#16DABash DIG TOO DEEP by Amy Allgeyer + #Giveaway!

DIG TOO DEEP
By Amy Allgeyer
Publication date: April 1st, 2016
Category: YA

From Goodreads: 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 finish high school and put some distance between herself and her mother--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 to drink. When Granny's lingering cold turns out to be something much worse, Liberty is convinced the mine is to blame, and starts an investigation that quickly plunges her into a world of secrets, lies, threats, and danger. Liberty isn't deterred by any of it, but as all her searches turn into dead ends, she comes to a difficult decision: turn to violence like her former mother or give up her quest for good. 

Add to Goodreads | Watch the book trailer

DIG TOO DEEP was a great look at the current water crises all over this country due to Mountaintop Removal mining. In fact, every time I see a post by Erin Brockovich on Facebook, I'm immediately reminded of DIG TOO DEEP, as not only is this story a reality for many, many people at the moment, but it's also informative as to how the mining culture feels the way they do about speaking against everything. (And how the water contamination can get to be so bad, so fast!)

Another thing I appreciated about DIG TOO DEEP was how the main character, Liberty, stood up for what she believed in, even though it wasn't the safe or easiest decision. Between the writing, the dynamic between a few of the characters (Liberty and her grandmother, especially) and getting a taste of the great Kentucky setting, I found DIG TOO DEEP to be informative, articulate, interesting, and a downright frustrating, wonderful book. I was excited to talk to Amy about DTD, and asked,

What are the difficulties/struggles/or rewards of writing about such a real life, complex topic?

Her response:

This is such a great question because part of what drew me to the issue of Mountaintop Removal mining is that it *is* so very complex.

It’s clear that Mountaintop Removal mining is disastrous for the environment. And it’s become evident that there are very serious health issues associated with living near MTR mines.

But at the same time, the people in these communities depend on the mines for jobs. Often, mining jobs are the highest paying jobs in the area. The money from mining jobs doesn’t just help families of mine workers. It also helps the local businesses where they shop. Mine jobs often pay enough that the families have some disposable income, which creates a market for bookstores and hair salons, home improvement contractors and house cleaners—businesses that otherwise might not even exist in these areas. So mining jobs create other jobs.

But…people are dying in these communities because of the mines. Cancer, gall bladder issues, birth defects and stillbirths. These are lives literally lost because of Mountaintop Removal mines.

The bottom line: MTR mines keep towns alive at the same time they’re killing the residents. It’s a savage sort of irony. And when you add in the coal companies’ drive for profit, the crippling poverty in the area, the deep pockets of coal lobbyists which sway the government from enacting protective measures that might force coal mines to find safer ways to extract coal…it’s a very complex and difficult situation.

I love writing about heavy issues with no clear right and wrong. Putting a character, like Liberty, through the difficult process of choosing where to make her stand creates amazing tension. And I think those moments really resonate with people…especially teens, who grapple with figuring out who they are and what they stand for on a daily basis. The difficulty in writing about complex issues, though, is that there will always be people who disagree with your story—people who think you got it totally wrong. And as a writer, that’s an uncomfortable place to be.

Whew! I'm so glad she loved writing about this, because it's something we ALL need to be more aware of. :(

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's Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

And now, for a giveaway! Amy is giving away a hard copy of DIG TOO DEEP and some swag to one winner (US only)! I highly recommend entering this (or picking up a copy for yourself--it's so pretty) DTD is a bit of an underrated book, I think, and was easily a four-and-a-half star read. Aside from a bit of profanity and talk of drugs, I'd recommend it to anyone 12 and up.

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Wanting to check out more 2016 debut authors? Here's the schedule for the entire month of June! (Blogs not hyperlinked yet, sorry!)


