Ever since he took a bite of a legendary dessert last summer, twelve-year-old Guster Johnsonville has never been the same. In fact, when a strange little man dressed as a conquistador comes clattering into the barn at the back of the Johnsonville farmhouse one afternoon, he forces Guster to face the truth: Guster is now the most delicious thing in the whole world, and a terrible monster is coming to eat him.
The monster is one of the Yummies—a pack of horrible, ferocious creatures with an appetite for sweets. What other choice do Guster, Zeke, and Mariah have than to run away from home to escape the mysterious beast?
On the run in a far corner of the world, Guster and his siblings discover a secret settlement known as the Delicious City. Now, with the Yummies hot on their trail and the Delicious City’s Mayor determined to feed Guster to the beasts, Guster must embrace his talents as an Evertaster if he’s going to save the city from collapsing and get his family out alive.
Praise
“Fast paced and full of heart! I gobbled up every word of this book buffet!” –Frank L. Cole Author of The Afterlife Academy
“The perfect recipe for edge-of-your-seat action!” –Peggy Eddleman, author of Sky Jumpers
Enjoy this glimpse inside.
Twelve year-old Guster Johnsonville tasted a barely perceptible—but unmistakable—hint of danger in his tuna fish sandwich.
It lurked in silence between the relish and mayo, a blinking red blip on Guster’s radar that told him something was horribly wrong.
He could not have known it were there if it weren’t for the fact he was, like so few people are, an Evertaster—a remarkable boy with more taste buds on a single square inch of his tongue than there are cheese wheels in all of Wisconsin.
~~~~~~
Author Adam Glendon Sidwell
In between books, Adam Glendon Sidwell uses the power of computers to make monsters, robots and zombies come to life for blockbuster movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong, Transformers and Tron. After spending countless hours in front of a keyboard meticulously adjusting tentacles, calibrating hydraulics, and brushing monkey fur, he is delighted at the prospect of modifying his creations with the flick of a few deftly placed adjectives.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Title: There’s a Bumbie Under My Bed Author: Bethany Ramos Publisher: Saturn’s Moon Press Pages: 24 Genre: Children’s Picture Book
My Review
What a fun, delightful story.
I thought it would be a scary story about the boogeyman that hides uner a child’s bed, crawling out in the dark to terrorize him.
Instead it’s about a little boy and the delightful bumbies, boblins, bunshees, and other creatures that keep him up past his bedtime.
The colorful illustrations will make you and your children smile and giggle.
This would be a wonderful story to share with your children. especially those that fear the dark and what’s under their bed or in their closet.
The author includes some fun pictures on how to create shadow puppets at the end of the book. I tried them several times.
I confess, I still get creeped out when my foot hangs over the side of the bed. Still imagine what might reach up and grab it. LOL
5 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
There’s a Bumbie Under My Bed tells the story of a boy who can’t go to sleep because of all the monster bunnies keeping him up at night. Told in the first-person narrative, the little boy delays bedtime, using his flashlight and hand to create scary and silly bunny shadow puppets on the wall. According to the boy, friendly, spooky characters like the Bumbie (bunny zombie), Were-bunny (werewolf bunny), Bunny-stein (bunny Frankenstein), and Count Hop-ula come to visit him in the night. At the end of the book, his mother comforts him to sleep by telling him to let his imagination rest — and put the flashlight away.
I can’t go to sleep. There’s a Bumbie under my bed. He only comes out at night, after Mom turns out the light.
He nibbles on my toes and he tickles my nose. He hops back and forth, side to side, up and down across my bed to keep me up way past my bedtime.
What is a Bumbie? Mom wants to know when she brings me a cup of water before bed.
It’s a bunny rabbit zombie that moans and groans, laughs and plays, and hops all night because he never goes to sleep!
