Fantasy, Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Temple of Doubt brings fantasy, magic, and a struggle with faith

Posted on July 12, 2015July 11, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Temple of Doubt, by Anne Boles Levy (Aug. 2015, Sky Pony Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781632204271

Recommended for ages 13+

A falling star crashes into the marshes on a planet called Kuldor and a young woman’s life is forever changed. Fifteen year-old Hadara is the wilder child of her parents’ two daughters, the “natural” to her younger sister’s “pious”. Living under a strict religious rule, where medicine is heresy and only magic provided by their god, Nihil, is acceptable, Hadara longs to join her mother, who clandestinely gathers herbs and plants to keep handy for quiet requests.

The star brings religious leaders and soldiers to Port Sapphire, where Hadara and her family live. The leaders insist that a demon inhabits the star, and they must go into the marshes to retrieve it: and Hadara and her mother are pressed into service to lead them there. Hadara, whose faith has already been tested by the priests and the soldiers’ presence, finds herself chafing under the continued requests put upon her and the behaviors she witnesses, but this is only the beginning. The things she will discover on her journey will throw everything she’s ever been taught to believe into chaos. Is she strong enough to emerge unscathed?

The Temple of Doubt is sci-fi/fantasy, but readers will find many parallels to our current religious and socio-political climate today. The reliance on a deity to heal – but only if you have enough faith – versus faith in medicine and nature; the right of the religious right to tread wherever they feel is necessary to root out evil, and the struggle of a young woman dealing with coming of age and questioning her faith and beliefs are all very familiar scenarios that will draw readers into Ms. Levy’s story.

There is a great deal of world-building that will appeal to some readers, but may not catch reluctant or struggling readers. Focus on the teenage aspects of the story – rebellion, frustration, sibling rivalry, and questioning – to spark a lively booktalk. The Temple of Doubt an interesting first book in a series that should appeal to sci-fi and fantasy readers.

Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

YA Book Blitz: Love in the Gilded Age by Saruuh Kelsey

Posted on July 9, 2015July 9, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Love In The Gilded Age (Fissure Chronicles, #1)

by Saruuh Kelsey

Release Date: 10/28/14

Summary from Goodreads: Once in a hidden queendom…

There is an ocean: In the infinite distance, between one hidden world and the next, is an unmeasurable expanse of twenty seas. One sprawling edge of the
world to another is filled with waters as beautiful as they are deadly, as miraculous as they are fraught. Treasure and treachery litter their ocean beds, sleeping side by side with adventurers whose travels ended abruptly, lives caught and held under a wave until all breaths fled.

There is a land: Tucked into a corner where four oceans fold together, land rises up illustrious in a jagged slash of mountains and forests, with secrets and wonders as plentiful as any water.

There are chronicles: Not of the twenty savage seas but of the fissure of land and the people who sigh life into it.

In an original epic fantasy world, Love In The Gilded Age reimagines the heroes and heroines of Grimm fairy tales as ethnically diverse, LGBT, disabled, and gender flipped.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes
& Noble

EXCERPT:

Xanna drove herself forward, leaning into the run to propel them along. Her mother was trailing behind her but didn’t have an option except to follow as Xanna leapt from the last bit of land and crashed into the pond. She heard Koal’s strangled shout as she broke the surface, gasping and paddling wildly. She fought every bit of tiredness in her muscles as she dragged her mother from the depths of the water; she emerged spluttering and angry. “He will kill you for that,” her mother said without emotion. No fear
for her daughter’s life, no regret, no anger, just a blank statement of facts.

“No,” Xanna hissed. “I won’t be the one dying today.”

“Three souls will pass in this last fight.” Her mother dissolved into the senseless chanting of before, only repeated the ominous three souls will pass in this last fight. At least she had the good sense to pump her legs and move her arms to stay afloat.

