Bittersweet by Michele Barrow-Belisle

The author will be awarding a $10 dollar giftcard to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click the tour banner for more stops.

To save the Faery world and her mother’s life, seventeen year old Lorelei sacrificed everything, and the dangerous bargains she made in Nevermore had lasting repercussions. Now safely back in her own world, Lorelei seems the same to her high school friends and her supernatural boyfriend, despite the dark magic growing within her. Love across dimensions is complicated, especially when an invisible veil between the two worlds is sealing, threatening to separate Lorelei and Adrius forever.

Determined to find a solution, Lorelei resorts to exploring her new found powers. But when her friends fall ill, and her healing touch only makes things worse, Lorelei can’t help but wonder if she's responsible.

Nightmares from the Nevermore tighten their icy hold when someone arrives determined to destroy Lorelei’s world, starting with those closest to her. Once again she’s forced to choose between her family... her friends... and a love that was ill-fated from the start.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“One kiss and now you believe you love this creature? Preposterous. I will not have it. She has you hexed. Bewitched from your right mind. That is the only reasonable explanation to account for such impudence. Such lusting can only be derived from dark magic. It seeps from her pores, can you not feel it?” Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness surveyed me with cold disdain before refocusing her wrath on her son.

“I would never do that,” I blurted. “I’d never use magic to force someone into loving me.” Venus and I were very different that way.

Mab snarled. “Do not address me unless I have given you permission to do so,” she said. “I am the queen of this court. And you are nothing more than a whelp on the verge of losing her life.” Her cutting glare flicked back to her son. “I cannot allow this. You traipsing across lands following this...” she waved her hand in my direction. “It is madness. I prayed that after you'd taken a taste you would have been satisfied, satiated of such empty hollow carnal delights and moved on to saner tasks. Like serving your mother.”

“You removed me from your court, Mother. I no longer serve you,” Zanthiel replied evenly.

Mab’s voice lowered, and grew sickly sweet. “My darling, it was but to show you your love for me. Your loyalty lies within you still. It merely needed a subtle reminder.”

“By way of banning me from my home, and resigning me to live among thieves, shadows and the dead. It is an odd way of demonstrating motherly love.”

“There are many expectations of you. You cannot fulfill your duty with your mind blinded by your heart. This unhealthy obsession has you transfixed, Zanthiel. Can you not see? She has you immobilized.” Her voice grew louder and the rafters latterly shook. “And to what end?”

She looked at me, but I wasn’t certain she wanted me to answer, so I remained silent. I studied the chains enclosing Zanthiel’s hands and ankles. Could I break them open, dissolve them?

What if something went wrong, and I hurt him instead? No, it wasn’t the right time. I glanced over at her statuesque guards, their skin blue from decades of cold. Two of them were studying me with a vile mix of curiosity and hunger. One caught my eye and he ran a bloated tongue across his chaffed lips. My stomach turned over.

“I am hers for as long as she requires my assistance. It has always been that way. Fated by prophecy. You know this to be true, Mother.”

He was having trouble speaking and yet his expression held that same icy glare. By looking at him you’d never know what pain he was in. But I knew him on a deeper level. I was beginning to see through his façade, like a smokescreen of glamour, I saw behind the mask. The fear and loathing and the inexplicable suffering as the iron ate into his flesh like acid.

The queen’s eyes narrowed and grew impossibly colder. “Why have you come? Surely you did not expect a grand and hospitable welcome. What purpose drew you into my court to face imminent death? Do speak now, whelp,” she said with sudden impatience. “And know that if you are caught lying I will cut out your tongue and feed it to the trolls.”

I shuddered, having no doubt she actually would. “We have a... request.”

I glanced at Zanthiel, blood seeping from the iron chains binding his wrists and ankles. I couldn’t let him continue to suffer. The poison would eventually seep into his bloodstream and kill him. Then she'd direct her wrath at me.

I took a tentative step forward, not fully convinced I wouldn’t be cut down where I stood, for being so bold.