~~~~~
About the Author
Bethany Ramos is a children’s book author, editor, and blogger. She is a regular contributor to SheKnows.com. Bethany’s first children’s book, Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti, was published through 4RV Publishing in 2016. Her second children’s book, There’s a Bumbie Under My Bed, was published by Saturn’s Moon Press, also in 2016. Her first chick lit novel, 5 Stages of Grief, was published by Black Opal Books in 2011; her second chick lit novel, Adventure to Love, was published by Soul Mate Publishing in 2013.
Bethany works as Editor in Chief for Naturally Healthy Publications.
The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!
My 56 for this week is from:
My Hippo Has The Hiccups
and Other Poems I Totally Made Up
by Kenn Nesbitt
Illustrated by Ethan Long
Genre: Children’s Humorous Poetry
From Page 56 in the hardcover. Track 22 on the CD.
This is an excerpt from the poem titled: My Nostril Smells Awesome
My nostril smells awesome, so I have a plan
to sit and enjoy it as long as I can.
Don’t ask how it happened; I really can’t say.
Perhaps it’s my finger that’s smelling this way.
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
My Review
I just loved this book. It’s filled with quirky and fun poems that your kids will giggle over. There’s also a CD that includes the author reading some of his favorite poems and telling some jokes.
I’m not much on poems. I do have a couple of collections I revisit from time to time. This collection had me coming back over and over. Every time I opened the book, I had to share some of the poems out loud. My mother and son loved those times as much as I did.
And I enjoyed the fun illustrations sprinkled throughout the book too. Couldn’t help but smile.
Looking for a rip snorting, rib tickling good time. Grab a copy and get to it! You’ll have a belly full or laughter and a heart full of glee. I’ll bet you love this collection every bit as much as your children will.
This is my stop during the book blitz for the audiobook for Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy by Paula Berinstein. The audiobook is narrated by Allan Corduner. Allan Corduner has narrated multiple books, one of them being The Book Thief and he does the voice of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter videogames.
This book blitz is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 24 till 30 October. Every day there will be a different guest post in which Paula talks about the process of making the audiobook. You can view the blitz schedule here.
Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy (Amanda Lester, Detective #1) Written by Paula Berinstein Narrated by Allan Corduner Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins Genre: Mystery/ Detective Age category: Middle Grade Release Date Audiobook: September 27, 2016
Blurb: A reluctant detective, a criminal mastermind, and sugar?
Amanda Lester wouldn’t be caught dead going into the family business. Her ancestor, Sherlock Holmes’s colleague Inspector G. Lestrade, is a twit. Nevertheless her parents refuse to see his flaws, and she’s going to a secret English school for the descendants of famous detectives whether she likes it or not.
When Amanda arrives at the dreaded school, she considers running away – until she and her new friends discover blood and weird pink substances in odd places. At first they’re not sure whether these oddities mean anything, but when Amanda’s father disappears and the cook is found dead with her head in a bag of sugar, they’re certain that crimes are taking place.
Now Amanda must embrace her destiny and uncover the truth. The only snag is that arch-villain Blixus Moriarty, a descendant of Holmes’s nemesis Professor James Moriarty, might be involved, and he doesn’t like nosy little girls interfering in his business.
You can find Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy on Goodreads
You can buy the audiobook of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy here:
– Audible
– Amazon
– iTunes
Listen to a sample of the audiobook here on Soundcloud
Get the e-copy for free!
The e-copy of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy is free now on all vendor sites! Grab your free copy here:
– Amazon
– Barnes & Noble
– Kobo
– Smashwords
Author Paula Berinstein
.
Paula Berinstein is nothing like Amanda. For one thing, she’s crazy about Sherlock Holmes. For another, she’s never wanted to be a filmmaker. In addition, compared to Amanda she’s a big chicken! And she wouldn’t mind going to a secret school at all. In fact, she’s hoping that some day she’ll get to build one.
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There is a tour wide giveaway for the book blitz for Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy. These are the prizes you can win:
– 2 audiobook copies of Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy
– 2 amazon gift cards of 15$
Looking for your next scary read? Look no further.
