Launching The Fantastical Tour!

The Tour:

January 26 @ Blogs everywhere: Launching the Tour
January 27 @ Mythical Books: Shadowskin by Bethany Cassel
January 28 @  Wonderings of One Person: Beyond the Hollow by Kristy Tate
January 29 @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer: Enchanted Fairytales by Cindy C Bennett
January 30 @ A Backwards Story: Enchanted & Hero by Alethea Kontis
January 31 @ Bookworm Lisa: The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo
February 1 @ Blogs everywhere: The Grand Finale

January 27 @ Mythical Books

Shadowskin 

Cursed with a deadly touch, Pomona never thought she would leave the royal gardens of Norarchland, where she uses her magic over plant life to make the gardens flourish. But when she discovers a magic mirror beneath the roots of an apple tree, she learns a horrifying truth: the life of the beautiful Princess Nevea is in danger, and Pomona is the only one who can save her. Pomona flees with the princess into the dark forest, where she is taken in by the mysterious Selene Magna and her huntress companion, Callisto. They claim that the Tenebrari-short, magical beings responsible for Pomona's curse-are trying to conquer all of the kingdoms of Archland. Even more, Pomona is destined to play an important role in their defeat. The cursed gardener must now embark on a journey far beyond her imagination to stop the Tenebrari, or else she and all those she cares about will be cursed forever.

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Bethany Cassel lives in a land surrounded by forests and cornfields, and she was lucky enough to grow up in the same house all her life. Falling asleep to the sound of waterfalls and seldom-disturbed quiet provided the perfect environment for her to develop her passion for writing. Inspired by the beautiful landscape around her, Bethany created Archland, a world with deep forests, rolling hills, and fierce winters, home to dozens of fairy tale characters.

When she is not writing, Bethany is a voracious reader, known to finish the likes of "Seraphina" by Rachel Hartman in two sittings (it was a great book)! Her favorite writers are, in no particular order, Sir Thomas Malory, J.K. Rowling, John Keats, Victor Hugo, Kendare Blake, Jay Asher, Toni Morrison, and Marissa Meyer. This list is by no means complete. She is about to earn her Bachelor's of Arts in English from SUNY Geneseo and plans to continue her education in literature in graduate school. Besides all things literary, Bethany enjoys archery and bow hunting, drawing, playing piano, and volunteering with ministries in her community. She currently lives in Western New York with four dogs, twenty-ish chickens (she lost count), a lizard, and a couple of frogs.

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January 28 @  Wonderings of One Person

Beyond the Hollow (Beyond #2)
January 20th 2014

Petra Baron and her immortal boyfriend, Emory Ravenswood, are living their happily in modern day Orange County, California, until Dane shows up: a heart-stoppingly handsome man from Petra's past. Petra can't remember Dane, or anything else about her time in Tarrytown, New York two hundred years ago. But Emory does remember, and he knows she's lucky to have forgotten all about Dane and the nightmarish episode in 1810.

After Emory disappears, Petra is determined to find him again. Yet she doesn’t know whether Dane can lead her to Emory, or to the nightmare she can’t remember. The one thing she does know is that once upon a time really means two hundred years ago, and that if she wants to find Emory the first place to look is Sleepy Hollow, 1810.

With a collection of Washington Irving's writings in her hand, and a prayer that some nine-pin-playing ghosts will give her a drink of the same magic ale they gave Rip Van Winkle, Petra heads into another time-defying adventure.

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Kristy Tate

Kristy studied English literature at Brigham Young University and at BYU's International Center in London. Although a long time resident of Orange County California where she lives with her family, Kristy's heart belongs in her hometown of Arlington, Washington, AKA Rose Arbor--the fictional setting of her popular Rose Arbor series.

For updates on Kristy's upcoming novels, please visit her blog at kristystories.blogspot.com and sign up for her newsletter, where discounts and freebies are sure to happen.

Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Other books by Kristy:

The Rhyme's Library (2013 Kindle Book Review Awards semi-finalist)

Hailey's Comments (an Amazon Breakout Novel quarter-finalist)

Stealing Mercy

Rescuing Rita

A Light in the Christmas Café

Losing Penny

Beyond the Fortune Teller's Tent
Beyond #1
December 2, 2013

January 29 @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer

Enchanted Fairytales

Enchanted Fairytales is a series of short stories based on beloved fairytales. The stories are written as if the fairytales never existed. are contemporary, some are paranormal, some have elements of fantasy or magic. 

Beautiful Beast: After a cruel prank, Calli is forced to move into “Monster House” to befriend the beast. Alex is determined to hate Calli, who he believes is there to get a peek at the beast. Calli must convince Alex that she isn’t there to harm him, and that her feelings for him are very real.

Red and the Wolf: A sudden increase in the violence and frequency of wolf attacks in the forest surrounding Piera has all of the residents on edge. Ruby, contending with the news that Rafe has come home after leaving her three years earlier, and staving off the advances of his brother Lowell, doesn’t have time to deal with wolves - until she finds herself fighting against a wolf for her life.

Snow White: Snow White, sent into the forest to be killed, escapes. She stumbles upon a tiny, magical kingdom called Fableton, where time stands still for its trapped residents. Phillip, blinded centuries ago by a vengeful love, believes Snow is the key to breaking the curse and freeing them all.

The Unmasking of Cinderella: Forced into servitude by her wicked stepmother, Amella longs for the simple freedoms her stepsister takes for granted. When she bumps into Char - literally - her world is suddenly turned upside down. Amella begins to believe that she can have a life she previously thought nothing more than a dream with Char by her side.

The White Swan: Cursed to live as a swan by day by the jealous Benno von Rothbart, Odette desires nothing more than to tell Victor what’s happened, but can’t out of fear for what Benno might do to him. Victor discovers her secret and together they try to break the curse. But the cost of doing so might just be too much.

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Cindy C Bennett is the YA author of several books. She lives in Utah with her two daughters. Both of her sons have married, giving her two more daughters (in-law). She loves gooey cookies, dark chocolate, and cheese popcorn. She hates housework and cooking, and has no plans to become a domestic goddess. She occasionally co-hosts a geek podcast with her son, called Geek Revolution Radio. Her favorite pastime—other than writing—is riding her Harley.

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Other books by Cindy: 

Rapunzel Untangled, 

Heart on a Chain, Geek Girl, 

The Experiment, 

Whispers of Razari, 

Immortal Mine, 

In the Beginning, 

Reluctance, 

Watched

January 30 @ A Backwards Story

Enchanted

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

Hero

Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" As in Enchanted, readers will revel in the fragments of fairy tales that embellish this action-packed story of adventure and, yes, romance.

New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis is a princess, a goddess, a force of nature, and a mess. She’s known for screwing up the alphabet, scolding vampire hunters, turning garden gnomes into mad scientists, and making sense out of fairy tales.

Alethea is the co-author of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter Companion, and penned the AlphaOops series of picture books. Her short fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in a myriad of anthologies and magazines. She has done multiple collaborations with Eisner winning artist J.K. Lee, includingThe Wonderland Alphabet and Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome. Her debut YA fairy tale novel, Enchanted, won the Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award in 2012 and was nominated for both the Andre Norton Award and the Audie Award in 2013.

Born in Burlington, Vermont, Alethea now lives in Northern Virginia with her Fairy Godfamily. She makes the best baklava you’ve ever tasted and sleeps with a teddy bear named Charlie.

Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter * YouTube

January 31 @ Bookworm Lisa

The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen
Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fairytale Retelling
Published June 1st 2012 by Scarlet Primrose Press

Anonymous, nameless, Adelaide Schumacher should have been lost to history. Medieval girls do not make legends. If they are lucky to live long enough, they make babies.

Adelaide’s mother, Katrina was the finest storyteller in Cologne, but she left one story untold, that of her daughter, Snow White. A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the dead are dumped in a vast pit outside the city walls. In an effort to save Katrina’s soul, Adelaide’s family obtains a secret funeral by bribing the parish priest, Father Soren.

Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, pushing Adelaide toward vengeance, but the corruption in Cologne reaches far beyond Soren, and the cost of settling scores quickly escalates. Avenging the mother she lost may cost Adelaide everything she has left: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life.

