P.D. Workman's Blog, page 60
August 27, 2020
Back to school – time to hit the books
It is about time to go back to school. Some of you may have started/your kids may have started already. Here, I don’t think any of the schools have opened back up yet, but they will be soon. School may be a very different experience this year. Some of you are suddenly homeschooling or online schooling. Some may be going back to classrooms with different setups to allow for social distancing. And some may be going back to “normal.”
I thought that I would share some of my YA books portraying different school experiences. Most of these books have won literary awards.
Parker
Endless Change
Parker’s school experience is pretty conventional. Public school with his friends, helping his mom out with the younger students.
But things do get derailed when he meets Dakota. There is something wrong with Dakota. It’s not just the hollowness in her eyes or her traumatic past. He can help falling for her. Dakota holds her secrets close, and Parker is worried that if he pushes too hard for answers, she’ll just run away.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Ruby
Ruby, Between the Cracks
Ruby’s school experience is mostly not being there. She skips or goes there to meet with friends or hook up with boys. She spends a lot of time on the street or with a gang.
If you asked Ruby, she’d tell you she’s happy with her life. She’s tough and independent and doesn’t depend on anyone else. But things aren’t as rosy as she would have everyone believe, and the road ahead of her is filled with challenges.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Kelli
Making Her Mark
Kelli starts in a school in the hood, and ends up in an exclusive private school where she does not feel like she belongs. It seems like there isn’t any place fo her.
Kelli’s life has never been easy. She’s always faced her problems head on. She’s strong and savvy and in charge of herself. All of that is about to change.
Her life is turned upside down when she discovers the secret that her mother has been hiding from her for years.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Tamara
Tattooed Teardrops
Like Kelli, Tamara has to go through a big transition. After three years in juvenile detention, she is out on parole and back in public school.
Tamara had thought that when she got out of juvie, things would be easier. But before long, it seems like her life is spiraling into chaos.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE LISTEN TO SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Nadie
Questing for a Dream
Nadie is Cree and starts out in the school on the reservation in Manitoba. It is a very different experience than most of us have.
Life on a reservation isn’t easy. When tragedy strikes, tradition and ritual provide her little comfort. Grief-stricken, Nadie sets off on a quest to the white man’s land in search of something better.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Final Note
If you are homeschooling based on classic literature, don’t forget to check out Workman Classic Editions, such as Flatland and the Dave Dashaway series!
August 25, 2020
Excerpt from The Guest List
Did you pick up a copy of Fairy Blade Unmade yet? My latest release is out now, and it is a lot of fun.
Reg Rawlins is back!
Fairy Blade Unmade is book #7 in the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series. It can be read as a standalone or enjoyed as part of the series. If you like your mystery with a side of magical adventure, be sure to pick it up.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I am currently reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley. First off, it is praised repeatedly as being reminiscent of Agatha Christie. It is like Agatha Christie insofar as it is a murder mystery with a closed cast of suspects. The characters all have shameful secrets and, I assume later in the book, will turn out to have more connections than the reader is initially told.
But the language and descriptions are much more graphic than Dame Agatha. I would not recommend it to someone who is looking for a Miss Marple or Inspector Poirot. There are a lot of grammatical constructs that are ambiguous, awkward, or confusing. It is told from multiple points of view and timelines, which you’ll never find in an Agatha Christie. I’m two thirds of the way through, and the murder has not yet taken place or been discovered/described.
You don’t get this. This isn’t your moment. You didn’t create it. I created it in spite of you.
― Lucy Foley, The Guest List
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The bride – The plus one – The best man – The wedding planner – The bridesmaid – The body
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
August 20, 2020
Fairy Blade Unmade and other new releases
Reg Rawlins is back!
Fairy Blade Unmade is book #7 in the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series. It can be read as a standalone or enjoyed as part of the series. If you like your mystery with a side of magical adventure, be sure to pick it up.
BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Fairy Blade Unmade
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Don’t take a pixie on a road trip.
Reg Rawlins is taking things one day at a time, which is the best way to approach life when your perception of reality has been shattered beyond recognition. Running her business, learning how to manage her new gifts, and trying to train a rambunctious kitten are about all she can manage.
