It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with a review of A Vanishing of Griffins by S.A. Patrick

A VANISHING OF GRIFFINS (Songs of Magic #2) by S.A. Patrick
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company
Format: E-ARC
Number of Pages: 400
Published: May 2nd, 2023
Source:  Publisher via Edelweiss+ for Book Tour with Rockstar Book Tours

Opening Lines:  "Ten years ago, an evil Piper stole the children of Hamelyn.  They were never seen again.  Then the same Piper stole a hundred dragon children, and they too disappeared forever." 

A Darkening of Dragons is the first book in the Songs of Magic series.  It's a retelling of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.  I recall that there were many twists and turns and lots of adventuring with moments of danger.  

A Vanishing of Griffins picks up right after the events in the first book.  S.A. Patrick does a wonderful job of reintroducing the characters and provides a lovely recap.  So far, the plot involves Patch Brightwater (a disgraced 13-year-old Piper in training), Wren (a girl who has been cursed into the shape of a rat), and Barver (a dracogriff), foiling the plans of the Pied Piper and preventing him from building his mind controlling device.  The Pied Piper is then locked up deep in the dungeons of Tiviscan Castle, only to later not only escape death, but to be alive and plotting his revenge.  From there the plot branches off into mini subplots involving investigating a murder, tracking down the Pied Piper's next moves, trying to locate the Sorcerer who cursed Wren and complete his wishes in order to lift Wren's curse, rescuing Erner from mercenary pirates, and finally understanding a prophecy that involves a betrayal of trust.  I would highly recommend starting with the first book in the series, even though I found the recap to be very helpful.

There are a lot of subplots going on at once that take the story in many different directions.  Some, like searching for a rare and unusual book seemed to slow the story down.  While others like the battles and rescues added lots of action.  I felt like Patch's character was being fleshed out a little more in this book.  He experiences a lot of guilt over the events in the first book, no spoilers from me, and tries to make amends.  I also enjoyed that there is a resolution to Wren's curse and how they are all reunited with Erner.  The friendship between these characters is what really comes through when reading.  How they will endure most any hardship in order to help one another out.  One even willing to sacrifice themselves in order to save the rest.  But that ending, why?  Why another cliffhanger?  Although, it does now have me eager for the release of A Thunder of Monsters.   

   I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog HERE  

Blog Tour for Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup by Zira Nauryzbai, Lilya Kalaus. Translated by Shelley Fairweather-Vega

Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup by Zira Nauryzbai & Lilya Kalaus.  Translation by Shelley Fairweather-Vega
Publisher:  Amazon Crossing Kids
Format:  E-ARC via Edelweiss+
Number of pages: 316 pages
Publishing:   August 1st, 2023
Source:  Blue Slip Media 

Opening Line: "Batu should have been relieved." 

A warrior’s power lies not in his weapons but in his heart. Batu is just an ordinary kid in present-day Almaty, worried about bullies, school, and his mom’s new baby…until the day he meets Aspara, the Golden Warrior. Aspara steps straight out of Batu’s notebook cover―and out of Kazakhstan’s past. Aspara has been waiting hundreds of years to be summoned to the human world and to finally get his chance to search for the Golden Cup, a magical talisman sent down from the heavens. When the Golden Cup was lost, Aspara watched as many of his friends and family were killed or disappeared. Craving adventure and a sense of purpose, Batu sets out with Aspara and his own friends to find the Golden Cup, plunging them into an adventure through a world where myths come alive. But there are others looking for the Cup, and they’ll do anything to make sure the kids fail. Will Batu and his friends make it out alive (and make it home in time for dinner)?

Reviews: 

 “A promising series opener that journeys into a thrilling world.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Fans of fantasy adventures such as the Pandava series and Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond will enjoy the easy-to-root-for characters and familiar tropes that populate this action-packed tale.” ―Publishers Weekly

My Review:  

Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup is the first book I've read that is based off of Kazakhstan mythology, weaving together the Asian and Russian influences of the region, Kazakh words and the historical elements of their conflicts with Russia.  This reminded me a lot of Aru Shah and the End of Time with its brightly colored cover and promise of adventure.  It also has strong themes of honor, bravery, kindness and courage.

