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Showing posts with label Cinderella. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cinderella. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Release Week Blitz- CINDERELLA'S INFERNO by F.M. Boughan With An Excerpt & Giveaway!


I am so excited that CINDERELLA'S INFERNO by F.M. Boughan is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author F.M. Boughan be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of F.M. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.



About The Book:

Title: CINDERELLA'S INFERNO (Cinderella, Necromancer #2)
Author: F.M. Boughan
Pub. Date: May 28, 2018
Publisher: Month9Books
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 324
Find it: GoodreadsAmazonB&NiBooksTBD

Purity cannot abide the darkness.

It’s been two years since Ellison defeated her stepsisters and sent her evil stepmother back into the Abyss.

Though she’s learning to control her dark magic and has spent time traveling with Prince William and bringing peace to the kingdom, one fact remains. She is a necromancer and he is a paladin of light. And so, the king refuses to give his blessing for them to marry.

To appease his father, William has begun to avoid her. But when even her younger brother Edward grows distant, Ellison learns her mother’s spirit has been visiting Edward in secret, threatening to overwhelm him with her own loneliness and longing. When Ellison accidentally touches her mother’s spirit, her tainted touch condemns her mother’s spirit to eternal damnation.

Ellison resolves to descend into hell to save her mother’s soul and bring her physical body back to the world of the living. William hopes this good deed will bring Ellison into favor and finally allow them to be wed.

But the journey through hell is fraught with peril. Temptations abound and the demons Ellison sent back to the Abyss are thirsty for revenge.

Evil cannot be defeated without sacrifice—but when that sacrifice means choosing between the ones Ellison loves and her very own life, how far is she willing to go to make her family whole again?


About Book 1:
Title: CINDERELLA NECROMANCER
Author: F.M. Boughan
Pub. Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Pages: 324
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Find it: AmazonB&N,  iBooksTBDGoodreads

CINDERELLA,NECROMANCER is CHIME meets ANNA, DRESSED IN BLOOD and was inspired by a real medieval grimoire of necromancy from 15th-century Germany.

Ellison lost her mother at an early age. But since then, her father has found love again. He’s happy and doesn’t quite notice that Ellison does not get along with his new wife or her mean daughters.

When Ellison discovers a necromantic tome while traveling the secret passages of her father’s mansion, she wonders if it could be the key to her freedom.

Until then, she must master her dark new power, even as her stepmother makes her a servant in her own home. And when her younger brother falls incurably ill, Ellison will do anything to ease his pain, including falling prey to her stepmother and stepsisters’ every whim and fancy.

Stumbling into a chance meeting of Prince William during a secret visit to her mother’s grave feels like a trick of fate when her stepmother refuses to allow Ellison to attend a palace festival.

But what if Ellison could see the kind and handsome prince once more? What if she could attend the festival? What if she could have everything she ever wanted and deserved by conjuring spirits to take revenge on her cruel stepmother?

As Ellison’s power grows, she loses control over the evil spirits meant to do her bidding. And as they begin to exert their own power over Ellison, she will have to decide whether it is she or her stepmother who is the true monster. 
Exclusive Excerpt
William’s panic was plainly engraved across his features. “I won’t let them do this to you. You’re my betrothed. You belong here in the palace, by my side, not shackled in the dungeon.”

He should have known as well as I did that a prison couldn’t hold me, but seeing the disgust on his father’s face … well, there was a greater plot at play than I understood, and I didn’t want William to suffer even more for my sake than I already asked of him.

“It’s all right.” I released my conjured spirit, permitting its return beyond the veil. It slipped through a seam in the air and the soldiers didn’t waste a moment before placing the restraints around my wrists.

“I’ll have you out as fast as I can,” William said, placing a chaste and yet defiant kiss on my forehead. He lingered, and so in my own surge of defiance—oh, my damnable soul, I cannot explain why I do these things—I lifted my head to slide my mouth upon his. His lips were soft and tasted of sweet wine, and I felt him press against me without hesitation.

It had been so long. I wished to sink into the earth with him then and there and remain that way for all time, but gasps arose from the assembled guests and a tug at my sleeve pulled us apart. The soldiers had grasped my shoulders and arms to drag me from William, who watched, still stricken and unable to calm his emotions, as I was pulled from the Great Hall.

As the doors swung closed behind me, my mother’s face came once again to mind. Without William, I wouldn’t be able to help her. I would never see her again, and she might spend all eternity enduring new tortures—horrors unimaginable, paying for sins she did not commit—alongside the most abhorrent dregs of humanity.

