Fiction feature with a serious Intent to please!

Ahoy lovely readers!



Hope last week was a good one for all of you. I’m back with another great fiction feature to get this week started off right!



This one’s for my older readers, as the kiddos had their fun last week with Emily’s book. Today, I’m happy to introduce Intent by Krista Wagner!

Thriller Intent Is a Terrifying Tale of Small Town Life Gone Wrong

“A thrilling ride of desire, doubt, hope, and uncertainty, where faith is tested and the truth isn't what it seems.”

In her debut novel, author Krista Wagner introduces us somewhat introverted, twenty-two year old Raylee Johnson, a girl who is bored with her small town life and feels that it is going nowhere in particular. When her high school crush, Billy, returns to town, she finds a small measure of confidence, but when her parents—the local pastor and his wife—are killed in a car accident, Raylee turns bitter.

Finding comfort in her relationship with Billy, Raylee unexpectedly faces a world shrouded by disconcerting events when her high school nemesis, Crystal, shows up. Soon, Raylee finds herself surrounded by lies and more death and her attempts to uncover the truth all point to one fact…the truth is never what it seems.

Though the novel is new adult, its focus on tragedy, loss, and faith will strike a chord with thriller readers of all ages and places, for Intent shows us that no matter the size of the town or the boring life of its inhabitants, no one is safe from deception, and even murder.

When a bored fast food worker loses her parents she finds comfort in an old high school crush, but when people start to die and her former nemesis shows up, she starts to question who she can trust.



And here are a few great reviews that talk the novel up even more!

"This is a well-written story that captivated my interest from the first paragraph. So much happens throughout the book... each event shaping and transforming Raylee Johnson (the main character) in both expected and unexpected ways. I read this book in less than 24 hours, not wanting to put it down."

"I read this book the day I got it! I was unable to put it down. It's captivating! Raylee, the main character, is somebody who everyone can relate to in one way or another. Just when you think you have the characters figured out you realize that you don't! I recommend this book 100%."

"Intent by Krista Wagner is a great read. The element of surprise and intrigue are utilized throughout this entire book. As the protagonist, Raylee Johnson, pushes through a seemingly monotonous dead end job and begins to reach the conclusion that her life is without meaning, she is catapulted into a maze of events that leave her reeling. The courage and strength that Raylee finds during this tumultuous and precarious period of her life unfold with dramatic flare. The reader is led astray several times as the plot unravels down narrow paths of apprehensive action. Clues are scattered like finely sifted granules of sand across the grand canyon. As with any good mystery novel, the reader is never quite sure who's behind it all until the very end.
Wagner's ability to infuse the reader with hope and encouragement through a relationship with Christ is worked into the story in a clear manner without being intrusively overboard. There is not a "preachy" feel to this read, as the author takes advantage of her talent for subtlety and cohesively delivers sound Christian doctrine through some of the lives of the minor characters. This book is sure to help the reader effortlessly transfer some healthy prospective into their life.
If you enjoy reading a good mystery that has an element of reality without creating nightmares, I highly recommend that you read, Intent by Krista Wagner!"



You can find Intent on the e-shelves today!
https://www.amazon.com/Intent-Krista-Wagner/dp/0692281495/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473718676&sr=8-1&keywords=intent+krista+wagner


Let’s go ahead and meet our author while we’re at it:

Mother of three and Adjunct English Instructor Krista Wagner has been writing short stories of dramatic events like murder and kidnapping since she was in high school, and has been writing in general since she was seven years old. Wagner received her B.A. in English from UMBC, her M.A. in English Composition with a Literature Concentration from CSUSB, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from National University. Outside of her professional life, Wagner enjoys watching suspenseful films, reading the Bible, and spending time with her family. She is currently at work on a children's fantasy screenplay.



You can reach out to Krista at the links below:

http://kristawagnerintent.blogspot.com/2015/02/intent.html

http://kristawagner.wix.com/intent

https://twitter.com/IntentBook04



https://facebook.com/krista.wagner31



pinterest.com/kristawagner31

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8509957.Krista_Wagner

http://www.wattpad.com/story/22792724-rian-field







And that’s it for this feature! Until next time, keep readin’ and dreamin’!



-Fred

Back To School Special!

Ahoy lovely readers!


Yes, I know it's been a good while since you've heard from your old pal Fred. August was an...interesting month to say the least. I've fallen, been torn, fixed up and on the mend again. It's a gripping tale, but I choose to reserve it for bonfire story time this Autumn.

