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I am so excited that ALLERLEIRAUH by Chantal Gadoury is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Chantal Gadoury, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a paperback of the book or an eBook courtesy of The Parliament House and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: ALLERLEIRAUH

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Pub. Date: August 22, 2017

Publisher: The Parliament House

Pages: 236

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Goodreads

Once Upon a Time…

In the kingdom of Tranen, a king makes a promise to his dying wife that he'll only remarry a woman who possesses her golden hair. In time, the king's eyes are turned by his daughter. Realizing her father’s intentions, Princess Aurelia tries to trick him by requesting impossible gifts: dresses created by the sun, moon and stars, and a coat made of a thousand furs. But when he is successful, Aurelia sacrifices her privileged life and flees her kingdom, disguised by the cloak and a new name, Allerleirauh.

She enters the safe haven of Saarland der Licht, where the handsome and gentle Prince Klaus takes her under his care. Hoping not to be discovered by her father’s courtiers, Allerleirauh tries to remain hidden under her new identity when she finds unexpected love with Prince Klaus, even though his arranged marriage to the princess of a neighboring kingdom approaches. Risking everything, Allerleirauh must face her troubled past and her fears of the future along her journey to self-acceptance in this triumphant retelling of the classic Grimm Fairy Tale.

Excerpt:

“I won’t ever let them near you again, Aurelia. I swear it,” he promised as his grief-filled eyes met mine. “You must know I love you. It never mattered to me whether you were a princess or not. It matters not to me if you think you are soiled, because to me . . . you are more . . . You are more than what has happened to you, and you always shall be,” he said softly as his hand slid to my cheek. Carefully, his thumb wiped a tear away. “You are this wonderful, head-strong, and brave woman,” Klaus continued. “No one has any right to ever try to take such a thing away from you. It should only ever be admired and cherished.”

More tears began to spill over my cheeks as relief flooded me. Klaus would not turn me away; instead, he accepted me. I rested my forehead against his shoulder, as I felt his arms slowly wrap around me.

“Tell me what you wish for me to do, my sweet Aurelia, and I will do it.”

About Chantal:

Chantal Gadoury is a young author who is originally from the countryside of Muncy, PA. Chantal likes anything Disney, plays a mean game of Disney trivia, enjoys painting and has a interest in British History. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues that love of writing today. As a recent college graduate from Susquehanna University, with a degree in Creative Writing, writing novels is a dream come true.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Intstagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

(1) winner will receive A Paperback of ALLERLEIRAUH, US Only

(5) winners will receive eBooks of ALLERLEIRAUH, International.

Ends on August 29th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ve decided to start a little project to learn my city a bit more. Even though I have lived in Miami for about 16 years I barely know places to visit, eat or explore. Also taking into fact I barely leave the rock I live in.

There is this cheap gyro shop near Wynwood, about a 5-minute walk from the main walls, called Wynwood Corner Gyros. It is literally a hole in the wall shoved into a corner, making its namesake quite amusing. It has a pretty small menu with everything being under $10 (ideal if you are in a budget).

I still very new to the greek food scene, I think I’ve had two gyros in my whole life. This one in specific was really nice because the greek yogurt sauce wasn’t overwhelming and it had plenty of chicken in it. Also a filing meal in Miami for $5 that is not fast food is pretty amazing.

Wynwood Corner Gyros
2451 NW 5th Ave, Miami, FL 33127

If you ever find yourself in Miami and in the Wynwood area eating at the Salty Donut is a definite must. This little shop has the most mouth water donuts ever, from bacon maple to tres leches and nutella donuts. It is a step up from your typical Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme.

Each donut will cost you between $3-$5 but it is worth every single penny. The shop is so popular that you might find yourself queuing up to buy whatever is available, because once the donuts are gone they are gone till the next day.

The Salty Donut
50 NW 23rd St. #112, Miami, FL 33127

The only daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has always known she’d been raised for one purpose and one purpose only: to marry. Never mind her cunning, which rivals that of her twin brother, Kenshin, or her skills as an accomplished alchemist. Since Mariko was not born a boy, her fate was sealed the moment she drew her first breath.

So, at just seventeen years old, Mariko is sent to the imperial palace to meet her betrothed, a man she did not choose, for the very first time. But the journey is cut short when Mariko’s convoy is viciously attacked by the Black Clan, a dangerous group of bandits who’ve been hired to kill Mariko before she reaches the palace.

The lone survivor, Mariko narrowly escapes to the woods, where she plots her revenge. Dressed as a peasant boy, she sets out to infiltrate the Black Clan and hunt down those responsible for the target on her back. Once she’s within their ranks, though, Mariko finds for the first time she’s appreciated for her intellect and abilities. She even finds herself falling in love—a love that will force her to question everything she’s ever known about her family, her purpose, and her deepest desires.

---

“Be as swift as the wind. As silent as the forest. As fierce as the fire. As unshakable as the mountain. And you can do anything...”

