KL Reviews - Rumbpled by Lacy Louwagie

About The Book

Fairy-tale

 Re-telling / Fantasy

Date Published: March 3, 2014

    

Gold for a poor girl, 

Beauty for a twisted man, 

A child for a powerful sorcerer . . . 

Rumpelstiltskin can change anything he touches into gold, but he cannot change his own twisted body. The sorcerer Laurus can make Rumpelstiltskin tall, strong, and handsome—but he will only work his magic in exchange for a child in its first year of life. 

When Emily’s deluded father claims she can spin straw into gold, the King demands proof. Caught between a mad father and a mad king, Emily’s life hangs in the balance. Rumpelstiltskin will help keep up her ruse for three nights—if she promises him her firstborn child. 

When the King decides to marry Emily, the pretense must continue for much longer. And what Emily offers Rumpelstiltskin in return for his continued help has the power to change everything. 

This retelling of “Rumpelstiltskin” is best suited for ages 14 and up.

TRAILER - http://animoto.com/play/32HKfPNQ4kboTBvhHZiPmg

About the Author

Lacey has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil and fold a few pieces of paper together. Her first book, full of pictures of unicorns, started her on the path of writing science fiction and fantasy. She has worked as a freelance writer and editor, magazine editor, reporter, and librarian. She lives in a tiny house in South Dakota with her husband, two cats, a dog, and hundreds of books.

Website: http://www.laceylouwagie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacey.venosdel

Twitter:@laceylouwagie

Blog: laceylouwagie.booklikes.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3409964.Lacey_Louwagie; 

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rumpled-power-Rumpelstiltskins-needs-beauty-ebook/dp/B00IAVQBAO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396288220&sr=8-1&keywords=rumpled+lacey+louwagie

KL's Review

If, like me, you have never really cared for the story of Rumplestiltskin because the little guy kind of creeped you out, you MUST read this story.  This fractured fairytale breathes a new life into this story and brings an amazing perspective to it that you never imagined.  

Gone is the scary little man who appears and does favors in return for your first born.  Lacey Louwgie creates a character in Rumple that you find yourself connecting with and cheering for in the end.  It turns out that he really is a kind person who just happens to be able to perform transmutations.  His ability has been hard earned, but very useful.  

Emily is extremely grateful for Rumple’s when the King hears her father’s boasts that she can spin straw into gold.  You probably know the story from this point.  Three times the King demands her to spin the straw to gold, and three times Rumplestlitskin comes and performs the magic for her.  Each time a price is paid to him.  The third time, Emily does indeed promise to give Rumple her first born. 

Louwgie does a tremendous job of maintaining the bones of the original story and filling in the gaps with beautiful creativity.  You will love what she has done for sour old Rumplestiltskin!  It’s an easy, quick read, but does contain some adult situations.  It could possibly be suitable for older teens depending on the parent.  Enjoy!

EM's Review and Interview - The Sales Crime Policeman by David J. Rollins

About the Book

Science Fiction / Humor / Romance

Date Published: November 19, 2013

The future is no place to fall in love. 

Amazing advances in technology have all but replaced relationships. People can purchase spouses programmed to their individual tastes and desires, anything from an aversion to expensive guilt gifts to perfumed flatulence. Attachments are even available for the more discriminating customers. Anyone can have anyone they want, as long as they don’t want someone who looks like someone else. That’s against the law. It could also make things a little awkward at social events.

For one man, technology is not enough. He is a Telepathic Vacuum Cleaner Salesperson Policeman, and he wants to fall in love with a real woman. Like most men, he is not perfect. He has no name. He had to give up that up when he became a policeman. He is terribly afraid of roller coasters. And he doesn’t have any attachments.

When he finds the woman of his dreams, she is not what he expected. Like most women, she doesn’t feel the same way about him. She has a spouse certified to be her perfect mate. And she is in prison. The policeman had her arrested, because she is one of the most wanted criminals in his world.

Now, the policeman has to choose between everything he is and everything he wants.

The future is no place to fall in love.

Excerpt

“I just want a name,” the lonely officer said to his friend without looking at him. “I just want to meet someone.”

