Category: Suzanne de Montigny (Page 1 of 2)

Meet Kira from A TOWN BEWITCHED by Suzanne de Montigny

June 29, 2016 / Katie L. Carroll

I have a very special guest on the Observation Desk today: Kira, from Suzanne de Montigny’s latest middle grade novel A TOWN BEWITCHED. Let’s all give Kira a big welcome!

Hi. My name’s Kira. I’m fourteen and I have a frightful tale to tell about the strangest woman I’ve ever met. She showed up at Dad’s funeral wearing a scarf and boots even though it was August and carrying an old beat-up violin case. No one knows who she is in our small town and that’s weird ‘cause I’m a violinist and we know everyone who plays since it’s such a nerdy thing to do. Speaking of nerdy, did I mention I’m a child prodigy in classical violin? Makes it tough to fit in. My BFF Charlotte is a misfit too. She was adopted from China and is the only Asian kid in town. The In-Girls and their creepy friend Travis have a hey day with us.

Anyway, so this Kate McDonough whose eyes are the same piercing blue as a wild animal, takes over the town. Within a few days, Uncle Jack’s tavern is filled every night listening to her play this mysterious Celtic music. Then everyone starts taking fiddling and step dancing lessons, even the In-Girls and their nasty friend Travis. Like what’s going on? Why does Kate McDonough have this effect on a rock-n-roll town?

Then someone starts vandalizing the town leaving scary messages and a dead bird as a calling card. The authorities notice human teeth marks in a piece of organ left behind. I know who it is – it’s Kate McDonough! It has to be because it all started when she came to town, yet no one else can see it. They’re all under her spell. But not me. I’m going to get to the bottom of this before something really bad happens…

A Town Bewitched – now available on Amazon.

About the Author:

Award winning author, Suzanne de Montigny, wrote her first novella when she was twelve. Years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, thus reigniting her love affair with writing. A teacher for twenty years, she enjoys creating fantasy and paranormal for tweens and teens. She lives in Burnaby, B.C., Canada with the four loves of her life – her husband, two boys, and Buddy the dog. Find Suzanne at:

www.suzannedemontigny.com
https://www.facebook.com/unicorngirl52?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/sfierymountain
http://suzannesthoughtsfortheday/blogspot.com

We Love Tween/YA Books Cover Scroll

April 14, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

Some shameless book business first…Elixir Bound was the Friday Feature on the Dragon Blog and you can enter the rafflecopter over on the post to win a copy of the book.

Okay, now on to the fun! MuseItUp Publishing is hosting a We Love Tween/YA Books event over on Facebook. Lots of MuseItUp authors (including yours truly) have been stopping in and sharing all kinds of goodies related to their books. The event runs through Thursday and is open to the public, so stop by to discover some new YA/tween authors and their amazing books!

I thought in honor of the event, I’d do a cover parade of some of the MuseItUp titles I have enjoyed (full disclosure: some of these I’ve worked on as an editor…but that doesn’t mean I can’t recommend them, right?). I’ve included links to buy them at the MuseItUp bookstore, but they can also be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other online book retailers. And here comes the parade (cue the upbeat marching band music!).

First up some paranormal titles:

YA paranormal romance WANTED by Annika James

YA paranormal TEX, THE WITCH BOY by Stuart R. West

Upcoming MG paranormal THE UNWANTED GIFT by K.L. Pickett

YA paranormals COLORS LIKE MEMORIES, THE CHEMISTRY OF FATE, and the upcoming SURRENDER THE SKY, all in Meradeth Houston’s Sary Society Series.

And for you fantasy fans:

MG fantasy BEWARE OF THE WHITE by Kai Strand

MG fantasy THE SHADOW OF THE UNICORN: THE LEGACY by Suzanne de Montigny

MG fantasy LAUNCHING SISTERS TO WITC HCAMP by LRS

YA fantasy UNVEILING THE WIZARDS’ SHROUD by Eric Price

YA fantasies QUEST OF THE HART, CHARMED MEMORIES, and DIFFERENT KIND OF KNIGHT all by Mary Waibel

If you’re in the mood for a little mystery, don’t miss these next titles:

MG humor JULIUS CAESAR BROWN AND THE GREEN GAS MYSTERY by Ace Hansen

YA thriller THE MASTER’S BOOK by Philip Coleman

YA mystery ISOSCELES by Scott R. Caseley

And finally for those fans of contemporary:

YA CASCADES by Rick Taliaferro

YA A HORSE CALLED TROUBLE by C.K. Volnek

MG NOTHIN’ BUT NET by Kris Rutherford

MG MAYBE IT’S MAGIC by K.L. Pickett

I’d love to see what MuseItUp YA/tween books you all recommend in the comments! 🙂

Suzanne de Montigny Talks Unicorns and Her Newest Writings

April 11, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

Make sure to check out my guest post about my writing spaces on the MuseItUp Tween and YA blog here and enter to win a copy of Elixir Bound as it’s the featured book on the Dragon Blog. While I was away, Suzanne de Montigny, author of the middle grade fantasy The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy, stopped by to talk about her award-winning book.

