Author Interview: Caroline A. Gill #blogtour #giveaway

Flying Blind
Caroline A. Gill
(The Flykeeper Chronicles, #2)
Publication date: May 21st 2016
Genres: Dystopia, Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

In a broken America, seventeen-year old Iolani Bearse encounters a world full of wonder and danger.
Lani discovers a secret: houseflies have magic.
Stealers have no mercy.
Armed with memory-draining lanterns, the stone-cold hunters relentlessly follow catastrophes, laying traps, preying on the weak.
Together with her father, Eleanor, Sam, and Mango, her beloved pinto mare, Lani rescues victims from the grasp of Memory Stealers. One by one, she saves whomever she can, looking for any path that leads to safety. When her family’s farmhouse is attacked, Lani must act quickly to save those she loves.
Can Lani unmask their powerful, hidden enemies before the flies’ magic fails and everything burns to ashes?
Will the loss of one of her greatest friends become her downfall?
Can Lani overcome the evil that is tearing her world apart, flying blind?

 

Author Interview

Hi, Caroline! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.  

Thanks for having me here! I am a novelist and I say that proudly, it’s been quite a journey to get here. Growing up in southern California, Florida, and Utah gave me a perspective on what it means to be American. There are so many ways we are all different, but we are still the same. I met the love of my life at UCLA, and married him nine years later. We have four sons and a daughter who rules us all and now live up in the midst of the sequoias of northern California. Trained as a fine artist, I received an MFA in printmaking and metalsmithing, and a Masters in Art History. I love teaching but for now that skill is limited to the small copies of myself running around the house. I started writing to keep myself sane. The kids can mess up a room in five seconds flat, but what I write or draw stays safely tucked away. At the end of each day, I know I accomplished a measurable thing. It makes the weirdness of kids’ messes tolerable. Dishes are dishes. They never end. But page by page, a novel is written.

Tell our readers a bit about FLYING BLIND. What’s the story about?

Flying Blind is the second book in the Flykeeper Chronicles. It is the continuation of Iolani and Malcolm’s journey.

Flying Away started when Lani was fourteen. She is sixteen when Flying Blind begins, living on her family’s farm, saving people when she can. She sees the danger around her and feels that it is her responsibility to fight what others cannot. Using flymagic, she watches the memory stealers arrive at emergencies in fake ambulances and use the disorder of disaster to empty the minds of stragglers and other abandoned people. Lani fights to save whomever she can.

And then, she is betrayed. Her farmhouse is attacked and Lani must flee for her life, saving all those who are precious to her with the flysight and hope.

She tries to find safety only to be turned away and imprisoned.

Now, Lani must bargain for her life in order to escape a lifetime of slavery and misery. Can one girl outsmart the traps laid all around her? Can Lani save those she loves, flying blind?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I wrote Flying Away two years ago as part of National Write a Novel in the month of November. I had these ideas of an orphaned girl staring out the window, lost in sorrow and of the houseflies that flew around her. And I thought, “Why can’t there be magic?” Magic comes from wonder and belief. Magic is found in the simplest of things. Even unattractive objects become beautiful when they are loved. That is what houseflies are, for me: pests who hide a wild, unknown magic that can save the world.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

The characters are pantsed. They write themselves for the most part. But I sketch a skeleton of a story frame, following a plot line and interacting surprises. I feel like that is the only way to write: I have to know where I am going to find my path there.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Quiet.

In a household full of children, there is only so much ps3 or Disney I can absorb before I can’t concentrate. Ear plugs are my friends. With them, I can hear what is happening but the shrieking is more of a soft lullabye ;)

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A brilliant light, a leather chair, some sunshine, dark chocolate, a Monster drink, and a cuppa.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Stopping Time. It marches on, so quickly, so relentlessly. It really is true: we are all dust in the wind. Seize the day, my friends, and hold on tight.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

What are the symbols and meandings of the words written on the carpet in the Oval Office?

