Guest Post: How Doing What Made Me Happy Turned Into Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson

My sweet father is eighty-seven now and was a scientist in his working life. (He’d be so tickled to know I was writing about him.) He has a Ph.D in physics (which honestly makes my brain hurt) and has always approached the world from a place of logic and reason and proof. When I was five, he explained surface tension – in excruciating detail – when I made the mistake of asking about the ripples in my bathwater. But he has always been so much more than a scientist. He adores classical music, especially opera, and was an avid fiction reader. He could quote the first lines of all his favorite books, among them Rebecca and Scaramouche. My dad understood his bookish daughter.

Meet the Characters of Below by Alexandria Warwick + Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Below blog tour! The author, Alexandria Warwick, is here to share an inside look at the characters before you read the story.

Apaay

Apaay is a young Analak woman who wants nothing more than to earn the respect of her people and to lead the summer hunt. Apaay’s steadfast, determined nature allows her to face impossible odds in the quest to find her sister’s stolen face. There is nothing more important to her than family. Let it be known that her dad jokes are terrible.

Guest Post: A Guide to the Yokai in Seven Deadly Shadows by Courtney Alameda + Giveaway!

Hi everyone! Courtney Alameda, co-author of SEVEN DEADLY SHADOWS and monster enthusiast here! I’ve long said that the Japanese are among the best storytellers in the world; not only do they have the richest folklore, but they have an extensive monster bestiary that includes some of the most interesting creatures on Earth. SEVEN DEADLY SHADOWS features a mere fraction of Japanese yokai, or monsters, and I’m here to introduce you to a few of my favorites.

Unlike many western monsters, Japanese yokai aren’t necessarily “good” nor “evil;” some, like kitsune, can even be benevolent. So break out your moral alignment charts, because here we go!

NEKOMATA: Of course I’m including a monster cat in this list! Nekomata like Oni-chan, Kira’s cat companion in SEVEN DEADLY SHADOWS, are regular housecats for the most part . . . except these cats have two tails tipped in blue flames. When these cats transform from ordinary animals into supernatural yokai, their tails split down the center. Oh, and did I mention they can grow larger than tigers and occasionally like to eat human beings? No? (Art by MonMon Cats)

Guest Post: The Story Behind the Cover of Spellhacker by M.K. England + Giveaway!

How, HOw, HOW do you create a cover that simultaneously says:

FUN HEIST!!

Super cool glowy magic fantasy 

Flashy hi-tech sci-fi!

Sarcasm and jokesssss

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Review: Furious Thing by Jenny Downham + Giveaway!

Title: Furious Thing
Author: Jenny Downham
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Pages: 384

Content Warnings: gaslighting, abuse, bullying, underage drinking, drug use, hospitals

This post does contain affiliate links. I will receive a small amount from any purchases made through Book Depository at no extra cost to you.

From the critically acclaimed author of Before I Die comes a remarkably affecting story of a girl who burns with anger for reasons she can’t understand, and the power and risk that comes with making noise. Fans of E. Lockhart, Jennifer Niven, and Gayle Foreman will find their own fury in this exceptional novel for our times.

Lexi’s angry. And it’s getting worse.

If only she could stop losing her temper and behave herself, her stepfather would accept her, her mom would love her like she used to, and her stepbrother would declare his crushing desire to spend the rest of his life with her. She wants these things so badly, she’s determined to swallow her anger and make her family proud.But pushing fury down doesn’t make it disappear. Instead, it simmers below the surface waiting to erupt . . . And there’ll be fireworks when it does.