Tag Archives: magik and mayhem blog tour

Jul19

Last Day of the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour

Posted on July 19, 2013 by Tiffany Turner

Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

Welcome to the last day of the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour. Today, the blog tour starts to wind up. I’d like to thank my fellow fantasy/sci-fi bloggers for organizing and putting on a fun, exciting blog tour for the week.
Maybe we should all do it again next year?

I also wanted to link to some of the other awesome posts that have happened this week.

Blog Links

1) Interview with the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour Authors-This is a mass interview with 5 authors, including myself, to kick off the blog tour. Still awesome to read, even after the blog tour is over.

2) How to Dame a Dark Elf-another idea of how to have elves relate to you, but good luck. Dark elves are tricky.

3)Magic System in Valkia-curious about how to set up a magik system in your world of fantasy? Here is a good reference as the author, Ryan Sullivan, explains how she set up her system of magic.

4) A New Take on Elves: A Step Away From Tolkien-Author Chrystalla Thoma has created a new way to think about elves. She takes a step away from the Tolkien vision, and creates her own.

Giveaways

So, to close, I’m going to repeat some of the giveaways going on. There is still time to enter, by end of tonight, 11:59pm.

1) Win a paperback set of the Crystal Keeper Chronicles-Fantasy/Adventure Series by Tiffany Turner

All books will be mailed in paperback format. The lucky winner will receive an autographed set. Here is how to enter:

Win the Crystal Keeper Paperback Set Here!

Now for the second awesome giveaway! This is the Grand Prize. All the authors in the blog tour have chipped in for this one. There is an age limit to enter. You must be 18 years or older. The prizes include:

Ebook Yseult by Ruth Nestvold
Ebook bundle Season 1 Boreal and John Grey by Chrystalla Thoma
Ebook bundle Dark Elf by Willo Nonea Rea
Ebook Caitlin’s Book of Shadows by Juli D. Revezzo
Print book Raingun by John Blackport
Ebook Aundes Aura by Ryan Sullivan
Ebook Seeking a Scribe by Marsha A. Moore
Ebook Her Master’s Madness by J.E. & M. Keep
Ebook Wings of Shadow by Anna Kyss
Ebook Rune Breaker by Landon Porter
Ebook Judgement Rising by Tracy Falbe
Ebook The Chosen by Annette Gisby
Ebook New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer by John & Annette Gisby
Gift certificate

Entry form below. Good luck!
Magik and Mayhem Grand Prize Giveaway

Plus, the Kboards.com Welcome giveaway for a $75 Amazon Gift card continues for a few more days. Enter and win! It’s sponsored by Tiffany Turner, Endi Webb, and H.M. Ward.

Win a $75 Amazon Gift Card

I hope you enjoyed stopping by this week and enjoying the focus on elves, magik, and fantasy books. Will it happen again next year? Time can only tell. Have a great weekend!

***There is still time to visit the other Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour sites. Posts will remain up even after the blog tour ends.

Jul18

What I’ve Learned About Elves: A Reflection

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Tiffany Turner

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Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

As we start to bring the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour to a close, I realized I needed to reflect on the main theme of the tour, elves. I’ve done a lot of research for my book series, the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. It involved a lot of facts that I didn’t use in the books, but still were lots of fun to find. I thought I’d compile a list of some of the top interesting things I’ve learned after writing about fairies and elves over the last five years.

The Top Interesting Facts I’ve Learned About Elves and Fairies:

1) Elves came from the fairy legends and evolved mostly from the changing of court society about 1,000 years ago. The courtiers wanted to hear tales and legends, but they wanted stories to reflect the life of court. Bards started to embellish their songs and tales to reflect this change in society. Thus, elves were born out of necessity to create fairies that reflected the human’s lives that listened to the stories.

Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. The Disney Castle design was based on this castle.

2) Dragons most likely came from people finding dinosaur bones. To explain what a Pterodactyl might have been, a dragon tale was born. Similar discoveries of early human tools had tales made up about them. Often they were considered tools of the Fey Folk that had come before. Tales told of the mysterious people leaving to different lands. Again, many times stories were used to explain what science explains today.

