Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 44

Blog Tour: MY WAY HOME by Holly Heaton

 

Join us for this tour from Oct 21 to Nov 15, 2024!

Book Details:

​Book Title:  MY WAY HOME by Holly Heaton
Category:  Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7),  32 pages
Genre: Children's Fiction
Publisher: Holly Heaton
Release date:  August 11, 2024
Formats Available for Review: print-softback (USA and Canada) and ebook (MOBI for Kindle and PDF) internationally. 
Tour dates: Oct 21 to Nov 15, 2024
Content Rating:  G: The book follows Kit on a whirlwind of an adventure trying to reclaim a precious item and return it home all while facing external dangers.

Book Description:

​Enter the hidden realm of the Little Folk and follow Kit on a thrilling adventure. Can he reclaim an object precious to his people and return home to the Hollow Chestnut? Using his wits and environment, Kit embarks on this miniature odyssey through a lushly illustrated world.
Buy the Book:
Amazon 
add to Goodreads~~~

Review: Who says a small boy can’t have abig adventure? Well, that’s exactly what happens when a tiny lad encounters agiant fox trying to steal their acorns and crystals. Can he reclaim what thefox stole? Such a brave and innovative boy!

The illustrations were colorfuland lovely! I was just so captivated by the natural and artistic rendition.

Goes to show that you don’t haveto be big to be brave. But even with his grand adventure, he still sees thatthere’s no place like home and family. A wonderfully crafted tale!

Rating:5 stars

Meet the Author:

Whether through pictures, words, or her dad’s castoff camcorder, Holly has spent her life telling stories. She can usually be found chasing exciting bits of history and spending time with her husband, sons, and dog, Wesser, in metro Atlanta.
​
connect with author: instagram ~ goodreadsSocial Media Links: Facebook:  @acornsireadbooktours
Instagram:  @holly.h.heaton  and   @iReadBookTours
BookBub:  @laurenireadbooktours
Pinterest:  @iReadBookTours
Twitter:   @iReadBookTours
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/50871728.Holly_Heaton
Tour Schedule:

Oct 7 - @michellegodardricherauthor – book shout out
Oct 21 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 21 - @this.human.reads * – book review
Oct 21 - @savor.your.reads * - book review
Oct 21 - @acourtofspinesnpages *- book review
Oct 21 - @book_withquotes * - book review
Oct 21 - @adriftinfictionalworld - book review
Oct 22 - Faith And Books - book review / giveaway
Oct 22 - @adeela_books * – book review
Oct 22 - @bearyintobooks * - book review
Oct 23 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / guest post / giveaway
Oct 24 – @bookscape__ * - book review
Oct 24 - My Reading Getaway - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Oct 25 – Library Lady's Kid Lit – book review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 25 - @bookameme * – book review
Oct 25 - @enjoyingbooksagain - book review 
Oct 28 – Books for Books- book spotlight
Oct 29 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / guest post / giveaway
Oct 30 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
Oct 31 – @thisreadergirl * - book review
Nov 1 – Liese's Blog – book spotlight
Nov 4 – @Leannebookstagram – book review
Nov 5 – @onceuponamaltesereader * - book review
Nov 6 – Reading is My Passion – book review / giveaway
Nov 6 - @michellegodardricherauthor * – book review
Nov 7 – @nissa_the.bookworm * - book review
Nov 7 - Older & Smarter?- book review / author interview / giveaway
Nov 7 - A Mama's Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
Nov 8 – FUONLYKNEW – book review / guest post / giveaway
Nov 9 - @jilljemmett * – book review
Nov 10 - @readsandmusic * – book review
Nov 11 – Sandra's Book Club – book review
Nov 12 – China Sorrows – book review / giveaway
Nov 12 - @kiv_coffeeandpages * - book review
Nov 13 – Kim's Book Reviews and writing Aha's – book review / giveaway
Nov 13 - @mariareadsfiction * - book review
Nov 14 – @onceuponafrida * - book review
Nov 14 - @alwaysreadingxo * - book review
Nov 15 - icefairy's Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
Nov 15 - @whatsenalireads * - book review
Nov 15 - @speedreadstagram * - book reviewEnter the Giveaway:

