FAR OUT!

 

by

 

Anne Bustard

 

 

Children’s Historical Fiction / Family / Mystery / Humor / Sci-Fi Inspired / 8-12 years

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Date of Publication: April 18, 2023

Number of Pages: 224 pages

 

 

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From the author of Blue Skies comes a lively middle grade novel set in 1960s Texas about a young, alien-loving girl trying to clear her grandmother’s good name in this mystery that has humor, hijinks, and heart in equal measure.

It’s 1964, the Space Race is well underway, and eleven-year-old Magnolia Jean Crook and the other residents of Totter, Texas, are over the moon about UFOs.

The whole town is gearing up for the First Annual Come on Down Day—in just one week, they are hoping to host any and all space aliens who would like to visit Earth. But right before the kick-off party, a meteorite goes missing—and MJ’s beloved grandmother Mimi, who is the vice president of the Totter Unidentified Flying Object Organization, is the prime suspect.

MJ is desperate to show the town that this Crook is not a thief. The only problem is that there is a lot of evidence against her, and Mimi herself isn’t helping things. She’s acting suspiciously, pulling disappearing acts, and worst of all, can’t seem to answer any questions about where she was or what she was doing.

But much like UFOs, extraterrestrial visitations, and sending people to space, the impossible has been known to happen.

 

 

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Author Anne Bustard’s Playlist to Far Out!

 

LISTEN HERE FOR FREE ON SPOTIFY!

 

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“Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” by Bing Crosby

“Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis

“Please Mr. Postman” covered by The Beatles (referenced in the book), original by The Marvelettes

“Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley

“Telstar” by The Tornadoes

“Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles

“Can’t Buy Me Love” by The Beatles

“Jarabe Tapatío” composed by Jesús González Rubio

“Hawaiian Wedding Song” sung by Elvis

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Bustard is the former co-owner of Toad Hall Children’s Bookstore in Austin, Texas, and an MFA graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

She is the author of the middle-grade novels, Blue Skies and Anywhere but Paradise, as well as two picture books, RAD! and Buddy: The Story of Buddy Holly, which was an Ira Children’s Book award Notable and a Bank Street Book of the Year.

Hawaii-born, she divided her time between Texas and Canada.

 

 

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Signed hardcover copy of Far Out!

 

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03/21/23	Shelf Life Blog	Excerpts
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03/22/23	Sybrina’s Book Blog	Author Interview
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03/23/23	Chapter Break Book Blog	Review
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03/27/23	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
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Synopsis

 

Winning the crown was only the beginning.

Jacs, now the rightful Queen of Frea, seems to be Queen in title alone. She scrambles to learn the customs and traditions of a Realm she had only read about in books. The Council of Four have her firmly under their thumb, and their ideas for the Queendom are oppressive and outdated. Their knowledge of her mother and Master Leschi’s whereabouts is the only leverage they need to make the new Queen dance to their tune.

​Jacs is determined to find those who were taken from her and do what’s right for her Queendom. But in her search for answers, Jacs uncovers a much darker truth from the Queendom’s past that will forever change its future.

 

 

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About the Author

 

Jordan H. Bartlett is a New Zealand-born Canadian with a love for children’s literature and female empowerment. She grew up reading books about boys for boys and found it hard to find a strong female heroine she could relate to. Bartlett wrote Contest of Queens to give young readers that character she so longed for in a world where gender norms are reversed. Bartlett currently resides in Banff, Alberta, where she works as a Speech Language Pathologist and is a certified yoga instructor.

 

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Giveaway

 

Win a signed hardcover copy of QUEEN’S CATACOMBS

3 winners, USA only, ends Apr 17.

 

CONTEST OF QUEENS Book Tour Giveaway

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Don’t judge a name by its colors.

MacKenzie Hamilton has the unique ability to see letters and numbers in colors. Her synesthesia seemed almost useless until she decided to start categorizing people based on their names’ color combinations. For instance, her parents’ names are pretty, so they’re destined to reconcile. And David Shaw, the boy next door, has an ugly name, so of course, she had to push him away.

For three years, she’s lived with a false sense of security until senior year, when her color theory is put to the test in the worst way possible. David Shaw doesn’t understand why MacKenzie ghosted him. One minute, they were BFFs, and the next, it was like he never existed. But with money being tight, he has bigger problems to worry about.

