The Place Beyond Her Dreams by Oby Aligwekwe (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

The Place Beyond Her Dreams

by

Oby Aligwekwe

2021 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner for Young Adult Fiction!
2021 Indies Book of the Year Awards Finalist for Young Adult Fiction!
2021 Best Book Awards Finalist for Young Adult Fiction!

“We are most courageous at our weakest; when we believe we have faced what we fear the most and have nothing more to lose.”

Set against the backdrop of two warring towns, Oby Aligwekwe’s Young Adult debut—told from the viewpoint of her main character—is inspired by her West African heritage, fables, and spiritual beliefs. Ona’s journey reveals the power of choice, the true source of happiness, and, most importantly, the transformation one must go through to realize and eventually occupy their purpose.

At the sudden death of her grandfather, Ona’s pain transports her to mystical Luenah—a place of infinite possibilities, free of turf wars and other ills that plague the earthly dimension she lives in. In Luenah, where her grandfather awaits her, Ona learns she is an Eri, one bestowed with unique intuitive and spiritual gifts passed down from generation-to-generation.

On her 18th birthday, she returns to Luenah and is handed a box to deposit her "exchange" for love and happiness—her greatest desires. Burdened by her quest, Ona crosses paths with danger and heartbreak as the two men that love her dearly are viciously pitted against each other. As evil looms, she learns that dreams carry a hefty price, and no one is who they seem. Now, she must unmask the villain and save the one she loves, even at the risk of losing everything she holds dear.

“Young adults and older readers will be enchanted by this fantasy's magic, romance, and life lessons.” (Booklife by Publishers Weekly)

Excerpt

ONE MONTH AFTER my eleventh birthday, the desiccating north-east harmattan winds blew a flurry of red dust and some dirt as I walked into my grandfather’s compound. I sprinted in the opposite direction as I feared the tornado would carry me away to some unknown land where I could never see my grandparents again. It subsided as quickly as it had started, but it left behind particles of dust and dirt, making it hard for me to see. I managed to observe the blockage caused by cars parked haphazardly on the road facing the compound and extending into our driveway. It then made sense why my school bus driver had asked me to alight a block from my home. I was not happy about the fact that I had to walk. The dust had turned my white stockings a reddish-brown, which meant I wouldn’t receive my usual compliments from my grandfather, who often marveled at how my clothes always remained so clean even after a full day at school. Every day, I removed my stockings during the break period and put them back on after I had played with my friends—that’s how important their cleanliness, and my grandfather’s praise, was to me.

I got closer to the gate and discovered there were more important things to contend with than my stockings. A throng of visitors was inside the compound, some seated on benches, others leaning on their cars, and several more whispering in little circles. No one had noticed when I walked in. I felt invisible and remained so as I crept by the men and women that blocked the entrance to the staircase and every single stair, all the way to the landing.

I pushed and shoved countless times until I finally made it past the hallway that led to my grandmother’s private parlor. Stopping for a moment to catch my breath, I started to hear crying; something had gone seriously wrong.

Buy links:

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About the Author:

Oby Aligwekwe is the award-winning author of Nfudu, Hazel House, and The Place Beyond Her Dreams—her third novel and Young Adult debut. 

In 2021, The Place Beyond Her Dreams won the National Indie Excellence Awards in the Young Adult Fiction Category.

When Oby is not working on her day job or whipping up stories, she enjoys traveling to exotic locations and bringing pieces of her travel with her. She lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her family and supports her community through her charity Éclat Beginnings.

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Bake Believe by Cori Cooper (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Bake Believe

by 

Cori Cooper

 

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GENRE: Teen/YA

 

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BLURB:

 

Cat Anderson doesn't want much out of life. Give her a circle of friends to giggle with, a few boys to flirt with, a cute outfit, and she is good to go! She especially could care less about food.

 

But food, it turns out, is a very big deal.

 

In Cat's family there is a secret too fantastic to be real. Something happens when Cat bakes.

 

Something amazing.

 

Something impossible.

 

Can it be true? Or is it Bake Believe?

 

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EXCERPT

 

 

Excerpt

 

“Hey, Pen.” I step into the room and shut the door softly behind me.

 

“Hey.” She doesn’t turn away from the mirror. Her face is all scrunched up in concentration.

 

“You look good, you don’t even wobble when you hold that pose anymore.”

 

Penny grunts instead of responding with words. I know this is not the best time to bother her, but I also know she will feel much better if she eats one of these cookies.