MY WAY HOME by Holly Heaton Book Tour Giveaway

Blog Tour: THE TRUE ADVENTURER by Robyn Singer

 

THE TRUE ADVENTURER

Robyn Singer

 

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GENRE:  Science Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

LaylaN’gwa is finally free to attend art school and live a life of peace. She’ssipping spinach smoothies in the quad with her new friends, attending protestsagainst the ongoing war, and studying to fulfill her dream of becoming a greatglassblower.

 

Layla’sformer friend, Kaya Langstone Bythora-the boy-band-loving cyborg princess ofthe Cykebian Empire-has embraced being evil since killing Yael, and now acts asthe ultimate sword of her mother, Empress Molina. With Kaya’s help, her motherwill become the absolute ruler of the universe by winning the war with theUtozin Authority. Kaya wishes she wasn’t doomed to be a monster but feelsresigned to her fate and just seeks acceptance from her only friend, Layla.

 

Laylaloves her new life, but she can’t stand back and watch as Kaya is used as aweapon and her old professor conquers planet after planet. As a war rages withthe fate of all life in the balance, Layla and Kaya find themselves on oppositesides. Kaya may be the most powerful cyborg ever designed, but Layla has somenew tricks up her sleeve. Has absolute order snuffed out all freedom, or isthere still room among the stars for a little chaos? Only together can Laylaand Kaya find the answer.

 

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

“What’s our ETA, General?”

 

“We should be reaching Caldey-Cocoon’s atmosphere intwentyfive minutes, Princess.”

 

I twirled my hair around my finger. “Splendid.”

 

The voyage from Cykeb had been peaceful. I’d had ample timeto listen to music and shop for art in my room, torture the prisoners I’dbrought along with me in the brig, and take advantage of the other amenities myship offered.

 

The Winjolla, named after my departed, beloved aunts, wassecond only to my mothers’ flagship, Ricochet Supreme, in terms of grandeur.2400 meters in diameter, it was crewed by a staff of 15,000, all of whom I wasfree to terrorize to my heart’s content, with 30,000 ground troops also livingon board.

 

I’d gotten to design every aspect of my ship, from itsweaponry, which was capable of leveling small continents, to its torturechamber, which I prided myself on being the most nightmarish chamber of horrorsever devised—putting even Mother’s past works to shame—to its spa, swimmingpool, light squash court, juice bar, and karaoke studio.

 

The only thing my ship lacked was someone to enjoy all ofthis with, but my mothers rarely ever left the palace, and there was no oneelse worthy of my time. I’d tried forcing some of my lessers to have fun withme in the past, but the only enjoyable parts of those experiences had been whenI‘d blown their brains out. Being better than and above everyone else couldreally suck.

 

On the bright side, I was almost 14. In just over one year,I’d be allowed to make the members of EZ Street my personal concubines. ThenI’d never be lonely again.

 

Plus, the highlight of these trips was always thedestination, not the journey. As the crown princess of The Holy CykebianEmpire, and the most advanced cyborg in existence, I had the honor of servingas my mothers’ ultimate sword. If a rebellion took place that our soldierscouldn’t quash themselves, or if initial conquest was met with more resistancethan initially anticipated, I was deployed to handle it. I never failed mymothers. I never would.

 

“Princess, we’ve arrived.”

 

Grinning from ear to ear, I rose from my chair in the centerof the bridge. “Beam me down. I’ll let you know when to deploy the troopsacross the planet’s surface.”

 

“Yes, Princess. Understood, Princess.”

 

My helmsman did as he was told and a moment later, I wasstanding in the middle of Caldey-Cocoon’s capital city: Jeradoth.

