Wednesday, November 27, 2019

In Between Days by Anne Jamison


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anne Jamison will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Chicago suburbs, 1985. The high school. The mall. The blood-stained Mercedes. Misogyny. Homophobia. Class warfare. Cocaine.

(And the first semester isn’t even over yet.)

The Jocks with their pastel Izods. The Barbies. The loser Burnouts.

High school in the 1980s had rules. Barbies and Jocks can mix. Barbie cheerleaders steer clear of the losers. Punks want to burn it all down.

Samantha Ward doesn't love the rules, but she plays to win. So when a snarky Burnout goes after her in a face-off, of course she fights back. Of course she fights mean. She may not get his sex joke, but she knows he made one. About her. In front of the entire cafeteria. And what's worse, she feels a tingle when she looks at bad-boy Jason.

How could she know her mean girl put-down would launch a war? Or that the school she knows hides a darker world she never even dreamed of?

In Between Days is a pitch-perfect story of first love, friendship, and enemies; of loyalty, betrayal, and the power of secrets. This darkly funny, suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of The Outsiders and The Breakfast Club.

"GRIPPING AND UNPUTDOWNABLE." --Christina Lauren, international bestselling authors of Dating You/Hating You “THIS WAS a bittersweet tumble into eighties high school nostalgia, with all the angst, sexual tension and emotional confusion involved with first love, and so well done it was a non-stop read to the end.… (Oh, and one of the best first kisses I have EVER read...),” says one reviewer

Author's Note:

This is a historical novel that contains period language that is, and was then, and should be, offensive.

Read an Exclusive Excerpt

Samantha realized he’d been listening, and he knew Samantha was totally confused. Jason and his slimebag friend Skinny knew what everyone was blushing and leering and laughing about. They knew, she didn’t know, and they knew that, too.

It got worse. Jason Devlin’s gaze, it had some kind of weight to it. Samantha felt her breath quicken, hated herself for it. It only lasted a split second.

She wouldn’t look at those boys again.

But they were looking at her, and they could tell something. “Looks like Teen Barbie is already checking out the swim team, dude.” Skinny nudged Jason in her direction.

Samantha could feel her cheeks getting pinker. Now, not looking at those boys made it seem like they were getting to her, like she cared even one bit about Skinny Nowlin and anything he said. If Jason Devlin was famous for being bad, Skinny was famous for being nasty.

She whipped around to face him. “Drop dead, loser. Was anyone talking to you?” It wasn’t the best line, but wasting good lines on burnouts just looked desperate. People like Skinny were best crushed like bugs.

Dave Watson turned back toward Samantha—angry, but not at her. “Are these losers bothering you?”

Samantha barely knew Dave but that was how it worked. She and her friends were more swim team territory than burnout territory. They’d get protection just on principle. Something about this bothered Samantha more than even Skinny Nowlin did, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. It hovered there for a minute, something not quite seen from the corner of an eye, and then was gone. And she had more than enough to worry about that she could see.

Skinny slouched further into Jason with a smirk that seemed like it might crawl right off his face and slither toward her. Jason drawled, “We just felt these young ladies should know that the swim boys aren’t necessarily the best divers in the school.”

Samantha could feel Jason Devlin’s eyes were on her like she was on display. Which, in a way, she was. It was what lunch was about. But for most of the school, Samantha and her friends were strictly look but don’t touch.

Jason Devlin’s gaze made her feel more than touched. Undressed, maybe. And Skinny Nowlin made her feel even worse. Like fingered. In public. Without her consent. She hated it.

Samantha was staring at her chicken breast with teriyaki sauce as if it were the last thing in the universe left to see except Jason Devlin’s eyes. Dark eyes. Darker under a long, low, slanty fringe of dark hair that slouched over his eyes like he slouched over her, over Skinny, over the entire lunchroom. Like his hair had been studying carelessness to cover for his eyes, which had a sharper edge to them.

About the Author:
Anne Jamison is the author of three critical books, including Fic: Why Fanfiction is Taking Over the World. She lives in Salt Lake City with her dogs, her son, and an avant-garde poet. She is an English professor, but not the kind that corrects your grammar (unless she is actively grading your paper). In Between Days is her first novel.

