Insatiable Readers Reviews ROOT BOUND!

Sorry for being a bit slow on the uptake this week. In case you missed it, Gina R. of Insatiable Readers posted an enthusiastic review of ROOT BOUND! She writes:

Brownies and witches and family lost...oh my! It's a mixed bag on the character cast list for certain but all your favorites are there, ready and willing to guide you through this topsy turvy (or perhaps that should read bottomsy turvy seeing as they ARE basement brownies) adventure. The story line bounces between reality and dreams, landing squarely on the shoulders of the "somewhere in between". Just when you think you know which way its going, POOF...something else changes to alter your path. It was really quite GOOD!

Gina also has an idea for a fantastic alternate cover concept. Here is the sketch she provided:

Great stuff!  Read the full review at Insatiable Readers!

Author Interview: Tanya Karen Gough on ROOT BOUND, writing and self-publishing

Wondering how ROOT BOUND came to be? Find some answers here, in this Author Interview with yours truly, thanks to the delightful Toronto author Marianne Su.

Read It Now:

Author Interview: Tanya Karen Gough at mariannesu.com

Some of Marianne's questions include:

In Root Bound, I was taken with how you describe buildings as alive, how they absorb life, grow roots and have the power to change lives. What inspired this concept? How does this work as a central theme in the book?
What message are you making about bullying in Root Bound?

Do you consider Emma to be a role model for girls? Why or why not?

Do you have any writing quirks?

..and more! 

Read the full interview at mariannesu.com.

A Brief History of Brownies (the fae critters, not the dessert)

Brownies.

You're probably here because you've just read Root Bound or you know someone who has. Maybe you (or your friend) were confused by the brownies in the book. "What's this," you exclaimed to yourself, "these crazy little critters sure are cute, but why are they called brownies? I thought brownies were food. Hmmm, food. I'm hungry." And then you put the book down and toddled off to the kitchen to find something to eat. 

Let's face it. The first thing that comes to your mind is that moist, succulent, chocolatey wonder of all desserts. They're square, or maybe sort of rectangular. Dark brown. Inviting. Go ahead, feast your eyes:

Oh, dear, I've made you hungry just mentioning them, haven't I? I can see you're not going to listen to anything I have to say until you get some. Sigh. Fine. You'll find some brownie recipes here, here and here. Go ahead. Make a batch. I'll wait. 

Got your plate of brownies and a nice tall glass of milk? Excellent. 

Now, down to business. Brownie business. No, the *other* kind of brownies. The critters, not the food. By Foundation, do try to focus. Really, again? Go ahead. I'll wait. Ready? Good. 

And now, without any further ado, here is: 

The Trew Historie of (fae) Brownies

Brownies (the magic critters) were first discovered in Scotland and Northern England. They are related to the Hob, or house-elf (such as Dobby in the Harry Potter series), and come from the same family tree as Hobgoblins (which may be house-helpers or big, brutish creatures, depending on who you read). They're not close enough relations to get together for family reunions or holidays, though, and they're not usually found together in the same stories.

According to folklore, Brownies live in human houses, and they're very handy to have around. They don't like daylight, but they are known to sneak out in the middle of the night to clean and perform small household chores. It is customary to leave them small bits of food (the traditional Brownies were very fond of honey and porridge), and home-owners would leave a small chair by the fireplace for the Brownies to warm their feet. 

Anyone who has Brownies in their house is very lucky, indeed, but one has to be careful not to scare or offend them. You should never offer to pay your Brownies for their good work. If you do, they will disappear immediately. And don't ever take them for granted or try to take advantage of them or they will leave. So if you've got ideas about leaving your house chores to the Brownies while you kick back and relax, forget about it. They'll be gone in an instant.

Brownies became especially popular in the 19th century. Writers such as Juliana Horatia Ewing and George MacDonald wrote children's stories, some of which featured Brownies. Incidentally, the Brownies branch of the Girl Scouts (or Girl Guides) get their name from the Juliana Horatia Ewing's stories, in which the Brownies are depicted as helpful creatures. 

Later in the 1800s, poems and drawings by Canadian humourist Palmer Cox were immensely popular:

Frank L. Baum was not a fan, however. In his 1908 collection called Baum's American Fairy Tales, one of his characters, the Ryl, says "Old nurses prefer to talk about those stupid fairies and hobgoblins, and never mention ryls to the children. And the people who write fairy tales and goose books and brownie books and such rubbish sit down at writing-tables and invent all sorts of impossible and unbelievable things" (Source)

The Brownies in ROOT BOUND

The Brownies in ROOT BOUND have had to adapt to living in a big city, where not many people have fireplaces or secret hiding places for the Brownies to use as their home. The Brownies started hiding in the walls in apartment buildings, and they used the ventilation system as a way to travel from one part of the building to another. 

Over time, the Brownies discovered that some buildings have their own magic power, connecting them to the magic world of Under. Being magical creatures themselves, the Brownies followed the power down into the earth, where they build complex Brownie burrows deep underground. Although these underground Brownies can return to the surface, they usually stay close to home, where they mind their own hearths and feast on delicious root stews and stone soups. Their tendency to stay close to their underground homes explains why Brownies are rarely seen in big cities in the modern age.

Want to learn more about Brownies? Buy ROOT BOUND today!

Sources:

Brownie Stories on the Internet:

Andrew Lang: The Brownie of the Lake
Palmer Cox: The Brownies: Their Book
George Douglas: Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales [1901]

Brownie Museums:

The Brownie Museum in Ukraine
The Brownie Castle (built by Palmer Cox's Brothers) in Quebec

More About Brownies:

Ettrick Forest Brownie (Scotland)
The Copinsay Brownie (Orkney Islands)
Spiderwick Wiki

CBL Book Tour for ROOT BOUND

Did you miss out on the last ROOT BOUND Blog Tour? Never fear! CBL Book Tours is hosting another one from April 23 to May 6th! So if you (or your friends) are an established book blogger and would like to jump on board, now is the time!