Why are unicorns so important in mythology, in coats of arms, and in our imaginations? Find out why when you read Suzanne de Montigny’s The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy. And if you leave a comment at the end of this blog, you may win a copy of her e-book.

Winner of the Global Ebook Award for Best Fantasy/Alternate History, de Montigny’s story tells the unicorns’ struggle for survival when the great asteroid smashes into the earth, changing it into a moonscape, and causing the extinction of the dinosaurs – all except one, Darius the seer. Darius foresees the coming of the humans who exploit the unicorns for the healing power of their horns. When Ishmael drive nine unicorns to their death during a plague, Azaria seeks out Darius who teaches him the secret that keeps them alive, yet virtually impossible to find.

Suzanne, The Shadow of the Unicorns: The Legacy was such a moving story. Your ending was so sad. What can readers expect from you next?

I know what you mean, Katie. It makes me cry every time I read it, but the good news is it’s a trilogy and book 2 is nearly done.

There’s a book 2?

Yes, it’s called The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Deception. It happens sixty years into the future when a cruel and corrupt Great Stallion, Icharus, controls the unicorns by creating a false deity. When Ulysees and his friend Téo explore a forbidden trail, they are spotted by a human and thus begins the flight of the unicorns from danger. But are they safe from Icharus? They learn the truth from an older stallion who still remembers the old days – Danae. And the best part about this story, is they find Darius again, and not a moment too soon.

Wow, can’t wait. What else is on your plate?

The minute I submit this story, I will rehash my tale about a child prodigy in classical violin growing up in the town of Hope, British Columbia. She and her best friend, Charlotte, a girl adopted from China into a white family, are bullied at school, and to make matters worse, Kira’s dad just passed away from cancer. When Kate McDonough, the red-headed fiddler takes the town by storm with her mysterious Celtic music, only Kira suspects who’s been vandalizing the town, leaving dead and gutted birds as a calling card…

Oh, gives me goosebumps.

Me too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St9OsyK974o&feature=youtu.be

Suzanne, where can we buy The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy?

At the following links: Amazon, Kobo, MuseItUp, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, iBooks.

And if someone wants to follow you on FB?

Easy.

http://www.facebook.com/unicorngirl52

Thanks, Suzanne. It’s been really interesting. I wonder who that red-head is.

I’ll never tell.

Readers, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy.

My Writing Process Blog Hop

February 17, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

I’ve been tagged! Author extraordinaire Kai Strand asked me to participate in the My Writing Process blog hop. Make sure to check out Kai’s post about her (many) works in progress and her blog at http://kaistrand.blogspot.com/.

Now on to the questions I must answer:

1. What am I working on?

I’ve been really mum on the blog lately (and in general) about my WIPs since putting myself in a creative bubble last fall. I’m not exactly ready to bust open the bubble, but a little sharing won’t hurt.

So I’ve been working on drafting two different YA projects. Elixir Saved (which I’ve mentioned on the blog before) is a companion novel to my published YA fantasy Elixir Bound. It has three point of view characters, is epic in scope, and has a central theme of sacrifice. My other YA project is tentatively titled Black Butterfly. And that’s all I’m going to say about that one.

I’m hoping to have good drafts of both done before Baby Boy #2 arrives, but that may be wishful thinking. We’ll see how the drafting progresses.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My work is different from others in its genre in exactly the same way as any other writer’s is (how’s that for a paradoxical answer!). What I mean is I write stories that only I can tell in a way that only I can tell them. Okay, you want me to be more specific. One important way I try to stand out in the fantasy genre is to feature dynamic female characters with complex relationships among themselves and with the males around them. (Admittedly, there are other fantasy stories, particularly YA ones, that do this, but I think there aren’t enough.)

3. Why do I write what I do?

I write for teens and kids because that is what I love to read. But it goes beyond that, too. Kids and teens are learning and growing in ways an adult never will. A book read by a child has a far greater impact on his/her life than a book read by an adult had on that adult’s life. I think it’s important to offer kids and teens important, deep, diverse, fun, and entertaining reading experiences (not necessarily all provided by a single work). And I’d love to feel like something I’ve created can have even a small impact on a child.

