The Pixie Chick's Lana has invaded my blog!

"Lana Richmond will not be the left behind when all her friends are using the magic of Hobbitville to escape their small Midwestern town for more exciting places. She's been trying–and failing–to use the garden's portals. The bruises haven't quite faded when Lana takes matters into her own hands and meets a stranger who promises to help her…on Halloween. Will Lana have the courage to follow her wanderlust, or will she settle for being the only Pixie Chick who can't work the Hobbitville magic? "


Hey Everyone! Lana Richmond of Pixie Chick fame here. Once more I've beaten Regan to the blog! Cut her some slack, she can't possibly be as internet savvy as us teens! (besides, I know all the shortcuts) Alyssa's been awesome, posting stuff about Pixies and Regan all week - let's give her a big round of applause!

Tomorrow is Halloween! I love this time of year! And our school has a masquerade dance too which makes it all the more fun. Sort of a spooky-cool way to mingle. I've found people get really bold when they're hiding behind a mask. It's easy to be brave and strike up a conversation when the risk of a brush off or outright rejection is minimized.

The best part of this year's masquerade is that I can use it for cover to get into Hobbitville alone. My friends, the Pixie Chicks, are great, but we're sort of at an impasse and they're not all that supportive of my intentions. I want to use the magic of Hobbitville and actually see some part of the world beyond my hometown! And I met someone who can help me. The Pixies think I'm just leaping without looking, but what they don't know won't hurt them - and most likely it won't hurt me either. I'm adventurous, but not totally stupid.

Wish me luck!
Lana Richmond,
band geek, Pixie Chick, and Hobbitville magic seeker


Link for all my Kindle titles:
http://tinyurl.com/rbkindle

Echelon buy link for Shadow Stone:
http://tinyurl.com/TheShadowStone

Regan's Realm blog: http://www.regansrealm.blogspot.com/

Has Lana and the summary intrigued you? Here's an excerpt from Shadow Stone:

Lana is alone on the day before Halloween, on a mission to test every statue in Hobbitville.
She moved on before she made herself crazy with circular arguments. "The lost thing's always in the last
place you look because you stop looking once you've found it."

"It is pretty silly to keep looking once something's found," a deep voice rumbled out of the darkness.

Everything inside her jumped. The vertical leap would impress the NBA, if her body had actually followed
through. Instead, her heart was lodged in her throat, and she was having trouble forming any verbal reply.

"Over this way," the deep voice rolled over her again.

With that voice, he was surely no one she knew, except she should know everyone local who might be in
Hobbitville. Anticipation thrummed that this might be one of those ideal guys she'd been hoping for earlier. She turned slowly, letting her ears guide her closer to him, into the deep shadows thrown by a narrow arbor covered in fading moonflowers.

"I don't recognize you," she said, keeping her voice soft. It was really all the volume she could muster.

"You will."

"Is that supposed to sound ominous?" Something about him rattled her way down deep. She wasn't sure if she liked that yet.

He laughed, just as deep and warm as his voice, and she swore she felt the sound against her skin. Weird. Not scary. Not much anyway. She peered at him, wishing for more light.

He had to be someone from school messing with her. But no one at school had a voice like dark chocolate drizzled over a warm brownie. The sound of it made her feel gooey.

And now she was hungry, too.

Hot Spots by Regan Black

Hot Spots by Regan Black

From Echelon Press:

The gardens of Hobbitville are full of secrets, and the Pixie Chicks will do anything to keep it that way, including some innovative matchmaking. But even the efforts to keep Sierra clear of the garden can't hold off fate.

While trying to divert her best friend's pesky neighbor from breaching the gates of their haven, Claire is having trouble keeping her personal secrets. What can possibly be important enough not to tell the other Pixie Chicks?

And does the surprise visitor at Brianna's house have anything to do with it?


Contrary to The Pixie Chicks’ focus on Brie’s exploration of Hobbitville, Hot Spots is more tuned to Claire’s own experiences of jumping. Sierra, meanwhile, also becomes less of a pain as the Pixie Chicks have found an effective means of drawing her attention elsewhere.

I must say that Hot Spots is a great continuation of the Hobbitville Saga. As this is the second introduction to the characters, they begin to have a more developed feel as Black delves deeper into their personalities and motivations. The reader has the opportunity to understand Sierra’s feelings toward The Pixie Chicks as well as catch a glimpse into her own emotions for a certain member of the opposite sex. Claire's own motivations for jumping are revealed in a delightful manner, and I know that I definitely wished for Claire's happiness in the situation.

