Michelle Flick's Blog, page 11

BLITZ for Destiny Unveiled

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 Welcome to my first promo blitz with Reading Addiction Book Tours! Today I have for you a giveaway, an excerpt, and a bio of the fabulous Laura DeLuca




Title: Destiny Unveiled Genre: YA ParanormalAuthor: Laura Deluca
Date Published: 4/2012
Synopsis:
Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks Gabriella's help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic in the hands of the evil witches. Gabriella's coven sets out on a journey that may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within themselves. When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world is in her hands.


Author's Bio:

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart.  In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years.
Excerpt:  Darron was on the roof o
There was an altar erected in the center of a circle that was outlined in black charcoal. On that altar sat the normal tools of ritual: a black tipped dagger, a silver chalice, an incense burner, and multiple black candles. Darron owned similar items. They weren't frightening in themselves. But the altar, like the people who lingered around it, was outlined by a shimmering black aura. The vibrations they relayed were no less than evil. Their presence made Darron shudder. He watched in horror, as a silent and unwelcome spectator to the forbidden rights.
Four of the cloaked figures took up the elemental corners, preparing to call the Guardians. The Guardians answered their call, unable to ignore the summons because magick can't be divided into good and evil. It's both because nature is both, harsh and devastating yet beautiful and gentle as the need arises. It was just as easy for the dark witches to harness the destructive forces of nature as it was for Darron and his coven to call upon its life giving magick. Good or evil was in the heart of its master, not in the magick that was wielded.
A fifth cloaked figure, the apparent leader of the group, stood in the center of the circle with the dagger raised high above his head. The sixth and final coven member groveled at the feet of the leader, his head lowered in acquiescence. The hood of his cloak hid his face though he was no more than a few feet away from Darron.
"Brother and sisters," the leader proclaimed, his accented voice heavy with his foreboding presence. "Tonight in the wake of the blood moon, we come together to bring a new brother into our fold. He has completed the required tasks and proven himself worthy to join us in our work."
"So mote it be!"
The four other cloaked figures cried out in perfect unison. Their hands were raised to the sky in honor of the blood moon.
The leader picked up the chalice from the altar. He followed the path of the circle to all of the elemental corners, stopping at each of the robed coven members in turn. Each offered their willing hands to their leader, palm outward. Each welcomed the point of the black edged dagger as it dug into their open palms without so much as a gasp of pain. The high priest cut a clean line down the centers of the palms of his disciples, and they all squeezed their fingers against the open wound to allow the blood to drip into the waiting chalice.
After collecting the offering from his followers, the leader returned to the center of the circle and the waiting initiate. With one quick motion, he sliced open his own palm. He held his hand over the cup, letting his blood drip slowly into the chalice, until the wound miraculously healed before Darron's startled eyes. When the chalice was full, he carried it to the eager initiate who took the cup firmly into his hands and tilted it towards his lips.
"As this blood makes you one with our flesh, so your soul follows to become one with the darkness," the English voice intoned.
As the initiate drained the last of the liquid in the chalice, his hood fell away, revealing a blonde ponytail pulled back over a pale white face, made even paler by the outline of bright red blood around his lips. Darron watched in stunned, horrified silence as his own face turned to meet his gaze. Eyes turned as black as coals stared back at Darron with a grim smile of satisfaction.
"Rise Darron," the leader commanded. And as he spoke, he lifted the hood from his head. Rise brother of the Dark Coven." 


Who wouldn't be hooked by this! Show your support for Laura and leave a comment!

Up for grabs!Prize Pack will include:Signed copy of Destiny & Destiny Unveiledtwo boxes if incense Crystal pointA few dessert rose stone

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Writing Routine - a must have.

Writing isn't a 9-5 job. It's a job you have to be doing all the time and some days, you just don't feel like it or your creative juices are just not flowing and you end up staring at the computer screen. But if you are not disciplined enough to write on a regular basis, you're not going to get very far. Plus there are all those distractions, social medias, things to do around your house, other jobs, giant dogs that think they are lap dogs. You have to be discipline enough to tell that giant dog to go lay down.

And just because you have this great idea, you just can't put it down on paper in a few days. It takes a lot of time, a lot of days, even if you are talented and awesome enough to have very detail already thought out, putting it down takes time. Your fingers can only move so fast.

