GIVEAWAY: Mindy Hardwick books

As part of our one year blogoversary celebrations, today we are giving you the chance to win two e-books from author Mindy Hardwick. The two books available are Weaving Magic and Stained Glass Summer and you will have until the 31st of July to enter for your chance to win. The giveaway is open internationally.


Weaving Magic by Mindy Hardwick
He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher perform together. Sixteen-year-old Christopher fights to stay sober while fifteen-year-old Shantel struggles in the aftermath of her mother’s death and seeks refuge in a fantasy world. But the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried and soon, the two are headed toward a deadly magic trick. Can Shantel and Christopher move beyond magical illusions to find love?
Goodreads 
Our review 

Stained Glass Summer by Mindy Hardwick
Twelve-year-old Jasmine adores her photographer Father and wants to be an artist just like him. But when Dad abandons the family, Jasmine is sent to spend the summer with her Uncle on a Pacific Northwest Island. Soon, Jasmine is learning stained glass from island glass artist, Opal, and thinking she might just be developing a crush on Island boy, Cole. But, it’s not until Jasmine finds herself mentoring another young artist that she can truly let go of her Father and call herself an artist by her own terms.
Goodreads


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REVIEW: Weaving Magic by Mindy Hardwick

Title: Weaving Magic

Author: Mindy Hardwick

Publication Date: April 27^th 2012

Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing

Format: E-book

Pages: 124

Rating: 4/5
Blurb: He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher perform together. Sixteen- year- old Christopher fights to stay sober while fifteen-year-old Shantel struggles in the aftermath of her mother’s death and seeks refuge in a fantasy world. But the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried and soon, the two are headed toward a deadly magic trick. Can Shantel and Christopher move beyond magical illusions to find love?

Review: This book was sent to us by the author- however this does not change our opinions of the book.

‘Weaving Magic’ drew me in from the very first page- finally a YA book including magic without the usual paranormal and other fantasy themes tacked on. The main boy, Christopher, is the kind of magician you’d find a talent show- just a normal boy, no special powers and no absurd levels of perfection about him. In fact, Christopher has his fair amount of issues with trying to stay sober, dealing with family issues and trying to protect his friends. The main girl, Shantel, is far from perfect herself. She is still dealing with her mother’s death as well as trying to keep her father happy by taking advanced classes, though she spends most of her time reading romance novels. Both characters are incredibly relatable in one way or another to the readers- their flaws and the troubles they go through within the novel allow you to connect with them.

The two main characters aren’t the only good thing in the novel, the supporting characters (two of my personal favourites being Alex and Mia) are also amazing and the plot and themes created an even more enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a quick but interesting book with hints of magic and romance.

COVER REVEAL: Weaving Magic (Weaving Magic 1#)

Blurb:
He loves magic. She loves romance. But the biggest illusion is the one Shantel and Christopher perform together. Sixteen- year- old Christopher fights to stay sober while fifteen-year-old Shantel struggles in the aftermath of her mother’s death and seeks refuge in a fantasy world. But the unacknowledged roots of their problems refuse to stay buried and soon, the two are headed toward a deadly magic trick. Can Shantel and Christopher move beyond magical illusions to find love?

About the Author:
Mindy Hardwick is the author of upper middle grade novel, STAINED GLASS SUMMER and contemporary young adult romance, WEAVING MAGIC. She facilitates poetry workshops with teens at Denney Youth Juvenile Justice Center, and is the co-editor of four of the youth's anthologies. Mindy is included on the Washington State Arts Commission Teaching Artist Roster and worked with the youth of the Tulalip Tribe in the 2011 New Directions Music and Art Prevention Program. She is one of the teaching artists included in the Reclaiming Futures Program at Denney Juvenile Justice Center. Mindy holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College and is a member of Seattle SCBWI.