BOOK DETAILS:
Haskell Himself 
by Gary Seigel 
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: January 19th 2020
Genres: Historical, LGBTQ+, Young Adult

Book Blurb

Meet Haskell Hodge. At sixteen, he’s already garnered some fame as a former child actor and star of a popular cereal commercial. But that doesn’t do much for him when he’s dumped at his aunt’s house in the suburbs of Los Angeles to face an assortment of neighborhood bullies.

He thinks he might be gay. In fact, he could be the only gay person in the valley, maybe on the entire planet. Even if he does manage to find a boyfriend, their relationship would have to be secret and invisible.

After all, it’s 1966. And though Time Magazine claims the sexual revolution is in full swing, the freedoms straight people are enjoying don’t seem to apply to everyone. And as much as Haskell attempts to hide his true self, carefully navigating the tricky and risky terrain of being queer, he’s still taunted and teased relentlessly.

Rather than give in to the irrationality of this hate, Haskell fights back, eventually finding an unlikely outlet to vent his frustration and angst—playing a bully in a screen test for a major motion picture. If he plays his cards right, it could catapult him into Hollywood stardom. 

Of course, like most things in life, it comes with a heavy price Haskell’s not certain he’s willing to pay.  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47773286-haskell-himself

Author Biography:

Gary Seigel was raised in Encino, California where his debut novel, Haskell Himself, takes place. After completing  a PhD in English at Rutgers University, Gary taught  at several colleges and universities, but his most memorable experience was a brief 12 week stint at the same high school he (and Haskell) graduated from, teaching side by side with some of the same teachers he once endured. Currently, Gary gives grammar and proofreading classes to business professionals eager to write error-free emails. He also has spent the past two decades helping employees control their inner jerk when texting  or holding conversations with an impossible boss. His book The Mouth Trap: Strategies, Tips and Secrets for Keeping Your Feet out of Your Mouth, published in 2008, has been translated into over a dozen languages. He is the father of three sons and currently lives in South Pasadena.
Author links: https://www.garyseigel.com/https://twitter.com/theemailwizardhttps://www.facebook.com/garyseigelwriter

Goodreads Blurb

You’ll find adventure at every turn. Now, come on, quick-it’s time to learn!

Just like the rest of us, Groot’s learning that there’s a first time (and a first day!) for everything. Follow Rocket and Groot as they set off across the galaxy learning new lessons, developing new skills, and making new memories with friends along the way.

With so many new experiences on the horizon, Groot’s sure to have a first day rooted in spectacular fun, heroics, and everything in between. Don’t be late for this thrilling adventure with the mightiest heroes from Earth and beyond!

Told in rhyme and accompanied by colorful and action-packed illustrations, First Day of Groot! is the perfect story to help little learners get excited about first-time experiences.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

A super adorable book with fun, colorful and picture perfect illustrations. The children will love Groot’s first day of learning. Children will learn about sharing, counting, spelling, teamwork and learning to sing along. Groot is a huge fan of Spider Man. He carried along a Spider Man backpack throughout his adventures. I loved that the Avengers were included in the book and were part of the fun and learning experience Groot had throughout the book. I had the most fun looking for Ant-Man and Wasp in every page, being incognito. Have fun with your kids on Groot’s learning adventures.

Author Biography

Brendan Deneen is the author of the graphic novels FLASH GORDON: THE MERCY WARS, THE ISLAND OF MISFIT TOYS and PHOENIX (co-written with Jim Krueger), among others, as well as the novel THE NINTH CIRCLE and the upcoming novels ANT-MAN: BEGINNINGS, UNDERHILL, and THE CHRYSALIS. By day, he runs the film/TV division at Macmillan Publishers, with projects set up at MGM (with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson attached to star), Warner Brothers (with Bradley Cooper attached to star), Legendary Pictures, CBS Television, The Weinstein Company, and many more. Deneen is also the editor of THE WALKING DEAD prose novels and the upcoming book THE FIFTY YEAR MISSION: THE COMPLETE UNCENSORED, UNAUTHORIZED ORAL HISTORY OF STAR TREK.

Hello Kitty has been one of my favorite characters for a very long time. It might be that we both love to wear a bow on our hair or we just love the color pink. I have been able to take a picture twice with Hello Kitty. The picture above was on the first Bookcon event in 2014. The picture below was at NYC Sanrio store which no longer exist 😦

I must say if you can wait over one hour to be able to buy some Hello Kitty treats, you definitely are a true fan 🙂

I was so thrilled when it was my first time attending the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and seeing Hello Kitty flying by in her adorable airplane.