I could not allow it. How much was I willing to give?

About F.M. Boughan:

F.M. Boughan is a bibliophile, a writer, and an unabashed parrot enthusiast. She can often be found writing in local coffee shops, namely because it’s hard to concentrate with a cat lying on the keyboard and a small, colorful parrot screaming into her ear. Her work is somewhat dark, somewhat violent, somewhat hopeful, and always contains a hint of magic.

You can follow Faith on Twitter (@FaithBoughan) for plenty of flailing about food (she likes to cook!), TV shows (she watches too many), and world dance (did you know she's been performing & instructing in Bollywood-style dance for over 8 years?).

Or catch her on Facebook where she just might post pictures of her adorable cat & bird... among other things.

F.M. Boughan is represented by Bill Contardi of Brandt & Hochman


Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Release Day Blitz- CHARM by J.A. Armitage with an Excerpt & A Giveaway!


I am so excited that CHARM by J.A. Armitage is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by USA Today Bestselling Author J.A. Armitage, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a Cinderella Prize Pack courtesy of J.A. So if you’d like a chance to win, click on the link at the bottom of this post.



About The Book:

Title: CHARM
Author: J.A. Armitage
Pub. Date: September 26, 2017
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Pages: 291
Formats: eBook
Find it: AmazonGoodreads

You all know the story of Cinderella... 
The kingdom needs an heir and Princess Charmaine is quite aware that the job rests solely upon her shoulders. The problem is, she has no intention of ever getting married, let alone pushing a child out of her ladyparts. When her elder sister dies, Charmaine has to take her place at the ball designed to find her a husband. The problem is, she doesn't want to choose between a hundred eligible bachelors. She just wants to live her life in peace and find love in her own time. 

Cynder knows about the impending war between his people and those of his masters, but working as an underpaid servant in the palace kitchens leaves him with little power to do anything about it. On one hand, he's a staunch supporter of his own royal family, but he can't deny the attraction he feels for the daughter of the king and queen he works for. 

Charm is the first in the Reverse Fairytale series by USA Today bestselling author J.A.Armitage. Take everything you think you know about fairytales and turn it on its head.

Excerpt:

My mother smiled. Her smile had a way of putting people at ease. I’d seen her use it countless times on nervous subjects. That’s what made her a good queen. She flicked her eyes towards my father who just nodded and then she turned back to me. Reaching forward and taking my hand in hers she spoke softly to me. Another trick of hers to keep me calm. I wondered briefly what exactly she would need to keep me calm for.

You already know

The little voice was persistent.

“We cannot cancel the ball. Too much is at stake and, while it is unfortunate timing, it would be madness to stop it at this late stage. Your father and I have talked extensively about this and we have decided that you are to take Grace’s place.”

I opened my mouth in shock. We had only just begun the official mourning for Grace and here they both were, asking me to take her place at some stupid party.

“You mean dance with the men?”

“Not just dance with them. We need concrete ties. The country is in a period of great instability and we need a leader to take our place when we are gone. We need you to choose a husband.”

About J.A.:


Born in Leeds, I lived a very normal life until I got bored one day and decided to travel the world. Since then I've worked on a Banana Plantation, cleaned ACDC's dressing room and been a professional clown.
I climbed to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the top of Kilimanjaro. Nowadays you'll find me being a climbing frame for my two young children, working in a school, and renovating my home.

Did I also mention I wrote some books?

I hope you enjoy them!

For my free books, just sign up to my newsletter here http://www.subscribepage.com/v7o8k4





Giveaway Details:

*****CHARM GIVEAWAY*****
I'm giving away a Cinderella swag pack, print copies of Charm and a $20 Amazon voucher.

1st prize: Cinderella Swag Pack with NYT bestselling book, DVD and print copy of Charm

2nd Prize: $20 Amazon Giftcard and Ecopy of Charm

3rd Prize: Print copy of Charm

Just click the link below to take you to the entry form

GOOD LUCK :)



Monday, July 24, 2017

Blog Tour: VENTURESS by Betsy Cornwell An Interview & Giveaway!


Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for VENTURESS by Betsy Cornwell! I freaking love this series! 

I have an interview with Betsy to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!


Haven't heard of VENTURESS? Check it out!


Title: VENTURESS
Author: Betsy Cornwell
Pub. Date: August 1, 2017
Publisher: Clarion Books
Pages: 320
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Young inventor Nicolette Lampton is living her own fairy tale happy ending. She's free of her horrible step-family, running a successful business, and is uninterested in marrying the handsome prince, Fin. Instead, she, Fin, and their friend Caro venture to the lush land of Faerie, where they seek to put an end to the bloody war their kingdom is waging. Mechanical armies and dark magic await them as they uncover devastating secrets about the past and fight for a real, lasting happily-ever-after for two troubled countries—and for themselves.


