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Rise of the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel

May 18, 2017 By Heather Leave a Comment

Rise of the Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novelby Melissa De La Cruz
Published by Disney-Hyperion on May 23, 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade
Pages: 304
Format: Hardcover
Source: Disney-Hyperion
Buy the Book • Goodreads
Ride with the tide!

Deep beneath the waves, King Triton's powerful trident has passed through the magical barrier that surrounds the Isle of the Lost-keeping villains in and magic out. And when Mal's longtime rival Uma, daughter of Ursula, gets wind of this, she can't believe her luck. The tide has dragged in something good for a change, and Uma is determined to get her wicked hands on it. But first, she needs a pirate crew.

A storm is brewing back in Auradon, and when Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay hear that the trident has been washed away, they realize they'll have to find it before anyone from the Isle does. Luckily, they seem to have a talent for locating missing magical objects.

As Uma readies for the high seas alongside Harry, son of Captain Hook, Gil, son of Gaston, and the toughest rogues on the Isle of the Lost, the reformed villains of Auradon devise their own master plan. And with King Ben away on royal business, they won't have to play by all the rules. Using bad for good can't be totally evil, right?

The thrilling, perilous race to the trident pits old friends-and current enemies-against each other with the future of Auradon on the line. Both teams might like to make waves, but only one will come out on top of this one.

Praise for Return to the Isle of the Lost

“Packed with plenty of humor and adventure, this sequel spinoff is destined to please. With a second movie in the works and a bevy of loyal readers, it certainly won’t stay on shelves for long.” -Booklist

“Disney lovers and fairy-tale fans alike will need to get their hands on this book.” -School Library Journal

About the Author

Melissa de la Cruz (www.melissa-delacruz.com) is the author of the #1 New York Times best sellers The Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost, as well as many other best-selling novels, including all the books in the Blue Bloods series: Blue Bloods, Masquerade, Revelations, The Van Alen Legacy, Keys to the Repository, Misguided Angel, Bloody Valentine, Lost in Time, and Gates of Paradise. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband and daughter.

The Academy of School for Sidekicks~ Blog Tour, Interview and Giveaway

August 4, 2015 By Heather Leave a Comment

school_for_sidekicksThe Academy of School for Sidekicks

“Evan Quick, Hero’s Log, May the 25th… and darn it – I just can’t do this. I’m never going to be a Mask. Get over it Evan.”

Evan Quick has spent his whole life dreaming of becoming a hero. Every morning he wakes up and runs through a checklist of test to see if he’s developed powers over night, and every day it is the same thing – nothing. No flying, no super strength, no heat rays or cold beams. No invulnerability – that always hurt to check – no telepathy, no magic. Not even the ability to light a light bulb without flipping a switch. And now, he’s finally ready to give up.
But then, the class field trip to the Mask Museum is interrupted by a super villain attack, and Evan somehow manages to survive a death ray. Even better, Evan’s favorite Mask, Captain Commanding, shows up to save them all — and when things go very wrong, it’s Evan who finds the strength to come to Captain Commanding’s rescue.
Yet the hero’s reception Evan is expecting never happens. Before he even gets the chance to say hello, Evan is bundled away to The Academy, an institution derisively called The School for Sidekicks by its students. Forced to take classes like Banter Basics and Combat with Dinnerware, while being assigned as an ‘apprentice’ to Foxman – a Mask widely considered a has-been — Evan starts to worry that he’ll never be able to save the day…

Purchase

 

littleredgpost

Tell us about one of your characters and their superpowers.

I don’t want to give too much away about the story, so I’ll talk a little bit about one of my favorite minor characters, Blurshift. Blurshift is a shape-changer with no default identity who is constantly and slowly shifting through a series of human forms of varying gender and ethnicity. At the point in the story where School for Sidekicks is set, Blurshift is only changing into things roughly the size and shape of a human being, though their powers may grow over time.

One of things I loved about writing Blurshift is that it forced me to constantly think about identity and how who we are shifts and changes with time, especially as we’re growing up. Having a character who really made me think outside of the normal boxes of identity was both a delight and a challenge.

 Did any superheroes or comic book characters inspire your writing?

Yes and no. There aren’t a lot of direct lines from stuff I’ve read to School for Sidekicks, but I’ve always been a huge fan of comic books and of superheroes in general.

My biggest influences are probably from the ’80s Marvel Universe in the shape of Chris Claremont’s X-Men run, and some of the other titles that are contemporary with it. Especially Ghost Rider, Powerman/Ironfist, New Mutants, Daredevil, Thor, She Hulk, and the Avengers.

I’m also a huge fan of the older X-Men that were being reprinted around then, 70s Batman, Legion of Superheroes, the Invaders, and the Defenders. Some of the more obscure titles that I really enjoyed were the Micronauts, Rom Space Knight, Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew (which was a fabulous hero parody) and Dazzler-I’ve still got my copy of the first dozen issues or so.