I wish I was less conflicted with Batu's character; he was not entirely likeable and tended to behave in a similar manner to the boy that was bullying him. Batu also appeared at times to be indifferent to his friends attempts to communicate with him.  Lacking patience, he even verbally lashed out at them.  On the other hand, he does appear to sort of apologize and does seem to have a great respect for his family, elders and their traditions.  I especially liked how protective he was about his sibling.  But I also couldn't help thinking that he didn't really personify the character traits of a great warrior, despite Aspara thinking he was one.  Batu instead played along, pretending that he could do all of these wonderful feats.  Even though, Batu had never been properly trained and seriously lacked the self-confidence.  So yeah, a little conflicted about my feelings towards him. 

Despite this minor quibble, I quite enjoyed the adventure.  Especially the use of the Dombya, a musical instrument that when played while standing in a doorway, opens doors between worlds allowing Batu to freely pass into the past.  The inclusion of information about the frets on an instrument and how important they are to the stringing of the cords was interesting.  And I enjoyed how the story emphasized the importance of storytelling and passing on these cultural myths.  Overall, this was a very unique setting and a wonderful introduction into the Kazakh culture, their history and mythology.  At times I would have liked a few more details as I wasn't familiar with the folklore, but it also encouraged me to look for the details online for things I wanted to learn more about.  This is the first book in the authors series to be translated from Russian, and hopefully we'll see further books in the series in the future. 

About the authors:  

Lilya, left and Zira on the right

Zira Nauryzbai is a writer and cultural anthropologist. She is the author of multiple books and of more than three hundred articles, all written in Russian. She is also a translator from Kazakh into Russian. She is the coauthor, with Lilya Kalaus, of Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup (and its sequels), which was a bestseller in Kazakhstan. Links to her publications can be found at www.otuken.kz. She is currently based in Astana, Kazakhstan. In her free time, Zira volunteers in the search for petroglyphs, rides horses, and practices shooting from a traditional Turkic bow.

Lilya Kalaus is a philologist, author, literary editor, scriptwriter, radio presenter, visual artist, and creative writing teacher from Almaty, Kazakhstan. Her stories and narratives have been published in various magazines and online periodicals in Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Germany, Ukraine, and the US. Lilya is the author of seven books, both for kids (together with Zira Nauryzbai) and for adults. Batu and the Search for the Golden Cup was a bestseller in Kazakhstan and became a series that now includes three books. Lilya is a member of the Writers’ Union of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh PEN Club, and she runs her own publishing company. Learn more at www.kalaus.tilda.ws.

Shelley Fairweather-Vega is a translator who works from Russian and Uzbek into English. She has translated for attorneys, academics, authors, and activists around the world. Her translated works have been published in the US and UK, and in the Critical Flame, Translation Review, Words Without Borders, the Brooklyn Rail, and more. Shelley is a past president of the Northwest Translators and Interpreters Society and a cofounder of the Northwest Literary Translators. She lives in Seattle, where she also plays the French horn and is helping raise two kids and a cat. Learn more at www.fairvega.com.

It's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with a review of Jett Jamison and the Secret Storm by Kimberly Behre Kenna

 

Jett Jamison and the Secret Storm by Kimberly Behre Kenna
Publisher:  Black Rose Writing
Format:  Paperback
Number of pages: 174 pages
Publishing:   August 3rd, 2023
Source:  Book Forward

Opening Lines: "I stand on tiptoe and reach way up past the everyday graffiti, past the proclamations about who loves who and cartoon sketches of the most unpopular teachers."

At the beginning of the story Jett is hiding out in a restroom at school making a new hashmark on the bathroom door.  A tally that represents each day she's escaped into the silence of the restroom and given herself a chance to reset, to be brave.  Jett experiences a lot of anxiety and has difficulty in situations with a lot of noise.  Certain smells and even a jet flying overhead cause her senses to go into overload.  The worst are the voices in her head.  During these times it's all she can do but escape to a place of solitude.  Her home life is no different from school, with twin brothers and parents who believe in flexibility, while Jett likes things to be organized, to follow a list and a schedule.  

