Raven Child and the Snow Witch by Linda Sunderland and Daniel Egneus

If you walked for one hundred nights and one hundred days across the frozen Lonesome Lakes, over the Shimmery Mountains…

…and through the Forest of a Thousand Eyes…

you would come at last to the Snow Garden. Here, safe from the dangers of the icy wilderness, lived little Anya with her mother and father.

Summary From Templar

A haunting, lyrical fairytale, beautifully illustrated by Daniel Egneus.

Anya lives with her mother and father in the shadow of the icy glacier where the Snow Witch reigns. Every spring, Anya's mother journeys to the glacier to pick the blue gentian flowers that grow there. But this time, she does not return. She has been captured by the Snow Witch and imprisoned in the ice. Anya and her father set off with the ravens to rescue her. It's a treacherous journey, and there is no knowing what they will find… Will the strength of Anya's love conquer all?

Raven Child and the Snow Witch is a poignant, powerful story with dramatic and striking artwork.

*****

Review by Liss Norton

Raven Child and the Snow Witch is a picture book for older children - a rare and very welcome thing! I've often wondered why children are denied large, coloured pictures once they reach a certain age, so hooray for Templar for flying in the face of convention!

This slightly scary story is told in poetic, descriptive and mystical language. It's set in the far distant, fairytale world of the Snow Garden and, like all fairytales, it has darkness at its heart. Of course we know that Anya will triumph over the Snow Witch, but that doesn't stop us feeling afraid for her when she sets out to rescue her mother. 

Ravens and wolves add to the strangeness and menace of the story, as if the Snow Witch wasn't threat enough…

Daniel Egneus's abstract illustrations are perfectly matched to the text and add another element of darkness to the story with their whirling snow storms, spiky buildings and shadowy trees. My only criticism relates to the book's front cover. It glitters so invitingly that I was taken aback by the story inside because there's no hint that it will be scary. The back cover's a different matter though, with a creepy white figure who I guess is the Snow Witch herself. 

This is a memorable book and one that deserves to be widely read.

Little Grey Rabbit's Christmas by Alison Uttley and Margaret Tempest

It had been snowing for hours. Hare stood in the garden of the little house at the end of the wood, watching the snowflakes tumbling down like white feathers from the grey sky.

"Whatever are you doing, Hare?" cried Squirrel, who was sitting close to the fire. "Come in! You'll catch cold."

"I am catching cold, and eating it too," replied Hare, happily.

Summary From Templar

Since publication of the first Little Grey Rabbit book in 1929, the series has become a classic of children's literature. The popularity of Alison Uttley's magical stories and Margaret Tempest's lively illustrations meant that generations of children grew up with Grey Rabbit, Squirrel, Hare, Moldy Warp and little Fuzzypeg. Now Templar brings the story of Little Grey Rabbit's Christmas to today's young readers - join the festivities as the animals prepare for a truly special Christmas as Little Grey Rabbit goes to market to buy her friends a secret gift - a fine scarlet sledge!

*****

Review by Liss Norton

When I was young, I was Little Grey Rabbit's number one fan and now Templar has republished Little Grey Rabbit's Christmas. Hooray! It has all the beautifully detailed and evocative pictures that I remember, and as far as I can see the text is unchanged, too. The only major difference is the book's cover, which is now a gorgeous, Christmassy red with silver foil detailing.

For those who don't know, Little Grey Rabbit is a thoroughly lovable and sensible rabbit who lives in a cosy home in the British countryside with vain Squirrel and silly Hare. In this story, Christmas is coming and we see the three friends preparing for the big day. Little Grey Rabbit has a wonderful gift for Hare and Squirrel - a beautiful scarlet sledge. Unfortunately Hare soon manages to lose it but, of course, the story ends happily when the sledge is returned.

