Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Halloween Giveaway 1 (Open Internationally) + Last Month's Giveaway Winners


Hey guys! Halloween will soon be upon us and to celebrate with you guys, this month I'm hosting a couple of Halloween-themed giveaways for you. In today's giveaway, you have a chance to win pumpkin spice scented soap and body lotion inspired by Sleepy Hollow. Awesome, right? ^^

These products are being offered by Amber and Wendy, the lovely ladies from the Etsy store Elliott's Closet and its subsidiary store, Amber's Hallow. They sell a wide range of products including candles, bath products and perfume inspired from your favorite books and characters. I mean, they actually have a Herondale lotion! 

Below you'll find the giveaway which you can enter to win these awesome pumpkin scented products, followed by my interview with the Elliott sisters. 

At the end of the interview, you'll also find the winners of September's Magic & Wonder giveaways.


The Giveaway



Evade the Headless Horseman with his captivating fragrance! Both the soap and lotion are handmade with fragrance oils. Experience the sweet smell of Autumn with this rich scent, brought to you in a travel size lotion and a hard bar of soap! The spicy scent of pumpkin spice is woven into the warm scent of vanilla and layered into a base of sweet Myrrh.

This giveaway is open internationally and will end on the 31st of October. The winner will be announced in the first week of November. 


Both products are made in the U.S.A. and have never been tested on animals.

Interview with the Elliott sisters

Here's an interview I had with Amber and Wendy Elliot, in which they tell us more about the bookish inspirations behind their products.
Tell us about your craft. 
We make geek, historical, literary and pop culture bath, body and home items with themed scents. We make a wide variety of sundry and scented home products and strive for the highest quality for a reasonable price.

How did you start?
Amber: I started about ten years ago when I worked for a Native American woman's organization. One of the ladies we worked with taught me how to blend scents and got me started on that. Then two years ago, Wendy suggested we make a commercial line based on simple, lively scents themed around geek and literary ideas, and Amber's Hallow was born.

Peeta Mellark's Fresh Baked Cupcake bath salts

What was the first thing you ever crafted? How was the experience like?
We started with soap, our bar glycerin, after blending some starting scents. It wasn't too hard, the biggest stumbling block was figuring out the branding and how we wanted to market them. We found the pumpkin mold and the soap ended up so cute we called it a success!

What is the favorite craft you’ve ever made? Can it still be found in your store?
Wendy: My favorite craft is the Columbia Inn candle, because it reminds me of my favorite movie, and favorite time of year, Christmas! And yes, it can still be found in our shop.

Amber: It's hard to pin down what's my favorite. I love our perfume, I wear one of the scents every day, and my favorite scent is probably Percy, though I love Katniss and Clary and wear them a lot as well. All three scents can be found in our shop in both liquid and solid perfume.

Clary perfume inspired by The Mortal Instruments 

What is your next project? Are you working on something in particular at the moment?
Currently we're developing a line of natural hair care products ranging from Sea Salt Spray to Beard Oil for the gents. We're planning and hopefully launching that very soon!

Do you have other passions apart from crafting?
Amber: We actually have several other crafting businesses, so for the most part we pretty much do crafting all the time. I'm also an artist and graphic designer as well as a writer, so if I'm not making something for one of the shops I'm usually drawing or writing something.

Wendy: I enjoy photographing nature and architecture, which we also sell as prints in our other Etsy store.

Percy Jackson's Blue Candy & Sea inspired candle

What are your favorite artists?
Amber: Well my favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh, and I am really inspired by his bold use of straight color and that tends to influence my artwork a lot. For my writing, there isn't just one author that inspires me, but I love Rick Riordan, JK Rowling, Alexandre Dumas and William Shakespeare.

Wendy: My favorite Photographer is Nigel Barker, the famous fashion photographer. I love his use of light when it comes to portraying the clothes. He focuses on the composition as a whole and really brings out the beauty in the fashion designs rather than focusing on the model.

What would you say to an aspiring artist or crafter who wishes to commercialize his or her creations?  

There is nothing more satisfying then selling a piece of your own artwork, but be prepared to put every single hour of the day into your business. It's a true commitment if you want to be success. Don't give up and always keep expanding your horizons to touch others with what you do.
Discover more about the Elliott sisters and their fandom inspired products at their Etsy store by clicking here.

