DawnKing (Tales of Faeraven #4) By Janalyn Voigt
Fantasy, Christian Fantasy | Paperback & ebook, 342 Pages
February 1st 2020 by Pelican Book Group
Synopsis:
   A prince marked for death, a princess without a kingdom, and a world at war.
   Unlikely travelers band together to accomplish the impossible—bring peace to their kingdom. But traitorous forces are at work, and a treacherous hand is destroying everything they accomplish.
     Honor and soul-searching bring the travelers to hidden truth, and when a sacrifice is made, the broken-hearted band of misfits must cleanse the evil from their midst to free their world...or lose everything.
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Other Books in the Series

​ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Janalyn Voigt is a writer and professional speaker with a photography habit and a passion for travel. Her unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. Tales of Faeraven, her epic fantasy series beginning with DawnSinger, carries readers into a land only imagined in dreams. She is represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary.

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One winner will receive a Tales of Faeraven bookmark and a $15 Amazon Gift Card (US only)
Ends January 29, 2020
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Gone by Nightfall - Dee Garretson 
      What a wonderful historical fiction. It is obvious all of  the time and research that went into writing this story. It is very well-written.
      I truly enjoyed learning more about that time in Russia. It is an excellent way to learn more about the Russian Revolution. I love knowing the author researched real people and their lives to pull all the information together to bring it all to life. It is an interesting and learning experience for her readers.
      The characters are well-developed and are easy to follow and to feel their emotions. I was in tears several times throughout the story. I can't begin to imagine what it would have been to live through what they experienced.
       The story flows well from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow along.
     I highly recommend this story to others who enjoy learning history through a wonderful story of hardship and love.
      I give this book a literary rating of 5/5
written by vickie 

​Book Details:
The Not-So Dead (The Dead Series, #1)
by Isaiyan Morrison
Publication date: January 21st 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult
Synopsis:
      All Faye wants is another chance at being normal: hanging out with friends, playing video games, reading the latest Manga… As a wraith, her craving for a normal existence seems forever out of reach. When she makes the move to the small town of Hueman, Texas with her not-so dead nomadic family, she prays this fresh start will be the one that sticks.
    Until… one of her kind is murdered by a mysterious man in a black mask.
    With only Carter, an unlucky human witness, by her side, Faye must find a way to prevent the body count from rising and protect her family’s secret identity. As the man in the black mask lurks in the shadows waiting to strike again, her choice becomes a matter of life and death.
     In the face of true evil, being normal is overrated.
Goodreads | ~ Purchase: Amazon |

