Stephanie Faris's Blog, page 19
November 16, 2016
Piper Morgan to the Rescue Release Party: Day Three
This week I'm celebrating the launch of the latest Piper Morgan, the third in my chapter book series:
My amazing blogging friends are helping me celebrate. All week, I'll be pointing you to great bloggers who are hosting me. Be sure to follow these great bloggers if you aren't already.
Today's tour hosts are...
Beverly McClure
Cathrina Constantine
Jacqui Murray
Meradeth Houston
The Really Real Housewives
Yvonne Ventresca
And a special shoutout to the hosts who will be tweeting about my release! Check out their blogs, as well:
Jennifer Lee Rossman
RO
Tyrean Martinson
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments off--please comment on the blogs posted above!)
My amazing blogging friends are helping me celebrate. All week, I'll be pointing you to great bloggers who are hosting me. Be sure to follow these great bloggers if you aren't already.
Today's tour hosts are...
Beverly McClure
Cathrina Constantine
Jacqui Murray
Meradeth Houston
The Really Real Housewives
Yvonne Ventresca
And a special shoutout to the hosts who will be tweeting about my release! Check out their blogs, as well:
Jennifer Lee Rossman
RO
Tyrean Martinson
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments off--please comment on the blogs posted above!)
November 15, 2016
Piper Morgan to the Rescue Release Party: Day Two
Today's the big day. The latest Piper Morgan book is now out in the world!
And because the blogosphere is filled with amazing people, I have some friends helping me celebrate. All week, I'll be pointing you to great bloggers who are hosting me. Hopefully you'll all make a few new friends along the way!
Today's tour hosts are...
Anna Wolosencuk
Caitlyn Lane
Jamie Ghione
Jennifer Lane
Libby Heily
Loren Pryce
Nick Wilford
Valerie Capps
And a special shoutout to the hosts who will be tweeting about my release! Check out their blogs, as well:
Crystal Collier
Jeffrey Scott
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments off--please comment on the blogs posted above!)
And because the blogosphere is filled with amazing people, I have some friends helping me celebrate. All week, I'll be pointing you to great bloggers who are hosting me. Hopefully you'll all make a few new friends along the way!
Today's tour hosts are...
Anna Wolosencuk
Caitlyn Lane
Jamie Ghione
Jennifer Lane
Libby Heily
Loren Pryce
Nick Wilford
Valerie Capps
And a special shoutout to the hosts who will be tweeting about my release! Check out their blogs, as well:
Crystal Collier
Jeffrey Scott
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Comments off--please comment on the blogs posted above!)
November 14, 2016
Piper Morgan to the Rescue Release Party: Day One
When you write a chapter book series, you have multiple books out in a short timeframe. So even though my first two Piper Morgan books released only three months ago, I'm super-excited about the release of the latest Piper Morgan:
And because the blogosphere is filled with amazing people, I have some friends helping me celebrate. All week, I'll be pointing you to great bloggers who are hosting me. Hopefully you'll all make a few new friends along the way!
Today's tour hosts are...
Alex Cavanagh
Kelly Hashway
Kristin Smith
The Really Real Housewives
And a special shoutout to the hosts who will be tweeting about my release! Check out their blogs, as well:
Joylene Nowell Butler
Patricia Lynne
(Comments off this week--please comment on the blogs posted above! And don't forget to enter the giveaway below.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And because the blogosphere is filled with amazing people, I have some friends helping me celebrate. All week, I'll be pointing you to great bloggers who are hosting me. Hopefully you'll all make a few new friends along the way!
Today's tour hosts are...
Alex Cavanagh
Kelly Hashway
Kristin Smith
The Really Real Housewives
And a special shoutout to the hosts who will be tweeting about my release! Check out their blogs, as well:
Joylene Nowell Butler
Patricia Lynne
(Comments off this week--please comment on the blogs posted above! And don't forget to enter the giveaway below.)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 9, 2016
Where to Find Great True Crime Stories
My theme for this year's A to Z Challenge was unsolved mysteries. Many of the posts were inspired by shows I saw on Investigation Discovery or Dateline NBC.
The stories pulled people in, although some people didn't seem to enjoy them. I find it fascinating that people who are interested in true crime are often some of the gentlest, most loving people you'll ever meet. Think of the people you know who have watched every episode of this show:
Of course, even I don't enjoy details about torture or murder. I simply find the mystery of a missing person fascinating. How does someone just disappear?