Xanna had to get the rope off them if her plan was going to work. She pulled at their bound wrists, fearful and frustrated, and the vine uncoiled as if in response to her wish at the same moment the Wolf
reached the edge of the pool and leapt in. It loves my mother, Xanna thought, but found she didn’t care. She gripped the rope in a fist as she put three lengths between her mother, watching the Wolf wade sloppily through the water to the woman it loved.

She didn’t have long. Xanna had to act, and she had to be both quick and quiet about it—an impossibility now that her every movement made a splash. Still, she had to try. Koal was shouting at her from the clearing but she blocked out his warnings.

The Wolf only noticed her presence when she wrapped the vine around its neck and pulled it taut. Growling, it fought to face her but couldn’t spin and remain afloat at the same time. Xanna kicked her legs faster, unable to use her arms to keep her from a drowned death as she strangled the animal. She was slipping, on the verge of sinking. Without warning, the Wolf dipped underwater, testing her grip on the vine. She lost the rope.

Xanna looked around for it desperately. It was her only weapon.

The vine didn’t resurface but the Wolf did.

About the Author

Saruuh Kelsey is the author of several novels for young adults, including the free Lux Guardians series and The Legend Mirror series. Her latest releases include THE BEAST OF CALLAIRE, the first novel of a new YA fantasy series, and a collection of diverse fairy tales in LOVE IN THE GILDED AGE. Find her online at saruuhkelsey.co.uk.

Author Links:

photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

YA Cover Reveal: Nora and Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor!

Posted on July 7, 2015July 7, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Nora & Kettle

by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Release Date: 02/29/16

Clean Teen Reads

Summary from Goodreads:

What if Peter Pan was a homeless kid just trying to survive, and Wendy flew away for a really good reason?

Seventeen-year-old Kettle has had his share of adversity. As an orphaned Japanese- American struggling to make a life in the aftermath of an event in history not often referred to—the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and the removal of children from orphanages for having “one drop of Japanese blood in them”—things are finally looking up. He has his hideout in an abandoned subway tunnel, a job, and his gang of Lost Boys.

Desperate to run away, the world outside her oppressive brownstone calls to naïve, eighteen-year-old Nora—the privileged daughter of a controlling and violent civil rights lawyer who is building a compensation case for the interned Japanese Americans. But she is trapped, enduring abuse to protect her younger sister Frankie and wishing on the stars every night for things to change.

For months, they’ve lived side by side, their paths crossing yet never meeting. But when Nora is nearly killed and her sister taken away, their worlds collide as Kettle, grief stricken at the loss of a friend, angrily pulls Nora from her window.

In her honeyed eyes, Kettle sees sadness and suffering. In his, Nora sees the chance to take to the window and fly away.

Set in 1953, NORA AND KETTLE explores
the collision of two teenagers facing extraordinary hardship. Their meeting is inevitable, devastating, and ultimately healing. Their stories, a collection of events, are each on their own harmless. But together, one after the other, they change the world.

About the Author

Lauren Nicolle Taylor lives in the lush Adelaide Hills. The daughter of a Malaysian nuclear physicist and an Australian scientist, she was expected to follow a science career path, attending Adelaide University and completing a Health Science degree with Honours in obstetrics and gynaecology.

She then worked in health research for a short time before having her first child. Due to their extensive health issues, Lauren spent her twenties as a full-time mother/carer to her three children. When her family life settled down, she turned to writing. She is a 2014 Kindle Book Awards Semi-finalist and a USA Best Book Awards Finalist.

Author Links:

Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Book Blitz: They Call Me Alexandra Gastone, by T.A. MacLagan

Posted on July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Books can show us visions. Have you ever found your mind beginning to imagine the characters you meet within the pages? Have you experienced a film projector of scenes in your
head as you read about the girl who travels to the fifth dimension, or the boy who’s trying to graduate from being a wallflower? When you read, your mind naturally creates images, almost like watching a movie. Why not turn those images into a reality by making a movie poster?

