Blog Tour: Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee

Welcome to the Violets Are Blue Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee on October 12th, blogs across the web will be featuring exclusive guest posts from Barbara as well as 5 chances to win a signed copy all week long!

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Eight Things I Need to Write 
by Barbara Dee

I’m basically a low maintenance sort of person--and a low maintenance sort of writer, too.   Seriously, I can write anywhere: on a moving train, at a Starbucks.

But lately, when I sit down in front of the computer, there are a few non-negotiable must-haves:

1. A mug of green tea with mint.  Can’t be plain green tea, or green tea with any other flavors, like lemon (bleh). Occasionally I’ll switch to chai tea with milk, but 95% of the time, when I’m writing I’m sipping green tea with mint.
2. YumEarth Organic Pops. These are virtuous--vegan, gluten-free—lollipops in a variety of fruit flavors. I toss the strawberry and watermelon pops because they’re too sweet for my tastebuds. Very Very Cherry is mouth-wateringly tart, Razzmatazz Berry is complicated and delicious, Perfectly Peach is satisfying—but the best is definitely Mango Tango, which I save for when I’m writing something especially tricky.  
3. Uncle Jerry’s Pretzels. These are handmade Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels I  get at my local supermarket. They’re serious snacks—substantial and not too salty. Great for when you’re frustrated and need to stress-chew.
4. Chocolate. When you’re super stressed (you just discovered a gaping plot hole, you can’t think of a title, you realize the chrononlogy of your plot is all messed up, your pub date has been postponed due to supply chain issues, etc, etc, etc) even a small bite of dark chocolate, preferably with almonds, helps. So does chocolate ice cream. Or any kind of ice cream, actually.
5. Quiet. I’m not the kind of writer who makes a playlist. I need almost total quiet to work—no music, or leaf blowers or ringing telephones. Although I do make an exception for my dog’s loud snores, which I find cozy and calming.  
6. Post-it notes and legal pads. I don’t write longhand; every book is typed. But as I’m writing I make myself endless notes. Which I promptly lose on my messy desk.
7. Uniball Jetstream pens. My friend Nick Bruel raved about these pens at a book festival a few years ago so I went out and bought a few. They’re now my go-tos for all the notes I scribble on the post-its and legal pads. Somehow they make your words flow. Also highly recommended for book signings.
8. Screenplays for when I need to procrastinate. Whenever I’m stuck, or just need a break, I like to read screenplays of my favorite movies and tv shows. My own books are basically dialogue, and reading screenplays helps me hear how characters speak. Fortunately, my local library has tons of screenplays, so I have plenty more procrastination in my future!  

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Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

“Barbara Dee has done it AGAIN! She tackles tough topics with such great care. She is to middle schoolers today what Judy Blume was to me in the 80’s. I give Violets Are Blue ALL the stars and thumbs up.”
– Amanda Jones, 2021 School Library Journal Co-Librarian of the Year

“[F]requently poignant… With flawed, realistic characters and dynamics, this reconciliatory novel is a believable balm for young people at the mercy of adult choices and scenarios.”
– Publishers Weekly

From the author of the acclaimed My Life in the Fish Tank and Maybe He Just Likes You comes a moving and relatable middle grade novel about secrets, family, and the power of forgiveness.
 
Twelve-year-old Wren loves makeup—special effect makeup, to be exact. When she is experimenting with new looks, Wren can create a different version of herself. A girl who isn’t in a sort-of-best friendship with someone who seems like she hates her. A girl whose parents aren’t divorced and doesn’t have to learn to like her new stepmom.
 
So, when Wren and her mom move to a new town for a fresh start, she is cautiously optimistic. And things seem to fall into place when Wren meets potential friends and gets selected as the makeup artist for her school’s upcoming production of Wicked.
 
Only, Wren’s mom isn’t doing so well. She’s taking a lot of naps, starts snapping at Wren for no reason, and always seems to be sick. And what’s worse, Wren keeps getting hints that things aren’t going well at her new job at the hospital, where her mom is a nurse. And after an opening night disaster leads to a heartbreaking discovery, Wren realizes that her mother has a serious problem—a problem that can’t be wiped away or covered up.
 
