Tales by the Tree~ Holiday Flash Fiction for you :)

Remember a few months ago when I was prattling on about Christmas in October? Well, the story book has come to fruition and is finally ready for your enjoyment. 

75 stories, each one no more than 1,000 words, have been lovingly collected in this volume. Some are weird, some are sweet, and some are spooky, but all are very, very short!

Available in paperback and Kindle, you can find it on Amazon this Christmas. Enjoy~

Much to be Thankful for!

Just wanted to send some hugs and gratitude your way this Thanksgiving Day. Thank you readers and reviewers and blog commenters. Thank you friends (online and off) and family for all your support. I have much to be thankful for and I owe much of it to you. Peace to you this day and always~

More Exciting Stuff Peeps!

The Storyteller Series Blog Tour is about to begin!

 

For the next few weeks, I'll be all over the place promoting my  middle grade fantasy books. I hope you'll take some time in this busy season to visit some of the links below to learn more about the Storyteller Series .

 

~Happy Holidays~

 

November 25^th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

November 27^th:  Book Excerpt “The True World” @ The Single Librarian

November 29^th: Author Interview @ Michael SciFan

December 1^st: Book Excerpt “The Quest of Galamar” @ The Single Librarian

December 3^rd:  Book Review “The True World @ I Heart Reading

December 4^th: Book Excerpt “The Last Page” @ The Single Librarian

December 5^th: Book Review “The Quest of Galamar” @ I Heart Reading

December 6^th: Author Interview @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

December 8^th: Book Excerpt “The True World” @ Bookaholic Ramblings

December 10^th: Book Review “The Last Page” @ I Heart Reading

December 11^th: Book Excerpt “The Quest of Galamar” @ Bookaholic Ramblings

December 12^th: Author Interview @ Majanka’s Blog

December 13^th: Book Excerpt “The Last Page” @ Bookaholic Ramblings

December 14^th: Book Review “The True World” @ Books, Books and More Books

December 15^th: Author Interview @ The Book Daily

December 16^th: Guest Post @ Editor Charlene

December 17^th: Book Review “The Quest of Galamar” @ Books, Books and More Books

December 19^th: Author Interview @  Forever Book Lover

December 20^th: Book Review “The Last Page” @ Books, Books and More Books

December 22^nd: Guest Post and Book Reviews for  “The True World”, “The Quest of Galamar” and “The Last Page” @ Readers Writers Connect and Nicole Y. Walters

December 23^rd: Book Review “The True World” @ Daily Mayo

December 24th: Author Interview and Book Reviews for “The True World”, “The Quest of Galamar” and “The Last Page” @ Emms’ Wonderland

December 24^th: Book Review “The Quest of Galamar” @ Daily Mayo

December 25^th: Book Review “The Last Page” @ Daily Mayo

 

 

~Thank you, Enchanted Book Tours~

Joining the #KidLit Blog Hop this week~

Hello and welcome to my blog, if you're new to it. I'm excited to be joining the Kid Lit Blog Hop this week. Each link at the bottom of this post features another blog devoted to children's literature. I hope you'll visit a few and share the bloggy love. :)  But while I've got you here, I'd like to tell you a bit about why and how I write. So far, I've self published a middle grade fantasy series, Storyteller, and a traditionally published young adult novel, Hush Puppy.

 

Writing is hard and rewriting even harder, but the reason I do it is for the themes I love.  I've blogged about themes in my young adult writing several times, but it's a subject I never get tired of. To me, the theme is the whipped cream with the cherry on top of a story. It just isn't magical without one.

 

My current work in progress is about a teen girl who loses her father in a boating accident. On the surface there's a paranormal story line, but the underlying theme of the tale is about letting go of the places and people of our past and moving on toward our future, whatever that may be. Letting go, or accepting change, is one of the hardest things for any human being to do. We all resist change to some degree. Oh boy, do we ever resist!