Website: http://www.annejamison.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annejamisonauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/prof_anne
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annejamisonauthor

Buy In Between Days:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Between-Days-Anne-Jamison-ebook/dp/B07XLN7X69
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-between-days-anne-e-jamison/1133878288?ean=9781087805757
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/in-between-days-10
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/in-between-days/id1481939900

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Monday, November 25, 2019

Gods of Merlin by Priya Ardis


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Priya Ardis will offer a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn winner, and an autographed copy of the book to a second randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

GREAT GREEK GODS. THEY ARE COMING.

Foster kid and occasional shoplifter Eowlyn Patience just wants to fit into her Boston high school. When the Sword In The Stone falls out of the sky like a meteor into the middle of London’s Trafalgar Square, everything changes. Then, an enigmatic golden-eyed man arranges for her to attend a school for the gifted in England, and the irritatingly perfect Matt Emrys from science class turns out to be Merlin—the Merlin, King Arthur’s greatest wizard.

Frozen in a cave for fifteen hundred years, Merlin has woken to find the next Arthur. Eowlyn Patience’s mysterious admittance to Avalon Preparatory was not something he foresaw…a disturbing aberration when his most powerful gift happens to be visions of the future.

The race to find the rightful heir rages between deadly gargoyles, wizards, and Regulars, but figuring out the troubled Eowlyn might be by-the-book Merlin’s hardest job yet. She’s altogether the wrong girl. Torn between what is right and what saves lives, will Eowlyn do what it takes to win—even if it means sacrificing Merlin to a god?
Read an Excerpt

“You are my Gwenhwyfar,” he said. “Or how do you say her name in your time? Guinevere.”

I stood, wanting to run but knowing it would do no good. Because I was not in reality. I was in a dream. I played along. “Wasn’t Guinevere King Arthur’s wife? I’m a little young. I belong to no one.”

“I did not come seeking a wife. My former love is the reason we are in this mess. I have chosen you to be my champion, my right hand. You will go where I cannot.”

I growled in disbelief. “What makes you think I would do anything for you?”

Golden eyes glowed as he considered me. Power radiated from his gaze. The power burned so bright, like the sun, that I would be burned if I looked too long. Then, golden eyes blinked. The light dimmed and I could breathe again.

He peered at me. I dropped to my knees on the ground.

He touched my cheek. “You will do it, Eowlyn Patience, because you crave what I do. You would do anything to leave this small life behind. You would do anything for a bit of power.” His thumb traced the line of my jaw. “Seize the day, my champion.”

About the Author:
Priya Ardis loves books of all kinds--but especially the ones which make your nose leak and let your chai go cold. Her novels come from a childhood of playing too much She-Ra and watching too much Spock. Her bestselling series, My Boyfriend Merlin, about Merlin going to high school is a YA contemporary fantasy and romance for those like road trips, wizards, Greek gods, and gender-bent quests.

Talk to me!

Website: http://www.priyaardis.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/priyaardis
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/priyaardis
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/priyaardis
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/priyaardis
Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/priyaardis
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/priyaardis
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/priyaardis

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Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Magical Beasts Series by Geoffrey Saign

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Geoffrey Saign will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
A demon haunts Samantha Green's dreams.
And she fears it's coming for her...

When wildlife prodigy Sam and her crush—quirky handsome Jake—are attacked by a dragon assassin, Sam discovers her secret past. A past connected to a supernatural giant cat and a glowing faerie.

Sam is quickly pulled into a high stakes battle for the world. Everyone, including a creepy ancient villain, wants her supernatural staff, which she doesn’t know how to use. Sophisticated ninja dragons, a kong-sized gorilla, and mysterious beasts offer help—but are they friends or enemies? Sam has a big heart, but will her love for all creatures tear her life apart?

To survive the hardest choice she's ever made, Sam will have to unlock the hidden power inside her.

Ready or not, Sam is about to find out if she has what it takes to be a guardian…

Guardian: The Choice is the new exciting start of a magic-filled fantasy four book series starring a powerful heroine, a tough brawny hero, and a slew of not-so-friendly magical beasts.

*****


Sam and Jake must capture a magical golden dragon—or Jake dies. Can Sam can save the man she loves? And will she have to die to do it?

But everyone wants the golden dragon, including the powerful Evil One, who has been hiding for centuries and has sworn to destroy all of life. No one can be trusted. Death Matches and ancient secrets test the guardians as never before.

Sam fears that whatever she does, she won’t be able to save Jake…nor stop the Evil One.

*****


IAN BOTY awards = Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards

CHOICE won the Young Adult category.

