The Next to Last Mistake by Amalie Jahn

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Amalie Jahn will be awarding a $20 mazon 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.

Tess Goodwin’s life in rural Iowa is sheltered and uncomplicated. Although she chooses to spend most of her free time playing chess with her best friend Zander, the farm-boy from next door, her skills as a bovine midwife and tractor mechanic ensure that she fits in with the other kids at East Chester High. But when her veteran father reenlists in the Army, moving her family halfway across the country to North Carolina, Tess is forced out of her comfort zone into a world she knows nothing about.

Tess approaches the move as she would a new game of chess, plotting her course through the unfamiliar reality of her new life. While heeding Zander’s long-distance advice for making new friends and strategizing a means to endure her dad’s imminent deployment to the Middle East, she quickly discovers how ill-equipped she is to navigate the societal challenges she encounters and becomes convinced she’ll never fit in with the students at her new school.

When Leonetta Jackson is assigned as her mentor, she becomes Tess’s unexpected guide through the winding labyrinth of cultural disparities between them, sparking a tentative friendship and challenging Tess to confront her reluctant nature. As the pieces move across the board of her upended life, will Tess find the acceptance she so desperately desires?

Read an Excerpt

They lead us to where a few guys are leaning against the deck rail. Some are smoking, all of them have beers, and the tallest is well over six and a half feet tall. His features are defined: strong brow, prominent cheekbones, full lips. He’s definitely Calvin.

“S’up, bro,” Kevin says to him, bumping fists and shoulders before pointing to me. “This is Tess. She’s from Iowa. She wanted to come say hi.”

I’m concentrating on making my face look casual, like being at a college basketball player’s party is something I do all the time. I can tell, though, by the smile on Calvin’s face I’m failing miserably. He extends his hand.

“Well, hello there, Tess from Iowa.” His voice is deep and smooth and incredibly sexy. I don’t wonder why Alice is obsessed with him.

“Hey,” I squeak as his hand engulfs mine.

“Been here long?”

“About fifteen minutes.”

He chuckles, giving me a wry smile. “I meant have you been here in Fayetteville long?”

I shake my head, feeling like an idiot. “Oh. Only since the first week in January.”

“Must be some change, Iowa to Fayetteville.”

I nod, unable to summon the power of speech much less a cohesive thought. Suddenly, I remember Alice. I remember I’m supposed to be breaking the ice for her, talking her up so he’ll want to get to know her better. I’m supposed to be playing the matchmaker.

I turn to make the introductions. “These are my friends, Summer and Leonetta and Alice. They’re not from Iowa.”

He nods at them, laughing affably at the stupidity of what I’ve said. Then he says to Alice, “I remember seeing you around Hopkins my senior year. You still there?”

Alice is visibly shivering in her form-fitting dress but manages to respond in the affirmative. Noticing how cold she is, Marcus slips off his own jacket, draping it around her shoulders.

“Thanks,” she says.

There’s an awkward moment of silence between us and everything seems to stop. It reminds me of when I was little, of the quiet numbness associated with slipping my head under the water during a bath. The constant thrum of the bass and the singing and laughter from inside fade away. Now all I can hear is the beating of my own heart.

I can’t believe I’ve just blown it for Alice. Or then again, maybe I can.

“It’s cold so I’m gonna go back inside,” I announce, pulling my sleeves down over my hands. “It’s nice to meet you, Calvin. Thanks for, uh, throwing such a great party.” I pivot on my heel and head straight for the door, convinced Alice, and possibly Summer as well, will never speak to me again.

About the Author:

Amalie Jahn is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 8 young adult novels, including The Next To Last Mistake, her latest release (Light Messages Publishing 2019). Amalie is the recipient of the Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for her debut novel, The Clay Lion. She is a contributing blogger with the Huffington Post and Southern Writers Magazine, as well as a TED speaker, human rights advocate, and active promoter of kindness. She lives in the United States with her husband, two children, and three overfed cats.

