AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Maggie M. Larche

Maggie M. Larche is the author of The Mardi Gras Chase and numerous other books that can be found at her website. 

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY:

MICHAELA

1. Why Mardi Gras?

I first moved to Mobile, Alabama, the birthplace of Mardi Gras, when I started college. I quickly learned that it is a BIG deal here. You can feel the Mardi Gras influence year-round, but for about two weeks, it is completely overtakes the city. Everybody is involved with different organizations or has their own favorite parades. Kids get out of school for the final days, and businesses shut down.

It's a very exciting experience, especially for someone who didn't grow up here. I wanted to capture that feeling of excitement for my readers. Maybe they can't be here in person, but they can feel the season through my book.

2. Where did you get your inspiration for this book/series?

I was toying with the idea of writing some standalone novels for girls. The Mardi Gras Chase was the first, but I had a few other stories in the works as well. I got the idea to put them together in a series when I realized what bound them all together -- unique female characters with strong relationships with their friends and families.

All of my True Girls stories are different, and the lead characters in each definitely run the gamut, but they share a common thread of heart, intelligence, and friendship.

3. Why did you choose to write a mystery?

Mysteries are so much fun. Even as an adult, they're still some of my favorite books to read. Plus, the mystery angle tied in nicely with Mardi Gras, which is full of secrets.

4. What is your favorite book of all time? Favorite author?

Though it may be cliched, my favorite book is still Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I first read it when I was 14, and it has stuck with me in the many years since.

5. How many books have you written?

I just released my 7th book, Stepping Up, the third True Girls story. It features Jenna, a dancer who tries to start her own dance school. Things don't go quite as she expects...

6. How many books are going to be in this series?

I never know at the outset how many books will end up in a series. As long as the ideas keep coming to me, I will keep writing them!

7. Any advice for young writers?

Keep reading. We learn how to write our own stories from seeing the successes and failures of other authors. It's a tricky thing, developing taste, but lots and lots of reading is the key.

Also, when you are writing your own work, remember that there really aren't any rules. You can write about anything that interests you. It doesn't have to be the trend of the moment.

8. What do you think of our blog?

I love it. So many online reviews of children's books are actually written by adults. It's nice to hear directly from you kids for a change. Plus, it's pretty awesome how you and your sisters are able to band together and create a big project like your blog. Kudos to you and your mom!

9. Any other interesting facts/info about you or your book that you would like to share?

Before staying home to raise my kids, I worked as an economist. My first children's book, Striker Jones, features a kid detective who solves mysteries using economics principles. The books can be read alone, but they are also being used in thousands of classrooms around the world for social studies. Even years later, Striker is my most popular character!

Thank you to Michaela for the questions and the review!

Thank you Ms. Larche for your time and support with our blog! We couldn't do this without authors and supporters like you! 

BOOK BLITZ: Remembrance (Transcend Time #1) by Michelle Madow

BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Flying Away (The Flykeeper Chronicles, #1) by Caroline Gill

Flying Away by Caroline Gill

(The Flykeeper Chronicles, #1)

Publication date: January 12th 2016

Genres: Dystopia, Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

When Iolani Bearse was five years old, she lost her father to war. When she was nine, her mother died in a freak car accident. When Lani was fourteen, eerie green lights invaded, tearing her from the only home she had left.

Living as a runaway, dragging a horse and her cousin Eleanor across the countryside, Lani must learn to survive. Now Lani is the only person between the horrible, greedy lights and the last bit of family she has left. Her own heart is barely beating, but powerful memories pull her to Malcolm St. John. She fights what she feels, buried deep within her shattered soul.

Malcolm St. John always held his feelings in, especially about Iolani. So when she shows up on his doorstep, desperate and determined, Mal must decide if the wild tales she spins are the fragments of insanity or the last hope for a dying nation. This Lani is different from the child he knew. Something is coming for her, for him, and will not be stopped.

If the cousins and Malcolm can’t escape the grasping hunters who hound them, the future of a broken America will be destroyed. Everything Lani has ever loved will burn with them. Somehow, she must find a path through friendship and loyalty to save them all.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28516800-flying-away?ac=1&from_search=1

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019UQRIKY/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flying-away-caroline-aim-e-gill/1123224430?ean=9780989046633

REVIEW BY: Arianna, age 13 years, 3 months

MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:

This book started out... confusing, I had no idea what was going on. I got hooked into it though after reading about a girl who could talk to flies. This is one of the most imaginative stories I have ever read.

