Books & Writing Amino!

Hey Loves! Have you guys heard of the Books &Writing Amino?! I just joined and it’s pretty awesome! It has different chatrooms for Books, Authors, Bookstagram, Writing and More! Like Wowza, you can personal message on there like text messages, video chat, a forum, buddy reads, Create posts, add Wikis, and so much more that I probably don’t know about but thought I should share! Also here’s where we can connect if you join or are already a member! Lots of Love! Xoxoxo

Check out my profile on Books & Writing: http://aminoapps.com/p/szb2wm

June 18, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 12 Comments

Random Rambles & Feedback Appreciated

Random Rambles

Hello there, Lovelies! Earlier I posted a post and decided it was too much gloom and doom ~~and it might mess up my swagger.~~ So I decided to take that shit down.

I mean life happens, we all live and have to push through some rough ~~ass~~ times. Well I tell life to ~~fuck off~~ put things to a hault for a while so I can get my ~~shit~~ priorities together. I mean I am a ~~fucking mama jamma~~ badass! I mean ~~shit~~ sometimes you have to look at the storm arising around you and dance to the beat of your own drum. Lately, I have dealt with health issues, financial issues, thiefs and a sick loved one and child but I can’t look at that side of things. ~~Fuck no!~~ I have been blessed with a month to eat and had my meds for a month, I have been shown kindness that I never thought possible and even came close to a suicide attempt and pushed myself through. All in all, there is a badass in me and a boss lady who needs to erupt! I am so glad that I am back in the blogosphere ~~kicking ass and taking names!~~ You giys are the bee’s knees and can’t wait to read all of your blogs. Woot!

So I am sorry about my recent abscense. WordPress called me a spammer due to having “blog tour” in my title. 😒 I mean take away my bloggy blog for 2 or 3 days because of a title of a page. Dumb.🤨

So after fighting with them ~~jackasses~~ , I will be more cautious of my titles so I won’t be labled as a spammer along with those people in my spam comments that have been promising me a cure for erectile dysfunction.😨 I mean that would truly be a downer!🤣😂

Not to diss anyone who needs a little a pick me up. This is a natural thing and sometimes the heads don’t work as one. It’s like the there is a disturbance in the force. I mean we all have force disturbances whether it be E.D. or constipation. Tomato, To-MAT-toe. I don’t know how we got to erectile dysfunction and constipation from WordPress but sometimes you have to go with the flow. ~~With constipation, any type of flow would be beneficial.~~

So this whole ramble was meant to say sorry for the Debbie Downer episode ~~(everytime I hear the word downer I think of E.D., 🤣)~~ and wanted to explain my abscense. I would also like to ask you folks, do you you like my new theme? Most importantly, it’s not about looks, is it easy to access? 😉I got my theme courtesy of the ~~not so happy~~ “Happiness Engineers” and their ~~assholeness~~ unkind comments. I also got some new graphics from an awesome online friend as an early ~~30th~~ 21st birthday gift that is doomed to happen next month. What do you think of the graphics? Try and erase the part of Dani aging out of your minds! I even have some white hairs to show me how young I am! Woohoo! Anywho, I completely jumped around all over the place which reminds me of Pete’s Significant Songs Post featuring House of Pain- Jump Around so I am going with it and will be dancing around to this song ~~shaking what my mama gave me~~ early this Thursday Morning. I hope you guys have an awesome day! You ~~fuckin’~~ rock!!!🤩😜🧚‍♂️

June 14, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 52 Comments

Reads & Reels Tour for Father Figure by James J. Cudney

About the Book_1

Father Figure

Publication Date: April 2, 2018

Genre:

Drama

Romance

Suspense

Between the fast-paced New York City, a rural Mississippi town, and a charming Pennsylvania college campus filled with secrets, two young girls learn the consequences of growing up too quickly. Struggling to survive in a claustrophobic, unforgiving world, they embark on a journey to overcome all the pain, disappointment, and horror of their experiences.

Amalia Graeme, abused by her mother for most of her life, longs to escape her desolate hometown, connect with others, and fall in love. Contemplating an impending loss of innocence and conflicting feelings between her boyfriend and the dangerous attraction she’s developed for an older man, Amalia suffers devastating, life-altering tragedies. No matter where she turns, someone or something always steals her hope of finding happiness, protection, and love.

Brianna Porter, a sassy yet angst-ridden teenager raised in New York City, yearns to determine her life’s true purpose, conquer her fear of abandonment, and interpret an intimidating desire for her best friend, Shanelle. All the confusion stems from desperately needing to find the father whom her mother refuses to reveal, but an unexpected discovery of a journal leads Brianna to a shocking revelation about her missing parent. Unfortunately, by casting the net to find him, she’s unleashed a tragic history that was meant to stay buried and might now completely change everyone’s futures.

