[Blog Tour] 'The Amber Crane' By Malve von Hassell #HistoricalFiction #Timeslip

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The Book:

The Amber Crane
By Malve von Hassell
Publication Date: 25th June 2021
Publisher: Odyssey Books
Page Length: 268 Pages
Genre: Time-slip Historical Fiction / Young Adult

The Blurb:

Chafing at the rules of the amber guild, Peter, an apprentice during the waning years of the Thirty Years’ War, finds and keeps a forbidden piece of amber, despite the risk of severe penalties should his secret be discovered.

Little does he know that this amber has hidden powers, transporting him into a future far beyond anything he could imagine. In dreamlike encounters, Peter witnesses the ravages of the final months of World War II in and around his home. He becomes embroiled in the troubles faced by Lioba, a girl he meets who seeks to escape from the oncoming Russian army.

Peter struggles with the consequences of his actions, endangering his family, his amber master’s reputation, and his own future. How much is Peter prepared to sacrifice to right his wrongs?

• Trigger Warnings: References to rape, Holocaust, World War II, violence

Buy Links:

• Universal Link ✔ Amazon UK ✔  Amazon US ✔ Amazon CA ✔ Amazon AU ✔ Barnes and Noble ✔ Nook ✔  Indiebound ✔ Bookshop.org ✔  

The Amber Crane - Book Cover

'The Amber Crane' - Excerpt:

Excerpt from Chapter 8 - LIOBA

Peter bumps against a wall. It is dark. Feeling around with his hand, he touches a metal knob. He twists it, and a door opens.

Peter stares at the sight in front of him, faintly illuminated by early morning light from a window. It is a room filled with rows of wooden tables and chairs. Peter’s eyes are drawn to a huge picture on the wall. A face with a mustache, shiny black hair combed to one side, and piercing eyes looms over the room. On a big blackboard, he can just make out two lines on top in a scraggly script, the last word missing where someone had started to wipe the board.

Oh, stranger, when you arrive in Sparta, tell of our pride
That here, obeying her behests, we –

“That here, obeying her behests, we died,” he completes the line in his mind. He had heard the lines often enough from Lorenz, who had learned them from his tutor. He had recited them to Peter over and over again at night when they sat in their beds and talked. Three hundred Spartans had died there at the battle of Thermopylae, the narrow pass where they made their last stand against tens of thousands of enemies.

Maybe this is a schoolroom, albeit an elaborate one. In the school in Stolpmünde, where Peter and Lorenz learned their letters, there are only benches without tables and a plain lectern for the teacher. Still, this space somehow smells like a schoolroom, stale and musty, evoking bored students waiting for the droning voice of the teacher to come to an end.

Startled by a soft rustling, Peter whips his head around.

The girl from his dreams is sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, wrapped in a ratty-looking blanket. She is awake.

“It’s you again.” The girl pulls up the blanket. “Are you in my dream, or am I in yours?”

“I honestly do not know,” Peter says slowly. “This is not like any dream I have ever had.”

“Well, at least you’re not a Russian soldier. Anyway, they haven’t gotten this far west yet. Are you going to vanish again in midsentence?”

“I do not even know how I got here. Why do you talk so strangely?” He could understand her, but it was like listening to someone through a thick blanket. She seemed to swallow many of her words. “Why do you keep talking about Russians? Where is this?”

“Somewhere east of Danzig.” The girl frowns at him. “You sound like someone reciting the Luther Bible.”

Peter stares at her, bewildered and shaken. The bread from his supper sits in his stomach like a rock. The long-legged beast he remembers from before gets up from behind the desk and stretches.

Peter backs up.

“Don’t worry, she won’t bite you.”

It is the tallest dog he has ever seen—if it is a dog. It comes up to Peter and starts sniffing him vigorously. He can feel its breath. Then it evidently loses interest and lies down again, its legs stretched out in front like those of a crane. The matted fur smells like a sack of dirty woolens, but it is a warm and comforting scent.

“Your dog seems real,” Peter says, eyeing the beast nervously.

“So do you—for someone in a dream.” The girl studies him. She does not seem afraid any longer. “My name is Lioba. What’s yours?”

“Peter.”

“Well, Peter, are you going to vanish again, or can we talk a bit? This is actually nice. You are the first person I have talked to in a while.” She starts to laugh. “Since you aren’t real, it’s not as if you are going to hurt me.” Then she wipes her face roughly as if irritated.

“You are crying,” Peter says.

Lioba’s hands are long and slender, but her nails are ragged and dirty.

The dog lifts its head as if in response to her distress and pushes its long nose against her leg.

Uncomfortable with Lioba’s evident anguish, Peter tries to distract her. “What sort of dog is that?”

“I think it’s a Borzoi.” Her voice sounds muffled.

“A what?”

“You know—a Russian wolfhound.”

“What do you mean, you think? This is not your dog?”

“She has been following me for weeks. You don’t have anything to eat, by any chance?” The dark shadows under Lioba’s eyes emphasize her broad cheekbones.

“Sorry.” Peter thinks of the loaf of bread Mistress Nowak had cut up for supper. Maybe the next time he goes to sleep, he should try to keep a piece of bread in his pocket.

