The Grimmtastic Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Book #1

The Grimmtastic Girls:

Cinderella Stays Late

by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Scholastic Inc.

March 25, 2014

Ages 8 to 12

192 Pages

The authors of the hit Goddess Girls series put a fun and girly twist on another super-popular theme: fairy tales! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia... A Grimmtastic girl named Cinderella is starting her first week at Grimm Academy on the wrong foot. Cinda's totally evil stepsisters are out to make her life miserable. The Steps tease Cinda, give her terrible advice about life at the academy, and even make her look bad in front of her new friends, Red, Snow, and Rapunzel! But when Cinda overhears the Steps plotting a villainous deed that could ruin Prince Awesome's ball, Cinda, her new friends, and a pair of magical glass slippers have to stop them--before the last stroke of midnight!


     

Book #2:

Red Riding Hood Gets Lost

by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams

Scholastic Inc.

March 25, 2014

Ages 8 to 12

192 Pages

Red Riding Hood might have a terrible sense of direction, but her grimmtastic friends are always there to help! Once upon a time, in faraway Grimmlandia... Red Riding Hood is thrilled to try out for the school play. Acting is her dream, and she's great at it--too bad she has stage fright! After a grimmiserable audition, Red decides to focus on helping her friends Cinda, Snow, and Rapunzel save Grimm Academy from the E.V.I.L. Society. But when Red gets lost in Neverwood forest and runs into Wolfgang, who might be part of E.V.I.L., she needs her magic basket and a grimmazingly dramatic performance to figure out what's going on!

     

And here they are. . .

Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams!!!

Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated more than 130 children's books, including Little Red Writing (illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet) and Zero the Hero. She lives in NC and is online at www.joanholub.com

Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

   





Suzanne Williams is the author of nearly 50 books for children, including the award-winning picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg). She lives near Seattle, WA and is online at www.suzanne-williams.com

Author Blog | Goodreads

   Co-authors Joan and Suzanne have written the Goddess Girls, Heroes in Training, and Grimmtastic Girls series. Though they live in different states and hardly ever get to see each other, they spend lots of time together in Grimmlandia.

Facebook (Grimmtastic Girls) | Facebook (Goddess Girls Books)

Online Author Visits

 

$50 Book Blast Giveaway

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice) Contest ends: April 23, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the authors, Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

18-TRUTHS by Jamies Ayres

18-TRUTHS

18-THINGS Book #2

by Jamie Ayres

Curiousity Quills Press

YA Fantasy 

278 pages

Lying is unbearable, betrayal is inevitable, and choosing which path to take is impossible.

Olga Gay Worontzoff ended her senior year as an eighteen-year-old girl totally in love with Nate, enjoying their new romance and about to attend the university of her dreams. Now she’s spending her summer in the weird subculture of the Underworld, with charmingly witty and powerful angels, and problematic demons, trying to rescue Connor, the best friend and secret crush she was unable to save during a freak accident.

But Nate has other things on his mind, mainly Grace. She’s their first assignment as joint spirit guides, and Olga’s feeling hurt and jealous. His mysterious behavior has Olga questioning everything she believed about him and now she must decide whether to stick to their plan, or follow her heart. Unfortunately, a series of mistakes threatens everyone around her and plants Olga in the center of cosmic events much larger than she ever imagined.

Only one thing is certain: the chilling truths uncovered during her journey will leave no one untouched.

MY TIDBITS

A great sequel to 18—THINGS with a whole new feel. By ‘new feel’, I mean that 18—TRUTHS sets off in a whole different direction, bringing in some new characters, new stakes, and a whole new world. 

Where eighteen-year-old Olga spent 18—THINGS in her senior year of high school trying to come to terms with her best friend’s death, she now finds herself coping with life in the Underworld. The ‘real life’ feel from book 1 disappears as Olga tries to depict right from wrong in a realm where angels and demons aren’t as black and white as we're often taught to believe. 

I’ll admit, when I read the ending to book 1, I was a little skeptical about what the sequel would bring. But my worries were unfounded. Despite the totally new setting, the world comes to life. The Underworld is presented in an entirely new way with not only a complex system (which did get a little confusing at times), but with demons and angels who aren’t clearly evil or good. It was easy to understand why Olga gets herself into trouble and makes the mistakes, which lead to even greater problems later on.

