will risk everything to awaken the dragons and save her kingdom in Jillian Boehme's epic YA Fantasy debut, Stormrise, inspired by Twelfth Night and perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce.

If Rain weren’t a girl, she would be respected as a Neshu combat master. Instead, her gender dooms her to a colorless future. When an army of nomads invades her kingdom, and a draft forces every household to send one man to fight, Rain takes her chance to seize the life she wants.

Knowing she’ll be killed if she’s discovered, Rain purchases powder made from dragon magic that enables her to disguise herself as a boy. Then she hurries to the war camps, where she excels in her training—and wrestles with the voice that has taken shape inside her head. The voice of a dragon she never truly believed existed.

As war looms and Rain is enlisted into an elite, secret unit tasked with rescuing the High King, she begins to realize this dragon tincture may hold the key to her kingdom’s victory. For the dragons that once guarded her land have slumbered for centuries...and someone must awaken them to fight once more.

FAVORITE AUTHORS

1. JANE AUSTEN I’m listing these alphabetically, but Jane belongs on top, anyway—she’s my favorite author of all time. NORTHANGER ABBEY is the only one of her novels I don’t adore, and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is my number one favorite novel.

2. LEIGH BARDUGO I was late to the Grishaverse, having only read the SHADOW AND BONE trilogy last year. The SIX OF CROWS duology slew me, and I’m looking forward to the NIKOLAI duology!

3. NANCY BILYEAU She grabbed my heart with THE CROWN and never let go. THE BLUE is patiently waiting on my current TBR.

4. RAE CARSON Such a gorgeous fantasy voice! THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS trilogy is one of my favorite fantasies.

5. SUZANNE COLLINS I can’t even express how excited I am about her upcoming Panem novel!

6. KATHERINE KURTZ I grew up reading her DERYNI books, which are part of the foundation of my love for fantasy and my desire to write it.

7. PATRICIA MCKILLIP Same as above. THE RIDDLEMASTER OF HED is one of my all-time favorites.

8. MARY E. PEARSON Not only do I adore THE REMNANT CHRONICLES and DANCE OF THIEVES (and am dying to read VOW OF THIEVES, just out), but also Mary inspires me with her fearlessness and energy as a woman of a “certain age” in the publishing industry. I want to be her when I grow up! ;)

9. RUTA SEPETYS Her gorgeous prose drew me right in. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY and OUT OF THE EASY are two books that shouldn’t be missed (SALT TO THE SEA is also languishing on my TBR pile).

10. JRR TOLKIEN Of course. But to clarify—it’s LORD OF THE RINGS I adore. I’ve tried, truly, to sink my teeth into THE SILMARILLION and others. And I couldn’t. Perhaps I should try one more time.

JILLIAN BOEHME is known to the online writing community as Authoress, hostess of Miss Snark's First Victim, a blog for aspiring authors. In real life, she holds a degree in Music Education, sings with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and homeschools her remaining youngster-at-home. She's still crazy in love with her husband of more than thirty years and is happy to be surrounded by family and friends amid the rolling knolls of Middle Tennessee.

PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN

All the info for the preorder campaign is here: www.jillianboehme.com/preorder 

A direct link to ordering SIGNED/PERSONALIZED COPIES is here: https://www.parnassusbooks.net/stormrise 

Win (1) of (4) finished copies of STORMRISE by Jillian Boehme (US Only)

 Starts: September 10, 2019

Ends: September 24, 2019

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Queen of the Sea Blog Tour: Author Tens List + Giveaway

Queen of the Sea

Author: Dylan Meconis 
Release Date: June 25, 2019
Publisher: Walker Books US
Age Range: 10 - 14 years
Grade Level: 5 - 9
Hardcover: 400 pages

Description:

Cult graphic novelist Dylan Meconis offers a rich reimagining of history in this hybrid novel loosely based on the exile of Queen Elizabeth I by her sister, Queen Mary.

When her sister seizes the throne, Queen Eleanor of Albion is banished to a tiny island off the coast of her kingdom, where the nuns of the convent spend their days peacefully praying, sewing, and gardening. But the island is also home to Margaret, a mysterious young orphan girl whose life is upturned when the cold, regal stranger arrives. As Margaret grows closer to Eleanor, she grapples with the revelation of the island’s sinister true purpose as well as the truth of her own past. When Eleanor’s life is threatened, Margaret is faced with a perilous choice between helping Eleanor and protecting herself.

