Book Blitz: The Queen of the Realm of Faerie Series by Heidi Garrett

True Love's First Kiss by Heidi Garrett

Series: The Queen of the Realm of Faerie 1-3
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication date: June 18th 2013

Goodreads

Blurb:

In the Enchanted World, true love’s first kiss is magic.

Nandana’s Mark, Book 1: When two half-faeries—Melia and her younger sister—are cursed under dreadful circumstances, true love’s first kiss is the remedy.

The Flower of Isbelline, Book 2: Nothing but true love’s first kiss can save Melia’s younger sister from blind ambition and ruin.

The Dragon Carnivale, Book 3: Melia must choose the freedom she cherishes or true love’s first kiss—and a relationship that promises to secure her place in the Whole.

The Queen of the Realm of Faerie is a fairy tale fantasy series that bridges the Mortal and Enchanted worlds. The main character, Melia, is an eighteen-year-old half-faerie, half-mortal. She lives in Illialei, a country in the Enchanted World, with her two sisters and their mother. Melia’s father has been exiled to the Mortal World, and her best friend is a pixie.

When the story opens in the first book, Melia is troubled by her dark moon visions, gossip she overhears about her parents at the local market, and the trauma of living among full-blooded faeries with wings—she doesn’t have any.

As the series unfolds, the historic and mystical forces that shape Melia’s life are revealed. Each step of her journey—to find the place where she belongs—alters her perceptions about herself, deepens her relationships with others, and enlarges her world view.

True Love’s First Kiss is a compilation of the first three books in this ongoing series.

 

The Dragon Carnivale by Heidi Garrett
Series: The Queen of the Realm of Faerie, #3
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication date: June 18th 2013

Goodreads

Blurb:

Energies in the Enchanted World are shifting and new alliances are forming; the Battle of Dark and Light has begun. The half-faerie Melia is desperate to make things right with Ryder, the young priest from Idonne, but first she must warn the halfbloods in the Mortal World that Umbra is coming for them, and face the powerful Dragonwitch and her spectacular Dragon Carnivale

About the author: 

Heidi Garrett is the author of The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series. Her personal message to all her readers is:

Once upon a time, you lived in an enchanted world, too…

May you always see the magic in your life.

The Queen of the Realm of Faerie includes many strong female characters within an intricate fantasy land. It is also a fairy tale fantasy.

The first book, Nandana’s Mark, is one of those free ebooks; the second book, The Flower of Isbelline, is now available; and the third book, The Dragon Carnivale, will be released in June 2013.

Heidi's hope is that when you read her books, you will rediscover the enchantment in your own life.

She currently resides in Eastern Washington State with her husband and their two cats. So far, she loves the snow. Being from the South, she finds it very magical. 

Check her out:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter 

You want to know more?? How about the author's top 10 reads??

Heidi Garrett’s 10 Favorite Reads

Many writers say that you should read a lot to be a good writer. I’d say it’s important for writers to read books they love. I spent years slogging through books I didn’t like, but felt like I should read. I don’t do that anymore. I read what I want to, when I want to. Here are some of my favorites reads:

1. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Louisa Clark embarks on an unusual relationship with Will Traynor. She is a delight and their relationship hits all the right notes. Louisa's mum and dad, her sister, nephew, and granddad fill out the story with warmth, charm, and zest. Will's mum, dad, and sister aren't quite so warm, charming, or zesty, but they round out the cast and keep things from floating off into the ozone of sappy. The story comes together well, managing to be both light and profound. And when I say light, I don't mean shallow or breezy, I mean light-filled, and when I say profound, I mean heartbreakingly profound.

2. The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman

Elv, the eldest Story sister, creates a gritty fairytale world for herself and her sisters. I’ve read this book twice. There are few books I read for the second time, but I love this one. I love the poetry in it. I love the Story sisters, Annie, their ama, Madame Cohen, and Pete. I love Shiloh and Pollo. I love the faeries and demons, black roses and hawthorn trees, tomatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches. I love the pink and the black. It's a heartbreaker, but it remains one of my most treasured Alice Hoffman books.

3. Leaf Storm by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

There’s a reason that Gabo is considered a master. He didn’t just have a unique and powerful way of writing, he also had a unique and powerful way of seeing the world. A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings may still be my favorite story in this collection, but the entire book got under my skin. The leaf storm is the arrival of—for lack of a better term—industry to the small town of Macondo. The leaf trash are the elements of the population that the storm blows into town, leaving the residents who are already there feeling like outsiders. This is presented in the prologue. What follows is not factual; it’s like watercolors bleeding on a wet canvas. The stories sprawl into the psyches of the imagined citizens. We get their hearts and souls. It’s really unfortunate that this treasure has not become available for ereaders.

4. Elfland by Freda Warrington

Fantasy books with worlds that bleed into, overlay, precede, or somehow connect to the real world are some of my favorites. Elfland is perhaps the best I’ve read at bringing together our contemporary earthly realm and sensibilities with the dreamy mystical realm, Aetherial, beyond the gates. The light of Rose Fox, the protagonist, plays deftly and intriguingly against the dark of Lawrence Wilder, the antagonist. The story is intricate, layered, and requires a reader’s attention. It’s a wonderful read.

5. The Enchanted Orchards by Kristen Maddock

The summer in Calcutta is hot, Fern is searching for answers to tough questions, and the peach orchards are a haven of beauty and mystery. This is a sweet and tender story about love, loss, and spiritual revival. The main character, Fern, has just the right balance of honesty, integrity, vulnerability, and wit. Her sassy best friend, Fancy, provides the perfect counterpoint.

6. The Empress by Karen Miller

The first book in the Godspeaker trilogy chronicles Hekat’s rise to power. It’s a daring, edgy read thanks to the dark religion that fuels the world. Although it’s well-written, the opening borders on fantasy-cliché. Beyond that, the reader enters an original world and story that intrigues as much as it repels. I won’t divulge the moment I was hooked, because you’ve got to read this one yourself.

7. The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

This is Ariah's story, and it's told in her voice and the voice of all the people who are important in and to her life. The physical setting is Niagara Falls, New York, but the cultural setting is a political/social/criminal backdrop that I suspect is real. Can't be sure, I didn't bother to check, but that was also kind of Old Skool. Weaving the story through this political/social thing and making it personal. This was probably one of the best novels I've read that does that. Most novels that attempt this come across as pedantic and unpleasant. The story takes a backseat to the author's message, and the reader gets pummeled with the author's OPINIONS. Not in The Falls. Ariah's story is front and center. I loved her daughter, Juliet, and Bud. 

8. The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

Percy Parker is oddly pale, and her story is quirky with a capital Q. It’s a delightful, whimsical, fantastical read. The story is unusual with its blend of Victorian sensibilities, boarding schools, and creative mythologies.

9. The Toadhouse Trilogy, Book 1

The madman, Biblos, hunts Aine and her brother, Spenser, through time, space, and story. Their mechanism of travel: a toadhouse; their pilot and protector: Gilgamesh. But Aine finds it difficult to trust anyone—including herself. Regardless, friends abound, and they all want to help Aine and Spenser reunite with their mother, Helen. An outstanding contemporary fantasy, bursting with whimsy and magic.

10. Virtue by Amanda Hocking

Fairytales meet the seven deadly sins. This is the first book I read by Amanda Hocking, and probably the first indie book I ever read. I’d never heard of Hocking until I got on Twitter when her story was all the rage. Intrigued, I purchased several of her books. I was pleasantly surprised by “Virtue.” The plotting is clever, the pacing is tight, and it’s pure fun. Very enchanting.