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Interview & Giveaway with Kelly Hashway Author of CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE

October 31, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

Happy Halloween! Today a quick interview and a giveaway with Kelly Hashway as she celebrates the release of her MG mystery CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE. Pretty much anything Kelly writes (including her works under her pen name Ashelyn Drake) is an automatic add to my TBR pile. Welcome, Kelly!

What made you want to become a writer?

I’ve loved books since before I could read. I still remember the first time I read a book on my own and how powerful it made me feel. From that moment on I knew I not only wanted to read books but wanted to write them, too.

What was the hardest part of writing CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTURNE? And on the flip side what was the easiest?

When I started this book I couldn’t get the first chapter right. I actually had to write the ending first and then backtrack. So oddly enough the climax and the ending were the easy parts. Once I had those in place, I was able to tackle the start of the story and work my way to the middle. It was definitely a different process than what I’m used to.

What other books are like CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE that readers might enjoy?

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Growing up, what books have had the most influence on you?

I grew up reading R.L. Stein’s Fear Street books. I loved them. They were scary, suspenseful, and fast paced. I devoured that series.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring two books and one movie, what would you bring?

Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan, Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

What’s up next for you and your writing?

Well, there are more books in the Curse of the Granville Fortune series, plus I have a bunch of YA titles coming out over the next few years. And of course, I’m writing new titles too.

And finally can you share something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally talk about in an interview?

I have a weird phobia of the number three. I think that’s why I use it so much in my books. It just freaks me out, and I associate it with bad luck. No idea why though. It’s strange.

CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE blurb:

Find the fortune, break the curse!

The hunt is on for an ancient treasure tied to nine-year-old J.B.’s family history. He’s been having visions that make him sweaty, lightheaded, and certain he’s turning into some kind of freak—or worse, going insane. But things are worse than he imagined. The visions stem from a family curse. An ancient ancestor was accused of stealing the massive Granville fortune, and now J.B.’s entirely family will suffer.

To break the curse, J.B. must find and return the Granville’s stolen property. But he’s not the only one searching for the treasure. As he sets out on his journey through a dark and foreboding forest, he’ll battle his worst fears and fight terrifying creatures along the way. And when he meets two others who share the missing pieces of his visions and suffer from the same curse, the three soon realize they need to work together to break the curse before it’s too late.

Purchase Links:

About the Author:

Kelly Hashway grew up reading R.L. Stein’s Fear Street novels and writing stories of her own, so it was no surprise to her family when she majored in English and later obtained a masters degree in English Secondary Education from East Stroudsburg University. After teaching middle school language arts for seven years, Hashway went back to school and focused specifically on writing. She is now the author of three young adult series, one middle grade series, and several picture books. She also writes contemporary romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she isn’t writing, Hashway works as a freelance editor for small presses as well as for her own list of clients. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, and volunteering with the PTO. Hashway currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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The Emptiness of a Full Mind

October 27, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

Lately my mind has been so full of million things that when I do have some free time, I can’t actually get anything done except maybe sitting in front of the TV and watching reruns.

I mean, it’s these little guys that take up so much of my brain power, so a worthy trade off, but some days it’s hard not to be hard on myself. The evenings are especially unproductive. By the time feedings and baths are done and the boys are settled down for the night, I’m wiped. And there’s pretty much always laundry to be done and other stuff.

My mind is full of feeding schedules, lists of things I need to get done that keep getting put off by more important things that need to get done, and little voices saying things like, “I need you, Mommy.” My arms are full of kiddos hands and dirty diapers (hopefully not at the same time), my shirt is usually full of breast milk and spit up, and my diet is full of, well, junk because so much effort goes into making sure everyone else eats right that it’s hard for me to do so.

I’m not really complaining…I mean, I signed up for this whole being-a-mom thing. It’s just with all this fullness, I’m also feeling oddly empty. There’s this sort of blankness or haze around everything in moments of quiet. Perhaps my brain has been wired for a slightly chaotic state and it doesn’t know what to do with any stillness. Maybe it’s just fatigue.

Anyway, I’m off to go stare blankly into space for a few minutes before I try to tackle another thing on my list.

