Madly by Amy Alward Blog Tour

I'm very excited to be taking part of the Madly Blog Tour.  Check out the blogs below that are also participating.  Every day has something exciting to offer.  I will be the final stop on the blog tour and will release an excerpt from Sam's Potion Diary!!  Very cool!!  I can't wait to share it with my blog readers.

Awesome is Everywhere by Neil Pasricha

I have long been a subscriber to Neil Pasricha's blog and have been eagerly awaiting a children's version of his chart topping books.  Awesome is Everywhere does not disappoint.  This book is on sale September 29th but one of the students at my school saw him speak at a book festival last weekend and Neil gave her an autographed copy.  She was so excited that she brought it in to show me and said that I could read it to my library classes all week.  It has been awesome seeing their reactions.  I have read the story to the kindergartens, the grade 8's and all grades in between.

Awesome is Everywhere reads a bit like a meditation book.  I encouraged students to close their eyes and pretend they were on a beach while I read.  The short story also has some relaxation breathing.  For me the ending is the best.  Where is the best place on earth?  Right here in the classroom surrounded by all the awesome kids of course.  There is a mirror at the back and I take the time to make sure each person gets a chance to see themselves.  It was very interesting to watch their reactions.  Some students made funny faces but most smiled.  Some appeared shy.  Only one boy refused to look at all.  Made me think he needs to be told he's awesome a little bit more often.

The story may seem quite primary for the grade 8's but when you flash the last page around they are all smiles.

Neil will be at the Word on the Street in Kitchener on September 26th.

Madly by Amy Alward

Sam Kemi is an alchemist.  Her family mixes potions and sells them out of their shop.  They're sticking true to their roots and still using all natural products.  Not like some of those competing shops that use all synthetic ingredients.

Princess Evelyn is about to turn 18 and must be married soon.  Since she can't find true love her parents will pick a partner for her.  Princess Evelyn tries to take her destiny in her own hands by mixing an illegal love potion but it backfires and now she needs help.

A hunt is called and teams are racing to come up with a potion to reverse the Princess's love potion.  But the palace has said their can be no synth ingredients giving Sam a bit of an edge.  But to gather the ingredients Sam will have to go on an amazing adventure like nothing she's ever done before.  With many teams trying to stop her along the way can Sam succeed?  Who will get the right potion first?  Will the Princess be saved?

Madly has some tough, strong female characters.  I quite enjoyed the book and it appears there will be at least a second.  This will definitely be a book I will purchase for my school library this fall.  I think the students will enjoy it.

Now as promised as the final stop on the blog tour I have been given an excerpt from the potion diary of Samantha Kemi's!  Can you imagine the adventures Sam and Kristy had collecting some of this stuff!  There are a lot of stories to be told just from this list of ingredients.  How are they all collected?  What sort of potions is she using them for?  I look forward to reading more about Sam's adventures.  Enjoy the ingredient list!  Hope you enjoyed the tour!

KEY INGREDIENTS FOR MOST KNOWN ALCHEMICAL SOLUTIONS

A work in progress, from the potion diary of Samantha Kemi

*Note to self: ingredients all have multiple uses – don’t count out an ingredient just because it’s not listed here

