P.D. Workman's Blog, page 99
April 3, 2018
Excerpt from It’s Kind of a Funny Story
I hope you had a chance to download a copy of Two Teardrops this weekend! And hopefully, you had a good Easter and didn’t fall prey to any April Fool’s Day jokes!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
My current read is It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, a young adult book about depression and managing mental illness. It has been made into a much-acclaimed movie. In spite of the subject matter, it’s a light-hearted book with plenty of humour. While the thought processes and experiences of Craig, the main character with depression are quite different than mine, Ned Vizzini wrote from his own experience and tragically succumbed to his own depression at age 32.
My family shouldn’t have to put up with me. They’re good people, solid, happy. Sometimes when I’m with them I think I’m on television.
Ned Vizzini, It’s Kind of a Funny Story
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Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan’s Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life—which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job—Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That’s when things start to get crazy. At his new school, Craig realizes that he isn’t brilliant compared to the other kids; he’s just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away.
March 29, 2018
Easter Freebies!
[image error]What could be better than chocolate for Easter? How about free books? The Easter Bunny has brought you some surprises this weekend!
Two Teardrops
[image error]Two Teardrops is free from March 30 to April 3.
The much-anticipated sequel to Tattooed Teardrops, winner of Top Fiction Award, In the Margins Committee, 2016.
Returning to juvie after breaching her parole, Tamara finds that everything is the same as when she left, and yet everything is different. She fights to reestablish her rep while increasingly troubled by emerging memories.
Unexpected events lead to Tamara again finding herself out of juvie and on the streets, trying to resolve her past while avoiding capture by the authorities.
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And more freebies!
Here are some more not-to-be-missed freebies.
The Girl In Between: The Girl In Between Series Book 1
by Laekan Zea Kemp
The Girl in Between
Bryn Reyes is a real life sleeping beauty. Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn’t spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is.
But the appearance of this strange boy isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn’t find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.
Desired: An Urban Fantasy Novella (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 3.5)
by May Freighter
Desired
Maya hates being a demon. So when an opportunity arises to ditch her duties as a High Councillor in the Dome and return to the Human Realm, she takes it.
But what started off as a journey to see her old hunting partner and tell him her true feelings winds up in a battle to save humanity from an Archdemon Tanatos who also slipped through the Demon Gate. Before that demon becomes too strong, she must eliminate him. It may be a suicide mission, and she’ll willingly do it with the only man on her mind—Ben.
Chips of Red Paint
by K. Martin Beckner
Chips of Red Paint
Brian Haynes, the third-generation owner of a successful realty company, who married the owner of an even more successful lumber company, remembers back to one pivotal summer during his childhood that changed his perspective on life forever.
Following a frightening premonition from a mysterious neighbor, Brian, believing he has inadvertently contributed to the death of his grandmother’s housekeeper, runs away from home with his best friend, Charlie. Aided by their friend Stephanie, the two friends find refuge with an old man living a hermit’s life on a nearby knob. The old man teaches the boys the virtues of living a simple life and teaches them even more about letting go of the past and never taking things for granted.
Hidden Powers,
by Ben Swallow
Hidden Powers
(Instafreebie)
I was a regular woman with a crappy job, a crappy apartment and a boring, unfulfilling life. Obviously, I dreamed of being taken on an exciting adventure by a hot guy.
Then I met Bryan, and exactly that happened. He’s hot, quite decent and we both have supernatural abilities. Sounds great?
Well, we were also poisoned and will die in a week if we can’t come up with $50,000.
But if this city’s underworld thinks they can break me, they are wrong. I’m just getting started.
If The Shoes Fit
by Pauline Lawless
If the Shoes Fit
Niamh, at 23, the mother of a five-year-old and twin girls aged four, is desperate to have a home of her own. She longs to escape the house of her vicious mother-in-law but her charming, irresponsible husband and the mountain of debts they have makes this seem ever more unlikely.
Amber, former air stewardess whose husband Dermot left her for a younger woman, has lost all her confidence and is drowning her sorrows with alcohol.
Tessa, beautiful former model, paid the price for living life in the fast lane when she almost died from a heart attack. Her reliable friend, George, persuaded her to come and live with him in Ireland. She now realises that she’s made a dreadful mistake.
Rosie, recently widowed, can’t come to terms with the loss of the man she loved so much. Life without him doesn’t seem worth living.
All of them, needing a way out, find it with the Italian designer shoe company, ‘If The Shoes Fit’. This leads them to a new career, great friendships and a life-changing experience.
Brightest Kind of Darkness: Book 1
by P.T. Michelle, Patrice Michelle
Brightest Kind of Darkness
Nara Collins is an average girl with one exception; every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.
After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.
Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.
The Last Orphans
by N.W. Harris
The Last Orphans
In a span of mere hours, the entire adult population is decimated, leaving their children behind to fend for themselves and deal with the horrific aftermath of the freak occurrence. As one of the newly made elders in his small town, Shane finds himself taking on the role of caretaker for a large group of juvenile survivors. One who just happens to be Kelly Douglas—an out-of-his-league classmate—who, on any other day, would have never given Shane a second glance.