She definitely doesn’t need to be dealing with a magically-injured fairy, an expedition to the Blue Ridge Mountains, or getting the cooperation of yet another magical species.
BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Read my interview with Uvi Poznansky
Watch a sneak preview
And more new releases
Here are a few more new releases for you to check out!
.ugb-02f9905 .ugb-img{width:334px;height:auto !important}.ugb-02f9905 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-02f9905 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-02f9905 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-02f9905 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}The Hex Files
The end is near. Detective Danielle DeMarco is challenged with her most intense case yet, and along with it, she inherits a host of personal problems. When a sorcerer is found dead in The Emporium, a spell shop brimming with magical potions, elixirs, and tinctures, Dani and her new tagalong, Primrose, are on the case.
However, work turns personal when someone close to Dani is poisoned. To make matters worse, another of Detective DeMarco’s closest friends vanishes, her boyfriend is hiding something, and there is a new threat to the borough more dangerous than any in history.
.ugb-e01162b .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}.ugb-e01162b .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-e01162b .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-e01162b .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-e01162b .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Spring Scribe
Daisy McFarland, a retired teacher from North Carolina living in the English village of Worlingburgh, is suffering from spring fever.
Literally. An advert for an inexpensive stay in a lovely, coastal Victorian inn fits the bill for rest and recuperation from a severe case of the flu. With her larger-than-life cat, Pillow, in tow, she makes her way to the seashore town of Aldeburgh.
Settling into the idyllic room at the inn, Daisy expects a quick recovery. What she doesn’t expect is to meet the handsome, retired military officer Mark Stranger, discover that two murders occur shortly after her arrival and ultimately find herself in grave danger.
.ugb-66df3ea .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-66df3ea .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-66df3ea .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-66df3ea .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-66df3ea .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}A Taste for Magic
When a diner at Bella Vita nearly drops dead during dinner service, nobody believes it was an attempted murder. Kinsley has to go out on a limb to find the answers before the would-be killer strikes again.
A Tasted for Magic is book five in the Familiar Kitten Mysteries cozy mystery series. You’ll find no swearing, gore, or adult situations, but you will find magic, mystery, and a hint of lighthearted mayhem.
.ugb-2d69639 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}.ugb-2d69639 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-2d69639 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-2d69639 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-2d69639 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Freaky Seas
Mystic Caravan Circus is heading to Charleston and – per usual – trouble is not far behind.
For Poet Parker, who is grappling with saying goodbye to her assistant, she’s looking forward to quiet nights on the beach and quality time with her boyfriend. All that changes when the sea starts giving up its dead … and they appear to be hungry.
Under normal circumstances, zombies wouldn’t be a big deal. They’re slow, lumbering, and easy to dispatch. This infestation is different … and they appear to be controlled by a strange creature long since thought extinct.
.ugb-adc018d .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}.ugb-adc018d .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-adc018d .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-adc018d .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-adc018d .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Every Trick in the Book
Turning over a new leaf doesn’t always go according to plan…
When Jemma James takes a job at Burns Books, the second-worst secondhand bookshop in London, she finds her ambition to turn it around thwarted at every step. Raphael, the owner, is more interested in his newspaper than sales. Folio the bookshop cat has it in for Jemma, and the shop itself appears to have a mind of its own. Or is it more than that?
Gradually Jemma starts to make a difference … and then the anonymous letters start arriving.
.ugb-01a5db6 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-01a5db6 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-01a5db6 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-01a5db6 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-01a5db6 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Paranoia Pixies & Prophecies
If there was one thing I’d learned over the last few months, it was that absolutely nothing lasted forever.
Which was probably why I’d been so surprised when Hunter announced he was staying in Portland. I couldn’t help but think, and hope, that it had something to do with me, a forty-year-old divorcee who was half witch and half fae.
Or maybe that was just a pipe dream.
Either way, a new hunk isn’t the only thing that’s changed in my life within the last forty-eight hours. For starters, I freed an elf from prison based solely on the fact that he knew my grandfather’s name. And then that elf promptly had some sort of magical heart attack, leaving me to wonder just what the heck is going on in the world of the fae.
