L.H. Nicole's Blog, page 4

It's here! Relics of Camelot 1st teaser

I am so happy to finally be able to release the first teaser for RELICS OF CAMELOT!!!
It has been long promised and now that I have the okays---here we go!


Leaning in to get a closer look at a round piece of dull bronze, a book just a little ways down from it fell to the dirt ground with a thunk.“Really?” she muttered as she bent down to pick it up, hoping it hadn’t been damaged. “It would seem the fates desire ya ta’ see that.”Aliana straightened, gripping the hardbound book tightly in her hands. An older woman was watching her from the doorway to the house the stall was attached to. She regarded her shrewdly, but then she smiled and ambled over.Her magic senses flamed as a familiar feeling overcame her. This woman had Fae blood in her. Just like Lacy. “What do you mean?” Aliana asked, confused.“Books don’t just jump out at any person getting’ too close. Destiny is tellin’ ya there be somethin’ ya need to see in that tome.” “I don’t think—”The woman waved her hand dismissively. “Mark my words m’lady,” the woman warned like an old crone from some witches story. “You be needin’ the wisdom in those pages sooner than ya think.”Aliana gulped, looking down at the bound pages in her hand. The hard brown cover was plain, just like the spine. Running her fingers down the rough paper edges, a flash of brightness flared.I think this woman may be right,Dagg whispered to her.
So? What do we think. The thing I love about RELICS OF CAMELOT is how different the characters and situations they face will be. At first I was hesitant about the whole idea, but then as I was writing everything flowed so well and just fit the story of Aliana, Arthur and the Knights!
I'm hoping this will get the ball rolling on the RELICS OF CAMELOT goodies, and to continue that hope I've got the first bookmark ready!

If you have stumbled onto this blog/post yet have not read or heard of my LEGENDARY SAGA then you can click the links below to learn more and download the first chapters from amazon or iBooks or B&N!
LEGENDARY (LEGENDARY SAGA # 1)AMAZON ~ B&N ~ iTUNES ~ GOODREADS








CLAIMING EXCALIBUR (LEGENDARY SAGA # 2)AMAZON ~ B&N ~ iTUNES ~ GOODREADS








There it all is!
<3 always LH

Romantic Time Convention Teen Edition

Hey everyone!!!! It's been way to long again, but it was for good reasons, I promise :) And to read my explanation as to why my digital absence was a good reason click here
If you hadn't guessed, this post is an update from my favorite book event all year, RT! There are so many great things about this convention, the biggest being that it's a con for readers and authors and book professionals. There are great parties, great industry panels, led by some of the best names in the publishing world, and endless opportunities to have fun.
I've met some amazing people over the last few years that I've attended and I'm already excited for the madd house that will be 2016 RT convention in Las Vegas! I know right.
I made so many more friends this year, most of whom I hope will be at next year's con so we can play some more hilarious games of Cards Against Humanity.........the tweets alone were cracking me up!
There are still more pictures to come, (And you can find plenty on my pinterest RT board) but I wanted to show off the things that were some of my fav RT Teen moments.
Keep in mind, a few of these pics are mine, others I have pulled from all sorts of social media people and places (love twitter and tumblr) I am officially saying I have no claim over any of these photos.




















There are so many more great photos I want to share, so to see more go to Pinterest and check out my RT board!
There is a lot of great book news coming, even, possibly some secret information on book 3 of the Legendary Saga: RELICS OF CAMELOT and a secret project :)
Till then
<3 always LH

WRWDC #RockTheDrop RT Convention 2015

I can't believe April is already half over but since I have no control over time I guess I have to accept it. The good part of it all is that two very fun events are drawing near---well three actually. 

 The first is a book/scavenger hunt event called #RockTheDrop Operation Teen Book Drop 2015 on April 16th 

  Operation Teen Book Drop 2015 will be held in honor of Support Teen Literature Day on Thursday, April 16th. Want to join in the fun? Here's how you can get involved: 
  * Follow  @readergirlz  on Twitter and tweet #rockthedrop 
* Print a bookmark (see the images through the link below) and put it into a book (or 10!) On April 16th, drop a book in a public spot (park bench, bus seat, restaurant counter?) Lucky finders will see that the book is part of the drop! 
*  Post about it! Save one of square images below and post it on your blog and social networks. 
* Snap a photo of your drop and post it at the readergirlz Facebook page  and/or tweet the drop @readergirlz with the hashtag #rockthedrop 
  Visit our blog, Facebook page, and  Twitter for more news and pictures before, during, and after the event!

http://www.readergirlz.com/tbd.html 

It's all very exciting. I am going to be dropping a copy of LEGENDARY and CLAIMING EXCALIBUR as a part of the fun :) Be sure to watch out for them and other great books. 