Together, they begin their quest to find out why all of the adults were slaughtered. What they find is even more horrifying than anything they could have expected—the annihilation of the adults was only the beginning. Shane and his friends are not the unlucky survivors left to inherit this new, messed-up planet. No, they are its next victims. There is an unknown power out there, and it won’t stop until every person in the world is dead.
From The Wreckage
by Michele G Miller
From the Wreckage
“In a matter of minutes on a Friday night, I lost my school, my identity, the security of my first love, the personality of my sweet fearless brother, my best friend, my town, everything as I knew it. Everything changed.”
“Minutes—that’s all it takes to change your entire life. How do you deal with that?”
For high school senior Jules Blacklin surviving the storm is only the beginning. Faced with the new reality of her life, she must find a way to rise From The Wreckage and answer the question—how do you get back to normal, when everything that was normal is gone?
Land (Stranded Book 1)
by Theresa Shaver
Land
A group of teens on a class trip to Disneyland are left stranded. An EMP over North America has destroyed everything electronic. No cars, no planes, no phones, no electricity. Refusing to wait for someone else to help them, ten courageous young people take charge of their future and choose to begin the long journey home. 1500 miles of adventure and lawless country await. Will their determination be enough?
Alex, Quinn, Josh, Cooper and Dara – setting out on foot with nothing more than some soon to be worthless cash and a little advice from a trusted teacher, they walk through a burning city that has come to a halt. The devastation they see as they make their way out of the city is a small part of the horror that the nation will become. As the days go by with no food deliveries and no water flowing from taps, civilization will start to crumble and it will be survival of the fittest. With five States and half a Province to cross they will need to plan well, count on each other and pray for a little luck. Even with that, chances are slim of getting home when you are Stranded.
Out of Innocence
by Adelaide McLeod
Out of Innocence
Peril and adventure await when a 15-yr old Scottish beauty immigrates to an untamed Idaho with her brother in 1914 in search of a better life. Instead she encounters death, evil men and Mother Nature; all lining up to stop her from finding true love and realizing her dreams.
Like a mashup of “Brooklyn” and “A River Runs Through It”— our female protagonist breaks down gender stereotypes and demonstrates that women can be heroes too.
The Institute (The Institute Series Book 1)
by Kayla Howarth
The Institute
Allira Daniels will do anything to keep her Defective brother safe from the Institute. They claim to protect Defectives, but it’s human nature to fear the unknown. Defectives are dangerous, they possess abilities that no human should be able to. To Allira and the rest of her family, the Institute seems more like a prison than the safe-haven they promote themselves to be. Protecting Shilah from that fate is their number one priority.
When Allira stumbles across a car crash involving two of her school classmates, she ignores all of her father’s warnings of laying low and not drawing attention to herself. By doing so, she may have just caught the eye of the Institute. She’s not Defective, but what seventeen-year-old girl has the ability to pull two teenage boys away from a fiery rubble and walk away without a scratch? It would definitely be seen as suspicious.
March 27, 2018
Excerpt from Room by Emma Donoghue
Easter is coming! I’ll have some special deals going on this weekend. come on back and check them out!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I just started Emma Donoghue’s Room today, but I am already entranced by it. I love little Jack’s voice and the courage of his mother. A very difficult topic handled in a surprisingly charming way.
“Well, I couldn’t draw you while you were awake, or it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?” Ma waits. “I thought you’d like a surprise.”
“I prefer a surprise and me knowing.”
Emma Donoghue, Room
To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world. It’s where he was born. It’s where he and Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. There are endless wonders that let loose Jack’s imagination: the snake under Bed that he constructs out of eggshells; the imaginary world projected through the TV; the coziness of Wardrobe, where Ma tucks him in safely at night, in case Old Nick comes.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it’s the prison where she’s been held since she was nineteen—for seven long years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But Jack’s curiosity is building alongside Ma’s own desperation, and she knows that Room cannot contain either indefinitely.
Told in the inventive, funny and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience—and a powerful story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible.
March 22, 2018
40% off ebook bundles at Kobo
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Kobo is having a boxed set sale, and both Enemy of Light (four suspense books) and Medical Kidnap Files #1-3 are on sale for 40% off. Pop on over to pick up one or both!
The coupon code is 40DEAL
March 20, 2018
Excerpt from The Aeronaut’s Windlass
I released Two Teardrops, sequel to the award-winning Tattooed Teardrops last Friday; be sure to check it out!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I am really enjoying a new (to me) book from Jim Butcher, The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass[image error]. I’ve read a couple of the Dresden Files series before, but this is the first in the Cinder Spires series. This new world of crystal-powered airships, pirates, and warrior cats is the best fantasy I’ve read in a long time. There is enough undiscovered backstory and possibilities to sustain several series. Jim Butcher’s description of the body language and behavior of the cats is perfect. They are so clearly superior to the humans. At one point, Rowl’s note that the leaders of the humans often wear large hats, which he thinks is ‘adorable’ had me laughing out loud.