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably …

Sitting at a park, drawing or napping whilst madly planning the next chapter.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

I really appreciate you taking the time to support Flying Away and Flying Blind. Writing a novel about something as pest-y as flies has meant getting down and dirty in so many ways.

Giselle at Xpresso Book Tours has been really helpful to me. SASS has promoted my work and cheered me on with enthusiasm. Thank you, Mel, Julie, Sabrina, Gaynor, Stacie, Jo, and Casey.

Cheer Papworth has been a HUGE help as has Amy Bartelloni, Audrey Southwick, and Jennifer Long. There have been so many times when I was frustrated with the book’s cover, and all of them were so patient with me as I finessed the final design. Kate Corcino has had my back almost daily as I work through plot and marketing challenges. Maria Pease has been an absolute joy to work with as an editor. I really value both her insights and her enthusiasm. Mostly, I really want to thank Lathe Gill, my husband who shares his life with me, through thick and thin. You are my anchor, baby.

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog!

About the Author

Unusual stories attract me, ones in which the reader cannot easily see the ending or most of the journey. Visiting Rome during university studies, I found a simple truth sitting on buses, traveling all over the ancient city: the joy is in the Journey, in the people I meet, not in the destination. So, I write for you. I write for sanity. I write for chocolate and really good pizza.

Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
$10 Amazon Gift Card + signed copy of Flying Blind


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EDGE Book Blitz: A Young Adult/New Adult Paranormal Collection

EDGE: A Young Adult/New Adult Paranormal Collection
Publication date: April 5th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Young Adult

Limited Edition Paranormal Boxed Set
20 New York Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling Authors.
20 of today’s most magical, sought-after titles.
Yours for only $0.99.
Twenty Edgy Young Adult & New Adult Paranormal Tales
Twenty of today’s favorite young adult and new adult authors have come together to bring you a collection packed with full-length, spellbinding reads sure to keep you keep you on the edge of your seat and up way past your bedtime!
But reader beware: These novels take everything to the edge–and not just the edge of your seat. With authors who aren’t afraid to push the boundaries, you get stories that take everything to limit, creating whimsical reads that teens can actually relate to and that adults can enjoy, too.
Save over $50! This set is only available at this price for a limited time, so scroll up and grab your copy before it’s gone!

Goodreads / Amazon

PRE-ORDER today for only 99¢!

—

Sneak a peek at a couple of books in this collection:

Pretty Little Wherewolf

“Whatever, Di. Help if you must, but don’t baby me.”
If Di heard her, she didn’t respond. Not that Giselle needed verbal confirmation; she turned back around and slammed her locker shut without looking, and then stumbled straight into something… someone… hard.
“Oh, sorry,” Giselle mumbled, trying to steady herself. She hadn’t caught the scent until after she looked up and saw who she’d almost knocked down – or, well, collided with. She couldn’t have knocked him down if she’d tried.
Hello, Boy!
He was magnificent. Was every guy in this school a male model? Towering over her at well above six foot, with muscles that went on for days, he was built like a statue with a hard jaw and stone-cold eyes to match. Though his looks were definitely worth paying attention to, it was his smell that had her standing dumbfounded. In all the years since she’d first experienced the change, she had never run into anyone like her. Now, standing here right in front of her was yet another wolf. She’d thought the lingering scent of wet earth might have been left in Di’s wake, but the longer he stood here, looking down at her, the stronger the smell got.
“Do you have a problem?” he asked with a voice that complemented that spectacular body of his. Smooth and deep. Seriously… what a package. Her wolf was definitely at attention and begging for a second to come to the surface for a closer inspection. It was all she could do not to wolf out right there in the hallway, with all the students around to see. Yeah. That would make for a great first impression.
Hiya, everyone… I’m the new girl, and… oh, yeah, and I’m a wolf, too. She might as well tape an old “Kick me” sign on her back; it would be less conspicuous.
While she was practically drooling where she stood, the strange boy, wolf, man –whatever he was – looked positively murderous. “Are you going to stand here all day, or can I get to my locker?”
So much for making a good first impression on him. “Sorry.” Giselle cleared her throat, wanting to say something smart, but for once, she didn’t have the words. She sidestepped sheepishly, and enjoyed the back view of him as he brushed past her to his own locker.
Damn. Nice butt.
Her wolf agreed, too. Wonder what his wolf looks like. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours! She couldn’t help but stare. How often did she run into other wolves? Male wolves.

