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Book details:
Girl on the Ferris Wheel by Julie Halpern, Len Vlahos Published by: Feiwel & Friends Publication date: January 12th 2021 Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult Synopsis: In Girl on the Ferris Wheel, Julie Halpern and Len Vlahos expertly tackle this quirky and poignant romance that explores what first love really means--and how it sometimes hurts like hell. Tenth graders Eliana and Dmitri could not be more different. He’s an outgoing, self-confident drummer in a punk band called Unexpected Turbulence. Eliana is introspective and thoughtful, and a movie buff who is living with depression. Dmitri quite literally falls for Eliana when he sees her in gym class and slams into a classmate. The pair then navigate the ins and outs of first love. Exciting, scary, unexpected, and so much more difficult than they ever imagined. They say opposites attract, but they soon realize that there is so much they just don’t understand about each other. It begs the question: How long can first love possibly last when you’re so different. Goodreads ~ Purchase: Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~
Len’s experience growing up and playing in bands, and how that influenced GIRL ON THE FERRIS WHEEL When I was six, Santa brought me a Magnus Organ. It was a two-octave, boxy little keyboard with a whirring fan inside that was louder than the music it made. But I didn’t care. My life-long love affair with music began, I’m fairly certain, with that organ. But first loves rarely stand the test of time. It wasn’t until I bought my first electric guitar – a 1978 Fender Stratocaster – with my own money, that I was *really* hooked. I was 13 years old. In high school, some friends and I started a band, and… We. Were. Awful! (Like drunken-dogs-barking-at-feral-cats-who-are-hissing-back, awful.) But we practiced, spending countless hours in my parents’ basement, grinding it out. Our early attempts at songwriting grew more sophisticated over time, and eventually, we, and our songs, got good. We called ourselves Woofing Cookies (a line from a movie called Time Square), put out our own 45rpm single, and went on the road. To find out what happens, read my first book, The Scar Boys, which uses the events of that failed tour as the backdrop for the story. The book is really a love letter to music. After writing The Scar Boys and its sequel, Scar Girl, my next two books veered off into science fiction, but music, and writing about music, kept calling to me. First loves will do that. When Julie and I sat down to start Girl on the Ferris Wheel, I knew my character needed to be musical. But I also knew I didn’t want to write another guitar player.\ So what to do? The truth is, every person who has ever played guitar in a rock band secretly wants to be a drummer. Boom. I had my answer. Dmitri would play the drums. And just like with my earlier books, writing about music was therapeutic, fun, and completely engaging. My hope is that Dmitri’s love of music (and drums, and being in a band) make him a more interesting character, and help him connect with Julie’s beautiful drawn character, Eliana. I hope you’ll think, so, too. ![]()
AUTHOR BIO:
Julie Halpern is the award-winning author of seven young adult novels, one novel for adults, and one picture book for young readers. In her imaginary spare time she enjoys traveling, making cosplay for her kids, and eating baked goods. Julie lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Caldecott-winning author and illustrator Matthew Cordell, and their two children. Len Vlahos dropped out of NYU film school in the mid ’80s to play guitar and write songs for Woofing Cookies, a punk-pop four piece that toured up and down the East Coast, and had two singles and one full-length LP on Midnight Records. After the band broke up, he followed his other passion, books. He is the author of The Scar Boys, a William C. Morris Award finalist and a #1 Indie Next pick, and Scar Girl, the book’s sequel. Len lives in Denver with his wife and two young sons, where he owns the Tattered Cover Book Store. ![]()
Giveaway details:
Tour-wide giveaway (US only)
1 Comment
Fans of A Curse so Dark and Lonely and A Court of Thorns and Roses will be spellbound by the fairytale re-telling of Beauty and the Beast and The Pied Piper in Stolen Enchantress. Buy now to find out why listeners around the world are getting lost in the Forbidden Forest! ![]() About the Audiobook Author: Amber Argyle Narrator: Lynn Bradford Length: 14 hours 5 minutes Publisher: Starling Publishing⎮2020 Genre: Romantic Fantasy; YA Series: Forbidden Forest, Book 1 Release date: Nov. 11, 2020 Synopsis: A beast. An enchantress. An unbreakable curse.... Deep within the sentient woods, Larkin uncovers a secret that puts her in dreadful danger. Worse, now that the beast has had his taste, he’ll never stop hunting her. But the forest has woken something inside Larkin; something that gives her the power to fight back. REVIEW By LAWonder10: This is an outstanding novel which is a combination of a couple of fairy-tales, plus, some original ideas. It was very captivating and enticing to the very last page. Folklore along with facts has wrought fear and superstitions on communities in this medieval type setting. Young girls have gone missing for decades. Evil abounds in the surrounding forests. People are being deceived. Superstitions and ear causes friend to become foes. Things are not always as they seem and heroes can be found in unusual and unexpected places. Will evil and deceit win? Somethings cannot be undone. One cca never go back without often facing devastating change. The ending of this book is solid yet with one page, it has a strong lead into the next book of the series. There is a wide cast of characters who are well-defined and feel very real.. The exciting scenes never cease and are easily visualized. . Narrator, Lynn Bradford, does an outstanding job in delivering a beguiling, gripping performance, despite the large number of character "voices". This would be another terrific movie series for family viewing. I feel this deserves a Five Stars rating. This audiobook was gifted me with no pressure to give a positive review. This is my honest review. ![]() About the Author: Amber Argyle is the bestselling author of numerous fantasy and romance novels. Her award-winning books have been translated into several languages and praised by such authors as NYT bestsellers David Farland and Jennifer A. Nielsen. Amber grew up on a cattle ranch and spent her formative years in the rodeo circuit and on the basketball court. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in English and physical education, a husband, and a two-year-old. Since then, she and her husband have added two more children, which they are actively trying to transform from crazy small people into less-crazy larger people. She's fluent in all forms of sarcasm, loves hiking and traveling, and believes spiders should be relegated to horror novels where they belong. To receive Amber Argyle’s starter library of four free books, simply tell her where to send it: www.amberargyle.com Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook ![]() About the Narrator: Lynn Bradford is a graduate of Michigan State University’s theatre program. She has always loved YA and Beauty and the Beast retellings, like this one, are her absolute favorite books to narrate. In addition to her numerous stage credits, Lynn brings her experience from multiple diverse industries to her non-fiction narration with her background in computer programming, legal, medical, psychology, anthropology, and many others. When not in the booth, Lynn prefers the great outdoors and loves running, traveling, and backpacking. Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook ![]()