Or sometimes it's the mystery of how a person ended up dead--the people involved, the events that led up to it. I tend to tune out when they give details of how the person was murdered.
But if you like true crime, there are a couple of recommendations I have for you. One is to pay attention to Investigation Discovery. There are some silly shows, granted...
...but there are some GREAT shows, as well. Also, you can find old episodes of 48 Hours, Dateline, and 20/20 on YouTube.
If you're into podcasts, here are a few to check out:
Generation WhySword and ScaleSerial, Season 1Missing Maura MurrayCriminalMystery Show
(Please add any podcast suggestions in the comments and I'll add them to this list.)
If you're more of a reader, I highly recommend any of Ann Rule's books. She's best known for her book on (her friend) Ted Bundy, but she also wrote a Crime Files series that is highly addictive. P.S.: All of Ann Rule's books work great in audiobook form.
Do you have any recommendations for true crime fanatics? Leave them in the comments so others can check them out!
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
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The stories pulled people in, although some people didn't seem to enjoy them. I find it fascinating that people who are interested in true crime are often some of the gentlest, most loving people you'll ever meet. Think of the people you know who have watched every episode of this show:
Of course, even I don't enjoy details about torture or murder. I simply find the mystery of a missing person fascinating. How does someone just disappear?
Or sometimes it's the mystery of how a person ended up dead--the people involved, the events that led up to it. I tend to tune out when they give details of how the person was murdered.
But if you like true crime, there are a couple of recommendations I have for you. One is to pay attention to Investigation Discovery. There are some silly shows, granted...
...but there are some GREAT shows, as well. Also, you can find old episodes of 48 Hours, Dateline, and 20/20 on YouTube.
If you're into podcasts, here are a few to check out:
Generation WhySword and ScaleSerial, Season 1Missing Maura MurrayCriminalMystery Show
(Please add any podcast suggestions in the comments and I'll add them to this list.)
If you're more of a reader, I highly recommend any of Ann Rule's books. She's best known for her book on (her friend) Ted Bundy, but she also wrote a Crime Files series that is highly addictive. P.S.: All of Ann Rule's books work great in audiobook form.
Do you have any recommendations for true crime fanatics? Leave them in the comments so others can check them out!
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
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November 8, 2016
Introducing Out of Tune by Gail Nall
Today I'm celebrating an exciting book birthday for one of my favorite people! I've had the honor of standing alongside to Gail Nall at several author events and I can say she's not only an extremely talented author, but she's an awesome person! Here's her latest book, which I just finished Saturday evening. Scroll down to read all about it and buy your copy!!!
Blurb:
A country music hopeful puts her Nashville dreams on hold when she moves into an RV to travel across the country with her family in this charming new novel from the author of Breaking the Ice.
When twelve-year-old Maya’s parents sell their house and move the family into the world’s ugliest RV to travel the country, Maya’s only goal is to get back home—and fast. No way is she going to miss the chance to audition for Dueling Duets, the singing competition show that’s going to surely propel her—and her cowboy-hatted crush—to country stardom.
Operation Maya Goes Home, or OMGH, turns out to be more complicated than she had expected, so Maya sets out on a secret one-day, one-hundred-mile bike ride through Yellowstone National Park with her know-it-all little sister, a cute nature boy, and blue-haired, earbud-addicted Shiver (a.k.a. the most annoying girl ever). Somewhere between the worst muscle ache she’s ever experienced and losing half of their group to a flat tire, Maya starts wondering if maybe, just maybe, it’s possible to find home in the last place you expected.
Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound
Bio:
Gail Nall lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her family and more cats than necessary. She once drove a Zamboni, has camped in the snow in June, and almost got trampled in Paris. Gail is the author of the Aladdin/S&S middle grade novels BREAKING THE ICE, the YOU'RE INVITED series (co-authored with Jen Malone), and the upcoming OUT OF TUNE (11/8/16) and BEST.NIGHT.EVER. (co-authored, 8/15/17). She is also the author of the young adult novel, EXIT STAGE LEFT (Epic Reads Impulse/HarperCollins). You can find her online at gailnall.com and on Twitter as @gailecn.
Links:
Website| Newsletter Signup | Facebook | Twitter
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
Blurb:
A country music hopeful puts her Nashville dreams on hold when she moves into an RV to travel across the country with her family in this charming new novel from the author of Breaking the Ice.
When twelve-year-old Maya’s parents sell their house and move the family into the world’s ugliest RV to travel the country, Maya’s only goal is to get back home—and fast. No way is she going to miss the chance to audition for Dueling Duets, the singing competition show that’s going to surely propel her—and her cowboy-hatted crush—to country stardom.