Lioba drops the blanket and gets up. She closes the shutters of the windows and fastens them. She pulls the two panels of black fabric together, plunging the room into total darkness.

“Why are you doing this? I cannot see you.”

“Haven’t you heard of the blackout?” she scoffs.

Blackout? Bewildered, Peter hears the girl move toward the wall near the door. Suddenly, light streams from a strange lamp. At least, he thinks it is a lamp. Definitely not a candle or an oil lantern. “How did you do that?” he asks.

“Really?” Lioba scowls. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No, of course not. What is that? How did you make it glow?”

“Electricity, stupid! What century are you living in?”

“What do you mean, what century?” How dare this girl call him stupid? Clearly, she was confused. “Everybody knows that. This is the year of our Lord 1644.”

Lioba stares at him. Then her lips widen into a grin. “I don’t believe this. I am talking to someone in a dream, and he is not even from my own time.”

“Your own time?”

“Right. I don’t know about the year of our Lord 1644. This sure isn’t that. This is 1944. But I would gladly trade with you if I could.”

Three hundred years into the future. Peter reaches out to touch the wall next to him. It feels solid. The dog’s smell certainly feels real. Nothing else does in this strange, flat, dark grey world. It is as if he is standing outside, looking through the frame of a window.

Lioba frowns, folding her arms across her chest.

There is a roaring in his ears. A door bangs loudly somewhere, and everything goes dark.

Malve von Hassell

Author Bio:

Malve von Hassell is a freelance writer, researcher, and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the New School for Social Research. Working as an independent scholar, she published The Struggle for Eden: Community Gardens in New York City (Bergin & Garvey 2002) and Homesteading in New York City 1978-1993: The Divided Heart of Loisaida (Bergin & Garvey 1996). She has also edited her grandfather Ulrich von Hassell's memoirs written in prison in 1944, Der Kreis schließt sich - Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft 1944 (Propylaen Verlag 1994). She has taught at Queens College, Baruch College, Pace University, and Suffolk County Community College, while continuing her work as a translator and writer. She has self-published two children’s picture books, Letters from the Tooth Fairy (2012/2020) and Turtle Crossing (2021), and her translation and annotation of a German children’s classic by Tamara Ramsay, Rennefarre: Dott’s Wonderful Travels and Adventures (Two Harbors Press, 2012). The Falconer’s Apprentice (namelos, 2015) was her first historical fiction novel for young adults. She has published Alina: A Song for the Telling (BHC Press, 2020), set in Jerusalem in the time of the crusades, and The Amber Crane (Odyssey Books, 2021), set in Germany in 1645 and 1945. She has completed a biographical work about a woman coming of age in Nazi Germany and is working on a historical fiction trilogy featuring Adela of Normandy.

Connect with Malve von Hassell:

• Website ✔ Twitter ✔ Facebook ✔ LinkedIn ✔ Book Bub ✔ Amazon Author Page ✔ Goodreads ✔ 

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[Blog Tour] 'Ouija' By Zoé O'Farrell #Horror #YA

'Ouija' - Book Cover

The Book:

Ouija

By Zoé O'Farrell

• Publication Day: 30th August 2021
• Publisher: Question Mark Press (QMP)
• Page Count : 171 pages
• Genre: Young Adult Horror

The Blurb:

The only thing for certain is the deaths were no accident.

Rayner High School once a prestigious school stands in ruins after such a terrible event.

A year later, a group of friends return to the abandoned school and their nightmare begins.

Something wants to get out and won’t take NO for an answer…

• Ouija is Book 2 in a new series brought to you by Question Mark Horror. For fans of Point Horror, Christopher Pike & Nicholas Pine.

• Buy Links: Amazon UK ✔  Amazon US ✔ 

'Ouija' - Excerpt:

For some reason, the school doors weren’t locked. It was as though it was expecting their visit that night. Jon grabbed the handles, and everyone took a breath before heading in.

The initial aroma was a stale one. There had been no ventilation in this school for years, so it just lingered in the air around them. Jon had to pull his T-shirt over his nose initially to try and stop the odour. It was rank, but not as bad as the other smell.

The other smell that hit them square in the face, was pungent, almost metallic. Jon gulped. Straight away he knew what it was: he had smelt enough recently.

It was blood.

He heard someone behind cough, and he tutted to indicate to be quiet. Jon faltered just for a minute and took a small step inside. He moved out of the way to let everyone get in. They huddled together in a small tight group, all touching each other so they didn’t get left behind. Their eyes were looking around in different areas of the small reception they found themselves in. The torchlights highlighting various things: the upturned abandoned chair behind the reception desk; the phone dangling by the cord, slightly swaying in the breeze they had created. Paper was strewn all over the office desks and floor. Someone had left and quick. Where this was once a nice and bright welcoming space, it was now cold, stark and ominous. There weren’t even any spider webs. Maybe the spiders knew what roamed these corridors and stayed away.

Jon leaned in and whispered, “Right we need to go down the end of this corridor and take a left. Up some stairs, and it’s the last door on the left.”

Simon and Jon shuffled slowly forward taking the lead, with Caley arm in arm with Sophie following them, leaving Lara and Ben bringing up the rear.

“How are you feeling?” Caley asked, leaning her head on Sophie’s shoulder, “I mean, I’m scared but excited at the same time.”