June 1st

My Book Addiction - Kristy Acevedo

SleepsOnTables – Michele Bacon

Adventures in Writing – Jennifer DiGiovanni

Sci-Fi and Scary - Margaret Dilloway

YaReads - A. E. Conran

BookCatPin - Anna Michels

June 2nd

Alice Reeds – Sarah Alexander

The Hermit Librarian – Anna Breslaw

Me, Myself, and I - Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Pulp and Mystery Shelf – Kim Savage

With Love for Books - Kat Helgeson

June 3rd 

Let Me Tell You A Story - Amy Allgeyer

Gabriella M Reads – Tobie Easton

Bookish Wanderlove – Emily Martin

Brittany's Book Rambles - Robin Reul – Guest Post

Kirstyes - Books, Occupation - Magic! - Jennifer Mason-Black

Diane’s Book Blog – Michael Miller

Pimples, Popularity, and Protagonists – R.S. Grey

June 4th

Ink Sisters Write – Brooks Benjamin

21st Century Once Upon A Times – Lucy Keating

With Love for Books – Amber Smith

Swoony Boys Podcast - Mia Siegert

Vi3tBabe – Judy Sheehan

June 5th  

Diane’s Book Blog – Sarah Ahiers

 Cover2Cover - Kerry Kletter

 The Candid Cover - Jenny Moyer

 Lost in Lit – Katherine Fleet

 Alice Reeds - Jenny Manzer

 June 6th 

 Gabriella M Reads - Ami Allen-Vath

 Two Chicks on Books - Nicole Castroman

 Lisa Loves Literature – Janet B. Taylor

 Downright Dystopian – Jeff Garvin

 June 7th 

The Hardcover Lover - Ashley Herring Blake 

Here's to Happy Endings - Meg Leder

 Vox Libris – Catherine Lo

 YaReads – Scarlett Kol

 The Book Cellar - Julie Hammerle

 Ink Sisters Write - Kenneth Logan

 Pimples, Popularity, and Protagonists – Jenna Welch

 June 8th 

Go Read A Book - Natalie Blitt

 Curling Up With A Good Book - Lindsey Klingele

 Across the Bookiverse - Kathy MacMillan

 The Reading Nook Reviews - Rebecca Podos 

June 9th 

The Book Beacon - Andrew Brumbach

The Turning Pages – Shannon M. Parker

 Book Lovers Life - Patrick Samphire

 Bibliophilia, Please - Gordon Jack

 June 10th 

With Love for Books - Harriet Reuter

Hapgood the bookdragon - Marisa Reichardt

 Cue My Muse - Laura Shovan

 Rockin' Book Reviews – Bryan Methods

 June 11th 

Kirstyes - Books, Occupation - Magic! - Kiran Millwood Hargrave 


Arctic Books – Laura Tims

Book Lovers Life - Sarah Schauerte Reida

 June 12th 

Bibliophilia, Please - Julie Eshbaugh

Mundie Kids – Robin Yardi

YaReads – Martine Lewis

June 13th 

Little Book Heaven - Michelle Andreani

YaReads – Carrie Firestone

 Me, Myshelf, and I – Peter HoffMeister

 Emily Reads Everything – Emily Skrutskie

 June 14th 

Downright Dystopian - Christian McKay Heidicker

Brittany's Book Rambles - Kerri Maniscalco

Platypire Reviews – Nanci Turner Steveson

June 15th 

My Book Addiction – Jennie K Brown

 Sci-Fi and Scary - Jennifer Bardsley

June 16th 

Milky Way of Books – Ava Jae

Rachel's Book Reviews – Jeff Zentner

June 17th 

Write Writing Written - Lily Anderson

Two Chicks on Books – Kim Zarins

Pink Polka Dot Books - Heather Smith Meloche

June 18th 

Pimples, Popularity, and Protagonists – K.C. Held

Wishful Endings – Elizabeth Briggs

Cue My Muse - Lee Gjertsen Malone

June 19th 

Read.Sleep.Repeat. - Rahul Kanakia

YaReads – Dee Romito

With Love for Books – Jessica Taylor

 June 20th 

YaReads – Kurt Dinan

A Perfection Called Books – Erin Summerill

21st Century Once Upon A Times - Riley Redgate

My Book Addiction - Janet Sumner Johnson

June 21st 

YaReads - J. Keller Ford

What's Write About This – Erin Teagan

Alice Reeds - Aditi Khorana

Latte Nights Reviews – Mia Garcia

June 22nd 

Pink Polka Dot Books – Emily France

Emily Reads Everything - Sonya Mukherjee

YaReads - Everly Frost

Little Book Heaven - Paula Garner

June 23rd 

Latte Nights Reviews - Kathleen Glasgow

Bookish Wanderlove - Karen Hattrup

 June 24th 

My Bookish Year – Erica M Chapman

The Eater of Books! – Julie Buxbaum

The Book Cellar - Jill Diamond

YaReads - Dana Elmendorf

June 25th 

Pretty Deadly Reviews - Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

My Book Addiction - Erin Petti

SleepsOnTables - Parker Peevyhouse

The Phantom Paragrapher - Julie Leung

June 26th 

The Book Cellar - Evangeline Denmark

