Tag Archives: magic

Kingdomless (The Evamore Series, Book 1) by Michelle Garyfalakis (Book Spotlight)

KINGDOMLESS by Michelle GaryFalakis

 
The remnants of the United Kingdom of Garth, once ruled by the legendary Dynasty of Evamores are in the throes of conflict. Ten years ago, King Wren of the West discovered Raelle washed up on the shores of the Balour Sea, with no memory of the first nine years of her life. She was brought back to the castle and dutifully cared for and cherished by the king and his three older sons. On her nineteenth birthday, the Western Kingdom’s adoptive princess is secretly sent away by her stepmother to marry King Veras as a token of peace between the kingdoms. But, the Northern King has other plans.

As Raelle’s amnesia melts away with the help of a northern storyteller, she discovers more about the Kingdom of Garth, magic, the lovetie connection of the Evamores, and her role in the grand scheme of things. She is confused, angry, and curiously comfortable in the North.

A dark shadow overcasts all of the kingdoms, and the threatening influence of the fallen god Kellar seems to spread among the people, inciting disorder and violence. While the fate of the kingdoms may rest on Raelle’s shoulders, she can’t help but feel kingdomless. Betrayal is everywhere, from her own adoptive family to her newfound friends. Fearless, observant, witty, and determined, she is town between her attraction to King Veras’ good nature and the unexplained pull to the Tracker Calak. The challenge that she faces is not simple. As the old gods, laws and magic awaken, so does her own sense of self. There is a choice to be made, step into the role expected of her, or dive into the unknown and make her own destiny.

This YA fantasy novel asks the readers important coming of age questions, captures the attention with witty dialogue, relatable characters, and a world that is reawakening its forgotten magic. The readers will be entranced and hungry for more (and perhaps a piece of chocolate cake).

 

BUY THE BOOK
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Meet the Author:
Author Michelle Garyfalakis

 
MICHELLE GARYFALAKIS was born and raised throughout Ontario, Canada. She currently lives just outside of Hamilton, Ontario with her husband, four kids and Snowy (their friendly Samoyed-Border Collie). When she isn’t obsessively typing out new stories on her computer, you can find her drinking coffee with a friend, snacking on some guacamole or binge watching Outlander (again). Michelle loves finding creative ways to communicate with people, and her passion for storytelling is the newest addition to that list. 

 
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Ellery’s Magic Bicycle by Maria Monte (Book Review)

 

A touching picture book about a remarkable childhood bond between a little girl and her magic bicycle, perfect for children ages 4 to 7 and for fans of The Giving Tree.

Inspired by the author’s own childhood adventures, this heartfelt story will take readers on a whimsical journey through Ellery’s childhood with her magical bicycle in tow. Ellery and her bicycle share many wonderful new experiences together; lonely yet curious Ellery finds adventure, love, and friendship, as well as weathering sorrow and loss.

When she grows up, Ellery starts to forget her special bond with the bicycle. Will Ellery remember what’s important before it’s too late and the magical bike is lost forever?

A story of redemption, Ellery’s struggles, hopes, and triumph serve as an uplifting reminder to parents of their childhood bonds. Young readers will grow to love Ellery’s strong, kind, and compassionate spirit, and will see their own cherished bicycle in a new light.

  • A heartfelt and emotionally powerful read-aloud book
  • Books for kids ages 4 and up
  • Picture books for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary students.

 

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery.  I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

 

The love of magic and magical books has been around for many years. Children love when inanimate objects come to life. They do this through their imagination all the time. They make teddy bears drink tea. They make toys move and speak. They create a wonderland in their backyard or right inside their home. Therefore, I believe children will love Ellery’s bike and wish their bike would also come to life. You might even catch your child speaking to their own bicycle, which would be adorable. 

Ellery’s Magic Bicycle by Maria Monte is not just all about magic. There was a life lesson weaved in the story. A boy picked on Ellery; she got revenge on him and felt terrible afterward. This section reinforces the old saying two wrongs don’t make a right. When you and your child or students read this section, ask them how Ellery should handle the situation differently? How would they have handled it? 