After all the progress she’s made, can Wren start over again with her devastating new normal? And will she ever be able to heal the broken trust with her mom? 

Learn how to create the mermaid makeup effect from the cover!:

Follow Barbara: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Barbara Dee is the author of twelve middle grade novels published by Simon & Schuster, including Violets Are Blue, My Life in the Fish Tank, Maybe He Just Likes You, Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal, and Star-Crossed. Her books have earned several starred reviews, have been shortlisted for many state book awards, and have been named to best-of lists including the The Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books, the ALA Notable Children’s Books, the ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, New York.

GIVEAWAY

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• One (1) winner will receive a hardcover of Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee with a SIGNED bookplate
• US/Can only
• Ends 11:59pm ET on 10/24
• Enter using the Rafflecopter above
• Check out the other stops along the tour for more chances to win!

Blog Tour Schedule:

October 11th – Pragmatic Mom
October 12th – Imagination Soup
October 13th – From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors
October 14th – YA Books Central
October 15th – Good Choice Reading

BROKEN by Evelyn Sola Blog Tour - Excerpt

He swept into my life, like an unexpected storm. One minute I’m planning forever and the next, I’m left picking up the pieces. Three years have passed and now he’s back wanting to reclaim what once was. Can lightning strike twice or will they be left broken? Readers who love second chance romances will enjoy this diverse, contemporary romance.

Blurb

JULIA
I never saw Noah Weston coming. He swept into my life like an unexpected storm, but soon, he was everything to me.
Until tragedy struck.
One day I was planning the rest of my life with my soulmate, and the next I was picking up the pieces of a love so strong, it broke me apart.
It took three years to put myself back together.
Three years until I was ready to move on.
I’ll never forget it. The day he came back.
Can lightening strike twice? Maybe, but when I look into his eyes, all I remember are the last words he ever spoke to me.
The words that left me broken.

NOAH
I loved her before I knew her name. She was more than just my heartbeat. Julia Blake was a dream too good to be true.
When real life invaded the bubble we had created, I was left a broken man.
I survived, but I was dead inside. Half the man I used to be.
The half I needed had a new life without me.
Three years later, I’m back to reclaim what I’ve lost.
I’m back for her, only she wants nothing to do with me.

Add to Goodreads Here!

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! 

Copyright 2021 @Evelyn Sola

I take another bite of the brownie and then lay flat on the grass, letting the October sun kiss my brown skin while I enjoy the chocolatey goodness.
“Ahh,” I say to myself, “after this, I can die happy.” I put both hands behind my head and squint at the sun beaming down on me.
“I hope not,” I hear a deep voice say.
I sit up and look at the figure, but the bright sun blocks his face. I block the sun by putting a hand on my forehead and look into a pair of familiar eyes, the clearest green I’ve ever seen. The sun dips behind a cloud, giving me a clear view of his face.
It’s the ginger hottie with the bun. He’s either a transfer or a graduate student because, in all my years here, I’ve never seen him until recently. But whatever the circumstances, he’s certainly noticeable. And I never turn down an opportunity to ogle good eye candy.
First, he’s head and shoulders taller than everyone on campus. He walks around, his shoulders broad, as if he owns the place. Unlike most of the people at this school, I’ve never seen him with an entourage. The few times I’ve seen him, he’s been alone.
His bun is messier than usual today. Half of it has fallen out of the elastic and hangs on his very broad shoulders. The wind blows, making his hair messier, and my fingers itch to put it back in place.
I’ve never been this close to him, and when I look into his face again, I notice a small scar above his left eyebrow. I envision running a finger over that scar fifty different ways.
“Well, if you ever had this brownie, you’d die a happy death too,” I finally say.
Normally, I’d be tongue-tied around someone as good looking as him, but knowing that he must be making small talk between classes and that someone like him would never be interested in me, I decide to just be myself.
“Are you going to share, then? I want to judge this brownie for myself.” His eyes twinkle when he smiles, and the smile reveals a dimple in each cheek. When he sticks his hand out, I stare at it, dumbfounded. “Noah Weston,” he says, and I finally shake his hand.
I’m a tall woman, only an inch shy of six feet. My hands have always been considered large, but now it’s totally engulfed in his. He wraps his hand around mine, holding it firmly, showing the contrast between my brown hand and his much lighter one. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he doesn’t want to let go, but he does after I give it a little tug.
“Julia Blake.” I rub my hand on my jeans, trying to erase the electrical charge from his brief touch.