 

“I made something for you.”

 

I hold up the plate of cookies with a huge grin, but she just sniffs. “Cookies? I can’t eat those before an audition. I will barf all over the floor.”

 

My smile drops. What will I do if she won’t try one? I chew my bottom lip, “Um, these are special cookies.” I wiggle the plate around while I use my best mystical, magical voice, like Robyn did.

 

Penny raises her eyebrows. “Do you think I’m four?”

 

I slump forward in defeat, “Come on Penny, just eat one. I’ll give you a dollar.”

 

“What?” She steps back, away from me, “You want to pay me? Why? What did you do to them?”

 

“Nothing,” I say, but the word comes out too stretched and kind of uncertain.

 

Penny crosses her arms and stares.

 

“Okay, fine, here’s the thing.” I jump off the bed, leaving the cookies behind, and proceed to tell Penny the entire story about our family legacy. She doesn’t say anything, just taps her toes like I am keeping her from her warmup.

 

Which, I am, actually.

 

“This isn’t a joke, Pen. It’s for reals.”

 

After a long pause Penny unfolds her arms to move them to her hips. “Really? That’s the truth? It sounds like make believe.”

 

“That’s what I thought too,” I place my hand flat on my heart, “But, it’s the total, honest truth.”

 

 

Amazon

Immortal Works Press

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

Since I was six years old I wanted to be a published Author. I still have all my early manuscripts, but don't ask to see them - my spelling was atrocious!

 

I'm a mama of four witty, movie quoting, awesome sauce kids - three teens and one preteen. Yes, they end up in my novels! Don't worry, names are changed to protect the innocent and everything is always GREATLY exaggerated! That's my super power.

 

I'm also wife to the cutest guy in the whole world. It's true! I'm not bias at all, really. We met in Middle School and got married after he served a mission for our Church. It's been a wild ride, but I wouldn't miss it for a plate full of Cinnamon Rolls.

 

Or anything else, actually!

 

I hope you have as much fun reading my stuff as I have writing it. The creative process is so fantastic, I just love every part of it!

 

 

Website

 

Facebook

 

Twitter

 

Instagram

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

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The tour dates can be found here

 

 

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4 out of 5 stars

 

Bake Believe by Cori Cooper tells the story of Cat, a young eighth grader who discovers the joys…and perils…of baking. She and her cousin Robyn learn family secrets that may not only change their relationships with their respective mothers but may have profound effects on their peers as well.

 

This charming young-adult fantasy story provides a new twist on the challenges of being a young teen. Although Cat has a close-knit family, she discovers that there’s a sobering reason for her mother’s eccentricities and that an amazing ability comes with significant consequences.

 

When I started reading, I was a little concerned by the sheer enthusiasm bubbling over as Cat faced the last day of summer, worried about looking good at the pool, and met a new boy. The wacky commentary she provides reminded me that it had been a very long time since I was her age, and I wondered if I could stand to continue to read the story, but I became drawn in as the events progressed. I had to laugh at the dramatics of worrying about the tardy bell and the fear of having to enter a classroom late, and the frantic search for a class that didn’t exist.

 

I love the family connections and closeness, and the descriptions of the various desserts that Cat prepares. Each chapter is titled with a different dish and the recipes make me think that even I can prepare these items, lol. There are cute tips in the recipes that make them fun to read even as they encourage anyone to try them, although they do assume that everyone has a stand mixer. The story gets more and more wacky, and although some things are resolved, there are definite indications that a sequel should be in the works.

 

I think this is a fun story for young adults and for budding cooks and I’m definitely in the mood for dessert!

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

 

The Next to Last Mistake by Amalie Jahn (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

The Next to Last Mistake

by

Amalie Jahn

Blurb:

Tess Goodwin’s life in rural Iowa is sheltered and uncomplicated. Although she chooses to spend most of her free time playing chess with her best friend Zander, the farm-boy from next door, her skills as a bovine midwife and tractor mechanic ensure that she fits in with the other kids at East Chester High. But when her veteran father reenlists in the Army, moving her family halfway across the country to North Carolina, Tess is forced out of her comfort zone into a world she knows nothing about.

Tess approaches the move as she would a new game of chess, plotting her course through the unfamiliar reality of her new life. While heeding Zander’s long-distance advice for making new friends and strategizing a means to endure her dad’s imminent deployment to the Middle East, she quickly discovers how ill-equipped she is to navigate the societal challenges she encounters and becomes convinced she’ll never fit in with the students at her new school.