.ugb-5754d87 .ugb-img{width:230px;height:auto !important}.ugb-5754d87 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-5754d87 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-5754d87 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-5754d87 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Where Dogs Rule
With a real sense of urgency, four close friends return to their respective homes only to discover that nothing is quite the way they’d left it. Their family members are behaving strangely and their dogs, in particular, are far different than they ever imagined could be possible.
Multiple stores[image error].ugb-7775986 .ugb-img{width:334px;height:auto !important}.ugb-7775986 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-7775986 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-7775986 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-7775986 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}A Little Bit Chilly
Description for this block. Use this It’s summertime in Riddler’s Edge, so how come it feels so chilly?
While the town prepares for a performance of The Snow Queen: The Musical, some very frosty murders occur. Have the victims been frozen by an over-enthusiastic air conditioner, or is there magic involved?
Aisling will need her friends to help her crack this case, so it’s a little unfortunate that Dylan is avoiding them all. He also has a secret visitor at the lighthouse, and Aisling is itching to get to the bottom of that little mystery, just as soon as she stops the entire town from freezing to death…
.ugb-ad55fa7 .ugb-img{width:329px;height:auto !important}.ugb-ad55fa7 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-ad55fa7 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-ad55fa7 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-ad55fa7 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Gators and Garters
Ida Belle, Fortune, and Gertie are gearing up for the big day—Ida Belle’s wedding to Walter—but when the caterer goes missing just a week before the big day, it puts a huge black mark on the joyous celebration. Molly Broussard is no stranger to being in the limelight, so when the former cage fighter turned in her boxing gloves for pots and pans, everyone who knew her was surprised…until they ate her food.
From all appearances, Molly took her boat out that day and simply never returned. An extensive search of the bayous finally produces the boat, but there is no sign of Molly. With no evidence of foul play, Sinful residents are ready to conclude that this is simply another tragic and all-too-common accident.
.ugb-0e769a2 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}.ugb-0e769a2 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-0e769a2 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-0e769a2 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-0e769a2 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Renovation Spell
Even though Clementine is dealing with upheavals in her life (encountering an evil wizard from her past, talking dog), she is determined to keep things normal–meaning, business as usual. But when a house cleansing goes terribly wrong and someone winds up murdered, keeping things normal seems to be a pipe dream. To make matters worse, Clementine is the only witness to the crime. And when the body disappears, no one believes that a murder was ever committed.
But Clementine is convinced that a crime took place and she is determined to catch the killer. To add on even more mayhem, Malene Fredericks wants her help spying on their neighbor, Clem’s dog can now talk, and Rufus Mayes is still hanging around looking for the memory spell that she has hidden. As Clem sorts out her feelings for Rufus and searches for a killer, she finds herself entangled in a darker mystery than she ever imagined. And when everything comes to a head, Clem finds herself face-to-face with danger. Will she escape, or will she become the next victim?
August 18, 2020
Between the Cracks 4-6
Award Winning, Bundle/Collection, Coming Soon!
Series: Between the Cracks
Genres: Young Adult
eBook Price: $9.99 The Author Direct option, if shown above, allows you to purchase directly from the author using PayPal
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
+ About Between the Cracks 4-6
Follow the lives of the Simpson family, their lives torn apart by abuse and neglect.
Chloe
Chloe had known for a long time that she was two people. The Chloe who watched and the Chloe who experienced. She had been watching for so long, she wasn’t sure she could feel anything anymore. But if she can’t overcome her past and start living in the real world, she knows she will lose herself forever.
Ronnie
Ronnie was the one child in the Simpson family to escape from the abuse and grow up in a normal home without being bounced from place to place or ending up on the street.
That was what the others all thought. That was what Ronnie told herself. When Ronnie could remember.
June Into the Light
Getting clean is just the first of June’s challenges, and as difficult as it is, may be the easiest part.
The path ahead is filled with so many obstacles she can’t see her way through to the other side. Facing her children and convincing them that she has really changed and is capable of a healthy relationship with them seems like an insurmountable task.
Goodreads reviews for Ruby, Between the Cracks
Reviews from Goodreads.com
+ Praise for Between the Cracks Series
– The Between the Cracks books have been absolutely AMAZING… as soon as I started to read “Ruby”, I just had to keep going.