—

Other Side of Forever

“Allie, why do you hate me so much?” he asked softly as he stared into the sky.
His question took me by surprise. Did he really think that?
“I…I don’t hate you, Ethan.” I stumbled over my words. “I barely know you.”
“Then why do you try so hard to avoid me?”
“I don’t,” I lied, knowing that I did, but not in a mean type of way. I closed my eyes and sighed, wishing he didn’t have to ask so many questions. Couldn’t he just go back to saying nothing at all?
“You do,” he argued. I could hear the change in his voice. He was smiling.
“No. I don’t,” I answered sarcastically. His persistence was pinching my nerves.
“Then look at me,” he challenged.
Without thinking, I turned my head and looked at him. His warm, sweet breath blew against my face as he exhaled. The scent of peppermint. His dark eyes snatched me up and whisked me away. I was lost and unprepared as he drew me deeper and deeper inside him. The walls he created around me were getting higher and harder to climb. Like I had slipped into a trench and I was sinking into the earth.
Ethan pressed forward, attempting to close the gap between us. His lips were so close to mine I could feel the heat emanating from them. And just as our lips were about to brush, the voice in my head begged and pleaded and screamed for me to stop.
Then I turned away.

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Review: An Absence of Light by Meradeth Houston

Meradeth Houston is a master of drawing a reader in. From sentence one, she establishes urgency and interest, immersing the reader in the sheer horror that has become Leah's life. Leah, who goes by Lee throughout the story, a 19 year old girl who is brighter than average, but troubled by having "seen things" since childhood, tells the tale of her flight from the horror that killed her family, and the war she personally wages against them when banding together with the first group of people she's ever met who also can see them.

This book has some good things going for it. Got a nearly but not quite disincarnate new menace that hasn't been done into the ground with it's own new set of complex rules and motivations? Cool beans. In An Absence of Light, the creepy new foes are the Shadows, and yes, they're a tiny touch
reminiscent of the Shadows from Babylon 5 (wow I just admitted a lot about my age), but they're definitely their own creatures. I like that. Foes that are nearly believable and prey on the fears at the back of every kid's mind when mom and dad turn out the lights? Double cool beans. That's why I like Doctor Who, after all. Characters who aren't an immediate tight fit because of their own diverse issues? Triple cool beans.

Of course, there are a couple issues. For those who don't love first person, this is that, and it spends a lot of time focusing on what Leah is thinking rather than just doing. Also, the intermittent switching between deep detail and sudden change of scene action occasionally left me flipping back. I was also really confused for a moment when the third day of the story happened, because after referring to the events of the first night as "last night" rather than "the last night," I got it in my head that the rest of the story would take place in a tightly action filled single day. Yeah, it's not 24. I get that, but I had a moment of confusion.

So, if you're in for a first person struggle against darkness wherein the balance between hunter and hunted is constantly shifting, with occasional sudden pacing shifts, this will be a great way to keep yourself sleeping with the lights on. After all, isn't that what we all want: a reason to sleep with the lights on?

Synopsis:
Leah’s always seen the shadow creatures. She thought she was immune to their evil—until now.

She’s walked into a massacre, stolen a BMW, and is running from the law for a crime she didn’t commit. Nineteen-year-old Leah’s life just went from mildly abnormal to totally crazy at lightning speed. But no one will believe that the shadow creatures are framing her for the murder, because she’s the only one that can see them. At least that’s what she thought.

