Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker

Music Boxes

By Tonja Drecker

Middle Grade Fantasy / Performing Arts

158 pages

Dancing Lemur Press

Release date: March 5th, 2019

Ages 9 to 12

      ·         ISBN-10: 1939844568

      ·         ISBN-13: 978-1939844569

Book Blurb:

“I only desire your talent...”

Twelve-year-old Lindsey McKay's biggest dream is to be a famous ballerina. But after moving to New York, she ends up at the Community Center with a teacher who’s a burly bear in tights.

When she meets Madame Destinée, the teacher of a top dance school who offers her classes for free, Lindsey can't believe her luck. In exchange, she must perform in the school’s exclusive midnight shows, ones sure to make her a star. But something’s not right...

One by one, the other dancers disappear. Each time they do, a music box with a figurine just like the missing ballerina joins Madame Destinée’s growing collection. If Lindsey doesn’t discover the truth about the dance school, she might end up a tiny figurine herself.

Goodreads link :  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41452109

Sale Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Music-Boxes-Tonja-Drecker/dp/1939844568

B&N : https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/music-boxes-tonja-drecker/1129391447

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/music-boxes

Get a FREE envelope with Swag!

Pre-order/order your book (ecopy or print) before midnight (EST) on Friday night, March 8^th, send a copy of your proof of purchase to  tonjadrecker@gmail.com along with an US mailing address, and you will receive an envelope with exclusive swag (bookmark, sticker, etc). 

All about the author...

Tonja Drecker is a writer, blogger, children’s book reviewer and freelance translator. After spending years in Germany exploring forgotten castles, she currently resides in the Ozarks with her family of six. When she’s not tending her chickens and cows, she’s discovering new adventures, nibbling chocolate and sipping a cup of tea.

Links:

Author website: http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/

Review blog: https://bookwormforkids.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TDrecker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TDrecker/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJhQ1T8dLx1v9xkiLzlJSnA

Giveaway

The giveaway will run from midnight (EST) on the night of February 21^st, 2019 until midnight (EST) on the night of March 15^th,  2019. Entries will be made through the Rafflecopter. One winner will receive a music box (the one found in the book video: https://youtu.be/ww_RY4lVg3w) with the author’s golden signature on the bottom as well as swag (US addresses only). The second winner will receive an Amazon GC of $10 (US). The second winner must be in possession of a qualifying US Amazon account.

The contest is open to U.S. residents only, ages eighteen and over. No purchase is required for entry. All winners must claim their prize 48 hours after notification. Winners will be announced on www.tonjadrecker.blogspot.com on Saturday, March 16t^h 2019 by 10:00am (EST). All addresses and personal information will be used only for prize allocation. Sponsor, Tonja Drecker, assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind. Please email all questions to tonjadrecker@gmail.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Blog Tour Stop #7

Hey everyone!  I'm over at Tonja Drecker's blog today to talk about the best way to handle setbacks as a writer.  If you're interested, please stop by and check it out!

Also, don't forget that if you want to get into the Halloween spirit, I have a couple of spooky stories available for you to read.  I wrote one of them for this month's Write Edit Publish Challenge, and I wrote the other for Spooktoberfest.

Have a great day!

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Blog Tour Stop #6

Hello friends!  I have a couple of things for you.  First of all, if you'd like a short little Halloween scare, my entry for Spooktoberfest is now available for your entertainment!

Secondly, Laura over at My Baffling Brain has been kind enough to host me today as part of my Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People blog tour. Today I'm talking about why I, as a writer, love Halloween.  If you're interested, please feel free to stop by!

Thanks everyone, and have a great day!

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Blog Tour Stop #5

Hey there!  Today I have a couple of exciting things going on. If you're interested in reading my creepy WEP entry, which uses both the constellations and Halloween prompts, you can find that HERE.

Also, I'm over at Fiction and Film with Kate Larkindale talking about my latest Self-Help 101 novella and how important it is for a writer to be open to inspiration as much as possible.  If you're interested, you can find that HERE.

