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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Sabrina Benulis Guest Post: My Favorite Childhood Toys and Why They Matter + giveaway


My Favorite Childhood Toys and Why They Matter

Some people think the toys you play with as a child have absolutely no bearing on your adult personality and imagination. They couldn't be more wrong. Here are 5 of my favorite childhood toys and a brief explanation of how they've formed me as a fantasy writer. Be prepared for a nostalgia trip--I'm a child of the 80s.



1. My Little Pony - First, let me just say I can't express how awesome it is that these toys are popular again. My Little Pony cemented my obsession with magical creatures from the tender age of 3, and the interest has yet to wane. In my book series, The Books of Raziel, there are creatures called Kirin that have unicorn and Pegasus-type characteristics. I always felt an author deserves special bonus points if they can insert a magical horse into a story and make it unique and cool.
2. Shera, Princess of Power - Shera was a strong heroine. A REALLY strong one. In a decade where Barbie still reigned supreme, Shera was like Xena Warrior Princess, who may just in fact be her spiritual successor. If you've read any of my books, it's safe to say I like really tough-as-nails heroines.
3. Popples - I have it on authority that these toys made a comeback as well in 2015. The magic of transformation was strong with Popples. They were stuffed animals that you could turn inside-out, and somehow that was incredibly fascinating. Transformation = magic = fantasy writer.


4. Jem - Jem was recently made into a movie that failed spectacularly. Too bad, because Jem was a much cooler version of Barbie--kind of like an 80s Hannah Montana. She kind of deserves a comeback. Jem was what you'd now term a 'magical girl.' Normal by day and super-fantastic at night. I've always loved the idea of heroines being someone special on the inside--of having a secret very few people knew. That tends to reflect in my book series strongly, where my main character Angela has a massive secret revealed at the end of the trilogy, not to mention the myriad others she discovers along the way.


5. Strawberry Shortcake - It's safe to say Strawberry Shortcake is officially back and maybe even more popular than when I was a child. She and her fruit-themed friends are cuter than ever. But you might wonder how she merits a mention here. Well, Strawberry Shortcake has bright red hair, and so does my main character, Angela. Coincidence? Maybe. Or, then again, maybe not!

Do you have any favorite childhood toys that send you down nostalgia lane? Do you ever wonder if they had more influence on you than you thought?

Thanks for your time, everyone! And happy reminiscing! 



Angelus (Books of Raziel Trilogy Book Three) 
by Sabrina Benulis
February 9, 2016
Harper Voyager
Paperback
Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Paranormal

In the heart-pounding conclusion to The Books of Raziel trilogy, Angela discovers that she holds the keys to both Heaven and Hell, and that angels, demons, and all the creatures in between will stop at nothing to possess her...

The war started by three powerful angel siblings - Raziel, Lucifel, and Israfel - has divided the kingdoms of both Heaven and Hell. Now the destruction is spilling over into our world.

The last hope for a crumbling world is the Archon, also known as the human Angela Mathers. Angela alone can successfully oppose Lucifel and open Raziel’s Book for the power of good rather than evil. But to do so would mean murdering her best friend, a fact Angela refuses to face.


Now Angela sits on the throne of Hell, fulfilling a prophecy of ruin. But ruin does not always mean destruction.....sometimes it means revolution.


About the Author:
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Sabrina Benulis graduated with a masters from Seton Hill University. Her books include the first two entries in the Books of Raziel series, Archon and Covenant. She currently resides in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband and a spoiled cockatiel.


Tour Giveaway:
1 set of all three books in the series; ARCHON, COVENANT, and ANGELUS. Open to US Shipping


a Rafflecopter giveaway

24 comments:

  1. I totally agree about Jem! I loved the TV show, but I couldn't even go to see the movie after that trailer. I also loved Sailor Moon, My Little Pony and Rainbow Brite. Some people had American Girl Dolls, I had Rainbow.

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    1. I was excited about the Jem movie! Too bad it never made it past two weeks or so in the box office. :-( I guess the trailer said it all. I'm a huge Sailor Moon fan too!

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  2. I love Angel vs Demon stories, and the cover is fantastic!

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    1. Thanks so much! I love the cover too!! The artist does amazing work.

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  3. BLAST TO THE PAST! LOL... :) thanks for the fun post!

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  4. I loved Strawberry Shortcake and I agree they do make a difference.

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    1. The new dolls have fruit scented hair--no joke!!

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    2. The old ones had scents too. It's why I loved playing with my friends one. Strawberry and blueberry were my favorites.

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  5. memories- I was a child in the 80s too!! My Little Pony, Strawberry Shortcake, She- Ra....I loved them.

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    1. It's incredible how all of these toys are making comebacks so many decades later. Everything old is new again, right? ;-)

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  6. Congrats on the new release! It sounds like a fascinating book.

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    1. Thanks!! I tried to write a really unique trilogy. If you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it! :-)

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  7. Poppies... I completely forgot about those. I wonder what happened to mine.
    The cover is stunning. Who's the illustrator?

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    1. Hi! Thanks, I'm glad you like the cover!! The artist is a graphic designer called Nekro.

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  8. I'm too old for your toys. My cousins had them all, they're 12 and 15 yrs younger than me ;).

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    1. Victoria, that's ok. You can always buy a brand new My Little Pony. lol

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  9. I think the only one I don't remember is Shera but I loved all the rest and I'm so happy that my youngest is a MLP lover now I just need to get her into Strawberry Shortcake.

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    1. Hi! I have a daughter too, and though she's only 18 months old, she already likes MLP. I echo your happiness. lol

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  10. On book 3 now and I am in LOVE with the strong characters you've created! But oh, that poor 'book' ! :o

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    1. So glad you love the characters!! :-D I know I feel pretty sorry for the "book" too, but I think the ending will make you quite happy. ;-)

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  11. I had mostly stuffed animals as a child (we were horrendously poor). I could make them anything I wanted them to be. I had a vast imagination. I did have a Red Riding Hood doll that transformed into Grandma, as well as the wolf. It was super cool. :) Thanks for sharing with us.

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    1. Michelle, I never knew there was a doll like that! That's awesome!! Glad you enjoyed the post. :-)

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  12. Love your post, Sabrina! So much fun! Popples were amazingly magical. Twenty plus years later, I'm still upset about my parents donating my She-Ra doll to goodwill.

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