Ellery’s Magic Bicycle teaches children to forgive, apologize for inappropriate actions, and be open to making new friends in the unlikeliest places with the unlikeliest people. With all the turmoil in the world, I appreciate any story that shows people overcoming differences, becoming nice, and starting new friendships. 

My daughter loved Zoe Saunders’s illustrations. I agree; they were fantastic. She did a marvelous job on all the pages, but especially the page dedicated to Ellery growing up and the bike becoming bigger with her. As a parent, I was happy to see Zoe had Ellery and Charlie wearing a helmet when riding the bike. Even though it’s a special bike and could protect the rider, we must teach kids to be safe. 

I would absolutely recommend this Ellery’s Magic Bicycle by Maria Monte to others.

 

Amazon’s recommended reading age: 4 – 7 years

Grade level: kindergarten – 3

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

 

 

 

About the Author

Maria Monte is an experienced communications specialist and has completed an honours degree in English literature. Her spare time is divided between family and caring for her young son. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Maria enjoys mochas and losing herself in wiki rabbit holes.

Reedsy Link

 

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Lulu and the Missing Tooth Fairy by S.E. Richey (Book Review)

Lulu and the Missing Tooth Fairy by S.E. Richey

 
Lulu cannot wait for a visit from the Tooth Fairy and get a pony with her Tooth Fairy money. And Trixie cannot wait to finally become an official Tooth Fairy. Everything would be perfect, if only Trixie would show up!
​Will Lulu get her pony? Will Trixie ever become an official Tooth Fairy? Find out in this humorous yet heartwarming tale that encourages us to never stop believing and that everything is possible with a little will power. And learn a thing or two about tooth traditions and tooth collectors of the world!
 
 
Buy the Book:
S.E. Richey Books
 
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
Losing a tooth is a BIG thing for a kid. They get very excited when it starts to wiggle slightly. The excitement only builds from there when it’s extremely loose and barely holding on. Then, when the big moment arrives, and it pops out, they can’t wait to shove it over their pillow for the tooth fairy. It’s like Christmas morning when the tooth fairy gathers their tooth and leaves a coin or bill behind. It’s magical! If the tooth fairy doesn’t come, hearts are broken. That’s precisely what happened for Lulu. Her tooth didn’t get retrieved time and time again. 


Poor Trixie, all she wanted was to be a tooth fairy. She can’t help the unfortunate events stopping her from doing her job. I know children will be rooting for Trixie in Lulu and the Missing Tooth Fairy. 


Trixie’s determination was inspiring. It illustrated a person never giving up, following their dreams, and triumphing when hope appeared all lost. 


What a fun story! And, the illustrations were fantastic too. I loved every character drawn by Jhon Ortiz. I especially liked Trixie’s blue skin and Lulu’s smile (minus one tooth). Kudos to Jhon Ortiz on capturing Lulu and Trixie’s joy and sadness perfectly. 


After the story, S.E. Richey gives us some interesting information about the tooth fairy in other parts of the world. I absolutely adored this page because I love learning new facts. My daughter does as well, so this will be a big hit with her. In fact, she’s going to LOVE the entire book, from start to finish! 

 
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 
❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author S.E. Richey

 
S. E. Richey was born in New York and moved to Puerto Rico with her family when she was four years old. She grew up in the mountains of La Cordillera Central of Puerto Rico. She spoke four-year-old English and Spanish, but soon forgot English. She loved running around her grandparents’ finca, picking wild strawberries, sucking on ripe coffee beans (so sweet!), sugar cane (so sweet!), and searching for cow pies with her siblings and cousins (not so sweet.).
At age eighteen, S. E. Richey swore she would never live in another small town in the country where she had to drive through a canyon with lots of curvy roads just to get to the city. Oh, how dizzy and nauseous those curves made her!
She moved to the United States where she attended college in a small town in Idaho, married and lived in a small town in California (her second home) with lots and lots of curves just to get to the city (yes, she got dizzy and nauseous), and now she lives in a small-ish town in Idaho with her husband and four children. Their two dogs, Roscoe and Cali, and Conan, the fat cat, complete the family. She loves to sing WAY too loudly in the car. She loves Dulce de Leche ice cream (even if it hurts her tummy). And she loves to read and write silly stories that make her giggle and stories that tug at the heartstrings.  
 