But she leaned back against her throne and tapped a broken fingernail impatiently. “You have my full attention. Come out with it. What is this request of which you speak?”

About the Author

A dreamer at heart, Michele Barrow-Belisle has always lived with one foot in this reality and one foot in another, one of her own imagining. So it follows that she would grow up to write about the characters from those enchanting worlds she knows and loves so well. A fan of all things romantic, her young adult novels are populated with scintillating witches, vampires and fey. Her bestselling debut book series Fire and Ice (Faerie Song Trilogy) was optioned for a major motion picture this year. Michele resides in southern Canada with her hubby and son who indulge her never-ending obsession with reading, writing and most importantly... chocolate. SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Website: www.michelebarrowbelisle.com  (join my mailing list)
Blog: www.michelebelisle.blogspot.ca
Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/authormichele
Facebook Street Team page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/396189297153826/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3059577.Michele_Barrow_Belisle
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MicheleBelisle Pintrest: www.pinterest.com/micheley26
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/micheley26
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110546512991850441753/posts/p/pub 
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Barrow-Belisle/e/B00BVRJADY
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Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: Dealing with Devils by Pembroke Sinclair

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Pembroke will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn winner, a paperback copy of Dealing with Devils (US Only) to another winner and an ebook copy of Dealing with Devils to 5 other winners. All prizes will be awarded via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Enjoy an interview

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

My favorite books as a young adult were anything by Christopher Pike. I read everything he wrote. He was a huge inspiration in how I write my YA books now.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Oh, man! I love anything that doesn’t have nuts in it. But my favorite are cinnamon rolls, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies with ice cream and caramel sauce. Mmmmmm.

What candy do you give out at Halloween?

I give out whatever my kids pick to give out. They usually pick candy that they want to eat, so we have Skittles, Tootsie Rolls, and various assortments of candy bars. Hey, I have to like/eat them too! What superpower would you love to have? Why?

I would love to be able to multiply myself. There’s always so much to get done in a day, and I’m only one person, so having some help would be awesome!

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

I’m pretty boring, but I would pay off my cars and loans, then go on a vacation. I’m not sure where I’d go, but Alaska and Iceland are high on my list to visit.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

I had two. One was biology and the other was English. They were my favorites because the teachers were awesome. They were both incredibly encouraging and inspired me to love science and English.

Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what?

Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.

Enjoy an excerpt

Katie leaned against the railing, staring into the night. A warm breeze touched her face, bringing with it the scent of salt and fish. Every so often, droplets of water touched her skin as the waves lapped against the side of the boat. The bass from the music that played behind her vibrated through her feet and into her chest. Lights flashed at her back, throwing her shadow onto the waves below in spastic fashion. She took a deep breath and squinted her eyes. On the far horizon, just to her right, she could barely make out the lights of Liberty Island. She sighed again and leaned forward farther, resting her elbows on the railing.

She had always wanted to see New York. She and Deb had tentatively planned a trip for the summer after graduation, before going to college. Katie thought maybe it would be a trip to orient herself with the city—attending college in the city was high on her list of things she wanted to do—but she hadn’t decided where to go yet. In fact, it was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She needed to get her life back first before deciding what she was going to do with it. As usual, when Josh had showed up in her room earlier tonight and asked her to come with him, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She knew the possibility existed that she would be involved in something unpleasant such as witnessing Josh taking a soul, but she told herself she was going to stop it this time. She wouldn’t stand idly by.

About the Author:

Pembroke Sinclair is a literary jack of all trades, playing her hand at multiple genres. She has written an eclectic mix of fiction ranging from horror to sci-fi and even some westerns. Born in Rock Springs, Wyoming--the home of 56 nationalities--it is no wonder Pembroke ended up so creatively diverse. Her fascination with the notions of good and evil, demons and angels, and how the lines blur have inspired her writing. Pembroke lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with her husband, two spirited boys, a black lab named Ryder, and a rescue kitty named Alia, who happens to be the sweetest, most adorable kitty in the world! She cannot say no to dessert, orange soda, or cinnamon. She loves rats and tatts and rock and roll and wants to be an alien queen when she grows up.

http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jessicarobinsonauthor
https://twitter.com/PembrokeSinclai
Google+

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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Savage Winds - Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.

