Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 25
June 19, 2025
Spotlight: THE JOKER'S REVENGE by Nancy Beaule
Genre: Mystery
The Joker’s Revenge tests the resolve of seventeen-year-old Darci Miller in this Young Adult Mystery/Romance set at a Maine summer camp in 1972. Darci strives to be an ideal daughter to her widowed father but finds his over-protective ways unbearable. There is a dark family secret involving her late mother that she is determined to uncover. When an opportunity comes up to work as a secretary at the same summer camp where her mother worked back in the fifties, Darci jumps at the chance. She quickly discovers there is more going on at the camp than just marshmallow roasts.
A malicious prankster playing evil pranks wants something, and innocent children are getting hurt. The head chef has invented a groundbreaking machine that removes fat and calories from food, and someone is trying to steal the valuable machine, intent on getting rich and settling a score for past wrongdoings. As Darci investigates, she unearths shocking truths about her mother’s past and gets entangled in the unfolding turmoil. She is also falling for her charismatic boss, sparking conflict with the owners’ spoiled daughter.Author Bio: Nancy Beaule, the author of young adult mysteries, first captured hearts with her award-winning picture book series, "Chompy & the Munchy Bunch," which features a carrot with superpowered eyesight. Now, she presents a captivating blend of mystery and romance in her debut YA novel, "The Joker’s Revenge," inspired by her teenage years in Maine.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Nancy was an entrepreneur known for creating the Pie Saver. Her creative journey was enriched by her travels as she marketed her businesses. Today, she draws inspiration from nature and enjoys adventures with her three grandchildren near her picturesque pond in Maine, which continually fuels her compelling stories.
Purchase links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F1W7RJZZ/
Social Media links:
Website: https://nancybeaule.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17380719.Nancy_Beaule
June 18, 2025
Blog Tour: MY BULLY, MY AUNT, AND HER FINAL GIFT by Harold Phifer
MY BULLY, MY AUNT, AND HER FINAL GIFT
Harold Phifer
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GENRE: Memoir
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BLURB:
AuntKathy made his childhood miserable—now her funeral might just set him free.
Inthis wickedly funny and deeply honest memoir, Harold Phifer revisits the chaosof growing up under the thumb of a domineering aunt who ruled with twistedwisdom and unpredictable wrath. As he plans her awkward memorial, Hal findshealing in the most unexpected place: her absence. My Bully, My Aunt, and HerFinal Gift is a heartfelt journey through trauma, truth, and the strange giftswe inherit from those who hurt us most.
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ExcerptThree:
Very few parishioners had vehicles, so she was an easychoice. However, accepting a ride from Aunt Kathy came at a heavy price.Passengers had to endure constant verbal assaults while present in her car.Even Jerry got involved in those character assassinations.
On one occasion, with both Jerry and me crammed in the backseat of Aunt Kathy’s Crown Victoria, along with a big basket of food, which wewere forbidden to touch, Aunt Kathy set out to pick up Deacon Hunter.
As soon as the old man settled in, Jerry wasted no timerepeating what he had gathered from Aunt Kathy prior to the lift. “You need toget your own car!”
Of course, Aunt Kathy tried to laugh it off and thenreplied, “Kids say the darndest things. I don’t know where my baby boy gotthat.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
HaroldPhifer was born in the rebellious South of Columbus, Mississippi. As a kid, heworked the streets, hustled the neighbors, and bused tables at bars he didn’tbelong in. After graduating from Caldwell High School, he went on to earndegrees from Mississippi State and Jackson State Universities. He became an AirTraffic Controller in Memphis, Tennessee, but after 23 years, he sought purposeelsewhere—working as an international contractor alongside soldiers in Iraq andAfghanistan. After narrowly escaping the Taliban takeover in 2021, he tookrefuge at Guantanamo Bay and resumed his writing while continuing his work as acontroller. In 2024, he returned to the Middle East, where he continues towrite about life, love, and the human spirit.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/harold-phifer-093b4091/
https://www.facebook.com/HaroldPhifer2024
https://www.instagram.com/haroldphifer2024/
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GIVEAWAY
HaroldPhifer will be awarding a $15 Starbucks gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 17, 2025
Blog Tour: LUCKY SECRETS by B.T. Polcari
LUCKY SECRETS
B.T. Polcari
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GENRE: Young Adult Cozy Mystery
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BLURB:
Collegestudent Sara Donovan is in the homestretch of graduating when a mysteriouspackage arrives with an invitation to an exclusive contest. One that willdrastically change the winner’s life. Included are unsettling photographs fromforgettable chapters in her life and a threatening note strongly suggesting sheparticipate.
