Waiting On Wednesday #131: THE SHRUNKEN HEAD (The Curiosity House #1) by Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester (MG)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This is where we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released!!!

The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night!!!

And, quite possibly, to make our shelves look pretty too :) 

What I'm currently waiting for... 

THE SHRUNKEN HEAD

The Curiosity House #1

by Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester

Expected release date: September 29th, 2015

Published by HarperCollins Children's Books

Genre: Middle Grade 

Format: Hardcover, eBook

SUMMARY

What you will find in this book: 

- A rather attractive bearded lady.

- Several scandalous murders. 

- A deliciously disgusting Amazonian shrunken head. 

- Four extraordinary children with equally extraordinary abilities. 

- A quite loquacious talking bird. 

Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife-thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events. 

When the museum's Amazonian shrunken head is stolen, the four are determined to get it back. But their search leads them to a series of murders and an explosive secret about their pasts. 

What you will NOT find in this book:

- An accountant named Seymour.

- A never-ending line at the post office. 

- Brussel sprouts (shudder).

- A lecture on finishing all your homework on time. 

- A sweet, gooey story for nice little girls and boys. 

This sensational new series combines the unparalleled storytelling gifts of Lauren Oliver with the rich knowledge of the notorious relics collector H.C. Chester. 

Why I'm waiting for THE SHRUNKEN HEAD...

After reading the summary, do you really need me to tell you why I want this book?!

Did you not see that it is written by Lauren Oliver??? 

I don't think I have ever seen a middle grade book with so many oddities mixed together...

(My boys are quite keen on learning what it is like to grow up in a museum and what these murders are all about!)

And, did you not see that the book is from Lauren Oliver?!?!?

Yes, I see that some recluse relics genius is in on it too, but still... 

SO, what are you waiting for this week???

Blog Tour (Guest Post and Giveaway): LITTLE DEAD RIDING HOOD (Scarily Ever Laughter #2) by Amie and Bethanie Borst, Illustrated by Rachael Caringella (MG)

LITTLE DEAD RIDINGHOOD

Scarily Ever After #2

by Amie and Bethanie Borst

Illustrated by Rachael Caringella

Release date: October 14th, 2014

Published by: Jolly Fish Press

Genre: Middle Grade Fairytale

Format: Paperback, eBook

SUMMARY

You know things are going to suck when you’re the new kid. But when you’re the new kid and a vampire… well, it bites!

Unlike most kids, Scarlet Small’s problems go far beyond just trying to fit in. She would settle for a normal life, but being twelve years old for an entire century is a real pain in the neck. Plus, her appetite for security guards, house pets and bloody toms (tomato juice) is out of control. So in order to keep their vampire-secret, her parents, Mort and Drac, resort to moving for the hundredth time, despite Scarlet being dead-set against it. Things couldn’t be worse at her new school, either. Not only does she have a strange skeleton-girl as a classmate, but a smelly werewolf is intent on revealing her secret. When she meets Granny — who fills her with cookies, goodies, and treats, and seems to understand her more than anyone — she’s sure things will be different. But with a fork-stabbing incident, a cherry pie massacre, and a town full of crazy people, Scarlet’s O-positive she’ll never live to see another undead day.

Not even her Vampire Rule Book can save her from the mess she’s in. 

Why can’t she ever just follow the rules?

PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

GUEST POST

Thanks for having us here on your blog, Margie! I'm so excited about the release of my second book, LITTLE DEAD RIDING HOOD, co-authored by my daughter, Bethanie! Today is the official release day and I'm just beside myself with glee. It's FANGtastic!

We've been asked to talk about the ups and downs of writing together. I believe this is a trick question because I haven't seen any real downfalls to our writing relationship, though I'm sure Bethanie would state otherwise.

Here's five reasons why I think writing with my daughter is an awesome experience:

1) She's super creative. Her ideas always seem to take things to a whole. nother.level!

2) She's funny. Bethanie has a natural ability to summon a laugh from her audience.

3) Bethanie is a hard worker. A few weeks ago she churned out over 8,000 words in an afternoon. It would take me an entire week to write that many words!

4) She sees the possibility and potential. She's able to connect plot twists and delve into characterization with ease.

5) She's insightful. She knows that the words need to be put on the page first before they can be edited. I'm the opposite. I tend to be a perfectionist and want perfect words, sentences, and paragraphs the first time around. She is the one that reminds me that we can't perfect what isn't written.

If I had to come up with five downfalls of working together they would be:

1) Time. Bethanie is homeschooled AND training for the Olympics in archery. If we had to wait for time to write together, we'd never get anything written. So although we plot together, we tend to write independently. Bethanie will email me what she's written and I incorporate it into our manuscript. We discuss plot, characterization, and story development when we're driving to various activities. If we need time to delve into something deeper we squeeze it in on the weekends.

2) Bethanie's a fast writer. I have a hard time keeping up and sometimes fall behind, which makes me feel bad, like I'm not pulling my weight.

3) Not agreeing. It's rare, but sometimes we don't agree on a plot point, or how to implement it.

4) Bethanie says that one of the hardest things for her is that because we're family she feels as though she can procrastinate if I'm not reminding her to get her writing done.

5) She's always right. That's a hard pill to swallow when you're the parent!

Thanks for having us here today, Margie!

THANK YOU, Amie, for stopping by today!!! 

GIVEAWAY

There are TWO great giveaways happening on the LITTLE DEAD RIDINGHOOD blog tour!!!

First, a copy of LITTLE DEAD RIDING HOOD! Use the rafflecopter form to enter!...

AND, as soon as you finished entering, be sure to stop by Amie's blog for a second contest! It's a SCAVENGER HUNT that you won't want to miss, offering lots of extra great prizes!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(*Bumbles and Fairy-Tales will not be held responsible for any lost, damaged, unclaimed, etc. prizes.)

ABOUT THE AUTHORS - Amie and Bethanie Borst

Amie Borst is a PAL member of SCBWI. She believes in Unicorns, uses glitter whenever the opportunity arises, accessories in pink and eats too much chocolate. 

Bethanie Borst is a spunky 14 year old who loves archery, long bike rides and studying edible plant-life. She was only 9 when she came up with the idea for Cinderskella!

Little Dead Riding Hood is their second book in the Scarily Ever Laughter series. Their first book, Cinderskella, released in October 2013.

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