 

The blood-red sky matched the dirt beneath my boots. Theirarchitecture was cylindrical, all of their buildings the same sickening shadeof green. The air stank of cold macaroni and cheese. From what I’d read, theironly major export was middle- quality feathers.

 

I’d only been here five seconds, but I couldn’t fathom whatabout this pathetic world its people treasured so much that they wouldn’t wantto be a part of the empire. It wasn’t as if I was complaining, though. If everyworld submitted immediately, I’d never get to have any fun.

 

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What Did You Like Best About Writing This Bookand Why?

 

I started writing thefirst book in The Ricochet Trilogy, “The Sunrisers,” in November 2020. I’dgraduated from college earlier in the year and, since Covid was preventing mefrom finding stable work, I was taking my best crack at using the time I had availableto me to become an author. During that time, I wrote four unrelated novels, and“The Sunrisers” was the only one to find a home, with Cinnabar Moth. I had thetime of my life writing my cute and fun space opera romance, and was beyondthrilled when I found out I was going to be a published author.

By the time I wasable to start working in earnest on the final book in the trilogy, my newrelease, “The True Adventurer,” it was Spring 2023, and my life had changed alot. I’d moved from New York to Seattle, I now had a day job, the drama goingon in my personal life would be worthy of its own novel, and it was becomingincreasingly clear to me that I was never going to have as much time to writeas I had previously, and I was never going to be able to write while soperfectly relaxed again. It was also clear to me that my mental health wassuffering, which made it even harder to write. For several months, despitehaving a clear outline, writing “The True Adventurer” felt impossible, and Imade incredibly slow progress.

The best part ofwriting “The True Adventurer” was figuring out what I needed to do to make itwork. I tossed out my originally outlined third act, and embraced the emotionsswirling through me. I embraced the pain I was in, I embraced the struggles inmy own relationships, and I embraced my fear that this would be the last book Iwould ever write, and I rewrote the story to capture these feelings, and tiethem into the trilogy’s themes, and the character’s arcs. “The True Adventurer”is a space opera filled with fantastical concepts, but it’s also the most realstory I was capable of writing. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

RobynSinger is a lifelong New Yorker, and since she was a kid playing with heraction figures, all she’s wanted to do is tell stories. She went to SUNYPurchase to get a degree in Playwriting & Screenwriting with a minor inFilm and has produced several comic books, but she’s always had her eye onbecoming a published novelist.

 

Asan Autistic, bisexual trans woman, diversity and inclusion in stories arevitally important to her, and she seeks to represent as many groups as possiblein her work. While she wants to show characters of marginalized groupsexperiencing joy, she also draws inspiration from real-world problems whichbother her.

 

TheSunrisers was her debut novel. The Order of the Banshee is book 2 in the TheRicochet Trilogy. Robyn was the author in residence for the first quarter of2022 for Cinnabar Moth Literary Collections. She writes novels and shortstories of all genres and for all ages, and she continues to produce comicbooks. Her ongoing series, Final Gamble, began publication by Band of Bards in2022.

 

AmazonAuthor Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Robyn-Singer/author/B0BCVQ8JJ6

PublisherAuthor Page: https://cinnabarmoth.com/robyn-singer/

 

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GIVEAWAY 

Theauthor will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: THE RIVER GIRLS by Melinda Woodhall

 

A frightened girl shows up at thesafe house and then disappears.

 

Ever since her sister’s violentmurder at the hands of her abusive husband, Eden has made it her mission tohelp these victims and somehow this mysterious girl, especially when the bodyof a teenage girl washes up on the river. Was it Star, the mysterious girl thatwalked into the shelter, or Jess, the missing girl reported by her incarceratedmother? It was Jess, which meant that Star was still out there and still neededhelp with a gang that was after her and a deranged killer on the loose.

 

Can Eden, along with a defenseattorney find Star before she becomes the next River Girl?

