M.M. Hudson's Blog, page 55

SHOUT OUT TO AUTHORS...HALLOWEEN

credit to the creator of this photoSHOUT OUT TO ALL AUTHORS:
As a part of my Halloween Extravaganza, this year I have decided to promote any authors who have Halloween type books. This can be children's, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, thrillers (related to the theme), cozy mysteries (related), and YA horror. Any other type books we can talk about. I will post the cover of your book with a link on my page and tweet it twice during the month. The cost will be $5 per book. If you are interested message me at nailamoon1968 at gmail dot com with pertinent details.
This offer closes Sept. 30th
NOTE: All books will be seen by hundreds of people who are part of a Halloween Countdown.

Little Free Libraries 10th Anniversary! #GiveAGoodRead #LFL10

Do you like the Free Little Libraries movement? Do you frequent the boxes full of books?
I have and I am really excited that this is the 10th year since the first one was erected.

Goodreads is sponsoring a week to fill them up and share with your neighbor. Check out what they have to say about it.

We're asking our wonderful community of 90 million readers to add their favorite book or latest good read to a Little Free Library near them and share a photo on social media with #GiveAGoodRead and #LFL10 during the week of September 16 to 22. Goodreads will be sharing some of these photos during the week, so don’t forget the hashtags so we can see yours!

You can also include a note to the future reader of your book to help people know what's going on.

Are you going to share one? Let me know what it is or a link to your social media. I would love to see it!

Happy Reading,
Michelle

The Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens #review #middlegrade #earthquakes #disasterpreparedness

Synopsis:

Hannah Steele loves living on Pelling, a tiny island near Seattle. It's a little disconnected from the outside world, but she's always felt completely safe there.Which is why when she's asked one day to babysit after school, she thinks it's no big deal. Zoe and Oscar are her next-door neighbors, and Hannah just took a babysitting class that she's pretty sure makes her an expert. She isn't even worried that she left her inhaler at home.Then the shaking begins.The terrifying earthquake only lasts four minutes but it changes everything, damaging the house, knocking out the power, and making cell service nonexistent. Even worse, the ferry and the bridge connecting the kids to help―and their parents―are both blocked. Which means they're stranded and alone... With Hannah in charge, as things go from bad to dangerous.
My review:

As I generally do not read a preview for a book, I had no idea that the disaster would be an epic earthquake. The title of the book only alluded to the fact that it would be several days and there would be some kind of disaster the characters would have to deal with. I feel that the book cover was a good draw for the inside.
The main characters are three children stuck in this massive earthquake alone. With only the skills of some scouting, memories, and a babysitting class, the main character, Hannah, helps all of them survive. It was truly over the top of what she had to deal with. In fact, rather unrealistic for the age she is supposed to be. However, it also made for good writing that I think middle school kids would probably love.
I was enraptured enough by this book that I kept getting feelings of sorrow with each thing that happened to them. I wanted to reach into the book and, if nothing else, grab hold of them and let them know it was going to be okay. By the end, I was not even sure if they were to ever have help.

Overall, this was a pretty decent book. The only thing I would have liked to see is maybe some resources and numbers in the back of the book that middle grade children could use. This book proves that you can never be prepared enough no matter what your age.
I give this book 4 stars.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author. The review and opinions here  are 100% my own and may differ with yours. ~Michelle aka Naila Moon
Where to find the author:
GoodreadsAmazon

Rebecca Behrens is the author of three critically acclaimed middle-grade novels that explore famous historical figures and fascinating places: WHEN AUDREY MET ALICE, SUMMER OF LOST AND FOUND, and THE LAST GRAND ADVENTURE. Her next release, THE DISASTER DAYS (10/1/2019), is a thrillingly realistic survival story. Rebecca grew up in Wisconsin, studied in Chicago, and now lives with her husband in New York City.

