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Awakening
-- EXCERPT: Zoe quickly washed her face and laced up her shoes before heading down the stairs. She turned right, passing the den, and made her way towards the door underneath the stairs. It was made of solid metal. She reached out, placing her palm against the wood grain to the right side of the door. She could feel the coolness of the hidden scanner that was nestled underneath a thin layer of wood. It scanned her prints, and then a small panel slid open, revealing a keypad. Zoe’s fingers moved quickly as she typed in the eighteen-digit code from memory. The code was random, and her father changed it every three days. She heard the lock click and watched as the door slid open. She stepped in and hurried down the stairs as the door closed behind her. At the bottom of the stairs was a short hallway that led towards the main room, where the walls and floors were covered in dark gray mats. She found Mia sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, waiting. “No Mom and Dad yet?” Zoe asked as she sat next to her sister. “Still upstairs. Are you ready for this?” “Yeah,” Zoe sighed. “I gotta admit, I was hoping we would get a break tonight.” “Wishful thinking,” Mia said as she rocked back and forth. “I guess you’re right. What do you think tonight’s game is going to be?” “I don’t know but get ready to lose.” “Yeah, right,” Zoe sneered back at her. “I think it’s going to be all about Cleveland.” “We haven’t done that one in a while,” Mia said with a nostalgic look. “You gonna be okay?” Zoe said with fake concern, her tone full of mocking. Mia flung out her hand, swatting Zoe’s arm. “Ha ha. I’m more than okay.” “We’ll see,” Zoe said. Carl and Sofia Dixon entered the room, each carrying a set of thick metal chains. Zoe glanced at Mia as if to say, I told you so, as the girls stood. “Zoe to the right,” their mom called out in a no-nonsense voice. Both girls moved towards the one section of wall not covered by mats. It was solid gray brick. Towards the middle of the wall embedded in the brick were several thick steel rings. Zoe sat on the floor directly underneath one of the rings, pressing her back against the icy wall. “Hands up,” her mom said. Zoe lifted her hands and waited while her mother chained her to the wall. 
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Code
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo -- EXCERPT: I should have landed on him, but instead I dropped to the floor on my hands and knees like a wounded deer. An electrical sensation zapped through my middle and wrapped around me like invisible arms, holding me in place. Hundreds of needles pricked me all at once. Excruciating pain seared from head to toe. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even blink. I had been wounded many times on missions, but nothing I’d felt in ISAN compared to what had just hit me. Immobile, a foot from my monster of a brother, I’d never felt so vulnerable. My muscles simply shut down. A whimper escaped me, but it could have been only in my head. Worse, a tear slid down my cheek. I felt humiliated beyond measure. “Aw, sis. Are you crying? Does it hurt?” Gene took his hand out of his pocket and showed me a metal trinket, a circle about the size of his thumb. “I thought it was best to have it handy in case you lost control.” He came dangerously closer and lowered, his warm breath brushing the shell of my ear. “Now you know, sis. I can contain you. You might want to show me some respect if you don’t want to be on the ground, helpless and weak. I might accidentally hurt you. We don’t want that do we?” Oh, the pain. Every tiny movement—every blink—hurt so much. He ran a knuckle down my cheek to wipe away another teardrop, and then grazed his index finger slowly across my neck, savoring my weakness. “Next time it won’t be so soft,” he said. “You should get some rest. You look like hell.” I screamed in my head. Peering up under my eyelashes, I watched him walk toward the sliding door. I wanted to rip out his throat, stomp on his heart, but I couldn’t move. Even a fraction of movement felt like a knife slitting deeper into my spine. I couldn’t win. At least not this time. But I would find a way. There had to be a way. Gene’s back to me, he held up that metal circle trinket and clicked. Just as the door blended into the wall, he released me. I thumped my head on the tile floor and wept for Brooke and the rebels who had died because of my stupid mistake. Groaning, I crawled like a worm, my knees and elbows digging across to get to the rug, each movement agony. I refused to lie on the cold ground like I was nothing. I’d never felt so small. No—I had, when my foster father beat me. Where was he now? Locked up. That would be Gene’s fate, too. Just you wait, big brother. Just you wait. Karma is a bitch. 