​connect with the author: 
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Olive and the Valentine’s Spell by Helen Millman (Book Review)

** 2022 Family Choice Award Winner **OLIVE AND THE VALENTINE'S SPELL by Helen Millman

 
​Olive is a sweet elementary school boy who is afraid to go to school on Valentine’s Day. . .because he thinks he’ll have to get married! Olive’s mom joins in his fight to defeat the “princess of love,” but along the way he learns an even bigger lesson, discovering the true meaning of love.

Olive and the Valentine’s Spell is an inspiring children’s book for all ages that shines a humorous light on Valentine’s Day and overcoming your fears.

 
Buy the Book:
Amazon B&N ~ Mascot
 
 
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
As a parent who’s raised two kids, my children didn’t have fears regarding Valentine’s Day like Olive did in Olive and the Valentine’s Spell by Helen Millman. However, there have been many times they’ve been afraid when it came to other firsts. So, with that said, I’m sure other children will be frightened or have questions regarding their first Valentine’s party. 


If you have children or take care of children, you know that we caregivers go to any lengths to take a child’s fear away. Much like the mommy in the story, we listen to a child’s fear(s), hold them tightly, reassure them everything will be all right, and maybe we’ll toss in a bit of magic. 


While being scared is no laughing matter, Vanessa Alexandre bought a smile to my face with her adorable illustrations. I loved the children’s expressions, and Cali’s glasses were just the cutest! The fairy was also darling. 


There are a couple of words that might need to be defined: humbly and oh vey. While I can see readers (ages 3-7) following along when being read to, I think it’ll prove challenging for them to read independently. No worries though – they’ll be old enough to read this story solo sooner than you think! 

No matter the age, I think it’ll be enjoyed by many! 


Happy Valentine’s! 

 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: 
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author Helen Millman
​​
Children’s author Helen Millman is a loving wife and mom. Her three young boys continually inspire her with their wild adventures and vivid imaginations. They even helped inspire her to write her new book, Olive and the Valentine’s Spell!

While living in Vero Beach, FL, she spends her time writing, reading, singing, and growing through her life’s experiences. She knows the importance of “seeing the bright side of life” and encourages her readers to “choose love, even when it seems impossible”. A friendly, optimist Helen has always loved to read to her own children and remembers how much her imaginative voices really helped bring the stories to life. She invites her readers to gather with a beloved book, for it truly is one of the best places to snuggle, giggle, imagine, and make unforgettable memories – together.


connect with the author: website facebook ~ instagram

 
 
 
 
 
 

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Romancing the Darkness by Tyler R. Snyder (Book Review / Author Interview)

ROMANCING THE DARKNESS by Tyler R. Snyder

 
Monsters of Mythical Proportion
Worlds of Magic and Power
Forbidden Love
And DEATH. DEATH is the consequence…

When Tristan defies Ambion’s only law—royal and common blood cannot mix, he discovers the consequences are real. The young guardian finds himself in a world where love and hate, war and peace, duty and betrayal blur into darkness. As his world devolves into a battle for survival, he learns only an Angel can save Ambion from the destruction wielded by the Dividers. Is Tristan the Angel destined to save the world or will he succumb to the wiles of a dark goddess?

​“Boy! Hey boy, let me show you the end.” Tristan looked in horror as tens of thousands of men and women were hooded figures. Explosions erupted everywhere, and the black sky spewed red lightning all around the warriors. A ground shaking roar forced Tristan to cover his ears. When he looked up, a massive golden dragon breathed fire upon the world: fire engulfed the horizon. “The end will begin with ash.”   

 
 
Buy the Book:
Amazon
 
 
 
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
 
 
Romancing the Darkness is the first book in a series by Tyler R. Snyder. It’s rated PG-13 + M. There is no sex, but it is implied. I think teen movies and television shows are 1000 times more graphic than this story!