Buy Now or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited! 

About Evelyn Sola 

A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.

Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion and humor.

She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.

Follow: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Reader Group | Goodreads | BookBub | Newsletter | Amazon 

Review & Giveaway: The Bone Carver by Monique Snyman!

 

The Bone Carver

by Monique Snyman

Series: The Night Weaver Series #2

Genre: Young Adult, Horror

Publication: October 20th, 2020

For a small New England town, Shadow Grove has an uncanny ability to attract the worst kind of trouble. Not that the residents are too concerned about the various horrors living among them.

As the leaves change color and the weather grows colder, a foul presence is making itself known by leaving peculiar gifts for the students of Ridge Crest High. At first, the presents seem harmless—and a rash of accidents seem coincidental—but when seniors Rachel Cleary and her Scottish cousin, Dougal Mackay, find a boneless body in the boiler room, things take an ominous turn.

Something vicious is on the loose in Shadow Grove, but with Orion Nebulius gone, Rachel has little hope of anyone getting out alive.

Purchase

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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About the Author

Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words—be it writing, reading, or editing.

Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of the Bram Stoker Award® nominated novel, THE NIGHT WEAVER, which is the first installment in a dark fantasy series for young adults.

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Review

There is just something about the atmosphere that Snyman creates that just works for this time of year!

I really enjoyed The Bone Carver as a nice companion to The Night Weaver. I will say that I wish the two had been connected more, because it kind of felt like a whole new world with the same characters. However, that's not so much a complaint, because I really like the characters she has created! Rachel, Dougal, and Mrs. Crenshaw were always a fun group to read about, and I loved the addition of Mercia.

I personally really appreciate the way Snyman has woven the fae world into the fictional town of Shadow Grove. I'm not a big fan of fae. As a lover of fantasy I'm probably in the minority on that, but it's just not my thing. However in this case it feels like a compliment to the story, rather than the focal point, and I like that.

Overall, this is the perfect book to read in October, especially during these times. It was a nice escape. 

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GIVEAWAY

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Tour Kick-off & Giveaway: The Bone Carver by Monique Snyman!

 

The Bone Carver

by Monique Snyman

Series: The Night Weaver Series #2

Genre: Young Adult, Horror

Publication: October 20th, 2020

For a small New England town, Shadow Grove has an uncanny ability to attract the worst kind of trouble. Not that the residents are too concerned about the various horrors living among them.

As the leaves change color and the weather grows colder, a foul presence is making itself known by leaving peculiar gifts for the students of Ridge Crest High. At first, the presents seem harmless—and a rash of accidents seem coincidental—but when seniors Rachel Cleary and her Scottish cousin, Dougal Mackay, find a boneless body in the boiler room, things take an ominous turn.

Something vicious is on the loose in Shadow Grove, but with Orion Nebulius gone, Rachel has little hope of anyone getting out alive.

Purchase

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

____________________________________________________

About the Author

Monique Snyman’s mind is a confusing bedlam of glitter and death, where candy-coated gore is found in abundance and homicidal unicorns thrive. Sorting out the mess in her head is particularly irksome before she’s ingested a specific amount of coffee, which is equal to half the recommended intake of water for humans per day. When she’s not playing referee to her imaginary friends or trying to overdose on caffeine, she’s doing something with words—be it writing, reading, or editing.

Monique Snyman lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her husband and an adorable Chihuahua. She’s the author of the Bram Stoker Award® nominated novel, THE NIGHT WEAVER, which is the first installment in a dark fantasy series for young adults.

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Tour Schedule

October 19th

Read More, Sleep Less  | Review

Feywild Books | Review

October 20th

Mahkjchi’s Not-So-Secret Books  | Review

October 21st

Gwendalyn Books | Review

October 22nd

Good Choice Reading | Review

October 23rd

Just Jaime Reviews  | Review

Movies Shows & Books  | Review

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GIVEAWAY

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Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliott Blog Tour + Giveaway!