Jett's second sanctuary is the library, but now that some rowdy high school girls have started playing chess there, her quiet has been disrupted again.  Soon Jett finds herself in a church garden, where she meets a nun, Sister Gia.  Jett starts to volunteer and the two begin to chat.  The more that Jett gets to know Sister Gia, the more she finds herself opening up to the sister about her problems and the voices that she's been hearing.  Sister Gia suggests a book to Jett that might help her and as luck would have it there is a single copy at the local library.  Unfortunately, the copy is so marked up that she can hardly figure out what the story is about and why Sister Gia thought this specific book would be of help to her in the first place.  And mysteriously someone takes the book she was looking at before she even has the chance to check it out.

Jett begins to research the book and finds that many people in town don't approve of it, but who would go to such great lengths as to steal the book?  As Jett begins to dig for answers, she gets drawn into a censorship battle with a local radio host and unwittingly unmasks the author of the book.  Embolden by this new found information, Jett plans to face her fears and reveal the secret that she's been hiding inside.

 From the author of Artemis Sparkle and the Sound Seekers Brigade comes the second book in the Brave Girls collection.  And oh, what a powerful story this is.  It tackles such tough subjects as censorship, the banning of books and the trauma experienced following a sexual assault.   I've come to enjoy all of Kenna's books in this series, she writes stories to embolden girls and to let them know that they're not alone.  In Jett Jamison and the Secret Storm, she illustrates the changes that can happen when you speak freely and share your thoughts with others.  For in her conversations with Sister Gia, Jett becomes aware of the memories that she's been suppressing for so long and is finally able to confront them.  I just love stories like this that can show the reader that they are not alone.  That there can be a path to recovery.  I also really enjoyed that the book included a blank page in the back for the reader to share their own story, to essentially add to the book.  Also including in the author's note that she too had experienced the same trauma as Jett and how she was so encouraging of others to seek out help by offering resources of places to contact.  Overall, a very powerful story delicately presented, I highly recommend it for middle grade readers.  

I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog HERE

The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter

The Great Texas Dragon Race by Kacy Ritter
Publisher:  Clarion Books
Format:  E-ARC via Netgalley
Number of pages: 400 pages 
Publishing:  August 1st, 2023 
Source:  Grace Fell from SparkPoint Studio

Opening Line:  "This could be the moment I die."

Thirteen-year-old Cassidy Drake lives on her family's dragon sanctuary with her dad and Gran, their ranch helps to rehabilitate dragons that have been injured by working for FireCorp.  Cassidy's primary goal has been to compete in the annual Great Texas Dragon Race, a weeklong event that combines high speed dragon racing across the desert with a scavenger hunt, it's more of a test of survival than an actual race.  It's also the race her mother was famous for having won, before she died.  Her family, the ranch and the dragons that they help protect are the most important things to Cassidy.  She would do anything for them, even entering the competition despite her dad's objection.  This year it's more important than ever, what with their sanctuary now in danger because of an increase in their annual fees levied against them, and Gran's recent hospitalization that has caused their debts to pile up.  If they can't get their hands on some cash fast, Michael Carne from FireCorps will take over their ranch and Cassidy risks having her dragons owned by him again.  A fate that she can't bear.  So, when Cassidy learns that this year's prize is worth two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollars, there is no way she can refuse to race.  With a little help from Gran, Cassidy enters the competition where a set of grueling tasks awaits that will push her to her limits and beyond.  While the other dragons may tower over her and Ranga, Cassidy's dragon has speed and agility.  But it just might not be enough when the other competitors begin to play dirty, even going so far as to dope their dragons with steroids.  Can Cassidy stand up to the other competitors and win the race?  Well, you'll just have to read to find out.  

The Great Texas Dragon Race is one of those books that takes you completely by surprise, in such a good way.  The stakes are high for Cassidy not only does she have so much to prove to herself, but she also wants to protect her family.    She's kind of outnumbered and racing against bigger dragons and competitors who try to bully and intimidate her.  Competitors that have all the right equipment and who take every shortcut they can find.   I just love her spirit and drive to do better for her dragons and ranch.  Initially, she doesn't trust the other competitors, well some she shouldn't, but I really liked how she ends up opening up to them more and more.  Especially the relationships she ends up forming with Ash and Laura. Oh, and this race, I'm glad that they had to stop for rest stops, I needed the little breather between all the high paced action.  LOL Defiantly a high stakes race with lots of interesting tasks to complete and danger at every turn.  Just loved it. 

