Blog Archives
The Midnight Switch by Samuel J Halpin – Blog Tour Extract and Giveaway
About the Book
A spooky, quirky adventure of curses and magic, perfect for fans of Malamander and A Place Called Perfect.
When Lewis’s family moves to a faraway town called Barrow, he can’t quite put his finger on what feels so strange about his new home. Everyone is obsessed with superstition, and an old story about floods and witches and a curse, while a mysterious bird watches his every move.
Then his family friend Moira arrives to stay. Only, there’s something peculiar about Moira too. She doesn’t know where she’s from, or even when she’s from, and strange things happen around her. Lewis and Moira are determined to figure out what’s going on in Barrow, but as they unravel secret symbols, riddles and stories of a midnight curse, they find that there might be some truth in the old town tales.
Time is running out, before magic switches up everything they know…
About the Author
Born in Tasmania with Irish roots, Samuel J. Halpin writes daily. Having studied journalism at the University of New South Wales, Samuel went on to take cinematography at AFTRS, the national Australian film school in Sydney before moving to London and working in comedy TV production. His children’s books are his answer to a childhood raised on a hodgepodge of fairy tales, crowded bookshelves and cups of hot chocolate.
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/samueljhalpin
Instagram:
https://instagram.com/samueljhalpin
Giveaway
Can you break the riddle and stop the curse:
My first sounds like a body of water.
My second is in STORIES but not TALES or FICTION.
My third is LORE but not LEGEND nor REALITY.
My last is what starts it flying.
Post your answer on my The Midnight Switch Instagram story which will be pinned on my profile until the giveaway closes on Friday 3rd November.
Extract
In the meantime read chapter one here!
Huge thanks to Bee at Kaleidoscopic Tours and the Publisher Usborne for the gifted copy. I will be adding my review to this post when I have read. Follow along with the rest of the tour too.
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The Secret of the Blood Red Key by David Farr – Blog Tour: Extract and a Giveaway
About the Book
The dazzling follow-up to the phenomenal The Book of Stolen Dreams from master storyteller David Farr, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman.
Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure…
Rachel and Robert have defeated the tyrant Malstain and become the heroes of Krasnia, but all is not how it should be. Robert is swept away with his new friends, leaving Rachel alone to take care of her ailing father, who’s lost without their beloved mother.
From nowhere, a boy appears knowing the secrets of the hidden blood-red key. For the key is a way into the Hinterland – and Rachel must promise that, as a new key keeper, she will answer when it calls. When a young girl, Elsa Spiegel, is illegally smuggled into the Hinterland, Rachel has no choice but to use her key to save Elsa. But her fate is linked to Krasnia, and Rachel must battle to save her home as she knows it.
About the Author
David Farr is one of the UK’s leading screenwriters and directors for film, TV and theatre. In 2009, he was appointed Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, where his productions of The Winter’s Tale, King Lear and The Homecoming all opened to critical acclaim. David is known for his work on Spooks and his 2016 BBC adaptation of The Night Manager, starring Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. He completed his first feature film, Hanna, in 2009, and has since adapted it into a hugely successful series for Amazon Prime, and has recently adapted The Midwich Cuckoos for Sky. The Book of Stolen Dreams is his first novel.
Extract
Here is a short extract of Chapter 13 The Lock which also demonstrates the wonderful illustration in the book. PDF version of the extract for download below.
Giveaway
The publisher sent me an extra copy of book one so I’m hosting a giveaway. To enter comment below where you would want the key to open to (U.K. addresses only).
What I Thought
To come… unfortunately I have been unwell again so have been unable to read this one. I will reshare this blog post with my review later in the month when I’m feeling better.
Do check out what everyone else on the blog tour thought – follow along on social media using #TheSecretToTheBloodRedKey and #TheStolenDreamsAdventures
Thanks to Bee at Kaleidoscopic Tours and the Publisher Usborne for the copy for review. The blog tour poster is below for reference.
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Again Again by E Lockhart – Blog Tour Book Review and Extract
About the Book
In this novel full of surprises from the New York Times bestselling author of WE WERE LIARS and GENUINE FRAUD, E. Lockhart ups the ante with an inventive and romantic story about human connection, forgiveness, self discovery and possibility.
When Adelaide Buchman’s younger brother succumbs to a drug overdose, she saves his life. In the aftermath, looking for distraction, she becomes a stylish, bright charmer who blows off school and falls madly in love – even though her heart is shattered.
Adelaide is catapulted into a summer of wild possibility, during which she will fall in and out of love a thousand times while finally confronting her brother, their history, and her own strength.
A raw and funny story that will surprise you over and over, Adelaide is an indelible heroine grappling with the terrible and wonderful problem of loving other people.
About the Author
E Lockhart is the author of many novels including the bestselling WE WERE LIARS, a New York Times bestseller, and GENUINE FRAUD; also THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKS, a Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book, a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Cybils Award for Best Young Adult Novel; FLY ON THE WALL, DRAMARAMA, and the Ruby Oliver quartet: THE BOYFRIEND LIST, THE BOY BOOK, THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS, and REAL LIVE BOYFRIENDS. She co-authored HOW TO BE BAD with Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski. Her latest book is AGAIN AGAIN. Visit her online at:
Website: http://emilylockhart.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elockhart
Instagram: http://instagram.com/elockhartbooks
What I Thought
Unfortunately due to what’s going on I’m the world I only got my copy yesterday but I’ve already read the first 20% and it has reminded me how much I love E Lockhart’s writing. It’s both lyrical and accessible. I loved We Were Liars and I can see this being the case with Again Again too. Adelaide already has such a powerful voice, and you aren’t really sure how much to believe her. What is she hiding from herself?
The style of the different conversations, presumably in the different multiverses, is interesting. Check out the extract to see how it’s laid out (which isn’t quite coming across on the netgalley ARC I am reading) but I think when reading the finished copy you’ll know which conversation is the one in the current reality though it will be exciting to see how the different options interact as we move forward. I suspect it will be similar to Sliding Doors.
At the moment the love seems very instalove on Adelaide’s side at least but because of the other things going on I’m her life with school, her brother etc I can see how love is being used as an escape. And bonus points go to this book if you love dogs because there’s lots of them running round this tale. I think one of them is only talking to Adelaide metaphorically rather than literally but with E Lockhart who knows!
I’ll come back later when I’ve finished and add some more thoughts but for now I’m intrigued, drawn in and want to see how this all plays out.
On finishing here are my additional thoughts. I like how the focus on the sibling relationship becomes more prominent and the characterisation stays strong throughout. I’m not sure the multiverse element fully paid off for me but I suspect that this will be one that you’ll spot more on subsequent readings.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour stops here. Thanks to Faye Rogers PR and the publishers for the gifted review copy. All opinions are my own.
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