The second is a signing I am doing THIS FRIDAY is a signing with a few of my fellow authors from my WRWDC chapter of the RWA. We will be at the Books-A-Million in Westminster MD from 11 am to 2 pm. So many great authors so many great books.
    
The third is the RT Convention in Dallas, TX! This is my biggest and favorite book even of 
the year (outside any release of my books ;P )
   


 I'm taking part in several events during the convention in addition to the Giant Book Fair and Teen Day parties on that Saturday May 16. 
~Tue 5/12- Spooky sleepover party 
~Wed 5/13- Burning Questions Panel 
~Wed 5/13- Mad Hatter Fantasy Tea Party
~Sat 5/16- Giant Book Fair YA Alley~Sat 5/16- Teen Day Party 
~Sat 5/16- Speed Reading

There are great prizes, giveaways, books, prizes, swag and so much more that will rain down on the attendees of this great event. There are even some I'm going to be trying to get my hands on (an advanced copy of REAWAKENED by Colleen Houck among them!) 
 Click the PDF link below to see the 2015 Teen Day program 3.9.YA.Booklet.sm 

 All of this is coming up so quickly and I am just bursting with excitement! I have many great things lined up for the events. 
 <3 always LH  

2015 Spring YA Scavenger Hunt Team Green

It's finally time! The Spring #YASH is on and I'm on team green! This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! 
At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt (a certain number that will stick out). Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt on my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours! There are EIGHT contests--one for each team-- going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! Each teams features 20 different authors totaling up to 120 books to be given away to 8 lucky winners.
And there is, of course, a ton of extra giveaways going on that most authors will host on their own blogs, so the chances of winning something is pretty great.


I seriously think I have the greatest of the 8 teams for this hunt! So many great books just on this team alone :) If you are still a little confused go to the   YA Scavenger Hunt page to get a better understanding. 
CONTEST RULES AND HOW TO PLAY THE GAMEDirections: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the displayed numbers of all the authors on the GREEN team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by 4/5/15, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered. Dahlia Adler
I am hosting Dahlia Adler and her book UNDER THE LIGHTS   
Dahlia Adler is an Associate Editor of Mathematics by day, a Copy Editor by night, and a writer for the B&N Teen Blog at every spare moment in between. She is the author of Behind the Scenes, Last Will and Testament, and the upcoming Under the Lights. She lives in New York City with her husband and their overstuffed bookshelves.Find out more information by checking out the author website or find more about the author's book here! http://dahliaadler.com   https://dailydahlia.wordpress.com/my-books/daylight-falls-series/

Josh Chester loves being a Hollywood bad boy, coasting on his good looks, his parties, his parents’ wealth, and the occasional modeling gig. But his laid-back lifestyle is about to change. To help out his best friend, Liam, he joins his hit teen TV show, Daylight Falls…opposite Vanessa Park, the one actor immune to his charms. (Not that he’s trying to charm her, of course.) Meanwhile, his drama-queen mother blackmails him into a new family reality TV show, with Josh in the starring role. Now that he’s in the spotlight—under everyone’s terms but his own—Josh has to decide whether a life as a superstar is the one he really wants.

