Blog Tour: Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick | Video Interview | Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on Blood Red Snow White tour for Marcus Sedgwick. This tour is hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club Tours.

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Blood Red Snow White
Author:  Marcus Sedgwick
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: October 25th 2016 
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

It is 1917, and the world is tearing itself to pieces in a dreadful war, but far to the east of the trenches, another battle is breaking out - the Russian Revolution has just begun...

Blood Red, Snow White captures the mood of this huge moment in history through the adventure of one man who was in the middle of it all; Arthur Ransome, a young British journalist who had first run away to Russia to collect fairy tales.

Told as three linked novellas, part one captures the days of revolution but retells the story as Russian Fairy Tale, with typical humour and unashamed brutality. Part two is a spy story, set over the course of one evening, as Ransome faces up to his biggest challenge, and part three is a love story, full of tragedy and hope, as every good Russian love story should be.

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Marcus Sedgwick was born in Kent, England. Marcus is a British author and illustrator as well as a musician. He is the author of several books, including Witch Hill and The Book of Dead Days, both of which were nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award. The most recent of these nominations rekindled a fascination with Poe that has borne fruit here in (in The Restless Dead, 2007) the form of "The Heart of Another" - inspired by Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." Of his story, Sedgwick says, "This was one of those stories that I thought might be a novel originally but actually was much better suited to the tight form of the short story. I had the initial idea some years ago but was just waiting for the right ingredient to come along. Poe's story, as well as his own fascination with technique, provided that final piece of the puzzle."

 He used to play for two bands namely playing the drums for Garrett and as the guitarist in an ABBA tribute group. He has published novels such as
Floodland (winner of the Branford Boase Award in 2001) and The Dark Horse (shortlisted for The Guardian Children's Book Award 2002).

Win a set of Marcus Sedgwick's books: BLOOD RED SNOW WHITE, THE GHOSTS OF HEAVEN and MIDWINTERBLOOD (US Only)

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Blog Tour: Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu + Guest post

Welcome to our stop tour on Afterward tour for Jennifer Mathieu. We are thrilled to be part of this tour as we loved this story! 

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Afterward
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: September 20th 2016
Review Source: Roaring Brook Press

When Caroline's little brother is kidnapped, his subsequent rescue leads to the discovery of Ethan, a teenager who has been living with the kidnapper since he was a young child himself. In the aftermath, Caroline can't help but wonder what Ethan knows about everything that happened to her brother, who is not readjusting well to life at home. And although Ethan is desperate for a friend, he can't see Caroline without experiencing a resurgence of traumatic memories. But after the media circus surrounding the kidnappings departs from their small Texas town, both Caroline and Ethan find that they need a friend--and their best option just might be each other