 The Reading Nook Reviews – Kathryn Purdie

 Gabriella M Reads – Stephanie Scott

 Read.Sleep.Repeat. - Lisa A. Koosis

 June 27th 

The Book Beacon - Claire Fayers

YaReads - Cheryl Blackford

Bookish Wanderlove - Jenn P. Nguyen

Bibliophilekid - Emily Cox and Nicole Allen

BookCatPin - Laura Stampler

June 28th 

Pandora’s Books - Audrey Coulthurst 

My Book Addiction – Abby Cooper

Downright Dystopian – Katie Kennedy

Hannah Plus Books – Tom Crosshill

Book Lovers Life - Cynthia Reeg

June 29th 

Media Geeks Unite - Tricia Clasen 

Tigersbooksandme - Destiny Soria

Mindjacked – Margot Harrison

books are love - Caleb Roehrig 

Emily Reads Everything - Janet McNally

Platypire Reviews – Tara Sims

YaReads - Isabel Bandeira 

June 30th 

On Starships and Dragonwings – Traci Chee

Doodle's Book Reviews - Meghan Rogers

Pandora’s Books - Kathleen Burkinshaw

Bibliophilia, Please - Bridget Hodder

Swoony Boys Podcast - Krystal Sutherland

 Alice Reeds - Karen Fortunati

 My Book Addiction - Mike Grosso

 The Reading Nook Reviews - Lindsey Roth Culli

Book Lover’s Life– Abigail Johnson

YaReads – Sarah Glenn Marsh

What's Write About This - Wade Albert White

THE LONELY ONES review tour by Kelsey Sutton (+ giveaway!)

The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Published by: Philomel
Published on April 26th, 2016

Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Penguin Random House | Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon 

With parents too busy to pay her attention, an older brother and sister who would rather spend their time with friends, and peers who oscillate between picking on her and simply ignoring her, it’s no wonder that Fain spends most of her time in a world of her own making. During the day, Fain takes solace in crafting her own fantastical adventures in writing, but in the darkness of night, these adventures come to life as Fain lives and breathes alongside a legion of imaginary creatures. Whether floating through space or under the sea, climbing mountains or traipsing through forests, Fain becomes queen beyond – and in spite of – the walls of her bedroom. In time, Fain begins to see possibilities and friendships emerge in her day-to-day reality. . . yet when she is let down by the one relationship she thought she could trust, Fain must decide: remain queen of the imaginary creatures, or risk the pain that comes with opening herself up to the fragile connections that exist only in the real world? Told in breathless and visual verse, THE LONELY ONES takes readers through the intricate inner workings of a girl who struggles to navigate isolation and finds friendship where she least expects it.


About the Author: Kelsey Sutton is the author of teen novels SOME QUIET PLACE and GARDENIA. She is also the author of two novels for middle grade readers, THE LONELY ONES and BENJAMIN. She lives in Minnesota, where she received a dual bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Bemidji State University. She is currently working on a master’s degree from Hamline University. Her work has received an Independent Publisher Book Award, an IndieFab Award, and was selected as a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013. When not writing, Kelsey can be found watching too much Netflix, ordering a mocha at the nearest coffee shop, or browsing a bookstore. You can like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @KelseyJSutton.  Goodreads | Facebook | Website

REVIEW:

I don't read many verse novels, but Kelsey's THE LONELY ONES was a special trip into the mind of a young girl who's felt alone for way too long. With her parents struggling in their relationship and her father searching for an elusive job, a tension clouds the entire household, making everyone pull away from each other.

Fain struggles to feel accepted. Not just by her older siblings who suddenly no longer have time for her, but by her peers. She dives into words because they are her escape, her way of explaining her feelings, her place of comfortability. No judging, no loneliness there. It works.