The plot was fast-paced with many unexpected twists and turns—some which made me want to slap Olga (and sometimes Nate) across the face and say ‘Girl! What are you thinking?’ It definitely kept me turning from one page to the other. I liked the introduction of the new characters. Their fresh, interesting personalities added a lot of color to the story. Like in book 1, 18—TRUTHS isn’t so much about action as the inner-war of Olga as her own faith and beliefs are put to the test, and she must learn that doing the right thing involves more than ones single, personal stand-point.

It was nice to finally get to meet Conner, and Olga's inner struggle of her feelings between him and Nate were understandable - if not still frustrating at times. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of honesty between Olga and Nate, especially after the warm relationship they'd developed in book 1, but have to admit that it added a lot of tension to the entire romance side of things. Yep, at times I was totally rooting for Conner . . .and that angel. Okay, I was a fan of the angel.


This was an enjoyable read, which left me guessing until the very end. Despite minor frustrations, I really enjoyed the characters and rooted for them from one page to the next. This book takes a wonderful twist on the question of grey areas and trust in our beliefs without falling into the trap of becoming preachy. 

I can definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys Religious Youth Fantasy with a nice dash of romance.

You can find this here on Amazon!
Or here on Goodreads!

Zoe and Zak and the Tiger Temple by Lars Guignard

TIGER TEMPLE

 A Zoe and Zak Adventure, Book 3

by Lars Guignard

Fantastic Press

Middle Grade Fantasy

324 Pages

Last semester, Zoe and Zak returned the first lost Noble Truth to its rightful home. Now, Zoe and Zak are back in India for their second semester at Moonstock Himalayan Academy. School kicks off with the Activity Week Challenge in the tiny mountain kingdom of Bhutan where the students must deliver medical supplies. Things, however, take a turn for the worse, when Zak becomes deathly ill after an encounter with a strange floating bubble. On returning to Moonstock, Zoe and Zak discover that a creature has come through the lava hole far below their dormitory. When Zoe and Zak follow the creature, they soon discover what they must do. They have been tasked with finding the second lost Noble Truth — the Tiger Eye of Justice. Finding the Tiger Eye sounds like an impossible mission, and it’s only made more confusing when Zak discovers that he has been given a supernatural power to help them with their task– a power which Zak, for the life of him, just can’t control. But he’s going to have to learn how to use his new ability, because if Zoe and Zak can’t find the Tiger Eye quickly, Zak’s time will run out.

My Tidbits

This is the 3rd book in the Zoe and Zak Adventure series and my favorite so far. This time the characters,Zoe and Zak, must not only save others but also Zak,who's come down with a mysterious and deadly illness. The adventures are exciting, fantastic and creative as always, never leaving room for a single, dull moment.

As in the other two books, this one again takes place in India, letting the reader get a fun and informative glance into the cultures myths and customs. I especially enjoyed the deeper look into the geography in this one.

As in the other two books, Zoe and Zak get help from their 'friends' and must come behind some amazing secrets to get the job done--ones that kept my kids reading from one page to the next. Zoe and Zak develop wonderfully during all three books, and especially Zak takes on a leading role by the end.

This is a fun, interesting, informative and action packed series that I can definitely recommend to kids 8+.


I give this a. . .

TWO THUMBS UP!!!

You can find this here on Amazon!

And here he is. . .

Lars Guignard!!!

Prior to writing novels, Lars Guignard wrote for film and television. As a teenager he attended boarding school in the Indian Himalayas and his experiences there provided the inspiration for the Zoe and Zak series which now include: Zoe & Zak and the Ghost Leopard, Zoe & Zak and the Yogi’s Curse, and Zoe & Zak and the Tiger Temple.

He lives in the Pacific Northwest where he dodges bears and cougars while hiking & skiing the magnificent Coast Mountain Range.

For news about new releases, please join his email list by contacting the author: Zoe&ZakAdventures@gmail.com

http://www.larsguignard.com/

https://twitter.com/Lars_Gu

https://www.facebook.com/LarsGuignardAuthor

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5149795.Lars_Guignard

And here's the Giveaway!!!