So what does this mean besides a little bit of insanity? It means discipline. Which leads me to the point of this post - a routine. I have found that setting a routine has got me farther than anything that I have done. Mind you goal setting was super helpful to me - I did ROW80 and I got a huge increase in my word count because I felt guilty if I didn't meet my goal, but I would scramble the night before to hit my goal. It was very intense.  So from there, I have goals, which is helpful, but I put more emphasis on the routine of writing.

Currently, I meet my friend Joe every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning at 9 at a local library. We show up, have some chit chat, and dive in. We stay between 2 to 3 hours each time. This is where we sit. It's our spot. I would be very disoriented if anyone ever sits there.


It gets me in the mind set. I do my best work in the morning. There are few distractions. I normally can bust out between 2 to 3 thousand words at this time. Now this isn't the only writing I do either. It's just the set time that I had. I typically write every day. But when I walk into the library, I'm there to work. And I do. I feel accomplished and when I leave, my mind is working about the story, and I typically come home and write some

This routine all started in January. Joe and I decided to meet on a Saturday after another Saturday I had spent at this library. I was completing my National Board Certification and got so much work done because there were no distractions. We decided to try it. So during the school year, we meet on Saturdays. It's our time to write. And this summer we upped the days because we could.

Another tip that I have that has made me more productive. Before I start, I check all my social medias, send out any pressing emails, play one round of Words with Friends, set up my playlist, and then start. I find that I don't feel the pressing urge to check everything. I just checked. If someone desperately needs me, they'll call me.

What is your writing routine? Any tips to lessen distractions? Let's hear it!

ROUND 2 with Magnus Bane? Yes, please.

Magnus is so awesome that Cassandra Clare put him in both of her shadowhunter series, The Mortal Instrument series and The Infernal Devices series. In every one of my reviews for these series, there is always a special section for Magnus. I just fell for him.
So who is Magnus Bane? Besides have a fashion sense that someone would kill for, a long list of adventures, and a warlock? Well – I’ll do my best to sum him up for you and not ramble.
Personality: In both series when we meet him, Magnus is inquisitive about situations but is aloof, making characters like Jace, Clary, Tess, and Will work to get him to help. He’s not someone who trusts easily, but when he does, he is fiercely loyal, willing to call on demons, going into a battle to protect Alec, and standing up to Camille to protect Will and Tess.Magnus is kind of an instigator as well. He likes to put his friends and people who are in authority positions, in conflicting positions, where they typically have to divulge important information (that makes me gasp!). And a must have in a crush – sarcasm - “I was alive when the Dead Sea was just a lake that was feeling a little poorly.”
Looks: Magnus maybe a little older than the rest of the crushes that are in the tournament – like maybe 800 years older, but the guy doesn’t look OR act his age. He has spiky black hair and cat like, green-yellow, eyes that smolder (at least in my head they do) when he looks at another beautiful character. I mentioned Magnus’s awesome fashion sense and here is a snip-it of his attire duringCity of Ashes: “Even the Inquisitor's eyebrows shot up when Magnus strode through the gate. The High Warlock was wearing black leather pants, a belt with a buckle in the shape of a jeweled M, and a cobalt-blue Prussian military jacket open over a white lace shirt. He shimmered with layers of glitter.” All right ladies, don’t be jealous that he dresses better than us! I mean look at that style!
Talents: Besides being one of the most powerful warlocks in the world? He gives Will (also a hottie) the piece of mind he has been desperately seeking by summoning a demon. He had the ability to protect Clary until it was time for her to realize who she was. His magic is old and powerful; I’m betting it comes from all that time with the Silent Brothers.  Special Attributes: I’m defaulting to his eyes on this one. – Ones you could get lost in. *passes out from swooning*
Best Qualities: He’s not afraid of telling people what they need to hear. He may hurt your feelings but he is going to get you to the revelation you need to kick some evil booty. Isn’t honesty the best policy? Don’t most of our crushes put their lady loves into bad situations because they don’t tell the truth? No Magnus. Just sayin’.