There was a rustle and a very light thump, and she looked up to see one of her favorite people bound lightly from the top of the next vat, land in silence only a few feet away, and sit down, regarding her with large green eyes.
The Aeronaut’s Windlass, Jim Butcher
Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity. Within their halls, the ruling aristocratic houses develop scientific marvels, foster trade alliances, and maintain fleets of airships to keep the peace.
Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship Predator. Loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is damaged in combat, Grimm joins a team of Albion agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring his ship.
And as Grimm undertakes this task, he learns that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…
March 16, 2018
Vanishing Teardrops
Vanishing Teardrops by P. D. Workman
Series: Tamara's Teardrops #4
Genres: Young Adult
Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Google Play, Booksamillion, Audible
Goodreads
The worst thing that could possibly happen, did.
Fourth in the series of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the 2016 Top Fiction award by Library Services for Youth in Custody’s In The Margins Committee.
It was her second chance at parole, and Tamara knew this time that it wasn’t going to be easy. That ended up being the understatement of the century. In a new environment, trying to be a parent for the first time after years of not being allowed to make any decisions for herself, she didn’t know how she was going to make it.
And then the worst thing that could possibly happen, did.
Caught in the middle of a missing child investigation where she is the prime suspect, Tamara is in a race against the clock to find out what happened to her baby before it is too late.
Coming Soon!
+ Praise for Tamara's Teardrops Series
—Refreshingly bold
—I couldn’t stop reading it! It took me about two days to read it and I ended up staying up late on a school night! Oh well, it was totally worth it! Thank you!
—Absolutely amazing, I just want to keep reading!
—No words, just pure happiness.
—I found myself rooting for [Tamara] all the way to the end.
+ Endorsements for Tattooed Teardrops
Readers will appreciate the realistic details about Tamara’s release, her issues dealing with a foster family, her emotional triggers, and the challenges facing someone trying to maintain the conditions of parole. For those teens who love books where all that can go wrong does go wrong (isn’t that almost all of them?), this is a winner.
P.D. Workman’s fictional Tattooed Teardrops and Tewhan Butler’s nonfiction title America’s Massacre: The Audacity of Despair and a Message of Hope top this year’s In the Margins (ITM) Book Awards. The selection committee, operating under Library Services for Youth in Custody, selected these winning works among books by, for, and about kids living in the margins.
– Library Services for Youth in Custody
+ Book Club Resources
Bullying Pinterest Board
Mental Illness Pinterest Board
Domestic Abuse 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.”
+ Tortured Teardrops on my Blog
Vanishing Teardrops
Fourth in the series of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the 2016 Top Fiction award by Library Services for Youth in ...
More...
Sequels to Tattooed Teardrops are coming soon!
Since I published Tattooed Teardrops, one of the most common comments that I received was "when is the sequel coming ...
More...
Plans for 2018
Wondering what's in store for 2018? Here is a quickie outline of some of my releases for this year: This ...
More...
Another Excerpt from The Hero of Ages
I told you I would have a Halloween short story for you in the Auntie Clem's Bakery series, and it ...
More...
About P. D. Workman
Award-winning author P.D. Workman writes riveting young adult/suspense fiction about mental illness, addiction, and abuse. P.D. Workman is a devout wife and a mother of one, born and raised in Alberta, Canada. She loves to read and is a technology geek with a love for all kinds of gadgets and tools. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure, leading her to write her first complete novel at the age of twelve.
Tortured Teardrops
Tortured Teardrops by P. D. Workman
Series: Tamara's Teardrops #3
Genres: Young Adult
Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Google Play, Booksamillion, Audible
Goodreads
Tamara French is back in juvenile detention, and things are not going well.
Tortured Teardrops
Third in series after the award-winning Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the 2016 Top Fiction award by Library Services for Youth in Custody’s In The Margins Committee.
Tamara French is back in juvenile detention, and things are not going well. Have her experiences on the outside affected her so much? The staff can’t figure out what is wrong, and Tamara herself can’t explain what is going on with her.
Things are spiraling rapidly out of control and nobody seems to be able to reach Tamara anymore.
Coming Soon!
+ Praise for Tamara's Teardrops Series
—Refreshingly bold
—I couldn’t stop reading it! It took me about two days to read it and I ended up staying up late on a school night! Oh well, it was totally worth it! Thank you!
—Absolutely amazing, I just want to keep reading!
—No words, just pure happiness.
—I found myself rooting for [Tamara] all the way to the end.
+ Endorsements for Tattooed Teardrops
Readers will appreciate the realistic details about Tamara’s release, her issues dealing with a foster family, her emotional triggers, and the challenges facing someone trying to maintain the conditions of parole. For those teens who love books where all that can go wrong does go wrong (isn’t that almost all of them?), this is a winner.