Now on to the interview!


Hey Betsy!! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! VENTURESS was freaking AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about the events leading up to VENTURESS and the characters?

Okay first of all, thank you so much! It’s always a huge relief to hear that someone enjoyed your new book. Since VENTURESS is a standalone novel - meaning that you don’t have to read MECHANICA first to understand what’s happening - I wanted to put a little bit of space in between the first book in the series and this one.

VENTURESS kicks off a year after the end of MECHANICA, on the eve of the annual ball and scientific exposition. The heroine, Nick, is a successful inventor living happily with her clockwork horse and other steampunk animal companions in the heart of the royal city. Her best friends/family unit, Caro and Fin, are both wrapped up in their own challenges: a new romance for Caro, and all sorts of political trouble for Fin. There’s a war between their country and Faerie, and at the ball Nick receives a secret message begging for help with the resistance.

So is this the end for Nicolette and the crew? And if it is what are you working on now?

VENTURESS is the last book with these main characters, but I’m not quite done with the world of Esting and Faerie: you might see Nick and her friends popping up in the background of future books. I’ve just wrapped up revisions on a girl-Robin-Hood retelling called THE FOREST QUEEN that’s set in Esting 200 years before Nick was born. (You might notice little references to the Forest Queen’s story in both MECHANICA and VENTURESS.)

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

I think there are little pieces of many people from my life in all of my characters, but I don’t tend to base them directly on just one person. I certainly met plenty of strong and smart young women inventors at Smith, where I went to college: it was the first college in the country to offer an all-women’s engineering program. I definitely think Nick would fit right in with that group of Smithies.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

I always love writing Jules, Nick’s mechanical horse. It was probably even more fun to write about him in VENTURESS than it was in MECHANICA, because he spends all his time actual-horse-sized instead of tiny and therefore can be more involved in all the action. I don’t think I had a least favorite character to write - if I start to hate writing someone, I take that as a sign that they shouldn’t be in the book at all.

What is your favorite passage/scene in VENTURESS?

I have two! One is their underwater adventure in the bathysphere pods, which you can actually preview on HMH Teen right now (link: 


The other is a spoiler, sorry! I cried when I wrote it, so it might be masochistic to 
say it’s one of my favorites, but I’m proud of it.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

One of the things that’s never sat easy with me about the steampunk genre is how pro-colonial it can be. I wanted Esting to be a darker vision of Victorian-era imperial England. Faerie is at least partly inspired by my adopted home country of Ireland, which was of course one of England’s colonies. I read about the colonial history of Ireland, as well as America and India, as I was getting ready to write both MECHANICA and VENTURESS.

I do a lot of research into folklore and fairy tales in my work as the story editor at PARABOLA, a magazine that examines religious and spiritual traditions from around the world. As I was finishing VENTURESS, I came across a popular Korean fairy tale called “The Blind Man’s Daughter,” and I was startled by how perfectly it fit in with the themes I was exploring in my book. I have one of my characters tell a Faerie interpretation of that story in VENTURESS.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

There are so many! Springing to mind right now is Char from ELLA ENCHANTED - Gail Carson Levine really knows how to write swoony MG/YA heroes.

What inspired you to write YA?

In college, I spent a semester interning at Teen Ink Magazine, and I was blown away by the quality of writing we received (Teen Ink is one of the biggest publishers of literary writing by teenagers). I kept thinking about all the beautiful, inventive, and lyrical fairy tale retellings I’d loved to read when I was younger. I realized that my wish to write literary fiction and my love for fairy tales and YA didn’t have to be mutually exclusive! I drafted my first novel, TIDES, during that semester.

Lightening Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

The Invention of Angela Carter, a biography of my favorite writer.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

OK, I have to give a slightly extended answer for this one. When I was eleven/actual first year age: Ravenclaw, all the way. But adult me would beg to be a Hufflepuff.

Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter.

Favorite Superhero?

Gertrude Yorkes from Runaways.

Favorite TV show?

Buffy, always and forever.

Sweet or Salty?

Salty!

Any Phobias?

Spiders, unfortunately. At least there are no deadly ones in Ireland.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

“The Maid Freed From The Gallows” sung by Tia Blake, which I listened to incessantly over the last few months while I was working on THE FOREST QUEEN.

2017 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Probably the Kingsman sequel - the first one was so fun.

