PrincessReviews

            Japanese Folktales for Children by Ty Hulse is a collection of short stories. One tale is of a village and their kami. A kami is "a magical spirit which is usually helpful and which a person should respect." One day the kami looks in a stream and finds out he is ugly and runs away to hide his face. The kami brings good crops for the villagers so they must find a way to bring him back. Another tale is of a poor, little old woman who laughs all the time and makes the best rice dumplings so the people call her the "Laughing Dumpling." When one of her dumplings rolls off the table and out the door, she runs after it and ends up following the dumpling down a hole in the ground where her adventure begins. This is a cute little tale and I enjoyed it most of all. The tales flow quickly and are easy to read and understand. The illustrations are simple and charming. They look to be pencil drawings with great colors, sometimes vi...

Beth Navarro is donating one (1) copy of Grambo to one lucky follower!! Just leave a comment with your email and Random.org will be used to select a winner on June 3rd! Summary: (Beth's website) Ryan’s Grandma seems like the average grandma, but he knows she’s hiding a secret, but it’s way bigger than he imagined. He stows away on one of her trips to find she is a CIA spy! Grandmas can do anything How to Enter: Leave a comment with your email Who Can Enter: followers of PrincessReviews Number of Winners: 1 Dates to Enter: May 26 - June 2 2012

Tara McTiernan, author of Barefoot Girls, is generously giving away a copy of her novel, Barefoot Girls. To be able to enter, all you have to do is follow PrincessReviews! Just leave a comment with your email (so we know how to contact you) and you'll be entered. Random.org will be used to select the winner.  This giveaway will be open for entries from May 25, 2012 until June 1, 2012. Good luck!!  Dates to Enter: May 25 - June 1 Who Can Enter: Anyone who follows PrincessReviews How to Enter: Leave a comment with your email What they Win: Ebook copy of Barefoot Girls How Many Winners: 1 FROM TARA'S BLOG:  Barefoot Girls  by Tara McTiernan When her hometown newspaper reviews Hannah O’Brien’s newly released novel, the nature of her book is called into question when the reviewer suggests it is a memoir depicting her neglectful alcoholic mother – Keeley O’Brien Cohen, the most beloved of the Barefoot Girls -  a little too accurately for fiction, citing rumors...

Kristine Cheney is willing to giveaway  FIFTEEN (15) ebooks  to the winners of this giveaway! The winners may selected which book they want: Spartan Heart Part 1, Spartan Heart Part 2, or Secret Santa.  Random.org will be used to select the winners. Kristine Cheney will send you the .pdf copy of your selected ebook!  All you have to do to enter is  follow PrincessReviews, like  Kristine's fan page on facebook , and leave a comment there saying you are entering her contest on PrincessReviews !  Don't forget to leave a comment on Kristine's page saying you are entering the giveaway on PrincessReviews!!!! Spartan Heart Part 1 (GoodReads): Sent away to college in America, Evangeline swore she would never return to England. Anger loses its value when tragedy forces her home to assume ownership of the family's beloved Greco-Roman museum. Placing a foolish, drunken kiss on a Greek statue in the museum's basement, Evangeline unknowingly frees a Spartan princ...

Catherine Lanigan is the bestselling author of nearly thirty-five published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile , as well as over half a dozen anthologies, including “ Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living your Dream”, “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul”, “Chocolate for a Woman’s Heart”, Chocolate for a Woman’s Spirit” .  Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into over a dozen languages including German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese.  Ms. Lanigan’s novels are also available on audio-cassette, CD and in E-books on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.  Several of her titles have been chosen for The Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs.  Her Vietnam war-based  novel, The Christmas Star ,  won the Gold Medal Award Top Pick from Romantic Times Magazine   and has also won Book of the Year Romance Gold Award from ForeWord Magazine as...

Jamie Wilsoncroft has generously donated three (3) copies of her new ebook, Fat Chances! To enter, you must be a follower of PrincessReviews. Just leave a comment with your email and Random.org will be used to select a winner on May 26th. Winners will be emailed the ecodes on May 27th. Codes are only good until May 27th. Summary of book: (Amazon) Annie Powers is eighteen and overweight. When her twin sister, Molly talks her into going to a Zumba class, all Annie expected was a lot of sweat and sore muscles. But when she laid eyes on the very handsome and muscular Zumba instructor, Cory Shields, not only did he leave her gasping for breath from the exercises, but also from their kiss. Dazed and confused, Annie struggles to understand why someone like Cory would be attracted to her. At the same time, Cory tries to make her understand that she is just as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. Annie knows she needs to learn to love herself before she can let Cory into her lif...

