Book details:
Alpha Erased  (Alpha Girls #9) by Aileen Erin
Published by: Ink Monster LLC | Publication date: May 12th 2020
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Synopsis:      
​     Tessa—part witch, part werewolf, raised human and now the unofficial leader of a newly minted supernatural alliance—thinks nothing of her brother, Axel, texting her and Dastien to meet up. The location pin is in a weird spot, but maybe he found a magical anomaly? But when Tessa steps into the darkened warehouse, she doesn’t expect to see her brother laying in a pool of his own blood, smell the sulfuric scent of black magic, or feel the pain of her mate being shot full of silver.
      Tessa has seconds to make a choice, but there’s only one thing she can do to save the two most important men in her life—sacrifice herself.
       The last thing Dastien hears from Tessa is her pl | ea—help Axel. Then their bond goes silent. He can’t hear her. He can’t feel her. And there’s no sign of the attackers who took her.
        Dastien does everything he can to save Axel before calling his friends in a panic. It takes all of them to find Tessa, but when Dastien’s finally reunited with her, there’s no sign of recognition in her eyes.
        No magic in her touch.
        No wolf beneath the surface.
        Everything that made Tessa who she was…has been erased.
Goodreads | ~ Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play 

 Aileen Erin, On handling negative reviews:
            There’s nothing worse for an author than getting a negative review. Even three-star reviews can cut deep when you’ve poured your soul into a book. If you’re only getting bad reviews, then it’s time to pause and work on your craft. But if you’re getting more good than bad reviews, then there’s really only one thing an author can do:
​                   Ignore your negative reviews entirely.
            I know it’s hard not to read all of them, but if you read a negative review, you might be tempted to argue with the reviewer. Don’t do that. I’m serious.
               Whatever you do, do NOT argue with any reviewer. Ever.
           Arguing that a reviewer shouldn’t feel a certain way about your book is pointless. You can’t control what someone else feels. Arguing that they missed something or didn’t read something the way you intended is also pointless. You can’t control how they read something. You can only control what you put on the page, and fighting against interpretations or feelings is a complete waste of time and energy.
           Once you finish writing a book, that’s it. The book is out of your hands, and the readers will interpret and make judgments and decide what they think about it. If they didn’t like the book, then that’s their choice.
          Almost worse than arguing with a reviewer—reading negative reviews of your books might change the way you write, destroy your confidence in your writing, or worst of all—it might make you quit writing altogether. And that would be truly sad. The people who love your books are out there wanting to hear more from you and your characters, and if you let a few bad reviews hold you back, then that’s a real shame.
            You didn’t write the book for the people who hated it. The people who gave it 1-, 2-, or even a harsh 3-star review aren’t your readers.
             You wrote it for the readers that gave you 4- and 5-star reviews. They’re your audience.
        Focus on those positive reviewers. Reach out to them. And keep honing your craft to engage those readers. Eventually, your fans will drown out all those pesky negative reviews, and you won’t sweat them at all.
              Happy writing.

Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT)

• $25 Amazon Gift Card
• 5 eCopies of Becoming Alpha
• pair Full Moon Earrings
• 3 Signed Copies of Alpha Erased

This grand prize giveaway (this giveaway is set up and managed by author, not Xpresso Book Tours):
To Enter the Giveaway, Click on HERE!

Link to Tour Schedule!​

Book Details:
Hickville Crossroads (Hickville High Series, #4) by Mary Karlik
Publication date: May 4th 2020 | Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
      Frasier Anderson is one of the hottest teenage actors in the UK, but he’s virtually unknown in the US. Now he’s landed the leading role in a big-budget Hollywood film that could make him an international star. 
      So how do you prepare a Scot for a role as a Texas high school student? Give him a fake name, a fake accent, and embed him in a Texas high school. He only has to follow three rules:
        No drama. No girls. And no telling who he really is.
        Jenna Wiley is smart, funny, and has a few no-drama, no-dating rules of her own. Her friendship with new kid Ethan Smith is perfect and might even lead to something more. Except for a few things that don’t add up. Like his mom being afraid to have company. Or their house, which is more staged than lived in. Or his sister, whom nobody talks about.
       It all comes to a boil when Frasier’s biggest secrets hit the tabloids and the paparazzi swarm Hillside with Jenna in their sights.
        Can Frasier convince Jenna that shy, goofy Ethan Smith is closer to real than the image the tabloids have created?
      And can she ever forgive him for breaking the most important rule of all? Because for Jenna, when it comes to love and science, the truth is all that matters.