I love how the author incorporated a devotion to the characters' family and how much Iolani would do for them. I was cheering, laughing and crying throughout the story.

I love the author's writing style, the whole book was detailed and flowing.

I was delighted with the plot line, it is so different and just plain brilliant.

This book is amazingly realistic and makes you believe that all these events of death, determination, and memory stealing men could happen.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves enchanting tales of survival, magic, and bravery.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 13 and up.

AUTHOR BIO: 

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

Author Links:

http://www.authorcarolineagill.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Author-Caroline-A-Gill-Novels-and-Artwork-545423068830114/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7121830.Caroline_A_Gill

GIVEAWAY:

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BOOK BLITZ, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Alone by Kate L. Mary

GIVEAWAY: 3 Ebooks of "Threats of Sky and Sea" by Jennifer Ellision

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RELEASE DAY BLITZ, LETTER FROM AUTHOR, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Summerlost by Ally Condie

Host: Word Spelunking and Penguin Kids

Word Spelunking: 
http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/
@WordSpelunker ; https://twitter.com/WordSpelunker

Penguin Kids: 
https://www.facebook.com/penguinkidsbooks/?fref=ts
@PenguinKids ; https://twitter.com/penguinkids

_________________________________________________________________________________

Praise:

A Spring 2016 Kids' Indie Next List Top 10 Pick!

Named one of Publishers Weekly’s Most Anticipated Children’s and YA Books of Spring 2016

★ “Condie (Matched) strikes a deep emotional chord with this coming-of-age story.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “Multiple, seemingly random details, including a family of turkey vultures that now roost outside Cedar’s window, an absurd soap opera narrative of a woman buried alive, and Leo’s quest for a trip with his father, coalesce into metaphors that help Cedar make sense of her grief and the life she now has to look forward to. Thoughtful, poetic chapter endings guide readers new to psychological depth toward meaningful connections between plot events and thematic reflections.” – BCCB 

“A moving tale of friendship and loss. I loved these characters—I wish we could have been friends when I was a kid.” –Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms series

“Ally Condie’s first middle grade book might also be my favorite out of ALL her books to date. Summerlost is a story packed with nostalgia, heart, and gorgeous prose.” – The Novel Novice

“A nuanced portrait of grief deeply grounded in the middle-school mind-set.” – Booklist 

“Honest, lovely, and sad.” – Kirkus Reviews

“A sweet, heartfelt story.” – School Library Journal 

“Achingly good.” – Summer Laurie, Books Inc.

Letter from Ally:

Dear Readers,

I think most of us have had our hearts broken. Sometimes we can see it coming, and sometimes it comes down with the unexpected force of a sudden gale of wind or a rising of waters that we thought were still and safe. Loss is universal to human experience, but the way we each feel and recover is one of the most personal things we do.

In Summerlost, Cedar is dealing with the loss of her father and younger brother. And my intent was to show how hard their deaths are for her. But this is also a book about the healing power of friendship. Most of us have been broken-hearted; I hope that most of us have also discovered the miracle of friendships that were just what we needed. Cedar and Leo’s friendship is based on someone I met when I was twelve. Like Leo, my friend was fun and liked to enlist me in crazy adventures (although we never gave a secret guided tour of our town the way they do in Summerlost). And, like Leo, he thought I was wonderful and of worth at a time when I needed it most. 

SUMMERLOST is my attempt to pay tribute both to the pain we feel and the friendships that save us. Thank you so much for supporting this book, and for your willingness to give Cedar’s story a try. I hope it makes you think of a wonderful friend of your own, whether that is someone you met in the pages of a favorite book or outside, in the world where it is often hard and beautiful to live.