College may not be in the cards, especially music school. When David is paired with MacKenzie for a class mock-marriage project, he hopes she’ll finally tell him what went wrong. He would love to be friends again… maybe even more.

The more they work together, the closer they become, causing MacKenzie to question her rationale for ditching David in the first place. Perhaps David’s name isn’t so ugly after all. As long as he never discovers why she shunned him, everything will work out. Famous last words.

 

 

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Review

 

Teenage angst is the worst! But this new novel reminded me of the drama I dealt with as a teen and how it impacted my life.

This story is told from two points of view – Kenzie and David. They are paired together for a project at school which is a problem for Kenzie just because of David’s name. She has synesthesia which allows her to see letters and numbers in color. However, Kenzie has permitted this to cripple her and how she sees people, including David. There are times when she acts like a spoiled brat because of this, which is all wrong. After all, who decides what colors are good or bad?

David has his own issues. His mother passed away when he was younger, his dad works hard, but they don’t have a lot of material goods (which isn’t a bad thing), and he has a younger sister, Fiona, that can be quite a handful. That hasn’t stopped how he feels about Kenzie and loving her from afar.

I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about Kenzie. She seemed very childish when it came to her synesthesia, and expected her visions of color to be 100% accurate. Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes time to be proven incorrect in her thoughts about names and numbers.

I admired David and his desire to improve his life. This included applying for a full scholarship to the college of his dreams. He enlists Kenzie’s help, but more as a bribe to complete their class project on his own if she will help him with part of his scholarship application. I chuckled when Kenzie thought this would be a slam dunk, yet something kept happening to the website that she was creating for David as part of his application. Turns out there were other factors at play, but I won’t spoil that for you, so read the book to discover that for yourself.

I enjoyed the interactions between David and Kenzie as they both learned to let down some of their walls with each other. I chuckled many times during the conversations between Kenzie and her twin brother Michael. There is something about emotional blackmail from stupid things we do as kids that is funnier years later.

This YA novel was a delight to read and we give it 4 1/2 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

After several decades of writing medical research documents, Cindy decided to switch gears and write stories where the chances of happy endings are 100% and the side effects include satisfied sighs, permanent smiles, and a chuckle or two.  She writes romance novels with a slice of humor that ranges from historical romance to southern fried romantic comedies. Her young adult debut novel, Tuned Into You (BookFish Books) was released in June 2016 and her adult sweet romance, Left Hanging (Red Adept Publishing) was released in March 2017. In A Jam (Red Adept Publishing) was released summer of 2018.

Cindy was born in Texas and raised in Georgia.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Kennesaw State University and her Master’s Degree from The University of Georgia.  Cindy enjoys gardening, reading, bodybuilding, and a whole bunch of movies.  She can be overheard quoting lines from her favorite movies… a lot.  But her favorite pastime is spending time with Mark, her bass playing husband, Maddie Rose, the coolest girl on the planet, and fur child Daisy Mae.  She currently resides in Nashville, TN where live music can be heard everywhere, even at the grocery store.

 

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Synopsis

 

“I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.”

Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!

 

 

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Excerpt

 

I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

The frayed end of my tether whips around like a lasso as I flip front over back and sideways.

I see the long blue smear of Earth hurtling past. The silver hull of my ship, the Aether, whizzes by in a blur before I gasp at the once-glorious International Space Station. Now, just wreckage. The

ISS spits pieces that twinkle in the sunlight. Sparks sizzle and blink against the black backdrop of the endless universe.

My spin continues until all I can see is the void of deep space, punctured by bright pinpricks of gaseous stars millions of light-years away.

The horizon of Earth again, with its clouds and land and water. Home.

The shiny tube of my ship, the Aether. It’s. So. Close. And yet, it can’t save me.

The ISS, Earth, the Aether, and here we go again on this terrible merry-go-round— You get the picture. It’s not good. I close my eyes.

I’m tumbling, and I think I’m squirting oxygen from my life-support backpack, which isn’t helping my somersaults. My suit is losing pressure. At least that’s what I guess is causing the fuzz in my brain. It’s hard to think. My vision is narrowing, dimming, like I’m about to wink away.