Now, let’s discuss the monsters! I loved the variety of mythical beasts. I was familiar with certain popularized ones, such as the Kraken, wraiths, and dragons. However, Tyler introduced me to some new creatures: terpsichore (serpent-like horse) and a barking rabbit. Yeah, a barking rabbit! Cool, right?!


I think teens will love the fantasy elements in the story. They will probably love all the action sequences as well. Trust me –there are a lot of them. Battles scenes participants included humans, elves, angels, gods, goddesses, and the animals listed above, plus many more I didn’t mention. Fighters used magical powers, medieval weapons (swords and bows, weapons from today’s world (guns), and even futuristic ones (airships). Even though there are numerous fight scenes, they are not overly graphic. I would say they are on par with what teens are watching now. 


What Romancing the Darkness is missing, though, is a glossary/character page. It’s a lot to remember between the characters, beasts, locations, etc. In all honesty, I took notes. What else I would like to see is a card game. I think they would be wildly popular. 


As I stated in my opening sentence, Romancing the Darkness is the first book in a series which means this story ends on a cliffhanger. 


Looking forward to book 2! 

 
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:

Author Tyler R. Snyder
Tyler Snyder was born in 1984 in Medford, Oregon.

As a child, he was captivated by movies, video games, and Dungeons and Dragons, along with the worlds these activities created. The original spark that ignited Tyler’s imagination was when he wanted to see a movie similar to The Legend of Zelda, but the closest film at the time was The Dark Crystal. That itch, to this day, has still not been scratched. This led him to books and stories like the pastimes he adored and gave him exposure to a much grander well of ideas and possibilities. Meeting like-minded friends who shared the same hobbies, Tyler developed a passion for creating new worlds. In Romancing the Darkness, Tyler explores his world, Ambion, and the countless decisions confronting his characters.

Mr. Snyder currently lives in Wyoming with his wife, Sandra.

 

 

 

  1. If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

Tristan. Easy. In creating Tristan, I tried to put as much of myself into him as I could without deluding the character too much. With Tristan entering this vast world of magic and mythical monsters he is pretty much going into it blind and not as prepared as he would like to be. I feel a lot like that with life, becoming an author and juggling my passion with my day to day life.

 

  1. Do you have another profession other than writing?

I work for Frito Lay. I stock potato chips at three in the morning. It’s not a bad gig. I work anywhere from fifty to sixty hours a week. I actually really enjoy my job. The people I work with are great. And all the new people I meet help fuel some of the character interactions I have in my story. Witnessing social events and interactions between people help me develop my world and the characters that reside within it.

 

 

  1. Do you write every day?

I try my darndest to. With my busy schedule I try to sit down and write for at least an hour every day. Whether it is actual writing or going back through and editing what I have already written. As long as some form of progress is made I’m happy. But man it can get exhausting trying to squeeze it into the schedule. I feel if I stop I will lose that rhythm of doing it each day. In some ways it’s a lot like going to the gym.

 

 

  1. With long work weeks how do you balance your time?

I mean you get used to it after a while. As long as I stick to the schedule it doesn’t seem so bad. I have been bad and haven’t gone to the gym in month so I got to find a way to squeeze at least an hour each day to do that as well. But it’s nothing more than just putting in the work and keeping on your schedule. I make sure I don’t write past a certain time. I have to make sure I have some form of downtime for myself. Whether I’m playing a game after, catching up on Netflix shows or reading a book. Otherwise I may go nuts if work sixteen hours a day with no breaks.

 

 

  1. What was the last book you read that you really enjoyed?

There is one book that has stuck with me for years. I’ve read other books since then but none of them ever really jumped off the page the way this one did. The book was Mr. Begone by Clive Barker. Outside my wheelhouse. But I really enjoyed this book. Mostly because I have never read anything like it. But the fact that this little “possessed” book spent every chapter trying to convince be to burn it so the little demon could be set free. I thought it was so clever.

 

connect with the author: 
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Disclaimer: All questions and answers were constructed by the author and/or their representative. 

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