Excerpt 2
A homeless man sat with his back against a tree, with a pile of dirty blankets on his left and an old grocery cart on his right. A gnarled beard clung to his chin and sunken cheekbones, and a few buttons held together his ratty and dirty shirt.
“Excuse me?”
“Spare change?” the homeless man asked again.
Faye dug into her backpack for a few bills until she realized they were the only two individuals on the street. He was what her nomadic family called a perfect source: alone and unwatched. These were the type of humans no one missed if a wraith wanted to take more than allowed. Or, if a wraith only wanted to take a little, they could and leave their victims in a catatonic state. It was how Dusk had found Essie, but instead of leeching from her, he’d accepted her into the family.
Faye grabbed his hand, but when she took a closer look, she noticed his hazed eyes weren’t locked on her. Instead, they stared off to the side. He was blind, which would’ve made leeching from him easier, except that her humanity preventing her from doing so.
“I’m not a monster,” she whispered and drew her hand back. It was one good rule Dusk had taught her.
“What?” he asked.
But he was too perfect! He couldn’t tell anyone what she looked like, and if he screamed, no one would hear him. Unbearable, her hunger pushed aside her humanity, and she took his hand again. Instead of pleasure, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach when he tried to slip his hand away.
The leeching started slowly. The first drops told her everything she needed to know about his essence. It was like drinking old alcohol, and it reminded her of the brussels sprouts her mother had forced her to eat when she was a kid. She loathed them as much as she loathed her victim’s nauseated energy.
“Let… let go of me.” He tried to draw his hand back again, but there was no way he could compete with her strength.
“I’m sorry, just a little more.” She focused. “The harder you fight against it, the more it’ll hurt you.” She encouraged the warmth of his energy and kept drawing more and more until his hand went limp and his body slumped forward.
She let go and caught him before he fell to his side. “I’m sorry.” She propped him back up against the tree. A string of drool dripped from the corner of his opened mouth. He was still alive, so she let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, she was able to control how she fed. It was a start anyway. “Thank you.” She took a few dollars from her backpack and placed the money in his hands. She tried to close his fingers around the bills. It wasn’t much, but it made her feel a little less guilty.
Now she could begin looking for Carter again—or so she thought until she saw the one person she didn’t want to run into, alone.
He stood down the street, about twenty feet ahead with his machete in his right hand and a crossbow in his left. Faye froze as soon as they locked eyes. He wore the same oval mask and clothing, and the same red shard dangled from around his neck. As he moved slightly, it caught the moon’s glow.
The memory of Maddy’s death replayed again in her mind. Now, she imagined herself—instead of Maddy—being decapitated.
When he lifted his crossbow and aimed it at her, she turned right and raced down the street. She felt a slight gust of wind as a bolt flew by, missing her by inches. She picked up her pace. With her new strength, outrunning him wasn’t going to be a challenge, but surprisingly enough, he kept up with her and closed the distance.
How is he keeping up with me? She looked over her shoulder just as another bolt headed her direction. She moved her body slightly left to avoid it and then turned right, down a small side street, and picked up her speed. Her legs felt light, and the sound of his footsteps faded to the point that she didn’t hear them anymore.
After looking over her shoulder again and realizing he wasn’t there, she slowed. A slight shiver traveled up her spine, followed by the sharp sting of metal and wood.
She screamed as her right leg buckled, and she collapsed to one knee. Looking down, she saw the shaft and cresting part of a bolt sticking out of her upper leg. Thick, dark blood oozed from around the entry point. Dread set in. With her trembling hands, she attempted to pull it out, but the pain increased with each inch.
As a wraith, it was impossible to feel that much pain. It was as if her whole body, now tender and not immune, failed her. Something was terribly wrong, and when she looked up, the man in the mask now stood directly across from her, only a few feet away. Somehow, he had managed to sneak up on her without any warning.
No matter what her sense of smell told her, he was something else. “You’re not human.” She tried to stand but the pain forced her back to one knee. He couldn’t be, not after what she’d seen and what he’d done. No human was capable of keeping pace and sneaking up on a wraith. It wasn’t possible.
Using a nearby wall, she pulled herself to her feet as he took one step forward. Then another and another. With each step he took, she found herself growing weaker.
His shadow stretched itself as his body blocked the faint light of the moon, engulfing her in its darkness.
“I haven’t done anything to you!”
He pointed at the jagged line on his mask’s right cheek.
“I don’t know what you want from me. Don’t, please don’t.”
Now close to her, he lifted his machete and stabbed it into the wall inches from her head, partially blocking her in. Small pieces of brick scattered into the air.
Both powerless and helpless, she waited for her attacker to drive a bolt straight into her. Instead, he took off his red shard necklace and gripped it in his hand before pressing it against her chest.
The shard seared into her skin, and she screamed. It sizzled, dark smoke rising from the spot. When he lifted the shard from her, the pain decreased slightly. He brought his head forward as if to sniff her and then he moved it back. He stood so close, she heard his chaotic breathing which had a high-pitched wheeze. Just beneath the eye slits, she saw crow’s feet in the corner of his grey eyes, and the modest scent of maple tickled her nose.
He pressed the shard against her skin again, this time on the side of her face. Unable to take much more, Faye only wished for the pain to end.

AUTHOR BIO:
Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minneapolis, but her heart is in the impressive magical worlds she dreams up. She hopes to share her love for world-building with her readers and help guide them through the extraordinary settings she creates.

Her other passions include reading, and researching historical events. She also enjoys gardening, gaming, and spending quality time with her three cherished cats and beloved pitbull.

Be sure to sign up for her Newsletter to be notified of Isaiyan's newest releases!

Author links: Instagram | Website | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub | Goodreads  | Newsletter

GIVEAWAY
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• $20 Amazon gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Jan 30th:
​Enter HERE !