Winners of September's Magic & Wonder Giveaways

The Steampunk Necklace 'Into the Mine' won by Mary Vantil
The Beautiful Mermaid Doll won by Petra Kos

Congrats to the winners! 

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Saturday, October 3, 2015

My October & Halloween TBR


If you look at the sidebar to the right, you'll see that I put a little countdown to Halloween there. That way, we can count the days until Halloween together ^^ Since it'll be my first time celebrating Halloween on this blog with you guys, I thought I would do a few special Halloween posts for you. 

 I don't normally do TBRs because I'm usually terrible when it comes to anything resembling required reading! However, since October is basically Halloween month, I thought it would be fun to select a few books to match the theme. 

So today I'm going to show you all the books I plan to read in the month of October. Since for me Halloween is more about spooky fun, whimsy and magic than actual gore and horror, I tried to come up with a book selection that more or less reflect that. If there's anything here you'd like me to review in particular, do let me know and I'll happily review it for you ^^

The Graphic Novels





Through the Woods by Emily Carroll
This graphic novel offers a collection of chilling tales spun from darkest and imagination, accompanied by equally dark and beautiful artwork. From what I saw when flipping through this, it seems to be very much on the spooky side and could easily be the scariest book in this TBR. Also, one person who’s read this novel said it was good but that you probably wouldn’t want to read it at night. Needless to say, that got me really interested in the book!

The October Faction by Steve Niles and Damien Worm
I'll just share the blurb the way it's written on Goodreads 'cause it's so well put: The October Faction details the adventures of retired monster-hunter Frederick Allan and his family... which include a thrill-killer, a witch, and a warlock. Because sometimes crazy is the glue that binds a family together. The artwork looks so cool and gritty and the story sounds exactly like the kind of thing you want to be reading in October. Can't wait to delve into this one!

The Short Story Collections



Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue
Taking her inspiration from fairy tales, the author presents 13 short stories full of fantasy and whimsy, all of which are narrated by women. This collection sounds very fairy tale-esque and promises the same magical atmosphere I like to associate with Halloween time. 

Nocturnes: Volume 1 by John Connolly
This collection, presented as a dark, daring, utterly haunting anthology of lost lovers and missing children, predatory demons, and vengeful ghosts, is among the books I’m most excited to read this month. I’ve read one other book by this author before, The Book of Lost Things, which ended up becoming one of my favorite books of all time and I had just been waiting for the perfect occasion to grab another of his books. Also, Nocturnes Vol. 2, a second collection of short stories similar to this one, will soon be released and I really want to pick up that one too. If things go well reading-wise, I might even give it a go in October itself.

 Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman
This one was actually recommended by Olivia from Olivia's Catastrophe and since I trust her choice in books, I thought I would read it this month. Trigger Warning includes both previously published and newly written short fiction, as well as an original American Gods story and a new Doctor Who story written specifically for this volume to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the series. With its mix of horror, fairy tales, fantasy and science fiction, this collection sounds like the perfect read for October. 

The Novels



Wicked by Gregory Maguire  
Many of you have probably already heard of Wicked, the famous musical about the green-skinned witch taken straight out of the pages of The Wizard of Oz and given a voice and story of her own. This is the book which inspired the musical and tells the story of how a little green-skinned girl named Elphaba grew up to become the Wicked Witch of the West. I’m really excited to be reading this one, especially since only last month I read and fell in love with another of this author’s books, Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister. Also, with both the book and the musical being so famous, not to mention a movie also being in the works, I figured it was about time I read this one!

The Thirteenth Tale by Diana Setterfied 
I don't know much about this book except that it's supposedly really creepy and equally good. I think they even made a BBC adaptation of it. Margaret is a biographer. One day, she’s contacted with a request to record the life story of a prolific but gravely ill novelist, Vida Winter. While still wondering whether or not to accept the job, Margaret starts to read her father’s copy of one of Miss Winter’s novel, Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation. Initially mesmerized by the book, she becomes confused when she realizes the book only has twelve of the promised thirteen tales. Intrigued by this, she agrees to write Miss Winter’s biography, hoping to uncover along the way the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale.

