Sadie's Spotlight

January 11, 2021January 8, 2021

Book Blitz & Guest Post: Hamelin Stoop Series + Giveaway

We’re celebrating the release of the third book in the Hamelin Stoop series, The Ring of Truth! Today, the author talks about the inspiration for the series. Next, on Wednesday, January 13th, he’ll be talking about the storybook world of Hamelin Stoop HERE. Come back HERE on Friday, January 15th, to read an excerpt from book three. Plus, there’s a giveaway to enter below. Enjoy!

The Eagle, the Cave, and the Footbridge
(Hamelin Stoop #1)
By Robert B. Sloan
Young Adult Fantasy, Christian
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 332 Pages
November 15, 2016 by 12 Gates Publishing

Afraid of being caught by trackers from another world, a young mother abandons her baby boy in a tomato box inside the screened porch of a children’s home. The staff at the orphanage name him Hamelin Stoop, but he grows up longing to learn his real name, find his parents, and thus discover his true identity.

Life is not easy for Hamelin. He belongs to everyone, though in some ways to no one fully. And the people he is closest to leave him one by one. A letter from an older friend advises Hamelin to “keep waiting and keep hoping.” Bitter experiences force Hamelin to wait, but he has to learn how to hope.

When the children’s home forgets his eighth birthday, he sneaks away at night. He soon discovers that he isn’t just running away — he is being summoned by the Ancient One. Guided by the Great Eagle through a mysterious cave, Hamelin must pass a dangerous test of courage before he can find his parents.

Hamelin’s failures, fears, and hopes become part of a larger story, a story of a great struggle between worlds and kingdoms where the old myths of magic, evil contracts, and enslaved children turn out to be real.

The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna
(Hamelin Stoop #2)
By Robert B. Sloan
Young Adult Fantasy, Christian
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 304 Pages
February 7, 2017 by 12 Gates Publishing

Hamelin finally makes it across the footbridge only to learn that his quest to find his parents and learn his true identity will not be quickly done or easy to fulfill. The Great Eagle leads him through the dangerous Waters of Death and Life and into the Land of Gloaming, where Hamelin is thrown into the midst of a war already being waged between the evil Chimera and the mysterious Ancient One. He must help two new friends find a kidnapped princess and recover a stolen jewel, tasks for which they have special gifts that must not be misused: a scarf of sight, shoes of speed, and a sword of death. But these quests are only part of the larger story, a story including Chimera’s plan to use Hamelin—a child of two realms—to seize the kingdoms on both sides of the Atrium of the Worlds.

The Eagle, the Cave, and the Footbridge
(Hamelin Stoop #3)
By Robert B. Sloan
Young Adult Fantasy, Christian
Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 580 Pages
December 29, 2020 by 12 Gates Publishing

Will Hamelin be summoned again?

Hamelin suspects that his friend Layla is the lost princess from the Land of Gloaming. As he describes his daring adventures to trusted friends at the children’s home, an intricate tapestry of stories emerges. Layla admits that she has had dreams – or are they memories? – of another world with faded light. The orphan boy is not alone in his struggle to learn the truth, search for family, and question the Ancient One’s purposes.

Meanwhile, dangerous forces continue to pursue the boy of both worlds, but the evil Chimera gives his agents an additional task: find the fourth princess, the missing daughter of Carr, and stop her. She must never return home.

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Guest Post: The Bible, the Pied Piper, and Hamelin Stoop

Do you remember the legend of The Pied Piper? When I was young, I was attracted to many stories of myth and magic, but it was this story that I longed to see finished. It is the story of the lost children of Hameln town. The children were seduced into following the alluring music of a cunning piper (their parents failed to live up to the contract made with the Pied Piper, and he stole the children to exact their unpaid debt and avenge his wounded dignity), who led them into a magic mountain, never to be seen again. Only a few witnesses were left to go back so that the parents would know what they had done, that it was their fault the children were taken.

My childhood mind was troubled. What happened to the children who were taken away? Could they ever be rescued and come home? What about their parents and the pain they felt? Would it ever be relieved? Even today the town of Hameln has an old stained glass window commemorating the loss of the children, as well as historical documents and inscriptions that place the great loss on June 26, 1284, the day of Saints John and Paul. Will Hameln always endure the shame of its treachery? The answers are – nothing will ever be the same until the children are restored to their town and families. But how?

I lived with that painful non-ending until one day the story of the Bible and the legend of The Pied Piper connected in my imagination. The story of the Bible is also unfinished in the Old Testament, and though the beginning of the hoped for ending is picked up again in the New Testament and carried forward substantially through the story of Jesus, it remains still unfinished on the stage of history. I think the stories connected in my mind because both are unfinished, with exiles who have yet to be brought home.

Once I filled out a larger narrative for the world and backstory of The Pied Piper, the Hamelin Stoop series was born.

About the Author

Robert is married to his college sweetheart, Sue. With seven married children and over twenty grandchildren, they enjoy large family gatherings with good food and lively conversation around the table. Favorite family activities include role-playing games, writing and reading stories, and, of course, storytelling. Robert is also a University president and scholar.

Photo Credit: Joannah Buffington

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Blitz Giveaway

One winner will receive print copies of The Eagle, the Cave, and the Footbridge and The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna plus bookmarks and a $15 Amazon Gift Card (US only)

Ends January 18, 2021

ENTER HERE

December 19, 2020December 17, 2020

Book Blitz & Excerpt: Gabriel is Cursed + Giveaway

Gabriel is Cursed
Julia Goldhirsh
(Nymph’s Revenge, #2)
Publication date: December 15th 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Rose and Gabriel have to stop the nymphs from destroying the city forever.