Praise for QUEEN OF THE SEA:

The art, reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier’s style, creates levity during perilous situations. The book is dense with dialogue, often feeling more like a work of prose than a graphic novel. As a result, this complex work will be more accessible to those familiar with graphic novels…Certain to charm sophisticated graphic novel devotees. —School Library Journal (starred review)

Meconis offers an atmospheric alternate history inspired by the childhood and succession of Queen Elizabeth I in this quietly ambitious graphic novel…Art in soft, earthy colors brings this singular story to life in styles ranging from simple line drawings to elaborately styled text illuminations. The island world is richly developed, both in its physical particulars and its close-knit community (fascinating digressions into topics such as convent time, hand gestures used at table, and chess and embroidery flesh out daily life), and Margaret proves herself an endearing heroine with a strong voice full of humor and wonder. Her perspective transforms a storm-wracked rock into a vibrant world of hidden treasures. —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Meconis’ humor and storytelling gifts here wed seamlessly with her evocative pen-and-ink and gouache illustrations, which are rendered in warm earth and sea tones and brim with movement, expressively capturing even Margaret’s interior monologues. With its compelling, complex characters and intrigue-laden plot, this will have readers hoping it’s only the first of many adventures for Meconis’ savvy heroine. —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Weaving faith, love, statecraft, and self-discovery into a tale of palace intrigue relocated to the halls of a convent on a remote island at sea, Dylan Meconis uses the trappings of the history we know to create a high-stakes adventure in an alternate past that feels so detailed and so familiar, you’ll find yourself wondering why you never read about it in school. This beautiful book swept me away from the first page.” —Kate Milford, author of the Greenglass House series

“Dylan Meconis is at the absolute top of her game. A gorgeously rendered, lovingly realized alternate history, full of personal revelations in the midst of political intrigue. A tale of growing up, and of understanding that the world is larger and stranger than it once seemed. (Plus it has a Terrible Recipe for Terrible Gruel.)” —Ben Hatke, author-illustrator of the Zita the Spacegirl series

“This is the book I was always trying to get my hands on in high school that never seemed to materialize. An adventure to lose yourself in, with an attention to historical detail to please the nerdiest among us. I fell easily and completely into this world and its characters, knowing I was safe in Dylan Meconis’s hands, and I’m really excited for more people to find out what I’ve known for a long time—that she is one of a kind.” —Kate Beaton, author-illustrator of Hark! A Vagrant

You can purchase Queen of the Sea at the following Retailers:

        

Ten Facts about QUEEN OF THE SEA

 

1) The title was the first thing I knew about the book. I have a mental list of titles in search of stories, and “Queen of the Sea” is one of the oldest ones. It dates back to my childhood!

2) When I was watercolor-painting the final art for the book, I only messed up one page so badly that I had to start over. My artwork itself looks very tidy, but everybody who knows what a klutz I can be when it comes to cups of coffee, bottles of ink, etc. will find this shocking.

3) The little ballad that Eleanor sings when practicing on her lute is a song I composed in high school, for a prose story that I’ve since lost. The song has been stuck in my head for the last umpteen years, so it seemed like it deserved a second chance at life on the page. I’d like to record it when the book releases!

4) I researched most of the plant and animal species in the book very carefully. Just about everything you see actually would have existed in the British isles in the 16th century. I really enjoyed researching the history of goats in particular, and I was delighted to find out that the old goat breeds of Scotland and England were very shaggy and had enormous horns.

5) All the embroidery in the book is real. I designed most of the letters and images, and then my studiomate Erika Moen turned them into actual stitches. I scanned the fabric and color-adjusted the thread to be colors that existed in the period and fit the color scheme of the painted art in the rest of the book.

6) I accidentally gave the evil queen in the book the same first name as…my wife. So I changed the spelling. Problem solved! (According to me. Not to my wife.)

7) Almost all of the book is painted in just three unmixed watercolors: Yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and Payne’s Grey. The places where they combine to make colors like green or purple were made by overlapping layers of those colors on the paper, not by mixing them together into a new color of paint.

