Blog Tour- THE THINGS THE RIVER HIDES by @ANsageWrites With An Excerpt & #Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE THINGS THE RIVER HIDES by A.N. Sage Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: THE THINGS THE RIVER HIDES

Author: A.N. Sage

Pub. Date: February 22, 2022

Publisher: Cauldron Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 279

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Where rivers run red as blood, a long-forgotten darkness awaits its freedom…

Nastya Sokolov dreams of not being seen as an outcast. Born with the ability to foretell death with a simple touch, she’s relegated to the confines of her mother’s funeral home. A virtual prisoner, she longs to break free.

When the body of a car crash victim arrives at the morgue, Nastya finds something amiss. A clue beckoning to be unravelled.

Soon, another boy greets her doorstep. This one very much alive and insistent his friend’s death was no accident. Before long, Nastya is dragged into a web of impossibilities, strange coincidences, and a baffling mystery in the small town of Cherry Cove.

A mystery that triggers a vision.

One Nastya cannot ignore.

She knows better than to tempt fate, but its pull is mighty and her curiosity relentless. Will Nastya follow the trail and uncover the truth about Cherry Cove and the darkness that festers just below the surface?

Find out in this young adult dark fantasy mystery filled with intrigue, long-held secrets, murder, and a desperate race to save a life! 

 

Excerpt:

The interior of the box is as uneventful as the rest; a crushed blue velvet lining which is surprisingly dry considering it has been underwater this entire time. In the center, a single capped vial rolls around as I try to keep the box from shaking in my hands with little success. Its contents are a mystery to me, as there is no label to indicate what it might hold, though I already have the answer to all the questions racing in my mind. This is what killed you. I flick the vial out of the way so I can get a clearer view of the only other object inside, one much easier to distinguish. The petals are wilted, and the stem looks like it had been pummeled by a strong hand, but I recognize the flower with certainty. “A poppy,” I say to the others.

“What does it mean?” Ally asks. Her shoulders hike up and she rubs at opposite elbows as she struggles to make sense of what I found.

Daxon inches closer until his hip rests against mine and my heart skips a few beats in response. I slam the lid of the box shut, tucking it under my arm so the metal nestles close to my body. From deep inside, I hear the clinging of the vial as it hits the sides. “I was right,” I say. “A heart attack didn’t kill the shop owner, and whoever is responsible wanted to make sure no one found the evidence. Makes sense to dump this here, no one would think to search the river. No one even goes into it.”

The two of them exchange uncomfortable glances then Daxon says, “So, what do we do with it now?”

“Take it to the police, obviously,” Ally answers.

I speak before I have the chance to change my mind. “No,” I say. “We have to find out what’s in the vial before we tell anyone about it. She’s counting on me, and I won’t let her down.”

Aggravation passes Daxon’s blue eyes moments before he stalks away. I don’t have the heart to tell him he’s counting on me too, he simply doesn’t know it yet.

 

 

About A.N. Sage:

A.N. Sage has spent most of her life waiting to meet a witch, vampire, or at least get haunted by a ghost. In between failed seances and many questionable outfit choices, she has developed a keen eye for the extra-ordinary.

A.N. spends her free time reading and binge-watching television shows in her pajamas. Currently, she resides in Toronto, Canada with her husband who is not a creature of the night.

A.N. Sage is a Scorpio and a massive advocate of leggings for pants.

Subscribe to A.N.’s newsletter to get a copy of Coven of Deception, a Shadowhurst prequel novella, sent straight to your inbox. You'll also get news of subscriber-only giveaways, contests, preview chapters, and the chance to receive advance reader copies of new releases. https://ansage.ca/newsletter-1

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

10 Winners will receive an eBook of THE THINGS THE RIVER HIDES, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/14/2022	BookHounds YA	Guest Post
2/15/2022	The Reading Devil	Guest Post/IG Post
2/16/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
2/17/2022	@bookstagramofmine	Review/IG Post
2/18/2022	More Books Please blog	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

2/21/2022	The Reading Wordsmith	Review/IG Post
2/22/2022	@simplybeccamee	Review/IG Post
2/23/2022	@lexijava	Review/IG Post
2/24/2022	A Court of Coffee and Books	Review/IG Post
2/25/2022	Momfluenster	Review/IG Post

Cover Reveal- LI NA IS MY NAME by @lisawee1970 With A #Giveaway! @dixibooks

Today Lisa Wee, Dixi Books Publishing, and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for LI NA IS MY NAME, her debut picture book which releases March 31, 2022! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

 

On to the reveal! 