Through alternating chapters set two decades apart, each girl’s plight unfolds revealing the parallels between their lives and the subsequent collision that is bound to happen. In an emotional story filled with mystery, romance, and suspense, fate intervenes forcing someone to make a dreadful decision that will leave permanent scars.

Add To Goodreads:

Excerpt (Brianna’s Complicated Feelings)

Brianna and Shanelle have been best friends for years, but something more is brewing and Brianna doesn’t know how to handle it. She’s debating whether to sleep with her boyfriend after prom, but finds herself drawn back to a gift.

– James J. Cudney

“What are we gonna do about Doug?” Shanelle grabbed Brianna’s wrist, led her to the bathroom, and situated her on the toilet seat. She opened one of the boxes from the heaviest bag and considered what to do with a few curlers. “He’s gonna push you to sleep with him. Maybe I should show up to protect you. I could taser him if he does anything wrong.” Shanelle rifled through her cosmetics bag pulling out three types of eyeliner. “Choose.”

“Does it matter?”

“If I taser him? Probably not, though that asshole may get turned on. Hell, I might enjoy watching him piss himself from the electric shock.” She freakishly shook her body and feigned surprise after pretending to become incontinent.

“Not Doug, the eyeliner.” Brianna held up the makeup clueless about which color to select. She’d worn very little of her own following in her mother’s footsteps. Less is more is a motto often chanted around their apartment.

“Oh, my lovely little Bree. We’ll make a woman out of you someday.” Shanelle chose the thickest one and applied a generous line around Brianna’s eyes. “I’m jealous of these high cheekbones. They so perfectly shape your face.”

“Umm, thanks.” Brianna, often incapable of accepting praise, glanced at the mirror, then updated Shanelle about the information she discovered on Lenny’s mail in the jazz club. “Maybe I’ve got a new lead, huh?”

“It’s possible. That would be a big help.” Shanelle shrugged her shoulders, then excitedly changed the subject. “Ooh, grab the bag on the floor.”

Brianna tried to reach for it but couldn’t without bending forward. Shanelle’s hand slipped and traced a line of dark black liquid across her cheeks. “Bree, you’re such an awkward mess.”

“Just finish, will you?” Brianna grabbed the bag and shook a small blue box with a white bow. “You bought me something from Tiffany’s?”

“Yeah, even though you don’t deserve it.” Shanelle capped the eyeliner and opened a tray of varying shades of blue eyeshadow. “You need a darker, smokier color to highlight your eyes.”

“You shouldn’t have bought me anything after the way I behaved last night.” Brianna pulled the bow off the box and removed the lid. A pair of diamond teardrop earrings caused her to swoon. “They’re beautiful. You really are amazing.”

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My Thoughts_1

Wow, what a read!!! I knew Jay was a hell of a writer but this one really had me up all night and knew how to hit me with all the right feels to continue reading even though I cried like a baby during some scenes. I have to be honest that there is two things that triggered slightly but they were brief things but felt I needed to bring up there is a quick scene where an animal is hurt and their is some abuse that happened to one of the main characters but even though I had a little bit of anxiety for a moment, I still wanted more and I felt more attached to the characters. I became greatly invested in them and I think that the triggers even made me more attached to them because I felt their pain.

I have been through similar experiences with being abused as a child and have experienced other similar things that the characters also experienced. I became attached, the suspense thrilled me, the drama had my heart and mind going through a whirlwind but best of all it also made me smile at times too. I loved Shanelle and Brianna! They were great characters and Mr. Cudney was brilliant at portraying what young girls go through at a time when they are of legal age but still have so much to learn. Shanelle and Brianna’s friendship and the feelings they I had for each other just made me swoon at times. They were just the cutest and I couldn’t get enough of them together. This has to be one of the best books that I have ever read ever! So relatable, so intense, heartbreaking, but a book that is a must read that you definitely don’t want to miss out on! Another thing I want to comment on with concluding is that the way the dual time lines broke down and you have no idea how things all fall into place is brilliant! I can’t wait to see what James Cudney comes out with next!

Big thanks to Reads & Reels & James Cudney for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review and to be able to receive this opportunity.

Where to Buy It_1

Available on Amazon and from Creativia

James is my given name; most call me Jay. I grew up on Long Island and currently live in New York City, but I’ve traveled all across the US (and various parts of the world). After college, I spent 15 years working in technology and business operations in the sports, entertainment and media industries. Although I enjoyed my job, I left in 2016 to focus on my passion: telling stories and connecting people through words. My debut novel is ‘Watching Glass Shatter,’ a contemporary fiction family drama with elements of mystery, suspense, humor and romance. To see samples or receive news from my current and upcoming books, please subscribe with your email address at my website: https://jamesjcudney.com

What do I do outside of writing: I’m an avid genealogist (discovered 2K family members going back about 250 years) and cook (I find it so hard to follow a recipe). I love to read; between Goodreads and my blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, I have over 500 book reviews which will give you a full flavor for my voice and style. On my blog, I started the 365 Daily Challenge, where I post a word each day that has some meaning to me, then converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dog has a weekly segment called “Ryder’s Rants” where he complains about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real and show how I live every day.

