Cover Reveal: Dragon's Posterity by Kandi Wyatt and Rafflecopter Giveaway!

To begin, I'd like to welcome author, Kandi J. Wyatt, to the blog to discuss her latest reveal in the Dragon Courage Series. Welcome, Kandi!

 

Author Kandi J. Wyatt

 

Author Bio:

Even as a young girl, Kandi J Wyatt, had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that's her own five or the hundreds of students she's been lucky to teach. When Kandi's not spinning words to create stories, she's using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.

 

Find Kandi elsewhere on the web:

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon

 

Before the Cover Reveal of Dragon's Posterity, Book 5 of the Dragon Courage Series, here's a quick recap of the first books in the series. Click the book titles to get your own copy, some at discounted rates (99 cents) as a part of the cover reveal and book launch.

Dragon's Future: Book One

Every child of Woolpren dreams of becoming one, but only a few are chosen. Now, ten-year-old twin brother and sister, Ruskya and Duskya, have been selected to join an elite group of riders: dragon riders. Full of awe and excitement, the twins leave their mother, and their home, to train for their new lives.

Fifteen years later, dragons are becoming extinct and riders are rare. One day, Ruskya is at the general store in town when a man announces that he is recruiting new dragon riders. Ruskya goes undercover, and discovers that there is another colony of riders with their own agenda--a quest to find a mysterious plant that could restore the dragon population, or destroy it. When a battle erupts between the two colonies, it's up to Ruskya and his friends to fight for their dragons' future, and their lives.

Follow Ruskya's quest as he finds courage and friendship in this exciting middle grade fantasy series by Kandi J Wyatt.

Dragon's Heir: Book Two

In the ten winters since Kyanos was defeated, Rider Braidyn and his dragon, Turqueso, have made a place for themselves in the sleepy Boeskay colony. But when two nestlings are stolen from the hatchling cave, Braidyn’s sense of justice leads him on a quest to find the person responsible.

After recovering one nestling, Braidyn recruits his old friends Ruskya and Carryl to help. The friends travel to a faraway desert colony where they find a group of riders with different customs, and meet a beautiful young woman who could be the key to finding the missing nestling. Can Braidyn learn to temper justice with mercy, or will he risk losing everything?

Journey along in this exciting fantasy world in the spellbinding second installment of the Dragon Courage series, Dragon’s Heir, by Kandi J Wyatt.

Dragon's Revenge: Book Three

In search of his place in the world, Kyn visits his new friend, Ben’hyamene. Together, they meet an ailing dragon rider from the marshes of a land called the Carr. The rider recounts a people beset by anger, depression, and despair. After befriending and healing the rider, the group travels to the rider’s home. There they discover a breed of wild dragons, called drakes, which have been at war with humans for four hundred years.

One sleepless night, Ben’hyamene uses his new abilities to communicate with the lead drake. This sets Kyn and Ben’hyamene on a path that could bring peace to a conflict that’s nearly destroyed a whole people. Can revenge be set aside and enemies be called friends?

Find out in the exciting third book of the Dragon Courage series, Dragon’s Revenge by Kandi J Wyatt.

Dragon's Cure: Book Four

Serena’s been hurt before, but not like this. He had gone too far this time, and she knew it. When she sets out on her own, she’s unsettled by the ominous noises that seem to follow her. Scratches and huffs that couldn’t have been made by any animal she had ever heard of. With wonder, she discovers that the noises are not the stuff of nightmares, but a baby dragon. And along with it, an intriguing dragon rider named Carryn.

While Serena begins training as a dragon rider, she struggles to trust her trainer and her new friends, including her dragon. When her future is put in jeopardy by dark forces, Serena must fight her greatest enemy: herself. Can she fight through the past to form a true friendship and avoid being enslaved again, or will her distrust cause her to lose the security she so desperately longs for? Will bitterness be set aside and broken hearts be healed?

Follow the tale of friendship, courage, and hardships of Serena and Carryn in this powerful middle grade novel by Kandi J Wyatt.

(This is a middle grade novel, but has the subjects of human trafficking and abuse.)