Welcome to the Pretty Funny for a Girl Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliott on October 1st, blogs across the web are featuring original content from Rebecca, as well as 5 chances to win the hardcover!

Excerpt from Pretty Funny for a Girl

by Rebecca Elliott

CHAPTER SEVEN

The next day at school, Kas and Chloe are all hyper about our pub plans next Friday. They’re already talking about what they’re going to wear and which shoes would look best with Chloe’s new lipstick, but I’m just concentrating on trying not to sound too excited so as not to start up the whole “Pig luurves Leo” thing again.

“You do want to go, don’t you, Pig?” says Kas. “You don’t seem that up for it.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ve just gotta lot of other stuff on at the moment and it’s, well, it’s still a week away. I mean, I’m sure I’ll be excited nearer the time.”

“What stuff?” Chloe scoffs at me with a grin.

“Just…stuff.”

“Like…?”

“Like…hobbies and stuff. I have a very busy life. It’s not all about you guys!”

“Since when do have you have a hobby?” says Kas.

“I have hobbies…erm…sleeping…eating…toileting…”

Kas laughs. “They’re not hobbies!”

“They’re leisure activities that give me pleasure, so I don’t see why not,” I say grandly, hoping to dismantle the conversation with another laugh.

“I think I know the real hobby you’re into,” says Chloe with a grin that could rival the Joker’s for evilness. “Luurving Mr. Leo Jackson.”

Oh, for frick’s sake.

As the two of them giggle, Mrs. Perkins blasts over the class, “Right, who wants to take the roll back?”

I grab the opportunity for an escape route and shoot my hand into the air.

“Ms. Swinton, I’m impressed! You’re not known for your volunteering,” says Mrs. Perkins.

“It’s one of her new hobbies, miss,” sniggers Kas.

“Is it okay that I hate you both a little bit right now?” I whisper to them as I grab my bag and get up.

“Aww, Pig, we’re only messing about. C’mon, you know that,” says Chloe.

“Yeah, whatever, you evil old hags.” But I say it with a smile.

Then, as I walk between the desks to the front of the class, Dylan puts on a loud camp voice and says, “And coming down the catwalk now we have a glorious outfit from the latest collection by Jean-Paul Porkier…”

I grit my teeth, but I go along with the joke. What else can I do? So I strut down the classroom, my chin raised high, shoulders back, lips pouting, swaying my hips with each step and snapping my body then my head back to the room as I reach Mrs. Perkins. The class falls about in fits of giggles.

Mrs. Perkins is less impressed. “Yes, thank you, Haylah, most amusing, but if you mess around like that again in my classroom it’ll be detention, okay?”

“Sorry, miss,” I say, taking the roll from her.

Dylan’s such a cack-nugget.

I head to the school office, the flush leaving my cheeks with each step. Thinking back to the conversation with Chloe and Kas, I know I should just stop denying it and tell them that yes, I have a little thing for Leo, and yes, I know it’s going nowhere. Try to make a joke out of it. But this feels different. This time the joke is very much on me. I know there’s no hope for this crush. And they know it too. So if I own up to it I go from being the funny, strong one in the group to being the pathetic, heartbroken loser.

I drop the roll off at the office and walk toward the history rooms for my first class of the day. But, as I go past the lockers, I hear a familiar voice booming its big warm laugh.

Leo. He’s leaning up against his locker, talking to a bunch of his friends (mostly girls) all hanging on his every word. My heart begins to pound so loudly I start to think everyone can hear it.

Stupid heart.

I could keep walking. I should keep walking. Look at the ground, attract no attention. Instead, with what seems like no instruction from me, my feet walk into the rows of lockers behind where Leo’s is. My locker isn’t here, I have no reason to be here. So I fiddle with someone else’s locker as I listen to Leo.

For the second day in a row, I’ve turned into creepy stalker girl. Maybe that’s my new hobby.

“So your dad doesn’t mind if we all come down the pub next Friday?” says one of the girls.

“Nah, he’s cool with that, as long as you don’t try to buy any drinks—Jax, I’m looking at you!” says Leo. “And no heckling!”

“I’ll only heckle you if you’re not funny, dude,” says Jax as I continue to fiddle with the lock on my pretend locker.

Oh God, I’m an actual nutter.