8) Saint Elysia is not a real Christian saint – she’s unique to this story. A lot of real saints have been demoted by having their feast days removed from the liturgical calendar because their actual existence isn’t well-documented enough.

9) I designed all the fonts inside the book. The word balloons use a variation on my normal hand-lettering style, which I call “Audric” after a character whose dialogue needed a slightly swishy appearance. The script-style captions are based on Queen Elizabeth I’s handwriting from a letter she wrote when she was twenty.

10) When drawing and painting, I “watched” (ie, mostly listened to) a lot of stuff on Netflix. This book took so much work that I listened to every single episode of Forensic Files, Psych, Supernatural, Columbo, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend at least once. Several of them twice.

Photo Content from Dylan Meconis

I’ve been writing and illustrating my own stories since the first grade, and I’ve been making comic books since middle school (no, really! Seventh grade was a tough year for me socially, so I had a lot of time to draw). I started my first book-length comic (graphic novel) in high school.

Unlike a lot of people who become professional artists and authors, I didn’t go to art school or a creative writing program in college. Instead, I mostly studied history, literature, philosophy, and French in the College of Letters at Wesleyan University. This means I have a brain full of weird facts, old books, strange art, and the extremely useful ability to read The Tales of Canterbury in the original Middle English. Except for the Middle English bit, it’s all come in very handy for writing and drawing historical fiction and fantasy.

I first started to get paid for making comics when I was still in college, when my first graphic novel was published online. After college, I worked as a graphic designer and visual communications consultant (which means “person who helps teach adults complicated stuff in cool new ways using pictures”). I’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies, global charities, technology companies, libraries, and a lot of other interesting organizations. I’ve made illustrations, animations, information graphics and cool presentations, explaining everything from how microchips work to the ways that clean drinking water can help communities in the third world.

For the last ten years, though, I mostly work as a writer, comic book creator and illustrator! Sometimes I make books totally by myself, and sometimes I get to team up with other writers or artists. It can be lots of fun, but it can also be very hard work. Luckily, I never get tired of making new stories.

        

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

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WEEK ONE

JUNE 24th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

JUNE 25th TUESDAY A Dream Within A Dream TENS LIST

JUNE 26th WEDNESDAY BookHounds YA REVIEW & INTERVIEW 
JUNE 26th WEDNESDAY Triquetra Reviews EXCERPT
JUNE 28th THURSDAY Cover2CoverBlog REVIEW

JUNE 27th THURSDAY Wishful Endings FILL IN THE BLANKS

JUNE 28th THURSDAY TTC Books and More TENS LIST

JUNE 29th FRIDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT 

WEEK TWO

JULY 1st MONDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW
JULY 2nd TUESDAY Book Queen Reviews REVIEW 
JULY 3rd WEDNESDAY Sabrina's Paranormal Palace REVIEW

JULY 3rd WEDNESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

JULY 4th THURSDAY Wonder Struck REVIEW

JULY 4th THURSDAY Such a Novel Idea REVIEW & PLAYLIST

JULY 5th FRIDAY Bri's Book Nook REVIEW

JULY 5th FRIDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

 

The Isle of Gold Blog Tour: Tens List + Giveaway

The Isle of Gold (Daughters Jones Trilogy)
Author: Seven Jane
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Publisher: Black Spot BooksPaperback: 248 pages

Description:

Mystery, Myth & Magic Meet in an Epic Adventure of Two Women Lost at Sea—
and the Secret that Binds Them Together

AN ORPHAN DISGUISED AS A PIRATE SETS SAIL FOR A MYSTICAL ISLAND IN HOPES OF UNRAVELING THE MYSTERIES OF HER PAST

The year is 1716—the Golden Age of Pirates. An orphan who sleeps in the dusty kitchens of a quayside brothel, Merrin Smith is desperate to unravel the secrets of her past and find the truth about the events that brought her to the Caribbean island of Isla Perla as a child. Disguised as a sailor, and with the help of her longtime friend Claudette, Merrin joins the crew of the pirate ship Riptide, helmed by the notorious Captain Erik Winters. Tenacious and rumored a madman, Winters is known as much for his ruthlessness as for his connection to the enigmatic and beautiful proprietress of the Goodnight Mermaid, Evangeline Dahl, who vanished from Isla Perla two summers before.

