Book Spotlight: Shadowcape by Dawn Ford

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Shadowcape by Dawn Ford, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Shadowcape 
Series: Band of Unlikely Heroes #4 
Author: Dawn Ford 
Publisher: ScrivKids 
Release Date: November 11, 2025 
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

Four heroes. One dark enemy. A battle that could change the Wilden Lands forever. 

After the Erlking’s latest attack, Queen Bearer Horra Fyd searches desperately for a way to end his evil schemes once and for all. But when the rats destroy the hidden books that may hold the answers, hope begins to slip away. 

An experiment gone wrong throws their newest ally—Grendel—into chaos, just as children begin to vanish and the elves abandon their secret kingdom. Shadows gather. Secrets surface. And time is running out. 

Now Horra, Rowan, Glory, and Grendel must summon courage greater than their fears and faith stronger than their doubts. If they fail, the Erlking and his wicked minions will seize the Wilden Lands—and destroy everything they love. 

Fans of epic sagas like The Lord of the Rings will be swept into this breathtaking world of magic, peril, and unlikely heroes. 

Will four unlikely heroes rise to face the darkness … or will their world fall into ruin? Read this exciting series conclusion to find out.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Excerpt

Grendel woke to find herself on the ground and surrounded by a thicket of weeds. Her head ached, as did her body. “What happened?” She sat up. Bugs darted about in the overgrown area, and she swatted the nuisances away. Her sight was dim and her head swam. Swiping a hand across her face, she groaned. “Where am I?”

The last thing she remembered was testing out her soundometers in the troll castle’s lab. She slapped her palms over her ears. The devices were gone. Her heart thundered in her chest.

Those were her prototypes, the only pair she’d built so far. Grendel struggled to recall what happened, how she’d ended up outside the castle, but her mind wouldn’t cooperate. Moaning against the dizziness, she gathered herself and stood. Blood rushed to her head, and she stumbled to her knees.

The last time she felt this way was when the Erlking had changed her the first time. Her eyes snapped open. “This is so not good.”

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More in This Series

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About the Author

Dawn Ford writes fantastical YA & MG stories with a fairy tale flair. Author of the Firebird Series, her book, The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes, won the 2016 ACFW Genesis Award. Dawn loves thrift shopping, doing crafty things, and spending time with her family. She believes in that magic can be found anywhere.

Connect with Dawn by visiting dawnfordauthor.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a bundle of all four paperback books in the Band of Unlikely Heroes series!

(2) winners will each receive a signed copy of Shadowcape!

(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 18, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 25, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Book Spotlight: Tatterhood by Dawn Ford

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Tatterhood by Dawn Ford, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Tatterhood
Series: Band of Unlikely Heroes #3
Author: Dawn Ford
Publisher: ScrivKids
Release Date: January 28, 2025
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

Troll Princess Horra Fyd and young druid Rowan team up to reverse the evil Erlking’s spells and save the creatures across the Wilden Lands. However, Fairy Princess Glory Toppenbottom is still a thorn in Horra’s side. After Horra and Glory have a heated fight, Glory sneaks out of the castle. She is bent on finding the Erlking to reverse the hex he cast on her. This creates a political disaster when the Glory’s sister announces she’s coming to retrieve Glory. 

Angered by Horra’s treatment of a royal guest, King Fyd proclaims Horra to be Queen Bearer. She becomes the ad hoc ruler, freeing her father from the scandal. Shocked, Horra assents. Her first move is to find the missing fairy princess before it becomes an interkingdom war. They form a search party and leave. 

The Erlking stalks their every move. When the only choice points them toward the Riven, a cursed hidden land, they don’t hesitate. They find Glory is already there, but are immediately separated. The Riven is nothing like anyone imagined. Will they survive the Erlking’s magical traps, or will they, like everyone else, perish within its borders?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon

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Excerpt

(Excerpt 3, fairy Princess Glory Toppenbottom)

If it hadn’t been for the trolls, Glory would still be in her Shining Kingdom, celebrated as the brightest creature to exist in a lifetime. More beautiful even than her twin sister, Misty. Her life would be full of art, laughter, and most of all, music.

Music. She laughed, but there was no humor in it. She thought back to where it all began—the Erlking disguised as a dark fairy prince who loved melodies as much as she did. He’d caught her eye with his pale skin and spiked black hair. He was everything she wasn’t supposed to want but did. Her rebellion against her controlling mother and perfect sister had been sweet.