Goodreads ~ | Purchase: Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | 

Hickville Crossroads - Mary Karlik
​
      What a fun story. I enjoyed the idea of a Scottish actor fitting into a place in Texas. Jenna and her friend are a fun group and she has an awesome family.
       The characters are all well-developed and it is easy to feel their emotions.
        The title and cover of the book are a good fit for the story.
        The story flows well from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow along.
      I highly recommend this to teen age readers and adults.
         I give this a literary rating of 5/5

written by vickie 

Giveaway Details:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT)

• The Anderson tartan (her Scottish character is Anderson), a $25 Amazon gift card + 2x ebook copies of Hickville Crossroads

This grand prize giveaway - ends May 14th:
​To Enter the Giveaway, Click on HERE!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

One winner will receive a signed print copy of Kingdom Above the Cloud, map of Adian, bookmark, and sticker (US only)
Ends May 6, 2020 ​

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY BY CLICKING ON HERE!

TOUR SCHEDULE:
April 27th: -Launch
Bookworm Lisa - Review
Rockin' Book Reviews - Review 
April 28th:
Rincón de Joss - Guest Post
Tell Tale Book Reviews - Review 
Jorie Loves A Story - Review 
April 29th:
Wishful Endings - Guest Post
Paper Ink & Lizard - Review 
@momfluenster - Excerpt
April 30th:
Christy's Cozy Corners - Guest Post
A Baker's Perspective - Review
Locks, Hooks and Books - Excerpt
May 1st:
Teatime and Books - Review 
Library Lady's Kid Lit - Review 
May 2nd: -Grand Finale

Mrs. Murray's Home (The Piccadilly Street Series Book 3) Kindle Edition by Emily-Jane Hills Orford 

• Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Group (February 21, 2020)
• Publication Date: February 21, 2020  |  191 pages
• ​SYNOPSIS:
• Home is where the heart is, or so they say. It’s also been said that a home is a person’s castle. But home is also with family and friends. Mrs. Murray longs for home, the family home, a castle an ocean away. The Brownies also crave for home, the same castle Mrs. Murray considers home. And Granny? Mary’s Granny hasn’t been home since she was Mary’s age. It’s time to visit the homeland, Scotland. Mary’s excited to tag along with Granny, Mrs. Murray and the Brownies. And then there’s the witch. The one they thought they’d killed. And the treasure. The one they had found. And it all ties together, for better or for worse. Join the adventure in book 3 of the popular “Piccadilly Street Series”.
• Buy Link: Amazon 
  

         The Brownies were coming out of their daze. They glanced around, startled, taking in the situation. They noticed their queen, young and beautiful, the curse broken. A cheer erupted. “The witch is dead,” was the chant that rippled through the throngs of what once was Penelope’s Brownie army.
         A chanting began from the rear of the troop and quickly picked up in volume. “Hail Hail, the witch is dead. Cause for celebration. In the Brownie nation. Hail Hail, we’re free at last. Time to celebrate freedom.”
        “Sounds very much like, ‘Hail, hail, the gang’s all here. What the heck do we care? What the heck to we care?’” Granny laughed heartily, tapping her foot to the rhythmic chanting. The words were made up to suit the occasion, but everyone was catching on and soon there was dancing in the halls as the celebration escalated.
         “I think we’re having a party.” Cousin George clapped his hands and joined in the fun.
        Master Harry picked up the frozen remains of the witch and tucked it in his pocket. It was safer than leaving it untended on the floor where it could be trampled or, worse, stolen and restored to its original witchy form. He patted the pocket to assure himself that it was safe and then made his way over to where Mary and Granny still stood beside the staircase. “You’ll have to keep working on your spellcasting,” he spoke in a guarded voice. “I can only keep her like this for so long. Once you’re strong enough, once your power is fully controlled, we, you and I, can take care of Penelope for good.”
        “What will you do with her? With it?” she nodded toward his pocket where she watched him place the frozen witch-iness.
           “I’ll keep her safe and frozen until you’re ready. Nara will assist.” 

