Michelle L. Levigne's Blog, page 142

Off the Bookshelf: FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, by Rhonda Stapleton

I always like to pick up books in a series -- and books by people I know -- so FLIRTING WITH DISASTER already had points in its favor before I picked it up.

To be honest, it's been sitting on my shelf for more than a year .... but as anyone who regularly visits here knows, sometimes my goal of at least one book a week ... falls by the wayside. I have so many deadlines of my own, sometimes it takes me two and three weeks to get to the end of a book that I'm reading just for pleasure and fun.

And this book is both.

This is the second book in the STUPID CUPID series, a YA series that's teen angst and comedy and high school torment and romance. Felicity is ... Cupid. Or at least she's one of thousands of modern cupids, using technology to make matches. Only sometimes things don't quite go according to plan. Face it, the girl -- a high school student -- has a lot to learn about putting people together. Especially when it comes to "easy solutions" for her own heartache problems and making her best friends happy.

I won't give too much away by telling you what's essentially on the back cover copy -- Felicity matches up one of her friends, who promptly forgets all the rules of being a BFF for the sake of the guy ... and then matches up the boy she's been in love with for years, to end her own angst and temptation ... and by mistake makes the entire school fall in love with him. Fortunately the initial love spell only lasts a few weeks, but a lot of things happen in those weeks.

Lots of fun, some deep wisdom and lessons learned. You'll grin and sigh and nod and sympathize your way through this book -- and the series.

In the Spotlight: KATHRYN, Quarry Hall Book 3

Kathryn's retreat for relaxation and contemplation is interrupted to take a fugitive to safety, beyond the reach of authorities who may be compromised. The injured woman knows her name is Regina, but not why people were shooting at her. The journey to reach a friend in the FBI is complicated when Kathryn's illness requires frequent stops, permitting Regina's pursuers to nip at their heels.

When the mountains interfere with cell reception, and she can't stop long enough to make a call for help and advice, Kathryn has only her companion dog, her own wits, and prayer to depend on. Deception waits around every corner and Regina's attitude tests Kathryn's sympathy and her faith.

Excerpt

Regina muttered her farewell and scrambled into the truck. Kathryn stayed leaning against the front of the truck, scratching Bea behind the ears and talking with Pastor Small. She knew her companion wanted to get out of there, but she also knew the minister had questions. He had been patient and helpful and accepted what she told him. She couldn't repay him any other way except with as many answers as she could safely give.

"I really appreciate this," she said. "Not many people these days will help strangers with such a flimsy explanation."

"That isn't reason enough?" Pastor Small laughed and gestured over his shoulder at the white steeple with the gray metal cross on top.

"It should be, but--" She decided not to get into that area.

Sometimes the nastiest, most uncooperative people she had run across in her journeys were people who claimed to be Christians. Nine times out of ten, they based their long lists of what a "real" Christian should be on their own opinions and schemes to earn their way into heaven, and never checked what the Bible said.

"What really convinced you? Back when we were talking in the sanctuary, there was a moment when I thought you were going to throw us out or call the police, then you changed your mind."

"Those." He pointed at the shoes the custodian had given her.

"Oh. Sorry." She went to one knee and started to untie the paint-spattered sneakers.

"No, you ought to keep them." Pastor Small bent down and caught hold of her arm, tugging her upright again. "Four years ago, our youth group put together a time capsule as a joke when they renovated their classroom. Those are my shoes. It was quite a mess, with all the painting we did. We had a great time." He winked. "Those shoes should be in a locked metal box three feet underground, sealed in plastic wrap and cement."

"You're kidding." Kathryn felt a chill race up her back, but it was a good chill.

"Plus," he continued with a lopsided smile, "we don't have a custodian right now. The deacons and trustees and the ladies mission groups and other committees take turns with the upkeep and cleaning. The place hasn't looked this good in years..." Pastor Small tried to laugh. "Whoever -- or whatever -- helped you, he wanted you to be here. Who am I to argue?"

Do you visit GOODREADS?

I hope you visit Goodreads regularly -- but if you don't, then start NOW!

Why?

Because I give away FREE BOOKS on Goodreads -- they're called Giveaways -- and that's the tab you want to look for under the Explore section. Or you can click here on GIVEAWAYS. Isn't that easy?

