Once Upon A Time meets Frozen

Here's my review of Once Upon A Time so far. What did you think? 

I Put a Spell on You...

I'm working on my newest novel. It's a spooky middle grade story about a girl who's obsessed with Halloween. It's so strange to be finished with my shapeshifting series, but it's a lot of fun starting new projects. As I look for fresh inspiration, I keep thinking of some of my favorite kid-friendly scary movies and books.

All of these stories left a lasting impressing on me when I was younger. I love a good spooky tale!



Ah, yes, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. One of Disney's creepiest cartoons and definitely a classic. Bing Crosby narrates the tale of superstitious Ichabod Crane and the headless horseman in Sleepy Hollow. I love how Disney stayed true to Washington Irving's story, but still added enough humor to make sure it wasn't too scary for kiddos.



You've got to love Hocus Pocus. The Sanderson sisters come back to Salem for one night only and create havoc for high school student Max Dennison. This movie is full of Halloween music and fun (see the end of this post for reference *grins*). I still watch it every fall.



I'm not sure how well known this series is, but I loved them in elementary. The Bailey School kids books are packed with stories about every kind of mythical character and creature a kid could think of. They're really lighthearted and perfect for getting kids reading. My favorite was Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots.



I read And Then There Were None for the first time in seventh grade and really enjoyed the mystery. Ten strangers vacation at an island resort after receiving a mysterious invitation. Once there, they discover a nursery rhyme about ten little Indians that predicts their deaths on the island, one by one. If you haven't read this classic, try it out this Halloween. The black and white movie is super creepy too!



Speaking of mystery novels, The Westing Game is one of the best whodunit books with plenty of memorable characters and clever wit. It's a Newbery medal book and a fantastic novel for younger readers.

Those are some of the most memorable spooky stories for me growing up, what are yours?

Min Reads and Reviews

The Siren's Secret blog tour is officially over, but I do have two last lovely reviews from Min Reads and Reviews. One for The Shapeshifter's Secret, and one for The Siren's Secret. I've been a fan of Mindy and her blog for a while, and I loved finally meeting her at Authorpalooza this year. Here's a little bit of what she had to say about The Siren's Secret.

"4 1/2 stars.  Another beautiful cover.  It perfectly depicts what happens in this book.  I really, really liked The Siren's Secret.  I thought it moved fast, and was very well written.  A lot of exciting things happen in this book.  Friendship is tested, and Julia herself is trying to find out who she really is.  I was very pleased with the events in this book, and I am excited to see what happens next." 

Visit Mindy's blog to see the full review: 
www.minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com

Mindy's review for The Shapeshifter's Secret:

"After some rough days at school, and almost shifting in class, Julia finds out she is a werecat.  And royalty too.  All her life, it has just been her and her father.  Julia has always wanted to know about her mother, but could never bring up the subject with Lancer.  Once Julia knows the truth, she is taken away to her home country of Ossai.  Ossai can only be reached by water portals (cool, huh?).  Even getting to Ossai is dangerous.  Julia is taken to Ossai rather quickly by Caleb, the mysterious new guy in school, who has ties to her royal life. 

I really liked this book.  I think Julia is a great character and I liked her father Lancer, too."

To read the rest of the review, click here.  

Thanks for stopping by! 

The Siren's Secret eBook Giveaway!

The Siren's Secret Blog Tour is wrapping up! I've had so much fun sharing interviews, reviews, and giveaways, which is exactly why we're ending by giving away an eBook of The Siren's Secret. 

The Giveaway is featured on Little Library Muse where Latoya has has posted a review. Click the link below to enter! 

littlelibrarymuse.blogspot.com

Thanks for following The Siren's Secret Blog Tour! 

"Julia is also in love, and the new revelation about her heritage could put a nail in her hopes of a future with him...Julia's life is complex and loaded with secrets that will alter everything she's come to know. I enjoyed the characters, pace, story and the world that Ostler has created and look forward to reading the next book. Overall, this would be a quick, clean fantasy romance for teens looking for a good read without sexual content." --Latoya. 

Memorial Weekend and Blog Tour Reviews

I hope you had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend. Mine was good, but so busy that I didn't have time to update my blog!

We visited with family everyday this weekend, and had four different family reunion/gatherings yesterday alone. I love having so much family and visiting with everyone, but I was excited to jump back into The Siren's Secret Blog Tour. (On a side note, I've been cooking all weekend and the dirty dishes were beginning to make an impressive mountain in my sink). 

There were two blog tour stops for The Siren's Secret over the weekend, and the first was a review at Bookworm Lisa. 

Below is a little excerpt of her review. 