Dragon's Posterity: Book Five

Is there really a right way to braid leather? Ruskya doesn’t know anymore. Is it worth fighting over? Twenty-one winters ago, he was ready to take on the turquoise dragon rider, but now he fears facing his oldest son.

Kyn, Ruskya’s youngling, wonders if he’s going crazy when an image begins haunting his dreams. Soon, he realizes it may be the key to helping not only Ruskya and his son Ardyn, but all younglings and their trainers as they adjust to growing up.

Will Kyn be able to help Ruskya, Ardyn, and the other young riders? Follow your favorite characters from the exciting Dragon Courage series as they empower the next generation and give dragons to their posterity.

 

Win a Dragon Courage ebook set, Dragon pin, and Elodia’s Dragon

 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway Here:

 

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Before you go, don't forget to comment below with your favorite cover in the series, and what makes it your favorite of the five. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck! I hope you win.

BEFORE TOMORROW by Pintip Dunn--Cover Reveal!

I am so excited to share with you the cover reveal for BEFORE TOMORROW by Pintip Dunn, a FORGET TOMORROW novella from Logan's POV!



Title: Before Tomorrow

Publisher: Entangled TEEN

Release Date: Oct. 31, 2016

In a world where all seventeen-year-olds receive a memory from their future selves, Logan Russell's vision is exactly as he expects—and exactly not. He sees himself achieving his greatest wish of becoming a gold-star swimmer, but strangely enough, the vision also shows him locking eyes with a girl from his past, Callie Stone, and experiencing an overwhelming sense of love and belonging.

Logan’s not sure what the memory means, but soon enough, he learns that his old friend Callie is in trouble. She’s received an atypical memory, one where she commits a crime in the future. According to the law, she must be imprisoned, even though she's done nothing wrong. Now, Logan must decide if he'll give up his future as a gold-star swimmer and rescue the literal girl of his dreams. All he'll have to do is defy Fate.

Add BEFORE TOMORROW on Goodreads!

But what if you don't want to wait until Oct. 31?

No problem. Pre-order REMEMBER YESTERDAY, book 2 in the FORGET TOMORROW series, and register your receipt here, and you'll receive a copy of BEFORE TOMORROW to read before anyone else! Plus, U.S. residents will also get a bookplate and bookmark!

Want to learn more about FORGET TOMORROW and REMEMBER YESTERDAY? Click here.

REMEMBER YESTERDAY buy links:

Amazon Barnes & Noble iBooks Kobo

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL.

Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. Her debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. Her other novels include THE DARKEST LIE and the forthcoming REMEMBER YESTERDAY. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com.

Book Review: Love Blind by Christa Desir and Jolene Perry

Love Blind by Christa Desir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book I didn't want to end, which surprised me, because of the many twists and turns this novel takes with off again, on again friends Hailey and Kyle. At first, you might think Hailey's in your face and poke the bear approach to friendship is a bit off putting, but I found her demeanor and personality one that grew on me. Hailey often seeks to get a rise out of mumbly, nonverbal Kyle. He says very little, and is a clear introvert. No hidden extroversion anywhere. Despite her encroaching blindness (she's legally blind heading toward black blind), Hailey is able to get a true read of Kyle, and sees something she likes and worth pursuing in friendship. What Hailey perceives as control and the upper hand, however, soon unravels into a twisty turny story that is like a trainwreck you can't look away from.

