Heather Ostler's Blog, page 11

Memorial Weekend and Blog Tour Reviews

I hope you had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend. Mine was good, but so busy that I didn't have time to update my blog!

We visited with family everyday this weekend, and had four different family reunion/gatherings yesterday alone. I love having so much family and visiting with everyone, but I was excited to jump back into The Siren's Secret Blog Tour. (On a side note, I've been cooking all weekend and the dirty dishes were beginning to make an impressive mountain in my sink). 

There were two blog tour stops for The Siren's Secret over the weekend, and the first was a review at Bookworm Lisa. 

Below is a little excerpt of her review. 

"I loved The Shapeshifter's Secret and looked forward to the sequel.  I have to say that Heather did not disappoint me.  She has a very vivid and clear writing style that paints her picture well.  Her characters are likable and it is easy to follow them in the story.  She incorporates a good mix of action and romance." 
Thank you Lisa! 

To read her full review visit lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com
The Second review was at Blooming with Books. 
"The Siren's Secret is a fabulous sequel to The Shapeshifter's Secret.  This is a YA title that won't offend the sensibilities of parents who are looking for a clean fantasy for their teens to read.  There is a touch of romance, a bit of fighting, and plenty of entertainment - so didn't miss out on this exciting sequel!"
Visit her blog at bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com. Thank you! 

Blog Tour Stop at A Book A Day

The Siren's Secret Blog Tour has been a lot of fun. I'm always terrified at first as I wait to hear what bloggers and reviewers have to say about my books. I seem to hold my breath when I read a review, but eventually I calm down. Whenever it's a good review I feel like passing out from happiness. Honestly, every kind word  means so much to me. People take time from their busy lives to read my work, and I'm so grateful for that. Thank you! 
With that being said, today's blog stop is with the lovely Cathy at A Book A Day . I met Cathy before at Authorpalooza and instantly I wanted to be friends with her because she's such a sweet person.
 Here's what a little preview of what she had to say about The Siren's Secret:
"I really enjoyed this book! There is plenty of action, adventure and romance to keep almost anyone happy. I love the characters, Julia especially, that's probably because you see everything from her point of view. I love the setting, I can almost "see" Lockham Castle. I can't wait to read more of Julia's adventures!" 
Visit her blog here: http://mybookaday.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-tour-sirens-secret.html

Book Launch Party and Blog Stop

I'm getting very excited for The Siren's Secret book launch party. Sometimes I feel like getting a book launch ready is like planning a wedding. You have to find your venue, get the word out, make a budget, and get the perfect dress (you think I'm kidding, but finding the right outfit for a book launch is incredibly daunting). Last month I had some freak-out moments getting everything ready, but now things are more set in stone (keeping fingers crossed). 
The book launch will be Saturday, June 15th at the Orem Barnes & Noble at 6:00. Yay! 
I learned a lot from my last book launch, namely that people like giveaways, and honestly I love giving out giveaways! I have a lot ready, so hopefully there will be plenty of readers who leave happy—That doesn't count as a bribe does it? Oh well, book giveaways get me to events! 
You know how weddings have a theme? Well, my book launch has a theme. Because it's for The Siren's Secret, it's going to be an "underwater" party. All the treats, prizes, and decorations will make you feel like you've gone to Sirenity (The island where the sirens live in my book). 
Now all I need is to ask a mermaid to come to the event ;)
I really hope to see you there! 
Also, today's blog tour stop for The Siren's Secret is at Getting Your Read on. Aimee has posted a lovely review. Click here to visit her blog. Thanks Aimee! 
"One of the things I appreciate most about this book is that it's clean.  Heather does a great job with this.  
Julia is definitely on a journey of discovery.  By the end of the last book and at the beginning of this book you get the feel that Julia thinks she has a good handle on things.  She is efficient at shape shifting and her studies are going well.  She has a boyfriend and seems pretty content despite the ongoing struggles with the Guild.  Of course, we all know that when a character in a book gets comfortable, things are really going to get shaken up.  Poor Julia.  It was inevitable.  ;)
I loved the world of Sirenity and I loved how the Siren's basically proved the prejudice's against them wrong to some degree.  It was a great new addition to the plot line. " --Aimee from Getting Your Read On. 

Review, Interview, and Excerpt from The Siren's Secret.

I am in absolutely in love with today's blog tour stop at Cover Bound. Mallory is an amazing host, and if you hop over to her blog you'll see the review, interview, and excerpt from The Siren's Secret. As a bonus you'll get to see awesome stuff like this:



It's totally worth it. I love her blog, please stop by! 

coverboundbookie.blogspot.com

Here are some of my favorite questions from the interview:

Have you considered ever writing a novella from different character’s perspective to accompany the series?
I’ve thought many times about writing from Alexis’s perspective. I like getting into the villain’s head and seeing what drives them to do the things they do. I like villains that are complex and unpredictable.
 I love Ossai and Sirenity. How did you develop those worlds? Did somewhere you visit inspire those worlds?
Thank you so much. Yes, my traveling adventures have definitely inspired the settings for my books. England and Italy helped to shape Ossai, and Sirenity was largely influenced by The Caribbean and The Mexican Rivera.
Did Julia or her comrades ever take you down a different road then you had planned while writing?
Definitely. So many characters have changed, and one character in particular was going to betray Julia, however I stopped him. Sometimes you have to go with your gut, and your outline goes to the trash. It takes more time, but you have to write the story until you feel good about each scene and each character.
Happy Reading! 

