Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis (ARC)

Stitching Snow
R.C. Lewis
Pub.: October 14, 2014 TOMORROW!

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival. 

Stitching Snow was a fresh take on the popular fairy tale that had a cool Star Wars kind of vibe to it. Essie (Princess Snow) has been in hiding the past eight years in a remote part of Thanda, a mining planet where only those in need of work ever travel. She's learned to survive by tinkering and stitching her own set of robots which are used to help keep the miners from going too deep into dangerous territory, and for extra money, Snow takes part in fighting matches with the men transitioning through.

 

Essie was good with this life. It was predictable, and in a way, safe. At least until a ship crashed nearby. With no mechanics nearby, it's up to Essie to stitch up Dane's ship to get him back in the sky. But he's not who he seems, which Essie figures out all too late, and she's forced to return to a dangerous world where everyone has a hidden agenda and the royals are only all too happy to pick up where they left off - needing Princess Snow dead.

Unique and engaging, Stitching Snow will keep you glued to the pages as Essie tries desperately to survive this messed up universe of greed and power, all while struggling with these romantic notions suddenly sprouting for the most unlikely suitor. And best part of all, it's a standalone so no pesky waiting period to see how it all unfolds.

ARC provided by Disney-Hyperion for honest review.

A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable Novella by Veronica Blade

A Bite's Tale: A Furry Fable
Veronica Blade
Pub.: January 7, 2012

A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.

Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.

Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper.

Cydney spent every summer visiting a little island that was home to supernatural creatures who managed to live in harmony, ruled by a king. For three summers, she met a guy in the forest. Neither revealed their names, nor their true nature, so they went by the names Cinderella and Jack. As the summers passed by, their affection for another grew, and when they finally kissed, the wolf inside Cydney came out, biting poor Jack. She fled in panic, and when she managed to find the courage to return, he was gone, and her mother swept her off the island, never to return.

At least not until her mother died, and Cydney was sent to live with her aunt on the island again. Now somewhat of a recluse, she spends her time hiding from others, afraid she'll lose control and kill another person, so she locks herself away in the basement each night. But little does she know, Jack was saved by another supernatural creature that day, and continues to live within the castle as the prince, constantly thinking of the red-headed girl he loved. And when his father declares he must take a bride, Jack desperately seeks out his Cinderella. But how can he find what doesn't want to be found?

 

This was a darling supernatural novella, and I was kinda bummed it didn't go a little longer. I'm also kicking myself for putting it off so long, as its been on my kindle for a year now. If you're a fan of supernatural retellings, pick this up!

 

Copy provided by author for honest review.

Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem by Melissa Lemon (ARC)

Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem
Melissa Lemon
Pub.: December 11, 2012

Stuck in her family's apple orchards, Kat's got plenty of work to do and only pesky Jeremy to help. But when Jeremy convinces her to run away, Kat will discover that nothing---and no one---in her life is quite what it seems. Wonderfully reimagined, this is the magical tale of Snow White as you've never read it before!

Kat Whyte doesn't know why her uncle keeps her hidden away at the orchard, never allowing her to leave, for no other reason other than he deemed it wasn't safe. She always minded his wishes, but until he went blind and hired Jeremy to help her keep the orchard going, no one ever knew she lived through an attack at infancy. Besides a magical mirror, that is.

Now in her teens, Kat's uncle has become aggressive and unpleasant, and at Jeremy's beseechment, she leaves with what money he can gather, professing his love and promising to come find her later. But she doesn't follow his instructions, and ends up befriending and staying with a group of dwarves. Meanwhile, the Queen of Mayhem learns her daughter never died like she thought, and sends a young man named Iven to kill her. But little does she know, Iven has his own plans in mind for the young princess of Mayhem, who seems to turn the shade of snow in his presence. Eventually, everyone's sight is set on young Snow Whyte, and when their paths all collide, the outcome will be deadly. 

 

I loved reading Ms. Lemon's retelling of Cinderella in Cinder and Ella, so I was giddy with excitement waiting on the Snow Whyte installment. Once again, the story had a few twists and surprises behind its flap jacket, yet still held onto the roots of the fairytale I grew up reading. I felt there could've been a little more in the way of subplots, but Kat was sweet and pretty, so it was easy to see why she was easily liked by all, including me. Well, everyone except her wicked mother, of course, who couldn't stand that Kat received more affection from the King of Mayhem at infancy. I won't get to much into the story, 'cause I'd rather you discover this new world for yourself.