A bit of humor: Everything doubles as something else when you live in NYC. For me, it’s the dining room, my favorite space in the apartment, where more than just my cooking is on display! As I look out the windows onto a 12th floor terrace, various parts of nature (trees, bushes, flowers, bugs & animals) inspire me to write. Ryder, my 10-year old shiba inu, usually lays on my feet, growling when I shift positions too many times or when I forget to share my food! Although he’s only 20 pounds, he’s quite strong and pushy. But how else can you pen the best story possible without these things by your side?

Blog | James J. Cudney | Amazon| Twitter

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | LinkedIn

R&R Book Tours

Schedule

June 4th
Reads & Reels (Promo) http://www.readsandreels.com
Valerie’s Musings (Review & Interview) http://valeriesmusings76.wordpress.com
Julia’s Picks (Review) http://juliapicks1.wordpress.com
Splashes into Books (Review) http://splashesintobooks.wordpress.com
Bri’s Book Nook (Review) http://brisbooknook.wordpress.com

June 5th
The Scribbling Site (Review) https://thescribblingssite.wordpress.com
Brizzlelass Books (Promo) https://brizzlelassbooks.com/
The Voluptuous Book Diva (Excerpt) http://www.thevoluptuousbookdiva.com/
Jessica Rachow (Review) http://jessicarachow.wordpress.com
The Book Collective (Review) http://thebookcollective.net

June 6th
Kim Knight (Review & Interview) http://kimknightauthor.wordpress.com
Finding Life Through Pain (Review) http://lynnetteok.wordpress.com
Beware of the Reader (Review) http://bewareofthereader.com/
Nesie’s Place (Excerpt) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
Run Wright (Review) http://www.runwright.net

June 7th
Audio Killed the Bookmark (Review) http://audiokilledthebookmark.wordpress.com
Jennie Reads (Review) http://jenniereads.wordpress.com
Touch My Spine Book Reviews (Review) https://touchmyspinebookreviews.com
Bobo’s Book Bank (Excerpt) http://bobosbookbank.com
Crystal’s Book World (Review) http://crystalsbookworld.wordpress.com
Dash Fan Book Reviews (Review) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/
By Hook or By Book (Review) http://cadburypom.WordPress.com

June 8th
Life at 17 (Review) https://lifeat17.wordpress.com
Port Jerricho (Review) http://www.aislynndmerricksson.com
Sinfully Wicked Reviews (Review) https://sinfullywickedbookreviews.com
Globe Flowers Blog (Review) https://globeflower.co.uk

June 7, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 43 Comments

#BlogTour The Phoenix Cycle by Bob Collopy

about-the-book

The Phoenix Cycle: The Best Shall Rise

Publication Date: June 23, 2017

Published By: The Department of Smoke

Genre: Dystopian/ YA/ Sci-Fi

Dystopian SciFi

New San Francisco is the last city standing on a world ravaged by storms of ash and debris. The city survived by putting the ideals of the American dream on steroids and inspiring its people to persevere, though they have become ruthless in the process. Its citizens are ruled by the General, who has made sure that his people understand that gentleness and pity have become weaknesses that nature no longer tolerates.

Now Steve and Leslie must choose whether they will apply for the General’s once in a lifetime opportunity to “Rise from the Ashes” and join the Inner Circle that rules the city. If they don’t, they will be damned to spend the rest of their lives in the ghettos of Edingburg, a place where virtual reality has become a government-subsidized addiction.

For Steve, the choice is easy. His loyalties lie with the IRA, a revolutionary army led by a voice only known as “Mom.” They are trying to overthrow the General and free the people of New San Francisco from the cruelties of the City Guard. Steve’s mission is to broadcast a recording of a speech that a famous philosopher died to tell. Many thousands have and will perish to get this message out, but is anyone willing to listen?

Every wrist in the stadium beeped. Every boy and girl glanced down at the face of their watch. “00:10” then “:09” then “:08.” Everyone turned their heads to the west. There it was. Right on time, as always. The nightly storm. A wall of blackness had lurched up into the sky, swallowing the setting sun. The hairs on Steve’s neck stood up, urging him to get the hell out
of there.