P.D. Workman’s fictional Tattooed Teardrops and Tewhan Butler’s nonfiction title America’s Massacre: The Audacity of Despair and a Message of Hope top this year’s In the Margins (ITM) Book Awards. The selection committee, operating under Library Services for Youth in Custody, selected these winning works among books by, for, and about kids living in the margins.
– Library Services for Youth in Custody
+ Book Club Resources
Bullying Pinterest Board
Mental Illness Pinterest Board
Domestic Abuse 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.”
+ Tortured Teardrops on my Blog
Vanishing Teardrops
Fourth in the series of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the 2016 Top Fiction award by Library Services for Youth in ...
More...
Tortured Teardrops
Tortured Teardrops Third in series after the award-winning Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the 2016 Top Fiction award by Library Services ...
More...
Sequels to Tattooed Teardrops are coming soon!
Since I published Tattooed Teardrops, one of the most common comments that I received was "when is the sequel coming ...
More...
Plans for 2018
Wondering what's in store for 2018? Here is a quickie outline of some of my releases for this year: This ...
More...
About P. D. Workman
Award-winning author P.D. Workman writes riveting young adult/suspense fiction about mental illness, addiction, and abuse. P.D. Workman is a devout wife and a mother of one, born and raised in Alberta, Canada. She loves to read and is a technology geek with a love for all kinds of gadgets and tools. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure, leading her to write her first complete novel at the age of twelve.
March 15, 2018
New Releases! Two Teardrops is now live
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Two Teardrops, the much-anticipated sequel to award-winning Tattooed Teardrops is now live!
There was no justice.
Returning to juvie after breaching her parole, Tamara finds that everything is the same as when she left, and yet everything is different. She fights to reestablish her rep while increasingly troubled by emerging memories.
Unexpected events lead to Tamara again finding herself out of juvie and on the streets, trying to resolve her past while avoiding capture by the authorities.
More New Releases
I have a few other new releases for you to have a look at while you’re at it!
Restore Me (Shatter Me)
by Tahereh Mafi
Restore Me
Juliette and Warner’s story continues in the electrifying fourth installment of Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series.
Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander of North America, and now has Warner by her side. But when tragedy strikes, she must confront the darkness that dwells both around and inside her.
Who will she become in the face of adversity? Will she be able to control the power she wields, and use it for good?
Emma's Story
by Nils Odlund
Emma’s Story
Emma wants what all young anfylk women want, a burrow in the village and a family to fill it with life – and she could have it. Her best friend Torkel has proposed. He’s the only one for her and he’s first in line for the only available burrow in their small hillside village.
It should be easy, but it’s not. Torkel is a dreamer and a scoundrel. A self-styled huntsman and adventurer, with no real grasp of what it means to be a father and a husband.
But time is ticking, and the longer the burrow lies empty the weaker the village’s spirit gets. When an angry bear comes down from the mountains to terrorize their forest the villagers are unable to ward it off on their own.
Go: A Coming of Age Novel
by Kazuki Kaneshiro
Go
As a Korean student in a Japanese high school, Sugihara has had to defend himself against all kinds of bullies. But nothing could have prepared him for the heartache he feels when he falls hopelessly in love with a Japanese girl named Sakurai. Immersed in their shared love for classical music and foreign movies, the two gradually grow closer and closer.
One night, after being hit by personal tragedy, Sugihara reveals to Sakurai that he is not Japanese—as his name might indicate.
Torn between a chance at self-discovery that he’s ready to seize and the prejudices of others that he can’t control, Sugihara must decide who he wants to be and where he wants to go next. Will Sakurai be able to confront her own bias and accompany him on his journey?
Heiress to Waitress (The Royal Tea Shop Book 1)
by Ginny Clyde
Heiress to Waitress
When sixteen-year-old Olivia Buchannan’s father dies suddenly, her life is thrown into chaos. She is torn from the high society world of Edinburgh and her beloved Academy to go live in a small town in Pennsylvania where her mother grew up. Life is not the same anymore, but it’s turning into one heck of an adventure.
As if there wasn’t enough struggle in Olivia’s riches-to-rags life already, a mysterious boy has taken up stalking her. Even though she tries to avoid him, he is always there to save the day. It wouldn’t be as bad if he didn’t make her heart race every time she was near him.
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
by Stacy Claflin
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
He’s on the road to fame. She’s at the end of the line. A chance meeting will change everything.
Kenna Mitchell grew up despised and mistreated by those who should’ve loved and protected her. Now homeless and alone, with pain too heavy to bear, she’s ready to end it all.
Enter Rogan Scott, an up-and-coming rock star with one focus—his band. Out in the woods, looking for song inspiration, he comes across a beautiful girl seconds from ending her life. 
Road to Eugenica
by A.M. Rose
Road to Eugenica
Yesterday, Drea Smith couldn’t do anything spectacular—even walking and texting at the same time was a challenge. But today, she suddenly has more answers than Google, can speak and understand numerous languages, and she can fight. Like a boss.
Seriously cool.