Withno good options, Sara enters the contest and finds herself at a fabulousmansion up against eight formidable opponents, each with a dark secret and allracing to solve seven levels of riddles and puzzles.
Aftera contestant’s body is discovered, Sara contemplates dropping out when anotherpackage arrives, its chilling contents making clear she’s at the center of adangerous game with deadly consequences if she quits. But what it doesn’t sayis—what happens if she wins?
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ExcerptThree:
Karsh Azarian’s pretentious voice came from the end of thetable. “It would appear I am now the only courageous one going it alone.” Heheld a glass of red wine aloft in our direction, a smug grin splashed acrosshis stupid goateed face. “As it should be, I suppose. Fair play and what not.”
Across from me and next to Olivia Fantucci, ScooterJablonsky’s attention bounced between Karsh, Jimmy, and I. Then he pointed withhis half-full drink glass toward Frederick Volkov and Rod Toft, who were seatedon our side of the table to Azarian’s right. “Hey, Freddie boy, y’all beenquiet tonight. Whatsa matter, your contest off like a herd of turtles?”
Volkov fixed his hound-dog eyes on Scooter. “Quite thecontrary, Burl. Tell me, have you and Spencer made it out of your rooms yet, orare you still wrasslin’ with that devilish first clue?” Volkov finished with anamused laugh and clinked glasses with Toft. “Cheers, my friend.”
Scooter was about to blow when Spencer Fernsby insertedhimself in the conversation. “Frederick, throughout my career, I have seen yourkind come and go. Usually to prison for insider trading and fraud, I mightadd.” He raised a water glass to his lips. “My goodness, it would be quitedifficult to win the contest from a jail cell, don’t you think?”
Volkov jumped to his feet. Even from my vantage point, Icould see the blue vein throbbing in his forehead. “Are you threatening me,Fernsby?”
Fernsby smiled warmly, a contrast to his suddenly stone-coldblue-gray eyes. “That certainly wasn’t my intention. My respectful apologies.”
Jimmy whispered in my ear, “The plot thickens.”
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Topic: Please describe a compelling scene in this story andwhy it’s pivotal.
“Sara, her wild card best friend, Zoe, and her adorabledachshund, Mauzzy, find themselves entangled in a high-stakes contest ofwits alongside an array of distinctively portrayed contestants. Each characterbrings their own quirks and challenges to the table, keeping the competition asunpredictable as it is intense.” -CarolW, AuthorsReading
To give you a taste of the mystery and intrigue that is LuckySecrets, I’d like to share with you one of many compelling scenes in thestory as the plot unfolds, refolds, and unfolds yet again. So as not to riskany chance of a spoiler, I think the best scene to describe begins in ChapterFour, called “El Sueño,” and continues through all of Chapter Five, called “TheMeeting.”
Lucky Secrets is set outside Birmingham, Alabama, ina fabulous and sprawling mansion called El Sueño. The story opens with theprotagonist, college student and amateur sleuth Sara Donovan, receiving amysterious package from a law firm with two sealed envelopes and a jewelry boxholding a cut diamond worth fifty-thousand dollars.
The first envelope contains an invitation to an exclusivecontest that will drastically change the winner’s life for the better, with anorientation meeting being held in two days, leaving Sara little time to decide.