Enjoy an Interview:

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

From To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Outsiders, and The Lost Boys to Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Divergent, YA Fiction pulls the reader in, and if done well enough, doesn’t let go.

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

Eighteen-year-old Stedford would see a pile of ragged notebooks filled with sketches for all kinds of techno gadgets and software code scribbles stacked beneath a pair of ratty hi-top red tennis shoes faded to pencil-eraser pink.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

Black Beauty, Beautiful Joe, then later Interview with a Vampire and Carrie because all elicited emotion and promised and delivered on worlds and characters that stayed with me even after I read the books.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.

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

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to write because the writer’s I read wove words to tell stories, sway emotions, and satisfy a reader. I’ve always wanted to share and deliver that experience to other readers.

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

If you want to write, claim every 15 minutes that you can and write.

What candy do you give out at Halloween?

Mini candy bars (of the chocolate persuasion, of course).

Coal or candy in your Christmas stocking? Why?

Candy, specifically lots of chocolate of course because, well... Do they make coal-shaped chocolate candy? Hmm. If so, that would be the ticket!

What superpower would you love to have? Why?

The books in the Children of the Elements series feature children that are able to direct the wind, earth, fire, water, and the lesser known element the void. Savage Winds is the first book in the series and features a little girl able to control the wind. Can you imagine influencing the direction and force of the wind with the flick of a finger or a twist of the wrist? Being able to whip up tornados and calm hurricanes—now that would be one awesome superpower!

What book is on your nightstand currently?
Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines series and well as Jodi Picoult’s Between the Lines.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

I very much enjoyed the level of writing in the Hunger Games as well as the pacing of the trilogy.

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

A paranormal based show, such as Ghost Hunters or The Haunting of... (My next book is based on this concept and features teens on a ghost busting reality show and their haunting adventures.)

Favorite TV show from your childhood?

I’ve always gravitated toward the oldies, such as Twilight Zone and Star Trek.

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

Savage Winds, Book 1, YA Sci-Fi Adventure Series, features children that control the elements, the chaos caused, and the apocalyptic disasters set in motion.

Favorite hot beverage. Why?

Hot cocoa, because it’s the closet thing to liquid chocolate.

Ideal summer vacation.

Quiet, with lots of writing time, in any locale at all.

Which of your characters would you most like to meet IRL? Why?

Scientist Nora Hicks, who starts out the series as an unwilling subject and accomplice to the Top Secret Project featured in the Children of the Elements series. Over the span of the series, Nora grows...or more or less devolves...into an even more interesting character.

What four literary characters would you most like to have over for dinner?

Jack Sawyer from The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub, Odd Thomas from Dean Koontz Odd Thomas Series, Katniss from Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games, and Alex from Ilsa Bick’s Ashes trilogy. That would be one interesting dinner conversation.

You’re stranded on a desert island—which character from your book do you want with you? Why?

Eighteen-year-old techno-geek Stedford Thackett because Stedford has a knack for creating gadgets and figuring out how to make items that might need for survival. He’s clumsy, but makes up for his physical and social awkwardness with his smarts, his caring, and his perseverance. Stedford’s POV encompasses the entire series as he grows from a nerd pulled into a real life conspiracy to a nerd struggling to survive in a pre-, current, and post-apocalyptic world.

Favorite pizza toppings.

Canadian bacon or ham with extra pineapple and cheese.

Create an ice cream flavor. What’s it called?

Chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, raspberry nougats, with chocolate ice cream. Heaven. Oh, you mean the name the flavor of the ice cream, hmm, how about Chocolate Bliss?