When Leonetta Jackson is assigned as her mentor, she becomes Tess’s unexpected guide through the winding labyrinth of cultural disparities between them, sparking a tentative friendship and challenging Tess to confront her reluctant nature. As the pieces move across the board of her upended life, will Tess find the acceptance she so desperately desires?

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Excerpt

Mom smiles sympathetically and glances up, realizing I’ve stepped into the room. “Tess, did you know Alice’s family keeps a plot of farmland down the road on the other side of Spring Lake? You said you grow soybean and sorghum and cotton?”

Alice nods.

“Tell Tess about the farm’s history. It’s fascinating.”

I can’t imagine Alice, with her chewing gum and chic hairstyle and fitted slacks working on a farm. I slip onto the empty chair beside her as she begins to explain.

“The land was my great-great-grandfather’s, bought with his own wages after the emancipation. He was a butcher, not a farmer, but he kept the land planted every year for his kids to harvest. By hand, of course. Said he didn’t want them to forget where they came from. Said he wanted to make sure they had a physical connection to their past. Anyway, when he died, he passed the land and the tradition on to his kids, and my great-grandfather and great uncles did the same with their families. To this day, my dad plants every spring and my brother and I harvest every fall. It’s a small plot. Not nearly as big as the one my dad and his brothers and sisters picked, but still, it’s enough to get your muscles burning.” She holds out her hands, and I can make out scars on her fingertips. “My cousins are secretly plotting to sell their portion of the land once it’s our time, but who knows? I might join the Black Cotton movement.”

“Black Cotton?” I ask.

“Yeah, there’s this amazing fifth-generation cotton farmer here in North Carolina who started this company, Black Cotton, as a way for other black, small-acreage cotton farmers to sustain profitability. But they don’t sell the cotton to the clothing industry; they sell it as décor, like in bouquets and stuff.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Have you ever seen real cotton before? Like still on the stalk?”

I shake my head.

“Most people haven’t,” she says, smiling. “It’s actually quite beautiful. Maybe you’d like to help us with the harvest in the fall and you can see it for yourself?”

That Alice is willing to share this part of herself with me fills my farmer heart to overflowing. “I’d love that,” I tell her.

Smiling satisfactorily to herself, Mom backs out of the room. “I guess it’s a good thing Alice asked about our farm back in Iowa,” she says, revealing the origin of their conversation. “Kinda cool you both know a thing or two about agriculture.”

There’s a tug. The pull of an invisible connection strengthening the bond between us. I wonder how many threads it will take to seal our friendship and how many connections we’ll discover as the days go by. Surely there are others.



 Buy links:


Amazon-Kindle
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Barnes and Noble
Apple
Kobo


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About the Author:

Amalie Jahn is a USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 8 young adult novels, including The Next To Last Mistake, her latest release (Light Messages Publishing 2019). Amalie is the recipient of the Literary Classics Seal of Approval and the Readers' Favorite Gold Medal for her debut novel, The Clay Lion. She is a contributing blogger with the Huffington Post and Southern Writers Magazine, as well as a TED speaker, human rights advocate, and active promoter of kindness. She lives in the United States with her husband, two children, and three overfed cats.

When she's not at the computer coaxing characters into submission, you can find Amalie swimming laps, cycling, or running on the treadmill, probably training for her next triathlon. She hates pairing socks and loves avocados. She is also very happy time travel does not yet exist. Connect with her right here in the present day at these social media sites:


Website and Light Messages website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Visit her website to join Amalie’s FREE Readers Group and in addition to receiving promotional discounts, sneak peeks, and monthly newsletters, your membership will now grant you exclusive access to bonus material (shorts and novelettes) delivered right to your inbox!

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GIVEAWAY


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Amalie Jahn will be awarding a $20 mazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 


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Prophecy of Solstice's End by Diantha Jones (Cover Reveal) RBC

 

Prophecy of Solstice's End
Oracle of Delphi #3
By Diantha Jones  

BLURB:  Summer Solstice is here. Let the games begin. Nothing but lies (some of them her own) and deceit have brought Chloe to Olympus for the Solstice Olympic Games. As the Oracle and the special guest of the King of Myth, Chloe becomes immersed in a life of unfathomable luxury, taunting history, and overwhelming excitement. Though scheming and untrustworthy, the gods remain on their best behavior as the tension and anticipation builds around the outcome of the Quest of the Twelve Labors, the deadliest competition of the Games. All seems well on the celestial front...until athletes start turning up dead and a philosopher missing for months returns with a most terrifying story... But that’s not all. As Strafford confronts his troubled past and more is learned about the Great Unknown Prophecy, Chloe grows close to another, setting off a chain of events that will bring her face-to-face with a truth that will rock both of her worlds to their core. And it’ll all happen before Solstice’s end...

