Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 71

By Your Request! How To Date Dead Guys Review AND Bonus Author Interview

From Goodreads:
College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when cute Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.

Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn’t the only one…

Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a young man determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.

Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will appeal to the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.


My Thoughts:
Talk about all the feels! When I first met Mike, before he died, I soon decided I didn't WANT him to die. This is really early on, so I'm not giving out spoilers. So when he did, I was so sad! But meeting him, getting to know him a but made his death and the events that follow, believable.
Poor Emma. What a crazy series of events she faces in this book. She starts out reserved, kind of beaten down from her high school days and lacking in confidence. But as the book progresses, she changes and grows with each of the lessons the guys unwittingly teach her... some wittingly teach her too. Although she starts out thinking everyone hates her, she learns it's not true. Yes, Mike's brother blames her for his death, but although again she thinks everyone does, it's really just him.
Chrissy I want to beat over the head. Just saying. And Abby is a doll.
But each of the guys you develop a connection with. Each one has his own unique thoughts, feelings and situation he has to take care of, and Emma's there to assist them all, whether she wants to be or not.
All up, a great all around read. I loved it from start to finish, especially all the guys and how well rounded and believable they were. I'm anxious for the next book!

AND! Ann has given me an interview to go with this!!! She graciously answered my questions about the book. Here they are:


What made you turn the Smiley Face Murders theory into a novel?
*** Sudden inspiration while driving home from the Twin Cities to Eau Claire, Wisconsin in the dark. NPR had a program on discussing the Smiley Face Theory. I wondered why none of these missing young men (and the ones found dead later, presumed drowned due to intoxication...or not, according to the theory) had any sober person looking after them. How sad. ***
How did you come up with each of the characters?
***Emma and Mike were "born" that very night (on the drive home). Bernard and Clare were characters that I dearly loved, but had to cut from a different book. Steve had to be there, as you'll find out near the end. Sam came from some earlier friendships in my life. I've no idea where Jake came from, although I've been accused of basing him on my husband. HOWEVER, this never occurred to me, and was not intentional. Yes, my husband likes the Doors, but that is it.***
I love Emma's arch, and how, even though each of the guys comes back for his own unfinished business, they help her too. So I guess I want to know, how is the next book coming along? I'm dying to know if certain people show up again.
***Book 2: How to DITCH Dead Guys was submitted to CQ for publication on Labor Day. (big sigh of relief) And, yes, "certain people" do show up again--but I'm not going to explain how or why. (evil laugh)
***GLARING***
The Book of Shadows. Is that based on something real, or completely fictional? 

The Book of Shadows is a "real thing" as long as you believe in witchcraft. It was NOT thought up for the TV show CHARMED, BTW. hahaha
Here's a snippet on the Book of Shadows from Ann:
A Brief History Lesson You Probably Didn't Learn in High School
Gerald Gardner, the "Father of Modern Wicca", began work on a scrapbook of magical instructions entitled Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical between 1945-1950. Doreen Valiente, the High Priestess of his Bricket Wood coven, helped him with revisions.
She claimed that Gardner reverted to the title Book of Shadows after discovering the term in a magazine article describing how to foretell the future based upon the length of a person's shadow.
Early on, a single copy of the Book existed for each coven, kept by the High Priest or Priestess. When a witch died, her Book of Shadows was to be destroyed to avoid detection.
Starting in the 1970s, it became much more common for solitary practitioners to each possess their own copy of the Book.
Although Gardner is credited with the idea and the original title, now the term Book of Shadows can mean several different things. Some Wiccans use it to refer to a personal journal of rituals and spells, rather than a traditional text. Those who utilize copies of Gardner's original Book may add rituals and teachings, but typically nothing is ever removed.

The termBook of Mirrors refers to a separate magic book, used to collect thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Thank you so much, Ann, for being such a great sport and giving me this interview. I truly loved the book and anxiously await the next one.And everyone! Come back on the 16th to vote for next month's read and review.Peace out ;-)

Release Day Blitz: PRIDE by Rosie Somers

PRIDE by Rosie SomersSurge, Anaiah Press
Blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Gabriella Pierce is used to taking care of herself, but she’s about to become responsible for a whole lot more. When she gets a visit from three men claiming to be defenders of fantastical rings imbued with the powers of THE CARDINAL SINS, her life is changed irrevocably.
Gabby is the steward of PRIDE
To make matters worse, she’s falling hard for fellow steward, Grant Barnett, and he hates her guts. Now Gabby has to learn to protect Pride without letting her feelings for Grant get in the way.
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Book Links:Add it on Goodreads! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22365515-prideAnaiah Press: http://www.anaiahpress.com



Author Bio:
Rosie Somers is a YA author who lives in Florida, soaking up the year round sunshine. She can often be found in her favourite spot on her favourite beach, nose-deep in a good book.
Website: http://www.RosieSomers.blogspot.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ProsyRosieFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProsyRosie

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Cover Reveal: Operation Chimera by Matthew Cox and Tony Healey

Curiosity Quills is thrilled to reveal the cover for science-fiction, action-adventure Operation Chimera, by Matthew Cox and Tony Healey, which is scheduled for release October 20th, 2014. The awesome cover was designed by the talented Ricky Gunawan. About Operation Chimera:  Generations of war with the savage Draxx have left humanity desperate for a way to gain the upper hand. A chance to turn the tide in their favor is all legendary Captain Nicholas Driscoll needs to hear to lead an expedition behind enemy lines to the Chimera Nebula - a region of space so unstable it remains largely uncharted. Lieutenant Michael Summers sees an opportunity to matter, a chance to let future generations exist in a universe without constant war. He and other brave young cadets join the Manhattan for its first dangerous mission - to penetrate the Chimera Nebula and discover what it is the Draxx are doing in there. But first the ship and her crew will be tested by enemies both outside and within…
  Add Operation Chimera to your Goodreads 'to-be-read' list. 
About Matthew Cox:  Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey. Hobbies and Interests: Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it. He is also fond of cats.    Find Matthew Cox Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
About Tony Healey:  Tony Healey is a best-selling independent author. Born in 1985, he has lived his entire life in the city of Brighton, UK. In 2011, he found his fiction published alongside Harlan Ellison and Alan Dean Foster. A year later, his sci-fi serial FAR FROM HOME became a best-selling sensation, followed by similarly successful sequels. Since then he has collaborated with authors Bernard Schaffer, Matthew Cox and William Vitka on various projects. He has also had work published by Curiosity Quills Press. He is married and has three daughters. For the latest on Tony's various projects, visit his site www.tonyhealey.com   Find Tony Healey Online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads  

Fall Into Fantasy Tour Week #3: The Undead: Playing for Keeps by Elsie Elmore

Welcome to the Fall Into Fantasy Tour, where we are keeping your mind off any end-of-summer blues and welcoming the cooler weather by introducing you to some incredible fantasy reads to curl up with and giving you plenty of chances to win awesome prizes!

Week 3: The Undead: Playing for Keeps
By Elsie Elmore

When an undead woman with serious de-comp issues stalks sixteen-year-old Lyla Grimm, her hope of rescuing her rock-bottom reputation takes a back seat. Survival definitely trumps the in-crowd.

Her corpse-following scare reeks of a major prank and coincides with the arrival of Eric. He’s the hot new guitarist in her brother’s band. But Eric’s arrival isn’t by chance. He’s a Grim Reaper dispatched to find out why Death’s clients aren’t staying down.
As Eric realizes that Lyla can wake the dead, he jockeys for control of her gift. His uncanny way of appearing when she needs him most earns her reluctant admiration. But the closer he gets to Lyla, the less sure he is of his plan. The dead are easier to deal with than living emotions. 
Gossip explodes, the Grimm family implodes, and desperation sets in. Death wants the gift and a soul. Lyla and Eric face hard choices with hidden consequences. Sometimes life’s choices aren’t really choices at all.
Add it to GoodreadsOr buy your copy here: Kindle US Amazon Paperback  Barnes & Noble


ABOUT ELSIE ELMORE:
Elsie Elmore lives in North Carolina with her husband and two kids.

With a science education degree, she never imagined she would someday write stories that challenge the laws of nature. She loves the color red, has an appreciation for chocolate and coffee that borders on obsession, and wishes fall temperatures would linger year round. 
Elsie is a member of several writing organizations: RWA, SCBWI, and WSW. The Undead : Playing for Keeps is her debut novel. Find her on the web: on twitter at @ElsieWriter, her blog at elsieelmore.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/elsieelmorewriter.
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Non-Contemporary New Adult

The normal Friday cover reveal is cancelled this week, so I decided to use another Aussie Owned post to fill the gap. Original Here.


New Adult is a rapidly growing category. At this point, it is saturated with Contemporary Romance, but it is expanding. NA Alley posted about all the non-contemporary NA coming out [last] winter, and included genre lists with titles.
Among [the] Aussie Owned crew we have non-contemporary New Adult writers. Sharon's Sleeper, was a New Adult Sci-Fi Fantasy.

My own books are New Adult, too. They are some of the few Historical Romances around in New Adult. Another great Historical New Adult book is Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow. This moves a long way from Contemporary college romances with it's bootlegging and roaring 20's theme. It has rave reviews.
A good friend of mine has a NA Fantasy out, Heirs of War, and Aussie author,  Lisa Swallow, has her paranormal series, Soul Ties.New Adult is rapidly expanding and exploring new genres. Being an age group category, its potential is infinite. Click on the NA Alley link above for new releases, and find their catalog here.Not all New Adult is college students exploring their sluttier side. There are great NA reads out there that are adventurous, suspenseful, insightful and unexpected. Look around, and chances are you'll find something you will love.



Lets avoid limiting New Adult. Movers and shakers go against the grain. That's how we start new trends, find new horizons, and people like Columbus discovered America and Armstrong walked on the moon. 
Dare to change the world.

Blog Tour: The Girl and the Clockwork Cat by Nikki McCormack

Character ProfileName: Macak (This isn’t the first name he’s had, but he likes it. It sounds important.)Age: Only humans worry about those thingsBirthplace: London alleyThe Good Things: Macak is a cat who had a rough start in life, but the loss of his leg, as awful as it was, has earned him a place in the lap of luxury, literally. He likes long naps on soft beds, showing his people he cares by leaving fur on all their fancy clothing, and frequent meals consisting of tender meats of the fish and fowl varieties. While life lately hasn’t been so simple, adventuring with his new favorite human companion, Maeko, makes him happy. After all, it’s obvious that she needs him.The Not So Good Things: Rain is one of Macak’s least favorite things, along with feasting on rotten rat and licking clean the odd-tasting metal of his clockwork leg. Mean people are low on his list and he isn’t afraid to give them a piece of his mind or claws and teeth if they’re slow to catch on, especially if they mistreat his Maeko. He doesn’t appreciate when Maeko leaves him behind, but she’s young and doesn’t yet realize how much she needs him, so he’ll be patient.


Summary from Goodreads:Feisty teenage thief Maeko and her maybe-more-than-friend Chaff have scraped out an existence in Victorian London’s gritty streets, but after a near-disastrous heist leads her to a mysterious clockwork cat and two dead bodies, she’s thrust into a murder mystery that may cost her everything she holds dear.

Her only allies are Chaff, the cat, and Ash, the son of the only murder suspect, who offers her enough money to finally get off the streets if she’ll help him find the real killer.

What starts as a simple search ultimately reveals a conspiracy stretching across the entire city. And as Maeko and Chaff discover feelings for each other neither was prepared to admit, she’s forced to choose whether she’ll stay with him or finally escape the life of a street rat. But with danger closing in around them, the only way any of them will get out of this alive is if all of them work together.
Buy Links:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo Books

About the Author
Nikki started writing her first novel at the age of 12, which she still has tucked in a briefcase in her home office, waiting for the right moment. Despite a successful short story publication with Cricket Magazine in 2007, she continued to treat her writing addiction as a hobby until a drop in the economy presented her with an abundance of free time that she used to focus on making it her career.
Nikki lives in the magnificent Pacific Northwest tending to her husband and three cats suffering varying stages of neurosis. She feeds her imagination by sitting on the ocean in her kayak gazing out across the never-ending water or hanging from a rope in a cave, embraced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. She finds peace through practicing iaido or shooting her longbow.
Author Links:http://nikkimccormack.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7437256.Nikki_McCormackhttp://www.twitter.com/Author_NikkiMchttps://www.facebook.com/NikkiMcCormack


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Cover Reveal: Untaken by J. E. Anckorn

I'm excited to reveal the cover for young-adult, action-adventure, science-fiction Untaken, by J. E. Anckorn, which is scheduled for release October 16th, 2014.
 The stunning cover was created by the talented Amy Chitulescu.

About Untaken:
It turns out that a real alien invasion is nothing like the Sci-fi shows 14-year-old Gracie loves. Not when it’s your own family who are swallowed whole by those big silver ships. Not if it could be you next. In her search for her family, Gracie meets Brandon, a high school dropout who would never have been caught dead hanging out with a dork like Gracie before the world ended. Gracie isn’t too crazy about Brandon either, but he has one thing she doesn’t: A plan. Brandon’s uncle has a cabin up in Maine, and If Gracie and Brandon can survive long enough to get there they can hide out until the Space Men pack up their ships and leave. Until the army guys come to rescue them, says Brandon. Brandon is big into army guys. Gracie has to admit that Brandon’s Awesome Plan probably would have worked out great if wasn't for Jake. They found 5-year-old Jake, laying half-dead under the remains of someone’s ranch house. He’s a good kid, even if he won’t-or can’t- talk. But Jake has a secret, and when Gracie finds out what it is, the fragile new life they’ve started to forge looks set to break apart. When the people you’ve been counting on to put the world back together start hunting you down, alien invaders are the least of your worries.

Add Untaken to your Goodreads 'to-be-read' list. 

  About J. E. Anckorn:
 J. E. Anckorn has been an artist and writer ever since she began to surreptitiously doodle on school supplies instead of learning about practical things, like osmosis and mathematics. After barely surviving a freak mathematical osmosis disaster, she set out to travel the world, living in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong before returning to her native Britain- just in time to marry an American and leave for the U.S.A. She still failed to learn anything about osmosis, but did manage to cultivate an accent that is unintelligible to almost everyone. (It happened through a mysterious net movement of information from the outside environment into her brain. If only there was a word for that!) This led to her development of a new language, based almost entirely on polite yet uncomprehending nods. In between these adventures, she has worked as a toy designer, copywriter, and freelance illustrator. She lives in Boston, with a small grumpy dog, and a large, slightly less grumpy husband.
Find J. E. Anckorn Online:Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour: The Other Lamb by Katie Young

The Food of Love: Music and The Other Lamb
In my debut novel, The Other Lamb, the main character, Zachariah, has his life turned upside down by an encounter with his idol, Grigory, the lead singer of a rock band with some shocking secrets of his own.I first became fascinated with the idea of fallen angels and Nephilim in my teens. I read many texts about different kinds of angelic beings. The Seraphim were said to burn too brightly for humans to look at, and to have incredible other-worldly singing voices. The Archangels were messengers between the celestial and terrestrial realms, but also fearsome warriors. The Watchers supposedly took human forms and taught early man the secrets which enabled the advancement of civilisations. Suppose they were still on Earth today. What might an angelic scribe, herbalist or a herald do to pass for human throughout the ages?
I loved the idea that these fallen ones would have transferrable skills, enabling them to negotiate changing times, and I especially liked the idea of them harnessing and adapting their preternatural talents for use in the physical world. That’s when I knew Grigory would be a singer. I could easily imagine one of these irresistible creatures fronting a rock band, like Anne Rice’s brat prince, Lestat, but I particularly loved the idea that the immortal and ancient Grigory had been famed for his gorgeous voice throughout the ages. Maybe he’d lead many a chorus in the tragedies of ancient Greece, or composed pieces for the lute in the court of King Henry VIII. Perhaps with his androgynous appearance and long limbs, he would have blended in with the castrati opera stars of seventeenth and eighteenth century Italy. Perhaps he’d have performed drag cabaret in war-torn East Berlin.
Music is a strong theme in the book. I have such vivid memories of going to see bands as a teenager and literally being sick with excitement beforehand. I really wanted to capture the atmosphere of those dingy little clubs, swathed in dry ice and hotter than Hades, anticipation building to unbearable levels. I wanted to conjure the magic of seeing your favourite vocalist in the flesh, and the power that raw talent can hold over an audience. Castrato stars like Farinelli were causing devoted fans to swoon over two-hundred years before The Beatles formed, and I believe musicians – and especially singers – are the deities of the secular world. Concerts and gigs are a profane form of worship, a congregation of the devout drawn by a shared desire to be close to their idol, to leave offerings, and to commune with them and with other fans.
A good performance can be transcendent. It can elevate and move the human spirit more than anything else, which is why music plays an important part in religious ceremony too. There is something completely primal and visceral about our reaction to music. There’s nothing rational about it. It speaks purely to our emotions in a way that few other things can. This is why we soundtrack our lives. Hearing a song you adore for the first time is exactly like falling in love. It can make your heart speed up, your palms sweaty and your mouth dry. It can make you grin like mad or cry your eyes out. Grigory is the embodiment of that feeling.
Music was also important to me creatively whilst writing The Other Lamb. I often find that when I’m in the midst of a story (my own or someone else’s), many songs take on new meaning. Sometimes I’ll hear a lyric or a piece of music which evokes a part of the plot, a scene, a character or a theme perfectly. When I’m working on a book, as these songs occur to me, I add them to a Youtube playlist and use them to get back into the mood of a story after a break in writing. I love the way that I can I revisit this selection at any time and be instantly transported back to the time of writing a particular project, and relive all the hope, passion and reflection associated with it. I hope readers find something beautiful or inspiring amongst these tracks. Happy listening!

The Other Lamb playlist can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSu7xijMe1VjXsmhnGAl_dSQjAj3m98mZ
Date of Publication:August 28th, 2014.
Cover Artist: Polina Sapershteyn
Goodreads
Description:
Incarcerated on Earth as punishment for breeding with humans, the Watchers found a way to escape. Zach is living proof of that…even though someone has cut out his heart.
When Zach turns eighteen he develops an insatiable thirst for blood, but he tries to bury his fears and go on enjoying his birthday. His best friend Kim has scored them tickets to the hottest gig in town. But a charged encounter with his idol, the enigmatic rock star known as Grigory, leads to a revelation that shatters everything Zach thinks he knows about himself and the world, and places everyone dear to him in grave danger.
Zach is a Naphil, the forbidden offspring of a mortal woman and a Watcher. When those who seek to destroy him snatch Kim, Zach is forced to embark on a journey of discovery spanning continents and ages. With the help of a mysterious stranger named Sam, Zach must unearth the truth about his parentage, find Kim, and discover who has stolen his heart…before he triggers the apocalypse.


About The Author:
Katie Young is a writer and occasional zombie movie ‘supporting artiste’. She also works in kids’ TV but wishes she were a rock star. She has various shorts available for download from Ether Books, and features in anthologies from Collaboration of the Dead Press, Angelic Knight Press, Indigo Mosaic, Song Stories Press, Static Movement and Fox Spirit Books. Her story, Atelic, was shortlisted for the 2010 Writers' & Artists' Year Book short fiction prize, and she is a regular contributor to the Are You Sitting Comfortably? story-telling events run by White Rabbit. Katie also writes TV reviews for The Cult Den. The Other Lamb is her first novel. She lives in South East London with her partner and a second-hand cat. She is not a natural redhead.Find Katie Young Online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour: Broken Forest by Eliza Tilton

Hopeless he'll never be more than the boy who didn't save his brother, 17-year-old Avikar accepts his life as the family stable boy, trying to forget the past. But when his sister, Jeslyn, is kidnapped, the thought of losing another sibling catapults him on a desperate quest. With his best friend by his side, and using the tracking skills he learned from his father, he discovers Jeslyn has been taken, kidnapped by one Lucino, the young lord of Daath, a mystical place thought only to exist in fables.

And Lucino has plans for Jeslyn.His shapeshifter brethren feed off the auras of humans, and Jeslyn's golden hue is exactly what Lucino needs to increase his power. The longer it takes Avikar to reach her, the more entranced she becomes with Lucino's world, and the harder it will be for Avikar to set her free.

He failed his family once. He won't fail again.

Lucino

Outside, the sky bled, looking vicious and deathly, streaks of grey and indigo amongst the clouds. A hovercraft sat nearby, waiting. One of the royal guard stood watch. I did not need a babysitter. I was more than capable of handling any threat, but Father took precautions. Times were dangerous and our people frightened.
From here, I could see the triangular structure. “Take me to the gate,” I said as the guard opened the door.
“Yes, my prince.”
The hovercraft sped across the dry and barren ground. The Council was right, we had little time left.


Author Bio:Eliza graduated from Dowling College with a BS in Visual Communications. When she’s not arguing with excel at her day job, or playing Dragon Age 2, again, she’s writing. Her stories hold a bit of the fantastical and there’s always a romance. She resides on Long Island with her husband, two kids and one very snuggly pit bull.
BUY LINKS: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / KOBO Goodreads Author links: Twitter / Tumblr / Website   / Pinterest / Facebook / Instagram
Wicked Path: Book Two of The Daath Chronicles releases Oct 6th, 2014, add to your Goodreads TBR HERE

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The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Magic and Mayhem Blog Tour: Characters Guest Postby Stan Swanson

The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck has to be one of the most enjoyable books I have ever written. It has great characters, a solid story line and was a joy to work on. (Writing is the fun part. Editing is where the real work comes in.) Not only is it a fantasy (one of my favorite genres), but it is also a fast-paced adventure and even has a mystery to solve. But I think that it’s the humor that is involved in the story that I love more than anything. And adults seem to love it as much as kids. My wife thinks maybe I can write good middle grade humor as that is sort of the way my mind works anyway. (And just for that I’m not going to empty the trash this week. So there!)
The characters really came to life for me in this book. Hobart Hucklebuck feels like part me and parts of a hundred kids I knew when growing up. He’s an “everyday” kid with “everyday” problems that anyone can associate with. Of course, at some point he has to deal with “grown-up” problems and that’s when he shines.
The first book in the series, The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Magic & Mayhem is available now. The second book (which is currently with the publisher) is called The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Pandemonium in Pennywhistle and will hopefully be released in just a few months. I’m already working on the third book in the series which is tentatively title The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Wicked Weather.
I hope you enjoy reading about the “misadventures” of Hobart as much as I did creating them.
Date of Publication:August 7th, 2014.Cover Artist: Ricky Gunawan
Description: Things are not as they should be in Pennywhistle. Enchanted toasters are not toasting, enchanted sprinklers are not sprinkling and Hobart Hucklebuck’s origami messenger birds are suddenly attacking him.
Someone seems to be draining the power from all of the enchanted items in the village. But who could it be and why have they implicated Hobart’s grandfather?
“The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck” follows Hobart and his friends, Specks Spacklethack and Rosie Rumpleskirt, as they try to solve this mystery and free Hobart’s grandfather from the Tower of Tribulation on Mumblemonk Mountain.
The trio’s investigation into the mysterious happenings on Druid Lane gets them into hot water more than once and ultimately brings them dangerously close to disaster not only for themselves, but the entire village of Pennywhistle.
Find The Misadventures of Hobart Hucklebuck: Magic and Mayhem Online:Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK| Barnes & Noble

About Stan Swanson:
Stan Swanson is a Bram Stoker award finalist and author of eight books including Forever Zombie (a collection of short stories), Write of the Living Dead (a highly-praised writing guide written with Araminta Star Matthews and Rachel Lee) and Return of the Scream Queen (co-authored with Michael McCarty and Linnea Quigley). He is also editor/publisher for Dark Moon Books and Dark Moon Digest. Upcoming titles include Horror High School: Return of the Loving Dead (the first book in a young adult horror series co-written with Araminta Star Matthews), Dead Sparrows (a collection of apocalyptic poetry) and The Methlands (a horror novel co-written with award-winning author Joe McKinney).
Find Stan Swanson Online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads| Amazon