At sunset the Riptide sails for the mythical island of Bracile, a place hidden between air and sea and that exists only for a moment every two years, and which has never returned any man who has sailed for its shores. The journey will be perilous and long, and it will take Merrin far away from the only home she’s ever known. Because she can read, Merrin will serve as the Captain’s apprentice, deciphering old texts for clues to the island’s whereabouts as the ship sails through haunted, frozen waters and into the very heart of the ocean. As she struggles to navigate the rough, seafaring life aboard a pirate ship, Merrin must keep her identity hidden from the scrupulous gaze of not only Captain Winters, but also Mister Brandon Dunn, the ship’s surly, legend-spouting quartermaster, and Tom Birch, the charming boatswain Merrin can’t help but feel drawn to.

As the Riptide makes its way to Bracile, Merrin begins to suspect that the men she has worked so hard to deceive may in fact be more connected to her than she would have imagined, and that perhaps her own past might have more to do with the Dunn’s legends and myths than she ever could have guessed.

In The Isle of Gold [Black Spot Books, October 9, 2018] Merrin Smith must face perilous waters, cursed sea goddesses, and the embodiments of some of the ocean’s most terrifying legends as she not only struggles to survive her journey, but to find the answers to the mysteries of her past.

A story where history meets fantasy, The Isle of Gold is an epic, emotional adventure of two women—one desperate to save herself, and the other determined to be rescued—and the secret which binds them together.

“For as long as men have sailed the ocean, they have told stories about the sea,” says Jane. “It’s a place of mystery, myth, and magic—and this makes The Isle of Gold a perfect setting for an epic adventure that is not only a tale of historical fiction, but of the very evolution of a woman’s spirit as she seeks to find herself in a world of unpredictability and uncertainty.”

“There is an old saying that ‘the cure for anything is saltwater—tears, sweat, or the sea.’ In The Isle of Gold, Merrin’s journey requires all three.” 

Praise for THE ISLE OF GOLD:

“Part fairytale, part fantasy, part romance, Jane’s debut is full of colorful characters [and] a plot that will thrill the heart of any lover of magic, legends, and epic adventure.” —Booklist

"Jane weaves a tale of myth and magic...This tempting novel will entrance." —Publishers Weekly

"A delightful, well researched and evocative historical fantasy that succeeds in bringing a fascinating era to life.” —Midwest Book Review

                                                

You can purchase The Isle of Gold at the following Retailers:

        

Ten facts about THE ISLE OF GOLD

1. Frost flowers, green flashes of light, and spontaneous maelstroms are all real ocean phenomenon.

2. Salmagundi was a real dish served on pirate ships—and there would have been lots and lots of rum and wine.

3. The Riptide is based off a real 17th century pirate ship, a galleon, similar to Blackbeard’s infamous ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

4. Davy Jones is a fictional character, a legend, a euphemism for the bottom of the sea, and possibly a real man.

5. The Caleuche is a real ship of Chilote mythology, and the mythical island of Bracile is also referenced in 14th century sailor’s writings.

6. Racism was rampant even in the 17th century, even among pirates. It would have been rare to see a person of color in a position of respect on a pirate vessel. Jomo’s position of a cook was a highly respected position.

7. Both Jomo’s ritual scarification and Rabbie’s starry navigation are historically accurate.

8. There is only one known incident of pirates making someone walk the plank. No one walks planks in The Isle of Gold, but all the swords and weapons used were real.

9. Caulking a ship is a real process, and so was vaping!

10. Bracile’s black sands and large blocks of beach-bound ice were modeled after the real Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, or Diamond Breach, in Iceland.

 

Photo Content from Seven Jane

Seven Jane is an author of dark fantasy and speculative fiction. Her debut novel, The Isle of Gold, was published by Black Spot Books in October 2018. 

Seven is a member of The Author's Guild and Women's Fiction Writing Association. She writes a weekly column for WFWA's Industry News newsletter, and is a regular contributor to The Nerd Daily.

She is represented by Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management and supported by Smith Publicity.

