ya book tour – A Gingerly Review

SOURCES SAY Release Day Blitz & Giveaway

Published on September 8, 2020September 8, 2020 by SaraLeave a comment

I am so excited that SOURCES SAY by Lori Goldstein is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Lori Goldstein, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for an awesome prize pack courtesy of Lori & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

About The Book:

Title: SOURCES SAY

Author: Lori Goldstein

Pub. Date: September 8, 2020

Publisher: Razorbill

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 300

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD , Bookshop.org

Two exes. One election. All the drama.

For fans of Becky Albertalli and Morgan Matson comes a funny, hearfelt novel about fueding exes running for class president and the scandal that makes the previously boring school election the newest trending hashtag.

At Acedia High School outside of Boston, student council has always been nothing more than a popularity contest. Nobody pays attention. Nobody cares.

But all that changes when the Frankengirls show up. During the very first week of school, someone plasters the halls with Photoshopped images of three “perfect tens”–images of scantily clad girls made from real photos of girls at school. The student body is livid. And the two presidential candidates, Angeline Quinn and Leo Torres, jump on the opportunity to propose their solutions and secure votes. After their messy break up, Leo and Angie are fighting tooth and nail to win this thing and their constituents are mesmerized as they duke it out.

As if things couldn’t be more dramatic, the school’s two newspapers get involved. The Red & Blue is run by Angie’s sister Cat and she prides herself on only reporting the facts. But her morals are tested when The Shrieking Violet–written by an anonymous source and based less on facts and more on fiction–blatantly endorses Leo. Rumors fly, secrets are leaked, and the previously mundane student election becomes anything but boring.

Excerpt:

Chapter 4

When Angeline’s Every Day Becomes Epic

29 DAYS TO THE ELECTION

Angeline stared at the little blue dot at the top of her inbox. A new message. She hadn’t changed the settings on her computer, but she swore the sender’s name was bigger than usual.

She sat up straighter in the nubby tweed chair—the last thing she’d let her sister pick out—behind the desk they shared in their bedroom.

All those hours in front of her laptop studying every YouTube channel from GamerGirlz to Car Builderz DIY to Bette’s Books to Bet On. Every grasshopper-topped sushi roll she ate, every chocolate laxative cleanse, every questionable and disgusting concoction she’d lathered on her body, all came down to this.

Her hand hovered over the mouse, but she couldn’t bring her- self to click. Instead, she kicked off the pointy-toed loafers she’d worn to school that day, wincing as the air hit the raw pink welt on the back of her ankle. She’d said they were comfortable.

They weren’t.

But the endorsement had paid for her new laptop so . . . trade-offs.

She pressed her toes into the white carpet she’d freshly steamed before the school year began and fixed her eyes on her computer screen.

“Ask an Angel” leapt from the subject line, the YouTube chan- nel Angeline had grown into a brand over the past two years. In- fluencer? Please. She was so much more. Part advice giver, part counselor, part confessor, she served her viewers by listening to and answering their daily dilemmas—even if that meant boots- on-the-ground research.

Okay, so truth?

She’d never admit it to Cat, but that elephant dung had nearly made her pass out.

Her sister thought it was easy. But had she ever tried to squeeze herself into the trifecta of compression underwear?

High-waisted capri britches . . .

Tummy cincher . . .

Hip slimmer . . .

After eating two pints of caramel gelato.

Angeline had come this close to dialing 911. But her lack of circulation had surely prevented others from asphyxiation. Turn blue, and the followers would come. She hadn’t read that in any influencer guide. But it had worked.

As had a modest display of cleavage and pink lipstick. Pink, not red. She’d lost ninety followers before she’d realized that mistake.

Now she had more questions than she could answer, and her ad revenue crushed whatever she’d make working round the clock as a barista. But she was determined to take it to the next level.

Evelyn’s Epic Everyday: Make Every Day an Epic Day.