Sophie was shining her torch in every direction she could, trying to block out the shadows, but at the same time trying to avoid looking through any of the classroom windows. She was probably scaring herself more, but she was worried that if she looked in the rooms, she might see a face at the window. She shuddered at the thought. It made it worse there was no natural light from the moon anywhere in this corridor and that all the doors were shut. If people had left in a hurry, why would the doors be shut?

“I think I’m OK. I think I’m just scaring myself more than anything. I mean, nothing is going to happen. It will just be a bit of fun,” trying to reassure herself more than anyone else.

Caley just nodded in agreement. They had all made it to the end of the corridor when Lara screamed. Jon pushed past the girls to get to her. “What? What is it?”

Trying to hold back her tears, “I saw something in that classroom. I saw someone watching me in the shadows.” Her voice trembled.

Zoé O'Farrell 

Author Bio:

Zoé O’Farrell grew up in Watford but left the town life to live by the sea down at the White Cliffs of Dover.

She spends her days working with numbers before escaping in the evening to the world of words and movies. Her go-to relaxation is watching a scary movie or reading a terrifying book!

She is a book blogger and tour organiser just to keep her extra busy. When she is not reading or writing, you can usually find her watching Watford FC or at a gig. Failing that she can be found rolling her eyes at her husband as he acts the same age as her spitfire of a Mini-Me whilst separating her two cats.

Ouija is her debut novel.

Connect with Zoé O’Farrel:

• Facebook ✔ Instagram ✔  Twitter ✔ Website ✔ 

QMP Tour - Week One

 ➤ Check out Book 1 - 'Camp Death' by Jim Ody

QMP Tour - Week Two

[Blog Tour] 'Camp Death' By Jim Ody #Horror #YA

'Camp Death' - Book Cover

The Book:

Camp Death
By Jim Ody

• Publication Date: 30th August
• Page Count: 158 pages
• Publisher: Question Mark Press Horror (QMP Horror).
• Genre: Young Adult Horror

The Blurb: 

The place had a gruesome past that nobody wanted to talk about…

Camp Deathe is now a great place to spend the summer. Ritchie soon finds a group of outsiders like himself. Teenagers who ignore the organised activities, and bunk off in the old abandoned cabins deep in the woods. The cabins that have a history.

The campfire monster stories were meant to just scare them. Nobody expected them to come true. Then one of the teenagers disappears in the middle of the night.

Something is watching them. It hides in the woods and hunts at night.

Ritchie will have to uncover the secrets of the camp and understand his own problems in order to survive.

• Camp Death is Book 1 in a new series brought to you by Question Mark Horror. For fans of Point Horror, Christopher Pike & Nicholas Pine.

• Buy Links :Amazon UK ✔ Amazon US ✔ 

'Camp Death' - Excerpt:

The footsteps stopped altogether outside of the room. There was someone else there. She clamped her own hand over her mouth as she heard a sound. A low predatory rumble of a growl. Animalistic.

Now she was frightened. Really frightened.

A pitiful voice of a teenager pleaded, “No. Please! Who… are… argh!” There was a louder growl, but this time it exploded into a roar with movement and banging. The teenager screamed, and then made a gut-wrenching sound before everything went quiet.

And then silence.

And in some ways that was even worse.

She was acutely aware of her breathing again. Even with her hand still over her mouth it was so loud. Too loud. The beating of her heart was so hard she thought her T-shirt was moving with each beat.

Outside the wardrobe she heard padding footsteps. Slow and purposeful. They sounded like a heavy dog. The canine clip-clip of nails on the wooden floors.

Pointed claws that could swipe at her. She pictured long sharp teeth and dark, soulless, eyes.

A tear escaped down her cheek. She wanted her mum. She wanted to be in her bedroom, sat with her family, eating ice-cream. She wanted to be anywhere but here.

She felt vulnerable. Only a thin, wooden door protected her from what was only a few feet away.

She heard it sniff. First once, and then again, taking in a deep lungful.

It could smell her. It knew she was here

Jim Ody 

Author Bio:

Jim writes dark psychological/thrillers, Horror and YA books that have endings you won’t see coming, and favours stories packed with wit. He has written over a dozen novels and many more short-stories spanning many genres.

Jim has a very strange sense of humour and is often considered a little odd. When not writing he will be found playing the drums, watching football and eating chocolate. He lives with his long-suffering wife, three beautiful children and two indignant cats in Swindon, Wiltshire UK.

Connect with Jim Ody:

• Facebook ✔ Instagram ✔ Twitter ✔ Amazon ✔

QMP Tour - Week One

➤ Check out Book 2 - 'Ouija' by Zoe-Lee O'Farrell 

QMP Tour - Week Two

[Blog Tour] 'Earth 101 – Time to Run' By Emae Church #SciFi #Fantasy

Earth 101 - Book Tour Poster

The Book:

'Earth 101 – Time to Run'
By Emae Church

• Publication Day : 20th July 2021 by Korudaz Ink
• Page Count : 480 pages
• Genre : YA, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

The Blurb:

A missing girl. A world of secrecy. A quest to expose the truth.

Jayne knows they're gone, but no one else will acknowledge what's happening.

