Midnight's Curse Blog Tour--Author Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm helping to celebrate the release of Midnight's Curse, book two in the Beyond the Tales series by my good friend, Tricia Mingerink! Beyond the Tales is a series of fairy tale retellings with hints of allegorical elements set in a world based on the Appalachian Mountains.

Don't miss the giveaway at the end of this blog post nor the invite to the Facebook party for more giveaways!

About the Book

The glass slippers might be her dreams come true...or her worst nightmare. 

High King Alexander rules the Seven Kingdoms of Tallahatchia—a divided nation on the brink of yet another war. When an invitation arrives from the king of Pohatomie, Alex knows it must be a trap, but could it also be his opportunity to unite the kingdoms?

Daemyn Rand has lived a hundred years, served an arrogant prince, fallen in love with a princess, and lost himself somewhere along the way. He has already died for his loyalty. Will standing at the high king’s side cost him his last chance to truly live?

Elara Ashen is a lowly, miserable servant. All she wants is to spend even one night in a fancy dress dancing with the high king. When she is offered a pair of glass slippers, it seems that all her dreams have come true.

But dreams have a price, and gifts can be curses in disguise. What will it cost to stop this curse from tearing Tallahatchia apart yet again?

Fairy tales meet the Appalachian Mountains in this adventurous fantasy retelling of the classic Cinderella story.

Add to Goodreads - Buy on Amazon

The first book in the series Dagger's Sleep, a Sleeping Beauty retelling where the prince is cursed to sleep and the princess must wake him, is on sale for $.99 on Kindle! Follow this link to snag this deal while it lasts!

Author Interview

What was the first story you ever wrote?

Technically, my first story was a picture book I drew with my crayons when I was 2 about a family of talking horses. It was filled with cutesy stories about the baby horse getting a magical goose and going on vacation with her parents…and getting mauled by both a lion and a tiger at different points with liberal use of my red crayon to make realistic dripping blood.

Did I mention I grew up on a farm? Apparently even at 2 I knew about dripping blood.

After that, I moved on to short story fairy tale retellings and from there gradually lengthening fantasy stories.

What do you typically turn to for the most inspiration?

Hikes in the woods are my favorite, but when that’s not possible, then reading some of my favorite books usually reminds me why I love stories so much. Watching some of my favorite princess movies also works.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would it be?

I would love to spend a day with Betty Zane. She lived on the frontier of Ohio back in the 1700s, and she was pretty cool. Zane Grey wrote about her since she was an ancestor of his, and that was one of the first Zane Grey books I read. Betty Zane dashed across an open space during an attack to fetch more gun powder for the fort. No one shot at her at first because everyone was too stunned, but even though she was shot at during her return trip running across the open field toting a sack of gunpowder, she made it to the fort without injury and the fort and those inside were saved.

What are three random facts about you that most people probably wouldn’t know?

1. I’m not a great cook. I’ve been getting better with practice, but I apparently don’t have the most discerning taste buds, so the whole “season to taste thing” is beyond me.

2. Thanks to those weird taste buds, I don’t like coffee or tea. Both of them taste super bitter to me. I don’t like Pepsi or Coke either. Um, yeah. I’m picky. It’s pretty much Mountain Dew level sweetness or water.

3. I love Barbie movies. The original 10 or so, at least. They are so adorable and girlie and even tomboy me adores them.

And because I’m sure all of us fangirls have “book/fictional boyfriends,” who is one fictional character you would particularly love to date? ;)

I fangirl as much as the next girl, but I’m not one to imagine myself “dating” the characters or picking a fictional boyfriend. Most of them are already taken anyway, lol.

I’m just going to cheat and list one of your characters and two of mine.

Jace or Leith would be fun, lol. Though, my personality would probably fit better with Daemyn. He’s a quieter soul than Leith, and I’m a lot more like Rosanna than I am Renna. 

About the Author

Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country. You can connect with Tricia on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Facebook Party!

 

 The Facebook party should be a blast with giveaways of Midnight's Curse, Dagger's Sleep, and over ten other Cinderella retellings by indie authors! Follow this link to join the Facebook party.

Giveaway!