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

My nieces’ and nephew’s college tuition, a business set-aside fund for all three, a creative writing online workshop hub that teaches the how-to’s and the writing craft at a reasonable cost and delivers lesson- wise, then I would invest in rental properties to generate a continual income.

Playlist for your current book.

Rainstorm soundtracks all the way.

Who was your teenaged crush? Why?

Do vampires and ghosts count? Hmm...

Favorite class in high school. Why?

Literature/English, which was the closest thing a small town high school offered to creative writing.

A dangerous conspiracy unfolds...

In Author R.J. Merle’s whirlwind start of the Children of the Elements series, a clumsy teenage techno-geek struggles to protect kidnapped children from a covert government organization responsible for creating their abilities to control the five elements.

A mighty wind...

Eighteen-year-old Stedford Thackett’s conspiracy theorist brother ensnares him in a real life children-as-weapons plot, while a determined scientist grooms happy-go-lucky five-year-old Darcie Lynn Carpenter to use the wind as a deadly weapon.

Out of control...

Despite the firm hand of Scientist Nora Hicks, Stedford struggles to rescue the kids and escape, even as Darcie Lynn fights to gain control of the surging power of the savage winds.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

Dead men don’t tell tales, yet the late project head’s records held revelations kept from Scientist Nora Hicks for far too long.

In an office deep inside an East Tennessee mountain, Nora snapped a black leather-bound book closed.

Except for the carved stone ceiling, the office mimicked a non-descript working office in Anywhere, USA. Bulky military-issue metal and wood furniture stood as a harsh legacy to the covert Secret City project and to the starkness of her life.

Sitting at the borrowed hulk of a desk in a dank underground office, she asked, “Why was this kept from me?”

Across the desk in a guest chair, General Gardner, with thin hair sprouts sprayed into place, said, “Ever since Oak Ridge existed but did not even appear on a map, the city continues to hold and foster more than its share of secrets. As a trusted senior scientist and manager of the project, Dickenson claimed you and your son were the only ones involved.”

“How long have you known there were more of us?” Her grip on the desk’s metal edge forced her gloved hands to stop shaking. The usual underground chill pressed into the heat of her temples and an off-putting tartness oozed over her tongue.

Were Scientist Daniel Dickenson not already dead, she would kill him with her bare hands.

Slowly.

About the Author:

Author R.J. Merle stepped out of the realm of Top-Secret documents (shh, don’t tell...) to write sci-fi and paranormal fiction.

R.J. survived and escaped both the entertainment field and the government-contracting environment, craves the Walking Dead, and entertains what-if tidbits about “supposed” technological and biological advances.

No stranger to the goings on in the city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, R.J. Merle blends a down- home flavor with a former in-the-know—hypothetically, of course—technical background to craft the twists and intrigue of Secret City Adventures.

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/R.J.-Merle/e/B00P8E0X5A
BN Author Page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/r.j.-merle
Website: http://www.rjmerle.com/COTE.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/RJ-Merle-Author/1409155235976147
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10944948.
R_J_Merle Blog: http://rjmerle.blogspot.com/
Buy Links:
NOTE: Savage Winds is FREE!
http://www.amazon.com/Children-Elements-Science-Fiction-Adventure-ebook/dp/ B00P89UM5G/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/savage-winds-r-j-merle/1120920193?ean=2940046560206
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/516527
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Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: Kaylen's Rising by Yves Robichaud

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner.

 

Kaylen has been in the dark for fourteen years – in every sense. His people are hunted, so they must struggle to survive within underground caves. His community despises his family, taunting him constantly. His parents keep him housebound, forbidding him from wielding sword or wand. When he is finally allowed to attend school, the harsh truth reveals he has much to learn – including a unique magical ability. Kaylen can summon and control skeletons! With surface-dwellers threatening war, he will need every friend he can make, and to stay true to himself if he is to survive what is to come.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

As Kaylen repeated the words, the strangest thing happened. The earth in Kaylen’s hand started moving. At first it was very slow but then much quicker, in a circular motion like a tiny tornado. The small twister then hopped off of Kaylen’s hand and headed straight for the ground. Once it hit the ground, it disappeared into the floor.

