THE BOOKS OF MY CHILDHOOD

Hey All!!!
Recently, I read The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto, and I was disappointed by how little the book actually scared me. It also got me thinking on how much I used to love Fear Street novels when I was in high school.

I used to love how creepy and scary each one was, and how they often connected to one another. And that got me to thinking about re-reading a few of them.

So, I'm off to find some Fear Street books. Wish me luck!

Happy Reading and Writing!

BOOK BLITZ: BRICKS BY JOHN DAVIDSON

Hey All!!!

Coming to the stage we have a new book that's just been released by author John Davidson. See all the deets below:

Bricks

by John Davidson 

Release Date: 02/03/15

Anaiah Press

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year old Cori Reigns learns that not all tornadoes take you to magical places. Some take your house, your school, and life as you knew it. Struggling to put the pieces of her life back together, Cori learns to rebuild what the storm destroyed by trusting family she didn't know she had and helping friends she never appreciated.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

Nice!!! And if that description hasn't tantalized your reading taste buds, I've attached a blurb below:

In the eerie glow from the lantern, I sat in a ball with Slim’s long arms wrapped around me. Only our synchronized breathing and the drum of my heartbeat disturbed the silence.

The pizza boy screamed as the TV flew upward. We ducked, and it slammed into the locked steel door. A roar like a jet-powered locomotive swept over us. Wind raged through a crack in the rattling door like the screech and cackle of a tempest-tossed witch, fluttering the lantern’s light. Slim caught the set as it dropped. The cord flopped at my feet, severed like it’d been bitten by a wild animal.

Mr. Hawkins mumbled. Mrs. Lassiter spoke to Jesus. The Mangino’s driver sat near me, his rocking horse motion powered by gentle sobs. I forced my hand to stop shaking long enough to reach around Slim and squeeze the boy’s hand in mine. Mrs. Lassiter always said there are no atheists in foxholes. There are no strangers either.

My heart passed the next few minutes of external silence by banging like a sledgehammer against my ribcage. Finally, Mrs. Lassiter slid past us. “Would you mind giving me a hand, young man?”

She had to be talking to Slim. The Mangino’s guy was still a sobbing mess.

“You okay?” he asked me.

I think I nodded.

At the top of the steps, the metal latch clanged. Then a grunt and a shard of light.

The sounds repeated.

“I can’t get it open,” Slim said. “It must be jammed.”

My sledgehammer heart banged louder.

“Not jammed,” Mrs. Lassiter told him. “Blocked.”

And louder.

Crazy thoughts and images raced through my mind. The tiny enclosure seemed to have suddenly shrunk by half. I couldn’t take it any longer. Being trapped in a tiny underground bunker that smelled of perspiration and pepperoni made me want to puke. I squeezed the pizza guy’s hand a final time and pushed to the top of the steps to wedge myself between Slim and Mrs. Lassiter. No one objected. It wouldn’t have mattered.

I didn’t wait for three. I threw my shoulder into the metal door, and it slowly creaked upward—six inches, a foot. With both feet on the steps and our shoulders against the door, we pressed upward to provide more leverage.

“A little more,” Mrs. Lassiter said. “There.” She extended the metal bar to hold the door open. My shoulders relaxed as the brace clicked into place. I rubbed my arm and stepped into the eerie gray light.

About the Author

Married to my bride for twenty-four years, I have an amazing son and a wonderful daughter.

Born and raised in central Oklahoma, I work in education, first as a teacher now in technology curriculum. I write. I read. And in the summer I make snow cones.

Author Links:

  

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

BULLYING STOPS HERE: GETTING MY NIECE TO SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BULLYING COIN

Hey All!!!
Late last week I found out some really horrifying news from my sister. She told me my niece - my sweet, always helpful, ever loving niece - has been hanging around with the wrong crowd in her after-school program and they've been mean to other kids. When I found this out, it broke my heart (almost as much as her telling me that she wasn't the biggest fan of reading, but I digress).

As someone who's vertically challenged, I spent a large part of my middle school, and some part of my high school, years being picked on. It was a difficult time, and one I would never want to inflict on anyone else. I was so upset when I first heard this news that I didn't know what to do.

After throwing out all of my ideas on strict punishments ("No birthday party for you!"), I decided that maybe the best way to handle this is to build a bit more empathy in my niece. So I'm on the lookout for ways to show her what it's like to be on the other side of bullying, and to encourage her to use her size (she's bigger than most of the kids her age) to protect others and not the other way around. I remember that there's a documentary on bullying in America, so I'm going to pull that out, and try to find a few children's books on the subject. Any suggestion y'all might have are more than welcomed.

I just want to show her that J.K. Rowling really did have it right in Harry Potter, when Dumbledore stated that, "...sometimes you have to choose between what is right, and what is easy."

Happy reading and writing!!!

COVER REVEAL: SHH! (OXLEY COLLEGE #1) BY STACEY NASH

Hey All!!!
I have a great cover reveal to share with everyone, and it's hot, hot, hot!!!

I give you...

Shh! (Oxley College #1)

by Stacey Nash 

Release Date: 02/23/15

Below we have a summary from Goodreads:

Nineteen-year-old Olivia Dean has the perfect reputation, the perfect boyfriend, and an increasingly perfect CV. She has it all, until Christian breaks up with her in public, calling her out as a self-gratifying sexoholic: the kind that plays solo. But Olivia doesn’t masturbate all night — the only thing she does is sleep … right?