ABOUT the AUTHOR:
Emily-Jane Hills Orford is an award-winning author of several books, including Gerlinda (CFA 2016) which received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, To Be a Duke (CFA 2014) which was named Finalist and Silver Medalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.
She writes about the extra-ordinary in life and her books, short stories, and articles are receiving considerable attention. 
Author Social Media Links:
Website |  Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads | 

Book details:
An Outcast and an Ally (A Soldier and a Liar #2) by Caitlin Lochner
Published by: Swoon Reads | Publication date: April 21st 2020
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Synopsis:
      Dark secrets and conflicting loyalties abound as four superpowered teens are torn apart by war in Caitlin Lochner’s An Outcast and an Ally, the epic YA sequel to A Soldier and a Liar.
        Lai, Jay, Al, and Erik are on the run after the military accuses them of being traitors. Tensions between everyone are high, but they have to stick together if they want to survive. And somehow stop the war that’s now in full swing.
         But when Erik returns to the rebels to find answers about his past, Lai, Al, and Jay have no choice but to go to the Order―a peace coalition bent on stopping the rebels and dissolving the enmity between gifted and ungifted. However, the longer the war drags on, the more Lai’s long-kept secrets threaten to destroy everything she’s ever worked for. Sparks fly as the team constantly questions whether they can trust one another and everyone tries to navigate a war that will change everything.
Filled with the same high-stakes superpowered action and complex relationships as A Soldier and A Liar, Caitlin’s first book, An Outcast and an Ally brings this story to a dramatic and satisfying close.

Goodreads |~ Purchase: Amazon | B&N |  iBooks |  Kobo  | Google play |

Giveaway Details:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT)

• Print copy of An Outcast and An Ally

This grand prize giveaway - ends Apr 30th:

To ENTER, Click on HERE!

Book & Author Details:

Advanced Healing Spells
by L.C. Mawson
(Ember Academy for Young Witches, #3)
Publication date: April 15th 2020
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:Keeping my head down shouldn’t be too hard… Right?
Unhappy with how everything with the Amazons went down, the Slayers are now investigating Ember Academy.
But not me. Not as long as I keep my head down.
Which would have been a hell of a lot easier if students hadn’t started dropping unconscious.
No one knows how to wake them, but I have ways to find answers that they don’t
The question is if I risk it with the Slayers watching me so closely…
Especially when it would mean reaching out to the very criminal the Slayers are trying to find.
ADVANCED HEALING SPELLS is the third book in the Ember Academy for Young Witches YA Urban Fantasy Academy series. If you love kick-ass heroines, Sapphic slow-burn romances, and magical boarding schools, you’ll love this latest fast-paced series in L.C. Mawson’s Snowverse.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53112218-advanced-healing-spells

Purchase:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2V2yLZz
​

​AUTHOR BIO:
     Some say she's an ancient creature of nightmare that was unleashed from beneath the ocean, come to devour the souls of men. Others say that she's a cosmic being from the beyond the stars that has taken corporeal form to learn our ways for some unknown end...
     In truth, L.C. Mawson lives in a tower in the middle of a haunted forest, far from civilization and is definitely (probably?) not a witch who curses those who trespass upon her land. And she definitely cannot turn into a dragon that flies over cities in the dead of night and whose cries are often mistaken for an approaching storm. Where did you hear that? That's absurd...
    The only contact she has with humanity is publishing a book once a month, which is definitely just for fun and not part of an ancient contract with a trickster god.
Author links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads |

BEAST HEART by Kyle Richardson
RELEASE DATE: 3/31/20 ~ GENRE: YA / Paranormal / Steampunk
​SYNOPSIS:
When the girl with the clockwork hand meets the boy with the beast heart, sparks
fly in this poignant, adventure-filled debut.