Best wishes and happy reading always,

Ally Condie

_________________________________________________________________________________

LINKS:

Buy:

Penguin Random House: http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/534589/summerlost-by-ally-condie/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399187197/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399187197&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/summerlost-ally-condie/1122291979

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399187193?aff=penguinrandom 

GIVEAWAY:

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Goodreads

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17731927-summerlost?from_new_nav=true&ac=1&from_search=true

BOOK BLITZ, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Sinners in the Dark (Running in the Dark #2) by Inger Iversen

Sinners in the Dark

Inger Iversen

(Running in the Dark #2)

Publication date: March 25th 2016

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

War is coming between vampires and humans, and the Vampire Nation will stop at nothing to eliminate their enemies. Former assassin, Echo sees the Nation for what it is – a corrupt organization with its sights set on destroying the Sect, a group formed to eradicate all things vampire. Now Echo is a Ghost, a traitor of the Vampire Nation, determined to build a new life with the Sect. But choices he’s made in the past might cost him the one person who could truly redeem his soul.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Sequel to:

—

EXCERPT:

Chapter 1

Present Day
Give as Good as You Get

Via crept slowly along the back wall of the seedy motel, keeping her body out of the light. Quietly, she tucked her lucky silver cross in her shirt and reached to her side to pull her queb, a weapon made from wood, from her belt. With her other hand, she palmed her gun and released it from her side. She studied the two hoodlums with intense disdain as they eyed the mom and pop diner. Via knew the owners, and ate there often back when she was a dollar away from being homeless.

Gang vampires were a tricky bunch. They often traveled in groups, and more times than not, had two or more lookouts. Via glanced around the back alley in search of anything amiss, but was greeted with nothing. Turning back to the group assembling before her, she noted their clothing; the red and gold shirts of the vamp-bangers told Via two things. First, they were not generals in the gang, but mere henchmen. And second, they were stupid as fuck, as this was their rival’s territory. She’d had many encounters with both gangs, on account of them liking to kidnap and rape women; enjoying their screams as she gutted them like a fish with her queen.

The sound of glass shattering pulled her out of her thoughts. Now would be the time Via should pull her cell from her pocket and dial up her dhampir partner, Echo. Her stomach roiled at the thought, and though Austin believed it a good idea to partner a human with a trusted dhampir, Via wasn’t feeling the love. Using the excuse of having her hands full, she didn’t make the call and inched closer to the opening leading out to the main street. She darted across the street and damn near ninja dove into the window. Once she cleared the glass and debris, she smoothly rolled under the nearest table for cover.

Via was no fool, with vamps’ excellent hearing and sniffers, they’d easily discover her in the café, but she was banking on one thing to help her out. She took a quick peek at the bottom of her queb for reassurance. The stake-like rod was thick as a baton, the tip sharp as a razor’s edge, and it gave a faint glow from the rune placed on it by an enchantress. This particular rune obliterated Via’s human scent. A handy tool when hiding from vamps.

Like with any mission, sanctioned or unsanctioned, Via had a plan: attack, kill, and repeat, until all vamps were dead. Ordinarily, Echo had point and took out the lookouts. His superior vision and hearing had often given him and Via an advantage, but since he wasn’t with her, it’d be like old times.

Vamp number one, who she’d decided to call Lefty, since he was missing his right eye, slid to a halt in front of the broken window. Ambient light from the streetlights filtered into the small café, creating shadows across Lefty’s perplexed face. Via inched her gun up—loaded with silver nitrate bullets—and readied her queb just as the pale faced vamp turned. The first shot rang out like an explosion in the night. Seared flesh, blood, and pieces of Lefty’s remaining eye showered around Via.

Standing to take care of the second vamp sliding around the corner, she lost her balance in the blood and fell to the floor. In a second, she made the choice to drop the queb, and aim the weapon. To her surprise, instead of one vampire, there were now three. These were more than some run-of-the-mill gangbangers, breaking and entering. The one she’d aptly named Blue, for his intense electric blue eyes, held a few boxes in his hand, and not one of them had made their way to the cash register, or the wall safe.

Blue’s eyes widened at the sight of her. “Hey, baby.” His voice held a sickening slimy quality. He handed the boxes to Tyson, who she’d named Mike Tyson since they both had those stupid matching face tattoos. “Did you come to play?” Licking his lips, his eyes did a perusal of her body, taking time to linger on her breasts.

Slowly, Via stood and placed her empty hand on her hip while keeping her gun aimed. “Stop, in the name of the law.” None of the vamps spoke. The silence filled the room and Via tensed. Okay, so these guys didn’t like her joke.

The three vamps, Blue, Tyson and Shit Eater—no explanation for nickname needed—stared at her longer, before there was a blur of movement, and one of the three stooges knocked the gun from her hands. Next came a gut-crushing blow to her stomach. Bile rose in her throat as she hit the ground.

