Isabelle Hardesty's Blog, page 7

First book reviews for Jade’s Awakening Author, Isabelle Hardesty

 

During a hot summer day, I was sitting on a bench in Marietta Square with one of my sisters. The day was beautiful and the sky was blue. That was the moment I read my first book review for Jade’s Awakening, my first book! Well, the glaring afternoon sun didn’t allow me to truly read much, but I read enough to realize I had my first book review! I couldn’t believe it. I was so thrilled to finally get my first review. Whew!

Because I know  not every reader will love what I write I value my first review being a good review. It’s nice to know that there are people out there who like what I’ve worked on for a long time.

If you’re a writer, don’t give up. You’ll have your first review and then a second…

I thank Tome Tender Book Review and the countless other book bloggers. They are passionate about helping readers learn about books in the vast world of book possibilities. Self published authors really need bloggers.

Here is a part of the review:

“ A little mystery, a lot of action, a few shiftings and fairies that are not the little sparkly, gossamer winged creatures we think of! A quick read packed with “story” from an author to put at the top of the Hidden Gem pile!” – Tome Tender Book Blog

Finally, my second review is from an Amazon reader. This person posted anonymously. Thank you for being my first Amazon review. I like Bex too!

First book reviews for Jade’s Awakening

 

I was sitting on a bench in Marietta Square with one of my sisters, as I read my first book review for Jade’s Awakening. Well, the glaring afternoon sun didn’t allow me to truly read much, but I read enough to realize I had my first book review! I giggled and laughed with delight, hugging my sister.

Here is a part of the review,

Jade’s Awakening, by Isabelle Hardesty, is the first novella in the Delacourt Saga and I think you’ll find Ms. Hardesty’s style upbeat with moments of attitude and snark from Jade as she comes of age in a magical way. A little mystery, a lot of action, a few shiftings and fairies that are not the little sparkly, gossamer winged creatures we think of! A quick read packed with “story” from an author to put at the top of the Hidden Gem pile! – Tome Tender Book Blog

To read the entire article click here

It’s a great feeling knowing your work is being read and shared with others. I thank Tome Tender Book Review and the countless other book bloggers who are passionate about helping readers learn about books in the vast world of book possibilities.

The second review is from an Amazon reader. This person posted anonymously, so whoever you are, thank you for being my first Amazon review. I like Bex too!

First book review for Jade’s Awakening by Tome Tender Book Blog

 

I was sitting on a bench in Marietta Square with one of my sisters, as I read my first book review. Well, the glaring afternoon sun didn’t allow me to truly read much, but I read enough to realize I had my first book review!

Here is a part of the review,

Jade’s Awakening, by Isabelle Hardesty, is the first novella in the Delacourt Saga and I think you’ll find Ms. Hardesty’s style, upbeat with moments of attitude and snark from Jade as she comes of age in a magical way. A little mystery, a lot of action, a few shiftings and fairies that are not the little sparkly, gossamer winged creatures we think of! A quick read packed with “story” from an author to put at the top of the Hidden Gem pile!

To read the entire article click here

It’s a great feeling knowing your work is being read and shared with others. I thank Tome Tender Book Review and the countless other book bloggers who are passionate about helping readers learn about books in the vast world of book possibilities.

#BookBloggersRule

Isabelle Hardesty was born and raised in Miami on a street that had coconut trees and the scent of a nearby Cuban bakery’s latest creations wafting in the warm air.

Currently, Isabelle lives in Atlanta with her husband. She loves being with her family and eating chocolate.

She has just finished her first YA novel, The Witch of Belle Fleur. The main character is Juliette: Loves telenovelas, check. Becomes lead witch, check. Likes two guys, check. Must save town from villain, check.

For more information click here  www.IsabelleHardesty.com

Thanks for visiting!

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Book Launch Party May 24th!

I’m over the moon about my new book release for Jade’s Awakening, a YA Fantasy novella.

I’m having two separate parties! The first is on Twitter on May 24th 6-7 PM (Eastern Standard Time/NYC time)

The second is on Facebook May 24th  7:30-8:30 PM (EST)

Why? Because my readers are the BEST and they deserve two ways to join in on the fun!