The Fairytale Keeper casts the famous villains, heroes, and damsels of Grimm’s fairytales into Medieval lives. Seamlessly weaving historical events and Grimm’s fairytales into a tale of corruption and devotion, The Fairytale Keeper, leaves the reader wondering where fact ends, and fiction begins.

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Read the first part of the novel for FREE:

Smashwords

Andrea Cefalo is the award-winning author of The Fairytale Keeper series. The Fairytale Keeper series is a Medieval tale of corruption, devotion, and the origins of Grimm’s fairytales. It was a quarter-finalist in Amazon’s 2013 Breakthrough Novel Contest and has been recommended by Riffle, Copperfield Review, and other various independent reviewers. The second novel in the series, The Fairest of All, will debut in 2014. When Andrea isn’t writing, she enjoys blogging and tweeting about the Middle Ages, teaching authors how to effectively use social media, and presenting in schools. She resides in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and their two border collies.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

February 1  – Grand Finale

Tour-Wide Giveaway!!

January 26 - February 10
There are FIVE chances to WIN!!
Winners will be drawn randomly, entries will be validated and the IP Addresses checked for shipping qualifications to award winnings in order of preference, if indicated. See Rafflecopter entry. Additional restrictions on Rafflecopter apply.

1 - Signed print copy of Shadowskin by Bethany Cassel plus a signed sketch of the Main Character by the author! (US Only)

2 - eCopies of both books in the Beyond series by Kristy Tate: Beyond the Fortune Teller's Tent & Beyond the Hollow!  (International)

3 - eCopy of Enchanted Fairytales by Cindy C Bennett! (International)

4 - FIVE Signed paperbacks of Enchanted by Alethea Kontis plus swag! (US Only) (That's five winners. Woop!)

5 - eCopy of The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo! (International)

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FF - The Fairytale Keeper, Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo

Fairtytale Fortnight is hosted by The Book Rat & A Backwards Story...

Anonymous, lost to history, nameless, this is what Adelaide Schumacher should have been.  Medieval girls do not make legends.  If they are lucky to live long enough, they make babies.

Adelaide’s mother, Katrina, was the finest storyteller in all of Airsbach, a borough in the great city of Cologne, but she left one story untold, that of her daughter, that of Snow White. Snow White was a pet name Adelaide’s mother had given her.  It was a name Adelaide hated, until now.  Now, she would give anything to hear her mother say it once more.

A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without last rites and the dead are dumped in a vast pit outside the city walls.  In an effort to save Katrina’s soul, Adelaide’s father obtains a secret funeral for his wife by bribing the parish priest, Father Soren.

Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, pushing Adelaide toward vengeance.  When Adelaide realizes that the corruption in Cologne reaches far beyond Soren, the cost of settling scores quickly escalates. Avenging the mother she lost may cost Adelaide everything she has left: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life.

Seamlessly weaving historical events and Grimm’s fairytales into a tale of corruption and devotion, The Fairytale Keeper, leaves the reader wondering where fact ends and fiction begins. The novel paints Medieval Cologne accurately and vividly.  The story develops a set of dynamic characters, casting the famous villains, heroes, and damsels of Grimm’s fairy tales into believable medieval lives.  Though historically set, The Fairytale Keeper brims with timeless themes of love, loyalty, and the struggle for justice.

The Fairytale Keeper
Avenging the Queen
by Andrea Cefalo
Paperback, 280 pages
Published June 1st 2012 by Scarlet Primrose Press

Premise: 

Snow White was a pet name her mother had given her, but her mother’s dead now. Adelaide hates that name anyway. A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without Last Rites and the dead are dumped in a large pit outside of the city walls. Adelaide’s father is determined to obtain a funeral for his wife, but that requires bribing the parish priest, Father Soren. When Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, he pushes Adelaide to her breaking point, but if she seeks justice against the cruel priest, she risks sacrificing everything: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life. 

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1) In the Fairytale Keeper-Avenging the Queen, you incorporate several different fairytales into the everyday lives of the characters. How did you come up with that idea?