One by one, they're systematically erased from existence. No explanations. No missing person's reports. No search parties.

Something sinister is afoot. Jayne can feel it in her bones. But uncovering the truth will prove difficult, especially when she discovers who and what is behind the devious plot.

As she searches for answers, she grapples with the lingering effects of a head injury, an unexpected forbidden romance, and a strange new reality that changes everything.

Will she uncover the truth, or will she be the next innocent victim?

Earth 101 - Book Cover

'Earth 101' - Excerpt:

“You can’t force me to do anything!” The last word tapers off, shaky and weak.

I recognise the voice. It’s Laura from school. I crane my neck and squint over the top of the nearby scattered boulders. But where is she? And who is she talking to?

Are they here because of me? Laura knows my running route – she’s been vocal of my attempts to scramble up this hill – but this can’t be a follow-on to what happened in school today? What will they think if they see me hiding?

The urge to stand up tugs at me. To carry on down the slope and mind my own business. But what if Laura sees me? How could I pop out of nowhere and continue along my way, pretending I don’t notice her? I don’t need even more hushed conversations and lowered eyes in the corridors of Hill Derry tomorrow.

I’m also not in the mood for another run-in with her.

I wipe away a lone, wind-induced tear on my cheek. The howl of the wind is picking up and carrying away Laura’s words.

All I hear is the despair in her voice. “Why are you doing this?”

The fear. “Please, wait. Let’s go back–”

Who is she with? I’ve seen her hanging with a lanky fella with white hair after school, but… should I go after her?

Do I want to find myself in another argument and fight?

The feet and voices grow faint and are replaced by the whistle of the wind. Billowing clouds chase across the dark sky. Peering down from my hiding place, an urgency compels me to follow Laura, as a gust of wind echoes with her voice.

Wait a minute, was that a shout? A scream? I’m on my toes as I move forward quickly but warily.

I search the street around me, but I’m alone. There’s nobody to ask for assistance. Even if there were, would I bother asking? Probably not.

There, another shout. I should leave them to it, but a worrying curiosity sweeps me along, following Laura’s voice. I can’t make out what she is saying, but it’s an angry, albeit shrill tone. I know Laura, and that is a scared voice. She’s hiding fear behind a veil of angry words.

I stop at the corner to an alleyway. They’ll see me should I turn the corner, and all the anger will become aimed at me. A bus charges past and almost erases the shouting, but between the sounds of heavy wheels and metal, I catch a snippet of Laura’s words.

“Why don’t you just jump in your stupid sh… and …-off to another galaxy!”

Whoever she is with has not uttered a raised word. All I hear is a male mumble of sorts. He’s obviously trying to calm her. But then an unwitting cough escapes me. I grasp my mouth, but then it happens

• Earth 101 is the debut novel from Emae Church, an emerging author, based in the South-West of England, who enjoys the adventure of life with two lovely children, when not saving the world

Connect with Emae Church:

• Website ✔ Twitter ✔ Amazon UK ✔ Amazon US ✔

[Blog Tour] 'Secret Mage' (Book 1 in The Blood Magic Series) By Rebecca Jaycox #Fantasy #YA

'Secret Mage' - Blog Tour Banner

The Book:

Secret Mage
(Book 1 in The Blood Magic Series)
By Rebecca Jaycox

• Published 9th June 2020 by Aelurus Publishing
• Page Count: 340 pages
• Genre: YA Fantasy

The Blurb:

Some secrets are too deadly to keep, some bloodlines too powerful to contain …

Reggie Lang might only be seventeen, but she’s had to grow up fast. Losing a father as a baby made things hard enough, but when her mom turned to alcohol for refuge, Reggie had to hold things together. She still does. If only she could escape it all …

When the other kids at school start calling her a freak, things only get tougher. What’s worse, she worries they’re right. Reggie shouldn’t be able to bring dead creatures back to life but somehow she can? If it wasn’t for her ride-or-die best friend, she’d have completely lost it by now.

When a mysterious man invades Reggie’s dreams, is it just another sign that she’s falling apart? He claims he’s her guardian – that he’s from another world. He tells her that her father’s killer is there …

… and that now an evil mage is gunning for her, destroying anything in his way.

Reggie’s always wanted to escape her life, but not like this. Does she really have to run to protect the people she loves? Who will take care of her mom? The man in her dreams says he’ll teach her about magic and protect her. That he’ll send someone he trusts to collect her. That her blood makes her powerful. It’s a hard choice, but ultimately protecting her mom is worth anything.

The magic-saturated world she discovers might be full of wonders, but the horrors are worse than she could have imagined. Can the man sent to guide her really protect her, or is the sign of his slavery an omen of what will happen to her?

Reggie will be pushed to her limits as she attempts her treacherous journey, struggling to adapt to a strange new world and learning to wield her powers. The Dark Mage isn’t easily evaded. He rules this world with a bloody fist. Because it’s blood he’s after—Reggie’s blood. And avoiding capture might just be the toughest thing Reggie has ever faced. 