The story is long so it's not really suitable for very young children. It gives a flavour of long-gone, traditional Christmases with carol singers, holly balls and simple gifts that will probably astonish children used to finding heaps of presents under the tree on Christmas morning. Unluckily, Little Grey Rabbit fills Hare's and Squirrel's stockings when they were expecting Santa Claus to do it, so you'll want to think up a reason to explain this if your children still believe. But this is still a lovely book and one that I'll definitely be sharing with my grandchildren.

The Fox and the Wild By Clive McFarland

This is Fred.

He was born in the middle of a big city.

Fred finds life in the city hard. It's smoky. It's noisy, and it's very, very fast.

Published by Templar in June 2016

Pages - 40 

Summary From Templar Publishing

Fred is a city fox. The city is a scary place for a fox like Fred. It's noisy, it's smoky and it's often dangerous.

One day Fred sees a flock of birds flying away over the city roofs. "Where do they go?" he wonders. And so he sets off to find the wild. All the other city animals say that there is no such place, but Fred know better or does he?

The Fox and the Wild is a new picture book from Clive McFarland, writer and illustrator of A Bed for Bear (HarperCollins). Illustrated in bold, collage-based graphic style, this is an animal adventure with an environmental message.

****

Review by Liss Norton

This picture book tells the simple story of Fred, an urban fox, who wants to find his way to the countryside. He searches and searches and finally finds himself in a wonderful place of greenery, soft ground and fresh air. Hooray for Fred! Not only that, but there's a brand new foxy friend waiting for him…

The book is illustrated in a bold, modern style and there are lots of things to talk about in the pictures, including the ways in which Fred looks different from his cousins and his new friend. The language is simple, making it perfect for young children. 

For those about to embark on a move from town to countryside, this book is an absolute winner as it paints the city as bad and the 'wild' as good. If you're planning a move in the opposite direction though, I'd advise you to give this book a miss! 

Fantasy Dinner Party with Tera Lynn Childs

I’m really happy to welcome Tera Lynn Childs, author of the Forgive My Fins series and the Medusa trilogy on the blog, to let us into her fantasy dinner party.

The first rule of a good dinner party is definitely diversity, so if I were hosting six real or fictional people for a meal I would want them to represent a broad spectrum of life and literature. I'm a vegan, and I would host this wild group at my favorite vegan restaurant in the world, Doomie's Home Cookin' in Los Angeles.

Mr. Darcy

After Logan from the Baby-Sitter's Club series, Mr. Darcy was my first real literary crush and the hero of my all-time favorite book. He's tall, dark, and mysterious and, of course, all the ladies want to get to know the truth under the cold exterior. No dinner party is complete without a little bit of eye candy to leave the ladies tittering. Since Doomie's is more home style than five star, he would probably be too good to order anything at first. But after one bite of fried avocado he'd realize his the error of his snobby ways and would be willing to try it all.

Jon Snow

The rebellious cutie from Game of Thrones is like Mr. Darcy with a dangerous edge. He's just as dark and mysterious, and he does tend to draw the attention of the ladies. After stuffing him full of vegan country fried steak and vegan fried chicken--he definitely needs the sustenance after all that time in the north--I'd ask him all about the Night's Watch, his mother's identity, and what will happen next on the show.

Quince Fletcher

A girl recently asked me how I came up with the character of Quince Fletcher in Forgive My Fins, and I confessed that he's basically a compilation of all the pieces that make up my idea of a perfect boy. Hot? Check. Bad boy? Check. Heart of gold with a soft spot for a certain mermaid? Oh definitely. How could I not invite him to the party. Quince would be glad to have something--anything--that isn't raw fish, and he would especially love the vegan Philly cheesesteak.

Brad Pitt

Clearly, my dinner party is boy-heavy. I'm a girl, what can I say? But my motives for inviting Brad are about more than just his pretty, pretty face. See, we actually went to the same high school (albeit twelve years apart) and we even played for the same tennis coach. I would want to get his perspective on his years as a Kickapoo Chief. (Yes, really. That’s why...) He can bring Angelina and the kids too. There will be plenty of vegan creme brûlée and red velvet cupcakes to keep everyone happy.

