Books for kids, teens, & those who are young at heart

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Book Spotlight on GHOST TOUCH by LA Dragoni

I’m shining the spotlight on LA Dragoni’s paranormal romance GHOST TOUCH. You may have seen LA here on the blog with her kidlit alter-ego Kai Strand (fellow #InkRipples founder!). Let’s give her a big welcome!

GHOST TOUCH blurb:

For fifteen minutes each night a portal opens in Tamara’s barn and a horde of ghosts spills into her yard. She and Dex work together to find a way to help Cal and the thousands of spirits stuck in the void to cross over. When she learns she has the ghost touch—the ability to touch the ghosts as if they were corporeal—and she accidentally helps a little boy cross, she believes it might be possible. But not all the spirits play nice and when they learn they can sip energy from her ghost touch, they become greedy putting her life at risk.

Each time Cal has to pull her from the mass of ghosts, her touch restores him more and more until he is at danger of being stuck on earth—forever, which is very enticing to Tamara the better she knows him. Will she and Dex figure out how to help the spirits cross and if they do, will she be able to let Cal go?

Available in print, ebook, and audiobook from Amazon,

Also available on Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and other e-tailers.

Excerpt:

Tamara rubbed her hands together then held them toward the fire. The air had an extra chill to it. “Hurry up, they should be here soon.”

She’d barely finished speaking when bright light burst through the barn. Tamara spun back around. “Dex!”

She shielded her eyes with a hand searching for Dex’s familiar silhouette, but couldn’t make him out in the chaos of ghosts streaming from within the building.

“Dex!” she shouted again, leaping forward and running toward the door. A stabbing pain of cold sliced through her upper arm when she knocked against the ghost with the shovel in his hand. He stopped to stare at her with a surprised expression on his face. She pushed forward, ignoring the increasing pain as she jostled up against the ghosts.

A knot of ghosts hunkered together where she last saw Dexter. She pushed through them, her warm touch surprising enough to make them jump back. Dex lay crumpled in a quivering ball at the center of the group. Tamara kneeled beside him and clutched his shoulders.

“Dex! Are you okay?” He didn’t respond, just rocked to and fro, mumbling incoherent words. She shouted. “Dex! Can you hear me?”

His gaze finally lifted, a wary look colored with terror.

“Oh my God.” Tamara wrapped her arms around him. His body was ice cold. She pressed as much of herself against him as she could and buried her face in his hair. “I gotcha. You’ll be okay.”

Then she became aware of an ache worming through her muscles and realized hands pawed at her, clutched her, and were trying to pull her away. She raised a furious glare at the eager crowd of ghouls and snarled. “Stop! Leave us alone.”

However, hunger showed in the eyes of those who’d been dead a short enough time to still have them. Actions became more insistent and then combative. The group shoved and swayed until she worried she’d be crushed beneath them when they fell. She kept her arms wrapped around Dex, hoping to keep the spirits off him, but many simply reached through him to get to her. He shuddered violently and had grown quiet.

Each individual touch drained her of warmth and energy, yet they continued to grope at her arms and back, tug on her hair and clothing. She grew weaker and weaker until the edges of her vision dimmed and she could barely feel the boy she was trying to protect. Just before she passed out, a roar penetrated her frozen mind and she sensed more than saw the crowd spring away. But she was already too far gone and lost consciousness just as lukewarm hands gripped her upper arms.

Reviews:

“The writing’s terrific, the storyline compelling. Truth be told, I rushed to the end to find out who Tamara would end up with.”

-Stuart R. West

About the author: 

LA Dragoni isn’t too particular about who falls in love or where they fall in love. She simply considers it her job to capture the story about their love. Whether it’s paranormal, mythical, or time travel, LA will be there to divine their story for you. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband and children, but haunts ghost towns and cemeteries up and down the west, in search of the next adventure to sift through her storytelling brain. Follow LA on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to her mailing list and learn more about LA and her work at www.ladragoni.com

Book Blitz FADING INTO THE SHADOWS by Kelly Hashway

Kelly Hashway stops by the Observation Desk again to celebrate the release of latest YA paranormal FADING INTO THE SHADOWS. Congrats and welcome, Kelly!

