Always the New Girl by Kelly Vincent (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Always the New Girl

by 

Kelly Vincent

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:   Contemporary YA

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Knitting nerd Sarah Redmond is always the new girl, never the popular one.

Moving all over the country with her flighty mom seemed to be her lot in life, but her junior year at Sierra Vista High School feels like it could be different.

She's finally on the verge of a social breakthrough.

But when she gets publicly punked at her first party, she and her new friends find a creative way to use their shared obsession with knitting to exact sweet revenge.

And when their efforts lead to a lucrative business, Sarah knows she's set.

But when her deadbeat dad comes back around she starts to wonder if she should try for a different life, instead of following the paths her parents have chosen.

She'd always half thought her small-time knitting channel could grow into a big-time knitting channel, but maybe college as a backup plan isn't such a ridiculous idea, after all.

But is that something a girl like her can really make happen?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

 

To cope, I did what any reasonable person would have done—I holed up in my room after work and started a new series of knitted weapons. First I made a dagger because it seemed simplest, but it still took me a while. I stabilized it with cardboard from a cereal box.

 

Naturally, I recorded how to make it. I even demonstrated what I’d like to do with the dagger. Stabbity stab stab.

 

Screw everybody at school. My thousands of subscribers thought I was cool. There were more of them than students at the school.

 

Of course, the comments exploded with trolls from school, with things about my contortionist face. Which, again, was so stupid. Some of my regular followers were flip‐ ping out and fighting back. One of them said, “Do you know who you’re making fun of?” like I was a big-time celebrity. Someone else said, “I’d like to see *you* make a giant celeriac!” That cracked me up. Still, I had to turn comments off on my whole channel because of all the trolls, which sucked.

 

A couple days later I was called into the principal’s office. Mr. Peterson—a middle-aged balding man—gave me this stern look when I got there. I had to wait for my mom in this tacky and squeaky wooden chair with frayed blue fabric arms. My stomach was roiling while I waited, because I had no idea what was going on, and I’d never been in trouble before.

 

We went into his office, where they had matching wooden chairs.

 

“Sarah and Ms. Redmond, we take threats of violence very seriously here.”

 

 

Buy Links

Kindle

Nook

Kobo

Apple 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Kelly Vincent wrangles data weekdays and spends the rest of her time playing with words. She grew up in Oklahoma but has moved around quite a bit, with Glasgow, Scotland being her favorite stop. She now lives near Seattle with three cats who help her write her stories by strategically walking across the keyboard, with her first novel, Finding Frances, a fine example of this technique. She has a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth program.

 

Website

Blog

 

Social Media

Instagram

TikTok

Pinterest

Facebook

 

***************************************

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here

 

***************************************

Review:

4.25 out of 5 stars

 

always the new girl by Kelly Vincent follows teen Sarah Redmond as she struggles to fit into her life as her mother flits from one new guy to another all over the country. High school is tough enough without being the new girl, but add in bullying, finding a niche, and dealing with less-than-stellar-parents, and the stresses threaten to overwhelm. Sarah’s not a quitter, but her trust issues will have to be conquered if she’s ever going to grow into the person she’s meant to be.

 

This young adult story is both heartwrenching and heartwarming, but definitely makes one think about actions, consequences, and responsibility. It’s told in a slightly episodic fashion, so I suspect it was originally published in sections, as there’s a quick review at the beginning of each part. I was immediately drawn into Sarah’s world (and jealous that she’s so adept at knitting, which continues to confound me, lol) and sympathetic to her because of her insecure lifestyle due to her mother’s poor life choices. The cruelty of her peers was dismaying, but I cheered at the response crafted by Sarah and her newfound friends.

 

Sarah’s adventures were easy to follow, and the challenges she faced, even when they were of her own making, were realistic and compelling. As in life, there isn’t a fairytale ending, but rather one that will continue to evolve, hopefully in another book. This story underscores the need for kids to have a strong loving support system and someone they can trust wholeheartedly to provide them with a bedrock they can grow from as they navigate through their early years. I love that this message is conveyed in an entertaining story that is relevant and intriguing and will appeal to adults as well as teens. This is the first story I have read by this author, but I’ll definitely be on the lookout for others.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Beauty in the Beast by Emily-Jane Hills Orford (Spotlight, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Beauty in the Beast

by Emily-Jane Hills Orford

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE:   fantasy/science fiction