An Early Halloween Treat with Iva Valentino Author of BLACK CATS AND BALLET SLIPPERS

October 22, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

No tricks, only treats today with Iva Valentino and her middle grade fantasy BLACK CATS AND BALLET SLIPPERS. Welcome, Iva!

Thank you, Katie, for having me on your blog today!

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, and I am counting down the days! Even though we don’t have seasons here in Arizona, we still get plenty of Halloween festivities and fall-themed everything. Dressing up in costumes, passing out candy, listening to “Monster Mash” and “Thriller”—I love it all! Plus, all of the pumpkin flavored items that pop up in the grocery store around this time of year are absolutely delicious.

Black Cats and Ballet Slippers incorporates not only Halloween, but a mish mash of some of my other favorite things as well. The main character of this humorous middle grade book is Gemma Mayfield, a ballerina and middle school student. She is convinced that her teacher is a witch. After her crush, Trevor, has a spell cast upon him, Gemma embarks on a mission to save Middleton Middle School from witchcraft!

The idea for Black Cats came about when I was still teaching middle school science. In the book, Gemma’s science teacher, Ms. Pruett, has a really creepy classroom. The classroom has a preproom with lots of “witchy” things, such as powdered unicorn horn and other ingredients for spells. In my classroom, I also had a big preproom. My classroom was actually very nice and not creepy at all, but over time my imagination took over. I started to envision this preproom as being Ms. Pruett’s.

So, to my already existing “witch’s brew” of story ideas, I added my love of dance, which is something that I’ve done since I was a kid. I did ballet for many years, and when I began college I became interested in modern dance. After performing with different dance groups for a while, I decided to try Afro-Brazilian dance, hip hop, and Zumba. These days, I love it all! Each week I do something a little different.

Last, but not least, I simply had to include something about cats! Cats have always been a part of my family. Mungo, the black cat in the book, has a lot of similarities to an amazing black kitty I had when I was young. Gotta love the cats! As a matter of fact, my Halloween costume this year will be… drumroll please…a black cat! Complete with the tail and ears and all. 🙂

To find out more about me, please visit me at the following sites:

Website: www.ivavalentino.com

Blog: www.ivavalentino.com/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ivaavalentino

Thanks again, Katie, for giving me the opportunity to visit your blog! Happy Halloween to all!

About the Author:

Iva Valentino lives in Arizona with her husband and their dog, Lupo. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Education. She loves living year-round in the warm desert.

Iva spent many years as a middle school teacher, where she enjoyed doing fun science experiments with her students. She currently works as a science editor at an educational publishing company. She loves travel, yoga, and photography. There is nothing that brings her more happiness than a good dance class!

Find Black Cats and Ballet Slippers at:

MuseItUp Publishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/now-available-in-ebook/black-cats-and-ballet-slippers-detail

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Cats-Ballet-Slippers-Valentino-ebook/dp/B00ISW6BAA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410125518&sr=1-1&keywords=Black+Cats+and+Ballet+Slippers

FALLEN SON, DARKEST NIGHT by Melissa A. Petreshock

October 21, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

One half of the Sassy Sisters is here with a new release. Let’s welcome Melissa A. Petreshock and her short story FALLEN SON, DARKEST NIGHT, a companion book to her NA fantasy romance FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS.

FALLEN SON, DARKEST NIGHT by Melissa A. Petreshock

After four millennia of waiting for change, the Mother Goddess sees no other recourse but to summon Theo Pendragon to perform his sacred duty as one of the Dracopraesi, imprison her only son in the Underworld, and save her people.

Given the vast destruction Dante has caused in the Earthen Realm, Theo is prepared to fulfill Dana’s request without hesitation, but when confronted with unexpected events and a plea for mercy, will the dragon find him worth redemption, or is it too late for this dark soul to seek forgiveness?

FALLEN SON, DARKEST NIGHT is a short story companion to FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS (Stars and Souls Book 1). Three thousand years before Caitriona Hayden is even born, Dante’s actions and Theo’s decision impact the destiny that awaits them all.