 

But I will say, that while it was creative to have the story narrated through the magical mirror's point of view, it didn't really work for me. Yes, we got to see what was happening with the main characters as they were going about their business in the neighboring kingdoms, but I felt a disconnect with each of them. Particularly Kat and Jeremy, who I truly wanted to know better. So many times the mirror felt frustrated because he didn't have access to their inner monologues, and I too felt that way! I was a fly on the wall, but I still wasn't getting the scene before me in its entirety. I guess I just prefer my narrator to be omniscient in terms of the characters. Also, I felt that Snow Whyte took a back seat in this novel. It seemed to be more about what the people around her (the Queen of Mayhem, Jeremy and Iven) were doing in relation to her. Snow Whyte was just going about life, and the only time I felt like I was truly getting her was when she was living and interacting with the dwarves. That's not to say this story wasn't enjoyabe to read, because it was. But personally, I wished it focused more on having Snow Whyte choosing the road before her, rather than letting the other characters influence her decisions in life. You know what I mean? Still enjoyable and worth picking up though.

 

ARC provided by publisher for honest review.

Splintered by A.G. Howard (ARC)

Splintered
A.G. Howard
Pub. Date: January 1, 2013

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Forget what you think you know about Wonderland - 'cause it's all been fluffed and sugar-coated. Sure, Alice went to Wonderland, met all sorts of crazy characters in a vividly, colorful world and got back out to talk about it (eventually), but the tale told to author Lewis Carroll wasn't entirely truthful.

Interview and Giveaway with Melissa Lemon, Author of Cinder and Ella

This week on the Writer's Block I have Melissa Lemon, author of Cinder and Ella, a retelling of Cinderella with a supernatural twist. She's hydrophobic, addicted to chocolate (me too!) and peanut butter and her craziest dream involved a group of nuns (hmm...I'm sensing the beginning of a great joke here).

Melissa Lemon and her cat Matilda (such a cute name!)

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What was your favorite book as a kid? I remember liking The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary and The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter.

Tell us your favorite quote. “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” Charles R. Swindoll

What is your favorite genre to read and what makes it so awesome? Actually, I like a wide variety of books.  I almost never read the same genre twice in a row. 

Tell us your favorite author. Which book is your total fave from that author? My favorite authors are Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.  My favorite books of theirs are Pride and Prejudice and A Tale of Two Cities.

Any pet peeves you'd be willing to share? Of course!  I hate it when people leave fly swatters on surfaces that are used for preparing food or eating.  I have issues with things like bug guts and germs.

If the Earth suddenly became uninhabitable, would you rather live under the sea or in space?   Um, definitely space, because I’m hydrophobic as well.  I actually have panic attacks when I see large bodies of water.

What was your most favorite past time as a kid? Playing softball.  If there wasn’t anybody around to play with, I’d put on my mitt and throw a ball up against the foundation of the house so it came rolling back to me; or I’d throw the ball high up in the air so it was almost out of reach behind me and I’d have to jump backward to get it.  We didn’t live close to anybody else, so I had to keep myself entertained a lot. 

If you could live in any time period other than the present, which would you choose and why? I’d love to be on Prince Edward Island with Anne Shirley.  I love the idea of living in simpler times.

Take us through a typical writing day for you. Do you have anything quirky - like you have to have a certain pen to write with, or the desk laid out in a particular manner, does it need to be raining, do you require a certain food/drink/candy to work by? Will you have an absolute meltdown if the atmosphere isn't what you like? I’m pretty easy going with no set schedule.  I just have to be ALONE, and it has to be QUIET.

What do you do when you experience that lovely problem called writer's block? One of three things:  I write through it, work on something else for a while or take a break from writing completely even for a day or two.  All of these have worked for me at one time or another, but taking a break seems to ALWAYS work.  I think that’s why we get writer’s block sometimes, because our brains need a break.  When I come back to look at something after leaving it alone for a while, I am usually able to see the problem, fix it and move on.

What is the craziest dream you've ever had? You don’t want to know, but I’ll tell you that it involved nuns, water, and adobe houses.

