Book Review--Emerine's Nightmare

Emerine's Nightmare by Anna del C. Dye. I found this middle grade book fascinating in a weird, strange way. It would definitely be someone's nightmare and the first few pages were twisted in a nightmarish way, but so beautifully written that it compelled me to read on. I thought the main character was a female at first, but it's not and I liked that in the end. I felt Emerine's sorrow and troubles and relief when things all began to make sense. It is one that anyone could read, but I wouldn't recommend for everyone, especially those who aren't particularly fond of events that border on the twisted side of things. It receives a :):):):) Here's an interview with the author, purchase info, and a blurb about the book. Let me know what you think!

What would you do if one night, life as you know it changes and you are left alone in despair? That is how Emerine’s nightmare starts and now all he does is run.
His family lived at the edge of the forest until dark shadows killed them all. Now they want him, and so does a magic tree. He has never seen dark shadows or enchanted trees before. Emerine has to get to the heart of Red Forest, to the fairy people. Only then he will be safe. Safe? He has never heard of fairies before and once he gets there what?

Thank you so much for bringing me to visit your blog, Bonnie. It is always a pleasure to be with your friends.

So, tell us about your new book.

It is called Emerine’s Nightmare and is for children. The protagonist is a boy that is persecuted by dark fairies. They have killed his parents and now it’s his turn.

What other characters are in this book?

Humans, fairy boys & girls and the son of the Sun God.

Why a fairy book?

It was a challenge I gave myself. I never read a book with fairies and wondered if I could write one. So I read one story on the internet and wrote Amerine - Fairy Princess. That is what this story was originally called.

Really how interesting. Why change?

I changed my mind when I went to a class and we were told that there was a shortage of boys’ books on the market. That gave me the idea to turn her into a boy. It was a lot of work but it turned out well.

Who should read Emerine’s Nightmare?

Children from 6-years-old up. Especially boys…I double dare you!!!

Since this is a book for children is there more than words on its pages?

Like always, you are so perceptive. Yes, it’ll have a few drawings made by me (with a lot of help from Photoshop.)

Lol. Is it true you received an award for this book already?

Yes. When it was “Amerine - Fairy Princess” it won second place in a short story contest. Then when I changed it to a boy protagonist and it became “Fairy Prince” it won first place in a first page contest.

So, it started as a short story and developed into what you now have?

Yes, from Amerine Fairy - Princess (2500 words) to Emerine’s Nightmare (12615 words.)

How is Emerine’s Nightmare different from your other published books?

It has a boy protagonist and the theme is darker than I am accustomed to.

Since all know me as the sweet young adult author who writes Elf series and Princess Romances, this Halloween-y tale really breaks the mold.

Since we are on that topic of broken molds, do you plan to break any other molds?

Yes. There is a shortage of boys’ books especially between 4th – 7th graders and I want to try my hand at helping fill that void.

Now I am curious. What else are you brewing?

I just finished the rough draft of the first of a new series for boys called “The Intergalactic PI.” Then it will come the title of that book “In the case of …”

Can you tell us more?

It is about an 11-year-old boy who is a genius and his parents don’t know it. He is so bored with the pretence of his normal life that he decides to have an alternate life. His genius helps him create an almost human robot and the two of them travel the galaxies investigating crime.

Wow! But what about your Elf series? Are you done with them?

No. My elf series is to close to my heart and, like I have said before, there are 7 books in that series. The next stand-alone book, the fifth in that series, is called “The Royal Elf of Abalon.”

When will we see it on the market?

It is in the editing process right now and will come out about April of next year.

How wonderful. Elfs books, fairy books and now intergalactic books there should be something for everyone’s taste.

I hope so. It is so fun to write that I can’t help it. And I do appreciate your time and that of your readers.

Where can we find Emerine’s Nightmare?

You can find Emerine’s Nightmare in the following formats:

Kindle

Nook

e-book

The Kindle and Nook are only $3.99

and the e-book $2.00.

The first two are available at the normal sites, the e-book from my website.

Work In Progress Wednesday

My baby slept and I got 2000 words written! Yes! :)

Book Buzzin' Tuesday--Identity

Identity by Betsy Love. So excited about this book. Here's a blurb and book trailer!

While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.

And the winner is . . .

Random.org has spoken and the winner is . . . Mandi Slack! Thanks so all who entered. I hope you all come back for lots more fun! :)

