Virtual Book Tour of Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir by Mike Martin

Princess Sophie and the Magic Elixir is the story of a young girl who loves Christmas. When she sees that the people of Melodica are losing their Christmas spirit, she sets out to help them rekindle their magic...

Title: Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir

Author: Mike Martin

Publication Date: October 15, 2024

Pages: 24

Genre: Mezzo Publications

Princess Sophie and the Magic Elixir is the story of a young girl who loves Christmas. When she sees that the people of Melodica are losing their Christmas spirit, she sets out to help them rekindle their magic. At the end she finds that all we really need is to believe in the power of love.

Princess Sophie and the Magic Elixir is available at Amazon.

 

Book Excerpt

Princess Sophie lived in the tiny kingdom of Melodica with her father King Olav and her mother Queen Bianca. She loved her friends who were the birds and the rabbits and the squirrels who lived in the nearby forest. Princess Sophie especially loved Christmas. In fact, she loved everything about Christmas.

She loved the jingles and jangles. She loved the horns and the hooters. She loved the lights, the wrapping, the singing and clapping. She loved everything about Christmas. What she liked most was that warm, comfy feeling that you got just before Christmas. That something really good was going to happen. That feeling lasted for 12 whole days while Christmas went on in Melodica.

But this year something was just not right. There were still sparkles and sprinkles and lights all around. There was even a giant Christmas tree in the middle of the town square. Yet, Princess Sophie did not have that feeling, that special Christmas feeling. In fact, it felt a bit sad. She asked her mother, her father and her teacher but nobody knew what had happened. Worst of all, no one knew how to fix it.

“Oh, no,” said Princess Sophie to her favourite rabbit friend, Hopper. “We have to do something. We can’t have Christmas without that special Christmas feeling. What can we do?”

Well, Hopper was a great friend, but he couldn’t speak human. So, he started hopping instead. He hopped and hopped and hopped until Princess Sophie got tired of all the hopping and asked him to stop. But the hopping somehow had given her an idea.

“When I am sick, nurse gives me special medicine to help me feel better,” she said. “Maybe we can find a medicine that brings back the Christmas spirit. But where we would find a medicine like that? Princess Sophie asked her mother, her father and the nurse but nobody had ever heard of a medicine like that.

Now Princess Sophie was getting sad herself. “There must be somebody who can help us, but who? Hoppy didn’t have that answer so he hopped and hopped and hopped until Princess Sophie finally told him to stop hopping. “Your hopping has given me another idea,” she said. Christmas is magical, so the Christmas spirit must be magical, too. Who should we talk to about magic?” The rabbit just looked at her.

“A magician, of course,” said Princess Sophie. She asked her father who was the best magician in Melodica. 

“Why, it’s Lady Ariana,” said King Olav. “She is absolutely the best.”

– Excerpted from Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir by Mike Martin, Mike Martin, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

 More Children's Books by Mike Martin

 

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Beaver-Mr-Mike-Martin/dp/1777131464

https://www.amazon.com/Friend-Christmas-Mike-Martin-ebook/dp/B0CLJ57CHV

About the Author

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the award-winning author of the best-selling Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 15 books in this light mystery series with the 2024 publication of Too Close for Comfort. 

He is also the author of 3 Chldren’s Christmas books. The Christmas Beaver, A Friend for Christmas and now Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir.

Let’s Connect!

X ➜ https://www.x.com/mike54martin 

Facebook ➜ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552604938333 

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220363612-princess-sophie-and-the-christmas-elixir

 

Sponsored By:

Thank you for hosting!

Book Blitz of Love in Overtime by Melissa Baldwin (# Contest- Win an Amazon Gift Card)

 

Love in Overtime
Melissa Baldwin

(Love on Thin Ice)

Publication date: September 19th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Playing hockey in Maple Falls was meant to be just a charity gig, but then my new publicist showed up, melting the ice—and my heart.

