Review of The Ghost Hunter's Daughter by Caroline Flarity

Welcome to the review tour for The Ghost Hunter's Daughter by Caroline Flarity! Please check out an excerpt and my review and then follow the tour for even more! Leave comments and questions for the author, too, as you enter the giveaway.

The Ghost Hunter's Daughter

Sixteen-year-old Anna sees things from another world, the spiritual world, a skill that isn’t exactly useful in high school. It’s bad enough that her mother, possessed by a demon, took her own life when Anna was a child, a loss she remains tortured by. Now her father makes his living “clearing” haunted objects, and Anna’s job as his assistant makes her a social misfit. Most kids in her suburban New Jersey town refer to her just as “Goblin Girl.”

Only Freddy and Dor remain loyal friends. But Anna’s so focused on her own problems, she’s missed that her connection with Freddy is moving beyond the friend zone.

As junior year approaches, a rare solar storm lights up the night skies and the citizens of Bloomtown begin to act strangely: Anna’s teachers lash out, her best friends withdraw, and the school bullies go from mean to murderous. When Anna realizes she can harness this evil power, she sets out to save Bloomtown and the only family she has left.

But to do so, she must keep her own increasingly dark urges at bay.

Read an excerpt:

“Want a new nick name?” Sydney asked. “How ‘bout Frankenskank?”

Damn. Anna had spent so much time on her eye makeup that morning that she forgot to cover her scar. Her fists clenched. She was microseconds away from smacking Sydney right in her perfect face. Her palm actually tingled in anticipation of the after-slap burn.

“All dressed up and no place to go,” Lyric sneered, indicating the cleavage exposed by Anna’s scoop neck.

“Except maybe a whorehouse!” Sydney yelled, attracting the attention of everyone in the commons who wasn’t already watching.

One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi. Breathe. Anna restrained herself, knowing that in her current state of mind one slap wouldn’t be enough. In fact, while the river raged, she might also decide to go ahead and slam Sydney’s head into one of the metal lockers, perhaps several times. Nausea rolled in Anna’s gut. She was disgusted by the burst of pleasure the violent fantasy brought her. She took her eyes off of Sydney’s smug face and scanned the commons. Was there a portal here, too? There must be, but Bloomtown High wasn’t on Saul’s list.

Anna forced herself to walk away from Sydney and Lyric, ignoring their parting sneers. Was she being paranoid or was everyone in the hallway gawking at her? Anna picked up her pace, her heart dropping into her churning stomach as she passed a blur of scornful faces. Everyone was looking at her, and the worst part—she thought about Craig’s snub that morning—was that she might know why.

Available on Amazon

**My thoughts**

This book definitely dealt with some important YA issues, such as bullying, distorted self image, teen friendships, battles with parents, dealing with high school in general. But the supernatural aspect of the story was definitely much more mature than I am used to seeing in the YA genre. And this is not a bad thing. I actually enjoyed the dark nature of the story and know that I would have loved reading it back in my teen years as well. I'm curious as to whether these characters will return in future stories, armed with the knowledge and maturity that they gained in dealing with the dark forces and demons in this story. Anna especially grew a lot and finally found something worthwhile in herself. I think she is destined to do great things within the family field.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not obligated to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About Caroline Flarity

Caroline Flarity is a web content producer living in NYC. Her fascination with fringe topics and love of scary movies led her to begin her writing journey penning creepy screenplays. Her debut novel THE GHOST HUNTER'S DAUGHTER started life as a feature script, placing in the finals of the StoryPros Awards and as a semifinalist in Slamdance Film Festival's writing competition. She enjoys pitting her characters against both supernatural and cultural evils.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarolineCooney

Author website: www.CarolineFlarity.com

Caroline Flarity will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Review of All Boy by Mia Kerick

If you follow me at all, you'll know that I am a longtime fan of Mia Kerick and her books. So I was excited to be able to hop on this tour. Read on for an excerpt from her latest book, All Boy, and my thoughts on it. Please leave her comments and questions and then follow the tour for even more. And don't forget the giveaway at the end!

All Boy

Seventeen-year-old Callie Canter knows all about screwing up—and being screwed over. After her so-called boyfriend publicly humiliated her senior year, taking a fifth year of high school at Beaufort Hills Academy is her second chance to leave behind a painful past. But her need for social acceptance follows, and going along with the in-crowd is the difference between survival and becoming a target. Staying off the radar is top priority. So, falling for an outsider is the last thing on Callie’s “to-do” list. Too bad her heart didn’t get the memo.