Full Fathom Five and T.A. Maclagan are hosting a movie poster design contest to celebrate the
release of T.A.’s debut, They Call Me Alexandra Gastone, a novel heralded by Booklist as “An intricate, debut spy thriller…” The contest will run from July 7^th to August 15^th.

One winner will receive a $100 gift card to the retailer of their choice, a book from FFF’s
list of authors, and Alexandra Gastone swag! All participants will be featured on T.A. Maclagan’s blog and Tumblr, and the winner will be featured on the Full Fathom Five website! Artists may use any medium from crayon to Photoshop.

They Call Me Alexandra Gastone

by T.A. Maclagan

Release Date: 05/20/15

Full Fathom Five Digital

226 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

When your life is a lie, how do you know what’s real?Alexandra Gastone has a simple plan: graduate high school, get into Princeton, work for the CIA, and serve her great nation.

She was told the plan back when her name was Milena Rokva, back before the real Alexandra and her family were killed in a car crash.

Milena was trained to be a sleeper agent by Perun, a clandestine organization from her true homeland of Olissa. There, Milena learned everything she needed to infiltrate the life of CIA analyst Albert Gastone, Alexandra’s grandfather, and the ranks of America’s top intelligence agency.

For seven years, “Alexandra” has been on standby and life’s been good. Grandpa
Albert loves her, and her strategically chosen boyfriend, Grant, is amazing.

But things are about to change. Perun no longer needs her at the CIA in five
years’ time. They need her active now.

Between her cover as a high school girl—juggling a homecoming dance, history
reports, and an increasingly suspicious boyfriend—and her mission in this
high-stakes spy game, the boundaries of her two lives are beginning to blur.

Will she stay true to the country she barely remembers, or has her loyalty shattered along with her identity?

Buy Links:

Amazon|
Barnes
& Nobles| iTunes|
Kobo| Goodreads

Praise for They Call Me Alexandra Gastone:

“An intricate, debut spy thriller…readers will keep turning pages, and the surprise ending will have them anxiously awaiting a sequel.” —Booklist

“…the intersection of action, espionage, and drama makes for solid…entertainment: readers will gladly sit back and watch Alexandra navigate the obstacle course that comes with playing her role too well. It’s a strong debut for New Zealand author Maclagan.” —Publisher’s
Weekly

“Death-threats, global takeover, double-agents, hidden files and a blown cover—by the time you get to the shocking conclusion of this cliff-hanger, you won’t know who to trust…” —Girls’ Life

About the Author

T.A. Maclagan
is a Kansas girl by birth but now lives in the bush-clad hills of Wellington, New Zealand with her Kiwi husband, son and four pampered cats. With a bachelor’s degree in biology and a Ph.D. in anthropology, she’s studied poison dart frogs in the rainforests of Costa Rica, howler monkeys in Panama and the very exotic and always elusive American farmer. It was as she was writing her ‘just the facts’ dissertation that T.A. felt the call to pursue something more
imaginative and discovered a passion for creative writing. They Call Me Alexandra Gastone is her first novel.

You can find her online at:

Website: www.tamaclagan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamaclagan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamaclagan

Tumblr: tamaclagan.tumblr.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tamaclagan/

GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by: YA Bound Book Tours

Horror, Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian, Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Scott Sigler’s Alive is a tense mix of speculative fiction, mystery, and horror. Read it!

Posted on July 2, 2015July 2, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Alive, by Scott Sigler (Jul 2015, Del Rey/Spectra), $18, ISBN: 9780553393101

Recommended for ages 13+

“I open my eyes to darkness. Total darkness. I hear my own breathing, but nothing else. I lift my head . . . it thumps against something solid and unmoving. There is a board right in front of my face. No, not a board . . . a lid.”

A teenage girl wakes up in what she perceives to be a coffin. She breaks out, and liberates the other kids from their coffins- but not everyone is alive. No one has any memory of who they are, where they come from, or how they got where they are. The only clue to anything about them lies in the engraved names at the end of each coffin: an initial and last name. M. Savage, the first girl to wake up, finds herself leading a group of teens through the unknown environment, in search of answers and freedom, but can they survive the horrors they witness… or one another?

