Showing posts with label retelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retelling. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Twisted Fairytale Confessions Blog Tour



Welcome to the Twisted Fairytale Confessions Blog Tour.

These books are pretty awesome. I have a read a few of them and really love the unique spin Sarah has twisted into them.
Here is some excerpts from my fav, Death of the Mad Hatter!



The Jack prophesied: If the king loses his head, then the Queen with a Bleeding Heart would rule the Red Court until Time ceased to move forward. When a second carried on for infinity, every creature in Wonderland would tip their Hat to the misfit girl with a Boy’s name (or was it a boy with a Girl’s name?) who’d end the Reign of Terror. However, it all hinged on the One-Eyed Hare being able to convince an uninspirable Heir that the impossible was indeed possible—like stopping time—and that Love was worth a Beheading. Heads would Roll… Hearts would Break… In the end, would it matter who Reigned?



Here is the prophecy.... 

 The Jack prophesied: If the king loses his head, then the Queen with a Bleeding Heart would rule the Red Court until Time ceased to move forward. When a second carried on for infinity, every creature in Wonderland would tip their Hat to the misfit girl with a Boy’s name (or was it a boy with a Girl’s name?) who’d end the Reign of Terror. However, it all hinged on the One-Eyed Hare being able to convince an uninspirable Heir that the impossible was indeed possible—like stopping time—and that Love was worth a Beheading. Heads would Roll... Hearts would Break... In the end, would it matter who Reigned? “Reign of Terror—everyone acts like it’s a bad thing,” the Queen of Hearts said, reading the script that Jack, the prophesier, had scribbled on an ingredients page of a violet book entitled, Sweets for the Rabbit Hole Voyager. The Mad Hatter’s crest, M.H. and a top hat, was printed on the top of every odd number page inside the book. Hearts tore the last stanza from the Bleeding Hearts Prophecy, crumpled it into a ball, and smashed it between the pages of The Lazy Killer’s Poisons, another of the Mad Hatter’s works. What a silly notion—dying for love. Ugh! (Cue eye-roll)



Here is another excerpt:

The Queen of Hearts kissed the King one last time before the Joker ripped his head from her hands and tossed it alongside the rest of his body. The queen’s personal guards picked up the pieces and clumsily carried the dead king out of sight. No one spoke. Only the sound of a ticking clock interrupted the stunned silence of the night. Standing next to the pool of blood, the queen let a love-letter the king had written slip through her fingers. Appearing out of thin air, a Cheshire kitten, affectionately named Chez, who was distinguished by his white and blue stripes, playfully pawed at the letter. Extending his claws, he shredded it while the queen did nothing. When the Joker bent over and reached for the remaining pieces of the letter, the kitten bit him, drawing blood. Chez’s hair stood on end as he guarded the letter. “If you want to play dirty, may I suggest a play date, Chez?” the Joker asked, inspecting the bite mark. His voice was as innocent as a child, but the look in his beady eyes was that of a psychopath’s. “I have all sorts of modified toys collecting dust in the dungeon.” “Don’t antagonize the Joker, Chez. He is a bit of a schizoid,” Hearts said, picking up the kitten. She stared at the pieces of the love-letter for so long that her eye twitched. “Burn it so that no one finds out that the king loved a seamstress.” The Joker picked up the pieces and fisted them. The recipient of the letter showed through his fingers: Dearest Genevine— He held his hand up to his mouth and blew. Pieces of the letter flew into the air and burst into flames. They flickered and fell to the floor in a pile of ash. “I’m required to scold you for leaving your sharp toys scattered all over, Joker. It’s a pity the king had to pay for your untidiness,” Hearts said, glancing at the guillotine that was drenched in the king’s blood. “Then I shall only take out my biggest toys when you order me to do so... again,” the Joker said and winked. “Since this is a hush-hush operation, I assume you don’t want me to kill the seamstress? Oh! Or perhaps she could have a misfortunate accident as well?” “No, that would be far too coincidental,” the queen said, as a matter-of-factly. “Keep her alive. Isn’t it fitting that she must live, knowing her lover is dead? Oh, and see to it that she never leaves Wonderland. Everything considered, she is still the most talented seamstress in the court, and I’ll need someone sew me a black dress to wear at King Edward’s funeral.”



Top Three Interesting Retellings of Alice in Wonderland and why they deserve to be mentioned?