Pickwick

Okay, so technically Pickwick is a band and not a person, but I adore their music and they seem like a lot of fun. Plus, they're adorable. And if things get slow at the dinner party they could break out the instruments and play Hacienda Motel to get the groove flowing. Since they're musicians, I think they probably eat one of everything. I bet the vegan nachos and the jalapeño poppers would be huge hits.

 

Jennifer Lawrence

I am such a fan of her--not only her acting, but her public person, too, which seems very genuine and fun. She'd be cracking jokes and poking fun of herself all night, keeping everyone laughing. She's very upfront about her love of food in general, so I imagine she'd order a vegan cheeseburger with extra French fries.

Wow, what a great dinner party. I definitely want to come to this one.

Thank you Tera for a brilliant post.

Sweet Shadows, the second book in the Medusa trilogy was published in March 2013.

To find out more about Tera Lynn Childs:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / You Tube / Goodreads

Secret Serendipity Seven with Claire McFall

Another new author feature on the blog today - Secret Serendipity Seven, where an author tells us seven secrets about their latest book. First to share their secrets is debut author Claire McFall, who recently published Ferryman which I will be reviewing later today.

Number 1 - a tale of two halves

I don’t know if this is meant to be a secret or not… but Ferryman didn’t originally end where it ends now.  Not even close.  When I first submitted the novel to my agent (Ben Illis @ A M Heath) it finished at the ultimate moment of betrayal - when Dylan walks across the line.  Mostly I stopped there because I truly honestly didn’t know what came next.  But - and I have to agree - that was far too sad.  Dylan deserved a happier ending, and so did Tristan.  So back to the drawing board I went and churned out 30,000 words in a weekend (the maddest weekend of my life!) and the world beyond the wasteland was born.  

Number 2 - Sorry Miss Parsons!

Miss Parsons - Dylan’s evil registration teacher, is a real person - and a real teacher!  She’s the head of the English Dept at my old school and she is absolutely not a cow, as Dylan describes her.  Miss Parsons very kindly let me use her name in the story because I like things to be as real as possible.  And her classroom is decorated with lots of brightly coloured posters that cheer the place up J

Number 3 - how much Scots is too much?

I’m Scottish, and Ferryman (in the real world at least) is set in Scotland.  Because of that, I think there’s a definite Scottish flavour about some of the writing.  What I discovered during the editing process, was that words that were very familiar to me… were just plain weird south of the border!  For example, the horrible David MacMillan’s nickname - Dove - nearly didn’t survive the editing process.  In and around Glasgow, it’s a fairly common nickname for David… and it’s also an identifier.  If you’re called ‘Dove’ instead of David, it isn’t because you’re thought of as fluffy white, good and pure.  That one I managed to keep, but some phrases had to be chopped.  When Dylan walks past the shops at lunchtime, her thoughts on the train and not on going back to school, she’s truanting.  In Scotland, she’s ‘dogging’ it.  My editor kindly and very tactfully pointed out that if you’re not familiar with this word… well let’s just say there are a variety of ways it might be taken.  Oops.  

Number 4 - I hate up!

Dylan’s wasteland is MY fault.  When she expresses how much she hates PE?  Me again.  You should only run if you’re being chased.  Yes, by an axe-wielding murderer.  I actually run quite a lot these days, but that’s only because I like cake an awful lot. I don’t like it.  And I HATE up.  My husband tries to take me hill-walking, the definitive word being tries.  It just… it’s just… why?!?  It’s hard work, it gets you sweaty, your legs hurt, the weather up there is always miserable (rain, wind, sometimes snow!), there’s sheep and cow poop everywhere.  And then, when you reach the top, you just have to come back down!  Honestly, what is the point?

(If you love hill-walking, sorry!  And you totally have my awe.  But it’s not for me!)

Number 5 - I’m a tea-leaf!