 

Enter to win signed copies of Dagger's Sleep and Midnight's Curse (it will be the actual copy, not a proof copy as shown) as well as a Currently Reading 4oz candle from Novelly Yours Candles. Due to shipping, the giveaway is open to the US only. Void where prohibited. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday – August 5

• The Florid Sword – Author Interview & Book Review
• Scribeheart – Author Interview

Tuesday – August 6 – Release Day!

• The Music of a Story – Book Review
• Jaye L. Knight – Author Interview
• Perfectly Quirky in Every Way – Book Review

Wednesday – August 7

• Liv K. Fisher – Author Interview
• Blooming with Books – Author Interview & Book Review
• TJ’s Musing – Book Review

Thursday – August 8

• Imperial Scribis – Author Interview
• Dream Write Now – Author Interview & Book Review
• Morgan Huneke – Author Interview

Friday – August 9

• The Page Dreamer – Book Spotlight
• Elizabeth Koetsier – Book Spotlight
• Brie Donning – Book Review
• Facebook Party 8-10PM EST

Saturday – August 10

• Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors – Book Review
• M.H. Elrich – Book Review

Kill the Beast Blog Tour—Guest Post

Today I have a guest post by author Michele Israel Harper for the release of her book, Kill the Beast! This is especially fun considering I got to meet Michele at Realm Makers this last July, which I was super excited about. :D So, without further ado, here is her post!

Kill the Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Jaye! I am honored to be your guest as I chat about my new release, Kill the Beast.

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale in the entire world.

When I was a little girl, it was the fact that Belle had brown hair and brown eyes like me—unlike the other blonde Disney princesses at the time—and loved books almost as much as I did that made me connect to the story as deeply as I did. I also adored castles, and imagining having one all to myself, with a kind beast as my friend who later became a handsome prince . . . sigh.

It was the perfect fairy tale.

Then I read Madame Villeneuve’s version, the original La Belle et la Bête. Wow! There is so much more to the story! True, it meanders quite a bit, and I truly wish she had more dialogue instead of simply telling us what they said—and some of it may be a tad on the dramatic side—but I fell even more in love with Beauty and her Bête as I studied Villeneuve’s writings for my book.

Did you know the servants are still at the castle, but they’re invisible? (And then later they show up as monkeys and apes and peacocks?) Did you know the guests have been turned to stone, and the prince into a Bête—not just a beast, but a stupid beast, which is the word’s dual meaning in French?

Then a kind fairy gives a counter-curse so he won’t actually be stupid, but just have to appear that way? That he and his mother, the queen, can never say what happened, or the curse becomes permanent? And Beauty’s biggest lament, besides wanting to see her family again, is that he seems stupid and offers her no stirring conversation?

And then, and then, the prince’s mother is a warrior queen who is off on a campaign, protecting the realm, while the curse plays out? That fairies have a huge role in La Belle et la Bête? That Beauty herself is half-fairy? (And blonde, which makes me laugh so hard after my childish reason for connecting with her so deeply. And yes, I spell feminine “blonde” with an “e” because I have taken so much French in my life. Lol!)

Oh. My. Goodness! There is so much good story fodder here!

I certainly didn’t use everything, and what I did use I twisted to my heart’s content to make it my own, but I had no idea how different the original tale was from Disney’s retelling.

My Ro is a huntress, hired by the mysterious Gautier to kill a beast who has cursed their realm, taking it in a completely different direction than Madame Villeneuve’s or Disney’s.

And since I love fairy tales so much, as so many do, Kill the Beast is a Beauty and the Beast retelling with nods to both Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella, but Beauty and the Beast is the main story here.

In the next book, Silence the Siren, I have nods to three more fairy tales, with another as my main storyline, but I can’t quite say what they are yet. ;) (Huge points if you guess what they are!)

Kill the Beast took me four years to write, and I think part of that was because I was under an enormous amount of pressure to get this story right, since it is my fave fairy tale.

And I may be wrong, but I think I nailed it. (I love reading it, anyway. Is that bad? Lol!)

They say write the story you would love to read, and I did just that.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of my new book! And thank you again, Jaye, for having me!