Operation Maya Goes Home, or OMGH, turns out to be more complicated than she had expected, so Maya sets out on a secret one-day, one-hundred-mile bike ride through Yellowstone National Park with her know-it-all little sister, a cute nature boy, and blue-haired, earbud-addicted Shiver (a.k.a. the most annoying girl ever). Somewhere between the worst muscle ache she’s ever experienced and losing half of their group to a flat tire, Maya starts wondering if maybe, just maybe, it’s possible to find home in the last place you expected.
Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound
Bio:
Gail Nall lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her family and more cats than necessary. She once drove a Zamboni, has camped in the snow in June, and almost got trampled in Paris. Gail is the author of the Aladdin/S&S middle grade novels BREAKING THE ICE, the YOU'RE INVITED series (co-authored with Jen Malone), and the upcoming OUT OF TUNE (11/8/16) and BEST.NIGHT.EVER. (co-authored, 8/15/17). She is also the author of the young adult novel, EXIT STAGE LEFT (Epic Reads Impulse/HarperCollins). You can find her online at gailnall.com and on Twitter as @gailecn.Links:
Website| Newsletter Signup | Facebook | Twitter
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
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November 7, 2016
Mystery Monday: The Girl Scout Murders
It's an exciting day on my blog. Today, I introduce a brand new feature:
Every Monday, I'll present a new mystery. Some have been solved...some remain unsolved to this day. Today's mystery is one I had never heard of until recently...and I was a Girl Scout in the 70s. Warning: This one involves the deaths of young girls.
The horrible events of June 13, 1977 seem to have been forgotten for those who don't live near Tulsa, Oklahoma. But once you hear the story, you'll never forget it. Especially when you see the young, innocent faces of the victims.
Michelle Heather Guse, Lori Lee Farmer, and Doris Denise Milner were like any other girls between the ages of eight and ten. They had friends, families who loved them, and promising futures. They headed off to Camp Scott with no idea that just two months earlier, a camp director had found a note that threatened to kill three little girls. The director had assumed the note was a prank and tossed it.
Lori, Doris, and Michelle were assigned to Cabin 8, which was located farther from the counselor's tent than all the others.
On the evening of June 12, the girls wrote in their diaries and went to sleep. Just after midnight, one of the camp counselors was awakened by a strange sound. She described it as a guttural sound, not human but not like any animal she'd heard. She investigated, but couldn't find anything.
Others reported hearing the same guttural sound that night. One girl said she heard a young girl crying for her mom and others said a man looked into their tent and walked away.
The next morning, the camp counselor who had heard the strange noise left her tent early to take a shower. On her way, she noticed some strange items under a tree. She then saw some sleeping bags. She called the police.
At some point in the night, the girls had been taken from their tents, attacked, and murdered. A variety of clues led police to this man, an escaped convict who was living in the area at the time.
Although local authorities were certain of his guilt, a jury acquitted him. He was still serving his original sentence when he died while lifting weights in the prison yard. Although many people believe he did it, he was never found guilty of the crime, leaving the possibility that the murderer was never caught.
Perhaps most chilling of all was something Doris Milner's mom revealed in a documentary called Someone Cry for the Children. On her way to the camp, the girl asked her mother what would happen if everyone in the world died. Her mom said that couldn't happen, to which the little girl said, "Everyone's going to die tomorrow." The murder happened the next day.
What's the most haunting mystery you've ever heard?
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
Every Monday, I'll present a new mystery. Some have been solved...some remain unsolved to this day. Today's mystery is one I had never heard of until recently...and I was a Girl Scout in the 70s. Warning: This one involves the deaths of young girls.
The horrible events of June 13, 1977 seem to have been forgotten for those who don't live near Tulsa, Oklahoma. But once you hear the story, you'll never forget it. Especially when you see the young, innocent faces of the victims.
Michelle Heather Guse, Lori Lee Farmer, and Doris Denise Milner were like any other girls between the ages of eight and ten. They had friends, families who loved them, and promising futures. They headed off to Camp Scott with no idea that just two months earlier, a camp director had found a note that threatened to kill three little girls. The director had assumed the note was a prank and tossed it.
Lori, Doris, and Michelle were assigned to Cabin 8, which was located farther from the counselor's tent than all the others.
On the evening of June 12, the girls wrote in their diaries and went to sleep. Just after midnight, one of the camp counselors was awakened by a strange sound. She described it as a guttural sound, not human but not like any animal she'd heard. She investigated, but couldn't find anything.