The pinnacle of lifestyle YouTubers, promoting positivity, following one’s dreams, and making each day an extraordinary one. An extraordinarily profitable one. Evelyn had raked in half a million dollars from her YouTube channel alone last year—a pit- tance compared to what she’d snagged from endorsements and book deals. Her second book, Girl, Talk like Everyone’s Listening, hit the bestseller list, joining her first, Girl, Match Your Bra and Underwear and Other Life Secrets, which had never dropped off.

And here she was: Evelyn’s Epic Everyday in Angeline’s inbox. Angeline took a deep breath and clicked.

Her heart stopped.

And jump-started.

“Bring! It!” she screamed, and Tartan, Gramps’s orange-and- white cat, sprang from her lap.

She’d gotten the invite. The, all caps, underlined, circled, high- lighted, invite. When Evelyn’s Epic Everyday had given her video on “5 Ways to Know He’s Interested” a thumbs-up over the summer, Angeline had known what it meant.

Evelyn was watching her. Her.

Ask an Angel.

Which meant she had a shot. At this.

And she got it.

————————-

Hey girl!

Evelyn’s Epic Everyday has her epic eye on you!

As you may have heard (wink, wink), she’s putting together her very first YouTube up-and-comers boot camp. only!***

Those she thinks are ready to break out big will make her annual “Top 10 to Get Behind or Be Left Behind” list. And you know what that means! But still, I’m gonna tell youuu! Because it’s that freaking fantastic: every single previous lister has gone on to be a Star of the Super sort.

Think: a million subscribers, two, three . . . five?

Not yet, but you could be Evelyn’s first!

So welcome, Ask an Angel, to your every day being an epic one. But remember: keep it hush-hush! We’ll be doing a big reveal in the lead-up.

See you in December!

Don’t forget to send in that deposit! (Nonrefundable!)

Kiss kiss!

————

Angeline vaulted out of her chair and pumped her fists in the air.

“Evelyn’s!”

“Epic!”

“Everyday!”

She spun around and snatched her phone off the bed. She had her messages open to her last text with Leo before she remembered.

They were broken up.

He had broken up with her.

Because of all this.

The one person she wanted to share this with was the one person she couldn’t.

Is this what they call irony?

About Lori:

Lori Goldstein earned her BA in journalism but eventually found her true writing passion in the world of fictional people. She’s never met a beach she didn’t love, a book she wouldn’t read, or a strange food she wouldn’t try. She is the author of SOURCES SAY, which Kirkus calls “Entertaining, thought-provoking, and heartwarming”; SCREEN QUEENS, which Kirkus calls “a fun and uplifting story that celebrates female friendship and empowerment”; and the VOYA-starred young adult contemporary fantasy series BECOMING JINN.

Find her on Twitter @loriagoldstein and Instagram @lorigoldsteinbooks.

Also follow on Facebook, Goodreads, and BookBub.

Giveaway Details:

1 lucky winner will win a signed book pack of Becoming Jinn, Circle of Jinn, Screen Queens, US. Only.

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The Lost City by Amanda Hocking: Blog Tour

Published on July 7, 2020July 6, 2020 by SaraLeave a comment

The Lost City Book Description

Amanda Hocking, the New York Times bestselling author of The Kanin Chronicles, returns to the magical world of the Trylle Trilogy with The Lost City, the first novel in The Omte Origins—and the final story arc in her beloved series.

The storm and the orphan

Twenty years ago, a woman sought safety from the spinning ice and darkness that descended upon a small village. She was given shelter for the night by the local innkeepers but in the morning, she disappeared—leaving behind an infant. Now nineteen, Ulla Tulin is ready to find who abandoned her as a baby or why.

The institution and the quest

Ulla knows the answers to her identity and heritage may be found at the Mimirin where scholars dedicate themselves to chronicling troll history. Granted an internship translating old documents, Ulla starts researching her own family lineage with help from her handsome and charming colleague Pan Soriano.

The runaway and the mystery

But then Ulla meets Eliana, a young girl who no memory of who she is but who possesses otherworldly abilities. When Eliana is pursued and captured by bounty hunters, Ulla and Pan find themselves wrapped up in a dangerous game where folklore and myth become very real and very deadly—but one that could lead Ulla to the answers she’s been looking for.