And the thing that I think is actually going to kill me? Water is leaking from somewhere inside my suit. Quickly it builds up and clings to my face like a wet rag. It’s a film over my eyes, it plugs my nose, and it slides into my mouth like alien slime whenever I try to cough. I shake my head violently to jiggle the liquid free, so hard that a nerve cries out in my neck. The head-whip kinda works, and I’m able to suck in a tiny breath. I choke down some water and, though the idea sounds ludicrous, I think, Am I going to drown . . . in space?

At this point, you might be asking, “What is a twelve-year-old doing in space?”

And I’d say, “That’s what you’re worried about? Not that I’m going to die?!”

It’s cool. Let me answer both questions. Why I’m one of the first kids in space, and how I ended up in this mess, adrift from my craft and about to become a permanent orbiting satellite. If I don’t plunge into the atmosphere and burn up first.

I’ll pause my death scene to explain a bit about how I got here. Because that’s a thing, right? Aren’t you curious how I got into this impossible quagmire? It’s a pretty amazing story. And 100 percent true.

The books I tend to enjoy reading are about kids being brave, or learning how to be, and I’d like to tell you this is one of those. But I’m not feeling it right now.

To be fair, in those books the kids are fighting fantasy monsters that disappear into dust when you stab them, or they’re in a simulation, or a video game, or you kind of know everything’s going to be all right, right? It’s fake danger.

This story is different. This one’s real. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to survive this. Adrift in space with my oxygen running low, all alone, spinning uncontrollably, a water leak in my suit threatening to drown me.

It all started innocently enough when a harmless package arrived in the mail . . .

 

 

About the Author

 

Ben Gartner is the award-winning author of adventure books for middle graders. His stories take readers for a thrilling ride, maybe even teaching them something on the journey. Ben can be found living and writing near the mountains with his wife and two boys.

 

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Synopsis

 

Supernatural meets Nancy Drew in Dana Claire’s New Young Adult Novel Hunterland

Liam Hunter has warded off hungry vampires, slayed monstrous beasts, and put agonized spirits to rest since he could hold a stake. When trouble comes through the Hunterland message board, alerting them that nurses are dying at high schools across Wisconsin in a string of fishy “suicides,” the Hunter family hits the road to save the
day.

The trail leads to Falkville Falls, where Liam clashes with Olivia Davis, whose maddening family seems inexplicably embroiled in this haunting mess. Olivia has always mothered her little sister, Pepper. But when the Hunter family opens her eyes to the hidden underworld of real monsters prowling the dark, she realizes she can’t protect Pepper from this newest threat by herself. Can the two families work together to uncover who or what is responsible before the next murder, or will this vicious death cycle have no end?

Grab your stakes and your rock salt. Monster hunting class is in session.

 

 

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Advance Praise Hunterland

 

“Everything I want in a story—Monsters, family, romance, and humor.” —Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of The Sweet Evil Trilogy

“Hunterland, delights in every way. Both the intrigue and the romance are deliciously dangerous.”—Eva Pohler, USA Today bestselling author of The Underworld Saga

“This coming-of-age adventure is filled with murder, mystery, the paranormal, and lots of thrilling twists and turns.”—Cameo Renae, USA Today bestselling author

“Fans of Supernatural will not be disappointed with Hunterland. Dana Claire knocked it out of the park.”—Lynn Rush, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author

 

 

Guest Review by Nora

 

An absolutely stunning story that brings the reader in from the very first page!

‘Hunterland,’ by Dana Claire is unlike anything that I have ever read before. And I’ve read a lot of books. From the very beginning, I had no idea where this story was headed and once, I figured it out, I knew I was going to enjoy it!

This story is a YA paranormal romance, but even if you don’t normally enjoy that type of book, I think you will like this. Told from duel POVs, ‘Hunterland,’ is the story of one young man and one young woman who join forces to fight an unspeakable evil.

Liam Hunter is a trained professional. That is, at 18, he has faced down so many supernatural creatures that he’s lost count. And he has won every fight. With his father, who poses as an FBI agent, and his younger sister, the Hunter family is a monster-hunting crew who protect our world from evil without us even knowing it.