With his strict, religious upbringing and former identity far away in Florida, Jayden Morrissey can finally be true to himself at Beaufort Hills Academy. But life as a trans man means keeping secrets, and keeping secrets means not getting too close to anyone. If he can just get through his fifth year unnoticed, maybe a future living as the person he was born to be is possible. Yet love is love, and when you fall hard enough, intentions crumble, plans detour, and secrets are revealed.

From multi-award-winning author Mia Kerick, comes a powerful, timely, and life-changing novel, which follows two teenagers nursing broken hearts and seeking acceptance, and who together realize running away isn’t always the answer.

Read an excerpt:

Jayden

Just what I need—Shawn Heck and his goon, Carlos Luna. Either they snuck up on me, or I was so caught up in worrying about bathroom issues that I didn’t notice they were already here. My best bet is to ignore them, so I bend in half to touch my toes as if I didn’t hear the taunt.

Carlos apparently doesn’t appreciate my show of disrespect to his crime boss. He steps up beside me, sticks his foot on my lower back, and presses. When my nose touches my knee, the muscles in the back of my legs scream. “He asked you a question, pansy.”

I roll out of the painful position. “I’m not bothering you guys, so why don’t you take a hike?”

“I think he wants us to pick on somebody our own size.” Shawn grabs me by the neck of my sweatshirt and pulls me to my feet. “You’re such a freakin’ lightweight. I’ve got no clue what she sees in you.”

“He’s probably one of those sensitive guys,” Carlos suggests. “Girls get into that shit.”

They both laugh, but Shawn doesn’t let go of my sweatshirt.

“Stay the hell away from Callie.” Shawn issues his demand, and then shakes me so hard my teeth chatter. “She’s mine.”

I hate that he just claimed ownership of another human being. And I hate being so terrified of this Neanderthal that I momentarily consider keeping my distance from Callie. I guess I like Callie too much for my own good. But I hate it most that my greatest fear is he’ll find out about my body—his hands are too close to my chest for comfort.

I want to fight back so badly I can taste it. These guys have no right to do this to me. But the risk of exposure is too great if I get into something physical with them. I twist out of Shawn’s grasp, snatch my water bottle from off the floor, and head for the exit, glancing back just once to see if my escape is successful. He straddles a stationary bike, plugs in his ear phones, and starts to pedal. Carlos has something more to prove. He follows me.

Buy on Amazon 

**My thoughts**

Mia Kerick brings another book that really made me sit down and think. Many times I have wondered how I would react if I was dating someone and found out later that they were trans. I like to think that I am open-minded. I have had many friends and acquaintances in the LGBTQ community over the past couple of decades, but have always known their stories or was there during the transitions. Would I feel betrayed at first? How much would it hurt to have not been privy to their secret? I don't think we can really know unless we are in the situation. So it is interesting to see how each of the characters respond when they find out the truth.

I also think of how hard it is for those who are trans, trying to decide whom to trust and struggling to live their most authentic lives. Is it easier for those of us who are adults? These kids are teenagers. I remember being 18, trying to figure out who I was. These are even more difficult identity issues than I dealt with all those years ago.

Callie and Jayden both have a lot of secrets in their past and a lot of hurt. They cannot help but be drawn to each other. And as Callie's wise roommate Lauren says, "Love is love." I think it is because they are both broken that they are attracted to each other. Somehow their broken pieces fit together to make a whole. And both of them have so much to sort out. They don't come to a magical perfect ending, because life doesn't work that way. It's always a roller coaster. But they definitely grow a lot over the course of this book and you can see the trajectory they are going to take after we leave their world.

The bullying issues make me ill. Callie was treated horribly in high school, which is part of the reason she is attending this post-high school program. I can completely relate to her. And Jayden experiences a horrific bullying incident at the school, one which unfortunately has happened to many a trans person time and time again because of our society that does not and will not see people for who they are and be understanding, loving, and respectful. And there is one quick scene in North Carolina that particularly stands out and is worth noting.

A lot is being said in this book, both outright and subtly to provoke your thoughts. I think it would be a great launching point for some good discussions with teenagers, and even adults. It was a little long and drawn out and I didn't necessarily fly through this one as quickly as I usually do with Mia's books. But it is still worth reading and reflecting on, to better understand both points of view. I continue to admire Mia's work and will keep on reading as long as she keeps writing.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—one a recent graduate of law school, another a professional dancer, a third studying at Mia’s alma mater, Boston College, and the baby finally off to college. (Yes, the nest is empty.) She publishes LGBTQ fiction and romance when not editing National Honor Society essays, offering opinions on college and law school applications, helping to create dance bios, and reviewing English papers. Her husband of twenty-five years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about this, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of young people who are challenged by the circumstances of their lives and relationships. She has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature, and as a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with tales of tortured heroes and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. Now she publishes her work—it’s an alternate way to stash her stories.