When Leah stumbled across a group who share her ability, she discovers they have something she doesn’t: a way to fight back. When the group offers to teach her how to kill the shadow creatures, Leah jumps at the chance. But something is brewing with the creatures. They’re tracking down the hunters like there’s no tomorrow. Leah suspects that maybe there won’t be, and it’s up to her to make sure tomorrow comes. Because she’ll do anything to stop the shadows, including risking her life—and the life of the one she loves—to keep the world from being lost to darkness forever.

     

AUTHOR BIO:
Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:

>She’s a Northern California girl. And now is braving the cold winters in Montana.
>When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!
>She’s also an anthropology professor and loves getting people interested in studying humans.
>If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.

   

Review: Spinner by Michael J. Bowler with Giveaway

Not every book is for every reader. I admit, I am not the right match for Spinner. That isn't to say that it doesn't have it's merits. There are a lot of readers who remain unmoved by Pride & Prejudice, despite it's sass and unconventional use of an ampersand in the title. So, rather than talk about my personal issues, because really, what good is that going to do you, a prospective reader, I'm going to tell you what there is that makes Spinner kind of awesome anyway.

First and foremost, in Spinner, Michael J Bowler embraces diversity. I am always a little disheartened that most of the YA literature out there forcuses on economically stable, healthy, cis gendered, white kids. The whole focus of Spinner is on outcasts, misfits, and a boy in a wheelchair since birth. Serioiusly, books that draw attention to diverse characters and therefore give diverse readers characters with whom they can empathize need to be given their due. Ableism in literature is so last century.

I like that Bowler writes about characters in awful situations that, although infused with the supernatural, still resemble the awful situations that some of his readers live every day, or if they don't, maybe they know someone at school who does. Bowler gives voice to their issues, like the woefully mishandled youth perpetually stuck in a dysfunctional and often abusive foster system.

Those kids are real, and their stories have merit, just in case those in a position of privilege forgot.

So this is a good book for inciting conversations on topics that usually don't arise from reading the latest paranormal YA book on the shelf, and so even though it may not be the best fit for every reader (like me), it is a good book to add to your summer reading list this July. Check out the summary and the author bio below, then hop on the giveaway too.

Spinner Book Summary:
Fifteen-year-old Alex is a “spinner.” His friends are “dummies.” Two clandestine groups of humans want his power. And an ancient evil is stalking him. If people weren’t being murdered, Alex might laugh at how his life turned into a horror movie overnight.

In a wheelchair since birth, his freakish ability has gotten him kicked out of ten foster homes since the age of four. Now saddled with a sadistic housemother who uses his spinning to heal the kids she physically abuses, Alex and his misfit group of learning disabled classmates are the only ones who can solve the mystery of his birth before more people meet a gruesome end.

They need to find out who murdered their beloved teacher, and why the hot young substitute acts like she’s flirting with them. Then there’s the mysterious medallion that seems to have unleashed something malevolent, and an ancient prophecy suggesting Alex has the power to destroy humanity.

The boys break into homes, dig up graves, elude kidnappers, fight for their lives against feral cats, and ultimately confront an evil as old as humankind. Friendships are tested, secrets uncovered, love spoken, and destiny revealed.

The kid who’s always been a loner will finally learn the value of friends, family, and loyalty.

If he survives…

Michael J. Bowler's Bio:
Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author of eight novels––A Boy and His Dragon, A Matter of Time (Silver Medalist from Reader’s Favorite), and The Knight Cycle, comprised of five books: Children of the Knight (Gold Award Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards), Running Through A Dark Place (Bronze Award Winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards), There Is No Fear, And The Children Shall Lead, Once Upon A Time In America, and Spinner.

His horror screenplay, “Healer,” was a Semi-Finalist, and his urban fantasy script, “Like A Hero,” was a Finalist in the Shriekfest Film Festival and Screenplay Competition.