PIXIELAND DIARIES SAMPLER
        Dear Dairy,
        When we last left my life, I’d just accepted a magical visit from my future husband the elf prince Dare. After that, a small sphere of blue light appears nearby. The shape expands until it turns into what I call Ghost-Dare. Technically, this is his astral body projecting into my bedroom for a visit.
        Ghost-Dare is just catchier, in my opinion.
For a moment, I drink in the sight of him. Even though he’s semi-transparent, Ghost-Dare is still rather attractive. Like all winter elves, the prince is crazy tall and ripped with muscle. As always, Dare’s longish dark hair perfectly highlights the straight cut of his jawline. Today he wears his standard black armor and a fur-trimmed cloak. It’s really a shame that the winter realm is so cold. I never get to see the guy in shorts.
      Dare’s teeth turn super pointy while his nails stretch into extra-long claws. That’s a winter elf thing; it means he’s upset. “I just left a meeting with the summer court,” Dare says in his rumbly voice. “I have terrible news.”
      “Let me guess. Lazare is sending an assassin after me.”
       “Yes. How did you know?”
    “I’m incredibly wise about a lot of things. It goes along with being grown-up and mysterious.” There, that told him. “Anything else?”
      “I’ll be at Lazare’s court for some days.” He raises his hand, showing off the scar on his palm. “I may not be able to accept your requests to talk. At least, not right away.”
       That’s unusual. Dare is always ready for my summons. “Oh? Anything I should know about?”
​       “Perhaps.” Dare rakes his fingers through his messy hair. That’s a sure sign he’s hiding something. “I don’t want to say until I’m certain.”
       “Let me guess. Does it have to do with naming your bride?”
       “Calla.” Even as a ghost, I can see him blush.
      The pieces fall together. For Dare to ensure I’m his future wife, he must meet with Lazare. After all, summer fae are more powerful than winter. Most likely, Lazare thought Dare would wed one of his yucky daughters. What a horror show those three are. Dare will offer some concessions so Lazare will accept a different choice of wife. Magic wands, most likely. Those store power and are crazy expensive. I nod once to myself, confident I have it all worked out. And once everything is set with Lazare, Dare will spring his surprise proposal on me. What a sweetie.
    “I completely understand.” It’s an effort not to blab my discovery, but I don’t want to ruin Dare’s plan. “I’ll be fine while you’re gone.”
    All signs of blush leave his face. Ghost-Dare fixes me with a serious look. “Listen to me carefully.”
      I shift in my bed and lean forward, as if I want to listen better. Which is sort of true. However, the movement also gives me the change to rearrange my blankets in a way that best shows off my pretty PJs. 
      Go on,” I say solemnly.
    “Lazare won’t stop sending assassins. Be on your guard. Summon me if you need me.” Ghost-Dare raises his hand once more. The scar on his palm glows blue with power. “I will always find you.”
      Sweet, but not a proposal. I slap on a fake smile. “How nice.”
    “There’s more, Calla.” Ghost-Dare float-walks even nearer and—at last—I know this is it. His heartfelt confession.
      All of a sudden, it’s hard to pull enough air into my lungs. “Yes?”
      “I’ve always noticed you,” says Ghost-Dare.
     “Of course.” I look up at him through my lashes. According to my kissy novels, this particular glance works well for romance. “You see me as—”
     “The little sister I never knew I wanted,” finishes Ghost-Dare.
      “What?” I can’t believe this.
    “You’re the only trustworthy person in my life. As an elf prince, you’ve no idea what that means. No matter what happens, I’ll always protect you.”
      “Oh.” The words echo through my mind.
      Protect.
      Not love.
      Not marry.
       Protect.
      With that, it’s official. My life sucks. Pulling the covers over my head, I scrunch lower on the mattress. “Got it,” I say through the comforter. “I’ll stay safe.”
      “Am I being dismissed?”
      “I ate galla root for dinner and you know how filling that is. Bye, Dare.”
      “Rest well, little hob.”
     Ugh. Little hob is a nickname from when we were kids. Like I need reminding that Dare’s frosty pea brain has me stuck at six years old. To show my displeasure, I pull down the covers and stick out my tongue once more. That will show him, part deux.
      Ghost-Dare grins, and it’s a great look on him. Who am I kidding? Every expression works on this guy. A moment later, Dare’s cloudy self dissolves from the room. Which is fine. Now I can get some rest. Only trouble is, the more I think about it, the more I keep wondering about Dare’s visit to the summer elves.
      Oat chance of falling asleep now.
      -Calla
—End Of Excerpt--

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The Last Starling by C.L. Denault
Publication date: December 24th 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:      “They’re coming.”
      Words of warning haunt Jayce Wakefield’s dreams. He doesn’t believe them any more than he believes in the blue-eyed raven delivering the message. It’s totally absurd. They’re just dreams. He has nothing to worry about.
        Or does he?
     Jayce’s life revolves around three things: being a senior, worshipping a girl he can’t have, and killing vampires. As a werewolf, his job is to protect the Starling woods. That means taking out any bloodsucker who dares to cross the Boundary. And since his autistic brother can’t handle wolfing out, it’s up to Jayce to keep pack territory safe.
    But between the dream-raven, humans going missing, and vampires acting weird, he’s losing his grip on reality. Add to that a runaway in his territory, and he welcomes the distraction. The fact that she won’t talk about herself makes him obsessed with learning about her past. The deeper he digs, though, the more she withdraws. It’s not until her life is threatened that he discovers the truth. Who she is. Why she’s there.
        And the sinister darkness headed for them both.
Goodreads | ~ Purchase: Amazon