A few of my favorite quotes:“Even the trip through the Portal had not disarranged Magnus's hair spikes. He tugged on one proudly. "Check it out," he said to Isabelle."Magic?""Hair gel. $3.99 at Ricky's.”
“We came to see Jace. Is he alright?""I don't know," Magnus said. "Does he normally just lie on the floor like that without moving?”
“If you're texting Magnus to say 'I think u r kewl,' I'm going to kill you.""Who's Magnus?" Max inquired. "He's a warlock," said Alec."A sexy, sexy warlock," Isabelle told Max, ignoring Alec's look of total fury."But warlocks are bad," protested Max, looking baffled."Exactly," said Isabelle.”
“Do you want to go back to Vienna?” he said.Alec didn’t answer, just stared into space.“Or we could go somewhere else,” said Magnus. “Anywhere you want. Thailand, South Carolina, Brazil, Peru – Oh, wait, no, I’m banned from Peru. I’d forgotten about that. It’s a long story, but amusing if you want to hear it.”
“Magnus's eyes gleamed. "He seems to like you. I saw him going for your hand out there like a squirrel diving for a peanut.”

There have been some developments since the last round with Magnus, Here is a snippet from C. Clare with Clockwork Princess including Magnus. Click here.
And the BEST news is, who the people in charge of casting have casted for my beloved!!! Godfrey Gao will be playing Magnus. THANK YOU CASTING PEOPLE! Just go google some pics of him. You won’t regret it.
OK voters – after reading this post, I just can’t imagine why you wouldn’t vote for Magnus! So go ahead. Vote for Magnus!!!

Wrecked by Anna Davies

Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.     

But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm.     

Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.
So I'm on a bit of a mermaid kick. So suggestions, please suggest.

I thought, the concept of this book was great. I like the idea that there isn't just mermaids, that there are different races of merfolk. I like that Christian doesn't "transform" his figure. I like Sephie because she's a witch - and I meant to but a "b" in front of that.

Miranda's got a pretty good life. She's not quit comfy in it, but she's got good friends, a hottie of a bf, is a soccer all-star, but she's got a painful past. Her parents died in a car accident, and she's always felt a little apart from everyone. I think it was in her head. However, after the boating accident, the one in which Christian doesn't know why he saves Miranda, Miranda really is set apart. This was my problem with the story. I get why Fletch's parents aren't big fans of her. I get that Grey's a royal pain in the arse. However, for the whole school, to treat her so terribly, including the adults didn't sit well with me. As a teacher, I know how my school, would react. In times like that, are there the jerks, yes, but for the most part, people ban together. I get that Miranda was supposed to have it tough so why she turns to Christian so willingly.

I liked Christian's POV more than I did Miranda's and when we were in the water world, I felt more comfortable as a reader in that setting. I think Christian is one of those selfless characters, pure of heart, and noble. You know, the kind of stuff dreams are made of.

Is there going to be a second one of these or is it a stand alone?

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harknes

The novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782.

Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending,Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.

Deborah Harkness has crafted a gripping journey through a world of alchemy, time travel, and magical discoveries, delivering one of the most hotly anticipated novels of the season.
Stating that I like YA, is really an understatement. I heart YA. Does someone make T-shirts for that saying yet? I should do that. OK. Back on track. I typically stay in the genre of YA, but Deborah Harkness's A Discovery of Witches was wonderful. Like adults, (most), I felt Shadow of Night, like A Discovery of Witches was more mature. The characters were. The story line was. The pacing, even though something was always happening, seemed to move at it's own pace.
I was very anxious to get back to Matthew and Diana. There relationship is a giant compromise, in the end, because they are both so stubborn, but in the end, they bend, because they are mates, lovers, married, best buddies!  
So Matt and Diana find themselves in 1599, and you know who we meet - Matthew's father. He's terrifying, handsome, and a manipulator. So why do I love this character so much? Because he loves Matthew. The things he does to both Diana and Matthew are, I don't know? Reverse psychology? Tough Love? Deranged? The bigger picture? I just wish it was possible for him to be part of the next installment. 
After ADOW, when Diana was gong back in time to look for a witch to help her figure out her powers (and boy is it something when she finds out), I thought it would be easy. Yeah, I totally forgot how much women who practiced anything outside of the religion that was in at the time, were persecuted. I mean. I know my history, but in my head, for the story, it all went smoothly. This is not the case for Diana, and I loved how Harkness, made Diana struggle to conform to the times. Diana just didn't show up and be part of that world.
There were a lot of trials and tribulations the couples have to go through. 
THE HISTORY! OMG! THE HISTORY and the people of history involved. I found myself looking up more information about the people that Matthew knew during this time period.  I needed to know more about them. 
It was a wonderful story and again, I'm waiting for the next one! 