I also quite enjoyed this world that Ritter created and the mix of the Texas desert with dragons.  The sense of Cassidy's Texas morals, where there's expressions like "all hat and no cowboy," and "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps." Somehow you think it's not going to work, but then you're getting all caught up in the story and finding yourself rooting for Cassidy too.  And dragons, who doesn't love racing dragons?  Which sounds fantastical and dangerous and so exciting.   The illustrations of the dragons at the front of the book were really handy, but I sure would've loved seeing them intermixed into the story.  Reading this you sense all the power, speed and beauty of the dragons, but to have the illustrations right with the text would have been perfect.  They can also be fierce and loyal, the comradery that is shared between rider and their dragon was so lovely to behold. 

Finally, I really enjoyed the messaging in the story.  How it's important not to make assumptions, and sometimes we need to try and put ourselves in someone else's shoes.  To see their perspective.  How it is "our choices that reveal our character" and sometimes we have to give up what we want in order to do the right thing.  To have courage and fight for the things that we believe in.  Just a fabulous story that is exciting, and fits this description, " Wings of Fire meets Hunger Games."  A debut not to be missed.   

Blog Tour for THE SINISTER SECRETS OF SINGE by Sean Ferrell with Excerpt + Giveaway

I am excited to be hosting a spot on the THE SINISTER SECRETS OF SINGE by Sean Ferrell Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

                                                                                         About the Book:

Title: THE SINISTER SECRETS OF SINGE
Author: Sean Ferrell
Pub. Date: June 6, 2023
Publisher: Pixel+Ink
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 384
Find it:  Goodreads

The Wild Robot meets Sweet Tooth in the first book in a sweeping adventure series packed with robots, smugglers, battles, and a lonely boy trying to find where he fits in the world.

Eleven-year-old Noah has grown up in a mysterious house that grows larger every night with only his mother and a robot-boy for company. He spends his days building robotic devices for the city of Liberty, a place he’s not even allowed to visit—not since his father almost destroyed it when Noah was only a baby.

When Noah discovers a message hidden in one of his father's inventions, he decides to run away to find him. He’s sure that at his father’s side he’ll finally get the recognition he deserves. With the help of a band of smugglers (especially unofficial second in command, young Winona), he sails to Singe to rescue his father, who he’s certain is as misunderstood as he is, but the man he finds there is even more  of a monster than his mechanical creations. And when Noah returns home, he accidentally leads his father’s robot army to Liberty once more. 

Now, it’s up to Noah to rescue the city—but to do so, he’ll have to make a terrible choice.

Reviews:

"A boy’s determined search for his father lends emotional heft to this steampunk-inflected series starter. . . . Tackling questions about sacrifice and sentience, this speculative enterprise, accompanied by Carter’s moody illustrations, offers melancholic refinement. . . ."—Publishers Weekly

"Ferrell opens this exciting new middle-grade adventure series with a bang. . . . Lush world building and an action-packed storyline will prove perfect for fans of book franchises such as A Series of Unfortunate Events. With a plot that never fails to lose steam, accompanied by Carter’s eerie illustrations, Noah’s origin story is one that fans of adventure and mystery ought not to miss."—Booklist

"This high adventure veers between fast action sequences and stolid instances of emotional development."—Foreword Reviews
 
"An impressively descriptive story. . . ."—Kirkus Reviews

 

The Sinister Secrets of Singe

By Sean Ferrell

Excerpt for Rockstar Book Tours

Excerpt from The Sinister Secrets of Singe / Text copyright © 2023 by Sean Ferrell. Reproduced with permission from Pixel+Ink. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Noah lived in a house that grew larger at night. It was the only place he was allowed.

Crashing and hammering and sawing echoed through the spiraling rooms as he slept. During the day, his chores kept him distracted. In his spare time, he daydreamed at the windows about the trees and the hill and the city beyond and wondered if he might ever get to see them up close. He knew he wouldn’t. It wasn’t allowed. 