Guardian: The Choice was selected as Finalist in “Fantasy,” and “Young Adult” category winner!

And Guardian: The Choice was selected as the “Outstanding Young Adult” category winner!


Read an Excerpt from Guardian: The Quest

A large creature materializes out of thin air a few yards to the side of me. Shocked, my arms tense.

Ten feet tall at the shoulder, the animal has sandy fur, black spots, and gold eyes. An animal nerd, I’ve spent thousands of hours researching wildlife and recognize the creature immediately. “Crocuta crocuta, a.k.a. spotted hyena,” I murmur.

The hyena has to be a Great One from KiraKu; Great Ones that live in our world are called Lessers, and often have mutations and can’t teleport.

I find the hyena beautiful, but I don’t know if it’s on our side or Gorgon’s—the power-hungry Lesser that we defeated a few months ago. One thing is certain; Gorgon wants revenge. I’m able to pick up emotions from animals, but the hyena gives no reaction as it studies me.

Great Ones and Lessers can put you in a light trance just by staring at you, so I avoid looking directly in its eyes. “Are you a friend of Tarath’s?”

The hyena gives a short high-pitched laugh. I sense it’s nervous, but it leaps at me.

I roll to the side beneath its slashing jaws. Rising, I stab WhipEye into the animal’s hip. Golden energy crackles down the staff and into the hyena’s body—its hindquarters whip away from me with the jolt. I roll away again when the hyena snaps its powerful jaws at the tip of WhipEye.

About the Author:
Geoffrey Saign’s love of wildlife led him to write the award-winning fantasy series, Magical Beasts. He often experiences the magic of nature and wildlife while hiking and swimming. He has a degree in biology and has assisted in field research on hummingbirds and humpback whales. Geoff loves to sail big boats, hike, and cook—and he infuses all of his writing with his passion for nature. As a swimmer he considers himself fortunate to live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota. See what he’s up to at on his website.

Website: https://geoffreysaign.net/magical-beasts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/geoffreysaign
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geoffrey.saign
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/755980.Geoffrey_Saign

Guardian: The Choice is on sale for $0.99 during the tour and Guardian: The Quest is on sale for $2.99!

Guardian, The Choice: https://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Choice-Magical-Beasts-Bookebook/dp/B07V651Z6B
Guardian, The Quest: https://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Quest-Fantasy-Adventure-Thriller-ebook/dp/B07Z2FFXP2/ref=sr_1_3

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Tuesday, November 19, 2019

A Violet Fire by Kelsey Quick


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kelsey Quick will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

When I was younger, I fell in love with My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. I would always go out into the woods with my father and just sit in the quiet, beautiful wilderness. Oftentimes I would imagine surviving out in the wilds with only myself and a beautiful peregrine falcon to rely on for food and companionship. I loved that book so much that it inspired the type of fiction I eventually wrote, as well as the movies I loved the most.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Oh! That would have to be either taiyaki or a fresh, lavender-flavored latte. What is taiyaki, you ask? It’s a Japanese waffle-like pastry in the shape of a fish, filled with a number of whipped flavors! My favorite would be chocolate or melon-flavored taiyaki!

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

I actually wanted to be a dolphin and Orca trainer at Sea World for close to twelve years! I’m glad I didn’t end up going into that, though. As a child you don’t really see how bad those beautiful creatures have it behind the scenes. You can’t see their anguish, so you think everything is just as wonderful as it appears.

What would you write in a letter to your teen self?

Literally this, “Calm down, one day you’re going to thank yourself for being a weirdo.” The one thing I got right in high school was being a non-conformist. My parents were my best friends and I didn’t fit in, which pushed me to cultivate my creativity and independence rather than placing myself in compromising situations with boys and with activities at parties.

What candy do you give out at Halloween?

ONLY THE GOOD KIND. Nobody wants the suckers and off-brand Tootsie Rolls. Since I am blessed enough to afford it, your child is going to get a Snickers, Reese’s, or M&Ms!

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I have four… that’s normal, right? Currently I have The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh, Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, and The Beckoning Shadow by Katharyn Blair! All are pretty big in the reading community right now and while I am reading to enjoy them, I’m also doing research.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

Okay, but why not both?! I’m a sucker for both of these series, so much so that I’ve been told you can find a blend of both of them in A Violet Fire. Dystopian is one of my favorite genres, along with vampire romance. Hunger Games because fierce and opinionated females are where it’s at, and Twilight because strong vampires who are susceptible to an average human’s charm hits me right in the feels.