GIVEAWAY! Hosted by: #Blog Tour #Publication Day #Heir to the Darkmage by Lisa Cassidy #YA Fantasy @rararesources22/4/2021
 Happy Publication Day to Lisa Cassidy's Heir to the Darkmage, a YA Epic Fantasy novel. If you read The Mage Chronicles, you'll be delighted with this sequel, set in the same dark and fascinating world.  Heir to the Darkmage Ambition drives her. Danger thrills her. But magic always has a price. Twenty years have passed since the Darkmage was destroyed and the war between mages ended. For Lira Astor, the single living heir to the Darkmage, escaping her name is impossible. People still fear what is long dead, and they see in her the rise of another dangerous mage with deadly ambition. Desperate to claw her way free of her grandfather’s shadow, to make her own name amongst the world of mages, Lira is willing to do whatever it takes. Even if that means joining the secretive rebel group looking to restore his vision. Survival is a lesson Lira learned early and often, yet when she is abducted and held prisoner in a deadly game of cat and mouse, she finds herself facing a nemesis she may be no match for. Forced to band together with unlikely allies who challenge everything she believes about what it means to be a mage, she will have to rely on every bit of ruthlessness she possesses. Because the war may only just be beginning… …and Lira Astor intends to come out on top. Purchase Links UK / US My thoughts: My first book by Lisa Cassidy and it definitely won't be the last. I got hooked on the story right from the beginning when I started reading about Lira, who turned out to be quite a complex character. I didn't realise that this was a follow-up to another series by Lisa Cassidy (The Mage Chronicles), but it didn't stop me from enjoying this one. Lisa carefully feeds in all the information you need about this dark and fascinating world and its diverse cultures. Lira grew up knowing very little about the war described in the previous series, so we build our knowledge of the events together with her. My heart went to her when I read about the suffering she endured as a child, trying to survive in a place where people hated and feared her for the power her grandfather Shakar wielded. Lira would like nothing more than take control of her own life and stop being defined by the long shadow cast by her formidable ancestor. Lira's early experiences shaped her into someone clever, streetwise, resourceful, and determined to prove her worth. They also taught her to know her limits and train and practise relentlessly to become the best. There are two timelines- one deals with the past, Lira's heart-wrenching childhood, and the second one with the main events happening at the time when Lira has already become an apprentice at the Mage Academy. The book is quite fast-paced, and it felt as if there was a perfect balance of the backstory, and the action-filled narrative of the present. The book proved to be a real page-turner, and my only complaint is that now I have to wait for the next book to come out. Looking forward so much to the continuation of Lira's story in the next instalment of this fascinating series.  Author Bio Lisa is a self-published fantasy author by day and book nerd in every other spare moment she has. She’s a self-confessed coffee snob (don’t try coming near her with any of that instant coffee rubbish) but is willing to accept all other hot drink aficionados, even tea drinkers. She lives in the Australia’s capital city, Canberra, and like all Australians, is pretty much in constant danger from highly poisonous spiders, crocodiles, sharks, and drop bears, to name a few. As you can see, she is also pro-Oxford comma. A 2019 SPFBO finalist, Lisa has published the YA fantasy series The Mage Chronicles, and is currently working on her latest epic fantasy series A Tale of Stars and Shadow. She has also partnered up with One Girl, an Australian charity working to build a world where all girls have access to quality education. A world where all girls — no matter where they are born or how much money they have — enjoy the same rights and opportunities as boys. A percentage of all Lisa’s royalties go to One Girl. Social Media Links – Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/LisaCassidyWrites Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lcasswrites Website – https://www.tatehousebooks.com/Lisa-Cassidy  Thank you for reading the post! Have a wonderful day! 