Curse of the Boggin is a good one for all ages. I sure enjoyed it.
Check out my review.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Genre: Children’s Fantasy / Horror
My Review
A mysterious library. Ghosts. A curse. And whatever a Boggin is. Sounds like quite the adventure.
Meet Marcus. A thirteen year old boy. He’s too young to have memories of the parents he lost. And he’s having problems with his adoptive family. He feels he’s a disappointment to them. His relationship with them gets more strained when weird things start happening to him.
Marcus confides in his best friends, Lu and Theo. He’ll need their help to protect those he loves and defeat the boggin.
It was especially fun to have a story featuring a haunted library. Wait until you find out what goes on there. Such an ingenious idea.
This was a fast, fun read. There are some harrowing scenes and some sad ones, with humor mingled throughout to lighten things up. I feel a point was being made with this tale. Communication. You need to talk, to express your thoughts and fears, in order to rid yourself of doubts and misconceptions.
The creepy parts are just that, creepy, not gory. Nothing young readers can’t handle. I loved stories like this growing up, and would recommend this book to all kids, young and young at heart, who like a little scare with their fun.
5 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
Enter the Library, where no one knows how the stories end . . . and finding out will be terrifying.
There’s a place beyond this world, beyond the land of the living, where ghosts go to write their unfinished stories—stories that ended too soon. It’s a place for unexplained phenomena: mysteries that have never been solved, spirits that have never been laid to rest. And there’s only one way in or out.
It’s called the Library, and you can get there with a special key. But beware! Don’t start a story you can’t finish. Because in thislibrary, the stories you can’t finish just might finish you.
Marcus O’Mara is a 13 year old guy at a crossroads. He constantly finds himself in trouble at school, with his friends, and with his adoptive parents. Marcus doesn’t believe things can get any worse for him…until they get worse.
Much worse.
He begins seeing strange and impossible visions; gets thrown into paranormal danger and is haunted by a mysterious ghost with a singular goal: to give him a key.
It’s a key that opens the door to a mysterious library. When that door opens, the incredible adventure for Marcus and his friends begins as they learn the truth about Marcus’ past and uncover the strange world of unfinished stories that are found on the shelves of the Library.
D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies. As an author, his ten-volume book series: Pendragon: Journal of an Adventure Through Time and Space became a New York Times #1 bestseller.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT where he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm; engraving trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse…in between playing football and running track. D.J. graduated from New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His film-making career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director making corporate videos and television commercials.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes. D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC’s Wonderful World of Disney. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. created and produced the Discovery Kids/NBC television series Flight 29 Down. He wrote every episode and directed several. His work on Flight 29 Down earned him the Writers Guild of America award for Outstanding Children’s Script and a Directors Guild of America award nomination.
Other notable television writing credits include the ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
In print, D.J. also authored the supernatural Morpheus Road trilogy; a whimsical picture book The Monster Princess; and The SYLO Chronicles, a thrilling sci-fi trilogy. He also wrote Voyagers: Project Alpha, the first of a six book science fiction adventure.
D.J.’s newest book series is The Library, a spooky middle-grade anthology about a mysterious library filled with unfinished supernatural tales, and the daring young people who must complete them.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household is a spoiled golden retriever named Casey and an equally spoiled tuxedo cat named Jinx.
A sweet story about a little boy who takes in what he thinks is a stray kitten, but proves to be a lion cub.
As the cub grows, his friends and family react differently than he had hoped.
This wonderful little story is filled with beautiful, fun illustrations, and it has an important message. If you love something or someone, it’s hard, but sometimes you have to let them go for them to be safe and happy.
You are your little ones will have a delightful time as you share this story.
4 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
Christopher finds a kitten on his doorstep, which, to his surprise, grows up into a lion! Since Christopher already loves his pet, he tries to introduce him to his everyday life, much to the horror of his friends, family, and neighbors.
Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti is a lighthearted children’s book for ages 3 to 6 that celebrates the special bond that all children have with animals.
Christopher ducked his head and pulled up his jacket. It’s pouring, he thought as he raced toward his house. He ran so fast he almost missed it – a little kitten sat on his doorstep.
“Hey, little kitty,” Christopher said. “Let’s go inside to get warm until we find where you live.” The wet, shivery kitten purred.
Christopher poured his new friend a bowl of milk and gave him some leftover hamburger from the refrigerator. “Sorry, we don’t have kitty food – hope you like hamburger. Now let’s try to find where you belong.”
Christopher thought and thought until a great idea came to him, the perfect idea to help the kitty find his way home. He’d use his crayons and make a sign to put in the neighborhood. The kitty’s owners must miss him by now.
Christopher waited a month before he said, “It looks like no one lost their kitten, so I get to name you. I’ll call you Kip, Kip the kitten. I like it!”
Christopher raced home from school every day to play with his new pet. Every afternoon, little by little, Christopher noticed Kip looked different.
~~~~~
About Author Bethany Ramos
Bethany Ramos is a children’s book author, editor, and blogger. She is a regular contributor to SheKnows.com. Bethany’s first children’s book, Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti, was published through 4RV Publishing in 2016. Her second children’s book, There’s a Bumbie Under My Bed, was published by Saturn’s Moon Press, also in 2016. Her first chick lit novel, 5 Stages of Grief, was published by Black Opal Books in 2011; her second chick lit novel, Adventure to Love, was published by Soul Mate Publishing in 2013.
Bethany works as Editor in Chief for Naturally Healthy Publications.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
Poop
by A.J. Cosmo
Genre: Children’s Book
My teaser from page 62 in the paperback.
Some people are scared of getting on a plane, others are afraid of the dark. Me, I’m terrified of blank paper. What did Miss Primm expect me to say? What are you expecting me to say?
I also want to share the author’s Dedication with you:
“This book is dedicated to everyone who ever turned down a food because it might hurt them, to everyone who ever dreaded destroying a bathroom, and to everyone who ever stayed lonely because they didn’t want to embarass themselves.”
“You are not alone.”
~~~~~
I have a fun picture of the book to share with you, along with my review!
Read on if you want to know more.
My Review
I couldn’t stop reading this once I started. But, I did. I went and got my 21 year old son and we sat down to read it together. He experienced plenty of bullying in school and expressed how lucky he would have been to have this book when he was younger.
We took turns reading it out loud and got into a couple of giggling fits whenever one of us said the word Poop. A fun character is Poop. Look at that cover. Isn’t he kind of cute? How creative of the author to use something people whisper about to engage young readers on a touchy subject.
5 Stars
Synopsis
Poor Liam. On the very first day of fifth grade, in a strange new town, and a large new school, he interrupts everyone to bolt out and into the girl’s bathroom. There, down in the far stall, in pain from a horrible stomach condition, he meets a new friend: Poop. The cheery little guy says he’s there to help Liam through a tough time in his life. But what does Liam need help with? And who, in their right mind, would want Poop for a friend?
I cracked up when I set up this picture. I have a bunch more books by this author and plan to share reviews for all of them between now and Christmas. Be sure to keep an eye out for my posts. You’ll want to grab the books for your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews……etc., or maybe for yourself!
The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!
My 56 for this week is from:
Curse Of The Boggin
The Library #1
by D. J. MacHale
Genre: Children’s Horror / Paranormal / Fantasy
I couldn’t find anything good to share on page 56, so I’m sharing something from pages 5 and 6 in the hardcover .
Page 5
His hand slowly dropped lower, growing closer to the mysterious message. As his fingertips were about to touch the odd markings, an ominous growl came from under the bed.
Page 6
…the blanket came to life. It flew across the floor to the center of the room, stopped suddenly, and fell to the floor, revealing the culprit.
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
Enter the Library, where no one knows how the stories end . . . and finding out will be terrifying.
