Hi peeps, we have Jo Ramsey stopping by today with her upcoming release Midnight Chat, we have a fantastic guest post from Jo and we have a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Midnight Chat
by
Jo Ramsey
For the past two years, since meeting in ninth grade, Mira MacDonald and Rob Stevens have been inseparable best friends. Rob’s struggles with depression, and his reliance on Mira, sometimes make the friendship difficult for Mira, but she wants to support Rob. Especially since he’s the victim of severe bullying at school due to his sexuality. Even though Rob isn’t out, he is gay, and the suspicion is enough for some people to torment him.
Now Mira has her first girlfriend, Talia Acevedo, and Rob’s jealousy is becoming even more of a problem. Rob insists that Talia doesn’t like him and is trying to break up their friendship. Mira tries to stay neutral, but it isn’t easy when Rob’s obsession with her escalates—along with his anger as the harassment gets worse.
One night, during one of their typical midnight text sessions, Rob tells Mira he’s decided to take drastic action at school to stop the bullying once and for all. And if she tries to stop him or tells anyone else, she’ll be first on his target list.
Hi guys, we have Sherrie Henry stopping by today with the tour for her upcoming release Flag on the Play, we have a brilliant guest post from Sherrie and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Flag on the Play
by
Sherrie Henry
Sixteen-year-old football punter Liam Hartley has come to terms with being gay, but it isn’t something his religious and conservative community will ever accept. He’s isolated in his Midwest town until Cody Williams transfers to his school from Chicago. A proud bisexual young man, Cody shows Liam he isn’t alone—or abnormal—and they soon become more than friends.
Despite the intimate, secret world he shares with Cody, Liam is in pain. The hatred spewed by bigots has an effect on Liam, even if Cody carefully hides their relationship with a pretend girlfriend. Liam is jealous—he doesn’t want to have to share Cody, and he doesn’t want to have to live in shame. Cutting himself seems to be the only way to deal with everything he’s suffering, and things only get worse when Liam and Cody are outed in front of the school. And even if they can make it through the hardship, they know their relationship is destined to end when Cody’s family returns to the city.
Liam can’t go back to facing the hatred and religious judgment by himself. He won’t survive it. Somehow, Liam and Cody must secure a future for both of them, and that means finding a way to stay together.
Blurb: Jamie’s pretty much an average gay teenager. He’s in the closet, has an unrequited secret crush on a fellow high school athlete, and an awful home life. It’s a good thing he has his friend Billy to distract him and to show him that being out has its benefits. Billy is everything Jamie isn’t: openly gay, wealthy enough to follow fashion trends, and with a social calendar full of dates with older men.
Then Jamie’s life spins into a downward spiral. Billy starts acting weird and hiding things from him. His stepfather’s abusive behavior escalates until Jamie dreads going home. His English teacher assigns him to tutor the object of his affection, gorgeous track star Dylan. Jamie’s not even sure he can talk to Dylan, let alone tutor him, and it’s impossible to talk to Billy about it. Billy’s too wrapped up in a dangerous game called bug chasing: trying to catch HIV. Billy’s risky behavior nearly shatters their friendship and forces Jamie to look at the world in a whole new way. Can Jamie keep Billy safe, stay on top of homework and a new boyfriend, and convince his mom to give his stepdad the heave-ho?
First edition published by Torquere Press in 2008.
I have not read any stories by this author so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I do admit that if I was picking a story by the cover of a book, then I would not have picked it. The cover just doesn’t make a hit with me. Now normally I do not read any stories that have teens in them or where they are the main characters. They just seem to be missing what I want in a story. However for some reason I picked the story.
Jamie’s best friend is Billy and his crush is Dylan. Seventeen is such a hard age for anyone but especially for gay teens. His mother’s new husband is a homophobic ass and was one of the reasons he was in the closet. His best friend however is out and proud, but is a true idiot. Then there is Dylan and to Jamie’s shock he is also gay.