Today I am honoured to present a guest post by Joan F. Smith, the author of The Half-Orphan's Handbook.
Book details:
The Half-Orphan’s Handbook by Joan F. Smith Published by: Imprint/Macmillan Publication date: April 6th 2021 Genres: Coming of Age, Contemporary, Young Adult Synopsis: For fans of John Green and Emily X.R. Pan, The Half-Orphan’s Handbook by Joan F. Smith is a coming-of-age story and an empathetic, authentic exploration of grief with a sharp sense of humor and a big heart. It’s been three months since Lila lost her father to suicide. Since then, she’s learned to protect herself from pain by following two unbreakable rules: 1. The only people who can truly hurt you are the ones you love. Therefore, love no one. 2. Stay away from liars. Liars are the worst. But when Lila’s mother sends her to a summer-long grief camp, it’s suddenly harder for Lila to follow these rules. Potential new friends and an unexpected crush threaten to drag her back into life for the first time since her dad’s death. On top of everything, there’s more about what happened that Lila doesn’t know, and facing the truth about her family will be the hardest part of learning how a broken heart can love again. Goodreads / Amazon / B& N / iBooks / Kobo / GooglePlay 
Destigmatising mental health issues with children and teenagers. (Guest post by Joan F.Smith, the author of The Half-Orphan's Handbook)
Thank you for the opportunity to guest post on destigmatizing mental health issues in children and teenagers. I’m not the first person to say that there has been major stigma surrounding mental health and I certainly will not be the last; I’m also not someone who can diagnose or treat it. (The first place to talk to for concerns regarding mental health in kids would be a pediatrician and/or a school adjustment or guidance counselor.) What I do know is the stigma of mental health, especially the shame that society expected me to feel after my father died by suicide. I know that what I can do is write about the feeling of growing up as a child who has experienced trauma, and hopefully readers can identify portions of themselves or their experiences in my work to know they’re not alone.
What I very much believe in is stripping the secrecy from it, from talking about it, from giving people the tools to seek help. Mental health issues are hard enough to experience without additional shame; stigma and shame become a barrier to healing. There are so many paths toward bettering mental health, including teaching your brain to think differently; if people feel stigmatized or worried they’ll be judged for seeking help, then improving mental health becomes that much more difficult. Recent data from the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that mental illness affects nearly half of teenagers. I think the only good news about this statistic is that in my experience, teens are more forthcoming with their struggles today than they were in the past. I teach dance, and my students openly talk about their therapists and their experiences with anxiety, which is a huge change from even just a decade ago. Destigmatizing what millions of people endure while both normalizing and improving access to help can quite literally save lives. 
Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT)
AUTHOR BIO:
Joan F. Smith lives with her family in Massachusetts, where she works as an associate dean, a creative writing professor, and a dance instructor. She received her MFA in creative writing from Emerson College, and has written articles for The Washington Post and Thought Catalog on destigmatizing discussions around mental health and suicide prevention. The Half-Orphan’s Handbook is her debut novel. Author links: website / goodreads/ instagram /twitter / facebook 
Thank you very much to Joan F. Smith for her touching and thought-provoking post!
If you would like to find out what other bloggers thought of The Half-Orphan's Handbook, you can find the full blog tour schedule here.
