Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Book Review - Kenzie's Kingdom by Shea Fontana + Giveaway

Kenzie hates that her family moved to a castle and started a Medieval themed resort. She misses her old friends and her old life back home. However, when a time-traveling squire needs Kenzie's help, will she be able to help her friend?

The graphic novel was a cute and brightly illustrated book. It had themes of being a friend, accepting and figuring out who you are. I enjoyed reading the graphic novel but, wished it had a bit more humor at times.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion**


 

About The Book:

Title: KENZIE'S KINGDOM

Author: Shea Fontana, Agnes Garbowska (Illustrated), Rebecca Taylor (Editor)

Pub. Date: July 26, 2022

Publisher: Wonderbound

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 128

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, B&NiBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

When modern meets medieval, Kenzie must help a squire get back to the past in this time-traveling fantasy adventure!

A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRINCESS

Kenzie hates that her family moved to a castle to start a Medieval-themed resort, but all that changes when a time-traveling squire needs Kenzie’s help to get back home to the past! From the best-selling creative team behind DC Superhero Girls, this is a perfect read for fans of Phoebe and her Unicorn, The Baby-Sitter’s Club, or Witches of Brooklyn.


 

About Shea Fontana:

Shea Fontana is a writer for film, television and graphic novels. Her credits include developing and writing the DC Super Hero Girls animated shorts, TV specials, movies and graphic novels; Polly Pocket (developed and story editor), Doc McStuffins, The 7D, Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets (wrote show bible and first season), Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (story editor), the new Muppet Babies series; two Disney on Ice shows where she wrote new material for the worlds of Mickey Mouse, Inside Out, Disney Princesses, Finding Dori, Frozen, and other Disney and Pixar properties; and the feature film, Crowning Jules. She has also written for top comic titles including Justice League, Wonder Woman, Batman: Overdrive (coming 2019), Catwoman/Looney Tunes, and contributed anthology pieces starring Deathstroke and Teen Titans.

Her DC Super Hero Girls graphic novels have been New York Times Best Sellers. Her debut graphic novel, Finals Crisis, was honored with Diamond's 2016 Gem Award for Best All-Ages Graphic Novel, and DC Super Hero Girls: Past Times at Super Hero High won the 2017 Gem Award for Best All-Ages Graphic Novel as well as the Comixology Reader's Pick award for Best All-Ages Graphic Novel of 2017. DC Super Hero Girls won the 2018 Ringo Award for Best Kids Comic or Graphic Novel. She was listed 61st on Bleeding Cool’s Power List of Comics for 2018. The London Free Press declared her “not afraid to be corny,” which is an accurate assessment of her persona both on and off the page.

She lives in sunny Los Angeles where she enjoys hiking, hanging out with her beagle, Ziggy, and changing her hair color. Using the secret identity “Shea Q. Off,” Shea played roller derby until her angry knees forced her into early retirement. 

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

About Agnes Garbowska:

Agnes has worked with many of the major comic book publishers illustrating such titles as the New York Times Best Sellers & Gem Award winner DC Superhero Girls for DC Comics, My Little Pony, Care Bears, and Jem and the Holograms for IDW, Grumpy Cat, Boo: the World's Cutest Dog, and Li’l Vampi  for Dynamite Entertainment, Sonic Universe Off-Panel Stripes for Archie Comics, and Victories for Dark Horse. She has worked with Marvel Comics, providing artwork for Girl Comics and Spider-Ham 25th Anniversary Special. She is also the artist for the 2014 Halloween Comic Fest comic, The Adventure of Ernie from Aspen Comics.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads

 

 



Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a finished copy of KENZIE'S KINGDOM, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/11/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt

7/12/2022

Write. Read. Live.

Excerpt/IG Post

7/13/2022

BookHounds YA

Guest Post/IG Post

7/14/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt

7/15/2022

Ya Books Central

Guest Post

7/16/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Post

Week Two:

7/17/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Post

7/18/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Excerpt/IG Post

7/19/2022

@meetcuteromancebooks

IG Post

7/20/2022

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post

7/21/2022

@just_another_mother_with_books

IG Post

7/22/2022

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

7/23/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

Review/IG Post

Week Three:

7/24/2022

Books and Zebras

Review/IG Post

7/25/2022

The Clever Reader

Guest Post/IG Post

7/26/2022

Little Red Reads

Review

7/27/2022

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Review

7/28/2022

FictionalFey

Review/IG Post

7/29/2022

Nerdophiles

Review/IG Post

7/30/2022

More Books Please blog

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

7/31/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review/IG Post

8/1/2022

hodophile_z

IG Review

8/2/2022

Nagma | TakeALookAtMyBookshelf

IG Review

8/3/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

8/4/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

Review/IG Post

8/5/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review


Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Book Spotlight - Sword and Sorcery: Frostfire by Ethan Avery + Giveaway

 

About The Book:

Title: FROSTFIRE (Sword and Sorcery #1)

Author: Ethan Avery

Pub. Date: April 22, 2022

Publisher: Stories by Storytellers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 454

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, B&NTBD, Bookshop.org

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

If you could change your life by trusting in a stranger… would you?

Erevan has a problem. He grew up on the unforgiving streets of Bogudos and has the scars to prove it. His friend, however, is stuck in jail because of his mistake. But when a suspicious courier offers him a chance to fix things, should he lift his sword and journey across treacherous lands to aid her cause?