Except it had all been a ruse. He’d lured her with his dark enchantment like a fisher hooking an innocent glimmerfish. He tricked her into mesmerizing her mother first, her sister next, and then used them all to invade the troll kingdom to gain access to the troll princess.

Betrayal and contempt warred for dominance in her heart. How could she have been so gullible? She shook her head. The Erlking knew a fairy’s weakness lay in their beauty and love of artful things. He’d used that knowledge to his advantage.

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About the Author

Winner of the 2016 ACFW Genesis Award and Finalist in the 2023 Carol awards and 2024 Realm Makers Realm awards, Dawn Ford has been recognized for her published and non-published works.

As a child, Dawn often had her head in the clouds creating scenes and stories for anything and everything she came across. She believed there was magic everywhere, a sentiment she has never outgrown. Nature inspires her, and her love for the underdog and the unlikely hero colors much of what she writes.

Connect with Dawn by visiting dawnfordauthor.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(3) winners will each receive a $15 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback copy of Tatterhood, and one eBook copy of Woodencloak and Mossycoat!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 27, 2025 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on February 3, 2025. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Author Interview: The Girl with Fire in Her Veins

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl with Fire in Her Veins by Dawn Ford, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: The Girl with Fire in Her Veins
Series: Firebird #2
Author: Dawn Ford
Publisher: Expanse Books
Release Date: April 25, 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy

Former servant girl Tambrynn struggles with her new firebird abilities, especially the internal fire she cannot control. So, she, along with her Watcher Lucas, and her grandfather Bennett journey to a hidden mountain keep to find the answers she seeks before she sets the kingdom aflame. 

But there’s a new dragon who’s targeting Tambrynn, a mergirl who wishes to manipulate her, and the froggen king, Siltworth, who hasn’t forgotten that Tambrynn destroyed his watery reign. When her father, the evil mage Thoron, attacks someone she loves, Tambrynn’s group is separated and she has to face another powerful foe alone. 

Is she strong enough to withstand the deluge? Or will she drown in the fire and the flood?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub

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More Books in this Series

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Excerpt from The Girl with Fire in Her Veins 

Shellsea stops crying. “All I ask is for some help. Is that too much? Aren’t you here to fulfill the prophecy? Make us all equal?”

“You weren’t asking for anything. You were demanding and then you rushed us.” Lucas points a finger at her. “And what do you know of a prophecy?”

She sniffles wetly. The voices from the water die off. All of the birds chitter cease. It’s silent as if nature itself is listening. She recites: “Silvery moon and Maker’s mark. There’s one who will bring light from the dark. They’ll restore the balance to each and all. Bringing even the lowest back to equal.”

Birds call out and the water laps at the banks once more. I touch my head, willing the pressure to go away. “What if I’m not who you think I am? I can swim, yes. But even as a firebird, I can’t go to the depths of the ocean. I barely managed to survive when Siltworth dragged me to his castle. You’ll have to find help from somewhere else.” I step back, preparing to leave.

“Lies! You’re lying!” Shellsea explodes.

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About the Author

Dawn Ford writes fantastical YA stories with a fairy tale flair. The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes, formerly Kingdom Come, won the 2016 ACFW Genesis Award for the Speculative genre. Dawn also has a middle-grade twisted fairytale Woodencloak, which is the first of four books in her Band of Unlikely Heroes series. Dawn lives in Iowa with her husband.

Connect with Dawn by visiting dawnfordauthor.com to follow her on social media and sign up for newsletter updates.

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Author Interview with Dawn Ford

Q: What was the inspiration behind The Girl with Fire in Her Veins?

Dawn: When I finished the first book in this series, The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes, I had to take some of the content from what I’d planned for this book to rewrite the ending of the first book. Because of that, I didn’t have enough planned for a second book. My kids are involved in a D&D group, and so I called a meeting with them to brainstorm. The ideas we all came up with were so fun and interesting, and not something I would’ve easily come up with on my own. I couldn’t have done it without them.

 

Q: How long did it take you to write this story?

Dawn: It took about seven months total to get it down.

 

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Dawn: The Guardian Theocles says this to our heroine, Tambrynn, when she doubts herself: “Chosen of the Kinsman, you hold his light. Your gifts hold the answers you seek.” It’s one of my favorites because I had Matthew 5:16 in mind: In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from The Girl with Fire in Her Veins?

