Blog Tour: Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster (Giveaway)

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Title: Esme's Wish
Author: Elizabeth Foster
Series: Esme, #1
Publisher: Odyssey Books
Publication Date: October 30, 2017

Synopsis: “A fresh new fantasy of an enchanting world.” - Wendy Orr, author of Nim’s Island and Dragonfly Song.

When fifteen-year-old Esme Silver objects at her father’s wedding, her protest is dismissed as the action of a stubborn, selfish teenager. Everyone else has accepted the loss of Esme’s mother, Ariane – so why can’t she?

But Esme is suspicious. She is sure that others are covering up the real reason for her mother’s disappearance – that ‘lost at sea’ is code for something more terrible, something she has a right to know.

After Esme is accidentally swept into the enchanted world of Aeolia, the truth begins to unfold. With her newfound friends, Daniel and Lillian, Esme retraces her mother’s steps in the glittering canal city of Esperance, untangling the threads of Ariane’s double life. But the more Esme discovers about her mother, the more she questions whether she really knew her at all.

About the Author: Elizabeth Foster read avidly as a child, but only discovered the joys of writing some years ago, when reading to her own kids reminded her of how much she missed getting lost in other worlds. Once she started writing, she never looked back. She’s at her happiest when immersed in stories, plotting new conflicts and adventures for her characters. Elizabeth lives in Sydney, where she can be found scribbling in cafés, indulging her love of both words and coffee.


Giveaway:

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-Kristen ♥

Nerd Blast: Argos by Ralph Hardy (Trailer + Giveaway)

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Title: Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog
Author: Ralph Hardy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: May 31, 2016

Synopsis: From a compelling new voice in middle grade comes a reimagination of The Odyssey told from the point of view of Odysseus’s loyal dog—a thrilling tale of loyalty, determination, and adventure.

For twenty years, the great hero Odysseus struggles to return to Ithaka. After ten years beneath the walls of Troy, he begins the long journey back home. He defeats monsters. He outsmarts the Cyclops. He battles the gods. He struggles to survive and do whatever it takes to reunite with his family.

And what of that family—his devoted wife, Penelope; his young son, Telemachos; his dog, Argos? For those twenty years, they wait, unsure if they will ever see Odysseus again. But Argos has found a way to track his master. Any animal who sets foot or wing on Ithaka brings him news of Odysseus’s voyage—and hope that one day his master will return. Meanwhile, Argos watches over his master’s family and protects them from the dangers that surround a throne without its king.

About the Author: Ralph Hardy graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in English and received his MFA from Columbia College, Chicago. He now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his wife and children and a dog named Harvey, who is nothing like Argos. He is the author of The Cheetah Diaries, Lefty, and a number of short stories.


Trailer:

Giveaway:

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-Kristen ♥

🇺🇸 Memorial Day 2018

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Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day, a day to spend some time honoring those who had once served in this country's Armed Services. And, just as they do every year, cub scouts, boy scouts, girl scouts, and service men have spent time decorating the graves of deceased soldiers buried in our many national cemeteries. For me, that means the scouts from Riverhead, NY have once again volunteered to place flags on soldier's graves in Calverton National Cemetery, including one that is important to me, and for that, I would like to say thank you to each and every one of them.







Enjoy your Memorial Weekend plans, but while you do, take a moment to think about those who fought and died for our freedom.






"Aye, bring the fadeless evergreens, the laurel and the bay,
A grateful land remembers all her promises today;
And hearts that gave their treasures up when manhood was the price.
Now bring the sweetest offerings and bless the sacrifice."
Kate Brownlee Sherwood




In Memoriam


FCP 1955-2001

Nerd Blast: As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti (Giveaway)

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Title: As You Wish
Author: Chelsea Sedoti
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: January 2, 2018

Synopsis: What if you could ask for anything- and get it? 

In the sandy Mojave Desert, Madison is a small town on the road between nothing and nowhere. But Eldon wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, because in Madison, everyone gets one wish—and that wish always comes true.