The Book Launch Party Swag is fun, so let’s get started…

12 Jade’s Awakening Posters to giveaway, yes GIVEAWAY! (6 during the Twitter Party & 6 during the Facebook Party)
12 Silver Tone dragon pendants on black silky cord with clasp to giveaway! (6 during the Twitter Party & 6 during the Facebook Party)
12 Bookmarks to giveway! (6 during the Twitter Party & 6 during the Facebook Party)
12 Blue Foam Hearts with bead and cord to giveaway! (6 during the Twitter Party & 6 during the Facebook Party)
 SEVERAL people will win a DELUXE gift set which is one of everything above!

What do you have to do to win?

Go to either my Twitter site or Facebook site at the above times.
RT/ share a post that features my Amazon link to Jade’s Awakening
Follow me on Twitter or Like my FB page
I will randomly select winners during the one hour launch parties.
Winners will be announced at the end of the Book Launch Parties, so stick around, I might announce your name!
If you win, please DM or Private Message me and give me your information: Name and Mailing Address and I’ll ship it out to you.

Rules

*Can you do both parties? SURE! However, if you win during Twitter, please allow someone else a chance during the FB hour.  Thanks. 

*Who pays for shipping? I will. This means that unfortunately, this GIVEWAY is for US only.

*If you have any questions or just want to say hi, send me an email at: IsabelleHardesty(@)gmail.com

More about Jade’s Awakening…

What would you do if you had only one pill left? One pill that could stop you from becoming a supernatural.  Jade Delacourt has that pill and wants to avoid the chaos and fear that her recent supernatural powers have brought upon her and her family.

On the night of her eighteenth birthday, Jade is about to become something she is afraid of. The full moon beckons her half shapeshifter and half fairy blood while she is at a cosplay convention. A meeting with two supernatural guides catapults her into a dangerous world where she faces an evil that wants her dead.

Jade endures her first painful shapeshifting and transforms into a mythical creature, then takes flight in the Atlanta skyline alit by a full Harvest moon.

Within 48 hours she finds herself grieving for the death of someone close to her and searching for another who has been kidnapped. Torn between two, does Jade fall for the right guy? Will he stand by her side or betray her? Will Jade be caught by the evil that chases her?

 

 

 

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New Novella Book Launch May 24th Jade’s Awakening

What would you do if you had only one pill left? One pill that could stop you from becoming a supernatural.  Jade Delacourt has that pill and wants to avoid the chaos and fear that her recent supernatural powers have brought upon her and her family.

On the night of her eighteenth birthday, Jade is about to become something she is afraid of. The full moon beckons her half shapeshifter and half fairy blood while she is at a cosplay convention. A meeting with two supernatural guides catapults her into a dangerous world where she faces an evil that wants her dead.

Jade endures her first painful shapeshifting and transforms into a mythical creature, then takes flight in the Atlanta skyline alit by a full Harvest moon.

Within 48 hours she finds herself grieving for the death of someone close to her and searching for another who has been kidnapped. Torn between two, does Jade fall for the right guy? Will he stand by her side or betray her? Will Jade be caught by the evil that chases her?

Pre-order your copy today! Click here.

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Hot Trends Furry Nails and Glitter Eyebrows – Shapeshifters and Fairies oh my!

Shapeshifters and Fairies are being celebrated with color and sparkle! Seem like these fantasy may have inspired these colorful trends. But they have nothing on Jade Delacourt from Jade’s Awakening. She’s half shapeshifter and half fairy and she’s fabulous.

Let’s see how people are having fun and playing a bit. See fur on nails, glitter on eyebrows and more. Everyone is sure to smile with at least one of these trends.  Brighten your day with a modified version of any of these trends. A bit of sparkle and color always helps.

While I love these looks, typing with fur on my fingers would be maddening, but that’s just me.

These looks are creative and daring. I love it!

And finally, what creative things have you invented inspired by your favorite book? Have you worn something that reminds you of your favorite character?

See the Trends here

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Isabelle Hardesty is a writer and was born and raised in Miami on a street that had coconut trees and the scent of a nearby Cuban bakery’s latest creations wafting in the warm air.

Jade’s Awakening and Jade’s Descent are part of Isabelle Hardesty’s Delacourt Saga series. Both novellas are available on Amazon and Kobo.

Isabelle lives in Atlanta with her husband, who is also a writer, and their cat and dog. She loves being with her family, eating chocolate and connecting with readers. When she is not writing, you can find her either researching for her next book or painting.