Buy Links:

Review

This was such a good book! I was hooked from the moment I started. If you love magical fantasy books with trolls, mythology and more, then this is the book you want. I’m going to try my best to not give anything away so this may come across as a short review, bear with me.

From the start, I felt the characters and the world building were very, very well developed. The characters felt flawed and complex, while the world itself felt lush and realistic. Ulla’s backstory and the mystery around Eliana were enthralling. As the story moved forward, I felt like I was on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen, what secret might be revealed next.

I highly recommend you add this to your TBR now, if you haven’t already. This is a fantasy series you don’t want to miss out on.

Author bio:

AMANDA HOCKING is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.

Early Praise for The Lost City:

“Hocking’s fast, engaging fantasy will draw in new and seasoned fans of the genre… [She] keeps the surprises coming, [leaving] readers eager to know more”

—School Library Journal (starred review)

Social Links:

Author website

Twitter @Amanda_Hocking

Facebook

Author Blog

GoodReads

B*WITCH Tour: Guest Post

Published on July 4, 2020July 2, 2020 by SaraLeave a comment

B*WITCH

by Paige McKenzie & Nancy Ohlin
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Mystery, LGBT

Synopsis:

A lone witch has powers. A coven has a multitude more.

New girl and secret witch Iris just wants to get through her first day of school without a panic attack. The last thing she expects is to be taken in by a coven of three witches-soft-spoken Greta, thoughtful and musical Ridley, and fiery and spirited Binx. They may be the first witches Iris has met IRL, but their coven is not alone in their small northwestern town.

The Triad is the other coven at their school. When the Triad’s not using spells to punish their exes or break up happy couples for fun, they practice dark magic. The two covens have a rivalry stretching all the way back to junior high.

When tragedy strikes and one of their own is murdered, the rival covens must band together to find out who is responsible before it’s too late. Someone’s anti-witch ideology has turned deadly . . . and one of them is next.

With an inclusive cast of teen witches who leap off the page with style, attitude, and charm, B*Witch is a singable read perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mean Girls alike.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48717624-b-witch

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WIh29a

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/B-witch-Paige-McKenzie/9781368028769?ref=grid-view&qid=1588965327354&sr=1-1

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/b-witch-paige-mckenzie/1134720656?ean=9781368028769

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/b-witch/id1500054001

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/b-witch-1

Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Paige_McKenzie_B_WITCH?id=rz3SDwAAQBAJ

AUTHOR INFORMATION

PAIGE MCKENZIE

Paige McKenzie is a millennial hyphenate: a New York Timesbestselling author, YouTuber, actor, influencer, creator, artist, producer. Her first book series, The Haunting of Sunshine Girl, was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a month. Paige is constantly creating. Her Etsy shop the Homebody Guild is full of her art and designs, and she is always updating it with new creations. Paige also interacts daily with her Sunshiners across a variety of media including YouTube (where she has over half a million subscribers), Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Paige is a founding member of Coat Tail Productions, with three projects in active development. Paige lives in Portland, Oregon with the love of her life, a seven-pound Chihuahua named Pongo.

NANCY OHLIN

Nancy Ohlin was born in Tokyo and moved to the United States when she was nine. She has written, ghostwritten, or collaborated on over one hundred fiction and nonfiction books for children, teens, and adults, including her YA novels Consent, Beauty, and Always, Forever (Simon & Schuster). Most recently, she collaborated with Paige on The Sacrifice of Sunshine Girl (Hachette Books), Quvenzhané Wallis on the Shai and Emmie chapter book series (Simon & Schuster), and Chloé Lukasiak on her forthcoming memoir Girl on Pointe: Chloe’s Guide to Taking on the World (Bloomsbury). Learn more at nancyohlin.com and on Twitter (@nancyohlin).