• Buy Links: Amazon UK ✔ Amazon US ✔

'Secret Mage' - Book Cover

'Secret Mage' - Excerpt:

She ran up the stairs and closed her bedroom door, leaning against it for a moment. She placed her tea on a white wooden desk with faded pink flowers painted along its edges. Her bed stood in the middle of the room, sporting an old-fashioned wrought iron frame also painted white, and a navy blue comforter hanging over the sides. Reggie had bought the blue comforter in defense of the overtly feminine room.

She flopped on her bed, sighing with pleasure as the mattress dipped and cradled her weight. Wrapping herself in soft navy folds, she snuggled into her pillow and closed her eyes. She promised herself she would only rest for a minute, but sleep pulled her under.

Once again she sat in the high-backed chair, her face turned toward the heat of the fire. The man sat across from her, his eyes probing her face. Reggie was surprised at how comfortable she felt, despite his scrutiny; as if she knew he held the answers she sought.

“I like your duster. It’s pretty hot,” she said, breaking the silence.

His eyebrows shot up and his following laughter made her smile. He ran a hand over the leather. “Well, that’s not what I was expecting, but thank you. You’re usually much more . . .” he paused, searching for the right word.

“Bratty?” Reggie supplied

He laughed again, the deep sound soothing her nerves. “I was going to say hostile. I don’t think you’re a brat. You’ve had a busy day. How did your research mission go? Did you find out how you revived that beetle?”

“No, but I plan on looking again tonight. Or maybe I wouldn’t have to look if you’d just explain what’s going on.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to know?” he asked.

Reggie gritted her teeth, holding onto her rapidly diminishing patience. “Yes! You told me you were here to help me. Well, here I am, Professor, enlighten me!”

“You’re right. I did tell you I was here to help you.” He sighed. “It’s just people from your world are conditioned to think one way and information that doesn’t fit their worldview is usually taken badly.”

“Is something wrong with me?” she whispered.

“No,” he assured her. “You’re different than most people, but nothing is wrong with you. You see, you straddle two worlds. And the Other is finally showing you its face.”

Reggie leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “I don’t understand. What two worlds?”

“Do you remember anything about your father?”

Surprised at the change of subject, she shook her head. Half-formed ideas flitted through her mind, but nothing took hold. “Not really. He went hiking in the woods behind the city when I was really young. He went missing. He was really handsome. He’s smiling in all the pictures I’ve seen. I mean, he seemed like a happy guy.” Reggie smiled briefly and then looked away. “My mom completely fell apart after he was gone.”

“I’m sorry,” the man said gently.

She looked at him as tears stung her eyes. She shrugged, embarrassed. “So what are you getting at? That my dad has something to do with what’s happening to me? He’s dead.”

He fingered the scar on his face. “This might be hard for you to understand. Your father wasn’t from here. He never was supposed to come here, but he was always headstrong, too curious for his own good, and very powerful,” the man said with affection. “And once he met your mother . . . I knew he was never going to be whole living in our world again.”

Rebecca Jaycox

Author Bio:

Rebecca Jaycox grew up in the tiny town of Berryman, which borders the Mark Twain National Forest and the Courtois River about 70 miles south of St. Louis. The beautiful landscape fed her imagination, and she began writing stories at age 10 and never stopped. Always seeking adventure, Rebecca moved to France after she graduated college with a journalism degree to teach English at a French high school. Bitten by the travel bug, she has recently visited Italy, Greece, Austria, Spain, and finally made it to her bucket-list destination of Istanbul last summer. Rebecca now lives in New York City with her husband, Gregory. She enjoys reading and writing fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction.

Connect with Rebecca Jaycox:

• Facebook ✔ Instagram ✔ Twitter ✔ Website ✔

The World's Only Harry Potter Flagship Store Welcomes Fans Through The Doors For The First Time

The World’s Only Harry Potter Flagship Store Welcomes Customers Through The Doors For The First Time

Today, Harry Potter fans from across the world were welcomed into Harry Potter New York as the flagship store opened its doors to the public for the first time. 

Greeted by a 220lb model of Fawkes the Phoenix, fans discovered a host of magical creatures and hand-made props throughout the immersive retail experience including Voldemort's horcrux, Nagini, bursting through the ceiling in an area inspired by the Dark Arts.

With 15 themed areas and thousands of products, every aspiring witch and wizard will find something magical to add to their collection. Fans explored areas inspired by Honeydukes to find Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs before stopping under the Dirigible Plum tree to find their favourite creature soft toy. Customers were invited to step into Hagrid's boots to see how they measure up and duel other customers at the store's interactive wand table.

''We're delighted to be welcoming fans to Harry Potter New York for a completely new shopping experience," said Sarah Roots, EVP Warner Bros. Worldwide Tours and Retail. "Not only will visitors find the largest range of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts products under one roof, they will also get to discover up-close some of the hand-crafted props that were seen in the films, use our unique photo opportunities and experience the incredible theming throughout the store.''

COVID-19:

• For the safety of customers and colleagues, masks are required when visiting Harry Potter New York. The store is operating with a reduced capacity to ensure physical distancing is maintained.

Harry Potter New York Brings Butterbeer To New York City For The First Time

Someone Said "Butterbeer"?

Appearing throughout the stories and loved by Hogwarts students and teachers alike, Butterbeer is a much-requested fan-favorite soft drink.