Meanwhile, Aireyal has been accepted into the wealthiest and most prestigious magical school in all the land. There’s just one problem. She can’t do magic. But that’s far from the only secret within the walls of Darr-Kamo. And what she discovers might just change the world.

Swordsman & Sorcerer
Scholar & Spiritualist

All four have enemies. And all four need help to get what they want. But help is never free.
What would you sacrifice to get what you most desire? 

Reviews:

"An intricate and enjoyable adventure with a striking cast." —Kirkus Reviews

"Buoyant, character-driven debut." —Publishers Weekly's BookLife Reviews

"The systems of magic are elaborate, immersive, and vibrant." —Foreword Clarion Reviews

"Readers will find...thought-provoking insights about growth and opportunity and a vivid adventure." —Midwest Book Review

 

About Ethan Avery:

Ethan Avery believes in the power of stories. As a child growing up in Ohio, they gave him a chance to see a bigger world, and to hear what life was like for people that didn’t look like him or believe what he did. And now, years later, he hopes to do the same for others. When he's not writing novels, directing movies, or wasting other people's time with his YouTube channel, Ethan plays video games (poorly), basketball (painfully), and D&D (problematically with praiseworthy peers). Send him a tweet @StoriesByEthan, he loves nerding out!

Website | Twitter | YouTube | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of FROSTFIRE, US Only.

Ends August 9th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/25/2022

Ya Books Central

Excerpt

7/25/2022

BookHounds YA

Excerpt/IG Post

7/26/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt

7/26/2022

Author Z. Knight’s Guild

Excerpt

7/27/2022

Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog

Review/IG Post

7/27/2022

@allyluvsbooksalatte

IG Spotlight

7/28/2022

FictionalFey

Review/IG Post

7/28/2022

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt

7/29/2022

GryffindorBookishNerd

IG Review

7/29/2022

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

Week Two:

8/1/2022

Locks, Hooks and Books

Review

8/1/2022

_popreads_

IG Review

8/2/2022

@ReadsReaders

YouTube Review/IG Post

8/2/2022

@jaimerockstarbooktours

IG Spotlight

8/3/2022

@thebookishfoxwitch

IG Review

8/3/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

8/4/2022

travelersguidetobooks

IG Review

8/4/2022

The Chatty Bookworm

TikTok Review/IG Post

8/5/2022

More Books Please blog

Review

8/5/2022

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post


Sunday, July 31, 2022

Book Spotlight - Coming Up Cuban: Rising Past Castro’s Shadow by Sonia Manzano + Giveaway


About The Book:

Title: COMING UP CUBAN: Rising Past Castro’s Shadow

Author: Sonia Manzano

Pub. Date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 320

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, Audible, B&NiBooks, KoboTBD, Bookshop.org

From Pura Belpré Honoree and Emmy-award winning actor Sonia Manzano--best known as "Maria" from Sesame Street--comes the expansive and timeless story of four children who must carve out a path for themselves in the wake of Fidel Castro's rise to power.

Fifteen-time Emmy Award winner and Pura Belpre honoree Sonia Manzano examines the impact of the 1959 Cuban Revolution on four children from very different walks of life. In the wake of a new regime in Cuba, Ana, Miguel, Zulema, and Juan learn to find a place for themselves in a world forever changed. In a tumultuous moment of history, we see the lasting effects of a revolution in Havana, the countryside, Miami, and New York. Through these snapshot stories, we are reminded that regardless of any tumultuous times, we are all forever connected in our humanity.

 



About Sonia Manzano:

SONIA MANZANO is a groundbreaking Latina educator, executive television producer,  and award-winning children's book author. A first-generation mainland Puerto Rican, she  has affected the lives of millions of parents and children since she was offered the  opportunity to play “Maria” on Sesame Street (which she continued to do for 44 years,  from 1971-2015). Manzano has received 15 Emmys for writing television scripts, the  Congressional Hispanic Caucus Award, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education, and a  Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Arts and Sciences. People magazine  named Sonia one of America's most influential Hispanics. Her critically acclaimed  children's books include The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano, which won a Pura Belpré  Honor Award, and the stunning young adult memoir Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in  the South Bronx. Currently she is working on Alma's Way, an animated series with Fred  Rogers Productions that will air on PBS. Manzano resides in New York City with her  husband Richard Reagan, whom she married in 1986, and their daughter Gabriela.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of COMING UP CUBAN, US Only.

Ends August 9th midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/18/2022

The Clever Reader

Excerpt/IG Post

7/19/2022

What A Nerd Girl Says

Excerpt/IG Post

7/20/2022

brittreadsalattebooks

IG Post

7/21/2022

Kait Plus Books

Excerpt/IG Post

7/22/2022

Ya Books Central

Excerpt/IG Post

7/23/2022

BookHounds YA

Excerpt/IG Post

Week Two:

7/24/2022

Author Z. Knight’s Guild

Excerpt

7/25/2022

Lady Hawkeye

Excerpt/IG Post

7/26/2022

hodophile_z

IG Review

7/27/2022

Lisa Loves Literature

Review/IG Post

7/28/2022

FictionalFey

IG Review

7/29/2022

Midnightbooklover

IG Post

7/30/2022

The Underground

Review/IG Post

Week Three:

7/31/2022

One More Exclamation

Review/IG Post

8/1/2022

Two Points of Interest

Review

8/2/2022

The Momma Spot

Review/IG Post

8/3/2022

Rajiv's Reviews

Review/IG Post

8/4/2022

Books and Zebras

Review/IG Post

8/5/2022

Lifestyle of Me

Review/IG Post