Author Interview: Kim Bussing

Today, I'm chatting with Kim Bussing

She's the author of The Princess Swap, which I reviewed here:

And here is our chat:

 

Who is your favorite Disney Princess?  

Belle! Like her, I am (unsurprisingly) a big fan of reading. I love a heroine with her head buried in a book. 

Mine too!

If you could trade places with any Disney Princess, who would it be? I guess Cinderella, because the worst thing she has to face is a wicked stepmother (depending on the version you read). I’m also not opposed to having a fairy godmother grant a wish or two. But honestly, I think trading places with a fairytale villain would be way more fun (sea witch, I’m looking at you).

Oh, interesting! 

Is there a childhood toy you would like to come to life? That’s such a good question! I’m a child of the 90s, so definitely a Beanie Baby. I hoarded them like a dragon with treasure.

Is there magic spell you would send out into the world?
Another great question! Selfishly, something that would let me understand what my cats are saying. For the global good, a spell that would help us feel a little more fearless. Fear is so often the deep root of division and conflict. It keeps us from believing we're capable of pursuing our dreams. I'd like to see what happens in a world where we believe in ourselves, and each other, more.

I like both of those. I would love to know what my dogs are thinking! 

How did you come up with the idea on which Princesses to swap? I worked with my brilliant editor, examining common (or very different) threads between stories — and also thinking about what would make the most interesting swap. Cinderella and Belle are each trapped in their own way, and I was excited about exploring how they tap into their inner strength, cleverness, and kindness in very unexpected situations. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty were a good challenge because their origin stories are so similar. That book really grew from playing with the small details that we know and love from the stories, so expect plenty of dragons, magical rosebushes, and power-hungry witches. And for the third book, with Rapunzel and the Little Mermaid, it seemed fun to swap a princess who’s highest in the air with the princess at the deepest part of the sea. Of course, they’re both also discovering their independence and dreaming of a world beyond what they’ve known.

I'm so happy to learn the pairing of the third book! This story idea is so clever because all the princesses have similar moments but yet they are so different and with different personalities. 

Thanks for chatting with me today, Kim! 

Middle Grade Review: Princess Protection Program

Sleeping Beauty awakens when the prince kisses her, but she's not thrilled about the kiss. She leaps up and runs off. She instantly gets transported to a boarding school for Princesses. There, they are safe from their stories.

Some of the fairy tales have horrible stories. This school attempts to keep all the princesses safe. The first night she arrives, she notices two girls sneak out of the school. She follows them to a pizza shop. There Rosamund becomes friends with Sienna and Rana.

Breaking the rules has consequences, Sienna gets sucked back into her story. Rosamund has so many questions. No one wants to answer her questions, but she notices that something strange is going on.  Can she figure out what's going?

My Thoughts: This took me a little bit to get into this book - but once I did, I was hooked. I loved seeing all the Princesses. This is a great feminist story. I loved the big question of the book: can someone change their story. Some fun moments: pizza is magical and unicorns are entertaining. I loved the moments of sisterhood and friendship. Of course, cleaning is the worst. This is the start of a new series - I'm looking forward to the next book! 

Cover thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: This is such a fun book and will be easy to give readers.  

Picture Book Review: Mermaid Princesses

Three sisters want to know who is going to become Queen one day. They ask their mother, who gives them a riddle. 

The only way they can solve the riddle is together. Each sister has her own gift: strength, cleverness, and kindness. The illustrations are lovely. Any lover of mermaids is going to enjoy this story. I love that the author added a note about the African Myth this story is based upon. 

Review: Tokyo Ever After

 

Izumi's never felt like she fits in. She's a Japanese American living in a small predominately white town. She doesn't know her father's identity. But she discovers a clue in her mother's bedroom.

Before she knows what's happening, she learns her father is a crown prince of Japan. Suddenly her life has been turned upside down. She's traveling to Japan to learn more about him and her new family. 

But it's not easy. In fact, she's floundering. One moment the press loves her, the next she messes everything up. It doesn't help that her cousins love feeding her to the sharks.

Can she find her footing or is she in way over her head?

My Thoughts: Think Princess Diaries crossed with What a Girl Wants. Seriously I needed this to read this book. I loved it. I loved watching Izumi become a member of the royal family. She struggles - greatly at times and soars at other times. I loved watching her get to know her family. I loved learning more about Japan. I love her moments with her bodyguard - the brooding Akio. I loved their banter. I also loved the moments between the Crown Prince and Izumi. As well as the moments between Izumi's parents - especially orchids. I would love to read more of Izumi and her story - and luckily there is more coming!

Cover Thoughts: So amazing! I love the details

Source: My library

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your public and school libraries. 

Review: Royal Crown

* Book 4 in the From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess series *

Princess Olivia can't wait until the royal coronation of her sister Mia. She's excited to have time in the palace with her best friend Nishi. Unfortunately, she also has to spend time with her nemesis - her cousin Lady Luisa.

Another cousin's trying to take the throne away from Princess Mia and no one knows if the coronation with actually happen. Tensions are running high throughout the palace.