Ingredient name	Used in which cure?	Characteristics	Sam’s diary notes
Abominable Hair	For thawing cold shoulders Alleviating agoraphobia Love potions	Coarse, brittle – crumbles once removed from creature for too long	Abominables are lonely creatures – any potion that require ingredients to do with solitude or loneliness
Aelgi	Helps heal wounds of the sea – helps the blood clot and prevents scarring	Long, thin strips of green weed – distinguished from ordinary seaweed by its uniformly crinkled edges	Can be used on its own as a bandage if out to sea with no access to other first aid material
Agata’s Hazel	Main ingredient in a salve to clear a bruise in less than twenty-four hours	Similar to witch hazel, but history can be traced back to a Finder called Agata who grew her own species
Alkali	Reacts with salt in mermaid skin and burns them	A fine powder, made by crushing up	Critical to keep in Finder’s pack if heading out to the Rising or near the sea – good for warding off nefarious sea creatures
Amber Laticifer tree	Ideal for binding and storing memories	Thick resin from its bark can be used in the creation of funeral pendants – common tradition especially in Zambi	Sap is very thick and sticky
Amethyst pendants	No known usages, although some claim the gem has calming properties	Extremely pretty and popular gemstone.	Kirsty sells these on her street stall – must remember to pick one up
Anemone powder	Skin reparation	Can be mixed with Witch Hazel to help close up and heal wounds – or to repair skin, such as burn wounds, etc.
Berd du Merlyn (also known as Merlin’s Beard)	Rare potion that can temporarily enhance wisdom	Very rare ingredient – almost impossible to source Used to be smoked	There are rumours that there might not be any Merlin’s Beard left in the world. Even more annoying that we don’t have it.
Caffeine	For alertness and rejuvenation	Found in cocoa beans	Triple espresso from Coffee Magic is the fastest way to inject caffeine into your blood stream
Caraway	For easing digestion, clearer skin	Tiny flat seeds, akin to fennel
Centaur’s eye	For potions requiring visions into the future	Last Wilde Hunt ingredient – extremely rare	Claimed by Zoro Aster to be the first synth ingredient ever made. Whatever.
Chamomile	Ingredient in sleep serum – known to have calming properties	Little needle-like petals, often found dried, from the chamomile flower. Also makes a lovely fragrant tea.
Chocolate	Too many uses it’s stupid to list them all	Most potent in its pure, dark form	Literally my favourite thing in the world, but preferred when mixed into a milk chocolate bar!
Cinnamon	Vitality of the mind, clearing blood clots, relief from colds and flu	A spice from the inner bark of a tree
Coca leaves	Altitude sickness cure	Thin, opaque leaves that can be chewed to help with altitude	Often gets confused with cacao plant as it looks very similar to the tree that produces chocolate – not the same!
Dragon’s tooth (reptilian)	Used in potions to settle disagreements Also for boosting confidence (in correct dose)	Disagreeable and temperamental as an ingredient. Must be used with care as also forms the base of some dark potions. Some people attempt to plant them, but to no effect	*This reference is to an actual dragon’s tooth, rather than to the plant by the same name
Eluvian ivy	Can be used in truth serums and binding potions For loyalty	Long, thin tendrils that feeds on emotion – very dangerous to keep in stock in its live form – much preferred to crush into a powder	Key characteristic is loyalty – also a good (too good) sponge for emotion
Eluvian ivy flower	For high level potions involving a need for a change in perspective	A huge white blossom Chemical mixes cannot replicate its effect Very rare ingredient and difficult to work with. Not used in many potions but highly valued in some cultures	Normally well protected by the ivy!
Essence of Wisteria	Makes potions easier to digest Also has soothing properties	An ornamental flower with some practical uses
Glow worm, threads	For shock and for daydreaming To root the potion taker to Earth – especially helpful if they are away in the clouds	Different glow worms produce threads of different consistency, but the most potent have a subtle sheen that can be seen in the dark
Goldenrod	For sore throats and empty wallets	A tiny yellow flower that grows in bunches – can be distilled into a bright gold liquid	Rumoured to have money-attracting properties but like the philosopher’s stone – has not been proven in recent history
Gullfish Eyes	No known usages	Pretty amber stone with a crimson streak throughout – the brighter the streak, the more costly the stone
Jasmine	For virility	Many varieties in different colours. Bloom found across the Bharat peninsula, into the Kang mountins and beyond, far into Shan province.
Jellyfish stingers	For use in the potion: Oblivion	Very painful to handle without gloves – although, like stinging nettle, can be handled Can be brewed in Lethe water (which counteracts the stinging properties – although tea should be properly strained before drinking so that no traces of the stingers remain)
Lavender	Ingredient in sleep serum Known calming properties	Best when dried, although can be used fresh as well
Lethe Water	For use in the potion: oblivion	Naturally a very murky colour – but not cause for concern (although maybe offputting to the drinker)
Lunar Laurel Leaf	A key ingredient in potions for prosperity or for luck	Must be picked on the third new moon of the year
Maple syrup	For comfort and lethargy, to warm the blood	Produced by maple trees in cold climates	Delicious with everything, especially pancakes – and, strangely, bacon
Melling Bee Honey	Sweetener Can also be effective against certain strands of hay fever		A touch of this triggers a sleep serum that works for me!
Merpearl, full moon oyster	For enhanced beauty and love potions	Most popular engagement ring stone.
Merrimack Leaf	A useful treatment for eczema	Dark green, very wide leaf that secretes a rich oil
Millefolium	Staunches blood flow Oil can be used for chest infections and curing coughs	A flower with many tiny petals, almost feather-like. Produces a deep blue essential oil when distilled.
Mountain sweet petals	To add to potions for schizophrenia and delusions. The smoke will make abominables extremely sleepy	A delicate white flower that grows in bunches close to the ground in alpine areas
Oyster shell	Rosacea reduction (to soothe reddened skin) Bone strengthening (for early onset osteoporosis)	The pearlescent inner lining of the shell is the most desired – it has to be peeled away from the rocky outer layer
Phoenix ashes	For potions to promote a long life	The purest ash is the strongest – if mixed with earth or soil, it loses its potency
Pricolici Breath	Once had potentially 400 uses. Most are now lost.	Creature extinct for three hundred years
Rose oil	Helps the essence of Wisteria mix with other potions	Essential oil extracted from rose petals – best steamed
Rose water	Potions base	Steep rose petals in water until reaches the right consistency	Ask granddad which is the best variety of rose works the best
Rosemary Oil	Memory aid	Essential oil extracted from rosemary leaves
Salamander Dust	A nasty powder that burns eyes and skin, causing insatiable itching	Fire salamanders spontaneously combust when they die – this dust is the most potent.
Shepherd’s purse	A stabilizing ingredient in the cure for Summoning shock	A relatively common weed, but has stabilizing properties in any potions
Silver meteorite	The main ingredient in a potion for curing Transporting shock	The name is a misnomer – iron meteorite would be more accurate. Very dense metal, but when cut open displays attractive lattice-like patterns
Sloth Hair	Common ingredient for sleep serum	Hair best taken from the sloth when it is sleeping
Sphinx Breath	For potions when clarity of communication is needed For dyslexia	If captured whilst the Sphinx is speaking in riddles, the breath is stronger
Witch Hazel	To reduce scarring and bruising – apply as soon as the wound is closed	The leaves and bark of the plant can be used to form a paste	Mum’s divining rod is made from witch hazel twig
Wizard’s Beard	A key ingredient in potions dealing with shock Helps to ease the sharing of bad news	Found in the Kan mountains Thin strands should be brewed in hot water