Fans visiting Harry Potter New York can choose from draft Butterbeer, Butterbeer ice cream and bottled Butterbeer to enjoy in New York's only Butterbeer Bar.

Once inside the Butterbeer Bar, fans are greeted by a giant cascade of glowing Butterbeer bottles, each completed with a collectible MinaLima label. Nearly 1,000 bottles rise from the floor and 'float' over the bar as Butterbeer moves magically across the ceiling through copper pipes. Witches, wizards, Muggles and No-maj's alike are invited to enjoy a frothy cup of Butterbeer served in souvenir tankard, a refreshing Butterbeer ice cream or freshly poured bottled Butterbeer as well as range of wizarding world inspired treats.

• Made and brewed in the U.K, bottled Butterbeer has a style which is entirely unique and comes in beautifully crafted souvenir glass bottles, each one featuring an exclusive collectible label designed by MinaLima, the design duo behind the graphic props of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films.

Best served chilled and poured straight from the bottle, the delicious soft drink features a new take on the butterscotch flavour fans know and love. The unique blend of top-secret ingredients makes bottled Butterbeer a must try for any aspiring witch or wizard.

Harry Potter New York Brings Butterbeer To New York City For The First Time

Harry Potter New York has a virtual queueing system in place. When customers visit the store, they will scan a QR code to join a virtual queue and return when notified. Harry Potter New York is open from 10am – 9pm Mon-Sat and 11am-7pm on Sundays.

Fans can keep up to date by following Harry Potter New York's social channels:

• Facebook ✔ Twitter ✔ Instagram ✔ #HarryPotterNY ✔ 

SOURCE: Harry Potter New York

Related Stories:

• Warner Bros. To Open First Ever Harry Potter Flagship Store In New York
• More Magic Awaits … Be the First to Unlock It With Wizarding World Gold
• Wizarding World Digital Introduces The Official Harry Potter Fan Club And New Mobile Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony [Trailer Included]

Generation Gamble? Survey Shows Canadian Millennials More Willing To Engage In Bidding Wars To Get Their Dream Home

Generation gamble? Survey Shows Canadian Millennials More Willing To Engage In Bidding Wars To Get Their Dream Home (Photo by Andrea Piacquadio)

According to a recent real estate survey commissioned on behalf of TD, one-third of Canadians surveyed (32 per cent), are willing to take part in a bidding war in order to secure their dream home, as housing prices continue to soar in many markets across the country.

• Interestingly, the TD survey also reveals that a homebuyer's willingness to offer above asking typically varies with age. More than half (51 per cent) of young adults under 35 are prepared to offer above list price, while fewer than one-third (31 per cent) of respondents between 35 and 54, and just 18 per cent of those 55 and older, are willing to do the same.

The TD 2021 Real Estate survey results arrive alongside proposed government changes to the qualifying rates for uninsured mortgage loans. If implemented, the guidelines would require borrowers to qualify at their mortgage contract rate plus two percentage points, or 5.25 per cent, whichever is higher. As housing prices across the country continue to rise, the change is designed to help buyers avoid over-extending themselves. It also underscores the need for advice along every stage of the homebuying process – but particularly when it comes to affordability.

Generation gamble? Survey Shows Canadian Millennials More Willing To Engage In Bidding Wars To Get Their Dream Home (Photo by Rachel Claire)

Budgeting for a bidding war:

"There's no question that the price of homeownership is much more than your down payment and monthly mortgage payments," says Jared Jarman, Associate Vice President, Specialized Advice at TD. "In today's competitive environment, buyers need to ensure they're keeping a close eye on their budget, building in some wiggle room so that they know they're able to cover expected and unforeseen costs. A financial advisor can help by working with you to develop a budget that lets you know how much you may be able to afford before you begin to house hunt," continues Jarman.

Despite a widespread willingness amongst younger survey respondents to enter a bidding war, most Canadians are still reluctant to bid over-asking when multiple offers are on the table. In this situation, 45 per cent of respondents said they would stand firm on their initial offer. But for those willing to do what it takes to win a bidding war, Jarman emphasized the importance of developing a budget range beforehand that allows for some flexibility. Even amongst Canadians open to going beyond the list price for their dream home, budgeting and setting limits is key, he adds.

• The TD survey results also reveal how competitive respondents are willing to be. According to the survey, approximately two in ten (19 per cent) of competitive bidders said they would exceed the asking price by up to $50,000, while just 13 per cent would push their offer further, between $50,000 and $100,000 over-asking and beyond.

Affordability and the great unknown:

According to TD, more than half of Canadians surveyed (52%) feel home ownership is less attainable now than it was pre-pandemic thanks to changing house prices. Unsurprisingly, the survey also reveals that changes in financial security over the last year have dampened home-buying opportunities for many Canadians, with one-third of respondents saying unexpected changes in their personal finances have made the prospect of homebuying less attainable now than before the pandemic.

"We know Canadians have had to deal with incredibly unprecedented circumstances this past year, including unemployment and other financial challenges for many," said Jarman, noting that TD has safeguard options in place to protect borrowers from unanticipated challenges. "TD Mortgage Protection is just one-way customers can help protect themselves from unforeseen life events including critical illness and even death."