3) Traveling will gain you lots of information. I discovered the Menehune in Hawaii while on vacation. They are the little dwarf-like fairies that come from Hawaiian legend. They love to mend things, and some people will leave gifts to gain help from them. I bought a book on Hawaiian legends, and it was helpful when my main character Wanda, travels to Hawaii in The Lost Secret of Dragonfire.

4) I learned to take lots of pictures. You never know where an elf may live. The classic is the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, pictured at the top, in which the Disneyland Castle is based. I also take pictures of plagues of local legends. I discovered legends of dwarves that live within Untersberg, one of the peaks in the German Alps. My imagination soared with these legends as a stepping ground.

Untersberg Sign at the top of the peak in the German Alps.

So, I’ve gathered and learned a lot about the Fey. Elves, fairies, and dwarves have proved to be a very interesting subject. Like most writers, I learn a lot about my subject, but can’t always include all of the details in my books. That’s why books are so exciting. I enjoy the research as much as writing the book.

**Remember, there still is time to enter to win your own personalized set of the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. Enter below.

Win the Crystal Keeper Paperback Set Here!

Plus, here is the grand prize package of all the participants in the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour. Link below for your chance to win. There is an age limit to enter. You must be 18 years or older. The prizes include:

Entry form below. Good luck!
Magik and Mayhem Grand Prize Giveaway

To continue your blog tour, here is the link to the Magik and Mayhem Blog Hub Website.

Jul17

Interview with William L. Stuart, author of the Gemstone Chronicles

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Tiffany Turner

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William L. Stuart, author of the Gemstone Chronicles Book 1: The Carnelian

I’m proud to start off day 3 of the Magik and Mayhem Blog tour with an interview with author William L. Stuart. Mr. Stuart is a veteran and proud grandfather that lives near Atlanta. He’s woven his love of rock hunting and adventure into the Gemstone Chronicles, a children’s middle grade fantasy adventure series. Below are the answers to my questions that focused on his writing wisdom, interests, and most of all, creative ideas surrounding elves.

1) Why did you choose to write about elves?

The elves were actually my grandson’s idea. We were out gem hunting last year and we were discussing the “magical” properties of gemstones. He suggested I write a book with elves and gemstones and The Gemstone Chronicles series was born.

2) What kind of books did you enjoy reading while growing up?

Growing up I read pretty much everything. I read Tolkien, Ursula K. LeGuin, Stephen Donaldson, Robert Ludlam, and even some of the Read’s Digest Condensed Books!

3) There is lots of rocks and mineral information in your book, and references to being a rock hound. Could you share some of your experience collecting rocks?

I discovered the pleasure of rock hunting when we moved to the north Georgia mountains. In fact, it was a gem hunting trip that got me hooked. My brother and I were looking for something different for my grandson and his two girls to do one day and we happened upon a place that allowed us to dig through a dirt pile and find gems. We had a pile of dirt, a creek, and shiny rocks! It was a great day and got both my brother and I hooked. We now are members of the local mineral society as well as a weekend gold miners club!

4) Could you summarize what writing means to you in one sentence?

Writing is a way to give to my grandchildren a legacy that they can pass on to many more generations.

5) What advice would you give for writing fantasy books, especially about elves as a character?

My advice for writing fantasy is to find a storyline that appeals to you, and make it a tale you could tell your children or grandchildren!

6) What other projects or books are you working on right now?

I am currently working on the last book of the series. I am working on the edits/rewrites/revisions and plan to have it in my editor’s hands by August. The plan is to release it at the end of November 2013!

The Gemstone Chronicles Book 1: The Carnelian by William L. Stuart

For a review of the first book in the Gemstone Chronicles: The Carnelian, link here.

The Gemstone Chronicles: The Carnelian is available at Amazon.com in paperback and ebook editions. Also available at Smashwords.com as an ebook edition.

Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

Thank you to William L. Stuart for sharing some information on the world of being an Indie Children’s author. For more amazing information on elves, the fey, and the authors that write about them, here is the Magik and Mayhem Main Blog Hub.

Chance to win a bundle of prizes:

Entry form below. Good luck!
Magik and Mayhem Grand Prize Giveaway

The Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour will continue until Friday, July 19.