Have a great day everyone!

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Blog Tour Stop #4

Hello!  Today I'm continuing my October blog tour for my latest Self-Help 101 novella with a stop by Lori MacLaughlin's blog.  In my post, I talk about the challenges of writing a novella series in a year and offer you an excerpt from the book.  Please stop by and check it out!

Have a great day!

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Blog Tour Stop #3

Hello!  I'm here to let all of you know that I'm over at Denise Covey's blog today talking about entering the IWSG Anthology Contest.  If you're a member of the IWSG, you should definitely consider entering, and if you need a pep talk, stop by Denise's and let me tell you why you should! Plus you can learn more about my latest novella in the process!

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Blog Tour Stop #2

Today I'm continuing my October blog tour with Tamara Narayan and a post about dealing with critique.  Some critiques are valuable and have much insight to offer, and some are simply mean-spirited and aren't worth worrying about.  How can you tell the difference?  Stop by Tamara's blog to find out!

Have a great day!

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Blog Tour Stop #1

Hello!  I'm just posting really quick to let everyone know that I'm over at Diane Burton's blog today talking about why I wrote a Self-Help 101 novella about Halloween.  Please feel free to stop by!

Have a great day everyone!

A Monday Blog Tour Stop

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Today I'm over at Alex J. Cavanaugh's blog for another blog tour stop.  Please feel free to stop by and say hello!  

Check Out Another Blog Tour Stop!

Hey everybody!  I'm over at Cathrina Constantine's blog today as part of my Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury blog tour!  If you want to read my tips on how to write humor, feel free to check it out!

A Saturday Blog Tour Stop

Hello everyone!  I'm here to let everyone know that I'm doing another blog tour stop today!  Steven Rose, Jr. is hosting me today, so if you'd like to read an interview about the Self-Help 101 series, be sure to stop by!

Have a great weekend!

Celebrate the Small Things-July 22, 2016

It's Friday!  Let's Celebrate the Small Things with Lexa Cain! Tonja Drecker and I are her co-hosts.

First of all, I'd like to mention that I'm over at Patricia Lynne's blog today with a post about my Self-Help 101 series and why the books have such long titles.  Please check it out if you're interested!

This week has been really hot.  The heat index has been hovering between 105 and 120 degrees the past few days. Since I'm also awkwardly pregnant, that's made it difficult for me to function.  Heat doesn't normally bother me much, but it does now.  I guess I'll celebrate the fact that the excessive heat wave is almost over.

Don't think I'm complaining, though.  A lot of good things have happened.  The kids had a great time last weekend at our local town celebration.  Here are a few pictures.

Now for the really big news of the week.  My sister-in-law had a baby boy on Tuesday.  His name is Finley and he's healthy. Having a new nephew is definitely worth celebrating.

What would you like to celebrate?

A Guest Post About Self-Help Books

Hello everyone!  I meant to post this earlier, but it's been an odd sort of day, so nothing has gone according to plan.  My sister-in-law is having a baby today, and that's kept us somewhat distracted.

Anyway, C.D. Gallant-King was kind enough to offer me a spot on his blog today.  I'm talking about self-help books and why Dani, the main character of the Self-Help 101 series chooses to write them.  Feel free to stop by if you're interested!

Hell Comes to Hogtown by C.D. Gallant-King

A comic book nerd and a pro-wrestler try to clear their names in a kidnapping while evading a bloodthirsty demon hoboÖ

THE TRAILER!

THE INTERVIEW!

Your first book, Ten Thousand Days, was very much a love story about the hero searching for his lost wife. Tell us about Hell Comes to Hogtown: Is it a love story as well?
Hogtown actually is a sort of love story, but probably not what youíre expecting. Itís not what I expected when I started writing it.

