Welcome to my Blog! Wander through wonderful worlds real and fictional, meet interesting people, visit exciting places and find a few good books to enjoy along the way!
About the Book suitable for Y/A readers
“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.
· Trigger warnings: A sister is briefly missing;
magic, witches; peril.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Like so many people in the literary world, I wear many
hats—a writer, a kidlit reviewer, a blogger, freelance translator, farmer and
mother. As a writer, I’ve published stories for magazines as well as several
short stories including In the Shadow of the Eagle’s Eye in Real Girls Don’t
Rust; Meringue, Murder or Marzipan in Full Dark; A Glowworm which was published
as an Ubook through Black and White Pubishing. My debut middle grade novel,
Music Boxes, released through Dancing Lemur Press.
Outside of these achievements, I’ve spent much of my life
living in Europe with my family of six and enjoyed exploring forgotten castles,
experiencing the rich history, and diving into various cultures. Currently, I
reside in the Ozarks and am fulfilling one life dream of running a small farm.
(But this is by no means the last dream on the list). When I’m not tending
chickens, cows, and repairing broken fence lines, you’ll find me nibbling on
chocolate, sitting next to our tiny waterfall with a book in my hand, or day
dreaming in the forest…and always with a cup of tea.
Very much a ‘be careful what you wish for’ moral to this intriguing story.
With her family, twelve-year-old Lindsay has moved to New York, where her eight-year-old sister is to be schooled at a special school for the gifted and talented, Juliard, which Lindsay resents as her desire, to learn ballet is now to take second place. But then she finds a tutor, Madame Destinée. The free dance classes that are offered go well at first, but then the other girls start to go missing…
Ideal for younger, pre- or early-teen readers who enjoy a touch of fantasy mingled with a touch of horror and a mystery to solve. In the true sense of the traditional fairy tale there is a scary witch and nasty goings-on, but there is a happy ending, so children should enjoy this story, especial young girls who like ballet or dance.
For an adult reader, the story is somewhat predictable, has too many coincidences and several loose ends that were not tied up sufficiently. There is not as much depth to the characters as an adult would expect – but the story is not written or intended for adults, so these small observations are not really relevant. The story is well written and well crafted for its intended age range and audience.
Reviewed for Coffee and Thorn by Helen Hollick
COFFEE AND THORN PROMOTES QUALITY FICTION, FOCUSING ON WORK PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY OR THROUGH SMALL PUBLISHING HOUSES. WE WORK WITH LOVE. ALL PAYMENTS TO US GO DIRECTLY TO FUND EDUCATION FOR GIRLS FROM A SLUM COMMUNITY IN SIERRA LEONE.