 

The River Girls were definitelypiling up and it seemed unstoppable. Right away, this grabs you, piquing yourinterest. There were some slow sections in which characters relay their ownpersonal dark demons, but it was good to see what motivated them. An even morepressing matter arises when they kidnap Eden’s niece. Will her niece be next?

 

A good and thrilling read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: WRONG EXIT by N.L. Hinkens

 

It all started with a 2-pal roadtrip from L.A. to N.Y. On one of the first few stops, Cara and Adele find astowaway in their car. The runaway girl talks about an abusive boyfriend thatmay have killed someone. Oh, great! Just what the girls needed, right? RoadRule #1: Never pick up a hitchhiker. I would not be giving a total stranger aride to TN. No way! Soon, all 3 gals take a wrong exit.

“One of us won’t survive this roadtrip. It’s kill or be killed.”

The whole trip becomes a ride ofparanoia—one scary mess of speculations over the whereabouts of the stowaway.And now they have the police and the stalker boyfriend on their tail. Geez!

“One wrong exit led to murder.”

I kind of had my suspicious aboutone of the key players here (and I was kind of right about it,) but I was stillsurprised about the revelation in the end. A good thrilling read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: SHE DIDN’T FALL by Rowen Chambers

 

It all began at Blair’s 40thbirthday party with her friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Her marriage was inturmoil, her daughter was a moody and rebellious teen, and her fat neighbor hada bad attitude toward everyone. Then someone pushes her down the stairs. Shedidn’t fall.

 

Blair wakes up in the hospitalwith no memory of what happened. As soon as she gets back to work, she gets anote saying “I know what you did with him.” With who? And who sent this?

 

The diary prose was kind of slowas Blair mostly questions the so-called accident as she works through all thedrama and construction at her real estate job. It’s kind of hard and not thatinteresting if all we had to go by of what happened were Blair’s spotty memoryand scattered eye-witness recollections of neighbors and colleagues. After awhile, you almost really don’t care who pushed her down the stairs.

 

Eh, an okay read. Not toothrilling.

 

Rating:3 stars

Review: SOME DAYS ARE DARK by Miranda Smith

 

Everyone knew her as thehusband-killer, and, even though there was a new suspect, she couldn’t shakeoff that image.

 

Story begins by reliving Olivia’sfirst marriage and how she would meet her future dead husband. In the present,new evidence revealed that the homeless guy did NOT kill Olivia’s husband,re-opening the case. Now, it was a hunt for the real killer.

 

It takes a while to get into thestory, especially when re-hashing the past, but you do get into it. Olivia wasbattling with several elements on top of possibly being a murder suspect againand the killer still being out there. This includes being separated from herson, contending with an ex-husband, and battling out with a new wife. Thepressing question was: who really killed Dane? Always the person you leastexpect.

 

A good read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: ALL-NIGHT PARTY by R.L. Stine

 

This had a slow start as all thekids were setting up for the all-night party. Getting into the kids’ personaldrama didn’t help any either. What’s up? Why was this so slow? What was takingso long for somebody to die already? Too disappointing!

 

Rating:1 star

Review: DEAD SPRINT by Caroline Fardig

 

This had a slow beginning with allthe talk about running. Those athletes can really make it boring. Eventually,we stumble upon the body of a dead runner. Eh, this one was just not as good asthe last 2 books. Too boring!

 

Rating:1 star

Blog Tour: SUPERFICIAL by Diane Billas

SUPERFICIAL

Diane Billas

 

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GENRE:  Young Adult Superhero

 

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BLURB:

 

Embarkon a thrilling adventure with Lea and Jake as they navigate the unexpectedtwists and turns at the biggest superhero fan convention of the year. When Leafinds herself trapped in an elevator during the event with superstar Jake, alsoknown as The Amazing Boy, they realize something sinister is afoot. Witheveryone at the convention frozen, including Lea's friends, Lea and Jake mustteam up to unravel the mystery behind the villainous acts plaguingPhiladelphia. As they race against time, Lea grapples with whom to trust, whileJake uncovers startling truths about his own identity. A pulse-pounding journeyfilled with friendship, betrayal, and the ultimate quest for justice, will Leaand Jake save the day, or will supervillains prevail? Dive into this grippingtale that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