Drea has no idea where her encyclopedic knowledge has come from, but she’ll take it when she discovers someone out there knows her secret and wants her badly. And that they’ve been searching for her since she was born.
Since she was created.
Better Than This
by Tia Souders
Better Than This
Before the car accident that changed everything, Samantha Becker was a happy and loved little girl. Ten years later, Sam, now 18, lives under a dark cloud—largely ignored by an alcoholic mother who never recovered from her loss and ruled by an overbearing father who blames Samantha for the family tragedy. And yet, the troubled teenager has a dream that keeps her going, and an extraordinary musical talent that could take her all the way to Julliard…and far beyond.
Following her heart, however, means defying her father, who has his own plans for his daughter’s future. Then, in the wake of another devastating personal catastrophe, her dream is irreparably shattered, and in her pain and anger, Samantha acts out recklessly. But her salvation could come from a most unlikely trio: a handsome college student, a hopeful little boy…and an older neighbor woman whose caring and secrets will change Sam’s world forever.
Twelve Steps to Normal
by Farrah Penn
Twelve Steps to Normal
When Kira’s father enters rehab, she’s forced to leave everything behind–her home, her best friends, her boyfriend…everything she loves. Now her father’s sober (again) and Kira is returning home, determined to get her life back to normal…exactly as it was before she was sent away.
But is that what Kira really wants?
Life, love, and loss come crashing together in this visceral, heartfelt story by BuzzFeed writer Farrah Penn about a girl who struggles to piece together the shards of her once-normal life before his alcoholism tore it apart.
Saving Me
by Sadie Allen
Saving Me
On the outside, Ally has everything any teenager could want. She’s beautiful, popular, and athletic. She has the right friends, an adoring boyfriend, and the picture-perfect family.
Too bad it’s all a lie.
Every day she’s dying a little on the inside, drowning in everyone’s expectations and opinions, the weight of it all pulling her under.
She wants to do the unthinkable … until a boy with shaggy hair, unusual eyes, and a lip ring changes her plans.
Stolen Lives: an American Crisis
by Tom Gnagey
Stolen Lives
The story presents five, precious, teen lives – strangers – four in love with life, on their ways to happy, productive futures, while one, understandably, hates the life he is forced to live as an outsider, separate from his peers. The reader grows to love and understand an artist, an athlete, a shy volunteer, an accomplished pianist, and a sad, angry loner. Each of eight chapters presents 5 vignettes, illustrating aspects of the lives they each lead at school and within their families.
Gradually, those stories coalesce, painting pictures of five, fascinating teens, each one displaying his or her ups and downs, hopes and dreams, big questions about life, and the responsibilities and activities that come to give purpose to their young lives. And then, the shooting.
This novel is a celebration of life, as it reflects on the most devastating act in society, today – the school shooting. There is no depiction of violence.
The Girl Without Magic (The Chronicles of Maggie Trent Book 1)
by Megan O'Russell
The Girl Without Magic
Death would have been easier, but the Siren wasn’t through with her.
Seventeen-year-old Maggie Trent fell out of a battle and into the Siren’s Realm, a land where secrets hide in the shadows and pleasure comes at a price Maggie is unwilling to pay.
The time for the Siren’s reckoning has come, sweeping away all she deems unworthy to live in her realm. Those without magic are hunted by the Siren. Those with magic are hunted by the Stricken. Fighting or hiding seem necessary to survive. But there is a different way.
In Sight of Stars: A Novel
by Gae Polisner
In Sight of Stars
Seventeen-year-old Klee’s father was the center of his life. He introduced Klee to the great museums of New York City and the important artists on their walls, he told him stories made of myths and magic. Until his death.
Now, forced to live in the suburbs with his mom, Klee can’t help but feel he’s lost all the identifying parts of himself—his beloved father, weekly trips to the MoMA, and the thrumming energy of New York City. That is until he meets wild and free Sarah in art class, with her quick smiles and jokes about his “brooding.” Suddenly it seems as if she’s the only thing that makes him happy. But when an act of betrayal sends him reeling, Klee lands in what is bitingly referred to as the “Ape Can,” a psychiatric hospital for teens in Northhollow.
Good Luck Charm (The Holiday High Series) (Volume 2)
by Kellie McAllen
Good Luck Charm
Basketball star Kerri “Killer O’Connor” knows she’s bad luck, and she’s tried everything to keep it from ruining her life — a rabbit’s foot, a horseshoe, her dad’s lucky shirt — she’s never without one.
When her dad gets hurt in a freak accident on Friday the 13th, Kerri is sure she’s to blame, but then a boy shows up wearing her father’s old sweatshirt, and Kerri’s luck suddenly does a 180.
Convinced that Connor Murphy is the talisman she needs to change her fate, Kerri begs him to be there for her while her dad is recuperating. Connor doesn’t believe in luck, but he’d do anything to win the girl of his dreams, even if that means spending all his time with Kerri.
More Than We Can Tell
by Brigid Kemmerer
More Than We Can Tell
With loving adoptive parents by his side, Rev Fletcher has managed to keep the demons of his past at bay. . . until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.