Billy has hooked up with someone older than he is and well let’s just say Billy is very young minded in away. He thinks that if he catches AIDS then Robbie will want him permanently; well you know how predators are. His step-dad is getting meaner and more abusive, but his mom has to wake up and see the smoke. Then there is Dylan and well if you want to know more, you have to read the book.
It is a very good book, very touching and will bring you to tears. However it is also very depressing and I can’t say that I found anything in it that I actually liked. For some reason it just doesn’t work with me, however I can see that it could possibly be a big hit for teenagers as it is about them pretty much. So for me it left me just depressed and I never want to read it again. It does talk about having AIDS, so be ready for it.
Other than my issues with it, if you are into teen stories that has pain and angst then this will be a big hit for you. If you know of any teenagers then you might want them to also read it.
Pixie’s Review: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 ½ Hearts
Jamie is 17yrs old and has a massive crush on Dylan. His best friend Billy is acting a little strange and his step-dad is on this earth to make his life miserable.
Jamie has a lot on his plate as he struggles with his best friend’s actions; Dylan confessing to him and trying to get his mom to see what a waste of space his step-dad is. When Jamie hunts for Billy, Dylan offers to help him out. When Jamie finds out the truth behind Billy’s actions and is devastated, Dylan is there to offer comfort and support. When Dylan confesses why he is there for him, Jamie is over the moon. Jamie comes across as a young man who might not be the best at everything. Who might struggle in some areas but he knows who he is and although he hides it a lot, he knows he does and he really doesn’t believe that he is something he isn’t.
Dylan is a dumb jock or rather that’s what he wants people to believe. When he gets a chance to spend time with Jamie he grabs it with both hands. It’s not easy as he works through what he wants but when he nearly loses Jamie he decides that he can face anything if he’s with Jamie. Dylan comes across as slightly privileged but not full of himself and he seems to be a genuine young man who does think of others, although he struggles with what to do he isn’t stupid in what he says or his actions.
Billy is one screwed up young man. He thinks he’s in love and will do anything to be with that man; even if it means giving up his life. He hides what he is doing from Jamie and deserts Jamie when he realizes that Jamie just doesn’t understand that he is now truly happy… that is until reality sets in. Billy seems to be desperate to belong and completely screws up his life in the process. But when he turns to Jamie, Jamie is there to help him and advise him no matter how badly Billy acted or treated Jamie. True best friends.
This is a really well written story about young men who are finding themselves and making mistakes, but it is also about facing up to their actions and realizing that that it isn’t only them who are allowed to make mistakes. Some parts of this book had me laughing; some nearly crying and some filled me with pure joy. There are two scenes that I really loved and both of them took place at the school. They filled me with hope that somewhere, at some time, more people will act like this and it will become an everyday occurrence.
This is a perfect Y/A romance that I have to recommend you read if you already haven’t because it is wonderful.
Hi guys, we have Annabelle Jay stopping by today with her upcoming release Starsong, we have a brilliant guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Starsong
(The Sun Dragon 03)
by
Annabelle Jay
The inhabitants of Earth thought they evaded the enemy robots by fleeing to another planet, Balu, under Merlin’s leadership… but they were wrong.
Meanwhile, on the nearby planet Draman, the half-human, half-dragon people celebrate a Naming Ceremony. On that day, the children pick between colored robes that represent the choice to become male or female.
After Sara Lee, maid and best friend to Princess Nimue, escapes the ceremony with a child who refuses to select a robe, she resigns herself to a life without the princess in order to fight an oppressive tradition. However, an attack by a robot spaceship looking for Merlin forces both women to seek help from the sorcerer, and princess and maid are reunited. Unable to protect them during the battle, Merlin sends them back in time, where the women must find Allanah, defeat the creator of the robot army, and decide whether the gender norms of their society are strong enough to keep them from falling in love.