 I thought it would be fun to incorporate a few of the original Alice in Wonderland quotes to reference the most significant (to me) Wonderland retellings. 
 “Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ― Lewis Carroll, 
Alice in Wonderland I’ve always been a little afraid of Alice’s story—okay, lame I know, but I blame Disney for my irrational fear of all things Wonderland. I watched the movie when I was a young girl, and being a food lover, I was petrified. Why? Because Alice ate some yummy food and then didn’t stop growing!! How could you hide the fact that you snuck a cupcake from Mom when you are ten feet tall? So eating a wonderous breakfast was out of the question. If a cupcake could make me a giant, then I wasn’t about to try the orange juice. 

“You would have to be half mad to dream me up.” ― Lewis Carroll,Alice in Wonderland Johnny Depp’s Alice in Wonderland would probably be my next favorite retelling. Any J.D. fan will love his performance. He gets so into his characters, becoming them through and through. Since Death of the Mad Hatter is focused mainly on the Mad Hatter, I was inspired by Depp and hope that is portrayed in the novel. Maybe I, me, and myself, am a little bit mad to dream up a character who is unapologetically insane.

 “Off with their heads!” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland 

“Wonderland was an intoxicating, magical world where the most farfetched dreams could come true and the impossible was possible. Conversely, it was a realm where the most daunting nightmares could haunt us until the end of time”—Death of the Mad Hatter. 

To me, Wonderland is a beautiful haunting place (probably because I have mixed feelings about their food). But to another person, the food might be the best part about the fantasy world. I just love how far the imagination can take you, which is why Alice in Zombieland is my third favorite retelling. The author took us to a completely different Wonderland than what most people imagine. So off with their zombie heads!

Giveaway!



Win a complete signed set of The Twisted Fairytale Confessions and a Kindle Fire 7HD
Death of the Mad Hatter, Locks: Rapunzel Unhinged, and Snow White Lies

ENTER HERE!!!


Sunday, November 2, 2014

Review: Stitching Snow by R. C. Lewis

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Stitching Snow by R.C Lewis
Publisher- Disney-Hyperion
Released- Oct 14th 2014
Purchase- Amazon / B & N

Princess Snow is missing.
Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.
Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.
When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

My Thoughts:
Stitching Snow, is a very unique and unusual futuristic sci-fi twist on the classic tale of Snow White. Truthfully? If I didn't already know this was a retelling, I probably wouldn't have made the big leap into thinking this was about Snow White, there is very little that resembles the old tale and felt entirely like it's own science-fiction fantasy storyline complete with robot drones, aircraft shuttles and a lot of techy-techy talk. We also have a lot of different planets with their own political plans of war and trade with Essie caught in the middle between what she did in the past and what and what she means for the future.

While the writing is very sharp, I admit it still took a bit to get use to. The sci-fi is very advanced and detailed and felt overwhelming at times to follow while the political stuff always seems to leave me dazed. I was also slightly disappointed with the villains. They were more disturbing and unhinged rather then evil and their ending seemed a little easy and abrupt. Still, what Lewis achieved entwining this story was pretty creative and imaginative new look into storytelling. I especially liked the seven drones bit, some are not mentioned but there are a couple that are present throughout the story and my favorite was, Dimwit- the ever adorable loyal hair-brain pet. 

Essie plays the role of Princess Snow, which isn't a real spoiler given it's revealed pretty quickly in the story. But if your expecting birds chirping and kisses on dwarf's foreheads kinda princess, your not gonna find her in this book. Essie is, well, a badass. Left on the frozen planet Thandra when she was just nine years old, Essie had to learn how to survive in a hostile environment. Fighting in cage matches for profit and parts and fixing the drones for the miners, Essie may not be living the life of your average princess, but, at least she's alive. I thought Essie was pretty awesome, she's got spunk and she's feisty as hell, she's also very determined, capable, strong and doesn't take crap from anyone. She's got great energy and I totally loved her attitude and role throughout.
At first I wasn't sure how to feel about Dane. He had some ill motives at the beginning but slowly he earned my trust and admiration. I love how protective he was with Essie and I loved that the romance moved at a gradual pace, melting my heart slowly but surely .


All in all, I thought this was a decent entertaining escape. The storyline is quite fascination and action packed and fit for sci-fi junkies and retelling fans alike. Great character chemistry, witty dialogue and incredible writing skills. R.C. Lewis is definitely an author to look out for. A fun escape.