Book details:
Mack (Angelbound Offspring, #6) by Christina Bauer Publication date: December 15th 2020 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Synopsis: Dragons. Vampires. And the hidden city of El Dorado. Threats abound and secrets are revealed in this exciting conclusion to the story of Kaps and Mack! The Angelbound Offspring Series 1. Maxon 2. Portia 3. Zinnia 4. Rhodes 5. Kaps 6. Mack 7. Huntress Goodreads ~ Purchase: Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~
EXCERPT: Midnight is here. At last. I stand outside the Zoetic Fortress with a smile on my face and an umbrella in my hand. Unlike Doc Langstrom’s toilet brush, this item is a true magic wand. Why the enchanted umbrella? Midnight is almost here and with it, Kaps. Once my girlfriend arrives, we’ll hone our vampire hunting skills with the magical battle simulations loaded inside this very umbrella. Fun times. Stepping in a slow circle, I inspect the landscape. Where should I wave this thing? There’s no lack of places to cast, that’s for certain. The full moon shows off every detail of the Fortress grounds. Essentially the place is a series of mini-castles that encircle a central lawn. Nodding once, I make my decision. Best to wave my umbrella-wand right in the middle of the open green. Turning, I march toward the lawn’s center. Suddenly, a black shape passes over the moon. Pausing, I scan the dark streak more closely. To regular humans, that’s an ordinary shadow. But I’ve a bit of demonic DNA in my background. Which means I can look past magical glamours. To me, it’s a dragon. My grin widens. That’s not just any dragon, either. It’s Kaps. The woman I love. Based on her speed, she’ll land any second. Perfect. A great black shape blots out the moon entirely. Massive dark wings send a gust of wind in my direction. Heat radiates from her dragon’s body as she lands only a few yards away. For a moment, I can soak in the glory of her form. Dark scales. Eyes that glow red. A line of scarlet spikes that run down her back and tail. A shimmer of red light surrounds her body. For one more moment, the massive dragon looms tall. Then it’s replaced by the human version of Kaps. My woman is no less impressive this way, what with her dark hair, amber eyes and whip-fast tail. She wears leather pants, hefty boots and a halter top. Damn, I’ve missed her. ![]()
AUTHOR BIO:
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes.Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press. Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. Stalk Christina On Social Media – She Loves It! Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ LinkedIn ~ Website ~ ![]()
Giveaway Details:
Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
This grand prize giveaway (this giveaway is set up and managed bu author, not Xpresso Tours): Dystopian fiction readers will find a fast-paced, edge-of-your seat thriller in the second book of The Undoing Trilogy. Fans of Divergent, Year One, or The Amber Project will love The Breaking! ![]() The Breaking (The Undoing Trilogy, #2) by Desserae K Shepston
Schools have shut down and non-essential workers have been told not to report to their jobs. Rebecca and the gang have been training with Colossus for weeks now, but when the message arrives in the middle of the night on Rebecca’s phone, she knows this is not a drill. As new details about the BRO facilities are revealed, the Colossus team mobilizes for action, but an unexpected event thwarts their plans, and members begin to question their leader. How far are the newest Colossus members willing to go to do what’s right? Rebecca and her friends know the virus is a coordinated attack between Council and BRO on the citizens of Montrose but solving that mystery has only led to more unanswered questions. What started as an effort to fulfill a promise Rebecca made to her dying brother has grown into a determination to break the government before it tears the country apart once more. Can a small group of people truly make a difference in a world where all the power and control rests in the very hands of the person trying to destroy their country? They will risk new alliances. They will risk lives. They will risk the future. They will risk The Breaking. Buy Link | ![]() REVIEW BY LAWonder10: It is an injustice to the author and reader, not to read the first book in his series before reading this one. It is shocking as to how close this author has pin-pointed a very possible reality as to what is happening in the U.S. Her writing is published before a similar scenario occurs in the nation. As with many middle books in a trilogy, the first part of this book is slightly confusing and awkward. NOTE: I strongly recommend readers do not quit reading. As the story progresses, so does the action and important events. Now that President Manglebee has succeeded in his well devised plan, he is still not satisfied. He wants complete control! Exciting events leads to the conclusive trilogy. The ending is complete yet the author has cleverly implemented a "cliff hanger". The various characters are well defined and feel genuine. The background scenes are portrayed in a manner which are easily visualized, The Title and Cover are wall-fitted to the story. Because i feel this is a "Must Read!", I can overlook the awkward beginning, since the majority of the book is fast paced and an important reflection on today's society, I offer a Four and a Half Stars rating. *This book was gifted me with no urging for a positive review. This is my honest review. OTHER BOOKS IN the Series: ![]() THE UNDOING: A Young Adult Dystopian Scifi Novel (Book 1 of The Undoing Trilogy) by Desserae Shepston Published February 25th 2019 | 344 pages SYNOPSIS In her 14 years, all Rebecca has known is life under the rigid structure of Anecor. She knows the rules. She knows how to play the game. Now everything she knows is about to change... The Reckoning destroyed the United States of America. Survivors of the assault, led by the newly elected president, are now subject to his rules. The Vision controls nearly every aspect of life in the country now known as Anecor. Rebecca and Jonathan grew up under the strict rules and watchful "eye" of SMALS, an AI system that monitors citizens' every move through phones and internal trackers. Those who don't follow the rules are disappeared. Never to be seen again. When a strange virus strikes the city of