He grew up in San Rafael, California, and majored in English and Theatre at Santa Clara University. He went on to earn a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and another master's in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills.

He partnered with two friends as producer, writer, and/or director on several ultra-low-budget horror films, including “Fatal Images,” “Club Dead,” and “Things II,” the reviews of which are much more fun than the actual movies.

He taught high school in Hawthorne, California for twenty-five years, both in general education and to students with learning disabilities, in subjects ranging from English and Strength Training to Algebra, Biology, and Yearbook.

He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to eight different boys with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a thirty-year volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, something that is sorely lacking in this state.

He has been honored as Probation Volunteer of the Year, YMCA Volunteer of the Year, California Big Brother of the Year, and 2000 National Big Brother of the Year. The “National” honor allowed he and three of his Little Brothers to visit the White House and meet the president in the Oval Office.

He is currently outlining a sequel to Spinner.

His goal as a YA author is for teens to experience empowerment and hope; to see themselves in his diverse characters; to read about kids who face real-life challenges; and to see how kids like them can remain decent people in an indecent world.

  

 

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Spotlight Post: Haunt My Heart by Lisa Medley

Welcome to a special Saturday posting on We Do Write. Today we're featuring fellow writer Lisa Medley, whose novel HAUNT MY HEART just released.

Haunt My Heart by Lisa Medley

Paranormal Romance: Ghost, Witchcraft, Hex

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1Bx3fzQ

Print: http://amzn.to/1Bwurio

Blurb:

A Civil War soldier dies to save his men. Can he find true love to live again?

Sarah Knight has a job she’s good at, a quirky BFF, and a boyfriend who’s bad for her. When Sarah unearths a Civil War artifact on a ghost hunt at Chatham Manor, she brings home more than a souvenir

Lieutenant James “Tanner” Dawson fought for the Union, working as a supernatural liaison for his Major General in a secret Masonic offset called the Brothers of Peril. When he’s hexed by a witch, he learns the only way to save his men is to die himself. But death is not the end. Awakening 150 years later, he knows if he wants to be corporeal again, he has to find true love to break the hex—a task no easier in 21st century than it was in the 19th.

Excerpt from Haunt My Heart: After 150 years hexed to a ring, Tanner is reawakened.

Tanner woke screaming.

Anger, not fear, set him off. The question was what had awakened him in the first place? And after all this time. At least it had seemed like a long time. Being dead made it hard to keep track. He’d counted sunrises for months after he’d died, but even that became too taxing after a while. And when he’d finally been crushed into the ground and damned to the darkness, he’d lost all hope.

His life energy had begun to wane immediately upon his death and his semi-corporeal form—his ghost self—had dissipated a few days after his men removed his body from the battlefield. Not that it would have mattered anyway. No one could see him. He’d tried to make contact as the soldiers crossed by him: screaming, begging, anything to get their attention. To tell them he wasn’t dead. Not really. When he noticed the soldiers could also pass through him without so much as a shiver, he’d given up.

Despair filled him as he realized Sylvia had achieved exactly what she’d promised. He was a stupid man. Maybe he could have loved her. Maybe…

God, what a witch.

No. It would never have worked. He’d have been damned either way. At least he’d saved soldiers’ lives, his own good men, with his decision at Chatham. He’d done the right thing, even if it had cost his life.

He surveyed the room as best he could from his prison.

Clearly he’d traveled from the grounds where he’d lingered for…decades? He wished he knew. Pent-up frustration filled him. Tanner could see energy emanating from something, just out of his reach. A glow—the signature of a living soul. An entity he hadn’t seen for a very long time. The aura, bright and strong, almost reached his prison cell, but not quite.

So close.

Something had sparked him to life. But what?

He startled when a face appeared before him. A non-human face. The face of some creature filled the mirrored prism of his cell.

What fresh hell was this?