Much of the story centers around the fear lists of Hailey and eventually Kyle, and the way facing these fears parallels the kinds of unspoken fears inherent in relationships, especially from two very broken people. Hailey is adopted by her two moms, and struggles with facing actual feelings and dealing with them when they happen, often leading her to make poor decisions, such as pursuing a hot bouncer dude over Kyle and then regretting her choice. By stuffing pretty much all of her feelings, she initially fails to sort out her actual growing feelings for Kyle, which leads to some rocky areas of their friendship. Kyle believes he is a bad friend to Pavel, who is now homeschooled after a traumatic incident Kyle witnessed but couldn't prevent from happening. Kyle finds himself taking the brunt of a series of attacks from guys seeking an easy target, leaving him bruised and withdrawn even more. He believes he is a bad friend to Hailey, and struggles with his growing feelings for her, which are at first completely driven by hormones and lust, but eventually mature into a desire to be a good friend, and in response to true care and concern which manifests as genuinely seeing her and knowing her better than anyone else does. Kyle's deepest struggle is with his mother, and the guilt he harbors for telling his father to leave and never come back after his father cheats on his mother for the umpteenth time. Kyle is ten, and his father leaves. This is a fear he places on his list, and each of the fears on Hailey's and Kyle's lists have a way of being faced before the story is over. The question is: can their friendship survive such a tumultuous journey?

What kept me reading was how each risk was brought into the pages, and dealt with in a way that either deepened the connection Kyle and Hailey felt for each other, or stripped away the lies, filters, and misperceptions each of them struggled with. It's heartbreaking, endearing, and a hot mess, all rolled together and complicated by two beautifully complex characters. Both of them failed to see themselves as fully as the other was able to see them. It's a long ride, spanning several years, but one worth the risk if you'll read it through to the end and commit to face despite the imminent blindness.

A powerful read unlike anything I've ever read. A love story as haunting as a song, as terrifying as every fear you can think of, and worth the risk.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Simon Spier. He's adorkable and charming, and the sort of imperfect friend who's still trying to figure himself out and how he fits into the world. I love that he's into music, and theater, and Oreos, and in being as authentic as he can, even if he has to keep a large portion of himself private to protect himself and the boy he loves over email.

I could not put this book down. I literally gobbled it down like Oreo anything and loved every minute of it. Simon has a great group of friends and a surprisingly supportive, yet hipster family. Their love is as fierce as Bieber, their family dog. As Simon navigates the complicated world of coming into himself, he realizes his feelings for his mystery guy, Blue, may be the very thing that makes him brave enough to want to come out and be himself fully with everyone, friends and family and all. Simon makes an important point, the Homo Sapien Agenda, where it seems only those who are gay have to struggle through the additional challenge of coming out or staying closeted in their sexuality. Why shouldn't others have to declare their sexuality, whether straight, gender fluid, LGBTQIA, or other? It would level the playing field and make finding oneself less awkward.

This book will steal your heart, cause your stomach to do all these fluttery, flippy things as you gobble it down shamelessly, and leave you wanting more. This gave me some serious book hangover. I'm still coming back down from that ending, especially the kissing. Thank you, Becky Albetalli, for writing such an important book with such heart and soul and music poured into every page. Also, your grammar is impeccable. Highly, highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston

Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. That ending. I have not read such a perfect ending in such a long time. It took my brain a few minutes to process and fully receive the impact. I must have been twirling through the air in a perfect basket toss, positioning myself to be caught by my teammates. Once I stuck the landing, everything snapped into focus and I realize everything had been flipped.

Incredible, impeccable writing throughout. Thoughtful and detailed characterization. I felt like I was on a full cheer squad without mistaking the two Susans, thanks to the pacing and timing by Johnston. The subject of rape and its aftermath may be brutal, yet expertly handled by Johnston as the story unfolds.

At center stage is Hermione and Polly. Two friends who stay true through thick and thin, their senior year and both find ways to have each other's backs in more than one occurrence. Johnston delivers on all fronts, giving air to just about every conceivable aspect of rape and its aftermath, the slow unraveling of one girl's recovery journey. And yet, she leaves room to make the point that there is much more to Hermione Winters than just the facts, whether by police report, or news reporter. And she sure as hell is much more than the rumors, and the victim blaming, and the shaming. To the very last page, Johnston keeps the reader turning pages.