Others reported hearing the same guttural sound that night. One girl said she heard a young girl crying for her mom and others said a man looked into their tent and walked away.
The next morning, the camp counselor who had heard the strange noise left her tent early to take a shower. On her way, she noticed some strange items under a tree. She then saw some sleeping bags. She called the police.
At some point in the night, the girls had been taken from their tents, attacked, and murdered. A variety of clues led police to this man, an escaped convict who was living in the area at the time.
Although local authorities were certain of his guilt, a jury acquitted him. He was still serving his original sentence when he died while lifting weights in the prison yard. Although many people believe he did it, he was never found guilty of the crime, leaving the possibility that the murderer was never caught.
Perhaps most chilling of all was something Doris Milner's mom revealed in a documentary called Someone Cry for the Children. On her way to the camp, the girl asked her mother what would happen if everyone in the world died. Her mom said that couldn't happen, to which the little girl said, "Everyone's going to die tomorrow." The murder happened the next day.
What's the most haunting mystery you've ever heard?
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
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November 2, 2016
IWSG: What Is Your Favorite Aspect of Being a Writer?
It's the first Wednesday of the month, which means hundreds of us will be posting about our insecurities. If you haven't yet, join in. You'll be glad you did!
Each month we have a question. This month's question is:
What Is Your Favorite Aspect of Being a Writer?
There are SO many things I love about being a writer. There's the fact that I can work like this:
Plus the thrill of seeing this:
It's also exciting to see my name as a byline:
There's something exciting about writing these words:
And something even more exciting about these words:
There are few things in life more exciting than knowing someone is reading your words.
But my favorite thing about being a writer is that I get to make things up all day. I create people who don't exist, add details, take them on a journey, and hopefully, entertain people in the process.
What are you insecure about this month?
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
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Each month we have a question. This month's question is:
What Is Your Favorite Aspect of Being a Writer?
There are SO many things I love about being a writer. There's the fact that I can work like this:
Plus the thrill of seeing this:
It's also exciting to see my name as a byline:
There's something exciting about writing these words:
And something even more exciting about these words:
There are few things in life more exciting than knowing someone is reading your words.
But my favorite thing about being a writer is that I get to make things up all day. I create people who don't exist, add details, take them on a journey, and hopefully, entertain people in the process.
What are you insecure about this month?
If you want to help out with my Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, fill out the form below. You only have to post on Twitter or your blog sometime between November 14-18--I'll send you all the info. you need to participate!
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November 1, 2016
Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes: 2016 Edition
In keeping with a tradition I started last year, I'm showcasing the best celebrity Halloween costumes of the year. But I'm also taking signups for the Piper Morgan to the Rescue release blitz, coming up November 14-18. Click here to sign up or use the form at the bottom of this blog.
And now, on with the show!
#10: Amy Schumer and Ben Hanisch as Dustin and Eleven from Stranger Things
#9: Emily Ratajkowski as Cleopatra
#8: Jenna Fischer's son as Dwight Schrute (The Office)
#7: Kelly Rowland as Dionne from Clueless
#6: Martha Stewart as a Bloody Nurse
#5: Candace Cameron Bure as Tinkerbell
#4: Kylie Jenner as Early 00s-era Christina Aguilera
#3: Beyonce as Salt-N-Pepa and Jay-Z as Dwayne Wayne
#2: Colton Haynes as Miss Piggy
And this year's winner is...
#1: Katy Perry as Hillary Clinton
Which costume is your favorite?
I'm doing a release blitz for my newest book November 14-18. Just sign up to post on Twitter or your blog at some point during that week and I'll send over the press kit with all the info. you need. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy?
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And now, on with the show!
#10: Amy Schumer and Ben Hanisch as Dustin and Eleven from Stranger Things
#9: Emily Ratajkowski as Cleopatra
#8: Jenna Fischer's son as Dwight Schrute (The Office)
#7: Kelly Rowland as Dionne from Clueless
#6: Martha Stewart as a Bloody Nurse
#5: Candace Cameron Bure as Tinkerbell
#4: Kylie Jenner as Early 00s-era Christina Aguilera
#3: Beyonce as Salt-N-Pepa and Jay-Z as Dwayne Wayne
#2: Colton Haynes as Miss Piggy
And this year's winner is...
#1: Katy Perry as Hillary Clinton
Which costume is your favorite?
I'm doing a release blitz for my newest book November 14-18. Just sign up to post on Twitter or your blog at some point during that week and I'll send over the press kit with all the info. you need. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy?