Along with the words that save her, she also finds solace in the group of monsters that come find her each night. They go on adventures; help her feel special. Normal. Wanted.

As in any situation where emotions are involved, factors added to Fain's daily life complicate the equation she's grown comfortable with. She meets a new friend. An acquaintance steps out of the woodwork. In time, she opens up, reveals more of herself, lets others in. The need to be alone, to stay in her own little world all of the time, to step out every night with the monsters, starts to thaw out.

But, kids will be kids. The social hierarchy isn't lost on Fain; in fact, she sees it all (or... thinks she does). As things twirl and swirl into new situations--a family emergency that causes everyone reevaluate their place, Fain betrayed and put in a bad situation. New pages are turned. Her family starts to find themselves again, and Fain gains a courage she hasn't had in a long time. As the story ends, everything Fain's gone through enables her to be stronger, smarter, and more confident.

THE LONELY ONES is a beautifully written verse novel about hope, love, family, and the struggle to stay true to yourself. It's a quick read, and would be appreciated by all ages.

Read below for an excerpt from The Lonely Ones

THE CALL

Claws scrape 
against my window sill. 

Then, a voice,
raspy, childlike, familiar.

It calls my name
and becomes a symphony.

"Fain, are you coming?”
“Come with us, Fain!”
“Wake up!”
“Open your eyes, Fain!” 

I try to be firm,
I try to say no. 

There’s a voice in my head
that whispers I’m getting too old
for these games and adventures.

The ground is so thick with mud
that someone could 
notice my tracks.

But my little friends persist
again and again.

Their pleas batter
against my resolve,
until debris crashes down
and I am too weak to resist.

The unbearable truth is
no one will notice my tracks
because no one notices anything.

I take one of their scaly hands,
a feather tickles against my cheek.
 
Then I climb outside
and disappear into the night.

The Giveaway: 2 signed copies of The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton, open to US and Canada
  a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the rest of the tour!

May 3rd

BookNut101

The Haunted Grave Books

Tome Tender

Owl Always Be Reading

May 4th

Here’s to Happy Endings

With Love for Books

I Heart Reading

May 5th

Bookish Outsider

The Quiet Concert

Shooting Stars Mag

May 6th

YA Book Divas

Sparkle from Books

May 7th

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile Nicole’s Novel Reads

May 8th

Bookish Hollow

Book is a 4 Letter Word

The Yasmine Public Library Hermit Librarian

May 9th

YaReads

Liberty Falls Down

Fa Fa’s Book Corner

The Book Beacon

The SPRING 2016 #YASH Hunt is ON!!! (#YAScavengerHunt + bonus #giveaway)

Welcome to the SPRING '16 YA SCAVENGER HUNT. On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author (there are NINE teams this time, so that's 180 exclusives), you also get their favorite number. Add up the numbers, and enter the total for a chance to win a major prize. Every team will have a winner, and that winner will receive at least one book from each author on that team! This means there are NINE SEPARATE GRAND PRIZES of at least 20 books in each grand prize!!!! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only last until noon PST on Sunday, April 3rd!

I'll introduce you to the TEAM PINK author I'm hosting shortly, but first, here are all of the TEAM PINK books up for grabs:

I'm also hosting my own giveaway, so make sure you check that out at the end of this post!

A few quick things: If you get lost for some reason, no worries--just go to this link: YA Scavenger Hunt: Stuck? Each team AND all of the authors are listed there, so you can pick up where you left off. :) If you've never done this before but would love to participate, check out YA Scavenger Hunt: How to Hunt.

Directions: Somewhere below, you'll see that I’ve listed my favorite number (in pink). Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM PINK, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify. You may enter (and check out all of the other teams), HERE.

Rules: Open internationally. Anyone below the age of 16 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 3rd. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.


And now I'd like to introduce you to Emily Skrutskie, author of The Abyss Surrounds Us (YA Science Fiction):

ISBN: 0738746916

Summary: For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water.

Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup and teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea.

