"Sew It's A Quest" Review

About the Book
Robin and Robert are royal twins. They are the only two to have received a Fairy Godmother gift in nearly a century, an amazing honor. Soon it was clear that their gifts had been switched and a search began to find the Fairy Godmother to right the mistake. When she is finally sighted by a knight, the family learns that the pair must find her for themselves and they only have until their 18th birthday ... only 4 months away. Will they be able to find her in time?


My Review
Sew It's a Quest took me on a wild ride through many fairy tale retelling with hilarious twists.  I must say I enjoyed it.

 I loved each and every one of the character's voices.  Robin is headstrong and says whatever she thinks.  Robert is more reserved and doesn't talk a lot.  Rosamond speaks in an archaic, dreamlike manner.  Doranna mixes up words (though this does get distracting at times).

The plot.  Well, the plot is fantastic..yet surprisingly simple.  It revolves around Robin and Robert trying to get their gifts switched.  Just like any quest, things happen along the way.  This book Also has many fairy tales in one.

There is one thing I didn't like about it, however.  (Warning, this next part has some spoilers.)  I didn't like how Robin and Eric's relationship unfolds.  I like them together, but I think their relationship growth should have taken longer.  To me it seemed like they hated one another, spent a couple of days together playing chess, and then decided to get married. (End spoilers.)

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  I do recommend it!

About the Author
Kendra E. Ardnek has been writing her own stories since she was a toddler. She fell in love with books, drama, and fairy tales at a very young age - and has been filling notebooks with her stories for years. Joining NaNoWriMo gave her an opportunity to be a published author at 16.

She writes her blog, homeschools, cooks, knits, and crafts when she isn't writing stories and acting them out with her younger cousins and siblings.

The Isle-World Chronicles - Episode 2 - The Chase

Warning before reading: I have been very busy with Camp NaNoWriMo and was not able to edit this episode much.

If you missed the first episode, you can read it here: The Isle-World Chronicles - Episode 1

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Logged From Mars 11/28/8549 14:54

     "Captain," a twenty-something crew member burst into the captain's quarters.  "The radar has detected a ship following us."
     Nova Rae stared at her breakfast, not wanting to look as if she was listening to their conversation.
     "Did it say who it belonged to?" Captain Antoinette said.
     "No, captain.  It came up as 'private'."
     There is technology that can do that?
     Captain Antoinette slammed her fist on the table.  "It must be the authorities.  I'm coming up there." She got up and left.
     Nova Rae released the breath she did not know she was holding.  She didn't eat anything else.
     The captain's food was left on the table until it was cold.  No one knew when she would be back.       
Nova Rae waited for a while, not sure what to do with herself.  Should she get up and leave?  Should she stay and wait?

     What was her the captain doing?

     Curiosity got the better of her and she went up on deck.  Sure enough, a shiny silver ship followed them.  It wasn't like any ship she had ever seen.  In fact, it wasn't shaped like a normal ship at all.            Maybe space ships were like that.

     Nova Rae glanced up to where the captain stood barking orders.

     "Evasive maneuver 32!" Captain Antoinette shouted.
     The ship lurched to the left.  Nova Rae yelped.  It lurched right.
     "Surrender, now!" The voice came from the ship that was following them.   "Surrender you and your ship, Captain Antoinette."
     The captain bellowed more orders.  "Don't do as they say.  Keep doing evasive maneuvers."
     "You have twenty seconds to surrender or we will open fire."
     Nova Rae's stomach turned over.  Surrender, Mom.  Please.
     "Prepare the cannons," Captain Antoinette said.  There would be no surrender.
     There would be a fight.

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There will not be an episode next week due to me being on vacation.

Tally ho!  Cheery bye!  Until we next meet!
-Alea Harper

I Won Camp NaNoWriMo!

I just won Camp NaNoWriMo!

Have you won yet?  How are you doing on your word count?

"Shadowhand" Review

By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves, handsome and dispossessed Lionheart, but his cousin, the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. As her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory.

But Foxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril, a world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway, a world invaded by a lethal parasite. 

A world that is hauntingly familiar.

My Review
Best tale yet.

I have always thought Lady Daylily a very intriguing character.  Now we get to see inside her head; see who she really is.  We get some more of Lionheart, but not too much because _______________. (Sorry, spoilers.)  Foxbrush is the main character, and we see him for who he really is, not for who Lionheart sees him as.  Eanrin and Imraldera also come back!  Along with ______.  (Spoilers again!)

The plot....oh the plot...there are no words to describe how utterly awesome it is.  The way everything is weaved together...wow.  Just wow.  And there is a hint of time travel in this story.

About the Author

Anne Elisabeth is the award-winning author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, a series of fantasy adventure novels told in the classic Fairy Tale style. She is married to the handsome man she met at fencing class and lives with him, a gaggle of cats, and one long-suffering dog in NC.