Emma Blue’s parents are constantly fighting, and her only escape is the computer game she built from scratch. But when a cruel online troll’s harassment escalates, she not only loses confidence but starts to fear for her safety.
When Rev and Emma meet, they’re both longing to lift the burden of their secrets. They connect instantly and deeply, promising to help each other no matter what. But soon Rev and Emma’s secrets threaten to crush them, and they’ll need more than a promise to find their way out. 
Heart of the Dragon (The Lost Royals Saga) (Volume 3)
by Rachel Jonas
Heart of the Dragon
(Book #1 is $0.99 here)
Even the deadliest dragon warrior has a weakness … his answers to the name Evangeline. Liam suffered the loss of his mate once before, but with forbidden magic, Evie has returned to him. His reputation as “The Reaper” is one he earned … one kill at a time. So, if there’s any warning his enemies should heed, it’s that he’ll stop at nothing to keep history from repeating itself; will stop at nothing to protect her.
Evie senses the walls rapidly closing in as her role in the revolution becomes clear—a movement in which the supernatural order has begun to shift. All who stand for the cause have made sacrifices, including Evie who’s faced several hard truths. The hardest lesson being one that brought loyalty into question—a single, careless act at the hands of someone she trusted. Someone who nearly cost her everything. 
The Beauty That Remains
by Ashley Woodfolk
The Beauty That Remains
We’ve lost everything…and found ourselves.
Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Death might pull them apart.
Autumn always knew exactly who she was: a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan has always turned to writing love songs when his real love life was a little less than perfect.
But when tragedy strikes each of them, somehow music is no longer enough. Now Logan is a guy who can’t stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend. Shay is a music blogger who’s struggling to keep it together. And Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered.
Crucible Station
by Julianne Q Johnson
Crucible Station
There’s only one way to escape the city
Life in New Liberty is tough, but it’s the only life Marjoram has ever known. At fourteen, she lives with her parents and wears a breathing mask to survive the polluted city streets on the way to school. Crucible Station offers a better life to any citizen smart enough to receive an invitation, but Marj won’t leave her family.
When she is thrown into a detestable government home because her family can’t feed her, Crucible Station is the only way out–if she is clever enough to pass The Trials.
New Release! Two Teardrops is now live
[image error][image error]Two Teardrops, the much-anticipated sequel to award-winning Tattooed Teardrops is now live!
There was no justice.
Returning to juvie after breaching her parole, Tamara finds that everything is the same as when she left, and yet everything is different. She fights to reestablish her rep while increasingly troubled by emerging memories.
Unexpected events lead to Tamara again finding herself out of juvie and on the streets, trying to resolve her past while avoiding capture by the authorities.
More New Releases
I have a few other new releases for you to have a look at while you’re at it!
Restore Me (Shatter Me)
by Tahereh Mafi
Restore Me
Juliette and Warner’s story continues in the electrifying fourth installment of Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series.
Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander of North America, and now has Warner by her side. But when tragedy strikes, she must confront the darkness that dwells both around and inside her.
Who will she become in the face of adversity? Will she be able to control the power she wields, and use it for good?
Emma's Story
by Nils Odlund
Emma’s Story
Emma wants what all young anfylk women want, a burrow in the village and a family to fill it with life – and she could have it. Her best friend Torkel has proposed. He’s the only one for her and he’s first in line for the only available burrow in their small hillside village.
It should be easy, but it’s not. Torkel is a dreamer and a scoundrel. A self-styled huntsman and adventurer, with no real grasp of what it means to be a father and a husband.
But time is ticking, and the longer the burrow lies empty the weaker the village’s spirit gets. When an angry bear comes down from the mountains to terrorize their forest the villagers are unable to ward it off on their own.
Go: A Coming of Age Novel
by Kazuki Kaneshiro
Go
As a Korean student in a Japanese high school, Sugihara has had to defend himself against all kinds of bullies. But nothing could have prepared him for the heartache he feels when he falls hopelessly in love with a Japanese girl named Sakurai. Immersed in their shared love for classical music and foreign movies, the two gradually grow closer and closer.
One night, after being hit by personal tragedy, Sugihara reveals to Sakurai that he is not Japanese—as his name might indicate.
Torn between a chance at self-discovery that he’s ready to seize and the prejudices of others that he can’t control, Sugihara must decide who he wants to be and where he wants to go next. Will Sakurai be able to confront her own bias and accompany him on his journey?
Heiress to Waitress (The Royal Tea Shop Book 1)
by Ginny Clyde
Heiress to Waitress
When sixteen-year-old Olivia Buchannan’s father dies suddenly, her life is thrown into chaos. She is torn from the high society world of Edinburgh and her beloved Academy to go live in a small town in Pennsylvania where her mother grew up. Life is not the same anymore, but it’s turning into one heck of an adventure.