Then I look around and realize there’s no one down this aisle to see me anyway, so I stop and just lean up against the locker backing on to Leo’s, willing my heart to stop clanging against my chest so loudly.

“Oh, no pressure then!” says Leo. “Actually, I haven’t got anything new written, and if I can’t bang anything out by next Friday I won’t be getting up at all.”

And now my traitorous heart skips a beat.

What? But he’s got to get up and do his thing! So that I can be there in the audience. Adoring him.

As I flip out at the thought of Leo not performing, his friends give him a hard time, asking, “How difficult can it be to write a few knock-knock jokes!” But what do they know. Bunch of comedic simpletons.

I understand, Leo—I totally get how hard it is to write the funny.

Then they leave, apparently for art class, and as they go Leo puts on a ridiculous high-pitched voice and does an uncanny impression of Mrs. O’Farrell, the art teacher. “Use your inner eye, students. Don’t draw what’s in front of you, draw the spaces between. Don’t draw what you think you can see, draw what you feel in your hearts. UNLEASH the artist within!”

They laugh. I laugh (quietly). He leaves. Then I do something stupid.

I don’t know whether it’s the thought of Leo not performing at the pub, the adrenaline from hiding making me go slightly insane, or the high of being so close to him that makes me do it. But whatever it is, with my blood pumping around my body at lightning speed, I get out a pen and paper from my bag and write down one of the jokes I’d written in my comedy diary last night.

One I could imagine Leo laughing at, but now I can also imagine him telling.

Man, it was hot the other day. So hot. I threw open the freezer, took great handfuls of whatever I could find: frozen peas, Ben & Jerry’s, you name it, and just shoved it all down my shirt. And pants.

Lay face down on the floor just enjoying the cold on my skin. 

I mean, I know it’s probably not great for the food or anything, but man, it felt good.

You understand, right? ’Cause the Aldi’s manager sure didn’t.

I sneak around the corner, check no one’s looking, and then post it through the gap at the side of his locker.

And I stride away triumphantly down the hallway.

And with this one truly heroic act she saved humanity from the impending disaster of a Leo-less comedy stage!

Then the full force of my utter dumb-nuttery begins to hit me.

Oh…holy…crapballs.

And I walk to my class on shaky legs, the harsh sting of regret hitting me a little more with each step.

What oh what the hell was I thinking?

*****

Blog Tour Schedule:

10/5 - BookhoundsYA

10/6 - Good Choice Reading

10/7 - Word Spelunking

10/8 - I'm All Booked Up

10/9 - The Fandom

“A feel-good story featuring a narrator who’s likable and genuinely funny, even at her most self-deprecating. Dreams, being true to oneself, body-image issues, single parenting, family dynamics, self-confidence, and a realistic depiction of friendship make this a refreshing coming-of-age read full of optimism, dreams, and plenty of stereotype-smashing laughs. A natural pick for Dumplin’ (2015) fans.”

— Booklist

Buy | Add on Goodreads

Excerpt | Discussion Guide

A candid and laugh-out-loud journey of family, friends, and fierce mistakes.

Haylah Swinton is an ace best friend, a loving daughter, and an incredibly patient sister to a four-year-old nutcase of a brother. Best of all, she’s pretty confident she’s mastered making light of every situation—from her mom’s new boyfriend to unsolicited remarks on her plus-sized figure. Haylah’s learning to embrace all of her curvy parts and, besides, she has a secret: one day, she’ll be a stand-up comedian star.

So when impossibly cool and thirstalicious Leo reveals he’s also into comedy, Haylah jumps at the chance to ghost-write his sets. But is Leo as interested in returning the favor? Even though her friends warn her of Leo’s intentions, Haylah’s not ready to listen—and she might just be digging herself deeper toward heartbreak. If Haylah’s ever going to step into the spotlight, first she’ll need to find the confidence to put herself out there and strut like the boss she really is.

Rebecca Elliott’s hilarious and authentic narrative voice is sure to capture readers’ hearts as her plus-sized, teenage heroine navigates learning to love the body she’s in while dealing with friends, family, and boys.

About the Author: Rebecca Elliott is an author and illustrator. She earned a degree in philosophy and once did a brief stint in a dull office. Now, she enjoys eating angel delight, loudly venting on a drum kit, and spending time in her sunny garden. She lives in England with her family, some chickens, and a cat named Bernard.