AUTHOR LINKS

PAIGE MCKENZIE

Website: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/landing-page/the-haunting-of-sunshine-girl/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hauntedsunshine

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/692829.Paige_McKenzie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hauntedsunshine/

NANCY OHLIN

Website: http://www.nancyohlin.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyOhlin

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6459715.Nancy_Ohlin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nancy-Ohlin-559301467435019/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancyohlin222/

LAUNCH PARTY – FREE EVENT

Paige McKenzie and Nancy Ohlin will be doing a virtual launch event for B*WITCH with Powell’s on July 7 at 5:00 pm (PST). They will be in conversation with E. Latimer (author of WITCHES OF ASH AND RUIN). Readers can attend from all over the world by registering here . Signed bookplates will be available to those who purchase B*WITCH through this event.

GUEST POST

Has being quarantined changed your writing process? Have you become more or less focused?

Being quarantined has definitely changed our writing process. We finished B*WITCH pre-pandemic, but we have been writing the sequel during the pandemic, and it’s been a difficult ride.

So much of one’s writing routine involves showing up to the page and staying with it. For the two of us as authors, we need to sit down at our desks and really focus on the scene we’re writing for several hours at a stretch, and if anything distracts us, we lose our place, so to speak. Someone once described writing as having to run a mile before you can actually begin to put words to paper—sort of a warm-up routine—but then once you finish that mile and proceed with the writing, every time you’re interrupted, you need to go back to the starting line and run that mile again. The two of us can definitely relate!

The pandemic has thrown a big wrench into all of that. But we absolutely want to acknowledge that we are incredibly fortunate and privileged because we have the luxury of working from our homes versus on the front lines as essential workers. We’ve been so lucky, too, because we have access to good healthcare and food, and we can pay our bills. We can’t imagine what it would be like to try to write a book without having adequate health, healthcare, food, or money for basic needs. For us, it’s difficult enough to focus on our chapters when the news is so devastating on so many fronts, not just with the pandemic but with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many other Black Americans, and all the protests and pain and grief. It’s definitely hard to concentrate on crafting words when so much bad is happening.

So … not being distracted, and not being in despair, have been two major challenges to the writing. The two of us often have to convince ourselves, mid-scene, that this scene matters, even if it’s about something light or funny that’s not going to solve the problems of the world. Does a fictional conversation between fictional characters about make-up or cats or magical pranks really matter when real people are suffering? We’re not the first authors to address this question; artists have been creating in the face of pandemics and wars and other tragedies throughout history. And in that sense, we keep pushing on because art matters. Books matter. Stories matter. Somehow, we have to balance helping others and fostering change with creating, inspiring, and entertaining. Hopefully the two of us will have achieved a little bit of that with B*WITCH.

Heir of Lies by Mallory McCartney Blog Tour

Published on May 27, 2020May 26, 2020 by SaraLeave a comment

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44511823-heir-of-lies

Purchase Links:

Amazon | AbeBooks | Alibris

Tour Schedule:

May 25, 2020-Chapter by Chapter-Interview

May 25, 2020-Susan Heim on Writing-Excerpt

May 26, 2020-Bri’s Book Nook-Excerpt

May 26, 2020-Chapters through life-Excerpt

May 26, 2020-A Book Addict’s Bookshelves-Guest Post

May 27, 2020-Rockin’ Book Reviews-Spotlight

May 27, 2020-A Gingerly Review-Guest Post

May 27, 2020-Books, Tea, Healthy Me-Excerpt

May 27, 2020-Ted Ryan – reviewer-Review

May 28, 2020-Becca’s Book Affair-Guest Post

May 28, 2020-Rockin’ Book Reviews-Excerpt

May 28, 2020-Wishful Endings-Guest Post

May 28, 2020-Day Leitao-Guest Post

May 29, 2020-Books Less Travelled-Review

May 29, 2020-BookHounds YA-Guest Post

May 29, 2020-JeanBookNerd-Interview

Giveaway Details:

One (1) winner will win a signed hardcover of Heir of Lies by Mallory McCartney

Link to Giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e781/?

Heir of Lies (Black Dawn #1) by Mallory McCartney

Publication Date: April 21, 2020

“Hope was a dangerous thing. It could consume every dream and make them take flight, becoming wild daydreams in one’s heart and mind. Or hope could incinerate everything you thought you knew, burning you down to your core, leaving you raw and exposed for the world.”