At the beginning of this story, he arrives in a small town called Falkville Falls, that is being plagued by a supernatural creature that is killing nurses. Also in town is Olivia Davis, a local girl who unwittingly becomes involved in the investigation. As the daughter of a police officer, Olivia is used to investigations, but this one is a whole different situation and when she meets Liam, her world is completely turned upside down.

These two have to work together despite their immediate dislike for one another and find a way to stop the monster that is killing innocent people and may be after Olivia herself.

This was a five-star novel for me and one that I could see myself reading again and again! I loved the chemistry between Liam and Olivia’s characters and found their romance very cute. This is a must read! I also think is would be a great book to become a feature movie, on the big screen!

 

 

Excerpt

 

Anger prickled down my arms, and I curled fists by my sides, flexing until veins pushed against my skin. They’d killed an innocent girl, leaving a body no parent should have to bury.

“Shall we teach them a thing or two?” Dad asked, voice thick with the same rage simmering inside me. He handed me a stake from his crossbody bag.

“With pleasure, old man.” My fingers curled around the weapon’s hilt.

The vamp to the right went for Dad. He moved fast, but Dad jumped clear of his grasp. The other vamp charged me, and anticipation coiled my muscles and sharpened my vision. I waited till the last possible moment, then leaped into a spinning kick, burying my heel in the vamp’s gut. I heard the spike Dad installed in the heel of my shoe spring free on impact, and the vamp reeled backward, clutching the hole I’d gored in his side.

He howled but shot right back up. I rarely played with my prey, but knowing we’d been seconds away from saving that poor, desecrated girl ate at me. I’d make him suffer as she’d suffered.

The vamp slashed at me with his talons, but I dipped under his arm and whirled, slamming my left fist into his face. My knuckles burned, but it was worth it. He swayed like a drunkard, dazed.

“Stop screwing around,” Dad ordered between heavy breaths. “Let’s end this.”

“With pleasure,” I said, grinning.

 

 

About the Author

 

DANA CLAIRE is an award-winning author whose stories explore identity, fate, and destiny in the crossroads of romance and adventure. Her love of romantic tension and the supernatural effortlessly translates into spine-tingling action and unforgettable characters. She lives in Los Angeles, CA, with her adoring husband living her dreams: writing books, telling stories, and changing the world, one reader at a time.

 

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Giveaway

 

This giveaway is for 3 author signed print copies and is open to Canada, the UK, & the U.S.

This giveaway ends on March 23, 2023 midnight, pacific time.

Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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SANDS OF TIME TRILOGY

 

by

 

C.J. PETERSON

 

 

Young Adult / Christian Fiction / Science Fiction

Publisher: Texas Sisters Press

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Appointed Time

 

All we have in this life is the time we are granted. Like sands of the seashore, our lives depend on where we land. Some grains of sand land in an oyster and are turned into beautiful pearls. Some land in the bottom of the sea floor and become beds for bottom feeders.

Blake and Holly Hunt and Adam and Deanna Roth all were created for a purpose by Professor Noah Roth. There were many years the genetic manipulation did not allow the babies to be viable…until the four. He had big plans for the children. Two nurses, Ben and Grace, had a different idea.

This is a tale of two sets of gifted children. One pair raised in a caring environment and taught to strengthen their gift with love and respect. Meanwhile, the others were raised under the strict and abusive conditions set by Professor Roth. When Deanna and Blake, raised by Professor Roth, are set free to retrieve the other two by whatever means necessary, chaos ensues. The first explosion will take place in a quiet little East Texas town called Willow Bend.

 

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Race Against Time

 

Professor Noah Roth is possessive of his children – the children he created by genetic manipulation. When Ben and Hope took Holly and Blake to give them a better life, they knew their days were numbered. Continuously looking over their shoulders, they still missed it when the Clinic made their move by sending a group, along with two gifted, after them.

Adam and Deanna Roth thought they were on the right side of things until they ran into the other two gifted – Holly and Blake. Presented with another perspective, Deanna and Adam agree to help Holly, Blake, and Sheriff Wyatt rescue Hope and Ben — if they help Deanna and Adam rescue the other siblings still under the control of Professor Roth.