1. What is "Well Deserved" about? 1.       Thanks for the opportunity to be on your site, Tasha. I’m honored. Here’s the blurb on Well Deserved :  From the small-time dealer to the returning Vietnam vet, the townie grocery clerk and the new police chief, the folks of tiny Argus, Illinois, all know what they want out of life, but the paths to their desires are conflicted and unclear. In a narrative with all the clarity and determination of a prophecy, Well Deserved chronicles the struggles of these four people as they come to the stark realization that their paths are not solitary, but entwined, and their very lives hinge on one shared moment. There are several reviews of my books at my new site: http://www.michaelloydgray.com 2. What is "Not Famous Anymore" about? 1.       And here’s the one for Not Famous Anymore : Elliott Adrian, a famous actor of questionable skill, drinks too much and works himself to the bottom in ...

Princess Stories Real Bible Stories of God's Princesses by Carolyn Larsen. This is a great book to show young girls that they are special and that everyone has a gift to give from God. I wished I had this book growing up. You hear about the great men of the Bible, but I never knew all the wonderful women of the Bible. It also encourages young girls and builds confidence in showing how each woman was special in God's eyes and his plan. Each story tells of a different princess in her own words about her life. For example, there is The Forgiven Princess (the woman at the well) and The Brave Princess (Rahab). The illustrations are colorful and girly. There are also Princess Ponderings that ask your little princess thoughtful questions such as "Have you ever been very brave? What happened?" My daughter loved this book and almost read it all the way through when she first received it. It is very easy to read and understand. Rating: 5/5

How To Write Killer Fiction by Carolynn Wheat is an excellent introduction to writing mystery and suspense novels. I was only vaguely aware that mystery and suspense could be two distinctive types of works though closely related. In a mystery, whatever kind, there is a puzzle for the hero to solve. In a suspense, it is a "nightmare" for the hero to survive and come out a changed person. There have been a few books that merged both types, but for the most part they stay separate. Wheat is very readable, clear and entertaining as she talks you through what makes a mystery a mystery and suspense a suspense. The only thing I was lost on was arcs. But this was not a book about the technical parts of writing like arcs and characterizations and themes. This book teaches the parts of the journey that a mystery/suspense hero makes and how to keep your readers interested and guessing how the hero will solve the crime and/or make it to the end. I highly recommend this to any ficti...

Picture found on Google Images. I did not take this picture and am in no way claiming it as my own. On May 10 th , I went to the Herr’s Potato Chip Factory in Pennsylvania. We went with school on a field trip. It had been my second time to the Herr’s factory, but my first with school, or rather, any group at all. Upon first arriving at the factory, not much seemed familiar, but it had been a while since my last visit, so I guess that was to be expected. So, you walk into the factory and there is a gift shop off to the right and a café off to the left. Chipper’s Café is what it’s called. A bit of to the left but still mainly centered is a set of doors leading to a theatre. This is where the tour begins. When you first start the tour, you go into the theatre and watch a short, 10-minute video on the history of the factory and the company. Did you know that Herr’s Potato Chips is now Herr’s Food , since it now produces more than just potato chips? But one thing that I did catch tha...

Title: The Sword Guest Author: Martin Chu Shui Series: Dragon's Pupils Book: 1 About the Author: (Goodreads) No info provided. Summary: (Goodreads) The story centers on Liz, born of half Australian and of half Chinese descent. Growing up in Australia, she isnt very interested in her fathers ancient Chinese stories. She is concerned with problems that are far more contemporary such as environmental issues, and particularly her friends handsome brother who is an environmental activist. But her disinterest in Chinese culture changes when her two worlds collide, after a catastrophic accident sets thousands of ancient monsters loose near her home. Suddenly Liz must learn many new skills and call on all of her Chinese heritage if she is to prevent the monsters from destroying Earth. Helped by her twin brother and best friend, Liz sets out to discover why the monsters exist and how to stop them. When she is injured in a battle, she must  travel to China  to seek a cu...

Movie: Accepted Starring: Blake Lively, Justin Long, Jonah Hill Rating: PG-13 Length: 90 Minutes Genre: Comedy Release Date: August 18, 2006 Writers: Adam Cooper, Bill Collage Director: Steve Pink Summary: (IMDb) A high school slacker who's rejected by every school he applies to opts to create his own institution of higher learning, the South Harmon Institute of Technology, on a rundown piece of property near his hometown. Rating: (IMDb) 6.4/10 My Rating: 4.7/5 I'd Recommend to.. High Schoolers with nothing to do. My Thoughts: Accepted is about a group of kids who can't get into college so they decide to make up a college to please their parents. Soon they start getting intuition checks and need to open a real college, so they do. Or at least they try to. It's a really strange college. Then some people from the real college up the road come and try to by the fake college. They won't sell so the true college makes them go to ...

