One Witch At A Time Blog Tour {review, guest post, giveaway}

I'm thrilled to have the One Witch At A Time Blog Tour stopping by today! Below you can read my review, check out a guest post by author Stacy DeKeyser, and enter the giveaway...

One Witch At A Time

by Stacy DeKeyser

2/10/15

Simon & Schuster

When Rudi Bauer sets out for town one morning to trade, he never dreams that Susanna Louisa will sell his family’s cow—for magic beans, no less! But that’s exactly what she does, and the consequences will be disastrous unless Rudi can return the magic beans to their rightful owner, the evil witch of Petz.

The journey to Petz is long and hard, but Rudi and Susanna Louisa soon find a shortcut: a magically sprouted beanstalk leads them straight there...and straight into danger. Because the evil witch of Petz is a terrible giant who has locked away summer and keeps his kingdom a frozen wasteland. And in order to defeat him, Rudi is going to need a little magic of his own.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

A classic fairytale with a fun, adventurous twist...that is what Stacy DeKeyser’s One Witch at a Time is! This standalone companion to DeKeyser’s The Brixen Witch, is a reimagining of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Rudi thought his misadventures with witches was over, but an unexpected day at the market brings magic and mischief back into Rudi’s life! Witches and magic are real, but, according to the Brixen Witch, there are rules for both. Rules, like one witch’s magic must not cross over into another’s territory. But a pretty girl, a handful of beans, and a cow deal gone wrong, leads to this rule being broken. It’s up to Rudi, the maybe not-so-annoying Susanna Louisa, and the mysterious pretty girl to put things right and save the day.

One Witch at a Time is an exciting take on a classic story, full of humor; adventure; whimsical settings; and sparkling storytelling! This reimagining is clever, fast-paced, and full of unexpected twists. With the small town of Brixen and the frozen Petz, DeKeyser lays out a vivid, well-crafted world, full of whimsy and folklore, for readers to get lost in. I just loved all the unique magical elements, from the amusing not-quite-what-you’d-expect witches, to magic beans, giant beanstalks, hens who lay golden eggs, to the more subtle, inside-of-us-all touches of magic. Young readers will have so much fun joining Rudi and his friends as they climb the beanstalk, traverse the icy Petz, and go up against a surprising Giant!

DeKeyser fills this world with wonderful, likable characters! From brave Rudi, lovable Susanna, feisty Agatha, the funny Brixen Witch, and more, these characters will entertain, endear, and excite. I especially loved Rudi’s wise-cracking, more-than-meets-the-eye Oma!

Like any good fairytale, One Witch at a Time takes its characters and readers on a wildly thrilling adventure, offers up a wickedly fun baddie, throws in some important life lessons, and concludes in a Happily Ever After kind of way.

My Final Thoughts; With sparkling storytelling, amusing characters, and an exciting premise, One Witch at a Time is sure to enchant and enthrall young readers!

MY RATING

4/5 yummy cupcakes

Researching Fantasy: Not an Oxymoron!

by Stacy DeKeyser

Every novel needs research. That’s no surprise when you’re talking about a historical novel or science fiction. But what about fantasy? How can you research something that’s not even real in the first place?

But fantasy stories do need research, especially a book like One Witch at a Time, which is set very firmly in the real world. Because if an author doesn’t get the “true” parts of her story right, her readers will never come along for the dive into fantasy.

And so, before I ever wrote a word, I did some homework.

Since One Witch at a Time would be based on “Jack and the Beanstalk,” I started by reading every version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” I could find. That led me to “Jack and the Giant-Killer” stories, which are similar, but not exactly the same. Reading all those stories caused me to ask lots of questions, most of which began, “But what about _____?” (Traditional stories don’t seem to care much for logic or character development.) And so my own version of “Jack and the Beanstalk” began to form in my head; a version that tried to answer some of the “But what about” questions.

Then it was time to plant my fantasy (so to speak) in the real world. I wanted the fictional village of Brixen, and all its inhabitants, to seem so real that when the magic actually happened, the reader would willingly go along. And so, more homework.