I'm dreaming of a ... (this is where you come fill in the blanks)

SOME GREAT NEWS (well, for me.) I finished the first draft of The Owens Legacy: Redemption.  *Insert happy dance* So what happens now for me? I gave it to Nadine to read. She'll tell me if it sucks  and then help me fill in some gaps, start picking out some inconsistencies, and get the editing process moving. So what will I be doing? Taking a break from the twins! They have been just dominating all of my time lately. I am actually going to work on the dream walking WIP.


On Thursday, I sat down to do some writing for this WIP, I re-read my notes and some scenes that I had already started. It was then time to start writing. And this is what happened:

Just a bunch of really hard thinking with a lot of dead ends. I had a really hard time switching to a new idea, much harder than I had anticipated. I only got 500 words on paper.

What do you do to switch between manuscripts? Do you switch between manuscripts? Tips, please.


OK, what I need from all you blogging friends: I need some dreams from you. My character is going to be walking into people's dreams and I want a wide range and I am hoping you guys can spark some settings for me. I am looking for romantic set-ups, scary/creepy set-ups, bizarre set-ups (unicorns, rainbow raindrops, and Justin Beiber.)  I need you to get creative with me. Please post something you think would make a great dream or email them to me. Anything that pops in your head, is going to be great, and hey - your idea may show up in my book!

The Doorknob Society by M.J. Fletcher

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Chloe Masters’s world changed in a heartbeat - and all she did was touch a doorknob.
When she was young Chloe’s mother vanished. Wracked by feelings of abandonment and anger she lost herself traveling with her father's magic act, where illusions were part of her everyday life. Yet everything changes when they are pursued by a mysterious man in black out to kill her father. Touching a doorknob activates abilities she never knew she had and she finds herself thrust into a world of ancient societies and secrets.
When her father disappears it is a race against time to find answers before she loses what is left of her family. Now Chloe must choose who to trust, the man who will do anything for her or the one she can’t stop thinking about.
Book one of the Doorknob Society series.

My review:
I absolutely loved Chloe as a character. I felt terrible about how her mother vanished when she was a child and how hard that must have been. I thought Chloe was a very real character and I got to see her come into her own as the story continued. It's a great thing when you can see a character develop throughout a novel!

I'm dying to tell you what the abilities are, what societies are included, what situation Chloe finds herself in, but if I told you, you wouldn't get the surprises that I did.

I was relieved when Chloe started to get the answers that she was looking for!
Overall, I thought this was a great read and something different. I hadn't really read anything like this before and I'm really happy I got to read this.

I had the awesome privilege of interviewing M.J. Fletcher. I love finding out what makes a writer a writer!

What sparked the idea for this book? 
I was fascinated with the idea of using a doorknob to be able to travel anywhere. Something about taking something ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary really appealed to me.

What made you want to be a writer? 
Ever since I was young I wanted to write. When I was five I was stapling together pages to make my own comic book. Luckily my mother was a writer and helped to nurture the craft in me.

What was one of the hardest moments to overcome as a writer? 
Just sitting down and getting it done. A writer’s biggest enemy is putting off writing. When I finally was able to push through and write I knew there was nothing else I wanted to do.

What was one of the most rewarding moments? 
When I was told by a young fan that they wished they could be friends with the characters in The Doorknob Society. I knew I was on to something at that moment.


Which writers have influenced you, and why? 
Chris Claremont, was a big influence growing up as I read his writing on X-Men and learned a great deal about characterization. JRR Tolkien, was another who inspired me.

What are you working on now? 
I am working on the final book in The Doorknob Society Saga, The Skeleton Key Guild. I also did the outline for my next young adult series, a dieselpunk set in an alternate 1950’s. And I’m also working on the Doorknob Society comic book. As well as writing the webcomic Adam Zero.

What are five non-writing facts about you? 
I am a big comic book geek, live by the beach, have a cat and dog that can’t stand one another, have a spectacular daughter and make a mean meatloaf.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to be interviewed and I hope your readers enjoy it. - M.J. Fletcher

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for a great read!

Die For Me by Amy Plum

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

I have been meaning to read this book for awhile. Its been on my shelf but for one reason or another, I seemed to have passed it by. I read this book in a day. It was an easy read and I enjoyed it.