There’s a place beyond this world, beyond the land of the living, where ghosts go to write their unfinished stories—stories that ended too soon. It’s a place for unexplained phenomena: mysteries that have never been solved, spirits that have never been laid to rest. And there’s only one way in or out.
It’s called the Library, and you can get there with a special key. But beware! Don’t start a story you can’t finish. Because in this library, the stories you can’t finish just might finish you.
Marcus O’Mara is a 13 year old guy at a crossroads. He constantly finds himself in trouble at school, with his friends, and with his adoptive parents. Marcus doesn’t believe things can get any worse for him…until they get worse.
Much worse.
He begins seeing strange and impossible visions; gets thrown into paranormal danger and is haunted by a mysterious ghost with a singular goal: to give him a key.
It’s a key that opens the door to a mysterious library. When that door opens, the incredible adventure for Marcus and his friends begins as they learn the truth about Marcus’ past and uncover the strange world of unfinished stories that are found on the shelves of the Library.
The Emerald Key by Mark Frederickson & Melora Pineda
Penny and Laci are headed for a mundane summer vacation until a mysterious journal unlocks a portal to another world and they find themselves face to face with a baby dragon. In an attempt to send their new acquisition back to its home, the girls, along with two neighborhood friends, get sucked through to a mythical world. In this land, they must battle foes seen and unseen, pushing them to both their physical and mental limits. If they fail to stop the powers they’ve unleashed, it could not only destroy this strange world, but also annihilate their own.
Praise for The Emerald Key
“In The Emerald Key, authors Mark Frederickson and Melora Pineda take readers on a fast-paced journey sure to enthrall not only middle-grade readers but their parents, as well. Laci and Penny will appeal to anyone looking for strong, resourceful female characters and the side characters are well-developed and hilarious, too (my favorite might be Buzz!).”
– Author Julie Gardner
“If you like fantasy and want adventure, this book is for you! It is entertaining for adults as well as middle-grade students…Just when you think there’s nothing new anyone could offer in a fantasy, these two authors prove you wrong. They have created a very believable new world fraught with danger and excitement at every turn. I couldn’t put it down.”
– Dani B
“I love the vivid characters and the way you can picture all the action…I would recommend this book for any age and it is a book that grandparents can buy for their grand kids and know that it is an exciting story and a safe read.”
– Amazon Customer
“A real page turner, loved it. This book is funny and an adventure story for both young and old readers. I’m looking forward to the next book!”
– MJP
Excerpt:
THE PIRATES
Hallvard was gallantly dueling the taller pirate, while Ethan and Buzz were hitting the short smelly one with a stick and throwing dirt into his face. Ethan hauled off with all his might and swatted the pirate in the head, knocking him down. The rotund pirate tried to get back up and grab his sword, but stumbled and fell just as Buzz hit him in the face with a giant dirt clod. Buzz grabbed the sword, but the weight of it caused him to fall over. Ethan took it away before Buzz hurt himself.
“It’s clear; let’s go,” Penny said to Verge and Laci. As they exited the woodshed, running for the top of the knoll, Penny motioned for Ethan and Buzz to follow. They sprinted up the hill, with the smelly pirate in pursuit.
Mark was born and raised in Southern California. He graduated UC Santa Barbara with a degree in film and has worked in the film industry for years. He has written several screenplays and had a show optioned by MTV. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Rebecca and his daughter Sara. This is his first novel, and hopefully not his last.
After Melora graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, she worked in the television industry for several years before becoming a library volunteer at her daughters’ school. Her passion for both reading and entertainment inspired her to write. This is her first novel. She currently lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a pet bunny and a fish. Oh…never mind, the fish died.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
I’m thrilled to unveil the trailer for book two in Donna Galanti’s fantasy adventure Lightning Road series, JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM, arriving August 30th. The Midwest Book Review calls book one, JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD, “a heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish.” Grab book one for just $.99cents now through September 20th.