In Him,

Michele

About the Book

Ro remembers the castle before. Before the gates closed. Before silence overtook the kingdom. Before the castle disappeared. Now it shimmers to life one night a year, seen by her alone.

Once a lady, now a huntress, Ro does what it takes to survive—just like the rest of the kingdom plunged into despair never before known. But a beast has overtaken the castle. A beast that killed the prince and holds the castle and kingdom captive in his cruel power. A beast Ro has been hired to kill. Thankful the mystery of the prince’s disappearance has been solved, furious the magical creature has killed her hero, Ro eagerly accepts the job to end him. But things are not as they seem.

Trapped in the castle, a prisoner alongside the beast, Ro wonders what she should fear most: the beast, the magic that holds them both captive, or the one who hired her to kill the beast.

Buy Now

About the Author

Michele Israel Harper spends her days as a work-at-home mom and her nights typing away furiously on her laptop. Sleep? Sometimes… She has her Bachelor of Arts in history, is slightly obsessed with all things French—including Jeanne d’Arc and La Belle et la Bête— and loves curling up with a good book more than just about anything else. Author of Wisdom & Folly: Sisters, Zombie Takeover, Beast Hunter, and Kill the Beast, Michele prays her involvement in writing, editing, and publishing will touch many lives in the years to come.

Visit www.MicheleIsraelHarper.com to learn more about her.

Make sure to check out the Online Facebook Release Party (Thursday, September 27th, 2018, 8-10 PM EST)

Defy Blog Tour–Review

If you follow me on Goodreads, you’ve probably seen me raving about Tricia Mingerink’s books. Seriously, they are AWESOME. I had the privilage of beta reading Defy, but now it has been released to the public! If you haven’t read any of Tricia’s books yet, DO IT. NOW. Ahem, yes, I’m a rather rabid fan. Be warned as you scroll down and read my fangirly review. ;)

About the Book

The war for Acktar has begun.

With his betrayal revealed, former Blade Leith Torren flees into the Sheered Rock Hills, pursued by King Respen’s vengeful Blades.

Left behind at Nalgar Castle, Renna Faythe tries to find her purpose, yet that purpose isn’t what she expected.

Brandi Faythe has been torn from her sister, and that isn’t all right. If Leith can’t rescue Renna, Brandi will take matters into her own hands.

War demands sacrifice. Courage falters. Who will find the strength to defy King Respen?

Acktar rests on one hope:

The Leader is ready.

(You know you want to.)

My Review:  (Can I just give it 10 stars instead?)

Oh, where to start? It takes a special kind of author to drag me into a story and make me feel all the emotions. Tricia is just such an author. Seriously, The Blades of Acktar are some of the few books that have stressed me out. Ask my mom. I was intensely stressed while reading Defy. The characters. Oh my goodness. Or maybe I should say the character. Yes, I’m talking about Leith. I adore Leith. Leith is a precious cinnamon roll. Apparently that’s now what we call sweet, adorable, precious characters who face terrible struggles (e.g. Bucky Barnes). *shrugs* Works for me. But yes, Leith is one of my preciouses. You know, those all time favorite characters you want to hug and place in bubble wrap and take them away from their author until said author learns to play nice? Leith is one of them. And it’s terribly ironic considering Tricia and I are basically evil author twins. I’m sure my readers want to take my characters away from me. But that’s what I find so great about Tricia’s books. I don’t think I’ve ever read books that are quite so good at giving me a taste of my own medicine. It’s awesome.

All that flail-y fangirly-ness is to say, read this book. If you love tortured, but precious cinnamon roll characters, you will fall in love with Leith. And he isn’t the only great character in there, and all of them grow so much. Then there are a few you want to smack upside the head (or worse). Like a certain someone I wanted to smack because of his distrust for Leith. Then again, I suppose I’d feel the same way in his position.

I know this isn’t your typical analytical review (I’m terrible at those), but in all seriousness, I highly recommend Defy and all of Tricia’s books. While some of it might be a bit intense for very sensitive readers, I also found them very encouraging. The faith element of the story is very strong and very real. And these are especially great books if you are looking for non-magical fantasy.