Starting today, I am giving away 2 copies of SUNSINGER, the first book in the Sunsinger YA science fiction series, belonging to my Commonwealth Universe. The giveaway will last 2 weeks.

After that, a new giveaway starts, with a copy of SPACER'S CREED, the 2nd book in the Sunsinger series. Every 2 weeks, a new book to give away, until we get all the way through to Book 10, SCOUTS.

And there are tons of other books being given away FREE on Goodreads every day. If I didn't have so many books piled up, waiting to be read, both in my to-be-read bookrack and in my iPad, I might be haunting the Giveaways page every couple of days and entering more giveaway drawings.

In the Spotlight: ANNE, Quarry Hall Book 2

After a rough assignment catching people out to destroy battered women's shelters, Anne needed a break. Being assigned to observe operations at Common Grounds Legal Clinic seemed like a cake assignment. Xander Finley, the head lawyer, was a friend of Joan, already supported by the Arc Foundation. Arc was simply expanding its support.

But then Anne was carjacked, her guard dog, Argus, shot. She was already off-balance, worried about Argus and wearing borrowed clothes, and things got worse from day one. Face-to-face with someone from her painful past and feeling antagonism from Xander's employees, Anne stumbled into one problem after another. Her frustration grew when allies became enemies, and she was accused of entrapment and then attempted murder. How come prayer was her last resort, when it should have been her first reaction to every problem?

Excerpt

"I'm your first hold-up, huh?"

He nodded. Anne held out her hand again. He looked at her hand, looked back over his shoulder at the grocery store, looked at Argus. The big dog was quiet now, still standing on alert, teeth still bared, advertising his willingness to bite the minute the young gunman did anything wrong. Just because Vincent trained all the Quarry Hall dogs to never bite, that didn't mean they couldn't or wouldn't threaten to bite. It was amazing, Anne reflected, what the power of suggestion could do in a tense situation.

"Look, couldn't you just... like forget I was here?"

"I'm soaking wet. Tomorrow's lunch is in a puddle. I'm going to have one doozy of a bruise in the morning. Getting held up after a day of driving in the rain is not going to be easy to forget!" She managed a grin, though the shakes were working their way up from her guts.

Please, Lord, don't let me get stupid, now. My guardian angel has already been working overtime lately.

"No, you have to let me go."

"You need help. Nobody decides just to take somebody else's total worldly goods without some kind of reason." Anne reached into her pocket.

"What're you --"

"Just let me give you my card. It has a number you can call for help. That's what we do. We help people. Even dumb ones." She grinned wider, and pulled out her wallet. The keys came with it, falling to the ground with a jangle-splash sound.

"How about you give me all your money and I let you keep the truck and we call it quits?" he said, his voice shaking a little. The gun lowered a tiny bit more. Still not low enough to suit Anne. She had a mental image of the gun going off, the bullet bouncing off the pavement and hitting her somewhere totally embarrassing.

The grocery store door squeaked open, distracting them both. He turned a little, raising his gun. Argus growled.

"Argus --"

"Hey, what's going on over there?" a man shouted. He stepped out into the parking lot lights, revealing himself as tall, balding, dressed in dark slacks, white shirt, and the long red apron the store workers wore.

"Don't tell them anything!" the gunman demanded, his hand shaking now. He took a step backwards and pointed the gun at Anne.

Argus leaped, aiming for the gunman's chest, to knock him to the ground as trained.

"No! Down!" she screamed.

Coming Series! ODESSA FREMONT, prologue to "Guardians of the Time Stream"

Are you ready for some time travel, gizmos, and tough chicks? In April, ODESSA FREMONT, the prequel to my Guardians of the Time Stream steampunk series will be released by Desert Breeze Publishing. 
This could be labeled a YA, as Ess is only 14 when she decides to run away from boarding school. By the time she screeches to a halt at the end of the book -- thanks to train robbers, the Pinkertons and a bullet! -- she's worked with the Secret Service and saved President Lincoln's life (so he can run for a 4th term!) and worked for the circus. 
So what's she going to do once she turns 17? Find out about her career as a Pinkerton when she runs into the BLUE LOTUS SOCIETY in September!
Ain't this the COOLEST cover you've ever seen?????