– I wish I could forget the book Ruby and read it all over again.
– This book is utterly amazing, I find myself having more empathy for children in these types of situations than ever before. My heart seriously yearns for them. I can’t put this book down.
+ Endorsements
“We are thrilled with the second year of this important work finding relevant books for our communities that validate, illuminate and humanize those living in the margins. We have a great list, bringing to national attention books that add to diversity in our collections and world,” said Amy Cheney, Chair of ITM. “The committee members and I are excited to share these books with you for those living and interested in the margins of society.”
– In the Margins Book Committee
+ Book Club Resources
Addiction Pinterest Board
Domestic Abuse Pinterest Board
Street Kids Pinterest Board
Mental Illness Pinterest Board
Foster Care Pinterest Board
+ Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”
“The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book.”
“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”
“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”
“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”
“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”
About P. D. Workman
P.D. (Pamela) Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure and from a very young age she was trying to write her own books.
Workman wrote her first complete novel at the age of twelve and continued to write as a hobby for many years. She started publishing in 2013. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She made the USA Today Bestseller list in 2019. She currently has over 50 published titles and can be found at pdworkman.com.
Born and raised in Alberta, Workman has been married for over 25 years and has one son.
Excerpt from The Wrong Side of Goodbye
This past weekend was When Words Collide, a writer’s conference in Calgary, which was put on as an online conference this weekend. It was a great experience, and many of the presentations will be posted on the youtube channel for those who didn’t get a chance to attend or to see everything they wanted to.
Fairy Blade Unmade, book #7 of the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series is being released this Friday! Preorder now or come by Friday for my round-up of new releases.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I am reading one of Michael Connelly’s Bosch books this week, The Wrong Side of Goodbye. I haven’t seen the TV Bosch, soI don’t know how faithful he is to the book series, but the Harry Bosch books are a fun read. In this book, Bosch is trying to unwind a series of family secrets as a private investigator, while he is also on the trail of a serial rapist in his part-time police position.
“I’m old—that’s how I am,” Vance said. “I have fought like hell to defeat time but some things can’t be beat. It is hard for a man in my position to accept, but I am resigned, Mr. Bosch.
Michael Connelly, The Wrong Side of Goodbye
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Harry Bosch is California’s newest private investigator. He doesn’t advertise, he doesn’t have an office, and he’s picky about who he works for, but it doesn’t matter. His chops from thirty years with the LAPD speak for themselves.
Soon one of Southern California’s biggest moguls comes calling. The reclusive billionaire is nearing the end of his life and is haunted by one regret. When he was young, he had a relationship with a Mexican girl, his great love. But soon after becoming pregnant, she disappeared. Did she have the baby? And if so, what happened to it?
Desperate to know whether he has an heir, the dying magnate hires Bosch, the only person he can trust. With such a vast fortune at stake, Harry realizes that his mission could be risky not only for himself but for the one he’s seeking. But as he begins to uncover the haunting story–and finds uncanny links to his own past–he knows he cannot rest until he finds the truth.
At the same time, unable to leave cop work behind completely, he volunteers as an investigator for a tiny cash-strapped police department and finds himself tracking a serial rapist who is one of the most baffling and dangerous foes he has ever faced.
August 12, 2020
International Youth Day 2020
Today is International Youth Day 2020.
I call on leaders and adults everywhere to do everything possible to enable the world’s youth to enjoy lives of safety, dignity and opportunity and contribute to the fullest of their great potential.
António Guterres
The theme of this year’s International Youth Day is meaningful youth engagement. Making youth equal partners with adults in effecting world change.
Today, we celebrate our youth. We celebrate your voices, your actions, and everything you're doing to build a better future – because from fighting climate change to demanding justice and equality, change starts with you. Happy International #YouthDay! https://t.co/sM9Qvs1iDu pic.twitter.com/Safhlg2t0B
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 12, 2020
Can young people make a difference today?
Absolutely. Throughout history, young people have been at the forefront of change. They are not only the victims of agendas they had no part in developing, but they have the passion and the strength to effect change.
