Fantastical thinking~

I've been reading a high fantasy novel series lately. While I'm enjoying it, I'm struck by the amount of killing in it. The protagonist is a fifteen year old girl, but she acts like an adult so it bascially reads like adult fantasy.

The story actually jumps around several characters' points of view, all of whom are involved in life threatening situations that require fighting and lots of killing. One of the characters is a professional assassin that's apparently killed hundreds of men and continues to do so in these books. And of course, there are large battle scenes described in great detail, which again result in lots of deaths. 

Maybe I'm just not accustom to this kind of fantasy, but the level of killing is getting a little distracting and I find myself skimming past the chapters that describe the battles. They really aren't developing any characters anyway. Is it just me that finds all the battling and descriptions of killing a thousand different ways a bit dull after awhile?

What kind of fantasy do you like to read? Is the gore a necessary element? Does it come from the video game/role playing realm? I'd really like to know.

Please Welcome Chapter Book Author Melissa Moraja~

Today, I've invited Melissa Moraja to the blog for an interview about her and her Wunderkind Family chapter books. Welcome to the blog, Melissa!  

Can you tell me a little about your writing journey? How you got to this point?  

Truthfully, I never planned on being a children’s writer. It happened by complete accident. I was on maternity leave from IBM and while my three kids were napping (they were all in diapers and only 15 months apart), I thought I’d try to paint a mural of Madagascar in what was soon to become my kids playroom. I have always wanted to be an artist, but was guided by my high school art teacher to get a business degree first. I did and then found it hard to leave the corporate financial success. Going back to painting the mural. As I was painting, a drop of paint splattered onto the floor. I ended up doing an ink blot of it. As I stared at it, I saw it come to life. This green ink blot became my first children’s character – Splatter! That same day there was a double rainbow in Chicago. It was my oldest son’s excitement as he pointed to it that gave me the idea of where Splatter lived. From there, I started to create friends and family for Splatter. And after about six months, I had created Splatter and Friends and their story. For some reason, I showed it to a friend of mine and he connected me with a licensing agent for Pokémon and Wiggles. He said, “This is such a fresh idea and what the market needs.” He then encouraged me to brand the characters by making them into children’s books. I then spent years learning how to write, illustrate and publish a children’s book and in 2009, I had self-published my first two Splatter and Friends children’s picture books.

But that was just the beginning of a career I never foresaw. In 2008, as I was writing a self-help book, I had included a story about how my husband had all the time in the world to kill this stupid fly in our house, but didn’t have time to read a book to Jake (our oldest child who was five years old). The more I read the story, the more I started to think that it would make a cute children’s chapter book. So I began learning everything I could about how to write, illustrate and publish a children’s chapter book. In 2009, my first proof arrived. And when I showed it to my twins (Josh and Madison who were now five years old), with big smiles, they both asked me when I would write and publish their book. As their mom, I had to create a book for them, about them, just like I did for their older brother. This is when my career as a children’s writer truly began. I took their strengths, their quirks, their beliefs and incorporated all of it into a fictional story that each of them told growing up as a Wunderkind. That is the uniqueness of the Wunderkind Family children’s chapter books. Each story is told by one of the extraordinary Wunderkind siblings. Every child, every person has their own perspective on what happened. And each one of the Wunderkind Family siblings gets to tell their story from their point of view.

As I continued to write and illustrate, I found that I loved what I was doing. I have never been happier. And I’ve found my passion in writing and illustrating has encouraged my kids and their friends to write, illustrate and read.

Can you give me an idea what your book series is about?
Josh and the Gumshoe News Crew ‘The Super Secret’ is the fifth book in the Wunderkind Family children’s chapter book collection. The Wunderkind Family children's book series is a collection of humorous, fantasy stories, each told by one of the four whimsical Wunderkind sibling characters, about what it’s like growing up as a kid with extraordinary abilities in an unusual, yet charming family in the small town of Boring Brook. (Target age: 6 – 12 years old).

In ‘The Super Secret’, Josh Wunderkind, the middle-child sibling, finally discovers his super Wunderkind ability. Every Wunderkind that has existed was born with an extraordinary ability, unique from every other Wunderkind. Josh, however, was the only Wunderkind sibling that didn’t know what his special ability was, until one day a mammoth-sized bird hit him smack on the face with a glob of neon green bird poop. triggering his superhuman Wunderkind ability and leaving him with the responsibility of caring for a baby falcon he named Max. Josh soon realizes that being superhuman isn’t all fun and games. And his previously simple life becomes even more complex when his two siblings and a couple neighborhood friends persuade him to lead a super crime-solving, neighborhood news team—the Gumshoe News Crew. In this story, Josh not only learns more about his ability and how to use it, but also responsibility and leadership. This story if filled with many funny moments and illustrations that share Josh’s humorous life.


Do you have any particular themes in your writing that you love?

I love writing stories that teach kids about themselves. Each of us have been blessed with certain strengths and these stories encourage kids to discover and develop theirs. All of my stories encourage self-awareness, self-confidence and perseverance. In ‘The Super Secret’ Josh is discovering his strengths and how to use them. He also is learning about what it’s like to have responsibility. I also stress that it’s okay to make a mistake. That is the primary theme in Madison Wunderkind’s stories, even Madison’s guardian angel isn’t perfect. Every Wunderkind Family story share’s how each person learns, grows and perceives differently.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you or your book? 


All of my books were written and illustrated with the help of my oldest three children. They helped me come up with the story that they wanted to share with the world. They chose their theme, what they wanted to teach, and what they wanted to include. They even chose their extraordinary ability, which is also based off of their real life strengths. They created their fictional character, strengths and growing moments. Every title and every word was reviewed by them before it ever went to publishing (as well as a professional editor). But in the end, I let them be the final decision-maker on what was to be taken out, changed or added. For they were the one’s telling their fantasy, fictional life. In fact, I told them that one day they can take over writing their Wunderkind Family story.



Thank you so much for the interview! If you'd like to find Melissa or her books on the web, check out the links below.


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Super-Secret-Gumshoe-Wunderkind/dp/0989829324

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-super-secret/id839988029?mt=11

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/madison-and-ga-melissa-perry-moraja/1114926342?ean=9780989829335


Website: http://www.melissaproductions.com

Blog: http://www.notyourordinarypsychicmom.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/melissaproductions and http://www.facebook.com/thewunderkindfamily

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/melissaprod

 

 

 

Happy Friday and a sweet Month9Books cover reveal~

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Tracy Tam: Santa Command by Krystalyn Drown

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Tracy doesn’t believe that Santa can deliver all of those presents in one night with out a little help from science. A flying sleigh can only be powered by jet engines, and Santa’s magical abilities can only be the result of altered DNA. In order to test her theories, she sneaks onto Santa’s sleigh and ends up at Santa Command, the place where a team of humans monitors Santa’s big night. When Tracy attempts to hack into their computers, she accidentally introduces a virus to their system. As a result, three states get knocked out of sync with the rest of the world. Before the night is over, Tracy has to fix time and help Santa finish his deliveries. And she has to do it all with Santa’s magic, which she doesn’t believe exists.

Title: TRACY TAM: SANTA COMMAND
Publication date: October 22, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Krystalyn Drown

Krystalyn spent thirteen years working at Walt Disney World in a variety of roles: entertainer, talent coordinator, and character captain. Her degree in theatre as well as many, many hours spent in a dance studio, helped with her job there. Her various other day jobs have included working in zoology at Sea World, as an elementary teacher, and currently as a support technician for a website. In the evenings, she does mad writing challenges with her sister, who is also an author. Krystalyn lives near Orlando, Florida with her husband, son, a were cat, and a Yorkie with a Napoleon complex.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

(Winners will receive their book on release day)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please Welcome Ty Drago, author of The Undertakers Series from @Month9Books~

Special treat today peeps! I recently had the chance to visit with Ty Drago, author of The Undertakers series for his blog tour. He has a new book out, number three in the series, titled Secret of the Corpse Eater. Be sure to scroll all the way down the page to enter the giveaway too~

Hello Ty! It’s so nice to have you visit my blog. Can you tell me a little about your writing journey? How you got to this point?

Ty: I've been writing all my life. Seriously. I started storytelling when I was just four years old, before I knew how to read. I've seen the old photos! Apparently, my storytelling back then took the form of a fat little kid with no shirt on, sitting in the middle of his living room floor with a piece of a paper, a crayon, and his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth — scribbling. Afterward, I would hold up my latest masterpiece and yell out something like “Cow!” But, you see, in my head I was telling a story!

 Later on, I got into drawing comic books. Badly. But these were eagerly read by the kids in the neighborhood, mainly because, back then, we lacked video games or the internet. All these comic books centered around a group of kid superheros that I called the “Kid Kidets.” I was eight year old, you see, and didn't know how to spell “cadets.” Anyway, the Kid Kidets had all the typical superhero powers. Some could fly. Others were super strong. Others could control the weather, move things with their mind, etc. They were captained by a brother and sister team named Tom and Sharyn Jefferson, and their secret HQ was a huge installation located deep below the ice in Antarctica (don't ask me why!). Whenever trouble brewed anywhere in the world, this entire installation would rise up out of the ice and the Kid Kidets would head off into the world to write some wrong.

This went on for years, until one day the Kid Kidets faced an enemy they couldn't defeat: I grew up. I grew up and I forgot about them for about thirty years. Then one day, back when my son Andy was twelve years old, we were strolling through the mall when he asked me, “Dad, why don't you write a book for me?”

 So I started trying to come up with an idea, and I suddenly remembered the Kid Kidets. Not the superhero/Antarctic installation nonsense, but the idea of a child army. A army of just kids, fighting a war that only they can fight because only they know about it.

 It took a while — years — to get the voice right. After all, it had been a long time since I'd been twelve, and the world had greatly changed. In this, my son became my teacher. He read the drafts, commented on the realism, and educated me on how kids of his generation view the world, how the world views them, how they act toward one another, and how they speak to one another in a language all their own. I honestly couldn't have made this series happen without him, which is why the first book is dedicated to him.

And, from that, the Undertakers were born. True, they can't fly worth a darn, and their HQ, in Book 3 anyway, is a crumbling urban sub-basement, but the spirit and heroism is all there. Best of all, they're still captained by Tom and Sharyn Jefferson!



Lisa: The Secret of the Corpse Eater looks awesome. Can you give me an idea what the Undertakers series is all about? Is this the final book in the series?

Ty: The Undertakers Series is the chronicle of a war. The Earth has been invaded by beings who, as they arrive with no bodies of their own, must animate and occupy the bodies of the recently dead. Called Corpses (never “zombies!”), these intelligent, walking/talking cadavers wear their host bodies until they literarily rot out around them. Then they simply discard them and “transfer” to another. This makes Corpses very hard to kill.

 The focal point of the invasion is Philadelphia, and it is here that the Corpses have established their foothold. They've infiltrated schools, the police department, even city government. Their goal: to slowly spread worldwide, gradually corrupt and finally destroy the human race!

But there's one fly in the ointment. For reasons that no one, not even the Corpses, understand, certain kids can “See” through the illusion of normalcy that Corpses are able to somehow project around themselves. These kids, ranging in age from eleven to seventeen, can recognize the rotting cadavers beneath the Corpses' fake smiles and, for that, the Corpses hunt them down.

So, to stay alive and protect their unbelieving families, these kids have had to run away from home. They'd joined together to become a resistance group, and a good one. They call themselves the Undertakers. Only they know the danger. Only they can see it. And only they can fight it. As Tom Jefferson, Chief of the Undertakers, puts it, “In this war, we ain't the first or last line of defense. We're the only line of defense!”

The books follow the adventures of twelve year old, Will Ritter, an eighth grade boy who “gets his eyes” one morning and starts recognizing the horrors that surround him. Then, as so many others have before him, he must flee for his life, join the Undertakers, and learn out to fight this ruthless and pitiless menace that threatens our world.

In Secret of the Corpse Eater, which is the third book in what will be a five book series, the Corpses have somehow managed to replace a sitting U.S. senator with one of their own. Will and Sharyn go undercover as Senate pages down in Washington D.C. to try to ferret out what this Corpse doppleganger is up to. But their already dangerous mission is made doubly so when they learn of a mysterious ten-legged monster that haunts the halls of the Capitol Building — a monster with a taste for Corpse flesh!

But can such an alien “enemy of his enemy” really become Will's friend?


Lisa: The book has a great cover. How did it come to be and what it does it represent?

Ty: It really is a wonderful cover, isn't it? I love the new branding! The cover illustration beautifully represents the same theme that all of the Undertakers covers have tried to convey: that notion of a child standing bravely against an onslaught of the walking dead. Courage and long odds — that's what the Undertakers are all about.

Lisa: Do you have any particular themes in your writing that you love?

Ty: The big themes in the Undertakers books are heroism, courage and self sacrifice. This isn't a “club.” These kids are not having fun. Every single one of them has been forced to abandon their families. Some even witnessed their family being murdered by the Corpses. They are frightened, outnumbered, outgunned, and totally on their own. And, despite it all, they rise to the occasion. When I wrote these stories, I wanted to my readers to feel empowered by the struggles of the Undertakers.

Children make the best heroes.


Lisa: You got that right! :) Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you or The Secret of the Corpse Eater?

Ty: If you pick up an Undertakers books expecting to find “The Walking Dead,” you're likely to be surprised. Corpses aren't moaning, shuffling morons. They're smart, fast and organized. Oh, there's plenty of wonderfully disgusting stuff going on. These are animated cadavers after all, and the Undertakers have no qualms at all about doing awful things to these invaders when the situation calls for it. :)

But, if you're looking for a dark, gritty adventure, where the stakes are high and things get as “real” as a story like this can be, then the Undertakers are the books for you!

 Lisa: Sounds thrilling, Ty. I wish you all the best of luck with it. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog!

Learn more and enter the giveaway below~

Title: Secret of the Corpse Eater (Undertakers 3

Publication Date: March 25, 2014

Publisher: Month9Books

Author: Ty Drago


Synopsis:
The Corpses are up something.

U.S. Senator Lindsay Micha had been kidnapped and replaced with a “dead” ringer, the sister to Lilith Cavanaugh, the Queen of the Dead. Now Will Ritter must go undercover in our nation’s capital to ferret out the truth and try to stop this ambitious deader. But his mission becomes even more dangerous when he learns of a mysterious ten-legged monster that prowls the halls of the Capitol Building — a lethal monster with a taste for Corpse flesh.

Can such an alien “enemy of his enemy” truly become Will’s friend?


ABOUT Ty Drago:

In addition to the first two books in UNDERTAKERS series, RISE OF THE CORSPES and QUEEN OF THE DEAD, Ty Drago is the author of PHOBOS, a Science Fiction whodunit and THE FRANKLIN AFFAIR, an historical/mystery about Benjamin Franklin. His short fiction has appeared in numerous venues, including the 2009 anthology YESTERDAY, I WILL ..., and he has written articles for WRITERS DIGEST. His first UNDERTAKERS novelette, NIGHT OF MONSTERS, is currently available for FREE on Smashwords.com and barnesandnoble.com.


Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Purchase Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | The Book Depository




Giveaway Information:  Winner will be drawn April 25, 2014


· Four (4) winners will receive an ebook copy of Secret of the Corpse Eater (Undertakers 3) by Ty Drago (INT)

· One (1) winner will receive an ebook copy of Secret of the Corpse Eater (Undertakers 3) by Ty Drago AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT)



  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!