When she's not at the computer coaxing characters into submission, you can find Amalie swimming laps, cycling, or running on the treadmill, probably training for her next triathlon. She hates pairing socks and loves avocados. She is also very happy time travel does not yet exist. Connect with her right here in the present day at these social media sites:

Websites – http://www.amaliejahn.com and lightmessages.com/amalie-jahn
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AmalieJahn
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AmalieJahn
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amalie.jahn.official
Visit http://www.amaliejahn.com to join Amalie’s FREE Readers Group and in addition to receiving promotional discounts, sneak peeks, and monthly newsletters, your membership will now grant you exclusive access to bonus material (shorts and novelettes) delivered right to your inbox!

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1611532647/ref=as_li_tl
Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-next-to-last-mistake-amalie-jahn/1129761093?ean=9781611532630
Apple – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-next-to-last-mistake/id1439682885?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-next-to-last-mistake

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Piracy by L.P. Maxa

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. L. P. Maxa will be awarding a copy of Royalty + Legacy to 2 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

STEALING...

Saying Jett Matthews has it easy is an understatement. He loves being the youngest son of a rockstar. A day doesn't go by that Jett isn't working his Devil's Spawn status to the max. But Jett is more than he appears to be. He's co-owner of a huge company that grows and sells marijuana. It's all legit...well, it is now, but there's a hitch: he and his Spawn partner, Marley Connor, have been building the business right under their parents' noses, and they are none the wiser. When Jett and Marley have to come out from behind the shadows, it's Devin King who helps make the impossible happen, and that seals the deal on Jett's heart forever.

THE RICHEST TREASURE

Devin King is serious about her college education. She's at UT Austin on an academic scholarship, and she means to turn this opportunity into a serious career. When sexy, trash-talking, full of swagger, too gorgeous for his own good, Jett Matthews sits down next to her in Civics, her world turns on its side, and she can't say she minds all that much. Sure, she made him work for it, but everything worth having requires a little effort, especially for Jett. But the prize is so much sweeter after a little sweat equity, and Devin means to have it all, and for it to last a lifetime.

Read an Excerpt

My plan for this upcoming takedown was to wait in the dark until I saw her stumble into the building. And then, I’d follow her stealthily into the classroom. Stalking probably wasn’t the number one way to get a girl, but it was all I had at the moment. I didn’t know her name, which was my bad, so I couldn’t look her up on social media. And I hadn’t seen her around campus that morning, so I hadn’t been able to accidentally “bump” into her.

Thus, the shadows.

I chuckled quietly when I saw her enter the building, instantly dropping her cell phone on the hard laminate flooring. This chick. I shook my head and left my hiding place, falling in step behind her and trailing her into the classroom. Then down the steps and across five people to sit smack-dab in the middle of the row. I had to make people move down so I could get a seat right next to her. And through it all, she never turned and noticed that I was behind her. Not once did she glance over her shoulder. She was completely unaware of her surroundings.

I pulled out my tablet and then watched as she once again set up her desk with more supplies than she’d need for the whole semester. I waited patiently, hiding my smirk behind my hand while she fumbled a pen and sent it sailing two levels down.

“Hi.” I spoke close to her ear, but not so close that it would be considered “rude.”

She jerked away from my lips in surprise and turned to glare at me. “What are you doing here?” I found that I enjoyed the flare of irritation in her eyes as much as I’d enjoyed the blush on her neck the first class we’d shared.

I raised an eyebrow, pointing to my tablet. “I’m in this class.”

Her eyes narrowed even further, and her lips made that straight line for a moment. “Yeah, but why are you here, next to me?”

About the Author

L.P. lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, daughter, three rescue dogs, four chickens, two dwarf goats, and one adopted cat. The fish died. She is a full-time writer, and part time business owner. L.P. says she loves to read as much as she loves to write, and reading a good book is her reward after writing one. In her spare time, she fosters puppies for a rescue organization based in Austin.

Connect with L.P. –

http://www.lpmaxa.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/LP-Maxa/1442560722667127
http://www.twitter.com/lpmaxa
http://www.instagram.com/lpmaxa

BUY LINKS:

http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/piracy
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130013235?ean=2940155910930
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/piracy/id1446963890?mt=11
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LD9D7HW
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/piracy-2
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/912640

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Tinsey Clover by Chelsea Walker Flagg

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Chelsea Flagg will be awarding $20 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.