Even though Nightshade’s gone, his plan is still unfolding. The nymphs want to destroy one of the biggest cities in Pennsylvania, a place full of factories.

Rose needs to learn how to use her nymph powers if she wants to have a fighting chance. When she learns she’s no average human, Rose starts to question her loyalty to humanity.

Gabriel’s connection with reality is fading. He hides his condition to help Rose, but at what cost?

Can they stop the nymphs, or will this battle be their last?

Trigger warnings: Domestic abuse. Rose’s father is abusive and makes an appearance in the beginning and at the end of the book.

Goodreads / Amazon

Gabriel is Cursed cover reveal 2

EXCERPT:

She’s not your wife?

As they continued into the hotel, Rose trailed close behind. He peered back at her as she dragged her bags along. She deserves a good night’s sleep by herself.

While he’d relish the company, they’d both needed sleep, and he didn’t want to risk her seeing him hallucinate in case that happened again.

He ran a finger through his hair, mentally calculating how much of his savings he had left. The extra room would cost him, but she deserved some goodwill after everything she’d been through. With a sigh, he pushed open the heavy, wooden doors that led into the hotel lobby.

Sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the dim light of the candles, and a few stray bulbs illuminated the spacious room. A large spiral staircase descended into the center of the room, and vivid emerald green walls complemented the dark wooden floors. Scatterings of tables and chairs sat near the staircase.

A woman with mussed, brown hair awaited them at a dark wooden desk in the room’s corner. With a perky smile plastered on her face, she chirped out, “Welcome,” as they entered the building.

Gabriel walked over to the desk with Rose in tow and said, “I’d like to book two rooms for tonight.”

The woman gave him a blank look. “You won’t be rooming with your wife?”

Rose coughed beside him, and she clutched his arm in a vice grip as she got nose to nose with the woman. “His what? Surely you must be joking?”

She’s definitely awake after that comment, he thought. Gabriel chuckled at Rose’s shock. As his hand came to his mouth to cover his laughter, he saw the glint of his old, silver wedding band on his finger and slipped it in his pants pocket.

He must have put it on at some point absentmindedly. With a wave of his hand he said, “This lovely woman isn’t my wife, but she’s an excellent travel companion.” He winked at Rose and relished the blush that colored her face.

The woman’s brows knit together. “But you were just wearing a-”

He cut her off, holding up the hand without the ring. “I think you were mistaken, although she is rather stunning.”

The woman blinked at his now bare ring finger. “Sorry. I must have been mistaken.” She handed separate keys to Rose and Gabriel in a daze.

Rose’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?” Gabriel waved her off with a smile.

“We leave early in the morning and you’re…unpleasant when you haven’t slept enough. You can thank me by getting a good night’s rest.”

She shoved his shoulder. “See. She’s quite capable of stunning when angry.”

Rose huffed and headed up the stairs just ahead of him. He thought that was the end of their conversation for the night, but once they were out of the innkeeper’s prying gaze, she pulled him close. She planted a brief kiss on his lips and whispered “Thank you,” before they went to their rooms.

The unexpected peck made his face flush.

Author Bio:

Julia Goldhirsh was born and raised in Coconut Creek, Florida. She spent one year working in Japan as an ESL teacher and loves traveling and teaching. She has been writing ever since she was in elementary school, and her favorite stories to read and write were always fantasy and mythology books.

She started out writing on writers cafe and all poetry. RPG writing became her favorite past time in high school. She has won a short fiction award in high school from the Broward County Lit fair for her short story “Night Sprite.”

She loves to talk about lesser known mythological creatures. Her most recent obsession is with Nymphs, Enchantresses, and the Encantado. Known as wanderingteacher on her travel blog and adventuringwriter on her author blog, she also writes about traveling, adjusting to different cultures, and the process of self-publishing.

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December 12, 2020December 12, 2020

Book Blitz: Silent Lee and the Oxford Adventure, by Alex Hiam

Silent Lee and the Oxford Adventure

by Alex Hiam

Young Adult Fantasy

Date Published: August 2020

Publisher: Webster Press

As either a stand-alone magical mystery adventure or a follow-up to The Adventure of the Side Door Key, this story will keep teens and all fantasy fans on the edge of their seat as Silent and Raahi dodge lightning bolts and unravel layers of deceit in their quest to save the world and be home in time for tea with Silent’s Great Aunt Generous! The Lee Family Key–safely hidden on a string around Sie’s neck–turns out to be universal: It can open other doors to parallel worlds too. They’ll need that ability and much more as they face off against old enemies and new in this fast-paced ad venture that takes them all the way to a magical version of Oxford and back to Boston again.

Purchase Links

Other Books in the Silent Lee YA Fantasy Series:

Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key

Published: April 2019

As if life isn’t already complicated when you have to sneak out a magical side door and enter a different century just to get to school each morning.

And now Silent has to figure out what happened to her beloved Aunt Generous, the woman who raised her—which would be complicated enough even if CIA agents in black SUVs weren’t chasing her—but they definitely are!

Amazon

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About the Author

Alex Hiam grew up exploring his great grandparents’ mysterious mansion in Boston’s Back Bay, where Silent’s magical academy is located (if you know how to find it…). He returned to the Boston area to study anthropology at Harvard, and has written numerous books including Silent Lee and the Adventure of the Side Door Key. He now resides in an antique farmhouse in the little village of Putney, Vermont with his family of tween and teen readers and his wife Deirdre.

Contact Links