Hi peeps, we have R.G. Thomas stopping by today with his upcoming young adult release The Battle of Iron Gulch, we have a brilliant guest post from B.G. and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
The Battle of Iron Gulch
(The Town of Superstition 03)
by
R.G. Thomas
Thaddeus Cane has finally reached the foot of Wraith Mountain. He hopes to soon find his mother, Claire, who was cursed by the witch Isadora when Thaddeus was just a baby, and bring Claire back to Superstition to live with him and his father, Nathan. With Teofil, his garden gnome boyfriend, and Teofil’s mother, sister, and new elf friend Dulindir, Thaddeus discovers, however, that getting to his mother will not be as easy as they’d hoped. They are forced to find shelter in the small town of Iron Gulch as Thaddeus’s father takes a job in order to secure the equipment they will need to climb the mountain.
The longer they stay in Iron Gulch, the more Thaddeus feels things in the small town are not as pleasant as they appear on the surface. When a new and vicious enemy suddenly reveals itself, Thaddeus and his group will have to battle not only for their own lives, but those of the residents of Iron Gulch. As the battle rages on, they find Thaddeus’s mother, and turn their fight to free her and end Isadora’s tyranny once and for all.
Blurb: Fact: When Zebulon Pike attempted to climb what is now known as Pikes Peak, he got stuck in waist-deep snow and had to turn back.
That’s the last thing Dusty Porter learns in his Colorado history class before appendicitis ruins his life. It isn’t long before social services figures out that Dusty’s parents are more myth than reality, and he and his siblings are shipped off to live in Vermont with an uncle and aunt they’ve never met.
Dusty’s new life is a struggle. His brother and sister don’t seem to need him anymore, and he can’t stand his aunt and uncle. At school, one hockey player develops a personal vendetta against him, while Emmitt, another hockey player, is making it hard for Dusty to keep pretending he’s straight. Problem is, he’s pretty sure Emmitt’s not gay. Then, just when Dusty thinks things can’t get any worse, his mother reappears, looking for a second chance to be a part of his life.
Somehow Zebulon Pike still got the mountain named after him, so Dusty’s determined to persevere—but at what point in life do you keep climbing, and when do you give up and turn back?
Review: Here’s to You, Zeb Pike is a really heartwarming and heartwrenching book. I know, it’s so good it makes you feel sad and happy at the same time. I didn’t know what to expect from this since this was the first book by Johanna Parkhurst I’ve read and I am glad to say that I loved both the writing style and the plot itself.
Of course, being a teen/young adult book, if you’re an adult reading it you really got to know what you’re into when it comes to young adult fiction. And if you’re reading about damaged teens from broken homes, that’s you’re first big hint that you’ll like it.
The story starts off with the heartbreaking opener of fourteen (almost fifteen) year old Dusty Porter, taking care of his six and eight year old siblings entirely on his own. His mother has flitted off months ago and his father is involved in some shady business, he doesn’t want to be around his kids but he gives them money to survive. Dusty has had a hard life from the start because of his negligent parents. Then, when his sister goes to hospital with appendicitis their entire world crashes down. Dusty’s entire life is changed when an uncle and aunt he never knew he had take him and his siblings into their home. That’s better than going into foster care but Dusty has a hard time accepting his new family and losing his role as primary care giver of his siblings.
At school Dusty is introduced to brothers Emmitt and Casey LaPointe. Emmitt is 16 years old, star of the school hockey team. To top off all the difficulties Dusty is going through, he finds himself attracted to Emmitt. Things keep piling up for Dusty, after all he is a teen as well as being a kid in a heartbreaking situation, but I like the fact that in this story his sexuality is not made part of the drama.
Emmitt and Dustin are sweet together, as only it can be for their age. This is more than a coming of age, in many ways Dusty is already an adult. This is a lot more than two boys discovering themselves. It’s a really charming story of a making of a family and the making of a relationship, which will continue in the next book.