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                                3.5 Snowflakes 

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Cover Reveal: The Beast by Lindsay Mead


Today we are very excited to share some cover love for 'the Beast' by Lindsay Mead. I don't know about you...but this cover totally rocks! 


the Beast by Lindsay Mead

SYNOPSIS
Demon possession has swept through Glace's neighboring kingdom, turning humans into Hellhounds. These great, fanged wolves are wild, desperate, and hungry. Only the sworn Hunters have kept them back for five long, bloody years.

At the young age of fifteen, Belle LeClair became a Hunter. She no longer remembers how many hounds she's killed, or how many friends she's buried. Still, Belle leads the hunt till a tragedy forces her deep into the dark kingdom. Her heart will be turned, her loyalty tested— and fate will intervene.

Amid a backdrop of Steampunk inventions and a harsh winter landscape, The Beast is a re-imagining of the infamous love between a beauty and a beast.


Video Link: the Beast
     
 
AUTHOR BIO
Lindsay Mead lives in her home state, Michigan, with a small demon-dog named Suzie Q. She has obsessively made videos for YouTube since 2007 and can't seem to stop. THE BEAST is her debut into the world of writing.


*The book is set to release this spring*

Main YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/1ag5dGm
The Beast on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/17WVJ6t



Friday, November 1, 2013

Review: Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce

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Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce 
Publisher- Little Brown Books
Released- Nov 5th 2013
Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N

Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?
My Thoughts: 
There is something very magical when ever I read one of Jackson Pearce’s fairytale retelling. I've always loved the story of the Snow Queen, her bitterness and her beauty, but this book was exceptionally remarkable, tangling fierce love and friendship against the backdrop of the harsh and cruelty of winter and the longing and evil that it brings.

Cold Spell captures the story of Kai and Ginny, they've been best friends since they were little kids and that friendship turned into a precious kind of love. But Mora, the Snow Queen’s, insatiable need to fill a deep void is powerful and goes after boys like Kai for her own twisted vendetta. But Ginny will do what ever it takes to bring back her love, no matter what it takes, even if it means that she will have to kill Kai…to save him.

Wow! This was such a fantastic escape, Pearce is a master storyteller when it comes to fairytales retellings.  I don’t know how she does it, but her writing is so passionate that it makes me feel like I’m right in the middle of this world. I saw everything this story had to offer so vividly in my mind. The crisp winter snow, the grey flavor scattered on ever page and the terror of the Fenris and the desperation of losing the one person you love the very most. I've read my share of adult contemps, urban fantasy and new adults and while I love nothing more then reading sizzling heat or sexy times, I forget how powerful and touching love can really be. Kai and Ginny have fairytale love, it’s the kind that you would want to wrap your arms around with both arms and hold on tight. It’s the kind of love that you would go to hell and back again just to hear them breath. I wasn't sure how connected I would feel for them, since Kai was taken so early on in the story, but the past memories from Ginny provided us with a very effective look from childhood to teenage moments that made me feel just how wonderfully beautiful their love really is. It also gave Ginny and the reader the strength to continue on this impossible journey and hoping against hope that everything will turn out right come the end.

I really loved all of these characters. They are amazingly put together, they have amazing chemistry with one another that amused and charmed me from the first page on.
Ginny is a wonderful protag to be proud of. I love her dedication and fierce determination and heart to get Kai back against monstrous odds. I loved seeing her grow throughout the book, learning that she’s a lot stronger then she realized and that with or without Kai, she can make it on her own.
Kai is one of those characters that is genuinely good and kind. I have a hard time trying to explain how I feel about him since there are two versions of him in this book. The ever talented boy who loves Ginny and the boy who was under an evil spell and left her broken hearted. My heart truly went out to him, feeling badly for all that he was put through.
I love love loved Lucas and Elle, they are such good people, giving, loving and fun to be around. The only part of the story that felt a little off was during the Travellers moments in the camp since it didn't quite blend with the rest of the story at that point, but it gave us Flannery and Callum, who I grew to greatly love in this book.

All in all, I really loved this book. Cold Spell is a enchanting and magical tale of love, friendship and self discovery covered under a blanket of rich tainted snow. It was the perfect winter escape that gave me chills and warmed my heart at the same time. 
Beautifully done! Another wonderful fairytale escape from Pearce!

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                                4.5 Snowflakes