Cheerleading is about precision, execution, and decision. Hermione may have to lose herself to find she was never that far away. As the story comes full circle, she finds within herself the ability to face her past and pave the way for her future based on one simple decision: to use her voice and speak up, when rape robbed her of that choice before. Go ahead. Poke the bear. See how silent the bear is. Bravo. Bravely told. A must read. A powerhouse of a book.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Serpent King, by Jeff Zentner

The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Glittering Read of Snakeskins and the Way We Shed Them for Something Greater

Zentner offers not one, but three stories, deftly woven, braided together. Three friends who face the unknown, where life begins, and who they will become, which is just as important as where they come from. Despite and in spite of their families, and the many ways life delivers both fairness and unfairness, often simultaneously, The Serpent King touches on a coming-of-age story so true, so painfully true, the reader cannot help but weep, laugh, scream, and hope while reading this captivating story. I found myself struggling to put the book down, wanting to read it in one greedy sweep of pages fluttering. What an exquisite read. I learned a few new vocabulary words and I loved how those words stayed in the book. YA readers aren't dumb, and it's high time authors took them as seriously as Zentner. Looking forward to the next novel as well. Zentner made the short list of auto read authors, at least for this reader. Highly, highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maybe is the word spoken before we make a wish. Like, "I wish..." I wish this never happened. I wish I had stopped it somehow. I wish it had gone differently. I wish I could go back to before. I wish. I wish. I wish.

Eden was probably the kind of girl who might lay in the grass the summer before starting her four years of high school, pulling dandelion puffballs and blowing their seeds into all the wishes she could make for her life, back when it was much simpler to wish, simpler to breathe, simpler to just be.

Back when she was Edy, and before her life went spiraling out of control. A stairwell to a dark cellar where awful things happen, and claw their way back up the stairs from beneath her skin, trying to find a way out.

THE WAY I USED TO BE is raw, unflinchingly truthful, and astonishing in its portrayal of what millions of women, girls, boys, and men, and those who do not align as either, or who remain fluid, suffer through daily.

Sadly, they carry the guilt, the shame, and the fear which belongs to their abuser, as if it belongs to them, as if it is their own. And yet, it's not. It's a horrific lie told to them to keep them a prisoner, stuck on the stairs leading down into the cellar of their minds.

As Eden struggles through all four years of high school, drifting farther and farther away from the girl who used to say maybe, take a breath, and blow her wishes across the lawn or field she laid in, she wonders if she will ever find a way back to that place where she could still choose what her life might be, instead of having it already decided for her, already a nightmare she has to endure as a consequence of his actions. But I could just as easily say her actions, or their actions, depending upon whose story is being told.

As a male, I believe this book should be required reading in every sex ed class that separates out the boys and the girls, telling them how they will become adults. This book makes it crystal clear the devastation, the aftermath, the horror of what it is like for a survivor of rape to struggle through until she finds her voice and a way to speak the truth that has been shoved down so far, she doesn't even recognize herself in the mirror anymore.

Many thanks to Amber Smith, for writing what must have been such a terrible thing to have to write and live inside of for so long, until it was perfect and ready for its readers. No one wants to read about this. But we must. No one wants to talk about this, either. But WE MUST.

There were so many exquisite moments of profound truth and honesty, words of poetry so powerfully concentrated and blasting off the page as I read the lines. This is a book that needs to be processed, pondered, discussed, and shared. I intend to do all of those things, and more.

Thank you so much for writing this book, Amber. It is an honor to know you. Please, write more books chock full of truth and boiled down to the words within these pages. Amazing. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking. Powerhouse of a book. An absolute MUST READ. A book you won't regret, despite the topic.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Before I begin with my review, I want to thank the author, Kerry Kletter, for writing this much-needed book with all the truth and veracity between those covers, from the sun to the surf and every word in between.

It's not easy to take a journey like this one, especially one that includes drowning. It's the kind of slow, methodical unraveling that happens when parents coax their child away from the safety of the pool edge, because they believe that child is somehow ready to be out in the middle of it all, when in fact, they are not ready. Not even close. Also, there are no kick boards to use to avoid drowning, or anything really. And that's the moment the reader realizes he's out there with no land in sight, and no one watching, and that's when the tug downward begins, the insistance that the drowning is going to happen, one way or another. It's more than inevitability or destiny, as if one could ascribe purpose to the undertow, it's tenacious maw, the relentless pursuit. That is what Kletter delivers with her effortless and exquisite words, the ability to place us out there in the ocean and actually want to discover why Cassie has to drown, has always been drowning or moving toward it her entire life.