Sum up your book for Twitter: 140 characters or less.

“A Violet Fire is the perfect blend of everything you’ve wanted in vampire lore—horrific and sensual, a dark fantasy world shrouded in mystery.” That sounds cool, right…?

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

Honest to God, this is what I would do. I would give away at least half of it to charities, if not more. I would pay off all of mine and my husband’s debt, and my parents’ debt the most that I could. I’m not really materialistic. Anything I could buy that I would want would probably amount to $3k. $2k of that being a new Cintiq tablet for my art.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

Art class! For one, both teachers I had for the duration of the four years were huge for my creativity cultivation, and for two I nearly went to college for traditional and digital illustration. I’m glad I didn’t now, but art was such a big part of my life. It still is, as I use it to make my own fan art and create content for my campaigns, but back then it was my entire existence.

"A vampire tale with a heady mix of defiance and doubt, rebellion and romance." — Kirkus Reviews

"There is not a single dull moment in this book... A Violet Fire has all the ingredients to become the next Hollywood movie about vampires." — Readers' Favorite

"In the Vampire Stratocracy of Cain, human blood is scarce. For centuries, councils have sought to assuage the blood shortage by enslaving and breeding humans, turning them into profitable supply units for the rich and the abled.

Today, eighteen-year-old Wavorly Sterling is officially a supply unit, bound to serve her blood willingly to her master for the rest of her life. One of only few humans that was not bred in Cain, Wavorly knows freedom better than anyone, and she is determined to escape the clutches of her oppressors—despite the allure of forbidden love."

Read an Excerpt

He grabs the hair on the back of my neck and pulls down, exposing the breadth. My mind leaps to my years of night terrors; to that vampire from ten years ago; to my mother changing before my eyes into one of the fallen. I nearly forget to breathe while terror floods my veins.

He’s going to turn me into one of them!

“No! You can’t!” I scream as he lowers his face to the crook of my neck and shoulder, his hot breaths sending chills along my skin—as if each and every inch knows the horror that lies ahead.

“I can,” he says.

My fingers grasp at his immovable arms that have me locked against him. I pull and push with as much might as my hands can muster, to no avail. If I am dirt, he is steel.

About the Author:
Kelsey Quick is a novelist, artist, and businesswoman who loves her husband, huskies, and video games. Since the age of two, Kelsey has been bound and determined to create. From traditional impressionist paintings, to digital comic creation; from fanfiction to full-length novels… her desire for crisp and prime escapism is never-ending. A Violet Fire is her debut novel, harboring the idea she’s had and held dear to her heart for over a decade.

Website: http://www.avioletfire.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/avioletfire1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avioletfire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avioletfire
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47179561-a-violet-fire
Amazon Preorder eBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XNKH9XL
Amazon Preorder Hardcover/paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Violet-Fire-Kelsey-Quick/dp/1733072403
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-violet-fire-kelsey-quick/1131658735?ean=9781733072403
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781733072403

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Monday, November 18, 2019

ExtraNormal by Suzanne V. Reese


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Suzanne V. Reese will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

They told me it would be easy—just blend in, observe, and keep to myself. They didn't tell me that failure would cost me everything.

Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Which is why it's a shock when she's selected ahead of six hundred other candidates to be the first student ever to travel from the planet Nreim to Earth. Even though she’s only there to observe, she’s given what feels like a million rules that are mostly intended to keep her away from the planet’s primitive males. But after she finds one mysterious boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes they have a connection that transcends their two planets—and puts both their lives in danger. When a series of serious accidents makes it clear that someone wants to force her return, Mira decides her only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment—before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.

Read an Excerpt

The room circled around us, lights falling across our intertwined bodies. The rich musical notes surrounded us in full crescendo. The world and all the forces pulling against us fell away in that bright, singular moment.

I imagined him in his bedroom, tormented and desperate, composing and playing each of those harmonic parts separately, then blending them together. Even on my world, I would consider him brilliant. I never imagined my love for him could grow this much.

Jesse released me when the haunting strains of the music died away. I caught my breath—and wanted to ask him to start it again. But he would have to walk away to do that. Another—far lesser—song began. We moved again with our feet side-by-side, wrapped in each other’s arms, our bodies close. I’d often wondered why he was so different from other boys—so pure in his love for me. But with that kiss, I understood that he did long to be close to me. Not in the empty and greedy way of other boys from this world, but simply to express his love.