Book 1 of the Steambound Trilogy. When Gabby’s hand turns to steam, her mom hires
an engineer to build her a clockwork glove. It’s the last thing Gabby wants—if only she
could be normal. But when her mom is attacked by something monstrous, normal is no
longer an option. Now the only person she can turn to is a grizzled detective, who
promises to help her become something … more.
Meanwhile, Kemple’s foster dad treats him like a slave. And the beatings are getting
worse. So when a rebellious girl named Josephyn arrives—with a plan to escape to the
city—he doesn’t hesitate. But there are creatures in Iron Bay whose slashes are worse
than skin-deep. And as Kemple evolves into something inhuman, his search for a cure
begins.
They are strangers in a city where carriages rattle, airships rumble, and where their own
dark pasts continue to haunt them. Soon their paths will collide, and the girl who slays
monsters will come face to face with the boy who is becoming a beast.
​Buy Links: Meerkat Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

​          Brielle has been trying to sleep for the past hour or so—trying being the key word. Mostly, her mind has been stuck in that foggy realm between asleep and awake, that space where pain
and pleasure blend, where sounds seem to warble from an unimaginable distance and the
tears welling in her eyes feel like they’ve been set on fire, as if at any moment one might slip
loose and scorch a trail down the side of her face, igniting her starchy sheets and her lumpy
mattress and her cramped little apartment, and even the garbage-strewn streets themselves,
until the whole city is nothing but a towering inferno and — I’m an “inside-out” kind of writer. By that I mean: I believe the best way to ground the reader is by working hard to establish the character’s internal state—because that’s the filter through which everything external will be colored.
      If one character is feeling brave and adventurous, a storm on the horizon might look beautiful and awe-inspiring. If that character is feeling worrisome and fearful, on the other hand, the same storm might look foreboding and ominous.
        For that reason, what’s going on inside the character is, to me, extremely important, as it impacts how everything else in the story is perceived, portrayed, and, ultimately: experienced by the reader.
        How is the character feeling, in this moment? What do they want to achieve? What are they hoping to avoid? What, if anything, could possibly change their mind? These are some of the questions that I ask myself before (and during) the writing of each scene, and it’s a habit that I don’t expect will go away anytime soon.
         Beyond that, I’d say that sensory details are also quite crucial. It’s easy to go with the most obvious of senses: sight and hearing. But our real-life experiences involve so much more than just that. We touch things roughly, or are touched intimately. We inhale scents, sometimes longingly. We revel in something that tastes great on the tongue. And sometimes we even react to a sort of “sixth” sense: that cautionary tingle of instinct that makes us hesitate in the dark, or that indescribable pull of intuition that makes us look a second time around the corner. These are the kinds of things that I try to include in my writing, because I feel that they’re not only valuable, but true to life.
      The world around us isn’t a static stage—it’s interactive. A mind-and-body experience. Shouldn’t our fiction at least attempt to feel much the same? The door thuds hard, once, twice, the sound echoing through her dusty apartment, and Brielle bolts upright with her hair matted over her face, her clockwork glove tangled in her sheets. She was dreaming about . . . something. Something involving . . . fire? She rubs at her face with her good hand and tries to pull the dream back into place, but it just slips away even more. Eventually it’s gone completely, leaving nothing but a faint quiver in her gut and a vague sense of regret.
        “Gone,” she whispers with a frown. It’s the story of her life—she’s become such an expert at
losing things.
         The door thuds again. This time, the knock comes with a voice. “Gabrielle,” says a man. His
tone is dry, impatient, and all-too familiar. “Get up. We got problems.”
         Brielle sighs, uses her wrist to rub the dampness from her eyes, and yanks her glove free
from the sheet. It’s too early for problems. Too early for anything, really. “Shaw,” she groans,
      “I’m trying to sleep.” She squints at the violet sky through her grimy living room window and says,
        “Come back later. You know, when the sun is up? When normal people interact?”
         Shaw grunts through the door. “You don’t sleep. Said so yourself. And since when do you
think of either of us as normal?”
        Brielle grits her teeth and brushes her hair behind her ears. As always, the man has a point.
“Just give me a minute, will you?”
        The door stays quiet for a brief, merciful moment, and Brielle lets the silence wash over her
until the tightness in her chest eases, the ripples in her mind going flat. Soon, she’s back in that clear and level place. Calm as a windless lake.
        “Still alive in there?” Shaw barks. “I’m dying of old age, standing here.”
         Brielle rolls her eyes behind her smudged lenses and swings her legs off the mattress.
Her bare feet scuff against the dusty wood floor. “I’m not dressed,” she calls out, looking
down at her pale nightshirt. She stands and tugs at her gray cotton pants. They’re fitting
loose today. All these years of climbing up rusted ladders and sprinting across crumbling
rooftops, and she still has sticks for legs.
         “So get dressed,” Shaw says through the door. “But make it quick. Like I said: we got
problems.”
          She listens for that telltale hitch in Shaw’s voice—that tiny warble between his words
whenever something has truly upset him. Today, it isn’t there. His voice is steady. His words are
flat. Whatever the problem is, it’s clearly something minor. “Why’re you rushing me?” she calls
out.
          Shaw says nothing back, so she trudges over to her doorless wardrobe and peers at the
stretched-out shirts hanging from the rod. The selection is dreary: all blacks and browns and
