Showing posts with label Tonja Drecker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tonja Drecker. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Music Boxes - My Review and a Giveaway

I'm so pleased to share with everyone the wonderful Tonja Drecker's upcoming release. I do know it's IWSG day. I didn't forget! Yet we're a group about supporting one another. Reading, viewing, and sharing is one of the biggest ways to do so.


Music Boxes
By Tonja Drecker
Middle Grade Fantasy / Performing Arts
158 pages
Dancing Lemur Press
Release date: March 5th, 2019
Ages 9 to 12

·         ISBN-10: 1939844568
·         ISBN-13: 978-1939844569


Book Blurb:

“I only desire your talent...”


Twelve-year-old Lindsey McKay's biggest dream is to be a famous ballerina. But after moving to New York, she ends up at the Community Center with a teacher who’s a burly bear in tights.


When she meets Madame Destinée, the teacher of a top dance school who offers her classes for free, Lindsey can't believe her luck. In exchange, she must perform in the school’s exclusive midnight shows, ones sure to make her a star. But something’s not right...

One by one, the other dancers disappear. Each time they do, a music box with a figurine just like the missing ballerina joins Madame Destinée’s growing collection. If Lindsey doesn’t discover the truth about the dance school, she might end up a tiny figurine herself.


Sale Links:




Get a FREE envelope with Swag!

Pre-order/order your book (ecopy or print) before midnight (EST) on Friday night, March 8th, send a copy of your proof of purchase to  tonjadrecker@gmail.com along with an US mailing address, and you will receive an envelope with exclusive swag (bookmark, sticker, etc).

My review: 


Lindsey McKay had to leave her friends, her home, and her dreams in Nebraska when her family moved to New York so that her little sister could go to Julliard. Her parents work a lot, and Lindsey is left on her own to stew in her jealousy. Stopping to pet an adorable dog on the street, she meets Madame Destinée, an infamous ballet teacher. She sniffs out great talent, and Madame believes Lindsey has it. Taking classes with Madame is a dream, but things just aren't right at the exclusive school. When the other students start to disappear, Lindsey discovers the reason is more chilling than she ever imagined. Will she be able to save the other students before she becomes a permanent part of Madame Destinée's collection?

I do love modern fairy tales, especially with a good dose of the paranormal. This YA story hooked me right away in Lindsey's world. The frightening move to a big city, the sadness at having left her whole life behind, and the green streak of jealousy when a sibling gets all the attention. I certainly sympathized, feeling how it all seemed unfair. Lindsey has a strong voice, but not a mean one. She does still love her sister despite everything. Then all the wonder when she meets Madame Destinée and is introduced to her magical school. The details are lovely, and even later when the creepiness sneaks in, it is still hauntingly beautiful, especially with the music boxes.

Madame Destinée herself is a striking character. Mysterious and dominating, yet seemingly kind to her students. All those pretty cakes and treats. Yum! I was a big fan of Robert. I sympathized with him, too, that his family wanted him to play hockey and not dance. The whole cast of characters was varied and enchanting. Or enchanted, as the case had been with some!

I highly recommend this book to fans of YA paranormals. It had me under its spell.

All about the author...


Tonja Drecker is a writer, blogger, children’s book reviewer and freelance translator. After spending years in Germany exploring forgotten castles, she currently resides in the Ozarks with her family of six. When she’s not tending her chickens and cows, she’s discovering new adventures, nibbling chocolate and sipping a cup of tea.


Links:



Giveaway

The giveaway will run from midnight (EST) on the night of February 21st, 2019 until midnight (EST) on the night of March 15th,  2019. Entries will be made through the Rafflecopter. One winner will receive a music box (the one found in the book video: https://youtu.be/ww_RY4IVg3w) with the author’s golden signature on the bottom as well as swag (US addresses only). The second winner will receive an Amazon GC of $10 (US). The second winner must be in possession of a qualifying US Amazon account.

The contest is open to U.S. residents only, ages eighteen and over. No purchase is required for entry. All winners must claim their prize 48 hours after notification. Winners will be announced on www.tonjadrecker.blogspot.com on Saturday, March 16th 2019 by 10:00am (EST). All addresses and personal information will be used only for prize allocation. Sponsor, Tonja Drecker, assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind. Please email all questions to tonjadrecker@gmail.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Day four of The Harbinger blog tour

What a fantastic tour so far! I'm having so much fun.
It's best to agree with me lest Hera turn you into a poodle.

Don't forget the first volume in the 13th Floor series, The Marquis is now FREE.
Amazon * Kobo * Smashwords

I have two great stops today.
Join me at Tonja Drecker's for an awesome excerpt from The Harbinger. Get hooked!

I'm chatting with my brilliant beta reader, Clare Dugmore about Greek myths and gods. Come find out what our favorite ones are!

Today's tidbit: There's one scene in the book that came out of nowhere. I had to stop writing and do a bunch of research to make sure I had all the details right. Then even after I wrote it, I wasn't sure I was going to keep it because I felt it was a bit over the top. Yet everyone loved it. I know sometimes I second guess myself and self doubt creeps in. Thankfully I have awesome CPs and beta readers, and they chase away the monsters for me. Or tell me they're perfect right there in the story!