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Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Blog Tour and Giveaway

October 2, 2019 By Heather Leave a Comment

Title: TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY

Author: Kwame Mbalia

Pub. Date: October 1, 2019

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, Rick Riordan Presents

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 496

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he’s going to spend on his grandparents’ farm in Alabama, where he’s being sent to heal from the tragedy. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s journal. Tristan chases after it-–is that a doll?-–and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to wrestle the journal out of the creature’s hands, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the inhabitants of this world. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding and seal the hole in the sky. But bartering with the trickster Anansi always comes at a price. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

About Kwame:

Kwame is a husband, father, writer, and pharmaceutical metrologist in that order.  His debut middle-grade novel, TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY (October 15, 2019) is published by Rick Riordan Presents/Disney-Hyperion.  A Howard University graduate and a Midwesterner now in North Carolina, he enjoys impromptu dance sessions and Cheezits.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

10/1/2019- BookHounds YA– Excerpt

10/2/2019- Little Red Reads– Excerpt

10/3/2019- Spoiled Girl– Review

10/4/2019- A Backwards Story– Review

Week Two:

10/7/2019- Lifestyle of Me– Review

10/8/2019- Sometimes Leelynn Reads– Excerpt

10/9/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews– Review

10/10/2019- Kait Plus Books– Excerpt

10/11/2019- Kyera’s Library– Review

Week Three:

10/14/2019- The Reading Corner for All– Review

10/15/2019- Feed Your Fiction Addiction– Review

10/16/2019- Eli to the nth– Review

10/17/2019- Feed Your Fiction Addiction– Review

10/18/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads– Review

Week Four:

10/21/2019- Savings in Seconds– Review

10/22/2019- Always Me – Review

10/23/2019- Fictitiouswonderland– Review

10/24/2019- Nerdophiles– Review

10/25/2019- Confessions of a YA Reader– Review

Week Five:

10/28/2019- Two points of interest– Review

10/29/2019- fictitious.fox– Review

10/30/2019- Jena Brown Writes– Review

10/31/2019- Fyrekatz Blog– Review

Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum Blog Tour and Giveaway

September 11, 2019 By Heather Leave a Comment

About the Book:

Title: DR. SEUSS’S HORSE MUSEUM

Author: Dr. Seuss & Andrew Joyner (Illustrations)

Pub. Date: September 3, 2019

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 80

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

A never-before-published Dr. Seuss book about creating and looking at art!

Based on a manuscript and sketches discovered in 2013, this book is like a visit to a museum–with a horse as your guide!

Explore how different artists have seen horses, and maybe even find a new way of looking at them yourself. Discover full-color photographic art reproductions of pieces by Picasso, George Stubbs, Rosa Bonheur, Alexander Calder, Jacob Lawrence, Deborah Butterfield, Franz Marc, Jackson Pollock, and many others–all of which feature a horse! Young readers will find themselves delightfully transported by the engaging equines as they learn about the creative process and how to see art in new ways.

Taking inspiration from Dr. Seuss’s original sketches, acclaimed illustrator Andrew Joyner has created a look that is both subtly Seussian and wholly his own. His whimsical illustrations are combined throughout with “real-life” art. Cameo appearances by classic Dr. Seuss characters (among them the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, and Horton the Elephant) make Dr. Seuss’s Horse Museum a playful picture book that is totally unique. Ideal for home or classroom use, it encourages critical thinking and makes a great gift for Seuss fans, artists, and horse lovers of all ages.

Publisher’s Notes discuss the discovery of the manuscript and sketches, Dr. Seuss’s interest in understanding modern art, the process of creating the book, and information about each of the artists and art reproductions in the book.

Review

This book was like opening a blast from the past into childhood. With beautifully illustrated pages and instructional text, it is perfect for little art lovers. Perfect for use in the classroom or art room. We are so grateful to have another Dr. Suess book! It is whimsical and fun for all ages, long enough to be broken up into several chunks.