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Guiding Gaia
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: Our initial four months were hard. The dynamics of bringing back a goddess beyond her own will required a certain amount of cosmic interference—hence her being reborn a teenager instead of simply awakened as the true goddess she was. With myself an eternal thirty-five, I’d been able to witness the world throughout the centuries. However, the moment she awoke, we were deposited on Earth together, and found Gaia’s powers and memories to be limited, forcing her to learn all she could about the modern world and its customs today. Luckily, money wasn’t an issue, as I’d been divinely gifted a limitless amount in the form of a little, black charge card I’d been putting to good use. But no amount of computers, books, or even the iPod I bought her could negate the frustration of being cooped up in a hotel for four months while learning to ease her way back into a world she, herself, had created. Hence the random storms due to her emotional outbursts. How could the gods put something like this on a teenager? I rubbed a hand over my face. “Honey, I know things haven’t been easy, but I’m truly honored to serve as your guardian, and it’s not something I take lightly.” “Ugh … you’re always so uptight.” Laughing, she turned back to the dark-tinted window, her red hair shining in the soft morning light. “It’s so beautiful here.” I took a quiet breath, swallowing my sigh. Watching her process this world anew was often a heart-breaking task. She was the ancestral mother of all life, consort to Uranus—the creator of the heavens and the sky, and mother to the Titans themselves. She created all we see and know, and was now tasked to evaluate the chaos that enveloped that same world, deciding if it was worth saving or not. So far, I couldn’t tell which way she was leaning. It would take us completing our mission before she regained her full powers and all of her original memories—both of which she’d need to make her final decision. So, in times like these, when she still noticed the beauty around her … I took note. 
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Interlude: Peripeteia
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: (Venus POV) “And you and Taein cannot be seen out in public with each other whatsoever,” CEO Park continues. “What?!” I ask, shocked, “We can’t be in public together?” I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, but I can’t even imagine that, not after the summer I spent with Taein. We did not have to worry about this at all when we were in Atlanta besides just being careful not to stick out too much. Taein, seeing that I’m distressed about something, speaks up and CEO Park fills him in. He looks less startled than me, a gentle sadness hanging in his dark eyes. “Gossip travels quickly in this industry,” CEO Park says, “Even if an idol is seen hanging out with someone who is just a friend, dating rumors spread like wildfire. I don’t care what the two of you do in your own time, in your own home, but I absolutely cannot allow the two of you to arouse suspicions.” My heart sinks to my stomach. I had wanted Taein to show me around his home as I did for him. Now that seems to have been flushed down the toilet. “For how long?” I ask. “For however long Eclipse is promoting. I do not allow my idols to date until their group has been established for at least four years and Eclipse has not reached that point yet. It’s for their safety.” That seems like a load of nonsense to me. Celebrities date all the time back in the States and no one really bats an eye besides just general gossip and nosiness. CEO Park must see the protest in my eyes because he speaks up again. “One of the biggest marketability of idols is the illusion of a chance of becoming romantically involved with them. The actual chance of a fan ending up with the idol of their affection is slim to none but not zero. That’s what keeps them spending money, that’s what keeps my groups alive. Talent can only go so far. You can be the most talented person in the world, but if no one desires you, you’re not going anywhere. An idol being in a relationship cuts off that fantasy and cuts off that member’s appeal. And with the two of you . . . you’re soulmates. Taein is beyond taken off of the table, but we can’t allow anyone to know that, especially since he’s the most popular member.” I wince. While that is true, it’s hard to hear. “That’s just the business,” CEO Park says, shrugging, “If you care about Taein’s career – of the career of all of the Eclipse members, you won’t let anyone catch wind of your relationship, understood?” 