As this was the first sign that Kaylen had any magical powers, he was smiling brightly when he asked the professor what was going on.

“Wait,” said the professor, not looking up at the boy. His eyes were still trained on the floor. Suddenly, the ground started shaking. In the middle of the floor where the dirt had disappeared, a skeleton hand popped out from the ground. Then a second skeleton hand popped out. The hands seemed to brace themselves on the floor to pull up the rest of the body as the head, torso, and, eventually, the legs magically appeared from below. The full skeleton stood up in the middle of the room. It was at least six feet tall, with sparkling white bones, and... strangely enough... it had Kaylen's bright green eyes.

About the Author:

Yves Robichaud is originally from the small Acadian community of Grand-Barachois, New Brunswick, Canada. He has studied Business Administration and Information Technology, currently works for the federal government, and is the proud father of one son: Jeremy. Inspired by a love of fantastical, magical tales, Kaylen's Rising is Yves' first attempt to share this literary passion with his son and the rest of the world.

Links:
Author Website: www.yvesrobichaud.com
Book Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KaylensRising
Twitter: @yvesr72
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24735389-kaylen-s-rising? from_search=true
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kaylens-Rising-Tomes-Taria-1/dp/0993974600/ref=sr_1_1? ie=UTF8&qid=1423511154&sr=8-1&keywords=Kaylen%27s+Rising
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Blurb Blitz Tour and Giveaway - Wish by Grier Cooper

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

For Indigo Stevens, ballet classes at Miss Roberta’s ballet studio offer the stability and structure that are missing from her crazy home life. At almost 16, she hopes this is the year she will be accepted into the New York School of Ballet. First she must prove she’s ready, and that means ignoring Jesse Sanders – the cute boy with dimples who is definitely at the top of Miss Roberta’s List of Forbidden Things for Dancers.

But Jesse is the least of Indigo’s concerns. When she discovers her mom is an alcoholic, it simultaneously explains everything and heaps more worry on Indigo’s shoulders. As her mom’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Indigo fights to maintain balance, protect her younger brothers from abuse, and keep her mother from going over the edge. When the violence at home escalates, Indigo realizes she can no longer dance around the issue. At the risk of losing everything, she must take matters into her own hands before it’s too late.

I hold the barre lightly with my left hand and begin moving when the music starts. It’s the same music I’ve heard in every ballet class I’ve taken for the past ten years. We always start with pliés.

My knees bend in time to the music: demi plié, demi plié, grand plié. My body moves through the positions while my mind replays the scene in the car. The image of my mother’s uvula is stuck in my brain.

“Indigo, where is your focus this morning?” Miss Roberta’s voice pulls me back into the present moment. I glance in front of me at Marlene’s feet and realize I’m in the wrong position. I shake my head to clear it. Go away, Mom. This is the one place where I get away from you – even if it’s only for an hour and a half.

Compared to the rest of my life, ballet classes are refreshingly orderly and predictable. Barre exercises always follow the same routine. Do everything that works the right leg, then turn and repeat everything with the left.

We move through the barre exercises. Every beat of the music dictates what comes next. The rhythm makes demands and the body answers with precision. Already my muscles are beginning to feel warm and stretchy.

“Monique, your leg does not end at your ankle. Point those toes! Jeanine, you’re sagging. Stand up straight!” Miss Roberta’s voice carries through the room. Today she’s all in pinks with a floral chiffon headscarf. She’s the classic tiny dancer: dark-haired with pert features. Her eyes flicker across the class, constantly appraising technique and posture. Even though she’s tiny, she commands the room. If she sees imperfections or lack of good effort, she will call you out.