Cooper

I never anticipated being roped into a charity hockey game during the off-season. But here I am, heading to Maple Falls, all because my publicist decided to retire. Change was inevitable, but I didn’t foresee it coming so soon.

Getting assigned a new publicist, Blair Radcliffe, didn’t sit well with me at first. However, there’s something about her – a fierce determination that’s both intriguing and challenging. I wonder if she’s ready for the whirlwind that is Cooper Montgomery. One thing’s certain– I can’t afford to fall for my publicist.

Blair

I still can’t believe I landed my dream job. The excitement is overwhelming, and I’m determined to carve out my path in the industry. But there’s one obstacle standing in my way– Cooper Montgomery, the seemingly uncooperative hockey star. Nevertheless, I’m ready to tackle the challenge head-on, and perhaps some time away in a quiet town like Maple Falls will work wonders.

What I didn’t anticipate was developing a crush on my own client. It’s the ultimate taboo in my profession, a mistake that could jeopardize everything I’ve worked for. I’m at a loss on how to navigate this newfound attraction, especially when it appears that Cooper might feel the same way. I’m not sure what to do next.

Love in Overtime is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It’s slow burn, grumpy-sunshine, workplace romance set in this small town with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

“Today should be relaxing,” I tell him. “At some point I want to have a meeting to go over a few things. Practices start in a few days, as you know.”

“Yes,” he says.

“It’s going to be a great event,” I continue. “And the town is so pretty and quaint. Their fall events are popular, they’ve made the place famous.”

Cooper makes a face. “I doubt Pine Falls is famous.”

“Maple Falls,” I say with a giggle. For some reason he can’t remember the name of the town.

He groans. “Crap, you’re right. I don’t know why I keep doing that. You’ll have to keep me on my toes over the next few weeks. The last thing I need is to meet the mayor and call his town by the wrong name.”

“Oh, don’t you worry, I’ll definitely keep you on your toes,” I exclaim.

“Yes, I can tell,” Cooper replies, the corner of his mouth turns up slightly which unexpectedly makes my stomach do a flip.

Ugh. What was that?

Thankfully we arrive at the baggage carousel at the perfect moment. I conveniently excuse myself to contact our driver while Cooper waits for his bag. As soon as I’m a safe distance away from him, I let out an exasperated sigh as I call for our car.

“Hello.”

“Hi, this is Blair Radcliffe. Just confirming our pickup at the airport.”

I glance back to where Cooper is standing and meet his gaze almost immediately. I give him a quick wave and point to the phone.

“Yes, ma’am. Your driver is on his way—ETA ten minutes.”

“Wonderful. Thank you,” I gush.

I exhale slowly after I end the call. I’m not sure why I feel so frazzled. I’m usually calm, focused, and professional.

Seriously, Blair, get your head in the game. Cooper Montgomery may be attractive, but he’s my client, which means we work together. These next few weeks could make or break my career. The last thing I need is to be swooning over a professional hockey player and his tall, muscular physique. In my defense, it’s kind of hard to ignore. Cooper stands out, and I’m only human.

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Melissa Baldwin always dreamed of sharing her stories with the world. She brought this vision to life, becoming an award-winning, bestselling author of over thirty romantic comedies and cozy mysteries. Melissa is also a wife, mother, new empty-nester, and travel advisor.

Her books feature charming, ambitious, and real women, whom she considers part of her tribe. Although she rarely takes a day off, when she's not writing, she enjoys quality time with her family, traveling, attempting yoga poses, and booking Disney vacations. Melissa still uses a paper planner, and her guilty pleasures include Beverly Hills 90210 reruns and General Hospital.

Visit authormelissabaldwin .com to sign up for her newsletter.

 

Fans of Melissa's books, join her Reader Tribe on Facebook.

Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter/ Linktr.ee

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

Guest Post by Randy C Dockens Author of Stele Prophecy Pentalogy (Christian Fiction)

I want to welcome Randy C Dockens to Books R Us. Randy is the author of a collection of five books in a biblical end times prophecy series called Stele Prophecy Pentalogy. Thanks to the author for providing a guest post for my readers.