Vanessa Park has always been certain about her path as an actor, despite her parents’ disapproval. But with all her relationships currently in upheaval, she’s painfully uncertain about everything else. When she meets her new career handler, Brianna, Van is relieved to have found someone she can rely on, now that her best friend, Ally, is at college across the country. But as feelings unexpectedly evolve beyond friendship, Van’s life reaches a whole new level of confusing. And she’ll have to choose between the one thing she’s always loved…and the person she never imagined she could.
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FOR UNDER THE LIGHTS: EXTRA SCENE“I still can’t believe I’m leaving,” Ally murmurs as I wrap my arms around her waist from behind and rest my chin on her head, both of us watching the sun sink below the Pacific from the edge of Josh’s backyard. “New York City’s got a lot of things, but it doesn’t have the ocean, and it definitely doesn’t have Malibu sunsets.” She reaches up and strokes my jaw. “Doesn’t have amazing boyfriends who throw fantastic parties, either.”“I can’t really take credit for this, as I’m sure you can guess.”She laughs. “No, but I’m guessing the massive display of French macarons was you’re doing, among other things. I love that there are stamps of you and Van all over this crazy thing.”“Seul le mieux pour ma petite amie.”She shivers in my arms, despite the lack of breeze floating over the water. “God, I can’t believe how good you’ve gotten at French.”“I’ve had an excellent tutor,” I remind her, dropping a kiss in her hair. It smells like the salt air mixed with coconut shampoo, and my gut twists when I realize it’ll be months at best before I smell that combination again. “So, are you having fun?”“Mmmhmm.” She inhales deeply; I can feel her trying to imprint the sights, sounds, and smells of the beach to memory. It’s a relief to see her like this; sometimes I worry she’ll run off without looking back. “It was nice of everyone to do this. I’m gonna miss everyone.”“We’re gonna miss you too, Al.” Understatement of the century, but I’m trying to force myself to nut up. “Yeah?” She turns in my arms, her gray eyes shining a little, and I wonder if she really doesn’t know that.I don’t answer; I’m afraid of what I’ll say if I do. Instead, I bend down and kiss her soft, familiar lips. She tastes like champagne and buttercream, sweet and addictive, and I can’t get enough. I kiss so many girls, for the show, for movies, for ads, but only one feels, tastes, smells this perfect. Only one feels like anything to me at all. And she’s leaving, and I’ll be here, still kissing, always kissing, but never the one person I want to be.“You okay?” she asks softly, brushing my hair back from my forehead. They want it long for the show, and while it’s not my preference, when she touches it like that, it’s hard to mind. “You seem a little…elsewhere.”“I’m here,” I promise, kissing her forehead. “Trust me when I say there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Except maybe alone with you in my apartment.”She grins and snuggles closer. “I think that can probably be arranged later—”“Hey, lovebirds—this isn’t a rom-com,” Josh calls out from the party. “Stop hogging the guest of honor, Holloway.”I roll my eyes and debate running off with Ally down the sand, but she laughs and tugs me toward the crowd. “Come on. He got Columbia-blue Christmas lights for the palm trees. The least I can do is have a drink with him.”God, I hate Josh sometimes. But I let her pull me, and we take shots with Josh, some of the guys, and a few of the Daylights Falls cast and crew. “Where’s Van?” she asks, but Josh just shrugs, and then we clink glasses and chug. “Hey, Holloway—you ready for tomorrow?” asks Royce. “Let’s see those abs, bro.”I cringe as Ally turns to me with confused surprise. She knows about the callback, of course, but I left the embarrassing ab display out of the story of meeting Scott Lassiter. The last thing I need my soon-to-be Ivy League girlfriend thinking about when she meets a bunch of freak-genius boys is that I’m basically a hooker. “There’s gonna be an ab showing?” she asks mock-innocently, fluttering her eyelashes.Oh good, now I’m officially a joke. “Bitter much?” I snap at Royce. “Sorry you must be at least this tall to portray an adult in a movie now.” “Burrrrn.” Josh cracks up and slaps me five while Royce gives me the finger. “You’re so jealous.”“Whatever. There’s no way you’re doing this movie even if you get the part,” says Paz, grabbing another shot as one of the burlesque waitresses circles slowly around us with a tray. “Your show’s not gonna let you audition, are they, Cowan?”Jamal raises his hands in the air. “I don’t even know what y’all are talking about. What movie?”“Lassiter’s Iraq movie.” I take a shot too, and offer one to Ally, who shakes her head. “I auditioned a couple of weeks ago. Callback’s in three days.”Ally squeezes my hand, and again my gut clenches, remembering there’s no going to her house after it; she won’t be there. I squeeze back with one hand, toss the shot back with the other.“Oh, man, you got an audition for that? My agent tried his balls off, but no luck. They’ve already got a black guy, apparently.” Jamal rolls his eyes and takes another shot too.“We ran into him at a club one night. Pure dumb luck.”“And abs,” Paz says with a stupid grin. “Don’t forget the abs.”I’m about to tell him to shut up when Ally’s free hand slides over said abs, warming my skin through the thin fabric of my shirt. “I could never. Trust me,” she says, cutting me off, and I have to kiss her again. “You guys are the worst,” Royce says sourly. “I’m going to find Bridgid.”“For the millionth time, Royce,” says Josh, “Bridgid does not like dudes.”“Who cares? She’s wearing a bikini.” Royce disappears, and I think a few other guys too, but I’m not really paying much attention. I’m the one with the guest of honor, and judging by the way she’s kissing me back right now, I think she’s pretty happy with the party’s entertainment.And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, L.H. Nicole, and more! To enter, you need to know that I just turned the big 30! Now you know my number, find the rest of the #TeamGreen numbers and add them all up to enter the big giveaways! <3 always LH
CONTINUE THE HUNTTo keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author Melissa Landers! Tweet #YASH