"I loved The Shapeshifter's Secret and looked forward to the sequel.  I have to say that Heather did not disappoint me.  She has a very vivid and clear writing style that paints her picture well.  Her characters are likable and it is easy to follow them in the story.  She incorporates a good mix of action and romance." 

Thank you Lisa! 

To read her full review visit lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com

The Second review was at Blooming with Books. 

"The Siren's Secret is a fabulous sequel to The Shapeshifter's Secret.  This is a YA title that won't offend the sensibilities of parents who are looking for a clean fantasy for their teens to read.  There is a touch of romance, a bit of fighting, and plenty of entertainment - so didn't miss out on this exciting sequel!"

Visit her blog at bloomingwithbooks.blogspot.com. Thank you! 

Book Launch Party and Blog Stop

I'm getting very excited for The Siren's Secret book launch party. Sometimes I feel like getting a book launch ready is like planning a wedding. You have to find your venue, get the word out, make a budget, and get the perfect dress (you think I'm kidding, but finding the right outfit for a book launch is incredibly daunting). Last month I had some freak-out moments getting everything ready, but now things are more set in stone (keeping fingers crossed). 

The book launch will be Saturday, June 15th at the Orem Barnes & Noble at 6:00. Yay! 

I learned a lot from my last book launch, namely that people like giveaways, and honestly I love giving out giveaways! I have a lot ready, so hopefully there will be plenty of readers who leave happy—That doesn't count as a bribe does it? Oh well, book giveaways get me to events! 

You know how weddings have a theme? Well, my book launch has a theme. Because it's for The Siren's Secret, it's going to be an "underwater" party. All the treats, prizes, and decorations will make you feel like you've gone to Sirenity (The island where the sirens live in my book). 

Now all I need is to ask a mermaid to come to the event ;)

I really hope to see you there! 

Also, today's blog tour stop for The Siren's Secret is at Getting Your Read on. Aimee has posted a lovely review. Click here to visit her blog. Thanks Aimee! 

"One of the things I appreciate most about this book is that it's clean.  Heather does a great job with this.  

Julia is definitely on a journey of discovery.  By the end of the last book and at the beginning of this book you get the feel that Julia thinks she has a good handle on things.  She is efficient at shape shifting and her studies are going well.  She has a boyfriend and seems pretty content despite the ongoing struggles with the Guild.  Of course, we all know that when a character in a book gets comfortable, things are really going to get shaken up.  Poor Julia.  It was inevitable.  ;)

I loved the world of Sirenity and I loved how the Siren's basically proved the prejudice's against them wrong to some degree.  It was a great new addition to the plot line. " --Aimee from Getting Your Read On. 

Review, Interview, and Excerpt from The Siren's Secret.

I am in absolutely in love with today's blog tour stop at Cover Bound. Mallory is an amazing host, and if you hop over to her blog you'll see the review, interview, and excerpt from The Siren's Secret. As a bonus you'll get to see awesome stuff like this:

It's totally worth it. I love her blog, please stop by! 

coverboundbookie.blogspot.com

Here are some of my favorite questions from the interview:

Have you considered ever writing a novella from different character’s perspective to accompany the series?

I’ve thought many times about writing from Alexis’s perspective. I like getting into the villain’s head and seeing what drives them to do the things they do. I like villains that are complex and unpredictable.

 I love Ossai and Sirenity. How did you develop those worlds? Did somewhere you visit inspire those worlds?

Thank you so much. Yes, my traveling adventures have definitely inspired the settings for my books. England and Italy helped to shape Ossai, and Sirenity was largely influenced by The Caribbean and The Mexican Rivera.

Did Julia or her comrades ever take you down a different road then you had planned while writing?

Definitely. So many characters have changed, and one character in particular was going to betray Julia, however I stopped him. Sometimes you have to go with your gut, and your outline goes to the trash. It takes more time, but you have to write the story until you feel good about each scene and each character.

Happy Reading! 

ARC review of The Siren's Secret by Book Briefs

Today's blog tour stop is with the wonderful Michelle at Book Briefs. She's posted a review of The Siren's Secret, and I've posted a little preview below. 

"I fell in love with The Shapeshifter's Secret as soon as I started reading it, so I jumped at the chance to read the second book in the series. I have been waiting for The Siren's Secret for a very long time. I couldn't wait to get back to Heather's magical world of shapeshifters and water nymphs and the evil guild. The Siren's Secret did not let me down! But what is even more interesting is that it was not exactly what I expected the sequel to the first book to be. It was darker and had a different overall tone. I liked the contrast to the first book. It was really interesting and honestly, it just makes me all the more excited to read the third book. I can't wait to see what Heather is going to do next. She has proven that she has such versatility with her writing and it makes me excited to see what else she is going to come up with."