Hi guys, we have Francis Gideon popping in today with his upcoming young adult transgender release The Santa Hoax, we have a briliant guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
The Santa Hoax
by
Francis Gideon
When Julian Gibson realizes he’s transgender, he doesn’t think anything has to change. His parents and friends still call him Julia and think he’s a girl, but so long as Julian can still hang out with his best friend Aiden and read sci-fi novels with his dad, life seems pretty good.
Then high school happens. Aiden ditches him, and a new girl, Maria, keeps cornering him in the girls’ bathroom. A full year after discovering he’s transgender, Julian realizes life changes whether you’re ready for it or not. So Julian makes a deal with himself: if he can tell his secret to three people, it is no longer a hoax. What happens during his slow process of coming out leads Julian down odd pathways of friendship, romance, Christmas shopping, random parties, bad movies, and a realization about why kids still believe in Santa—it’s sometimes better than discovering the truth.
Hi guys, we have Ryan Loveless popping in today with her upcoming YA release Ethan, we have a brilliant guest post from Ryan and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Ethan
by
Ryan Loveless
Carter Stevenson is looking forward to a fresh start in a new high school on the other side of the country. It’ll give him a chance to escape his reputation for twitching and stuttering. He’ll have the summer to himself in his new home in California, and in the fall, he won’t get involved in any activity that puts his Tourette’s center stage. He won’t stand out as different.
But his new neighbor, Ethan, isn’t just going to change his plans. He’s going to change Carter’s life.
Ethan Hart is recovering from a traumatic brain injury, but it doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm or love for life. As soon as he sees Carter, who moves like the music Ethan sees between the clouds and the grass, he’s determined to become his friend, and then his boyfriend. And even if his parents say their romance can’t get physical, Ethan won’t let it stand in the way of falling in love.
Stepping into the spotlight was the last thing Carter ever wanted, but Ethan, along with a group of friends who like him just the way he is—tics and all—starts to change his mind.
Adapted as a YA edition of the award-winning novel Ethan, Who Loved Carter by Ryan Loveless.
Hi guys we have j. leigh Bailey stopping by today with her upcoming Y/A release Do-Gooder, we have a fantastic guest post where j. leigh chats about the setting of Do-Gooder, we have a great excerpt and there’s also a chance to win a fabulous giveaway, so guys check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~
Do-Gooder
by
j. leigh bailey
No good deed goes unpunished, and for seventeen-year-old Isaiah Martin, that’s certainly the case. The gun he was caught with wasn’t even his, for God’s sake. He only had it to keep a friend from doing something stupid. No one wants to hear it, though, and Isaiah is banished—or so it seems to him—to live with his missionary father in politically conflicted Cameroon, Africa.
However, when he arrives, his father is so busy doing his good deeds that he sends Henry, the young, surprisingly hot do-gooder with a mysterious past, to pick up Isaiah and keep him out of trouble. Even while Isaiah is counting down the days until he can go home, he and Henry get caught in the political unrest of the region. Kidnapped by militant forces, the two have to work together to survive until they are rescued—unless they manage to find a way to save each other first.
Hi guys, we have Casey Lawrence stopping by today with her upcoming release Order In The Court, the sequel to Out of Order, we have a fantastic guest post and a great exclusive excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Order in the Court
(The Survivors Club 02)
by
Casey Lawrence
Corey Nguyen watched her three best friends fall victim to a killer, but it’s becoming clear her ordeal won’t end there. While trying to be a college student, have some kind of social life, and just be normal again, she learns the murderer is demanding a trial. He claims he’s innocent and was forced into confessing—which means Corey will have to testify to what she saw.
The idea of facing the killer in court worsens Corey’s anxiety and forces her to relive the horrifying events of that night. And just when she thinks things can’t get worse, she realizes her mother and the prosecuting attorney are probably more than friends. All Corey wants is to put the tragedy behind her, but it’s clear the end is not yet in sight.