I loved the truths she learned about herself, the mistakes she made, and the way she found her own pathway back from the depths of the ocean to live another day, despite everything. Cassie is awkward and loveable, and her story is searing and powerful. I am still caught in the waves, tumbling endlessly against the shore of its pages, and I knew the truth before it surfaced once and for all in its brutal, honest way. For me, it was a visceral read, one I paced myself through so I could fully absorb it's awful beauty.

Highly, highly recommended. This is one that belongs at the very top of your TBR pile. You won't regret it.

View all my reviews

Blog Tour: Rite of Redemption by Sarah Negovetich with Sale and Giveaway!

The Acceptance Series by Sarah Negovetich is now complete. Go forth and get yourself all three of these books and enjoy them as I have. From Book One, where Rebecca gets shipped off to the PIT and must channel her inner criminal to have any hope of getting out, to Book Two, where her life is literally on the line, and now, in Book Three, where Rebecca becomes everything The Machine accused her of in Book One, pitted against the Cardinal. For any of you who may have been living under a rock for the past three years, here's a quick recap:

RITE OF REJECTION (December, 2014)

 

 

Synopsis (Book One):

 

Straight-laced, sixteen-year-old Rebecca can’t wait for her Acceptance. A fancy ball, eligible bachelors, and her debut as an official member of society. Instead, the Machine rejects Rebecca. Labeled as a future criminal, she’s shipped off to a life sentence in a lawless penal colony.

A life behind barbed wire fences with the world’s most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental fiancé she’s almost certain she can learn to love.

But freedom comes with a price. To escape a doomed future and prove her innocence Rebecca must embrace the criminal within.

A teen and young adult dystopian adventure of crime, romance and survival. 

 

RITE OF REVELATION (December, 2015)

 

Synopsis (Book Two):

 

Before you Stands the Future.

The Cardinal plans to execute seventeen-year-old Rebecca Collins, just as soon as he gets what he needs to solidify his rule over the United Territories. Faced with certain death, Rebecca discovers not everyone is under the Cardinal's control. A new alliance helps Rebecca and her friends escape the PIT, giving Rebecca a chance to live the life her Rejection took away.

But the Cardinal needs her in order to stay in power, and he doesn't care who has to die to bring her back to justice.

Her last fight was a push to survive. This time, Rebecca has a life that might be worth dying for.

Continue the journey that started with Rejection and leads to a new Revelation. Buy Rite of Revelation today!

 

 

 

RITE OF REDEMPTION (June, 2016)

 

Synopsis (Book Three):

 

Rebecca escaped the PIT, found a family among the Freeman...and watched too many loved ones die. All she wants is the Cardinal to leave her in peace, but he's made it clear that's never going to happen.

When the Cardinal attacks other Freeman villages, she finally understands that no one is safe from his wrath. As the only one who's stood up to the evil that is the Cardinal, it's up to her to convince the others that they can't hide forever. It's time to fight.

The Machine predicted Rebecca would become the Cardinal's enemy. It may have gotten that one right.

In the conclusion to the Acceptance series, enemies become allies and old friends emerge, but in the end, sacrifice may be the price of freedom.

 

 

 

 

Now to learn more about Sarah Negovetich, Literary Agent, Marketing Guru, Mom, and YA Author:

 

Author Bio:

 

Sarah Negovetich knows you don't know how to pronounce her name and she's okay with that.

Her first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are

slimy and more than a little salty; it’s accurate if not exactly motivational. We should come up with a

better cliché.

 

Sarah divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and working with

amazing authors as an agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her life’s goal is to be only a mildly

embarrassing mom when her kids hit their teens.

 

You can learn more about Sarah and her books at www.SarahNegovetich.com or follow her antics

on Twitter @SarahNego.

 

 

You can find more of Sarah here:

 

Website: www.SarahNegovetich.com

Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/sarahnegovetich

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahDNegovetich/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SarahNego

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahnego/

 

How about a Giveaway?