If Via lived to tell this story, she would say that in seconds she was up again ready and raring to take on the vamps—which would be a lie. Those who had called her hardheaded would be happy to know that too was a lie because as her skull hit the floor with a deafening crack. Via’s body refused to listen to her command to get the fuck up. Even with skill such as Via’s, taking on three vamps in the middle of the night, with no damned back up, was something akin to suicide.

Author Bio:

Inger Iversen was born in 1982 to Anne and Kaii Iversen. She lives in Virginia Beach with her overweight lap cat, Max and her tree hugging boyfriend Joshua. She spends 90 percent of her time in Barnes and Noble and the other ten pretending not to want to be in Barnes and Noble. 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

Hosted by:

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Jennifer Ellision

Jennifer Ellision is the author of Threats of Sky and Sea, which Arianna absolutely adored. Enjoy their interview below. 

Interview Conducted by:

Arianna

1. What is your favorite book ever? Author?

Ah, such a difficult question. I don't think I can definitively pick just one book or author, but Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce is an old YA Fantasy favorite, as is most of Pierce's work.

2. Who is your favorite character in your book?

Definitely Bree, but I have a soft spot for Aleta, in all of her prickly glory, as well.

3. What is your favorite part in your book?

One of my favorite scenes in Threats is the passage where Bree confronts her Da and he finally gives her many (but not all, of course) of the details of his past that he's been keeping a secret from her for so long. 

4. What was your inspiration for this amazing read?

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I've always been inspired by stories of people with magical abilities tied to the elements, but what inspired the whole series was a scene that never made it into the final draft. While daydreaming, I had an image jump into my head of two girls arguing. One pushed the other into the fire-- and she didn't burn.

5. If you could have one power, what would it be?

I'd want to be a Water Thrower! I always love a good beach or pool day and it would be pretty cool to be able to body surf by controlling the waves. ^_~

6. How long have you been writing?

As long as I can remember. My parents still have stories that I wrote for fun in elementary school, and I spent most of my free time in high school writing pieces of fanfiction. I graduated college with a degree in creative writing and just kept right on going.

7. Any advice for young writers?

Write whatever you're inspired to write. There's nothing wrong with starting out writing fanfiction, if that's what you're moved to write. Practice is the best way to perfect your craft. 

Oh, and read. A LOT.

8. Top 10 favorite songs of all time?

Oh man. I have playlists that are over 4 hours long, but I'll give this a shot! In no particular order:

Grand Theft Autumn - Fall Out Boy

Satisfied - from Hamilton the Musical

Stuttering - The Friday Night Boys

Best Day of My Life - American Authors

Leave the Night On - Sam Hunt

Watch What Happens - from Newsies

Love Story- Taylor Swift

Don't Stop Believing - Journey

Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional

I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! At the Disco

9. Any other interesting info/facts about your or your book that you would like to share?

I'm about halfway done with the final book in the series, Fall of Thrones and Thorns and if all goes well next month with "Camo NaNoWriMo," I'll finish April with a complete and revised draft!

Thank you for having me!

Thank you so much for your time and support of our blog! I can't wait to read the next books in the series! 

BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Dig Too Deep by Amy Allgeyer

About the Book:

Title: DIG TOO DEEP

Author: Amy Allgeyer

Release Date: April 1, 2016

Pages: 272

Publisher: AW Teen

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

With her mother facing prison time for a violent political protest, seventeen-year-old Liberty Briscoe has no choice but to leave her Washington, DC, apartment and take a bus to Ebbottsville, Kentucky, to live with her granny. There she can at least finish high school and put some distance between herself and her mother--or her former mother, as she calls her. But Ebbottsville isn't the same as Liberty remembers, and it's not just because the top of Tanner's Peak has been blown away to mine for coal. Half the county is out of work, an awful lot of people in town seem to be sick, and the tap water is bright orange--the same water that officials claim is safe. And when Granny's lingering cold turns out to be something much worse, Liberty wonders if somebody at the mine is hiding the truth about the water. She starts to investigate and is soon plunged into a world of secrets, lies, threats, and danger. Her searches for answers and justice lead to even tougher questions--should she turn to violence and end up like her mother? Give up her quest for the sake of keeping the peace? Or keep fighting until the mine is shut down for good? 

REVIEW BY: Arianna, age 13 years, 3 months

MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:

This book had me hooked from the beginning and I loved the suspense. 

My favorite character is probably Iris because in the little time that she is present, you can tell she always looks on the bright side. Even when her best friend is leaving she is still cheerful and excited. You can tell how kind, loyal, and thoughtful she is. 