Jul16

Elves Are More Than They Seem in the Gemstone Chronicles

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Tiffany Turner

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Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

Welcome to day two of the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour. I’d also like to welcome everyone that has come to visit from Kboards.com. Today, a fabulous $75 Amazon Gift Card is being featured for those visiting today. Link below to enter the prize. Note: The giveaway will start on July 16, 2013 and run for seven days. This is a special giveaway for Kboards.com members, but anyone visiting may enter. Thanks for stopping by! I’d also like to thank Harvey at Kboards.com for featuring my blog today.

Win a $75 Amazon Gift Card

Now, for a fabulous Middle Grade novel that has an educational twist that includes, what else, an elf! I’ve managed to find the perfect start to the blog tour. The Gemstone Chronicles: The Carnelian is book 1 in the series by William L. Stuart.

Evil and good are out of balance again, and needs to be restored. Aidan and Maggie are visiting their grandparents, helping their grandfather rock hunt, when they discover an odd fairy cross stone. The debate is on what to do with it after seeing a spector appear from it requesting help.

The Gemstone Chronicles Book 1: The Carnelian by William L. Stuart

The kids can’t help their curiousty, and break the stone open releasing the elf, Findecano. They must help him to find the several gemstones missing from the Elven Bow. Together, they must restore the balance.

I really liked this story since it showed grandparents as elders helping to raise and instill morals and values in their grandchildren. Plus, it showed the children being respectful. There was also great inner struggles with especially Beebop, the grandfather, as he comes to terms with the fact, elves are real. I always love stories that skirt the real world and a fantasy world.

Plus, it starts at the grandparents’ home in the Georgian mountains as the grandkids are visiting for Spring Break. So, I think this is a great book for kids that are visiting their grandparents, and need some activities. There is even a little education in rock hunting stones, and a general sense of respect for others, including elves and trolls. This would be a great start for any visit to grandparents, with two more books that follow in the series. It will keep grandchildren that love fantasy busy for hours.

**** Four Star Rating
The Gemstone Chronicles: The Carnelian is available at Amazon.com in paperback and ebook editions. Also available at Smashwords.com as an ebook edition.

Tomorrow’s post will feature an interview with the author of the Gemstone Chronicles, William L. Stuart.

I’d like to thank Kboards.com Facebook and Blog for featuring the Indie Children’s Authors Connection today.

**Continue your fantastic journey through Magik and Mayhem here! The Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour continues through to July 19.

Jul15

The Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour Giveaways-Starts Today

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Tiffany Turner

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Starts July 15 and runs through July 19

Welcome to day one of the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour. This week I’ll be featuring posts and book reviews that focus on the theme of elves and magical creatures. But first we’ll start the good stuff: the giveaways.

To start: I’ll be giving away a paperback set of my fantasy/adventure series The Crystal Keeper Chronicles. It all starts in book 1, The Lost Secret of Fairies. Wanda, a loner, discovers fairies are real. With the help of her new friends, Lillith, the Queen of Fairies, and an elder elf named Geldon, Wanda discovers there’s more than finding out how to help, it’s finding the strength within to fight.

Book 2 is The Lost Secret of the Green Man, where Wanda starts to discover the other Worlds of Fairy and makes the biggest discovery of all, a best friend.

Book 3 is The Lost Secret of Dragonfire. Wanda learns that sometimes friendship is something you fight for.

All books will be mailed in paperback format. The lucky winner will receive an autographed set. Here is how to enter:

Win the Crystal Keeper Paperback Set Here!

Entry form below. Good luck!
Magik and Mayhem Grand Prize Giveaway

Come back tomorrow for an exciting book review of an MG Fantasy novel called The Gemstone Chronicles, The Carnelian. Plus, my blog will be featured on the KBoards.com Blog and Facebook page tomorrow, Tues. July 16. There will be a one day giveaway only tomorrow where you can win a $75 Amazon Card to purchase fabulous ebooks on Amazon. See you then!

For more information about the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour and to see the other authors, feel free to check out the main blog tour website.

The Indie Children's Authors Connection

Reviews, Interviews, and Information about Independent Children's Authors

Tag Archives: magik and mayhem blog tour

Last Day of the Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour

What I’ve Learned About Elves: A Reflection

Interview with William L. Stuart, author of the Gemstone Chronicles

Elves Are More Than They Seem in the Gemstone Chronicles

The Magik and Mayhem Blog Tour Giveaways-Starts Today