Book Haul #87

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews where we can share what new books we've picked up this past week be they bought, borrowed or downloaded. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

So, I'm not a in a reading slump. Well, I am but there's a reason! My thyroid has gone supernova again and so I'm experiencing all the side effects again - including exhaustion, insomnia and chronic laziness! I'm hoping to get it under control soon so I actually feel like reading & blogging again properly, stay tuned for updates!

I've been doing quite well with the not buying books, now I just need to get my Netgalley/Edelweiss requesting under control too! This is what's arrived in my house over the last two weeks, huge thanks to Titan for a book by one of my favorite teenage authors and for book four in a series that I've been meaning to start for quite some time!

Bought

Academic Exercises | Angel's Ink | The Caller

For Review

Catch Me When I Fall | Hidden | Trust Me I'm Lying

The Wolves of London | Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard | J

The Heart Does Not Grow Back | The Silver Pear

Book Haul #67

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews where we can share what new books we've picked up this past week be they bought, borrowed or downloaded. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

Great week this week! I went to my first signing of the year on Thursday - the lovely Adam Christopher, and of course had to buy the two books he was launching even though I already have e-ARC's, plus a copy of his first novel which I previously borrowed from the library. It was also Pratchett time again and another two books in the new hardcover collectors editions were released this week. And somehow I managed to be completely oblivious that Juliet Marillier had released a book of her short stories, including the Sevenwaters novella 'Twixt Firelight and Water' and well, it would have been rude not to buy it :)

Bought

The Burning Dark | Hang Wire | Empire State

Hero | Prickle Moon | Pippi Longstocking

Guards! Guards! | Men At Arms

For Review

The Golden Apple | Feather Bound | The Wizard's Promise

Cover Reveal - The Golden Apple by Michelle Diener

To post this Cover Reveal and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter, email Tressa at wishfulendings(at)outlook.com with "The Golden Apple" in the subject line!

Welcome to the Cover Reveal with a Double Giveaway for Michelle Diener's second fairy tale retelling:

The Golden Apple

An Adult Fantasy Romance based loosely on the Princess on the Glass Hill

Coming March 24, 2014

Kayla's world has been turned upside-down...

Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.

Rane's honor is torn in two...

In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to--including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.

Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together...

Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla's actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no-one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No-one.

From Michelle Diener about the cover:

I have always been really lucky to get great covers for all my books, historical and fantasy. The cover fairies smile on me, time and again. What I really love about The Golden Apple, though, is the rich, Brothers Grimm feel to it. Like my fantasy novel published last year, Mistress of the Wind, The Golden Apple is a fairy tale retelling. Mistress of the Wind involves a white bear and icy winds, and so my cover designer and I went for a winter look to the cover, and I absolutely love how it turned out. But with The Golden Apple, I wanted the lush colors of summer, the shadow of the wood, and the gleam of the golden apple--I wanted the fairy tale feel. My cover designer really hit a winner with the title font on the cover of Mistress of the Wind, and it works just as well for The Golden Apple--it has that fairy tale, Brothers Grimm thing going on. One of my friends told me there is a sensuality to the heroine on the cover of The Golden Apple, and I agree. There is a lot going on there, but it is still simple and uncrowded. I am so happy to share the cover with everyone today. Each cover involves hours and hours of work and thought and tweaking, and this one just hit all the right notes for me. I hope you like it just as much as I do!

Michelle Diener

LIMITED REVIEW COPIES FOR BOOK BLOGGERS

Are you interested in fantasy romance?
Do you love fairy tale retellings?
Have you read Michelle Diener and enjoyed her work in the past?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you can request a review copy of The Golden Apple! The Golden Apple is up for review by invitation only on NetGalley. Reviewers with book review sites can apply for a limited number of pre-approved copies. Book reviewers who post their review on their review site, Amazon, and Goodreads can enter a Rafflecopter draw to win one of ten copies of any Michelle Diener book of their choice, or a $10 Amazon gift card. (Instructions in sign-up form.)