Hell Comes to Hogtown is about a hapless underachiever named Fitz who works at a comic shop and canít get a date to save his life. When a beautiful woman walks into his shop by accident one rainy night he thinks his luck might actually be changingÖ until she gets him implicated in a murder and kidnapping case involving the prime ministerís family. Fitz and his best friend ñ a womanizing, drug-addicted professional wrestler named Dee ñ go on the run from the cops trying to clear their name only to discover thereís something way worse than the cops on their tail. A creepy, murderous hobo hounds them at every stepÖ and he may be some kind of demon.

So where does the love story come in?
When I first started writing the tale I thought the love story was going to be between Fitz and the mysterious woman. It was a major theme in the first draft but it seemed really forced and I couldnít figure out why. I eventually realized after conversation with my alpha reader (my brilliant wife, who has a knack for making sense out of my nonsense) that the love story isnít between Fitz and the woman, but between Fitz and Dee. Itís not romantic love, but the bond they share is far stronger than any other relationship either of them could hope for. I call the book a ìhorror comedyî but you could more specifically classify it as a ìhorror buddy comedy.î

How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Depends on what you mean by ìwrite a book.î Also, do you mean currently, or under the best circumstances?

Years ago, before I was married and had kids, I wrote incredibly fast. I still do, I just donít always have the time to sit down and do it anymore. Iíve written 50,000 word first-drafts in under three weeks. The first draft of Ten Thousand Days took three days. That sounds pretty good, except remember those are first drafts - they were rough and needed a lot of work. I have a bunch of ìfirst draftî books in The Closet that need a major polish and overhaul, so I wouldnít call those books finished by any means.

Hogtown took about 5 months for the first draft, and it took close to a year to revise and edit it to get it where it needed to be. This is the first time Iíve ever put so much effort into really finishing a book as best as I possibly can, and it takes a lot of time. Writing is easy and fun. Revising is work. Iím sure I could have done it faster in different circumstances (and I learned a lot that will hopefully make the next one go faster) but family and my ìrealî job come first, so writing takes awhile.

Do you have any odd writing habits?
I write on the bus, does that count? I have a very long commute to and from work every day, so I might as well make use of that time, right? Hell Comes to Hogtown was written and edited almost exclusively with my laptop balanced on my knees on an OC Transpo bus. Some people might find it distracting, but with my iPod blaring in my ears and my focus on my screen I donít even notice it anymore. I get so ìin the zoneî that sometimes I nearly miss my stop.

Do you ever get writerís block?
Not so far, knock on wood. If anything, I have too many ideas floating around in my head, I donít have time to work on them all. Often the biggest stumbling block to writing for me is just Life Happening. I have a family and a full time job, so writing has to come a distant third in my list of priorities and I donít always get to put as much work into it as I would like. My problem isnít getting to the keyboard and finding the ideas wonít come; my issue is usually is just getting to the keyboard sometimes. But you try not to get discouraged and work when you can, Eventually, even if itís just a few minutes here and there, you will get through the book and have something to show for it.

What are your five favorite books, and why?
In no particular order:

1. Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut - This was a perfect blend of comedy and blackness. It hit all the right notes for me at the age I read it, the lost love, the denouncement of war, the questions of morality, all undercut by Vonnegutís infamous dark sense of humour. Iím reading it again right now and it still blows me away with how effortlessly Vonnegut stirs up so much emotion. Itís not hilarious, laugh-out loud funny, but itís got a certain satirical levity that is totally incongruous with the dark and painful subject matter, and it works perfectly. I wish I could write a book like this.

2. The Road by Cormac McCarthy - The best zombie book and it doesnít have a single zombie in it. Itís so bleak and depressing (though not as bad as some of his other work, like Blood Meridian) but it holds onto a tiny sliver of hope so beautifully. I could never write a book like this and I donít think Iíd want to.

3. The Hitchhikerís Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - If you donít know why I would like this we canít be friends.