Forbidden things and coming of age

TINSEY CLOVER is the story of a spunky little elfin girl in the Icelandic Bungaborg Forest. She feels frustrated because her village isn’t allowed to leave or interact with anyone else in the forest. Certain there’s more positivity out there than she’s been taught to believe, Tinsey sneaks out of her village and finds herself on quite the journey. Using her great math skills, some quirky magic, and help from some unlikely new friends, Tinsey learns that sometimes things aren’t quite what they seem.

While it’s an intentionally light-hearted story suited for a younger Middle Grade audience, there are some seriously deep topics tackled throughout the tale.

For starters, Tinsey’s an eleven-year-old girl who feels an injustice in the way things are handled in her village. She challenges her elders, her brother, and even her parents to try to change her little world. And when those elves in authority don’t pay attention to her, do you think she just sits back and accepts that? No! She challenges that even further. It’s a huge part of her growth arc. Her coming of age. It’s also the start of her dabbling in forbidden things.

She’s not supposed to leave her village, yet she sneaks out anyway in search of something different. Something more. But, also something forbidden.

It doesn’t matter if we’re eleven year old kids, or full grown adults; we all face similar stories to this. Maybe not as literal or as dramatic, but every single day, we wake up and make the decision to accept things for what they are, or to challenge them. Of course, the easy choice is usually to accept them, but are we being true to ourselves when we don’t dabble in those forbidden things that call out to us?

This is one of the messages I hope TINSEY CLOVER plants upon its young audience. It’s okay to challenge things. In fact, we need to challenge things in order to grow. And, you’re not too little. You may feel that way, but look at Tinsey. She’s an elf the size of a chipmunk, but she made a huge difference. You can make a huge impact.

Tinsey Clover is smart. She’s brave. Also, she can’t carry a tune to save her life. Oh yeah, plus she's an elf the size of a chipmunk. When her bizarre magical power grows in and makes her feel like a total outsider in her own village, Tinsey sneaks into the forbidden forest on a journey to find someone more like her. From trolls to dragons, what she discovers along the way challenges everything, and everyone, she thought she knew.

A coming of age story for early middle grade fans of Sarah Mlynowski, Kate DiCamillo, and Chris Colfer.

Read an Excerpt

This is my gift? I’m so confused. And tired. Did I seriously just gain the ability to snap my fingers and summon cleaning tools into existence? What a crock. I mean, shouldn’t I at least be allowed the gift to not sound like a really upset seal whenever I sing a note? I can’t imagine anyone in the history of ever actually getting excited about my new, strange magic. I scan the circle and notice every single eye staring at me in utter awe. I take that back. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the trealfurs in this circle look in complete astonishment over this. Want to guess who makes up the point-oh-one percent of trealfurs who isn’t getting a kick out of this whole situation? That’s right: Me.

So, why am I the one who gained this bizarre power? I glance around the circle again. Everyone’s looking back at me like I just turned into a two-headed walrus or something. Two minutes ago, people were shooting daggers out of their eyes at me like I was the scum of the earth, and now, here they all are, acting like I'm the most amazing creature to ever walk the face of the planet.

“Do it again,” one of the trealfurs urges in a loud whisper.

A few others nod their heads in enthusiastic agreement. It’s clear they all want to see what other sparkly new cleaners I can make appear out of nowhere. I really don’t want to test it out anymore, but a tiny voice inside my head wonders if maybe, just maybe, this “gift” is actually a fluke. I mean, I did hit my head pretty hard when I rolled off that fox. What if that knocked things loose a little bit? I cross one set of fingers behind my back and hope that’ll work to help my wish come true, then close one eye before snapping my other set of fingers again. Please just be a big mistake, I think. Unfortunately, it’s not. Another broom appears in a cloud of sparkles just like the last one, and falls to the ground with a clatter.

A round of applause ripples through the council circle. I bury my head in my hands.

How unlucky can one girl get?

About the Author:

Chelsea was born and raised in the suburbs of Denver, Colorado, where she spent countless hours writing stories. Mostly about cats.

In 2015, she published her first book: a quirky memoir for adults called I'd Rather Wear Pajamas that talks all about the journey through her young adult life that led to her becoming an author. It was an Amazon #1 best seller for five straight days and continues to elicit full belly laughs from its readers.

After the birth of her children, Chelsea shifted her writing to the kidlit world. She’s thrilled to share her newest baby: Tinsey Clover.