Still recovering, but I'm happy to be back at my laptop, with use of both hands, to get back to writing. And showing you lovely new reads, of course!

I'm especially thrilled to bring you a brand new read today that's good for those youngins looking for a literary escape from their schoolwork. It's with great pleasure that I introduce Emily A. Steward's Penelope Gilbert and the Children of Azure!

When 13 year-old Penelope Gilbert accidentally transforms into a stapler during math class, she’s sure she’s going crazy. But she’s not imagining the men in black suits now patrolling the halls at school, nor is she imagining the new substitute teacher who orders the class to take a special new test. A test that requires blood. Hunted for her powers, and torn from the life she knows, Penny is swept up into a world in the clouds where magic meets machine and pirates rule the sky.

Sounds like the perfect read for a post-homework evening! Filled with magic, perils, and schoolyard jokes, this is a gripping tale for people of any age!


You can purchase Penelope Gilbert as an e-book soon!


But to satiate your craving until then, here's a little excerpt!

*****

A six-foot-tall arachnid hovered over them. One of the creature’s razor-sharp metal legs was raised to attack. The scream seemed to confuse it. It wasn’t much of a window, but it was long enough. She rolled to the side just as the beast’s leg smashed into the ground, leaving a deep hole behind. Crane turned to see what was happening. He let out a cry and fell back into Haldor.

“Guard your necks!” Penny shouted. A web shot out from another spider just behind the first, catching Crane around the ankle. It pulled him in faster than he could react. Another web shot toward Penny. She managed to deflect it with her sword. She could hear Chip hooting wildly from somewhere above, as if cheering them on.

“Haldor, these guys are metal, can’t you do something?” she cried.

“I’m trying, but I have to get closer.”

“Help!” Crane yelled from where he hung upside down from the spider’s back. Haldor jumped to his feet and ran at them, swinging his spear around. He let out a gasp as a spindly leg knocked him to the ground. Another rose up to make the kill. Penny leapt forward and chopped the leg in two with her sword before it could connect.

The metal shrapnel scattered onto the ground. Haldor took that moment to drive his spear into the soft underbelly of the animal. It let out a horrible shriek but only seemed to be angered more. It came at him again, foam dripping from his fangs, his glass eyes gleaming red like a hundred tiny traffic lights. Haldor fell back, losing his grip on the spear. The spider lunged just as Penny attacked it from behind, stabbing her blade deep within his thorax. She then swung around, looking for the spider who held Crane. She could see it skittering toward the forest.



“Come on!” she yelled to Haldor who was wriggling out from under the spider corpse. She ran to the spot where she saw the creature enter as Haldor hurried to catch up. She scrambled through the brush until she came to a stream. There she saw the spider. He was across the water under a large tree. Above him were several objects swinging in the breeze. It took her a moment to realize that they were rotting bodies strung up by their necks. Their unseeing eyes stared eerily into the darkness. Upon closer inspection, she saw that there were at least thirty of them. She wretched silently as she tried to think of a way for Crane to not become one of them. The spider was already trying to wrap a strand of webbing around his neck. A thought occurred to her. An outrageous, outlandish thought. I can do this, she assured herself. She tried to picture every last detail of her slain foe—every creepy crawling, hairy, shiny detail. Penny could feel the energy pulsing through her. Her hands were no longer her own. Her teeth had become fangs, and her eyes were the eyes of a killer.

*****

Now here's a little about our author. I don't usually include author photos, as the books should speak for themselves, but this picture is too cool to not share!

Emily Steward spent the better part of her childhood dressed as a ninja and trying to convince others to call her ‘Ace.’ When she wasn’t saving the world from evil samurai, she could usually be found in the branches of a tree reading a good book. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three daughters, and dog Bentley. Though she seldom dresses as a ninja now, her adventurous spirit remains as does her love of tree climbing and reading good books.

You can reach out to Emily at the links below:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Emily_Steward14

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emily.steward.37

Website/Blog: https://estewardblog.wordpress.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/emilyasteward




And that's it for now! Hope you're all enjoying the fall into a new season ;)







Until next time, keep readin' and dreamin'!




-Fred

Summer Reading's Final Countdown!

Ahoy lovely readers!


I hope the month of July did you all well. It's hard to believe that the month of August is upon us. That means back-to-school for most kids, but there are still a few weeks left of the sweet summer.

So, I'm keeping this summer reading party going with another great YA read! This one is a paranormal thriller regarding the strange events of a town. Get to know Lora Palmer's The Mirror Masters with this wonderful excerpt!

Strange things happen in Sea Cliff Heights every single year on this date, June 15th. Mysterious pulses of light flickered in the forest. Not-quite-solid figures appeared in the cemetery one second and disappeared the next. All day, I couldn’t shake the intuition that this year would bring something much worse than the usual weirdness, much worse than the usual gibes about how it began thirteen years ago, the same night my parents found me abandoned on the beach.

"Let’s watch something light — not a horror movie," I said.

"Leah, Leah, Leah." My brother David shook his head and scooted closer to Kara, my best friend, on their loveseat. They shared a conspiratorial grin. "Don’t tell me you want to watch some lame comedy when we can have a slasher fest. It’s tradition.”

A shiver raced down my spine at the mental image the idea conjured, one of chilling music, strangled sobs and hitching breaths, followed by silenced screams. Tonight also marked the town tragedy of the 1870s, when strangers murdered the Stanford twins, the mayor’s daughters. Of course David would insist we do something scary to commemorate the anniversary.

"Come on!" I shot him a pleading look. "I’m sure you breezed through exams, but I took three AP finals this week and fielded a million alien jokes today. Enough already — I deserve a break from crazy.”

"Just go out to the cemetery with us," Kara said, her eyes sparkling. "We won’t do anything risky, I promise.”

Sure. Why wait for trouble to find us when we could seek it out and bring it right here?

Glancing out the sliding glass doors toward the church beyond, I couldn’t help checking for signs of unusual activity. My hands fidgeted, and I fought to still them. I thought I could just make out the sound of otherworldly voices speaking in urgent whispers outside. A gust of wind rustled the palm trees, obscuring any other noise and causing moonlight and shadows to flit across the lawn. Every muscle in my body tensed. Whatever might lurk out there, we’d be safer staying away from it. 

You can find The Mirror Masters at the links below:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/MirrorMasters-Lora-Palmer-ebook/dp/B01EKZKP6E

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/631608

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-mirrormasters






And here's a little bit about our author, who's new to this blog!

Lora Palmer writes science fiction and fantasy for young adults. Bucks County, Pennsylvania is her home, where she resides with her wonderful husband and their mischievous cat. She has earned a graduate degree in Psychology and works at a local residential facility serving autistic children and teens. In her spare time, she also sings in a praise band, Chalice Sounds.

You can reach out to Lora here:

Social Media Links:

Website: http://lorapalmer.weebly.com

Blog http://lorarpfictionblog.blogspot.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lora-Palmer-YA-Writer-144172288935800/

Twitter @lorareedpalmer

Instagram: lorareedpalmer






That's it for now! Keep the summer spirit strong, and until next time, keep readin' and dreamin'!




-Fred

Summer Reading Special Guest! NEW RELEASE!

Ahoy lovely readers!

I take it all my American readers had a lovely Fourth of July? I hope my non-Murican readers had a lovely day on the fourth, as well!

You may notice that this YA summer camp special isn't on a Friday. Well, that's because I have a new release to share with y'all today!

Please welcome Laura Wadsworth Carter and her new novel The Elect!

For the past thirteen years, the Foundation has ruled Belstrana with an iron fist and has protected its reign with an army of meticulously programmed child soldiers. As one of those soldiers, seventeen-year- old August has done terrible things to innumerable people, though he wasn’t aware of it at the time. But when one small accident leads to a major awakening for August and three other Young Ones, submission is the last thing on their agenda, and they soon find themselves at the front of a growing rebellion. Embroiled in a fight they have little chance of winning, they soon realize that deception hides behind the most unlikely faces and desperation leads to unthinkable acts. But all they need is a crack, and the Foundation will fall.

Sounds like an amazing read for anyone who's into YA Dystopian fiction. Let's have our lovely author tell us why her riveting read would be a great addition to a summer reading list:

"The Elect is a fast-paced adventure story that won't take long to read and has a lot of tension, a touch of humor, and just a kiss of romance. It's a clean read but provides high stakes and a good storyline."

You can pick up a copy of The Elect to take on your summer vacation by going to Amazon, B&N.com, and other fine e-book retailers!


Summer's still in full swing, so be sure to get some fun in the sun while you still can! Drink lots of water and keep slathering on that sunscreen while you get lost in a good book on the beach :)


Until next time, keep readin' and dreamin'!