Montrose, the residents panic as more of their friends, family, and acquaintances are stricken. No one knows how the virus spreads and scientists have found no cure. There have been no survivors. When the virus strikes Jonathan, Rebecca's world turns upside down. Jonathan reveals to Rebecca his suspicions about the virus and the discovery of a mysterious glow of purple light behind a nearby mountain. It is up to Rebecca to continue the work he started. It is up to her to unravel the mystery of the virus and the purple light. It is up to her to save her city. Rebecca will have to risk everything, including her life, to keep her promise to Jonathan. Her life is about to change. And so will the rules of the game. And to succeed, it will mean joining in a perilous battle for the survival of Anecor. Amazon link: ![]() About Desserae K Shepston Desserae K Shepston was born in Montana, but spent her formative years in Champaign, Illinois. She blames her birth place on her affinity for mountain environments. She has lived in Chicago, Garmisch, Germany, Austin, and now, everywhere North America. Desserae received her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She holds two Masters and a PhD from Texas State University. She left the stationary life and career behind for a life on the road in a 1993 RV, traveling North America with her three cats, and living her passion for travel and an outdoor life. She wrote her first book, Travel Cats: tips for beginning an rv journey with your feline family after working through the kinks of RV living with cats herself. Her children's book, The Adventures of Gatsby the Travel Cat in Mesa Verde was also inspired by her travels and her most adventuresome cat, really named Gatsby, who seems to have been born for road life. Desserae has also written a Young Adult Sci-Fi Dystopian novel, The Undoing. This book did not come from her travels, but was born purely from her imagination and a love of YA and Dystopian literature. Amazon Page | ![]() ![]()
REVIEW By LAWonder10: Cora was born a Princess. Her elder brother was the Crowned Prince. His associate counselor was Evil. After the recent slow deaths of their parents, and the agonizing death of her sister-in-law after birthing a stillborn child, Cora let her brother know of her strong suspicions of the Evil Mortdecai, the counselor. Since Corah was studying Alchemy , she realized the symptoms of poisoning. She was devastated when her brother refused to listen, then turned on her and banished her from the castle forever! She was just eight years old! Fortunately, the "forest people" took her in and raised her. Prince Teryn and his twin were among other Princes' vying for a Princess's hand. Teryn was one of the three finalists. He felt the feat they were asked to do was beyond reason.. While deciding to return home, a terrorizing event changed his whole agenda. This tale is full of adventure, action, suspense, terror and morals. The characters are well developed and the scenes are graphically described. The Title and Book Cover were very effective. I felt the choice of narrator was not the best one. Although she voiced emphasizes in the story well, her enunciation wasn't always the best, and she failed to be consistent with the "voices". Her voice is not one i enjoyed listening to. I offer a Three and a Half Stars rating. *This book was sent to me as a gift with no pressure to post a positive review. This s my honest review. CORA: Born a Royal Princess. Banished while only a child. Raised by "the Forest People". Strong willed, rejected, honest, insecure at times, brave, wise. Having to learn hard lessons of life with little guidance. Although mistreated and rejected, she still has a compassionate heart and learns all she can about many things. Told by the evil Mordecai she is ugly, she doesn't dwell on it and is, in fact, attractive. PRINCE TERYN: Bound and determined by duty as future crowned Prince, he is attractive, determined, brave, a good leader, raised by loving parents and a loving twin brother. He is valiant and wise. Truly a man women dream of marrying. PRINCE LERYLITH: Slightly resentful of the effort and attention placed on his stronger, healthier twin brother. He has worked very hard to overcome his unhealthy state and do become physically stronger, yet nobody seems to have noticed. Althugh slightly jealous, he is loved by his family. He loves his brother too much to allpw his resentment to grow. He is loyal, brave, talented and a good leader. He is to be admired. MORDECAI:Evil, ruthless manically driven to control the kingdoms and the people within it. He is heartless.He is a horrifyingly strong magician , ![]() ABOUT The AUTHOR: Tessonja Odette is a fantasy author living in Seattle with her family, her pets, and ample amounts of chocolate. When she isn’t writing, she’s watching cat videos, petting dogs, having dance parties in the kitchen with her daughter, or pursuing her many creative hobbies. Website⎮Facebook⎮Instagram ![]() ABOUT The Narrator: Emma Faye is an actor and audiobook narrator with 20+ years of experience on stage, screen and voice over. Being an LA trained actor, Emma is great at bringing characters to life, very versatile with voices, and draws the listener into the story. She loves doing audiobooks and specializes in Clean/Sweet/Christian books. She is a proud cat mom to 4 fur babies and runs a local community theatre. Website⎮Facebook⎮Instagram Our Friendship Matters by Kimberly B. Jones Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 12/8/20}11/23/2020
"Engaging and heartfelt. Our Friendship Matters opens and continues much needed discussions for young people and their families. Read and discuss!" Rita Williams-Garcia, NYT Bestselling Author ![]()
Book Details:
Our Friendship Matters by Kimberly B. Jones Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 221 pages Genre: Contemporary/Social Issues Publisher: Rhetaskew Publishing Company, LLC Release date: October, 2020 Tour dates: Nov 11 to Dec 1, 2020 Content Rating: Rated G. Book Description: Leah and Sasha are 17-year-old friends who had been close to one another since elementary school, but as the summer approaches they find their friendship tested in ways they never anticipated. Following graduation, Sasha's privileged life and perception of the world around her is suddenly altered when an old childhood friend persuades her to join in a campaign against an injustice after his best friend is killed by the police. But joining the protest has unforeseen consequences for Sasha, distancing her from Leah, who becomes jealous of Sasha's new friends and finds herself on the opposing side, protesting alongside her group of new white friends. As the tension mounts between the two bitterly opposed factions, a tragedy strikes and threatens to make Sasha and Leah enemies. Can they find a way to resolve their differences, putting them to the side and learn to accept each other's viewpoints? Or is their long friendship finished for good? BUY THE BOOK: Amazon ~ B&N ~ Add to Goodreads
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A Beginner’s Guide to Diversity and Equity.