Sign up now at CBL Book Tours!

ROOT BOUND Book Tour RECAP

The Blog Tour is now over, but the book giveaway runs until March 5th, so there's still time to enter for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of ROOT BOUND! I'd like to thank all of the fantastic and dedicated reviewers who took time out of their busy lives to read and review my little book.  Please be sure to visit them all, not only to show your support for their hard work, but also to increase your chances of winning.

Buy ROOT BOUND

To recap the tour, here are links to all of the week's reviews:

-ROOT BOUND was a fast paced novel perfect for middle grades audiences. 
Katie at Inkk Reviews

-ROOT BOUND is a great coming of age story with lots of fun and light hearted adventure
Cindy at oodles of books

-Are you looking for a funny and easy fantasy novel? This is a story for you.
Maja at The Rambling Readerista

-It's a light Middle Grade read filled with magic, adventure and all kinds of cute!
Isabel from Sab the Book Eater

-Overall, I think it was a fantastically fun, entertaining and enjoyable read.
Sandy at Magical Manuscripts

-This was such a good YA Fantasy. This is a really quick read and the story flows.
TammyAnn at Oh, The Books You'll Read

-This is a wonderful book! I am definitely going to share this book to my students at work.
Josie at Josie's Haven

-The fantasy in the novel was very vibrant and fun.
Christina from Intoxicated by Books

-Overall, this was a great story especially for kids.

Ashley at Paranormal Sisters

Read an excerpt from ROOT BOUND!

Star at Reading to the Stars and Back

-I’m definitely curious about what’s next for Emma and her friends!
Merin at Read and Reviewed

-Something I think would be extremely delightful for younger children.

Grace at Lust For Books

-An easy and enjoyable entry into a series that everyone will enjoy especially young readers.
Mary Grace at The Solitary Bookworm

-It is great for young adults and fits in with the science fiction world of today
Vicjbr at Deal Sharing Aunt

Read an excerpt from ROOT BOUND!

Tiffany at Reviews a la Tiffany

-The language and techniques in this book takes take of every single little detail of actions, characters and the setting.
Angela at Framed into Words

-I really did love ROOT BOUND  and I'm actually really, really looking forward to see what the next book brings to the table.

Annabelle Marie at Sparkles and Lightning

-I have read a decent amount of fantasy novels in my life and this is by far one of the most original books I have ever read. 
Scott Pilgrim at Scott Reads It

-One of the things I did like early on in the book was Emma's introduction to the brownies. 
Jessie at Jessie's Book Place

-Throughout the novel, I loved the details described in the world, the author’s language, and, of course, the different creatures that you get to meet!

Rachel-Madison at Moosubi Reviews

-This is such a fantastical read for all you fairy tale lovers! I even got my daughter to read this story and she loved it!

Tee at A Diary of a Book Addict

ROOT BOUND Book Tour: Day Six

Here they are, the last batch of reviews in the ROOT BOUND Blog Tour! There are quite a few of them, but please visit them all. You'll find an eBook giveaway at each stop, plus a chance to win the grand prize of a signed print copy of ROOT BOUND!

From Angela at Framed into Words (New Zealand):

"Lastly, the writing is brilliant! The language and techniques in this book takes take of every single little detail of actions, characters and the setting."

Read the full review at Framed into Words

Annabelle Marie at Sparkles and Lightning says:

"I really did love Root Bound, and I'm actually really, really looking forward to see what the next book brings to the table. I'm interested to see what will happen next, especially with a certain character!"

Read the full review at Sparkles and Lightning

Scott Pilgrim at Scott Reads It chimes in:

"I have read a decent amount of fantasy novels in my life and this is by far one of the most original books I have ever read. Tanya Karen Gough successfully created a bunch of new fantasy concepts that are exclusively in Root Bound."

Read the full review at Scott Reads It

Jessie at Jessie's Book Place comments:

"One of the things I did like early on in the book was Emma's introduction to the brownies. Actually I'm pretty sure I just like the brownies in general."

Read the full review at Jessie's Book Place

Rachel-Madison at Moosubi Reviews raves:

Reading Root Bound reminded me of when I read The Phantom Tollbooth back in fourth grade. Throughout the novel, I loved the details described in the world, the author’s language, and, of course, the different creatures that you get to meet!

Read the full review at Moosubi Reviews

And last, but certainly not least, Tee at A Diary of a Book Addict says:

"This is such a fantastical read for all you fairy tale lovers! I even got my daughter to read this story and she loved it!"

Read the full review at A Diary of a Book Addict

Thanks to all the fantastic bloggers who participated in my blog tour this week. It's been a blast!

ROOT BOUND Book Tour: Day Five

Here are today's reviews in the ROOT BOUND Blog Tour! Be sure to visit them all - there's an eBook edition up for grabs at each of the stops, plus a signed print edition grand prize.

First up, Mary Grace at The Solitary Bookworm says:

"It was a fun read with a lot of interesting characters. An easy and enjoyable entry into a series that everyone will enjoy especially young readers." 

Read the full review at The Solitary Bookworm


Next, Vicjbr at Deal Sharing Aunt:

"I thought that this was a very interesting book. It is great for young adults and fits in with the science fiction world of today."

Read the full review at Deal Sharing Aunt

Diane at Oops! I Read a Book Again:
Review will be posted shortly.

And finally, Tiffany at Reviews a la Tiffany is serving up a book excerpt and another eBook up for grabs. Be sure to drop by and enter to win!
Visit Reviews a la Tiffany

Tune in tomorrow for the final day in the ROOT BOUND Blog Tour!