“You’re not going to start that again, are you?”

“I just think I would be able to deal with this all much better if I were in a relationship. You know, if I had someone to love.”

“So go buy one. I’ve told you before, it’s really worth it. It’s even more economical, if you factor in the cost of dating and guilt gifts. I’ve told you about Spouse Now! They’ll actually program your spouse any way you want. If you want to be able to cheat on her without worrying about hurting her feelings, they can do that. If you want her to proposition attractive women for a little triple tricking, they can do that. You won’t even have to go to the bar. They’ll program her to go for you and bring someone back. If you have a fetish, they can...”

“I get the idea. I’m just not interested.”

“I don’t see what’s so great about a real wife,” he twitched and winced, “None of those marriages ever end up happy. Men and women are too different. They want different things. And why would you want to waste time making the same mistake people have already made many times over? Spouse Now! can give you a perfect mate, and she will never ever ask you what your name is.”

“You get a referral fee, don’t you?” The judgmental disappointment in his voice leered down at the married officer.

About the Author

David J. Rollins is a paralegal by day, husband by night, and sometimes finds time to write. As a young man, he had had different plans, but that’s the way life works out most of the time.

David has been writing since Seventh Grade. He started with the adventures of Super Pimp and his sidekick Squirt. His hero was Philip K. Dick, who strangely enough did not write about things like Pimps and Squirts. Like any fan, David wanted to follow in his hero’s footsteps. Unlike most fans, he wanted to follow them even after finding out that his hero, at one point in his life, was so poor that he resorted to eating dog food. What David lacked in aspirations, he made up for in determination.

From those humble beginnings, David became the man he is today. He is happier than he ever thought he would be and is living a life he never imagined in his wildest dreams. And that’s the way David’s life worked out. He was and is very lucky.

As further proof of his luck, David has lost every one of the stories about Super Pimp and his sidekick Squirt. He has also never had to eat dog food. 

Website: www.davidjrollins.com

Mailing List: http://www.davidjrollins.com/mailing-list/

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sales-Crime-Policeman-David-Rollins-ebook/dp/B00CUJ3GE6

EM's Review

Coming Soon!

EM's Review and Interview - I, Kwan by K Hippolite

Retrofuturistic DieselPunk

Date Published: April 4, 2014

      

For over a thousand years, a powerful oligarchy known as the Worldwide Order of Lightnings has oppressed us. With the help of the prying eyes of the chronomancers, the Lightnings have torn us from our homes; have forced us to do their bidding; have stripped us of our rights, even our names. 

I have spent my life in hiding. Please understand that an unrated telepath like me is a commodity, not a person. If it s not the thought-police come to call on me, it s the Lightnings, or worse, a suitor who won t accept no as an answer. 

Peace. Security. Love. They all elude me. When I manage to grasp a little of them in my shaking hands, they are all but snatched away by outside powers beyond my control. My heart groans with black tears from all this folly. 

About the Author

K. Hippolite

Website: www.skyfire.ca/kwan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chroniclesofkwan

Blog: https://plus.google.com/103592622979344357153?prsrc=5

BUY LINKS

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/I-Kwan-K-Hippolite/dp/1927569087

Interview

EM: Today we have K. Hippolite and Kwan joining us on the blog. K is actually part of my online critique group and contributed greatly to Fate War and DNOTS! He's another person I thank for my growth as a writer. I actually have had the privilege to see Kwan grow from story to story as I returned the critique favors! So let's start with the first question I always ask.

Tell us a little about yourself! (Technically not a question...but you get the drift. ;) )

　

K: Okay. My first initial stands for Kenneth. I live in Southern Ontario Canada and I've been a writer for many years, specializing in technical manuals and academic texts. I've actually written over two dozen books, but only a handful of them have been fiction until recently. I’ll mostly try to stay out of the way so Kwan can speak.

Kwan: As for me, I’m Orionite, which your people would call South-East Asian. I look just like I do in the pictures except I don’t actually have wings. Oh, and that halo is invisible unless I stand near a powerful energy source. I’m age twenty now, have parents who live in the same demesne, and a little brother named Jason.