Furthermore, for lack of a better term, there are no dead words or scenes in the story. Black sticks to a tight format, only adding scenes necessary for the overall plot without leaving it boring and dull. This format creates a fast pace for Hot Spots that is both enjoyable and entertaining to read.

Hot Spots should be on the list of all young adults looking for a quick and fun read.

Check in tomorrow for a review on Regan Black's newest release - Shadow Stone! The third installment in the Hobbitville Saga.

Pixie Chicks by Regan Black

Pixie Chicks by Regan Black

From Echelon Press:

"For a quartet of girlfriends known as the Pixie Chicks, life takes on a delicious new flavor when their normal Friday night walkabout through the Hobbitville Gardens reveals secrets and adventures previously unimagined. Who knew the statues were portals to similar, magical gardens around the world? Or that only a select few can travel by statue and fewer still can arrive at their desired point? These four will reach for the stars despite the risks of the unknown to embrace an adventure suitable only for the boldest of teens."

To begin, Black's use of characterization is phenomenal! Her different characters and motives are clearly defined, so it is not necessary to skim over past pages in a full-blown effort to find a single defining trait that can somehow be used to distinguish the different characters. Furthermore, her characters easily enable the reader to be drawn into the story and feel as though he is actually in it and not merely an outsider intruding upon private moments.

Black also mixes fantasy with romance with such ease that it appears seamless. The fantasy aspect provides the story with a magical and light air that wonderfully works hand-in-hand with the romance angle, creating a light-heartedness that perfectly encompasses the story. Coupled with the story dealing with normal teenagers who have access to a magical garden and the story becomes a creative and delightful mix of the average and the fastasy.

(Reposted from my 5-1-09 blog)

Check back in tomorrow for a review of one of Regan Black's new short stories, Hot Spots. And make sure to check in Friday when Regan guest blogs as part of her tour for her new story, Shadow Stone.

Ready, Set, Release!

Echelon Press Shorts is now live!

Yes, it's September 1st already! That means that today Echelon Press has just launched their new store, Echelon Press Shorts. Echelon Press Shorts is a part of Echelon Press, and their products are all short stories! These short stories range in length anywhere from 3,000 words to 40,000 words and are sure to keep you enraptured in their plots. The best part of these stories is their cost! As of today, all the stories offered for sale under Echelon Press Shorts are less than $5! Talk about a deal!

For the release, Echelon Press Shorts are having guest authors from the line blog on their site! The guest blogger for today is Regan Black as she welcomes the release of her new short story, The Hobbitville Saga #2: Hot Spots.

If you're interested in checking out the stories, check out Echelon Press.

Pixie Chicks by Regan Black

Pixie Chicks by Regan Black

From Echelon Press:

"For a quartet of girlfriends known as the Pixie Chicks, life takes on a delicious new flavor when their normal Friday night walkabout through the Hobbitville Gardens reveals secrets and adventures previously unimagined. Who knew the statues were portals to similar, magical gardens around the world? Or that only a select few can travel by statue and fewer still can arrive at their desired point? These four will reach for the stars despite the risks of the unknown to embrace an adventure suitable only for the boldest of teens."

To begin, Black's use of characterization is phenomenal! Her different characters and motives are clearly defined, so it is not necessary to skim over past pages in a full-blown effort to find a single defining trait that can somehow be used to distinguish the different characters. Furthermore, her characters easily enable the reader to be drawn into the story and feel as though he is actually in it and not merely an outsider intruding upon private moments.

Black also mixes fantasy with romance with such ease that it appears seamless. The fantasy aspect provides the story with a magical and light air that wonderfully works hand-in-hand with the romance angle, creating a light-heartedness that perfectly encompasses the story. Coupled with the story dealing with normal teenagers who have access to a magical garden and the story becomes a creative and delightful mix of the average and the fastasy.

The second installment of the Hobbitville Saga, Sierra's Setup, is due out soon in a few months from Quake, and I, for one, am anxiously awaiting the sequel.

Alyssa Montgomery
Author of Where Are You?, Mr. Mysterious, and 9:53 PM (from the Heat of the Moment Anthology).