The Classics

If I still have some spare reading time I will try to read at least one horror classic. I'm not sure which one I'll be actually reading but here are the few that I'm considering as my classic pick. If you've read any of them, let me know which one you think I should read first. 

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by R.L. Stevenson
Dr Jekyll has discovered a chemical that gives him the ability to change into something else, allowing him to unleash his deepest cruelties in the form of his monstrous alter-ego. Transforming himself at will, he roams the streets London as the dreaded Mr Hyde.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Victor Frankenstein, a scientist obsessed with the discovery and artificial creation of life, one day accomplishes the impossible. In his laboratory, he assembles a human being from stolen body parts and manages to give him life. Shocked at his creature’s horrific appearance though, he turns his back on it. The once-innocent creature then turns evil, embarking on a journey of revenge against his creator.

The Zombie Stories of H.P. Lovecraft 
Lovecraft was the pioneer of the horror genre, coming up with unique monsters and stories which would later become the legends and tropes of horror. This newly published collection offers some of his zombie stories to a modern audience. Having read neither a Lovecraft nor a zombie story before, I thought it would be a nice little addition to my Halloween TBR.

So that's it for my October/Halloween TBR. What book will you be reading this Halloween? Let me know in the comments ^^

Pumpkin Pie anyone?



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Thursday, October 1, 2015

Dream on, Amber: Spotlight + Giveaway

Dream On, Amber

By Emma Shevah
October 6, 2015; Hardcover ISBN 9781492622505


Find it on Goodreads here 

Title: Dream On, Amber
Author: Emma Shevah
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Publishers: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky


Praise for Dream On, Amber:


“By turns playful and poignant, in both style and substance, this coming-of-age novel will hook readers from the first page to the last.”—School Library Journal, STARRED review
“Amber’s effervescent and opinionated narration captivates from the start, making it easy to root for her as she strives to conquer the “beast” of her worries and thrive at home and at school.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“Shevah tenderly captures the void of growing up without a father yet manages to create a feisty, funny heroine… A gutsy girl in a laugh-out-loud book that navigates tough issues with finesse.” –Kirkus, STARRED review
“[This] novel is a charmer...While its humor and illustrations lend it Wimpy Kid appeal, its emotional depth makes it stand out from the pack. Molto bene!”- Booklist, STARRED review

Summary:


My name is Ambra Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto. But call me Amber. I have no idea why my parents gave me all those hideous names but they must have wanted to ruin my life, and you know what? They did an amazing job.
As a half-Japanese, half-Italian girl with a ridiculous name, Amber’s not feeling molto bene (very good) about making friends at her new school.
But the hardest thing about being Amber is that a part of her is missing. Her dad.  He left when she was little and he isn’t coming back. Not for her first day of middle school and not for her little sister’s birthday. So Amber will have to dream up a way for the Miyamoto sisters to make it on their own.

Buy Links:


Barnes&Noble- http://ow.ly/RX7VK
Books A Million- http://ow.ly/RX9Ra
Indiebound- http://ow.ly/S3wYp

About the Author:


Emma Shevah is half-Irish and half-Thai born and raised in London. She has lived in Australia, Japan, India (her first child was born in the Himalayas) and Jerusalem before moving back to the UK. Emma has busked as a fire-juggler, been a restaurant manager, a copy writer, an English teacher, and is now a blogger and author.

Social Networking Links:



Excerpt from Dream On, Amber


Bella came in wearing her matching pink nightdress, pink dressing gown, and pink slippers with Hello Kitty all over them. I just don’t get why people like Hello Kitty. I know it’s Japanese and supposed to be kawaii (cute) and everything, so maybe I should like it, but it’s just a picture of a cartoon cat’s head. I mean, seriously, what’s the big deal?
Bella’s hands were behind her back like she was hiding something. She looked much happier than she did when we got home from the party. She moved her arms to the front and handed me a sealed envelope.
“What’s this?” I asked, putting my sharpener down.
“Can you mail it for me tomorrow?”
I looked at the front of the envelope. There was nothing written on it.
“But it’s blank, Bella.”
“Yuuup.”
“Who’s it for?”
“None of your beeswax, Mrs. Nosy Pants.”
“Um…okay. So you…you want me to put it in the mailbox?”
“Yes, Amber. Duuuh. That’s what mailing means.”
“But how is the mailman going to know who to give it to if it has no name on it?”
“Oh,” she said, frowning.
She lay down on her belly on the floor and with her red crayon from the dollar store (well, she wasn’t borrowing any of mine), she wrote on the front of the envelope: “TO MY DAD.”
I looked at her.
“Bella—”
“Shush,” she said. “Just mail it for me.”
“But there’s no address on it—”
“The mailman will know where he lives. He knows where everyone lives.”
“He won’t know where Dad lives. Nobody knows where Dad lives. Not even Mum.”
“Didn’t I say ‘shush’? I’m sure I said ‘shush.’ Just mail it for me. Pleeease, Amber.”
I sighed. What was I supposed to tell her? She was too little. She didn’t get it. So I took it and put it on my desk, just to make her happy.
I know I shouldn’t have done it and it’s probably against the law and everything but when she went out of my room, I opened it.
It said:

Dier Dad,
My nam is Bella and Im your dorta. My bithday party is on Sunday 16 Speptmbr and I rely want you too come. And I neid you to play with me in the park and posh me on the swing. Please come home
love, Bella
P.S. Please buy me a perpel Swatch wach and Sparkle Girl Julerry Makar for my bithday.

I didn’t know what to do. Obviously, I wasn’t going to mail it without an address on it. So instead, I put it in my secret place. If you pull the bottom drawer of my dresser all the way out, there’s a space under it on the floor where I put my most sacred things. I had a coin that I found in Hyde Park that I’m sure is Roman or Viking and one day I’m going to sell it and get mega rich. I had a few other cool things in there too. Some of them are embarrassing, like key-rings I made out of lanyard strings when I was, like, seven and valentine cards my mum sent me. Stuff you can’t exactly throw out but really don’t want anyone to see. The letter wasn’t one of my sacred things but where else was I going to put it?
I also had a picture of my dad holding me when I was a baby that I sneaked out of Nonna’s album. Obviously, we have a whole bunch of photos of him in that album, but I wanted one for myself. One of him with me. Just to prove to myself that he did actually exist and hold me once, and he even looked proud. I don’t look at that photo much because it makes me angry. I know it doesn’t make sense to keep it, but there you go. Not everything makes sense. If it did, he would never have left in the first place.
There was another knock on my door, so I quickly closed the drawer.
“Hang on… Okay, you can come in now.”
Bella stuck her head in.
“When do you think he’ll get it?” she asked.
“Well, they have to find him first. It’s not easy, you know. It takes teams of detectives months to find missing people.”
She walked in to my room and said, “Oh,” and did that thing where she points her toes inward and puts one foot over the other, like her toes are hugging.
“Do you think he’ll get it before my birthday?”
“I don’t know, Bella. I don’t think so. But if by some weird miracle he did get it before then, I’m sure he’d come to your party.”
Bella unhugged her toes and put her hands on her hips. “Amber?”
“Mmm?”
“How do you know I want Dad to come to my party?”
Oops.
“Well, it’s kind of obvious, Bella. You did ask if he’d get it before your birthday.”
“Oh,” she said, frowning. “Hmm. Well, okay.” And she skipped back to her room.
The letter wasn’t my biggest problem at that point. I was so worried about starting my new school in the morning that I couldn’t get to sleep for ages. When you can’t sleep, your mind starts going a bit doolally. Well, mine does anyway. I start thinking all kinds of crazy things. And eventually the problem with Bella and her letter worked its way into my churning brain.
It was kind of mean and everything but there were times I really wished Bella wasn’t my sister. But knowing there was a huge hole where our dad was supposed to be wasn’t much fun either. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe, just maybe, I could do something about it. I could save Bella from years of torture with one quick solution. 
It seemed straightforward enough.
I decided to pretend to be my dad and write back to her, you know, to make her feel better.
And that was it.
Paff!
The most ingenious idea I’ve ever had lit up my mind like a firework.

The Giveaway

Open to US & Canada only


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