#Spotlight: American Red by David Marlett #thriller

American Redby David Marletton Tour July 1 - August 31, 2019 Genre: Historical Fiction Published by: The Story Plant Publication Date: July 2nd 2019 Number of Pages: 535 ISBN: 1611881781 (ISBN13: 9781611881783) Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes &Noble, Goodreads


Synopsis:In American Red, as the Great American Century begins, and the modern world roars to life, Capitalists flaunt greed and seize power, Socialists and labor unions flex their violent will, and an extraordinary true story of love and sacrifice unfolds. In his critically acclaimed debut novel, Fortunate Son, David Marlett introduced readers to a fresh take on historical fiction-the historical legal thriller-bringing alive the people and events leading to and surrounding some of the most momentous, dramatic legal trials in history. Now he returns with American Red, the story of one of the greatest domestic terrorists in American history, and the detectives, lawyers, spies, and lovers who brought him down. The men and women of American Red are among the most fascinating in American history. When, at the dawn of the 20th century, the Idaho governor is assassinated, blame falls on "Big Bill" Haywood, the all-powerful, one-eyed boss of the Western Federation of Miners in Denver. Close by, his polio-crippled wife, Neva, struggles with her wavering faith, her love for another man, and her sister's affair with her husband. New technologies accelerate American life, but justice lags behind. Private detectives, battling socialists and unions on behalf of wealthy capitalists, will do whatever it takes to see Haywood hanged. The scene is set for bloodshed, from Denver to Boise to San Francisco. America's most famous attorney, Clarence Darrow, leads the defense-a philandering U.S. senator leads the prosecution-while the press, gunhands, and spies pour in. Among them are two idealists, Jack Garrett and Carla Capone-he a spy for the prosecution, she for the defense. Risking all, they discover truths about their employers, about themselves and each other, and what they'll sacrifice for justice and honor-and for love.
Read an excerpt:The lawyer lobbed a verbal spear across the courtroom, piercing the young man, pinning him to the creaky witness chair and tilting the twelve jurymen forward. Their brows rose in anticipation of a gore-laden response from the witness as he clutched his bowler, his face vacant toward the wood floor beyond his shoddy boots. When the judge cleared his throat, the plaintiff's attorney, Clarence Darrow, repeated the question. "Mr. Bullock, I know this is a strain upon you to recount that tragic day when fifteen of your brothers perished at the hands of the Stratton-" "Your Honor! Point in question," barked the flint-faced defense attorney representing the Stratton Independence Mine, a non-union gold operation near Cripple Creek, Colorado. On this warm summer afternoon in Denver, he and Darrow were the best dressed there, each wearing a three-button, vested suit over a white shirt and dull tie. The robed judge gave a long blink, then peered at Darrow. With a chin waggle, his ruling on the objection was clear. "Yes, certainly. My apologies, Your Honor," feigned Darrow, glancing toward the plaintiff's table where two widows sat in somber regard. Though his wheat-blonde hair and sharp, pale eyes defied his age of forty-nine, his reputation for cunning brilliance and oratory sorcery mitigated the power of his youthful appearance: it was no longer the disarming weapon it had once been. No attorney in the United States would ever presume nascence upon Clarence Darrow. Certainly not in this, his twenty-sixth trial. He continued at the witness. "Though as just a mere man, one among all …" He turned to the jury. "The emotion of this event strains even the most resolute of procedural decorum. I am, as are we all, hard-pressed to-" "Whole strides, shall we, Mr. Darrow?" grumbled the judge. "Yes," Darrow said, turning once again to James Bullock who seemed locked in the block ice of tragedy, having not moved a fraction since first taking the witness seat. "Mr. Bullock, we must rally ourselves, muster our strength, and for the memory of your brothers, share with these jurymen the events of that dark day. You said the ride up from the stope, the mine floor, was a swift one, and there were the sixteen of you in the cage made to hold no more than nine-is that correct?" "Yes, Sir," Bullock replied, his voice a faint warble. "Please continue," Darrow urged. Bullock looked up. "We kept going, right along, but it kept slipping. We'd go a ways and slip again." "Slipping? It was dropping?" "Yes, Sir. Dropping down sudden like, then stopping. Cappy was yelling at us to get to the center, but there was no room. We was in tight." "By Cappy you mean Mr. Capone, the foreman?" "Yes, Sir. Our shift boss that day." The witness sucked his bottom lip. "He was in the cage 'long with us." He sniffed in a breath then added, "And his boy, Tony. Friend of mine. No better fella." "My condolences," said Darrow. "What do you think was the aid in getting the men to the middle of the cage?" "Keep it centered in the shaft, I reckon. We was all yelling." Bullock took a slow breath before continuing, "Cappy was trying to keep the men quiet, but it wasn't making much a difference. Had his arms around Tony." A muscle in Darrow's cheek shuddered. "Please continue." "So we was slipping, going up. Then the operator, he took us up about six feet above the collar of the shaft, then back down again." "Which is not the usual-" "Not rightly. No, Sir. We should've stopped at the collar and no more. But later they said the brakes failed on the control wheel." "Mr. Bullock, let's return to what you experienced. You were near the top of the shaft, the vertical shaft that we've established was 1,631 feet deep, containing, at that time, about twenty feet of water in its base, below the lowest stope, correct?" "Yes, Sir. Before they pumped that water to get to em." "By ‘them' you mean the bodies of your dead companions?" "Yes, Sir." "Ok, you were being hoisted at over 900 feet per minute by an operator working alone on the surface-near the top of the shaft, when the platform began to slip and jump. Is that your testimony?" "Yes, Sir." "That must have been terrifying." "Yes, Sir, it was. We'd come off a tenner too." "A ten-hour shift?" "Yes, Sir." Darrow rounded on the jury, throwing the next question over his shoulder. "Oh, but Sir, how could it have been a ten-hour work day when the eight-hour day is now the law of this state?" The defense lawyer's chair squeaked as he stood. "Objection, Your Honor." "I'll allow it," barked the judge, adding, "But gentlemen ..." The witness shook his head. "The Stratton is a non-union, gold ore mine. Supposed to be non-union anyway. Superintendent said owners weren't obliged to that socialist law." "Hearsay, Your-" "Keep your seat, Counsel. You're going to wear this jury thin." Darrow stepped closer to the witness. "Mr. Bullock, as I said, let's steer clear from what you heard others say. The facts speak for themselves: you and your friends were compelled to work an illegal ten-hour shift. Let's continue. You were near the top, but unable to get off the contraption, and it began to-" "Yes. We'd gone shooting up, then he stopped it for a second." “"By ‘he,' you mean the lift operator?" "Yes, Sir. He stopped it but then it must have gotten beyond his control, cause we dropped sixty, seventy feet all the sudden. We were going quick. We said to each other we're all gone. Then he raised us about ten feet and stopped us. But then, it started again, and this time it was going fast up and we went into the sheave wheel as fast as we could go." "To be sure we all follow, Mr. Bullock, the lift is the sole apparatus that hoisted you from the Stratton Mine, where you work?" "Yes, Sir." "And the sheave wheel is the giant wheel above the surface, driven by a large, thirty-year-old steam engine, run by an operator. That sheave wheel coils in the cable"he pantomimed the motion-"pulling up the 1,500-pound-load platform, or lift, carrying its limit of nine men. And it coils out the cable when the lift is lowered. But that day the lift carried sixteen men-you and fifteen others. Probably over 3,000 pounds. Twice its load limit. Correct?" "Yes, Sir. But, to be clear, I ain't at the Stratton no more." "No?" asked Darrow, pleased the man had bit the lure. "No. Seeing how I was one of Cappy's men. Federation. And, now 'cause this." His voice faded. Darrow frowned, walked a few paces toward the jury, clapped once and rubbed his hands together. "The mine owners, a thousand miles away, won't let you work because you're here-a member of the Western Federation of Miners, a union man giving his honest testimony. Is that right?" "Yes, Sir." Again, the defense counsel came to his feet. "Your Honor, Mr. Darrow knows Mr. Bullock's discharge wasn't-" The judge raised a hand, took a deep breath and cocked his head toward the seasoned attorney before him. "Swift to your point, Mr. Darrow." "Yes, Your Honor." Darrow's blue eyes returned to the witness. "Mr. Bullock, you were telling us about the sheave wheel." "Yes. It's a big thing up there, out over the top of the shaft. You see it on your way up. We all think on it-if we was to not stop and slam right up into it-which we did that day. We all knew it'd happen. I crouched to save myself from the hard blow I knew was coming. I seen a piece of timber about one foot wide there underside the sheave, and soon as we rammed, I grabbed hold and held myself up there, and pretty soon the cage dropped from below me, and I began to holler for a ladder to get down." "Must have been distressing, up there, holding fast to a timber, dangling 1,631 feet over an open shaft, watching your fifteen brothers fall." Bullock choked back tears. "Yes, Sir. That's what I saw." He paused. When he resumed, his tone was empty, as if the voice of his shadow. "I heard em. Heard em go. They was screaming. They knew their end had come. I heard em till I heard em no more." --- Excerpt from American Red by David Marlett. Copyright 2019 by David Marlett. Reproduced with permission from The Story Plant. All rights reserved.  
Author Bio: David Marlett is an award-winning storyteller and writer of historical fiction, primarily historical legal thrillers bringing alive the fascinating people and events leading to major historical trials. His first such novel, Fortunate Son, became a national bestseller in 2014, rising to #2 in all historical fiction and #3 in all literature and fiction on Amazon. The late Vincent Bugliosi -- #1 New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter -- said David is "a masterful writer of historical fact and detail, of adventure, peril and courtroom drama.” Just released is American Red which follows the extraordinary true story of a set of radical lovers, lawyers, killers, and spies who launched the Great American Century. Visit www.AmericanRedBook.com. He is currently writing his next historical legal thriller, Angeles Los, which continues some of the lead characters from American Red. Angeles Los is based on the true story at the 1910 intersection of the first movies made in Los Angeles, the murderous bombing of the Los Angeles Times, and eccentric Abbot Kinney's "Venice of America" kingdom. In addition, David is a professor at Pepperdine Law School, was the managing editor of OMNI Magazine, and guest-lectures on story design. He is a graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, the father of four, and lives in Manhattan Beach, California. For more, visit www.DavidMarlett.com. Find Our Author Online:davidmarlett.com | Goodreads | Facebook 

#Spotlight & #Giveaway: Road To Nowhere by CY Wyss

Book Details:Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Nighttime Dog Press, LLCPublication Date: September 1, 2019
Number of Pages: 222ASIN: B07WCHL75J
Series: Eyeshine, 2Purchase Links: Amazon
  Road To Nowhereby Cy Wysson Tour September 1-30, 2019Synopsis: PJ Taylor, the feline shapeshifter, is back! Someone is kidnapping people’s pet cats and holding them for ransom. When PJ’s beloved niece is catnapped, the trail leads PJ to Nowhere, a tiny hamlet north of her hometown of Mayhap. What intrigues will PJ find among the inhabitants of this minuscule community? You can bet it involves at least one person up to no good and flushing this person out could be…murder!

Read an excerpt:Robert Taylor entered the brownstone via the back door, closing it quietly behind himself. He was in a landing of pale green and gray with tan carpet and stairs leading upward and a sandwich board on the wall with office numbers. The woman he was looking for was in 303, two stories above him. He ascended the two flights, his heart leaden with reluctance.
He considered himself a unicorn – someone special and rare. Not only was he smart and successful (head of his own one-man FBI office in Mayhap, Indiana), the women in his family had the unusual proclivity to turn into cats when the sun set. This made them particularly effective operatives, although in fearing for their safety he often restricted their usefulness. His sister, PJ, had been his most important informant up until her recent death. He couldn’t believe she was gone.
It didn’t seem real. Didn’t cats have nine lives? He somehow expected PJ to rise from her grave and come back to him. Instead, here he was, about to attempt to convince a psychotherapist of his sanity in the face of his recent tragedies. All he wanted was to get back to work. They wouldn’t let him back without the sign-off from this woman, Ms. Julia Herzenberg. Her name conjured images of some ancient Freudian presence, maybe someone who looked like Dear Abby or Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, with copious wrinkles and a severe bun. He shivered at the idea of exposing his inner life to this person.
On the third floor, the stairwell opened into a larger space of muted pastels that smelled of rose and mint. Three doors greeted him, and he pushed through the one whose frosted glass proclaimed it 303. Inside, soft new age music played, and the floral scent was stronger. The culprit was an incense burner on a small table near the door. Thin smoke wafted from a glazed, bulbous pot in gray ombre. The walls of the suite were a soothing blue and the furniture worn leather in earthy browns. Striped pillows and throw blankets abounded, and health magazines lined the coffee table. Robert perched on the edge of a fat armchair and crossed his legs, interlacing his fingers around his knee. He waited, with the demeanor of a man about to face something dire and unwanted.
His first impression of Julia Herzenberg when she opened the inner door was that she looked nothing like an old psychiatrist or supreme court judge. Her hair flowed around her head in generous curls, spilling from her shoulders in waves of auburn silk. Her eyes were a crystalline green the likes of which he had only seen previously on actresses or fashion models. She was tall and thin, with slender, manicured fingers and long legs beneath a plaid wool skirt. She reminded him of a willow – inscrutable and eternal, with Nature’s grace and strength.
“Robert Taylor?” she asked.
It took him a moment to shut his flapping mouth and recover his aplomb.
“Yes,” he finally said, extending his hand.
She shook it firmly, her hand warm and dry. She led him into a brown hallway, and to an office at one end. The room contained the same homey furniture as the waiting area, in neutral shades of soft leather with woven and plush accompaniments.
“Have a seat,” she said.
He stared at the wide couch before him.
“Do I need to lie down?” he asked.
“Only if you want to,” she said.
She sat in an armchair across from the couch with her knees pressed together and her hands folded in her lap. She studied him, an entirely unassuming expression on her porcelain face. Awkwardly, he perched on the edge of the couch and rested his weight on his elbows on his thighs. He let his hands dangle.
She remained still and silent as he took in his surroundings. The paintings on the walls were interesting but not distracting and consisted of abstractions that reminded him of natural surroundings. The lights were incandescent, and the shades partially drawn, rendering the space as comforting as a forest nook where sunlight filtered through the branches above. Dr. Herzenberg even had a small fountain on one side table and the faint sound of running water complemented the illusion. Robert could feel his tension recede, despite his natural wariness and dark mood.
Still, she said nothing. Robert felt her watching him and found he couldn’t meet her gaze directly. Rather, his eyes roved over their environment, never settling for more than a few seconds. Behind and beside her was a narrow bookcase with glass panels and something about it bothered him. He kept returning to it, until he realized why. On the very top of the bookcase was an old-fashioned globe and a statue that looked like a very realistic black cat. It could have been PJ. He stared at the cat, and almost jumped out of his seat when the statue blinked.
“God, that’s a cat!” he said.
Dr. Herzenberg smiled. “That’s Bella.”
“Wow,” Robert said. “I thought she was a statue.”
“She likes to sit up there,” Dr. Herzenberg said. “Many of my patients don’t ever notice her.”
“I’m amazed. You bring your cat with you to the office?”
Dr. Herzenberg shrugged. “She doesn’t like to be alone.”
“You could get her a companion.”
“She doesn’t like other cats.”
Robert chuckled. “Typical difficult feline.”
“Tell me,” Dr. Herzenberg said. “Are you a cat person?”
He remembered his sister, and the fact he’d never see her again. His eyes burned, though he willed himself not to tear up.
“You could say that,” he said.
PJ had turned into a cat every night since shortly after she had hit puberty. He still remembered the first time she’d shapeshifted. He was a rookie cop at the time and looking after her since their parents had died, as her much older brother and legal guardian. They’d been playing video games on the couch when she howled and writhed in pain. He had thought she was dying and called 911.
Imagine his chagrin when they arrived and found no sign of the girl that he’d insisted needed an ambulance. Instead, a black tabby cat watched him explain that he’d had a nightmare and called emergency services by mistake. His colleagues ribbed him for weeks afterward.
Robert was so traumatized, he confined PJ to her room after sundown from that time forward, and he somehow managed to convince himself her transition hadn’t happened. It was only recently, with his own daughter, Nancy, entering puberty, that he’d finally opened up to PJ about her wonderous ability. He had been terrified that Nancy would become a shapeshifter as well. Be the status of that as it may, at least one outcome had been that he had become significantly closer to PJ, a relationship long overdue.
His memories of PJ ran through his mind, and guilt stabbed his heart. If only he hadn’t been so pigheaded, he could have showed his love for her sooner. He could have had years of closeness instead of mere months. They could even, perhaps, have–
No. He wouldn’t let himself think about that. Regret was a demon that ate you alive. It was what it was. He couldn’t change the past any more than he could draw castles in the sky.
“What are you thinking about?” Dr. Herzenberg asked.
Robert blinked several times, his reverie broken. “Nothing,” he said.
She stared at him. His gaze dropped to the coffee table between them.
“I was thinking of my sister,” he said.
“Tell me about her.”
Robert took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied the carpet under their feet, a confetti-patterned collage of woodland hues. He found himself telling Dr. Herzenberg the truth – something he hadn’t done in decades.
“She’s not actually my sister,” he said.
“Oh?” She raised a delicate eyebrow.
“Well, she wasn’t, I mean,” he said. “My father was her mother’s cousin.”
Dr. Herzenberg appeared lost in thought for a moment. “So, your ‘sister’ was actually your second cousin?”
“Yes,” Robert said.
“Why do you call her your sister?”
“Our parents married,” Robert said. “Legally, PJ was my sister.”
“I see,” she said.
Another wave of regret washed over Robert. He clasped his hands together and hung his head so she wouldn’t see the sheen of tears in his eyes.
“I did read your employment record,” Dr. Herzenberg said. “You’ve had quite the last couple of weeks.”
Robert snorted. “Yeah. You could say that.”
“You failed the bureau’s lie detector test, separated from your wife, shot and killed a man, and your sister – your second-cousin, I mean – died. I’d say all of that qualifies you for a little paid leave.”
Then there was the business with his daughter, which he couldn’t talk about, as well as the thing concerning his infidelity, which he likewise couldn’t bring himself to talk about. His shoulders drooped.
“I don’t want paid leave,” he said. “I want to get back to work. All I do is sit around and mope. If I can work, I’ll feel better.” He looked up, into her concerned face. “What can I do to convince you I’m fit for returning to work – that, in fact, it’ll help me recover?”
She tilted her head and scrutinized him. He fidgeted under the weight of those amazing green eyes.
“You can’t run from your grief, Robert. Turning your attention elsewhere will only cause it to fester and grow into something uncontrolled.”
He sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
On top of the bookcase, the cat stood and stretched elegantly, her back a deeply curved S. She sat on her haunches and used her paw to clean her snout. Robert watched, fascinated.
“Tell me more about your sister,” Dr. Herzenberg said.
Another wave of regret reminded Robert of his failures, and, with it, a twinge of fear piqued his soul. He’d already said too much.
“You were close, I take it,” the psychiatrist said.
“Yeah,” Robert said.
Dr. Herzenberg waited. Robert looked around the room again, his gaze settling on the quarter-height of window, through which a gray fall sky was visible.
“What bothers you most about her death?” she asked.
Robert’s eyes lost their focus as his attention turned inward. Guilt weighed heavy in his heart as he remembered the past two weeks and his role in the whole mess.
“I never…” He couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Dr. Herzenberg perked up. “You never what?”
He stared at the cat, who stared back unblinkingly. The odd sense of unreality overtook him again and he found himself speaking the truth once more.
“I never told her how much I loved her,” he said.
“I’m sure she knew,” Dr. Herzenberg said.
Robert shook his head. “No. She didn’t.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I pushed her away. She wanted more from me. I should have given it to her.”
Dr. Herzenberg’s brow furrowed and her eyes darkened. “What are we talking about, Robert? You’ve told me she wasn’t your blood sister. How did you see her? As your little sister? Or, as something more than that?”
Robert ground his teeth. How did they get onto this topic? He was here to get back to work, not to get himself fired for inappropriate feelings toward PJ.
“I shouldn’t have said it that way,” he said. “Of course, I meant it platonically.”
She studied him. “You know that everything you tell me is confidential.”
He frowned. “I know you have to report what I say to my superiors,” he said.
“No,” she said. “I have to report my overall opinions. Your disclosures are entirely between us alone.”
Robert stared up at Bella, whose golden gaze had never seemed to leave him. He was pretty sure the cat saw right through him, and he wondered how much of that ability Dr. Herzenberg had.
He said nothing.
***
Excerpt from Road To Nowhere by Cy Wyss. Copyright 2019 by Cy Wyss. Reproduced with permission from Cy Wyss. All rights reserved.


Author Bio:
Cy Wyss is a writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They have a Ph.D. in computer science and their day job involves wrangling and analyzing genetic data. Cy is the author of three full-length novels as well as a collection of short stories and the owner and chief editor of Nighttime Dog Press, LLC.
Before studying computer science, Cy obtained their undergraduate degree in mathematics and English literature as well as masters-level degrees in philosophy and artificial intelligence. They studied overseas for three years in the UK, although they never managed to develop a British accent.
Cy currently resides in Indianapolis with their spouse, daughter, and two obstreperous but lovable felines. In addition to writing, they enjoy reading, cooking, and walking 5k races to benefit charity.
Catch Up With Cy Wyss On:
cywyss.com, Goodreads,  Facebook! Enter To Win!:This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Cy Wyss. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on September 1, 2019 and runs through October 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.a Rafflecopter giveaway




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Review & Activites: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr #middlegrade #history #nonfiction #multicultural

Summary:
Hiroshima-born Sadako is lively and athletic--the star of her school's running team. And then the dizzy spells start. Soon gravely ill with leukemia, the "atom bomb disease," Sadako faces her future with spirit and bravery. Recalling a Japanese legend, Sadako sets to work folding paper cranes. For the legend holds that if a sick person folds one thousand cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again.

My review:
Growing up and being a historian, I have always know about the bombing of Hiroshima. I knew it was dropped to end WWII. This is a known fact the world over. What is not always known, nor thought of, is what long-term effect it had on the people (the innocent) of Hiroshima. 

This is the story of a young girl and her family who lived through such an atrocity. It saddens me on a different level than the Japanese people but also gives me hope for world peace.

Many of the children in the Red Cross hospital that Sadako eventually ended up at, never left. They were all inflicted with leukemia and other diseases that ravaged their small bodies. One boy mentioned in the book contracted leukemia due to his mother carrying the disease before he was born, well after the bomb dropping.

Sadako's friend told her the legend of the  thousand paper cranes and gave her the first one which was golden. Sadako prayed every time she made a crane, paper given to her by many different people.  Many were hung on her ceiling and some in her hospital room. Eventually she got too weak to make them and before dying had made 644. 

Her classmates made the rest of the cranes in her honor. Today a statue stands in honor of Sadako and every year on " Japanese Peace Day" thousands of cranes can be seen at the foot of the statue. I would like to see this statue someday and maybe leave my own crane there.

In the back of the book, you can find step-by-step instructions on how to make a paper crane.

Disclosure: I purchased this book for my own collections. The view here is 100% my own and may vary from yours. ~Michelle

Activities:
1. Attempt to make 1000 cranes before International Peace Day which is Sept. 21st.
2. Read more about Japanese Peace Day
3. Visit the Sadako Statue in Japan

4. Make your own "shrine" for peace
5. Read more about International Peace Day

Where to find the author:
The author died in 2010. She was totally fascinated with the Japanese culture. She had a friend in High school that was Japanese and taught her about origami and many traditional things of the culture.
Amazon

Goodreads

Read-a-thons to join!

I have just signed up for this week long read-a-thon. Join if you want to. Also the annual High Summer read-a-thon is also going on now. It is mid-way done but You can also sign up for Fright Fall and Castle Macabre read-a-long here.

#Spotlight: The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna #mystery #cozies

 

Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (June 3, 2019)
Paperback: 204 pages
ISBN-10: 0578503018
ISBN-13: 978-0578503011
Digital ASIN: B07SKB5YX7My review to come soon!ABOUT THE BOOK: Mystery with a splash of romance…Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host’s brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective.Purchase Links –  Amazon  –   Barnes & NobleAbout the author:Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She combined her love of history, romance, and a happy ending to write  Cera’s Place  and  Venice in the Moonlight . Her contemporary romance novel,  First Crush Last Love , is loosely based on her life during her teens and twenties. The Great Jewel Robbery is her debut cozy mystery, and she hopes readers will like it as much as they have enjoyed her romances.Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.Author Links
Website: https://elizabethmckenna.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMcKennaAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5337654.Elizabeth_McKenna

Reintroducing Author Wally Runnels #Giveaway: $25 Amazon GC & Book, "Twisted Love" @wallyrunnels2 @mmmhudson1968