But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. Santa Elena has no idea what she’s in for. 

 and here's Emily's exclusive content: 

Ships in the Night: Swift and Cas in Music 

When I was drafting The Abyss Surrounds Us, I kept a playlist that I imagined as a sort of soundtrack to the story. The songs on the playlist were in “story order,” from the opening track to the music I imagined playing as the credits rolled. But while I was building this playlist, I kept running into a certain problem. I’d hear songs, think, “Oh, that reminds me of TASU!” and then realize the songs were less about the storyline and more about the concept of the relationship between Swift and Cas.

So a new playlist was born. Simply titled “SwiftCas,” it was a dumping ground for the songs that didn’t fit in my story playlists but felt essential for my inspiration. Today, I’m here to share that playlist with you!

And here’s the fun part. This playlist is for both The Abyss Surrounds Us and its sequel. So if you’ve finished TASU and are wondering how a certain song you hear fits, well… you’ll just have to use your imagination for now. ;)

About Emily: Emily Skrutskie is six feet tall. She was born in Massachusetts, raised in Virginia, and forged in the mountains above Boulder, Colorado. She holds a B.A. in Performing and Media Arts from Cornell University, where she studied an outrageous and demanding combination of film, computer science, and game design. Her short fiction has been published by HarperTeen, and her debut novel, THE ABYSS SURROUNDS US, is now available. Website | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr | Facebook | Goodreads

Make sure to head over to ANGELA MYRON's to stay on the hunt!

And now, for TWO additional giveaways (5 items in one, and 3 in the other):

Giveaway #1: Jonas set (US only)

Paperback copy of PITY ISN'T AN OPTION

Bird Watching Gift Set 

(includes bird box, bird feeder, and guide to birdwatching)

Sketch Paper Pad

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Giveaway #2: 3 Ebook set (INTL)
JUST ADDED: $5 Amazon e-gift card!

* IF I SPEAK TRUE and BY SUN & CANDLELIGHT

(Books 1 and 1.5 of the Flora series)

* PITY ISN'T AN OPTION (Cozenage, #1)
* $5 Amazon e-gift card

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5th Annual Black Friday Book Bonanza (#booklove / #giveaway)

Welcome to the 5th annual Black Friday Book Bonanza hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer and Jennifer at Bookshelfery! This is my first time participating in the BFBB, and I am so excited! As I'm writing this post, there are over 60 participants. Wow, right? I mean, yay books! (And yay CHRISTMAS!)

If you haven't participated in the BFBB before, the rules are pretty simple. Each participating blogger/author has their own bookish-related giveaway that will run from 12:01am on November 27 through 12:01am November 30 (so basically the entire Thanksgiving weekend). Some will be US only, some will be INTL. (To find/enter the other giveaways, see the links beneath the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.)

And now, my Black Friday Book Bonanza shtuff:

What's up for grabs (US only):

* And then I realized adventure was the best way to learn 7x9 journal

* IF I SPEAK TRUE (book one of the Flora series)

* The Princess Bride DVD

* Sailboat 5x7 journal 

* $10 Target gift card (get that book you've been wanting!)

* bookish swag (not pictured)

Total value: Over $45!!! (Give as a gift, split it up into a couple of different gifts, or keep everything for yourself!)

I love journals because they're great for keeping track of your favorite book quotes, organizing bookish wish lists, or jotting down writing ideas that come to you while reading! The Target gift card was a given, because hello: books. And The Princess Bride DVD, well... Dahlia in IF I SPEAK TRUE loves The Princess Bride, so I had to throw that in, too! :)

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Oh and hey, INTL peeps! Of course I didn't forget that you're special, too! Here's an easy peasy ebook giveaway just for you:


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Now check out the rest of the Black Friday Book Bonanza participants!

       or:

FALL 2015 YA SCAVENGER HUNT (#YASH) + exclusive #giveaway

It's #YASH time! *throws coffee bean confetti* 

Welcome to the FALL '15 YA SCAVENGER HUNT. On this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author (that's 160 this year), you also get their favorite number. Add up the numbers, and enter the total for a chance to win a major prize. Every team will have a winner, and that winner will receive at least one book from each author on that team! This means there are EIGHT SEPARATE GRAND PRIZES of at least 20 books in each grand prize!!!! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only last until noon PST on Sunday, October 4th!

