Saturday, February 14, 2015

Blog Tour: Once Upon Two Kingdoms by Anna del C Dye




I am pleased to share this book by Anna del C Dye, with you.

 I'd like share the cover with you.

 

 


Freedom to Choose is Paramount for any human

An arrangement made when Elizabeth was just a babe ties her to someone she has never met, never spoken to, never loved. Now she desires freedom—a way to choose her own path—her own husband. The moment Elizabeth meets Patrick she knows he is her soul mate. But when you are bound to a crown how is any choice your own?

 

 Sound intriguing? I thought so.

But, before we get into the book, Here's a bit about the author.

Anna was born in the extreme South along some famous beaches. She grew up with four other siblings, being placed in the middle.
Anna moved to the USA to marry her husband Rodney, and has resided in Utah since then. Her husband, a native of Idaho, met her in her hometown. They fell in love and she came to Utah on Christmas Eve to be married two weeks later. They are the parents of three princes and a princess.
Early on in her life she showed an affinity for sewing and took classes that have rewarded her with the opportunities of doing the costuming for the cast of four musicals, and Utah’s own Fantasy Con, which she enjoyed immensely. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.
Some of Anna’s writing recognitions:
She received the Editor’s Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry and had her article entitled A New American Mother published by Desert Saints Magazine. Her short story entitled Amerine—Fairy Princess won an award in a League of Utah Writers contest later to be published by Kalkion Magazine. (Now it has been published as an e-book.) Other articles about family and relationship have been published frequently in the MOMS CLUBĂ’ of Salt Lake Valley-West. She has published 7 books on her Elf series. Her and Rodney’s love story was published by Deseret book in the anthology entitled Angels Round About compiled by July C. Olsen. Another of her articles was included in the Anthology Mother’s Message in a Bottle, edited by Tyler Hayden and published by Nimbus Publishing.

Links to social media sites for the author
Facebook:
My website:
Twitter:
Shelfari:
Goodreads:
Links to where book is sold

And now for my review!


Once Upon Two Kingdoms is an interesting tale, set in a more medieval period. Since there are references to parentage in French, I'm assuming it's in Europe, or a place similar. Two individuals are promised to each other in marriage when their fathers get the idea into their heads, despite the sorrow of their wives.

Eighteen-odd years later, they unexpectedly meet, but don't realize they are destined to marry each other. Neither wants to marry someone they've never met, but, with the circumstances as they are, they do end up having feelings for each other.

Then things start to get really crazy. A king is murdered. A queen dies. Lies are spread, and intrigue abounds as a mastermind tries to put the two kingdoms at odds with each other. Obviously there is someone else out there who doesn't think the two lovebirds should end up together, betrothal or not.

But as any good teenage, suddenly turned monarch will do, they continue to thwart the evil plans of this murderous traitor. Of course, they don't seem to realize this, though both are planning for war, against each other. Sadly, neither knows that the very countries they are planning to destroy belong to the person they love most. And neither has the courage to tell the other who they really are!

Well, I won't give too much away, but I will give this about the story:

As far as characterization goes, I think that Ms. Dye portrays a typical pair of teenage lovers who hate their lot in life, but are eager to go their own way. I do think that Elizabeth does show a lot of the same qualities equated to blonds in modern jokes, rather silly and irresponsible, but then, so does Patrick. Circumstances do make them grow up a bit, but they are never too mature for childish antics, even if it goes against the grain of their character.

The world Ms. Dye has creates is a beautiful world, though I wouldn't mind more description about the insides of the castles. I was pleased at how some of the elements of each country definitely came into play i the story.

Over all, not a bad romance, a bit slow paced for my taste, but will likely please a lot of the younger audiences, especially fans of star-crossed lovers who can't seem to every quite cross the right paths.


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Blog Tour schedule:

February 9 -  jaletaclegg.blogspot.com



Saturday, February 7, 2015

Book Blitz: Secrets and Doors



 Synopsis

Open the door and unlock the secrets in eleven short stories from The Secret Door Society, an organization of fantasy and science fiction authors dedicated to charitable work. All proceeds from this anthology benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in their quest to cure Type One Diabetes (T1D).
In these pages you’ll discover a modern woman trapped in an old fashioned dreamscape, a futuristic temp worker who fights against her programming, a beautiful vampire’s secret mission disrupted by betrayal, a sorcerer’s epic battle against a water dragon, the source of magical mirrors—and more. There are tales for every science fiction and fantasy taste, including new works from award-winning authors Johnny Worthen, Lehua Parker, Christine Haggerty, and Adrienne Monson.
Join us in the fight against T1D as you peek into a world of magical and mysterious doorways—if you dare.