In the Spotlight: JOAN, Quarry Hall Book 1

Under a false identity, Joan finally has the life she has always wanted. With pressure to deepen a relationship on one side, and the threat of an old nemesis finding her on the other, she refuses to run, no matter what it costs her.

Into this chaos comes a letter from a man claiming to be her unknown father, and an invitation to visit him at Quarry Hall. He has a proposition for her.

Joan can make a big difference for good in the world, using her father's money. She hungers for the family and sense of belonging that Quarry Hall offers. To rescue her closest friend, she would sell the soul she doesn't believe she possesses.

In the end, Joan will have to give up the lies that have kept her alive all these years.

EXCERPT

What kind of villain used twine to tie up his victims?

Joan's wrists itched from the fibers as she hobbled down the aisle between tall metal shelves full of grimy crates and packing boxes, and gave another experimental tug with her wrists bound behind her back. A sharp sensation flashed up her arm, followed by warm wet. Either sweat, or she had cut herself with the effort. She was betting on blood, because she had sat for four hours in a dark, grimy storage shed, sweating. The only thing that kept it from being a sweatbox straight out of a prison break movie was that it was made of plastic, not metal. All the time she sat there, no one had asked her any questions. She could have been another crate stored in the shed, for all the attention her captors paid her.

That was about to end, obviously. She would have preferred that they had put a hood over her head, but maybe that was a waste of time, since she had seen three of them. They didn't care what she saw, meaning they could keep her quiet and unable to use what she knew against them.

The man leading the way opened a door at the end of the shadowy aisle. Joan guessed the room was a pre-fabricated module, meant for dividing up large spaces to make them usable. All that mattered was that this room sat near the center of the warehouse. The man walking behind her grabbed her shoulder and half-guided, half-shoved her into the room. She stumbled, but the man who went in first, the beardless, taller one of the two, caught her. He copped a feel before pivoting her around, shoving her into a chair in the corner.

Matt sat in the other corner, hands bound behind him, his ankles tied to the battered wood-and-metal-tube chair with the same brown twine her captors had used on Joan. From the sweat and grime marking his face, darkening his clothes, matting his hair, he had been given the same temporary storage shed treatment. He had some bruises on his face and his bared arms, but no other signs of rough treatment. What was happening now, that they were brought together?

His eyes asked a thousand questions, but he didn't say anything.

In the Spotlight: GATHERING, The Hunt Book 5

We finish up the Spotlight on The Hunt, YA Fantasy from Writer's Exchange with book 5:

GATHERING

The storms are increasing. 
The Hounds are on the move. 
Gahlmorag approaches Earth. 
The time has come for the Hunt to reunite--and return home. 
Somehow.

There will always be unanswered questions, but after years of searching and investigating, all the members of the Hunt have been accounted for--dead or alive--faithful or traitors. Energy is building up in Neighborlee, and something is about to happen. Whether it is for good or ill...

New Books! That's right: TWO new books!

Okay, let's be greedy.

Actually, I think this is an unconscious bid for sympathy. Because when I think of all the work that goes into ONE new book, and here in the space of a few days, TWO new books came out, from two different publishers ... makes me tired.

Especially since right now I am working on the second draft of what will eventually be THREE books.

Why am I working on all of them at the same time?

Besides the fact I'm a glutton for punishment? Because all three books take place at the same time and their storylines overlap -- they even take place at the same location. So look for the next three Quarry Hall books and keep in mind that while you're seeing some events happening at the same time, there are three different lives being changed, three different viewpoints, and three different stories that need resolving -- but I'm not going to tell you three different enemies and problems to deal with because .... well, I haven't solidified that part of the stories yet! Anyway, keep alert for books 9, 10 and 11 of Quarry Hall: SOPHIE, HALEY, and SU-MA.

Speaking of Quarry Hall ...
The newest Quarry Hall novel, Book 8, NIKKI'S TEST, just came out from Desert Breeze Publishing.

Joan's little sister has finished her training and she's out on the road with her first assignment as a courier. It should be easy -- drop off some supplies at a women's shelter, drop off more supplies in Greenleaf at the clinic the Arc Foundation sponsors, then swing through a little mountain town called Harper's Point and pick up Brooklyn, who is on vacation with a childhood friend.