A few quick things: If you get lost for some reason, no worries--just go to this link: YA Scavenger Hunt: Stuck? Each team AND all of the authors are listed there, so you can pick up where you left off. :) If you've never done this before but would love to participate, check out YA Scavenger Hunt: How to Hunt.

Directions: Somewhere below, you'll see that I’ve listed my favorite number (in pink). Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM PINK, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally. Anyone below the age of 16 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by October 4th. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

And now for the author and book I am hosting: Lisa T. Cresswell, and THE COLOR OF WATER! Lisa is a professional archaeologist that writes fanciful stories for young adults. She lives in Idaho with her family and way too many furry pet friends!  


THE COLOR OF WATER bonus material: 

Everyone's heard of Blackbeard, right? The terrible pirate? Hollywood staple pirate character? But did you know that Blackbeard was a real person named Edward Teach? I remember as a kid thinking he was just a cartoon-ish character and being amazed to learn he was real. You can read all about him on Wikipedia.  Born in 1680, he only lived to be about 35 or 40 years old because he was finally captured and beheaded in 1718. Perhaps because it was so long ago, he's become the stuff of legends? Even his flag is kinda creepy.

The ghost of Blackbeard is the main baddie in my new novella The Color of Water. He was such delicious fun to write, re-imagined as a modern day biker. Here's a sneak peek of my heroine, Samantha, unexpectedly seeing Blackbeard, aka Teach, on the streets of Beaufort ~


    The summer sun was still hot enough to make me sweat, but it was cooling down as the shadows got longer. The rain had left steamy puddles along the sidewalks, but the sky was clearing just like Matt said it would. Seeing nothing unusual at the Queen Ann’s, I kept walking, turning down an alley to avoid all the tourists on Front Street. That’s where I saw them – a man and a woman having a hella fight in the alley. My heart jumped up into my throat when I realized it was Harley man – Teach.

    I ducked behind a dumpster and tried to blend into the back of a building. It didn’t seem to matter to Teach and his lady friend because their screaming argument suddenly dissolved into a groping, kissing thing. I couldn’t stop staring at them. Teach’s beefy, tattooed arms wrapped the woman like an octopus’s tentacles, his fingers snaking through her God-awful, red-orange dye job. She didn’t seem to mind. She kissed him like she was starving and he was a steak dinner. After coming up for air, they stumbled back inside the building.

    I saw the door was printed with ‘No one under 21 admitted’ as I hurried past. If he was going to kill her, he would have done it right there, wouldn’t he? I resolved not to tell Matt about it, since he obviously didn’t want me anywhere near Teach. I didn’t want to risk making him mad again. I picked up my pace, running a few blocks so I wouldn’t be late.

You can find The Color of Water in print and ebook on Amazon and Goodreads! Enjoy~

Check out THE COLOR OF WATER 5 different ways: at Lisa's website | Buy The Color of Water | Request it on NetGalley | Check out the Pinterest Page | Add it to Goodreads

Here are the books up for grabs for Team PINK:

Make sure you head over to Nicole Zoltack's to keep playing!

Also, IN CELEBRATION of the FALL YASH, I'm giving away all three books currently in the Flora series (paperbacks for a US winner, or ebooks for an INTL winner), plus a $5 Amazon e-gift card!  Happy hunting!

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I've FLIPPED... it's the RUNNING DREAM! Yes, I CONFESS... I'm doing a Wendelin Van Draanen #GIVEAWAY!

So... get this. I'm at the Central Coast Book and Author Fair on Sunday (more about that in a post next week), and guess who is ALSO there with a table FULL o' books? The lovely Wendelin Van Draanen!!!! (WHAT!) Now, I realize she's most known for FLIPPED or her Sammy Keyes series, but the book my teenage daughters recognized immediately is the book this quote above is from: THE RUNNING DREAM. Speaking of...

GUESS WHAT. Wendelin was kind enough to sign THE RUNNING DREAM, FLIPPED, and CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KISSER specifically to give away to one precious Let Me Tell You A Story winner! 

HOORAY!

More about entering in a moment, but first, the blurbs:

TRD blurb: Winner of the 2012 Schneider Family Book Award

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?

As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.