 

 

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway here: 

 

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And while you're at it, don't miss out:

 

 

Comment below with all things Acceptance Series. And best of luck with the giveaway! Thank you for stopping by the blog.

 

 

A Survivor of Child Sexual Abuse Speaks Out: Being Silenced Again



2016 has been an incredible year. I have witnessed many achievements as they were realized, and I have experienced many losses. Juxtaposed on either end of this continuum of achievements attained in 2016 are the publication of my debut YA novel, The Packing House, on 1/18/16, and the closing of my publisher, Booktrope, on 5/31/16, when my book goes out of print and the voice that took nearly 40 years to find goes silent once more.

Achievements:

• Published my first book
• Earned my first book award, "Indie Reader Approved" and a 4 Star review from Indie Reader
• Inducted into Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society for Counseling
• Attended first Weekend of Recovery (Male Survivor)
• Signed a contract to publish a poem and interview in an upcoming anthology to benefit www.RAINN.org, Things We Haven't Said, tentatively scheduled for January 2017 publication
• Received high rate of 4 and 5 star reviews on The Packing House
• Worked full time while attending grad school for counseling while maintaining a 3.9 GPA

Losses:

• First book goes unpublished as of 5/31/16 due to publisher closing
• Demands of work and grad school schedule limit how much time I have to devote to writing additional books to recover losses
• Despite many positive aspect of publication, poor marketing has negatively impacted book sales and reader awareness the book even exists
• A 5 month window of being published is too narrow a window to reach the full extent of potential readers
• Commitment to donate 20% of every book sold is limited by the length of time The Packing House has been in print, and by the poor marketing efforts which led my publisher to close.
• Financial burden after investing in the promotion and marketing of The Packing House does not yield increased book sales
• Despite finding my voice as a survivor of child sexual abuse through this book's publication, going out of print essentially silences my voice once more

 

 

Response:

 

How will I respond to my voice being silenced? I was four when I first experienced the silencing effect that shame has on a survivor of child sexual abuse. At such a young age, I found it very difficult to speak up about my abuse. It took me decades to climb out of the aftermath, the rubble, and find a way to speak about what had happened.

 

When I first started writing about my abuse in the form of poetry in high school, I knew I had much more to say, but had no idea how to bring the words to the surface in a way that would speak out over so many years of silence and darkness. Despite a poor attempt to begin a short story entitled, "The Packing House," it wouldn't be until years later that I would attempt to convert what was a spark of an idea in high school, into a novel. Told from the perspective of the older brother, rather than his mother, The Packing House took 3 months to write the first draft, more than 20 cover to cover rewrites, 1,000s of edits and revisions, and a full five years devoted to querying. I was offered a contract from a small press, but felt it was not the best choice. I was very grateful for the acknowledgment, but passed on that offer.

 

During those five years of querying, I received 8 requests for partial manuscripts from various agents, 5 requests for full manuscripts, and one revise and resubmit request. Several times, I went to the point of receiving an offer of representation, only to be passed on for a variety of reasons. At one point, another publisher closed while my book was under consideration with their Head Editor. Finally, I decided it was time to shelve the book, and begin a master's degree program when the contract offer of publication came from Booktrope. The process to take the MS and revise it to the point of publication took two full passes with three layers of edits by my amazing editor, Jessica West, and another month of work with my proof reader, the incredible Kathryn Galan, to get The Packing House to its final, published form.

 

Yet all of this goes back to a four year old boy who was sexually abused and silenced for what was done to him. I had a promise that I would gain back what was taken from me, and I believe there was some interest owing on that promise. I mean to get every cent back. I am not talking about money. I am talking about something worth far more than that: lives changed. Survivors who are heard, validated, and who can find a way to heal from the aftermath of their abuse. That is what I am after.

 

So, I am out on query now, seeking representation from an agent who is willing to risk re-publishing a book about abuse and a boy and a girl in love. I plan to finish writing book two of this planned duology, and begin one of several new series.