JAKE

 

I’ve been trained for situations like this when I’m stuckwith a civilian during a mission. I’m supposed to keep playing The Amazing Boy,clear her memory, and continue along like nothing’s happened, but this timeeverything is different. The Agent is nowhere to be found to give me a missionreport and he’s usually the one who takes care of the memories. I need all thehelp I can get right now, but I don’t know how much this girl can actuallysupport me. She’s already tripped over a clearly marked extension cord.

 

That’s when we hear it. The kind of boom where your earscontinue to ring minutes after it sounds. Even the floor keeps vibrating.

 

“This must’ve been the diversion. Come on, people might needsaving,” I say, grabbing Lea’s hand. And now I really need to go be The AmazingBoy.

 

She’s in some sort of trance but once I grab her hand, shewakes up from wherever her brain was living.

 

“What’s happening, Jake? Are we in a movie right now?” Ifshe thinks that, I’m not going to say otherwise, because she’s not wrong, shejust doesn’t realize that it’s different from how other movies are made.

 

“This is going to sound crazy, but we need to go to whereverthat boom occurred and see if there is anything we can do. I can’t explaineverything to you but please trust me. I know things seem out of sorts rightnow and I’m being a completely different person, but I ask you this, if yourlife was in danger, would you trust The Amazing Boy?” I ask, looking Lea squarein the face.

 

Her baby blue eyes stare right back at me, full of terror.

 

“Like if The Amazing Boy was real? Absolutely.”

 

“Okay, just keep holding onto that thought and follow me.”

 

 

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Review: Imagine being stuck in an elevatorat a comic-con convention with a grumpy movie star. Well, they say imagining itwould be preferable. But what if the actor that played a superhero in themovies turns out to be an actual real-life superhero? Suddenly, Lea is thrustinto a mission to save a museum artifact and hunt down a super villain. Littledid she know that this was actually real and NOT a movie. Well, what do youknow…superheroes were real after all.

I was naturally drawn to this funadventure! I enjoyed the witty and funny narrative. This was a very cool andunique read! It was surprising how Jake’s powers didn’t always work in realtime and were always exaggerated in the movies. A superhero without powers? Nowthere’s a first. This read was like being in your own very own geeky superheromovie. Way cool!

As you read on, you find that thisvillain was not just stealing one artifact, but several. And for what? That wasthe mystery to find out. Jake and Lea made a wonderful duo. And, in the midstof this mission, they still manage to chat freely and get to know each other,sparking genuine romantic interest.

Light, witty, and full ofadventure, this read was easy and quick to get into. An exciting, high-flyin’adventure you can’t wait to sink into! Great for superhero fans. The ending wascertainly not what you’d expect.

Rating:5 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

DianeBillas currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and son. When she’s notwriting she can be found reading multiple books at once, performing the Frenchhorn or piano, or dreaming of the next country she’s going to visit.

 

DoesLove Always Win? is her debut novel, which released June 2023 from CreativeJames Media. This book was drawn from Diane’s personal experiences as a queerindividual who has struggled throughout life being comfortable identifying andexpressing herself. Diane wrote the book she wished was available to her whenshe was in high school.

 

Website: https://dianebillas.com

 Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dianebillaswrites

Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/dianebillas

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/dianebillas

TikTok:http://www.tiktok.com/dianebillas

 

Photographercredit

SamRodriguez

S.R.WeddingStory

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

Theauthor will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: AFTER THE RED CARPET by Patricia Leavy

 

AFTER THE RED CARPET

Patricia Leavy

 

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GENRE:  Contemporary Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Forfans of Tessa Bailey and Hannah Grace, After the Red Carpet is a feel-good,contemporary celebrity romance about what happens after the fairy-talebeginning as two lovers work toward their own true meaning of “happily everafter.”