After dark, the noises let him know the house was growing—that it was a mysterious,

living thing. Most nights, the noises broke into his dreams. He felt the thuds and crashes

as if he were dancing with giants. On nights when the noises woke him—an exceptionally large thud, or a ceiling shaking rattle—he would lie awake for hours, listening. In the dark, he’d imagine what the new rooms and halls would look like. Enough rooms had been added to the house throughout the years that he’d learned what to expect. Each room joined to the previous at a slight angle. Each floor spiraled above the previous, the rooms oddly shaped, the spiral getting wider as the house rose higher. 

When the noises woke him, he usually drifted back to sleep slowly, as slowly as

the house grew. 

At least, that’s how it used to be. This night was different. This night, it was the quiet

that startled Noah from his sleep. The harder he strained to catch the now-familiar

bangs and whirs, the harder his mattress felt. 

He sat up slowly to adjust his pillow, careful to make no sound that he was awake. 

Almost instantly, heavy robotic footsteps clicked toward the bed. 

“You are not sleeping,” Elijah said. “It is night, and you are not asleep.” The ticking

of the robot caretaker’s gears and the occasional singing of his springs revealed Elijah’s

location. “You should sleep at night.” 

Elijah was always repeating Marie’s rules and warnings. 

The robot walked to the side of the bed. Noah didn’t need light to know Elijah

was worried. Light would only show the robot’s face—the face of a boy about Noah’s

age, unmoving and expressionless and cast from iron. Elijah’s expressions came from the speed of his clockwork ticking, not the furrow of a brow. 

Noah listened to the house he knew so well. Beyond Elijah’s ticking, there wasn’t

a sound. But Noah didn’t need to see the house to know it. After all, it was the only place

he’d ever been, home only to his mother Marie, Elijah, and himself—three small figures in a giant, spiraling space. Yet until this night, with its unsettling quiet, it had never occurred to Noah how room after room of it was empty. 

Now he could think of nothing else. 

 

About Sean Ferrell:

Sean Ferrell lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He writes stories about children and adults who don’t understand why they keep getting into trouble. Sometimes those stories are for adults. Sometimes for children. His work is usually speculative in nature. His shorter writing has appeared in journals and magazines such as Electric Literature’s “The Outlet” and The Adirondack Review. 

Visit him online at www. seanferrell.com

Sign up for Sean’s newsletter! (scroll to the bottom)

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

About The Illustrator:

Graham Carter can often be found printmaking, sketching, or making a mess in his studio. He was recently shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. He lives in Seaford with his wife and sons.

Visit him online at www.graham-carter.co.uk

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE SINISTER SECRETS OF SINGE, US Only.

Ends July 25^th, midnight EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/10/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt/IG Post
7/10/2023	Character Madness and Musings	Excerpt/IG Post
7/11/2023	Log Cabin Library	Excerpt
7/11/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
7/12/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
7/12/2023	@hodophile_z	Review/IG Post
7/13/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
7/13/2023	@jlreadstoperpetuity	Review/IG Post
7/14/2023	@aportaltomagic	IG Review
7/14/2023	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post

Blog Tour for 102 DAYS OF LYING ABOUT LAUREN by Maura Jortner with an Excerpt + Giveaway

Today, I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the 102 DAYS OF LYING ABOUT LAUREN by Maura Jortner Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

                                                                                About the Book:

Title: 102 DAYS OF LYING ABOUT LAUREN
Author: Maura Jortner
Pub. Date: June 20, 2023
Publisher: Holiday House
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 227

Find It:  Goodreads

After being abandoned by her mother in a most unusual place, a defiant heroine sticks to her plan for staying hidden—even though getting caught could mean saving her life.

Twelve-year-old Mouse calls an amusement park home.

Nobody notices her, and that's the way she likes it. Mouse sweeps the streets and wears a uniform she “borrowed” and sleeps on the top floor of the Haunted House of Horrors. She knows which security guards to avoid, eats the bagel left out each morning for the Ghost of Summer (a popular theme park legend), and even has the taco guy convinced that her lunch is paid for. She has her special hiding methods down to a science. 

But one morning, a girl named Cat comes looking for Lauren Suszek. Cat notices her, and Mouse doesn’t like it. Mouse cannot let this nosy pest find out who she really is! If Mouse gets discovered living in the park, Mama might come back for her, and Mouse doesn’t want that. Or—even worse?—Mama might not come back at all. 