ARC review of The Siren's Secret by Book Briefs

Today's blog tour stop is with the wonderful Michelle at Book Briefs. She's posted a review of The Siren's Secret, and I've posted a little preview below. 
"I fell in love with The Shapeshifter's Secret as soon as I started reading it, so I jumped at the chance to read the second book in the series. I have been waiting for The Siren's Secret for a very long time. I couldn't wait to get back to Heather's magical world of shapeshifters and water nymphs and the evil guild. The Siren's Secret did not let me down! But what is even more interesting is that it was not exactly what I expected the sequel to the first book to be. It was darker and had a different overall tone. I liked the contrast to the first book. It was really interesting and honestly, it just makes me all the more excited to read the third book. I can't wait to see what Heather is going to do next. She has proven that she has such versatility with her writing and it makes me excited to see what else she is going to come up with."

To read the full review, visit Michelle's blog at: 
http://bookbriefs.blogspot.com/2013/05/arc-review-sirens-secret-by-heather.html

Dorine White's The Emerald Ring Blog Tour

Ordinary tween life turns upside down when Ancient Egypt intrudes on modern middle school life. Twelve year old Sara Guadalupe Bogus reads about adventures, but unexpectedly is drawn into one when a mystical emerald ring that once belonged to Cleopatra becomes stuck on her finger.A series of burglaries spook Sara’s small Ohio hometown. Concluding that the root of all the crimes is the emerald ring, Sara realizes it’s up to her and her friends, Heidi and African exchange student Kainu, to save the town and protect Cleopatra’s legacy. Filled with magic, the ring thrusts Sara into a world filled with nightmares, allows her to shape shift into an Egyptian cat and battle assassins.
You can read the first chapter here: http://dorinewhite.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-emerald-ring-chapter-one.html

Buy the Book: 
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Cedar Fort





About the Author:My name is Dorine White. I graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Humanities. I am a member of the SCBWI and the PNWA. I write middle grade and YA fantasy. My first book, The Emerald Ring, will be published in 2013 by Cedar Fort Books.
Twitter: @DorineWhite
Email: dorwh@aol.com
Website: http://www.dorinewhite.com/

Blog Tour Stop and Giveaway

Today's Blog Tour stop is at Fire and Ice, where you can read my guest post about sirens, and enter a giveaway for an early Ebook copy of The Siren's Secret! 

To enter, click below. 
http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-sirens-secret-blog-tour-author.html

School Visit to Lone Peak

Recently I had the opportunity to go to Lone Peak High School to talk to the Creative Writing classes. It's funny because I always have this idea that students who are taking a writing class want to be writers. I shouldn't do this, because I realized halfway through my presentation that very few students actually wanted to become authors. A lot of them were just finding their creative side and fostering it through a writing class. When I asked the students, "So why are you in this class?" one responded, "To see if writing is something I want to do." 
As I spoke to the next class, I tried to make sure that the creative process applied to everyone. It's not just for writers. Artists, musicians, cooks, or anyone who is creating something needs to find how they get inspiration and transfer it to their medium.

I told the students that whether they wanted to choreograph a dance, write a song, or become a writer, finding their muse is key. Maybe their inspiration comes by brainstorming, keeping a journal, or sitting in nature. It's completely different for everyone, and I hope I got that message across.
Even though I was so nervous, it turned out to be a great experience. The teacher, Mr. Nelson is an awesome Creative Writing teacher, and I really liked this video he found for the class. It's about the Hero's Journey, and I think it's really helpful for writers, readers, or anyone who likes to create! As an added bonus it includes Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, and Frodo.

Blog Tour Stop: Review of The Siren's Secret

Forget About TV Grab A Book has posted a review for today's Blog Tour Stop! To read the full review visit Forget About TV Grab A Book. 

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Friday! 

"Heather found a way to twist the story into a way that I hadn’t expected. When I read the title I was super excited, what could a shapeshifter have to do with a siren? How would Caleb and Terrence fit into this story? What more does Ossai have to offer?
It was nice to see the characters and the story that made this book memorable to me, to walk in Heather Ostler’s New York, Ossai and Lockham Castle.The direction this story took was really unexpected; it gave me another sense of Ossai and all we haven’t discovered, not only in all the land we still don’t know but all the problems and races that live in it." 

The Siren's Secret Review by Crazy Four Books

Today's Blog Tour Stop is at a wonderful blog called Crazy Four Books. Brenda has posted a review that literally gave me tears of happiness. Here's a little preview of what she had to say: 

"There is so much to love about this book and series. Let me start by saying these books are clean and are appropriate for any age reader. 

The characters are fun, lovable, and believable yet interesting and somewhat complex. The plot was fantastically imaginative with many curve balls thrown in that will keep you guessing!  Between the pages of this book are spectacular scenery, adventure, sweet romance, friendship, shapeshifting, classes at a magical school for werecats and nymphs, an evil group called the Guild, sirens, and plenty of secrets.

This story is awesomely fantabulous! I LOVE it! This is one series that I will definitely re-read over and over. I am left anxiously awaiting the next book once again! :D

I recommend this to everyone who likes engaging, charming, fun, and captivating stories. If you like shifters or YA paranormal books this is a MUST READ! I suggest reading the The Shapeshifter's Secret first. It sheds light on the characters and you may not fully appreciate the second book as much if you skip it.  It was an awesome book that you should read regardless!" 

Thank you so much, Brenda! To see the rest of the review, click the link below!  

http://crazyfourbooks.blogspot.com/2013/05/vbt-sirens-secret-by-heather-ostler.html#comment-form