Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 109

BOOK'D IN BURBANK - FOR L.A. BOOK LOVERS!

I will be appearing at the Book'd In Burbank event later this month along with 5 other awesome YA authors! This is an intimate and really fun event for book lovers of all ages.  If you're anywhere near Los Angeles, I hope to see you there! Here are the details:

Book'd In Burbank
July 24th 8:00-9:30pm
Theater Banshee - 3435 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank CA
http://www.bookdevent.com/

BOOK REVIEW: TOMORROW WENDELL by R.M. Ridley

TOMORROW WENDELL
R.M. Ridley
Xchyler Publishing
Adult Horror/Fantasy


When predictions tell Wendell Courtney he's going to die, he turns to the one man he hopes can help. Johnathan Alvey's no stranger to the strange. But, unlike the private investigator's run-of-the-mill zombie cases, he can find no trace of magic around Wendell, and no hint of an adversary. Alvey certainly has magic and wits enough to solve the mystery, but is his offering to the insatiable dragon black sufficient, or is Wendell truly destined to die?
MY REVIEW:

R.M. Ridley is a writing force to be reckoned with, that is for certain. Tomorrow Wendell is a superbly written blend of horror and noir, reading much like Daschiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon only with plenty black magic and gore mixed in for good measure.
I found that I couldn't stop turning the pages, each scene flowed so flawlessly into the next. The descriptions are vivid, the characters completely solid, and the plot engaging. The ending was a tad of a let down, but not because of any flaw in the story or writing, but because, of course, I would have liked to have things end a bit...differently. But all in all,  Tomorrow Wendell will make a worthy addition to any summer TBR list.


CONTENT RATING:

Profanity:  Mild
Sexuality:  None
Violence:  High
Substance Abuse:  Moderate

BOOK REVIEW: VENGEANCE by Megan Miranda

VENGEANCE
Megan Miranda
Walker & Co.
352 pp.
Ages 14 - 18

Nobody really believes in a curse. Until you know the people who disappear. Too much coincidence, you look for reason. Too much death, you grasp for something to blame. Carson pulled Delaney out and he died on the side of the road with her mouth pressed to his. Her air in his body. Troy. She told the cops it was suicide. Didn't matter. The lake released her and grabbed another. But when Decker's father dies in a pool of spilled water on their kitchen floor, all Decker can feel is a slow burning rage. Because he knows that Delaney knew that his dad was going to die. She knew and backed out of his house and never said a word. Falcon Lake still has a hold on them both, and Decker can't forgive Delaney until he knows why.
MY REVIEW:

I loved Miranda's debut novel, Fracture, a chilling story about a girl, Delaney, who can sense when someone is about to die. Vengeance is the sequel, told from Delaney's boyfriend, Decker's POV. Their little group of friends have come to believe Falcon Lake is cursed. The lake is where Delaney almost drowned the year before, where her adversary, Troy did drown. And of course there have been other deaths including Carson, who was once part of the gang.
When new girl and her ailing mother move into town, strange things start happening to Decker, things he takes as evidence of the curse.
I didn't get pulled into this story as strongly as I did Fracture. Most of the story was about Decker and Delaney's on again/off again relationship. But I did enjoy the tension, the mystery, and the realistic depiction of the teenage relationships. The story is well-written and at about half way, the pace really picked up. The nice thing about Vengeance is that while it is a sequel, I think it easily stands alone. Of course, I would highly recommend reading Fracture first simply because it's such a great story.


CONTENT RATING:

Profanity:  High
Sexuality:  Moderate
Violence:  Mild

CONTACT IS HERE!!!

The big day is finally here! My newest novel, CONTACT, goes on sale today! Yippee!!! At present, it is available for Kindle, but will soon be available for Nook and in paperback as well.



To celebrate, LadyAmbers Reviews is hosting a blog tour all over the internet. As part of the tour I am giving away a very cool CONTACT PROMO PACK, including:

1 - CONTACT Mug
1 - Box Starbucks Hot Cocoa Mix
1- Les Miserables French Conceptual Album CD

Enter the giveaway on the Rafflecopter form below. The winner will be selected on July 22nd.(U.S. Residents only, please.) The complete tour dates/locations are below. Thanks so much!

