Book Blitz: The Golden Apple by Michelle Diener + Giveaway (INT)

To post this Blitz and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter, 

email us at PrismBookTours(at)gmail.com with "Golden Apple Blitz" in the subject line!

We're celebrating the release of Michelle Diener's second fairy tale retelling:
The Golden Apple
An Adult Fantasy Romance based loosely on the Princess on the Glass Hill

The Golden Apple

by Michelle Diener

Adult Fantasy/SciFi

March 24, 2014

Kayla's world has been turned upside-down...

Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.

Rane's honor is torn in two...

In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to--including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.

Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together...

Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla's actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no-one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No-one.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes

The inspiration for The Golden Apple

The Golden Apple is loosely based on the Norwegian fairy tale The Princess on the Glass Hill. The original tale is more about the hero than the heroine, and it is a very straightforward quest story, with the hero becoming more and more accomplished, until at last he succeeds against the odds. But there were a few things in this fairy tale that stood out for me and made me take notice. The first is the very unusual situation of the king holding a contest for his daughter’s hand by putting her on top of a glass hill with a golden apple in her lap. Knights from all over are invited to race a horse up the smooth glass sides of the mountain and the one who can pluck the golden apple from the princess's lap wins her hand and is heir to the kingdom. As usual in fairy tales, there is no explanation as to how the king came by a glass mountain, but I wondered where he got it, and that sparked the starting point of the story. It is really the inciting incident that starts the story off, rather than the focus of the story, as it was in the fairy tale.

Secondly, the crux of the tale, for me, is that the hero cannot win the princess's hand without help from the princess herself. That part of the original tale is one or two lines long, but for me, it's fascinating. The feminine power determining and choosing which masculine power will prevail. This really made me interested, because the princess doesn't just sit there and take whoever it is manages to accomplish the (impossible) task set by her father, but actively chooses who it is she wants to win and helps them. I wanted to write a story about the consequences of her taking that power and using it and The Golden Apple was the result -- far, far more heroine-centric than the original, and I really had fun with it.
- Michelle Diener

LAST CALL FOR REVIEWERS!

Are you interested in fantasy romance?
Do you love fairy tale retellings?
Have you read Michelle Diener and enjoyed her work in the past?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you can request a review copy of The Golden Apple! The Golden Apple is up for review by invitation only on NetGalley. Reviewers with book review sites can apply for a limited number of pre-approved copies. Book reviewers who post their review on their review site, Amazon, and Goodreads can enter a Rafflecopter draw to win one of ten copies of any Michelle Diener book of their choice, or a $10 Amazon gift card. (Instructions in sign-up form.)

Sign up HERE! 

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

Blitz-Wide Giveaways:

1 - Enter to WIN one of ten ebooks of The Golden Apple.
- March 30 - April 7.
See Rafflecopter for restrictions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2 - For book bloggers: Review The Golden Apple by April 1, 2014 and enter to WIN one of 10 prizes:
- Choose any one of Michelle Diener's books or $10 Gift Card!

- March 24 - April 7

Request an early review copy using the form. Instructions on entering the second giveaway are included!

Are you a blogger and want to receive information about new tours? Go HERE.

Are you an author or publisher and would like to have us organize a tour event? Go HERE.

Review: The Golden Apple by Michelle Diener

Title: The Golden Apple
Author: Michelle Diener
Publication: March 24th 2014
Genre: Fantasy ~ New Adult ~ Fairy Tale Retelling
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5

Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

 

Kayla's world has been turned upside-down . . .

Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.

Rane's honor is torn in two...

In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to--including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.

Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together . . .

Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla's actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no-one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No-one.

The Golden Apple is loosely based on the Norwegian fairy tale The Princess on the Glass Hill. 

I do love retellings and this one is very original because it's based on a Norwegian fairy tale and we don't get to see that often. These fairy tales are also not widely known (not to me anyway) so that makes it all the more special. Especially when the story woven around it is so good. 

I actually liked The Golden Apple a bit more than Michelle Diener's previous fairy tale retelling Mistress of the Wind. I loved how there was a lot of action so it never got boring, the romance was nicely done too although it didn't overpower the rest of the story and of course above all else, the magic. I love me some magic in a book! 

Kayla and Rane's journey was fantastic. I loved their interaction, their personalities. Kayla, a princess, though no ordinary one and isn't what she seems and Rane, doing whatever it takes to save his brother even if he had to deceive Kayla to get to the golden apple. Ah, the intrigue! As always Diener has managed to create great leading characters that you can't help but care for what happens to them. Kayla and Rane also meet a lot of interesting characters on their journey in the Great Forest; A huge enchanted kitty, evil sorcerers, witches, trolls... you name it. It had them all. 