To read the full review, visit Michelle's blog at: 

http://bookbriefs.blogspot.com/2013/05/arc-review-sirens-secret-by-heather.html

Blog Tour Stop: Review of The Siren's Secret

Forget About TV Grab A Book has posted a review for today's Blog Tour Stop! To read the full review visit Forget About TV Grab A Book. 

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Friday! 

"Heather found a way to twist the story into a way that I hadn’t expected. When I read the title I was super excited, what could a shapeshifter have to do with a siren? How would Caleb and Terrence fit into this story? What more does Ossai have to offer?

It was nice to see the characters and the story that made this book memorable to me, to walk in Heather Ostler’s New York, Ossai and Lockham Castle.

The direction this story took was really unexpected; it gave me another sense of Ossai and all we haven’t discovered, not only in all the land we still don’t know but all the problems and races that live in it." 

The Siren's Secret Review by Crazy Four Books

Today's Blog Tour Stop is at a wonderful blog called Crazy Four Books. Brenda has posted a review that literally gave me tears of happiness. Here's a little preview of what she had to say: 

"There is so much to love about this book and series. Let me start by saying these books are clean and are appropriate for any age reader. 

The characters are fun, lovable, and believable yet interesting and somewhat complex. The plot was fantastically imaginative with many curve balls thrown in that will keep you guessing!  Between the pages of this book are spectacular scenery, adventure, sweet romance, friendship, shapeshifting, classes at a magical school for werecats and nymphs, an evil group called the Guild, sirens, and plenty of secrets.

This story is awesomely fantabulous! I LOVE it! This is one series that I will definitely re-read over and over. I am left anxiously awaiting the next book once again! :D

I recommend this to everyone who likes engaging, charming, fun, and captivating stories. If you like shifters or YA paranormal books this is a MUST READ! I suggest reading the The Shapeshifter's Secret first. It sheds light on the characters and you may not fully appreciate the second book as much if you skip it.  It was an awesome book that you should read regardless!" 

Thank you so much, Brenda! To see the rest of the review, click the link below!  

http://crazyfourbooks.blogspot.com/2013/05/vbt-sirens-secret-by-heather-ostler.html#comment-form

Review and Giveaway

Today's Blog Tour stop is at The Write Path. Click below to read the review and enter the Giveaway! 

http://www.dorinewhite.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-sirens-secret-blog-tour-and-giveaway.html

Swoon Worthy Books

Even though TSS tour has ended, I still can't help but post good reviews when I come across them. Dorothy from Swoon Worthy Books posted an interview with Julia Levesque earlier this month as part of the tour, but now she's done a review of TSS as well. I've posted some of my favorite parts below, but to read the full review visit http://swoonworthybooks.blogspot.com/2012/05/shapeshifters-secret-review.html.

"I can’t explain how much I enjoyed this book! Amazing characters, amazing action, totally cute romance going on! Heather Ostler did an amazing job writing The Shapeshifter’s Secret and I couldn’t get enough! I am now waiting impatiently for the second book to come out. Oh please do come out soon!"

"If everyone starts picking teams between Terrance and Caleb I would have to be team Caleb. He wasn’t in the picture much I have a feeling that there is something than friendship meant Caleb and Julia. I hope so at least. I loved the were cats! How cool is that? And like totally original! As an aspiring author when I realized that it was were cats I thought darn! I wish I’d thought of that. Lol." 

"Heather has created a world I am sad to leave and I can’t wait to revisit it. I highly recommend this book to everyone!" 

Thank you Dorothy!   

The Grand Finale of The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour!

Here we are, on the very last day of The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour. I've Loved meeting all of you and getting to know you better. I want to say thank you to all of the wonderful blogs and websites that took time out of their schedules to be a part of the tour. I also want to thank Cedar Fort for helping me arrange the tour and for providing the sweet giveaways. And Thank YOU for following the tour! I really hope you've had fun with the crazy guest posts, interviews, and giveaways.

The final stop is at Treasured Tales for Young Adults where the lovely Alishia has featured a guest post about Caleb. I had a lot of fun talking about Caleb, and if you've ever wondered why he is the way he is, then you should check out this post :)

Also, Treasured Tales for Young Adults is hosting the last and final GIVEAWAY for The Shapeshifter's Secret. So, if you'd like to win a copy, you can enter here: http://treasuredtalesforyoungadults.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/blog-tour-the-shapeshifters-secret/

And I know that I promised a tap dancing werecat...however they must be in high demand right now because they were all booked...BUT I did find this youtube of a tap dancing cat. AND I also posted a video of my pugs reactions to The Shapeshifter's Secret release date.