"Dragonwitch" Review

About the Book

Submissive to her father's will, Lady Leta of Aiven travels far to meet the future King of the North Country and a prospective husband she neither knows nor loves.

 
But within the walls of his castle, all is not right. Vicious night terrors plague Lord Alistair. Whispers rise from the family crypt. The reclusive castle Chronicler, Leta's tutor and friend, possesses a secret so dangerous it could cost his life and topple the entire nation.
 
And far away in a hidden kingdom, a flame burns atop the Citadel of the Living Fire. Acolytes and priestesses serve their goddess to the limits of their lives and deaths. No one is safe while the Dragonwitch searches for the sword that slew her twice...and for the hero who can wield it.

My Review

This took me a little while to read.  I was really busy, but I finished it the first day on vacation.  Oh man was it good.  :)  Goldstone Wood becomes more magical with each book.  The first line of the book is absolutely amazing.  I laughed.  I cried.  Now please go read the book.  :)

About the Author

Anne Elisabeth is the award-winning author of the Tales of Goldstone Wood, a series of fantasy adventure novels told in the classic Fairy Tale style. She is married to the handsome man she met at fencing class and lives with him, a gaggle of cats, and one long-suffering dog in NC.

How to Make A Movie Trailer For Your Book

Greetings, dear readers!

I'm sure you have dreamed of your book being turned into a movie at some point or another.  I know I have.  Or maybe you have envisioned your movie all packed into one epic book trailer.

So, here is how you can make a book trailer for your book (or someone else's).

1. Make sure you have the correct costumes and actors for your book.  They don't have to be exactly perfect, but you want them to be as close as possible.

2. Make a list of key scenes and lines for the trailer.  Is where a powerful line your main character says?  A key part that needs to be in there?

3. Find the perfect movie trailer music.  Make sure you are using music that either you have the rights for or it is copyright free.  You may also want to mix a couple of songs together.  The program I like to use is called Audacity.  It's free and isn't too complicated.

4. Figure out what camera angles you are going to use for the scenes.  Make a storyboard if you want.  Here is an article I found all about camera angles.  http://www.mediaknowall.com/camangles.html

5. Film the trailer.  Film what you have planned with your actors dressed up!  Make sure to get enough footage to fill up the time of the music.

6. Edit the footage.  Now it is time for my favorite part of this whole process.  This is the part where you really get to create the mood with cuts in sync with the music and what not.  Here you can also add title slides that tell the viewer what the story is about!

7. Share it with the world!  Put it on YouTube or keep it for yourself.  Make sure your actors are okay with having their faces on the Internet before sharing it.  :)

Update: 7/24/2016

Here's the first one I made:

And the second...

Have you ever made a book trailer?  Did you make it by yourself?  Did you make it with a team?  Comment below!

Tally ho!  Cheery bye!  Until we next meet!

-Alea Harper

If You Find Yourself With A Case of Writer's Block...Write

Greetings, my dear readers!

Before I begin the actual post, I would like to thank my followers for reading what I put out there.  You are what keep me blogging.  Each time one of you clicked follow, I got very excited.  You have encouraged me a lot!  Now I would like to do something for you!  You can now comment here on my blog!

Thank you for being awesome!

Now for the actual post.

I don't know about you, but I seem to have writer's block...a lot.  Sometimes it's just creative block, I don't have the motivation to do anything.  I know there are so many blog posts out there that have suggestions, but I feel I need to put mine in the mix.

I find what works best is the combination of word wars and keep on writing.  Don't just stand there and wait for the road block to go away.  Write around it; over it; under it.  Oh, and an epic soundtrack helps!

Here are some of my favorites:

Soundfuel - This site has playlists for almost every genre!

National Treasure

Treasure Planet

The Chronicles of Narnia

How do you defeat Writer's Block?  What is your favorite writing music?

Tally ho!  Cheery bye!  Until we next meet!

-Alea Harper

I'm Back from Vacation

Greetings, dear readers!

I have just returned from an epic U.S. History vacation!

"Was it fun?" you ask.

YES.

"Did you come up with story ideas?"

Of coarse!

So here is a bit about it...

First, we stayed in Charlotte, North Carolina for a couple of days.  Then, we moved on and visited Appomattox Court House (not to be confused with a courthouse).  This is where Lee surrendered to Grant, beginning the end of the Civil War.

Photo courtesy of my grandfather

Then, we moved on to Montecello (Thomas Jefferson's home) and Luray Caverns.

Montecello

Luray Caverns.  Isn't it beautiful?

After that, we moved on to Manassas.  This is where the battles of Bull Run took place.  (This is also known as the Battle of Manassas.)