The idea came to me during a children’s literature class. We were comparing fairy tales across cultures, and the professor said that nearly all cultures had a Cinderella story.  If that’s true, then either the real Cinderella lived hundreds, or thousands, of years ago, or there is just something so compelling about such a story that most cultures created their own.   What my story presupposes is maybe all of Grimm’s fairy tales are based on a real person.  I posit that that person is the real Snow White and that she comprised these tales through the people she’d met, the stories she’d been told, and the events she’d experienced.

2) The novel takes place in a very set time in history, March 1247. Obviously you picked that time for a reason. Can you tell us why?

At first, I chose the thirteenth century because I knew that anyone composing Grimm’s fairy tales would have lived long ago, but as I did more research and the story started to come together I knew I needed the year to be 1247 because there is a very important event that takes place in the book which also took place in that year, but if I reveal that it would be a HUGE spoiler for those who haven’t read the book yet.  As the plot to the other books has developed, I’ve realized how much turmoil the Holy Roman Empire was in during this time because the emperor became weak and other political figures rose up to usurp his power.  That plays a part in the series.

3) You must have done a lot of research for that time period, what did you do and how long did that take? Did you enjoy it?

It was a lot of research. It still is a lot of research since I am writing the other books in The Fairytale Keeper series.

I’ve found resources wherever I could whenever I needed them. It’s hard to say how long the research takes because I do it as I go, but there certainly has been a lot.  I’ve read a thesis about 13th century Cologne. I’ve read several books on Medieval history.  I’ve read short biographies about the actual families and famous people living during the time period.  I’ve had Medieval maps blown up and printed.  I’ve labeled the individual streets, churches, markets, and boroughs of Cologne.

I love doing research just as much as I love writing.  I think to write a series like this, where it is difficult at times to find the right information, and there is a lot of information to find, the author has to love research.

4) Is any of the information in the story based on actual events that happened in history?

Yes. Konrad Von Hochstaden was Archbishop of Cologne in the year 1247.  He was a power-hungry and sometimes ruthless man that didn’t always get along with the people he ruled.   There is another very important event that takes place in the book which also took place in that year, but I can’t reveal that.  Most of the locations are real.  Hay Market, the churches, the street names, these are all real. There are also a variety of events that take place in the second novel that are based on historical fact.

5) The Plague is rampant during your novel. You're dropped into your story, having to live in that setting, how would you avoid getting the fever?

The fever in my story is based on a highly contagious, but also very deadly influenza like that of the 1918 epidemic. The people living in the thirteenth century wouldn’t have used the word plague.  That word wasn’t used until the Black Death.  The fever I created in the novel is completely fictitious, a necessary element to drive the plot. Researchers seem to go back and forth as to the actual date of the first flu epidemic, so it is possible for something like this to have happened.  There are many references to sweating sicknesses and fevers.  I think those could have been flus, but that has not been proven.

If I were to be dropped into that situation, I would buy some soap and keep my hands clean.  I would wear a face mask if I had to be around anyone who was sick, but generally I would avoid the sick.  Unfortunately for people living during that time period, they wouldn’t have had the knowledge of disease prevention that we have today.  Researchers still go back and forth on how much people living during this time period knew and how good the treatments were, but the general sentiment of Medieval medicine is that it was archaic, ineffective, and based more on superstition than actual science.

6) As a woman, what job would you have taken up had you been widowed by the plague and had children to feed?(Based on your current skills set)

Well, since I’m a woman, it is unlikely that anyone was going to pay me to write so I couldn’t do that, but I do have a degree in education and a lot of child care experience.  I guess I would hope that one of the wealthier families might hire me to care for their children.  I would probably have to rent out some of my house as well to help feed my children on top of that income.  The life of a widow was certainly not an easy one.

7) What is your favorite time period in history? Why?

When it comes to writing and reading, I love the Middle Ages and early Renaissance.  I don’t really know why exactly. I’ve just always loved it.

8) If you could change one thing in your favorite time period, what would it be?

As a human being, I wish that people of that time period were more accepting of each other.  As a writer, I wouldn’t change a thing.  There was a desperation and uncertainty in those times that made people capable of anything.  That’s fun to write.

9) When can we expect the second novel in the Fairytale Keeper series?

The next installment comes out August 2013.