FADING INTO THE SHADOWS blurb:

When sixteen-year-old Ella Andrews’s best friend, Avery, goes missing, she’ll do anything to get him back—starting with punching the no-brain cop who couldn’t care less about the disappearance.

Ella’s convinced Avery’s been kidnapped, and she tries everything to find him—even following a strange shadow to another world where the constellations are real-life figures in the sky. But three star groups have fallen and are destroying the world.

The fallen constellations are not the only enemy. Melanie, the princess of Stellaris, is forcing Ella, Avery, and an army of other kids kidnapped from their world to fight the rogue constellations, even as the land is draining away their life. The longer they stay, the more they fade into substanceless shadows—a fate worse than death.

Available at:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fading-into-the-shadows-kelly-hashway/1125151543

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQJGZ21

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fading-into-the-shadows

Find Kelly at:

Email: khashway@hotmail.com

Website: www.kellyhashway.com

Blog: http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyhashway/?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyHashway

Cover Reveal for AS YOU LAY SLEEPING by Katlyn Duncan

How fitting that the January #InkRipples theme is book covers, and I have an awesome cover reveal to share from one of the esteemed writers in my in-person critique group. Katlyn Duncan is here today to share the cover of her latest YA thriller AS YOU LAY SLEEPING. Welcome, Katlyn!



As You Lay Sleeping
Katlyn Duncan
Published by: HQ Digital
Publication date: February 20th, 2017
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

I did it all for you…

Cara’s boyfriend is dead.

When fingers start pointing at her, she knows she’s in more trouble than she originally thought. Because Cara can see that something isn’t right.

As her carefully constructed life begins to crumble, Cara isn’t sure who she is anymore.

But maybe that’s exactly what someone wants her to think…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

 

Author Bio:

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her ever since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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7 Things I Learned About the Creative Process While Writing InHUMAN by Kama Falzoi Post

Today, Kama Falzoi Post stops by for the release of her Young Adult sci-fi thriller, InHuman. Keep reading for a chance to win $25 Amazon Gift Certificate!

7 Things I Learned About the Creative Process While Writing InHUMAN
by Kama Falzoi Post

1. My characters hated me. I forced my characters into all kinds of terrible situations. I could almost feel them shaking their heads at me, trudging along out of sheer duty. For a long time they didn’t trust me at all, but eventually they understood that they had to endure that strenuous journey to come out the other side. (And honestly, I think they sort of enjoyed the ass-kicking.)

2. My brain kept working on the story. Even when I wasn’t consciously working on my story, I was working on my story. My brain kept churning away in the background, tossing out ideas at the most inopportune moments: scarfing down diner food, banging out some cardio, sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I used the recording feature on my phone a lot.

3. It’s called the Creative Process for a reason. It’s a long, arduous, messy process that seems to have no end. I think only a quarter of can actually pass for creative. And that quarter is often trash: it’s the chapter I wrote in a sort of fugue state, thinking it was the most inspired writing ever. Spoiler: It wasn’t.

4. You can’t wait for inspiration to strike. Inspiration didn’t really strike so much as it descended like a fog. And that was only after countless hours doubting my ability to type coherent words onto a page. If inspiration were the main motivator, I would write less than once a month.

5. Keep snacks on hand at all times. It was so easy to create excuses. “I ran out of peanut butter filled pretzels, and I can’t write without peanut butter filled pretzels! I have to go get some, now!” Ad infinitum.

6. The writing feels different than the reading. The scenes between Mira and Adam flew out of me, because I was so deep in the experience: the electrifying tension, the giddiness, the flying feeling of locking eyes with someone you’re attracted to. However, that is exactly where those feelings stayed: in my imagination. To a reader, those scenes were just plot on the page. Yawn. My revisions centered around trying to breathe life into those scenes, rooting them in physical actions and dialogue, so readers might experience that same rush.

7. Deleting just one word counts as forward progress. Sitting down to write with a number in my head (I’ll aim for 1,000 words today!) is daunting. In fact, that was the definition of writer’s block for me: being so overwhelmed with the amount of work left, I couldn’t even rouse myself to start. Thinking of each step (even deleting entire chapters) as a step forward helped me overcome that feeling. It kept me writing. And finding out what it takes to keep writing? That was the most important lesson for me.