Have you ever imagined the perfect world with peace? No violence, no politics, and no racism. Sadly, it doesn’t exist. But we can always make our world a better place to live. The phrase, “we can’t live with them and we can’t live without them is real. Not just for men, but for us as a human race. My husband and I were discussing police brutality. An incident that happened in Ferguson, MO with Michael Brown. During that killing we were stationed in Germany. When we moved to Missouri, I had no clue that the shooting happened in that state. After being stationed there for three years, I could see that the state needed a wake-up call from their little towns that had no inclusion of diversity whatsoever. I myself had several encounters of being a victim of hearing racist marks, but because of who I am and where I’m from, I knew it wasn’t worth it to argue but to educate them on such a sensitive topic they too probably encountered for the first time. While stationed there, my mother became sick and before I left to go home there was another killing of an African American, Jemel Roberson. These two were not included with the hundreds across the states. But just to name a few. From then I wanted to write a novel addressing the issue of police brutality among African Americans, but I wanted to come from a perspective of both a white and black teenager. To show how it affects lives from so many different angles. To say the less, the world is becoming more diverse each day. We must face reality. Some may agree and some may not but that’s not going to stop the earth from rotating. To live in a world of peace means accepting people for who they are and where they come from. Doesn’t matter the color of their skin, the thickness of the hair, their ethnicity group, or the clothes they wear. It’s just accepting each other and living amongst one another as one in unity. No matter who you are and how you came across someone, they will not share the same interest as you. There is that one difference you don’t share. Your best friend likes cream cheese on her bagels, and you like them plain. Understand that people are going to have different views on certain subjects. No matter how many times you try to convince them, it’s okay because that’s their view of life. All you can do is express how you feel and if the person or friendship is valued and appreciated, then coming to an agreement is possible. In Our Friendship Matters, I wanted the novel to come from both friend’s perspective to see how they could all come together and see each other’s viewpoints. I wanted both girls to wear each other shoes and see how difficult it can be for them. We always say, “children are the future.” That’s why I decided to write a young adult novel. If I can’t reach adults, I can reach the children who will someday be our teachers, nurses, doctors, and lawyers. “By teaching each other how to deal with diversity, we are protecting ourselves throughout a lifetime of upcoming issues.” ![]()
Meet the Author:
Kimberley B. Jones is a small country girl from St. George, SC. She followed her heart in college writing children books. Recently she decided to challenge herself and branch off to novels. She is your typical nomad who moves from place to place. Not by choice, but her husband serves in the military. She has a bachelors and masters in early childhood education. Kimberley is represented by Rhetaskew Publishing company and is best known for her debut novel, Our Friendship Matters. When she is not writing, she is either thinking of another topic or reading. She loves writing , it gives her a chance to escape into another human character and express herself, other than being your typical mother and wife. If you don't want to be on her bad side, then she needs her white chocolate mocha every morning. Some days Folgers breakfast blend coffee is okay. Connect with the Author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads ![]()
Giveaway Details:
Autographed copy of OUR FRIENDSHIP MATTERS plus $10 Amazon Gift Card. (USA only) (one winner) (ends Dec 8) To Enter, fill in the Rafflecopter below. ![]()
The Runaways Of Missing Lake by Tanya Fyfe
Publisher: Kindle Direct Press (September 1,, 2020) Category: Young Adult, Teen, Fantasy, Dragons Tour dates: Oct-Nov, 2020 | ISBN: 9798681416005 Available in Print and ebook, 394 pages Book Description Luke Houser and his friends enter their junior year at Missing Lake High School under extremely unusual circumstances after a tremendous forest fire kept the community on edge for months. The memory of the fire permeates all aspects of everyone’s lives, including those of the incredible secret dragon family who live up north. Luke makes a new canine friend through his step-mom’s veterinary clinic and Chase plays an important role despite not being one of the family’s beloved sled dogs. The silver dragon, Zagros has some serious news for his young Dragoneer that will impact the entire dragon realm, particularly the young dragons, Helios and Cassiel. Luke has to process this information all while a crisis unfolds during English class. Luke has to make some serious choices that challenge the sometimes awkward sixteen-year-old but he cannot share them with anyone without risking the discovery of the magnificent dragons. This is the fourth book in the Missing Lake series that follows a reluctantly intrepid young man’s journey into adulthood with his family, friends, dogs, cats and dragons by his side. Buy Links: ~ Amazon ~ BarnesandNoble
REVIEW By LAWonder10:
Runaways of Missing Lake is the fourth book in a series but can easily be read as a "stand alone". As with all series, I am certain it would feel more complete if one had read others first. This is a mix of contemporary and fantasy. It is a story of a teenage boy, his relationships and, also, his connection with the changing world of dragons - one family in particular. This is sure to appeal to many youth. It is an interesting approach to interactions between humans and animals. It is also a story of friendship, parental/child interactions, life events, including trauma, and the sport of "mushing". The drama of everyday life in a couple of years, include enough action and a few "twists" to appeal to the reader's curiosity, thus , maintaining interest. The end of the story gives a definite lead into the next book of the series. The characters are portrayed well, with an interestingly realistic variety. The events are, also, described in detail, enabling the reader to "experience" the events. The Title and Book Cover are well-chosen. I offer a Four Stars rating for this book. *This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review. ![]()
About Tanya Fyfe
Award winning author, Tanya Fyfe was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada and trained and performed as a professional figure skater and coach for many years. After working briefly as an English Teacher in Japan, she met her husband, Dr.Alistair Fyfe and moved to North Dakota in 1994. She completed her BSc and then got accepted into veterinary school in Saskatchewan which she graduated from in 2005. Since then she has worked as a veterinarian in ND and Montana. Tanya has written stories since she was a little girl and enjoyed completing a course with the Children’s Institute of Literature several years ago. She began writing her teen fiction series in 2013 which began with Lost and Found in Missing Lake. The Dragons of Missing Lake followed and then Secrets Abound in Missing Lake came next. Around the time of publication she started selling real estate in Montana (because, clearly, she was not busy enough) but was still able to jump back into the story to complete Book 4, The Runaways of Missing Lake. She enjoys hanging out with her characters and tries to give readers a sense of what it is truly like to live in the beautiful mountains of western Montana. She enjoys spending time on any golf course with her husband and they canoe, hike and ride horses as well. They share their world with 5 adorable cats, several horses and 3 ridiculously personable ferrets. Website ~ Facebook ~Twitter ~ Instagram ~ ![]()
Giveaway Details:
This giveaway is for 1 copy each for 3 winners and is open to Canada and the U.S. only. The winners will have the choice between print and ebook. This giveaway ends November 26, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted by Rafflecopter only. Enter by Completing the Rafflecopter Below.