The next thing he knew he was falling, falling, falling. The clatter when he landed nearly deafened him. His stomach roiled as if he’d leaped from a great height.

“Bitly. Stop it.”

A voice? A female voice?

Sylvia? Could she still be in possession of him?

Dear God.

“Bad kitty.”

His stomach lurched again as he was returned to his previous perch; the view was exactly the same, except the face that stared into his for the briefest moment was different. A woman’s face.

A woman most assuredly not Sylvia.

Relief flooded him. Of course Sylvia was long dead.

Of course.

And she wouldn’t have followed him into the afterlife. She’d never loved him that much. Not enough to spend eternity with him. Only enough to damn his soul for it.

Lisa Medley writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance about monsters in love, because monsters need love too. Look for Reap & Repent (Bk 1) and Reap & Redeem (Bk 2) of The Reaping Series, available now. A lover of beasties of all sorts, she has a farm full of them in her SW MO home including:  one child, one husband, two dogs, two cats, a dozen hens, thousands of Italian bees and a guinea pig. Not so in love with the guinea pig. She can do ten pushups IN A ROW and may or may not have a complete zombie apocalypse bug-out bag in her trunk at all times. Just. In. Case.

Website | Facebook  | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Google+ | Amazon Author Page

Book Blast: EKHO by Marie D Jones

Welcome to a rare Saturday post. We're sneaking in on your weekend as part of the EKHO blog tour. Here's the blast about Marie D Jones's cool-sounding MG novel.

EKHO by Marie D. Jones

Ten-year-old Elvis Jones is tired of being picked on, taunted, and teased by the bullies at his elementary school, so he does what any smart, technologically brilliant kid his age would do: he creates EKHO, the Evil Kid Hunting Organization, a sophisticated network of kid spies and secret agents that utilize a variety of cool gadgets to stay one step ahead of the enemy – the bullies. They hire kids, make them swear allegiance to the organization, and train them as Commandos, Privates, and Elite Spies. As kids rise through the ranks, the missions, posted on an encrypted EKHO website, require more smarts and skill, especially when the bullies form their own counterspy group called DEKE (Destroy EKHO Kids Everywhere).

It’s all in good fun, until the kids of EKHO must put their pretend skills to use for far more serious, and dangerous, missions. As field agents come across evidence of more sinister forces, they now have to deal with the strange, weird, and the unknown as they look for the truth about the bizarre and creepy threats to their school, their families, and their own lives. They experience betrayal, intrigue, infiltration and counter-espionage as well as teachers and adults who act more mysterious with each passing day, which leaves Elvis and his EKHO team wondering: who can you trust when the person standing next to you might not be entirely human?

Coming February 4, 2014

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * The Book Depository

Tour Schedule

Author Marie D. Jones

Marie D. Jones is a best-selling author with an extensive background in unknown mysteries, metaphysics, science, and the paranormal. She has been featured multiple times on the History Channel in Ancient Aliens and Nostradamus Effect. Marie also served as a special UFO/abduction consultant for the 2009 Universal Pictures movie, The Fourth Kind. She is a staff writer for FATE Magazine and Intrepid Magazine and a regular contributor to Paranoia Magazine and New Dawn Magazine. Marie has been interviewed on hundreds of radio talk shows all over the world, including Coast to Coast AM, and has been featured in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and online publications, internationally. She has lectured widely at major paranormal, new science, and self-empowerment events, and is the screenwriter and co-producer of 19 Hz, a paranormal thriller in development with Bruce Lucas Films.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 2/28/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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Cover Reveal: Losing Logan by Sherry D. Ficklin

Oh boy, do I love contributing to this blog! Especially when I get to do gorgeous cover reveals of books that sound as good as this one. Although, I must admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for YA paranormal romances revolving around a murder mystery. ;-)

Check this out!

Losing Logan by Sherry D. Ficklin
Publication Date: May 6th 2014
Genres: YA, Romance, Suspense, Paranormal

What if the one thing you never meant to hold on to, is the one thing you can’t let go of?