If you’ve never read Scott Sigler before, you are in for a treat, my friends. I discovered his book, Infected, years ago thanks to a horror podcast I used to listen to. This is the first YA by Sigler I’ve read, and trust me – you’re going to need to grit your teeth and brace yourself for this ride.

What I love about Scott Sigler is his masterful way of taking a group of people and showing conflict. It’s set off by one thing, but it’s never really about that one thing, is it? You throw a group of hormonal teenagers into the insanity of waking up with no memory and no clue as to where they are, you’ve got some interesting issues on your hands. Sigler’s your man. I can’t go into too much of the story, because I really don’t want spoilers in any way, shape, or form to put you off of this book, but think about the kids in your life, and then imagine tossing them into the craziest situation you can imagine. You’ve got layers and layers of issues, personalities, and conflicts that will come to the fore. The best horror lies not with the monsters under your bed, but the horror we inflict on one another, and we all know and remember that children can be pretty cruel.

Alive needs to be on your teen space bookshelves, and MAN, the stories that can come out of a book talk featuring this book are legion. The book hits stores on July 14th, but there’s a serialized podcast to get you all riled up until then.

Check out Scott Sigler’s author website for more information about his books, including the Infected trilogy.

Teen, Uncategorized, Young Adult/New Adult

Book Blitz: Persuasion, by Janette Fuller (Ambrosial Acres #1)!

Posted on July 2, 2015July 6, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Persuasion
(Ambrosial Acres #1)

by Jannette
Fuller

Release
Date: 04/29/15

Splice
Publishing

160
pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Agent Yagil is a seasoned Guardian
Angel, but his newest assignment is going to take every bit of strength and commitment he has.Seventeen-year old Amber Reynolds is looking for freedom and independence from her rigid lifestyle. Going behind her parents’ back, she takes a part-time job at the renowned Inn located within Ambrosial Acres.As Agent Yagil watches over Amber, he discovers that despite its mysterious
beauty, Ambrosial Acres hides a dark and supernatural secret.Between Amber’s new coworker crushes, her menacing stalker, a mysterious online
stranger, and the evil Agents out to lead her down a path of self destruction, Agent Yagil faces the fight of his career.

Life is all about choices. Can he help Amber make the right ones, before it’s
too late?

Check out an excerpt from Persuasion!

Hallelujah! After five classes, second period lunch, and several bathroom breaks, the last bell of the day finally buzzes. I follow her out of the school and through the student parking lot, waiting for her to hop inside the Jeep. Once she cranks it up, I leap into the air and glide overhead as we leave the school grounds.

She speeds down the Parkway and slams on the brakes, whipping the Jeep onto Coppice Lane. But I, on the other hand, continue to go straight, heading for a group of laurels. Oomph! Ow. That. Really. Hurt. I peel my face off the tree and spit out a few leaves.

I better get a promotion for this.

Holding onto a tree limb, I bend my knees and spring forward, following her down the dirt road for about a mile. The Jeep begins to slow down and then finally comes to a halt—right in front of wrought iron gates. My eyes wander upward, gaping at the cherubim statutes, crisscrossing their gleaming swords on top of one another. They tower over a metal sign that says WELCOME TO AMBROSIAL ACRES.

The gates swing inward and Amber drives through. A tall man with a brawny physique walks out in the middle of the road. His long, jet-black hair blows behind him as he throws a hand up, signaling Amber to stop.

“Welcome. I’m Micah…the groundskeeper.” He studies her for a brief moment, and then continues, “In order to get to the Inn, continue to drive down this road until you reach the four-way intersection. Then follow the sign pointing to the south. Once you see a wooded parking lot, you’ll know you’ve arrived. Park anywhere you’d like, and may your visit go well.”

“Thanks,” Amber says timidly.

