Guest Post: #BBF Sierra Burns reviews The Escape of Princess Madeline

Review: The Escape of Princess Madeline

By, Sierra Burns

 

 

Hello there I am Sierra Burns, daughter of Millie Burns, and I read The Escape of Princess Madeline.

I am 9 and 362/365 years old.  My birthday is in three days : )

 

I think the story is really good.  There are scenes in the story that reminded me of scenes from my mom's book.  Spoiler alert:  Like when the bad guys captured her, and she had to pretend to be unconscious...both books were similar.  That made me smile.

 

My favorite character is Daniel.  I like him because he seems like a really good guy, and he will never give up, he will save Princess Madeline!

 

I would recommend this book to all my friends because it is a very good adventure.  I can see the story play out in my mind.

 

 

 

Thanks, Sierra for chiming in with your two cents!  If you would like to find out more about Kirstin Pulioff and her books, please keep reading! Or click the book above and it'll take you directly to Amazon!

 

Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University (Go Beavs!) with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in Oregon, and enjoys being a stay at home mom. When she's not writing, she is busy with her kids, church and the family business.

I love to hear from my readers and fans. Please connect with me on my other sites:
Webpage: www.kirstinpulioff.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirstinpulioffauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KirstinPulioff
Goodreads:www.goodreads.com/author/show/6558842.Kirstin_Pulioff





The Battle for Princess Madeline

By Kirstin Pulioff

Have you been to the Kingdom of Soron yet?  I have, and I met King Theodore and his twin children, Prince Braden and Princess Madeline.  I met the Knight Daniel who won the Princess'  heart and Elias her wizard uncle in his brilliant green robes who returns from exile to teach her the ways of magic.  What a delightful adventure I found between the pages of The Battle for Princess Madeline.

This book is written for middle grade students and I think the author hit the mark, with just the right amount of action without gratuitous bloodshed.  The romance is handled without too much gush!  Your child will either giggle at the gentle little shows of affection, or maybe, like my 10-year old, Sierra, they’ll blush and say, “Eww gross!” while secretly being delighted. 

This is the second book in a series.  I’ve read the first book The Escape of Princess Madeline and was delighted to see that Madeline has done some growing up, and gives some thought to her actions and their consequences.  Madeline has become a thoughtful young lady, who thinks about her Kingdom first, not just her own happiness.  She is still a lil' stubborn, but in a good way.  She's learned to listen to advice and weigh it, but to still follow her heart. 

I feel like the author's voice strengthened in her second book, which delights me to no end, as there are more adventures waiting for Madeline and Daniel.  The writing keeps getting better, with more "show" and less "tell".  Psst!  I believe we’ll be encountering dragons soon!  Squee!  Kirstin is writing the third book now, with a release date of late 2013/early 2014!  Yay, Sierra and I have another adventure to look forward to.

When I review, I don't like to rehash the synopsis too much.  You can get a good idea of what the book is all about at Amazon, and I've provided a link so you can do just that, I also provided the books blurb below for your perusal.  I'm guessing you just want to know whether I liked it or not.  I would highly recommend  The Battle for Princess Madeline for the 4^th-8^th Grader in your life.

Synopsis:  The Kingdom of Soron bustled with activity as preparations for the Fall Festival began. Lively merchants, hardworking farmers, and musicians eagerly awaited this event of harvest and joy. This year’s festival was even more important, as they celebrated Princess Madeline’s betrothal to her knight champion, Daniel
.
Celebration quickly turns to disaster as Prince Paulsen returns with curious demands, either Princess Madeline will be his, or no ones. Rejection turns to obsession and battle is declared.

In a tense struggle to decide her future, Princess Madeline must choose where to put her trust… in the king’s tried and true plan, the wizard’s cryptic messages and maps, or her own sense of bravery. Follow Princess Madeline on this adventure as she battles evil in an attempt to create a future of love and magic.

Click here for the amazon link to purchase.

 

 

Kirstin Pulioff is a storyteller at heart. Born and raised in Southern California, she moved to the Pacific Northwest to follow her dreams and graduated from Oregon State University (Go Beavs!) with a degree in Forest Management. Happily married and a mother of two, she lives in Oregon, and enjoys being a stay at home mom. When she's not writing, she is busy with her kids, church and the family business.

I love to hear from my readers and fans. Please connect with me at any of these sites:
Webpage: www.kirstinpulioff.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirstinpulioffauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/KirstinPulioff
Goodreads:www.goodreads.com/author/show/6558842.Kirstin_Pulioff

The Next Big Thing!

Hot Damn! I was nominated for the Next Big Thing, and it makes my little heart skippy flippy with joy! The awesome Shell Flower of the fantastic TangentShell was kind enough to give me a little nod! So, I've copied the questions from her blog and here are my answers to the burning questions you all have about my WIP!


What is the title of your Work in Progress?
Oh, I'm not sure yet...Zelera's revenge? I dunno. She's a bad bad girl and she's back to make trouble. I'm about 99% positive that name won't stick, it doesn't have enough...!

Where did the idea come from for the book?
Zelera, the villain from Return of the Crown, of course is making a comeback, and if you thought she was nasty before... A lot of the old crew is coming back for round two and I will introduce a whole new host of characters to spice things up. Let the adventure begin!

What genre does your book fall under?
It's fantasy, sort of in the classical sense. Adventure, magic, fantastic creatures! The heroine's age places it in the YA group, but I'm hoping to write it in such a way that it'll be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Return of the Crown has a fan base as young as 9 on up to Grandma's and Grandpa's, who gladly thank you to not speculate as to their chronological years.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Oh, Jennifer Lawrence(Katniss Everdeen) would make an excellent Ravyn. Hayden Christensen(the youthful Anakin Skywalker) for Blade. Jim Carey would make such a killer Connor, due to Connor's love of disguises and great sense of humor. Katie McGrath(BBC's Merlin's Morgana) would delight as Zelera, beautiful lady who does wicked oh so well.

What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
Classic-style fantasy adventure brimming with magic, mayhem and new and engaging mythical creatures.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Return of the Crown was self-published, and I have not chased down any agents yet. It could go either way, and I'd still be a happy camper. It's all about sharing the story, however it gets out there!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
I am a little over 11,000 words in. I write in the little cracks of time I can sneak into my day. I am hoping to finish the first draft by Christmas. I might just join the Nanowrimo folks this November. Now that I've written that down, it's going to help me meet my goal? Right?! What a great Christmas gift that'd be!

What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
I believe this is similar to the Rogue Wizard series by Christopher Stasheff. Quests, mythological creatures, humor mixed in with the action. I have a strong female protagonist rather than a male.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My fans! Those wonderful folks who read Return of the Crown, started clamoring for more. I left the first book open at the end, hoping readers would want more, and by golly they do! Zelera's really outdone herself this go around. I can't promise you everyone will make it out alive this time...

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Dragons? Who doesn't like dragons? Will Blade and Ravyn finally tie the knot? Which character is going to Return to the Light?

Okay, so here're the five fine folks whose WIP I'm interested in seeing more of. Please take a moment to check them out! Tag--you're it!
Richard Long
Wodke Hawkinson
Fel Wetzig
Jessa Russo
Jossie Marie Solheim