muted grays, the necklines tattered and thin. She plucks the nearest one off its hanger,
yanks it down over her nightshirt, and pulls the torn sleeve over her bulky glove. Then she
steps to the side and blinks at her reflection in the cracked wall mirror. Her goggled-eyed
gaze roams all over her dirt-colored top, as if she’s searching for . . . well, she doesn’t know
what she’s looking for, honestly. An answer, perhaps? A question? Something out of the
norm? Whatever it is, she doesn’t find it, so she gives herself a nod. Her shirt is a decent
choice. Today feels like a brown day, if there ever was such a thing.
          “Okay,” Shaw calls out, “now I’m definitely dead. Message the coroner. Tell him some poor
old man passed away while waiting for a girl to choose an outfit.”
          Brielle sighs, marches to the door, and wrenches the deadbolt loose. “You’re the one who
woke me up,” she says, dragging the door open. “I’m perfectly entitled to make you wait.”
         Shaw stands in the narrow hallway, looking even more haggard than usual. His hair juts up on one side of his head and lies ridiculously flat on the other. He hasn’t shaved in days. And
his outfit looks like it was slapped together in the dark—a wrinkled green coat atop a coffee-
stained pair of blue trousers. He’s even tried to knot himself a necktie. It looks more like a
narrow, lopsided scarf. To top it all off, the man is holding one arm mysteriously—no,
suspiciously—behind his back.
          Brielle narrows her eyes to slits. “What’s going on? You look like . . .” She tilts her head and
looks him up and down a little closer. It’s hard to tell what he looks like right now. Certainly not
like his usual self. “. . . like a carnival spat you out, I suppose.”
          Shaw smirks at his jacket and smooths a wrinkle from one of the lapels. “That’s the look I
was going for,” he says. He glances back at her and winks. “Carnival spit.” Before she even has
a chance to roll her eyes, he lifts his hidden arm, revealing a wrinkled paper bag. He gives it a
dramatic shake. “Didn’t have anything nice to wrap with,” he grumbles, “so you’ll just have to
tear through this.”
        Brielle blinks dumbly at the bag for a moment. Then she understands. Her face droops and
she turns her back to Shaw, as if she can somehow avoid what’s coming next by simply walking away. “Let’s not do this, okay?”
        Shaw clears his throat and shakes the bag harder. “If you don’t open it,” he says, “I will. Paid good money for this. I’m not letting it go to waste.”
          She’s tempted to say, Open it, then. See if I care. But that wouldn’t be fair at all. Shaw has
been nothing but kind to her. And if he really did pay good money for whatever’s inside that bag, then she practically has to open it. She lived with him long enough to know just how little the city pays him. Long enough to see just how much of a struggle it’s been for him to make ends meet.
         So she groans her way to her lumpy sofa, flops down onto it, and grudgingly says, “Okay. I’ll open it. But that’s all. No cake. No wishes. And absolutely no singing.”
          Shaw steps into her apartment and gently pulls the door shut behind him. Then he takes a moment to glance around with that detective stare of his. His eyes touch everything: the
windows that she never bothers to wipe, the grimy floorboards that have moved so far past dusty that they practically feel carpeted, the furniture that’s so battered it’s a wonder any of it is still standing at all. And of course, her. Finally he reaches for the lantern on the wall and twists it on. A dull yellow glow floods the room. “There,” he says, blinking in the light, “that’s . . .
slightly better.”
           Brielle clamps her jaw and braces for another one of his grating lectures on cleanliness.
Instead he merely says, “I’ve never met anyone who hates celebrating their birthday as much as you.”
          Birthday. The word puts a sour taste in her mouth and an even worse feeling in her gut.
Birthdays are for people who like remembering how far they’ve come. For those who don’t want
to forget. “It’s just a dumb tradition,” she says, waving her clockwork hand in the air. Dust
particles swirl around her brass knuckles and stick to the leather straps around her wrist.                  “Why would anyone be happy about getting older? It just means you’re one year closer to dying.”
          And one year farther away from Mom.
         Shaw barks out a laugh and turns to look at the window. His profile flickers from the lights
down in the harbor. “You’re sixteen, Gabrielle,” he says teasingly. “Not ninety.” He rests his
forehead against the glass and studies the view like he’s examining a crime scene. “Take a
break. Lighten up. Enjoy the scenery.”
          Brielle lets her glove plop down on the cushion beside her. More dust plumes into the air.
She’s been living here for years now, her sixth-floor apartment towering over the dark waters of
the bay, yet she can’t remember the last time she glanced out the window like that. Just to . . .
look. Perhaps this is proof that something truly is wrong with her.
         Maybe staring blankly through dingy panes of glass is the kind of thing that only normal
people do.
         “Have you ever known me to lighten up?” she asks.
         Shaw turns away from the window and shakes his head. “No,” he admits. “Can’t say that I
have.”
          She cracks a challenging smile. “So why should I start now?”
          The detective raises his arms defensively, as if she’s got him at gunpoint. “I can list over a
dozen reasons,” he says, “but then you’ll just kick me out.”
Her grin widens. “You know me best.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
      Kyle Richardson lives in the suburban wilds of Canada with his adorable wife, their rambunctious son, and their adventurous daughter. He writes about shapeshifters, superheroes, and the occasional clockwork beast, moonlights as an editor at Meerkat Press, and has a terrible habit of saying the wrong thing at the most inopportune moments. His short fiction has appeared in places such as Love Hurts: A Speculative Fiction Anthology and Daily Science Fiction.
AUTHOR LINKS: Website | Twitter