 Book Links: Amazon  | B&N | Goodreads


 

 





Author Bio: Diantha Jones loves writing fantasy books filled with adventure, romance, and magic. She's the author of the Oracle of Delphi series, the Mythos series, and the Djinn Order series (as A. Star). When she isn’t writing or working, she is reading or being hypnotized by Netflix. She is a serious night-owl and while everyone else is grinning in the warmth and sunlight, she’s hoping for gloominess and rain. Yeah, she’s weird like that.





 Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Goodreads (A. Star) | Amazon | Pinterest | DJ's Book Corner


 

Spirit of the Northwoods by Auria Jourdain (VBB, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

Spirit of the Northwoods

by Auria Jourdain

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GENRE: Young Adult

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BLURB:

Struggling to settle into a new school, junior Shannon Colfax finds herself entangled in a feud with popular football jock Brent Duray after he bullies her autistic twin brother, Shane. After an unlikely savior comes to her rescue—Brent’s friend, Cody Williams—the jock and his entourage devise an immediate retaliation plan: Duray promises to leave Shane alone if Shannon and Cody survive the infamous Paulding Light Challenge on Halloween night. Desperate for vindication, they take the dare...but are the local legends truly paranormal, or are they dealing with something more sinister?

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EXCERPT

“Bye Shanna!” Shane yelled again, looking at the ground as he waved at his sister.

“Bye, Shanna!”

 Shannon whipped around, ready to throttle the sarcastic bully that dared mock her brother.

“What an idiot! Who the hell would tease an autistic boy?” Christa stood on her toes, her lips lifting into a sneer. “Idiot is right. Look who it is!”

 As the culprit emerged from the crowd, Shannon glared at Brent Duray, the school’s most popular jock. His girlfriend, a petite cheerleader with blonde, blown out hair and a toothpick waist, walked next to him, smirking at Brent’s teasing. As usual, the arrogant football player’s entire entourage followed close behind—mostly members of the football team. Shannon balled up her fists and cursed under her breath.

Christa tossed her head, scoffing in derision. “Duray’s a jerk. Let it go, Shannon.”

The tall, blond boy sneered. “Yeah, Shanna, let it go.”

Shannon’s face flushed with anger as she glared at Brent menacingly. She and Brent had been oil and water from day one when she overheard him teasing her twin. The senior linebacker refused to back down, and they’d been mincing words ever since.

“Leave them alone, Brent. You are acting like an idiot.”

Glancing over Brent’s head, Shannon frowned, unable to recognize the voice that had called out from the back of the crowd. “Who is that?”

“Cody Williams!” Christa’s face lit up as Duray turned toward the dissenting voice, her excited whisper echoing in Shannon’s ear.

 Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

An avid reader from an early age, Auria Jourdain has fond childhood memories of spending quiet afternoons with a book in her hand. She loved the "happily ever after" sweet teen romances, and when she came of age, she plunged into the world of historical romance with fervor, transporting herself to a bygone time. Her favorites were Regency, but as a girl brought up in a common home, she was disheartened that most of the novels of this era focus on the nobility and wealth. Auria set out to write her own romance, encompassing her passion for French Revolutionary history and her innate sense of goodwill for the common man. An idealist at heart, she writes heroes and heroines that struggle to find acceptance in their world.

To go along with this theme, two years ago, Auria wrote a Young Adult novel during NaNoWriMo for her 17 year old autistic son who is struggling to make his own way in the world. Looking to educate people about this mysterious disorder, she wrote Spirit of the Northwoods for him and set it in their hometown in the Upper Peninsula. Her release coincides with Autism Awareness month, April 2016, and all proceeds for this novel will be donated to the Autism Society of America. Auria hopes that someday we can break down the social barriers and forgo stereotypical judgments that harm our world so that people like her son can form positive relationships with others.