Chelsea lives in Boulder with her husband and three practically perfect daughters. Unfortunately, she doesn’t own any cats.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

http://www.chelseaflagg.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseawalkerflagg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chelseaflagg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseaflagg/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/099672849X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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IMMORTAL GIRL5 by Griffin Stark

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Griffin Stark will be awarding a copy of the book (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The year is 1095, Normandy, France. Five year old Skylar runs away into the woods to escape nuns who are convinced her inexplicable seizures are the work of satan. She survives after being adopted by wolves, when two mysterious strangers appear and reveal Skylar’s destiny to her. Skylar is the first of the Immortal Girls, destined to save humanity from itself.

Immortal Girl5 (January 22, 2019) follows Skylar, Rachel, Caitlin, Beth, and Bethany, five immortal sisters who, over the course of a thousand years, attempt to learn the purpose of their own existence while hunting down the worst criminals this world has ever seen. They’ve faced the likes of Jack the Ripper and the Nazis, but as a new enemy arises to threaten the sisters’ survival they’ll soon learn that immortality doesn’t mean forever.

Read an Excerpt

She had never heard those words spoken to her—in a romantic way—in her entire existence. Her heart began to race, and Skylar felt something inside of her that was a combination of warmth, beauty, excitement and fear swirling within her soul, almost daring it to take a leap of faith. That was the second most important moment in Skylar’s existence, the first being the day that Isabelle and Alistair saved her life.

About the Author:

GRIFFIN STARK is an American author who proudly lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Even as a young child, Griffin had an active imagination. As an author of young adult fiction, he has harnessed his creativity to tell memorable stories filled with important life lessons.

Griffin served as a combat medic in The United States Air Force and later founded THE SHEEPDOG MOVEMENT to join in the fight against bullying of teens worldwide.

Visit http://immortalgirl5.com/ to learn more about Griffin and his YA fantasy novel, Immortal Girl5.

Watch the Immortal Girl5 book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C184CfqO380

And purchase a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Girl5-Griffin-Stark-ebook/dp/B07JZ52226/ref=sr_1_1

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Buzz: The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing by Dara Beevas and Roseanne Cheng

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a 30 minute book marketing consultation to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Congratulations, indie author!

You’ve finished your book—now all that’s left is to get it out into the world. Unfortunately, for many authors, it’s that step of the process that’s the hardest. Marketing is seen as something to be feared, dreaded, and outsourced as much as possible—a daunting task that will leave you drained.

But fear not! The team at Wise Ink knows a thing or two about how to sell your book. And they’re here to tell you everything.

Buzz is the indie author’s ultimate guide to marketing effectively, inexpensively, and excitingly. Within its pages, you’ll find answers to the questions on every writer’s mind:

• What does it really mean to “market” my book?

• How do I best reach my specific audience?

• What are effective ways to promote my book via social media?

• Do I really need to be a public speaker?

In addition to this, the Wise Ink marketing team has provided sample content calendars, email promotions, a marketing starter kit, and more to ensure you’re prepared to get out there and sell your book.

Marketing doesn’t have to be a horror story! Let Buzz teach you how to take your book to its maximum potential.

Read an Excerpt:

How do I best reach my specific audience?

You will hear us say this over and over again, as it is one of the Ten Commandments of book publishing: Know thine audience!

Think carefully about your “ideal” reader. What do they do in their spare time? Where do they normally purchase things? Where do they go for information? And most importantly, what are some unique and organic ways to get your book and message in front of them?

Hopefully, by the time you begin marketing your book, you will have already thought through these things carefully. Still, it’s a good idea to refresh your memory. Also, be concrete in how you determine your market demographics. Go deeper than the standard questions around gender, age, education, and geographic location. Those are just places to start.

When describing your ideal reader, be specific with the details that matter, such as how much time they have to read, how they might use your book day-to-day, and how they generally make recommendations to others. Another thing to do is segment your readers into three specialized subgroups—communities that align with each reader’s professional identities and personal aspirations. This helps you dig even deeper into the psychology of how to sell your book smartly and where it makes the most sense to spend your time. As an example: To market your business book, you might segment your readers into millennials and recent grads, aspiring entrepreneurs, and motivational speakers. If you've just published a sci-fi thriller, your subgroups might include fans of the popular sci-fi series Black Mirror, sci-fi writers who frequent fan-fiction sites, and people who attend conventions like WorldCon.

