Book Review: Amanda Moonstone & The Missing Prince

Amanda Moonstone: The Missing Prince by Dan Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amanda Moonstone: The Missing Prince is such a fun read! It's filled with action, magic, lovable heroes and memorable villains I've come to expect from Dan Wright, whose adult novels I've been a fan of for some time. This story, however, is most appropriate for the older elementary and middle school crowd.

The book centers around Amanda Moonstone, a young sorceress with quite a sad recent past. She lost a baby, and went a bit mad. Her fiance left her, and now she's struggling to make ends meet by selling potions to the locals in the village. Trouble is, she's not always great at that job, so she ends up with irate customers. She's also behind on the rent and is on the brink of being evicted. While out hunting for potion ingredients, she stumbles upon a young boy, Daryl, whose village was destroyed by the evil king. She soon discovers a reward poster for the boy's return. That money could pay all her debts and then some.

But...Daryl is in fact a missing prince, and returning him to the king will in fact put his life in danger. Poor Amanda has quite the dilemma. The plot reveals how she struggles with this and the choices she must make.

Like Dan's other manga-inspired writings, this one has illustrations sprinkled throughout that complement the story very well. There are also ties to his adult Draconica series, along with a few innuendos that adults and those who know Dan are likely to enjoy. The characters have the over-dramatic flair of what you might expect from a Disney film, with the villain being despicable enough to hate without being so scary as to give young readers a nightmare.

While the story itself follows a rather predictable arc for adult readers, there is at least one nice twist that I particularly enjoyed. The writing is well-edited, tight, and paced well enough to hold my attention. It's definitely a story I'd recommend for youngsters or adults who enjoy a light, whimsical read.

View all my reviews

Guest Post & Giveaway: Stenibelle by Ren Garcia

I've been a fan of Ren's sci-fi/fantasy series for a long time. It's always exciting to see another installment! Ren's also offered a bit of insight with a little questionnaire. See which ones you have in common! Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom!

This or That? - Ren Garcia's on the Hotseat

§  TV or Movies?   Movies

§  Hot or Cold? Cold

§  Black or White? Black

§  Night owl or early bird? Night Owl

§  Print or E-book? Print

§  Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla

§  Regular or Diet? Diet :( (Diabetic)

§  Coke or Pepsi? Coke

§  Horror or Romance? Horror

§  Action or Drama? Action

§  Pizza or Pasta? Pizza (lllllllllovvvvvvvvve pizza)

§  Skittles or M&Ms? M&M’s

§  Sweet or Salty? Sweet

§  City or Country? City

§  Harry Potter or Twilight? Gah!!  Harry Potter

§  Gum or Breath Mints? Mints

§  Spontaneity or Planning Ahead? Wing-It!!

§  PC or Mac? PC

§  Beach or Pool? Um ...neither actually (Pool)

§  Shoes or Sandals? Shoes

§  Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

§  Truth or Dare? Dare

§  Text or Talk? Talk

§  Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert

About The Book:

      STENIBELLE    by Ren Garcia    Pages: 184    Date published: July 18, 2015    Publisher: Loconeal

   THE 3rd TURN OF THE SHADOW TECH GODDESS The quest of Paymaster Stenstrom spans the planes, taking a bizarre turn in the 3rd universe, as there he is not an affluent man but a woman in desperate circumstances. Lady Stenibelle is imprisoned for her role in the Seeker Affair, is penniless, and her House of Belmont-South Tyrol is on the verge of extinction. Her spirit broken, Stenibelle is resigned to perform her sentence without fuss, do as she is told, and fade away in obscurity.     However, fate is not yet finished with her. Stenibelle is in the gaze of hidden benefactors with ulterior motives. People claiming to be her dear friends come forward, yet she does not know them. The Quests of the Shadow tech Goddess proceed, and she must discover the hero that lies within or face total oblivion. The disgraced 30th daughter of the House of Belmont will either be the final stake driven into its dying heart, or the ray of light that comes to save it and all else that follows.

B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

About The Author:

  

Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of anything surreal since childhood; he also has a passion for caving, urban archaeology and architecture. His books are published by Loconeal. He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, and their three dogs.