EM: Very interesting. Kwan says South East Asia, but its not the Asia we know today. Is Kwan from the future, past, or an alternate reality?

K: Let's call it a "co-reality"... as in... a universe that exists in reflection of ours. Major cosmic 

events in our universe (past, present, and future) affect hers. This is why the face of her 

planet looks just like Earth. There are some striking differences. For example, they never had 

dinosaurs.

EM: Kwan, would you like to visit our "co-reality"?

Kwan: In a heartbeat! Especially to try a theme park. We can't have places like that because 

few of us are allowed to travel. I'd crawl into one and live there forever. Oh, and broadcast 

television is another taboo for us. I'd watch every channel if I was on your Earth.

EM: K, who is Kwan most like in your reality?

K: Hmm, she's most unlike anyone I've ever met, so that will be a difficult question to answer. 

One person described her as a best friend, and I think that's very apt. She's my best friend, 

transcribed onto a page. If I had to pick another fictional character, I'd say a young 

"Ambassador Delenn", though Kwan disagrees with me.

EM: Kwan disagrees with you a lot?

Kwan: He gets in the way of what I'm trying to say _all_ the time. It drives me nuts. I confound 

him a little, I think (he thinks I do it on purpose). It's tough work keeping your writer in line.

EM: Don't worry Kwan, I don't think its just you. Women in general seem to confound him. At least judging from some conversations in the critique group! Sorry K, we're ganging up on you! Spill it Kwan, what's the one thing K has done that made you the maddest.

Kwan: Oh, goodness... which one to choose... There's this one part where he (the story) uses me to 

get money for a large project. Highly annoying and very unnecessary. No, I lie about there 

being a lot. For the most part, we get along. I like to believe I'm a very nice alter/character... I

just get to rock the boat a little.

EM: So similar question to K. When has Kwan been the most difficult?

K: I think the worst part is she doesn't have an off-switch. Picture me on a date with a coaching 

team babbling in my head. On the page, she's a nuisance getting her into the few scenes that 

were required (by other books). I think every writer gets this kind of fight from their cast... it's

just that my other characters have less say in the matter.

EM: Besides dating, what other activities does Kwan interrupt? Sports? Music? Fandom group?

Kwan: I make us watch what he calls 'hideous boyband videos' on Muchmusic. I would have
liked that growing up if we had musical acts like this, so it's important character development.
When his friends ask why he can name all the members of NKOTB, he uses the excuse that
it's work-related research. Uh huh!

Types of sports, we agree on. Wrestling, because it's fake (neither of us like seeing people
actually get beaten up). I'm not super keen on sports overall... I only know them by proxy.
And I've widened our selection of books (though he took on romance by himself) since he
liked them dull and spacey until now.

EM: Alright Kwan, let K get a word in edge wise. I have some insider info, but would you like to let readers know what's on the horizon for Kwan's "co-reality"?

K: Sure... the big one is that many of the characters will get a chance to shine. Reiki's part of the
tale is far from done... look for her adventure this summer. With plenty more to come!

EM: Thank you guys for joining my blog today and can't wait to see what you have next!

EM's Review

I, Kwan, is the compilation of novellas centered around a girl in an alternate, steampunkish reality. The story follows her as she discovers, releases, and grows into her awesome powers and grows into a woman.

Khippolite has created an fantastic, rich world with stunning visuals and intricate hierarchy. He melds cool machines and interesting powers to create original battles and warriors. Kwan's world is unlike anything I've ever read.

While I like lots of detail in a story, I hate inner political workings. I think Kwan is with me on this one, but they are a necessary part of the story and I got through them okay. The only other drawback is the heroine herself who is a bit scatterbrained and made me want to slap her...lots. 

But overall, Kwan is a lovable character and her growth, both emotional and in power, keep you glued to the page having to know what mistake she's going to make and what's next for her!

This is a true YA with lots of kissing and angst. As Kwan grows, so do her relationships. Sex is implied but not explicit. There are battles, violence and some blood but it's not gory in the least. The story is beautifully written and I would recommend it for anyone who loves scifi and YA!