Here is a list of some of the things I researched for One Witch at a Time:

- All the possible colors of chicken eggs

- How far an average kid can walk in an hour

- The size, shape, color, and markings of different kinds of dried beans

- The growth habits of pole beans

- The time of sunrise in the Italian Alps in April

- A map of the Dolomites (the Italian Alps), particularly around Kaselruth, the real town on which my fictional Brixen is based

- Names of Alpine flowers, their colors, and blooming seasons

- Alpine birds, especially those that are active in winter

- How many rolls of Smarties I could eat without getting a tummy ache (oh wait—that wasn’t actually research)

So when you read One Witch at a Time, and follow Rudi and Susanna and Agatha on their adventures, you can rest assured that they are living in a world as real as the one you’re living in. (Which means, I suppose, that if you should stumble upon a witch’s doorstep one day, you’ll be ready!)

website * goodreads * twitter * facebook

Stacy DeKeyser is the author of The Brixen Witch, which received two starred reviews and was a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Pick, and its sequel, One Witch at a Time, as well as the young adult novel, Jump the Cracksand two nonfiction books for young readers. She lives in Connecticut with her family. To learn more and to download a free, CCSS-aligned discussion guide, visit StacyDeKeyser.com.

Win a set of Stacy DeKeyser's middle grade reads!

One winner will get a hardcover copy of One Witch At A Time and a paperback copy of The Brixen Witch.

DETAILS

-US only

-ends 2/22/15

-must be 13+ to enter

-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours

-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes

fill out the rafflecopter:

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FOLLOW THE TOUR

Mon, Feb 9	Cracking the Cover	http://www.crackingthecover.com/
Tues, Feb 10	Haunting of Orchid Forsythia	http://hauntedorchid.blogspot.com/
Wed, Feb 11	Mother Daughter Book Club	http://motherdaughterbookclub.com/
Thurs, Feb 12	GreenBeanTeenQueen	http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/
Fri, Feb 13	The Book Monsters	http://thebookmonsters.com/
Mon, Feb 16	Word Spelunking	http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/
Tues, Feb 17	Read Now, Sleep Later	http://www.readnowsleeplater.org/
Wed, Feb 18	Small Review	http://smallreview.blogspot.com/
Thurs, Feb 19	Kid Lit Frenzy	http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Fri, Feb 20	The Flashlight Reader	http://www.theflashlightreader.com/

Rebellion Blog Tour {author interview}

I'm thrilled to have the Rebellion Blog Tour stopping by today with my interview with author Stephanie Diaz...

Rebellion

(Extraction #2)

Stephanie Diaz

2/10/15

St. Martin's Press

The uprising has begun.

It's been seven days since Clementine and Logan, along with their allies, retreated into hiding on the Surface. The rebels may have won one battle against Commander Charlie, but the fight is far from finished. He has vowed to find a way to win—no matter the cost. Do the rebels have what it takes to defeat him...and put an end to this war?

As Clementine and Logan enter a desperate race against time to defeat Commander Charlie—and attempt to weaken his power within his own ranks—they find themselves in a terrifying endgame that pits them against a brutal enemy, and each other. With every step, Clementine draws closer to losing Logan...and losing control of herself.

Continuing with the mesmerizing saga that started with Extraction, Stephanie Diaz blends science fiction, epic romance, and heart-stopping adventure to create a world that no reader will soon forget.

Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / Indiebound / BAM

What three words best describe Rebellion?

Alliances. Invasions. Secrets.

Can you give us your best one sentence pitch to convince readers to give your Extraction Series a try?

Sure! The Extraction series is about a girl named Clementine who wins an escape from a brutal life on a planet where a poisonous moon looms in the sky, only to find herself battling to save the entire planet from destruction—and keep from losing control of herself.

Grab a copy of Rebellion and answer the following:

favorite chapter? 

It’s so hard to pick, but I’m gonna say chapter 22, in which Clementine has to make a really scary choice. (So no, not just because of the Taylor Swift song.)

favorite page? 

The very last page, because I’d been planning Rebellion’s ending for so long and it felt so good to write it. Plus I think the ending’s pretty rad.

favorite place/setting? 

The rebel base.

favorite character? 

Besides Clementine, I’d have to go with Skylar, a kickass fighter pilot among the group of rebels Clementine joins. Skylar is my tribute to Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica. ☺

flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentences teaser: 

From Chapter 10 - “I bet he hopes his kiss will do what his words can’t: convince me to stay alive.”

Fill in the blanks:

I’m really awesome at 

quoting lines from television shows & movies.

I’m really embarrassed to admit 

I can’t do a cartwheel.