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Spring 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt

Hi hi! I am so excited to be taking part in the YASH again! My first one was this past OCT, and the hunt just keeps getting better and better :) 
In case you don't know the  YA Scavenger Hunt  is a bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

There are EIGHT contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the GREEN TEAM--but EACH team has a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

Here are the 8, yes 8, teams of 20 authors each who are taking part in the spring hunt! I gotta say, I love my team, so many authors who I personally like to read :)










Quite the amazing line ups right? I know I would be all over entering to win the prizes from each team if I could. Since there are so many teams, I suggest you pace yourself. Do three teams a day, or maybe four, since this contest runs for 3 days. Either way I think you'll find great new authors and get plenty of exclusive goodies from authors you may already love.

I haven't quite decided on what special content I want to do. Maybe a deleted scene from LEGENDARY or CLAIMING EXCALIBUR? Or maybe some in depth character profiles? If you have any suggestions leave me a comment :)

The rules are simple. The hunt is open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by DATE, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.


Every year this contest is a fun and amazing one! I hope everyone comes back on April 2nd to take part! How many other chances will you have to win so many great books? And even better, most authors run additional giveaways on their own blogs, and usually with some pretty amazing prizes up for grabs. I am going to be offering up 3 prizes for this one. 

See you all soon
<3 always LH
Tweet #YASH

The RT Convention, created by the Romantic Times magazin...

The RT Convention, created by the Romantic Times magazine is a very special convention for me. It's where I solidified my desire to become a published author, it's where I pitched to the editor who bought all four books of my debut series LEGENDARY SAGA, and it is where I have met some amazing authors and even made my first fans! It was amazing, and as long as I am able to afford it, I will be attending every year. This year is even more exciting because I am going to be apart of the Giant Book Fair, signing in the YA Alley along side dozens of authors whose books I adore and devour and many other great YA authors---100 total to be exact!

  The list includes Meg Cabot, Tamora Pierce, Colleen Houck, C.C. Hunter, Rachel Caine, Kathy Reichs and Rachel Vincent--just to name a few of the authors I adore. Click the link below to see the official booklet that has all the authors signing and the list of panels and parties for Teen Day!

3.9.YA.Booklet.sm

  Pretty Amazing, I am so crazy excited! Here is the direct link to the RT Convention web site https://www.rtconvention.com/
  There are all levels of passes available, including weekend passes, which for locals in the Dallas and surrounding areas, is the perfect chance to come in for the Giant Book Fair on Saturday and take part in all the best parties of the whole convention! For teens, this is the perfect package, because it's when the YA authors are most available :)

  I hope I get to see some of you there, and if you come, be sure to stop by and say hi! I will be posting all week during the conference and especially the Teen Day parties! I hope to see you there :)

<3 always LH  

My fellow Omnific sister Wren has a great treat today! It...