Hello Kitty exclusive skirt with Modcloth.com. Will you must know of course I need to have her in my outfits too 🙂

At Comic Con Funko POP did this amazing Statute of Liberty Hello Kitty to commemorate her anniversary. Wasn’t able to purchase her at the event but my brother found her for me online.

Here are a few things from my collection. Congratulations to Hello Kitty the cat with no mouth, that will bring a smile to all who see her, even if she can’t smile back. Happy 45 years!!

Goodreads Blurb

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart…

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This was an amazing story that had even the reader fooled at what was really happening in the story. Mare is a special person who is red and silver but with a little touch of something else. The war between silver and red has been happening for many years. I did enjoy the huge twist at the end of this book. I really thought that Mare was manipulating everyone in order to save the reds and win the war but it turns out she was the one that was tricked. Can’t wait to see the red queen rise up and fight the silver’s and make them pay for all they have done to the red’s.

Victoria Aveyard at Epic Reads Day 2019

Author Biography

Victoria Aveyard is an author and screenwriter, born and raised in a small town in Western Massachusetts. Both her parents are public school teachers, as well as avid film, television, and literature fans. Victoria grew up on a steady diet The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and LOST. She pursued a degree in Writing for Film & Television at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. After graduating college in 2012, Victoria moved home from Los Angeles  and began writing the manuscript that would become Red Queen. 

She has since published three #1 New York Times bestselling and USA Today bestselling books, two New York Times bestselling novellas, and continues pursuing her writing career while living full-time in Los Angeles, California.

The Red Queen series is currently being translated into 37 languages and counting.

BOOK DETAILS:
Dark Faerie 
by S.T. Bende 
(Alfheim Academy, #2) Publication date: February 24th 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:
Ruling a realm was never going to be easy. After stepping into her royal role, sixteen-year-old Aura Nilssen quickly discovers the dark side of ruling the light realm. Although she’s determined to steer Alfheim off its course of self-destruction, an unyielding tyrant remains equally resolved to stop her. When Aura uncovers the depth of Alfheim’s corruption, she sets out to recover the allies she needs to protect her home. But when she meets a girl whose background mirrors her own, Aura learns she has powers she never knew existed. She’ll need Viggo’s help to master her abilities . . . but is their new relationship strong enough to survive the reality of who she is?

In the face of dark magic, powerful enemies, and the unlikeliest of allies, Aura discovers the true nature of her own duality. It turns out that she’s more than just the crown princess of Alfheim. She’s a dark faerie.

And she’s just met her match.
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48430413-dark-faerie
Pre-order:Amazon: https://books2read.com/u/bM9ll7?store=amazon

AUTHOR BIO:

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, S.T. Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (where she became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of McVitie’s cookies. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired her YA Norse fantasy series’ (Viking Academy, Elsker Saga, Ære Saga, and Night War Saga). And her love of a galaxy far, far away inspired her to write children’s books for Star Wars. She hopes her characters make you smile, and she dreams of skiing on Jotunheim and Hoth.

Author links:

https://twitter.com/stbende

https://www.stbende.com/

https://www.instagram.com/s.t.bende/

https://app.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/u0s3d3

https://www.facebook.com/groups/548404475215990/

https://www.facebook.com/stbendeauthor/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6868809.S_T_Bende

Goodreads Blurb

A rare meeting of literary genius: P. D. James, long among the most admired mystery writers of our time, draws the characters of Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice into a tale of murder and emotional mayhem.

It is 1803, six years since Elizabeth and Darcy embarked on their life together at Pemberley, Darcy’s magnificent estate. Their peaceful, orderly world seems almost unassailable. Elizabeth has found her footing as the chatelaine of the great house. They have two fine sons, Fitzwilliam and Charles. Elizabeth’s sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; her father visits often; there is optimistic talk about the prospects of marriage for Darcy’s sister Georgiana. And preparations are under way for their much-anticipated annual autumn ball.

Then, on the eve of the ball, the patrician idyll is shattered. A coach careens up the drive carrying Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister, who with her husband, the very dubious Wickham, has been banned from Pemberley. She stumbles out of the carriage, hysterical, shrieking that Wickham has been murdered. With shocking suddenness, Pemberley is plunged into a frightening mystery.