 

Take Advice from Others with a Grain of Salt

When I first started out on my writing journey, I knew I did not know a lot about how to be an author. Therefore, I took everything I read as gospel and tried to follow what I read to the letter. I began to discover many “professional” writers, editors, agents, and publishers have a lot of pet peeves about writing requirements and I told myself I was not going to offend any of them. I tried my best to ensure my writing met all their requirements so when they received my manuscript it would not end up in their waste paper pile. Yet, when I attempted to comply, I found my writing became worse and not better. This is why my novel Mercy of the Iron Scepter went through so many revisions before it was ever published. I was constantly changing how I wrote due to the next pet peeve I read about. I then began to see that some of these “experts” contradicted other “experts.” I was then in a quandary until I began to look deeper. Let me give you some examples and I think you can better understand why I gave this piece the title I did and the reason for why I ended up in my quandary.

Here are some of the things I read, took to heart, and tried to comply completely: (1) the word that should never be used because it is superfluous, (2) the word was should be avoided because it is too vague and imparts passivity to the text, (3) exclamation marks should never be used because good writers can write in a way that will indicate the emotion rather than having to show it with an exclamation point, and (3) dialogue tags should not be used because they can be distracting and are a sign a writer has weak technical talent.

What I came to realize was that these were just pet peeves of certain writers, agents, editors, and publishers. They are not absolute requirements. Granted, each of these points are useful and can be taken to heart, but they are not gospel. These individuals should have clarified that one should be aware of these pitfalls and not overuse these writing elements. It is the overuse that is the faux pax and not their use itself. Actually, it is impossible to avoid each of these altogether. Well, I shouldn’t say it is impossible, but definitely there is no need for one to avoid them all together.

Let’s look at these pet peeves just mentioned. It is true that many times the word that can be omitted because it is superfluous. Yet, that is not always the case. It is true that was can often be passive and a better expressive word can be substituted, but not in every case. Regarding exclamation points, yes, one should write a sentence that a reader can tell is an exclamatory sentence. Yet shouldn’t one use an exclamation point if the sentence is an exclamation? I think the point is that an exclamation mark does not make a sentence an exclamation if the tone of the sentence is not written that way. And, finally, yes sometimes dialogue cues are not needed, and dialogue can be written without them. Yet, if there is any chance of a reader getting confused as to who is talking, then a dialogue tag is needed.

My conclusion from my initial struggle in this area is that one should take to heart what others say about writing tips and tricks, but realize they are just that: tips and tricks. You need to be sure your writing style and emotional content comes through loud and clear but in a way that uses good sentence structure, correct spelling, and proper grammar. But, if an element or emotion is needed that dictates not to use spelling, grammar, or sentence structure in their traditionally accepted way, then that is okay if what you write and the way you write it is intentional. Your reader will be able to tell if what you did was purposeful or not. So, you can do anything, just know you did it and that it was a purposeful change to accomplish something special for your reader.

So, yes, study all the proper ways of writing and proper writing techniques. Yes, try to avoid all the pitfalls writing experts warn you about. Yet, remember that the most important thing about your writing is you. If you get lost in your own writing, then your writing is lost. Your writing will be different from that of anyone else, and it should be different—unique to you. It should also be as good technically as you can make it and not lose the essence of you in the process. Even more importantly, you need to be purposeful. Your writing is to engage your reader, so be purposeful in your writing. Ask yourself questions about your writing. Why did I use that word? Why did I use that punctuation at that spot in the sentence? You don’t have to follow traditional methodology, but there is a caveat to that statement. You need to know that you did not follow traditional methodology and that you purposefully chose not to follow traditional writing techniques. Every sentence, every word, every punctuation should be purposeful—chosen by you as the author for a specific purpose, to elicit a specific emotion, feeling, or ambience.