The wraiths.  I pinched them.  Well, I didn’t pinch them exactly… but they didn’t spring from the font of my imagination.  Which is probably a good thing - I’d be worried if evil incarnate was lingering at the back of my head ready to journey forth!  Instead, they came from the film “Ghost”.  Now, “Ghost” came out in 1990 (wow - that makes me feel old!) and it starred Patrick Swayze who was - you’ve guessed it! - a ghost who was trying to get in touch with his girlfriend (Demi Moore) through a psychic, Whoopi Goldberg.  It has that really famous scene with Swayze and Moore and the pottery wheel and they get all covered in clay and “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers is playing in the background.  That’s the one!  Anyway, when EVIL Carl dies, these creepy, creepy, creepy black demon things swirl up from the ground and suck him back down to hell.  When I was seven and “Ghost” came out, they were the scariest things I’d ever seen!  So, when I needed an evil being, that’s what came to mind… so I nicked them.  Sorry, Paramount.

Number 6 - drowning is the scariest thing imaginable

Writing the scene where Dylan and Tristan crossed the lake and Dylan almost drowned was… horrible!  I literally felt like I couldn’t breathe when I was typing.  My chest got all tight and I went cold and clammy and before I knew it I was gasping and I had to stop.  You know when people ask you how you’re most afraid of dying? (People do ask that, right?  Or are my friends just weird?) Well I always say drowning.  Which is odd, because I’m a good swimmer, and I think I could tread water for a really long time.  

But what if you were TRAPPED under the water?  I have two nightmares: one, all my teeth fall out in pools of blood (I have lots of problems with my teeth and I’m really scared I’ll be Gappy McGaperson one of these days!) and two, I’m in the pool and the automatic pool cover comes over and traps me under there.   It FREAKS ME OUT.  I don’t do scuba diving, I hate submarines… and that BBC documentary where they went exploring in the sea under the ice shelf? I thought I was going to have a heart-attack.  

Maybe I should move to the desert?  I don’t think they have any ‘up’ there either…

Number 7 - to be continued…?

One of the things readers have said to me is that they want to know what happens next!  Is Dylan okay?  Does she get to meet her dad?  More

importantly - what about her and Tristan?  Is he human now?  Will they survive?  How’s he going to carve a life out of this world?

All valid questions.  At the moment, they’re questions without answer.  But I have to admit, I’m curious.  I don’t know if there’s enough fodder for a whole sequel.  But never say never.  And I want to know what happens to Tristan and Dylan, too.  I can just imagine his first day at Kaithshall Academy… the look on Cheryl’s face.  Dove’s reaction.  Ooh, it would be good. 

Hmmm. Maybe, maybe, maybe… 

Ferryman by Claire McFall published by Templar Publishing

To find out more about Claire McFall:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Ferryman by Claire McFall

He sat on the hillside and waited.

Another day, another job. Before him, rusting tracks disappeared into the depths of the tunnel mouth. In the grey gloom of the cloudy day, the light barely penetrated beyond the stone arch of the opening. His eyes never left the entrance. He was expectant, but jaded.

Published in March 2013 by Templar Publishing.

Goodreads Summary

When Dylan emerges from the wreckage of a train crash onto a bleak Scottish hillside, she meets a strange boy who seems to be waiting for her.
But Tristan is no ordinary teenage boy, and the journey across the desolate, wraith infested wasteland is no ordinary journey.
Life, death, love-which will Dylan choose?

*******

When I first heard the premise of this book it sent a tingle down my spine. I knew it would be a book that I would love and I wasn’t wrong. The premise is original and breath taking. The legendary tale of the ferryman taking you to your final destination is one that you can only dream is true. I am a big believer in the after life so I honestly couldn’t wait to read the book.

The author writes beautifully. Her prose is almost poetic in nature as the words flow off the page. It’s rich, deep and absorbing. Her descriptive passages full of original metaphors and similes. Her characters vibrant. You can’t rush through this book, as the writing is too filling to allow you. You want to savour every sentence.