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Priya, a name that suggests beautiful. Amell, a name that suggests all powerful. One is a beautiful young lady; the other a beast. Their paths have crossed before, only Priya doesn’t remember Amell from her past. Or does she? And what does it all mean? The Amell she meets is part beast. So are the others at Castle Mutasim. Is she one of them, too? How can this be? What manner of creature would experiment on other living creatures, to mutate them into something bizarre and, sometimes, downright dangerous? Priya has to know. She wants to know. And she wants to make things right.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

 

“Wait!” she called out in vain, but it was too late. Her escorts had vanished. She was alone. In the forest. With a strange creature trekking ever closer. She could hear the crunching of underbrush. Was it Roderick? Wayne? Or the unknown? D’Sonoqua? “Wait!” She stood frozen in place. Unable to move. Her weeks of training useless, for here, in the moment of urgency, she couldn’t think of what to do. Mind freeze! Lifting her head slowly, she let out a wail of frustration, the volume of her voice matching the creature in pursuit. The crashing was mere feet away and yet, still, she saw nothing but the forest. The trees. The shrubs. The annoying vines and fallen branches which threatened, and did, trip her. Again.

 

And, finally, she knew what to do. She ran. There wasn’t room enough to spread her wings and fly. At least, she didn’t think so. Jumping to the lowest tree branch, she used her chimpanzee prowess to grab hold and swing. She gained momentum in the swaying motion and swung herself to the next branch. A little higher this time. A little lower the next. Until she found herself facing a long stretch of sand and gravel and the wide, open waters beyond.

 

The beach. They had been headed toward the beach. The ancient village had stood along this stretch. Nothing remained. Only sand. Gravel. And the flapping waves lapping against the shoreline.

 

She swung once more and landed in a thick, soft patch of sand. The crunching was still close. Behind her. All around her. It echoed in the open spaces. Was this a test? Had Roderick and Wayne been set up to abandon her here? To test her abilities? She didn’t have time to ponder the possibility. An ear-piercing shriek, mere feet behind, made her jump and set off in a burst of momentum. She ran toward the water and splashed in the incoming tide, leaving a sloshing sound in her wake as she plundered ever forward.

 

But the creature, whatever it was, continued its pursuit. She was the prize. The victim. And, before the beach ended, she felt something grab her firmly, swinging her body in a circular motion as a parent might spin a child for pleasure. Only this wasn’t pleasure. And she was being swung much higher, much faster, until with a single toss she landed wrapped around a furry set of shoulders, hands and feet firmly gripped. She tried to resist. No use. The grip was too tight. She tried to scream, but only earned a mouthful of rancid, fowl-smelling fur which made her gag.

 

The creature roared. Shrieked. Roared some more. And ran. The motion was jolting. Jarring. Priya bounced relentlessly, her body repeatedly bruised with each new contact it made with the creature as the two plunged back into the forest. As branches chortled against the two, Priya sought refuge by burying her head in the furry shoulder, breathing gently so as not to gag further at the stench. It was either that or have her head scraped to shreds by resisting tree appendages.

 

 

They tore deeper into the forest, up and down inclines until finally the creature stopped. Abruptly. Dropping Priya roughly to the ground.

 

 

Amazon link

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Emily-Jane Hills Orford is a country writer, living just outside the tiny community of North Gower, Ontario, near the nation’s capital. With degrees in art history, music and Canadian studies, the retired music teacher enjoys the quiet nature of her country home and the inspiration of working at her antique Jane Austen-style spinet desk, feeling quite complete as she writes and stares out the large picture window at the birds and the forest. She writes in several genres, including creative nonfiction, memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction. http://emilyjanebooks.ca

 

Facebook

Twitter: @ejhomusic

***************************************

 GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 The tour dates can be found here

Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate's Curse by Leah Cupps (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Harley James and the Peril of the Pirate's Curse

by 

Leah Cupps

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE: Middle Grade Fiction

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Will Harley find the magic pearl before Port Royal is destroyed?

 

Harley James, explorer and amateur cryptologist, has just arrived in Port Royal, Jamaica—home to the Caribbean’s famous sunken pirate city. Her latest mission? Prevent a mysterious, mythical blue pearl from being discovered and prevent city’s total destruction.

 

No sweat for an adventurer like Harley, right?