 

You might think, woah, that's kind of a heavy subject for a story meant for young adults. Perhaps it is, but even kids aren't immune to change in their lives. In fact, kids might have to deal with even more change than adults do because adults rule most everything they do. We all have to learn the big lessons of life, sometimes much younger than we'd like. What better place to do that than in the safety of a book?
 

Think about your favorite books from your childhood. What themes stayed with you? I'd like to hear what you think, as readers and as writers.

I hope you'll have a look around and enjoy the site. I've been blogging like a fiend this year, so there's lots to read!  Enjoy the blog hop!

 

Welcome to the 28th Kid Lit Blog Hop. We have come a long way since then with many familiar faces that visit on a regular basis as well as new bloggers and authors who join us all the time. All in all, we have managed to create a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists, as well as parents seeking out their next great read. So, if you haven't joined us in a while, please pop in a post and hop around to meet some of the new bloggers who have joined the Hop. If you are one of our regulars - thank you so much and Happy Hopping to all! Joining us as co-hosts this week are The Stanley and Katrina Gang who are responsible for the fun middle grade book The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets and Lisa T. Cresswell, author of the Storyteller series for middle grade and the young adult novel, Hush Puppy. Big welcome to Stanley and Katrina (and the rest of the gang) and Lisa! Please be sure to give each of our hosts and co-hosts a visit to say a quick hello and we'll be sure to visit you right back!

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

<img src="http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Kid-Lit-Blog-Hop-Button-Sep-2012-e1349976901756.jpg" alt="Kid Lit Blog Hop" style="border:none;" />

 

REMINDER: Kid Lit Giveaway Hop Holiday Extravaganza

As part of our Kid Lit community of bloggers and authors, we wanted to share with you information about the Kid Lit Giveaway Hop Holiday Extravaganza to take place December 6th to 13th, 2013. This event is hosted by Katie from Youth Literature Reviews and Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you are a blogger who features children's or young adult literature looking to share copies of a fabulous book winter-themed or holiday-themed book (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc), you are welcome to link up. You can also offer a gift card instead! Just click on the button below. Sign-ups are on-going until November 30, 2013.  

Kid Lit Blog Hop Rules *Please Read*

1. We ask that you kindly follow your hosts and co-hosts. You can follow us any way you choose (Email, GFC, Twitter, Facebook, G+, Pinterest, etc.), but we've added our preferences below. If you could just give us a quick "follow" or "like" that would be much appreciated! Make sure to leave us a message if you are following us (i.e., on Twitter or Facebook or on our websites) and we will be sure to follow you back. Thanks! :-)

Hostesses:

Renee @ Mother Daughter Book Reviews Facebook * Twitter

Jaymie @ Snacks for Max Twitter * Facebook

Katie @ Youth Literature Reviews Twitter * Facebook

Julie Grasso, Author/ Blogger Twitter * Facebook

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger Twitter * Facebook

Reshama @ Stacking Books Twitter * Facebook

Stacie @ BeachBoundBooks Twitter * Facebook

Lina @ Best 4 Future: Bringing Up Baby Bilingual Twitter * Facebook

Co-Hosts:

The Stanley and Katrina Gang Twitter * Facebook

Lisa T. Cresswell, Author / Blogger Twitter * Facebook

2. Link up any Kid Lit related post. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.

* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post*

* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one *

* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*

* Feel free to link more than one post.*

3. Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!

Interested in co-hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop? Please email renee @ motherdaughterbookreviews (dot) com and put Co-Hosting Blog Hop in the subject line.

Happy Hopping!

Book Trailer fun~ :)

One of the most enjoyable parts of writing a book is creating the world for it. That's just what I had the pleasure of doing while creating my fantasy Storyteller series, now available in it's entirety.  The book trailers are pretty fun to make as well.

