Friday, April 12, 2013

Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle: Art Work Reveal

I had so much fun reading Christopher Healey's two League of Princes books that when Kellie Celia from Walden Pond Press asked if I would like to participate in an artwork reveal, I said "Yes, please!" So here is EXCLUSIVE artwork from 


Walden Pond was also kind enough to provide items for a giveaway!
o   Blog readers can enter to win a framed print of the artwork you are revealing. This print will be signed by the illustrator, Todd Harris. 
o   Hardcover copy of the book
o   This is only for residents of the US. Sorry!
o   Walden Pond will furnish all prizing

Haven't had a chance to read the book? Here is an excerpt that accompanies the above illustration!


Frederic was about to follow up with a rousing speech, but before he could utter another word, the back door of Duncan’s house flew open and Snow White rushed out. She was wearing a garment of her own design—an overalls-sundress hybrid—accessorized with a headdress woven from marsh reeds. “Dunky!” She ran to her husband, hugged him, then pushed him away and waved her finger in his face. Then she pulled him to her and hugged him again. Then shoved him away, glared, and frowned at him. “Do you know how upset I am with you?”
“Well, I didn’t at first,” he answered. “But then I did. And then I didn’t. And now I do again. But why? Did I do something wrong?”
“You vanished without a word!” Snow exclaimed, her wide eyes glaring. “You left me alone. With your family. For days. It was only yesterday that I finally convinced them you weren’t in the outhouse all this time.”
“But—But—” Duncan stammered.
Snow looked sternly at Frederic . “I should have known the Princes Charming were behind Duncan’s disappearance,” she said. “It was only a matter of time before he ran off on another of your crazy quests. I just thought somebody would have had the decency to tell me about it.”
“But I did! Or, I mean, Frank did,” Duncan said. “The quickety boy with the boots came for me. And I had to go stop Liam from marrying the shrill lady. Only I got arrested instead. And now we have to steal a pretty sword from the Bandit King. Frank was supposed to tell you everything. He promised.”
Snow spun to face down Frank, who was trying to sneak around the corner of the house. The dwarf looked up at her sheepishly.
“Frank!” Snow said. The one word had the weight of an entire angry tirade.
“It’s possible I may have said something to make Duncan believe that maybe I was going to tell you about his little outing,” the dwarf mumbled.
At that moment, if beams of flame had shot forth from Snow White’s eyes and flash-fried Frank, nobody would have been surprised.


o   Artwork Copyright © 2013 by Todd Harris
o   Text Copyright © 2013 by Christopher Healy

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the giveaway, Karen! Off to figure out Rafflecopter now. Best way to storm a castle...bring food? Preferably cookies.

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  2. THIS is an exciting giveaway. This art work would make my daughter jump for joy.

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  3. Oops. Missed the part about the best way to storm a castle.

    That would be: Find a way to get the gate key when everyone else is preoccupied with a farce of a wedding. :)

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  4. I loved the first book, Hero's Guide to Saving Your Castle. Best way to storm a castle, sneak in!

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  5. These books sound perfect for the Children's Lit class I'll be teaching this fall. You can also bet the students will be visiting your blog weekly to see what you have to recommend.

    Thanks,
    RJ

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  6. Anonymous3:38 PM EDT

    Why do I feel as if going under the castle is the best way in? Hardly makes sense...I say, DISGUISE yourself to get in! It always works in the movies!!!

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  7. What's the best way to storm a castle? Okay, I confess I did a Google search on this and found out that the most common way is cut off any supplies to the castle. Wow...better pack a lunch and bring a good book because it sounds like storming a castle could take a while.

    I also learned that the invaders might use catapults to throw dead bodies into the castle; spreading diseases. Pretty gruesome.

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  8. I'm looking forward to this one--thanks for hosting the giveaway!

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  9. Best way to storm the castle would be to show up as an invited guest, and unleash your fiendish plans once inside, as you will not be expected to pull anything over on anyone, you were INVITED in! This plan requires much pre-planing...

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  10. Gah! I love all these illustrations. I think the best way to storm a castle is with your magic powers to bring on the rain, thunder, lightening, etc. :)

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  11. the BEST way to storm a castle is to go early in the morning right when they change the guard. The new ones won't be fully awake and the old ones would have been up all night!

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