• Fifty-seven per cent of TD survey respondents said they consider finding a home within their budget to be the biggest challenge to buying a home within the next year. The ability to afford a suitable home appears to be a greater concern amongst residents in Ontario (63 per cent) and B.C. (62 per cent) compared to Quebec (48 per cent) and the Prairies (43 per cent).

Note From The Edtor:

If you visit TD's website, you will notice that TD offers quite a few useful online services, including the TD Mortgage Affordability Calculator, which can help determine what Canadians may be able to afford. As this blog is based in the Uk, we thought it would be a good idea to add a link to another Mortgage Calculator for our readers in Great Britain. Hopefully, our British friends will find that handy 

Generation gamble? Survey Shows Canadian Millennials More Willing To Engage In Bidding Wars To Get Their Dream Home (Photo by Liza Summer)

Fast facts from the TD 2021 Real Estate During COVID survey:

• Among other challenges noted in the survey results were the uncertainty that comes with the COVID-19 pandemic (15%) and the lack of housing supply (10%).
• Canadians value their space during the pandemic, and are most likely to see features like backyard space (43 per cent) and square footage (40 per cent) as important considerations when buying a home.
• While the need for space may be unsurprising, Canadians' desire to be within close proximity to everyday amenities (grocery stores, banks, etc.) hasn't changed – just over half (51 per cent) compared to 50 per cent prior to the pandemic.
• Four in 10 (40 per cent) Canadians surveyed who currently own a house or condo say rising prices in their area would make them more interested in listing.

About the TD 2021 Real Estate During COVID:

TD Bank Group commissioned Ipsos to conduct a national online survey of 1,001 Canadians aged 18+. This poll was conducted between March 31 and April 6, 2021.

SOURCE TD Bank Group

Gen Z Girl Pop Rock Band 'Hello Sister' Releases New Single 'Paralyzed' [Music Video Included]

Teen Pop Rock Band Hello Sister Releases New Single "Paralyzed" available on all major digital platforms. (photo credit: Margot Mason)

Teen pop rock band Hello Sister has just released their new single, "Paralyzed," which dropped on Friday, April 23rd. The band, made up of singer/songwriters and siblings Grace, Gabriella and Scarlett Mason, say the new tune is all about love and how it makes people feel. 

The girls penned the song to describe the emotional power of love, "We immediately fell in love with the catchy melodies and relatable lyrics," said Scarlett Mason. "The guitar riff is one my favorites to play," added Gabriella Mason and sister Grace chimed in, "I feel that this new song shows a different side of us. We hope people will enjoy listening to the different emotions this song evokes."

'Paralyzed' - The Music Video:

• Hello Sister is on the roster at Create Music Group, a Los Angeles-based independent music distribution and publishing company. Create oversees Hello Sister's digital royalty collection and distributes to more than 100 DSP's including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and more.

Multi-Talented Pop Rock n' Roll Band Hello Sister. L to R: Grace, Scarlett and Gabriella Mason (photo credit: Margot Mason)

About Hello Sister:

Multi-talented pop rock n' roll band Hello Sister is a dynamic trio from Orlando, Florida. Driven by three teen siblings' spirited chemistry and authentic homegrown musicianship, Grace, Gabriella and Scarlett Mason's collective love of music are inspired by their father Tim, a Pop R&B songwriter who charted songs on Billboard in Canada and Europe. All girls are musicians and songwriters poised for long-term career success.

Hello Sister has successfully garnered worldwide attention by way of their charismatic social media streamed shows from their rapidly growing base of fans and followers.

With a large catalog of original high energy songs already released, these teen girl rockers have drawn musical inspiration from a diverse group of legendary music artists like Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, Prince, Keith Urban, Avril Lavigne, Luke Combs, Shawn Mendes, Norah Jones, Selena Gomez among many others! 

• Hello Sister recently released their first ever NFT, with a limited-edition remix of their hit song "Wave of LOVE" on Rarible.com making them the youngest music artists known to release an NFT.

Hello Sister - Logo (image via hellosistermusic.com)

Connect with Hello Sister:

Instagram ✔ Facebook ✔ Twitter ✔ TikTok ✔ YouTube ✔ Website ✔

• Buy/Stream/Listen: cmg.ffm.to/waveoflove

SOURCE: Hello Sister

Guest Post by Patrick Bishop, Co-Author of 'A Class Divided: A Book About Racism' [FREE Digital Copy of The Book Available!]

A Class Divided: A Book About Racism

The world has changed a lot the last four years but that is not any more obvious anywhere than the United States. It seems like there are multiple attacks against people that are not white. Attacks against Blacks, Asians, Jews, and other people who are different. These attacks are coming from all income levels and job categories. It seems like doctors, engineers, teachers, nurses, the unemployed, laborers, police officers are participating in these attacks. Some of these attacks are verbal, some are physical but the one thing they all have in common is that someone gets hurt. Many end up dead, many in the hospital, many in counseling.

It could just be a coincidence that people from different walks of life are doing these attacks, but I think it is more sinister than that. How could so many people who were seemingly caring, compassionate, loving, and non-discriminatory people suddenly be so filled with hatred toward anybody who was different than them? Many people are not following the love and compassion of Jesus. That is the only logical explanation.