Join her Newsletter here:   NEWSLETTER: bit.ly/29H76Cc

TWITTER: twitter.com/IsabelleHWrites

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/IsabelleHardestyWriter

BLOG: bit.ly/29IDrte

WEBSITE: IsabelleHardesty.com

Here is a review that makes me smile:

“I was mesmerized from the beginning. The characters are well developed and the story line is amazing. I couldn’t put it down and was sad when I got to the last page. I can’t wait to see what happens next in Jade’s Descent. I’ve already pre-ordered!” – Lisa W.

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Hot Trends Furry Nails and Glitter Eyebrows – Shapeshifters and Fairies oh my!

Well it’s Spring and new trends have me thinking that Shapeshifters and Fairies are being celebrated with color and sparkle! From fur on nails to glitter on eyebrows, it’s pure fun.

What do you think of these? Of the two, which one would you choose? I think I’d choose the fancy eyebrows. Typing with fur on my fingers would be maddening, but that’s just me.

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Isabelle Hardesty was born and raised in Miami on a street which had coconut trees and the scent of a nearby Cuban bakery’s latest creations wafting in the warm air.

Currently, Isabelle lives in Atlanta with her husband. She loves being with her family and eating chocolate.

She has just finished her first YA novel, The Witch of Belle Fleur. The main character is Juliette: Loves telenovelas, check. Becomes lead witch, check. Likes two guys, check. Must save town from villain, check.

Upcoming: Jade’s Awakening novella. Part 1 of a 3 Book series.

The post Hot Trends Furry Nails and Glitter Eyebrows – Shapeshifters and Fairies oh my! appeared first on Isabelle Hardesty.

5 Must Haves for Writers

5 Must Haves for Writers by Isabelle Hardesty

Productive writers are so inspiring. I’ve read countless articles over the years and here are some highlights I wanted to share with other writers out there.

Taking frequent breaks. Allow yourself the same luxury you would suggest to a loved one. Give your mind a break. This is a perfect time to brew more tea or pour another cup of coffee. It’s good for your computer weary eyes and great for your brain.


A cup of hot anything. If you are like many writers, by the time your remember and reach for your cup, it may be cold. No, worries, you can make more.


A support system that cheers you on. It may be on Twitter, Facebook or in person, but writing is difficult. Literary Rejections  has kept thousands of writers motivated while they are querying, editing, or writing the first line of their first manuscript.


Nothing time. Time where nothing is happening in your mind. Maybe you are washing dishes, or maybe your are lying in bed about to start your day. Let those ideas swarm and develop. This is a perfect way to let plot kinks work themselves out. Write your ideas down when they pop up.


A chair which truly supports you. Not a chair that’s the most beautiful or even the newest, but a chair which supports you as you write for hours.  An easy fix is using a pillow or blanket to support your back in the right way.

I hope this helped. If you want to add your own, please comment below.

Isabelle Hardesty was born and raised in Miami on a street which had coconut trees and the scent of a nearby Cuban bakery’s latest creations wafting in the warm air. Her interest in art and fashion lead her to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in Fashion Design. She worked as an assistant fashion designer for several companies in New York and Miami. Isabelle then left the fashion industry and became and art educator and continued painting and writing.

Currently, Isabelle lives in Atlanta with her husband. She loves being with her family and eating chocolate.

She has just finished her first YA novel, The Witch of Belle Fleur. The main character is Juliette: Loves telenovelas, check. Becomes lead witch, check. Likes two guys, check. Must save town from villain, check.

Isabelle’s short story, Jade’s Awakening, is published by Gilded Dragonfly Books and is featured in Legends of the Dragon Vol. 1.

www.IsabelleHardesty.com

twitter.com/IsabelleHWrites

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The Witch of Belle Fleur – a look into parts of my manuscript

The Witch of Belle Fleur  manuscript is finished.  Here are portions of my manuscript. I am excited to see what happens next.

A segment from Chapter 5

Cold fear crept through Juliette’s veins in the hot Florida afternoon. She could taste death and fear on her tongue.

An alligator jumped forward and grabbed her boot while another climbed on the other alligator’s back and snapped at Juliette.

She could feel its teeth clamping down on her toes. She screamed again, “Please, I won’t bring magic back. I won’t.” She would have to scramble and find another way to save her aunt.

“It could have been easier if you would have just let your aunt die.” He said. He shapeshifted back into an alligator.

Juliette reached for the fishing pole fastened near her chair and clobbered the alligator’s head with it. It released her boot. She managed to jump onto her chair. Her boot slipped but she balanced herself on one foot.  She shook with terror as she realized she had no way out.