Kidnapping Post by  Jennifer Mathieu

I still remember the night I told my dad I was convinced I was going to be kidnapped.
The time was the mid 1980s and the place was my safe, suburban Virginia split level home.  As my sweet father tucked me into bed, 8-year-old me confessed to him my biggest fear – a fear so big I could only whisper it. 
“I’m scared that I’m going to end up like the kids on the paper bags that mom brings home from the grocery store,” I managed.  
My dad tried to comfort me, reassuring me that the odds of the word MISSING being stamped on a paper bag or a milk carton over a grainy version of my school picture were highly unlikely.  My chances of getting struck by lightning were much bigger, he insisted.  But despite my dad’s kind words and his attempts to get me to see the issue rationally, the fear of getting snatched up by a scary man in a van was endemic to my 1980s girlhood.  
It was the era of the Missing Child.  The era of Adam Walsh and the birth of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The era of tiny, innocent faces staring back at us from milk cartons, paper sacks, and posters at the mall.  It was a time that made growing up feel scary, and turned parents into nervous wardens, hovering over our every move.
I’ve journeyed back to that deep sense of anxiety with my latest young adult novel Afterward, a story that follows two teenagers from a small Texas town whose lives are linked by a kidnapping and long term abduction.  Based loosely on real events that occurred in Missouri in 2007, as soon as the plot came to me, it would not let me go, and I believe I wrote Afterward as a way of tackling one of my biggest fears.  After coming of age during a period when it seemed like evil men were lurking around every corner and on every playground, I simply couldn’t ignore the idea of writing a book about abduction.  
Perhaps facing this childhood terror was a way to take control of it – I’m not sure.  I wish I could say writing Afterward eased my worries, but to be honest, my research into child kidnappings, Stockholm Syndrome, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder didn’t quell the nightmares of my girlhood.  And now that I’m a mother myself, the hours spent reading about cases like Elizabeth Smart’s and Jaycee Lee Dugard’s have made me much less likely to let my eyes wander from my child during playdates at the park – even for a second.
Of course now that I’m a grownup, I try to reason with myself – much like my father did with me all those years ago.  Statistics tell us that the stories of nightmares – the cases we know by name, like Jacyee’s and Elizabeth’s – are truly rare.  In fact, according to the U.S. Justice Department, the odds of a child becoming the victim of a stereotypical kidnapping that ends in murder are the lowest they’ve been in recorded history – it happens to 8% of the 105 children abducted by strangers in the United States each year.   (http://www.ojjdp.gov/pubs/249249.pdf)  We now know that most of the missing kids on paper bags and milk cartons back in the 1980s were runaways or were taken by noncustodial parents during custody disputes; most were not children snatched randomly off the sidewalk.  And while we should certainly not turn our backs on kids who are living on the streets or trapped in the turmoil of a messy divorce, the missing child epidemic is not the stranger danger crisis we were led to believe it was back when I was growing up.
When I need a boost of confidence, I remind myself of that and I find myself running to Free Range Kids (www.freerangekids.com), a website run by Lenore Skenazy, a mother and journalist who has built a career out of reminding parents that children benefit from unsupervised time and independence.  She regularly blogs about statistics, worst-first thinking, and helicopter parenting, urging parents to remember that children are probably statistically in bigger danger as a passenger in a car driven by their own mom or dad than by an afternoon playing unsupervised in the front yard.  And I know she’s right.
But still…
As much as I want to be guided solely by numbers and logic, the emotional writer in me is drawn to the stories that break our hearts and send us running to hug our children tight.  The stories about the one-in-a-million that remind us why parenthood feels like a constant tightrope walk, always one slip away from a tragedy.  The stories that make headlines are the ones that play into every parent’s deepest worries – the distracted gaze at the park, the permission given to walk to the store alone – all of them operate as the first chapter in tales we never wanted to hear.
It’s this tension between irrational fear and clear logic that I allowed myself to experience and explore as I researched and wrote Afterward, and as I interviewed experts in the fields of mental health and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  I had the opportunity to speak with clinicians who had worked with victims of long term abductions, and I channeled the information they generously shared with me into my character of Ethan, who returns home to his parents after being held by his kidnapper for four years.  My interviews were long and full of complex questions, and during one conversation, I ended up admitting to a therapist how much I was terrified of the stories she’d heard about firsthand.  She was tasked with the difficult job of informing me about such stories and trying to convince me how rare they really are, all in the same conversation.
While the research wasn’t easy, I was able to take something positive from it.  I learned that human beings are truly resilient, capable of surviving the inconceivable.  As I told Ethan’s story, I felt driven to focus my novel on what happens after he comes home and as he tries to reconnect with loving parents who spent years fearing the worst and begins connecting with the world around him once again.  I hope that at its core, Afterward is a story about recovery and friendship, about healing and faith.  It’s a book that I hope keeps readers up at night, not because it scares them, but because it reminds them that we can overcome the unthinkable – even our biggest childhood fears.     

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Hi! I’m young adult author Jennifer Mathieu (pronounced Muh-two, but if you speak French you can pronounce it better than that. Sadly, I don’t speak French.) I’m a writer and English teacher who lives in Texas with my family. A native of the East Coast and a former journalist, I enjoy writing contemporary young adult fiction that treats teenagers like real people. I love to eat and hate to cook.