About the Author:
A decade ago, author Suzanne V. Reese had a string of land-mark events—published her first novel, outlined her second novel (while daydreaming in a university science class), graduated from that university, became a grandmother, and then topped it all with a late-stage breast cancer diagnosis.

That second novel, ExtraNormal, YA speculative fiction, became her therapy during a long and difficult treatment program. It was published a few years later with the encouragement of her incredibly supportive friends and family. Despite little marketing, the book quickly became an Amazon best-seller.

Suzanne then made the difficult decision to ensure her long-term existence by focusing on her health rather than continue with the series. Happily, to celebrate her ten-year survival and end-of-treatment mark, she is releasing an updated version of the best-selling novel ExtraNormal, this time to be soon followed by the remaining books in the ExtraNormal Chronicles.

Suzanne has a degree in communications from Utah State University, as well as certifications in nutrition and holistic health. She is the founder of Story Igniters, which offers courses that help readers find their real-life superpowers. She lives with her husband in Draper, Utah, where she enjoys doting on her seven grandchildren.

Website: http://www.SuzanneVReese.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2726852.Suzanne_V_Reese
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/suzannevreese
Instagram: https://instagram.com/suzannevreese
Facebook: https://facebook.com/suzannevreese
Amazon sales page for ExtraNormal: https://amzn.to/2Qw9kNQ

Note: Because this is my ten-year cancerversary, I will be donating author proceeds during launch week to cancer research. (The Huntsman Cancer Research program, where 100% of donations go towards research. They are also the center that treated me.)

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Friday, November 8, 2019

Review and Interview: In Over Her Head: Lights, Camera, Anxiety by Krysten Lindsay Hager


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Krysten Lindsay Hager will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?

I was obsessed with reading when I was younger (still am actually), but I would take the edge off of a hard day at school by going up to my room and reading. I remember escaping into middle grade and YA books and how I’d feel less alone after seeing a character going through the same thing that I was dealing with. I always wanted to write a book other people could escape with when they were going through something. I love hearing from readers who tell me reading one of my books got them through something. A woman told my mother she took my book to her dialysis appointment to help her escape and that meant a lot to me.

Pretend your protagonist is at school and opens his/her locker – what will we see inside?

A makeup bag with lip stain, gloss, and blush in it. She’d also have her journal in there with a cute cover. She’d keep her cell phone in there between classes and some snacks. And because she’s like me, her locker would probably have empty Pepsi cans in it and photos pasted inside like I did. I used to have pics of celebrity guys I liked and Calvin Klein ads when I was her age.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

My Mother Was Never a Kid by Francine Pascal about a girl who bumps her head and goes back in time and winds up hanging out with her mom who is even more of a wild child than she ever thought of being. It’s funny and the kind of book you can’t put down. I’ve reread it several times. I met the author years ago at a writing conference in New York and I fangirled big time. I almost started to cry in front of her.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?

I always wanted to be a writer of some sort. I wanted to write a book series like the ones I loved, but I also had an interest in screenwriting and journalism. For a long time I wanted to create my own TV show, too.

What superpower would you love to have? Why?
I want to be invisible so I can go wherever I want and observe people. I could slip in so many places and witness so much stuff that way.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

I’m reading 100 Days to Brave and one of the new Nancy Drew Diaries books. I unwind best with mysteries since I’m focused on figuring out who did it instead of letting my mind wander.

What reality show would you love to be on? Why?

Music City on CMT. I watched it for the first time this fall and it reminded me a bit of what Andrew and Cecily are going through being in the music world. Plus, it’s so much like the show Laguna Beach which I used to be obsessed with. I’m not sure I’d want to be on Laguna Beach though because that show was a little too much like my own high school. I remember talking to a guy who was a year above me and he said he couldn’t watch that show because it was so much like our old school!

Favorite TV show from your childhood?

The Simpsons was a favorite and I liked soap operas a lot. I was always into those adult cartoons and I still am. The Simpsons still cracks me up.

You’ve just won a million dollars and you’re not allowed to save any of it. What do you spend it on?

I would use it to start building my dream library! Then stock it with all my favorite books that went out of print years ago that aren’t easy to find in used bookstores.

Who was your teenaged crush? Why?