Thanks so much Betsy for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read VENTURESS!

Thank you so much for having me!






About Betsy:
Hi! I'm Betsy Cornwell, an American writer and teacher living in a stove-heated cottage in west Ireland, together with my horse trainer spouse, a small herd of dairy goats, and an increasing number of other animals. I write fiction and nonfiction and blog about Irish folklore, travel, wild food, goats (of course!), homesteading, and growing up.






Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of VENTURESS. US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Tour Schedule:

Week One:
7/24/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
7/25/2017- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
7/26/2017- BookHounds YAGuest Post
7/27/2017- The Book Nut- Interview
7/28/2017- jrsbookreviewsReview

Week Two:
7/31/2017- Nicole's Novel Reads- Review
8/1/2017- Novel NoviceGuest Post
8/3/2017- YA Book MadnessInterview
8/4/2017- Sarcasm & LemonsReview

Grab the first book in the series!



Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Blog Tour- MECHANICA A Playlist and A Giveaway!


I am so excited to be hosting a spot on the MECHANICA blog tour! I loved this steampunk Cinderella retelling and I really hope there will be a sequel! I have Betsy's playlist to share with you today and there's links to each video if you want to listen! And make sure to enter the giveaway to win a finished copy of the book!

Haven't heard of MECHANICA? Check it out!



Title: MECHANICA
Author: Betsy Cornwell
Pub. Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Clarion Books (HMH)
Pages: 320
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. 

But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.


Gorgeous prose and themes of social justice and family shine in this richly imagined Cinderella retelling about an indomitable inventor who finds her prince . . . but realizes she doesn't want a fairy tale happy ending after all.



Now on to the playlist! 

Book Playlist.

I started writing Mechanica way back in 2009, as part of a collection of fairy tales I wrote for a senior project at Smith College. I’ve been building and rebuilding my Mechanica playlist ever since then, so I’m totally excited to share it with you now!

I usually have two playlists for each of my books: a ridiculously long one I used for drafting and editing background noise, which includes every song I have that’s vaguely relevant to the book’s mood or style. But then I have the Official Playlist, which is limited to about twelve songs that really cut to the book’s heart. So what I have here is that second list for Mechanica, including some of my longtime favorite singers like Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists, and Iron & Wine. They’ve been inspiring my writing since I was a teenager, and they’ll keep doing so for  a long, long time.

1.  "Lay Low" Nancy Elizabeth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOeDMm01gPM
2. "Hard Way Home" Brandi Carlile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AV5TRO1BqU
3. "Never Be Daunted" Jaymay https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdMxVlwBxYk
4. "Cinder and Smoke" Iron & Wine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSarZ7g1F-g
5. "Happy Home" Antigone Rising https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBPRJHnJSgU
6. "The Engine Driver" The Decemberists https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAD07HVFJxQ
7. "A New Place" Kyle Dawkins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pid-udZrmcU
8. "Vito's Ordination Song" Sufjan Stevens https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Gs9CGschE
9. "Dragonfly" My Brightest Diamond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwA96dZm6Mw
10. "Lightning Girl" Cloud Cult https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4VimbcqL0k
11. "Blue Northern Lights" Ollabelle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Ezpsc2ERU
12. "Diana's Song" Antje Duvekot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSs-dvS3Yvg
13. "The Story I Heard" Blind Pilot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvmouWbk498
14. "Stacked Crooked" The New Pornographers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VokdpAJm9vs





About Betsy:
Hi! I'm Betsy Cornwell, an American writer and teacher living in a stove-heated cottage in west Ireland, together with my horse trainer spouse, a small herd of dairy goats, and an increasing number of other animals. I write fiction and nonfiction and blog about Irish folklore, travel, wild food, goats (of course!), homesteading, and growing up.









Find Betsy on the web: 

Website|Twitter
|Facebook|Goodreads|Tumblr



Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of MECHANICA and a beautiful watch necklace from this etsy shop! US Only.

2 winners will receive a finished copy of MECHANICA. US Only.





a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check out the Tour Schedule!


Week One:
8/17/2015- FangirlishInterview
8/18/2015- Uncreatively ZoeyReview
8/19/2015- Two Chicks on BooksGuest Post
8/20/2015- A Backwards StoryReview
8/21/2015- Dark Faerie TalesGuest Post

Week Two:
8/24/2015- FiktshunInterview
8/25/2015- Bookish LifestyleReview
8/26/2015- Supernatural SnarkInterview
8/27/2015- Bookhounds yaReview
8/28/2015- Me, My Shelf and IGuest Post







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