 

Afterlegendary Hollywood star Finn Forrester proposed to philosopher Ella Sinclairon the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, the couple captivated the pressand public with their real-life fairy tale. Now they vow to prioritize theirromance and live an adventure of their own making. Ella moves into Finn’sBeverly Hills mansion and must adjust to his world. Finn, secretly afraid oflosing Ella, is determined to make everything perfect for his betrothed.Meanwhile, Ella wants nothing more than to retain her own identity as theybuild their new life together. All the while, she is writing a philosophicaltreatise on love, exploring the question: when we love so deeply, where do weend and where does the other begin?

 

Inthis highly anticipated follow-up to The Location Shoot, will Ella and Finnfinally live the life they’ve dreamed of? See how their epic romance unfolds,after the red carpet.

 

 

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ExcerptThree:

 

Finn and Ella strolled down the long red carpet at the famedRoyal Albert Hall, arm in arm behind the rest of the Celebration team.

 

“Somehow I’ve never been here before,” Finn said.

 

“Well, you’re in for a treat. It’s extraordinary inside.Concerts here are wonderful.”

 

“I’ll have to get us tickets sometime.”

 

“Funny story about how this place came to be. Prince Albertwanted to create a hall to celebrate the arts and sciences, to bring culture tothe people. He died before it was completed, and Queen Victoria insisted itshould be named after him. They even wove the letter A into the stairwayrailings. Then of course she had that obscenely pricey, gold memorial statuecreated outside, across the road from the hall. She spent the rest of her lifewearing black, to show her deep mourning.”

 

“She must have really loved him.”

 

Ella shrugged.

 

“What?” Finn asked.

 

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure she did love him, in her ownway, but perhaps it would have meant more to simply realize his vision. Hewanted this place to be about the arts, not about him. Love isn’t about goldstatues or opulence. The grandest gesture is seeing someone for who they areand honoring what’s important to them.”

 

 

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Topic:  Please describe acompelling scene in your story and why it's important.

 

After the Red Carpet is the secondnovel that follows Ella and Finn. In the first book, The Location Shoot,the two fall madly in love on a film set in Sweden—Finn is a Hollywood moviestar and Ella is a free-spirited philosopher who is close friends with thedirector. Finn is all in from the start and wants to spend his life with Ella.She’s terrified of commitment. While there is ultimately a happy ending, she endsthings with Finn, breaking his heart and her own. In After the Red Carpet,Ella is ready to commit to Finn. She moves into his Beverly Hills mansion sothey can build a life together. However, Finn is secretly terrified of losingher again. It all comes to a head in a scene in which Finn breaks down, shareshis fears, and his regrets over his role in their breakup. I think it’s areally beautiful, tender scene about taking responsibility and how difficultlove can be. It becomes a major turning point in the book. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

PatriciaLeavy, PhD, is an award-winning, best-selling author. She was formerlyAssociate Professor of Sociology, Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology,and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College. She has publishedmore than forty books; her work has been translated into many languages, andshe has received more than one hundred book honors. Her last novel, TheLocation Shoot, was featured on Ms. Career Girl‘s “10 Perfect Books to Get YourFall Reading List Started” and was the 2023 Firebird Book Awards 1st PlaceWinner in 4 categories: Contemporary Novel, Pop Culture Fiction, Romance andSummer Beach Read. Patricia has also received career awards from the NewEngland Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the AmericanEducational Research Association, the International Congress of QualitativeInquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honoredby the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the“Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” Patricia lives in Maine. Inaddition to writing, she enjoys art, reading, and travel.

 

BuyLink:https://www.amazon.com/After-Red-Carpet-Patricia-Leavy-ebook/dp/B0D3FJGP55/ref=sr_1_2

Website:https://patricialeavy.com/

 

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GIVEAWAY 

PatriciaLeavy will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway