Blog Tour: The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder by Cookie O'Gorman

The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder

by Cookie O'Gorman

Genre: YA Romance/Murder Mystery

Release Date: April 5th 2018

               

Summary:

In the south, everyone has a secret--and murder is served with sweet tea.

The word's out: Ethan Wilder’s coming back to town, and the people of Bowie, Georgia are in a southern tizzy. Everyone knows the story. He shot and killed his sister four years ago, and people say his father, Jim Wilder, the biggest holy roller this side of the Mississippi, sent him packing for just that reason. Even if her death was unofficially ruled a suicide, Ethan’s return has everybody talking.

Seventeen-year-old Delilah Doherty can’t go anywhere without hearing his name. Born and raised in Bowie, Delilah knows firsthand about the gossipmongers and how they love a good scandal. The daughter of a wild child and niece of the local psychic, she’s also the only one who doubts Ethan’s guilt.

After Ethan saves her life, the two start a slow and steady burn neither can deny. But when Bowie's spiritual leader is nearly murdered, it rocks the small southern town to its core. Delilah and Ethan are caught in the crossfire, their relationship threatened before it's even begun. Someone has it out for Ethan's family. With everyone convinced of Ethan's guilt, it's up to Delilah to unravel the mystery before someone else gets hurt or worse...dead.

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Excerpt:

“So,” Wilder said, “how much for the ride?”

I eyed him wearily. Seconds ago he’d looked like he was going to be sick. Now, he was teasing?

“Free?” He feigned surprise. “Wow Doherty, I didn’t know you cared.”

Alright, if he wanted to play, I wasn’t above a little teasing.

“Information,” I said, crossing my arms. Despite myself, I was still interested. “You like the truth so much, tell me something I don’t know, something about you. The real Ethan Wilder.”

“You mean, besides the fact that I killed my sister?”

His delivery was inspired, but I rolled my eyes.

“You did not,” I said.

“Oh?” His gaze narrowed. “You don’t believe me?”

“Not a chance.” I shook my head; no way did I believe that. “The truth, Wilder.”

Crossing his own arms, he said, “I’m gay.”

“You’re what?!” I nearly swallowed my tongue.

Ignoring my outburst, he went on.

“I’ve loved you, Delilah, half my life.”

At that, my heart skipped a beat. How could he say something like that so easily?

“I killed my sister.” He waited for his words to sink in. “If I told you only one of those statements is true,” he said, stare fastened to my face, “which would you believe?”

I thought it over. The first had to be a lie. I’d seen him with too many girls. No way Wilder was batting for the same team. I automatically discarded the second statement. It couldn’t be true either. I hadn’t met Wilder before this year, so his being in love with me for any extended period of time was simply impossible. His being in love with me at all was inconceivable. That left what he’d said about his sister. The idea flitted through my brain, in and out in less than a breath. The more I knew of Wilder, the more convinced I became that some terrible, terrible mistake had been made four years ago. I didn’t believe for a second he’d killed his sister, not even when he said it so convincingly. To think, the same person who’d jumped into that lake could be capable of such an unspeakable offense. No, whatever else he was, Ethan Wilder was not a murderer. He just couldn’t be.

Considering my options, I settled on the only possibility.

“So, you’re gay.” I shrugged. “No big deal. Next time I see Ronnie, I’ll let him know you’re fair game.”

Wilder laughed. The sound was real, filled with complete abandon. Hearing him laugh like that, knowing I’d caused that break in his cool façade, made a strange ache bloom in my chest. I wanted to hear that laugh again and again.

“You do that,” he said, stepping outside. “I’ll see you, Doherty.”

Unable to resist, I said, “Should I tell Ronnie to get your coffee from now on? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, seeing as how you love it so much.”

Wilder peered through the open door.

“I hate coffee,” he said seriously.

“You do?” I asked confused.

He nodded. “Always have.”

“Then why—?”

“I’ll see you.”

Shutting the door, he took his time walking up the stone pathway.

About the Author

Cookie O'Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE is out now! Her second book NINJA GIRL was released March 30,2017!

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Blog Tour: Crossing the Line by Ellen Wolfson Valladares

Blog Tour: Songlines by Carolyn Denman

Songlines
by Carolyn Denman
Genre: Clean YA Fantasy
Release Date: August 20th 2016

Summary:

We belong to the Earth, Lainie-Bug. We were sent here in human form for a reason. If you don’t know what to do, then just be human.

 Right. Like that was ever a simple thing to do.

In the heart of the Wimmera region of Australia, an ancient gateway is kept hidden and safe by a creature so powerful that even the moon would obey her commands – at least it would if she had any idea that she wasn’t just a normal girl about to finish high school.

When a mining company begins some exploratory sampling near Lainie’s sheep farm, a family secret is revealed that makes her regret not having learned more about her heritage.

 What she’s told by their farm hand, Harry, can’t possibly be true, but then the most irritating guy in class, Bane, begins to act even more insane than ever, until she can no longer deny that something very unusual is going on.

When Harry doesn’t return from his quest to seek help to protect the area from the miners, Lainie sets out to discover the truth of her heritage, and of the secret she’s been born to protect.

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Excerpt:

The barking from the aged blue heeler echoed off the tin machinery shed as the sedan crunched to a halt on the loose gravel. Ruby rubbed her elbows to sooth a prickle of apprehension. Geoff was in the shed, searching the dusty shelves for the right sized ratchet-head she’d asked for so she could fix the hot water service. Harry was in the kitchen, doing what all nine-year-old boys do an hour before lunch – hunting for snacks.

A stocky man in a business suit emerged from the sedan, tossing his sunglasses on the driver’s seat. He appeared to be in his thirties, with dark hair, thick eyebrows, and a strong jawline that spoke of Italian descent. The man gave the yard a quick appraisal, and then checked his watch, a gaudy thing designed to impress clients.

Ruby met him at the front door.

‘Mrs Doolan? My name is Paul Dashner. I’ve been asked to make some enquiries on behalf of Celarsi Holdings about an item you recently sold to them. May I come in?’

Guardian instincts barred the doorway. The man wasn’t a threat, and yet he made her very uncomfortable. Whatever he had to say, he could say it where he was.

She crossed her arms. ‘My husband tried to call the company. Couldn’t even get a call back, and yet you’ve driven all the way up here from, where, Melbourne? What is it you want to know, Mr Dashner?’

The man licked his lips as if assessing her attitude before framing a reply. ‘We were advised that the ruby had been in your family for a long time. The new owner is curious about its origins. Can you tell me its history?’

A tug at her instincts told her that Geoff had emerged from the shed and was heading towards them.

‘The history of my ruby? It has no history to speak of.’

The man waited for more. His expression almost stern.

‘What am I supposed to tell you? Geoff’s father gave it to him. I don’t know exactly where it came from originally.’

Paul Dashner gave a cool smile. ‘Perhaps Geoff knows more.’

‘More about what?’ her husband asked as he stepped up onto the porch with his arms laden with tools. He dumped them at her feet like an offering to the Goddess of Broken Things.

‘Nothing. He was just leaving,’ Ruby said, stepping forward over the tools and closing the door behind her. She gestured for the man to start moving back to his car, but he ignored her.

‘Geoff Doolan? My apologies for not returning your calls. My employer is curious about the ruby you sold us. Was it mined locally?’

Geoff’s face paled and Ruby’s heart sank. This was exactly what she had repeatedly assured him wouldn’t happen. Why would they care about the origins of one ruby? It had great clarity, and excellent colour, but it wasn’t exactly a museum piece.

Her husband’s voice held no trace of the swallowed-tongue guilt she knew he felt. ‘Not locally, no.’

‘Can you tell me anything about its history? For insurance purposes, you understand. If the owner ever needs to replace it, he would like to get as close a match as possible. Even just the country it came from would be helpful information.’

‘I’m sorry, but I never asked.’ Geoff started walking to the man’s car, and Ruby followed, hoping the man would take the hint.

‘Do you have any more?’

 And with those words, the air became still. Ruby stared at her husband. Geoff stopped walking, closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. His hands were clenched into fists and Ruby’s Guardian heartbeat raced to catch up to his. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the kitchen curtain twitch as her son’s concerned face looked out to see what was happening.

Everything waited. The breeze paused. The birds watched on, silent. The old dog stood, tongue hanging and eyes more alert than they had been in years, as if waiting for a command. She waited for it too. She could feel the authority in the space between air particles. The whole world was frozen in anticipation of a spoken word, a decree to tell it what to do, how it could serve.

Geoff turned, stepped up to Paul Dashner and looked him right in the eye. ‘There are no more gems. You will tell your employer not to enquire further, and you need not be afraid of his reply. There is nothing to be afraid of.’

Instead of the confusion Ruby expected in response to Geoff’s words, the business man’s shoulders relaxed, and he smiled. ‘That is good news,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell him there are no more gems.’

Ruby looked on, astounded, as the man got back into his car and drove away. How long before Geoff’s influence wore off and he began to question what had just happened? Would he come back, demanding an explanation?

‘Geoff. Why would you say that? “Tell your employer not to enquire further?” You know that will only make them think we have something to hide.’

Her bonded charge turned to her and held out his right hand, still clenched into a fist. His eyes were haunted, shining with a sacred light that held both terror and beauty.

‘We do have something to hide, and I don’t know that I did the right thing,’ he whispered.

‘Well, I understand exactly how that feels,’ she said, ready to comfort him, but just as she was about to take his hand, he opened it, and she gasped.

There, resting on his palm was a ruby cradled by angel’s wings. Its light pulsed in resonance with Geoff’s heartbeat – the rhythm of his life-blood that she always felt more clearly than her own. Sunlight sparkled from the jewel like tiny secrets escaping from its core.

Yet more heavy secrets that they now had to guard with their lives.

Purchase links:

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31364316-songlines

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/ebook/songlines-the-sentinels-of-eden-book-one

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Songlines-Sentinels-Eden-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01KPT0L7M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508220508&sr=8-1&keywords=carolyn+denman

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/songlines-carolyn-denman/1124385855?ean=9781922200600

Odyssey: http://odysseybooks.com.au/bookstore/#!/Songlines/p/69548963/category=0

About the Author

Carolyn Denman writes speculative fiction for adults and young adults. She has written short stories for Aurealis and Andromeda Spaceways magazines. The third novel in her Sentinels of Eden series is due for release by Odyssey Books in 2018.  Carolyn lives on a hobby farm on the outskirts of Melbourne with her husband, two daughters, her parents and far too many pets. Co-housing is the future though, right?

Somehow, her science degree and work in the finance industry have equipped her to write great science-fiction while still making sure her protagonists can always meet their mortgage repayments.

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Blog Tour: Patriots: Book One by Will Kane Thompson @PatriotsNovel

Patriots: Book One
by Will Kane Thompson
Genre: YA/NA
Release Date: October 18th 2017

Summary:

Whether they admit it or not, or even realize it, their whole lives have been altered by the events of September 11th, 2001, when they were just kids.

They came to this paradise of a college campus to find freedom, themselves, their future, sex, love, fun, God, intellectual discovery, their creative core … but instead find their world being torn apart again by political divisiveness, extremism, rage.

And now one of them will turn back to the terror of their youth in the hope of finding answers.

The rest will be victims.

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PRESS:

NPR interview in South Florida after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy:

http://news.wgcu.org/post/book-details-attack-campus

(You can listen to the interview here)

From the interviewer:

“Mass killings on school campuses have, unfortunately, become commonplace in American society. Just a week ago today, a shooter opened fire at a Broward County high school – killing 17 people and injuring another 15. …

Perhaps no recent work of fiction better handles this subject – and all the gray areas in between the nation’s pretty black-and-white divide – than “Patriots” by Will Kane Thompson.”

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-Book-Will-Kane-Thompson-ebook/dp/B07655DBJ9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1520001562&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/patriots-will-kane-thompson/1127188699

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Sparrow Squadron by D.L. Jung

 

                                                        Sparrow Squadron

by D.L. Jung
Genre: YA Historical Fiction/Action-Adventure
Release Date: February 2018

Summary:
"There was a time when flying didn't mean looking over my shoulder for death coming at me."

World War II. June 1941. Hitler's war machine turns to the Soviet Union.

Escaping her hometown ahead of the Nazis, 16-year-old Aelya Makarova seizes a chance to live her dream. Obsessed with flying, she joins a women's fighter squadron to defend her homeland against the invaders. She'll go faster and higher than she's ever gone before.

But the harsh reality of Air Force life shatters her expectations and forces her to grow up fast. The squadron is split by petty rivalries, male pilots treat them like a joke, and the ideal country she thought she was fighting for doesn't really exist.

Finally given a chance to prove herself in battle, Aelya is pushed to breaking point. With all her talent, the help of her comrades, and a lot of luck, she might just make it through. But will there be anything left of her humanity?

With fast-paced action and a heart-rending mix of humour and tragedy, Sparrow Squadron is an adventure novel for young adults that brings an overlooked episode of history to life.

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Sparrow Squadron Blog Tour: Prepared Interview Questions

Introduce yourself.

My name is D.L. Jung. That doesn't match the name on my birth certificate, but then again, neither does the name on my desk at work. I work in IT, am married and have two intermittently tolerable kids. That sucks up most of my time. Pretty much every free second outside of that is devoted to goofing off, I mean, writing.

I live in Canada, but I'm lucky enough to spend part of my time in New Zealand.

What inspired you to write this story?

A long time ago, I happened upon the documentary "Wasps and Witches" on TV.

It tells the parallel story of the American Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP’s) of World War II and the female combat pilots fighting for the Soviet Union at the same time. I was particularly fascinated by the Soviet women, and read as much on them as I could. Until then, I had no idea that women had fought in combat during WWII, let alone flew fighters and bombers.

There's now been quite a bit of fiction and non-fiction written about the night bomber pilots, the "Night Witches," but very little about the fighter pilots. I thought that was a shame, so I decided to step into that gap. And so, many years later, Sparrow Squadron came into being.

Did you write Sparrow Squadron what is currently happening in society in mind?

I think all fiction reflects the world around the writer. While the idea for the novel came much earlier, the bulk of it was written a year and a half ago. Probably the biggest external influence was the lead up to the 2016 US election. Because a female US president was a likely possibility, there was this strange mix of uplifting inspiration and rampant misogyny. Neither of these things is new. As each generation faces its own struggles to make progress, it's good to be exposed to what previous generations faced and achieved. All of that was definitely playing in my mind when I wrote the novel.

How much of Sparrow Squadron is fiction?

Aelya’s story itself is fiction and all of the people, with one notable exception, are all inventions of mine. However, I wrote this with the intent that all the events in the novel could reasonably have happened. Obviously, the major historical events all happened and many incidents are drawn from real-life accounts. The backgrounds of many of the characters are also based on real-life people.

What was your favourite discovery in doing your research?

As a result of Lend-Lease, in which the United States sent supplies to the Soviet Union to support their war effort, Soviet military personnel got inundated with a Spam-like canned meat. They took to calling it "Second Front." This was in part a dig at the repeated promises and delays the West made to open up a second front against Germany while the Soviets continued battling every day.

Describe your writing routine.

Everything in my schedule is based around the fact that I have a full-time job and kids. I usually schedule as much as I can around breaks at work and at night, after the kids’ bedtimes. I try to go several weeks without a lot of sleep, then crash for a week, then get back to it. That may sound crazy, but I find I’m actually way more productive when I have limited time to write. I try to remember that any moment of writing could be my last!

What can we expect in the sequel?

Aelya's going to be pushed into more of a leadership role, whether she feels ready or not. We're also going to see Aelya's first visit to the home front since she joined up. The relationships between the surviving pilots are going to get a lot more intense as they're thrown into the Battle of Kursk, which will push them further beyond the limits of anything they experienced at Stalingrad.

What are your future writing plans?

First and foremost, I need to finish the trilogy that starts with Sparrow Squadron. Then I have some epic fantasy that's just burning to get out of my head and onto the page. A significant part of it is inspired by a North Korean-style authoritarian personality cult.

What would Aelya like the most about our present day world and what would freak her out?

The extent of air travel available today would thrill Aelya, though she'd be a bit disappointed that we haven't gone to other planets yet. She'd be first in line for that job! As a child of Soviet society, I think she'd be overwhelmed by all of our entertainment choices and distractions. She'd probably want to escape into a cockpit at the earliest opportunity.

Who was your favourite character to write?

Obviously Aelya, being the protagonist, feels very much like my own child. But I loved letting loose on the "bad girl" Tonya. She doesn't really have a heart of gold, but there's a certain reasonable logic behind everything that she does and it was fun getting into that mindset.

What were some books that influenced your writing for this novel?

For Sparrow Squadron, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins was probably top of mind. I admired the tense, action-oriented writing. The Agency Series by Y.S. Lee, with its underdog, teenage heroine in a historical setting, also had a polished mix of humour and danger that I tried to emulate. Another huge influence was the Battle of Britain novel Piece of Cake by Derek Robinson. Its realistic depiction of the confusion of combat and the camraderie of the pilots makes it really stand out among war fiction.

What do you like to do in your downtime?

I like to reserve Fridays evenings, after the kids go to bed, as do-nothing times. It's a holdover from my college days. I'm so disciplined (by necessity) most of the week, I think I'd go crazy without that one off day. I usually spend it in a combination of watching TV or playing video games. Not very exciting, but I put all my spare energy into my writing.

What might readers be surprised to know about you?

Mainly because I forgot to mention this in any of my bios, they might be surprised that I once tried to run a sports analytics business. It didn't take, but I got to watch a playoff hockey game from the owner's box out of it!