Her books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine. They have won a 2019 IPPY GOLD award for Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction, Rainbow Awards for Best Transgender Contemporary Romance and Best YA Lesbian Fiction, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award for Young Adult Fiction, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, an Indie Fab Award, a First Place Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, a First Place Story Monsters Purple Dragonfly Award for YA Fiction, and a category finalist for the Eric Hoffer award, a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards for Young Adult Fiction and more.

Mia Kerick is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Contact Mia at miakerick@gmail.com or visit at http://www.miakerickya.com to see what is going on in Mia’s world.

http://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick

https://twitter.com/MiaKerick

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474518.Mia_Kerick

Mia Kerick will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner during the tour.

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Extinction of All Children by L.J. Epps

Welcome to the book blast for Extinction of All Children, the latest YA fantasy from L.J. Epps. I have an excerpt for you to enjoy today, and you can follow the tour to read even more of them. Be sure to leave comments and questions for the author after you download your own copy. And of course be sure to enter the giveaway!

Extinction of All Children

The futuristic world of Craigluy has been divided into three territories and three economic classes. A large wall separates the territories, so the poor cannot mingle with the rich.

Since President Esther, the ruler over all of Craigluy, believes the poor do not have adequate means to take care of children, they are no longer allowed to procreate. Pregnant mothers are imprisoned until their babies are born, then the infants are taken away.

Emma Whisperer is the last child to survive. She is the last child born in lower-class Territory L before the law was instituted in the year 2080. She is the last eighteen-year-old.

Emma struggles to understand why she was spared while others weren’t. She doesn’t like the laws and believes they should be repealed. Her family doesn’t agree with her; they discourage her rebellious streak. Yet, she helps them to cover up their own family rebellion. She helps them to hide a big secret, a secret that could be both disastrous and deadly for members of their family.

As she meets new people along the way, Emma learns who she can and cannot trust. And, in the end, she makes a gut-wrenching decision that may be disastrous for everyone.

She finds herself in danger for doing what she feels is right.

Read an excerpt:

“I see your side is still bothering you.” He looks me up and down. “That’s why I came by in regular clothes. I knew you wouldn’t feel much like training. You should rest your side for a few days, like the doctor said.”

“How do you know what the doctor said?”

“Samuel told me. He said we should put off training, for a while.”

“Until I recuperate.” I groan again, pushing the pack more into my skin. “I don’t want to lose my newfound skills. Pretty soon, I will be good enough to beat you.”

“Now wait a minute.” He holds up his hands. “Slow it down, a little. You’re doing well, but don’t get ahead of yourself. I think the nickname Whisper has caused you to lose all sense of reality.”

“No, I’m still in my right mind,” I say. I grin like baby Abigail when you tickle her stomach.

“Seriously, though.” His eyes find mine. “Is your side all right?”

“It’s fine, or it will be.” My fingers sting, holding the pack.

“What about your hand?”

“They gave me some ointment to use.”

“Why did you let Samuel take you?” His chest rises and falls like the words were hard to say. “I mean, I asked to take you to the hospital and you refused. Why would you let Samuel take you, instead of me?”

Buy links

Amazon / B&N

About L.J. Epps

L.J. Epps is a lover of all things related to books: fiction and nonfiction novels, as well as biographies and autobiographies. She has also been known to sit and read comic books from cover to cover, several times over.

Over the last few years, L.J. has written several manuscripts; her mission is to publish all of them. She enjoys writing fiction in several genres, including contemporary romance and women’s fiction, as well as young adult dystopian, science fiction and fantasy. She loves to write because it immerses her into another world that is not her own.

LINKS:

https://www.facebook.com/ljta6b1c
https://twitter.com/ljeppsauthor
http://www.ljeppsauthor.com
http://www.ljeppsauthor.com/blog.html
https://www.instagram.com/ljeppsauthor/

L.J. Epps will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Robin Martin, author of Once an Alien, discusses character creation

Do you wonder how your favorite authors come up with their characters? Today, Robin Martin is giving us some insight into her character creation. You can also read an excerpt from her latest book, Once an Alien, the third book in The Alien Chronicles series, and then enter the giveaway after downloading your own copy! Be sure to leave her comments and questions and then visit the other stops on the tour for even more fun!