10) Any hints you can give us about what to expect?

The best place to find hints as to what will happen in the next books is by following me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.  I really love my Pinterest page.  I share visual clues as to what will happen in the next books, but for those who want the latest news, I would say sign up for The Fairytale Keeper Fan Newsletter.   Fans can sign up for that on my Facebook page and on my official website. 

Also check out Andrea's last visit to Colorimetry.

Andrea Cefalo  is founder and chief editor of Obelisk Review and author of The Fairytale Keeper series.  She graduated with honors from Winthrop University in 2007 where she studied medieval art history, children’s literature, and education. She enjoys inspiring children of all ages to read and write through her workshops. The Fairytale Keeper, the first in The Fairytale Keeper series, is a medieval novel of corruption, devotion, and the origins of Grimm’s fairy tales.  The first novel was released June 2012.  The second novel will debut August 2013.   Andrea resides in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and their two border collies.

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Interview and Giveaway - The Fairytale Keeper by Andrea Cefalo

The Fairytale Keeper
Avenging the Queen
by Andrea Cefalo
Paperback, 280 pages
Published June 1st 2012 by Scarlet Primrose Press

Premise: Ganked from Goodreads:

Snow White was a pet name her mother had given her, but her mother’s dead now. Adelaide hates that name anyway. A rampant fever claimed Adelaide’s mother just like a thousand others in Cologne where the people die without Last Rites and the dead are dumped in a large pit outside of the city walls. Adelaide’s father is determined to obtain a funeral for his wife, but that requires bribing the parish priest, Father Soren. When Soren commits an unforgivable atrocity, he pushes Adelaide to her breaking point, but if she seeks justice against the cruel priest, she risks sacrificing everything: her father, her friends, her first love, and maybe even her life.

I am so happy to welcome Andrea Cefalo to Colorimetry!!  I love this cover and the premise sounds like a break-away from the fairytale, which has me totally intrigued. Plus there's that hint of darkness:  "unforgivable atrocity"?  *shiver*

What draws you to fairytales?  What do you like about them?

Fairytales were a big part of my childhood. Snow White was the first movie that I remember seeing in a theatre.  I’ve seen every Disney version of Grimm’s tales: Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty. So, in a way, they are nostalgic, but it wasn’t until I was introduced to the history of these tales and the actual darkness of the real Grimm’s fairy tales that I was truly enamored.

There are some creepy additions to the original tales we don't see so often. What a great place to write from!!

What inspired your book, The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen?

The idea came to me during a children’s literature class. We were comparing fairy tales across cultures and the professor said that nearly all cultures had a Cinderella story.  If that’s true, then either the real Cinderella lived thousands of years ago or there is just something so compelling about such a story that most cultures created their own.  My story works on the first assumption: What if all Grimm’s fairy tales originated with one person? 

Oooh, fun!! I've wondered about who originated the tales and how they grew, but I never considered one person behind all of 'em!

What is your favorite scene or character?

I love all my characters.  The readers of my book are going to hate it when I say that I really like Galadriel.  Not so much because of the things she does.  She does some pretty horrible things, but she is so complex.  It makes it fun to write her.

If I was to share my favorite scene in the book, it would be a HUGE spoiler. 

Yea, no spoilers!!  Lol. Galadriel is not nice, then, I take it?  Hmmmm...  one to love hating, maybe?

Can you share something personal about you?

I love dogs.  I am an absolute sucker for a wagging tale and puppy eyes.  My husband has to keep me away from the humane societies.  If he didn’t, we’d probably have a dozen dogs.


How funny. Dogs, hey?  I see you didn't admit how many you have, yet!!  Don't worry... you'll have too many soon enough.  :-D

About the Author:

Andrea Cefalo is a bit of a roamer, growing up in New Hampshire, Maryland, and South Carolina, though the bulk of her family lives in Maine. She dreamed of a career in art restoration, but somehow ended up becoming a grade school teacher before realizing she really wanted to be a writer. She taught for three years and then decided to finish The Fairytale Keeper series and pursue her new found ambition. Andrea lives with her husband and two border collies in Greenville, South Carolina, which she calls home, at least for now.

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