The story is told in third person  and alternates between Dylan and Tristan, who dominate the book all the way through. This story isn’t just about life after death, it’s also about everlasting love; finding your soul mate in the last place you would ever think of looking.  Dylan is a really strong female character who accepts her situation maturely but will fight for the boy she loves. Tristan will warm your heart as quickly as his own melts. This has to be the most unusual love story I have ever read. I believed it could happen, against all the odds that were telling me it was doomed.

The ending took my breath away. I wouldn’t ever have considered the ending chosen, yet on reflection no other ending would have worked and it was the right one for this book.

I can see this book winning awards over the next year, because it is one that will touch your heart and make you believe that there is more to life than what we can see.  A stunning original debut from an author we will need to watch out for in the future.

Cover Reveal: Sweet Legacy by Tera Lynn Childs

Descendants of Medusa do battle with beasties in modern-day  San Francisco in this action-packed trilogy.

The concluding book in this kick-ass trilogy. Teenage descendants of Medusa, triplets Gretchen, Grace and Greer, face their toughest test yet as the mythological and the modern collide in a fast-paced urban fantasy adventure. 

Sweet Legacy is publishing in the UK September 2013 - 978-1-84877-942-6 £6.99 - paperback

I am practically drooling at this cover! I loved the first book in this series as it reminded me so much of the Charmed sisters. The second book, Sweet Shadows will hit the bookshops this March, but this lovely cover is of  the third book and final book in the Medusa trilogy.

Author bio: Tera Lynn Childs is an award-winning and best-selling US author of teenage fiction. She holds a degree in Theatre from the University of Colorado and a Masters degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University. Tera now spends her time blogging and writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages. Her first book with Templar Publishing, the mermaid romance Forgive My Fins, was published in 2011, with the follow-up, Fins are Forever, in 2012 and the concluding title, Just For Fins, coming in June 2013. Sweet Venom and Sweet Shadows are published in America by HarperCollins.

Tera tweets: @teralynnchilds

 

Waiting On Wednesday (3) - The Shadow Lantern by Teresa Flavin

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, started by Jill at Breaking The Spine, highlighting future book releases everyone is waiting on! This week I am drooling over The Shadow Lantern by Teresa Flavin. This is for a slightly younger audience but I have read the first two books in the series and really enjoyed them. This is the cover reveal for this book too! The Shadow Lantern will be published on the 1st of May by Templar Fiction and is the final book in the trilogy.

Book Summary

 Whatever you face in the chamber, you must never let the flame go out…
When a mysterious old oil lantern and a box of painted slides appear at Blackhope Tower, Sunni and Blaise are drawn back to the place where their adventures first began. On discovering that the slides conceal secrets about artist-magician Fausto Corvo, the pair find themselves caught up in a deadly pursuit. An old enemy is still tracking Corvo and he will stop at nothing to find him. Sunni and Blaise must fight to protect Corvo's secrets and rid themselves of Soranzo's evil threat once and for all.

Templar Fiction Highlights

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the joint Templar and Hot Key Books blogger’s brunch. As both imprints come under the same publisher, they decided on a joint event to show their book highlights for the coming year. As we were shown quite a lot of books that day, I thought it would be best to break this post down into two parts. So today I will focus on the up and coming Templar books and later this week I will look at the book treats Hot Key Books have in store for us.

The Templar presentation was made by Helen Boyle, the commissioning editor for Templar Books. It was lovely to see Helen again as it had been a couple of years since I had last seen her. Her enthusiasm for the new publications was catching and she soon had as all desperate to read the new books.

In January, they published Me, Suzy P. by Karen Saunders. This was a debut novel and has been described as a book that will take you right back to being fourteen again.  This is meant to be really funny and I am looking forward to getting the chance to read it.