My fellow Omnific sister Wren has a great treat today! It's the release day of the first book of her CHRONICLES OF MIDVALEN series: COMMAND THE TIDES.Once again, great cover from my wonderful publisher and a fantastic new book to go on your TBR lists.
Command The Tides (The Chronicles of Midvalen, Book One)Wren HandmanAvailable in Paperback and Ebook March 17, 2015
Enter Midvalen, a world of kings and kingdoms, princes and pretenders.
In the Kingdom of Miranov, Taya seems to have it all: she owns her own store, she’s engaged to be married to a handsome man, and she’s a success. But the truth is more complicated than anyone could guess. Her engagement is a sham, an agreement of convenience that she made with Darren so she can own land and he can get his mother off his back. She thinks things have become complicated when she realizes that she's fallen in love with him, something she never planned to do. But what's worse is discovering that her simple sailor boy is actually the crown prince of neighboring Sephria, and his usurping Uncle is trying to kill him.
When Darren shows up at her door, bleeding and fleeing assassins, Taya is drawn into a complicated mess of politics, fighting, and broken hearts. Her allegiances will be questioned, her love will find a new course, and she’ll do it all while trying to stay alive, save the day, and guard her heart.Amazon   BN.com   Goodreads   Simon and Schuster 
Here is a little excerpt to get you even more interested: “David, help Ryan cover the trail. I’ll help Sarah take Darren. Taya, take my sword and cover us.”     “The girl? She’s like to cut off her own feet as an enemy!” Liam hissed. Taya felt her face grow hot. As always when she felt embarrassment closing in, she covered it with anger. She grabbed Jeremy’s sword by the hilt, drawing it out with one smooth motion and swinging it down so the point touched the ground just an inch in front of Liam’s foot. She felt Jeremy take a staggering step backward, startled. “I will not only cut our enemy, I will cut the feet off of our enemy and leave them to bleed in the dirt. I haven’t let us down yet, and I certainly don’t intend to start now. And if you ever call me ‘the girl’ again, I will show you exactly what I am expert at cutting off,” she snarled, and then she hoisted the sword and spun on her heel, storming away before he could react. She stood at the edge of their sad, sodden company, the hilt of the sword resting snugly in the palm of her hand, her back straight and her head held high, and the only thing going through her mind was the fact she had absolutely, completely, no idea how to use a sword.
Author Bio:
 Wren Handman is a novelist, fiction writer, and playwright. Her first novel, Last Cut, was published by James Lorimer Publishing Ltd (Sept 2012) and is aimed at teenagers with reading difficulties. She has published short stories both in print and online, including in the anthology Voice From the Planet (Harvard Square Editions) and the online magazine Crow Toes Quarterly, an award-winning Canadian children’s publication. For regular updates check out her short fiction project, Lucid Dreaming (www.wrenhandman.com/lucid-dreaming), which responds to original art pieces with flash fiction stories.

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

March is always one of my favorite months for many reasons, but the best one is St. Patrick's Day! I love the celebrations, the parties, the chance to wear shirts that say 'Kiss Me I'm Irish'.
Come to think of it I'm pretty sure Dawn, a character from my LEGENDARY SAGA has a  KEEP CALM AND KISS ME I'M IRISH shirt. LOL.
I decided, for this hop, to feature books with green covers, since you better be wearing green on St. Patty's day to avoid being pinched! I'm also giving away a $10 gift certificate to the book retailer of the winner's choice and an eCopy of LEGENDARY to 1 lucky winner :)


EMERALD GREEN (RUBY RED TRILOGY #3) Gwen has a destiny to fulfill, but no one will tell her what it is. She’s only recently learned that she is the Ruby, the final member of the time-traveling Circle of Twelve, and since then nothing has been going right. She suspects the founder of the Circle, Count Saint-German, is up to something nefarious, but nobody will believe her. And she’s just learned that her charming time-traveling partner, Gideon, has probably been using her all along. Emerald Green is the stunning conclusion to Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red Trilogy, picking up where Sapphire Blue left off, reaching new heights of intrigue and romance as Gwen finally uncovers the secrets of the time-traveling society and learns her fate.
LEGENDARY (LEGENDARY SAGA #1)  Aliana Fagan spent her childhood traveling the world, dreaming of legendary heroes and mythical lands. But after the sudden death of her parents, she hides behind the safety of her camera and her art until a vivid recurring dream compels her to dig into her father's research about Avalon and Camelot. When she is hurled into a magical realm by forces she thought were only the stuff of fairy tales, she finds herself thrown into an adventure she could never have imagined. Nearly everything she thought she knew about Arthurian legend was wrong.
The independent eighteen-year-old is shocked to find that the people of Avalon think that she is the Destined One, the only person who can summon King Arthur back to life from his hidden chamber. Most surprising of all is that it's up to her to lead the Knights of the Round Table on an epic quest—an adventure that will transport them across the seven magic realms to reclaim all that has been lost so they can defeat the evil Mordrid for good. But first, she must bring the ancient warriors into her world and reunite them with their lost brothers. Chaperoning the legendary knights-with-a-chivalry-complex as they navigate the modern world is a constant challenge, and she certainly never thought she'd be caught between her intense feelings for the noble Sir Galahad and her growing friendship with the King.