Some people wish for money, some people wish for love, but Eldon has seen how wishes have broken the people around him. And with the lives of his family and friends in chaos, he’s left with more questions than answers. Can he make their lives better? How can he be happy if the people around him aren’t? And what hope is there for any of them if happiness isn’t an achievable dream? Doubts build, leading Eldon to a more outlandish and scary thought: maybe you can’t wish for happiness…maybe, just maybe, you have to make it for yourself.

About the Author: Chelsea Sedoti fell in love with writing at a young age after discovering that making up stories was more fun than doing her school work (her teachers didn’t always appreciate this.) In an effort to avoid getting a “real” job, Chelsea explored careers as a balloon twister, filmmaker, and paranormal investigator. Eventually she realized that her true passion is writing about flawed teenagers who are also afraid of growing up. When she’s not at the computer, Chelsea spends her time exploring abandoned buildings, eating junk food at roadside diners, and trying to befriend every animal in the world. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where she avoids casinos, but loves roaming the Mojave Desert.


Giveaway:

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-Kristen ♥

Book Tour: Silver Hollow by Jennifer Silverwood (Excerpt + Giveaway)

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Title: Silver Hollow
Author: Jennifer Silverwood
Series: Borderlands Saga, #1
Publisher: SilverWoodSketches
Publication Date: May 31, 2018

Synopsis: "I shouldn't have to tell you this isn't a fairy story..." 

After her parents' car crash ten years before, Amie Wentworth trusts books more than people. She may be a writer, but she believes in reality over fiction. She ignores the unexplained mysteries surrounding her, never mind the dreams of a past life, or the fact she can fry technology with a touch. Not even a timely invitation from her long-lost uncle in England gives Amie incentive for anything other than ire.

Until she is stabbed in an alley and brought back to life by a handsome stranger. Soon Amie is dragged into the very sort of tale she is used to selling. To make matters worse, the man who saved her life keeps turning up and her would-be-murderer is still at large.

After crossing the Atlantic to her father’s homeland, she discovers a world beyond imagining. Silver Hollow is a place of ancient traditions and supernatural dangers, where everything is the opposite of what it seems and few escape sane. Faced with an impossible choice, Amie is forced to confront a deadly family legacy while remembering a life she soon wishes to forget.

**Previously published in 2012. This NEW EDITION has been FULLY REVISED AND EXPANDED. The original novel is now no longer available.**

About the Author: Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it’s the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of two series—Heaven's Edge and Wylder Tales—and the stand-alone titles Stay and Silver Hollow.


Excerpt:



Giveaway:



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-Kristen ♥

Blog Tour: The Archivist by Christy Sloat (Guest Post + Giveaway)

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Title: The Archivist
Author: Christy Sloat
Series: The Librarian Chronicles, #2
Publisher: CHBB Publishing
Publication Date: May 28, 2018

Synopsis: "With the whimsy of Alice in Wonderland and the romance of Outlander dive back into the next installment in the Librarian Chronicles."

Savannah Preston has a rare and precious gift: The ability to time travel through books. She, and others who share this unique ability, are faced with the insurmountable task of preserving history. They are known collectively as The Librarians.

While researching infamous Scottish outlaw Sir Malcolm Wash during the raging conflicts of the 14th Century, Savannah loses the only thing that tethers her to her own time. She must rely on her knowledge of both the present and the past to survive long enough to find a way home. Along the way, she enlists the help of a misfit named Eoin. With his guidance, she might just get home. It’s a risky and dangerous adventure, but then, so is Eoin…

About the Author: Christy Sloat resides in New Jersey with her husband, two daughters and her Chihuahua, Sophie. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother's loving support. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. She is the Best Selling author of ten novels including; The Visitors Series, The Past Lives Series and Slumber.


