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:
Author: Maura Jortner
Pub. Date: June 20, 2023
Publisher: Holiday House
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 227
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 25th, midnight EST
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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7/10/2023 |
Excerpt |
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7/10/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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7/11/2023 |
Excerpt |
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7/11/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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7/12/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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7/12/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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7/13/2023 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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7/13/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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7/14/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
This sounds like a book kids will really enjoy. What kid wouldn't want to live at an amusement park, at least for awhile? Thanks for featuring it this week.
ReplyDeleteThe cover and synopsis are intriguing and I'm excited to read more!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting environment to place a story. And then there's the whole Cat-and-Mouse theme...
ReplyDeleteI've heard really good things about this book, Brenda, and the excerpt you shared is really compelling! Thanks so much for highlighting this story!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this enticing story on MMGM. Living at an amusement park will be a great draw for young readers to seek this one out. Loved the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds such an unusual and intriguing (maybe slightly scary!! :) ) premise for a book, I've read some super revies of the book too. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI've been hearing about this book and really want to read it. The title is great and really caught my interest. Thanks for your review and a chance to win.
ReplyDelete