Mouse knows she can lose this girl without blowing her cover. She just has to follow her rules. A carefully constructed life in the park is all she needs. Right? 

Anchored by memorable characters and an extraordinary setting, Maura Jortner’s brilliant debut novel is bursting with grit, humor, and heart.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection 

Reviews:

"Debut author Jortner’s writing is smooth and interesting. . . ."—Kirkus Reviews

"A moving debut from Jortner that retains a sense of adventure while lightly exploring an experience of abandonment."—Publishers Weekly

"Mouse is a main character to root for—with plenty of spunk, humor, and heart." —Ben Guterson, Edgar Award-nominated author of Winterhouse

"Hilarious, absorbing, and immensely endearing, here is a story that will have your whole heart. This book is alive with 'Park Magic.'" —Chris Baron, author of Sydney Taylor Notable Book The Magical Imperfect
 
"Told with the feel of a classic, 102 Days of Lying about Lauren is a truly special book full of hope, friendship, and heart—all the things you need to weather the worst of storms." —Ally Malinenko, author of Ghost Girl

 

102 Days of Lying About Lauren 

By Maura Jortner

Excerpt for Rockstar Book Tours

Excerpt from 102 Days of Lying About Lauren / Text copyright © 2023 by Maura Jortner. Reproduced with permission from Holiday House Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Every morning, the skeleton-rooster let out a cock-a-doodle-doo that could shake

a person to their very core. It was so loud you could hear it all the way to the long line of silver turnstiles where the guests waited to get into this amusement park. That rooster clung to his perch on top of the Scary Farmhouse with the nastiest pair of bony rooster feet you ever saw. The Scary Farmhouse was two attractions down from the Haunted House of Horrors, so I considered him a neighbor. I called him Mr. Noisy McSkinnyBones. I thought it was funny, and I tried to hold on to a sense of humor, despite everything. 

Normally, when I heard Mr. Noisy McSkinnyBones give everyone that Wake up now! farmhouse shout, I was already sneaking past the Bloody River Rapids ride, edging my way along the outer wall of the park. Today, though, when he let his cock-a-doodle-doo rip, I was still lying on the floor with a thin beach towel tucked under my head, holding my old Barbie doll close to my face. 

The Barbie’s name was Pretty Dolly because (1) I got her when I was really

little, and (2) no one around me had the guts to argue. Heck, no one said a word

about it. Life is tragic sometimes, I guess. 

The towel I had was threadbare in places, but it was long enough to wrap

around my neck and tuck under my head, so I pretended it was a blanket

and a pillow. If anyone asked, I was all set. I had a blanket and a pillow, thank you

very much. I was fine. 

When the last notes of Mr. Noisy McSkinnyBones’s call faded into the morning

air, I jolted up so fast both the towel and Pretty Dolly went flying. What the cream

cheese and jelly? Why was I still sleeping? If the skeleton-rooster was cock-a-

doodle-dooing, it had to be seven thirty—a half hour before the guests would

arrive—and if it was seven thirty, I had overslept. A lot. 

Crap weasels with skinny, scary chickens on top. 

I would have run to the small window that hung on the east wall and looked

out, but that would break rule #4— Don’t look out the window—and those rules

had been written for important reasons, so I stopped myself and did the next-best

thing. I took a few steps back. When you stood at just the right spot in this

attic-like room and held your neck at just the right angle, you could see the

sky outside. 

                           About Maura Jortner:

Maura Jortner teaches creative writing and literature at Baylor University. She lives in Texas with her husband, two daughters, and a cat that can do tricks. Though she doesn’t do big roller coasters, she loves a good haunted house attraction. This is her debut novel. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of 102 DAYS OF LYING ABOUT LAUREN, US Only.

Ends July 25^th, midnight EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/10/2023	Log Cabin Library	Excerpt
7/10/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
7/11/2023	Character Madness and Musings	Excerpt
7/11/2023	A Dream Within A Dream	Excerpt/IG Post
7/12/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
7/12/2023	amandainpa	Review/IG Post
7/13/2023	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
7/13/2023	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
7/14/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post