In the first book, The True World, Lily Lightfoot is living in our world when she discovers a remarkable book that allows her to follow the footsteps of her long, lost mother in a world far away from our own - The True World. Home to fairies, elves, pixies, dragons and more, the True World is fading fast. The balance of power has been disturbed by Lord Kane. Her mother is in danger and Lily finds a way to enter the True World to save her.

Upon arrival, Lily learns her mother and grandmother have been captured by Formorians in league with Lord Kane, an elf who has seized power from his three brothers and taken over the True World. Formorians, who were inspired by an Irish folk tale, inhabit the bodies of other creatures of all kinds. Lily also learns she has a pivotal role to play in this conflict. The daughter of an elf and a fairy, she must right the wrongs of an ancient knight, Galamar, to fulfill a prophecy and bring peace back to the True World.

 

In the final book, The Last Page, Lily continues her search for the remaining Portal Keepers - four mythological beings that were once tasked with protecting the four entrances to the True World. Restoring their powers is the only hope to save their dying world. In the end, Lily learns that the power inside her~ her love~ is the strongest weapon in any world. I hope you enjoy it~

 

 

 

 

Storyteller Book III Release Day!

Storyteller Book III: The Last Page is here!

For those of you who have been waiting, the wait is over! I sure appreciate your support over the course of this trilogy. It's been a labor of love and I'm honored to be able to share it with you. I uploaded the file to Smashwords this morning. In no time at all, it should work it's way out to other distributors, such as Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Kobo, and iBooks. I hope you'll find it at your favorite ebook store and download it soon.  And if you missed the first two books in the series, you'll want to read those too.

Here's the brief description, although it might be a tad bit spoilerish if you haven't already read Books I and II:

When her story began in Storyteller: The True World, Lily Lightfoot didn’t know she was a fairy with the power to make things happen, just by telling a story, but then everything changed. Now she’s on a quest to save the True World with only a few friends to help her. Her mother and her best friend captured, it’s up to Lily to complete the Quest of Galamar – a centuries old fairy tale. All she has to do is figure out how to turn back time. Easy, right?

In Storyteller Book II: The Quest of Galamar, Gabriel sent the three friends to find the Full Moon Amulet, hidden deep in the mountains and guarded by a fierce dragon. The amulet, one of four moonstones created ages ago by the fabled elf warrior Galamar, holds the power of the Northern Portal keeper, Ironblood the dragon. Whoever possesses all four amulets has the power to recreate or destroy the True World. Gabriel’s brother, Lord Kane, will stop at nothing to have the ancient powers for himself and keep Lily from fulfilling the Prophecy of Galamar.

Now, the amulet recovered, Lily loses her guardian and best friend in the process. The only way to save him is to face the remaining portal keepers, the Griffin and the Harpy, and Lord Kane himself. As the True World prepares for an epic battle, Lily races to find those she loves and fulfill the ancient quest before it’s too late.

 

Enjoy the journey~

The Last Page Cover Reveal

If you aren't an author it might be difficult to imagine the excitement that goes through an author’s head at the thought of seeing your book cover for the first time. It’s something akin to seeing your baby’s face for the first time. It’s an exhilaration that never seems to get old, so you’ll have to pardon the fuss here. You see, I have not one, but TWO beautiful covers, thanks to the talents of my friend, Chris Ash, and I have no idea how I’m going to choose. Storyteller Book 3 is nearly ready to publish. You have to help me peeps!

 

The first was my initial idea to portray the protagonist of the story, Lord Kane. Much of the trouble in the True World is due to him, so I thought who better to feature on the cover?

 

 

But then I found this photograph of a sassy, young Lily Lightfoot and thought it would be perfect too. She is “The” Storyteller, after all.

 

 

 

A brief description of the book will go something like this: At first Lily Lightfoot didn’t know she was a fairy with the power to make things happen, just by telling a story, but then everything changed. Now she’s on a quest to save the True World with only a few friends to help her. Her mother and her best friend captured, it’s up to Lily to complete the Quest of Galamar – a centuries old fairy tale.  All she has to do is figure out how to turn back time. Easy, right?