Buy
Links:

Amazon│Barnes
& Noble│Kobo
Books│Smashwords

About the Author

Jannette Fuller is the author of Persuasion (Book
One in the Ambrosial Acres Series). She lives in the beautiful and majestic mountains of Boone, North Carolina with her husband and children. And even though she loves coming up with fantastical ideas for her stories, and bringing them to life, she fancies other things as well: exercising, going on nature walks, watching Netflix, recording on
Singsnap, drinking coffee, and she enjoys foot massages too, but that only happens when her husband’s in the mood to give her one.

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Links:

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Clean Teen Publishing Presents Queen of Tomorrow!

Posted on June 30, 2015June 29, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve very excited to present a book I received news about from Clean Teen Publishing. Ever since I read School Library Journal’s article on serving conservative teens, I’ve made a concerted effort to keep an eye out for books I can keep on the shelves for the teens and tweens in my libraries, who prefer a more conservative read. I can’t wait to find out more about Queen of Tomorrow – enjoy!

The Queen Has Arrived!

It’s true what they say, royalty waits for no one. and so we are excited to announce that Queen of Tomorrow, the highly anticipated follow-up to Queen of Someday, is now available everywhere books are sold–a full two weeks early!

Sophie—now Catherine, Grand Duchess of Russia—had a tough first year at Imperial Court. Married at sixteen to Grand Duke Peter, heir to the throne, and settled in their own palace, things start to look up. As a new day dawns, Catherine thinks only of securing her future, and the future of their country, during one of the greatest political upheavals of her time. Fighting desperately against forces that try to depose the Empress Elizabeth and put the young Prince Ivan on her throne, Catherine soon finds herself in the middle of a war brewing between her beloved Prussia and her new empire. While navigating the fragile political landscape, she quickly realizes that she has only begun to discover the tangled web of deceit and infidelity woven over the lavish court of Oranienbaum Palace.

When a strange and delicate alliance forms between the young couple, Catherine glimpses a future of happiness, only to see it vanish at the hands of those who still seek to end her life—and prevent her reign. Out of favor with the empress and running out of options, Catherine must sacrifice her own innocence on the altar of Russia if she is to save the nation and herself. To survive, she will have to do the unthinkable, betray those closest to her and become something greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined she could be… a queen.

“A must-read romance!” -The USA Today

“Addicting.” -Goodreads

“A sequel that will surprise!” -Hit Or Miss Books

Queen of Tomorrow is a YA historical fiction based on the life of young Catherine the Great. Fans of the hit TV show REIGN will devour this scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most dynamic women in history.

Grab your copy today!

Amazon B&N.com iBooks

For more info on this series and for a free book club reading guide, visit the author at http://sherryficklin.com

Science Fiction, Teen, Uncategorized, Young Adult/New Adult

Edge of Forever – a murder mystery travels through time

Posted on June 29, 2015June 28, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Edge of Forever, by Melissa Hurst (2015, Sky Horse) $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-63220-424-0

Recommended for ages 12+

In 2146, a group of teens takes a school trip back in time to observe a crucial point in history. Bridger, a 17 year-old boy in the class, sees his father in the crowd – but his father’s dead. Before Bridger loses track of his dad, he receives a cryptic message to prevent a murder in another time.

In 2013, 16 year-old Alora lives with her Aunt Grace and has so many questions about the family who abandoned her to Grace’s care 11 years earlier. Alora knows her aunt knows more than she’s letting on, and Alora is determined to find out what’s going on – but she’s also desperate to find out why she blacks out and wakes up in a different place.

Bridger time shifts to 2013 to carry out his father’s mission, but his determination to stay uninvolved in events that could change the timestream is challenged when he meets Alora – who happens to be the object of his mission.

Edge of Forever is a good sci-fi story, with interesting and conflicted characters and a strong plot and subplot. There are conspiracies and plot twists throughout the story to keep readers on their toes, and you will cringe every time you realize that Bridger is about to corrupt the time stream (the Trekkie in me yelled, “Don’t violate the Prime Directive!” at least three times).

