Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 11

$50 GIVEAWAY: ANCIENT ENEMY by Mark Lukens

Ancient EnemyAncient Enemy Series Book 1by Mark LukensGenre: Horror
Ancient Enemy - it wants things . . . you have to give it what it wants.

Seven hundred years ago the Anasazi people built massive cities in what is now the southwestern United States . . . and then they vanished.
Stella, an archaeologist specializing in Anasazi culture, and David, a mysterious Navajo boy, are on the run from something terrifying. As they flee up into the snowy mountains of Colorado, they are carjacked by criminals escaping a botched bank robbery. Caught in a blizzard, they must take refuge in what they believe is an abandoned cabin. It's at this cabin where they will face horrors beyond their imagination.

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DarkwindAncient Enemy Series Book 2
After a rancher finds ten mutilated bodies at a dig site on the Navajo Reservation, both Captain Begay of the Navajo Tribal Police and Special Agent Palmer of the FBI become involved ... but the case leads Palmer back up to Colorado where five more mutilated bodies and Stella's vehicle have been discovered at a burning cabin.

Cole, Stella, and David escape the cabin on a snowmobile, heading south to get David back down to the Navajo lands. Now that Stella believes that David is a natural-born shaman, she knows that their only hope of David ever defeating the Ancient Enemy is to find a reclusive shaman named Joe Blackhorn who can help train David.
But with Agent Palmer and Captain Begay hot on their trail, Cole and Stella must find Joe Blackhorn and the secrets he possesses before the Ancient Enemy destroys them all.


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Hope's EndAncient Enemy Series Book 3
In 1891, in the badlands of northern Arizona, Jed Cartwright, a bounty hunter and U.S. Marshal, transports a dangerous prisoner back to the town of Smith Junction. As they travel through the woods, they are attacked by what they believe are skinwalkers.

As Jed flees the woods, he finds a house where a family has been slaughtered - the only survivor is an eight-year-old Navajo boy, a boy traumatized by the horrors he has seen.
As Jed and the Navajo boy make their way north to Smith Junction, a sudden sandstorm diverts them to the small town of Hope's End. They take refuge from the storm in the saloon with some of the townspeople. But hours later, when the storm is over, they discover what has happened to the rest of the people in Hope's End . . . and the terror is only beginning, everything leading up to a shocking twist at the end.

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Evil SpiritsAncient Enemy Series Book 4
It has been seven years since David sent the Ancient Enemy back to its world in the ghost town that was once the town of Hope's End.

Cole and Stella have lived in Costa Rica for the last seven years. They wanted to believe that it was really over . . . but there were always doubts. And when Stella sees a horrifying vision in the jungle, she's certain that the Ancient Enemy has returned.
David, living at his aunt's house in New Mexico, knows the Ancient Enemy is back; he can feel it. And now nightmares about a serial killer possessed by the Ancient Enemy plague him, a killer who will stop at nothing, a killer who is coming for David. With Joe Blackhorn dead now, the only person David can turn to is Begay, the former captain of the Navajo Tribal Police.
Former FBI agent Palmer's nightmares have returned, and when he's called in as a consultant on the recent copycat murders - re-creations of the massacre at the archaeological dig site seven years ago - he knows that the ancient evil is back.
Together, they are drawn into one last stand against the Ancient Enemy . . . but this time the battle will be fought in the Ancient Enemy's world.


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Mark Lukens has been writing since the second grade when his teacher called his parents in for a conference because the ghost story he'd written had her a little concerned.

Since then he's had several stories published and four screenplays optioned by producers in Hollywood. One script is in development to be produced. He is the author of many bestselling books including: Ancient Enemy, Darkwind: Ancient Enemy 2, Descendants of Magic, The Summoning, Night Terrors, Sightings, The Exorcist's Apprentice, What Lies Below, Devil's Island, The Darwin Effect, Ghost Town: a novella, and A Dark Collection: 12 Scary Stories. He is a member of The Horror Writers Association.
He grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. But after many travels and adventures, he settled down near Tampa, Florida with his wonderful wife and son ... and a stray cat they adopted.


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WRITER 2 WRITER: THE DISCOVERY STAGE

KIDS WRITE, PART IV


This is part four of a series about how to help kids not only learn to write well but to love it. Excerpts are taken from my book TEACHING KIDS TO WRITE WELL: SIX SECRETS EVERY GROWN-UP SHOULD KNOW.

Desire (Associative) Stage of Development

While children naturally imitate the behaviors and actions of those around them, eventually, as they grow a little older, they start to learn how to do things because they want to.

This desire first presents itself during the toddler years when the child’s will conflicts with his parents’ or siblings’ wills. An older brother plays with a truck and the three-year-old wants that truck for himself. He grabs it, and a tug of war ensues.

At first glance, this situation appears undesirable. Good children, of course, should share. But these children are also learning something very important: they are learning that they have their own unique wants and needs, and that they have the power to satisfy them.

This is the very reason why, as frustrating as it is for us adults, we let our children dress themselves, tie their own shoes, make their beds, etc. Most of the time, it would simply be easier for us to do these things for them. The dishes would be cleaner, the house would be more organized, and our children would always be wearing matching socks. However, we would rob our children of the satisfaction of accomplishing something on their own.

Human nature demands that we pursue our own interests. We don’t like other people making all our decisions for us. From a very early age, children stake out their own talents and hobbies and interests and dreams.

One little girl wants to be a nurse when she grows up. Another girl loves horses. A young boy is practically obsessed with baseball, while his brother dreams of being an astronaut. No one told these children what they should love or want to be when they grow up. They decided these things on their own.

When it comes to writing, and even reading, one of the biggest mistakes we make with our children is demanding that they read certain books or write on particular subjects with little regard to the child’s interests. Would you like it if you could only read what someone else told you to read? I could tell you to read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. It is a very good book, and you might like it. But if you were forced to read it, how much would you really get out of it? You might end up resenting the teacher and hating the book.

That’s what often happens in school. Students are told what they will read and what they will write. The teachers, of course, have the children’s best interests at heart. It is for their own good that they read Huckleberry Finn or write an essay on the Revolutionary War. These things are important! They need to be learned!

Wouldn’t it be nice if every child could love what she reads or feel enthusiastic about researching a topic and writing about it?

The key to helping children enjoy writing is to tap into a child’s natural desire to pursue his or her own interests.

A child who loves football will want to read about it, write a letter to his favorite player, or learn how to play football himself.

A girl who loves poetry will want to read poetry, write poetry, and learn what she needs to know to become a successful poet one day.

As adults, we should pay more attention to our children’s interests and then use those interests to motivate our children to learn. Parents know their children better than anyone else and are better able to connect them to the very resources that will motivate learning. The primary objective should be the interest itself, whether it is rocket ships, rabbits, or racquetball. The act of reading and writing should be secondary.

Parents are best equipped to tap into their child’s unique interests and talents and to use those interests as a tool for teaching literacy. The child is, of course, learning to read and write, but he is having fun doing it and does not concern himself so much with those things as he does with what he is reading and writing about.

$20 GIVEAWAY: GAME CHANGERS OF THE APOCALYPSE by Mark Kirkbride

Game Changers of the Apocalypseby Mark KirkbrideGenre: Post-Apocalyptic Horror
It’s always the end of the world when you break up with someone. This time it really is... Everyone on the planet has mysteriously disappeared, leaving exes Greg and Polly. They've survived the apocalypse, yet shouldn't have. Battling each other and a malevolent entity that teases them with their fate, how long can they remain ahead? Even more terrifying than everyone else on the planet disappearing is what’s about to take their place…

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Mark Kirkbride lives in Shepperton, England. He is the author of two novels, Game Changers of the Apocalypse and Satan's Fan Club, both published by Omnium Gatherum. His short stories can be found in Under the Bed, Sci Phi Journal, Disclaimer Magazine and Flash Fiction Magazine. His poetry has appeared in the Big Issue, the Morning Star, the Mirror and Horror Writers Association chapbooks.
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PETALS - Writer Digest SP Ebook Awards Update

I feel very fortunate. My novel PETALS has received several very nice recognitions including the SCBWI Spark Honor and Library Journal E-book Award Honorable Mention.

I recently entered it in the Writers Digest Self-Published E-book Awards and received the following feedback from the official judge, which really made my day:

Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 4
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 4
Plot and Story Appeal: 5
Character Appeal and Development: 5
Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judge’s Commentary*:
Petals presents with an interesting and genre appropriate photographic style cover art design. The over-all production quality was well done. Now, let’s talk about the plot. I felt that this was a dark, intriguing story that was smartly crafted. It’s difficult to find a truly unique plot these days, but the author has given it her best effort here. Carly was a hauntingly original character that was simply breathtaking. I really enjoyed this book and found the pacing to be mostly good. The author has a great voice and perfect writing style for the genre. But I’d recommend you keep an eye on your narrative prose versus dialogue mix as this can slow the pacing. Watch out for long, narrative prose passages. On the technical side, I found this to be really well done. It’s so refreshing to find a book that has been carefully crafted and well-edited. No major issues of note here. Just a solid entry from cover to cover. Thank you for sharing your world with us. I wish you the best of luck with this entry and keep up your writing endeavors. I hope to read more from this author in the future. Very well done.

$35 GIVEAWAY: GALACTIC MANDATE by M.R. Richardson

Galactic Mandate: The Screamby M.R. RichardsonGenre: SciFi, Space Opera
A young clone starts a journey that will take him to the far reaches of the galaxy. He must choose between what is best for his oppressed clone brethren and the greater good while he meets dangerous villains and reluctant heroes along the way. 

And who are the elusive Scream? What do they want and how far will they go to get it? 
Join the adventure today.

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Galactic Mandate: A Radical Causeby M.R. RichardsonGenre: SciFi, Space Opera
The galaxy is in turmoil. The two main powers, the Acolyte Empire and the Clone Defense Force, vie for supremacy.

Caught in between are the weaker Galactic Planetary League and independent planets, pawns to be used and discarded in the greater game. The peace of the galaxy rests on a powder keg…and the fuse is about to be lit.
As the son of the Acolyte Emperor God-Reign, Devante lives a life of power and luxury that few can fathom.
Since childhood, he has devoted his life to one thing: freeing the clone slaves of the CDF and banning the practice of cloning throughout the galaxy. But he is about to uncover a secret that goes to the heart of the empire he loves and serves, one that will set him on a course of vengeance and destruction that will shake the galaxy to its core.
Against this backdrop of war, treachery, and intrigue, Galactic Mandate tells an epic saga of god-emperors and assassins, spies and queens, princesses and slaves.
The lives of all will be irrevocably changed as Devante embraces his destiny—for when empires collide, no one is safe, and there is no place in the galaxy to hide. 


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M.R. Richardson, with a clear mastery of world-building, creates compelling wild, cutthroat novels. Balancing vivid action, with personal reflection, existential dilemmas, and richly detailed worlds, his space operas are far more complex than first meets the eye. Combining war, politics, and intrigue, his first novel Galactic Mandate: A Radical Cause is an epic debut.
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GIFT GIVEAWAY: NATASHA OF THE BRIM by Chad McClendon

Natalsa of the BrimOrder of Terima Chronicles Volume 1by Chad McClendonGenre: Fantasy
In a world where witches have been revered, a cataclysmic evening changes everything.

Natalsa, the last witch, must find out what has robbed her of her power. But more than this, she must protect the world from the new order that has arisen, and cure a sweeping disease that threatens her new home.
There is evil to be undone, and Natalsa may have to sacrifice it all, in order to save those she loves.


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Chad McClendon is a 32 year old author who studied English & Creative Writing at Northern Kentucky University. Chad has been published most recently through Crossed Heart, as well as in several online publications. He has won various awards for Fiction Writing. His short story, "Uploaded Vengeance" is now available in "One Night In Salem" by FunDead Publications.

Chad attended high school in Alexandria, Kentucky at Bishop Brossart High School. He was a founding member of Monday's Child, a volunteer group that worked around the Tri-State to better the lives of others. He was active in French Language competitions, and a general troublemaker otherwise.
He and his wife, Briana, have two daughters and one boy . In his free time Chad enjoys camping at Red River Gorge, playing video games and also swimming. Authors who have inspired him include Stephen King, John Steinbeck, William Golding, J.K. Rowling, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and others.



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$25 GIVEAWAY - LOVE MATCH by Jo Noelle

      Love Match by Jo Noelle Can two people learn to trust again to make their marriage of convenience into a love match? With university behind him, Lord Gerard Morrow the Earl of Norham, is preparing for a grand tour to the future with a fellow time traveler. His first night home, he receives a summons from his father the Duke of Kyloe to come to Scotland or their family will be ruined. Lady Layla Colvin was roused from her sleep to marry the duke’s son as part of settling a gambling debt. Everything she looked forward to vanished with the words "I will." She will never have a come-out, or a suitor, or a wedding dress—and apparently not a husband either. Two years later when Gerard walks back into her life, she runs the other way. How can she trust a man who abandoned her immediately after the vows were said?      Gerard Morrow No good news ever comes after midnight nor in a torrential rainstorm. Yet there Gerard Morrow, Earl Norham, stood in his long shirt and his mother in her wrapper, looking anything but a duchess, as their butler, Davies, accepted two letters from a rider. He waved the rider on to the kitchen door to get a hot cup of tea and await the family’s reply. Davies’ candle guttered from the breeze of closing the door, and the small group moved farther into the Great House. The butler lit two more candles and turned with the letters in hand, extending one to the Duchess Kyloe and the other to Gerard. “For you, Your Grace. And My Lord.” The notes were damp from the rain and Gerard’s mother held it with shaking hands before handing it to her son. “You read it.” She shoved the letter to Gerard and waited, muttering, “That man. Love him. I do, but he better not have gotten himself into trouble. Or worse. What’s worse though? Dead—that’s what. Oh, Gerard tell me he’s not dead.” His mother’s French accent deepened when she was anxious, and at this moment it was thick as clafoutis. There was no signature, but the stamp of the Duke of Kyloe in the wax from his father’s signet ring told him who it was from. Gerard read the note aloud to her, “Do not worry, my dearest Shamay. I’ll be home in a few days. It will all be settled then.” Gerard handed her the letter though she’d never learned to read—English or her native French. He knew things must be was bad. His father had only penned three sentences to try to reassure her. His mother stood beside him, her hands clutched to her chest. “What of the other letter?” she asked. Earl Norham separated the seal and unfolded the letter. His eyes scanned it quickly, without reading it aloud to his mother. Gerard, Do not read this to your mother. It is for your eyes—your ears only. Come to Scotland, now. Your future, your very life and mine depend upon your speed. Directions to Colvin Keep just over the border past Coldstream were included at the bottom of the letter. The Duchess’s hands grasped Gerard’s forearm, and her eyes pleaded to know what it said. “Father wants me to come where he is.” Gerard hoped that his voice sounded nonchalant. But something must have tipped off his mother. “Your Father needs you. Hurry. Change.” She pushed him toward the staircase. He had been home less than six hours and three of those had been in sleep, having traveled home today from university. His mind whirled, half irritation and half disbelief before he turned up the stairs. His father should have been here to welcome him instead of stirring up some kind of trouble for himself across the border. “Davies, send word to the stables to ready a good horse.” Within minutes, Gerard was dressed, draped in an oil coat, and on his horse, riding through November rain toward Scotland. Wind blew against his cheek and rain pelted his back. At least he wasn’t facing into the storm. What in the devil’s name is Father up to now?Gerard had been worried for a year now, too much gambling and drinking in public rooms. Mother tried to keep Father at home to lessen the whispers that inevitably started. Northumberland didsn’t have real society, but his reputation was tarnishing nevertheless. Gossip traveled even to him at Cambridge though London was several day’s travel. His horse trotted along the dark road, and his mind whirled about his future. Gerard just hoped that he could have a grand tour before everything fell completely apart—a year. He’d even be satisfied with six months before he had to come back to take over the responsibilities his father should be shouldering. From what he’d seen of the house in the short while he’d been there, it needed care. Upkeep and repairs lagged behind need. It seemed as if there were fewer servants than before, and the road was sorely unkempt. How much had his father lost? He sucked in a cold breath. Apparently, enough to cripple the estate. Four months then, if he couldn’t have a year. He could visit France and Spain. He’d save Italy for a trip in the future. It took several hours to get to Colvin Keep. Gerard’s eyes burned for want of sleep, and his legs were strained and weak from several days in the saddle prior to this fast flight over the border when he left his horse with the groom. The sun was turning the cloud-covered eastern sky a milky gray. Before Gerard could mount the stairs, the Duke of Kyloe burst through the front door. Relief tempered the worries Gerard had ridden with the last twenty miles. He looked over his father from head to toe. His health seemed good, no injuries, no illness. He didn’t even appear to be in his cups. He must have been sitting near a window, watching for his son’s arrival and quickly ushered him to the house. “Well done. The note arrived in good time, as did you,” his father said, pulling him out of his coat as the butler began to remove it. There was a cry upstairs before it was muffled behind a slammed door. It surprised Gerard more than startling him. The sound was more one of excitement than fear or pain. He supposed it could be insanity, but he hoped not. “Come now, I’ve a brandy for you and someone important to introduce you to.” His father lead him away. The house was quite awake as he walked through to a back parlor. Several maids rushed past with arms full, and there were candles burning all along the way. His father’s host must take country hours to the extreme for there to be so much commotion before sun up. When they entered the room a large man was sitting in a chair near the fire, otherwise, they were alone. His father cleared his voice loudly and said, “Charles, please allow me to introduce my son and heir, Lord Norham, Gerard Morrow. Gerard, this is the Marquess of Roxburgh.” The men exchanged greetings, then Gerard’s father commented to their host, “I haven’t spoken to him about our agreement yet, so if we could have a minute before meeting you in the chapel.” His voice trailed off with obvious expectation. “Good then, I’ll leave you to it.” Charles nodded, downed his drink, and left, leaving Gerard alone with his father. He stopped at the doorway, pulling a watch from his pocket. “This business must be concluded within the hour, or honoring our original arrangement will be expected.” Then he closed the door behind him. “The chapel?” Gerard looked toward his father. “And what agreement? Your letter made it sound like life and death. What have you done?” A scowl pulled on his lips. “You’ll want this,” he said, handing Gerard a glass of brandy. Gerard set the glass aside without taking a taste. “Out with it.” “I attended a card party of sorts at the seat of Lord Hume of Berwick. I was doing well, so I didn’t see trouble in allowing the stakes to rise.” “How much?” Gerard interrupted. He didn’t need to hear the details just the total of their losses. “Well, there’s an easy solution to it all.” “How much did you wager? Or should I say lose?” Gerard folded his arms. His father gazed out the window as his hand resting on the back of a chair trembled. Without looking at his son, he replied, “All of it. And more.” Several long moments passed before he turned toward his son and said, “We are ruined.” Gerard picked up the glass of brandy, downing it in one gulp. “Tell me I heard you wrong.” He slumped into the nearest seat. “You will still own the family seat at Norham Castle, pile of rocks that it be, and the land when it is passed to you, but you will likely still be paying off my debt into your own old age. I have lost more than I have or can even reasonably get if I were I to sell everything of value and double rents on the land for decades to come. Upon my death, I will leave you the title, the responsibilities, and abject poverty to go with it.” Gerard was silent for a long moment trying to calm down. He had to breathe slowly through his nose to maintain his composure. “Father, do I even want to know why we are meeting the marquess in the chapel?” Duke Kyloe sat heavily on a couch, dropping his head into his hands. “It’s the only way out. You’ve not heard him wrong. The marquess has made a generous offer—if you marry his daughter tonight, in moments really, the debt is dissolved.” Gerard shot to his feet as a cold flame passed through him. He backed away from his father. “I will not. I do no consent. I’m but twenty-three. Why would you tell a man I would marry his daughter in the middle of the night?” His father had truly wagered beyond all reason and sold Gerard’s life for the flip of a few cards. He wanted to run. To leave and never look back. Father had clearly lost his mind. He paced around, back and forth, trying to sort it out in his mind. “I leave in two days for my tour, it’s planned and arranged. James Cottrell is coming—he’s meeting me tomorrow at home.” “There’s plenty of time for all that, you’ll see.” The old duke shook his head. “It’s not up to you. I’m afraid, the bargain has been struck and accep—.” Gerard cut him off, “Father, no. You realize that we are already spread too thin as it is, since last time. What will you tell Mother?” He stepped closer to Gerard. “I’ll tell her nothing of this. You’ll marry this night and free me of all my debt to Charles, and by extension you too, or we will never recover.” If he gambled away what Gerard suspected he had, then it was true that Gerard would be heir of nothing but debt. Everything was lost. He raked his hands through his hair and continued his path, pacing the floor. Gerard owned nothing outside of the estate and only then upon inheritance. If it were only him, Gerard might allow his father to crumble beneath debt in his old age. But it would affect his mother greatly. I can’t put Maman though that.His shoulders slumped. Annoyance and sorrow twined together in his gut. He was defeated before this conversation began. “There really is no choice then. I’ll agree.” “Of course you will. There is a dowry, but it will not be transferred until you two are living agreeably together.” “Good. Then you can’t gamble away anything further while I’m gone. And I'm still going on my grand tour.” Not as grand as he’d hoped. Already he was calculating how long he could really be gone before his father was back up to no good at some Lord’s card table. “You'll be a married man now, so behave yourself.” “Are you serious? I’m the only person in this conversation right now with integrity. I don’t think you need lecture me. A there are no worries there. I'm going with James.” “He hardly removes my worry,” his father replied. “You've known each other since you were on leading strings. And his reputation is worse than mine.” “Ha!” Gerard doubted that. “Nonetheless, he's coming, and he'll keep me straight.” “See that he does. We've never had a Duke of Kyloe that wasn't madly in love with his wife.” “Please, you've already ensured that I’ll fail on that account. I’m marrying someone I’ve don’t know—never even seen.” “Marriage is easy. Apply yourself to her happiness, and you’ll both have it.” Marriage was easy? He wondered how easy all of this was for his mother. He wouldn’t have to worry about making this sham of a marriage work at the moment—that can come later—much, much later. Gerard wasn’t even going to be home. “I’m leaving after the ceremony and going on my tour the next day.” Gerard knew he had to travel from London on the full moon. “There was no other agreement beyond the marriage contract and settlement. You’re free to do so, and she will live at home with her parents for a time.” His father turned to leave the room, but Gerard caught his arm. “What’s her name?” “I hadn’t asked. We’ll hear it at the ceremony. At any rate, it will be Lady Morrow moments from now.” He drank the last of his cup and walked Gerard to the chapel to await his bride.          Author Jo Noelle Jo Noelle is a Colorado native but lived in several mountain states--Idaho, Utah, and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking (especially desserts,) builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and likes to go hiking in the nearby mountains. Oh, and by the way, she's two people--a mother/daughter writing team. We write dessert romances--satisfyingly sweet, and you'll want more.              Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Code or $25 in PayPal Cash Ends 2/7/19 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader & Clean Wholesome Romance and is sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW: A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS by Dave Eggers

A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS
Dave Eggers
Vintage

National Bestseller 
Pulitzer Prize Finalist

A book that redefines both family and narrative for the twenty-first century. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is the moving memoir of a college senior who, in the space of five weeks, loses both of his parents to cancer and inherits his eight-year-old brother. Here is an exhilarating debut that manages to be simultaneously hilarious and wildly inventive as well as a deeply heartfelt story of the love that holds a family together.

MY REVIEW:

I started reading this on my adult son's recommendation. He read it in college and has been raving about it ever since, and now I know why.

Dave Eggers' memoir is indeed heartbreaking and genius. His mother and father both died of cancer within a month of each other leaving him, a 20-year-old college student, in charge of raising is 8-year-old brother, Toph.

The story is a stream-of-consciousness journey into the heart and mind of a young man trying to be both parent and brother while also navigating romantic relationships, running a magazine, and just trying to live a normal life, which just doesn't seem possible for the guy.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is sometimes a tragedy, other times a comedy. Often it's both at once. It's a long read, with a few sections that go on and on forever, but overall it's a unique and unforgettable story that will stick with you for years once you've read the last page.

 
CONTENT RATING:
Profanity: ExcessiveSexuality: ModerateViolence: Mild 

PLANNER GIVEAWAY: THE CORPSE WHISPERER by H.R. Boldwood

The Corpse WhispererAn Allie Nighthawk Mystery Book 1by H.R. BoldwoodGenre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery
Welcome to the world of Allie Nighthawk, corpse whisperer and badass zombie hunter.

“If you raise deadheads, you’d better be able to put ‘em down. Nobody said it was pretty. But in this day, when vampires aren’t just for breakfast anymore, and the dead are disposable pawns for necromancers, someone has to ante up. Looks like I won the lotto. Imagine my delight. You should thank me, really, because the world is batshit crazy.”
When the zombie population spikes and no one knows why, it’s up to Allie to solve the mystery. But there’s a hitch. She’s stuck babysitting Leo Abruzzi, a zombie-bitten gangster who’s turning state’s evidence. But the mob and a powerful necromancer will stop at nothing to take Leo and Allie down.
Allie Nighthawk is Anita Blake on steroids, with a fondness for leather and Jack on the rocks. She has a healthy dose of Stephanie Plum and Rachel Morgan in her, too, though she’d never admit it. 
The battle between good and evil just got wicked fun.


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H.R. Boldwood is a writer of horror and speculative fiction. In another incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and was awarded the 2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College. Publication credits include, "Killing it Softly," "Short Story America," "Bete Noir," "Everyday Fiction," "Toys in the Attic," "Floppy Shoes Apocalypse II," "Pilcrow and Dagger," and "Sirens Call."
Boldwood's characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are kicked to the curb at every conceivable opportunity. No responsibility is taken by this author for the dastardly and sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.

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Enter the giveaway to win this beautiful2019 Crystal Lake Publishing Speculative Fiction daily planner!
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