GIVEAWAY: 
​
$50 Book Shopping Spree!

To ENTER, Click on HERE!

Book Details:
Reverend of Silence by Pamela Sparkman
Publication date: January 14th 2020
Genres: Coming of Age, Historical, Young Adult
Synopsis:
      In 1810, Lucy Hallison suffered from a severe illness at the age of three, and later recovered, a deaf-mute. Unable to relate to the world in which she lives, she’s often ignored and sometimes treated with cruelty. Until a boy, Samuel Burke, steps into her life at the tender age of seven, coloring her world and showing her what it means to be seen, to not be invisible, to be understood.
The two become inseparable childhood friends, and as they grow and mature, there is the promise and hope of something more that also grows between them. But the hope of something more is put on hold so she can attend The American Asylum at Hartford for the Deaf and Dumb, the first of its kind, requiring her to leave the only home she’s ever known and the only boy she’s ever loved.
      But while she is away, tragedy strikes, and Samuel is now the one unable to relate to the world in which he lives, unable to find his own voice, and withdrawing from everyone and everything he’s ever known.
        When Lucy returns home from school, she has one goal in mind—to put color back into his world the way he had once put color into hers.
Because Samuel Burke had been her voice when she had needed him most.
Now, she is determined to be his.

Goodreads | Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Google Play 

AUTHOR BIO:
     Pamela Sparkman grew up in Alabama. She became an avid reader at a young age. The written word has always fascinated her and she wrote her first short story while still in elementary school. Inspiration for her stories always begins with a song. She believes music is the pulse of life and books are the heart of it.
     When she isn't writing, however, she's spending time with her family and taking one day at a time.
Author links: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)

• $25 Amazon gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Apr 16th:
​To ENTER, Click on HERE!