The last book that I read that had a feudal Japan setting was a mess. It was clearly written with the research of Japanese anime.

Flame in the Mist was no where near a mess, it was perfection. It is obvious that Adieh did her research based on history and not on anime.

Flame in the Mist is about Mariko — the daughter of a powerful daimyo — being sent away to marry one of the son’s of the Emperor. On her way the carriage she was in gets destroyed and her entire escort gets murdered by the Black Clan. Soon everyone believes her dead, but Mariko escaped and pulls a Mulan. She infiltrates the Black Clan as she seeks revenge on the people who tried to kill her.

The entire story was set in feudal Japan, the Heain period to be exact. It was filled with mythology, samurai, geiko, sharp weapons, and tea ceremonies. Adieh weaves Japanese vocabulary into the story to give the reader a more Japanese feel. I think that readers that have no prior knowledge of Japan might be very confused with the terminology.

Unlike other YA fantasy novels Flame in the Mist is not all action, and the romance takes a somewhat back seat in the story. It is a subtle romance with no “You are my everything” intensity. The romance in this story was less of a big deal than your typical YA, breaking the story from its stereotypical YA mold. Flame in the Mist focuses more on gender expectations and how society expects each gender to act.

The plot itself was very character driven and amazing. The story was mostly told in Mariko’s POV and it always had me trying to search for answers along side Mariko. We were both in the dark and we both learned together.

My all time favorite thing about the story was the character development Mariko goes through. I cannot go into too much detail because it is a key part of the story and spoilers.

Then my least favorite part was the ending. It left too many questions, about character motives and the magic in the world. I understand this is the first book in the series but it is things being left in major climaxes and cliff hangers stress me out…a lot.

“I’ve never been angry to have been born a woman. There have been times I’ve been angry at how the world treats us, but I see being a woman as a challenge I must fight. Like being born under a stormy sky. Some people are lucky enough to be born on a bright summer’s day. Maybe we were born under clouds. No wind. No rain. Just a mountain of clouds we must climb each morning so that we may see the sun.”

My Rating: 4.5/5
GoodReads
Amazon

Sophia is smart, like genius-calculator-brain smart. But there are some things no amount of genius can prepare you for, and the messiness of real life is one of them. When everything she knows is falling apart, how can she crack the puzzle of what to do with her life?

Joshua spends his time honing magic tricks and planning how to win Sophia’s heart. But when your best trick is making schoolwork disappear, how do you possibly romance a genius?

In life and love, timing is everything.

From Melissa Keil, the award-winning YA author of Life in Outer Space and The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl.

I want to start that I am not a big contemporary fan, the book has to be extra special to even consider reading it. What hooked me into this book was the cover, it is so pretty. Also, the book seller literally shoved it in my hands after we had a chat and found out we had similar tastes. Also this book is not available in US or at least in Amazon US.

The story is the simple young adult contemporary template: boy and girl meet, boy likes girl, boy woos girl, they kinda get together, then there is a problem, boy and girl are no longer together, finally boy and girl find the solution and end up together. (This the reason why contemporary bores me)

This book is special not because of the plot but of it’s characters. Keli gives the reader a character that deals with panic attacks and anxiety, and it felt very realistic. Keli doesn’t just say “Oh Sophia got a panic attack” she shows us the symptoms and how Sophia tries to handle herself as she tries to calm down. If you have ever suffered from panic attacks ( I know I have suffered through my fair share ) you will relate to Sophia immediately.

While this does follow the template teen romance stuff, Keli makes sure to focus on the friendships the characters have with each other and the characters own personal geekiness. For example, Joshua loves magic tricks and illusions to the point that he uses that to woo Sophia, but he also lives and breaths its history and theory which is beautiful. Then we also have Sophia and Elise’s friendship where you can feel the love in their friendship, and even though they suffer metaphorical injuries in their friendship they pull through because of their understanding and love of another.

It is a very lovely novel and I would recommend it to those who want to indulge in a quick YA contemporary read.

My Rating: 3.5/5
GoodReads: 3.99/5

If you ever find yourself in Sydney, Australia there is one thing you must do during your time there. You need to put on some comfortable shoes, grab a water bottle and your favorite photography utensil and do the famous coastal walk that goes from North Bondi to Coogee.

It's is a 3 mile (6 km) walk where you are right next to the Pacific Ocean. The footpath is right by the rocks giving you various chances to climb on them and take some beautiful photographs. I went a few hours before sundown and I was able to marvel at the colorful skies.

Something amazing about this coastal walk is that you have opportunities to enter pools ( like swimming pools ) that are salt water because they are right beside the ocean, with waves constantly crashing into it, allowing you to experience the ocean in a safe environment and away from the strong waves and dangerous currents.

I seem to have become some sort of a foodie upon my visit to Sydney. I keep searching through Pinterest for yummy looking food and then go off looking for them. Is that the first step to becoming a foodie? I highly doubt I will become a foodie, I just like eating food and visually pleasing food can sometimes be the greatest thing ever.