Be sure to enter the fun giveaway package at the bottom of this post that includes a paperback of book one, poster of the Lost Realm, bookmarks, and a $25 B&N gift card (U.S. only). Sign up for Donna’s Thunderclap book release campaign and help her zap the world through social media with her lightning message!
My Review
After having thoroughly enjoyed the first book, Joshua and the Lightning Road, I held my breath as I started reading this second book in the series. You just never know if you’ll enjoy it as much as the first one, if what you want to happen will happen, or whether it evokes the same emotions.
My worries were unfounded. This is every bit as good as the first book. Maybe even better, as I was already familiar with many of the character’s and this author’s world.
The action is all over the place, the character’s as engaging as ever, and adventure, danger, and intrigue abound.
Joshua is an amazing boy. He’s not fearless and that’s where his bravery and loyalty to his friends shines.
A spectacular next chapter in Joshua’s story. I’ll be watching for more.
This book is intended for a younger, middle grade audience. Don’t let that stop you mature readers from reading it and going back to your younger days, when all seemed possible and magical.
5 Stars
~~~~~
ABOUT JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM:
On August 30th take the lightning road back to a world of beasts, bandits, and heroes in book two of the Lightning Road series. Join Joshua in a new fight for power in the Arrow Realm. Can Joshua and his friends conquer an unstoppable evil?
Joshua never thought he’d return to the world of Nostos but is soon called to the Arrow Realm to free his imprisoned friend, King Apollo, kidnapped as a power pawn in Queen Artemis’s quest to conquer every realm. With his loyalties divided between our world and theirs, Joshua wonders whether he alone can restore magic to the twelve powerless Olympian heirs and save all those enslaved. But when he finds himself abandoned in his quest, he fears he cannot only save those imprisoned—but himself as well.
“Fast-paced and endlessly inventive, Joshua and the Arrow Realm is a high-stakes romp through a wild world where descendants of the Greek gods walk beside you, beasts abound, and not everything—or everyone—is as it seems.” ~ Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of the TombQuest series
JOSHUA AND THE ARROW REALM BOOK TRAILER:
EXCERPT:
A faint rumble groaned through the whistling wind.
Boom!
Thunder ripped the sky overhead.
Charlie reached the frozen pond, spinning across it. “Woohoo! I win! You Americans can’t beat us at speed!”
Lightning flashed. It zinged across the pine trees like brilliant sunlight. A seed of terror flickered inside me.
Boom! Boom!
Another flash scorched the sky.
Charlie’s smile fell to a frown as he raced across the ice, peering up into the swirling clouds.
We both knew what lightning could do.
Suddenly, sneaking outside for a moonlit sled ride before Bo Chez got home from his monthly poker game didn’t seem so smart.
The sleet turned to snow. Icicles flew off trees like glass splinters, shattering on the hard snow. As I shot toward the pond, a tree on the edge moved. Its branches swayed in the swirling snow.
It wasn’t a tree, but a girl! She stumbled through the mad flurry, arms outstretched.
“Charlie, look!”
Gusts snatched the words away as my sled hit the ice and careened out of control on the bumpy surface. The girl staggered and fell onto the pond. I twisted my sled away to avoid hitting her and smashed right into Charlie. With a yelp, he pulled me up, and we clumped toward the girl. We lifted her up, half dragging her back up the hill to the house in the pelting snow and sleet.
“Who is she?” Charlie yelled.
“No idea,” I yelled back.
He said more, but his words were lost in the wind.
My lungs burned with the cold and effort. There was only one reason someone would appear with lightning—to steal us. This girl might appear like a waif unprepared for a storm but I couldn’t trust that’s all she was.
Donna Galanti is the author of The Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). She attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship. She’s lived in other exotic locations, including Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse, and dreams of returning one day to a castle. Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. You can find her at www.donnagalanti.com.
Check out my review of Joshua And The Lightning Road, the first book in this fun adventure, by clicking on the cover below.
Synopsis
Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch the orb.
Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.
To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.
In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.
Author Adam Glendon Sidwell
Mark Frederickson
Melora Pineda