And please tell a friend!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: ContactAuthor: Laurisa White Reyes        Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Expected Release Date: June 23rd, 2014
Publisher: Hallowed Ink Press

Blurb:
 It takes only half a second…
 …Like those commercials where a crash test dummy rockets forward at high speed and slams into a wall.
…In that instant, every thought in Emma Lynn Walsh’s head collides with mine—every thought, memory, hope, disappointment and dream.
…I open my eyes to see Dr. Walsh peering at me, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Let—go—of—me,” I order though clenched teeth.
Mira wants to die. She’s attempted suicide twice already, and failed. Every time she comes in contact with another person, skin to skin, that person’s psyche uploads into hers. While her psychologist considers this a gift, for Mira, it’s a curse from which she cannot escape.


To make matters worse, Mira’s father is being investigated in the deaths of several volunteer test subjects of a miracle drug. Shortly after Mira’s mother starts asking questions, she ends up in a coma. Although her father claims it was an accident, thanks to her “condition” Mira knows the truth…but proving it just might get her killed!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707931-contact

Goodreads


6/24Fairiechick's Fantasy Book Reader (Promo)http://www.fantasybookreader.net/ Emma Michaels' Blogwww.EmmaMichaels.com 6/25Crazy Beautiful Reviews (Promo & Excerpt)http://crazybeautifulreviews.blogspot.com Julie Musil (GP & Review)http://juliemusil.blogspot.com 6/26Bookworm for Kids (Review)http://www.bookwormforkids.blogspot.com Fun With Books Blog (Review)http://stephsfunwithbooks.blogspot.ca/ 6/27Indie Authors, Books, and More  (Review)http://indieauthorsbooksandmore.blogspot.com/ Mikey Brooks (Review)http://writtenbymikey.blogspot.com/ 6/28LL Hunter (Review & Excerpt) Book Talk Reviews (Review)http://www.michelle808205.blogspot.com/ S&S Writing (Review)
http://sstwriting.blogspot.com/ 6/29Brenda's Blog (Promo & Excerpt)http://www.brenda-sparks.com/blog.html Tammy's tea time (Review)http://www.tammysteatime.blogspot.com 6/30Word to Dreams (Promo & Excerpt)http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com Sheryl Hartwell (Review)
http://sherahart.blogspot.com 7/1Paperback Cowgirl (Review)http://paperbackcowgirl.blogspot.com/?m=1 7/2BookGroupies (Promo &  Excerpt)http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com/ 7/3Deausha And Kittys YA Book Blog (Review & Excerpt)https://www.facebook.com/pages/Deausha-Kittys-YA-Book-Blog/709258539116151 7/4Jazzy Reviews  (Dream Cast)http://jazzyreviewzz.blogspot.com/ 

EUPHOR YA SCAVENGER HUNT

BOOK REVIEW: AWAKENING OF THE DESERT by Julius C. Birge

AWAKENING OF THE DESERT
Julius C. Birge
312 pp.
Historical Non-fiction

Written in 1912 by Julius Birge, The Awakening of the Desert describes an 1866 wagon train trip taken during "the bloody years on the plains." Recounting the risks of traveling the area surrounding the Oregon Trail, the author faithfully depicts the virgin environment, Native American tribes and abundant wildlife in words that now seem more timely than ever. From Red Cloud going on the warpath, to Mormon services where Brigham Young preached, to the legendary Buffalo Bill, Birge happened upon events, places and people whose significance was revealed with time. Late in his life, understanding the importance of what he had witnessed, he wrote The Awakening of the Desert
An introduction by the author's great-granddaughter sets the stage and makes it easy for the reader to track the arduous journey and understand its purpose. It also provides details of Birge's life before and after the trip, bringing additional interest to his memoir, which has been regarded as an important cultural work for more than a century.
Lovers of nature, students of history and those traveling through the American West today will appreciate this vivid, lyrical and often humorous recollection.
MY REVIEW:
I was given a copy of this book by the author's great grand daughter, Barbara Birge, who thankfully saw the value in resurrecting this brilliant historical account of the post-Civil War American wilderness. Though originally published in 1912, this story is as relevant and enjoyable today as it was a century ago, possibly more so.
Writing 50 years after he traveled by wagon train across the undeveloped prairies of the western territories, Birge provides first hand insight into the natural habitat of early American wildlife and the native American peoples. He discusses the contribution of the Mormon Pioneers to the development of the west, of the tragic destruction of the Buffalo, and the mistreatment of the Indians by the American government. He witnessed the laying of the first transcontinental railroad, and describes in sometimes humorous ways his experiences traveling on foot, by horse, wagon and stagecoach.
I loved every page, every word of this magnificent tale! It should be added to school curricula throughout the country. He laments at the end of the book, again written in 1912, that most of what he wrote about, what he'd witnessed in 1866, has now vanished, replaced by developing downs and transportation lines. Reading this today I can't help but feel a sense of loss knowing that even his world a century ago has vanished, too.
I cannot recommend Awakening of the Desert enough. Read it. It is wonderful. It has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf.