Anne Frank, Louis Braille, and Malala Yousef are just a few. There are many lists of young people who changed the world on the internet, like this one.
Some reading
.ugb-a1c60cb .ugb-img{width:305px;height:auto !important}.ugb-a1c60cb .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-a1c60cb .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-a1c60cb .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-a1c60cb .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
In 1942, with the Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, the Franks and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annexe” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and surprisingly humorous, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
.ugb-eb46e9e .ugb-img{width:384px;height:auto !important}.ugb-eb46e9e .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-eb46e9e .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-eb46e9e .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#FFFFFF !important}.ugb-eb46e9e .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}Six Dots
An inspiring picture-book biography of Louis Braille—a blind boy so determined to read that he invented his own alphabet.
**Winner of a Schneider Family Book Award!**
Louis Braille was just five years old when he lost his sight. He was a clever boy, determined to live like everyone else, and what he wanted more than anything was to be able to read.
Even at the school for the blind in Paris, there were no books for him.
And so he invented his own alphabet—a whole new system for writing that could be read by touch. A system so ingenious that it is still used by the blind community today.
.ugb-e502de3 .ugb-img{width:322px;height:auto !important}.ugb-e502de3 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-e502de3 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-e502de3 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-e502de3 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}I Am Malala
A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
“I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.”
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls’ education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world.
A few more places to look:
Seven Inspiring Books for Kids who want to Change the WorldYoung Enough to Change the WorldStories for Boys who Dare to be Different
My Books
A few of my books about kids making a difference in their communities.
Questing for a Dream
Mito, Medical Kidnap Files #1
Endless Change
And a couple who may not start off on the best path, but stick with them until the end…
Making Her Mark
Gem, Himself, Alone
August 11, 2020
Excerpt from Hatchett
Lots of great deals going on right now. Check out the recent blog posts for details!
And we are closing in on the release date for Fairy Blade Unmade. I’m getting excited about it. This is really a fun book, and can be read as a standalone even if you haven’t read the rest of the series. I’ve done an interview about it with Uvi Poznansky and did a short reading for that interview. You can preorder it now!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I am reading the Newbery Award-winning Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I’ve always liked survival stories, especially when they involve kids/teens. The book is set in Canada, which is an added bonus, and I didn’t realize that it is the first in a series (The Brian Saga). Despite the fact that this is an award-winner, I have found the writing to be weak in a few places. The plot and the survival techniques are solid. Pacing is reasonably good. Lots of exciting disasters. All of the basic stuff you look for in a survival novel are here.
He was alone.
In the roaring plane with no pilot he was alone.
Alone.
Gary Paulsen, Hatchet
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Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, haunted by his secret knowledge of his mother’s infidelity, is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father for the first time since the divorce. When the plane crashes, killing the pilot, the sole survivor is Brian. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present.
At first consumed by despair and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills—how to make a shelter for himself, how to hunt and fish and forage for food, how to make a fire—and even finds the courage to start over from scratch when a tornado ravages his campsite. When Brian is finally rescued after fifty-four days in the wild, he emerges from his ordeal with new patience and maturity, and a greater understanding of himself and his parents.
August 10, 2020
Sale on Night of Nine Tales
Flash sale on Night of Nine Tales! The fourth book in the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series is free for a limited time. Pick it up now, this sale won’t last.
Free for a limited time!
The Author Direct option allows you to purchase directly from the author using PayPal
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
Reg climbed out of bed, the dread from her nightmare still squeezing her heart so tightly it hurt.
Reg recognizes that feeling of dread.
Something is disrupting the spiritual atmosphere in Black Sands, but no one else seems to be aware of its menacing presence. So Reg does her best to push it to the back of her conscious mind and to focus on new friendships and opportunities. She has been in Florida for long enough that it’s time to have some fun.
But ignoring the presence doesn’t make it go away, and before long, Reg has been dragged into a manhunt—or a creature hunt—that is scarier than anything she has faced in the paranormal community yet.
With the help of some long-buried memories and unexpected helpers, Reg is able to find a few answers… and a lot more questions.