Olivia's struggling because Nishi wants to babysit the kids staying at the palace to make some money for a new phone. Both she and Luisa bond over their boyfriends and their periods making Olivia feel left over - especially once they learn that Olivia and Prince Khalil haven't kissed yet. Will everything come together?

My Thoughts: It's no surprise here that I adore this series. Of course, I love seeing my favorite characters from the Princess Dairies series, but I also love the new characters. Olivia struggles much like Mia - over boys, girl drama, and her dreams. I like the interactions between Olivia and Lady Luisa and how that all works out. I liked seeing all Olivia's friends together at the palace. I enjoyed Grandmere as usual. She makes me chuckle. Another fun read from Meg Cabot!

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: This series is a must have for school and public libraries.

Review: Royals

* First in a new series *

Daisy's sister is getting married - to a Prince! Suddenly her world is turned upside down by the press hounding her. After one incident, her family decides to travel to Scotland to manage the damage. Daisy's not thrilled with giving up her summer, but she doesn't have much of a choice.

Across the pond, she meets the royal entourage, including her soon to be brother-in-law. Prince Sebastian thinks he's all that, plus a bag of chips. But Daisy isn't interested in him or sharing his spotlight. Too bad the press doesn't understand; they try making the younger siblings a match.

With press looking at her, Daisy needs a crash course in royal etiquette. Miles, a friend of Prince Sebastian, gets stuck with the job. Neither him nor Daisy enjoy each other's company, but for the moment, they are stuck with each other. The order comes from the Queen herself!

My Thoughts: Oh, I LOVED this book. I loved Daisy trying to muddle through all the rules and regulations. I loved her banter with everyone - her sass and her snark were amazing. I loved her parents - her talking when nervous mother and her former rock star father. They added even more humor to the story.

I loved how Daisy didn't take to the tradition but she did try for her sister.  

Sometimes like this:

When you're supposed to be more like:

Basically, this book is fantastic and I loved every moment of it. Except I want the second book like yesterday! It's the perfect summer read and perfect for those anxious for the upcoming royal wedding. Grab it - you won't be disappointed. 

Cover Thoughts: CUTE
Source: ARC sent for review
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your public and high school libraries!

Blog Tour: Royals

BOOK DESCRIPTION 

Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who's nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond.

While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown--and the intriguing Miles--might be trying to make Daisy into a lady . . . but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rulebook to suit herself.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins brings her signature humor, love of Americana, and flair for romance to this page-turning Princess Diaries turned-upside-down story.

I'm reading this right now and it's SUPER GOOD!

AUTHOR BIO

Rachel Hawkins is the author of Ruby and Olivia, Journey's End, the Rebel Belle series, and the New York Times bestselling Hex Hall series. Born in Virginia and raised in Alabama, Rachel taught high school English before becoming a full-time writer

You're invited to a royal wedding. How fabulous! 

Check out that invitation!

First off, you won't need a gift, because you'll send in a donation to the feminist charity of their choice.

Next you'll need a card, but you better make it yourself. So it will stand out more, something like this:

Then you'll need an outfit:

Of course a dress.

Then shoes

And a purse (make sure it's big enough to hold a book - just in case)

 

You can't forget your lovely hat. You don't want it to be over the top; we all know how that works out. Just a nice hat that matches your outfit.

With your outfit complete, you can enjoy the royal wedding, just make sure to pack a tissue or two!

Review: Princess in Theory

* First in a new Series *

Naledi hasn't had an easy childhood - nothing in her life has been easy since her parents died leaving her in the foster care system. Now she's in grad school and working, just trying to hold her head above water. It hasn't been easy. So when she meets Jamal, she's surprised to find a connection with him.

But Jamal isn't who is says he is; he's a Prince in disguise. Those emails, Ledi's been getting have been true all along. She knows he's different than other people - he's never ridden the subway before and he seems out of touch with certain everyday things. But she never expected him to become a Prince. She certainly never expected that she would have a past with him. Can they get over their past and have a future together?

My Thoughts: I was so anxious  and excited for this book; it didn't disappoint. There are SO MANY reasons to love this book that I can't list them all. Seriously just go read it.

But here are a few reasons why I loved it: Ledi didn't have time for games; she was serious about her life and her work.  I loved her STEM observations and her love for science and nerdy items. I loved how she figured out her relationships with her co-workers. I admired her toughness and her determination.  She didn't take crap - from anyone and it was amazing. I loved how she learned about her past and used it to help out her future. I loved the moments between Ledi and Jamal, especially their banter. I really enjoyed Likotsi and her closeness/openness with the prince. I adored the ending. I can't wait for the next book in the series - out this summer!

Cover Thoughts: Perfect
Source: Gifted from my #Otspsecretsister

Library Recommendation: A must have for all public libraries

Blog Tour: Princess Pulverizer

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Meet the princess who'd rather wear a suit of armor than a crown!