Follow Rebecca: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

• 1 winner will receive a finished copy of Pretty Funny for a Girl
• Check out the other tour stops for more chances to win.
• US/Canada only
• Ends 11:59pm ET on 10/18

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Tour & Promo Events Invitation - The Christmas Spirit by Alexandrea Weis!

 

The Christmas Spirit
by Alexandrea Weis
Publication: October 27th

SOMETIMES IT TAKES ONE BROKEN HEART TO HEAL ANOTHER.

Courtney Winston is a writer on a deadline. Eager to finish her book and get over a recent break-up, she ditches Christmas with her family and retreats to a secluded cabin in the mountains.

Appliances rarely work, and cell service is spotty, but Courtney senses there is more to her rustic rental—something dark and haunting.

Then Peter, the attractive Stone Mountain Lodge owner, and a meddling cook, Mrs. Finn, keep coming around, shattering her peace and offering advice on how to fix her heavy heart.

Courtney grows closer to Peter, but Mrs. Finn warns her of his troubled past. Undaunted, Courtney sets out to win him over. But being with the brooding stranger may end up costing her more than she ever imagined.

Teaser Blasts

We will be sharing teasers as a countdown to release day (October 27th) for THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT! They will be sized for Instagram but you can share on any platform. A Rafflecopter will be prepared for you to share your links as extra entries, with a new entry option added as each date comes around.

Teaser Blast: November 19th
Teaser Blast: November 30th
Teaser Blast: December 2nd
Teaser Blast: December 7th

Release Blast: October 27th

HTML content will be provided for bloggers, but you can share her release on any platform. You will be able to submit your links as extra entries for the giveaway.

Twitter & IG Blast: October 29th

Teasers will be provided to share on Twitter & Instagram. You will be able to submit your links as extra entries for the giveaway.

Blog Tour: November 16th - 20th

Promotional and Review spots available!

SIGN UP HERE

Tour Kick-off with Giveaway: Sisters of the Moon by Alexandrea Weis!

  

Sisters of the Moon

by Alexandrea Weis

Release date: September 22nd

Amazon

A monstrous fate will turn a girl into a legend.

On an island in Lake Obersee, where The Sisters of St. Gertrude abide, a destitute Moor named Durra arrives. Sold for taxes, she and her two companions tend to the nuns and their collection of cats. At night, she combs the library for details on the order, the remote island, and the beasts howling outside her window.

But when a prank reveals the sisters’ gruesome secret, Durra is forced to accept a new fate. Bestowed an unearthly power, she must choose between life as a nun or living among the monsters beyond the convent walls.

Her path is about to change the tide in the ultimate war. The war between good and evil.

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Praise for Sisters of the Moon

“Alexandrea Weis does an outstanding job of painting succinct, hard-hitting scenes that carry Durra from a new role in a convent to a more active position confronting supernatural forces and long-hidden truths that could change not just her life, but the world. A superior blend of action and mystery. Highly recommended for those who like their supernatural mystery stories to embrace a sense of character growth where the fine line between good and evil proves more mercurial than most.” ~Midwest Book Review

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About the Author

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author of over twenty-seven novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight.

Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.

A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes mysteries, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, action, historical, and romance.

Alexandrea Weis is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the International Thriller Writers Association.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

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Follow the Tour

September 21st

Good Choice Reading,  http://www.goodchoicereading.com | Promotional

September 22nd

Mahkjchi's Not-So-Secret Books, https://www.mahkjchisnotsosecretbooks.com | Review

September 23rd

Ashley J Reads, https://www.instagram.com/ashleyjreads/?hl=en | Review

Black Words White Page, blackwords-whitepages1977.blogspot.com | Promotional

September 24th

2 Girls & A Book, https://www.2girlsandabook.com/ | Review

September 25th

Movies, Shows, & Books, http://moviesshowsnbooks.blogspot.com | Review

Melissa’s Book Nook, melissasbooknook.home.blog | Review

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Giveaway

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MY LIFE IN THE FISH TANK by Barbara Dee Blog Tour + Giveaway!