4. Lamb by Christopher Moore - This is the book I wish I had written. Like, word for word. The true story of Jesus, as told by his childhood pal Biff. Itís priceless, and hilarious, and a so much fun while still holding onto some of that darkness that permeates other books I enjoy. Moore and myself share a similar sense of humour, which is pretty obvious in some of his more ìhorrorî themed books like You Suck: A Love Story and A Dirty Job. They could be spiritual cousins to Hell Comes to Hogtown.  Plus, how can you not love a book where Jesus travels to China, invents martial arts and calls it ìJu-do: The Way of the Jew?î

5. Anything by Terry Pratchett.

THE BOOK!

Title: Hell Comes to Hogtown
Author: C.D Gallant-King
Genre: Comic Horror
Length: 65,000 words
Cover Art: Jason Salvatori and Max Covers
Editing: Amy Allen-MacLeod
Release Date: July 1, 2016

Fitz is a broke night manager for a grubby comic book store. His only friend Dee is a drugged-out, womanizing pro-wrestler. Together theyíre the most pathetic losers on the face of the planet. Their lives cannot possibly get any worse.

And then theyíre implicated in the kidnapping of the prime ministerís wife.

On the run from the cops, Fitz and Dee discover there is something far worse than the RCMP stalking the dark streets of Toronto. They are being hunted by an ancient demon of unspeakable evil with an insatiable taste for blood... or maybe itís just your run-of-the-mill giant murderous hobo?

Either way, life in prison might be better than whatever the creepy drifter has in store for themÖ

THE LINKS!

You can purchase Hell Comes to Hogtown at any of the fine retailers below:

AMAZON.COM | AMAZON.CA | AMAZON.CO.UK

KOBO | BARNES & NOBLE | iTUNES

CREATESPACE | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

THE WRITER!

Writer, tabletop gamer, pro-wrestling aficionado. Dad.

C.D. Gallant-King is an independent writer originally from Newfoundland, Canada, though he's not fond of fishing and hates boats. He moved to Toronto to study theatre, and then later moved to Ottawa where he does absolutely nothing related to theatre.

He hangs out on Twitter and Facebook, and blogs at Stories I Found in the Closet and Rule of the Dice.

Time For a Blog Tour Stop!

Today's blog tour stop for my latest novella Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury takes me to Lori MacLaughlin's blog.  The main character Dani has some survival tips for any of you who may find themselves in a bizarre science fiction scenario.  One can never be too prepared, right?

Self-Help 101 Blog Tour Stop!

Hello everyone!  I'm just putting up a quick post to let you all know that I have a guest post up on Diane Burton's blog today promoting my latest novella Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury.  Be sure to check it out if you're interested!

More Pre-Order Links!

First of all, I have a post over on the Parallels blog about trends in science fiction.  Feel free to check it out if you're interested!

Next, I have more pre-order links for my upcoming novella Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury.

Amazon

Amazon UK

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

You can also add it on Goodreads.

This book comes out June 28th, which is less than a week away.  I have some guest posts scheduled, but I have some openings for guest posts in August, so if any of you are interested, let me know!

Also, I'd greatly appreciate any help with promotion I can get. I'll post some pre-written promotional tweets on release day, and I'd love it if a few of you could send them out for me.

That's all for now.  Thanks everyone!  You're all awesome!

The Undead Road Sale and Book Tour Info

The Vital Information

Title: The Undead Road: My Zombie Summer: Part One

Publisher: Dashboard Books / CreateSpace

Ebook Release: January 2^nd, 2016

Paperback: January 26^th, 2016

Cover by Steven Novak

Edited by Reece Hanzon

Nothing brings the family together like a zombie apocalypse …

Fifteen-year-old Jeremy Barnes would rather watch a zombie movie than shoot a real one, but he has no choice if his family wants to survive the end of the world. Their plan? Drive across the infected United States to a cabin in the Colorado Rockies without a scratch, but their trip takes a complicated detour in the middle of Nebraska when they find Kaylynn, a girl who can handle a baseball bat better than Jeremy can hold a .45 Berretta. And when they stumble into a sanctuary, Jeremy soon learns that Kaylynn is stronger than she looks—a deadly secret lies inside her.