Once an Alien

Mischief, mayhem, and magic hit East Valley High when Pandora, the rogue alien, turns up. This sassy alien has one agenda, to have as much fun as she can before her people realise she's gone rogue and materialised on Earth in human form without their permission. Instantly popular, Pandora charms students and teachers alike as she parties her way through the term, but still aces her studies. Even Rion, is influenced by her as he begins to question whether he is still more alien than human. He and Zoe are finally together, but for how long? Zoe has worries too, especially about her mother's health. Everything is changing in this final year of high school. Zoe and Rion are crazy about each other, but can their new relationship last not only the ups and downs of human problems, but alien ones too!

Read an excerpt:

The music changed from an Ariana Grande pop song to the opening chords of a much older Deep Purple track my previous host, who had been around in the 60s, had listened to. I was surprised because I didn’t think many teens knew it today. Then I heard the thump of heels on wood, and I looked over to see Pandora on top of the coffee table, starting to dance and turn circles. Catching my eye, she stopped and lifted her glass. ‘This one’s for my favourite alien, Orion,—“Space Truckin’.” Woohoo!’

I sensed rather than saw heads swivel in my direction. I felt dozens of pairs of eyes on me. How could she do that? How could she blurt out the one secret I’d tried so hard to hide? I felt the blood drain from my face, and I dropped the can of cola I was holding as the opening lines of the rock song blared out. Pandora downed her drink, threw her glass into the crowd, and started to dance again.

Then I heard laughter and someone, I think it was Chad Everett, say, ‘Good one, Pandora. We always knew he was weird.’

Available on Amazon

Character Creation

A good plot is important, but characters bring life and breath to the story and make it come alive. I've always enjoyed creating characters, but they are not all made in the same way.

Some of them evolve with the story, and the more you write about them, the more you discover who they are. For example, Orion starts out as an alien with little understanding of human beings, even though he has known them for thousands of years. However, over the course of the series he discovers there is more to being human than he realised, and by the end he embraces his new-found humanity and his love for a human girl.

Other characters burst on the scene fully formed and ready for action. Pandora is one of these. Her personality was clear to me right from the very beginning. She's a life force ready to take anything and anyone on. Even though she's an alien, like Orion, she couldn't be more different. She wants to embrace all things human and have fun, but she knows exactly who she is, an alien. Pandora also has a lot of charm and a few alien powers, which she has no hesitation in using — much to Rion's dismay. She's also a party animal and loves a good time. Some characters, and Pandora is one of them, try to take over the book and they are just a little bossy to the writer. Occasionally, I have had to take her in hand and remind her who's in charge. Sometimes, she reluctantly agrees and does what I tell her, but not always!

Minor characters are also fun to write. Harry is my all time favourite. He's the guy who would be an ideal first boyfriend, and the boy every mother would like her daughter to date. I really had hopes for him and Zoe for a while, but Orion got in the way. I'm now casting a speculative eye at Lou. She's evolved over the series too, from the shy girl who can hardly express an opinion, to the more confident gal who decides she's never going to change herself for a guy again. I really think she and Harry would be great for each other — but they haven't let me know yet. Another character who has surprised me is Kerri. She's so studious and just that little bit socially unaware, yet sometimes she has amazing insights. I think she's been unappreciated at times, but I've a feeling that's about to change. And, finally, one of my all time favourite characters is Archimedes, a pompous and condescending alien with zero empathy for the human species. You'd really have to worry if all aliens were like him! Like Pandora, I'm pretty sure I had little to do with his creation. He just decided to gift us with his occasional visits to the books. However, sometimes he shows a weak spot, and I think Zoe's mum, Sue Brennan, might be one of those!

So characters come to me in many different ways. But what's common about them is how much fun they are to create (or perhaps semi-create in the case of Pandora and Archimedes) and, hopefully, how much they add to the life of the story.

About Robin Martin

Robin Martin is an author and teacher, who writes both adult and young adult romance. Originally from Canada, she now lives in Brisbane, Australia. Her YA sci fi romance series, The Alien Chronicles includes My Alien, The Alien Within, and Once an Alien.

Her adult books published under the name Robin Thomas, include High Stakes and Bonjour Cherie.

A member of the Romance Writers of Australia and Write-Links, for children's and YA writers, Robin also connects with writers and readers on her author's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/robinmartinthomas or on her website www.robinmartinthomas.com

Robin Martin will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall

Welcome to the book blast for Knightmare Arcanist, a new release fantasy from Shami Stovall. I have an excerpt for you to enjoy today before you download your own copy. Be sure to follow the tour to see even more excerpts and to check out reviews of the book. Leave questions and comments along the way for bonus chances to enter the giveaway!

Knightmare Arcanist

Magic. Sailing. A murderer among heroes.

Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding with a mythical creature. And he’ll take anything—a pegasus, a griffin, a ravenous hydra—maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma.

So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their island nation. He’s already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to kill even more.