By Bonnie Harris My mom recently shared this article with me and my sisters. It came about because I was feeling like I wasn't doing enough in any aspect of my life, more especially for my little one. It sure made me feel better about what I have been doing and helped me realize that I'm doing OK. I figured it might help others also. I hope you enjoy it! :) Why I Didn’t Sing Lullabies to My Children By Daryl Hoole Comment on Article At a baby shower recently the guests, who were “experienced” mothers, were invited to offer advice about rearing children to the mother-to-be. Each of the twenty-four of us present shared helpful tips, but it was Ginny’s suggestion, particularly, that triggered a lively discussion among the group. She offered, “Don’t try to be all things to your children. Just do what you do best and don’t worry if your neighbor spends days designing and sewing Halloween costumes for her children and you just grab something out of the dress-up box for your kids.” Her comment caught my interest and caused me to reflect on my singing— I can change keys four times during “Happy Birthday”, so I’ve done my children a favor over the years by not singing to them. But I have read lots of stories to them. Sue must have also felt some vindication because she jumped in and laughed as she said, “I’ve never made a thing from scratch. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a recipe in my house. But between Rob and me, we’ve taught our children how to paint and lay tile and how to fix about anything that breaks.” “Speaking of husbands,” JoAnn added, “Larry isn’t one to play ‘rough and tumble’ with the children, but almost every evening he spends at least twenty minutes reading to each of our four children individually.” Brittany, relieved by these disclosures, admitted, “I’m not the athletic type so I don’t take my children swimming and hiking, but I love to have my children cook with me. We have lots of fun in the kitchen.” Allison was the next one to comment, “My friend, Lindsay, who is the practical rather than the artistic type, has put lots of time and effort into compiling a binder filled with emergency information and recipes using food storage items. She recently presented copies to her married daughters with the comment, ‘These are in lieu of the scrapbooks I didn’t make for you.’” Linda, a single, working mom, added, “I can’t afford to take my children on vacations and trips but we do enjoy local events together such as parades, firework displays, festivals, and rodeos. Once we sat on the sidewalk and watched as the Olympic torch passed by. My boys still talk about that.” The ideas poured in. It was evident that the notion of building upon our strengths was winning the day. Mothers need not worry about, and waste their energy on, what they cannot do with their children. Rather, it is better for mothers to spend time doing what they can to nurture them and connect with them. So now you know why I never sang lullabies to my children.

September Blog Hop

Welcome to the September Blog Hop! Celebrate the beginning of fall with me and my blogger friends by hopping around, visiting our sites, and entering our contests! There are no limits - you can enter the contest on every blog. With over 40 blogs participating, that's over 40 prizes you could win. Just click on the links below to move on to the next blog.



On my blog, you can win …



A Peach Satin Hands Hand Cream (or if you don't like smelly lotion a Fragrance Free Satin Hands Hand Cream). Good for hands, feet, you, or a friend! US only please, until I can figure out a cheaper way to ship. :) Although I'd still love international followers.




Would you like to win this prize? You just need to do two things.



1. Become a follower of this blog.



2. Leave me a comment in the trail and tell me what book I just reviewed. Hint, it's the next post.



That's it! You are now entered. The contest ends on Saturday night, September 24th, at midnight MST, and the winner will be contacted shortly thereafter. Please either leave your e-mail address in the comment trail or make sure it's visible through your profile so I can contact you to tell you that you're the lucky winner.



Now go visit my other friends ...





September Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author 2. Joyce DiPastena 3. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer 4. Mandi Slack 5. Michael D. Young 6. Six Mixed Reviews 7. Pam Williams 8. Laurie Lewis 9. Kristy Tate 10. Marilyn Yarbrough 11. Stacy Coles 12. Kristie Ballard 13. Lynn Parsons 14. Pushing Past the Pounds 15. Sheila Staley 16. cindy Hogan

17. Jamie Thompson 18. Jaclyn Weist 19. Cathy Witbeck 20. Secret Sisters Mysteries 21. Tamera Westhoff 22. Tina Scott 23. Lynnea Mortensen 24. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan 25. Jeanette A. Fratto 26. Bonnie Harris 27. Melissa Lemon 28. Mary Ann Dennis 29. Stephanie Black 30. Jane Still 31. Janice 32. Laura Bastian

33. Tamara Bordon 34. Betsy Love 35. Maria Hoagland 36. Amber Robertson 37. Debbie Davis 38. 39. Christy Monson 40. Carolyn Frank 41. Rebecca Birkin 42. Melissa Cunningham 43. Emily L. Moir 44. Ronda Hinrichsen 45. Lisa Asanuma 46. Joan Sowards 47. Jordan McCollum 48. Diane Stringam Tolley

Learn more about September Blog Hop here.

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Book Review--Kill Alex Cross

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson. I got the opportunity to join the Once Upon a Twilight book tour for James Patterson's upcoming release (November) of Kill Alex Cross. I've been curious about James Patterson for quite some time. I've read and reviewed his Maximum Ride series, but I got the feeling that his adult books were on a different level. The book tour provided me the chance to give Patterson a try.

To be completely honest, had I not joined the book tour, I would not have continued past the first few chapters because of the language. However, I have to say that once I got past that I loved the book. The characters were fun and easy to relate to. The mystery was intriguing and interesting, but most of all, I loved the pace. Chapters were short which to me makes the book easier to read. I don't feel like I'm locked into ten pages worth of stuff. I can read a chapter or two, do the dishes and read another chapter or two. Even running to do something in between, I still felt involved in the story and was able to pick right back up. Not all books I'm able to do that with.

I can't recommend this book for everyone because of the language, but for those of you who love a good, fast paced mystery, this book is for you. It receives a :):):):) Here's a link for a Sample Chapter, where you can Pre-order the book, and a blurb. Let me what you think!

The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.

A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced.

As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes—one that may alter the fate of the entire country. KILL ALEX CROSS is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!