Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Virtual Book Tour + Review + #Giveaway: The Secret Benefits of Invisibility by C. W. Allen @cwallenbooks @GoddessFish


The Secret Benefits of Invisibility

by C. W. Allen

GENRE: Middle Grade Adventure Fantasy


BLURB:


For Zed and Tuesday, adjusting to life in modern-meets-medieval Falinnheim means normal is relative. Lots of kids deal with moving, starting new schools, and doing chores. But normally, those schools aren't in underground bunkers full of secret agents, and the chore list doesn't involve herding dodos. The one thing that hasn't changed: all the adults treat them like they're invisible.


When a security breach interrupts a school field trip, the siblings find themselves locked out of the Resistance base. With the adults trapped inside, it's up to Tuesday, Zed, and their friends to save the day. And for once, being ignored and underestimated is coming in handy. After all, who would suspect a bunch of kids are capable of taking down the intruders that captured their families, let alone the murderous dictator that put them into hiding in the first place?


Turns out invisibility might just have its benefits.


Purchase The Secret Benefits of Invisibility on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Booktopia



Excerpt:

"You ducklings get a good night's sleep," Obaachan called from her bed. "We've got a big day tomorrow."

This was news to everyone, including the captain. "What's happening tomorrow?" Solomon asked, squinting suspiciously at her. On the hammock tree, heads popped up all over the upper branches.

"Our next operation, of course."

Solomon laughed, but it didn't strike Tuesday as a "what a great joke" kind of laugh. More like a "the thing you just said is so ridiculous I must have misheard you" laugh.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," he said, "but half my agents are still off checking the other safe houses. I won't be making any new plans until they report back."

Now it was Obaachan's turn to laugh. "Good thing your agents aren't invited, then. I have a few plans of my own. Don't fret yourself, pigeon—the children and I will handle it."

"My Operations team is leading this—" he started, but Obaachan cut him off.

"Don't forget I outrank you," she said sternly.

Solomon and Corvus exchanged a glance. "Does she?" Corvus mouthed silently.

Solomon shook his head.

"Call it seniority, then. Can't argue with me there!"

Solomon folded his arms. "And this plan involves the children how, exactly?"

"Well we can't exactly show up in Anduvia with a bunch of well-trained, competent-looking people, now can we? You'd have Tyrren's informants on your tail the moment you set foot in town. Obviously, this operation calls for a more specialized skill set."

Orion cut in, speaking slowly while his tongue caught up to his thoughts. It was like he was trying to puzzle out the answer to Q minus Purple. "You need the specialized skills…of people with no training whatsoever?"

"Exactly," said Obaachan, rolling over and fluffing her pillow. "You can't teach someone how to be invisible."


My Review:

The Secret Benefits of Invisibility is the second book in The Falinnheim Chronicles and like the first book Relatively Normal Secrets I fell in love with The Secret Benefits of Invisibility as well. I fell in love with Tuesday and Zed all over again as their world came tumbling down around.

Tuesday and Zed are now living in a bunker with their grandmother the general along with the rest of the resistance members. Tuesday and Zed are on a field trip with their new school when their bunker is breached trapping the adults inside.

Tuesday and Zed with the help of some of their classmates are the only ones left to help the trapped adults and save them from the people who infiltrated their camp. Tuesday and Zed believe they are perfect for the job as most adults never see them. So therefore they can move around the bunker without being noticed by the adults as they look for a way to save their friends and family. No one would ever suspect a child, right?

The Secret Benefits of Invisibility grabbed my attention from that first page and never let go as I raced to the end rooting for Tuesday and Zed as they tried to find a way to save the adults. I love the relationship that Tuesday and Zed have with each other. They have a great sweet brother and sister relationship. When all is said and done they do work well together. Just like most brothers and sisters they are all always nagging at one another.

I am anxiously awaiting the next book in The Falinnheim Chronicles. I can’t wait to see where Tuesday and Zed’s story ends up next or where they take us.

I would recommend The Secret Benefits of Invisibility to anyone who likes to read middle-grade fantasy! Grab your copy of The Secret Benefits of Invisibility today!



AUTHOR Bio and Links:

C.W. Allen is a Nebraskan by birth, a Texan by experience, a Hoosier by marriage, and a Utahn by geography. She knew she wanted to be a writer the moment she read The Westing Game at age twelve, but took a few detours along the way as a veterinary nurse, an appliance repair secretary, and a homeschool parent.

She recently settled in the high desert of rural Utah with her husband, their three children, and a noisy flock of orphaned ideas. Someday she will create literary homes for all of them. (The ideas, not her family.)

Relatively Normal Secrets (Cinnabar Moth Publishing, Fall 2021) is her debut novel. She writes fantasy novels for tweens, picture books for children, and short stories and poems for former children. Her work will appear in numerous anthologies in 2021. She is also a frequent guest presenter at writing conferences and club meetings, which helps her procrastinate knuckling down to any actual writing.

Connect with C.W. Allen

Twitter ~ Website


 

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon/BN GC 




Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would love to read this one this summer and the cover is great too.
heather
hgtempaddy

Bea LaRocca said...

An awesome cover, synopsis and excerpt, The Secret Benefits of Invisibility is a must read for my grandchildren and I. Thank you for sharing your bio and book details

xjanelx78 said...

Cute cover and excerpt, sounds like a really good story!

xjanelx78 said...

Who is your favorite character that you've written?

C.W. Allen said...

Hi xjanelx! I love something about all my characters - even in the case of villains, where I love that they get to say really juicy villainous dialogue. I think Obaachan is my favorite character from this book - she does exactly what she wants without caring about what anyone else thinks, and gets a few sassy quips in besides! Check out my entire works published at my website to meet the characters from all my stories: https://www.cwallenbooks.com/books