About the Author

Grier Cooper (also known as the writer in a dancer's body) is a California based writer, photographer, and dancer. She received her professional training from the School of American Ballet and performed worldwide with the San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Today she lives in a seaside hamlet with her husband, daughter and Coco Chanel (a black standard poodle). She draws on over thirty years of experience as a dancer, teacher and performer to create stories and art to inspire others.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.griercooper.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/griercooper
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/griercooper
Instagram: http://instagram.com/griercooper/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/griercooper
BUY THE BOOK LINKS:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wish-Indigo-Dreams-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00ODETMP8/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wish-grier-cooper/1120552221? ean=2940046226096
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wish-indigo-dreams-series-1/id928726780?mt=11
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Grier_Cooper_Wish_Indigo_Dreams_Series_1? id=arTEBAAAQBAJ&hl=en
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/483854
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wish-indigo-dreams-series-1

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Virtual Tour and Giveaway - Secrets: Diary of a Gutsy Teen by Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Following in the footsteps of The Truth, Secrets: Diary of a Gutsy Teen begins as the thirteen-year-old protagonist makes a move with her family to a new town. She has grown up a lot over the past year—and has made a list of everything that’s important to her now that she doesn’t want to forget when she gets older. But now, as she enters her early teen years, she begins to write down the secrets she wants to keep—and the ones she has no one to tell about. From new school experiences to a new baby in the family to a new crush, this new teen finally feels empowered on making her own decisions with confidence and keeping those secrets she holds dearest for herself.

In a positive and supportive diary-entry format, Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein encourages tween and early teen girls to carry the most precious parts of themselves into adulthood. A great book for mothers and daughters to read together, Secrets is aimed to improve communication, understanding, and self-esteem for young girls as they enter the rocky road of teenager-dom.

Enjoy the excerpt:

Date: December 2
Dear Diary,

I have a secret and it’s been eating me up inside, so I have to tell you. I lied to Angela. I told her I had a terrible sore throat and couldn’t come for the weekend. She said she was sorry and that she would invite me again.

I felt terrible, and then my throat really began to hurt. But I just couldn’t go to Springport for a whole weekend_even though I miss being around Angela.

Now that I have best friends here, I don’t feel the same way I used to about going back to visit. And I didn’t know how to tell Angela that. I could tell when we talked on the phone that she really wanted me to come. And she sent me a new selfie, holding a sign that reads I Miss You! She even told me that she doesn’t have a new best friend since I left. She really misses me. She also told me that Paul is in lots of her classes and he asks if she’s talked to me. How could I tell her I’m in love with Rob and don’t care about Paul anymore? How could I tell her that I have new best friends and want to stay here with them?

I did go to Sally’s instead, and we had the best time. Her mother ordered pizza for us and we drank Coke. We watched television and made popcorn and did each other’s hair with all of Sally’s older sister’s hair products we found in the bathroom. I look silly with curly hair. We kept laughing and falling on the floor and giggling, and we played this fun game that Jackie learned in camp last summer. We all lay down on the floor and we each put our head on someone else’s belly. Someone says, “Ha-ha,” and then the next person says, “Haha-ha,” until everyone is laughing. Then you can’t stop laughing because the belly you are on is bouncing all around under your head.

Sally’s mom got really angry at all the noise we were making, and we had to turn off the lights and pretend to go to sleep. I hardly slept a wink, though. I was so excited and having so much fun with my new friends. I was tired the next morning and really did have a sore throat when I went home, but I didn’t care. It was worth it to have so much fun.

About the Author: I have been a positive psychologist in private practice for the past thirty years. In the course of working with my clients, I originated the idea of THE ENCHANTED SELF(R), a positive psychology therapy where I teach people how to recognize and utilize their strengths, talents, skills and even lost potential. I have developed a number of methods, including using our memories to rediscover what is right about ourselves and our lives, rather than what went wrong, helping people to overcome adversity, experience positive emotions and live the good life!