Website | Twitter | Facebook |Blog

Follow The Tour:

September 21^st – Christine Abee – Review

September 21^st – Marian Allen – Guest Post

September 22^nd – Melissa Martin's Reading List – Review

September 23^rd – TBA

September 24^th – Cabin Goddess – Recipe & Review

September 25^th – Room With Books – Playlist

September 28^th – Atomic Pirate Girl's Book Worm Booty – Review

September 29^th – The Renegade Zombie Reviews – Review

September 30^th – A Diary Of A Book Addict – Review 

September 30^th – Triple A Book Blog – Review

October 1^st – Heather Ann's Book Reviews – Review

October 1^st – Leigh Anderson Romance – Guest Post

October 2^nd – Karin Baker – Review

October 2^nd – Pixie Vixen Book Reviews – Review

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Coming September 8: The Business of Love by Anna James

Hiya peeps, I'm interrupting this hiatus to bring you this upcoming release by contemporary romance author Anna James. I've enjoyed her previous books, so I'm excited to check this one out! It's up for pre-order, so go ahead and reserve your copy. Here's a bit more about it:

The Business of Love

by Anna James

Sophia Hamilton can’t believe her late stepfather split the family firm three ways. With her hard-earned master’s degree, she and her stepbrother, Allen, are perfectly capable of running the firm. Instead, she’s forced to share the reins with Dante Leone. The man who split her heart in two.

Six years ago Sophia fell hard for Dante, but when he discovered she was a starry-eyed nineteen to his twenty-eight, he shut her out. Worse, Allen’s defection from the firm has left Dante with controlling interest.

Dante is having a tough time seeing Sophia as anything other than the woman who lied to him. Yet her resignation isn’t the moral victory he intended. He feels her absence deep in his heart—and the company plunges deeper into turmoil.

Sophia returns on one condition: equal partnership all the way. But their redoubled efforts aren’t working. And soon it becomes clear someone is bent on destroying not only her stepfather’s legacy, but any chance of a future with Dante.

 Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Business-Love-Forevermore-Anna-James-ebook/dp/B013DN7T7W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1439935201&sr=8-3&keywords=the+business+of+love

Author Bio:

Anna James writes contemporary romance novels with strong, confident heroes and heroines who conquer life’s trials and find their HEA.  Her debut story released in 2010. Since then, Anna has penned eleven novels/novellas.

Anna is married to a wonderful husband who spends countless hours picking up the slack around the house so she can pursue her dream of writing, is the proud mother of five fabulous children, and a big, loveable rescue dog the entire family adores.

You can learn more about Anna James at:

www.authorannajames.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annajames.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorannajames 

or by email: authorannajames@yahoo.com

On Hiatus, and here's why...

Hiya peeps! You might have been wondering if I fell off the face of the Earth. Well, kinda...I fell into my writing cave and haven't emerged for a while. I've decided to put the blogging on hiatus so I can focus on getting more books out. I may or may not return to blogging here, but I'll keep the blog live and up for everyone to access it.

The only sure way for an author to make a career of writing is to keep writing and publishing, so that's my goal. I'm doing pretty good. I had a goal of 4 books published this year. I'm working on the 4th. The third was just released. Wanna see it? It's my first historical romance!

 A Time for Everything

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZFUKEC4

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-time-for-everything-mysti-parker/1122264090

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/554586

Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-time-for-everything/id1014131141

After losing her husband and only child to the ravages of the Civil War, twenty-five-year-old Portia McAllister is drowning in grief. When she sees an ad for a live-in tutor in another town, she leaves everything behind in hopes of making a fresh start. But as a Confederate widow in a Union household, she is met with resentment from her new charge and her employer, war veteran Beau Stanford.

Despite their differences, she and Beau find common ground and the stirrings of a second chance at love until his late wife’s cousin, Lydia, arrives with her sights set on him. Burdened with a farm on the brink of bankruptcy, Beau is tempted by Lydia’s hefty dowry, though Portia has captured his heart.

In another time and another place, his choice would be easy. But love seems impossible amid the simmering chaos of Reconstruction that could boil over at any moment into an all-out battle for survival. Will Beau and Portia find their way into each other’s arms, or will they be swept away by raging forces beyond their control?