About Dr. Seuss:

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born 2 March 1904 in Springfield, MA. He graduated Dartmouth College in 1925, and proceeded on to Oxford University with the intent of acquiring a doctorate in literature. At Oxford he met Helen Palmer, who he wed in 1927. He returned from Europe in 1927, and began working for a magazine called Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time, submitting both cartoons and humorous articles for them. Additionally, he was submitting cartoons to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. In some of his works, he’d made reference to an insecticide called Flit. These references gained notice, and led to a contract to draw comic ads for Flit. This association lasted 17 years, gained him national exposure, and coined the catchphrase “Quick, Henry, the Flit!” 

In 1936 on the way to a vaction in Europe, listening to the rhythm of the ship’s engines, he came up with And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, which was then promptly rejected by the first 43 publishers he showed it to. Eventually in 1937 a friend published the book for him, and it went on to at least moderate success. 

During WW II, Geisel joined the army and was sent to Hollywood. Captain Geisel would write for Frank Capra’s Signal Corps Unit (for which he won the Legion of Merit) and do documentaries (he won Oscar’s for Hitler Lives and Design for Death). He also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which also won him an Oscar. 

In May of 1954, Life published a report concerning illiteracy among school children. The report said, among other things, that children were having trouble to read because their books were boring. This inspired Geisel’s publisher, and prompted him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important, asked him to cut the list to 250 words (the publishers idea of how many words at one time a first grader could absorb), and write a book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him published The Cat in the Hat, which went on to instant success. 

In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Geisel $50 that he couldn’t write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham. Cerf never paid the $50 from the bet. 

Helen Palmer Geisel died in 1967. Theodor Geisel married Audrey Stone Diamond in 1968. Theodor Seuss Geisel died 24 September 1991. 

Also worked under the pen name:
Theo Le Sieg 

Website | Goodreads

About Andrew:

Andrew Joyner is an internationally published illustrator and author. His popular books include The Terrible Plop, written by Ursula Dubosarsky. He lives in South Australia.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive finished copies of DR. SEUSS’S HORSE MUSEUM, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/2/2019- BookHounds Ya– Review

9/3/2019- 100 Pages A Day– Review

9/4/2019- Book-Keeping– Review

9/5/2019- Christen Krumm, Writer, Reader, Serious Coffee Drinker– Review

9/6/2019- Fictitious Fox– Review

Week Two:

9/9/2019- Inspired by Savannah– Review

9/10/2019- Lifestyle Of Me– Review

9/11/2019- Little Red Reads– Review

9/12/2019- two points of interest– Review

9/13/2019- Eli to the nth– Review

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash of Fate Blog Tour

August 16, 2019 By Heather 1 Comment

Title: STAR WARS GALAXY’S EDGE: A CRASH OF FATE

Author: Zoraida Córdova

Pub. Date: August 6, 2019

Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 352

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N

Izzy and Jules were best friends until Izzy’s family abruptly left Batuu when she was six. But now she’s back, and Jules, the boy who never left, is unsure what to make of her. While on the run from vengeful smugglers and an angry pirate, Jules and Izzy will come to terms with who they are, and what they mean to each other.

About Zoraida:

Zoraida Córdova is the award-winning author of the Brooklyn Brujas series and The Vicious Deep trilogy. Her short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft. She is the co-editor of Vampires Never Get Old, a YA anthology forthcoming from Imprint/Macmillan in fall 2020.  Her upcoming YA novels include Star Wars: A Crash of Fate (Disney/LucasFilm 2019) and Incendiary, book 1 in the Hollow Crown duology (Disney/Hyperion 2020). Zoraida was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she’s planning her next adventure.

Photo credit: Sarah Younger

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | YouTube | Goodreads

Author Interview

Tell us how you came to know and love Star Wars.


Star Wars has always been part of my life. The movies always seemed to be there in the background. My brother (five years my junior) used to reenact the fight over the sarlacc pit where Luke is like, “Jabba, this is your last chance. Free us or die.” When we were little, my mom’s co-worker gifted us a ton of Star Wars toys, many of which I still have. We used to watch and rewind (YAY VHS TAPES) and play the movies again and again. So, simply put: I’ve always loved Star Wars. It keeps reinventing itself for a new generation. As the world expands, so does our understanding of it. With each iteration, I find something to fall in love with.