About the Author
DL Jung has been an enthusiastic student of history since grade school, when he spent lazy afternoons flipping through an old Encyclopedia Britannica set. He enjoys blogging about history and writing historical fiction. He also writes fantasy and horror fiction as Darius Jung.

Jung is married, with two children, and lives in Toronto, Canada. They are lucky enough to spend part of the time in New Zealand. Outside of writing, he has tried stints as an industrial engineer, a film and TV script supervisor, an IT consultant, a professional game show contestant, and a grossly under-qualified business wear model. Sparrow Squadron is his debut novel.

Author Links:

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Blog Tour: The Boat House by Jana D. Barrett

The Boat House
by Jana D. Barrett
Genre: Mystery/Romance
Release Date: October 2017

Summary:

Genevieve Vandermere-Anderson lives in an elite world carefully crafted by her stepfather.  While other girls her age revel in the freedom of their first summer break from college, Genevieve has no choice but to return to her childhood home in Hilton Head, South Carolina to play sidekick to her vindictive stepfather.  Forbidden from social media and isolated from her peers, she returns home disheartened and oppressed by the actions of her past, governed by secrets.    

Though she is fearful of the repercussions, Genevieve decides it is time to start making her own choices.  She sneaks out of her fortified house to attend the annual beach bonfire.  There she meets a handsome stranger and follows him to an abandoned boathouse hidden in low country marshes.  Little does she know that this small act of rebellion will be the catalyst for unraveling the truth about her regretful past, and the layers of deception her stepfather has masterminded.

When she begins to investigate the boating accident that tragically killed her mother and two other people, she discovers that her stepfather's suspicious behavior and control tactics are all part of a greater agenda.

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AMAZON

 https://www.amazon.com/Jana-D.-Barrett/e/B0779NX53F

IBOOKS

https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/jana-d-barrett/id1304456021?mt=11 

BARNES and NOBLE

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Jana%20D.%20Barrett%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

KOBO

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Jana%20D.%20Barrett&fcsearchfield=Author

About the Author

Jana was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina.   An avid reader, she loves to travel, cook and try exotic foods.  She is a self- proclaimed 'city girl' who fell in love with a country boy.  Jana, her husband and their daughter live on a retired pasture, with a lovely farmland view.  An animal lover she has Siberian Husky named Blizzard, a barn kitty named Winter and an impolite group of wild turkeys.   

Author Links:

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New Cover!

New Cover!

I am so excited to reveal book 3's cover. The cover artist from book 1, Princess of Tyrone came back to make this one and I couldn't be happier. Andrea is so talented and captures ideas in ways I never would imagine.

Now, enjoy the pretty!

Blitz: See Her Run by A.K. Leigh

Cover Reveal: Olympian Challenger by Astrid Arditi

Blitz: Keeper by Kim Chance

Cover Reveal for my Novel; Quest for a Popstar!

I'm so excited to reveal the cover for my new novel and the first book in my new trilogy Reality Romances! I seriously love this cover and I think it captures the essence of the book perfectly!

So, here it is:

Blog Tour: So Near the Horizon by Jessica Koch

The No. 1 Bestseller from Germany - based on a true story! A story of true love ...

Release Date: September 6th 2017

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Jessica has an uncomplicated life and a promising future. Leaving the house one evening, she has no idea that she’s about to meet the love of her life - or that her entire understanding of the world is about to change. And before long, she’s going to face a decision that will shape her forever…
In 'So Near the Horizon' Jessica Koch describes a life lived somewhere between hope and fear, confronting true events from her own past with raw honesty and frank reflection - and exploring more than one difficult subject along the way.
A story of deep love. A story of trust, courage, pain, despair, and the strength to let go. A true story.

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About the Author

Jessica Koch (born in Ludwigsburg, Germany) began writing short stories when she was still in high school, but never submitted her work to publishers. In late 1999, shortly after beginning her studies to become an architectural drafter, she met Danny, a German-American dual national. Her experiences with him eventually formed the basis for So Near the Horizon, though it was nearly thirteen years before she felt ready to bring the manuscript to the public.

The author describes a life lived somewhere between hope and fear, between optimism and despair. She reflects on events from her own past with raw honesty, confronting more than one difficult subject along the way.

Jessica Koch lives near the city of Heilbronn with her husband, their son, and two dogs. The second and third books in the trilogy, So Near the Abyss and So Near the Ocean, are already best-sellers in Germany as well.

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