In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist Gregory Ruma.

A fast-paced flintlock fantasy for those who enjoy How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.

Read an excerpt:

A flash of rain pelted the entire city, but only for a few seconds, as though the heavens coughed and forgot to cover their mouth. The man secured his pack shut, protecting his vegetables.

“Oh, this again,” he said.

“Does this happen often?”

“Storms happen frequently enough,” he replied. “This ain’t no storm, though. It’s those flashy arcanists. They like makin’ a show. Just you wait. You’ll see somethin’ good yet.”

Making a show?

I headed toward the docks. Despite the creeping chill, I moved with energy and purpose. Crowds of people clogged the roadways, making travel by foot damn near impossible, even for an arcanist. Frustrated, I jumped onto the wheels of a nearby carriage and used the extra height to pull myself onto the roof of a building. The A-frame roof made for a steep trek, but the tiles were easy to grip, even when wet.

Once on top, I turned my attention to the nearest pier.

A tremendous flash of lightning lit the sky. Thunder chased after, strong enough to rattle the windows and pierce straight to my bone. Luthair shifted through the shadows as another round lit the sky. I knew some arcanists could control the weather, but I had never seen a demonstration so showy before.

A flurry of snow soon followed, but like the rain, it lasted only a few seconds. People lifted their hands in the air, trying to catch the snowflakes as they approached the earth. Most evaporated before anyone could hold them, but I managed to catch a few on my tongue.

The ocean waters beyond the docks swirled into whirlpools. Two cyclones of saltwater rose upward, forming pillars of ocean as thick as forty oak trees, each stretching straight to the sky.

Rapt by the show of magic, I almost didn’t notice the massive leviathan snaking through the ocean. Its shiny scales glistened with each new flash of lightning. The serpent-like body must’ve been as long as ten galley ships and as thick as a three-mast sailing ship. Although the mystical creature never lifted his head out of the water, I already knew who he was.

Decimus—Gregory Ruma’s legendary leviathan.

Available on Amazon / BN

This does include my Amazon affiliate link. That just means should you make a purchase through it, I can earn a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my websites!

About Shami Stovall

Shami Stovall relies on her BA in History and Juris Doctorate to make her living as an author and history professor in the central valley of California. She writes in a wide range of fiction, from crime thrillers to fantasy to science-fiction. Stovall loves reading, playing video games, entertaining others with stories, and writing about herself in the third person.

Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/

The author will award a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner during the tour.

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Review of No Place Like Here by Christina June #NPLHBT #BlinkYABooks



On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to another stop on the tour for No Place Like Here by Christina June. I posted an excerpt earlier this tour over at Andi's Book Reviews. After you read my review here, download the book and enter the giveaway below, be sure to check that out, as well as all of the other stops on the tour. Thanks for stopping by!

No Place Like Here

By Christina June
Young Adult Contemporary

Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 288 Pages
May 21st 2019 by Blink

From Christina June, author of It Started with Goodbye and Everywhere You Want to Be, comes No Place Like Here, a modern twist on Hansel and Gretel.

Ashlyn Zanotti has big plans for the summer. She's just spent a year at boarding school and can't wait to get home. But when Ashlyn's father is arrested for tax evasion and her mother enters a rehab facility for "exhaustion," a.k.a. depression, her life is turned upside down.

The cherry on top? Ashlyn's father sends her to work with a cousin she doesn't even know at a rustic team-building retreat center in the middle of nowhere. A self-proclaimed "indoor girl," not even Ash's habit of leaving breadcrumb quotes--inspirational sayings she scribbles everywhere--can help her cope.

With a dangerously careless camp manager doling out grunt work, an overbearing father trying to control her even from prison, and more than a little boy drama to struggle with, the summer is full of challenges. And Ashlyn must make the toughest decision of her life: keep quiet and follow her dad's marching orders, or find the courage to finally stand up to her father to have any hope of finding her way back home.

Fans looking for stories with elements of drama, romance, friendship, and an unflinching look into navigating and improving even the most difficult parent-teen relationships need look no further.

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Yes, I am an Amazon affiliate, so I may earn a few pennies should you make a purchase through my links. It doesn't cost you anything but slowly adds up for me. Thanks for supporting my websites!

**My thoughts**
I do love to read coming-of-age YA novels, so I was intrigued by the blurb to this book. I was also intrigued by the idea of it being related to the tale of Hansel and Gretel. I have to admit that I had a hard time following that parallel, but it has been years since I last read that. But I didn't need the connection to appreciate this book and inhale it in one sitting.