Manassas

Then it was on to Washington D.C.!  We stayed there for 5 days, including watching the 4th of July fireworks and getting soaked on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Photo courtesy of my grandfather.  :)  If you look closely at the
Lincoln Memorial, we hid from the rain by the second column
to the left.

While in D.C. we ate at this FANTASTIC restaurant called "We The Pizza".  Isn't that just the greatest name?

Continuing our U.S. History "Tour" we moved on to Gettysburg, PA.  This is where one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War took place.

Gettysburg from Little Round Top

We bought a CD audio tour, which was fantastic, but didn't finish it because it was taking way longer than they said.  LOL

We drove down to Williamsburg, Virginia next.  It was my favorite part of the trip.  All of the people who worked there were dressed in colonial clothing and played certain parts as if it were one big improv play.  One day moves through the entire Revolutionary War.  A ton of story ideas there...

Williamsburg

The Capitol at Williamsburg

Our last stop took us to Charleston, South Carolina.  Here we saw Fort Sumter, where the first shot was fired in the Civil War.  We also took a carriage tour and ate at Poogin's Porch!

That concludes my little spiel about my travels.

Tally ho!  Cheery bye!  Until we next meet!

-Alea Harper

Half-Blood Blog Tour - Review + GIVEAWAY

About the Book

The gasps and murmuring grew. Though some were hardly more than whispers, clear words reached Jace’s ears—dangerous, monster, animal, soulless. He tried to back away from their accusing eyes, but the collar pulled hard against his throat and held him in place. 

For all his years as a slave, Jace has known nothing but the hatred people hold for his mixed blood—one half human, the other half the blood of a race considered monsters. Always, he is the outsider and quickly learns it is better to keep to himself. But, when his volatile ryrik blood leads him to do the unthinkable, he is thrown into a world of violence and bloodshed. 

Forced to become a gladiator, Jace finds more and more of his heart dying as his master works to break down his will not to become the monster everyone believes he is. When a stranger interferes with his master’s harsh punishment, Jace’s world is upended yet again. But with it comes the possibility of hope that has long since died. Could the man possibly hold the key to escaping the hopeless darkness that is Jace’s life? Is there such a thing as life beyond the cruelty of slavery? 

See where Jace’s story all began . . .

My Review

I must admit, I had very high expectations for this book.  Jace has been my favorite character in Ilyon pretty much since chapter 1 of Resistance.  Jaye told us that he had a tragic past a little in Resistance, but this is where we get the full story.  This book fully met my expectations.  I cried.  Oh did I cry.  Sometimes I forced myself to put it down and wait until I was in private so I could cry.  The beginning of the book features a 6-year-old Jace that makes me want to give him a big hug even more.

Like Jaye's other books, Half-blood is fantastically written with well thought out plot and characters.

Do I recommend it?

YOU BET!

Discover Ilyon in Resistance and The King’s Scrolls.

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About the Author

Jaye L. Knight is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless tea addict with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Etsy, and on her new fiction forum where you can interact with other readers of the series.

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Giveaway

Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a themed giveaway pack! Prizes include an autographed copy of Half-Blood, a blue feather bookmark hand crafted by Jaye, a bronze sword pendant, and a $5 Amazon gift card! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)


Click this link to enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1f7330c116/

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

I was nominated for this award by Bailey at The Curiosity Collections.  Thank you so much, Bailey!  You are so sweet for nominating me.  :)

And here are the rules for this tag:

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you, linking back to their site.
2. Put the Award logo on your blog.
3. Answer the ten questions sent to you.
4. Make up ten new questions for your nominees to answer.
5. Nominate ten blogs.

So here are the questions given to me by Bailey.

1. Are there any other writers in your family? 

Yes!  My younger sister is a writer.

2. What are your other hobbies besides writing?

My other hobbies would be reading, filmmaking, and travelling.  (Does travelling count as a hobby?)

3. Waffles or pancakes?

Pancakes.

4. Do you collect anything?

Books.  Books.  Books.  I am outgrowing my new bookshelf already...

5. Who is your favorite Avenger?

Can I pick 3?  No...okay...my favorite is probably Hawkeye.  

6. Do you play any instruments?

Unfortunately not.  :( I do want to learn the violin sometime, however.

7. What is your favorite character you've ever written?

Definitely the MC of my Sleeping Beauty retelling.

8. What is your favorite character you've ever read?

I have 2.  Eanrin from Tales of Goldstone Wood and Jace from the Ilyon Chronicles.  I have to say that Parvin from A Time to Die gets honorable mention.  They are all awesome!!!

9. Do you prefer to write short or long works?

Long.  With long works I can make so much more happen!

10. What was the last absolutely stupendous book you read?

Dragonwitch

I'm going to pass on tagging people this time around.

Tally ho!  Cheery bye!  Until we next meet!

-Alea Harper