Buckle up for a wild ride as Cinderella's time-honored story gets some all-new twists. ![]()
Book details:
Bandits and Ball Gowns by Christina Bauer (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, #5) Published by: Monster House Books Publication date: November 10th 2020 Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult Synopsis:One Prince Finds True Love ... And Risks It All Elle Cynder has fallen hard for Alec, the 'prince' of Le Charme Jewelers. Time for some happily in their ever after, right? Not so much. While the new couple shares joyful moments--and sizzling kisses--serious trouble is brewing. Elle's evil stepmother, Marchesa, schemes with none other than Alec's twisted father, Legend. Their plan? Destroy Elle and Alec, along with everything the young lovers hold dear, including Bry, Knox, and Wilhelm. Another Royal Freezes His Heart ... But For How Long? As a prince of the dark fae, Jacoby focuses on one goal: avoid assassination. Marrying Elle would certainly aid in that cause, considering how she's both a Cinderella life template and a powerful fae warden. Even better, Jacoby doesn't truly love Elle. In court life, deep romantic attachments only mean certain death. Then Jacoby notices Elle's youngest stepsister, Agatha. For the first time in his life, Jacoby's cold heart warms with true affection. The elven prince struggles to ignore his feelings, but it might be a losing battle. And what would the prince's newfound emotions mean for Elle and Alec? Could Jacoby really stand by and watch another's true love be destroyed? Goodreads ~ Purchase: Amazon ~ B&N ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ![]()
REVIEW By VICKIE!
Another great fantasy by Ms. Bauer. I enjoyed this story with Alec, Elle, Jacoby and Agatha. I love the spells they are able to do. I also think Skye, the Genie is a fun character. They all have their own agendas and it's great to watch them all play out. The characters are all well-developed and it is easy to feel their emotions. The story flows well from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow along. I recommend this story to readers who like fantasy, fairies and other mystical characters. I give this story a literary rating of 5/5 ![]()
AUTHOR BIO:
Christina Bauer knows how to tell stories about kick-ass women. In her best selling Angelbound series, the heroine is a part-demon girl who loves to fight in Purgatory’s Arena and falls in love with a part-angel prince. This young adult best seller has driven more than 500,000 ebook downloads and 9,000 reviews on Goodreads and retailers. The first three books in the series are now available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes. Bauer has also told the story of the Women’s March on Washington by leading PR efforts for the Massachusetts Chapter. Her pre-event press release—the only one sent out on a major wire service—resulted in more than 19,000 global impressions and redistribution by over 350 different media entities including the Associated Press. Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. Stalk Christina On Social Media – She Loves It! Blog: http://monsterhousebooks.com/blog/category/christina Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorBauer/ Twitter: @CB_Bauer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_cb_bauer/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-bauer-481b12139/ Web site: http://monsterhousebooks.com/authors/cbauer ![]()
Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT)
This grand prize giveaway. (this giveaway is set up and managed by author, not Xpresso Tours):
You can find the schedule here (http://xpressobooktours.com/2020/09/01/tour-sign-up-bandits-and-ball-gowns-by-christina-bauer/).
![]() Author: Demelza Carlton Narrator: Mary Sarah Length: 4 hours Publisher: Tantor⎮2018 Genre: Fantasy; Romance Series: Romance a Medieval Fairytale, Book 2 Release date: May 8, 2018 Synopsis: A dutiful daughter. A prince forced to find a bride. If the shoe fits...Once upon a time... When the Emperor's army comes recruiting, Mai signs up, seeing it as the perfect escape from her stepmother and a lifetime of drudgery. Armed with her mother's armor and a pair of magic shoes, Mai marches off to war...only to find herself sharing a tent with the General's arrogant nephew, Prince Yi. The best swordsman in the Empire, Prince Yi wants to make war, not love, but the Emperor insists this will be Yi's last campaign before he must marry. Prince Yi has never met his match...until now. Buy on Audible⎮iTunes⎮Google Play⎮Chirp⎮Scribd ![]() USA Today bestselling author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish. She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below. Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all. Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world. Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads . ![]() Voice Arts Award Nominee, Mary Sarah has garnered attention for her powerfully evocative, multi-character work which spans time and place. With a penchant for dialects and love of culture, Sarah has spanned the globe working with rich characters set across genres of the classics, historical fiction, medieval romance, poetry, fantasy, non-fiction and children’s literature. Relz Reviewz states in reference to Tamara Leigh’s ‘The Unveiling,“ her mellifluous tones, superb voicing of emotions in dialogue and varied and accurate accents of both male and female make her a pure joy to listen to,” while her narration of “A Lady in the Smoke,” was cited as, “masterly!” Classically trained at The Riverside Shakespeare Academy and The Royal Shakespeare Company, Sarah loves to get to the heart of words in order to release their power and finds great comfort in the beauty of stories to transform and speak to us.! Sarah loves the power of story telling to awaken our hearts. Says author Claudy Conn (Lady X), “Her acting is simply sublime.” Website⎮TwitterWebsite⎮Twitter ![]()
BOOK BLURB:
After her father uproots the family to the northern duchy of Brackenhurst, Grace Eldon and her four younger sisters struggle with a new life of hardship. Desperate to keep a roof over their heads amid mounting debts, she and her youngest sister seek employment in the Duke of Brackenhurst’s household despite fearsome rumors. Scarred and maimed from a terrible fire Silas Isling, Duke of Brackenhurst, buries himself in his work to avoid the stares of pity and fear. When one of the new maids shows no fear at his appearance, he is intrigued. That is until his meddling steward gives her the task of cleaning Silas’ bookroom. It is a most unwelcome disruption since he prefers to be alone. While a thief plagues his castle, an old nemesis reappears, and enemies invade in the guise of guests. Amidst the distractions and chaos, Grace brings some unexpected order. Once convinced his scars had stolen all hope for love, Silas finds his life forever changed by the quiet maid. Could she love a scarred Duke? ~ Amazon ~ ![]()
AUTHOR BIO:
Rachel Rossano is a happily married mother of three children. She spends her days teaching, mothering, and keeping the chaos at bay. After the little ones are in bed, she immerses herself in the fantasy worlds of her books. Tales of romance, adventure, and virtue set in a medieval fantasy world are her preference, but she also writes speculative fantasy and a bit of science fiction. ~ Newsletter ~ Facebook ~ ~Website ~ Twitter ~ ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest ~
Rachel Rossano’s Top Ten Favorite Fairytales In no particular order:
1) Beauty and the Beast (no surprise, right?) 2) East of the Sun West of the Moon (Also in its other forms, Cupid and Psyche, etc) 3) The Month Brothers (Something about twelve men representing the months of the year willing to bend the rules for a poor lost child as appeal) 4) Seven Swans (Something about her vow of silence always fascinated me) 5) Stone Soup (More of a folk tale than a fairytale, but still, I like the message) 6) Rumpelstiltskin (Gotta love that the bad guy gets his just reward, and it all ends well for the girl despite everyone’s manipulations.) 7) Snow White and Rose Red (Two sisters overcoming with kindness) 8) Rapunzel (I really wanted super long hair as a kid. It is very impractical sounding now.) 9) Bluebeard (Yeah, this is a strange one, but somehow it always fascinated me.) 10) Thisbe and Pyramus (There is something appealing about falling in love with a person’s soul instead of their exterior. I really would like to give them a happy ending.) ![]()
GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY:
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT) $25 Amazon gift card + digital copy of the Bloom Sisters This grand prize giveaway - ends Nov 26th: ![]() Author: Suzanne Rogerson Narrator: George Ellington Length: 13 hours 28 minutes Series: Silent Sea Chronicles, Book 1 Publisher: Suzanne Rogerson Released: Sep. 22, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Synopsis The magical island of Kalaya is dying, along with its Sentinel. The Assembly controls Kalaya. Originally set up to govern, they now persecute those with magic and exile them to the Turrak Mountains. Tei, a tailor’s daughter, has always hidden her magic, but when her father’s old friend visits and warns them to flee to the mountains, she must leave her old life behind. On the journey, an attack leaves her father mortally wounded. He entrusts her into the care of the exiles and on his deathbed makes a shocking confession. Struggling with self-doubt, Tei joins the exiles search for their new Sentinel who is the only person capable of restoring the fading magic. But mysterious Masked Riders are hunting the Sentinel too, and time, as well as hope, is running out. Against mounting odds it will take friendship, heartache, and sacrifice for the exiles to succeed, but is Tei willing to risk everything to save the island magic? If you like character-based fantasy, then you’ll love The Lost Sentinel - book one in the Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy. Amazon ~ Audible ![]() BOOK REVIEW by LAWonder10: This audio "snags" the reader's interest from the beginning. It begins and ends with "swashbuckling" adventures. This beginning book of the trilogy lays the foundation of how the Sentinel came to be, plus, the Counselor also. It begins with a lot of action then in the midst it emphasizes the key points of the main plot, then the action picks up again leading to a suspenseful conclusion, leaving the reader/listener anxious to discover, "What happens next?". The story is quite unique in some ways and is, mostly, written very well. There were a few sections I was slightly unclear on who was who and which group were being represented. It soon became clear. The Narrator, George Ellington, did a fantastic job narrating. He truly made the scenes "come to life". All the "voices" he portrayed well except for the one male voice who was a main character. Although quite young, he was a man of authority. His voice sounded very "nerdy". However, this is the only "voice" I had a problem with. It wasn't enough of a problem to ruin the production. His knowledge of languages certainly aided him in his delivery. I was certain he was Irish or Scottish. (Fitting in with that time period, although fantasy.) I offer a strong Four Stars rating. *This audio-book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review. ![]() ABOUT The AUTHOR: Suzanne lives in Middlesex, England with her husband, two children and a crazy puppy. Her writing journey began at the age of twelve when she completed her first novel. She discovered the fantasy genre in her late teens and has never looked back. Giving up work to raise a family gave Suzanne the impetus to take her attempts at novel writing beyond the first draft, and she is lucky enough to have a husband who supports her dream - even if he does occasionally hint that she might think about getting a proper job one day. Now an author of four novels including the recently completed Silent Sea Chronicles trilogy and a Czech translation of her debut, Visions of Zarua, Suzanne hopes the dreaded ‘W’ word will never rear its ugly head again! She loves gardening and has a Hebe (shrub) fetish. She enjoys cooking with ingredients from the garden and regularly feeds unsuspecting guests vegetable-based cakes. Suzanne collects books, is interested in history and enjoys wandering around castles and old ruins whilst being immersed in the past. She likes to combine her love of nature and photography on family walks, but most of all she loves to escape with a great film, binge watch TV shows, or soak in a hot bubble bath with an ice cream and a book. 4. Author Web/Social Media Links: Website ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ BookBub ~ Amazon ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Newsletter ![]() Narrator Bio My name is George. Seoras, if you speak Gaelic. Born in the United States, German on my father’s side, a native of Bamberg, and a Stewart on my mother’s side from a wee parish outside Stirling. I am a keen learner, eager to travel the world around me, and an instructor of English with years of experience teaching in the US, Turkey, and Japan. In audiobook narration, I have discovered a perfect opportunity to perform and play with languages, dialects, characters, cultures. Essentially, my voice is my livelihood, and my spirit longs to explore. Narrator Web/Social Media Links: Blog ~ Facebook~ Audible Page ![]()
Book Details:
Back to the Burgh and Beyond (The Owl's Nest Mysteries) by C.S. McDonald Category: Adult Fiction, 208 pages Genre: Cozy Mystery Publisher: McWriter Books Release date: Sep 10, 2020 Tour dates: Nov 9 to Nov 20, 2020 Content Rating: G. C.S. McDonald's books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults--no bad language or sexual content. Book Description: Meet Alexa Owl. She's returned home to Pittsburgh after a divorce to start a new life and a new business, The Owl’s Nest Couturier Shoppe. Much to her surprise, she's getting more than she ever bargained for: Detective Bobby Starr, and he's no ordinary sleuth. Bobby is an angel who's returned to Earth in hopes of earning his way into the Guardian Angel Squad. He's been sent by none other than Saint Pete to acquire Alexa’s help to solve three cold case murders he left behind. Except, here’s the catch: he’s only been allotted four days to solve the first case! How in heaven’s name is she supposed to do that? Alexa is a professional seamstress—not a detective. Bobby insists the only way to solve the first case is to return to 1953, and Alexa’s not in love with that idea at all! Buy the Book: Amazon ~ B&N ![]()
REVIEW By LAWonder10:
After many rears of a partnership more than a marriage, Alexa and her very successful husband divorced. Now she returned to her hometown to set up her business in a new location, yet only about three hours from her original business. Some of her clientele would make the drive just to use her services. An agency she hired successfully set up appointments with a few new clients.