Book Review: Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu

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Afterward
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: September 20th 2016
Review Source: Roaring Brook Press

When Caroline's little brother is kidnapped, his subsequent rescue leads to the discovery of Ethan, a teenager who has been living with the kidnapper since he was a young child himself. In the aftermath, Caroline can't help but wonder what Ethan knows about everything that happened to her brother, who is not readjusting well to life at home. And although Ethan is desperate for a friend, he can't see Caroline without experiencing a resurgence of traumatic memories. But after the media circus surrounding the kidnappings departs from their small Texas town, both Caroline and Ethan find that they need a friend--and their best option just might be each other

I knew Afterward was going to be a tough read as soon as the description was revealed. Kidnappings happen everyday and to think that your kid can be taken in an instant is horrifying especially for the parents and the kids who are found and those not found. 

Afterward is a story about a girl and guy trying to cope with the aftermath; Dylan and Ethan were kidnapped and now are safely back home.  The families are struggling to get back to how things use to be but slowly progress is made. 

One of the things I really liked about Afterward was the friendship between Caroline and Ethan. At first I thought Afterward would only involve Caroline using Ethan for help for Dylan but this story is so much more than that; the road to healing is hard but with the help of loved ones everything and anything is possible. 

 A story like this deserves the most care and Jennifer Mathieu did a great job in handling this topic. The characters took their time healing and figuring things out and I loved that nothing was rushed. 

Afterward will be one of those reads that will stay with you forever.

Book Review: Unscripted Joss Byrd by Lygia Day Penaflor

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Unscripted Joss Byrd
Author: Lygia Day Penaflor
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: August 23 2016
Review Source: Roaring Brook Press

Hollywood critics agree. Joss Byrd is "fiercely emotional," a young actress with "complete conviction," and a "powerhouse."

Joss Byrd is America's most celebrated young actress, but on the set of her latest project, a gritty indie film called The Locals, Joss's life is far from glamorous. While struggling with her mother's expectations, a crush on her movie brother, and a secret that could end her career, Joss must pull off a performance worthy of a star. When her renowned, charismatic director demands more than she is ready to deliver, Joss must go off-script to stay true to herself.

Joss is what some people call an average teenager. That is if you can call acting average. Having stared in a few things already she feels as if she's prepared for her role on the indie film The Locals. But times start to get trying, and it only seems as if things aren't easy to handle.

This book was actually very difficult for me to take in. I want to work in this industry that this book sheds a light on. I want to be an editor, so it isn't anything like acting. But the industry is one and the same. I know the hardships and the trials that accompany this field. But to read about it and be in the character's shoes - especially a teenage actor - it makes me cringe.

Showbiz isn't glamorous. Yes Hollywood makes it out to be. But when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, it's tough work. My first day on a set I worked for almost 24 hours straight. Mind you this was an unpaid gig too. I was just doing it to get my foot in the door. And this was what I did as someone who wants to be an editor...not even an actress. I saw the strain that put on the performers. And I couldn't imagine teenagers doing it.

This then makes you wonder and think about all those Disney child stars...about all the dramatic TV shows we love that are on ABC Family/Freeform or The CW. And it makes you wonder about their performers and stars. What their life is like. What they go through. We see things from green pastures. This book makes you see it from the other side.

It's a great story, and probably one that would interest a lot of readers. But for someone who has goals and inspirations to being in the industry being shown in the story, it's a tough book to read.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Square Root of Summer

Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood

Release Date: May 3rd 2016

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

This is what it means to love someone. This is what it means to grieve someone. It's a little bit like a black hole. It's a little bit like infinity.

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she's hurtled through wormholes to her past:

To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone's heart is about to be broken.

With time travel, quantum physics, and sweeping romance, The Square Root of Summer is an exponentially enthralling story about love, loss, and trying to figure it all out, from stunning debut YA voice, Harriet Reuter Hapgood.