The second envelope contains “interesting” photos of Saraover the past two years plus two doctored photos with chilling implications.Included with the photos is an unsigned note strongly recommending sheparticipate in the contest, the message being clear: participate or suffer theconsequences.
The scene at El Sueño starts in Chapter Four when Sara andher best friend, Zoe Harp, arrive at what they call a “ritzy castle.” Thisearly part of the scene sets an atmosphere of extreme wealth and opulence withdetailed descriptions of the estate’s grounds, grand foyer, and music room,along with the butler who greets them at the door, the fussy Percy Pembarton.However, it also portends there is more than what meets the eye when an armedrefrigerator-of-a-man frisks Sara and Zoe and takes their phones before theycan enter the music room where the meeting will take place.
Chapter Five is a continuation of the scene and is pivotalbecause it introduces the reader to the contest’s lawyer, Creighton Winston,and the eight other contestants and their backgrounds; lays out the eightspecific ironclad rules of the contest, including it being an “all-or-nothingcontest” with only one winner; states the mind-boggling amount of money up forgrabs—a minimum of $500M; and provides some early interplay between the belowgroup of eclectic attendees.
Karsh Azarian,financial asset manager and billion-dollar hedge fund manager
Jessica Doerr,mortgage lender specializing in refinancing services for seniors
Sara Donovan,University of Alabama business major and recognized amateur sleuth
Jimmy Dougal,real estate agent specializing in high-end luxury properties
Olivia Fantucci, attorney specializing in largeclass-action and personal injury lawsuits
Spencer Fernsby, founder/CEO of the telecom giant,CLATEL Communications
Burl “Scooter” Jablonsky, owner of five car dealerships including twoluxury franchises
Rodney “Rod” Toft, cryptocurrency exchange investor andtechnology venture capitalist
FrederickVolkov, highlysuccessful financier, stock trader, and arbitrageur
Prior to introducing each of the contestants, CreightonWinston advises the group he has no knowledge of what is in each of theirsecond envelopes, only that the contest’s founder felt some of the people inthe room might have needed a little push to participate. As Winston puts it,every person was personally selected because each had a secret that needed toremain a secret. Especially from law enforcement. He ends with, “Since thewinner of the contest will become fabulously wealthy, it would seem, .”
By the end of the chapter, it is clear Sara is up againstpeople with unsavory yet mysterious backgrounds, even if not readily apparentfrom their appearances, who, like Sara, have been blackmailed to participate.
The question hanging in the air: Why?
Thank you so much to Sandra’s Book Club and Goddess FishPromotions for letting me share my book and thoughts with you all!
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
B.T.Polcari is a graduate of Rutgers College of Rutgers University, anaward-winning mystery author, and a proud father of two wonderful children.He’s a champion of rescue pups (Mauzzy is a rescue), craves watching footballand basketball, and, of course, loves reading mysteries. Among his favoriteauthors are Richard Osman, D.P. Lyle, Frederick Forsyth, and Michael Connelly.He is also an unapologetic fantasy football addict. He lives with his wife inscenic Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Website:http://www.btpolcari.com/
FacebookPage: https://www.facebook.com/btpolcari
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/btpolcari/
X(Twitter): https://x.com/btpolcari
GoodreadsProfile: https://www.goodreads.com/btpolcari
SignedCopies: www.btpolcari.com
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Secrets-Mauzzy-Me-Mystery/dp/1509261427/ref=sr_1_1
AppleBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/lucky-secrets/id6744645288
Barnes& Noble:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lucky-secrets-b-t-polcari/1147214891
Bookshop.org:https://bookshop.org/p/books/lucky-secrets/41569b963e658847
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GIVEAWAY
B.T.Polcari will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Blast: AMONG US by V.G. Harrison
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. V.G. Harrison will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
She's in the most dangerous place in the world.