Before my visit to Sydney I had a few food dishes I was dying to try and I have gone to a few of them. I have also found some other food places on the way.

While some of these prices seem pretty expensive remember that I am putting it in Australian dollars and usually it is me and another person having the dishes. Also quality beats quantity.

Sappho Book Cafe & Wine Bar

Iced Latte

Chicken with veggies wrap

14 AUD

I originally wanted an egg brekky because it seem like the popular thing on the menu, but when it was my turn to order they had run out of eggs! I was devastated (and hungry) so I went with a simple chicken wrap, and it was okay. I also ordered a chai tea latte and somehow ended up with a iced coffee latte..I think my American accent my have been lost in translation. While the food might have been okay I felt like the atmosphere of old books more than made up for it.

51 GLEBE POINT RD GLEBE,

SYDNEY, NSW, 2037

www.sapphobooks.com.au

Paramount Coffee Project

Passionfruit and elderflower soda

Almond milk iced latte

Creole Jambalaya

Soft Baked eggs

48 AUD

The vibe of this place was very hipster and millennial, it had the whole chic combined with minimalism going on for it. It was also a bit pricey for a typical traveller or university student, but the food was so delicious it was worth the extra couple of dollars you pay for your meal. The drinks on the other hand were not worth the money, they felt bland and watery for my own personal taste. Especially the soda, it just tasted like boring fizzy water with no real flavor.

80 Commonwealth St

Surry Hills Sydney 2010

www.paramountcoffeeproject.com.au

3 Williams

Golden Gaytime French Toast

Iced Latte

Duck Narnie

39 AUD

I originally was super excited for this restaurant because the images I saw online showed a fruit overload french toast and what I got was a chocolate surprise. I think the fruity one is a seasonal. I just saw the word french toast without reading the description and just ordered it. It had chocolate crisps, cereal and chip and a bunch of chocolate sauce…it was too much for my taste buds ( I am not really a chocolate person….). The duck narnie was like a fajita but with veggies and peking duck…it was my first time trying duck and I am still not sure how I feel about it.

613a Elizabeth St

Redfern NSW 2016

http://threewilliamscafe.com

Aqua S

Matcha Sea Salt Swirl with extras

Royal Milk Tea Sea Salt Swirl

12 AUD

Oh my god, this ice cream was the best. It is hidden away in a plaza called Regent Place and it was everything I ever wanted and more. If there is one Sydney recommendation it would be have ice cream here! The ice cream flavors change fortnightly, they can range from matcha, royal milk ta, mango, milo, grape, creme brulee! Also you can add the most adorable toppings, but be warned…the candy floss is very sweet and if you are not a crazy sweet tooth it is unlikely that you will finish it. (Get it for the instagram picture though)

Regent Place

501 George St

Sydney

NSW 2000

www.aquas.co

Tenko Mori

Tamara Ramen on Miso Broth

Apple Qoo

9.90 AUD

This ramen house is located in the same plaza as Aqua S (the plaza is actually very Korean/Japanese). I haven’t had ramen since my time in Japan and this bowl of ramen brought back good memories. The place also offers Japanese curry and bento boxes, but I think you should have the ramen rather than that other stuff.

Regent Place

501 George St

Sydney

NSW 2000

http://tenkomori.com.au/

Cicchetti

High Tea for 2 - Includes:
tea (4 servings per person)
scones, cakes, sweets and savory finger sandwiches

65 AUD

I have never had high tea with the fancy china and the fancy finger food...and it was one of my dreams to have proper high tea while dressing super fancy. I was super happy I was able to do it, I was smiling all day. (Heehee) While this is pretty pricey it is an experience and the finger food was to die for and believe or not you are actually quite full and satisfied after feasting on all the goodies.

4th Floor of QVB

My next adventure has begun. I will be visiting the not small island of Australia. It is a bit odd, after two summers in Japan I am going to Australia (it is kinda close to Japan…kinda). It is even odder that I have to pack autumn/winter clothes instead of summer clothes (btw it is always opposite day in Australia).

I will be staying in Sydney, which turns out to NOT be the capital of Australia…(it is Canberra) for an entire month. I know I know, Sydney doesn’t count as all of Australia, but my university student lifestyle and budget can only allow for so much, plus I have some super friends in Sydney that will keep me from feeling lonely in a new place.

Some fun facts about Sydney, Australia

- It is illegal to hold a koala in New South Wales unless you have a fancy license to hold one.

- Kinder eggs are legal

- There is a suburb called Newtown and it is not new

- You can’t hug koalas

- They have pretty decent public transportation (unlike Miami..)

- University of Sydney has a building that looks like a castle

- Most of the museums are free

- You cannot hug or hold koalas

Watch out for this tropical bird leave her comfort zone tackle autumn in the place where everything is out to kill you.