-Fred

Read Something Different From E.A. West!

Ahoy, lovely readers!



I can't believe June is almost over. Where's the time going? Hopefully you're not too mixed up in the dog days of summer and are eager for another Summer Camp read!


This one has been on my blog before, and I'm honored to feature it this summer. Growing up is hard enough, but being a teen with autism is even harder. And when you're unique like the protagonist in this book things can get...deadly.


Check out this fast-paced YA read from E.A. West! Different

Jezebel Smith is different. She can’t talk, she doesn’t look like anyone in her family, and no matter what she does it’s always the wrong thing. God accepts her for who she is, but He’s the only one who does. Then she finds an unconscious man in her favorite cave, and her life is turned upside down. New people and new rules collide with the old, leaving Jezebel unsure of which set of rules apply to her life. When the strangers in town attempt to help her out of the nightmare she’s grown up in, it promises to change her life forever.




I just love when YA novels throw a confused teen into a fantasy world! If you do, too, then this should be on your to-read list for sure.




But of course, I got a little excerpt to whet your palate ;)

*****

Fear shivered through her that he was sleeping so much. One of her brothers had fallen out of a tree once and hit his head, and the doctor said they had to keep him from falling asleep for a while. Jezebel didn’t know if falling off a ledge and hitting his head made the man have to stay awake or not.



After worrying for a while longer, she finally decided she’d have to risk a beating from her parents and go get the doctor. She didn’t know if he’d come, but she had to try. Daniel was the only person to ever treat her kindly, and he needed help.



She put a couple more sticks on the fire so it would keep burning while she was gone, and then she lit the lantern and headed out of the cavern. As she neared the cave entrance, the flame went out. She slowed her steps and followed the faint glow of daylight. Hopefully the doctor had a flashlight. When she stepped into the woods, she set the lantern by the cave entrance and ran toward town. She practiced saying Daniel’s name while she ran, praying the doctor would come if she told him the injured man’s name.



As she neared the edge of town, she slowed down to catch her breath. She hesitantly stepped onto the main road, terrified at the thought of trying to convince the doctor to go with her. She’d learned a long time ago that no one believed her about anything, and since she couldn’t talk, people didn’t understand what she tried to tell them anyway.



A lot of strange cars and people clogged the main street through town, and Jezebel wondered who they were. Unless Reverend Brown was holding one of his many revivals, the town rarely had many visitors. As she continued toward the doctor’s office, a woman carrying a stack of papers walked toward her with a smile. Jezebel stopped, her mind whirling with uncertainty, and the woman handed her a paper.



“We’re looking for this man. He went hiking in this area a couple of days ago and didn’t come back.”



Jezebel studied the sheet in her hands, and her heart skipped a beat. A picture of Daniel stared back, and some words had been printed across the bottom in black ink. She pointed to the photo. “D-Dan... Daniel.”



“That’s right, his name is Daniel,” the woman said, her tone changing a little. “Have you seen him?”



Jezebel nodded and looked back the way she’d come. “C-c-cave.”



“You saw him in a cave?”





She nodded again, excitement rushing through her. For the first time in her life, someone understood what she tried to say. She touched the photograph on the paper, indicating where the cut on Daniel’s head was. Before she could see if the woman understood, she heard her older brother spit out her name. She cringed and felt herself shriveling inside.

*****

You can purchase Different at the links below:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Different-E-West-ebook/dp/B00M0E4ZU0

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Different-E-West-ebook/dp/B00M0E4ZU0

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1119984134?ean=2940149685615

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/different/id902524507?mt=11

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/different-7



And here's a little bit about our lovely author and why she thinks Different is a great summer read!
"When I was younger, my summers were filled with hiking at state parks, camping, and otherwise enjoying the great outdoors. Some of that experience found its way into Different. The main character, Jezebel, loves to explore the woods and spend time outside. Whether you love to get out in nature or prefer to enjoy it from a distance, Different offers you a chance to explore the world through the eyes of an autistic teen."

Sounds like a great explanation about the book! 

About the Author

E.A. West, award-winning author of sweet and inspirational romance, is a lifelong lover of books and storytelling. In high school, she picked up her pen in a creative writing class and hasn’t laid it down yet. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, knitting, and crocheting. She lives in Indiana with her family and a small zoo of pets.