 

I’m so torn. I can easily to find a way to use both online (via Twitter and Pinterest), but only one can be the official cover for the publication on Smashwords, iBooks, and Barnes & Nobel.  So I’m asking you to tell me what you think, give me your votes, which one makes the book look more interesting or alluring? Which one shouts “Read me”??

Scion of the Sun Blog Stop Today~

 

ABOUT SCION OF THE SUN:

Title: SCION OF THE SUN
Series: THE SOLAR SNATCHERS SERIES
Publication date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
ISBN-13: 978-0-9850294-3-2
ISBN eBook: 978-0-9850294-2-5
Author: Nicola Marsh
 

When she least expects it, sixteen-year old Holly Burton’s unremarkable life is shaken to the core. A vision of the mother Holly never knew leaves her questioning everything she believes.

 

Eager for answers, Holly enrolls at a boarding school for highly gifted students in Wolfebane, New Hampshire. But things will get worse before they get better, as Holly accidentally transports to a parallel existence where she's confronted by a dark and ancient evil.

 

With the help of Joss, a sexy alpha warrior sworn to protect her, and her new BFF, the equally swoon-worthy Quinn, Holly faces her fears and an unlikely adversary in a showdown that is worse than anything she could’ve possibly imagined …

 

Praise for Scion of the Sun:

 

“Charmed and drawn in by Holly’s spunk and snark, Scion of the Sun will leave you spinning and falling for Joss right along with Holly. Marsh’s unique story is packed with action, mystery, romance and suspense. This is not to be missed!” – Jennifer L. Armentrout, USA TODAY Bestselling Author 

Link to the Tour Schedule

Link to Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon 

B&N

KOBO

a Rafflecopter giveaway

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:

Tell me a bit about yourself…where you’re from and how you came to be a writer…
I’m in Melbourne, Australia, and worked as a physiotherapist for 13 years before finally putting pen to paper rather than just saying ‘I’m going to write a book one day.’ Once I started writing I couldn’t stop!

 Tell me what genres you write and why?

 I write fun, flirty, contemporary romances for adults and spooky, riveting, supernatural fiction for young adults. Plus I’m about to release my first New Adult novel, BEFORE, in early December!

I love flexing my creative muscle and the change in pace between paranormal YA and contemporary romance is refreshing.

What's your latest book about?

 SCION OF THE SUN is a mix of paranormal, mystery, suspense, romance and action.

Here’s the blurb:

When she least expects it, sixteen-year-old Holly Burton’s unremarkable life is shaken to the core. A vision of the mother Holly never knew leaves her questioning everything she believes.

 Eager for answers, Holly enrolls at a boarding school for highly gifted students in Wolfebane, New Hampshire. But Holly's complicated life worsens when she accidentally transports to a parallel existence where she's confronted by a dark and ancient evil.

 With the help of Joss, a sexy alpha warrior sworn to protect her, and her new BFF, the equally swoon-worthy Quinn, Holly faces her fears and an unlikely adversary in a showdown that is worse than anything she could’ve possibly imagined …

 What themes do you particularly like to use in your writing and why?

In my YA and NA stories, I like to write about strong heroines who aren’t afraid to confront the scary stuff!

In my contemporary romances, I love pitting a strong-willed woman against an equally tough guy, and watching the sparks fly.

In YA, NA and adult, I’m a sucker for snappy dialogue and enjoy pitting my characters against each other verbally.

When creating characters for your books, how do you go about it?

Often, a picture/expression of a person will spark an idea of a character for me. From there, I ask a lot of ‘what if’ questions to flesh out that character and make them real.

 And they must have the perfect name before I can start writing.

What advice do you have for a beginning writer?

 The only way to hone your craft is to write. And write. Then write some more. There are so many resources out there but it’s the actual physical act of writing that will develop your craft.

 And read widely in the genre you’re targeting.