A jolly, mature Winnie, was a pleasant surprise as she brought some "goodies" to welcome her to the neighborhood. Winnie's family used to own the pub and apartment, which was now a Couturier shop and Alexa's living quarters. Winnie also had the expertise she needed for an employee. As they were getting better acquainted and Alexas took Winnie upstairs to show her the apartment, Alexa and Winnie received a "shock" ! This led to Winnie assisting her while Alexa lived a "double life". Alexa wondered what she had gotten herself into! This is a humorous mystery novel, laced with time travel, romance and even a few nice morals. The ending was complete yet left the reader eager for more. The characters and action were well portrayed and realistic. The Book Title and Cover image were well-chosen and eye-catching. This was a delightfully clean mystery and maintained the readers interest throughout the story. I offer a Five Stars rating. * This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review. ![]()
Meet the Author:
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg. Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh. The female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Next Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy! Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister. Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ![]()
Giveaway Details:
Autographed copy of BACK TO THE BURGH AND BEYOND (USA only) (ends Nov 27) Enter by using the Rafflecopter Below. ![]()
Book Details:
How to Pack for the End of the World by Michelle Falkoff Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 320 pages Genre: Literary / Mystery | Release date: Nov 20, 2020 Publisher: HarperCollins (HarperTeen) Tour dates: Nov 3 to Nov 23, 2020 Content Rating: PG-13. Language is clean, no sex on the page but reference to it, dark subject matter--wasn't sure the best category based on descriptions. Book Description: If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do? This is the question that haunts Amina as she watches new and horrible stories of discord and crisis flash across the news every day. But when she starts at prestigious Gardner Academy, Amina finds a group of like-minded peers to join forces with—fast friends who dedicate their year to learning survival skills from each other, before it’s too late. Still, as their prepper knowledge multiplies, so do their regular high school problems, from relationship drama to family issues to friend blow-ups. Juggling the two parts of their lives forces Amina to ask another vital question: Is it worth living in the hypothetical future if it’s at the expense of your actual present? Pre-Order the Book:Amazon ~ Audible ~Bookshop.org ~ IndieBound
Review by LAWonder10: At first, Amina was furious with her parents for forcing her to attend this boarding school. They were concerned about her obsession, nightmares and more... But after a few days, she actually found friends and her nightmares soon ceased, so she decided to make the best of it. This is a story of five very different youth, from very different social backgrounds who form a Club and each is required to plan out a unique game with the idea of survival of the "End of the World". As they compete and try to solve each puzzle, they begin to change attitudes, ideas and appreciation for others. The author successfully unlocks mysteries and inspires the reader to avoid stereotyping others. She takes a popular concern and examines it from different sources, then concludes the story with a wise and varied moral. The book was slightly difficult t "get into" at first but it soon "came together" and was captivating. From that point on, the plot maintained the readers curiosity, eager for the next scenario. I offer a Four Stars rating for this book. *This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review. ![]()
Meet the Author:
Michelle Falkoff is the author of Playlist for the Dead, Pushing Perfect, Questions I Want to Ask You, and How to Pack for the End of the World. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and currently serves as director of communication and legal reasoning at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ instagram ~ goodreads ![]()
History Village: Time to Shine (History Village #3)
By Jo Elliott Christian Middle Grade/Lower YA Sci-Fi, Time Travel Paperback & ebook, 171 Pages September 10, 2020 SYNOPSIS: Ally, Josh and Brendan are half siblings living in Australia who have a difficult situation to face at School and at home. They have a special interest in the past as they have previously embarked on two time-travelling adventures with God's divine help. Once again they embark on their latest time-travelling adventure into first century, ancient Syria. On the road to Damascus the children meet the frightening Commander who is on a mission to find and punish anyone who disagrees with his religious views. The children must quickly learn who can be trusted in this dystopian Village as they push back against the darkness and look for the truth. In time, the children learn that ordinary people with extraordinary faith in God can have a monumental impact throughout the generations. With the help of biblical heroes of old, this coming of age story will help young people discover their own unique purpose and mission in life. If you enjoy action-packed, suspenseful drama enveloped in cultural history, you are going to love "Time to Shine". (Affiliate links included.) Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository
REVIEW By VICKIE: ![]()
Time To Shine - Jo Elliott
This is a great story going back to ancient times. It has much to for us to learn. We can learn new things about the old times. Ally, Josh and Brendan are awesome characters. Young but anxious to learn and are very brave in their efforts. The characters are all well-developed and it is easy to feel their emotions. The story flows well from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow along. I recommend this to all those who enjoy readings of ancient times and love a good adventure. I give this story a literary rating of 5/5
Other Books in the Series:
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ABOUT the AUTHOR:
Jo Elliott was born in Melbourne Australia, to Greek parents and has resided in the world's greatest city all her life. She left a career in industrial relations to pursue her greatest love which is introducing children to God's word. Joanna is married to Phillip Elliott, a devoted writer of fiction, and together they have traveled the world, opening their minds and their hearts to new peoples and languages. When she's not plotting her next teen book, Jo is trying to learn Italian, and is tinkering with an old family piano (which requires urgent tuning!) Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram ![]() GIVEAWAY DETAILS! 1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally) Ends November 18, 2020 Enter by filling in the Rafflecopter below!