Instead he grabbed Leslie’s hand, who sat quietly quivering next to him, instinctively pressing her bow into her head for comfort. Steve knew her shaking wasn’t coming from Line’s yelling, the storm, or even the tank pointing at them. Her quivers never came from the barrel of a gun, no, the ragging agony she held within her was the very same thing that pushed him back into the sheets when the sun finally rose—are we going to lose each other?

Leslie’s mind pushed the feeling away for at least another moment. “It’ll be all right,” she whispered. Her brown eyes guided him to the dozens of mortar tubes pointing upward and outward on the vibrant green field and then to the perfect line of churning ash that approached the stands.

“Unity can only be achieved and be maintained when it is the STRONG who come together and fly under one flag! We, like no other in the world, have created a unity that has never broken, has never FLINCHED! When the rest of the world saw THAT—” Line’s long arm pointed at the coming avalanche of black— “They all fell to pieces!”

The earth began to quake as the wall rose over them. Someone screamed. The mortars on the field fired as one at the roiling sky. The blackness spilled over the stadium, then slid over the perimeter of the frizzing wall of static that had encapsulated the field. No Phoenix Cycler had seen—only heard rumors from past Cycle Pref parties—this blackness that was sliding over and them whispering their deaths.

– The Phoenix Cycle: The Best Shall Rise

I really enjoyed reading this novel. This novel makes you think about disasters that could be possible in this messed up world. This book was enjoyable to read between other novels and at a slow pace. Reading this book, I started thinking about different concepts and how things in the world really are. I enjoyed the author’s concepts and ideas and found some things definitely relateable. I have to admit that I enjoy thinking about the “What Ifs” and enjoy reading dystopian novels and about some conspiracy theories so when I listened to this book on my kindle, my son’s father just loved it.*tin foil hats in hand, ready to go* He was the one that gobbled it up and read it the most. He is a big fan of Sy-fy and Dystopian fiction. Some of the things mentioned in this book went over my head a little but this was just an ARC so I am sure there will be tweaks to be fixed but I found that this dystopian novel quite enjoyable and am excited to see what the author comes out with next. Big thanks for this opportunity to the author and Reads & Reels Blog Tours!

Bob is pretty dope. Firstly, his name is Bob, so…yea. Second, have you seen him rock that suit while in a maximum security prison? Epic.

Yea. That’s Bob. No psychological scarring with that author. Nope. Totally fine.

Gosh he looks good in suits.

Hey Have you read The Phoenix Cycle? He wrote that.

One suggestion before you read it and become one of those fans that leaves him roses by his doormat. Read her slowly. This book is not Twilight. She’s deeper than that. Take your time with her. Show the book you care. Cradle it and make it feel loved. If you do, she’ll be good to you. Go too fast and you’ll have no idea why she’s acting so crazy.

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Philosophies Dead | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Goodreads

The author is giving away 10 print copies (That’s right 10) and 5 Digital copies of his book so make sure you enter as the odds are definitely in your favor! (Runs from May 21st to May 30th)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

May 21^st

Reads & Reels (Kick-Off Promo)

Just for My Books (Excerpt)

The Lit Cottage (Review)

Adventures Thu Wonderland (Review)

The Midwest Ladies Who Lit (Excerpt)

May 22^nd

IAMAGEEKINGGINGER (Review)

Tranquil Dreams (Review)

On the Shelf Reviews (Excerpt)

May 23^rd

Didi Oviatt (Excerpt)

The Genre Minx (Excerpt)

The Cozy Pages (Excerpt)

Valerie’s Musings (Excerpt)

The YA Book Divas (Interview)

May 24^th

J Bronder Reviews (Review)

Banshee Irish Horror Blog (Interview)

Bri’s Book Nook (Review)

The Cozy Pages (Excerpt)

Wicked Good Reads (Review)

May 25^th

Afire Pages (Excerpt)

Port Jerricho (Excerpt)

Touch My Spine Book Reviews (Review)

R&R Book Tours

Love you guys and thank the Heavens that I have internet again!!! Woot! Luckily there is a discount program for low income families with our local internet service is only 10$ a month with the first month free! YAY! So I am LIVE you guys and will be catching up on reviews ~~and annoying the shit out of you!!!~~! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and for those have been following up with the happenings of my family we are slowly but surely doing better. We are facing some big battles but we have hope, food and a roof over our heads, many thanks to you! Love ya guys!!!

May 25, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 25 Comments

Update About My Family~Sorry About The Wait

I know that all my bloggy friends that have been following me or have seen me around are due for some kind of update regarding my life situation and what’s been going on. I am thrilled to say that I am able to eat again and that I have received my meds! Woot we also were able to get 2 sample pens of insulin from our doctor. Which is all amazing news! If you have no idea what I am talking about you can find it @ gofundme.com/needing-help-for-medical-and-rent-for-kids

Also some people have mentioned PayPal and I’m sorry I didn’t add a PayPal button but the email linked to my PayPal account is daniellepirok88@gmail.com and if you need anymore info about PayPal or for any other reason you can contact me through that e-mail as well. Sorry rambling again. Back to how things have been. ~~Tries to zip mouth and concentrate so I don’t ramble on and drive everybody cuckoo!~~

It’s been a nightmare of a month and I am still embarrassed about the fact that I had to post a fundraiser in the first place. What I told you guys and filled you in, that was true and you guys are life savors with your shares, thoughts and incredible donations! I just didn’t tell you guys that it got to the point of us adults stopping eating so that we made sure the kids had enough. Ugh. We don’t regret this action one bit but now have to pay the consequences of our health taking a dive with our choices.

I saw my doctor last week and have extremely high liver and kidney function test results. My doctor isn’t sure what this means but I ask you guys to pray for me and my family while we get through this hard time. We got a short extension on our rent as well. So things may not be grand and were not out of the water yet but things are better and that’s all thanks to each and every one of you. Thank you for help feed my family. Thank you for helping me get on medicine so that I didn’t have to have seizures in front of my children and thank you for the gift of food to eat. I will never be able to thank you enough and just wanted to let you know what all of you had done is a miracle to me ~~and I am crying like a baby~~ and you are the most beautiful and AMAZING individuals I have ever had the pleasure to meet.

Oh and kind of off topic but I was so blessed to have been put on the top nominations list for this poll for overall best book blogger! So if you can check it out that would be awesome! I would appreciate some votes but if not there is some other great bloggers as well!😙💚😍 You can find the link to the Twitter Poll @ https://twitter.com/writethrunight/status/993136266861596672?s=19

May 7, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 81 Comments

Author Interview with Nonieqa Ramos~Author of The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary

What’s up guys!? Today I am hosting an interview with author of The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary, Nonieqa Ramos! I just LOVED this book and it was relatable in so many ways! Heck Yes to all the Macy’s of the World! You can find my review of The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary here. I hope everyone has a badass weekend and I hope to catch up on everyone’s blog soon. I have been having a killer case of vertigo this last week so it’s been difficult to read everyone’s posts but you guys are the shizit! So enough about me let’s learn more about this author and this book!

Macy’s school officially classifies her as “disturbed,” but Macy isn’t interested in how others define her. She’s got more pressing problems: her mom can’t move off the couch, her dad’s in prison, her brother’s been kidnapped by Child Protective Services, and now her best friend isn’t speaking to her. Writing in a dictionary format, Macy explains the world in her own terms—complete with gritty characters and outrageous endeavors. With an honesty that’s both hilarious and fearsome, slowly Macy reveals why she acts out, why she can’t tell her incarcerated father that her mom’s cheating on him, and why her best friend needs protection . . . the kind of protection that involves Macy’s machete.

Will you please tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I’m betrothed to my soulmate and have two lovely beasties, Margot and Langston. I’m a Latinx writer of picture books (stay tuned!) and YA, an educator of about fourteen years specializing in the Macys of the world, and a breast cancer
survivor frustrated that my hair will only grow up and out but not down. Actually, I am a survivor of many things.

Can you tell us about your new novel, The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary?

My novel is about fifteen-year-old Macy who has been defined as emotionally disturbed, ADHD, OCD. You name it–she’s got it. Her father’s in jail and expects Macy to spy on her promiscuous mother. Nothing in her life is certain, not food, not
heat, not love. Her true family are her friends George and Alma.
Macy writes the dictionary to take control of her life and define herself.
Macy’s situation at the end of the book is how kids like her walk in the door when they enter the foster care system.

Are the characters in your story based off yourself or anyone else?

Macy is that kid every one wants to give up on. Their anger is ferocious. Toxic. You wish she were absent, but she’s at school every damn day. She is the destroyer of lesson plans. Of plans, in general. She’s also the kid that needs us the most.
The kid who needs us to see the bigger picture. The kind of world that makes little girls like her into tigers.

What inspired you to become an author?

Being an author is in my DNA. I started writing stories in marble composition notebooks wrapped in old Christmas wrapping paper. Writing has always been my refuge, my escape, my catharsis, and now my platform. Right now I’m watching poetry taking
it’s proper place in YA literature–off the bottom and back shelves and on the end caps, and I’m feeling grateful to be writing at the right time. My roots are in poetry.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?

My title might be The DEFINITION of INSANITY, a novel-in-verse.

Did you take writing classes or are you self taught?

I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an M.F.A and an M.ed. That being said, the MFA was one rung on a very long ladder to learning my craft. I’m still climbing. I’m studying authors like Kelly Link and Tomi Adeyemi before I attempt
to write my first fantasy book.