As the five head toward Maine, the youth group kids who become close to Blake and Holly decide to help by doing research. Unbeknownst to the kids, they stumble onto information the Clinic did not want out. After their homes are invaded, each of the kids must make a choice – join the others in the rescue attempt or stay home, putting their families in danger. Will they make it in time to help the others or will they be too late? It’s a race against time!

 

 

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Out of Time

 

With the Maine Facility teens released and the Willow Bend teens safely tucked away, the next phase is to rescue the kids from the Wyoming and Oregon Facilities.

Colby is driving Holly, Blake, and Adam to the Wyoming Facility. Meanwhile, Wyatt is driving Deanna, Eddie, and Freya to the Oregon facility. Both teams are unaware The Professor is waiting for them with plans in place. With both facilities in lockdown, will the teens be able to rescue their siblings? Will Hope pull through from the damage inflicted by Professor Roth? Are the Willow Bend teens, Gemma, Bells, and Hope, safe all the way over in Philadelphia, or are they still a target? Everyone must be ready for this mental chess game. Moves and countermoves are being made. Calculations are continuously changing. Who will come out the victor? Will it be The Professor or the teens? Can the teens succeed, or are they out of time?

 

 

 

 

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I am reviewing the first book in this trilogy, Appointed Time. This YA novel has a lot happening within the pages, centering around Holly and Blake, two infants that were taken from a facility with a maniacal professor that has taken great strides to manipulate the genetic code.

While the book spans 16 years, most of the story occurs when Holly and Blake are 16 years old. They have been homeschooled all of their life and are just now truly meeting other teens. This is also when the action picks up, as the two are targeted by two other teens, Deanna and Adam, left behind when Ben and Grace leave the compound in Maine with them to save them from what they knew would be a traumatic childhood.

I found this book to be fast-paced, especially near the end. I was intrigued by the plot and wondered how I would adapt if someone had changed my genetic code before I was born and I had remarkable skills. Holly and Blake are also learning more that will impact their lives. Holly is a sensitive soul, and her first foray into church with her mother brings about a very emotional response when she learns about the death of Jesus and the events surrounding it. While most of us take these stories for granted, imagine what it is like to hear them for the first time and how they might impact your way of thinking. The two also meet members of the opposite sex that interest them. That is a new set of issues because they have never dated before, and considering the threat their life is under, it isn’t a typical dating situation.

I appreciated the clean storyline, even with the relationship between Grace and Wyatt. Wyatt came into their lives when the kids were 1, and he couldn’t find any information on Ben. He had to be told the whole story to keep things under wraps and not be discovered by the professor or anyone he hired to find them. This starts a 15-year romance between the two.

The book leaves you hanging, which is to be expected since it is a trilogy. I don’t want to spoil too much since the best part of the book is the last third, when the action picks up, but I am curious about what will happen if they find the professor and the other children that were genetically manipulated.

While I enjoyed the book, I do wish that we had more of a backstory on Ben and Grace. All we know is that they are nurses in the clinic but nothing about their past or families. Plus, an old boyfriend of Grace’s shows up in Willow Bend, and he lives in Dallas. Where were they living when they dated? Grace was in Maine before coming to Texas, and there is a mention of an uncle in Louisiana. Also, what happened to Helena, Hope’s sister? Hope dies giving birth to Holly, and Helena just seems to fade away after the first few chapters. Also, how did Holly get her name? Hope told Helena to name her Holly but died before the child was born, and there is no mention of Helena telling anyone to name her Holly, yet that is the name on her birth certificate.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

C.J. Peterson is a ten-time award-winning, multi-genre published author since 2012. She is also a podcaster, blogger, and publisher who knows how to relate well to folks of all ages. C.J. and her husband currently run a hybrid publishing company, Texas Sisters Press, LLC, which CJ and her sisters founded in 2019.

She has authored multiple series including the Grace Restored Series, the Holy Flame Trilogy, the Divine Legacy Series, the Sands of Time Trilogy, the Adventures of Chief and Sarge, plus her recently released time travel book with a twist, Chain Reaction!

 

“While the stories are fiction, the journey is real.”