Emory Fae has only known one thing—life at The Academy, a school for those who have special abilities. Following in her parents’ footsteps, the pressure to uphold their dream falls on her and one of her best friends—Adair Stratton. An outcast and feared by most, Adair longs to break away from the expectations dictating his future. With whispers of dark magic spreading across Kiero, Adair starts to doubt The Academy is all it seems.

An unexpected visit ignites new tensions as the roguish king from across the Black Sea, Tadeas Maher of the Shattered Isles, and his heir, Marquis Maher, sail to Kiero. Notorious for their pirating and wrath, for the first time in years, they demand the Faes listen to their proposition for a new treaty. Caught in the middle of politics, Adair and Emory, with the help of their best friends Brokk and Memphis, search for the one thing that matters the most—the truth.

Their world is tipped upside down as unlikely alliances are made, and war ravages Kiero. Through the throes of betrayal, lies, hidden magic, and love, Adair is faced with a life changing decision. Will he fight or bow to the darkness within?

But, Adair’s decision will change the course of Kiero forever, setting in motion irreversible destinies for everyone at The Academy as Emory Fae rises as heir.

Heir of Lies is the first book in the bestselling Black Dawn series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and their three dachshunds Link, Lola and Leonard. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found day dreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT blog tour: Giveaway and Story Behind the Cover

Published on January 25, 2020January 24, 2020 by Sara1 Comment

BOOK INFORMATION

Woven in Moonlight

by Isabel Ibañez
Publisher: Page Street Books
Release Date: January 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.

When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and her Condesa.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40877706-woven-in-moonlight

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2pCLnd2

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/woven-in-moonlight-isabel-iba-ez/1131253940?ean=9781624148019#/

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/woven-in-moonlight

Google Books: https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Woven_in_Moonlight.html?id=2xebDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y

STORY BEHIND THE COVER

Not too long ago, I owned a design and stationery studio. While I dabbled in various paper goods, the main thing I illustrated and sold were greeting cards. These were bright and colorful, always whimsical and usually showcased a pun or two. I love drawing and perfecting my lettering technique, and often those two elements showed up in my stationery.

When my editor reached out to me and asked if I knew of any Bolivian artists Page Street could hire to design the cover, I almost laughed. I am an artist and I am also Bolivian. I submitted a handful of other artists I admire along with my own portfolio. A week or two later, I was hired for the job.

I sat down to design the cover, expecting to flounder or buckle under the pressure. Sometimes it takes me days to figure out a concept, to even think of an idea that might work. But in this instance, I saw the cover of WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT instantly. I had the color scheme, the layout, the style—all of it felt incredibly clear. When I was done, I immediately sent it to my editor and she loved it. She sent it to the rest of the team and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

This was the cover.

I had done it. But then … doubt set in. How could I have sent in the first draft and not at least tried other layouts? What if there was a stronger idea buried in my mind somewhere? So I went back and asked if they wanted to see anything else from me. But they loved the cover as is, and with the exception of a few minor tweaks, the concept was approved, and it stayed. So I took a breath and realized that I needed to trust I’d done the best job I could. But imposter syndrome is a real thing and for a few weeks, I was that I’d pulled it off.

It wasn’t until I held a proof of the cover concept in my hands that I believed what everyone else had been telling me: the cover was beautiful. Looking at it now, dressed up in bright colors and silver foil, displaying my whimsical style and love for folklore-ish art, I wonder how I could have ever doubted myself.

I’m so proud of it.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Isabel Ibañez was born in Boca Raton, Florida, and is the proud daughter of two Bolivian immigrants. A true word nerd, she received her degree in creative writing and has been a Pitch Wars mentor for three years. Isabel is an avid movie goer and loves hosting family and friends around the dinner table. She currently lives in Winter Park, Florida, with her husband, their adorable dog, and a serious collection of books. Say hi on social media at @IsabelWriter09.

AUTHOR LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17052517.Isabel_Iba_ez

Website: http://www.isabelibanezdavis.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IsabelWriter09

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IsabelWriter09/

Facebook: https://mobile.facebook.com/IsabelIbanezDavis/

GIVEAWAY

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TOUR SCHEDULE