What is the hardest part of writing?

To be honest, the waiting is the hardest part. I’m brimming over with ideas, but I need a thirty hour day. I have to wait to have the energy and time to write because I work full-time. I have to wait to get responses about projects because glaciers
move faster than the publishing world.

What are your hobbies?

I love making our house into a sort of Jumanjiesque museum and filling it with plants, cats, dolls, books, candles, records, and art from our favorite magazine Hi Fructose.

What is your favorite book? I know this can be a difficult question for readers.

As a reader, my favorite childhood books were Edith Hamilton’s GREEK MYTHOLOGY. JANE EYRE, LITTLE WOMEN, LITTLE HOUSE on the PRAIRIE, WHERE the SIDEWALK ENDS, and NANCY DREW. As a reader and writer, I am forever indebted to Gabriel Garcia-Marquez
and Pablo Neruda. My big recommends for YA debut reads right now are Kiersi Birkhart’s HONOR CODE and Fred Aceves’ THE CLOSEST I’VE COME.

March 17, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 28 Comments

~Author Interview With Misty Mount~

Hello lovelies!!!😍 Today, I am sharing an interview I conducted with an awesome author, Misty Mount, author of The Shadow Girl!😍📚💜💯 She is such a kind, supportive and talented author that I dream to be like one day! You can find my five star review of her book here. I LOVED her book so much and was thrilled will she agreed to an interview. Before, I even agreed to give my honest review to Reads & Reels Misty went out of her way to give me positive feedback and be kind to everyone in the book community. I wasn’t surprised her novel received so many five stars because of how talented she is and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!😍💙💜📚💯 So enough with me jabbing my jaws! Let me share more about Misty!!!😍

Amazon Links: U.S. Amazon Link / U.K. Amazon Link

Misty’s author page You can find Misty on Twitter @MistyAMount

📌Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure. I’ll start by saying yes, Misty Mount is my real name. Most people think it’s a pen name or have a laugh about it. 🙂 I’m a wife and mother to a kindergartener and I also have partial guardianship of my sister who has special needs.

📌Can you tell us about your new book, The Shadow Girl?

In short, I’d say it’s a coming-of-age novel focused on a lonely girl who suffers from anxiety and depression. She feels so inconsequential to the world around her that she begins to feel herself physically disappearing. I’d say it’s realistic fiction for the most part, with a large mystery at its core and some fantasy elements blended in.

📌Are any of the characters in The Shadow Girl inspired or based off a real life person/persons?

Yes, definitely. There’s a part of me in each character, but I’m the most like Zylia. Either one of us could be the poster child for social anxiety disorders. Other than her, I didn’t really base any characters specifically on one person; however, I dropped in pieces of my family and friends into the action and dialogue in an effort to make it realistic (and for an inside joke here and there).

📌What are your hobbies and interests?

I’m basically boring. I love to read and write and occasionally draw. I’m into everything geeky, my favorites being Star Trek, Doctor Who, and almost anything superhero related.

📌Do you have a day job or do you write full time?

I would love to have more time to write, but I suppose I’ll have to retire first. In the meantime, I work as a personal care assistant for young adults with special needs.

📌When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I’ve been writing stories and books since I was five. My mom kept some of my handwritten manuscripts that were stapled or taped together to make “books.” My first actual published book wasn’t until I was fourteen.

📌How did you choose the genre that you write in? Where do you get your ideas?

I’ve always been captivated with mystery stories, and I guess it’s for that reason that all my own books have ended up focusing around a mystery in one way or another. I usually take something I know inside out (like struggling with anxiety, for example), then slap a mystery around it to make an interesting story.

📌Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I always start with an outline where I work out at least a few chapters in advance. Then, I usually get too eager to bring those chapters to life before finishing my outline completely, so I end up going back and forth from the outline to the draft.

📌Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

There are so many books, actually, so I’ve decided to pick one of many to share. I read Harriet the Spy when I was around 10 or 11, and it infected my life to the point that I wanted be Harriet. I started eating tomato sandwiches every day, just like she did in the story. Even though I secretly found them mushy and disgusting, I never once betrayed my love for Harriet by saying so out loud. (Until now. Sorry Harriet.) I also began carrying around a notebook just like her to write about anything and everyone I saw. This lasted for years. Around 14 or 15 years old I finally started to be embarrassed by surreptitiously jotting things in the corner of a room while everyone else wondered what in the world I was doing.

📌What inspired you to become an author?

In kindergarten, my teacher read a story to the class and I was hanging on the edge of my carpet square until the very ridiculous and anticlimactic ending. I was so disappointed by the way the story finished that I couldn’t relax until I had rewritten it at home using my best crayons. I’ve been writing ever since.