Prize: One winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card (or PayPal cash).

Contest runs: January 15 to February  21, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Worldwide

How to enter: Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. The winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If a winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author Lars Guignard and Fantastic Press and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day - 18 Truths by Jamie Ayres

Yeah, it's here!  Jamie Ayres's 2nd book in here 18- THINGS series came out yesterday, and it's as enjoyable as the 1st!

18 TRUTHS

Book #2, 18 - THINGS series

by Jamie Ayres

Curiosity Quills Press

YA Fantasy 

Lying is unbearable, betrayal is inevitable, and choosing which path to take is impossible.

Olga Gay Worontzoff ended her senior year as an eighteen-year-old girl totally in love with Nate, enjoying their new romance and about to attend the university of her dreams. Now she’s spending her summer in the weird subculture of the Underworld, with charmingly witty and powerful angels, and problematic demons, trying to rescue Connor, the best friend and secret crush she was unable to save during a freak accident.

But Nate has other things on his mind, mainly Grace. She’s their first assignment as joint spirit guides, and Olga’s feeling hurt and jealous. His mysterious behavior has Olga questioning everything she believed about him and now she must decide whether to stick to their plan, or follow her heart. Unfortunately, a series of mistakes threatens everyone around her and plants Olga in the center of cosmic events much larger than she ever imagined.

Only one thing is certain: the chilling truths uncovered during her journey will leave no one untouched

Go on over and help her celebrate!

http://jamieayres.com/

(My review is coming soon)

Counting to D by Kate Scott with Giveaway!

COUNTING TO D

by Kate Scott

Elliot Books

YA Contemporary

228 pages

Expected Publication:  February 11, 2014

The kids at Sam's school never knew if they should make fun of her for being too smart or too dumb. That's what it means to be dyslexic: smart, and illiterate. Sam is sick of it. So when her mom gets a job in a faraway city, Sam decides not to tell anyone about her little illiteracy problem. Without her paradox of a reputation, she falls in with a new group of highly competitive friends who call themselves the Brain Trust. When she meets Nate, her charming valedictorian lab partner, she declares her new reality perfect. But in order to keep it that way, she has to keep her learning disability a secret. The books are stacked against her and so are the lies. Sam's got to get the grades, get the guy, and get it straight--without being able to read.

My Tidbits

I'll admit, when I see that a book is about a person with a disability, disease or handicap, I usually think 'Uh, oh...this will be preachy', but COUNTING TO D surprised me. Although Sam must face a new school and new friends while dealing with dyslexia, it was very entertaining and felt just like a 'normal' teenage, high school romance novel. 

The dialogue and scenes were very realistic, pulling me into the story right away. I really felt for Sam and had no problem rooting for her the whole way--as well as wanting to punch some of those jerky kids she ran into in the nose. The dialogue was done well and there was enough tension to keep me reading all the way to the end. As soon as I was done, I handed this to my 14 yr. old daughter, who devoured it too.

Complaints? The only one I might have is that toward the end, the dyslexia problem began to feel a little heavy, but this by no means hurt the story! The length was perfect, not too short and not too long. I also enjoyed the fact that the type was a little bigger than usual. 

Summed up, I can only recommend this to teenage girls who enjoy high school drama with a bit of romance. And give it a big. . .

TWO THUMBS UP!!!

As of February 11th, 2014, available:

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Counting-D-Kate-Scott/dp/098959470X/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_d_2

B&N page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/counting-to-d-kate-scott/1117186314?ean=9780989594707

And here she is. . .

Kate Scott!!!

Kate Scott lives in the suburbs outside Portland, Oregon with her husband Warren. Kate was diagnosed with dyslexia as a young child but somehow managed to fall in love with stories anyway. Counting to D is her first novel. When Kate isn’t writing, she enjoys listening to audiobooks, camping, and spending time with her friends and family. Kate also spends a lot of time doing math and sciency things and is a licensed professional engineer. 

You can find her:

 www.katescottwrites.com 

Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18518158-counting-to-d 

And there's a GIVEAWAY!!!

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