If you could live anywhere in the world you'd like, where would that be and why? I’d love to live in several places in Europe, including the UK, Italy, and Germany.  There is just something hopelessly romantic about those places in my eyes.  I’ve always loved the German language and customs, so that would be my first pick.   

Do you have a secret obsession you'd be willing to share? <wink, wink> Chocolate, but it’s really not a secret, especially if you see my hips.

What food/drink would absolutely devastate you if they stopped production on? Peanut butter and chocolate.

If you could step into the shoes of any fictional character for one day, who would it be and why? Did I mention I really like Anne Shirley?  I think I’d rather be Marilla or Diana so I could spend time with Anne.

Which do you prefer: ebook, hardback or paperback? I think all three have their uses.  I love hardbacks for my favorite, favorite books.  I like to get paperbacks when I’m getting books from the library or purchasing a book that maybe isn’t as much of a favorite.  E-books are great for traveling.  I think they’ll all continue to have important places in the literary world.

This or That

Underworld or Twilight

Original or Remake: Depends

Sweet or Salty

Drama or Comedy: Both

Fantasy or Romance: Both

Spring or Autumn

Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston

Walter Mathau or Jack Lemmon: Hello, we're probably related

Dirty Dancing or Footloose

American Idol or X-Factor or The Voice

Movie Theatre or Loveseat: because I can’t seem to get over the fear of contracting lice.

Tea or Coffee: I'm a water girl. Boring, I know.

Rain or Sunshine

Skiing or Surfing

Treehouse or Man Cave

Choose a challenge...if you dare!

Write a sentence using all these words: joker, fireball, backpack, sticker, hula hoop: With the joker suffering from mild distraction thanks to a fireball that came out of nowhere, I yanked the hula hoop into place, resting it on my large hips while I strapped the activation sticker around it—the backpack still tight on my back—and WHOOSH, up I went, higher and higher above the sidewalk.   Hey! That's actually pretty darn good! :)

You can pick up Cinder and Ella lots of places but here's the Amazon and Barnes and Noble links. And if you'd like, check out my 5 STAR review too, which (*coughs*) happened to make the back of the cover!

And now for the giveaway! Melissa is graciously offering a hardback of Cinder and Ella for you guys! Just fill in the rafflecopter below.

Cinder and Ella Review by Melissa Lemon (ARC)

Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon

Expected Publication November 8, 2011

Synopsis
After their father’s disappearance, Cinder leaves home for a servant job at the castle. But it isn’t long before her sister Ella is brought to the castle herself—the most dangerous place in all the kingdom for both her and Cinder. Cinder and Ella is a Cinderella story like no other and one you'll never forget.

As refreshing as it is beautiful - our beloved fairytale gets a supernatural twist.

Forget what you know about Cinderella. There's no glass slipper, no fairy godmother and the Prince isn't coming to sweep you off your feet and carry you off into the sunset - in fact, he may just drop you off a cliff. And there is no Cinderella - well, not really.

Cinder and Ella are the middle sisters in what was once a happy family of six. When the Prince came to visit late one night, he bewitched their father with an invisible spell and ruined their family dynamic forever. They watched in horror as their father deteriorated with time, eventually disappearing on them altogether. Cinder and Ella's siblings no longer understood respectable behavior and their mother went mad. In fact, their mother was so out of it the two daughters became one - Cinderella. Cinder became Cinderella and poor Ella became nonexistent to her mother.

When Cinder leaves to work at the castle, Ella can no longer stand the homestead without her and leaves to find herself a new life. When it comes to the attention of the Prince that Ella has gone missing, he sends out the knights to find and collect her, for the Prince has always feared Ella would be the one to hunt him down and kill him one day. In doing so, the Prince sets Ella into motion. Ripping her from her newfound happiness and flaunting the condition of her damaged family pushes Ella over the edge and sends her on a quest to the rid the kingdom of the evil the Prince has spread.

Cinder and Ella had a little bit of everything - romance, adventure and danger. Melissa Lemon has twisted the popular fairytale and weaved us an enjoyable new world that was both fresh and enchanting. We can only hope she'll put her creative spin on a few more popular fairytales.

Favorite Quote:

Tanner: "I think that I might kiss you to keep your lips busy from something other than insulting me."

Ella: "If you think you can do it without getting lost."

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.