****

What readers are saying:

"The book truly encapsulated the situation of the time - a Confederate living in Union territory. The mere difference of opinion between Union and Confederate...the vestiges of the war...the consequences of one's actions...the choice of who you love and how you show it." ~Girl of 1000 Wonders Book Blog
*****

"If you enjoy stories from the Civil War then you will definitely enjoy this one. Don't forget to grab the tissues before you start." ~Heather, Goodreads Reviewer

*****

 "I love Ms. Parker's writing style. She hooked me from the beginning. She really knows how to weave a story." ~Amy, Goodreads Reviewer

*****

"This could also make another great after Civil War movie, or mini TV series. Right up there with 12 yrs. a slave, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, Gone With the Wind, The Help."  ~Tony Parsons, Goodreads Reviewer

*****

"These two characters especially Po managed to keep me interested to the very last page ( to the point I was reading during class). Trust me this is not a book you should miss." ~Stephanie, Goodreads Reviewer

Awards: 

Heart of the West Contest (Utah Chapter Romance Writers) - 4th place in Historical Category

Dixie Kane Memorial Contest (Southern Louisiana RWA Chapter) - 3rd place in Historical Category

Finish the Damn Book Contest (Chesapeake Romance Writers) - 2nd place in Historical Category

NEW RELEASE: Jivin' Tango by Connie L. Smith

Jivin’ Tango

By Connie L. Smith

Lila and Austin have known each other since she befriended his younger brother when she was a toddler. In fact, since her parents moved from her hometown, Lila’s lived with Austin’s family. The two are friends, though more of the teasing, taunting breed than the BFF variety.

But all it takes is one moment for everything to change…

For Austin, that moment comes when Lila performs a rumba in the school’s auditorium to qualify for the state dance competition, the young woman on stage so far-removed from the little girl in his memories.

For Lila, the moment is a reflected image of Austin preparing for prom, the guy standing in front of his mirror hardly resembling the child that spent so much of his youth pestering her.

Will they find a way to admit to themselves and their families that their feelings are deeper than friendship? And can Lila focus on this building relationship – and deal with her unstable ex – and still win the dance contest?

Excerpt :

Austin’s gorgeous, smart, funny, ambitious, and athletic.

But he’s certainly not a dancer.

I learn that early in our miniature lesson, though it doesn’t bother me. No aggravation surfaces on his face if he misses a step, and his laughter when he completely botches a move proves contagious. He’s terrible, we both know it, and it’s about the most fun I’ve had in years.

When he messes up a particularly simple step, I cackle so much, I let go of his fingers to hold my palms over my mouth. “How could you miss that?”

Without a bit of shame, he shrugs. “It’s actually pretty easy to do on my end.”

“Well, I can see why I never picked you for a dance partner.”

He snorts. “Yeah, Trent was definitely the right way to go with that one. Now.” He takes my hands in his, glances down at his poorly functioning feet, then focuses on my face. “What did I do wrong?”

I have to bite down on my bottom lip to keep my amusement from showing, but I manage. Barely. 

“You know how some people have two left feet?” I wait for him to nod before I let humor take over my features. “You seem to think you only have one foot, period.”

He scrunches his brow. “What do you mean?”

“That’s what you did wrong.” I take a step back and drop his hands, thinking an example would be the best way to explain the problem. “You went here.” I put my right foot in place. “Then here.” My left foot hardly budges. “Then here.” I move my right foot about ten inches. “You should’ve moved your left foot more. When you didn’t, it knocked your balance off.”

“Something that simple?”

I roll my eyes at the disbelief in his tone, then lace our fingers again. “Yeah. Something that simple. Every step’s important when you’re dancing.”

“Huh.” The song changes, and it’s another slow number, one I recognize from Trent’s oldies collection. Johnny Rivers, singing “Slow Dancing.” I’m tempted to glance at Trent and his date to verify what I suspect—that he’s the one who requested the tune—but instead, I gaze up at Austin and find him grinning at me.

“Now this I can handle,” he brags.

I snicker and sink back into his arms…

 ****

About the Author:

Connie L. Smith spends far too much time with her mind wandering in fictional places. She reads too much, likes to bake, and might forever be sad that she doesn’t have fairy wings. And that she can’t swing dance. Her music of choice is severely outdated, and as an adult she’s kind of obsessed with Power Rangers. She has her BA from Northern Kentucky University in Speech Communication and History (she doesn’t totally get the connection either), and is currently working on her MA.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clsmithbooks

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/conniel0194/

Blog/Main Site: http://clsmithbooks.blogspot.com/

ReadWave: http://www.readwave.com/connie.l.smith/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7257320.Connie_L_Smith

New Achievement Unlocked!

Yeah, I play too many video games...anywho...Guess what, y'all!! My flash fiction story "Innocent" is in this fabulous edition of Splickety Prime​!!! You can grab an e-version or a print. How cool is that? It's my first story published in a printed magazine :)

Clicky the pikky to get your e-version OR print copy! 