To fulfill the prophecy, Aliana will have to discover the meaning of friendship, bravery, loyalty, true love, and forgiveness. But can she do it all in time to save the realms from Mordrid's impending Armageddon? 

TIGERS DESTINY (TIGERS CURSE #4) With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.  It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all. A smart  phone tag code on the back cover links readers to the series website. THE WIZARD HEIR Sixteen-year-old Seph McCauley has spent the past three years getting kicked out of one exclusive private school after another. And it's not his attitude that's the problem: it's the trail of magical accidents - lately, disasters - that follow in his wake. Seph is a wizard, orphaned and untrained, and his powers are escalating out of control.
After causing a tragic fire at an after-hours party, Seph is sent to the Havens, a secluded boys' school on the coast of Maine. Gregory Leicester, the headmaster, promises to train Seph in magic and initiate him into his mysterious order of wizards. But Seph's enthusiasm dampens when he learns that training comes at a steep cost, and that Leicester plans to use his students' powers to serve his own mysterious agenda.
DARKEST HOURS (THE MEDIATOR #4) When the nineteenth--century ghost of Maria de Silva wakes her up in the middle of the night, Suze knows this is no ordinary visitation -- and not just from the knife at her throat, either. In life, Maria was the fiancee of Jesse -- the same Jesse who was murdered a hundred and fifty years before. The same Jesse Suze is in love with.
Maria threatens Suze: The backyard construction must cease. Suze has a pretty good idea what -- or rather, who -- Maria doesn't want found. But in solving Jesse's murder, will Suze end up losing him forever?
TATTERED HEART (PRINCESS KINGDOM #1)  In the kingdom of Amaranyllis, only the princesses have the power to control the errant magic constantly threatening to cross over from the boundary of fairie. But the princess is lost; hidden from a curse with the desperate hope that she will become the salvation of their kingdom. 
She cannot, however, elude her destiny. Aribella must take her rightful place and contend with the dangers hidden in royal life. Beyond the unpredictable fairie storms inside the palace; behind political treachery; in the midst of suitors and the perils of falling in love, there lies a secret that could be her undoing...

This loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty offers a captivating world of royal legacies and fairy blood; of wild magic and beauty even in the midst of darkness
Hope you guys enjoyed this HOP and that you find and win a lot of great books or book related presents! HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!!!<3 always LH
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Disney's live action remakes

I love the classic Disney movies, especially the princess ones--hey it's who I am ;)
The fact that Disney has been remaking these movies into live action films is beyond fantastical and so exciting for so many great reasons. I bring this up now because of the new CINDERELLA movie that releases this weekend.

So not gonna lie, I am a part of a local movie group, in DC, that usually gets invited to private advance screenings of movies, ages before they are released. (I know I'm so special, right ;P) Guess what, we got not one, but 2 advance screenings to the new CINDERELLA. I was totally that girl that signed up for both!
Which means yeah---it was BEYOND fantastically a-maz-ing!
We also know, since it was recently announced, that Emma Watson is going to be playing Belle in the new live actin BEAUTY AND THE BEAST----what's more that Luke Evans (drool) is going to be playing Gaston. This I have to see ASAP.
I admit I was really nervous about CINDERELLA because of my feelings towards several of Disney's recent live action movies, but CINDERELLA gives me great hope for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
In case your interested, here's my thought on said Disney live action remakes/plays into movies from recent times.

CINDERELLA
When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her daughters. Never one to give up hope, Ella's fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger in the woods.

My official thoughts and rating--> 2 thumbs way way up. 5 stars too. I loved how Ella remained true to the original personality of Cinderella but with just a little more spine and playful sass to her. 
The Prince: Kit--oh mama! MINE <3 
No spoilers, but they had some very cool twists in the movie!
It's clear to see no effort or expense was spared with the costumes and graphics, but I think what was my absolute favorite part was the music. Patrick Doyle is always amazing! I highly recommend seeing this one and then seeing it again and again. The cast for this showing was perfect.