I adored this book because of the wonderful characters, fascinating plot, and the insight it presents on what happens to some mining towns. It is a story of growth, love, and one girl that won't go down without a fight. I believe Liberty is a great inspirational character for all girls.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories of heartbreak, betrayal, and lastly acceptance.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 14 and up. 

About Amy:

The youngest of seven kids, Amy has been writing stories since she first learned to make her letters face the right way. Her work has appeared in Family Fun, A Fly in Amber and Stories for Children. As an architect, she spends her days restoring hundred-year-old homes in Boise where she lives with her son, a feral house cat, and a fake owl named Alan. She hates chocolate, but loves vegetables. She also loves travelling to foreign lands and the smell of honeysuckle on humid Southern nights. 

Amy is represented by the lovely and amazing Danielle Chiotti of Upstart Crow Literary.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

2 winners will receive a signed ARC of DIG TOO DEEP, and a silver starfish bookmark, magnet, button, and "Make Your Own mini-protest sign" kit, US Only.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/21/2016- Curling Up With A Good Book- Interview

3/22/2016- Read.Read.Read- Review

3/23/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

3/24/2016- The Phantom Paragrapher- Review

3/25/2016- The Cover Contessa- Interview

Week Two:

3/28/2016- 5 Girls Book Reviews- Review

3/29/2016- A Dream Within A Dream- Guest Post

3/30/2016- Queen of All She Reads- Review

3/31/2016- Wanderlust & Books- Interview

4/1/2016- The Bookish Angel- Review

COVER REVEAL: The Replacement Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts

BOOK BLAST WITH GIVEAWAY: That'th what I thaid! & The Sore Prickly Bear by Lisa Marie Schinski

BeachBoundBooks is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for two charming books by Lisa Marie Schinski, That'th what I thaid! & The Sore Prickly Bear. The blast will run March 28-30, 2016.

About the Books

Title: The Sore Prickly Bear

Author: Lisa Marie Schinski

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Number of Pages: 30

​Summary: Fuzzy has a very bad day that keeps getting worse. He is faced with many challenges and doesn't understand why these things are happening to him. Everyone has had a bad day, week, month or even years. He will make you laugh because everyone can relate to Fuzzy in some way. Things always have a way of working out in the end and sometimes even better than it was before!

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

​Title: That'th what I thaid!: R's and S's

Author: Lisa Marie Schinski

Illustrator: Lauren Panco

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Number of Pages: 32

​Summary: Stitchie is a happy bunny that is having a hard time saying her R's and S's. She thinks her friends are making fun of her but they just laugh because they think it sounds funny. They love Stitchie, and in the end, Stitchie practices and meets the best teacher who helps her says her R's and S's perfectly. She runs into the woods to share with her friends how far she has come!!

​

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble
About the Author: Lisa Marie Schinski

I was born and raised in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. I currently reside in King of Prussia. I wrote the story about the Sore Prickly Bear when I was 8 years old. My teacher, Mrs. Ulrich encouraged me to write and also gave me the young author's award. I found this book after my mom passed away last year. I had a great childhood but when I wrote this book, my parents got divorced, we moved and I changed schools. A lot of changes for an 8 year old. So I guess I felt like Fuzzy. 

Around October 2015, I took the book into work to show my friends because this past year and a half has been very hard for me and my family. I knew when I showed my friends, they would laugh and cry because my life was again Fuzzy's. My friends, Denice, Dee, Candace, Rick, Gina, Tara, Nancy, Tamara and Gina encouraged me to publish this book. So here I am! 

I am now 46 years old. I have a great job, great friends, and great family. But there are still days that feel very bad and very unfair. 

My goal for publishing this book is to help children understand that bad things happen and bad days happen. But when we have friends and family in our life to help us laugh at ourselves, we can heal and move forward. Everyone has a bad day, week, month or even years. My dream is to share this story for children to know they are not alone and everyone has a bad day. 

I am so grateful for my family and friends. 

​

"That'th what I thaid" was published in February 2016. Lauren Panco inspired me to write this story. It is for children who have a hard time with their R's and S's. I think many of us have! I want children to know it's ok to sound different and with practice, it changes. Don't let anyone make fun of you. We are all perfect the way we are!

Website ~ Twitter ~ Etsy ~ LinkedIn
GIVEAWAY: 

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