Sign up HERE! 

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

1 of 2 Giveaways:

1 - Enter to WIN $15 Gift Card to Amazon plus a Kindle copy of The Golden Apple on its release and a Kindle copy of Mistress of the Wind.  March 3-17.

See Rafflecopter for restrictions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


2 - For book bloggers: Review The Golden Apple by April 1, 2014 and enter to WIN one of 10 prizes:
- Choose any one of Michelle Diener's books or $10 Gift Card!

- March 24 - April 7

Request an early review copy using the form. Instructions on entering the second giveaway are included!

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Blog Tour: Mistress of the Wind - Review & Giveaway

Mistress of the Wind - Michelle Diener
ISBN - 9780987417664
Release date - December 23rd 2013
Find - Goodreads/BookLikes/AmazonUK/AmazonUS/Book Depository


'Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . .

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . .

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response.

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . .'

A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows how much I love fairy tales and retellings which is why I leapt at the chance to read & review Mistress of the Wind, a retelling of the Norse fairy tale East of the Sun,West of the Moon. The original story is only about twenty pages long but gives plenty of scope for an expanded tale which is exactly what Diener has done, along with the added twist of making Astrid, the female main character, a more formidable girl/woman in her own right. Mistress of the Wind stays true to the original tale but more detail and background are given to make it a much longer read.

Bjorn is searching for the woman he believes will break the enchantment he has been placed under by the troll that married his father. He has one year to find her, in the guise of a giant white bear, and if he fails his future lies with the troll's daughter as her husband while she rules over his father's kingdom. Bjorn finds Astrid and as per the rules of the enchantment she accompanies him to his ice palace where she must stay for a year without laying eyes on him, either in his bear or human form. Of course, no-one can ever resist temptation and the inevitable happens, Bjorn is lost to her. However Astrid is not just your average girl from a fairy tale. In this version although she makes a lot of silly decisions she has power over the winds so with the help of Bjorn's allies & friends she sets out to find him. We then follow her journey to east of the sun and west of the moon, along the way she undergoes various trials and finally discovers who she is & how Bjorn seemed to know her. Although I loved the characters of Astrid and Bjorn, I think my favorites were the winds - especially North, who more than atones for his wrongdoings, and Jorgen the forest creature, a close friend of Bjorn's.

As Mistress of the Wind follows its predecessor so closely it's difficult to say much without giving things away but this was a thoroughly enjoyable retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon which is definitely worth reading either before or after this one if you're not already familiar with the story. Ms Diener's writing is delightful and so descriptive, especially in the latter half of the book when Astrid is traveling with the winds and I could have quite easily carried on reading for some time thanks to the wonderful world the characters inhabited brought to life by the author's writing style and obvious love of the original fairy tale. My only quibble, and the reason why I gave Mistress of the Winds four rather than five clocks, is that the story is described as an adult retelling but apart from one distinct mention of body parts, 'fade to black' scenes and numerous mentions of the word lover I can't quite understand why it's not classed as YA. Don't let this put you off though, it is one of my favorite retellings in the Beauty & the Beast/Cupid & Psyche vein and I will be buying a copy to add to my fairy tale collection and looking out for The Golden Apple, Michelle Diener's retelling of another Norse fairy tale, The Princess on the Glass Hill coming later this year. 

As well as reading the original tale of East of the Sun, West of the Moon you could also try these retellings too,  East by Edith Pattou (known as North Child in the UK), Ice by Sarah Beth Durst or Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George.

About the author

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King’s Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.
Michelle’s other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy).
Michelle’s first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, was recently released in December 2013.
Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Find Michelle - Website | Twitter | Facebook | 

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more reviews, guest posts and interviews! Find the schedule here.

International Giveaway

10 copies of Mistress of the Wind, Kindle or print, winner's choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to Michelle Diener & Prism Tours for providing me with an e-galley for review via Netgalley!