If you would like to have a text to get you started in this regard, here are two that I think you can benefit from: Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Writing: Creating Vivid and Colorful Stories that Readers Want to Read and Mastering the ABCs of Excellent Self-Editing: Framing Your Colorful Masterpiece to Keep Readers Engaged in Your Story. These two books were recently published by myself and my editor. I wanted to pay it forward, so to speak, so others did not have to go through the same hardship that I did when I first started writing. My editor and I put these materials into a unique and fun format that I think many will appreciate. These two books are not the end-all for what to know about writing but will provide anyone with a good head start on their writing journey or even remind more seasoned writers of the fundamentals that we should never lose sight of. Also included are other references that writers will benefit from by having such tools in their writing arsenal.

The most important three elements are the following. Study. Learn. Write. Enjoy the process. But most of all, be purposeful. Your readers will thank you for it.


CLICK HERE FOR BOOK SPOTLIGHT AND EXCERPT

 

Connect with the Author: 

Website ➜ https://www.randydockens.com/   

X ➜ https://x.com/RandyCDockens 

Facebook ➜  www.facebook.com/Randy.C.Dockens

Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/randydockens 

Goodreads ➜ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16453941 

Thanks For Stopping By:

 

 

Sponsored by 

 

Guest Post by Laurel C. Fox Author of braving the way (Spotlight)

 

 

I want to welcome Laural C. Fox to Books R Us. Laurel is the author of Braving the Way. Laurel has written a guest post For my readers. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

The story of a mother’s love and a child’s grit and determination. Written as real-talk, conversational and easy to understand...

GUEST POST 

  The Inspiration Behind Braveing the Way

In 2014, I got a phone call that no parent ever wants to receive. My daughter Taylor was in a horrible accident, and was being transported to the biggest trauma center in Los Angeles.  When I began writing and digging into an on-line journal everyday, not only to escape the madness, but to also communicate with everyone-- I learned that it was my comfort. Then my comfort and my cathartic writing process slowly became bigger than that. My writing started with journals from day one and those went on until day two hundred and eleven. It was when I stopped posting the journals on-line that inspired me to turn this into something bigger than a journal. I began mentoring another parent through her child's traumatic brain injury recovery; and at the same time people from all over were writing and calling --to tell me that they missed my journals. They missed reading what I had to say. That made me think that this story of mine, could actually be a book.

My story is about a trauma that happened to my daughter, Taylor, when she was fourteen years old. My book braveing the way takes you deep into my own journey while being beside my daughter in her separate journey of survival.

We spent sixty six days in the hospital as a family never knowing the outcome. Many of my journal excerpts are in the book, and I write about traumatic brain injury and what that looks like, what it does to a family, and what it takes to be a survivor. I write about what it’s like to be a mom through that, and watching your daughter fight the fight. Spending months in  the hospital, and going through Taylor’s recovery process --as an author I take you through my personal deep dive into myself--which was not always an easy process.

It’s a book about moving through a trauma with my two daughters, and my own self-reflection while going through it, and always being ‘mama bear’ every step of the way. It is not only a beautiful story about maternal sacrifice, it is also about building tenacity, strength and courage through intense struggle. I hope to encourage and bring bravery to people who don’t think they have it.

About the Book:

Title: Braveing the Way

Author: Laurel C. Fox

Publication Date: June 20, 2024

Pages: 186

Genre: Memoir

When Laurel’s fourteen-year-old daughter experiences a life-altering event, her entire world is upended overnight. Faced with her child’s precarious fight to survive and the daunting road of rehabilitation ahead, Laurel discovers fountains of courage and devotion she didn’t know she possessed.

Despite the hardships and her own private grief, Laurel tackles each grueling day with positivity, resilience, and humor. She becomes a tireless advocate for her daughter by pushing past exhaustion and uncertainty, focusing on savoring small triumphs, finding meaning amidst tragedy, and opening the door to the healing force of community.