If you haven’t read any of Tricia’s books yet, you’re in luck! Both of her first books, Dare and Deny, are on sale for Kindle! The sale runs until June 4th, so make sure to grab them quick!

About the Author

Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn’t writing, she can be found pursuing backwoods adventures across the country.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and her blog.

 

 

 

 

 

Facebook Party!

To celebrate Defy’s release and the one year anniversary of her first book, Dare, Tricia his hosting a Facebook party! And I happen to be the guest author. :D Tricia will be giving away copies of books by me, as well as Nadine Brandes and Angie Brashear. There’ll also be giveaways for the audiobooks of Dare and Deny, and, of course, paperbacks of the whole series.

To top it all off, there will be a live character chat with the characters of The Blades of Acktar. What does this mean? It means that for 1.5 hours on June 2, several of the characters will have Facebook accounts and know how to use them. They’ll be there to answer questions and chat. Have you ever wanted to ask Leith a question? This will be your chance. Want to have a chat with Brandi? You’ll be able to do that too. It’s going to be grand chaos.

Make sure you check it out and invite your friends! https://www.facebook.com/events/1744737105773222/

And don’t forget to check out all the other blogs that were part of the blog tour!

The Solid Rock–Blog Tour + Giveaway!

 

I am excited to be part of this blog tour for a new Christian Western! Faith Blum joins us today to talk about her new release, The Solid Rock. It is about a talented detective with a mission to find his kidnapped colleague who finds himself working undercover with a heinous outlaw who has more plans than first meet the eye.

About the Book

Joshua woke with a quiet groan. As his senses woke up one at a time, he cracked his eyelids open. Sure enough, there was a silhouetted form standing at the foot of the bed. From the smell, the person was either from the brothel down the street or had recently left one. He forced himself to breathe evenly and reached for the knife in his thigh holster. With as tough and evil a voice as he could imitate, he spoke, “State your intentions.” Pinkerton detective, Joshua Brookings, is sent on a job that seems simple on the surface. His fellow detective has been kidnapped and his boss, William Pinkerton senses foul play. Joshua is sent to investigate Edward's case in hopes of finding the kidnapped detective and helping solve the case that has taken over ten years to investigate. Arriving in Cheyenne, Joshua finds much more than a simple kidnapping. Yet again, he must go undercover, something he made his boss promise never to make him do again. The only Christian in the outlaw group, Joshua falters and almost loses faith in God’s providence. Will he stand on the solid Rock or drown in the sinking sand?

Dare Blog Tour + Giveaway!

Today I’m excited to be participating in the blog tour for Tricia Mingerink's debut novel, Dare! Tricia has taken part in my tours, so I'm very glad to return the favor as she enters the exciting world of publishing! As part of the fun, I have an interview I did with Tricia. But first, a bit about the book!

About the Book

Courage could cost him everything.

Third Blade Leith Torren never questions his orders or his loyalty to King Respen until an arrow wound and a prairie blizzard drive him to the doorstep of the girls whose family he once destroyed.

Their forbidden faith and ties to the Resistance could devastate their family a second time.

Survival depends on obedience, but freedom beckons. How far does he dare go to resist the king and his Blades?

No matter what Leith chooses, one thing is certain.

Someone will die.

Interview

What was the first story you ever wrote?

The very first story I ever wrote was done with crayon pictures in a spiral notebook. It followed the life of a talking horse named Jipsy. I dictated the words to the story to my mom (since I was two and couldn't write yet). I have a very clear memory of her correcting my English to "The tiger is teasing Jipsy" and me getting mad and insisting that it had to be "Tiger teasing Jipsy." I eventually filled 6 70-page notebooks with stories about Jipsy, and that horse did everything from go to church to have a stalagmite form on her back while walking through a cave (written after my family visited the Meramec Caverns when I was six).

What inspired you to start writing?

I can't remember a time when I wasn't writing or making up stories. When I was six, we visited Laura Ingalls Wilder's home in Mansfield, MO. I don't remember much of that trip besides the Meramec Caverns, but I do remember looking at Laura Ingalls Wilder's desk and deciding I wanted to be an author just like her.

