Book Blast: THE TALE OF THE PRINCE AND THE SPIDER by Sasha Hopkins

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sasha Hopkins will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Prince Alexander is a boy filled with courage, laughter, and light, until a chance encounter with a mysterious new "friend" changes everything. Trapped in a web of fear and silence, he must find the strength to fight back against a dark trickster who wants to steal his voice, his joy, and his future.

The Tale of the Prince and the Spider is a modern fairytale for children, parents, and anyone who has faced fear in silence. Told with warmth, honesty, and hope, it reveals how secrets can poison, how love protects, and how even the smallest voice can grow into a roar.

Through Alexander's journey, readers discover that pain does not define us—courage does. His story is both a thrilling adventure and a gentle reminder that you are stronger than your fears, your voice matters, and you are never alone.

This is more than a tale of princes and monsters. It is a story for every family who longs for healing, resilience, and light in dark times. Beautifully written to spark conversations between children and adults, it invites readers to talk openly about bravery, truth, and the power of standing tall.

Read an Excerpt

One sunny morning, Alexander started an adventure. The sun shone bright like a golden bell, lighting up hills covered in green grass, and wildflowers—yellow, purple, red—spread out like a painter’s canvas. The wind carried scents of dirt and sweet clover, tickling his nose as he rode Menace, his brown horse, whose fur coat gleamed like a soldier’s sword. Menace’s hooves thumped the dirt road, kicking up dust that sparkled. Alexander held the reins tight, feeling them rub his hands, the breeze messing up his hair as his saddle creaked along with the swaying trees above.

Bushes shook—a rabbit darted past; a hawk’s shadow soared overhead. The road stretched on, but where trees grew thick, shadows moved, hinting at a forest full of secrets. Menace huffed, ears twitching, and Alexander patted his warm, scratchy neck. “Keep going, boy,” he said quietly, his heart beating with excitement.

Through the kingdom he went, past roads busy with familiar smiling people who stopped to cheer, their voices lifting him up. But farther out, it got quiet, the land wide and free. With a lion’s bravery, a fire’s strength, and a heart full of love, he rode into the unknown.

***

Review: This is the delightful story of a young, brave, and curious prince, who, one day, stumbles into a place in the woods and unbeknown trouble. What will happen when the prince gets tricked by an evil spider?

“Find your bravery, trust your heart, shout your truth. Be your own hero—just like I was.”

With vibrant illustrations, this story is a tale of will and courage. A nice and inspirational read!

Rating: 4 stars

About the Author

Sasha Hopkins is a father of five and a storyteller from Melbourne, Australia. His journey has been shaped by both love and hardship. As a child, Sasha endured trauma that left deep scars, yet he chose not to remain silent or let those experiences define him. Instead, he transformed his pain into a story of courage, resilience, and hope.

He wrote The Tale of the Prince and the Spider during a period of recovery in Western Australia, creating it as a gift for his children, Winter, Hunter, Hudson, Navy, and Orion. What began as a father's offering of love became a timeless fairytale for families everywhere: a reminder that even in life's darkest moments, light can be found, voices can be heard, and healing is always possible.

Through his writing, Sasha shares a powerful message: your past does not diminish you, and speaking out is an act of bravery that can inspire others. When he isn't writing, Sasha is adventuring with his kids, encouraging them to embrace adventure, laughter, and the strength within themselves.

Amazon: https://amazon.com/dp/0228892406
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/251865138-the-tale-of-the-prince-and-the-spider

Review: LOVING MOTHERS by Miranda Smith

 

It all begins with a missing teen from a neighborhood of loving mothers. Seems these mothers don’t know their kids as well as they thought. Additionally, these mothers seem to be openly friendly on the outside, but, at times, talk snidely about each other when others aren’t around. And these women were supposed to be friends?

 

“Who knew such ugliness could hide behind such beautiful faces?”

 

The story of these loving mothers as well as the mystery of the teen’s disappearance were very intriguing. What really happened on the night of the Halloween party? The other kids obviously knew more than what they were saying. What really happened? Did she run away? Or was she kidnapped? Or worse? It would seem that everyone—the mothers and the kids—was carrying a secret.

 

In due time, the dead body of the teenage girl gets discovered. With a knife found under a mattress and the bloody angel costume hidden in the closet, it was clear that the kids were hiding something of their own. And these loving mothers are all scrambling to protect their children…at any cost. Gossip, drama, and fights run wildly rampant in this gripping tale. Talk about Mean Girls with such vicious mothers. I certainly wouldn’t want to live near these “loving mothers.”

 

“Love could be just as ugly as it was beautiful.” I’ll say!

 

You’ll never guess how the truth unfolds. I certainly didn’t see that coming. A terrific read!

 

Rating: 5 stars

Review: CHEATER'S CHASE by L.A. Dobbs

 

A wild night. A massive hangover. And a dead body the next morning.

 

Prim’s best friend, Heather, who had recently found out about her husband’s cheating, could be a prime suspect in the murder. Yes, Prim would tell them that she was with her the whole time even though she really didn’t remember anything. Heather may not be the only suspect though as witnesses recall Prim arguing with the victim. If only Prim could remember what happened.

 

As you read on, we find more possible clues that Prim may have murdered her best friend’s husband. Was Prim a murderer? Prim and her friends then go frantic when they start receiving anonymous text messages with the words, “I know what you did.”

 

A compelling read!

 

Rating: 5 stars

Review: SHE KNEW HE LIED by Emily Shiner

 

Matt and Katie were making a big move from Chicago to Tennessee. Tennessee?! Yikes! Right away I can’t stand that nosy neighbor. That’s one thing I hate about the South—too many nosy busybodies that approach you under the guise of being a “friendly neighbor” but are really just trouble-makers.

 

This move was to be their fresh start after Chicago, which started off with an affair by the wife and then proceed with the husband having multiple affairs that the wife did not like. Missing the rush of it, Katie decides to start up these “free passes” for her husband again. What Matt didn’t know was that Katie knew about his affairs and always took care of the mistresses. And she wanted to start that up again. Oh, so she was a killer. Interesting.

 

The killings were a lot easier to hide in Chicago, but this was Tennessee and Katie lived next door to a true-crime buff. At some point, you kind of wonder why you’re supposed to care for a killer. It was interesting to see how addicted Katie and Matt became—Matt about his sexual affairs and Katie about her kills. Sure, it was fun for both of them. But Katie’s getting nervous that someone might be on to her. When Katie decides to stop for a while, the killings continue and ponytails are being left on her doorstep. Who was this new killer? I thought it might have been the teenage son doing this. Why else would have been out all night? But I was wrong. What a killer ending! A good read!

 

Rating: 4 stars

Review: THE STARTED WIFE by Rowen Chambers

 

A wife was recovering from an accident and hired a young, live-in nurse to help her. Right away, we learn that Hannah, the nurse, has done something in her life, but what? Lauren, the wife, actually has a secret agenda of her own for the help. We soon learn that Lauren was in love with two men and married for money with a prenup that gets invalidated if the husband cheats. Ah, now I get it. According to plan, the nurse sleeps with the husband.

 

Something was off about the couple Hannah was working for. Interesting to see how this web of deceit starts to unravel and how it all turns out in the end. And it all started with Lauren’s accident, which wasn’t an accident after all. A good read just like all the rest of Rowen Chambers’s books!

 

Rating: 4 stars