How does your ideal reader obtain information? Blogs? Magazines? Newspapers? Ads? What social media sites do they frequent? Be as specific as you can here. These are the places you will want to target in terms of marketing.

Where does your ideal reader shop? Think beyond bookstores. Are they frequent travelers? (Maybe they shop in airports a lot.) Do they have stores they tend to gravitate toward? Make a list of these places, and find connections there to share your book with.

About the Authors: Roseanne Cheng is a former high school English teacher and author of two young adult books, The Take Back of Lincoln Junior High and Edge the Bare Garden, which won the gold medal for young adult fiction at the Writer’s Digest Self Published Book Awards and the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. She now works as Marketing Director at Wise Ink Creative Publishing where she holds the secondary title of “Author Therapist” and has the pleasure of helping authors create plans to get their work into the world. When she’s not reading a book or practicing yoga, you can probably find her hanging out with her hilarious husband of ten years and their two ridiculously awesome kids. Follow her on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/teachablelit.

Dara Beevas believes that books can save lives, open doors, and build bridges. As co-founder of Wise Ink, she encourages authors to share powerful stories that ignite change, tolerance, and growth. She has been involved in the publishing community for fifteen years, acquiring manuscripts, managing projects, and creating marketing and sales strategies for authors and publishers. She’s helped more than four hundred authors publish their books. She is the author of The Indie Author Revolution and co-author of Social Media Secrets for Authors. When she’s not busy pushing the envelope in this crazy world of publishing and networking with inspiring entrepreneurs, she’s traveling and enjoying her husband Tomme’s delicious Jamaican meals with her daughter Genesis. Follow her on http://www.twitter.com/darairene or http://www.instagram.com/darairene.

Website: http://www.wiseink.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiseInkPub
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wiseink
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/wise_ink
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wiseink/pins/

Buy Link: https://wiseink.com/store/buzz-the-ultimate-guide-to-book-marketing

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Gunfight at the Old Leake Canal by GB Hope

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. GB Hope 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.

In Liverpool, England, 18-year-old student and Freerunner, Bodie, survives an assassination attempt and flees for his life. His only thought is to secure the safety of girlfriend, Lily, and reach his journalist cousin, Anthony.

Bodie has stumbled into a diabolical plot from the world's governments to end terrorism, famine and global warming in one swift swoop. So begins a race for survival, joined by a variety of other characters, moving from one set piece to the next, as the world that everyone knows is about to change forever.

Read an Excerpt:

He didn’t have to wait long. But, instead of one or two marked police cars rushing to detain someone who had reported a murder, he was treated to the worrying spectacle of three black Range Rovers, with blacked-out windows, arriving at speed and whizzing up the ramp into the car-park. Very sinister indeed.

He got into the Beetle and drove off. Soon, he noticed that his bimbo manager had left the car with almost no fuel, so he pulled into the first petrol station that he saw. He filled up, before going in to pay with his Visa card. He also bought a packet of cheese and onion crisps, which he proceeded to eat, while he used the outside cash machine. Moving towards the Beetle, he suddenly heard the sound of the helicopter again, seemingly immediately overhead. Quickly, he grabbed the gun and ammunition from the glove compartment and bolted away. If he had driven out, he just knew they would have been straight onto him. Instead, he ran through the garage car wash, skipped a low wall, and was away across wasteland.

About the Author: GB Hope is the author of 11 novels of various genres. He lives in Manchester with his Indonesian wife and their two boys.

https://www.amazon.com/Gunfight-At-Old-Leake-Canal-ebook/dp/B01FBG6MFO
https://www.amazon.com/G.-B.-Hope/e/B005D47I8U

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Dickensen Academy by Christine Grabowski

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christine Grabowski will be awarding $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.

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

I fell in love with reading as a child, so when my kids began reading, I wanted the same for them. I noticed they loved some books and didn’t like others. That inspired me to want to write books that children and young adults would enjoy, so they would develop the love of reading for a lifetime.

What books were your favorite as a youth and why?

I loved all the Judy Blume books. I started with the Fudge books which were laugh out loud funny. But her older MG books like Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret kept me reading because they were so relatable, and I learned about things I wasn’t comfortable talking about with my mom.

What’s your favorite sweet treat?