What character from your books are you most like?

Leith, though he has many struggles and darkness that I don't. I'm introvert and I struggle with a fear of failure. But I also see a bit of myself in Renna. I tend to worry too much.

What is the most interesting experience you’ve had while writing?

During 9th grade, my best friend and I wrote a book together in the form of letters written back and forth between our characters. We spent a lot of that 9th grade year giggling over letters before class (how we didn't get in trouble for this, I don't know) and debating whether or not I actually killed off a character. I'm surprised no one took us aside for intervention after overhearing our debates. My Friend: "He's not dead. You don't kill your characters." Me: "Of course he's dead! They found his skeleton!" We weren't your typical 9th graders.

If you could spend a day with any historical figure, who would it be and what would you like to do?

Tough one. I'm something of a history buff, so I'd love to meet a lot of them. C.S. Lewis, Laura Ingalls Wilder, J.R.R. Tolkien to name a few. If I had to pick a non-literary historical figure, I'd pick Davy Crockett. I'd love to hike in the woods with him and pick up a few tips about hunting, walking quietly, and the outdoors.

Favorite color? Blue

Cake or cookies? Cookies, especially chocolate chip

Coffee or tea? Neither. I'm a Mountain Dew girl.

Pizza or pasta? Both. I love my Mom's homemade pizza, and I love pasta, probably because pasta is one of the few foods I can make.

About the Author

Tricia Mingerink is a twenty-something, book-loving, horse-riding country girl. She lives in Michigan with her family and their pack of pets. When she isn't writing, she can be found pursing backwoods adventures across the country.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, and her blog.

Giveaway!
Enter to win a Grand Prize giveaway to celebrate the release of Dare! Prize includes an autographed paperback of Dare, a necklace like the one Renna has in the book with a sterling silver cross pendant, a medieval dagger (not sharp) like the one Leith carries, and Dare-themed bookmarks! (Due to the difficulties in shipping weapons across international borders, this giveaway is open to US residents only). The winner of the giveaway will be announce at the end of the Facebook party on June 10.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

June 2

• Tricia Mingerink - Announce Release and Blog Tour
• Jaye L. Knight - Author Interview
• Kim Moss - Author Interview

June 3

• Jansina on River Shore Books - Author Interview
• Nadine Brandes - Author Interview

June 4

• Shantelle Hannu on A Writer’s Heart - Author Interview
• Jaye L. Knight - Character Spotlight (Leith Torren)
• Kim Moss - Character Spotlight (Renna Faythe)

June 5

• Alicia Ruggieri on A Brighter Destiny - Author Interview
• Faith Blum on Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections - Character Spotlight (Shadrach Alistair)
• Nadine Brandes - Character Spotlight (Brandi Faythe)
• Tricia Mingerink - Q&A with characters

June 8

• Kathrese McKee - Author Interview
• Gillian Bronte Adams - Character Spotlight (Blizzard)
• Tricia Mingerink - Q&A with characters

June 9

• Jansina on Thilly Little Nothings - Character Spotlight (Harrison Vane)
• Claire Banschbach on Thoughts and Rants - Author Interview

June 10 

• Angie Brashear - Author Interview
• Tricia Mingerink - Blog Tour Wrap Up
• Facebook Party

Hear ye! Hear ye! You are invited…

(Click on the invitation to see it larger.)

I am thrilled to announce and invite everyone to the upcoming Resistance Anniversary Ball! On May 15th, I will be temporarily taking over Auréa Palace (*cough Facebook cough*) from 4-8 PM CST (2-6 PST, 3-7 MST, 5-9 EST). Don’t worry, I’ve arranged it so that Emperor Daican and others of a less than savory nature will be occupied elsewhere, which means we’ll have the whole palace to ourselves. There will be lots of fun discussions, quizzes, prizes, music, and more! This is an open invitation to anyone who wishes to attend. And you’re welcome to bring a celebrity or character date if you are otherwise unattached. ;) Make sure you invite your friends and get your gowns and suits ready. I recommend Pinterest for all your celebration attire needs. You can RSVP here. I look forward to seeing you at the ball!