Sharing her deeply personal experience, she delivers an emotionally charged story that reveals the extraordinary power of a mother’s love, underscoring the lengths a parent will go to for their children. Laurel’s own self-discovery will both encourage and inspire you.

Laurel says to her readers “My book is about a trauma that happened to my daughter, Taylor, when she was fourteen years old. My story ‘braveing the way’ takes you deep into my own journey while being beside my daughter in her separate journey of survival.”

Braveing the Way is available at Amazon.

 

 

Watch the Trailer

https://youtu.be/RVyz-pGxcrk  

 

About the Author:

 

Laurel C. Fox was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Aspen, Colorado from the age of nine, through high school. She went back to Milwaukee for her first year of college at the University of Wisconsin at Madison/WI. After one year at Madison,  she moved on to finish college in California, earning a BA in Liberal Arts at Excelsior College, with her course studies done at UCLA in Los Angeles.

 You can visit the author’s web page at www.braveingtheway.com and Instagram at https://instagram.com/laurelcarini.

Purchase the Book:

 

 

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Bookshop.org 

 

 

 

 

 Sponsored By:

BOOK SPOTLIGHT OF THE SILVER FOREST BY J.D RASCH (INTERVIEW AND CONTEST)

 

 

I want to welcome J.D Rasch to Books R Us. J.D. is touring the blogosphere with iRead Book Tours. Mr. Rasch is the author of two fantasy novels Called the Silver Forest (Book One and Two). He has written a guest interview for my blog. Make sure that you enter the giveaway below. You may win a signed copy of both of the books. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Silver Forest, Book Two by J.D. Rasch
Category:  Adult Fiction 18 yrs +,  438 pages
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Lamina Press
Release date:  July, 2024
Content Rating: PG: Brief, non-explicit scenes of battles and one brief, non-explicit sex scene

---

“Engrossing, spiritual, thought-provoking and unique.” — Patrick J. LoBrutto, World Fantasy Award winning editor

"A respectable and compelling novel of accomplishment and discovery that introduces engrossing concepts accompanied by a moral and ethical fiber that compliments the story’s adventure." — Midwest Book Review

---

Book Description:

Will the young wizard Asmar decide his own fate?

Asmar continues his quest to defeat Malzus and retrieve the powerful golden pulcher staff. Aided by a mysterious figure known only as the Wanderer, Asmar must combat the many types of influences that try to control his mind.

But Asmar is yet unconvinced of the Great Council’s true intentions when they sent him on this quest. Again, he wonders if he must follow the path created for him, or forge his own.

The Silver Forest is a literary fantasy adventure exploring magic, morality, and self-determination. Please note that Book Two is the direct continuation of Asmar’s story, and should only be read following Book One.

BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON
add to Goodreads

Begin THE SILVER FOREST with Book One:

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Silver Forest, Book One by J.D. Rasch
Category:  Adult Fiction 18 yrs +,  466 pages
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Lamina Press
Release date:  May, 2024
Content Rating: PG-13: Non-explicit mentions of sex, and non-graphic battle scenes.

---

Book Description:

Asmar, a young and naïve wizard, is sent on an impossible quest—to stop the renegade wizard, Malzus, from finding the tree of wisdom.

The Great Council of wizards, desperate to find the golden pulcher tree, the source of all knowledge, sent nine wizards over the impassable seas to the far away land of Bracat—only to face years of frustration and failure.

Until one of their own turned against them.

Armed with a golden staff to amplify his power, the rogue wizard Malzus fled the wizards’ city of Dolcere and began a ruthless hunt for the tree.

Meanwhile, in the small, protected village of Tuland, Asmar, a misfit, is suddenly called to Dolcere. There, he learns that he is to become a wizard, tasked with stopping the death and destruction caused by Malzus.

The Great Council tasks Asmar with not only defeating Malzus but returning the golden staff to them. But Asmar doesn’t trust the wizards and their influence over him. Can he break the cycle of violence and selfishness and determine his own destiny?