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Unwritten
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My thoughts: Before we start let me state the obvious- this has got to be one of the most beautiful book covers I have seen this year! and we are talking about Fantasy where gorgeous covers have almost become a necessary requirement. This is one of those books I never wanted to end. The story was riveting, the world was fully-developed without stifling your ability to see it in your own unique way, and the characters...well. they just jumped off the page and took on a life of their own. 16-year-old Beatrix Alba lost her mother when she was seven. She is devoted to her wonderful grandfather who is teaching her how to control the magic that lives inside her. When he passes away, Beatrix is devastated. All that is left of him is a mysterious box with a few objects and an enigmatic letter from her Mum. Beatrix doesn't get on with her father and is also severely bullied at school. Her only solace is her books that whisper to her, give her advice and comfort her. Her grandfather's spell that kept Beatrix's magic hidden from everybody starts going wrong and she finds herself discovered by three very unusual characters who encourage her step into a different world. Zweeshen is the universe of stories and characters that live their immortal lives there, governed by their genre guilds and their rather strict laws and regulations. While Beatrix is hunting for clues that would help her solve the riddle of her mother's letter and enable her to find her far-away land, Zweeshen is under a mortal threat and (you guessed it) has to be saved by our young and selfless heroine who is still figuring out who she is and what her real powers are. The beginning of the book reminded me a bit of the black-and-white part of The Wizard of Oz. It was so clear that Beatrix didn't belong there. Everything was somehow subdued. Then the magic broke in and from that moment on I just couldn't put the book down. Zweeshen was such a fascinating place to discover, and I was really grateful to the author who let me gradually build up my knowledge of this biblio-multiverse. I felt as if I was discovering it together with Beatrix. One of Beatrix's comments that made me smile was how main characters as a rules seemed too pretty, too perfect, impossible to measure up. Well, they aren't in this book. They have their unique personalitites and their own flaws and weaknesses that make them well-rounded and even more fascinating. It is difficult not to empathise or even fall in love with some of them, and be suspicious of others. They also grow and change as the story progresses and some of the developments will take you aback. Imaginative, enchanting, beautifully written, Unwritten will take you on a unique adventure, and, once you've turned the last page, you'll join me in waiting impatiently for the second book in the Zweeshen Chronicles. Thank you to Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours, the publisher and the author for the review copy, provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
The Mary Shelley Club
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My thoughts:
Loved it! Sooooo good... First things first, I'm not a kind of person who would be overly enthusiastic about a blurb mentioning One of Us is Lying. Scream? now we are talking. Mary Shelley? oh, yes, please. I love Frankenstein (with its monumental influence on our popculture) and I love the story behind its creation. In this case, the publicist's description was spot on and I enjoyed every minute of this wild ride. Rachel Chavez is the proverbial new girl in a new school. Something bad happened to her last year which made her mum and Rachel move and change their job and school respectively. The only thing Rachel's mum insists on is Rachel keeping up her grades (you begin to wonder what exactly happened to have sent her into a spin last year, right?) and make friends. Which she kind of does. She even gets dragged (not literally, we haven't started on the horror part, but we'll get there, don't get too comfortable) to a teenage party in an abandoned house. A prank is played and the scene is set. Rachel makes an enemy of a popular girl who won't stop spreading her unsolicited opinion of Rachel ('Freak!). When Rachel finally confronts the prankster, she discovers the existence of the most mysterious and be default exclusive The Mary Shelley Club. Perhaps,she has finally found 'her own tribe', people who appreciate horror movie tropes in all their marvelous variety and see the genre the way Rachel does- as a cleansing mechanism to flush out all the wrong things in one's life, an injection of adrenaline and courage. Perhaps, this is her way to face what happened to her, the changes in herself and her biggest fear. Perhaps, she can belong. But first, she needs to pass the Fear Test, and this is where what seems an innocent game is going to get deadly serious. As it would in any decent horror movie.... The writing style is effortless and easy to follow. You get so immersed in what Rachel experiences that it is as if you've stepped into her life. Or at the very least, a brilliant horror movie. you are a bit edgy and suspicious,but you can't turn your eyes off the screen. Ups! I meant to say off the page... Rachel is a likeable and relatable protagonist. Don't we all want to fit in and belong without sacrificing what makes us unique? How far would we go in this desire? How far would we push other people to get what we want and what would it do to us? Goldy Moldavsky masterfully renders this universal teenage angst in this exciting YA thriller. Well-written, gripping, perceptive, The Mary Shelley is wickedly entertaining. I'm glad to have found a new author to watch out for- Goldy Moldavsky. Thank you to Giselle from Xpresso Book tours, NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. 