Ashlyn made a mistake in her past choices. She has spent the last year repenting in a way, and I dislike her father a lot for being so hard on her. The more that she reveals about her father's demands for perfection out of her and her mother, the less I like him and the more I feel sorry for her. She's had an easy life, relatively speaking in a financial sense, but has to carry around this burden of that omnipresent voice in her head telling her that her thoughts and actions are inappropriate. She doesn't know how to be true to herself, but you can tell that she wants to discover how to do this. 

She also wants to reconnect with her family and her home live after having been sent away to school for the past year. But of course, her father has now been arrested and is going away to prison for a while. Her mother is completely unable to cope and sinks into a deep depression, so she is going away to a rehab facility of sorts to help her through this. Meanwhile, Ashlyn is being shoved off onto her aunt and uncle briefly until she has to start work at a resort that specializes in helping people to learn how to trust and to empower themselves. 

As expected, Ashlyn goes through incredible growth and discovers so much about herself and her strengths. She develops incredible leadership skills and forges relationships with some people she may not have otherwise. I love watching her journey and how she grows. 

I also love how much she loves words. She memorizes quotations, which she keeps in a quote journal. She has a tendency to write them down all over the place, thus leaving little breadcrumbs of inspiration for others to discover. I found myself even taking note of some of them.

I would also like to give kudos to the author for addressing mental health via Ashlyn's mom and how too often we like to sweep it under the rug and not acknowledge what is really going on.

I need to know where Ashlyn goes from here. And I am going to have to check out the rest of the series to find out more about her and her friends. (But fear not, this book definitely stands on its own.)

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.



Other Books by the Author

About the Author

Christina June writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters. Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, and hopes to one day be bicoastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She lives in Virginia with her husband and daughter. She is the author of IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE, and NO PLACE LIKE HERE.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Instagram│Blink

Tour Schedule

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Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a print copy of NO PLACE LIKE HERE, a poster, and a book plate

US only

Ends June 5, 2019

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Win $150 Amazon Cash in the Giveaway from @homejobsbymom Ends 6/6

Are your teens reading? Want to entice them to keep reading? Perhaps if you let them do a little shopping blast, they would be able to find a lot they like? There are so many great YA books out there! Even we adults love to read them! What would you buy if you won this giveaway?

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Prize: $150 Amazon Gift Card

Hosted & Sponsored by: Home Jobs By Mom

Rules: Use the Giveaway Tools form to enter daily. Giveaway ends 06/06 and is open worldwide. Entrants must be 18 years old to enter. Winner will be notified via email.

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A Curse of the Lucky by Nathan Wrann

Fans of YA paranormal will want to check out A Curse of the Lucky by Nathan Wrann. It's the first book in the Mr. Lucky Trilogy. I have an excerpt for you to check out today. Plus you can follow the tour for even more of them. Make sure you leave your comments and questions as well, and be sure to enter the great giveaway at the end!

A Curse of the Lucky

Two things that Jack Smith has always had: bad legs and bad luck. With a violent attack at the Tarrytown Independence Day Carnival, that bad luck has caught up to him with deadly consequences. Going on the run with Jaelle–the mysterious girl of his dreams–he descends into a world of curses, blessings, and fortunetelling Gypsies. The deeper he gets, the more he realizes she might just be the one to save his life... or end it.

The Mr. Lucky Trilogy begins with A Curse of the Lucky.

Read an excerpt:

The microwave dinged, I slid the pizza onto a plate, and escaped back downstairs.

I didn’t see her at first, but with a cautious check behind the bookshelves, I found Jaelle sprawled out on my bed—A beautiful girl was in my bed—asleep.

I covered her with a blanket from the laundry room.

Emptying my pockets, I put my phone, wallet, and the crumpled up, blood stained hundred-dollar bill on top of the dresser. I stripped down to my boxers and tossed my wet cargo pants and shirt in the corner. Removing my leg braces would have taken some time and if Jaelle woke up to see me in my underwear it could be kind of weird. Instead, I slipped on a pair of dry sweatpants over them and threw on a T-shirt.

The recliner welcomed me. The pizza, the first thing I’d eaten all day, tasted amazing—like the best cardboard ever. I figured we’d have time to talk the next day before bringing her back to the carnival. By then, hopefully, her uncle would have cleared up the robbery thing and they would get out of town before the cops come to charge her with assaulting a police officer.

I took another bite of the “pizza” (which was quickly losing its appeal) and grinned, reflecting on the day that I’d had.

I had met a beautiful girl, and got her back to my room. She happened to be a Gypsy with a traveling carnival. And she was probably wanted by the police.

Just my luck.

Available on Amazon

Yes, this is my affiliate link. That means should you make a purchase through it, I may earn a few pennies at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my websites!