The only problem is, just before Nikki is supposed to pick her up, Brooklyn calls with a very cryptic message, and when Nikki arrives in Harper's Point, Brooklyn and the sheriff are nowhere to be found. Nikki starts asking questions and doing what the Quarry Hall girls do best: get involved and help. Only this time, helping find a missing child throws Nikki into trouble. Before long, she's proverbially "hip-deep in alligators." But as the "alligators" in Harper's Point find out, they're the ones in trouble when it comes to the Quarry Hall girls.

The second new book is a return to another familiar series, Neighborlee, Ohio.

HERO BLUES follows the trials and tribulations of Jane, a semi-pseudo-superhero who is assigned to a town with a real entitlement attitude .... new from Uncial Press.

Superheroes have it rough -- especially when the towns they protect expect them to fix everything, from forgetting to fill their gas tanks to children running wild to the consequences of a lack of common sense. Jane is finally fed up with being the Ghost, notifies the citizens in her town of mental midgets that she’s quitting, and sets off to make a new life and solve some mysteries of her own.
First item on the list: return to Neighborlee, the town where she was found as an abandoned child. Jane knows there are others like her: abandoned children with unusual powers. Where did they come from, how did they get to Neighborlee and other towns like it, and why are the Gifted -- as they call themselves -- the way they are?
As Jane retraces her childhood, she is pleased to discover that some people remember her. She settles in, makes a new place for herself, and is welcomed by the people and the town itself. That’s important, because Neighborlee protects its own -- and those who don’t fit in are soon driven away. She makes contact with others like her and slowly earns their trust and confidence.
However, it’s a bumpy process. Living in the “weirdness capital of the United States, possibly the world,” means being extra cautious. Even when it comes to someone with superhero powers. Or maybe especially someone with superhero powers.

Then someone -- or something -- from outside her understanding makes contact. It or he or they promise Jane not only answers to the questions she’s had all her life, but a way to go home, wherever her real home might be. It’s everything she’s ever wanted … or is it?

In the Spotlight: FINDERS KEEPERS, The Hunt Book 4

Today's spotlight is on Book 4 in the Hunt series of YA fantasy published by Writer's Exchange:

FINDERS KEEPERS

Iris Davenport hated the memories that came with world-shaking thunderstorms -- because she didn't want to remember she was a member of the Hunt. She was perfectly happy with her adopted parents, helping run the lodge on Smokeytop Mountain, exploring the mountainside, and doing search-and-rescue. The last thing she wanted was to face one of the Hunt and be reminded of the vows her parents had made when they gave her to the guardianship of the Hounds of Hamin.

But when a plane taking a sick boy to a life-saving operation crash-landed on Smokeytop in a thunderstorm, Iris had to help. Even when one of the searchers turned out to be a member of the Hunt, who reminded her of everything she hoped to forget. She had her own life now -- a home, friends, parents, and a boyfriend. None of which she was willing to give up for a world she barely remembered.

Until the past caught up with them in the form of a traitor to the Hunt, and pieces of an old puzzle that could get her and her boyfriend killed if they didn't find all the clues in time.

In the Spotlight: BUTTERFLY, The Hunt Book 3

Today is the 3rd book in the YA fantasy series The Hunt, published by Writer's Exchange.

BUTTERFLY

Beth considers herself a geek, one of the invisible and awkward in her school, too smart for her own good, part of the Gifted and Talented program. During a summer internship at a government weather station, she notices strange weather patterns. The storms remind her of the ones when she was brought to Earth by the Hounds of Hamin. Remembering that she is a member of the Hunt, Beth sets out to remake herself, to be ready when the gathering of the Hunt occurs.


When she returns to school in the fall, she is a new person, physically and mentally, and she attracts the attention of another member of the Gifted and Talented program: Tommy DiCorsi, supposedly one of the "bad boys" in town. As their friendship grows, and Tommy protects her from trouble and learns about the Hounds and the Hunt, Beth learns he isn't at all what he appears, either. Then another member of the Hunt shows up, and both their lives are changed forever.