Auria lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with her husband of twenty years, her four children (ages eight to eighteen), and two golden retrievers. A rather new transplant to the area, she loves the changing of the seasons, and she is currently working on a contemporary romantic suspense trilogy set in her rough and rugged homeland. Silence the Northwoods is set at a local ski resort in her hometown of Ironwood, Michigan—the ski capital of the Midwest. Silence the Waters takes place during the summer on the dangerous river ways that flow into Lake Superior in the Keweenaw Peninsula; and Silence the Birchwoods is an autumn tale set on Sugar Loaf Mountain, near Marquette, Michigan. All three involve murder, mystery, and romance, of course.

Auria spends her the long winters plotting and scheming her next book, and in the mild summers, she and her husband devote every waking moment hiking and kayaking the Northwoods. An amateur photographer, she lives fifteen miles from the shores of Lake Superior, and her muse has been piqued by the awe-inspiring beauty that surrounds her. Although she hasn’t officially acquired “Yooper” status yet, she can’t envision living anywhere else.



Find me here!

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The Runner and the Robber by Robert Sells (excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY) GFT

The Runner and the Robber

by Robert Sells

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GENRE: Young Adult

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BLURB:

His father is dead. Grandfather has Alzheimer’s. Mom can just pay the bills. And, Bill Taylor can’t run track and cross-country anymore. Could it get any worse? How about being threatened by an ex-con, fighting with a football player twice his size, and being involved with two murders?
One day, running back home from school Bill was nearly run over and accosted by a strange man. “Tell the old man he damn well better give up some of that the money. I want my cut and I’m coming to get it.”

Thus begins a search for three million dollars missing from a Brinks’ robbery twenty years in the past. Billy makes friends with Sarah Seeley, a classmate as impetuous as she was attractive. Sarah and Bill put the pieces of the puzzle together relying on a few clues and the fragmented memory of the addled brain of Gramps. Billy’s life gets even more complicated after encounters with the mafia who also have an interest in the money. Then there’s this problem with a serial killer. Billy is faced with one paramount question: will he and Sarah be the next victims?

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EXCERPT

I rose late Sunday morning, feeling sorry for myself.

Granddad was getting up and I angrily swung out of bed. Had to help with Gramps so I got him and myself ready for another dull day. Mom beamed brighter than the sunlight streaming in through the window.

“Hi, honey, how was your night?”

Annoyed that she seemed insensitive to my foul mood, I snapped at her.

“Oh, great Mom. Let’s see, I cleaned up Gramps ‘cause he can’t do it himself anymore. Then I laid on my bed since there’s nothing else to do. Oh, I did listen to the game on the radio and Rick Henson, Sarah’s boyfriend, you know the one I’m so much better than, well he scored three touchdowns. Good for him. Good for Sarah since she cheered each one. Great night,

just great.”

She was silent as she put blueberry pancakes in front me, real blueberries, and I realized I was a certified jerk. Gramps wasn’t the reason I was upset and the rest of what I said was just cheap shots. I was upset because I am such an incompetent dweeb when it comes to girls. I pushed the pancake around the plate.

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

She put her hand on my shoulder. “I know taking care of Gramps isn’t easy. But, we do what we have to do.”

“It’s not Gramps. It’s other things.”

“Like what?” she asked waving the red cape. I exploded again.

“Like I want to go back to Florida, Mom. I don’t like it here. I don’t fit in.”

Mom went back to the sink, her back to me, busying herself with the dishes. Her body was as rigid as two inch thick piece of oak plank. Her words, however, came out soft and understanding.

“I know it was unfair to you, Billy. But, we had to do it.”

Before I could dig my hole any deeper, Gramps shuffled into the kitchen. “Pancakes, Abby? Pancakes. Yum.”

He sat down smiling at me. He was a pain, but when he was in a good mood… well, you just felt better somehow. “I’ll get some for you, Gramps.”

I got a plate for him. Mom stayed at the sink, her shoulders slumping down, chin to her chest over the sink. She was taking a long time to clean the sink. I stepped behind her.

“Mom, I’m sorry. Again.”

She said nothing, but she wiped her nose with her sleeve. Great. Suspended, no girlfriend, no friends at all (I refused to count Jerry as a friend when I was in this mood), and I’ve succeeded in making my mother cry. Another banner day for William Taylor.

When Mom finally finished scrubbing the sink, she saw my full plate, and ordered me to eat my pancakes. With granddad slopping pancakes into his mouth and Mom bossing me around what passed for normalcy returned to the cabin.

After she cleared the plates off the table, she studied me. I looked away, momentarily closing my eyes. A lecture was coming.