 

I have a MG series on dragons and shadows I plan to begin this summer with my two oldest boys, and a YA fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast in a steampunk world with a gender swap of the characters. In  my world, the Beast is the girl, and the Beauty is the boy. I've also got a YA Prom-themed murder mystery series, and a YA dystopian series about twins and multiples and a world where there is no disease, at the expense of one half of these sets of twins being held prisoner by the government.

 

 

 

This is your very last chance to decide to purchase your own first edition copy of The Packing House before they are no longer available and out of print. They are currently scheduled to end availability on 5/31/16. However, they could go out of print sooner, if the provider has to take them down to meet the deadline of 5/31/16. Currently you can purchase a Kindle version or Paperback at Amazon. Barnes and Noble has already removed both the Nook and Paperback version, other than a 3rd party seller who thinks you'll pay $47. Other sellers are linked in the upper right side bar.

Following this date, my rights revert to me (I already have the documentation on this) as of June 1st, and I wait to hear back from a few select agents.

I will close by saying thank you to all my readers and followers. Thank you for reading The Packing House, for reviewing and sharing your experience with others, and for recommending it to others. Without you, gaining my voice would not have mattered as much as it has. Thank you.

The Smell of Smoke: Surviving the Aftermath of Trauma

            Survivors. We smell the smoke. It seeps into our clothing and surrounds us like a heavy fog. Ashes rain down like snowfall, cover us in dust, catch in our eyelashes, and clump under our fingernails. The flames have long since flickered out. Even so, the houses of our lives have burned to the ground in the aftermath of the trauma we have endured. Somehow, we made it through.

 

 

 

           We know what it feels like to sit down in the charred remains, to dig among the rubble, searching for meaning, something to hold onto or bring us back to the present. We try our best. Some days, we are lost. Flooded by memories that feel so real they could be mistaken for right now. Our reality is skewed. Other days, we manage to feel things as we turn them over and over in blackened hands, tracing their edges as if they could construct words and speak to us. These objects are our Braille, and we are blinded and reeling in the aftereffects of all that has happened.

 

 

 

 

            We probably look strange from the outside. The reality we walk through each day is heavy with silence, guilt, and shame. These things press down hard upon us, like the words we’ve taken in and have running endlessly on repeat just loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to consciously register them anymore. From the outside, you can’t see the devastation, the loss, or what it continues to cost us to survive.

 

           From your vantage point, we look rather like a lost puppy, or a homeless person begging coins and food on the street corner. The urge to turn your head and ignore us is strong. This only adds to the cacophony of silence. For the trauma to have happened, it required silence and tolerance. Looking the other way. None of that helps us. Instead, it further validates our abusers and their actions toward us. If you haven’t yet, this is where you’ll turn away.

 

 

            We keep going.

            We walk on hot coals, smoldering beneath our feet, ready to reignite at any moment a spark falls upon our steps. One memory stacks upon another, increasing the heat of the flames that relentlessly burn. Fire ebbs and flows. It comes and goes. At times, it can build until it seems an entire forest is aflame. At other times, the coalbed, while hot, is banked to the back corner of the fireplace, barely keeping the chill off. Yet, still we rub our hands expectantly for warmth.

 

 

 

            We are in the aftershock and there aren’t enough blankets to weigh us down and keep the shivers away. Absentmindedly, our soot-covered hands work through the ash heap looking for something else that made it through the flames, perhaps with scorch marks, but intact enough to recognize. It might as well be a mirror. That’s exactly what a survivor is, too.

 

 

 

            Do you know a survivor? Chances are, you do. One in four women and one in six men, before they turn eighteen, have survived child sexual abuse. The statistics for rape, of both men and women, as well as those from the trans and gender fluid communities, are even worse. All of us are survivors. All of us have endured trauma. We went through the fires. We were likely burned. Many of us are still reeling from the aftereffects. Without support, we might choose a path that includes self-medicating (such as alcohol, drugs, and other substance abuses, addictions such as porn, and self-harm) behaviors.