📌Can you tell us about your challenges that you have faced with becoming a published author?

I think one of the biggest challenges was opening up my writing for others to see. That was really difficult for me, letting potentially critical eyes rove over what had always before been my private words. Then there were the publishing house rejections that all authors face. Those definitely stung and made me feel like giving up at certain points.

📌What do you enjoy most about writing?

I love escaping into a world that I’ve created and that I can control. I find it incredibly relaxing and fun.

📌If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

I need a time machine to go back to age fourteen. That’s when I had my first novel published and had a wonderful opportunity placed in front of me. But I was too young to take advantage of what I had. I was incredibly introverted and overly sensitive to criticism, which led me to shrink away from my good fortune and hide in the shadows for two decades.

📌Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

I’ve written some novellas that I personally feel attached to, but in all honesty, I’ve fully accepted the fact that they are not worthy of being published. 🙂

🌟Thank you so much everyone for viewing my post and big thanks to Misty for doing this interview with me!😍

March 11, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 56 Comments

Reads & Reels Book Review: Mask Beneath Her Face

Blog Tour

About the Book

Title: Mask Beneath Her Fac

Author: Rafael Chandler

Genre & Categories:

Add on Goodreads:

On Amazon for only 99 cents! *Please note prices change often so check price before checkout!

My Rating

Synopsis

mask beneath

During the 1980s, slashers terrorized America. With machetes and masks, these unstoppable killers stalked college campuses, quiet suburbs, and lakeside cabins.Thirty years ago, Bobbi Metzger survived a massacre at her 16th birthday party. She spent decades putting her life back together.

Tonight, Bobbi will face a new killer: a high-tech slasher hell-bent on opening the doorway to an abyss of unimaginable horror.

How long can Bobbi survive this nightmare? What will she do to protect the people she loves? How much blood is she willing to spill?

Book Review

Omg, this brought a new face to the horror genre! Yes it’s filled with guts and blood but the plot was AMAZING! I was hesitant to read this book at first. I mean look at that COVER!!!😱😱😱

Yes it scared the crapola out of me and had me awake through the night with nightmares but it also had me turning pages as fast as possible needing to know how things turned out! Rafael Chandler truly created a work of art when he wrote Mask Beneath Her Face. If you love a good slasher film and something so intense that has you on the edge of your seat, than look no further than this incredible book.

This is a fantastic story that is surely not to be missed and I am so thankful to Shannon @ Reads & Reels Blog Tours and Rafael Chandler for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review! I appreciate this opportunity and all views and opinions expressed are my own. Back to the Book! This book had great characters and a killer fast plot!(Like how I did that?)

Also you will be blown away by blood splatter, revenge, gore and an AMAZING ending that will have you begging for more! I highly recommend this horrific gem to anyone who likes the horror or thriller genre! It’s definitely a fast paced thriller worth your time and money!❤😄💯📚

About the Author

Rafael Chandler writes novels (Hexcommunicated, The Astounding Antagonists), video games (SOCOM 4, Rainbow Six: Lockdown, MAG), and tabletop role-playing games (Teratic Tome, Lusus Naturae). He’s a metalhead, a kaijuphile, and a gorehound.

Rafael Chandler | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

For your chance to win either a print copy or 1 of 5 digital copies of Mask Beneath Her Face, click the link below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mask Beneath Her Face Blog Tour Schedule

March 5^th

Reads & Reel (Feature Promo)

Books and Belle (Review) https://booksandbelleblog.wordpress.com

Teri Polen (Excerpt) http://teripolen.wordpress.com

Mach 6^th

The Scary Reviews (Excerpt) https://thescaryreviews.com

Cover to Cover (Guest Post by Rafael Chandler) http://www.liisthinks.wordpress.com

On the Shelf Book Reviews (Excerpt) https://ontheshelfreviews.wordpress.com

Book Reviews, Et Al by Shalini (Excerpt) www.bookreviewsbyshalini.wordpress.com

March 7^th

Books Teacups and Reviews (Excerpt) https://booksteacupnreviews.wordpress.com/

The Repeat Mom (Excerpt) http://Thethreepeatmom.blogspot.com

March 8^th

Touch My Spine Book Reviews (Excerpt) http://www.touchmyspinebookreviews.com

Banshee Irish Horror Blog (Review) http://www.bansheeirishhorrorblog.com/

March 9^th

Didi Oviatt (Review) https://www.didioviatt.wordpress.com

Splashes into Books (Excerpt) http://www.splashesintobooks.wordpress.com

Kendall Reviews (Interview & Excerpt) http://www.kendallreviews.com/

March 8, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 21 Comments

ARC Book Review: The Golden Hour by M.K. Graff

I would like to thank the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity and all views and opinions expressed are my own.