Since developing this concept, I've been able to use many tools to bring the Enchanted Self to everyone, particularly women and girls. I've written many books, starting with THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy, and then Recipes for Enchantment, The Secret Ingredient is YOU! My books for girls are very popular, as they are great fictional reads and also help deal with many of the questions that trouble kids as they move into the tween and teen years. The Truth, Diary of a Gutsy Tween and Secrets, Diary of a Gutsy Teen are the first two books in this series.

I really love to teach and educate about happiness and how to benefit from positive psychology in ways that let us lead lives of meaning and happiness. You can find me all over the place on the web. In particular, www.enchantedself.com, www.thetruthforgirls.com, on Facebook at Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein: Psychologist & Author, on Pinterest and on You Tube. Just look for me on You Tube via Barbara Becker Holstein.

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Virtual Tour and Giveaway - Broken Dreams by Nancy Pennick

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A $20 Amazon/BN GC will be awarded to a randomly drawn participant. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Two friends...

Blood sisters till the end...

Until they're not.

One cold night in a boarding school dorm, two fourteen-year-old girls make a blood sister pact. Friends forever. As young schoolgirls, they're determined to find true love, learning the hits and misses along the way. As graduation nears, the girls have different outlooks for the future. Lucinda longs for adventure. Anna chooses city life and marriage. Finding their way back together, the girls head west for an experience of a lifetime until a handsome cowboy bursts into their lives, changing the course of their friendship forever.

Read an excerpt:

Anna tentatively put the other foot on the ice. “I’m doing it!” She grinned widely for a second until her body slipped out from under her.

“Anna!” Lucinda grabbed for her, but it was too late. Anna lay a few feet away from the boy who still struggled to get on his feet. “Come on.” Lucinda seized Anna by one arm and the boy by the other and marched them to a bench. “Watch and learn.” She daintily walked away on her skates and slipped slowly back onto the ice. She caught up with her sister. Arm in arm they disappeared into the crowd.

“Hello, I don’t think we formally met.” The young man stuck out his hand. “James Trent.”

“Anna. Anna Douglass.” She shook his gloved hand. He had a nice smile, auburn hair and golden brown eyes. A few freckles were sprinkled across his nose.

James smoothed his hair back and replaced the cap he probably lost during the fall. “I’m a sophomore over at Lake Forest.”

“This is my first year at Ferry.” Anna gazed down at the snowy ground, suddenly nervous.“First time on skates?” He laughed and snorted at the same time.

Anna relaxed and looked him in the eye. She saw a faint redness creep up his neck and knew he was embarrassed. “You couldn’t tell?” She giggled, hoping he noticed she forgave the snort.“Well, I’m not giving up. I hope you won’t either. What I mean is I hope I see you here again.”

About the Author:

Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Nancy currently resides in Mentor, Ohio with her husband and son, plus a delightfully entertaining lovebird. Her writing is influenced by all the years of working with young people as a teacher and raising her own son. When not writing, Nancy loves to travel with her husband and enjoys a good cup of tea. Broken Dreams is a stand alone companion piece to her young adult Waiting for Dusk series.

Publisher- Fire and Ice
http://www.fireandiceya.com/authors/nancypennick/brokendreams.html
Links to me:
Twitter- https://twitter.com/npennick @npennick
Facebook Fan page - https://www.facebook.com/nancypennickauthor
Wordpress blog- http://nancypennick.wordpress.com/
Amazon Author Page- http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Pennick/e/B00AKX0MZ0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Goodreads -
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6734986.Nancy_Pennick
Links to other books:
Waiting for Dusk http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Dusk-Nancy-Pennick-ebook/dp/B00AF47ELO
Call of the Canyon http://www.amazon.com/Call-Canyon-Waiting-Dusk-Book-ebook/dp/B00F6DEYHG
Stealing Time http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Time-Waiting-Dusk-Book-ebook/dp/B00IM2RMYA
FREE short story: Taking Chances: A Waiting for Dusk Story http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Chances-Waiting-Dusk-Book-ebook/dp/B00NSC1W7M

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