Book Details:
Alien Minds (Dimension Drift #3) by Christina Bauer
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: June 5th 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Synopsis: 
   On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy but terrible accident. My parents stand by my bedside—both are beautiful, wealthy, and super-nice. They tell me that once I leave the hospital, I’ll attend the prestigious ECHO Academy, where I’ll churn out equations for the government along with my mega-smart peers.
      So, I’m living the perfect life. 
      Then why does everything feel all wrong? 
     My parents, my house and even ECHO Academy…none of it fits. Plus, what’s up with Thorne, my brooding yet yummy classmate who keeps telling me I need to remember my true past, which seems to have included a lot of us kissing? That’s one thing I’d really like to remember, except for the fact that I’m pretty sure Thorne is hiding a ton of nasty secrets of his own, including the fact that he may not be from this world. But considering how my own past seems alien to me, it’s not like I can judge. Plus, Thorne has dimples. That’s a problem.
      And worst of all, why does it feel so yucky to work on these calculations for the government? It’s all supposed to be part of ECHO, but my heart tells me that I’m helping something truly terrible come to pass. Thorne seems to think that kissing him again will release my real memories. 
          Maybe it’s time to pucker up.
 Goodreads | Purchase: Amazon | B&N |  iBooks | Kobo | Google Play |

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)

• Win a star bookmark to celebrate the ALIEN MINDS blitz!

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Book details:
Sticks & Stones by Dianne Beck
Published by: Acorn Publishing | Publication date: March 18th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Synopsis:
      When fifteen-year-old Emily Greene wakes up to police banging on her door, she is shocked to see her mother arrested on drug charges.
     Uprooted and in disbelief, Emily moves to a new town to stay with her grandmother, known as Crazy Carol for her outspoken faith and quirky behaviors. As if the arrest isn’t enough, kids at her new school immediately begin to stereotype and judge her based on the news they’ve heard about her mom.
       Emily is sure her mother’s fiancé is to blame for the crime. He has conveniently disappeared since the day of the arrest. She’s determined to find him, and prove he’s at fault. But something awful happens, shaking her world yet again.
         After this string of tragedies, Emily starts to question God, but is gently and consistently reminded by her grandmother, through stories she tells of all the sticks, leaves, and stones she collects, that God is her good and faithful parent.
     Emily must learn that the words others say about her don’t matter, that her mom’s mistakes don’t define her, and she is always deeply loved by her heavenly father. If only she can learn to forgive herself.
Goodreads | ~  Purchase: Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks

Sticks and Stones - Dianne Beck

This is a great story to help us remember how to handle hardships in our lives, ones we have no control over. We can't change the way people think or feel or feel. We can only do what we can to not let others bring us down. This story has some really good ideas of how to do that.

The story flows well from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow along.
I really like the way cover and title of the book are a perfect match for the story.

​I highly recommend this book to all those who enjoy a great read.
I give this book a literary rating of 5/5

written by vickie 

AUTHOR BIO:
    Dianne Beck has spent the majority of her career teaching students ranging from Kindergarten through adult. No matter what age, her biggest goal is to encourage her students to be their own unique selves, to have confidence in who they are, and to follow their passions.
     Dianne’s debut young adult novel, Sticks and Stones, was inspired by her years of teaching, where she saw so many students struggle with varying issues, and also experienced how an understanding ear and relevant literature could make a significant impact on their lives. She hopes young people as well as adults can find faith and strength, like her main character Emily does, even when things seem to be falling apart.
      Dianne is motivated daily by her faith in God, her husband, and her four adult children. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading, sipping coffee, browsing a bookstore, or pursuing a part-time faith and fitness ministry at www.ofcommonground.com.
Author links:
https://www.diannebeck.com/