Also in January, Templar published Deceit by Deborah White, which is the second book in this series. The first book Wickedness was published last year, but has been republished this year with a stunning new cover to match Deceit.  This series is about two teenagers separated by centuries but united by prophecy. It comes under the title of twistorical fiction, which is something I haven’t heard before.

February sees the publication of Arcadia Burns the second book in the Arcadia series by Kai Meyer. The books have been translated and have been described as a Romeo and Juliet style series entwined with shape shifters and the Mafia.  If you are looking for a dark and intense YA series, then this is the one for you.

In March, Templar will be publishing a book I have personally been waiting quite a while for. Ferryman by debut author Claire McFall. I had the opportunity to talk with Claire at the event and she was lovely. This is a refreshing take on the afterlife genre. This is in essence a love story and I can’t wait to read it.

March also see the highly anticipated publication of Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs. My answer to the Charmed sisters! I loved the first book Sweet Venom and I can’t wait to see what the sisters are up to now. The three long lost sisters are descendants of Medusa and trouble seems to follow them around.

In April, Don Calame publishes the third book in his series, Call The Shots, following on from the success of Beat The Band and Swim The Fly; each book can be read as standalone. Each book covers a different perspective of three boys who are close friends. By reading these books you get an insight in to how teenage boys actually think. Eeep! The dialogue is fast and funny and will keep you entertained. Don is a screen writer too so he knows how to write excellent dialogue.

(not the final cover)

In May, Templar will publish its answer to Gossip Girl meets American Idol - The Drummer Girl. This book is very glitzy and glamorous following a UK group of five during their adventures in LA, where the excitement all goes incredibly wrong leaving one of them dead. I can’t wait to find out more about this book.

 

The second book from Tera Lynn Childs this year is the third and final book in her successful and fun mermaid series. Just For Fins will be published in June. If you haven’t encountered this series, think high school but with mermaids.

 Also in June, Templar are publishing a book they discovered on their slush pile. Last Chance Angel by Alex Gutteridge. This has been described as this year’s Love Aubrey and will definitely need tissues supplied with it.

So some fabulous books coming from Templar this year. I can't wait to read them all. Which one would you like to read the most?

 

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Pages - 333

Published by Templar Publishing in July 2011

Water calms me. It's like chocolate or hot tea or dulce de leche ice cream. After a rotten day, I lock the bathroom door, fill Aunt Rachel's old-timey bath with steaming water and bath salts, and then sink into a world where my problems all melt away. 

Goodreads Summary

Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but for Lily Sanderson, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily has a secret, and it's not her huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid--she's a Thalassinian princess. When she discovered three years ago that her mother was actually a human, Lily finally realised why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been going to Seaview High ever since. Living on land has its problems--like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbour, Quince Fletcher--but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type--when they bond, it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

********

This was a delightfully cute book that warmed my heart. At  the beginning I was convinced that if was younger than YA as it seemed so innocent in nature, but as the book progressed it filled it's YA shoes. Although I am still convinced that the tweenie age bracket will be yearning for this one too. 

This is one of the best mermaid books I have read so far within the mermaid genre, and believe me, lately there have been a lot! There are no added extras, you have an idea where the plot is going, and you're happy to  swim along for the ride. 

From the beginning I loved Quince. As much as the author tried to put us off him, I could see beneath his annoying surface and see he was a keeper! Lily took so long to see the truth, I found at times I wanted to shake her so that she could see what a wondrous creature stood before her. She is just a little bit self centred and just can't see how amazing Quince is, when everyone around her can.  I didn't like Brody at all, but I have never been fond of Golden Boys! 

I loved the setting of Thalassina - it was AMAZING! It sounded like an awesome place to visit, the way the author described it, made it easy to imagine in my head. 

The epilogue was a bit of shocker. I honestly didn't expect that to happen. And if I'm honest, the ending surprised me too. I came away thinking that Tera Lynn Childs might be a tricksy character in real life.  

If you are looking for a mermaid YA book, then this one would definitely be at the top of my list to recommend.