About the Book:

Title: LI NA IS MY NAME

Author: Lisa Wee

Pub. Date: March 31, 2022

Publisher: Dixi Books Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 32

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon UK, TBD

 

Do you get teased by others for being a weirdo, a geek, a nerd or a bookworm? Friends, families and neighbours around Li-Na felt it was affectionate to tease her for her not-so-girly hobbies and clothing. Li-Na is about a little girl who refused to be stereotyped. It is a story that encourages kids to be kids until they are ready to be who they want to be. Li Na Is My Name is a book that is as relevant then as it is now. Wishing Li Na’s spirit, grit and resilience to all children. Love the way she stays true to herself. Let’s spread this so all children love themselves for just who they are.

 

 

About Lisa Wee:

Lisa Wee debuts as author/illustrator, "Li Na is my name, Dixi Books Publishing, UK.Dixi Books Publishing, UK.

Lisa has illustrated several picture books for prominent organisations and self-published authors. Her quaint, quirky and vibrant illustrations are inclusive, embracing diversity in celebrating the lives of children from all walks of life.

Her clients 

Celebrity Top Chef Kristen Kish in collaboration with Upwork, Babybug magazine, Ladybug magazine  World Vision International for International Day of the Girls campaign 2021.

 

Website |  Twitter  | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will win a finished copy LI NA IS MY NAME when it is released, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Week Blitz- MADDIE AND MO GET MARRIED by @RachelAbugov With An Excerpt & $10 Amazon GC #Giveaway!

I am so excited that MADDIE AND MO GET MARRIED by Rachel Abugov is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Rachel, & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

 

About The Book:

Title: MADDIE AND MO GET MARRIED

Author: Rachel Abugov

Pub. Date: February 22, 2022

Publisher: Rachel's Kissing Books

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 270

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo

In this corner: Madison "Mad Dog" Bennett: Venture capitalist. Runs on instincts and caffeine. Fearless (unless it's love).

In this corner: Maurice "Murderface" Mayfield: Former MMA fighter, Eternal optimist. Has a collection of designer sneakers. Also collects crazy exes.

Sparks fly between Maddie and Mo when she invests in his MMA-themed gyms. But Mo is known for his flavor-of-the-month romances. Maddie thinks she's watching the clock run out on them when Mo's ex drops off a package - the son he never knew he had.

Maddie and Mo's wedding is interrupted, and Maddie thinks she must choose between flight or fight. Fighting is in her comfort zone, but love? Not so much. Working things through? Even less. It won't be an easy trip down the aisle.

 

Excerpt:

I let Mo draw the faux-fur blanket over us and wrap me in his arms.

“This is nice,” I said. “Hanging out with you is really nice.” It was the closest I’d gotten to expressing emotions in a long time.

“I could get used to this.”

“Me too. It’s really nice.” What the hell, Maddie? Didn’t I know any words other than ‘nice’?

My mouth engaged again, before my brain could search for synonyms. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life,” I gulped. “You saved me from the hell of the funeral. You’ve got so many good qualities – I could go on and on.”

“Please don’t stop on my account,” teased Mo. “You’re off to a good start.”

“Actually, that’s all I got.” I didn’t want to sound like I was at the “I love you, man” stage of drunkenness. We’d seen enough of that earlier. At least, I had.

“Okay.” Mo took a deep breath. “So, let’s discuss the next step. We’re business partners. We’re living together.  There’s only one more thing we can do. Let’s get married.”

“Wait, what?

Had I heard right? Of course I had. It just seemed a little soon.

“I know it seems a little soon,” continued Mo.

Told you so.

“But when you know, you know. The first time we worked out together, you were a champ. You looked me straight in the eye. You were fierce and you weren’t afraid to show it. You knew all about me and you were okay with it. It’s hard to find that in one person. Believe me, I’ve tried. And if you think I’m gonna let you go, you’re insane.” Mo started rubbing my back exactly how I liked to have my back rubbed.

This was getting much more difficult. There had to be a way to let him down gently.  I knew the words, but they wouldn’t come out of my mouth.

“You caught me off guard,” is what I said. “But I always trust my instincts. And they’re telling me to be all in. Ride or die.”

“Ride or die,” said Mo. He said other stuff, too. Then, things escalated and before long, I was invoking the Lord’s name. I do that in the heat of the moment. #sorrynotsorry

About Rachel Abugov:

Rachel is a recovering standup comic, former mental health admin, cat lady, foodie and lover of classic rock. She’s lived most of my life in Montreal, which is the Most Romantic City in North America.

She can't remember a time when she wasn't a reader, and therefore, a wannabe writer. Her first attempt at novel-writing was when she was 11, and she restarted in seriousness around four years ago.  