THANK YOU!

Pocketful of Books and Paperbook Princess Blog Stops

I'm really excited to announce today's Blog Tour Stops. First Pocketful of Books has posted a really fun author interview about cats, Harry Potter and overprotective parents--and seriously, I love this blog's style and feel, very original. 

                                                                                                     :)

Then the lovely Megan has posted a Review on Paperbook Princess--this blog is also adorable with a princess theme which includes sparkles that follow the mouse (or maybe it's fairy dust?!)

Here is a little blurb from her review.

"Wow! When I started reading this book, I was literally hooked right from the first chapter! It was really a refreshing surprise when I started reading this book and it really just jumped right into the story, although it is nice to get more background and more details I think that with this book it really wasn’t needed, the author Heather Ostler was able to create a very vivid story and not fill it with nonsense." 

Thank you so much! Have fun at these amazing blogs!  

BLoG tOuR

I Can't believe there are only 3 days left of TSS Tour! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your interest in The Shapeshifter's Secret. I've had so much fun meeting all of you and making so many new friends. But, the tour isn't over yet! And on the last day I think we should do something epic like fireworks, or have professional tap dancers end it. Hmm, I'll have to look into that...

May 23rd Blog Tour Stops: Interview and Review at Forget about TV, Grab a Book

and

A Review at Sarah Elizabeth's Bookshelf 

Here is are some blurbs from the reviews:

"Another thing I found myself loving was that you could immersed yourself in this book and suddenly find your self laughing, giggling and maybe once or twice yelling at the characters and what was happening around them, needless to say this is one of the books that is banned by my roommates, yes it's banned because of all the laughing, giggling and screaming so for me this is not a book to read at night." ----Bere (Forget about TV, Grab a Book)

"Read this if you loved Harry Potter." --Sarah Elizabeth

"A part of this book that really catched my attention is how Ostler is working with the romance, it's great the way that she puts a twist to the love triangle between Terrence, Julia and Caleb and I wish to know the boys better even though I'm a 100% rooting for Caleb..." --Bere (Forget about TV, Grab a Book)









Thanks!

The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour Continued

 

Today it is dark and stormy outside with thunder crackling through the sky. It's a perfect day to do some writing. But it would be even more perfect to check out these blog tour stops first. Then write. Lots and lots of rainy day writing--my favorite.

Maji Bookshelf has been kind enough to post an interview and book trailer of TSS

and

Imagine a World... has also posted an interview and review of TSS.

Here is a little excerpt of the review:  "Now, this is a fairly unique concept. I don't think I've seen it used before, which gives SS a few points by itself. It's actually pretty interesting. Ostler even explained some of the mechanics of transformation."

Happy writing!

Blog Tour Day 17

Does anyone else feel like May has just flown by? I've been having so much fun with The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour that I think time has been on a permanent fast forward. I hope that your May is going well and that it hasn't flown by too quickly. Then again maybe you want it to go by fast, now you can get ready for summertime heat, happiness, and (hopefully) relaxation.

Continuing on with with the blog tour, today I have stops at

Rainy Day Ramblings for A GIVEWAY and Guest Post about the secret werecat identities of famous people throughout history. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was actually a secret panther werecat?
 

And 

a Review at Krissten's Book Reviews

 

Thanks everyone! 

 

The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour day 15

 

May 15th Blog Tour Stops

Guest Post about why I started writing at The kids are grown, now what?

and 

A really great review at So Simply Sara

Thanks!

Blog Tour day 14

I've been having so much fun with The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour, and I hope that you've enjoyed the reviews, interviews, posts, and Giveaways (how could you not enjoy the giveaways? ;)

It's a little crazy that we're halfway through with the tour already, sigh. Though I'll be sad when May is over, I'll be excited beyond measure for the release of TSS in June. YYAAAAAAAAAYY!!!!
Ahem. Sorry about that. Sometimes I can't contain my excitement...

Today you can check out Book Nerd for a fun Interview and Review of TSS

and

Bookworm Lisa for a great Review.

I love both of these websites! Thanks so much.

GIVEAWAY for The Shapeshifter's Secret Blog Tour

Hooray for Giveaways! and Hooray for this wonderful website that is featuring a Giveaway today for The Shapeshifter's secret. Book Briefs also posted a great review for TSS, here is a little clip:

"This is such a good book! The kind of book where you would do anything, ANYTHING to get your hands on the next one right then, because you can't even wait another minute to find out what happens next." -- Book Briefs 

Thank you Book Briefs for being a part of the tour! 
Check out their website and enter the Giveaway here: 
http://bookbriefs.blogspot.com/2012/05/arc-reviewgveaway-shapeshifters-secret.html