Dawn: That though we can be overcome by things that happen to us in this life, we have the power to rise above and meet challenges we’re not sure we’re ready for. We just have to have faith.

 

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?

Dawn: I have a real fear of heights—I get weirdly dizzy when I watch a TV show or a movie where it shows something high looking down. I can’t watch it.

 

Q: How many bookcases are in your home?

Dawn: Three, but I also have piles of books and books in boxes I keep. It’s not hoarding if it’s books, right?

 

Q: How long ago did you start writing?”

Dawn: I started writing in 2008—fifteen years ago.

 

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Dawn: I love creating stories. I’ve always had stories in my head I told myself. Now, I share them with others.

 

Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Dawn: I watch my grandkids when I can, love thrift shopping, and help my husband with our foodservice business.

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Tour Giveaway

(5) winners will receive a signed paperback copy of The Girl with Fire in Her Veins plus a set of either star or flame themed Color Street nail strips chosen at random!

(2) winners will receive a signed copy of The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes along with The Girl with Fire in Her Veins nail strips

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 29, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 5, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Author Interview & Giveaway: The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes by Dawn Ford

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Dawn Ford, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Series: Firebird Series #1
Author: Dawn Ford
Publisher: Expanse Books
Release Date: April 12, 2022
Genre: YA Christian Fantasy

Eighteen-year-old servant girl Tambrynn is haunted by more than her unusual silver hair and the star-shaped pupils in her eyes. Her uncontrollable ability to call objects leads the wolves who savagely murdered her mother right to her door. 

When she’s fired and outcast during a snowstorm, her carriage wrecks and she’s forced to find refuge in an abandoned cottage. There, her life is upended when the magpie who’s stalked her for ten years transforms into a man, Lucas. He’s her Watcher and they’re from a different kingdom. His job is to keep her safe from her father, an evil mage, who wants to steal her abilities, turn her into one of his undead beasts, and become immortal himself. 

Can they make it to the magical passageway and get to their home kingdom in time for Tambrynn to thwart her father’s malicious plans? Or will Tambrynn’s unique magic doom them all?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | BookBub

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Winner of the 2016 ACFW Genesis Award and finalist in the 2018 Grace Award and the 2020 Great Expectations Contest, Dawn Ford has been recognized for her published and non-published works. Her flash fiction stories have been published in Havok magazine under both her real name and pen name, Jo Wonderly. Her debut novel, Knee-high Lies, was published in 2017.

As a child, Dawn often had her head in the clouds creating scenes and stories for anything and everything she came across. She believed there was magic everywhere, a sentiment she has never outgrown. Nature inspires her, and her love for the underdog and the unlikely hero colors much of what she writes. 

Dawn adores anything Steampunk, is often distracted by shiny, pretty things, and her obsession with purses and shoes borders on hoarding. Dawn lives in Iowa and helps her husband run their foodservice and catering business out of Omaha, Nebraska. When not reading, writing, or catering, Dawn loves babysitting her grandchildren, is parent to Snickers the Wonder Beagle, and can usually be caught daydreaming. 

You can learn more about Dawn Ford at her website: https://dawnfordauthor.com 

CONNECT WITH DAWN: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Q: What was the inspiration behind The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes?

Dawn: I sat down one afternoon to write with a vision in my head of a servant girl who had been dismissed from her employer because of her errant abilities. Her carriage wrecks in a dark, dangerous forest. I had three chapters written within an hour just from that single image.


Q: How long did it take you to write this story?

Dawn: I started writing this story in 2010, so it’s taken me twelve years from start to publication.


Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Dawn: “Those who are given special gifts from the Kinsman have a great responsibility to use them faithfully. That doesn't mean ye won't fail. It just means ye'll have to work hard to make things right.”

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes? 

Dawn: From the first image of this story, I wanted to get across the idea that our abilities are gifts, not curses. Too often we belittle our own talents while thinking someone else’s have more value. We’ve all been born with unique abilities and special talents. The trick is to appreciate ourselves for how wonderful we’ve been created.

 

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?

Dawn: I didn’t start writing until I was in my forties, so it’s never too late to discover your special abilities.

 

Q: What are you reading now?

Dawn: I’m reading Erin Howard’s Beyond the Gates. It’s currently up for preorder.

 

Q: How many bookcases are in your home?

Dawn: Three.

 

Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Dawn: Reading, thrift shopping, watching my grandchildren.

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(3) winners will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback copy of The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes, and book swag!

 

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 16, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 23, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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