1. What is Intangible about?   It's the story of twins Sera and Luke who have special abilities. Sera can heal with a touch of her hand and Luke can see the future with absolute accuracy. Luke has a vision that Sera is killed, and they have to figure out how to stop it from coming true--something they've never been able to do. They also learn that their world is not what they thought. 2. Which character from Intangible do you most relate to? I actually feel like I relate to all of them and not one of them more than any others. I think it's because I've spent so much time in their heads (the book is written from multiple points of view), looking at their world through their eyes. And each character is a part of me or I am a part of him/her because I created them.   3. Which author do you aspire to be like?   I would love to come up with wonderfully wacky characters like Sarah Dessen does, write laugh-out-loud funny and magificent dialogue like Aidan Chambers does, ...

Wild Seed by Octavia E. Butler *may contain spoilers* Wild Seed is the story of Anyanwu, a shape-shifter, and Doro, a spirit that must continually take over other people's bodies in order to survive. Both are immortal. Anyanwu has found a way to control every aspect of her body and heal her own sickness and aging. She can also  change her body to become a man or woman or animal. Doro was once alive but now is just a spirit destined to jump from one body to the next, taking over that person and thus killing them. Unable to find anyone like himself, Doro "lived" for centuries behaving like a selfish "god", seeking out others with unusual abilities to breed a kind of super-supernatural being, holding their lives in his hands. In his search, he meets Anyanwu and tricks her into leaving her home in Africa and going to North America. Their battle of wills rages for a century as Doro is unable to control Anyanwu and yet unable to live without her as she is unable t...

Tell us about your new book! I'm thrilled with Cynthia's Attic: Legend of Lupin Woods (Book Five) . I believe it's the most exciting story, yet. First, a little explanation of the series: Twelve-year-old best friends, Cynthia and Gus, discover a magic trunk in Cynthia's Attic that sends them through time having adventures and solving mysteries with their ancestors. Much to the dismay of Cynthia and Gus, mysteries previously solved are coming undone! Aunt Belle is missing…again! Cynthia’s great-grandfather, Beau was never found, and their nemesis, the evil circus clown, Blackie, appears to be, once again, making life miserable for everyone. This storyline gives me the opportunity to bring back some of my favorite ancestors and characters. Since part of my family is from France, I place the time-traveling duo in a small French village and send Gus, alone, to fend off danger in a terrifying woods. What inspires you to write? For someone whose family traces back to t...

Title: Lawn Mower Magic Author: Lynne Jonell Illustrator: Brandon Dorman Series: A Stepping Stone Book Book: 2 About the Author: (goodreads) Lynne Jonell is the author of three novels and seven picture books for children, published by Henry Holt and Penguin/Putnam. Her first novel, Emmy & the Incredible Shrinking Rat, won the Minnesota Book Award, and her most recent novel, The Secret of Zoom, is a Junior Library Guild Selection. Her books have received starred reviews in Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Sesame Street Parents, and have been published in eight languages. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center, is married and has two sons, and lives in Plymouth, Minnesota. She will launch a new chapter book series with Random House in 2010, beginning with Hamster Magic, and is currently working on the third in the Emmy & the Rat series, titled Emmy & the Rats in the Belfry, to be released in 2011. ...

I created this blog hop to help celebrate the blogaversary of PrincessReviews, so thank you to all of our followers, and may many more become followers! :)  I've decided to give away Premium Iron-On Rhinestones. The only requirement for you to enter is that you must follow PrincessReviews, and sorry, but this is a USA and Canada only giveaway. You have from May 13th to May 19th to enter. To enter, just leave a comment with your email so we know how to contact you if you are the winner. Random.org will be used to select the winner.  What You Win: Rhinestones Royalty Iron-On How Many Winners: 1 Who Can Enter: followers of PrincessReviews How to Enter: Leave a comment with your email Dates: May 13-19, 2012 About the Product: (Amazon) Premium Iron-On Rhinestones Kit Style: Printed Word "Royalty" with Skull and Crown Graphics (approximately 8" x 7") Just Peel It, Iron It and Wear It! Includes: 1 Large Premium Iron-On Rhinestone Design and Instructions D...

NEW TO GREAT MINDS THINK ALOUD INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING CRYSTAL DREAMS BY KATHERINE SCHNEIDER To be released on May 12 th on Amazon.com & Createspace SYNOPSIS: Fifteen year old Kat had dreamed about a world full of crystals for as long as she could remember. It never occurred to her that such a world might actually exist until she found it. And what she found was more than crystals she found friendship, love, mystery, and murder in a world that had been torn apart long ago in The Shattering. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kathy Schneider grew up in Smithsburg, Maryland. She graduated from a St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a degree in Mathematics in 2009. She now lives near Baltimore with her baby, a beagle named Stig.