Author Roast & Toast: Mysti Parker celebrates The Roche Hotel

Giving away an audiobook and donuts!



Author Roast & Toast: Mysti Parker celebrates The Roche Hotel: “Umm, are you sure you’ve got the right address, Lyn?” Mary eyes the building the taxi-cab has dropped the hostesses outside of, then swi...

Chances Are Just $0.99 today!

***Chances Are: Just $0.99 today!***

http://www.amazon.com/Chances-Are-Mysti-Parker-ebook/dp/B00QUJP0EG

"I loved both characters dearly. They were truly endearing and encouraging. " -- Paranormal Trance Reviews

"...a heartwarming romance." -- Leona Pence, author of Hemphill Towers

"I'd recommend it to any intelligent reader with a weakness for love." - Georgina Young-Ellis, author of the Time Mistress series 
"Entertaining, delightful." -- Ia Uaro, author of Sydney's Song

UPDATES!!

For those of you who don't know, I also write children's books, and my first one, Quentin's Problem, is currently on sale for $0.99 on Kindle!! It's all about a pirate boy who can't say "Arrr!" and is perfect for the pre-K to 2nd grade crowd. Grab a copy for your little pirates from now until March 3. 

http://www.amazon.com/Quentins-Problem-Misty-Baker-ebook/dp/B00TVVX86C/

Congratz to Shamona H who won the handmade necklace from HMC by KATE for our Let's Get Scientifical blog series!






Thanks to all the authors and readers who participated in this series! Without all of you, our blog events wouldn't be possible. Unwritten has always been and will always be for authors and readers to connect through fun events, educational articles, reviews, and more. If you ever want to appear on my blog or if you have any ideas for good series topics, just give me a shout!

Next Event: A-Z Blog Challenge
 April 1-30

Stay tuned for the sign-up link!

For the rest of March, I'm taking the month off to write, write, write! See ya soon! ~Mysti 

Let's Get Scientifical #21: Love--The Sensible Choice or the Passionate Choice?

Welcome to Unwritten's February blog event! Of course, this is the month of love, so I wanted to celebrate that theme as I've done in year's past. But this year, I've decided to add a scientific spin to it. All month long, talented authors from several genres will write about some aspect of love from their books as it relates to science. It could be social, psychological, biological, or anything in between. Our blog event is sponsored by "HMC by Kate", a fabulous independent jewelry crafter. Kate's giving away one of her very beautiful necklaces that I think fits our theme perfectly. She's also offering everyone who stops in a 10% discount on any item from her Etsy store. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post and check out her lovely offerings! Without further ado, please welcome our guest author:

Love: The Sensible or Passionate Choice?

by MJ Post

Old MJ says:   In romantic stories, we know who gets picked, right? The true love, the one that makes the heart beat faster, the soul-mate. But is that realistic? Does passion make us pick?

First of all, we don't always want what we think we want.  Writes blogger Pamela Haag:   "a new research study … finds that while we think we know what we want, we don’t. Researchers found that when looking at written profiles, participants expressed more interest in candidates who fit their 'ideals.' But in live interaction, the ideals were no longer correlated with romantic interest."

Dating services let customers make sure they only meet people who fit preselected criteria. These criteria tend to be sensible (similar age and education, wealth, preferred look).  But the study implies that when the screening's done and we move on to meeting in person, the sparks don’t fly. Why not?

Psychology Today blogger Dr. Alex Lickerman:   "As with everything else, our conscious minds play second fiddle to our unconscious desires…. [W]e may think we know what we want in a mate, but the real qualities we find attractive—the real reasons for the choice we ultimately make—are often quite different from what we tell ourselves they are."

A marketing expert, Gad Saad, tells us about this. There are different ways that we weigh the characteristics of a person.  If a possible mate is being judged by some combination of looks, personality, and status, then how these get balanced in our minds determines whether someone becomes a mate. You could use what Saad calls the Weighted Additive Rule, in which one criterion is multiplied in importance. After you magnify that trait, someone becomes acceptable who might have been refused if all qualities were weighted equally. This explains  why dumb, good-looking women get smart men -- in such cases, looks are those men's top priority.

Saad also defines other methods of selection, including Lexicographic Rule:   "I'm seeking someone who's good in a particular category, so when I find that quality to the degree I want, the person is a potential mate, period." Want someone rich, hot, or funny -- if person X meets that description, you may fall in love.