We reached a point of feeling like something needed to be done to change this hatred and discrimination. It is exceedingly difficult to change the world, but each individual can change the heart of one person. We decided to teach the most vulnerable of us, kids. Discrimination can be taught, and it can also be learned to not be discriminatory.

“A Class Divided: A Book About Racism” is the book that can not only teach kids empathy toward others but it puts them in a position of feeling what it is like to be the one that is discriminated against. It doesn’t just talk about discrimination as most books do but it gives them an understanding of discrimination first hand. It helps them to know how terrible being discriminated against is so they won’t want to discriminate against anybody else.

“A Class Divided: A Book About Racism” is the first book in the Kids Empathy Series that we hope to be the first of many. Making money is not our main objective with this book. We want kids to truly understand what discrimination is and for that reason, any readers of this blog will get a free copy for a limited time. All you have to do is go to littlesami.com and at checkout enter the promo code free100 and you can download it for free.

Happy Reading!

Pat Bishop

Transgender & Non-Binary Youth Influencers Launch Book Collection with Kids Media Disrupter 'A Kids Book About'

The GenderCool Project has teamed up with A Kids Book About to create a collection of books hoping to bring clarity and positivity to a national conversation that’s in need of support.

While many teens took e-learning as an opportunity to level-up their gaming skills, a group of young people chose instead to write a collection of books about their lives.

The GenderCool Project, a storytelling campaign turned global movement led by 18 young people known as the "Champions," has teamed up with A Kids Book About, the company making kids media that matters, to create a collection of books hoping to bring clarity and positivity to a national conversation that's in need of support.

There are three books in the collection:

• 'A Kids Book About Being Transgender' by Gia Parr
• 'A Kids Book About Being Non-binary' by Hunter Chinn-Raicht
• 'A Kids Book About Being Inclusive'  by Ashton Mota and Rebekah Bruesehoff

Launching on preorder today, and shipping in June for Pride celebrations across the globe, the collection aims to open conversations about topics that are complex and important, a hallmark of A Kids Book About that helped land 10 of A Kids Book About's titles on the coveted Favorite Things 2020 list in the December issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.

At a time when the American nation is seeing an unprecedented level of harmful legislation targeting transgender and non-binary youth, this book collection will help bring to communities everywhere the real stories of Gia, Hunter, Ashton and Rebekah, written by these young people who are thriving.

"The GenderCool Project will be our first-ever non-profit partner on a themed collection; we felt it was critical to help bring these topics to kids everywhere in a relevant and honest way," said Jelani Memory, co-founder and CEO of A Kids Book About. "Our unique publishing model and writing process will elevate the underrepresented voices of transgender and non-binary teens with real, lived experiences, to spark productive and positive conversations around this topic a priority for kids and grownups everywhere."

Gia Parr (screengrab)

Gia Parr (she/her), age 17, author of A Kids Book About Being Transgender, said, "It's been a dream of mine to return to my elementary school and be able to read a book that I wrote to help my school and its students understand who transgender kids are, and show the younger kids coming out that their lives can be great!"

Hunter Chinn-Raicht (screengrab)

Hunter Chinn-Raicht (they/them), age 15, author of A Kids Book About Being Non-binary, added, "It's awesome to be able to help grownups and kids have conversations about re-imagining who human beings truly are. Not all people are binary, which is a fancy way of saying 'one thing or the other.' For me, I am able to express myself outside of the pink and blue stereotype. I am grey, white, and all the colors mashed up into one!"

Ashton Mota (screengrab)

Ashton Mota (he/him), age 16, co-author of A Kids Book About Being Inclusive with his Champion peer Rebekah Bruesehoff (she/her), age 14, hopes people will understand how important it is to embrace and celebrate each other's differences. 

He said, "My life as an Afro-Latino kid growing up is totally different than Rebekah's. When we wrote this book, we learned so many new things about each other. It brought us closer together as friends."

 

Rebekah Bruesehoff (screengrab)

Rebekah added, "I've always wanted to be an author. For me, stories are bridges to empathy, courage and hope."

GenderCool co-founders Jen Grosshandler and Gearah Goldstein believe this collection is an organic evolution of the work GenderCool has done since launching in 2018. "We waited for the right opportunity to partner with a publisher who believed in the power of young people to drive change in the world," said Grosshandler. "We are proud to partner with A Kids Book About. They are the future of what kid content should be."

Goldstein added, "These beautiful books will help people replace their opinions with real, positive experiences learning about our Champions who are thriving throughout the country with the love and support of their family, friends and community."

About The GenderCool Project:

The GenderCool Project is a youth-led movement replacing misinformed opinions with positive, powerful experiences meeting remarkable kids who identify as transgender and non-binary. Our movement is creating positive change by influencing understanding, business and culture. 

• Please visit us at gendercool.org

 About A Kids Book About:

A Kids Book About is a media company that created the industry's first direct-to-consumer kids book brand and publishing company. On a mission to make kids media that matters, A Kids Book About works with authors and creators from all kinds of backgrounds and identities.

With two book series for kids ages 5-9 and 0-4 respectively, and a flagship podcast that launched in 2021, A Kids Book About explores themes like racism, feminism, disabilities, death, community and belonging. 

• For more information, visit akidsbookabout.com

SOURCE: GenderCool Project