Definitely ice cream in a waffle cone, preferable with some sort of chocolate or caramel mix-in… unless it is coffee and that works all by itself.

What book is on your nightstand currently?

Bite Me by Louise Cypress. But I usually have multiple books going. A writing craft book, a book for book club (or 2… I’m a member of two), and a YA.

Hunger Games or Twilight? Why?

This is tough as they are two of my favorite series. But if I have to pick I’d say Twilight. My parents live in Port Angeles (I live closer to Seattle) and so the setting was very real for me. I even read the first book while staying there. One time we took a day trip to Forks and the Quileute Reservation.

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

When a teen discovers her school is teaching dream telepathy, she must believe in her own powers or risk having her memories destroyed.

Favorite hot beverage. Why?

Coffee with a little (and I mean just a splash) of milk. If I didn’t drink it, I’d be sleeping right now.

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

* Laura Ingalls – She was only a little older than me, and I felt that I grew up while she grew up in front of me on screen. I always wanted to be a part of her family.
* Charles Wallace – This kid is so smart, I’m sure we’d never run out of things to talk about.
* Edward – I felt in love with him while reading Twilight.
* Rhett Butler – If I lived during the Civil War, I would have fallen in love with him. He was such a bad boy on the outside but was sweet on the inside.

Who was your teenaged crush? Why?

Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran. I had a group of 5 friends in 8th grade, and we all got to pick one member of the band as our favorite. I loved both Simon and John Taylor—let’s face it, because of their looks. But Danelle picked John, so I went with Simon.

Favorite class in high school. Why?

Arts & Crafts. I went to a religious high school with only six periods. With religion being a required class and with a full pre-college load, it was the only “fun” class I got to take in four years.

Dickensen Academy isn’t a typical boarding school. The faculty is hiding an unbelievable secret within their fine arts program. When Autumn Mattison receives an invitation to attend the high school, she yearns to escape her overbearing father yet remains reluctant to leave her mother and brother. Her doubts fade away when a vivid dream convinces her she belongs there.

Away from home, Autumn discovers a unique school environment that awakens her creative potential, and her new friends become like a second family. However, as she uncovers more about the dark side of the school and struggles with its curriculum, she questions whether Dickensen Academy is truly where she belongs.

When tragedy strikes, Autumn must learn to believe in her own power and stand up to her greatest fear or risk having her memories destroyed to protect the school’s secrets. Caught between secrets and dreams, can she find her true self?

Read an Excerpt

“I feel like there’s something big we don’t know about. Something those students were protecting. I mean, really, why are we here?”

I thought it was just me who was confused. “Well…the recruiters said we’re creative and focused.”

“Yeah, that’s what Principal Locke said too.”

“And we have the right personality.”

Ben looked up at the sky, sighed then turned toward the forest. “What did he say…something about how it will soon become clear why we’re here, and there’s some ultimate purpose for our creativity?”

“I know. That whole creativity part was a bit bizarre.”

He shrugged. “It seems everyone is going with the flow. But I have so many questions.” Then he touched my arm to stop me, so I turned toward him. “I’m thinking they’re isolating us for some special reason,” he admitted in an embarrassed tone.

I tried not to laugh—he was acting paranoid. But I didn’t know Ben well. Maybe he was joking, trying to freak me out. Or was he hitting on me? The flutter in my chest moved to my stomach. I was already anxious about being away from home and whether or not I could hack the academics. I didn’t need to obsess about anything else. But I still had to know about Ben’s dream.

“So…I also had a dream about Dickensen before I accepted the offer.”

Ben’s head snapped toward me. “You did?”

About the Author:

Dickensen Academy is Christine’s debut YA novel. After graduating from the University of Washington, she earned her MBA at the University at Albany. She honed her technical writing skills in marketing and consulting but attributes the creative part of the process to her passion for reading.

When she isn’t reading or writing, Christine can often be found running, skiing, or hiking. She lives in Newcastle, Washington, with her supportive husband, two avid teen readers, and their energetic wheaten terriers.

https://www.christinegrabowski.com
https://facebook.com/christinegrabowskiauthor
https://twitter.com/christinegrabo

Buy Links:

https://amzn.to/2KJ9XgD
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dickensen-academy-christine-grabowski/1129315140
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dickensen-academy/id1419915501
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