Let's look at these authors


JOHNNY WORTHEN is the tie-dye wearing author of the nationally acclaimed young adult paranormal Eleanor, the Unseen, and the adult occult thriller, Beatrysel, and Dr. Stuart's Heart. His short story, The Point, appears in the Dark Fiction anthology Little Visible Delight, and look for his genre-bending comedy noire, The Finger Trap in 2015. Trained in modern literary criticism and cultural studies, Johnny writes upmarket multi-genre fiction. “I write what I like to read,” he says. “That guarantees me at least one fan.” Johnny lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife and sons.

C. R. ASAY joined the Utah National Guard at the age of seventeen. After spending time in the 625th Military Police Corp she transferred to the 19th Special Forces group as a counterintelligence agent. She retired from the military after marrying her best friend, and graduated from college so that she could embark on the most exciting adventure of all; being a
mom. The short story version of her first novel, Heart of Annihilation, earned an honorable mention from the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest. C. R. Asay currently resides in West Jordan, Utah, with her husband, four children, and a dog. There is always a dog. www.crasay.com

SAM MCCLENDON is a world championshipmartial artist and Science Fiction/Fantasy enthusiast.Having survived cancer, he now pursues his dream of becoming a published writer, and works to help build a community of support for aspiring writers in Utah. Currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah, he works in the IT field for a local software company



MICHAEL DARLING has been a butcher, a cartoonist, and an award-winning magician. He fell in love with science-fiction after reading Madeleine L'Engles’ A Wrinkle in Time. The synergistic mingling of words, art, theater, and magic have led to many projects in the years since. Michael’s fiction was first published in college and his non-fiction has appeared in the book Teach by Magic and MAGIC Magazine. Death by Magic and The Mystery of Dr. D’Arq have been produced for the stage along with radio scripts for The Faith and Families Report that aired in more than 80 markets worldwide. As an actor and singer, Michael has appeared in more than 15 plays and musicals. As Michelangelo, he has entertained audiences with his own brand of magic and illusion in hundreds of shows and has appeared with the Utah Symphony and toured with Odyssey Dance Theatre’s Thriller production. Michael is currently working magic with an urban fantasy novel as well as an epic fantasy series for young adults. His short stories have been accepted for publication in 2015.
Let's peak inside

Good Enough to Die For
By: C.R. Asay
Molly, an unwanted shelter dog, is given a second chance when she bonds with a lady, carrying
the tangy scents of otherworldly fear.

Excerpt:
“ Don’t leave! I pleaded with my eyes. Wait for me! We needed each other. This
delicious-smelling lady needed me as much as I needed her. I sniffed, and the sharp tang of the
alien fear bit my nose. I sneezed, shaking my head.”

Interesting author tidbit:
I’ve always loved dogs. I love their humor and enthusiasm, their affection and understanding.
But I mostly love their mystery. Trying to pry into their minds is like trying to understand an
alien race. And yet human and canine for centuries have crossed the boundaries of verbal
understanding and created bonds that have brought them peace. My story is for the loved ones
of those suffering from diabetes, hoping they can come to terms with a disease not fully
understood and find peace.

Temp
By Michael Darling
A futuristic temp worker finds romance and a terrible secret in her new crew. To preserve the
truth that could change her life, she’ll have to overcome the programming used by the UP
corporation to control her. But the price may be more costly, and personal, than she bargained
for.

Excerpt:
Part I Deckport
4136C
“I have a sixohfour
on the Nyota,” Rat said.
A flashing image burned across my mind: a woman with her hands pressed against her
bleeding ears, eyes blind.
I wouldn’t let that happen. Not today.

Interesting author tidbit:
As an magician, I’m always doing two things at the same time: what the audience sees, and
what’s not seen at all. Writing a story is a lot like performing magic. There’s a bit of a setup
while the props are introduced. Events unfold in an interesting fashion. There is a reversal at
the end. But in writing, there’s a big difference. The magic happens when the reader sees
everything.

Rafflecopter for Secrets & Doors Book Blitz a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pick up an eBook of Doors & Secrets here   
And it will be available soon in paperback here

 Follow along to find out fun facts about the Authors and to get sneak peaks into the book.

And make sure you check out all the bloggers who will be participating today.
rebeccalamoreaux-anauthorinprogress.blogspot.com