Hosted by:  Today I'm delighted to participate the blog tour for Maxand the Spice Thieves, a new middle grade fantasy story from John Peragine. Book details: Max and the Spice Thieves by John Peragine (Secrets of the Twilight Djinn #1) Publication date: April 20th 2021 Genres: Fantasy  Synopsis: When his mother goes missing, Max Daybreaker’s world is turned upside down. Luckily, a crew of Spice Pirates, led by the mysterious Captain Cinn, help Max on his dangerous mission across the three seas. Along the way, an unlikely alliance aids in his search—a teenage warrior queen, a three-eyed seer, and an assassin spy. Their journey takes them through treacherous lands while facing shapeshifting bears, an ancient witch, harpies, and the nightmarish Djinn, who will stop at nothing to enslave the world. With every new challenge, Max unlocks the secrets of his unsettling past. Powers awaken within, forcing him to question everything he knows. Is Max who he thinks he is? Only time and destiny will tell… Goodreads Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo Max and the Spice Thieves is an extremely imaginative book, full of unexpected twists and turns. Naturally, I wanted to know who inspired John to become a writer of YA/Middle grade fantasy books and which writers influenced him the most. Let's find out! 1 Neil Gaiman 
Thank you to John for this wonderful list! AUTHOR BIO: John Peragine is an author of over fourteen books. The Secrets of the Twilight Djinn series was written as a bedtime story for his son Max to cope with medical issues he was facing as a little boy. John is a full-time ghostwriter who lives with his son, wife, and a menagerie of animals on his vineyard overlooking the Mississippi River. website / goodreads / facebook / twitter / instagram  If you would like to find out what other bloggers thought of John Peragine's book, you can find the full blog tour schedule here.
ISAN
-- Only 99¢ for a limited time! -- EXCERPT: “With Helix, your senses become heightened. You’ll experience an increase in ability—especially the five senses. Images will be sharper, colors brighter, and you’ll see farther. You’ll be stronger. Your reflexes will be faster, and you’ll be able to hear from longer distances. However, your senses will tame a speaking voice not to boom in your ear. The reason why it doesn’t sound like I’m yelling at you.” “Incredible.” The word barely left my mouth. “Some lucky ones have more. We call that extrasensory perception. Based on the blood test, I think you might be one of the lucky ones.” Something flashed. I caught it with my right hand, then another projectile with my left. Again, my reflexes had taken over and when I looked down, I’d caught two golf balls. I gawked, trembling. The hair on my arms rose. “Like I said, fast reflexes.” His lips spread in satisfaction. I clenched my jaw and stiffened. “You could’ve hurt me.” “No, Ava. Helix doesn’t wear off quickly. I’d never hurt you. I bet you feel pretty powerful right now. Pretty special. What if you can do something good with that? What do you say?” “Are there side effects?” I rolled the golf balls over my fingertips. I imagined the balls colliding with my face. The thrill of what I had done—there was no denying it made me feel amazing. Russ slowly curled his lips to a grin. “I like the way you think. It’s been thoroughly tested and we’ve seen no side effects in all the years of the program. We give you just enough to do a job, and then it’s out of your system.” I nodded. “So … Will you be joining ISAN today?” I shivered, not just from the cool draft from the vent, but the thought of being an assassin, even if my victims were criminals. Could I really do it? Trained or no. My mother’s last words echoed in my mind. When life shoves you down, you get right back up. Be strong. Be brave, Ava. Be someone important. Oh, Mom, what do I do? I feel so alone and I’m so scared. My chest caved in. I wanted to burst into a sob, but I slammed it back down. As tears pooled, thoughts of my mother twisted the dagger in my heart. My heart leaked, bleeding from the mountainous pain of missing her, needing her guidance. I wouldn’t be in juvie, desperate to get out and resort to being an assassin if she were alive. Having no choice, I succumbed to the reality of my life and the cards I had been dealt. I pushed back my shoulders and held up my chin. Boring my eyes into his, I gave him an answer that would change my life forever. I will be brave, Mother. I will become someone important. 
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