The Blog Tour Continued Without Me!

It just dawned on me that I am 15 reviews behind on my comments, so I thought I'd take a few minutes today and give you my favorite lines from each review to give you a taste, and if you want to read (or watch) the whole thing, you can follow the link provided. :)

Alexis Covington: "I loved the descriptions in the book. I remember a certain description that caused my mouth to start salivating. Kayla was at a dinner feast and they were eating spicy steak. My mouth started to water. Karen's ability to have her readers experience what the characters are feeling is incredible."

Ariella Stewart: "I could easily imagine the characters and the places that they went. Between the love-struck Kayla and the slightly crazy C’Tan, the emotions were strong and you could almost feel them as you read. Karen Hoover has started a great series and I can’t wait for the rest of them to come out. The first book has landed itself on my favorite’s list and I’m sure the other six books will too."

Nancy C. Allen: "[I liked] The quick nature of the plot, once the story and characters are established, especially in the last third of the book. I was nearing the end of the story and picking my kids up from school. I waited for my daughter to come out of the building, and when she got in the car, I told her she had to keep reading to me while I drove to the next school. That's the mark of a good story, to me. If I don't want to put it down, that means I like it. :-) "

Jenn Wilks: "There was so much fun magic throughout this entire book. Between the mages and the spells and the shapeshifting and the werewolves and the dragons, there was always something exciting happening."

Kimberly Job: "Karen has created characters that youth will identify with. Kayla and Ember are each on an individual journey of self-discovery that is full of action and unexpected twists and turns. Although the main characters are girls, Hoover includes enough action that boys will enjoy her book as well."

Shanna Blythe: "Just so you know . . . Karen is a good friend of mine. However, that is NOT why I am blogging about her book or posting a review about it. The reason I'm doing it, is because this book ROCKS! I first read the book around three years ago . . . as soon as I finished it I emailed Karen and said, "Loved the book, hate you. Call me." Any book that makes me hate the author (mainly because I wish I WOULD have written it) is a book well worth reading and her book has only gotten better as it has gone through revisions and then the publishing process."

Tonya Christensen: "Something I love... the mystery I'm left with at the end. I'm not sure who to trust completely - I'm not sure of the motives behind some of what's going on... it's frustrating and thrilling all at once!

Another thing I love... the display of parental love. It transcends all else. Enough said - at least "enough said that won't mess up some of the book for you"

(FIVE STAR REVIEW) Melissa Owens: "This is one of those books I can picture myself reading when I was much younger--I think it would be among my most-loved books of my pre-teen and teen years, along with A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, The Oval Amulet by Lucy Cullyford Babbitt, and Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. Perhaps it may be presumptuous of me to rate The Sapphire Flute so highly (although I imagine The Oval Amulet is not so well known by many), I do so because this story resonated with me the same way those did. I can see my self re-reading this book many times down the road, as I have the titles I mentioned above."

Danyelle Ferguson: "The prologue was incredible. I immediately connected with the father, rushing to save his daughter from an evil person who wanted to destroy her. I felt his confusion and conflicted feelings that this evil threat was someone he loved and trusted - his own sister. And even cried when he died in a fire after battling his sister, giving his wife and daughter the opportunity to escape. What a powerful prologue!"

Jennifer Debenham: "Some of Hoover's ideas were quite creative. I loved the concept of being able to see different types of magic as different colors. I also really liked the special gift Ember's father gave her by way of his friend, though we don't understand much about its significance in this book. Hoover does a great job of bringing the reader along in the thought process Ember goes through as she learns of her powers and how to use them."

Sabine Berlin: "When I first got this book in the mail I have to admit, I wasn't that taken with the cover. And as a result I didn't open it immediately. My mistake. This is a fun well written book that kept me intrigued the entire time I read it. I loved the characters, both good and bad. I found myself hoping for them, wondering what was going to happen next, and hating to have to put it down (when you're a mother of three that is sometimes inevitable). This book is sure to please young audiences, fantasy lovers or not. I am excited to pass it on to my nieces, although seeing as I am lucky enough to have a signed copy I may have to get them one of their own!"

(A FIVE SMILEY FACE REVIEW) Cheryl Malandrinos: "While the plot is excellent, this book’s strength definitely resides in its characters. The reader comes to care for Ember and Kayla. She’ll be able to understand the tense relationship between Ember and her mother. She’ll admire Kayla’s courage and determination. She’ll appreciate the people in Ember’s life who encourage her to fulfill her destiny, just as she will empathize with the difficult decisions Kayla is forced to make after taking on guardianship of the Sapphire Flute.

This book also ends on a powerful note, setting up the events that will take place in Book Two, which I hope is soon on the way. Young adult fantasy doesn’t get any better than The Sapphire Flute by Karen Hoover!"

Becky Saldivar: "This was such a good book! My 12 year old son and I both read it and enjoyed it! I can’t wait for the next book to come out and this book wasn't released yet when I read it! I received an advanced reader’s edition from Valor Publishing Group and was asked to just tell what I thought about the book on my blog. I am not getting paid to do this but I kind of feel like I should pay them for giving me this sneak peak because it was just so much fun to read this book ahead of everyone!"

(MY FIRST EVER VLOG REVIEW!!!) Ali Cross: (Take the time to watch the video, if you get the chance. Ali is hilarious and gives a rather thorough synopsis of the story. Okay, back to quotes.) "The Sapphire Flute reminded me of the wonderful fantasies I enjoyed as a child, like The Prydain Chronicles and the Dragon Singer books by Anne McCaffrey.I'm so pleased there's another wonderful book like The Sapphire Flute for my children to enjoy."

Nichole Giles: "Right away after receiving this manuscript, I felt myself pulled into the story to the point where I didn’t want to put it down—and it was on my computer. I ended up downloading a text to voice converter and loading it onto my iPhone so I could listen to it while I ran my kids around town and did yard work. Here’s the problem. This story has everything. Magic, action, suspense, mystery, plot twists that have you dying to know what happens next and…one of my favorite elements, romance. Oh, and shape-shifters. Hence the reason I had to read and/or listen straight through."


And there you have the recap! It's been fun seeing what people have to say about the story and opinions have run the gamut, though it seems to lean toward the positive. That is a very happy making thing. :D This has been an amazing journey, one I am extremely humbled by and grateful for. Today I walked into The Purple Cow, my local bookstore, and saw my book on the shelf next to BRANDON MULL'S Fablehaven #5. It was a surreal moment.

My dream has finally come true. No matter what comes from here on out, I'm not just a writer anymore.

I'm an author. A real freakin' author. It blows my mind and fills me with tears of gratitude.

Quote of the Day: "Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own."

Carol Burnett