ASYNOPSIS    Maybe because they are young and innocent, cute black Valerie Davis and nerdy white Jeffrey Stark are late to realize that falling in love on Chicago’s South Side in 1963 is a highly risky business for an interracial couple. At first, they help each other out of tough racial fixes—he saves her from attack at an all-white amusement park and she saves him from injury in a racial brawl at their high school. But as their romance becomes more serious, so do the racial dangers. White police target Valerie as a prostitute and black gang members see Jeffrey as trying to sexually exploit a black girl. Seemingly inevitably, the blossoming romance collides head on with the realities of Northern-style racism one hot summer afternoon at one of Chicago’s most beautiful Lake Michigan beaches, when a racial protest turns ugly, confronting the couple with terrible choices.
​    Gouster Girl vividly depicts the raw racism so prevalent during the early 1960s, which ushered in decades of gang violence that turned sections of Chicago into the urban killing fields they are today. Gouster Girl opens in the summer of 1963 with the white Stark family tearfully moving its belongings onto a moving truck in front of the tidy South Shore neighborhood apartment building they love, just blocks from where Michelle Obama would grow up. As they load up the truck, 16-year-old Jeff and his parents argue yet again about the racial fears and fantasies that are leading them to abandon South Shore, with its delis and shuls and beautiful beaches. Through the eyes of Jeff, Gouster Girl then takes us back to the unlikely racial violence that led to his romance with Valerie and how she variously teases and embarrasses him to confront his most deeply held racial prejudices. Valerie introduces Jeff to the highs and lows of her life– to black music and dancing, as well as police corruption, job discrimination, misguided school tracking systems and housing discrimination that keeps blacks separate and unequal.
    A make-out session in an isolated section of Jackson Park leads the couple into a confrontation with police, which highlights for both the realities of what we today refer to as “white privilege.” It also pushes the Stark family more fully toward a decision about whether to join other whites in fleeing South Shore.
     This highly evocative coming-of-age story will alternately charm, anger terrify, and upset readers as they travel back to a time that was seemingly simpler, but was also blunt in its racial and religious prejudices.
ADD to GOODREADS | ~ ​Grab your copy of this compelling coming of age story about an interracial teen couple in the 60's! - Amazon | iTunes | B&N | Kobo | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | 

★ 🌼 ★ABOUT DAVID E. GUMPERT★ 🌼 ★     
      David E. Gumpert grew up on the South Side of Chicago, in South Shore and Hyde Park. In the years since graduating from the University of Chicago, he has attended Columbia Journalism School and worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and an editor for the Harvard Business Review and Inc. magazine. He has also authored ten nonfiction books on a variety of subjects—from entrepreneurship and small business management to food politics. His most prominent titles include How to Really Create a Successful Business Plan (from Inc. Publishing); How to Really Start Your Own Business (Inc. Publishing); Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Food Rights (Chelsea Green Publishing), and The Raw Milk Answer Book (Lauson Publishing).
      He spent ten years in the 1990s and early 2000s researching his family’s history during the Holocaust. The result was a book co-authored with his deceased aunt Inge Bleier: Inge: A Girl’s Journey Through Nazi Europe (Wm. B. Eerdman Publishing).
      He spent much of the last half-dozen years going back to his own roots in Chicago to research and write the historical novel, Gouster Girl. While some of it stems from his own experiences growing up in South Shore and Hyde Park, he also conducted significant additional research to complete the book in late 2019.
★ 🌼 ★CONNECT WITH DAVID★ 🌼 ★
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Book Details:
Sons of Fire by Tracy Auerbach
Publication date: January 7th 2020
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:    When Keegan’s father, the Demon King of Fire, attempted to produce an heir, a surge of light energy interrupted the process. One tiny piece of the newly forming demon broke off. That piece is Keegan. For years, he has attempted to lay low, watching from the shadows while his monstrous brother Aidan, the true Prince of Fire, is groomed for the throne.
      Keegan’s shaky status quo is shattered when one of his father’s power-plays goes horribly wrong. He is cast to Earth and forced to work with a suddenly powerless Aidan. The two brothers must cooperate to complete an impossible task and avoid being cast forever into the abyss. As if having to spend time with his beastly other half wasn’t bad enough, Keegan must adapt to living on Earth, wielding his new human vessel, and dealing with his demonic appetite without harming the human creatures for whom he has always cared.
       As Keegan and Aidan work to save themselves, questions arise. What exactly was the King of Fire up to, that sparked their Master’s interest enough to cast them from the Demon Realm? Can Aidan be trusted in his new human form, complete with emotions, or is he the same unfeeling creature he’s always been? And why are so many demons suddenly invested in the outcome of the brothers’ trial? The only thing Keegan knows for certain is that whether he succeeds or fails at the task, the consequences for the Demon Realm and for Earth itself will be catastrophic.
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  Book Details:
What Are Friends For? by Sarah Sutton
Publication date: January 14th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
     A close, easygoing friendship can all change with just one kiss. Seventeen-year-old Remi Beaufort learns this the hard way when she plays a blindfolded kissing game at a party.
   She thinks she’s kissing Jeremy, the totally hot basketball player she’s been crushing on. And the kiss…it’s amazing. Heart-stopping, world-changing, toe-curling. The kiss makes her forget about her overbearing mother, the next-door neighbor’s drama, and the probability that she’ll fail her senior year. The best kiss of her life makes all that fall away.
     Until her blindfold falls off, and she realizes that instead of kissing her crush, she’s kissing Elijah, her best friend since third grade.
      Though she manages to convince Elijah that he was kissing his girlfriend, Remi can’t get the thought of his lips on hers out of her head. As things between them grow more and more complicated—because it turns out her fantasizing about his mouth is more of a problem than it sounds—Remi has to make a choice: does she live the rest of her life loving her best friend in secret? Or does she tell the truth and risk ruining their friendship forever?
Goodreads | ~ Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo 