About Nathan Wrann

Nathan Wrann was born in Florida and moved around a lot as a child, growing up in New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, California and finally back to Florida. No matter where he lived you would likely find Marvel Comics or a book in his hand with genres ranging from fantasy (The Black Cauldron), to SE Hinton's teen dramas (The Outsiders), to Stephen King's entire catalogue from Carrie through Tommyknockers. At the age of seventeen he joined the U.S. Army as a Military Policeman, and following that, graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a degree in video production and theater.

Currently Mr. Wrann is a writer, publisher and (formerly) independent filmmaker living in West Haven, Connecticut with his rescued Chihuahuas Napoleon and Gatsby, pain-in-the-butt cat Konstantine, and wife Kimberly. Nowadays, in between books, you'll find him enjoying horror films, YA Paranormal TV series (Vampire Diaries, Sabrina, etc), and the Marvel and Star Wars Cinematic Universes.

Links:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005165L8O

Twitter: @nathanwrann https://twitter.com/nathanwrann 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNathanWrann/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nwrann/


Author’s Note RE: the Mr. Lucky Trilogy & Dark Matter Heart:

The Mr. Lucky Trilogy is a Dark Matter Heart World Expander. The events in this series take place in the same world, with the same paranormal concepts and rules as Dark Matter Heart, but with all new characters and adventures. Opportunity abounds for crossover stories bringing all the characters together.

It is not necessary to read Dark Matter Heart to enjoy the Mr. Lucky Trilogy, but I think you’ll like it.

Get Book One: Dark Matter Heart FREE here: http://amzn.to/DMHKindle

Get Book Two: From Out of Chaos FREE here

https://mailchi.mp/f5ce21a5921c/freedmh2

Thank you Dear Reader, we have much fun ahead of us.

-Nathan Wrann

Nathan Wrann will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Read an exclusive excerpt from Heaven's Edge by Jennifer Silverwood



On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to the book tour for Heaven's Edge by Jennifer Silverwood! This collection contains Novellas 1-3 in the series, all in one boxed set. Please enjoy an exclusive excerpt, follow the tour for more excerpts and reviews, and then enter the giveaway below!

Heaven's Edge Box Set
(Heaven's Edge #1-#3)
By Jennifer Silverwood
YA SciFi, Steampunk
ebook, 290 Pages
July 10, 2018 by JayHenge Publishing

Only by working together will they survive...

A group of refugees from a powerful, sophisticated Core World planet have been on the run for seven years. The mission was to get away and give their children some time to grow up and help them carry on the cause. The cause was to help the rebellion, win the war and go home. But things didn’t quite turn out the way they planned.

QEYA #1

Qeya, the future Queen of Datura, can't do much about her red hair, but she knows how to wield a scythe blade and suck the life out of her enemy, literally. Life seems great, if a little boring on heaven's edge. Until her ship is attacked and nearly everyone on board is murdered. Now, the miner who saved her is the only thing standing between her and the hungry beasts hunting them.

OHRE #2

All Ohre wants is the kind of freedom a life in the sea can give. But he doesn't want to live it alone anymore. He wants the princess and if Qeya won’t come willingly, he’ll make her.

TAMN #3

Tamn has always lived by a code. He doesn't question his duty. Until his crew is stranded on a hostile alien world and he's forced to watch the girl he loves burn in the sky. Stripped of his reason for living, the voices from his past haunt and guide him in a path of endless retribution. Only the strongest will survive the trials ahead and Tamn is determined to keep the family he has left alive.

MEET THE CREW HERE

**Box Set includes first three Heaven's Edge Novellas**

Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│iBooks│Kobo│

SCRIBD│Smashwords│Mondadori│A&R

Read an exclusive excerpt:

QEYA

There are moments in time when the axis of the universe shifts, when life as you knew it is irrevocably altered. When the hiss and grind of the gears fell silent, some deeply rooted instinctive part of me knew this was one of those moments.

The constant dull clanging and press of our engine faded into an oppressive silence, where I could hear the beat of our hearts and shaky breaths. I wondered if I was losing my water because I knew the idea of Datura 3 shutting down was impossible. Even though we were still orbiting above the hostile world while Pioneer explored, our ship had not ceased in motion since we stepped on it seven years before. I counted the quiet by the beats of my heart. What took an instant to process in my mind was not much longer than the wait. The ship echoed a pained groan and then the floor beneath our feet began to shift. Ohre’s hand was on my arm instantly, steadying me before I could tip into the pipework lain against the wall.

The intercom blasted over our heads, pounding its way through the decks in one last warning. My father’s voice bled pure terror. “All hands to deck! Lock in and prepare for attack! Enemy ships closing in from—” The speaker fell silent.