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October 31, 2016
Scary October: Bobby Mackey's Music World
Happy Halloween!!! It's October, which means I'm sharing spooky stories every week this month. Today's haunted place isn't quite as impressive looking as the other places I've featured this month:
If you're a fan of the ghost-hunting show with the melodramatic douchebag...
...you know Bobby Mackey's. It was the location of the first episode of the show and they've been back at least once.
Located in Wilder, Kentucky, Bobby Mackey's is named for some country music "star" you've likely never heard of. Bobby Mackey's claims the land was once the site of a slaughterhouse, later becoming a roadhouse that changed names over the years. Other reportedly haunted places may hide it from customers, but Bobby Mackey's fully embraces it:
The site's dark history began in 1896 when a woman named Pearl Bryan was beheaded more than two miles away. Her head was never found. Some like to say her head was given as a sacrifice to the devil in an abandoned well on the property.
There are also stories of demonic possession, but that's not really my thing. If you're into that sort of thing, Bobby Mackey's is probably a place to visit.
Perhaps the spookiest story is that of a dancer named Johanna and the man she loved. That man was named Robert Randall (which coincidentally is also the first and middle name of Bobby Mackey--weird, huh?). Legend has it that Johanna's father didn't approve of her boyfriend, so he had him killed. Devastated, Johanna committed suicide. Bobby Mackey wrote a song about it:
Occupants and guests report hot spots, phantom footsteps on the stairs, the scent of roses in the basement, and other strange phenomena. Is the place really haunted? That's debatable...but if you're in Wilder, Kentucky, stop by!
That's it for Scary October 2016, but the creepiness isn't over. Every Monday on my blog, it will be Mystery Monday, starting this coming Monday. So keep checking in!
If you're a fan of the ghost-hunting show with the melodramatic douchebag...
...you know Bobby Mackey's. It was the location of the first episode of the show and they've been back at least once.
Located in Wilder, Kentucky, Bobby Mackey's is named for some country music "star" you've likely never heard of. Bobby Mackey's claims the land was once the site of a slaughterhouse, later becoming a roadhouse that changed names over the years. Other reportedly haunted places may hide it from customers, but Bobby Mackey's fully embraces it:
The site's dark history began in 1896 when a woman named Pearl Bryan was beheaded more than two miles away. Her head was never found. Some like to say her head was given as a sacrifice to the devil in an abandoned well on the property.
There are also stories of demonic possession, but that's not really my thing. If you're into that sort of thing, Bobby Mackey's is probably a place to visit.
Perhaps the spookiest story is that of a dancer named Johanna and the man she loved. That man was named Robert Randall (which coincidentally is also the first and middle name of Bobby Mackey--weird, huh?). Legend has it that Johanna's father didn't approve of her boyfriend, so he had him killed. Devastated, Johanna committed suicide. Bobby Mackey wrote a song about it:
Occupants and guests report hot spots, phantom footsteps on the stairs, the scent of roses in the basement, and other strange phenomena. Is the place really haunted? That's debatable...but if you're in Wilder, Kentucky, stop by!
That's it for Scary October 2016, but the creepiness isn't over. Every Monday on my blog, it will be Mystery Monday, starting this coming Monday. So keep checking in!
October 28, 2016
Best Books of October
It's once again time to tell you about the best books I read this month. Here are my favorite October reads!
My publisher picks the best authors! Ronni Arno is one of those authors. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know my publisher also has the best covers. The cover for Ronni's latest book is proof of that:
In Dear Poppy, a 12-year-old girl is relocated to the family farm, where she finds a hidden stash of letters in the barn. The letters are were written by her now-deceased mom in 1985 and are addressed to "Poppy," leading her to conclude that her mother somehow knew as a teenager that her daughter would someday read them. As Poppy struggles to deal with making friends at school, including a meanie named Kathryn, the letters bond her to her mom in a touching way. This book will tug at your heartstrings while still being a fun read!
The last book this month was one my author friend Rachele Alpine told me about. The concept of school shootings has always fascinated me. This book is an intense read, but worth it.
On the day of his high school's pep rally, teenager Kirby Matheson walks into his school and opens fire, killing six students and injuring five others. Violent Ends describes the days surrounding the traumatic event, with each chapter featuring a different perspective. Like 13 Reasons Why, Violent Ends explores adolescent death in a way that's both fascinating and horrifying. This is one of those books you won't be able to put down.