Now all the boys on campus seem to want her attention for the absolutely wrong reason — including resident hottie, Logan Hays. He's pulling out his best moves to gain her attention, so resisting his sexy charm is hard work. With rapidly slipping grades, a disturbingly lurid reputation and demanding parents, Olivia must discover the truth behind her rumoured sleeping problem. If she doesn't, the perfect life she's worked so hard for may slip away, including the one person who has Olivia breaking all her rules — Logan.

What do you do when you’re asleep?

***

Nice! And oh so spicy! I'm not sure what I do when I'm asleep (outside of dreaming up craziness that often finds its way into my stories), but I'm pretty sure it's nothing nearly as fun.

Shh! is a story about acceptance, learning to trust and in turn love while facing life's unexpected difficulties.

A note to all readers: This book is of a mild heat level, and contains no explicit sex scenes.

Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order Links:

(Shh! won’t be available on Amazon until release day)

Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iBooks

Some info on the author:

Stacey Nash writes adventure filled stories for Young Adults in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. She loves to read and write books that have a lot of adventure, a good dose of danger, a smattering of romance, and KISSING! Hailing from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, she loves nothing more than immersing herself in the beauty and culture of the local area.

She also loves to blog is a co-founder and a contributor at Aussie Owned and Read, a blog designed for readers and writers of young adult and new adult fiction.

Her debut novel Forget Me Not released with HarperCollins Impulse in 2014 and was soon followed by the sequel, Remember Me. 2015 brings an Aussie set New Adult romance, the Oxley College Saga; Shh! and Wait!

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Pinterest

Cover Reveal Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

WONKY WEDNESDAYS: THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING

Hey All!!!
I'm starting something a little new called Wonky Wednesdays, when I talk about something completely out of left field. Normally a random observation or crazy fun thing I've seen.

So, as a woman who is totally height challenged I feel the need to wear really tall heels. I love really pretty, tall shoes that lift me to the sky (okay that might be an overstatement). One small problem, a lot of tall heels kill my feet.

Seriously.

There are times when I feel like my feet are going to fall off, and I'm looking at other women strutting around like they're walking on clouds. Being the engineer that he is, my husband told me that I should just find comfortable heels...but is there such a thing?

I'd almost resigned myself to a life in flats, when I tried out an older pair of Aldos in my closet...and it wasn't half bad. I wore them all day and had very few issues. Now I'm on the hunt for more Aldos.

I mean, seriously, how cute are these!!!

In that search, I realized that many things in life are like finding the right high heels. It may take a lot of time and you may have to try out a whole lot of different options, but when you find the right fit, it's golden!

MY TV ADDICTION: CRIMINAL MINDS

Hey All!!!
So, I'm going to try something a little new and have some TV talk on the blog. When I'm not writing or working or working out or reading, the most common thing you would find me doing is watching a good show. Now, my tastes for entertainment vary depending on my mood and interests, and one of my favorite shows is Criminal Minds! This show manages to touch upon my obsession with abnormal psychology (I was a psyc major in college) and drama (I have to get it somewhere, since I refuse to deal with drama in real life).

What I love about this show is the fact that there's a new case every week, and the team does a great job of showing how the perp (perpetrator for those not into crime shows) became the crazy sociopath, or psychopath, or deranged individual that he or she is. I love how they break down the socioeconomic factors and relationships (or lack thereof) that caused the dysfunction to take over. Not to mention that the writers do a fantastic job of incorporating real life drama in the main character's backstories.

Overall, it's a great show and I'll be forever on board...as long as you never, and I mean never, try to mess around and knock off some of my favorite characters (AKA Morgan, Reid, and Garcia). For more information on Criminal Minds, feel free to look here.

Happy Thursday, Y'all!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERNIGHT TEEN!!!

Happy Birthday to EVERNIGHT TEEN!

EVERNIGHT TEEN turns two this month and we’re having a huge party to celebrate! It may be EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday, but you get the presents. So, grab a piece of cake, hop from blog-to-blog and discover EVERNIGHT TEEN!

Be sure to visit every stop on the hop and answer each question. The more you blogs you hop, the more chances to win the GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini sponsored by EVERNIGHT TEEN (one entry per blog). Plus, hop each blog for a host of other fabulous prizes.

Have your TBR list handy because we have lots of new titles for you to add, including my featured book…

Just a little info on the fabulous book I published with Evernight Teen. Cursed is about one young girl’s journey to fight the darkness within herself. The main conflict is Jazz’s fight to maintain a sense of humanity in spite of the growing hunger that starts to take over her. This journey also forces her to open her eyes to new possibilities – to the love she’s always had for her closest friend, Khan.

You'll find a blurb from my book that's hot, hot, hot below:

When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand?

I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.”

“Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.”

My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.”

He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!”

I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.”

His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.”

“Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.”

He snorted. “That’s for sure.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.”

Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.”

His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?”

I paused. “Not quite.”

He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.”

I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad?

“You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?”

The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade.

“Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.”

Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else.

Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud.

“Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”

“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.”

I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution.

I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late.

Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.

You can buy my book on Amazon and Evernight Teen. And don't forget to like it on Goodreads!!!

Enter for a chance to win EVERNIGHT TEEN’s GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini and my blog prize by answering this question (be sure to include your email address to be eligible to win):

What book are you most excited to read in 2015?

The birthday blog hop continues here:

http://www.yabookshelf.com/

Happy reading and writing!