I'm a big fan of setting. A good setting sets the plot for you. Amy Plum described Paris to me without going on and on and on for pages about it. It was subtle, but I got a clear picture of the cafes, bars, homes, sights that were viewed through the characters. And like a hobby, history,  practice, and event, because of this setting I got to experience being in Paris. I loved Colleen Houck's Tiger's Curse series because I got to "go" some place new and this is similar in that regard.

I don't feel I connected to Kate and Vincent as much as I should have. I thought Vincent's sacrifice was very sweet. Georgia was a bit more my type. There was some insta-love going on but hey, a book can only be so long.

Vincent's "supernatural-ness" is different from anything that I have read about so far. I thought Amy Plum explained things subtly, like her setting. She didn't give me the bare bones run down for three pages where I walked away knowing everything I needed to know (which is crappy when authors do this). She let Kate, Vincent, Ambrose and the rest of gang slowly divulge the information.

The action within the book seemed to spike. Like there would be some every day teenage stuff, then someone almost dies, more every day teenage dating, some gets killed, insert some smooching and heavy sleeping, and there's a sword fight. It left me not knowing what to expect.

I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Bloodline by Richelle Mead

I wasn't free of my past, not yet.

Sydney's blood is special. That's because she's an alchemist - one of a group of himans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worls of humans and vampire. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiances in question, her future is on the line.

When Sydney torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far orse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.

The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they're hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

I am a huge Mead/Vampire Academy series fan. When that series ended, it was one of those series that made me legitimately sad that it was over. Then the spin-off happened, and I was really hesitant about reading it. Why? I just worried that characters, like Adrian, would be some how change and then my beloved (not being dramatic) series wouldn't be perfect, so I put it off.

I liked Sydney in VA and I liked her in this. I didn't think she was terribly special, like Adrian, Eddie, or Jill, but I think it's rare to see the perspective of the "over-seer" and that's what Sydney is to me. She's like the mother hen for all the misfit toys. I think she's relatable because she made a big mistake based on the alchemist standards, but at no point do I feel Sydney regrets it. I think this says a lot about her character.

Adrian. Poor, poor Adrian - Hey go over to the YA sisterhood and vote for him today - He's still heartbroken about Rose picking Dimitri. I loved how Mead made Adrian mad in installment six. I really felt for him in that moment, and that heartbreak is carried over in Bloodlines. Adrian is still himself, but he takes some steps to be a better person in this novel.

Jill, I'm not sure how I feel about Jill. For someone who is in mortal danger and under advisement from her government, she sure is unwilling to cut Sydney any slack. Several times I wanted to be like, seriously? Do you want to be discovered?

The two Jack wagons in the book - hated them from the beginning - happy they get what they deserve.

While I was extremely happy to see Rose again, I don't know, I thought if Lissa was in any type of danger, she wouldn't have left her, for any reason. I also think she would have steered clear of Adrian, because she broke his heart. So while, I was happy to see her, I thought it was "off."

The last line of the book - the person I had been waiting for - sigh.

Two non-vampire things
one. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO VOTED FOR MAGNUS! We won by a landslide!
two. Go down two posts for a giveaway - 7 book and/or manuscript editing

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . 


Entwined is based on the 12 dancing princess fable. I had some serious love for the cover's dress. Where do they sell that and do they ship UPS?

This story starts with Azalea, getting ready for a ball, and her mother is sick and pregnant. She has 10 other sisters, baby in the belly makes 12. The King, Azalea's father is a very aloof man. And it only gets worse when the mother passes. The King goes off to war and the girls are grieving. They needed their father but instead the find a magic entrance to a world of silver and magic.

The girls find an escape in dancing, except The Keeper, a seemingly nice guy in the beginning, is not what he seems. He's a great vilian because he subtle. He gets the girls to trust him through their enjoyment. He appears handsome and kind, and Azalea is the only who starts to notice the odd way he interacts with the girls.

There is a prince charming in the book, a debinoaire captain who doesn't mind the unruly nature of the princess.

The Keeper, wants the kingdom, and it will take the 12 dancing princesses, the captain, and the king to work together to get rid of him.

I love re-tellings, but this one had the problem of not enough action in it. Not that I want murder and pillaging. It took half the book before something major happened. I had to force myself to continue until  the big events started happening.