Inspired by a lifelong passion for Austen, P. D. James masterfully re-creates the world of Pride and Prejudice, electrifying it with the excitement and suspense of a brilliantly crafted crime story, as only she can write it.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5

I really enjoyed this book since Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are my favorite couple. To be able to have a continuation of their story, while including a murder mystery, who would want more? Of course Mr. Wickham has to keep on being such a slime. I can’t stand men who use their looks just to get their groove on. Overall, the murder itself wasn’t as dramatic as Wickham’s hidden closet. He had some crazy skeletons waiting to blow out of there. Overall, I loved the prologue after the story, love is just amazing. In all honesty Mr. Wickham was even more guilty then what most might have agreed upon. Mr. Darcy though despising him and not allowing him to enter his home in Pemberley, he still stood by his side. Family is family no matter the circumstances. 

Author Biography

P. D. James, byname of Phyllis Dorothy James White, Baroness James of Holland Park, (born August 3, 1920, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England—died November 27, 2014, Oxford), British mystery novelist best known for her fictional detective Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard.

The daughter of a middle-grade civil servant, James grew up in the university town of Cambridge. Her formal education, however, ended at age 16 because of lack of funds, and she was thereafter self-educated. In 1941 she married Ernest C.B. White, a medical student and future physician, who returned home from wartime service mentally deranged and spent much of the rest of his life in psychiatric hospitals. To support her family (which included two children), she took work in hospital administration and, after her husband’s death in 1964, became a civil servant in the criminal section of the Department of Home Affairs. Her first mystery novel, Cover Her Face (1962), introduced Dalgliesh and was followed by six more mysteries before she retired from government service in 1979 to devote full time to writing.

Dalgliesh, James’s master detective who rises from chief inspector in the first novel to chief superintendent and then to commander, is a serious, introspective person, moralistic yet realistic. The novels in which he appears are peopled by fully rounded characters, who are civilized, genteel, and motivated. The public resonance created by James’s singular characterization and deployment of classic mystery devices led to most of the novels featuring Dalgliesh being filmed for television. James, who earned the sobriquet “Queen of Crime,” penned 14 Dalgliesh novels, with the last, The Private Patient, appearing in 2008.

James also wrote An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1972) and The Skull Beneath the Skin (1982), which centre on Cordelia Gray, a young private detective. The first of these novels was the basis for both a television movie and a short-lived series. James expanded beyond the mystery genre in The Children of Men (1992; film 2006), which explores a dystopian world in which the human race has become infertile. Her final work, Death Comes to Pemberley (2011)—a sequel to Pride and Prejudice (1813)—amplifies the class and relationship tensions between Jane Austen’s characters by situating them in the midst of a murder investigation. James’s nonfiction works include The Maul and the Pear Tree (1971), a telling of the Ratcliffe Highway murders of 1811 written with historian T.A. Critchley, and the insightful Talking About Detective Fiction (2009). Her memoir, Time to Be in Earnest, was published in 2000. She was made OBE in 1983 and was named a life peer in 1991.

Goodreads Blurb

USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Kenni Lowry likes to think the zero crime rate in Cottonwood, Kentucky is due to her being sheriff, but she quickly discovers the ghost of her grandfather, the town’s previous sheriff, has been scaring off any would-be criminals since she was elected. When the town’s most beloved doctor is found murdered on the very same day as a jewelry store robbery, and a mysterious symbol ties the crime scenes together, Kenni must satisfy her hankerin’ for justice by nabbing the culprits.

With the help of her Poppa, a lone deputy, and an annoyingly cute, too-big-for-his-britches State Reserve officer, Kenni must solve both cases and prove to the whole town, and herself, that she’s worth her salt before time runs out.

My Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Tonya what an awesome book!!! I couldn’t put this book down. Tonya knows how to write amazing southern mysteries. I was in love with the characters and the plot. Kenni and Finn work perfect together. Loved the chemistry and could not help but crush on Finn just like all the other ladies in the book. I was also happy that a ghost was able to join in the fun. It made the book very funny with her granddad. As I read, I kept on trying to figure out who the real killer was. This made the book so much more fun. The mystery and the number of suspects made this story come to life. If you love a cozy mystery, gossip and hot policeman, then this will be your favorite. Please pick this book up, you will enjoy it.