 

 

 

 

 

There is hope. There is a way through the fire. There is life on the other side. Mindfulness may help you get there. Resiliency, too. Recovery is possible. Change is possible.

 

Most importantly of all: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Many, many others travel with you.

 

 

 

Check out these pinterest boards for survivor resources:

 



 

Release Day Celebration: The Paladins (The Artisans #2) by Julie Reece with Giveaway

 

Happy Release Day to

The Paladins (The Artisans #2) by Julie Reece!

 

Join us in celebrating this new release from Month9Books!

Enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

 

Happy Book Birthday, Julie!

 

 

The Artisan curse is broken. Souls trapped in a mysterious otherworld called The Void are finally released. Now, Raven Weathersby, Gideon Maddox, and Cole Wynter can finally move on with their lives...or so they thought. If the ancient magic is truly dead, then why are mystical fires plaguing Gideon at every turn? What accounts for Raven’s frightening visions of her dead mother? And who is the beautiful, tortured girl haunting Cole’s dreams?

Last year, a group of lonely teens sacrificed secrets, battled the supernatural, and faced their own demons to set one another free. Yet six months later, the heart of evil still beats within The Void. And the trio is forced to face the horrific truth: that their only way out is to go back in.

The Paladins completes this eerie YA Southern Gothic where loyalties are tested, love is challenged, and evil seeks them on the ultimate battlegrounds—in their minds, their souls, and their hearts.

 

 

The Paladins (The Artisans #2) by Julie Reece Publication Date: May 3, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books

 

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Gideon’s arms slide around my waist as I stand at the kitchen sink with my snack. I’m trying to work up the courage to tell him what happened in my room this morning. All day I’ve avoided delivering the news that may derail our careful plans for fall semester.

Warm breath lingers on the back of my head sending delicious chills though my body. His fingers gently brush the skin on my stomach beneath my blouse, and I fight the urge to turn and leap into his arms. The guy emits more dangerous energy than a leaky power plant. Still, I hold back.

I was the one who wanted to go slowly. Like, first gear slow. Maybe just idle. Call me old fashioned, but I always dreamed that my first time sleeping with a guy would be with my husband on our honeymoon. I still want that, and him, but I just turned eighteen.

The muscles under his golden skin flex as his arms tighten around me. How does he make me feel safe and nervous at the same time? His nose parts the hair above my ear. Steady breaths, finally drive me to place my cookie on the counter and face him. My hands slide around his neck, fingers playing with the silky curls at his nape. I love the spicy scent of black licorice that’s distinctly his.

He lowers his head, nose rubbing mine before he lets his lips drift over my mouth. Whisper soft, his hesitant touch is an excruciating tease. Always, there’s curiosity and the promise of more to come.

My fingers untangle at his neck and drop to the bulge in his biceps. I can’t help enjoying the way they bunch when he holds me. My legs lose strength, knees weaken. There’s every possibility the boy will kiss me into unconsciousness. Can that happen? He must know because he holds me so close I hardly have the air to speak.

 

 

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:

 

 

 

 

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.

Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?

 

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

 

 

Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!

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Release Day Celebration: There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane with Giveaway

 

Happy Release Day to

There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane!

Join us in celebrating this new release from Month9Books!

Enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

Happy Book Birthday, Melanie!

 

 

Peace. Love. Order. Dome. That’s the motto that the Order has given the residents of Dome 1618 to live by. Natalia Greyes is a resident of Dome 1618, a covered city protected from the deadly radiation that has poisoned the world outside for four generations. Nat never questioned the Order, until one day she sees a stranger on the outside of the dome. Now Nat wants answers. Is there life outside the dome and if so, what has the Order been hiding from everyone?

 

There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane

Publication Date: April 26, 2016 Publisher: Month9Books

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Whether it’s uncovering the corruption of the future, or traveling to other worlds to save the universe, Melanie McFarlane jumps in with both hands on her keyboard. Though she can be found obsessing over zombies and orcs from time to time, Melanie has focused her powers on her upcoming YA trilogy: THERE ONCE WERE STARS and her YA urban fantasy series: SUMMONER RISING.

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