Character Madness and Musings

The Truth About Sista Brianna  by Shelia Bell  Genre: Women's Fiction  Smart, sassy, and single middle school teacher, Brianna Madison, hides behind the mask of her disability. Bound by a wheelchair and held hostage by her emotions, Brianna's self-esteem is shot, and her belief in love is non-existent. Will she ever stop running from herself and from love? Is love the cure-all or will her web of lies and secrets destroy any chance Brianna has to heal from her past and claim what the future has for her? History teacher Trey Hollister's first year at Augustine Prep is already off to a good start when he enters the prestigious halls of the private academy. Handsome, and newly divorced, Trey is not looking for a relationship. Fresh memories of how painful heartbreak can be keeps him grounded. Things change quickly when he sets eyes on his co-worker, Brianna. But Brianna's tough shell is almost more than he cares to handle. Will he keep pursuing Brianna or give i

I am so excited that STAR SPARK by Day Leitao is available now and that I get to share the news! If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Day Leitao, be sure to check out all the details below. This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $20 Amazon GC courtesy of Day & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post. STAR SPARK by Day Leitao Pub. Date: May 26, 2020 Publisher: Sparkly Wave Formats: Paperback, eBook Pages: 438 Everyone Saytera knows can conjure fire, but all she can do is create darkness. In search for answers about her destiny and who she is, she leaves her island for the first time—and almost gets killed. On the run and with no way to return home, she finds refuge in a military academy. Problem is, she can't even fire a gun--they just don't work with her. No kidding, right? She's got an issue with fire. And nobody can know where she's from and what she can do. How

Zinnia by Christina Bauer (Angelbound Offspring #3) Published by: Monster House Books Publication date: July 30th 2019 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult As the last dragon shifter, I live alone, hiding in one of Earth’s sacred deserts. My human handlers tell me that I have no parents, no name, and no purpose other than to train for battle and one day become a vessel for the reincarnation of Chimera, the greatest dragon shifter of all. Sadly, Chimera’s rebirth will mean my own death. But my handlers say this sacrifice is a noble fate that will rebuild the dragon shifter world. I shall die on my seventeenth birthday. That’s five days from now. Then I hear music thumping across the desert. I take my mortal form, follow the sound, and find humans dancing in what they call a rave. There is a stage and a rock band. One thing quickly becomes clear: Unlike the audience, the musicians are dragon shifters, just like me. And one of them, the guitar player Rhodes, makes my knees turn watery. The

Isolation  The Soul Scribe Trilogy Book 1  by Tera Lyn Cortez  Genre: New Adult Fantasy  May contain adult content What if you woke up one day and discovered all the things about yourself that you thought made you a walking disaster, actually made you very special? Growing up on Earth left Everleigh totally in the dark about the magic that exists in the world. In fact, she was unaware that the realms beyond her own even existed. She spent her life struggling to hide her peculiarities from the world, believing she was an anomaly, a freak of nature. Then a stranger showed up on her doorstep one day, leaving cryptic instructions that would lead her to discover just how much she didn't know. If she follows them, she will learn that not only do the other realms exist, but that she is an integral part of their survival. The abilities she spent years trying to bury inside are just the tip of the iceberg. She must not only embrace them, but nurture them, and master them as q

The Chalice and the Crown  by Kassandra Flamouri  Genre: YA Fantasy  Driven, talented, and determined to live up to her family's fame, Sasha Nikolayeva is ballet’s crown princess. But just when Sasha lands her most prestigious role yet, she falls prey to a host of disturbing neurological symptoms that threaten to end her career and her very life. As her mind and body deteriorate, Sasha spirals into a nightmare world where beauty and cruelty exist in the same breath and villains rule from the shadows. In the glittering, sharp-edged City of Roses, Sasha is no princess. She’s a thrall, a slave. Thousands like her suffer in cursed silence while citizens enjoy the splendor of the City, blissfully unaware that their servants are anything more than living dolls enchanted to do their bidding. But the City's slavers know the truth, and they are always watching. One misstep could cost Sasha her life—or her soul. Even as she endures the violence and indignity of captivity, Sa

The Grim and the Fantastic  by Marissa Miller  Genre: Children's / Middle Grade Fantasy  The Grim and The Fantastic tells the story of Merton Clarke, and his journey battling a major illness, when a magical realm--filled with splendor and danger lurking in the shadows-- reveals itself to him. There, he must face some terrible beasts in a battle to rid himself of his sickness. Along the way, Merton makes two new friends who must fight their own monsters alongside him. If they can defeat their beasts from the realm in battle, just maybe, they will win the battle against their sickness in the real world too. Together, they test their limits, and their understanding of friendship, grief, bravery, and, above all, the power of hope. A story of marvel, battles, and hardship, The Grim and the Fantastic takes a serious subject and seeks to breathe color back into the lives of those affected. The fantastical tale truly provides a whimsical place for children with troubles to esca

Elephant by Natalie Rodriguez Publication date: May 29th 2020 Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Summer of 2006. Four childhood best friends. A family secret. After a strange encounter leaves him hospitalized, a timid teenage boy named Matt “Matty” Smith comes home to a continuous series of events met with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Under the guardianship of his grandma, Lucia, Matt lives with unspoken questions about his grandfather and parents. The elephant in the room. As Matt develops over the summer, the secrets only grow more profound and complex. Will the answers ever come? While searching for answers, Matt and his three childhood best friends encounter the meanings of love, forgiveness, and fate. Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo EXCERPT: “SO MUCH FOR ‘I’M ON A DIET.’” Derek stuffed another soy sauce-loaded Italian meatball into his mouth. “Shut up, midget!” Jamie retorted and set another pepperoni sausage olive pizza slice onto her plate. “Th