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Video of author reading:
August 8, 2020
What the Cat Knew sale just $0.99
As I get ready to publish books 7, 8 and 9 of the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series, I have dropped the price for book 1 of the series to just $0.99. If you haven’t yet been introduced to Reg Rawlins, this is a great place to start!
What the Cat Knew
by P. D. Workman
Series:Reg Rawlins Psychic Investigator #1
Genres:Cozy Mystery
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
eBook Price: $0.99 for a limited time!
The Author Direct option, if shown above, allows you to purchase directly from the author using PayPal
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
This book has all my favourite things: heart, great writing, nearly-flawless editing, something unusual in the air, and a cat.
Talena, Goodreads reader
+ About What the Cat Knew
Reg Rawlins, professional con, has really gotten herself into a bind this time.
The fortune teller gig started as a scam, but she suddenly finds herself tangled up in the case of Warren Blake, a man who she thought was dead. It turns out he may still be alive, but in mortal peril.
Reg has always taken the quick exit, the easy way out, but running out on this racket might mean someone else’s death.
Staying in it might mean hers.
This price won’t last forever, so get your paws on it now!
AUTHOR DIRECT BUY NOW SAMPLE BOOKBUB GOODREADS
Goodreads reviews
August 7, 2020
Between the Cracks 1-3
Award Winning, Bundle/Collection, New Release!
Series: Between the Cracks
Genres: Young Adult
Author DirectSample Goodreads
eBook Price: $9.99 The Author Direct option, if shown above, allows you to purchase directly from the author using PayPal
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
You know it’s a great book when you have to keep reminding yourself that the characters are not real people. I really cared about Ruby, and she gave me some bad moments. I desperately hoped her story would have a happy ending.
+ About Between the Cracks 1-3
Follow the lives of the Simpson family, their lives torn apart by abuse and neglect.
Ruby, Between the Cracks
Ruby, Between the Cracks, was awarded a place in the Top Ten Books for Teens 2015.
Winner of Top Ten Books for Teens award by In the Margins Committee, 2015.
[image error]If you asked Ruby, she’d tell you she’s happy with her life. She’s tough and independent and doesn’t depend on anyone else. But things aren’t as rosy as she would have everyone believe, and the road ahead of her is filled not only with gangs, drugs, and depression, but other challenges that Ruby hasn’t even imagined.
June & Justin
Justin already failed June once. He wasn’t there when she needed him, and because of him, their lives will never be the same. Justin must protect June at all costs. But it seems they are always falling behind, barely keeping one step ahead of the nightmares.
Michelle
When Michelle asked to be taken away from her abusive mother, she never expected to lose everyone she loved in the process. They said they would keep her and Kenny together. Her daddy said he would be back, but he wasn’t. All too soon, they are forced to reunite her with their mother, and Michelle is forced to take to the streets, seeking safety in the gang life.
Goodreads reviews for Ruby, Between the Cracks
Reviews from Goodreads.com
+ Praise for Between the Cracks Series
– The Between the Cracks books have been absolutely AMAZING… as soon as I started to read “Ruby”, I just had to keep going.
– I wish I could forget the book Ruby and read it all over again.
– This book is utterly amazing, I find myself having more empathy for children in these types of situations than ever before. My heart seriously yearns for them. I can’t put this book down.
+ Endorsements
“We are thrilled with the second year of this important work finding relevant books for our communities that validate, illuminate and humanize those living in the margins. We have a great list, bringing to national attention books that add to diversity in our collections and world,” said Amy Cheney, Chair of ITM. “The committee members and I are excited to share these books with you for those living and interested in the margins of society.”
– In the Margins Book Committee
+ Book Club Resources
Addiction Pinterest Board
Domestic Abuse Pinterest Board
Street Kids Pinterest Board
Mental Illness Pinterest Board
Foster Care Pinterest Board
+ Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”
“The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book.”
“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”
“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”
“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”
“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”
About P. D. Workman
P.D. (Pamela) Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure and from a very young age she was trying to write her own books.
Workman wrote her first complete novel at the age of twelve and continued to write as a hobby for many years. She started publishing in 2013. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She made the USA Today Bestseller list in 2019. She currently has over 50 published titles and can be found at pdworkman.com.
Born and raised in Alberta, Workman has been married for over 25 years and has one son.