InHuman_Kama Falzoi Post_Cover.png

Title: InHuman

Author: Kama Falzoi Post

Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi

Release Date: December 13, 2016

Publisher: BookFish Books

Cover Artist: Anita Carroll at Race-Point

About InHuman

Mira’s mother sizes up bodies at the morgue like she’s rifling through the sales rack: this one’s too big… this one’s too small… ah, here it is. Just right. The perfect vessel for the one they’ll call Adam.

Since Adam’s survival is the key to drawing out the Conduit—a slippery sort bent on evacuating souls from their human bodies—Mira must help him pass for a typical teenage boy. That means showing him how to talk right, walk right, chew with his mouth open… blend in.

Ironic, because blending in is has always been a challenge for Mira, especially with hair the color of a Dorito. But at their small, secluded prep school, blending in is a matter of life and death.

Because the Conduit is watching.

BUY InHuman Now: https://www.amazon.com/InHuman-Kama-Falzoi-Post-ebook/dp/B01M98ZUXR

Add InHuman to your Goodreads List: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30077755-inhuman?from_search=true#other_reviews

About Kama Falzoi Post:

inhuman_kama-falzoi-post_author-picKama Falzoi Post is a functioning member of society, a part-time introvert, a pinnacle of contradictions, the mother of a hurricane, a step-mother, and an author. She enjoys drinking red wine and then drinking more red wine, listening to music that moves her, and taking things too far.

She developed a love of books and writing at a very early age. Her stories have appeared in a handful of literary magazines including Inkwell and SmokeLong Quarterly, and most recently in the anthology Outliers of Speculative Fiction. She lives in a small town outside a small city with her husband, son, and too many cats.

Twitter: @KamaPost

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KamaFalzoiPost/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/KamaPost

WordPress: https://kamafalzoipost.wordpress.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE UNION by S. Usher Evans Pre-Order Blitz

I’m welcoming S. Usher Evans back to the blog as the final book of her Madion War Trilogy, THE UNION, is available for pre-order. The first two books are on sale, so get on that!

The Union, the final book in the Madion War Trilogy, is now available for preorder.Fifty years of war have led to this.

Prince Galian spends his days ministering to the sick in Kylae, but his nights strategizing how to change hearts and minds of his people. With the death camp closed, the country is becoming more volatile, and even King Grieg may not be able to maintain control over the warring factions.

Across the Great Madion Sea, Theo Kallistrate seeks an audience with the Raven rebels, rumored to be brewing insurrection against President Bayard. But they don’t trust her, and progress has been achingly slow. When the war takes a major turn, Theo and Galian find themselves front and center in a political firestorm that could end with their union…or their funeral.

The final book in the Madion War Trilogy takes readers further into the political quagmire between Rave and Kylae, twisting and turning to a stunning conclusion that leaves readers breathless. All books in the series are currently available for preorder/purchase in eBook, paperback, and hardcover.

Add the trilogy to your Goodreads TBR

Buy direct and get a free gift!The Prince and the Heiress, available as an exclusive preorder gift through SGR-Pub.com

Preorder The Union from Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing and receive an exclusive, free novella called The Prince and the Heiress.

After the events in The Union, the world is in a precarious position. Prince Rhys struggles to keep the country from imploding. To undo the damage done by his father, he must forge alliances with those he once considered enemies. Across the great Madion Sea, Olivia Collins oversees her company’s hasty cross-ocean move while closely watching the events back home. But when Prince Rhys asks her to help, she realizes they’re more alike than she thought.

This bonus novella is only available with preorders through SGR-Pub.com.

The Union is also available through these book retailers

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

iBook

Kobo

Book Depository (HC | PB)

Indie Bound

For more information about the first two books in the trilogy,
click on the covers below. Both books are on sale this week only for $0.99

The Island, the first book in the Madion War Trilogy  The Chasm, the second book in the Madion War Trilogy

About the Author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a “real job” as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit. Evans is the author of the Razia series, Madion War Trilogy, Lexie Carrigan Chronicles, and Empath, all published by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing.

Be sure to check her out on the below social media sites:

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