CONTENT RATING:
Profanity:  NoneViolence:  ModerateSexuality:  None

WORLD OF INK INTERVIEW

To hear my interview with Marsha Casper Cook, visit the link below. We talked about the challenges of markets middle grade books.

Current Writing Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with WorldOfInkNetwork on BlogTalkRadioCurrent Writing Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with WorldOfInkNetwork on BlogTalkRadio

RADIO INTERVIEW MONDAY

If you're free Monday morning at 9am PST, please tune in to Blog Talk Radio. I'll be interviewed by Marsha Casper Cook about my new book CONTACT. Listeners will be able to call in with questions.

My sister-in-law and author of THE EMERALD RING, Dorine White, may also be joining us, as will  Peggy Porter Tierney of Tanglewood Press.  Here is the link for more information on how to listen:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2014/06/16/a-good-story-is-a-good-story-host-marsha-casper-cook

BOOK REVIEW: A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS by Catherine Linka

A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS
Catherine Linka
St. Martin's Press
368 pp.
Ages 13 - 18

Avie Reveare has the normal life of a privileged teen growing up in L.A., at least as normal as any girl’s life is these days. After a synthetic hormone in beef killed fifty million American women ten years ago, only young girls, old women, men, and boys are left to pick up the pieces. The death threat is past, but fathers still fear for their daughters’ safety, and the Paternalist Movement, begun to "protect" young women, is taking over the choices they make.
Like all her friends, Avie still mourns the loss of her mother, but she’s also dreaming about college and love and what she’ll make of her life. When her dad "contracts" her to marry a rich, older man to raise money to save his struggling company, her life suddenly narrows to two choices: Be trapped in a marriage with a controlling politician, or run. Her lifelong friend, student revolutionary Yates, urges her to run to freedom across the border to Canada. As their friendship turns to passion, the decision to leave becomes harder and harder. Running away is incredibly dangerous, and it’s possible Avie will never see Yates again. But staying could mean death.
From Catherine Linka comes this romantic, thought-provoking, and frighteningly real story, A Girl Called Fearless, about fighting for the most important things in life—freedom and love.
MY REVIEW:
Linka's story explores the harrowing possibilities of our society returning to a time when men rule over women, controlling every aspect of their lives and using them for barter in struggles of power. The scenario she paints, how most women die of cancer caused by a chemical in beef, is too realistic for comfort.
The main character, Avie, is a flawed teenage girl, often selfish and naive, but what 17-year-old girl isn't? These flaws are what make Avie ring true for me. The other characters are not quite as developed but Linka gives us enough of them to either appreciate or hate them. My favorite characters are probably Helen, the transvestite hair dresser, and Maggie, the fierce socialite turned freedom fighter.
While I wish the ending hadn't wrapped up quite so neatly, I will say that the story never dragged. The plot whisks the reader from location to location, never slowing down. I was constantly turning pages to see what would happen next.
A Girl Called Fearless is an impressive debut by an obviously skilled writer. I hope to see more from Linka in the near future.


CONTENT RATING:
Profanity:  MildViolence:  ModerateSexuality:  Mild

MY VACATION READING LIST

Oh, choices! Choices!

I've spent a week now debating with myself over which books to take with me on vacation tomorrow. I'll spend an entire week on the beach and by the pool with my kids, so I must select my reading material carefully. I have literally hundreds on my shelves from which to choose, but I think I've narrowed it down to the following four choices:



I've been working on this sequel to Megan Miranda's impressive 2012 debut, FRACTURE, for a couple of months so far. It's not grabbing me quite as much, but I am already half way through it and am determined to finish it. Knowing what a great writer Miranda is, I know it will be worth it.



I've been dying to read this book for years! I'm kind of on a zombie/horror kick right now so I know I'll just eat this up. Grrrrr.


I don't know much about this book, but I love the cover and the premise. Set in 1965, Holly and Ivy uncover letters and drawings dating back to WWII. The publisher sent it to me for review in Middle Shelf Magazine, and I'm really looking forward to reading it.



Everyone's heard about Wool, the blockbuster self-published dystopian tale by Hugh Howey. I started reading this a while ago but never had the time to get very far. Hopefully on vacation I'll have some large chunks of time to dedicate to it.

What are you reading this summer?