Prof. Meridia Vail, a member of the Bridgeway Space Station, has escaped the government stronghold and is on a mission among the human population of this "new" Earth. She needs to find scientists, engineers, researchers, anyone who can help her and her crew get back to their derelict space station that has crossed over into a different dimension. The sooner the better, too. The Bridgeway is in a decaying orbit and has the potential to kill millions, if it crash lands on the planet.
Trusting anyone in this New Earth is going to be hard to come by. The authorities have branded her as a maniac who has escaped from a mental hospital. For the past five years, multiple countries have colluded in declaring no survivors from the Bridgeway Space Station incident. When Meridia's finally able to convince a university professor, Dr. Dana Haden, of who she is, Prof. Vail realizes she's not home-free yet. She has to convince the entire world who she is and expose the lies nations have been telling their citizens. Will governments be forced to free her crew so they can work the problem...or will they take their chances and nuke the station from orbit to bury their secrets?
Read an Excerpt
“Wait! Stop!” Dr. Haden grabbed the chair, but wasn’t able to yank it from my grip. She placed herself between me and the window. “What are you doing? Put this thing down.”
“He threatened you,” I replied. “I can break the glass with this and we can make it out on the ledge. I might be able to even carry you in my arms and we jump--”
“Oh my God, no.” She shook her head before smiling and motioning for me to lower the chair. “It’s okay. I swear. He’s a friend. Put the chair down; he won’t hurt us.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She eased the chair out of my hands and placed it back on the floor. A sigh released the tension from her face and shoulders. “You would’ve seriously thrown that thing and tossed me across your shoulder before jumping three stories to your death?”
“Of course. I don’t know if I would’ve come away unscathed, but I would’ve taken the chance, as you’re my only chance to get back to my space station right now.”
“Wow. That’s some friendship.”
“You’re welcome…I think.” I half-smiled.
“I’m not even sure my husband would’ve gone to those depths.” A chuckle seemed to calm her more as she made her way to the door. Her hand motioned for me to relax. “It’s just my colleague, Professor Carlin.”
She opened the door and motioned for him to enter.
About the Author:Amazon best-selling author, V.G. Harrison enjoys creating smart heroines who are more comfortable dealing with things like Fine-structure constant and quantum entanglement than the fallout from their conflict. She loves to write stories that leave her audience so engaged they can't sleep at night, thinking about the possibilities.
V.G. holds a Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering and a Masters in Information Technology. When she's not writing, she's an IT manager for software company.
Her ever-growing list of hobbies include astronomy, attending comic cons, keeping an eye on the cryptocurrency and stock markets, hydroponics gardening, hiking, and connecting with her daughter on a cool level. Building Lego sets at night with milk and cookies on the side come in handy for that.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/booksbycoletteandharrison
Bluesky: http://www.bluesky.com/vgharrison.bsky.social
Author website: http://www.vgharrison.com
Blog: https://www.vgharrison.com/blog-1
Publisher Buy Link: https://mochamemoirspress.com/product/among-us/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Among-Us-Dyson-Bridge/dp/1962353257/ref=sr_1_1
a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 16, 2025
Blog Tour: NAOMI'S IMAGINATION by Kiana, Arya, and Thea Holder
NAOMI'S IMAGINATION
Kiana, Arya, and Thea Holder
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GENRE: Picture Book
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BLURB:
Theauthors of My Beautiful Curly Hair present: Naomi's Imagination. Is a long carride the most boring thing you can imagine?
MeetNaomi, a 10-year-old girl who turns a boring car ride into an excitingadventure using her imagination. As she travels with her family, Naomidiscovers she can escape to magical places, from deep underwater scenes withcolourful mermaids to a vibrant forest and a sugary candy land.
Naomi’sImagination inspires children to explore the endless possibilities of theirminds. It's an engaging tale that encourages young readers to find joy andwonder in everyday moments through the power of imagination.
*Explore diverse and imaginative worlds
*Learn the value of creativity
*Perfect for young readers under 12
*Engage with Naomi’s colourful adventures
*Bright playful illustrations
*Readers will learn the importance of self-expression
Naomi’sImagination is an interactive book that poses questions to the reader, activelyengaging their minds. It concludes with reading comprehension questions thatthe entire family can enjoy.
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ExcerptThree:
Naomi dreams about the biggest toy store ever made filledwith all her favourite toys from large teddy bears, her favourite dollies andmany bracelets. Naomi runs down the toy aisle with the biggest smile on herface. She wants to play with all the toys.
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Review:
“Anything is possible in yourimagination!”During a long car ride, see whatcolorful and lively adventures Naomi makes up in her mind. She imagines sceneslike an underworld world, a candy land, a cupcake mountain, and a castle. Goesto show that the possibilities were endless with an imagination.
A fun read! The perfect cure toboredom. Highly recommended!
Rating:5 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
KianaHolder is a passionate author whose love for fantasy and sci-fi began in herchildhood. Her diverse and imaginative storytelling spans genres from all typesof fantasy and romance for adults to engaging tales for young readers, with astrong focus on ensuring representation for Black and Brown kids. When sheisn’t immersed in her writing, Kiana embraces the fulfilling role of being asuper mom, skillfully balancing her creative endeavours with family life. Herdedication to both her craft and her family shines through in every page shewrites.
Amazonlink: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/Kiana-Holder/author/B0DGNXRRF6
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21555549
TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@storytellingwithkiana
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/storytellingwithkiana/
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GIVEAWAY
KianaHolder will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: SEED by Shelly Campbell
SEED
Shelly Campbell
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GENRE: Horror/Dark Science Fiction
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BLURB:
Glitchingbetween dimensions wasn't supposed to be my life, but sometimes you have todance with the darkness.
Ishould be dead. Shot twice through the chest. But the Embassy saved me becauseI’m a one-of-a-kind freak who blips to worlds they can’t reach. Now I’m theirpersonal mule, raiding collapsing planets to fatten their coffers. Lucky me.
Andthings have gone from bad to worse. My old team is being held hostage, myfamily’s in danger, and the darkness hunts me across realities. My one shot toend this living hell? Take down the Embassy, save Charlie, and torch the wholerotten system. Simple, right? One misstep though, and we’re toast. Alienbreach. Apocalypse. End scene.
IfI fail, the darkness won’t stop until it swallows us whole.
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Excerpt One:
I used to beDavid.
David had a bigfamily. Wanted to join the army. Always got stuck cleaning out the soft servemachine at his after-school job because everyone else despised the chore. Butnow he’s gone and I’m all that’s left. A dead animal under glass, gutted andhastily stitched together—you know the kind where the taxidermist didn’t getthe eyes quite right? That’s me. Sad display in an Embassy trophy case.
But I’m notjust for show. My captors use me well.
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How is your book different from any other book in thisgenre?
Oof. That question hits me right in the feels. What authordoesn’t want their book to feel different from any other in its genre?We all want to stand out and create something unique. Perhaps you’ve heard thephrase ‘There is nothing new in art.’ That can be a discouraging pill for acreative soul to swallow, because it implies that everything has been donebefore, and there is nothing truly new or unique about your stories.
Hang on though.
Did you know that the entire quote by Anton Chekhov isactually ‘There is nothing new in art except talent.’ Now that’s moreheartening.
What makes Seed, book three in the Dark Walker seriesdifferent from any other book in the horror sci-fi genre? Well, I wrote it. Noother horror novels out there have my voice and style. I’m certainly not sayingthat I have more talent than any other author—I’m always learning. WhatI am saying is that we all have different talents as authors. Mine arewriting stories that are a bit genre-bending. They don’t quite fit into onebox. Readers have also told me that my work is very emotional, heart-breakingat times, and full of deep characterization.