 

 

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TWO WINNERS

 

 receive the full eBook trilogy

 

 (US only; ends midnight, 2/17/23)

 

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

The coming-of-age story follows Gwyn Madison, the summer after her high school graduation, as she grapples with her fast-approaching future. She’ll have to face more than she bargained for with her Aunt Delia, the family matriarch, who holds the purse strings and the final word. In the meantime, Gwyn stumbles upon a tightly held family secret. Could a mysterious letter provide Gwyn the leverage she desires? Will it only bring more family division? Or, maybe, the past was never meant to stay buried after all. Whispering Through Water navigates family dynamics, young love, and female autonomy with a little 1990s nostalgia.

 

 

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Review

 

I enjoyed this book and the journey back to the 1990s when we weren’t tied to cell phones or computers.

“I wanted nothing more than for Aunt Delia to understand that my choice to leave was not a rejection of my family. She tried to protect me from acting on the same fierce independence that I admired in her. My aunt, the one person I was terrified to confront, was the one who I most wanted to hear me.”

Gwyn is a senior in high school, living in a small town with her mother, aunt, and uncle. She has not had a carefree childhood, but it wasn’t bad. Then one day, she stumbles across a letter to her aunt that references someone getting married. This piques her interest, and she sets off on a quest to figure out who this person is and why someone is telling her aunt. There are a lot of secrets that will be revealed, and not just ones about her aunt. Turns out several people have not shared their whole story.

I really enjoyed the family dynamic. Not that it was perfect, but you could see the love they had for each other despite her Aunt Delia’s rules. Gwyn is mature for her age, and I appreciated how much she wanted to follow her dream of attending an art school and not abandoning it when the rug is pulled out from under her regarding funding. I also enjoyed watching her fall in love with an unlikely guy, one that she met trying to uncover the mystery of her aunt. His family was so welcoming and treated her like she was part of the family. Maybe they were psychic!

I found this book very engaging, and I had a hard time putting it down. This coming-of-age story might resonate with many readers. It is also a mystery and a love story too. It has a little bit of everything for everyone.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler was raised in West Point, a small town in the Tidewater region of Virginia. From the moment she submitted her first short story to a young author’s contest in second grade, Rebecca knew she wanted to be a writer. Her love of writing led her to earn a BA in English and an MEd in English education. She spent several years as a high school teacher, during which she also developed a passion for mental health advocacy. Rebecca completed an MA in professional counseling and now works in the school-based mental health field and as a college adjunct psychology instructor. Rebecca also teaches yoga for the young and the young at heart, and she likes to infuse yoga and breathwork in her counseling practice wherever she can.

She believes the most valuable use of her time is teaching youth how to love and care for each other and the world around them. Her stories share her focus on positive relationships and a love of nature. Rebecca now lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, two children, and two spoiled Siamese cats.

Whispering Through Water is her first YA novel and second book. Her picture book When Daddy Shows Me the Sky was released November 2021.

 

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Synopsis

 

Two Sisters, One Mission, The Adventure of a Lifetime.

Clara and Angelica Grace have never met ghosts. They’ve never sailed on a tall ship, ridden wild unicorns, or fought with magical weapons. Instead, the teenage twins have a wretched existence, ignored by their troubled parents in a rundown home and tormented by the town’s snobs.

Everything turns topsy-turvy all of a sudden when discovery of an ancestor’s hidden journal with an odd key to an unknown door leads them into an entirely different realm.

The girls go on a thrilling oceanic voyage to search for mysterious whales, train with a seasoned warrior and are befriended by a wise Master. But all is not a bouquet of lovely lilies…they are hunted by a cunning warlock and must rid themselves of The Warlock’s Curse.

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Catapulted forward by the hurrying tide, Claudius’s ship now sailed upon the phantasm of a massive whale. The sleek vessel hung momentarily on the edge of the watery precipice of white light, then slipped straight down the monster’s wide-open chasm…

The massive leviathans crooned, their haunting voices echoing across the waters. The air melted where the white-edged waves lapped peacefully against the shore. A glowing, ethereal passageway opened before the girls.

 

 

Review

 

This book was quite a surprise and a delight to read. Fantasy and YA can be hit and miss with me, but I was drawn into the world created by this author for Angelica and Clara to learn many things about themselves and grow in ways that make them better people.