As a teenager I had a lot of crushes on football and basketball players like Daryl Johnston, Grant Hill, Troy Aikman, Jalen Rose, Toni Kukoc, and Deion Sanders. I used to like watching interviews with these guys and I didn’t start liking any of them until I saw them in an interview or on TV, so personality was always what got me to notice them first. My childhood crush was George Michael and I still liked him in my teen years, too.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

I would say sociology, my literature classes and journalism, too. If you asked high school me back then she would say I liked being in were the ones my friends were in that we could have fun in and pass notes.

********

Our review:

A quintessential contemporary young adult, this novel encapsulates all the real moments in time that our teens live through. I think, as adults, we forget sometimes how everything was the end of the world. How small things affected us as teens in big ways. And the big things? They flattened us.

Author Krysten Lindsay Hager really nails it on the head here. True, most teen girls aren’t dating a famous boy or looking forward to potentially being famous themselves, but that aside, our heroine goes through all the things a typical teen does: romantic angst, friendship issues, etc. I ached for her, especially when things with her BFF got rocky. Your friends are everything at that age, the ones you confide all your hopes, dreams, worries and misdeeds to. So, to have one treat you the way Lila does? It’s heartbreaking.

I really did feel for Cecily. She’s trying to do all the right things. She’s a good kid. She actually likes her folks, does her best in school, doesn’t really misbehave. She’s trying to do everything right and the world just keeps pulling the rug out from under her. While the drama was a bit overwhelming at times, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t actually happen that way IRL. It just means that there were times I had to step back from the book and take a breather before returning to see if Cecily got her HEA.

If you’re looking for a really real young adult book, you should grab a copy of this (or the first book in the series). They’re well written, realistic and solid stories for the generation. 4 Stars.

***********

Cecily feels like she has it all: great best friends, the beginnings of a career as a model/actress, and she’s dating her favorite singer, Andrew Holiday. Then Cecily’s best friend Lila begins to ditch her every time Lila’s boyfriend calls. Cecily feels lost, but she and Andrew begin connecting more and she’s never been in a relationship where she felt so understood. Andrew even begins to confide in her about his anxiety. Soon Cecily experiences her own anxiety on a magazine photo shoot, but she manages to impress the magazine staff. Just when it seems like all her dreams are coming true, everything comes crashing down when a photo of Andrew with another girl appears online. He swears nothing happened, but Cecily is crushed. She feels like she’s lost two of the people closest to her.

Was her perfect relationship real or was she in over her head?

Read an Excerpt

“Good luck at the photo shoot tomorrow,” he said. “You’ll be great.”

I stared out the window on the ride back to the hotel taking in all the sites. As I walked into the hotel I felt a new air of confidence. Instead of just reading about someone going out with a pop star to some fabulous rooftop hotel restaurant and being in the big city, I was living it. This was my life and not some YA book heroine’s. Tomorrow I was off on a modeling shoot. I was living a dream and proving how I was ready for a big life. This was my destiny. I could do this.

****

My alarm went off and at the same time an alarm went off in my brain saying, no, I could not do this. What was I thinking? Me, model? That’s where people take photos of you for the sole purpose of other people looking at them, which encouraged judgement and evil comments. People don’t just keep those comments to themselves anymore. Oh no, they grab their phone or laptop or whatever device helps them spew out unhelpful and cruel comments on people’s appearances online for all the world to see.

My stomach felt like spewing all over the nice hotel sheets I was wrapped in. Why did I ever think I was up for this? Those strangers online would destroy me within seconds. Girls like Harlow who were born with an undeniable beauty could do stuff like this and even then, I had seen strangers criticize her online when she posted selfies.

Being anxious always made all my senses go nuts. I ate two slices of toast and then my stomach did a weird flipping thing. Oh no, not today. Looking over at the clock I realized it was almost time for us to leave. Come on, stomach. You’re fine. Just relax and…nope, time to hit the bathroom. Why can’t I just be a big girl and go to this stupid shoot which most girls would kill to do without my stomach freaking out?

About the Author:
Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, Competing with the Star, Dating the It Guy, and Can Dreams Come True. True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for childen/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist. Landry in Like is a Literary Classics Gold Medal recipient.

Krysten's work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News and on Living Dayton.

Website: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/
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Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VRYS65N/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VRYS65N
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07VRYS65N
Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07VRYS65N
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07VRYS65N

Book One: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Come-True-Cecily-Taylor-ebook/dp/B079S3KJSH

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