Music
Boxes
by
Tonja Drecker
Genre:
Middle Grade Fantasy
“I
only desire your talent...”
Twelve-year-old
Lindsey McKay's biggest dream is to be a famous ballerina. But after
moving to New York, she ends up at the Community Center with a
teacher who’s a burly bear in tights.
When
she meets Madame Destinée, the teacher of a top dance school who
offers her classes for free, Lindsey can't believe her luck. In
exchange, she must perform in the school’s exclusive midnight
shows, ones sure to make her a star. But something’s not
right...
One
by one, the other dancers disappear. Each time they do, a music box
with a figurine just like the missing ballerina joins Madame
Destinée’s growing collection. If Lindsey doesn’t discover the
truth about the dance school, she might end up a tiny figurine
herself.
**Music
Boxes was
recommended by The Barnes & Noble Kids Blog as one of the 5
Spooky New Middle Grade Books for Campfire Chills!!**
**Now
available in audiobook!!**
After
finishing her BA in International Studies at the University of
Denver, Tonja Drecker spent many years in Europe devouring chocolate,
cheese and wine while investigating the birth places of myths,
legends and mysterious tales.
Currently
residing somewhere in the back woods of the Ozarks, she writes away
while tending to chickens, cows and her family of six. Her stories
have been published in several collections and magazines including In
the Shadow of the Eagle's Eye in REAL GIRLS DON'T RUST (Spencer Hill
Press, 2013), A GLOWWORM (Black and White Publishing Company, 2017)
and Meringue, Murder and Marzipan in FULL DARK (Obsidian Books, 2017)
. She's an avid book reader, professional children's book reviewer,
outdoor addict and always in search of a new adventure (based in
reality, the imagination, or otherwise).
GUEST POST
A Crockpot
When I was around seventeen, I won a
crockpot at one of our church’s yearly festivals. I remember my
mother insisting I didn’t need it and might want to give it to one
of the other members. But there was no way I was giving up my
crockpot because I was sure it was a necessity, at least, later in
life. I never used that crockpot. I went off to college (it wasn’t
allowed in the dorms) and after graduating, moved to Europe and
married my husband. The crockpot didn’t work with their electrical
set-up, so my sister got it. But I wasn’t completely wrong. After
moving back to the States five years ago, my crockpot (a different
one) has taken a larger role in life.
As a writer with four children (only
two haven’t left for college yet), a crockpot is a huge bonus on
days I need to meet deadlines or simply get lost in my writing (and
us writers never want to break a good writing stream when it flows).
Oh, and I can’t forget what a blessing it is during certain days
filled with farm work! I just throw everything into the pot in the
earlier part of the day and have a healthy, home-cooked meal waiting
for the family in the evening. It’s a life saver.
The crockpot also reflects my
writing. When I have a story idea (they pop up often), it’s easy to
get excited and believe it’s the best tale in the world—a
guaranteed bestseller. But I stuff these ideas into a folder—and
the back of my mind—and let them stew. Just like my crockpot. Some
disappear quickly. Others take longer to fade away. Those which
continue to cook are the ones I start paying more attention to. I
stir them, add ideas like ingredients and take a taste now and then.
I’m not a quick writer. My plots and characters develop, grow and
simmer away. If the story tastes good at the end of the day, it will
land on the table and, hopefully, be enjoyed.
Follow
the tour HERE
for special excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
Thanks so much for sharing Music Boxes and my rambling-babblings!
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