As if there wasn’t enough struggle in Olivia’s riches-to-rags life already, a mysterious boy has taken up stalking her. Even though she tries to avoid him, he is always there to save the day. It wouldn’t be as bad if he didn’t make her heart race every time she was near him.
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
by Stacy Claflin
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me
He’s on the road to fame. She’s at the end of the line. A chance meeting will change everything.
Kenna Mitchell grew up despised and mistreated by those who should’ve loved and protected her. Now homeless and alone, with pain too heavy to bear, she’s ready to end it all.
Enter Rogan Scott, an up-and-coming rock star with one focus—his band. Out in the woods, looking for song inspiration, he comes across a beautiful girl seconds from ending her life.
Road to Eugenica
by A.M. Rose
Road to Eugenica
Yesterday, Drea Smith couldn’t do anything spectacular—even walking and texting at the same time was a challenge. But today, she suddenly has more answers than Google, can speak and understand numerous languages, and she can fight. Like a boss.
Seriously cool.
Drea has no idea where her encyclopedic knowledge has come from, but she’ll take it when she discovers someone out there knows her secret and wants her badly. And that they’ve been searching for her since she was born.
Since she was created.
Better Than This
by Tia Souders
Better Than This
Before the car accident that changed everything, Samantha Becker was a happy and loved little girl. Ten years later, Sam, now 18, lives under a dark cloud—largely ignored by an alcoholic mother who never recovered from her loss and ruled by an overbearing father who blames Samantha for the family tragedy. And yet, the troubled teenager has a dream that keeps her going, and an extraordinary musical talent that could take her all the way to Julliard…and far beyond.
Following her heart, however, means defying her father, who has his own plans for his daughter’s future. Then, in the wake of another devastating personal catastrophe, her dream is irreparably shattered, and in her pain and anger, Samantha acts out recklessly. But her salvation could come from a most unlikely trio: a handsome college student, a hopeful little boy…and an older neighbor woman whose caring and secrets will change Sam’s world forever.
Twelve Steps to Normal
by Farrah Penn
Twelve Steps to Normal
When Kira’s father enters rehab, she’s forced to leave everything behind–her home, her best friends, her boyfriend…everything she loves. Now her father’s sober (again) and Kira is returning home, determined to get her life back to normal…exactly as it was before she was sent away.
But is that what Kira really wants?
Life, love, and loss come crashing together in this visceral, heartfelt story by BuzzFeed writer Farrah Penn about a girl who struggles to piece together the shards of her once-normal life before his alcoholism tore it apart.
Saving Me
by Sadie Allen
Saving Me
On the outside, Ally has everything any teenager could want. She’s beautiful, popular, and athletic. She has the right friends, an adoring boyfriend, and the picture-perfect family.
Too bad it’s all a lie.
Every day she’s dying a little on the inside, drowning in everyone’s expectations and opinions, the weight of it all pulling her under.
She wants to do the unthinkable … until a boy with shaggy hair, unusual eyes, and a lip ring changes her plans.
Stolen Lives: an American Crisis
by Tom Gnagey
Stolen Lives
The story presents five, precious, teen lives – strangers – four in love with life, on their ways to happy, productive futures, while one, understandably, hates the life he is forced to live as an outsider, separate from his peers. The reader grows to love and understand an artist, an athlete, a shy volunteer, an accomplished pianist, and a sad, angry loner. Each of eight chapters presents 5 vignettes, illustrating aspects of the lives they each lead at school and within their families.
Gradually, those stories coalesce, painting pictures of five, fascinating teens, each one displaying his or her ups and downs, hopes and dreams, big questions about life, and the responsibilities and activities that come to give purpose to their young lives. And then, the shooting.
This novel is a celebration of life, as it reflects on the most devastating act in society, today – the school shooting. There is no depiction of violence.
The Girl Without Magic (The Chronicles of Maggie Trent Book 1)
by Megan O'Russell
The Girl Without Magic
Death would have been easier, but the Siren wasn’t through with her.
Seventeen-year-old Maggie Trent fell out of a battle and into the Siren’s Realm, a land where secrets hide in the shadows and pleasure comes at a price Maggie is unwilling to pay.
The time for the Siren’s reckoning has come, sweeping away all she deems unworthy to live in her realm. Those without magic are hunted by the Siren. Those with magic are hunted by the Stricken. Fighting or hiding seem necessary to survive. But there is a different way.
In Sight of Stars: A Novel
by Gae Polisner
In Sight of Stars
Seventeen-year-old Klee’s father was the center of his life. He introduced Klee to the great museums of New York City and the important artists on their walls, he told him stories made of myths and magic. Until his death.
Now, forced to live in the suburbs with his mom, Klee can’t help but feel he’s lost all the identifying parts of himself—his beloved father, weekly trips to the MoMA, and the thrumming energy of New York City. That is until he meets wild and free Sarah in art class, with her quick smiles and jokes about his “brooding.” Suddenly it seems as if she’s the only thing that makes him happy. But when an act of betrayal sends him reeling, Klee lands in what is bitingly referred to as the “Ape Can,” a psychiatric hospital for teens in Northhollow.