The floor trembled with the first blast, knocked me off my feet and into Ohre’s arms. “Qeya!” he called when I twisted and ran for the lift. “Qeya there’s no time!” His boots clunked heavily behind mine on the hard metallic surface.

The second tremor began to tilt the ship and knocked me inside the lift at a harsh angle. Ohre braced himself on either side of the open door, his eyes fear-stricken. “Qeya, you can’t! If this is an attack they’ve already hit Navigation and the—”

“I don’t bleeding care about Navigation! I’m going to second deck!” In my panic, the rush of sudden essence burning in my veins, an eerie present calm coated my emotions. It barely veiled the images of my parents’ faces and what Ohre’s warning truly meant. Instead, I ignored the third tremor, the blast of energy tearing holes through the plasma hull of our ship and allowing the beyond inside.

Datura 3 tilted off its stable axis, making me unable to reach the lift controls. The fourth blast hit below our deck, and behind Ohre a tumbling roar became the screams of the dying miners, the impact of metal crushing metal and gasses exploding in subsequent bursts. I froze with the memory of our escape from home world, the fire and screams from the palace and sudden rapid images of deeper memory, of war and terror and bloodshed…

Ohre crawled inside after me, somehow finding a sure grip with his boots while clutching me by the waist and smashing his hand into the locking key. The moment his fingers pressed against my skin I broke free from the abyss of the past. “SECOND DECK!” he yelled and lights showered over us in a consuming wave, even as the lift shook on its path above.

About the Author

Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time, she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it's the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador, or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of three series--Heaven's Edge, Wylder Tales and the Borderlands Saga--and the stand-alone titles Stay and She Walks in Moonlight. She recently released her first serialized Urban Fantasy, Angel Blue in August 2018.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Tumblr│BookBub│Instagram

Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

- 1 winner will receive a $50 Amazon eGift Card

- 3 winners will receive a digital/print copy (print to US only) of any book of their choosing in Jennifer's backlist

- Open internationally

- Ends May 8, 2019

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The Spitting Post by Jason R. Barden

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to the Book Blitz for

The Spitting Post

By Jason R. Barden!

Enjoy an excerpt, sign up to review the book, and enter to win a $10 gift card!

The Spitting Post
By Jason R. Barden
Dark Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 220 Pages
December 8th 2017 by The Wild Rose Press

Vincent Carpenter’s life is a wreck. He has given up his dreams. He has lost his job after an economic disaster. His ten-year marriage is crumbling. Then he awakens in a maniacal land of frighteningly vivid realism with skull trees, glowing forests, ravenous beasts, and other psychologically haunting adversity.

While traveling through this demented unearthly world, he has a chance encounter with a beautiful maiden dressed in green; before he can start a conversation, she disappears into the unknown. Vincent must try to find her at a fantastical place known as the Spitting Post. But first he must overcome many macabre misfortunes and face nightmares that question his sanity. Will he reach her? What will the Spitting Post reveal? Will he suffer more disappointment and tragedy? Or will he find peace at last?

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo

Read an Excerpt

I was lost in thought when again I heard the violin’s call. It was close this time—too close. I stopped and surveyed the land with terrified eyes, growing more anxious with each passing note. The ambient tune working itself into a manic frenzy. Can’t they shut up? With that racket the beast would find us, and I knew what would happen when it did. There would be no more violin playing for that musician, and I would never find The Green Maiden. 

I scanned the countryside for the insane violinist and spotted him on a small hill just to my right. When I saw his ghastly appearance, I almost wished I hadn’t found him. He was a stout man dressed in total blackness with a red violin resting against his shoulder. His skin was a brilliant white, as white as a bed sheet. On his head was a black top hat, and he wore a twisted grin on his porcelain face. 

“What are you doing?” I yelled. “It will hear us!” 

The man said nothing and kept playing his maddening melody. 

“Are you crazy?” 

The man opened his mouth wide and without moving his lips, he said, “Precisely.” 

Then he began to cry tears of blood, yet still he played. The blood rolled down his face and pooled on the grass. Then I came to a grotesque realization. He was not playing for amusement; he was calling the beast.

Looking for Reviewers

We're looking for reviewers to post to online sites by May 31st. If interested, SIGN UP HERE.

About the Author

Jason R. Barden began writing poetry around the age of thirteen. At age thirty-three, he transitioned into dark fantasy and horror fiction. His first novel The Spitting Post is available at Amazon and other online retailers. In addition to writing, he enjoys hiking and photography.

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Blitz Giveaway

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon eGift Card

Ends April 21, 2019

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