What world do readers find themselves in during this installment?


We are on the planet Batuu. Specifically Black Spire Outpost. It’s the only place where Star Wars fans can go and physically visit. Black Spire Outpost is a lawless place. It’s run by criminals. It’s a place where people are passing through, or hiding, or trying to make a new life. It’s a place that is built upon ancient ruins and petrified trees. The past and present co-exist. My favorite part about writing A Crash of Fate was figuring out who the locals where. What are their allegiances? Why have they decided to stay there and call it home? Who are the ones that are passing through? With the First Order displaying their colors in broad daylight, what happens to those who are hiding from the law? It is a complete world, and my characters Izzy and Jules are right in the thick of it.

Who are Izzy & Jules and why are we rooting for their love story?

Izzy is an aspiring smuggler and Jules is a starry-eyed farmboy. My inspiration was Before Sunrise, where a couple falls in love in a day. Adding the usual Star Wars shenanigans and a series of unfortunate mishaps, plus the backdrop of the First Order and Resistance on the planet, and you’ve got the BEST AND WORST time to realize you’re still in love with your best friend whom you haven’t seen in 13 years.

For Izzy and Jules, I took some loose inspiration from Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. I hope that parts of their spirit lives on in these characters. Han’s reluctant golden heart and Luke’s kindness. Even though they haven’t seen each over in over a standard decade, and even though they’ve changed a lot, Izzy and Jules want the same thing: a place to belong. The galaxy is always in turmoil. There are always going to be good guys and bad guys. So their journey is the not just delivering a parcel (no questions asked) their journey is making the decision to choose each other in a time when there is no guarantee that there is going to be a bright tomorrow.


What’s your favorite writing treat?

I don’t snack when I write because I like to give myself complete lunch and dinner breaks. That helps me have time in between my sprints. I do drink coffee and tea the entire day. 

Who are your authors of choice and what are your all time favorite reads?


My auto-buy authors are: Dhonielle Clayton, Tessa Gratton, Natalie C. Parker, Claudia Gray, Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo, V.E. Schwab, Justina Ireland, Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, Sarah MacLean. There are so many I can just keep going forever. 


Some of my favorite books in the last couple of years have been: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon, Don’t Date Rosa Santosby Nina Moreno, Sinner by Sierra Simone, The Wicked King by Holly Black, Lost Stars by Claudia Gray, and They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. 

Thank you for having me on the blog! 

Giveaway Details: 

3 winners will receive a finished copy of STAR WARS GALAXY’S EDGE: A CRASH OF FATE, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/5/2019- Kait Plus Books– Excerpt

8/5/2019- Careful of Books– Spotlight

8/6/2019- Country Road Reviews– Excerpt

8/6/2019- Lifestyle Of Me– Review

8/7/2019- Character Madness and Musings– Interview

8/7/2019- Moonlight Rendezvous– Review

8/8/2019- The BookWorm Drinketh– Excerpt

8/8/2019- A Bookish Dream– Review

8/9/2019- Do You Dog-ear?– Review

8/9/2019- Dani Reviews Things– Excerpt

Week Two:

8/12/2019- Eli to the nth– Review

8/12/2019- What A Nerd Girl Says– Review

8/13/2019- Jena Brown Writes– Review

8/13/2019- A Dream Within A Dream– Excerpt

8/14/2019- Two Chicks on Books– Interview

8/14/2019- Wishful Endings– Review

8/15/2019- FyreKatz Blog– Review

8/15/2019- Novel Novice– Excerpt

8/16/2019- Little Red Reads– Interview

8/16/2019- Book-Keeping– Review

Bookstagram Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/5/2019- moonlight_rendezvous– Review

8/6/2019- whatanerdgirlsays– Review

8/7/2019- tawney_goodtwin– Review

8/8/2019- wishfulendings– Review

8/9/2019- adreamindream– Review

Week Two:

8/12/2019- Jena Brown Writes– Review

8/13/2019- dwantstoread– Review

8/14/2019- GRgenius– Spotlight

8/15/2019- A Bookish Dream– Review

8/16/2019- Novel Novice– Review

Next Page »

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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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