Back to the question of whether choices are made because of passion or good sense:   the categories are a little more complicated than two. Good sense usually means pairing with someone of higher status than you,  someone with similar education and background, someone you can get along with. Passion has to do with just feeling someone is right for you so strongly that you will blow past obstacles and objections to be with that person. Based on my life experience, I think choices are made both ways, and the odds for happiness are comparable whether you are passionate or sensible. What matters the most is how maturely you both handle the relationship once you are in it -- but that's a different article!!

****

Bio: MJ Post debuts as a romance author with "Chances Are." Educated in creative writing in Southern universities, MJ has ties to Florida and North Carolina but currently resides in New York City and works in education. MJ is married and grew up in the 1970's and 1980's.

      MJ's interests include relationships, social media, and comic books. Ask her about any and all of them!

Follow MJ's author news at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Post-Author/302156203319243

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MJPostAuthor

Blog: http://mjpostauthor.blogspot.com/

Email MJ:   MJPostAuthor@gmail.com

ENTER TO WIN!

This beautiful handmade necklace from HMC by KATE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let's Get Scientifical #20: Is Techno-Love Real Love?

Welcome to Unwritten's February blog event! Of course, this is the month of love, so I wanted to celebrate that theme as I've done in year's past. But this year, I've decided to add a scientific spin to it. All month long, talented authors from several genres will write about some aspect of love from their books as it relates to science. It could be social, psychological, biological, or anything in between. Our blog event is sponsored by "HMC by Kate", a fabulous independent jewelry crafter. Kate's giving away one of her very beautiful necklaces that I think fits our theme perfectly. She's also offering everyone who stops in a 10% discount on any item from her Etsy store. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post and check out her lovely offerings! Without further ado, please welcome our guest author:

Is Techno-Love Real Love?

by Eve Francis

Hi readers! Thank you to Mysti Parker for hosting me on the “Let’s Get Scientifical” blog-hop. My story, released Feb 15 2015, is called Not About Love. It's a lesbian sweet romance story, which deals with an online relationship between two women who meet and fall in love while writing comic book fan fiction. For me, this is a distinctly modern romance, but a not a story everyone is used to seeing yet.

So much of what we know about love, at least from a scientific perspective, has been reduced to chemicals. Mai Nguyen, the main character in the story, is studying to be a pharmacist and her study buddy Nathan reminds her (along with her professors) of this fact. In order to bond with our mates, the body releases happy hormones and chemicals—such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. These produce the euphoric feelings of love and make us stick around long after the thrill of sex is gone.

There are evolutionary reasons for this, of course. It's assumed that those we have sex with end up being the ones we raise offspring with, and we function better when there are more people to raise that kid. Because of birth control, however, we don't necessarily need to be in love with the people we have sex with anymore. Most contemporary rom-coms reflect the changing way we’re dismantling love from sex (Friends With Benefits is an example), but we seem to have a harder time thinking of love being present without sex. Is it possible to love someone you’ve never had sex with? And more importantly, is it possible to love someone you’ve never even met?

In this story, Mai struggles to decipher whether her love is "real" because it happened online. She and Kate have known one another for a long time, have seen one another over Skype, and have shared many experiences. And since they write fan fiction together, they've discussed sexuality in vivid terms. But does that mean Mai is in love with Kate—the characters they write—or the screen itself? What about Kate's feelings? In fandoms, where emotions already run quite high, it can be hard to decipher if an “I love you” is a genuine expression of romantic intent, a friendly exchange, or just excitement.

Many researchers are already looking into the new ways in which technology influences our love life and if it's possible to be in love through the technology itself. I'm sure they're doing great research, and that attitudes towards love and sex will change in time. But for now, as an author I'm figuring out these conundrums and attempting to write a very short, but I hope also quite sweet story, about the possibilities of love on the internet.

My conclusion? It's definitely possible, chemicals or not. 

Thank you for having me!

Buy link: http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=34_162&products_id=1378

Find more information on my website here: evefrancis.wordpress.com

Bio:

EVE FRANCIS has appeared in The Fieldstone Review, Hyacinth Noir, Plunge Magazine, and Gay Flash Fiction. She has forthcoming publications with Ylva Publishing and JMS Books. She lives in Canada and can be found at http://evefrancis.wordpress.com/

ENTER TO WIN!

This beautiful handmade necklace from HMC by KATE

a Rafflecopter giveaway