So, in Seed, you’re not just going to get a horror/sci-firead that’s entirely plot or technology driven. I deeply believe that I need tomake you care about my main character, or you won’t care to read on. If I do myjob right, my characters will feel relatable and easy to cheer for, and when Iput them into awful situations—which happens frequently—you're hopefully goingto be so deep into this journey with them that they feel real, and you wantthem to survive this because you care about them.
I’ve been told that Seed is a full-throttle finale thattakes you places—both emotionally and physically—that you’ll never expect. Itexplores the ideas of invisibility, helplessness, and big family dynamics—butthere’s also cosmic monsters, alien breaches and apocalyptic stakes. If thatsounds up your alley, I’d love if you gave the Dark Walker trilogy a try.
Thanks so much for having me on the blog!
Shelly Campbell
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ata young age, Shelly Campbell wanted to be an air show pilot or a pirate,possibly a dragon and definitely a writer and artist. She’s piloted a Cessna172 through spins and stalls, and sailed up the east coast on a tall shipbarque—mostly without projectile vomiting. In the end, Shelly found writing anddrawing dragons to be so much easier on the stomach. Shelly writes speculativefiction ranging from grimdark fantasy, to sci-fi and horror. She’d love to hearfrom you.
http://www.shellycampbellauthorandart.com
https://twitter.com/ShellyCFineArt
https://www.instagram.com/shellycampbellfineart
https://www.facebook.com/shellycampbellauthorandart
https://www.tiktok.com/@shellycampbellauthor
https://www.amazon.com/Seed-interdimensional-Science-Fiction-Horror-ebook/dp/B0F79Q1GML/ref=sr_1_1
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GIVEAWAY
ShellyCampbell will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 15, 2025
Review: SAFELY ENDANGERED COMICS by Chris McCoy
Just funny, little comics!
“Your prostate feels healthy.”
“Thanks, Doctor!”
“Doctor?”
What a riot!
Most of them were witty andhilarious, but, of course, some I didn’t get. When Billy was allergic to thedog, they decide to get rid of it—Billy, of course!
Cute, crude, and so funny!
Rating:4 stars
Review: DOODLES FROM BOOGIEDOWN by Stephanie Rodriguez
I loved the cute and colorfulillustrations! Of course, most of the text was too small to read, so I had toput together the basis of the story through the pictures. Basically, we have ayoung Latina kid that wants to be an artist. The pop music culture brought meback to the 90’s and early 2000’s. In this story, Stephanie learns that art canbe a career. If only her mom would consider letting her go to art school. Thisis a cute coming-of-age story.
Rating:3 stars
Review: THE COOL CODE by Deirdre Langeland
Zoey, a computer coder whiz, had asecret weapon for her first time at a real school. It was called the Cool Code,a computer app that helped you to be cool. Of course, her first day at schooldoesn’t go so smoothly. The app asked who she wanted to impress. EVERYONE!Okay, let’s try again.
It was funny how that little sheepapp on her shoulder was on her case about everything. Hey, he was there to helpher be cool, right? Zoey always had to work out the kinks on this app.
As far as school went, it seemedlike she just wasn’t fitting in…until she got to the coding club. Together, thethree members of the club work on improving the Cool Code App. It was mostly alot of research and testing. But it would seem that they created a monster withthe new A.I. technology because the new app was bossy, demanding, andcontrolling. It controlled everything! Sending texts and ordering pizzaswithout your okay? That’s A.I. scary!
The Cool Code was making Zoey’slife miserable. Such funny situations! Then Zoey realizes that you don’t need acode to be cool. A good read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: PAWS: GABBY GETS IT TOGETHER by Michelle Assarasakorm and Nathan Fairbairn
Text was too small to read and Icouldn’t zoom in to see it better either, which I hate, so I only really hadthe pictures to go by. Trying to get the story with the pics was not easy, eventhough the illustrations were nice. There’s too much going on in the picturesand panels to understand anything. I just couldn’t get a grasp here. Couldn’tread.
Rating:2 stars