After the radio picks up a distress call from Kansas City about a possible cure, Jeremy’s parents go with a team to investigate. They never return. The only way to find their parents is for Jeremy and his sister Jewel to rely on a dangerous girl who might just turn on them at any moment.

Amazon

Amazon.CA

Amazon.UK

Amazon.AU

CreateSpace

Kindle Store

What Others Are Saying

"For me, zombie stories are never about the killing. They're about the survivors and how people deal with the apocalypse. To this undead end, David Powers King has come up with the most original spin on zombies I've ever read." - Michael Offutt, author of Slipstream and Oculus

Contest Details

Visit davidpowersking.com and leave and comment and/or tweet about The Undead Road (at least once) for a chance to win a free ebook. One out of every 10 comments and tweets is a winner! Use the Twitter Button below to ensure the author will see your tweet. Thank you!

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Don't forget that The Undead Road is on sale for .99 in the Kindle Store from January 25th to January 29th!  Seriously, how can you pass that up?

There's also a blog tour going on as we speak, so be sure to check out when and where to go to keep up with all the cool goings-on.  

Blog tour hosts

Alex Cavanaugh         Jan 25^th

Donna Hole                 Jan 25^th

Chemist Ken               Jan 26^th

Elana Johnson             Jan 26^th

Nick Wilford               Jan 26^th

Susan Gourley             Jan 27^th

Tara Tyler                    Jan 27^th

Kristin Smith               Jan 27^th

Lidy Wilks                  Jan 28^th

Elizabeth Seckman      Jan 28^th

M.J. Fifield                 Jan 29^th

Michael de Gesu         Jan 29^th

About the Author

David Powers King was born in beautiful downtown Burbank, California where his love for film inspired him to be a writer. He is the co-author of the YA fantasy novel WOVEN, published by Scholastic. An avid fan of science fiction and fantasy, David also has a soft spot for zombies and the paranormal. He currently lives deep in the mountain West with his wife and three children.

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Announcing the Giveaway Winners!

Thanks to everyone who helped to make my Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My Family blog tour a successful one!  

As you'll probably recall, I set up a giveaway, and now it's time to announce the winners!  At the beginning of all of this I said that I would be giving away twelve e-copies of my novella.  As it turns out, that isn't entirely true.  Part of me was concerned that I might not even have twelve people enter, but I did.  In fact, a total of fourteen people entered for a chance to win.  I could have stuck to my original plan to give away twelve copies, but I didn't feel like leaving anyone out.  That's why, in the spirit of the season, I've decided to give away copies to all fourteen people who entered.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I know the header of the giveaway widget is no longer accurate, but if The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy can have five books, my twelve book giveaway can actually involve giving away fourteen copies.  I'll be emailing the winners soon, and I'll get the prizes sent out as soon as possible.

Thanks again to all of you!

WEP December Challenge and Self-Help 101 Blog Tour Day #12

I'm here with my entry for the Write . . . Edit . . . Publish December Challenge: Celebrations That Are Out of This World!  Before we get there, though, I'd like to take care of one order of business.

This is the final day of the blog tour for my Christmas novella Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My Family.  Today I'm with Cathrina Constantine.  The subject for the day is mistletoe.

Also, this is your last chance to enter to win a free copy!  What are you waiting for? Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now let's get on with the challenge!

Unity Day

“Our days together are passing far too quickly,” I whisper.  I run my trembling fingers through Rafael’s dark hair as the sun rises again, bathing us both in light.  The rays catch Earth’s atmosphere for a few moments, making it flash a vibrant blue, and it looks as if the entire planet hasn’t been rendered uninhabitable by a brutal war.

This is sunrise number eight.  Our time together is halfway over.  Eight mini-days remain. 

“That’s why we’re going to make the most of them,” Rafael says.  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it Anouk?  Imagine how different it would be if we could live down there.”

It’s a breathtaking thought, even more stunning than the marble of a world rotating quietly below us or the deep brown of Rafael’s eyes.  Maybe it’s masochistic to even entertain the notion, but this is the one 24-hour time period out of the entire year when I allow myself to do it.