Welcome to the My Life in the Fish Tank Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of My Life in the Fish Tank by Barbara Dee on September 15th, blogs across the web are featuring original guest posts from Barbara, plus 5 chances to win My Life in the Fish Tank and swag! 

  Author Buddies by Barbara Dee

I've seen many authors joke on social media that life under quarantine is really not so different from business as usual. Authors are introverts who crave uninterrupted solitude.  Our favorite hangout is our computer desks. We dread in-person appearances, and any type of shmoozing. 

To some extent, all that's true. I know a few authors who consider themselves extroverts, but many more who land on the "I" end of the Myers-Briggs scale. And a surprising number who, like me, identify as INFJ --a notable phenomenon, given that INFJs are rare in the population as a whole.

But I think it's wrong to call authors antisocial loners. Authors socialize with other authors all the time, engaging in the same sort of water-cooler conversation you find in any office, virtual or not.  We compare notes. We offer advice and support.  We share challenges and frustrations.

Because being an author is a privilege, a dream job, a joy--but also not an easy gig. Some days the challenges seem overwhelming. It's not just about writing and revising (a zillion times). You also have to sell and position your work in a chaotic, super-competitive and possibly shrinking market. You have to deal with rejection and criticism-- without responding. And you have to make peace with self-promotion, forcing your introverted self into some extremely uncomfortable terrain, especially these days, when we're all on camera. And who better to commiserate with about all this than another author?

So one piece of advice I'd give to new and not-yet-published authors: find your pack. Even if you're an introvert, look for other authors to hang with. Don't think of them as mentors who'll take you under their wings because (to mix metaphors) authors have enough on their own plates.  Think of them as colleagues.

And then: be a good colleague. Listen to other authors' experiences. Don't betray confidences.  Cheer them on when they have success, and try to avoid comparing yourself. Promote their books every chance you get. Include them when you're proposing book giveaways and panels. Recommend their work to educators, booksellers and librarians. Celebrate their #bookbirthdays.

Here's my most important advice:  never, ever snipe or spread negative gossip about another author, online or in person. The publishing world is small, and subcategories like kidlit make it even smaller. When you say or post something negative, it gets around, just like it would in any bricks-and-mortar office setting.  You never know when you'll be asking authors for a blurb, or sitting across from them on a panel.  If you can't say something nice...well, you remember what your mom told you.  (But you're good with words, right? So go ahead, say something nice.) 

A long time ago I realized that life in the book world could be tough. If I was going to make a career out of it, I couldn't do it alone. So I decided to try to surround myself in positivity-- at least, as much as I could from my solitary computer desk. Now I have a few author buddies who aren't just colleagues--they're cherished friends. We may not hang around actual water coolers, but we're always there for each other.

Especially when we need to procrastinate.  Because even if we're working in a virtual office, coffee breaks are definitely more fun with buddies.   

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From acclaimed author of Maybe He Just Likes You and Halfway Normal comes a powerful and moving story of learning how to grow, change, and survive.

When twelve-year-old Zinnia Manning’s older brother Gabriel is diagnosed with a mental illness, the family’s world is turned upside down. Mom and Dad want Zinny, her sixteen-year-old sister, Scarlett, and her eight-year-old brother, Aiden, to keep Gabriel’s condition “private”—and to Zinny that sounds the same as “secret.” Which means she can’t talk about it to her two best friends, who don’t understand why Zinny keeps pushing them away, turning everything into a joke.

It also means she can’t talk about it during Lunch Club, a group run by the school guidance counselor. How did Zinny get stuck in this weird club, anyway? She certainly doesn’t have anything in common with these kids—and even if she did, she’d never betray her family’s secret.

The only good thing about school is science class, where cool teacher Ms. Molina has them doing experiments on crayfish. And when Zinny has the chance to attend a dream marine biology camp for the summer, she doesn’t know what to do. How can Zinny move forward when Gabriel—and, really, her whole family—still needs her help?

About the Author: Barbara Dee is the author of eleven middle grade novels published by Simon & Schuster, including My Life in the Fish Tank, Maybe He Just Likes You, Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal, and Star-Crossed. Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been named to many best-of lists, including the The Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books, the ALA Notable Children’s Books, the ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, New York.

Follow Barbara: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

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