I'm pretty excited that there will be a second book coming out in the fall because I can't wait to see where the story is going next and if they will be able to stop the socerers' war and defeat Eric The Bold. So yes I would definitely recommend this fantastic new adult fairy tale retelling by Michelle Diener!

Favorite Quotes:

His determination to win her set her senses alight, more brilliant and blinding than the midday sun off the glass mountain.

She could not get lost in his again. She would never find her way back.

She was his by law, and yet, he knew she was not his at all. She was one-one's but her own.

About the Author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction and fantasy. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King’s Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.
Michelle’s other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy).

Michelle’s first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, was published on December 19th, 2013 and her second fantasy, The Golden Apple, is due out on March 24th, 2014.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Cover Reveal: The Golden Apple by Michelle Diener + Giveaway! (INT)

To post this Cover Reveal and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter, email Tressa at wishfulendings(at)outlook.com with "The Golden Apple" in the subject line!

Welcome to the Cover Reveal with a Double Giveaway for Michelle Diener's second fairy tale retelling:

The Golden Apple

An Adult Fantasy Romance based loosely on the Princess on the Glass Hill

Coming March 24, 2014

Kayla's world has been turned upside-down...

Her father has made her the prize in a deadly, impossible tournament, and Kayla has retaliated in the only way she knows how; by choosing her champion beforehand. But taking control of the outcome changes the game completely, and when the real reason behind the strange test becomes apparent, Kayla realizes not just her life, but her entire kingdom is at stake.

Rane's honor is torn in two...

In order to save his brother, Rane will do whatever he has to--including deceive and betray a princess. He knew nothing about this tournament would be easy, but when it turns into a deeper, far more sinister game, Rane is forced to see it through to the end, or leave his brother at the mercy of their enemy.

Now their fates are entwined, and they must venture into the deep, dark forest together...

Kayla and Rane are bound to one another by an enchantment and Kayla's actions. But the sorcerer forcing them to do his will may have miscalculated, because no-one comes out of the Great Forest unchanged. No-one.

From Michelle Diener about the cover:

I have always been really lucky to get great covers for all my books, historical and fantasy. The cover fairies smile on me, time and again. What I really love about The Golden Apple, though, is the rich, Brothers Grimm feel to it. Like my fantasy novel published last year, Mistress of the Wind, The Golden Apple is a fairy tale retelling. Mistress of the Wind involves a white bear and icy winds, and so my cover designer and I went for a winter look to the cover, and I absolutely love how it turned out. But with The Golden Apple, I wanted the lush colors of summer, the shadow of the wood, and the gleam of the golden apple--I wanted the fairy tale feel. My cover designer really hit a winner with the title font on the cover of Mistress of the Wind, and it works just as well for The Golden Apple--it has that fairy tale, Brothers Grimm thing going on. One of my friends told me there is a sensuality to the heroine on the cover of The Golden Apple, and I agree. There is a lot going on there, but it is still simple and uncrowded. I am so happy to share the cover with everyone today. Each cover involves hours and hours of work and thought and tweaking, and this one just hit all the right notes for me. I hope you like it just as much as I do!

Michelle Diener

LIMITED REVIEW COPIES FOR BOOK BLOGGERS

Are you interested in fantasy romance?
Do you love fairy tale retellings?
Have you read Michelle Diener and enjoyed her work in the past?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you can request a review copy of The Golden Apple! The Golden Apple is up for review by invitation only on NetGalley. Reviewers with book review sites can apply for a limited number of pre-approved copies. Book reviewers who post their review on their review site, Amazon, and Goodreads can enter a Rafflecopter draw to win one of ten copies of any Michelle Diener book of their choice, or a $10 Amazon gift card. (Instructions in sign-up form.)

Sign up HERE! 

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

1 of 2 Giveaways:

1 - Enter to WIN $15 Gift Card to Amazon plus a Kindle copy of The Golden Apple on its release and a Kindle copy of Mistress of the Wind.  March 3-17.

See Rafflecopter for restrictions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


2 - For book bloggers: Review The Golden Apple by April 1, 2014 and enter to WIN one of 10 prizes:
- Choose any one of Michelle Diener's books or $10 Gift Card!

- March 24 - April 7

Request an early review copy using the form. Instructions on entering the second giveaway are included!

Are you a blogger and want to receive information about new tours? Go HERE.

Are you an author or publisher and would like to have us organize a tour event? Go HERE.



So how gorgeous is this cover? I love it! It's gorgeous as any cover from a Michelle Diener book is. <3
I also already read The Golden Apple and really liked it. Can't wait to share my review with you all.