After Cal escapes a deranged kidnapper who tortured him, he doesn’t even have the clothes on his back. Desperate and afraid, he breaks into a convenience store. But Jake, a clerk at the store, confronts what to him is little more than a petty thief. After a violent tussle, he knocks Cal out.
Jake encourages his Uncle Gary, the owner of the store, to report Cal to the police, but Gary can’t bring himself to report a kid who was just looking to steal food. When Cal wakes, Gary asks him if he’s okay. But Cal’s trauma has left him mute. Instead, he has to write his experiences down, relaying the horrifying events that led him to the store. The police track down the sick man who held Cal captive, and when he confronts them with a gun, he’s shot dead. However, Cal discovers that even with his captor gone, he is far from free of the nightmare he endured.
Gary and his wife welcome Cal into their home, determined to help him heal. Jake doesn’t trust Cal, and he isn’t afraid to say so. But buried beneath Jake’s disapproval might be the person who can help Cal recover from the terrifying experience that continues to haunt him.
Review: Cal escapes a deranged man after being kidnapped and tortured. He finds Gary, a store owner, to be his savior. His son Jake is complicated. I realize this is a young adult book but I felt with Cal after he starts having feelings for Jake and acting on them it seemed a bit unreal to me. Why? I’ve known both males and females who were abused and none of them wanted to be touched for years afterwards let alone start a relationship and have sex with someone.
The details of exactly how the sadistic man was caught and how they proved one hundred percent he was the guilty party were sketchy at best. However I did enjoy the story of Cal’s recovery and his struggle to overcome the events that transpired. Jake I had mixed feelings about. He ran hot and cold so I felt disconnected to him.
It broke my heart to learn of both Jake and Cal’s past. It confuses me how any parent could do the things that were mentioned to any child let alone their own.
Full of drama, this story is about a young man who tries to overcome and conquer tragic events and learn to live again without fear.
Hi guys, we have Annabelle Jay popping in with her upcoming release Merlin’s Moon, we have a brilliant guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Merlin’s Moon
(The Sun Dragon 02)
by
Annabelle Jay
Half-human, half-dragon Mani hatched from an egg and was adopted by Allanah, a human woman who discovered him after the death of his dragon mother. He possesses abilities he’s only beginning to understand, and every night he takes the form of a blue dragon.
When Mani’s secret is revealed, he takes refuge at the wizard Mansion. There, he encounters the Animal Guard, a group of people who share his affliction. But the members of the Animal Guard are under a curse by the sorceresses, and they need Mani’s aid to break the spell and resume their human forms. Growing romantic feelings for the wolf-boy Lup convince Mani to offer his help, but Mani’s own developing powers might destroy any chance at a relationship. The world of magic is changing, and as Mani and his friends fight to stop the evil sorceresses from using the deadly North Star, they must figure out what places they will hold when the battle is over.
Hi peeps, we have debut author Shaun Young popping in today with his upcoming release Castor, we have a brilliant guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy <3 ~Pixie~
Castor
by
Shaun Young
James Fisher’s memories of Earth are distant, replaced by the harsh realities of life on the planet Castor. As a “Half-Adapt,” James is one of many who were biologically engineered to survive conditions on Castor—and to labor for the benefit of the ruling class. Indentured to servitude, James has no way to defy or escape the severe caste system… until he meets Vidal Centa, his master’s nephew. The draw they feel toward each other is instant, powerful, and maybe even enough to move beyond the unyielding regulations of their society.
But not everyone blindly accepts the absolute power of the oligarchy. The Independence Society fights for freedom and equality, and since James shares in their ideals, he joins their ranks. Soon he’s faced with an impossible decision: continue the fight against the oppressors or choose the love of the young man who embodies everything the Society loathes. With a looming conflict threatening to tear the planet apart, James fears he cannot continue to fight if he wants to keep his relationship with Vidal.
Title: Changing Jamie, (2nd Edition)
Title: Here’s to You, Zeb Pike
Title: The Night Screams