A segment from Chapter 12

The party started and Alec stood, near the pool, with his hands tucked deep in his pockets. His shirt blew in the wind. The Miami sunset took over the sky. Alec saw Juliette walk towards the pool in her green dress. She was beautiful, he thought to himself. He noticed the way Juliette laughed while she kept her hands on her legs, in hopes of keeping her hem from blowing up in the breezy twilight air. He smiled.

Alec grabbed two sodas from the table behind him and walked towards the only person in his life who had nothing to do with magic, and that was Juliette.

 

A segment from Chapter 17

“Now we strap into this ramshackle appearing contraption. It is much sturdier than it appears. Afterwards, a blast of magic propels us hundreds of miles, then another blast, then another, until we’ve crossed the expanse from two councils.”

Juliette saw a pile of helmets in the corner. Tiny brown crabs used the helmets as a cityscape and crawled among them wildly.

Renner threw helmets to everyone. “This helps reduce injuries during travel.”

“Any other words of caution?” Juliette asked. She wondered what she had agreed to. She knew Renner was a little crazy, but this looked insane.

“Keep your hands in the car.” Lydia said.

They sat in rusted seats with puddles of water. Juliette flicked a small crab from her leather book bag. They sat knee to knee with Juliette sitting facing Alec and Lydia facing Renner.

The car hovered over the railing, bouncing as Renner sat up to close the door. The door slammed and they braced themselves as the car shot through an underwater magical metal pipeline that connected the Caribbean to New York City.

The sound was soul wrenching, a combination of metal scrapping against metal and the extreme force of pressure on the old pipes.

Cloudy partial windows gave them a view of the rusted miles of metal pipes created from old shipping containers, magic and a group of creative witches tired of traditional travel.

“It looks like this tunnel is going to spring a leak.” Juliette said.

“There are several leaks up ahead. There is a particularly dramatic one when we are near South Carolina. It’s actually quite beautiful, really.” Renner sat back as though he sat in a first class flight.

 

 

 

 

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Query for The Witch of Belle Fleur

Title: The Witch of Belle Fleur
Age and Genre: YA/ Fantasy
Word Count: 83,000

Query:

My manuscript is set in a town near the swamps of South Florida. It is about 83,000 words and is Young Adult / Fantasy. Juliette Fontaine is half Cuban and half Haitian and is raised by her Cuban aunt knowing that soon she’ll will have the choice to become a Lead Witch or remain a regular teen. This story has diverse main characters and  magic, yet doesn’t rely too heavily on magic and witches for interest. The relationships and characters are the true driving force.

The Witch of Belle Fleur is the story of  a teen, whose life changes after she agrees to become Lead Witch. Juliette loves Survivor and telenovelas and hopes to be on a telenovela at least once in her life. Juliette struggles with her decision then decides to become a lead witch because it offers her a way to save her aunt, who is near death. Juliette becomes a witch, unleashes evil, saves aunt then deals with the consequences of having Thane, a notorious and evil witch, against her and bent on taking over Belle Fleur.

Juliette doesn’t want to be identified as a destroyer witch like her deceased mother. However, she finds she must sometimes use her destroyer strength to survive. She feels uncertain of how to lead witches as a teen and doesn’t know if she can truly protect Belle Fleur. When Juliette finds time for love, she is torn between her best friend Victor, a Healer witch and a new guy, Alec, a Destroyer witch.

 

First 250 Words:

Standing tall on the roots of the mangrove trees made Juliette feel like a witch already. It also protected her from the snake she was spying on. She gripped the tan colored tree trunk and ignored the ants which crawled on her damp skin.

The swamp was a place where anything was possible. It was a place where she and Victor, her best friend, could be anyone. Here she wasn’t a waitress, recent high school graduate, orphan, or niece. Here in the swamp she was just Juliette.

Juliette was bursting with excitement the problem was, she couldn’t share it with Victor. Soon she’d be given the chance to either deny or accept her role as lead witch in Belle Fleur. The funny thing was that she wasn’t sure what she’d decide. She was drawn to the magical part full of relics and mystery but she dreaded the idea of the danger and all the drama that came with it. Honestly, part of her didn’t even believe magic was even real. How could magic exist in a world plagued with problems? She figured magic should have fixed everything by now if it was as powerful and real as her aunt said it was. Besides, Juliette admitted to herself long ago that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a witch and not be able to ever tell Victor about it. He was her best friend, after all.

“Is it the right snake?” Victor asked.

“No, it’s just a python.”

 

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