You're likely already familiar with the next book I read in October, a psychological thriller with an eye-catching cover by one of my blogging buddies, Yvonne Ventresca.
In Black Flowers, White Lies, a high schooler is dealing with her mom's wedding, a soon-to-be stepbrother who happens to be hot, and some haunting truths about her father. At the same time, strange things are starting to happen all around her. Is her father communicating with her from the grave? I came into this story expecting suspense and got so much more. I can see why this author won the very coveted Crystal Kite Award for her previous book. She creates rich characters you grow to care about deeply, coupled with a story that will draw you in from the start. Don't miss this one!
I eagerly awaited the release of this one. From the cover and premise, you know it's going to be a great one. You know her in the blogging world as Kelly Hashway, but she also writes as Ashelyn Drake:
There's something so heartbreaking about two people who want to be together but can't. After Loving You covers that heartbreak in a way few books have. Former lovers Mia and Jared are separated by distance, but they've remained best friends. Ashelyn follows their separate paths as they try to forget each other and date others. Yet they constantly feel pulled back toward each other. This book took me back to my teenage years, when I was trying to get over my first love. Fortunately, we didn't have the internet back then, so it was much easier to move on! No matter what your age, you'll identify with this book.
I love short story anthologies, so I was excited to read this next book. Plus, one of the authors is one of my favorite bloggers, Leandra Wallace. The cover says it all:
Circuits and Slippers blends technology and fairy tales, with each short story bringing a modern twist to the stories we've heard all our lives. I loved the variety in this book, which included plenty of adventure and even a little humor along the way. Leandra's take on the Princess and the Pea and Jennifer Lee Rossman's version of Goldilocks were my two favorites, but you can't go wrong with any of these stories!
What are you reading now?
My publisher picks the best authors! Ronni Arno is one of those authors. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know my publisher also has the best covers. The cover for Ronni's latest book is proof of that:
In Dear Poppy, a 12-year-old girl is relocated to the family farm, where she finds a hidden stash of letters in the barn. The letters are were written by her now-deceased mom in 1985 and are addressed to "Poppy," leading her to conclude that her mother somehow knew as a teenager that her daughter would someday read them. As Poppy struggles to deal with making friends at school, including a meanie named Kathryn, the letters bond her to her mom in a touching way. This book will tug at your heartstrings while still being a fun read!
The last book this month was one my author friend Rachele Alpine told me about. The concept of school shootings has always fascinated me. This book is an intense read, but worth it.
On the day of his high school's pep rally, teenager Kirby Matheson walks into his school and opens fire, killing six students and injuring five others. Violent Ends describes the days surrounding the traumatic event, with each chapter featuring a different perspective. Like 13 Reasons Why, Violent Ends explores adolescent death in a way that's both fascinating and horrifying. This is one of those books you won't be able to put down.
You're likely already familiar with the next book I read in October, a psychological thriller with an eye-catching cover by one of my blogging buddies, Yvonne Ventresca.
In Black Flowers, White Lies, a high schooler is dealing with her mom's wedding, a soon-to-be stepbrother who happens to be hot, and some haunting truths about her father. At the same time, strange things are starting to happen all around her. Is her father communicating with her from the grave? I came into this story expecting suspense and got so much more. I can see why this author won the very coveted Crystal Kite Award for her previous book. She creates rich characters you grow to care about deeply, coupled with a story that will draw you in from the start. Don't miss this one!
I eagerly awaited the release of this one. From the cover and premise, you know it's going to be a great one. You know her in the blogging world as Kelly Hashway, but she also writes as Ashelyn Drake:
There's something so heartbreaking about two people who want to be together but can't. After Loving You covers that heartbreak in a way few books have. Former lovers Mia and Jared are separated by distance, but they've remained best friends. Ashelyn follows their separate paths as they try to forget each other and date others. Yet they constantly feel pulled back toward each other. This book took me back to my teenage years, when I was trying to get over my first love. Fortunately, we didn't have the internet back then, so it was much easier to move on! No matter what your age, you'll identify with this book.
I love short story anthologies, so I was excited to read this next book. Plus, one of the authors is one of my favorite bloggers, Leandra Wallace. The cover says it all:
Circuits and Slippers blends technology and fairy tales, with each short story bringing a modern twist to the stories we've heard all our lives. I loved the variety in this book, which included plenty of adventure and even a little humor along the way. Leandra's take on the Princess and the Pea and Jennifer Lee Rossman's version of Goldilocks were my two favorites, but you can't go wrong with any of these stories!
What are you reading now?