In terms of more modern comic work, I discovered Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey via finding them on a shelf in Neil Gaiman’s basement, and I absolutely adore her work there and on Batgirl. It was as much a revelation of what you can do with comics and heroes as Neil’s Sandman, or Mike Grell’s Longbow Hunters, or Watchmen.

I also have to mention the George R. R. Martin-edited Wildcards series of shared world anthologies, which showed me a whole different way to think about and tell superhero stories.

 Favorite writing treat?

Well, I try to avoid associating food or drink with writing. Writing is such a sedentary profession to start with that it can be hard to stay in shape. Which is also why I’m a bit of an exercise nut. So, I’m going to go with snowshoeing. A couple of years back I had to get a novel done in about 4 months, and one of the things I did to give myself incentive was to say that as soon as I got my word count done for the day, I could borrow my friend Neil’s dogs and go for a trek in the woods. Getting out into the deep snow and the cold and the bright hard winter sun to do something physical is a great treat for me.

 If you had a must read list for middle-grade children what would be on it?

In the interest of brevity, I’ll just list a baker’s dozen in no particular order.

The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe-C.S. Lewis. This was one of the first science fiction and fantasy novels I ever owned-my mom and grandmother got me the Chronicles of Narnia boxed set and I literally read this book to pieces.

Winnie the Pooh-A.A. Milne. WINNIE THE POOH, what more do you need to say?

The Wind in the Willows-Kenneth Grahame. Love, love, love this book, it’s pure joy to read.

The Graveyard Book-Neil Gaiman. This is one of the best modern books for the middle grade reader-I absolutely adore it.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone-J.K. Rowling. I first picked up a copy of this and the second book as a boxed set-the others weren’t out yet-in Scotland on my honeymoon, and simply fell in love with it.

Miss Bianca-Margery Sharp. Miss Bianca, more broadly known to most of the world as half of The Rescuers, was one of my first female heroes, brilliant, unbelievably brave, and simply perfect.

Charlotte’s Web-E. B. White. Another great classic that doesn’t need me to tell anyone why it’s magnificent.

Basil Of Baker Street-Eve Titus. The Basil of Baker street books were one of my great delights as a child-I read them before the Great Mouse Detective movie came out, and I maintain that the books are much better.

Beastmaster-Andre Norton. This book and its sequel Lord of Thunder are books that have some issues that grow more apparent with time, but they are a beloved part of my childhood, and something I do return to every few years. I just reread them last week, in fact.

The Hobbit-J.R.R. Tolkien. My earliest memories include Gandalf and Bilbo and thirteen dwarves of Thorin’s company. I can’t tell you how many times I begged my mom or grandmother to read them to me, and one of my great delights once I learned to read myself was that I could visit the Shire as often as I wanted to.

The Riddle Master of Hed-Patricia McKillip. I don’t know if these really count as middle grade-they were sold as juveniles when I was that age-but I absolutely loved Morgon of Hed and Raederle at 13, and like so many other book on this list I come back to them again and again.

A Nose for Trouble-Jim Kjelgaard. I stumbled on Kjelgaard’s books in my school library and devoured them. I must have read A Nose For Trouble a dozen times between the ages of 10 and 14, and I think it’s terribly sad that it’s very hard to find now.

Wee Free Men-Terry Pratchett. Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books are brilliant and fun and funny, and everyone should read them regardless of age.

What advice would you give to your middle-school readers?

I was raised and educated by hippies. So, both at home and at school I was constantly getting the message that I could do anything I set my mind to, and that I should be exploring everything that interested me to find something I could really love and set my life’s course by that star. I can’t think of better advice to a young reader than to explore the world, find something you can love doing, and go for it.

About the Authorkelly_author photo

KELLY McCULLOUGH is the author of the adult fantasy series Webmage and Assassin’s Blade. School for Sidekicks is his first novel for young readers. He lives in Wisconsin with his physics professor wife and a small herd of cats, all of whom he adores.more info at http://www.kellymccullough.com 

Do you have a question for our guest author? Kelly McCullough will be on Reddit doing an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) this Thursday August 6th at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. He’ll be answering questions about School for Sidekicks, all past works, being a writer, his cats, and much more. You can submit your questions by going to http://www.reddit.com/r/iama at the scheduled start time.

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One hardcover book to a US-based reader.
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Chronicles from Chateau Moines by Evelyne Holingue Blog Tour

March 2, 2015 By Heather 2 Comments

Chroniclesfrom (1)
Welcome to my tour stop for Chronicles from Chateau Moines by Evelyne Holingue. This is a middle grade historical fiction. The tour runs March 2-13 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page.

About the Book

September 1970: Scott’s mother has recently died and his father gets the crazy idea to move his family from California to Normandy. Now Scott has to learn to live without his mom while adjusting to France. In his seventh grade class there is only Ibrahim who comes from another country. Scott doesn’t even want to play his guitar anymore. Why does his father think that life will be better so far from home?

Scott has no idea that his arrival is also a challenge to Sylvie. While her best friend is excited to have an American boy at school, Sylvie cannot say one word to Scott. She can’t even write good songs in her notebook anymore. Why is life so different since Scott moved to Château Moines?

Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War protest era and told from the perspectives of twelve-year old Scott and Sylvie, this is a story about loss and friendship, music and peace, and also about secrets.

Although this is a work of fiction, the cultural, social, and historical background of the early 1970s in France and the United States inspired the writing. At the end of the book the reader will find a list of the songs, the names of singers, and bands mentioned through the novel as well as some elements about fashion, immigration in France, the Vietnam War, and other cultural, social, and historical facts relevant to the period of time.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Excerpt

Sylvie Meets Scott for the First Time on Back to School Day (page 13-14)

His faded bell-bottom Levi’s hug his hips, and a turquoise T-shirt matches his eyes. I’ve never been south of France, but Papa has sent me postcards. This boy’s eyes rival the color of the Mediterranean Sea. He doesn’t wear any socks with his Indian-style sandals. He’s got a perfectly worn-out army bag with buttons and badges. I recognize the peace sign and the names of big American cities, which make me feel small and ignorant. A pair of roller skates is tied to the straps of his bag. With his shaggy haircut, he belongs more in Mademoiselle magazine than in Chateau Moines middle school. I must have looked as stunned as Saint Bernadette when she saw the Virgin Mary in Lourdes, because Scott points at his chest.
“Je suis Scott Sweet,” he says with the same exotic accent.
“Non, non.” Annie switches to a patient tone. “In French, you say: ‘Je m’appelle Scott Sweet.’”
Scott flashes a Paul Newman smile. “Juh mahpell Scott Sweet,” he repeats.
I’m positive that I am hallucinating, but when I peek, the new boy is standing one meter away from me. A nice but strange smell wafts to my nose. I must have flared my nostrils, because Scott says, “Patchouli.”
Despite his smile, he looks confused, and I wonder how it feels to be the new kid at school and to be a foreigner.
Annie turns to me and clasps her hands together.
“We have a new boy at school,” she says. “And he speaks French with an American accent! J’adore!”
I don’t adore Annie at all right now, but I can’t blame her. She saw him first at the bakery. Then she found his name on the list. And she can speak some English.
For some reason, I have the feeling that this first day of school marks the beginning of a lot of unpleasant firsts.

 

About the Author

evelyne0115I was born and raised in Normandy, France, where I spent most of my childhood reading.
My first published piece of writing was a poem about a man spending Christmas behind bars. I was eleven years old and wasn’t paid for my work, but I was hooked.
I studied French Literature at the Université de Caen and at the Sorbonne in Paris and worked in a publishing house before moving to California, following my husband.
It was a challenging time in my life as I was leaving my own career, my family, my friends and my beloved Paris behind.  But how could I say no to the dreams of the man I love?
Readers enjoy escaping the familiar for the unknown.  Being a foreigner is discovering the unknown day after day, not only for the time of a book. However, since most things in life come with a silver lining, I credit this move for giving me the opportunity to write. Through my words, I share my affection for my native and adoptive countries that I love equally.

www.evelyneholingue.com 

 

Giveaway 
Two (2) kindle copies of Chronicles from Chateau Moines (INT)
Ends March 18th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Tour Schedule

3/2
Little Red Reads – Excerpt
Mind-Ventures – Review
3/3
WS Momma Readers Nook– Author Interview
3/4
Writerbee’s Book Reviews – Guest Post
Shelf Life – Review
3/5
Sunshine, Bubbles and Books – Review
3/6
Sher A. Hart: Written Art – Review & Excerpt
CBY Book Club – Excerpt
3/7
Gateway to Different Worlds– Review
3/8
Ishiee’s Book Blog – Author Interview
Book Lovers Life – Excerpt
3/9
Met in Eleven – Excerpt
3/10
Spiced Latte Reads – Excerpt
Buried in Books – Review
3/11
Book Sense – Review
Every Free Chance – Review
3/12
Curling Up With a Good Book – Guest Post
Log Cabin Library – Review
3/13
The Little Crocodile – Review
The Blacksheep Project – Review

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

 

 

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We are the children's division of Fire and Ice. We review baby board books to middle-grade titles. We also review products and toys for the family. For inquiries on reviews, blog tours, and author interviews contact FireandIce.Heather@gmail.com
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