Angelica and Clara are living a life that isn’t much fun. They are in a rundown home that their parents inherited, but no money to fix it up and make it more liveable. To top it off, they are being bullied by a group of classmates. Despite being twins, their personalities are fairly opposite of one another. Clara is meek and mild and almost afraid of her own shadow. Angelica doesn’t trust many people and wonders if they are out for more. However, a diary from their great-grandfather stirs up an interest in the old house, and they start searching for a lost treasure. What they discover is a new world and people/beings along the way that encourage them to grow and strive for more.

The author does some great world-building, and while it may seem like a normal world, it is far from that. Their cats can talk and walk on two paws, the trees can come to life, and there are so many more facets that will keep one drawn into the story. The twins have a quest: to save their world (aka Earth). But there are many roadblocks in their way, and they must draw from inner strength to move past those, stay alive, and save their world.

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did since this is not a preferred genre. But sometimes it is good to step out of one’s comfort zone because you just never know the mettle of a book until you read the last page.

This book does have some violence and is more suited for a teenager or older. But if they like fantasy, they will enjoy this book.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Fascinated by the works of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, C.B. Oresky began writing her own fantasy novel, The Warlock’s Curse, after dreaming of being whisked off to an alien realm. Besides her debut novel, she has seen four of her short stories published in a small, national literary press: Conceit Magazine. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through the woods, dancing flamenco, or planting flowers in her garden. She currently lives in a small town in Connecticut with her bodybuilder husband, their exceptionally naughty Scottish terrier and Siamese cat, ten chickens, Mr. Tiggy the hedgehog, and a yard filled with majestic flowers.

 

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FIND THE MOON

By Beth Fehlbaum

 

Young Adult / Social Issues / Family Issues

Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press

Pages: 298 pages

Expected Publication Date: January 10, 2023

 

 

 

 

For as long as she can remember, Kylie Briscoe’s been searching for the moon even though she has no idea why it soothes her. Placed in an impossible situation by her mother, Kylie cries for help. It brings rescuers and a new life, but it feels more like a death sentence when she is separated from her three-year-old sister Aliza, the only person Kylie’s ever really loved.

Now she’s in tiny Patience, Texas, with her eccentric potty-mouthed grandmother, ever-patient stargazing grandfather, an uncle who reminds her a lot of a cop who terrified her during a drug bust, a herd of Norwegian Dwarf goats, their “guard donkeys,” and three canine roommates occupying Kylie’s former nursery.

When the authorities make a mistake that could cost her everything, Kylie must decide whether to tell the truth-all of it in order to save herself and her sister.

 

 

 

 

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This young adult novel might resonate with many people, young and old, that dealt with issues growing up, including bullying, absent parents, drugs, and neglect.

Kylie Jean, Kylie to her friends, has endured a lot in her young life. Her mother was mostly an absentee mother, which left Kylie to help raise her younger sister, Aliza, on her own. When an event goes south at their trailer, Kylie and Aliza manage to escape the life they were living. However, the choice to leave and get help comes with a price. Aliza’s biological father takes custody of her but not Kylie. Kylie discovers she has grandparents that have been searching for her for 13 years. I can’t imagine being kept from family that wanted to love and protect you from those that may not know better, even if it is your own mother.

This novel is Kylie’s journey to discovering who she is without her sister and overcoming some of the incidents in her life prior to living with her grandparents. She doesn’t trust anyone, and you can’t blame her, considering her life for the last 13 years. She was just trying to survive. It was a struggle with her grandparents because they just wanted to love her but didn’t realize how much of an impact events in her life kept her on edge. Because she doesn’t trust anyone, she finds herself mixed up with one of the other students at her new high school. It isn’t a good situation, but at least she recognizes it and does seek help.

It was hard watching what Kylie was going through, knowing so many people have walked that same path. But she was surrounded by a loving family, which I think helped her in the end.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the goats! Her grandparents raise and breed goats, and one of Kylie’s jobs was to socialize the new kids. That has to be a lot of fun! And there are three dogs. A book is always better with a dog in it, in my opinion.

This book touched my soul, and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beth Fehlbaum is the author of the young adult novels Find the Moon, Big Fat Disaster (on the Spirit of Texas-High School Reading List, 2014-2015), Courage in Patience, Hope in Patience (A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers), and Truth in Patience. With Dr. Matt E. Jaremko, Beth co-wrote the creative nonfiction book, Trauma Recovery: Sessions with Dr. Matt. She is a high school English teacher.