Princess Serena (or as she prefers, Princess Pulverizer) doesn't want to be a princess--she wants to be knight! But her father, King Alexander of Empiria, thinks she still has a lot to learn when it comes to exhibiting valiant behavior. So he presents a challenge: the princess must first go on a Quest of Kindness and perform good deeds to prove that she truly deserves to go to knight school. With help from a friendly dragon named Dribble and a perpetually terrified knight-in-training named Lucas, can she complete her quest and discover what it really takes to be a hero?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

 Nancy Krulik is the author of more than two hundred books for children and young adults, including three New York Times Best Sellers. She is best known as the author and creator of the Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo; George Br
own, Class Clown; How I Survived Middle School; and Magic Bone book series. Nancy lives in Manhattan with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser. When she's not writing, Nancy can be found reading, going to concerts, traveling, or running around Central Park with her crazy beagle mix, Josie.

MY THOUGHTS:

I really enjoyed this book. From the very beginning it hooked me.  Princess Pulverizer knew what she wanted and she went after it; she wasn't going to let anyone tell her differently. I liked her determination. I really liked the idea if a Kindness Quest. I loved the dragon and the knight she met along the way. I love their team work. I wish I had a dragon who made me grilled cheese. Looking forward to their next adventure!

8 Ways for you to show kindness:

1. Leave an anonymous nice note on a school locker or in a library book

2. Donate gently used books to a school or public library
3. Volunteer somewhere - anywhere
4. Donate food to your local food shelter
5. Make some no sew blankets or ties for animals in shelters
6. Help our your neighbors with an errand, shoveling, raking leaves...
7. Send cards to military overseas
8. Bake something delicious and give to your local fire station, police station, post office, library....

How do you show kindness?

Blog Tour: Royal Crush

Title: ROYAL CRUSH

Author: Meg Cabot

Pub. Date: August 1, 2017

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 192

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Being the newest princess of Genovia is WAY more complicated than she expected, but Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is getting used to it. She gets to live in an actual palace with two fabulous poodles, a pet iguana, her very own pony, and, best of all, a loving family to help her figure things out!

And right now Olivia, having finally admitted that she likes Prince Khalil as more than just a friend, could REALLY use some advice. What is a princess supposed to do once she's found a prince she likes? With her half-sister Mia busy enjoying her honeymoon, Olivia turns to Grandmere for help.

The third book in the middle-grade Princess Diaries spin-off series, written and illustrated by New York Times-bestselling author Meg Cabot.

 My Thoughts: I really adored this book, as I did the previous two books.  Cute illustrations too! I love seeing characters from the Princess Diaries books. I love how similar Olivia is to Mia and also how different she is. They both want everyone to like them. I like how Olivia also has a nemesis  and how she deals with her.  I like her interactions with Prince Khalil. I liked the bet she made with her best friend regarding Mia's baby names (even if it didn't work out the way she expected). I adored Grandmere as a chaperone, especially the Tupac scene. I loved the pop culture references. Olivia has a good heart and she wants to spread kindness, which is admirable. Excited to see what happens to her next!

Cover Thoughts: Love it!

Source: book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Get this one for your library! 

 

About Meg:

Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. There have been over 25 million copies of Meg’s nearly 80 published books sold in 38 countries. Her last name rhymes with habit, as in “her books can be habit forming.” She currently lives in Key West, Florida with her husband and various cats.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram

Follow the Tour:

Week One:

7/24/2017- YA Book Nerd- Review

7/25/2017- Bibliobakes- Review

7/26/2017- Margie's Must Reads- Review

7/27/2017- Never Too Many To Read- Review

7/28/2017- The Autumn Bookshelf- Review

Week Two:

7/31/2017- Little Miss Drama Queen- Review

8/1/2017- The Book Nut- Review

8/2/2017- Becky on Books- Review

8/3/2017- Pervy Ladies Books- Review

8/4/2017- YA Books Central- Spotlight

 Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of ROYAL CRUSH, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Picture Books of 2017 (so far)

I know it's only Monday and this week's topic is a freebie, so I thought I'd continue with my lists of best books I've read so far this year. This week it's kids books. Enjoy!

- meme from The Broke and the Bookish 

Powerful Ladies 

Princesses

And More!

Have you read any of these?

Children's Picture Book Review: Who Wants to be a Princess?

What it was really like to be a Medieval Princess.

I really enjoyed this book. In a two page spread, one page was the Disney version of Princesses and the second page showed reality for Princesses.  It was great to see facts vs Disney ideals from gowns to balls to castles to forest animals. I loved the charming illustrations.  

A great addition to both school and public libraries!

If you Like: The Crown

Last week, I binge watched The Crown and I adored it.

Things I Loved:

* A  young woman growing into a role

* The Queen wanting more of an education

* Margaret

* The Costumes

* Learning more about what the Queen actually does

* Seeing the Wildlife

* The drama of it all

Rumors about the series (from Goggle searching)

Season 2 is already being filmed

We could see it directly after  Thanksgiving

The show has 6 planned seasons - one for every decade of the Queen's Rule

New actors might come aboard for the royal family in seasons 3 and 4 and again in seasons 5 and 6

Season 2 will pick up where Season 1 ended

The Crown:

More Historical Romances with Dukes and Princesses

More Modern Royal Reads:

Have you watched it yet? What did you think?