Available October 21, 2014 on Wattpad.

About the Author:

Melissa A. Petreshock is a full-time writer and member of the Romance Writers of America with past experience in the medical and educational fields, though she has primarily devoted her adult life to raising a family. Born and raised in Kentucky, Melissa spent a number of years in Massachusetts, living outside Boston and in Springfield before returning to her home state where she now resides on a small farm. She enjoys quiet married life and the silliness of her three children, indulging hobbies of music, Zumba, and a minor television addiction in what little free time she finds. Melissa’s interests include causes demanding social change such as mental health awareness and teen suicide prevention. FIRE OF STARS AND DRAGONS is her debut NA Fantasy Romance novel.

You can find Melissa on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Historical Fiction Fun (no really!) with Cheryl Carpinello Author of SONS OF THE SPHINX

October 17, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

Let’s offer a nice greeting to today’s guest post by Cheryl Carpinello, author of the historical novel SONS OF THE SPHINX, as she dishes about how fun it can be to write and read historical fiction. Welcome, Cheryl!

Fun with Historical Fiction

by Cheryl Carpinello

Mention you are an author and write historical fiction, then sit back and wait for the groans!

Writing historical fiction is a lot of work, but authors can and do have fun with history. This genre does not tie a writer to historical facts. It does the opposite. That’s why it’s fiction.

My newest book Sons of the Sphinx is full of historical references as it should be. So many readers are fascinated—including this author—with ancient Egypt and expect what they read to contain actual and accurate facts.

Readers also expect to be entertained, and here is where the fiction comes in. Here are some examples from Sons of the Sphinx without giving away too much of what awaits its readers.

Fact: A stele sits between the paws of the Sphinx.
Fiction: I’ve hidden hieroglyphs important to my story at the bottom of the stele.

Fact: Everyone knows the Sphinx has no nose but no one knows what happened.
Fiction: Readers actually see what happens to his nose.

Fact: Tutankhamen’s life is documented with research.
Fiction: Key times not known in Tut’s life are created, embellished, and expanded, like his early life, his married life with Ankhesenamun, and his death.

Fact: Tut’s tomb stayed hidden for over 3000 years because it was covered by debris from a later tomb.
Fiction: I created my own explanation for his tomb remaining hidden, one that plays out well in the story.

Most writers skillfully weave their historical fiction around and through historical facts. It’s one of the reasons that make these stories so popular. Next time you pick up a historical fiction novel, see if you can spot the fiction and the facts.

Happy reading!

SONS OF THE SPHINX blurb:

Armed with what she considers her grandmother’s curse, 15-year-old Rosa agrees to help the ghost of King Tut find his lost queen Hesena. Though Hesena’s ba inhabits part of Rosa, finding the whole spirit of Hesena so that she and Tut can be together for the first time in over 3300 years proves to be a harder task than Rosa first thinks. Thrust back into Ancient Egypt with Tut, Rosa discovers that finding Hesena is not all she must do. She must keep out of the reach of the living Horemheb—who crosses mortal boundaries using Seth’s evil magic—if she is to stay alive to make it back home.

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MVGC96Y/

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/469860

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sons-of-the-sphinx-cheryl-carpinello/1120481788?ean=2940046213232

iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sons-of-the-sphinx/id925912370?mt=11&uo=4

About the Author:

I love the Ancient and Medieval Worlds! As a retired English teacher, I hope to inspire young readers to read more through my Quest Books. Please follow me on this adventure. On Carpinello’s Writing Pages, I interview other children/MG/Tween/YA authors. At The Quest Books, I’ve teamed up with Fiona Ingram from South Africa and Wendy Leighton-Porter of England/France/Abu Dhabi to enable readers to find all of our Ancient and Medieval quest books in one place.

For more about Cheryl visit on her Blog; author sites: Beyond Today Educator and The Quest Books; Facebook; GoodReads; or Twitter.

Other Books by Cheryl Carpinello:

Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend – Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025KUJ36

Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom – MuseItUp Publishing book page: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museityoung/action-adventure/the-king-s-ransom-detail

Tutankhamen Speaks – Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E18KH46