“We’d get a house,” I say.  “I’ve seen some pictures of what they looked like.  We’d have a house with a lot of rooms, a porch, and a yard with grass.”  There, inside our house, all of our days were long and full.

Rafael hums in approval as he reaches for my hand.  His palm is calloused from years of hard labor.  In his section of the station, everyone who’s capable of doing so is expected to start working full time at age fourteen.  Seven years have passed since then, and I’ve seen plenty of other changes that came along with the roughened skin.  His smiles came more easily.  His laughter once shook his whole body with its strength.

“Grass.  I wonder what grass smells like.”

I shrug.  “No one knows, so I guess that means whatever we imagine is the truth.  There’s no one here to tell us otherwise.”  It’s a childish idea, and I know it.  No matter how hard I try to ignore reality, it won’t go away. 

We have eight orbits left.  Eight more cycles of ninety minutes apiece before we go back to our respective lives.

“Our own little truth that no one else knows.  I like that.”  He smiles.

“Me too.”

I cast my eye around the mess hall that’s been rearranged for the day.  The banner proclaiming “Happy Unity Day!” is drooping above the doorway and looking rather ragged around the edges.  This is understandable considering it’s been used for at least the last five years.  Supplies are limited, so this holiday that was conceived on our little island in space doesn’t typically have much in terms of decorations, but that isn’t much of a problem.  It’s sandwiched snugly between Hanukkah and Christmas this year, the timing meant to piggyback off the general feeling of goodwill that’s supposed to abound.  Judging by the distance separating the small clusters of humanity that dot the room, the feeling of goodwill wore off a little while ago.  Most people have already made their way back to their respective parts of the station.

“Do you think your mother is still watching?” Rafael asks.  He must think that’s the reason for my distraction.

I can almost feel the gaze of the camera piercing my back.  “I’m sure she is.  She says that she’s obligated to keep a close eye on things since this entire station is her responsibility, but I know better.”  She’s never liked that I fell in love with a Laborer.  She’s reminded me time and again that there’s no future in it, and I know she’s right.  As an Administrator, I’m destined to end up with a fellow Administrator.  If only she understood that I can’t just turn my feelings off.

“What if we could run?  We’d go and hide in another part of the station for a few hours,” Rafael says wistfully.  “We could pretend we’re in our house where we can spend our days however we like.”

I’ve pictured this many times before.  What would it be like to steal a few private moments, to have something more than the supervised hours of daydreaming a life together?  Unfortunately, time alone could lead to unsanctioned babies, and had in the past.  That’s why this holiday is governed by such stringent rules.

Each section of the station needs to maintain a certain population size, and the people who live there perform their predetermined tasks.  They have children with people within their section.  Educational resources are allocated accordingly.  We’re told that, with such a small population, we need to do all we can to maintain stability.  The sacrifices we make are for the greater good.

Sometimes I even believe that, but not today.

“That would be amazing.”  I lean against his shoulder, savoring the feeling of his arm sliding around my waist.  The rules might be taking a lot away from us, but they can’t take this away.  Not yet, at least.

One year, hopefully a long time from now, Rafael will tell me that he’s married someone he can have a future with, or it will be me telling him the same.  We’ll both look back at the previous Unity Day and reflect on how we didn’t know it would be the last one we spent together.

We’ll have children with other people, as we’re expected to do.

We’ll live according to the rules of our classification.  There’s no other choice.

Until then, we’ll spend this holiday pretending each turn around Earth represents one full day, and we’ll fill that time with all the happiness we can. 

Eight miniature days left. Eight orbits around a dead world.  While it’s impossible not to think of what might have been, I don’t want that to be all we have.  I kiss his cheek, the stubble scratching at my skin as I slowly pull away.  “You know what is amazing, though?”

Rafael is running his fingers through my hair now.  “What?”

“This here.  This is pretty amazing too.”

987 words/FCA