4. How does your writing process work?

I’m not sure I’d say it does work. I often feel inadequately equipped to be a writer. Not because I can’t write well, but because the process can be elusive. Most of my stories start with a driving plot point and a character and grow from there, but I’ve never written two books in the same way. But they eventually get written, so maybe it my process does work.

****

Thanks for reading about my writing process. I’m tagging two more authors extraordinaire Erin Albert and Suzanne de Montigny. Be sure to check out both their posts next week!

Erin Albert (http://www.erinalbertbooks.com/erins-blog.html) is an editor at BookFish Books and author of The Fulfillment Series. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the “Grammar Police.” In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing. Her favorite place to be is at home with her family and easygoing tabby cat.

Suzanne de Montigny (http://suzannesthoughtsfortheday.blogspot.ca/), author of The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy, was an elementary music teacher for twenty years where she discovered her knack for storytelling. She has nearly completed The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Deception.

Book Blast for The Shadow of the Unicorn by Suzanne de Montigny

December 4, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m very happy to host Suzanne de Montigny’s fabulous middle grade story The Shadow of the Unicorn (see my Goodreads review here). Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card or Pay Pal cash!

Title: The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy (The Shadow of the Unicorn, Book #1)

Author: Suzanne de Montigny

Recommended age: 9+

Summary

A loud, hissing sound filled the air. The unicorns looked up, their eyes filled with horror.

Azaria, a unicorn colt, is intrigued when the young clairvoyant dinosaur, Darius, foresees a terrifying change in the world. When a giant fireball smashes into the earth, the unicorns struggle to survive the hurricanes and starvation that follow. Danger of a more sinister nature threatens when the creatures-that-walk-on-two-legs settle in the valley and their leader, Ishmael, discovers the healing power of the unicorns’ horns. Azaria, now a young stallion, must use his wits to save the herd from complete extinction.

* #1 in the Animals in their World list on Goodreads Listopia *

* #1 in the Christmas Stocking Stuffers list on Goodreads Listopia *

Winner of the 2013 Global E-book Award for Best Fantasy/Alternate History

The Buzz

“Kudos to Ms. de Montigny for writing an original variation on the fantasy epic–unicorns intermingling with dinosaurs! The book’s themes include the humane and environmental concerns that Watership Down and the films of Hayao Miyazaki have in common. If you have a middle grader or are just young at heart, pick up The Shadow Of The Unicorn.” ~ 5 Star Review, Stuart W., Amazon

“The Shadow of the Unicorn is a must-read for all unicorn lovers, but even more so for the ones, like my self, who hadn’t read anything about them yet. It is a thrilling and encouraging story about a young unicorn that has to save his herd after a meteor nearly destroyed their environment and killed the dinosaurs. Suzanne de Montigny created a compelling universe with believable characters and a great adventure story to challenge them with. While the story finishes in this book, I can’t wait to read about the new adventures the unicorns will face..” ~ 5 Star Review, Antje H., Amazon

“This story pulled me in with a beautiful portrayal of a time and place where unicorns and dinosaurs live side by side. It moved me forward with unexpected twist and turns (a requirement in any good story). I found it hard to put the book down and was totally engaged in seeing the young characters (unicorns and dinosaurs) survive and grow because of the challenges they faced.” ~ 5 Star Review, NW Harris, Amazon

“I just finished reading The Shadow of the Unicorn. What a story teller Suzanne de Montigny is. She combined unicorns with dinosaurs and spun a tail of magic that kept me turning the pages, not to mention throwing in an evil that came in the form of a human! What an enjoyable story – and here I thought these mystic animals were extinct. I just didn’t know what to look for!” ~ 5 Star Review, Penny E., Amazon

“What a delightfully unique book. Unicorns and dinosaurs facing changing conditions. Darius is a young dinosaur capable of seeing the future. Azaria is a young unicorn who becomes a friend and learns from Darius. Yes, there are humans in this book. They are the villains of the story. Greedy beasts. I think both boys and girls will love this story. Very quick paced and easy to read. A delightful story, and I look forward to more from this author.“ ~ 5 Star Review, DM Lawrence, Amazon

*Half of all proceeds go to the Third World Eye Care Society, a group of eye specialists who travel to third world countries with thousands of pairs of glasses and perform eye surgery for free.*

About the Author: Suzanne de Montigny

Suzanne de Montigny wrote her first unicorn story at the age of twelve. Several years later, she discovered it in an old box in the basement, thus reigniting her love affair with unicorns. The Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy, is her first novel. Suzanne lives in Burnaby, B.C. with the three loves of her life – her husband and two boys.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest runs: December 2, 2013 to January 1, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Suzanne de Montigny and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
a Rafflecopter giveaway