Tour Schedule
November 9th: Launch Hallie Reads Reading Is My SuperPower November 10th: Mammanatty's Raves and Reviews Remembrancy Rockin' Book Reviews November 11th: Library Lady's Kid Lit Uplifting Reads quirkybookreads November 12th: Beauty in the Binding Christy's Cozy Corners Splashes of Joy November 13th: Teatime and Books Bizwings Blog The Runaways Of Missing Lake by Tanya Fyfe Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 11/26/20}11/10/2020 ![]()
The Runaways Of Missing Lake by Tanya Fyfe
Publisher: Kindle Direct Press (September 1,, 2020); 394 pages Category: Young Adult, Teen, Fantasy, Dragons Tour dates: Oct-Nov, 2020 ISBN: 9798681416005 Book Description: Luke Houser and his friends enter their junior year at Missing Lake High School under extremely unusual circumstances after a tremendous forest fire kept the community on edge for months. The memory of the fire permeates all aspects of everyone’s lives, including those of the incredible secret dragon family who live up north. Luke makes a new canine friend through his step-mom’s veterinary clinic and Chase plays an important role despite not being one of the family’s beloved sled dogs. The silver dragon, Zagros has some serious news for his young Dragoneer that will impact the entire dragon realm, particularly the young dragons, Helios and Cassiel. Luke has to process this information all while a crisis unfolds during English class. Luke has to make some serious choices that challenge the sometimes awkward sixteen-year-old but he cannot share them with anyone without risking the discovery of the magnificent dragons. This is the fourth book in the Missing Lake series that follows a reluctantly intrepid young man’s journey into adulthood with his family, friends, dogs, cats and dragons by his side.Buy Links: Amazon ~ BarnesandNoble
‘Where do you get your ideas from, when creating personalities for your characters? How to Make Your Characters Believable?’
I try to stick to the old saying, ‘write what you know’. That doesn’t necessarily mean my story characters are actual people who really exist, but I do draw upon a lot of people and also animals when I create individuals for my books. I also try to create individuals as tributes to people and pets I have known or cared for as their friend or veterinarian throughout my life. To my friends and family, some of these are pretty obvious (especially for my husband and my step kids) and to some of my friends and veterinary clients, one or two of them might recognize I am showing my appreciation for someone they know (or themselves.) For example, the Dragoneer character, Oscar, (who is integral to Luke and his veterinarian step-mom meeting the dragon, Tabitha,) is named after one of our first cats. Oscar the cat had wild grey and white hair and was well loved by everyone who ever visited our farms over many years. He moved with us from Watford City, ND to Creston, BC, Canada, to Hazen, ND, then to Bismarck, ND and, finally, to Seeley Lake, MT where he lived out the rest of his long, cuddle-filled life. He had a big, loving, kind personality and I felt by naming my book character after him I was honoring his memory. I also gave the book’s Oscar the same wild, grey and white hair that our kitty maintained throughout his life. Another example is the fact that the fictional community of Missing Lake seems to have a lot of Great Dane dogs in Jackie’s veterinary practice. Luke has commented on that in a couple of the books and I try to bring it up during random times when he is helping his step-mom at the clinic. This is in tribute to a litter of Great Danes I was fortunate enough to be involved with in my own tiny real-life town of Seeley Lake. I was the litter’s veterinarian and became very involved when the puppies’ dam died within a day of childbirth. I got my pet food company’s top nutritionists on board for recommendations and we built a small community of local people who worked in shifts to feed, clean and care for the rapid-growing pups. The book’s Great Danes didn’t necessarily have the same challenging beginning to their lives but they are in honor of this magnificent local litter that I continued to care for throughout most of their lives. A lot of people tell me that my character, Jackie, the veterinarian, sounds like me when they read her dialogue. I won’t lie- I have a lot in common with Jackie, like our love of 70s Disco music and my ‘ten-and-two’ driving posture. Jackie sometimes struggles with the emotional toil of being a small town veterinarian just like I did and I try to bring some of that to light when I write but it certainly is not a main focus of the stories. And the book isn’t written from Jackie’s perspective because the book isn’t about me. It’s not about my own husband or step-son, either. In fact, their personalities in the books are very far from who they are in real life. The book is written from Luke’s perspective because I wanted to challenge myself when I began the series and I also figured the literary world needed a cool, moral young man as a role model, even if he didn’t know it. In Luke and his friends I tried to make them as believable as possible by drawing upon my memories from high school as well as my connections to many young adults throughout life. I was a figure skating and hockey coach for many years and I got to spend hours with teens from all walks of life before I became a veterinarian. I was lucky to hang out with young women on and off the ice and young men, as well, on Varsity bus rides and on the bench during their games. As an elite coach I spent a lot of close contact time with these athletes in vehicles, dressing rooms, hotel rooms and restaurants and often times I know that I knew more about these kids’ lives than their parents did. I was close to my step-kids and many of their friends when they were teenagers and I have tried to draw upon my memories of our discussions and interactions when I give voices and actions to Luke, Ben, Derek, Bethany, Gwen, and the others. I think back to the kids who hung out on the periphery in real life and try to give them a voice through characters like Anne-Marie, Nick and Josh. Eventually these particular characters shed light on why they are the way they are and I think that helps make them that much more believable. As for the dragon characters in my book… well, I’m working from nothing but research and fantasy there. I’m enjoying putting theories and beliefs into these magnificent creatures and I can only hope they are as believable to my readers as they are to Luke, Jackie, his dad, Oscar and me. ![]()
About Tanya Fyfe
Award winning author, Tanya Fyfe was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada and trained and performed as a professional figure skater and coach for many years. After working briefly as an English Teacher in Japan, she met her husband, Dr.Alistair Fyfe and moved to North Dakota in 1994. She completed her BSc and then got accepted into veterinary school in Saskatchewan which she graduated from in 2005. Since then she has worked as a veterinarian in ND and Montana. Tanya has written stories since she was a little girl and enjoyed completing a course with the Children’s Institute of Literature several years ago. She began writing her teen fiction series in 2013 which began with Lost and Found in Missing Lake. The Dragons of Missing Lake followed and then Secrets Abound in Missing Lake came next. Around the time of publication she started selling real estate in Montana (because, clearly, she was not busy enough) but was still able to jump back into the story to complete Book 4, The Runaways of Missing Lake. She enjoys hanging out with her characters and tries to give readers a sense of what it is truly like to live in the beautiful mountains of western Montana. She enjoys spending time on any golf course with her husband and they canoe, hike and ride horses as well. They share their world with 5 adorable cats, several horses and 3 ridiculously personable ferrets. Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~Instagram ![]()
Giveaway Details:
This giveaway is for 1 copy each for 3 winners and is open to Canada and the U.S. only. The winners will have the choice between print and ebook. (Ends November 26, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted by Rafflecopter only.) Enter by using the Rafflecopter Below. |
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