Buy the Book:
Amazon
add to goodreads

 

Meet the Author:

J.D. RASCH is a writer, artist, social activist and author. His debut fantasy series, The Wanderer, explores social, political and religious themes. His writing, like his painting explores the mysteries of the world and our place in the greater scheme of the universe. For many years he worked in international finance, both in developed and emerging economies. Even in his work in finance he was interested in social justice, developing ways to assess the social behavior of companies. He also serves on a number of not-for-profit boards in an attempt to make the world a better place.

Connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads

---

Tour Schedule:

Aug 5 – Liese's Blog – book spotlight of THE SILVER FOREST – BOOK ONE
Aug 5 - Country Mamas With Kids – book review of BOOK TWO / giveaway
Aug 6 – Liese's Blog – book spotlight of THE SILVER FOREST – BOOK TWO
Aug 7 – Diane’s Book Journal – book series spotlight / giveaway
Aug 8 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of BOOK ONE / giveaway
Aug 13 – Ilovebooksandstuffblog – book series spotlight / giveaway
Aug 14 – Cover Lover Book Review – book series spotlight / giveaway
Aug 15 - China Sorrows – book review of BOOK ONE / giveaway
Aug 15 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of BOOK TWO / giveaway
Aug 19 – WELCOME TO MLM OPINION'S REVIEWS – book review of BOOK ONE / giveaway
Aug 20 – WELCOME TO MLM OPINION'S REVIEWS – book review of BOOK TWO / giveaway
Aug 20 - China Sorrows – book review of BOOK TWO / giveaway

Aug 20 - Books R Us - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Aug 21 – Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's – book review of BOOK ONE / giveaway
Aug 22 – My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews – Book Review of BOOK TWO / giveaway
Aug 23 – Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's – book review of BOOK TWO / giveaway

INTERVIEW:

The Silver Forest, Book Two by J. D. Rasch

Author Interview: Books R Us

1. If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

Definitely Remer. Asmar is too much of a commitment and the others are a bit too serious. I like the fact that Remer is self-effacing, and he also gets to have a love interest.

2. Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

The inspiration for my stories comes from wanting to explore questions that I have. At one point I was thinking of writing an essay on ethics, but that seemed too dry and uninteresting. Instead, I thought that I could write a fantasy novel and put my characters in different situations and think about how they would react. So, much of the inspiration for my stories comes from politics, religion, social justice, and science.

3. Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?

I live with writer’s block, but I used to listen to other author’s talks and what they did to overcome it. Everyone seemed to have the same solution – write. Don’t worry if it’s any good as you can always go back later and redo it. So, if I hit a point where I don’t know what to say, I just keep writing and eventually it becomes clear. Then I go back and edit out the fluff.

4. Why do you write fantasy? If you were to write in another genre, what would it be?

I write fantasy because I think it’s the best format to explore social issues. I like the fact that I make the rules, I control the environment of the characters, and nobody can tell me that something doesn’t really exist if I got it wrong. I’ve thought of some ideas that would fit in better with SciFi and may someday pick up that story. My background is in economics and I have been fascinated by our financial system and how people believe that money actually means something and that there’s a reason why we should have such a divide between rich and poor. I find writing SciFi more daunting as it involves trying to forecast technology and you’re bound to get that wrong. So, we’ll see.

5. Can you talk about the next book in The Wanderer series?

I don’t want to talk too much about the next book as I don’t want to give away plot lines. But The Silver Forest, Book Two continues the quest Asmar and his friends are on. There are a few plot twists so I hope there will be some surprises along the way. But the book isn’t really about surprises, but rather getting readers to think about the choices they make. If I can do that through my writing I’ll consider the books successful.

 

Enter the Giveaway:

THE SILVER FOREST (BOOK TWO) Book Tour Giveaway

https://www.booksrusonline.com/p/privacy-policy.html