The last great book I read was 

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.

If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by Rebellion, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it?

It would be a chocolate cupcake with a pink moon icing decoration on top and a dark chocolate mousse filling. It would taste delicious but make the eater slightly intoxicated and very easy to manipulate (due to the alcoholic content in the mousse filling). I’d call it “Moon Surprise.”

Thank you so much for stopping by today, Stephanie!

website * goodreads *  twitter *  facebook

Stephanie first knew she wanted to be an author when she was in second grade, sitting in a book club drinking tea and reading books like The Egypt Game. She dreamed someday people might drink tea while devouring books she had written. She wrote her first book soon after, a 30-page fantasy story--complete with a hand-drawn map--stapled together and presented to her younger sister for a birthday present.

Now twenty-two years old, she lives in San Diego with her family. She graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in film production and a publishing deal for a young adult sci-fi trilogy. She is the author of Extraction and the forthcoming Rebellion and Evolution.

When she isn't lost in other worlds, she can be found singing, marveling at the night sky, or fangirling over TV shows.

Review: Darkness (Florence Waverley #3) by Ciye Cho

Be sure to check out my reviews of Florence (book 1) and Luminaire (book 2)...

Darkness

(Florence Waverley #3)

by Ciye Cho

2/9/15

A dire prophecy has emerged, and the mer believe that humans and merfolk are in grave danger. Terror is closing in, but only one person holds the key to stopping it: Florence Waverley. However, her mission to save two worlds will lead her far, far out into the Darkness--a shadow-realm full of monsters, magic, and wicked tides that could tear apart bodies.

With the help of her friends, Florry must uncover a secret about humans and mer. A long-lost secret that could change her life. And above all else, she must fight hard to light the darkness. Everything depends on her mission: her friends, her world, and the one she loves.

The past, present, and future are about to collide--but can she stay afloat? One way or another, nothing will be the same when she enters the Darkness...

Amazon / Smashwords / Goodreads

WATCH THE DARKNESS BOOK TRAILER

Diving back into the Florence Waverley world is always such a treat! Ciye Cho returns to his mermaid series with book three, Darkness, and he definitely does not disappoint!

Florence “Florry” Waverely has come to love the underwater world she now lives in, but a dire prophecy could lead to its destruction. The worlds of both mankind and humans are at stake and Florry is the only one who can save both. Florence’s mission to save the world takes her to a dark and deep place where she and her friends uncover a startling secret, dangerous new enemies, and life changing events.

The Florence Waverley series has come to be one of my absolute favorite mermaid series! Ciye Cho continues to spin spectacularly colorful, enchanting, and thrilling stories full of thrills, romance, whimsy, and wonderful characters. Like its predecessors, Darkness is bursting with imagination! The underwater, mermaid world in the series is simply dazzling and mesmerizing. Lush in details and vibrantly vivid, this is a world that completely enthralls and immerses readers. Niemela, the mermaid world Florence lives in, is full of wondrous, exciting things. And in book three, Cho takes Florence and readers on a deliciously dangerous journey beyond Niemela and into the great Darkness. From razorwaves to zombie like mermaids and giant beasts, I love how the chilling, darkly captivating side of this underwater world is explored in this volume.

Florence continues to grow and mature as a heroine, yet remains the same sweet, adorkable, fiesty girl that I’ve loved since book one. Florry has such an awesome mix of compassion, strength, humor, curiosity, and courage in her that makes her so lovable, admirable, and likable. She is surrounded by so many wonderfully diverse and fun characters, from bubbly Yolee, endearing Wynn, fierce Mara, and brave Rolan. The romance between Florence and Rolan is sweet and heart melty!

Florence and her companions find themselves on a perilous journey deep into the Darkness and Cho keeps the twists, dangers, and startling revelations coming. The secret they uncover, and the events its reveal lead to, are awesomely gasp-worthy and a real game changer. Darkness definitely left me excited and anxious for book four!

My Final Thoughts: With spectacular world-building, sparkling storytelling, thrills on every page, and wonderful characters, Darkness is a fantastic third book in a truly special series!

MY RATING

5/5 yummy cupcakes

website * twitter * facebook* goodreads

Ciye Cho lives in Australia and works as a graphic designer. He writes YA novels in his free time--and his head is often lost in the clouds or some place far from reality...

To learn more about Ciye’s other works, please click here.