Book Details:
Night Hunt by Isa Mikaelson
Publication date: March 13th 2020 | Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
       Betrayal takes a backseat to survival.
     Called back to his small town in Washington for a funeral, Ezra Zaan finds himself exactly where he doesn’t want to be … in the middle of paranormal problems with the vampire ex who broke his heart. The new owner of the Book of the Dead, Ezra’s tasked with defending the town against the Night’s Huntsmen—a deadly group of ghostly hunters who run a magical competition that ends in death and ruin for all paranormal beings. It is set to begin, and the only way to survive is if the factions of witches, vampires, and shifters band together.
      Which is easier said than done when their hatred has them at each other’s throats. Investigating the breaches in the veil between their world and the other, they uncover a conspiracy that threatens to tear them apart.
       It’s a race against time and their own tangled past as they prepare for the battle of a lifetime.
​
Goodreads | ~ Purchase: Amazon 

I get by with a little help from my friends
      Writing itself is a solitary occupation. You sit down in front of the computer and type or cry, depends on how the words are flowing. But being a writer is so much more than that. I have a team of people who assist me. From my editor Melissa at There for you Editing to my incredible graphic artist, Rebecca, at Dreams2Media.
      I start with a concept, working it around in my head. I listen to music I feel ties into the story. I watch shows and movies that inspire me , and finally, when I’m certain it’s ready to be planted and grow, I contact Rebecca. We put our heads together, and she brings what I see in my head ot life. Everyone has a different process, but I like to have my cover long before the book. I then break down my deadline and what needs to be written by what date, including the release date, after I’ve spoken with Melissa, so she’ll save my editing spot. This helps keep me on track.
      After that, I pester my friends, family, and assistant about all things related to the story. By the time it’s finished, they’re sick of me, and if I’m honest, I’m sick of my characters. We part ways so they can be edited and viewed by other eyes, and I start on my graphics and try to get in some serious downtime. Binge-watching television, reading until the wee hours of the night, and road-tripping are usually what the doctor orders before I dive in again.
       Each book is a bit different, but in general, over the years, this has become my process.
There for you Editing: https://www.facebook.com/groups/771768419960209/ Dreams2Media: http://dreams2media.com/

 AUTHOR BIO: 
Isa Mikaelson is a USA Today Bestselling author starting a new Penname for YA. She lives in Cincinnati with her two daughters and husband. She is known for her strong female leads, detailed fantastical worlds, and compelling romance infused plots. Her mind is a treasure trove of paranormal, historical, and various other random facts.

Author links: FACEBOOK  | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

GIVEAWAY!

Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)

• $20 Amazon gift card

This grand prize giveaway - ends Mar 19th:
​
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Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas
Publisher:  Broadback (January 13, 2020) | ISBN: 978-1671646032
Category: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Time Slip, Women’s Fiction
Tour Dates March and April, 2020 | Available in Print and ebook, 258 pages
Description:
    A young woman is hurled back to 1954 to spend a week with Marilyn Monroe.  Together, they embark on their own personal journeys — one a coming-of-age — the other, Marilyn’s journey, a struggle to reconcile with her past and perhaps change the future.
    Buy link:  Amazon

A delightful and enthralling read! Elyse Douglas captured magic and put it on the page.”--Ambling Bookworm Reviews

“This is just an astonishing read that will have you hooked on page one and won’t let go till the last. I read it all in one sitting and could not put it down.”--Donadee’s Corner Reviews

      “I am amazed by the research done into her characters, especially since with this book it is a known woman from the past – Mata Hari. From the moment Trace falls back in time, the descriptions of people and towns created a vision in my mind and I could imagine myself there observing the situations. This book captivated me to the end! If you like books that delve into past lives along with time travel, this is a book you should pick up and read!”-Storeybook Reviews

      “I must say that the authors did a fantastic job in writing this book. I do not believe that time travel is possible nor do I believe in reincarnation. But while I was reading this book, I believed it was all possible. Part of me envied Trace Rutland for what she experienced, for the things she got to see. What an exciting thing! Well, except for the being thrown in prison part.  Once I was about halfway through the book, putting it down for any length of time proved to be impossible.”- Lisa’s Writopia

      “This book has it all mystery, romance , history.  I really enjoyed it as I didn’t really know that much about Mata Hari.  I like historical fiction and this book was filled with history.  I am not a believer in past lives but I found myself being drawn into the story and holding my breath to see what would happen next.  A very well done story.  I would recommend it if you like historical fiction.”-Mindy, A Room Without Books Is Empty ​