Rachel writes women's contemporary fiction  - snarky but sweet (that means closed-door sex scenes but lots of sarcasm and  tons of schmoopiness) The longer she writes, the more her characters resemble facets of herself and echo her life experiences. She'll let you decide whether that's a Good Thing or not.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 Winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour- STAR WARS THE HIGH REPUBLIC: MIDNIGHT HORIZON by @djolder With An Excerpt & #Giveaway! @DisneyBooks, @LetsTalkYA, & @RockstarBkTours

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the STAR WARS THE HIGH REPUBLIC: MIDNIGHT HORIZON by Daniel José Older Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: STAR WARS THE HIGH REPUBLIC: MIDNIGHT HORIZON

Author: Daniel José Older

Pub. Date: February 1, 2022

Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 496

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

Centuries before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, in the era of the glorious High Republic, the Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy!

After a series of staggering losses, the Republic seems to finally have the villainous Nihil marauders on the run, and it looks like there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Until word comes of a suspected Nihil attack on the industrial cosmopolitan world of Corellia, right in the Galactic Core.

Sent to investigate are Jedi Masters Cohmac Vitus and Kantam Sy, along with Padawans Reath Silas and Ram Jomaram, all fighting their own private battles after months of unrelenting danger. On Corellia, Reath and Ram encounter a brazen young security specialist named Crash, whose friend was one of the victims of the Nihil attack, and they team up with her to infiltrate Corellia’s elite while the Masters pursue more diplomatic avenues. But going undercover with Crash is more dangerous than anyone expected, even as Ram pulls in his friend Zeen to help with an elaborate ruse involving a galactic pop star.

But what they uncover on Corellia turns out to be just one part of a greater plan, one that could lead the Jedi to their most stunning defeat yet….

The New York Times best-selling series continues.... For light and life!

 

Excerpt from Chapter 6:

Zeen Mrala and Lula Talisola sat across from each other in meditation position, like they had so many times before.

Zeen wasn’t sure when they’d stopped sitting side by side during these sessions and started sitting face to face. She just knew that it felt more intimate this way, more right.

As always, an infinite skyscape seemed to open up between them, like the whole wild galaxy came to life in their connected minds, from its giant spinning planets to the tiniest drops of dew on each trembling leaf.

“Do you feel me?” Lula asked, and Zeen knew she was smiling. They both were.

“Always,” she said. It was true. Even those rare times when they were far away from each other—like during the Republic Fair, when all hell was breaking loose and thousands of people cried out in fear and pain—Lula’s presence still felt like a beacon amid the chaos. It wasn’t that Zeen knew exactly where her friend was, just that she could feel her, her warmth, and it had calmed her, guided her through the carnage until their physical bodies actually found each other.

But Zeen felt something else, too—it had been growing inside her for months, and she had no idea what to do with it, even what to name it.

Fear maybe. Or perhaps love.

Whatever it was, she was pretty sure it was about to explode. She was about to explode.

Lula had been put in charge of the task force. For a Padawan, that was an incredible honor. It meant she’d probably be knighted soon. She didn’t look happy about it, though. Lula was the most ambitious person Zeen had ever met, but it didn’t seem to come from ego—she wasn’t trying to get ahead of everyone else; she just loved learning, loved challenging herself, loved the thrill of forward motion. Zeen knew Lula had been trying to slow down, let each step of the journey be what it had to be, but this kind of honor would’ve lit her up a few weeks ago.

In the briefing room, she just looked sad. And Zeen’s own first thought had been a selfish one: Lula would be knighted, and then what? What room would there be for a random girl from nowhere in the life of a Jedi Knight? The Jedi weren’t supposed to form attachments; they didn’t marry and settle down. They had more important things to do.

Zeen hated the bitter tone in her own thoughts; she should’ve been happy for her best friend in that moment. And what did it mean that Lula didn’t seem happy, either? Only that Zeen was trouble, pure trouble, in her favorite person’s life. A distraction.

That was when Zeen had decided to go to Corellia with Ram and Master Sy. She would get away for a bit, and maybe things would make sense when she got back.

She had instantly regretted the decision, but it was too late.

“Leaving will be good,” Lula said a few minutes later, when they’d both opened their eyes. This was what they did, almost every day: They sat. They let the universe reveal its shimmering secrets around them through meditation, and then they spoke, quietly, gently, being as true as they knew how to be, about whatever was going on that day.

“I’m not sure,” Zeen admitted. “I’m . . .” Was it fear she still felt? Not exactly. Just a discomfort. Uncertainty. But then . . . maybe that wasn’t hers. “Are you?”