There are moments that readers may need to go back and re-read – there are a lot of threads to keep sorted here – but when is that a bad thing? I’m interested in whether or not we’re getting a sequel, because I need to know more about some of the characters that were introduced. Everyone here has the potential for deep storytelling, making this book a hot choice for summer reading and book club chats.

The Edge of Forever is Melissa Hurst’s first book. You can check out her author site to follow her on social media, read her blog, and check out some interviews and guest posts from the Edge of Forever blog tour.

Realistic Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Fight Back illustrates the fallout of domestic abuse – and one victim’s redemption

Posted on June 26, 2015June 24, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Fight Back, by Brent R. Sherrard (2015, Lorimer), $9.95 CAD, ISBN:9781459408586

Recommended for ages 12+

Tyler has been his father’s punching bag for as long as he can remember. After his mother takes his younger sister and abandons him to his abusive father, he sustains a beating that gets him removed from the house and placed with his grandmother, who doesn’t really want much involvement in Tyler’s life, either. Tyler becomes a street kid, fighting and getting into trouble, angry at life, until his grandmother wants him out, and he’s placed into foster care with the Conway family, a husband and wife who’ve raised their own kids and open their home to Tyler.

While staying with the Conways, Tyler has no idea how to accept the kindnesses they give him. He’s afraid to open a birthday gift from them, so he sleeps with the box, not wanting the moment to end. Mr. Conway is finally able to reach Tyler by introducing him to the world of boxing. A former boxer himself, Wayne Conway is able to train Tyler to fight his problems and get his head clear in the boxing ring, not out on the street. With the discipline of training giving Tyler a new lease on life, he’s got the tools to fight his demons, but he has one last fight left – the one inside himself.

This is another great selection from Lorimer’s Side Streets line of Hi-Lo fiction. Tackling the gritty life of a street kid and examining the abusive environment that spawned him, Tyler is a sympathetic character that risks being passed through the system until someone steps up and cares. Teens may recognize themselves or friends and family in Tyler. Adults may see someone they know in Tyler, and step up to do something. Make resources available to teens reading this book, including information on domestic violence and programs that offer an escape, whether it be information on shelters, academic programs, or athletics. Know the teens in your life and get this book into those hands.

Realistic Fiction, Teen

Mette Bach’s Femme is a strong, sensitive coming out story

Posted on June 25, 2015June 24, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Femme, by Mette Bach (2015, Lorimer), $9.95 CAD, ISBN: 9781459407671

Recommended for ages 14+

Sofie has it all – she’s popular, she’s pretty, and she’s dating the captain of her high school’s soccer team. Schoolwork? That’s really not the point of school, is it? Sofie finds herself paired with Clea for an English assignment and isn’t thrilled. Not only is Clea a hardcore straight-A workaholic student, she’s also – GASP – a lesbian.

Except, Clea’s actually pretty cool, and she spurs Sofie on to want to do better. The two become friends, and slowly, Sofie realizes that what she’s feeling for Clea is more than just friendship, and what she feels for Paul just… isn’t. A college road trip puts Sofie and Clea together, and Sofie discovers more about herself and the world around her. Now, how does she handle everything she’s learned?

This is a very sensitive coming out story. Sofie’s identifying as a lesbian – a “femme” – occurs gradually through the story, and we see the conflict present for all the characters: Sofie, Paul, her boyfriend, and ultimately, Clea, who has struggles of her own at home and with being the only out lesbian at school. Bach makes sure that this is no fairy tale rendering of an LGBTQ story – there is bullying and small-mindedness here, but with a spark of hope that makes readers believe that honesty and a strong sense of independence will carry the characters through. Multiple perspectives will help readers identify with different ideas and feelings toward the subject matter, and hopefully open a strong dialogue between teens, parents, and educators.

Femme is part of Lorimer’s new Side Streets realistic fiction line for Hi-Lo readers. The line takes on edgier material and examines timely topics through fiction. This one will be on my shelves this summer.