U.S. Amazon Link / U.K. Amazon Link

Click Here to Check out on Goodreads

Rating:

From the award-winning author of the Nora Tierney Mysteries comes her most chilling novel to date, one author Elly Griffiths of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries notes: “Nora Tierney tackles her most complex and catpviating mystery yet.” Nora Tierney can’t shake the feeling she has a stalker. While she’s house hunting in Oxord, her partner, DI Declan Barnes, untagles the murder of an art conservator. When these situations collide, Nora find herself fighting to save her child and the family she’s trying to create.

Ausma Khan, author of Among the Ruins and The Unquiet Dead praises THE GOLDEN HOUR: “One of the best things about Marni Graff’s latest Nora Tierney Mystery is sthe down-to-earth depiction of family life coupled with the tightly paced build of a twisty, time-honored puzzle. A meditation on love, loss and motherhood, THE GOLDEN HOUR blends touchingly real domesticity with tongue-in-cheek humor, as the backdrop to a tale of art theft, germ warfare, and international conspiracy. The reflections of a reprehensivle villain on the shortcomings of the British add just the right note of comedy to these otherwise weighty concerns. Added to this is a wonderful sense of place–Bath, Brighton, and Oxford are vividly rendered and charmingly true to life. Come for the crackling mystery, stay for the steady companionship of debonair detective Declan Barnes and feisty heroine, Nora Tierney, who offers warmth and smarts in equal measure.”

Sarah Ward, author the DC Childs Mysteries, adds,”THE GOLDEN HOUR is a compulsive read with a narrative that both charms and surprises. I love Nora Tierney and can’t wait to see what happens next.”

I LOVED this book! I was a little bit hesitant by reading it because it was fourth in a series but this book can be easily read as a standalone and was highly enjoyable! I loved all the characters and enjoyed the twists! The plot flowed smoothly, descriptive yet fast paced. I loved the English setting and was captivated by the descriptions.

This is the first book that I have read by this author but it surely won’t be the last! I think many would enjoy this mystery! I know I gobbled it up within a few sittings!

Marni Graff is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries. Her first novel, THE BLUE VIRGIN, won First Place for British Cozy in the Mystery and Mayhem Awards from Chanticleer Media. Her newest, THE GOLDEN HOUR, takes Nora to Brighton, Cornwall and Bath, where a stalker turns deadly serious in Nora’s life just as her partner investigates the murder or an art conservator. These two threads are interwoven frame the new book, one author Ausma Khan calls “. . . a meditation on love, loss and motherhood, THE GOLDEN HOUR blends touchingly real domesticity with tongue-in-cheek humor, as the backdrop to a tale of art theft, germ warfare, and international conspiracy.”

Set in the UK, Graff’s English series follows an American children’s book writer as she manages to involve herself in police investigations. THE BLUE VIRGIN is set in Oxford, that hallowed mix of town and gown. THE GREEN REMAINS takes Nora to England’s glorious Lake District and also won Best British Cozy from Chanticleer Media. Book 3 in the series, THE SCARLET WENCH, debuted May 2014 is shortlisted for the same award. All three books are in Kindle editions and now on Audible listening books, too. Here’s what Editing Pen and Publishing had to say about the series:

” . . . Graff’s clean, uncluttered style is smooth and polished, and there are no irrelevant details or conversations. . . I loved every page of all three books.”
Read the entire review here
http://www.editingpenandpublishing.com/nora-tierney-series/ …

Graff debuted the first of The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries in 2016. DEATH UNSCRIPTED follows nurse Trudy Genova, who works as a medical consultant for a NY movie studio. Based on Graff’s favorite nursing job when she lived in NY, Trudy Genova considers herself lucky to have such a great job without emergencies. That is, until the actor whose been annoying her lately suddenly dies in the middle of taping–but not before pointing his finger accusingly at Trudy. This is the book P D James insisted Graff write, and it is dedicated to her.

A native New Yorker now living in rural North Carolina, Graff has written essays, interviews, poetry, and screenplays. She is co-author of WRITING IN A CHANGING WORLD, her writing group’s primer on finding your own critique group and providing useful feedback.

A member of Sisters in Crime, Graff is Managing Editor of the curated hybrid press Bridle Path Press.

You can find more about the author and her works on her WordPress site @ https://auntiemwrites.com/about/

March 1, 2018Dani☆Touch My Spine Book Reviews☆ 22 Comments

~1,000 Followers!!!!~

Look what I signed into my account to see guys!!!! Within my 6 months of joining the blogosphere, I had no idea I could achieve receiving 1,000 followers in such a short time! I love you all and thank you so much!!!! I am over the moon and doing Dani-style happy dances!