The blurb for FLIPPED: Flipped is a romance told in two voices. The first time Juli Baker saw Bryce Loski, she flipped. The first time Bryce saw Juli, he ran. That’s pretty much the pattern for these two neighbors until the eighth grade, when, just as Juli is realizing Bryce isn’t as wonderful as she thought, Bryce is starting to see that Juli is pretty amazing. How these two teens manage to see beyond the surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance.














Blurb for CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KISSER: EVANGELINE LOGAN WANTS a kiss. A spectacular, heart-stopping, life changing kiss. Somehow The Crimson Kiss (a romance novel she’s become obsessed with) and Four Steps to Living Your Fantasy (a self-help book she’s reading) have fused in Evangeline’s mind and sent her on a quest for a kiss. But the path to perfection is paved with many bad kisses—the smash mouth, the ear licker, the “misser.” The phrase “I don’t kiss and tell” means nothing to the boys in her school. And worse: someone starts writing her name and number on bathroom walls. And worst of all: the boy she's just kissed turns out to be her best friend’s new crush. Kissing turns out to be way more complicated than the romance novels would have you believe . . .


Due to the cost of shipping, this giveaway is US only (sorry). Ends 10/11 at 11:59 p.m. PST

Make sure to add a few of her books to your Goodreads!

And now... the giveaway:

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The Words We Thought Were True cover reveal + giveaway

It's HERE! 

It's finally here! 

After MONTHS of sitting on this, I finally get to share! 

The Words We Thought Were True (Cozenage, #2)'s cover is out. Go to IceyBooks (link) for a first look + enter to win an ARC + ebook! 

Pencils + journals = An @IceyDesigns GIVEAWAY!

So my lovely pal, Hafsah, has gotten *so* many wonderful things in her shop lately that I just HAD to host a giveaway. I mean... have you seen this stuff? JOURNALS! POSTERS! BOOKISH PENCILS! HAND LETTERED QUOTE ART, and MORE!!!

So many lovely things, and all of them gorgeous. There's more in her Etsy shop, so check it out. And... that's it! Enter the giveaway to win either a pack of pencils, or one of her precious journals, and spread the word! I can't wait to see who wins! :D

Deets: US only. Contest ends September 13th at 11:59 p.m. PST 

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*almost* 500 #giveaway (US only), IF I SPEAK TRUE giveaway (INTL) + more

So... I was going to wait until I reached 500 FB likes on Facebook and Instagram, but I'm in a giveaway mood (prob has a little something to do with June's  #JLBgivesawayanINDIE!!!). Which means that even though I'm not *quite* to 500 likes yet, we're going to do it now, anyway!!! 

*celebrates with big swig o' coffee*

Over the past few months, I've picked up a few things specifically for this occasion (see left) and plan on a few more things being added by the time the giveaway ends.


The journal's endpapers are absolutely gorgeous, don'tcha think?

To those of you who are already my interweb pals, thank you! To those who I'm just now connecting with, hi there! I can't wait to talk all things bookish with everyone! :D 

A few things: 

1) The Almost 500 Giveaway is US only 

2) it ends July 19th at 11:59 p.m. PST

3) If you *haven't* already followed/liked me on FB or Insta, I'd love to connect with you, but it's not required to enter. 


And now for the NEXT giveaway... 

Sweet Jasmine of Jasmine Pearl Reads is giving away a paperback of IF I SPEAK TRUE (US only), and an ebook, too (INTL). The giveaway only has I think 9 more days, so make sure to click her blog link above, and enter! :) (LINK)


Plus, don't forget you have 9 days left to enter this month's #JLBgivesawayanINDIE 5 audiobook giveaway! (LINK) 

Last but not least...

Most of you know that Hafsah is my designer of pretty everything... my blog, my book covers, my business cards, and other stuff not-so bookish that I hit her up for, too. She does such beautiful, professional work, and has just started a new venture on her Etsy store: handlettered journals! :D I just had to share, because they're so beautiful and I've held one of her journals in my hand and they are great quality and so lovely! Do check her out if you're looking for a journal for yourself or a friend or loved one (she does custom orders!). 

Now here's the Rafflecopter to the ALMOST 500 Giveaway! :D Be blessed!

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