MALEFICENT
A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.

Sleeping Beauty is tied with Beauty and the Beast for my all time favorite Disney movies so when they remade Sleeping Beauty the way they did I was hesitant.

My rating--1 1/2 thumbs or 3.5 stars. Over all not bad
I say this because I feel like this shouldn't count as Aurora and Prince Philip's movie. If I look at it as it's own entity then yes, I like it more. I loved the look and music and actors, and the fact that they made the 3 fairies so forgetful and cra-cra. Plus Maleficent's character was great, thought I saw the whole true love's kiss thing coming--can anyone say ONCE UPON A TIME? Plus Once Upon A Dream is my ultimate dance song. I like Lana Del Ray's new version for the movie, but it took a hot second.


INTO THE WOODS
A witch tasks a childless baker and his wife with procuring magical items from classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family tree.

1 Thumb or 3 stars. 
Okay, yes, technically  this was Disney's take on a Broadway play, but I'm still counting it. They got one heck of an all star cast, with beyond great acting and singing chops. As expected the look, graphics and music were...well... perfect. I especially got a kick out of 


ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

2 thumbs or 4 stars.
I am a sucker for Johnny Depp (there could never be a better choice for the Hatter besides Johnny!)--except for Pirates 2 through however many Disney feels are make-able. I also love Anne Hathaway so seeing her as the White Queen just made it even better. The looks and music were great, totally setting the standard for all the movies that followed. LOVED Alice and her story line! And the Red Queen..pfft, no one better. I can't say I disliked anything in this movie, but I think I just felt like there could have been more. Thankfully, they are making a second Alice movie, to release next year, so that takes care of me wanting more of a great thing :)

And now I've gone on long enough about my Disney and general movie obsession so I'll leave you all with this last little tidbit to help show just why I love the new CINDERELLA so much!

<3 always LH

NoVa Teen Day Book Festival

Hey guys! I'm super excited that I get to take part in the NoVa Teen Day Book Festival in VA this Saturday! I will be one of the local authors featured--taking part in the game of Family Feud-YA edition from 12-12:45 and I will also have some goodies to be given away at the author alley table from 11-11:45; including a few paper back copies of LEGENDARY and CLAIMING EXCALIBUR, in addition to codes for eBook downloads of LEGENDARY, just to name some of the swag I'll be giving out,
Here is the link to the direct site for the event http://novateenbookfestival.tumblr.com/ and here's the link to Eventbrite so you can register for the event :) http://www.eventbrite.com/e/novateen-book-festival-2015-tickets-15199848155?ref=ebtnebregn
It's promising to be a good event, and a fun way to spend the afternoon for those of us who love YA books. Here's the school and address
Washington-Lee High SchoolWashington-Lee High School - 1301 North Stafford Street - Arlington, VA 22201 Here is the line up for the featured authors an the books they will be there with:
Martina Boone (COMPULSION)Tracy Clark (DEVIATE: THE LIGHT KEY TRILOGY #2)Matt de la Peña (THE LIVING / MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME)Seth Fishman (THE DARK WATER: THE WELL’S END #2)Maggie Hall (THE CONSPIRACY OF US)Rachel Hawkins (REBEL BELLE)Shaun Hutchinson (THE FIVE STAGES OF ANDREW BRAWLEY)Lydia Kang (CATALYST: CONTROL #2)Alethea Kontis (DEAREST: WOODCUTTER SISTERS #3)Jessica Khoury (KALAHARI: A CORPUS NOVEL)Melissa Marr (MADE FOR YOU)Jennifer Niven (ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES)Sara Raasch (SNOW LIKE ASHES)Jason Reynolds (THE BOY IN THE BLACK SUIT)Morgan Rhodes (GATHERING DARKNESS: FALLING KINGDOMS #3)Marie Rutkoski (THE WINNER’S CRIME)Kristen Simmons (THE GLASS ARROW)Kat Spears (SWAY)Robin Talley (LIES WE TELL OURSELVES)Jasmine Warga (MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES)It's a pretty good showing, and this does not include the local authors like me.
So if you live in NoVa or in the DMV areas be sure to stop by. It's free and a great way to meet some fantastical authors ;P And if you do stop by, be sure to say hi! I'll be the one with the purple glasses.
Check out the main site linked above for more details.
Hope to see you there
<3 always LH