Reintroducing Author Wally Runnels #Giveaway: $25 Amazon GC & Book, "Twisted Love" 
This giveaway is hosted by Reading Authors Network.Thank you to all of the bloggers who are helping to promote this giveaway.
Reintroducing, author Wally Runnels.  Wally is the author of several published books. Each book  is considered "Border Pulp" and has complex characters mostly with grit."Rocky" appears in these books and is a character to be reckoned with.
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Wally was born in San Diego, traveled through Mexico, and Latin America. He was 
raised on the border at his family's ranch, whose original deed was recorded in 1870. 
Hanging out between two countries, he met a lot of unusual people: Hollywood types, 
border patrol officers, professional trackers, smugglers, and people he won't mention 
by name. He'll remind you no matter how weird a story can get, it'll contain some 
grain of truth.

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Wally Runnels hung out between two countries, he met a lot of unusual people: Hollywood types, 
border patrol officers, professional trackers, smugglers, and people he won't mention 
by name. He'll remind you no matter how weird a story can get, it'll contain some 
grain of truth.

For more information visit: www.wallyrunnels.com
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Here is a synopsis of his latest book, Twisted Love

Twisted Love explores the redemptive power of love even amidst the most brutal and privileged echelons of contemporary society. Julietta Aguilar, a young archaeologist with a dark past shrouded with sordid family secrets, discovers a hidden chamber under the ruins of the Templo Mayor, in the heart of Mexico City. She soon finds herself enmeshed in an ancient mystery even as she tries to solve her father's senseless murder.

Now followed by cartel killers, deadly supernatural spirits and thwarted by her own family, her quest for peace seems almost insurmountable – until she meets a man in black with a nefarious background who goes only by one name, Rocky. 

A fast-paced, gripping read reminiscent of fifties pulp, the characters in Twisted Love offer a dark study in human nature.

Get the book on Amazon now!
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To reintroduce himself and his books, author Wally runnels is hosting a giveaway. The giveaway is for a $25 Amazon gift card and a signed copy of his latest book, Twisted Love. See below for details. 
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Rules and Disclosure: This giveaway is hosted by Wally Runnels, who is responsible for prize shipment, and by Reading Authors Network. Any other blog helping to promote this giveaway is not responsible for the giveaway prize. 
The giveaway is for U.S. only participants and runs from 8/8/19 through 8/24/19.
If you would like to have your books promoted or an author with social media management, please contact Michelle at ReadingAuthorsNetwork@gmail.com



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Swing by Kwame Alexander Part 2 Activities #BLINK Summer Reading Tour

From the Urban dictionary: "HUG LIFE-
A way of life in which rather than let someone push you around, you hug anyone who stands in your way..."

Recently, I wrote a REVIEW about the book, Swing. I will wait while you check it out. *play elevator music*  I suggest you get you a copy if you would like to. This is marketed as a YA book but I think an older preteen would understand the concepts here too.

Today I want to follow up with the book by giving you some ideas/activities you could do to go along with the book.

1. Start a petition about something that is unjust. Get signatures for it and send it to your local congressperson.

2. Visit your grandparents or visit a nursing home. Video a conversation with them asking about events in their life that you might not know about. Make sure to ask how they might have met their spouse or significant person in their life. Revisit as you can.

3. Research love letters back from the 19th century or before. Make some art based on those letters.

4. In the book, "Swing" embraces the "HUG LIFE" and has it tattooed on his arm. Write some positive  messages on some sticky notes along with #HUGLIFE and post them around your town.

5. Start a conversation on social media simply by posting the poster below. Remind people that this is a positive only post.



6. Volunteer to work with veterans. Talk with them what is important to them.

7.. Start a club...even with just two people. Read the book Swing and discuss how you can make a difference in your school. Or how you can be a friend to someone who needs it. Invite others to join.

8. Learn about different cultures and religions different from your own.  Plan a bbq at a local park, ask your neighbors to come, Ask local police departments if they will host the bbq and promote it around town. Have information via posters about what you learned around the park.

9. Make a poster that says, "Free Hugs" on it. Stand out on the street somewhere and give them out.

10. Be a friend. Simply remember that everyone is different and that you can learn something from everyone.

Happy reading and living the #HugLife,
Michelle