More Middle Grade! THE SILVER STRAND & Giveaway!

 A middle grade blog tour, a middle grade blog tour... I don't sound too excited about it, do I?

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GO MG!

Today, I have, not only a middle grade tour with all the bells and whistles and fantabulastic giveaways, but also words from two of the characters. Read on to give yourself a foundation of the story through the blurb and seriously eerie cover, and then get ready to meet Boldrick & Esme of THE SILVER STRAND.




Description: Ever since twelve year old Isabelle Tresdon’s silver strand of hair sprouted, it’s been nothing but trouble: bleeding pink dust and sparking like a firecracker. Refusing to be known as the girl with the freaky, grandma hair, she wishes it never grew and the hair withers and tarnishes. The only problem is, the strand is Isabelle's source of magic, and she can transform particles of energy into matter. It's also her ticket into Mastermind Academy, a secret school inside the earth’s core. Five days remain before the strand drains her magic and life, forcing Isabelle to enter into a deal with two trickster Masterminds to save it. But what she doesn't count on is there is more at stake than just her life. The Silver Strand, a MG Fantasy Adventure for 9-12 year olds, is book 1 in the Mastermind Academy Series.

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Hello, Boldrick and Esme. I'm so excited you've agreed to join us today. Hope the Alleyway wasn't hard to find?

Esme shakes her head.

Good. Could you tell me, Esme, a bit about your world?

Esme attempts to speak, but Boldrick obviously wants to be heard first and takes center stage.

Good day SA Larsen and friends! *settles on Esme’s lap and extends a paw* Boldrick Cavendar and Madam here. Pleased to meet you.

Esme: *pushes Boldrick’s fluffy, black tail away from her nose* Yeah, yeah, yeah. We recruit new students to Mastermind Academy, a secret school of magic located in the Agartha aka inner earth. For the last fifteen years we also doubled as secret agents, spying on the corrupt Councilors and collecting evidence to foil their plans to betray Agartha.


Ooh, secret agents? How do you prepare?
Boldrick: Delighted you asked! Looking this good takes work, you know. Every morning before breakfast, I use magic to brush my tail 100 times, then wax my whiskers-including my silver one-whiten my teeth and style my fringe with Sassy Bloke Sheer Luster Lacquer for the fussy tom.

Esme: *yawn* Sorry I almost fell asleep. I’m get up at the crack of dawn, gulp down an organic rainbow juice, take the Mesura out for a spin and then tend to the Mastermind Academy.

Mind sharing your biggest challenge in life thus far?
Boldrick: Well right now it is keeping my teaching job at Mastermind Academy! You see, in book 2, I get myself into a spot of bother.

Spot of bother...you seriously crack me up, Boldrick. Esme?


Esme: Training for the annual Agarthan Mesura races was pretty exhausting and mentally draining, but worth it when I won.

Time to turn on the fun. I mean, not that you both aren't really fun already because you are and ... um, what's your biggest quirk?
Esme: Boldrick rubs his fur in seaweed fertilizer to maintain a glossy coat.

Boldrick: Well, if we’re going to point claws then, you stick your nose in people’s gardens and give them unwanted gardening advice! Telos forbid if they have a plant with yellowing leaves.

What's your favorite food and why?
Esme: Boldrick loves sardines. He always eats them before we fly in the Mesura and his breath stinks out the cabin!

Boldrick: I beg your pardon, Madam. The last time you ate your beloved organic homus, the cabin turned into a fire hazard.

Haha! Oops, probably should have swallowed that. Movin' on. What's the real scoop on your creator?
Boldrick: She likes to exaggerate the truth. I for one am not as clumsy and vain as she portrays.

Esme: *rolls her eyes* LJ’s cupboards are cramped full of more herbal tea boxes than a shop’s shelves. She has a magical ability to attract food and stains to her clothing, and regularly goes out to cafes with her shirt on backwards.

How and when do you chat with your creator?
Esme: I get very little time to chat with LJ because bigmouth here natters away to her during the day, leaving me to poke and prod her when she’s trying to sleep.

Boldrick: A thousand pardons, Madam.

No more! No more! I can't stop laughing. You both are killing me! I'm thrilled you've left your signature splats in the Alleyway. And Boldrick, good luck with that spot of bother in book II. ;)

Author L.J. Clarkson One thing you need to know about LJ Clarkson is that she tells BIG lies. She tells everyone that she gave up her career as an Environmental Engineer and Project Manager to write full time. But that's not entirely true. Ten percent of the time she sleeps in. Fifteen percent of her day, she spends surfing the internet, researching for new books and her business. Ok, fine. Two percent is for research. But she's only admitting it so she doesn't end up like Boldrick.

For eighteen point seven five percent of her day, she runs her promotional and support site for authors, called Indicated (www.indicated.com.au). The rest of her time involves writing, reading, watching movies and TV, walking her dogs and falling asleep whenever her boyfriend talks technical computer lingo. Truthfully, she hates early mornings, mondays, grammar (yuck! just ask her poor editor!), broccoli and cleaning. If you would like to drop her and line and let her know what you think of the book, she would love to hear from you. Just not before 8:30am in the morning.

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    Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/9/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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