 

But just when Harley thinks she’s on the right track, everything she believes is turned upside-down. Her friends become enemies; her enemies become friends; and Harley isn’t sure who to trust—including the ghost who’s started following her around.

 

With time running out, Harley must rely on her codebreaking expertise to discover the truth, solve the riddles, and save the city from certain disaster!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

EXCERPT

 

Standing next to Dad was the captain of the ship, Tom. He was really tall—six foot something—and had teeth that lit up against his dark skin when he grinned.

I looked back toward the city of Port Royal, with all its boats and bustle. From where I stood, it was only about two inches tall on the horizon. Definitely far enough away that we weren’t going to crash into a wharf, especially with Captain Tom at the helm. Except for the fact that he was now standing next to me on the deck.

“Wait a minute,” I said, glancing at Tom. “If you’re here, who’s driving this thing?”

It’s bad enough being seasick, but being seasick on an out-of-control ship? That’s even worse, I thought.

“Oh, we’ll be fine for a bit,” Tom said. “This ship, she can almost steer herself.”

I clutched my stomach, not because I didn’t believe him but because another wave hit up against the ship, sending my guts into a nosedive.

Tom laughed. “You worried about your tummy? I have some tricks that may help. Walk with me.”

Dad nodded to me, signaling it was okay to follow. Dad is very overprotective of me, to the point where I get completely annoyed. Granted, I’m only eleven years old, but I am very capable of taking care of myself. In fact, last year, I saved the world from an army of Mayan zombies by stealing back a magical statue from a super bad guy.

The book is $.99 for a limited time

(please check price before purchase)

Amazon link 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Leah Cupps is an author, designer and entrepreneur. She came up with the idea for Harley James with her oldest daughter Savannah. Savannah had taken an interest in Mayan history and so the two of them worked together to come up with the idea for the first Harley James book; the Mystery of the Mayan Kings.

 

Leah lives in Indiana with her husband and three children. She is also the cofounder of Vision Forty Press, a small family owned publishing company.

  

Author website

 

 

Author social media links

Instagram

Facebook

********************* 

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here

Hugh by Gabbi Grey (Spotlight and excerpt) ADULT title

Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay

 

Hugh

ADULT title

by

Gabbi Grey

Single Dads of Gaynor Beach series

Hugh

 

Having spent more than twenty years as an emergency medicine physician in war zones around the world, I barely have a home to speak of. A daughter I didn’t know about has died and left a child behind, so I must get to Gaynor Beach, California to claim my granddaughter. Her temporary guardian is the first man to spark my interest in a very long time, but it would be inappropriate for me to have a relationship with this much-younger man.

 

Oscar

 

Gutted by my best friend’s death, I take solace in the daughter she left in my guardianship. I’ll protect this precious baby with all I have, and no one is going to take her away from me—least of all the man who turns up on our doorstep claiming to be her grandfather. Despite the resemblance, I plan to keep him at arm’s length. I’m going to show him how capable I am. But I might also lose my heart in the process.

 

 

This is an 85k word, hurt/comfort, interracial, age-gap, MM romance novel with a moderate amount of angst.

Add it to Goodreads

*******************

Exclusive Excerpt

 

I was having one of those days.

Marilee had been up most of the night running a fever.

Corey at daycare said in no universe was I allowed to bring a sick child in.

Jermaine, the pharmacist, had helpfully suggested something to bring down her fever.

If that hadn’t worked, I considered either calling her pediatrician or taking her to the hospital. Both of those options, however, meant running the risk they’d call Anthony, and in no way was I going to deal with that son of a bitch. If Marilee was in true danger? Of course. A fever of a hundred and one? Nope.

Having helped raise five kids came in handy sometimes. Sometimes I resented being the oldest and the most responsible, but other times I was grateful my mother forced me to learn. I planned on being the best parent to Marilee. I had a great example.

Too bad Mom lived in Los Angeles. Right now, as Marilee screamed her lungs out, I’d do anything for a helping hand.

The sound of car doors slamming penetrated above the baby’s wails.

I strode to the window and peeked through the gap in the drapes. Holding myself as still as possible, I groaned out loud.

 

Links:

Amazon US

Universal Book Link

KOBO

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Google Play

Smashwords

*********************

Bio

 

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Website

Newsletter sign-up

Personal links:

Website

Newsletter signup

Instagram

BookBub

Goodreads

Audible profile

Facebook (page)

Twitter