Is there anything else you’d like to mention? (i.e. where you get your inspiration?)

By Googling pics of hot guys for my heroes!

 ABOUT NICOLA MARSH:

 

USA TODAY bestselling author Nicola Marsh writes flirty fiction with flair for adults and riveting, spooky stories for teens.

She has published 43 contemporary romances with Harlequin, Entangled Publishing and indie, and sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Her first mainstream romance BUSTED IN BOLLYWOOD was nominated for Romantic Book of the Year 2012. Her first indie romance, CRAZY LOVE, was a 2012 ARRA finalist.

Her debut young adult novel, a supernatural thriller BANISH, released with Harlequin Teen August 2013, and her YA urban fantasy series kicks off with SCION OF THE SUN, November 2013, with Month9Books.

She’s also a Waldenbooks, Bookscan and Barnes & Noble bestseller, a 2013 RBY (Romantic Book of the Year) and National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and a multi-finalist for a number of awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, Golden Quill, Laurel Wreath, More than Magic and has also won several CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards.

A physiotherapist for thirteen years, she now adores writing full time, raising her two little heroes, sharing fine food with family and friends, and her favorite, curling up with a good book!

Links:
 

Website: http://www.nicolamarsh.com/

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/NicolaMarshAuthor?_ft_

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicolaMarsh

 

#Fantasy #SampleSunday for you~

From my middle grade fantasy novel, The Last Page, the final book in the Storyteller series. Enjoy~

 

CHAPTER 1: THE RUINS OF KNELL

 

Even the finest castle

is not a home without

those you love.

 

~ fairy proverb

   Lily could count the spells she knew by heart on one hand – not many. How can I save the True World like this? she wondered. From the back of the dragon, Ironclaw, she could see the towns far below them, teeming with Fomorians.  Their flickering fires lit up the twilight, twinkling like fireflies, but now Lily knew how much more sinister those lights were. Each one represented a hand against them. Lily felt hopelessly outnumbered.  How many trolls can Edan gather? A troll might best four, maybe five Formorians?

   Lily took a deep breath of cold air. The night was growing frosty and she shivered. She was thankful for Gran leaning against her back to keep her warm. Jude and Heather rode silently behind Gran, each one lost in their own thoughts.

   Ironclaw carried them swiftly to Lord Gabriel, who waited for them at Knell Castle. The last time Lily saw the castle, it had been on fire, under attack by the Morrow. Now that the vile lizard-creature was defeated and Lily’s grandmother rescued, her thoughts turned back to saving her mother Eleanor, and her friend Peter, both captured by Lord Kane. Lily shuddered. How could Kane be so heartless, murdering his own brother? Could he really be her uncle?

   Lily couldn’t even imagine the evil that possessed him or how they could ever defeat him. She hoped Gabriel would have a plan. She checked the crescent moon amulet at her throat, a gift from her grandmother. They had retrieved the Full Moon Amulet from DuraDor. Had Gabriel found Eleanor’s amulet, the one lost in the Ferraden Forest? Lily was certain he had. He wouldn’t return to Knell Castle without it, would he? Jude’s sudden shout interrupted her thoughts.

   “Dragon! Look there!” shouted Jude, pointing to a thick cloud bank ahead.

   “I see it,” said Ironclaw. “It’s one of Kane’s storms, no doubt. Hang on tight.”

   “Can’t you go around?” asked Lily.

   “Knell Castle is directly below us. The only way is through.”

   Ironclaw’s head dipped lower and she flattened her wings against her sides, launching into a steep dive. Once in the clouds, a cold stinging ice hit Lily in the face. Lightning flashed, illuminating the gray clouds for a split second. They were not alone.

   “Harpies!” cried Heather, as the dragon dodged one of the two hideous bird women suddenly swirling around them.

 

***

If you'd like to read the series from the beginning, the books can be found on Smashwords, Kobo, iBooks, and Barnes & Noble.