Authenticity, calling out hypocrisy, and finding one’s voice are frequent themes in Beth’s work, and they are absolutely essential themes in her life, as well. Beth has a B.A. in English, a minor in secondary education, and an M.Ed. in reading. Beth is in-demand as an author-panelist, having presented/appeared at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference, the American Library Association’s annual conference, YALSA, N.C.T.E./ALAN, and numerous YA book festivals. She’s a member of The Author’s Guild, SCBWI, Romance Writers of America, and the Texas Federation of Teachers.  She loves doing school visits and meeting teens, teachers, and librarians!

Beth lives in the woods of East Texas in a house on a slice of family acreage. The home was built by her family over one very hot, humid summer, a task she wishes never to repeat again. This sanctuary-of-sorts is lined by pine trees, and the woods are inhabited by raccoons, possums, and feral cats. All of these creatures appear to consider Beth, their cat-food-providing goddess. There is no place she would rather be.

 

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AUTHOR’S GIVEAWAY!

 

Pre-order a copy of Find the Moon and enter the author’s giveaway!

 

Three lucky winners will win a $50 Amazon Gift Card, a signed set of THE PATIENCE TRILOGY,

 

and a signed copy of BIG FAT DISASTER.

 

Ends 12/30/2022.

 

Visit Beth’s website for more information and to enter!

 

 

 

 

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THE AQUAMARINE SURFBOARD

 

by

 

KELLYE ABERNATHY

 

 

 

Middle Grade / Magical Realism / Fantasy

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Page Count: 290 pages

Publication Date: November 22, 2021

 

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“Age never matters; these things are about bravery and heart.”

 

Thirteen-year-old Condi Bloom’s dream is to learn to surf, but her laid-back beach town isn’t what it used to be. Big resort owners are taking over the cove. Worse, someone’s harassing the Beachlings, the mysterious old women living in the cliffs off Windy Hollow, a lonely tower of rock that people say is haunted. When a new surfer boy named Trustin shows up in town and invites Condi to a forbidden surfing spot, she’s swept into an extraordinary underwater adventure, where a surprising encounter with Koan, the Riddlemaster of the Sea, changes her life. Along with Trustin, his quirky twin and a mystical aquamarine surfboard, Condi learns the untold stories of the Beachlings, uncovering the timeless secrets of Windy Hollow.

Ebbing and flowing between reality and magic, times past and present, The Aquamarine Surfboard by Kellye Abernathy is a riveting beach tale about opening up to mystery, building community when and where you can — and discovering the ocean is filled with magic—the really BIG kind—the kind that changes the world.

 

 

 

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Books-A-Million

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was swept away by this middle-grade novel that is more than just a story; it is a reminder to do good in this world.

Condi wants nothing more than to learn how to surf, but money is tight since her parents died and she moved in with her grandmother, Grand Ella. But that doesn’t keep her from watching the surfers and wishing to be one of them. However, an ill-fated event throws her into a world of magic and a task that she won’t be able to remember once she leaves that world.

This story blends the past with the present, the downtrodden with the upper class, and the popular and regular kids. There is an air of mystery surrounding the story tied to a former spa/resort and some of the Beachlings that live in the caves above the cove. I won’t share too many details because it might give away a lot of the story…but as you read, things will come to light that ties back to the past. This includes Condi’s new friends, Trustin and Marissa, twins that arrived in town one day.

Young girls (and boys, too) will enjoy this coming-of-age story and perhaps might find a bit of themselves in this book. They might be the science geek, the athlete, or the dreamer. No matter how they see themselves, this book will share joy, sadness, grief, and love in a way that any reader can relate to.

The shorter chapters make it easier to stop if necessary, but you might find yourself reading whenever you have a spare moment, enjoying the poetic prose and caring characters. You will even find some poems within the pages expanding your horizons and perhaps providing an interest in searching out more by the poets referenced.

Condi’s journey is hers, but we might find ourselves in her shoes or remember times in our own lives that mirror Condi’s.

This was a wonderful tale, and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!

 

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