Normally finding a hot guy in her bedroom wouldn’t irritate Zoe so badly, but finding her childhood friend Logan there is a big problem. Mostly because he’s dead.

As the only person he can make contact with, he convinces Zoe to help him put together the pieces surrounding his mysterious death so he can move on. Thrust into his world of ultra popular rich kids, Zoe is out of her element and caught in the cross-hairs of Logan’s suspicious ex-girlfriend and the friends he left behind, each of whom had a reason to want him dead. The deeper they dig to find the truth, the closer Zoe gets to a killer who would do anything to protect his secrets. And that’s just the start of her problems because Zoe is falling for a dead guy.

And without further ado, the cover!

I love this so cover much! You can learn more about the book at the links below:

Goodreads
Facebook
http://www.sherryficklin.com


About the Author:

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs,
and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
She is the author of The Gods of Fate Trilogy now available from Dragonfly Publishing. Her previously self-published novel After Burn: Military Brats has been acquired by Harlequin and will be released in 2015 with a second book in that series to follow. Her newest YA steampunk novel, EXTRACTED: The Lost Imperials book 1, co-written with Tyler H. Jolley is now available everywhere books are sold and her newest YA novel, Losing Logan, is due for release in 2014 from Clean Teen Publishing.

Review: Fractured by Majanka Verstraete

Everyone has their thing- that thing they know better than to read about- that thing that climbs into the back of their mind and puts down roots nestled between the unshakable ear worms and the irrational fears. That thing that not only causes one to shudder in broad daylight, but that inescapably keeps popping up in he most casual of circumstances. For some people it's a thinly veiled fear of heights that rears its unwelcome head on escalators or when looking out an office window, for me, it's mirrors.
As a result, Majanka Verstrate's debut novel about Piper, a young girl who finds a special mirror in the attic of her mother's latest restoration project, has stuck with me long after finishing.

A modern YA ghost story reminiscent of Niffenegger's Her Fearful Symmetry, Fractured, the first book in the Mirrorland series explores friendship, responsibility, loss, and guilt as Piper finds herself haunted not only by her new found mirror, but also the past she's repressed. Built around a tight cast of characters and with attention to the real-life complications with which Verstraete's audience will connect, Fractured is a quick paced read, despite it's atmospheric nature. Even though it gave me the heebie-jeebies,or maybe because it gave me the heebie-jeebies, I enjoyed it.

Review: The Girl with the Iron Touch, by Kady Cross

Kady Cross' much awaited sequel to The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, The Girl with the Iron Touch brings the unapologeticly steampunk feel to a London adventure that spans from Mayfair to Whitechapel, and unearths new secrets in the London Underground. As a woman with a soft spot for the London Underground (have you seen the National Geographic article?), this book certainly touched on some of my favorite themes: Aether, SCOUSes, that's Sea Creatures of Unusual Size, in case you were wondering, Automotons, and philosophy.

The Girl with the Iron Touch revisits all of the story's past dealings in one way or another, Finley even remarks on parallels between the dilemma they are faced with and one she overcame on her own in The Strange Case of Finley Jane, which remains my favorite of the tales from Cross' The Steampunk Chronicles. That said, with the character of Endeavor 312, The Gril with the Iron Touch examines one of my favorite questions in speculative fiction: what does it mean to be human?

Enjoyable, as expected by any novel coming from the pen of Kady Cross, my one reservation is that Finley, Griff, Emily and Sam seem to be spending a little too much time letting their hormones get in the way of their better judgment, and the plot. Yes, the fact that this is a Harlequin TEEN novel means that I shouldn't be surprised, but I missed the slow build of the awkward tension which typified The Girl in the Steel Corset and The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

Now, I'm going to go find a copy of The Dark Discovery of Jack Dandy, because somehow I didn't know this existed until a moment ago, and my logic engine tells me it is imperative that I read it.