“Billy, you’ve got to give this town a chance. Part of the problem is you. If you don’t make an effort to get out with your friends, you don’t have a chance here because you don’t give yourself a chance. In fact, Sarah is the only the friend you’ve ever invited to the house. I’m home all day, so why don’t you call up somebody else and do something with them.” 

I bit my tongue hard, stood up and looked at frost on the ground, just now glistening as it melted. I didn’t want to tell Mom I had no friends. This early morning brush fire would turn into a raging forest fire if I told her the truth. So, I simply pushed the problem to later.

“Maybe you’re right, Mom. I think I’ll first just go for a run this morning. Then I’ll try to catch up with someone. Gotta catch up on some school work too.”

Mom tilted her head and scrutinized me with narrowed eyes. That I capitulated so quickly made her suspicious. She knows me too well. Her mouth opened to say something when a knock at the door diverted her attention. 

The Ebook can be purchased for $0.99 during the tour.

Amazonr

   

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I attended college at Ohio Wesleyan where I struggled with physics. Having made so many mistakes in college with physics, there weren’t too many left to make and I did quite well at graduate school at Purdue.   

I worked for nearly twenty years at Choate Rosemary Hall, an exclusive boarding school in the heart of Connecticut. More often than not, students arrived in limousines. There was a wooded area by the upper athletic fields where I would take my children for a walk. There, under a large oak tree, stories about the elves would be weaved into the surrounding forest.

Returning to my home town to help with a father struggling with Alzheimer’s, the only job open was at a prison. There I taught an entirely different clientele whose only interaction with limousines was stealing them. A year later Alfred State College hired me to teach physics. I happily taught there for over ten years.

My wife’s boss, the superintendent of a rural school in western New York, begged me to teach physics and earth science. Helping young high school students was particularly appealing to me at this point in my career and the salary was more than reasonable, so I find myself happily teaching at Mt Morris Central School.

Five years ago, my wife pestered me about putting to “pen” some of the stories which I had created for the children and other relatives. I started thinking about a young boy and a white deer, connected, yet apart. Ideas were shuffled together, characters created and the result was the Return of the White Deer. This book was published by the Martin Sisters.

Years ago I gave a lecture on evolution. What, I wondered, would be the next step? Right away I realized that silicon ‘life’ had considerable advantages over mortal man. Later this idea emerged as the exciting and disturbing story called Reap the Whirlwind.

Two years ago I stumbled upon an old article in the local paper about a Brinks’ robbery in 1992.  Apparently over ten million dollars were stolen and most of it was never recovered. Although the mafia was peripherally involved in the heist, it was unlikely they took the missing millions. This was the seed which has now grown into the young adult novel, The Runner and the Robber. 

I have many other stories inside my mind, fermenting… waiting patiently for the pen. Perhaps someday I will even write about those elves which still inhabit the woods in the heart of Connecticut.

Blog/website

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GIVEAWAY

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My review:

 

4 out of 5 stars

The Runner and the Robber by Robert Sells is a young adult story that centers around William (Bill) Taylor, who has moved with his widowed mom to New York so they can take care of his paternal grandfather, who has Alzheimer’s. A high school junior, Bill has not really made any friends except for an eighth-grader, so he is startled when his chemistry partner, Sarah, gradually starts insinuating herself into his life. A mystery involving a decades-old crime seems to snowball and Bill finds himself driven to solve it, not least due to Sarah’s interest. Unfortunately, there are others interested in the case, and the danger escalates until it becomes apparent that Bill has more friends than he realizes—and he’s going to need help from almost all of them!

There are quite a few themes addressed in this young adult mystery story, including the trauma of dealing with a parental death, the challenges presented by the costs of extensive medical care, the difficulties and sacrifices inherent in caring for an Alzheimer’s sufferer, teen angst and new love, and, oh yes, the dangers of trying to solve a crime that involves REALLY dangerous folks! 

The story starts a little slowly and gradually gets more and more outrageous, but I think that adds to its charm.  Watching the blossoming of young love mixed with the challenges of being the new kid at school is heartwarming, as is the obvious love that accompanies the sacrifices to care for Bill’s grandfather.  Bill is a guy with hidden talents, as becomes apparent while the story unfolds and I love his humility and tenacity.  The surprising connections to unsavory individuals and the unexpected ethical challenges that are faced provide a thought-provoking story while the mounting tension and exciting situations that lead up to the climax keep one enthralled until the final feel-good ending.  Unfortunately, there were some editing issues which got a little distracting at times, but the overall story was entertaining and positive.

A copy of this story was provided to me for review