        

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

  

PART ONE

APRIL 8th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

APRIL 9th TUESDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

APRIL 10th WEDNESDAY Adventures Thru Wonderland REVIEW

APRIL 11th THURSDAY Book Briefs GUEST POST

APRIL 11th THURSDAY Stephanie's Life of Determination REVIEW

APRIL 12th FRIDAY Wishful Endings REVIEW & FILL IN THE BLANKS

PART TWO

APRIL 13th SATURDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW 

APRIL 13th SATURDAY Port Jericho REVIEW 

APRIL 13th SATURDAY A Bronx Latina Reads REVIEW

APRIL 14th SUNDAY A Dream Within A Dream TENS LIST

APRIL 14th SUNDAY Lisa Loves Literature INTERVIEW

APRIL 14th SUNDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friendroid Blog Tour: Tens List + Giveaway

 
Friendroid
Author: M.M. Vaughan
Release Date: March 26, 2019
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Age Range: 8 - 12 years
Grade Level: 3 - 7
Hardcover: 384 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1481490656
ISBN-13: 978-1481490658

Description:

Stranger Things meets robots in this sweet story about an unlikely friendship between two boys—one human, one android.

Eric Young is an android, but he doesn’t know. He does know that he’s just moved to Ashland, so it’s important to make the right kind of friends—the kind that would be interested in skateboarding and the new Slick sneakers his Uncle Martin sends him.

Danny Lazio doesn’t have any friends, but he doesn’t care. Even if his classmates don’t accept him, he still has Land X, the online role play game that he’s actually really good at. But then Eric takes an interest in Land X, and suddenly Danny thinks he might have found a real friend…if he can figure out the mystery behind Eric’s sudden disappearances and strange lifestyle.

It becomes harder to ignore the weird events that happen only around Eric. But uncovering the secret behind Eric’s identity is an act that might cost them both as powerful forces soon move in around them.

This heartfelt story about friendship and what it means to be human is sure to tug at your soul—or your soul-chip if you’re like Eric. 

Praise for FRIENDROID:

"A timely parable for this generation of digital natives." ―Kirkus

"Vaughan presents another noteworthy sf middle-grade offering peppered with mystery." ―Booklist

"For middle-grade readers who are ready to fight the power." ―Publishers Weekly

You can purchase Friendroid at the following Retailers:

       

Ten Favorite Reads Ever
 

1. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

2. Secret History, by Donna Tartt

3. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

4. Oedipus, by Sophocles

5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling

6. Nineteen Eighty Four, by George Orwell

7. Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham (not as racy as the title suggests!)

8. The Dice Man, by Luke Rhinehart

9. Perfume, by Patrick Süskind

10. Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

Photo Content from M.M. Vaughan

The daughter of South American parents, Monica Meira Vaughan grew up in Spain before moving to London at the age of five where she learnt English by watching Sesame Street and reading every Roald Dahl book she could get her hands on. On leaving school, and after a brief stint in public relations, Monica decided to train as a primary school teacher. She spent over ten years working in special needs, mostly with children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, before becoming a full time writer.

Monica loves writing after midnight, building cardboard cities and playing Lego with her daughter. She lives in London, UK.

        

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WEEK ONE

MARCH 18th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW 

MARCH 19th TUESDAY Sabrina's Paranormal Palace REVIEW

MARCH 20th WEDNESDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT

MARCH 21st THURSDAY Twirling Book Princess TENS LIST 

MARCH 22nd FRIDAY Cover2CoverBlog EXCERPT 

WEEK TWO

MARCH 25th MONDAY TTC Books and More TENS LIST 

MARCH 26th TUESDAY RhythmicBooktrovert REVIEW

MARCH 27th WEDNESDAY Kelly P's Blog EXCERPT 

MARCH 28th THURSDAY Wishful Endings FILL IN THE BLANKS 

MARCH 29th FRIDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

MARCH 29th FRIDAY Ms. Cat's Honest World REVIEW

WEEK THREE

APRIL 1st MONDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW 

APRIL 2nd TUESDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

APRIL 3rd WEDNESDAY The Avid Reader REVIEW 

APRIL 3rd WEDNESDAY Stephanie's Life of Determination REVIEW

APRIL 4th THURSDAY Port Jericho REVIEW & TENS LIST 

APRIL 5th FRIDAY BookHounds YA REVIEW & INTERVIEW