Author Biography

Tonya Kappes has written more than fifty southern cozy mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today . Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband in northern Kentucky. Now that her four boys have flown out of the nest, Tonya writes full-time.

You can find her all over social media and at Tonyakappes.com .

Visit Tonya:
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tonyakappes.com

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For weekly updates and contests, sign up for Tonya’s newsletter Kappes Krew Weekly via her website or Facebook.For years,

This is my second year attending Morristown Festival of Books. It was another spectacular day with amazing authors. They had such a wonderful array of authors for adults, young adults and children. The Morristown community are very supportive of events in their town. Almost all the panels were standing room only. Thank you to the sponsors and volunteers that worked hard to make event a true success. Save the date October 9 & 10 2020, will be the seventh annual book festival at Morristown, NJ. https://morristownbooks.org/

Meg Cabot author of No Judgments and The Princess Diaries

Whitney Scharer author of The Age of Light and Marie Benedict author of The Only Woman in the Room

Goodreads Blurb

Allison Maitland Spencer is the billionaire president and CEO of Wyatt Enterprises. Following in her legendary mother’s footsteps as a strong, independent woman, she always gets what she wants—in business. Focused on her corporate responsibilities and raising her teenage son, she doesn’t have the time or energy for romantic relationships. But when her high school sweetheart returns, she’s reminded of sweet memories and tempted by the possibility of passion-filled nights.

Buck Cooper left Atlanta twenty years ago in the midst of a family scandal. But now that the seductive tech developer is back on top of the business world, he seems determined to reclaim her heart. Their off-the-chart chemistry is a welcome distraction, but his past baggage and current secrets fill Allie with doubts. Uncertain if his pursuit is based on desire or a plot to take over her company, Buck has an easy answer for all of Allie’s questions—except the one about their future.

Always Allie is the first book in the Billionaire Brides series–a spin-off of the Billionaire Brotherhood series.

Author Biography

From the first time I read a Nancy Drew mystery as a child, I’ve been an avid reader and occasional writer. After marrying the man of my dreams and giving birth to the world’s two best children, I spent many years as a wife and mother with an interesting variety of nine-to-five jobs. Eventually, the desire to create my own stories took over.

As a member of the Romance Writers of America and OVRWA, the local affiliated chapter, I took my time learning my craft, developing my skills, and laboring over every word, sentence, and paragraph of more than eight completed manuscripts. As an unpublished author, it was my great honor to be named a six-time Golden Heart™ Finalist and two-time Golden Heart™ winner by RWA.

Finally giving in to the desire to make my publishing dreams come true, I ditched the full-time job in order to self-publish the kind of stories I like to read and write. What kind is that? Fresh, flirty, and fun contemporaries about strong women who deal with relatable situations in familiar settings. I hope that’s the kind of story you like, too. 

Author Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity , and love, will be at Glen Ridge Country Club in Montclair, NJ. Event will be held on Tuesday, December 10th, with refreshments beginning at 6:00 PM and presentation will begin at 7 PM. The cost is 45.00 which includes book, signing and light meal. Here is link to tickets https://succeed2gether.org/s2g-events/

Book Blurb

What makes us who we are? What combination of memory, history, biology, experience, and that ineffable thing called the soul defines us?

In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website to which she had whimsically submitted her DNA for analysis, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. She woke up one morning and her entire history—the life she had lived—crumbled beneath her.

Inheritance is a book about secrets—secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. It is the story of a woman’s urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity, a story that has been scrupulously hidden from her for more than fifty years, years she had spent writing brilliantly, and compulsively, on themes of identity and family history. It is a book about the extraordinary moment we live in—a moment in which science and technology have outpaced not only medical ethics but also the capacities of the human heart to contend with the consequences of what we discover.

Timely and unforgettable, Dani Shapiro’s memoir is a gripping, gut-wrenching exploration of genealogy, paternity, and love.

Author Biography

Dani Shapiro is the bestselling author of the memoirs Hourglass, Still Writing, Devotion, and Slow Motion, and five novels including Black & White and Family History. She lives with her family in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Her latest memoir, Inheritance, will be published by Knopf in January, 2019.

Check out the website for Montclair Literary Festival, which will take place on March 25-29, 2020. https://succeed2gether.org/montclair-literary-festival/