Good Luck Charm (The Holiday High Series) (Volume 2)
by Kellie McAllen
Good Luck Charm
Basketball star Kerri “Killer O’Connor” knows she’s bad luck, and she’s tried everything to keep it from ruining her life — a rabbit’s foot, a horseshoe, her dad’s lucky shirt — she’s never without one.
When her dad gets hurt in a freak accident on Friday the 13th, Kerri is sure she’s to blame, but then a boy shows up wearing her father’s old sweatshirt, and Kerri’s luck suddenly does a 180.
Convinced that Connor Murphy is the talisman she needs to change her fate, Kerri begs him to be there for her while her dad is recuperating. Connor doesn’t believe in luck, but he’d do anything to win the girl of his dreams, even if that means spending all his time with Kerri.
More Than We Can Tell
by Brigid Kemmerer
More Than We Can Tell
With loving adoptive parents by his side, Rev Fletcher has managed to keep the demons of his past at bay. . . until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.
Emma Blue’s parents are constantly fighting, and her only escape is the computer game she built from scratch. But when a cruel online troll’s harassment escalates, she not only loses confidence but starts to fear for her safety.
When Rev and Emma meet, they’re both longing to lift the burden of their secrets. They connect instantly and deeply, promising to help each other no matter what. But soon Rev and Emma’s secrets threaten to crush them, and they’ll need more than a promise to find their way out.
Heart of the Dragon (The Lost Royals Saga) (Volume 3)
by Rachel Jonas
Heart of the Dragon
(Book #1 is $0.99 here)
Even the deadliest dragon warrior has a weakness … his answers to the name Evangeline. Liam suffered the loss of his mate once before, but with forbidden magic, Evie has returned to him. His reputation as “The Reaper” is one he earned … one kill at a time. So, if there’s any warning his enemies should heed, it’s that he’ll stop at nothing to keep history from repeating itself; will stop at nothing to protect her.
Evie senses the walls rapidly closing in as her role in the revolution becomes clear—a movement in which the supernatural order has begun to shift. All who stand for the cause have made sacrifices, including Evie who’s faced several hard truths. The hardest lesson being one that brought loyalty into question—a single, careless act at the hands of someone she trusted. Someone who nearly cost her everything.
The Beauty That Remains
by Ashley Woodfolk
The Beauty That Remains
We’ve lost everything…and found ourselves.
Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Death might pull them apart.
Autumn always knew exactly who she was: a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan has always turned to writing love songs when his real love life was a little less than perfect.
But when tragedy strikes each of them, somehow music is no longer enough. Now Logan is a guy who can’t stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend. Shay is a music blogger who’s struggling to keep it together. And Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered.
Crucible Station
by Julianne Q Johnson
Crucible Station
There’s only one way to escape the city
Life in New Liberty is tough, but it’s the only life Marjoram has ever known. At fourteen, she lives with her parents and wears a breathing mask to survive the polluted city streets on the way to school. Crucible Station offers a better life to any citizen smart enough to receive an invitation, but Marj won’t leave her family.
When she is thrown into a detestable government home because her family can’t feed her, Crucible Station is the only way out–if she is clever enough to pass The Trials.
March 13, 2018
Excerpt from Racing the Devil
[image error]I have a new release coming later this week, be sure to watch for it. Sign up for my mailing list to be notified via email.
And if you are a Kobo reader, Gluten-Free Murder is free this week!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
I’ve read a few of Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge mysteries in the last year, and quite enjoy this Scotland Yard Inspector’s adventures, including the ever-present second voice in his head, a remnant of the shell-shock he suffered from his service during WWI. Racing the Devil is no exception, and I am interested in seeing how this one turns out!
Half hidden by the mist was a narrow bridge, looming on either side. Too narrow for his motorcar. His brother-in-law’s motorcar, he reminded himself in a panic. The bridge was too close to miss. He was headed straight toward it, and there was nothing he could do.
Racing the Devil, Charles Todd
On the eve of the bloody Battle of the Somme, a group of English officers having a last drink before returning to the Front make a promise to each other: if they survive the battle ahead—and make it through the war—they will meet in Paris a year after the fighting ends. They will celebrate their good fortune by racing motorcars they beg, borrow, or own from Paris to Nice.
In November 1919, the officers all meet as planned, and though their motorcars are not designed for racing, they set out for Nice. But a serious mishap mars the reunion. In the mountains just north of their destination, two vehicles are nearly run off the road, and one man is badly injured. No one knows—or will admit to knowing—which driver was at the wheel of the rogue motorcar.
Back in England one year later, during a heavy rainstorm, a driver loses control on a twisting road and is killed in the crash. Was it an accident due to the hazardous conditions? Or premeditated murder? Is the crash connected in some way to the unfortunate events in the mountains above Nice the year before? The dead driver wasn’t in France—although the motorcar he drove was. If it was foul play, was it a case of mistaken identity? Or was the dead man the intended victim after all?