“I . . .” Lula didn’t usually come up at a loss for words, but now she trailed off. “I don’t want our hunt for Krix to become who you are.”

Zeen flinched a little. She knew her friend was voicing a very real danger. Still, it hurt. “What will you be when we catch him?”

“I . . .”

“Where will you go?”

“I figured I’d stay here,” Zeen said, because the truth was, After Krix didn’t seem like a real thing, and it wouldn’t until he was caught. She hadn’t given it much thought because it was possible they wouldn’t catch him for years, and it was possible they’d catch him the next day. What point was there in planning when so much was uncertain?

Lula smiled in that way she had that made her look like a little kid. “That would be amazing.”

Zeen returned the smile, but the sadness and uncertainty remained, and she still didn’t know if it belonged to her or to Lula. “I don’t know what it will be like, when the chase is over,” Zeen admitted. “I don’t know who I’ll be.”

“We can find out together,” Lula said. “The galaxy’s changing as fast as we are. I’ve been”—her face darkened— “trying to figure out who I’ll be, too.”

“You got put in charge of a task force, Lula. That’s practically unheard of for a Padawan. What’s wrong?”

An alert dinged over the speaker system, then Ram’s voice came through, breathy with nervousness and restrained giggles. “Um, Zeen Mrala we’re about to leave for Corellia without yo—”

Reath cut him off. “No, we’re not! Don’t listen to him, Zeen. He’s still practicing his jokes. But we are packing up the shuttle, so hurry up, please!”

Lula and Zeen rolled their eyes at each other, and then simultaneously got serious again.

Zeen didn’t want to go anywhere where Lula’s face wasn’t going to be across from her, ready with a thoughtful answer or calm silence. But Zeen was also desperate to get as far away from all this confusion and turmoil as possible.

“I don’t know,” Lula said. “To answer your question. It’s been on me the past few weeks. You’ve seen it. I still don’t have an answer.” She met Zeen’s eyes with that determined gaze, the one that meant victory was imminent. “But I will figure it out, I promise.”

Zeen smiled. She believed her. What else could she do?

Lula smiled too, and it looked real. “Now let’s get you sent off to Corellia.”

 

About Daniel José Older:

Daniel José Older, a lead story architect for Star Wars: The High Republic, is the New York Times best-selling author of the upcoming Young Adult fantasy novel Ballad & Dagger (book 1 of the Outlaw Saints series), the sci-fi adventure Flood City, the monthly comic series The High Republic Adventures. His other books include the historical fantasy series Dactyl Hill Squad, The Book of Lost Saints, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, Star Wars: Last Shot, and the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher, including Shadowshaper, which was named one of the best fantasy books of all time by TIME magazine and one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, The World Fantasy Award, the Andre Norton Award, the Locus, and the Mythopoeic Award. He co-wrote the upcoming graphic novel Death’s Day. You can find more info and read about his decade long career as an NYC paramedic at http://danieljoseolder.net/

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of STAR WARS THE HIGH REPUBLIC: MIDNIGHT HORIZON, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/1/2022	Mythical Books	Excerpt/IG Post
2/2/2022	Daily Waffle	Excerpt
2/3/2022	Living in a Bookworld	Excerpt
2/4/2022	Sadie's Spotlight	Excerpt/IG Post
2/5/2022	Writer of Wrongs	Excerpt

Week Two:

2/6/2022	YABooksCentral	Excerpt
2/7/2022	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt
2/8/2022	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
2/9/2022	Lifestyle of Me	Review
2/10/2022	@lexijava	Review/IG Post
2/11/2022	Wishful Endings	Review/IG Post
2/12/2022	Kait Plus Books	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

2/13/2022	Nerdophiles	Review
2/14/2022	Eli to the nth	Review/IG Post
2/15/2022	The Desert Bibliophile	Review/IG Post
2/16/2022	Dr Roha Tahir	Review/IG Post
2/17/2022	A Bookish Dream	Review/IG Post
2/18/2022	@coffeesipsandreads	Review/IG Post
2/19/2022	BookHounds YA	Review

Week Four:

2/20/2022	Karen Dee's Book Reviews	IG Spotlight
2/21/2022	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt
2/22/2022	@jypsylynn	Review/IG Post
2/23/2022	@thebookishfoxwitch	Review/IG Post
2/24/2022	The Momma Spot	Review/IG Post
2/25/2022	Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog	Review/IG Post
2/26/2022	@drewsim12	Review/IG Post

Week Five:

2/27/2022	Two Points of Interest	Review
2/28/2022	onemused	IG Spotlight