AUTHOR BIO:
    Sarah Sutton is a YA Romance author, bringing you stories about teenagers falling in love (sometimes with magic)✨She spends her days dreaming up ideas with her two adorable puppies by her side being cheerleaders (and mega distractions).
​
Author links: Twitter | Website | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Ionic Attraction by D.R. Rosensteel
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: January 6th 2020 Entangled Teen
Summary:
    Zach’s got a secret. The only reason he’s agreed to an internship at the Mastermind Complex, a high-tech academy for teens, is to use their supercomputer to find the person who framed him. He never stole anything but was locked up in juvie anyway. Now he’s out, he’s got a plan, and nothing will get in his way…not even the girl he’s been partnered with, who excels at proving opposites attract. Jane’s got a secret. She was the informant who led to Zach’s arrest. Did she mean for that to happen? No way. And now she has to work with him to save the world. Because an “internship” at the Mastermind Complex is actually a program to train super-geniuses as soldiers in a war of the minds. Zach’s and Jane’s intellectual skills complement each other, making them an unbeatable pair. She can’t resist their ionic attraction, but if he ever discovers the truth, she’ll lose him forever. And worse, breaking their partnership would mean sacrificing all the innocent lives depending on them.
Add to Goodreads  | Buy on Amazon!

​   Hi. My name is D.R.Rosensteel. I write clean YA fantasy action-adventure stories wrapped around real teen issues like bullying, drug abuse, and peer pressure. There may be a hint of romance or a touch of horror, but there will always be action, action action!
   My message to kids who feel different--stick together. We have the rest of the world outnumbered.
  My message to parents--pay attention. The evils of bullying, drug abuse, and peer pressure are real, and our kids don't always talk about it. Don't be a helicopter, but never be afraid to be a parent. Our kids need our guidance and our love. It's great that they have friends who have their backs, but it's better that they know you do.
    My message to Psi Fighters--Vanquish Evil, Do Right, Protect the Innocent!
Website |  Goodreads | Twitter |

​★⚡★SYNOPSIS★⚡★
    When a summoning goes awry, suddenly booknerd Meena’s summer job becomes something drastically different. Instead of cleaning eccentric Carol’s house, she’s bound to a demon as his soul-collector. Soon Meena discovers that the boring, pageant-obsessed, bonfire-loving town that she’s never fit in to is a hotbed for soul-sucking demons, demon-hunting witches, and vampires who just wanna have fun… And then she comes into her own powers.
        Could things get any stranger? Good thing she meets new guy Jake—who gets her and still hangs around.
        When Jake’s mom sends him off to his Aunt Zelda’s for the summer, he thought he’d be bored. But nothing is what it seems in this town. His aunt isn’t just odd, she’s a witch who fights demons and tries to maintain the magical balance of the town. Jake should get the hell out of there and, he would leave, except for bad-ass newbie witch Meena, who looks at him like he matters.
         He never counted on sticking around, but Meena’s bound to a demon who wants to destroy her soul—and Jake’s finally found someone worth fighting for.
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