Guest Post: How I Would Use Time Travel

I’ve always dreamed of travelling through time. It fascinates me that there could be a possibility someday to do such a thing. If I could time-travel I would go back in time. Not to change anything, or to interfere, but to simply visit. You see the one person I lost in my life was the only one who really believed in me. She always told me that I could/should be a writer. That person was my grandma Theda. I’d go back to her little green house in Apple Valley, CA, and sit with her one last time. We’d sit on her porch swing, and drink coffee. I would tell her how I actually did it; I became a writer. Then as we watched the sun go down over the mountains, I would kiss her goodbye one last time.

I know she’d be proud of me. And that would be something I could hold with me forever.

One last visit. One last hug. One last smile from the woman who meant the world to me.

Giveaway:

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-Kristen ♥

Book Blitz: Offsides Series by Natalie Decker (Teaser + Giveaway)

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Title: Right Text Wrong Number
Author: Natalie Decker
Series: Offsides, #1
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Publication Date: July 11, 2017

Synopsis: Cheerleader Layla and football player Tyler are complete opposites. She thinks he’s the biggest jerk in school and he thinks she's too high on her horse to even be worth a second glance. When the two of them are near one another, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. They can hardly endure speaking, let alone dating.

But when Layla unknowingly sends Tyler a smack-down text meant for the girl sending naked photos to her then-boyfriend, Adam, Tyler has no idea it’s Layla and decides to play along. After all, Tyler cannot resist messing with the pissed off girl firing off texts about junk pictures, cheating, and girl code.

As the fallout from Adam’s scandalous texts plays out in front of the entire school, Tyler and Layla secretly continue to text each other using fake names. But as days and weeks pass, things take a turn for the serious between them, and suddenly, their texts mean more. Maybe it's time to come clean about who they are and risk taking the relationship from texts to dates, then kissing, and maybe more.

They say there's a thin line between love and hate. Can reality live up to the fantasy, or will Layla and Tyler be forever offsides?

Title: Right Kiss Wrong Guy
Author: Natalie Decker
Series: Offsides, #2
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Publication Date: January 23, 2018

Synopsis: You'd think a girl with the most romantic name in the world would have her pick of boyfriends.

But Valentine's Day sucks when you're single. Just ask Juliet Valentine, whose last name happens to also be the name of the most dreaded made-up holiday ever.

A romantic at heart, this year is especially hard on Juliet. Her sister, Layla, is in a new relationship, her mom's match-making business is doing great, and her school's new fundraiser is "Love-Grams." 

Juliet's miserable, a little jealous, and lonely.

Quarterback Jared Black is the most popular guy in school. A star athlete, Jared tops the most-eligible bachelor list year after year. But to Juliet Valentine, he's all but invisible. She isn't impressed.

Jared's never had to work hard to get the attention of a girl before. Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and he's determined to ask Juliet out. After all, if Tyler can win over Layla, Jared ought to have a shot with Layla's sister.

Unlike Tyler and Layla, charm, flattery and good looks won't work on Juliet. So with the V-Day dance coming up, Jared uses the school’s Love-Grams to let Juliet know how he feels. Should be simple enough, right?

Wrong. Each attempt ends up either in the trash or thrown in someone's face. Juliet won't play his game. Now, without a date to the dance Jared realizes it’s going to take a Hail Mary to win the girl of his dreams.

About the Author: Natalie Decker is the author of RIVAL LOVE series and the Scandalous Boys series. She loves oceans, sunsets, sand between her toes, and carefree days. Her imagination is always going, which some find odd. But she believes in seeing the world in a different light at all times. Her first passion for writing started at age twelve when she had to write a poem for English class. However, seventh grade wasn't her favorite time and books were her source of comfort. She took all college prep classes in High school, and attended the University of Akron. Although she studied Mathematics she never lost her passion for writing or her comfort in books. She's a mean cook in the kitchen, loves her family and friends and her awesome dog infinity times infinity. If she's not writing, reading, traveling, hanging out with her family and friends, then she's off having an adventure. Because Natalie believes in a saying: Your life is your own journey, so make it amazing!



Giveaway:

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-Kristen ♥