Mini-Book Review: Stone Field by Christy Lenzi

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Stone Field
Author: Christy Lenzi
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Released: March 29 2016
Review Source: Roaring Brook Press

In a small town on the brink of the Civil War, Catrina finds a man making strange patterns in her family’s sorghum crop. He’s mad with fever, naked, and strikingly beautiful. He has no memory of who he is or what he’s done before Catrina found him in Stone Field. But that doesn’t bother Catrina because she doesn’t like thinking about the things she’s done before either.

Catrina and Stonefield fall passionately, dangerously, in love. All they want is to live with each other, in harmony with the land and away from Cat’s protective brother, the new fanatical preacher, and the neighbors who are scandalized by their relationship. But Stonefield can’t escape the truth about who he is, and the conflict tearing apart the country demands that everyone take a side before the bloodbath reaches their doorstep.

Inspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.

Catrina finds a strange man in her family's sorghum crops. Having a strong pull to him but knowing how her brother will feel about this connection she has to decide whether to follow her heart, or if family is more important.

With this book being inspired by one of my all time favorite books ever, Wuthering Heights, I had assumed that I would enjoy this book...I was wrong.

This book had its adorable moments, who doesn't like a forbidden love story? But for me there were more moments that dragged.  I'm not sure why it dragged - it just did. I wanted more of a supernatural story - in my head because the man made crop circles. I wanted an alien. But that just wasn't the case - at least in the sense I was thinking at least.

Blog Tour: The Rule of Mirrors by Cara M. O’Brien | Playlist | Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on The Rule of Mirrors tour for Cara M. O’Brien. 

This tour is hosted by Fierce Reads.

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The Rule of Mirrors
The Vault of Dreamers #2
Author: Cara M. O’Brien
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Released: February 16th 2016
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

The fast-paced, psychologically thrilling sequel to The Vault of Dreamers follows Rosie after her consciousness has been split in two.

The entire country was watching when Rosie Sinclair was expelled from Forge, the prestigious arts school that doubles as a reality TV show. But few know how Dean Berg was mining students' dreams in laboratories deep below the school. And no one, least of all the Dean himself, knows that when Rosie's dreams were seeded into the mind of another patient, Rosie's consciousness woke up in that body--a girl far from Forge, a girl with a completely different life from Rosie, a girl who is pregnant.

Told from alternating points of view between Rosie as she makes sense of her new identity and the shattered subconscious that still exists in her old body, this sequel to The Vault of Dreamers will keep readers on the edge of their seats and leave them hungry for more.

Playlist for The Rule of Mirrors, by Caragh O’Brien

This eclectic playlist includes songs that I listened to while I was writing The Rule of Mirrors and others that match the characters, mood, and themes of the series.  The songs circle around reflections, dreams, identity, longing, and comfort.  Since I often have an internal radio going in my head, it isn’t unusual for me to hum or sing along to a tune that nobody else hears.  I sometimes catch myself humming while I write, even.  I’m not sure what that means, but there it is.

Blog Tour: The Vault of Dreamers | Caragh O'Brien | Playlist | Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on The Vault of Dreamers tour for Caragh O'Brien. This tour is hosted by Jean Book Nerd Tour.

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The Vault of Dreamers
Author: Caragh O'Brien
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Released: September 16th 2014
Review Source: Roaring Brook Press

  

From the author of the Birthmarked trilogy comes a fast-paced, psychologically thrilling novel about what happens when your dreams are not your own.

The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success: every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.

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Caragh M. O'Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS, both from Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O'Brien was educated at Williams College and earned her MA from Johns Hopkins University. She recently resigned from teaching high school English in order to write young adult novels. For more information, visit http://www.caraghobrien.com.

2 Winners will receive a Copy of The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien.

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November 17th Monday: Jean BookNerd VLOG POST & GUEST POST 

November 18th Tuesday: Once Upon a Twilight MUSIC PLAYLIST

November 19th Wednesday: Insane About Books REVIEW & EXCERPT

November 20th Thursday: A Dream Within a Dream REVIEW & TENS LIST 

November 21st Friday: Spiced Latte Reads REVIEW

November 22nd Saturday: Literary Meanderings FAVORITE BOOKS

November 23rd Sunday: Sabrina’s Paranormal Palace REVIEW & EXCERPT