You can find out more about E. A. West on her social media sites below:

Website: http://eawest.mcphitty.com

Blog: http://thewestcorner.wordpress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EA-West/34280264617

Twitter: http://twitter.com/eawest

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authoreawest

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/authoreawest

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/eawest

And that's all for this summer installment! Get to readin'! 

-Fred

Week 3 of Summer Reading gets Musical!

Ahoy lovely readers!

Hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Fathers Day over the weekend! It's time for another installment of the YA summer camp!




This week's read is a great one for any musically inclined kids. Get in tune with Jacqueline Seewald's Stacy's Song

Stacy's talent and love for music forces her to make hard choices. Life is risky, but she must learn to make important decisions on her own. Stacy Nelson, warm-hearted with a sense of humor, is a tall, skinny teenager, sometimes called "giraffe" by other kids. She's an average student with a lot of extracurricular interests. Her good friend Karen wants Stacy to practice with her and try out for cheerleading. Liz Norris asks Stacy to join a band that she and her brother Michael are starting, but Stacy has reservations. Her first meeting with Michael Norris is stormy, yet she is drawn in by his outstanding musical ability and joins the band. Stacy always wants to please everyone, but fails to think about who she is and what she really wants. After making the cheerleading squad, Greg Lawson, captain of the football team, becomes interested in Stacy. He is easy-going and charming, just the opposite of Michael. They start dating, and Stacy is suddenly popular in and out of school. As a cheerleader, she is accepted by the in-crowd. She tries to relax and enjoy this new lifestyle. When Stacy has difficulty meeting all of her commitments and her grades fall, her father is displeased and insists she quit the band. Stacy feels torn-wanting to please her father without letting down the other band members. Ultimately, while dealing with family and peer pressure, she must decide what is best for her.

You can find Stacy's Song at these links below:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0177E67CQ


B&N
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stacys-song-jacqueline-seewald/1100389252?ean=2940150872493


Kobo
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/stacy-s-song


Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/588465




What makes Stacy's Song a good summer read, you ask? Our author, Jacqueline, has a few words on that:

"STACY’S SONG is a perfect YA romance/coming-of-age novel for fun summer reading. The novel has family values and partly occurs in the summer. It also has a nice upbeat, inspiring message: be true to yourself. I hope that family and friends will gift this novel to teens."



Want a little more? Of course you do! Get hooked on this wonderful excerpt:

*****

The foyer oozed darkness; the living room was equally gloomy, even after Liz pulled back the curtains. As my eyes adjusted, I was startled to see a boy sitting in the corner hunched over a piano. Liz saw him too.

“Michael, I didn’t know you were there. Stacy, I’d like to introduce you to my brother. He’s the composer in the family. Michael, like you Stacy is very talented.”

He didn’t respond. In fact, he didn’t even look up or acknowledge my presence in the room. There was something about him that made me feel uneasy. I could see him much better now that my eyes were adjusting to the dusky room. I figured him for around seventeen, with straight, sand-colored hair long on the sides. He looked fairly tall, though I couldn’t tell because he didn’t bother to stand up. He wore dark glasses that I found particularly odd since the room was ill lit.

“What do you play?” he asked in a voice that could have frozen a lake. “I’ll need to hear what you can do. What did you bring with you?”

“I didn’t expect an audition,” I responded with equal frost.

“Yeah, well, Liz thinks you’re all right, but I’d like to decide that for myself.”

Liz seemed to sense the tenseness in the atmosphere and jumped in. “Why don’t you sit down and relax, get to know each other better, and I’ll go fix us a snack.” Coward! She didn’t even bother to wait for a response, instead hurrying off to the kitchen and leaving an uncomfortable silence in the room.

Michael didn’t look at me. He seemed to be busy composing, but I had a feeling that was bogus.

“Do you go to Wilson High?” I asked him.

An odd smile crossed his lips. “No, I’m too special for that.” There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, as if his words had some personal or private meaning.

Not easily daunted, I tried again. If you can’t discuss anything else, usually the weather’s a safe topic. “It’s turned beautiful, don’t you think? This must be the sunniest day we’ve had in months.”

“I wouldn’t know,” he said in a voice I can only describe as hostile.

“Wouldn’t know or don’t care?” I was sorry I said it even as I spoke; usually I’m polite, but this boy just seemed to bring out the worst in me. I hated the way he wouldn’t even look in my direction. I guess he thought those dark glasses made him look cool. I felt a sudden urge to yank off his glasses and break them. “Look, maybe I just ought to go,” I said.

He rose to his feet with an awkward, unsteady movement. “Wait! I want you to try out some of our music. You can use Liz’s guitar.”

“I don’t know…” I said.

“What have you got to lose?”

I looked around and saw an electric guitar against the opposite wall. “I have to warn you I’m used to an acoustic not an electric.”

“It’s no big deal making the switch for a real musician. If you’re any good I can show you in minutes.” He seemed to be daring me, taunting.

“All right,” I said picking up the guitar.

As he started across the room I pushed the coffee table forward to allow more foot space. Before I could say anything Michael Norris walked into the table losing his balance. I put out my hand to steady him; he almost fell on top of me. My heart started to pound like a runner racing toward the finish line. I withdrew from him striving to regain my composure. I put down the guitar.

“Sorry,” he said, “I’m not usually this clumsy.”



Why had he walked into the table? Anyone could have seen it. Then a thought hit me. Of course! Why was I so naïve, so dense?

*****

And let's learn a little more about our author!


Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Sixteen of her books of fiction have been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies such as: THE WRITER, L.A. TIMES, PEDESTAL, SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE, OVER MY DEAD BODY!, THE MYSTERY MEGAPACK, LIBRARY JOURNAL, and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. One of her poems recently took first place in the Reader’s Digest 2015 Poetry Contest. She’s also an amateur landscape artist. Her writer’s blog can be found at: http://jacquelineseewald.blogspot.com


You can also find her on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacqueline.seewald

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/jacquelineseewald

As well as Twitter and Goodreads






And that's it for this week! Stay tuned for more excellent reads to keep the summer fun!







Until next time, keep readin' and dreamin'




-Fred

Summer Reading Week 2: You'll be Eagar for this YA Paranormal Fiction!

Ahoy lovely readers!



Summer is well upon us. With high humidity and triple digit temps, I'm already growing tired of the sticky weather and impromptu rains. Anyone else longing for the next season already? Fall is great, right? You get dryer weather, pretty leaves...




And let's not forget spooky Halloween!


Which is why my next YA Summer Reading feature has me looking to witchier seasons. If you enjoy historical fiction about the Salem Witch Trials, then this is the next read to have on your list!



Get spooky with me and read Heather Eagar's Devil's Playground!

Sixteen-year-old Elizabeth Winters may be a witch, but she doesn’t know the first thing about magic—unless you count accidental bouts of spontaneous combustion. Elizabeth’s father, a wizard himself, has forbidden the use of her powers for her own protection, but when accusations of witchcraft start flying through Salem Village, she wishes she was more prepared. 

Despite her lack of magical knowledge, Elizabeth appoints herself to save innocent women from the demise the village has in store for them. Elizabeth finds, however, that she is not the hero Salem needs her to be. 

She meant to save them. She cursed them instead. 

This seems like an especially good read for a tween or teenager who's wise beyond their years. A story with a strong protagonist who has the weight of her community on her shoulders? Sounds like the perfect book to get lost in during those summer showers!
But, let's have Heather herself tell us why Devil's Playground is the perfect summer reading!


"Devil's Playground is a good summer read because you are taken on a fun and thrilling ride through the Salem Witch Trials, but there are no tests or pop quizzes after. You get to experience a fantastical version of 1682 Salem, and have fun with history...actually live it. The Book Junkie Reads said, 'I could literally feel the magic in the air. The words on the pages gave an aura of realism in each phrase. I felt line I was back in the Salem Witch Trials.'"




I'm sure that's got you wanting to scoop up this great read ASAP! You can find Devil's Playground at these sites below:



Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/devils-playground-heather-eagar/1123287091?ean=2940157678883


Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AIBVPKE

I-Tunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/devils-playground/id1076224801?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/devil-s-playground-11

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/607834




And let's learn a bit about our author!


Heather Eagar currently resides in Logan, Utah where she strives to balance her love of writing with raising a husband and two kids. Devil's Playground is her debut novel, but it will not be her last. She is currently working on the second book in the series. Heather is also a book reviewer and you can find reviews for Middle-grade fiction through Adult novels on her website, www.heatheraeagar.com.

You can also reach out to Heather on her social media sites:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28412980-devil-s-playground

Facebook: www.facebook.com/haeagar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/haeagar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wonder_of_words/


There you have your second summer reading YA novel! Get to reading, and tune in next week for another great read!




Keep readin' and dreamin'




-Fred