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Children’s & Teen Book Award 2020 Announced

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Every Child a Reader, a nonprofit literacy organization dedicated to inspiring a love of reading in children and teens, is pleased to announce the winners and honor books in the four categories of the 13th Annual Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards.

These awards, the one national book awards chosen only by kids and teens, provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their choice about new books that they read and loved this year. Voting was conducted in person and virtually in classrooms, libraries, bookstores, and at home, from September 14 until November 15, the last day of fall Children’s Book Week.

Shaina Birkhead, Associate Executive Director for Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, stated: “Each year we love providing the opportunity for kids to make their voices heard. It is an honor to work with the teachers, librarians, and booksellers who connect with kids every day. We like to introduce new aspects to the awards each year, from voting ballots to creator videos. We also moved the voting this year to the fall to coincide with our fall celebration of Children’s Book Week.”

For the first time, short videos by the finalists were produced in conjunction with KidLitTV and made available to everyone. If you missed them or want to watch them again, check them out here.

 

The winners are….

The K – 2nd Grade Children’s Choice Book Award:

Winner: THE GOOD EGG, by Jory John. Illus. Pete Oswald (HarperCollins)

Honor: BABYSITTER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, written and illustrated by Stephen Savage (Holiday House / Neal Porter Books)

 

The 3rd – 4th Grade Children’s Choice Book Award:

Winner: UNDEFEATED, by Kwame Alexander. Illus. Kadir Nelson (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Versify)

Honor: MR. POSEY’S NEW GLASSES, by Ted Kooser. Illus. Daniel Duncan (Candlewick Press)

 

The 5th – 6th Grade Children’s Choice Book Award:

Winner: GUTS, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic / Graphix)

Honor: PANDORA’S LEGACY, by Bones Leopard. Illus. Kelly Matthews and Nichole Matthews (BOOM! Studios / KaBOOM!)

 

The Teen Choice Book Award:

Winner: MIRROR, MIRROR: A TWISTED TALE, by Jen Calonita (Disney Book Group / Hyperion)

Honor: WATCH US RISE, by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan (Bloomsbury YA)

BOOK REVIEW: “X” BY SUE GRAFTON

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Book Review: “X” By Sue Grafton
Review from Mike Pihlman

Thanks to a windfall in the last book, Kinsey Millhone, Private Detective in Santa Teresa, CA, now has enough money in the bank not to worry about slow times. And these are slow times.

In the middle of a drought, Kinsey’s octogenarian landlord, Henry, is stressing about his exorbitant water bill despite his herculean efforts to keep the bill down. Kinsey is doing her part taking shorter showers after her morning 3 mile runs, but, to date, the bill is still extremely high.

Professionally and personally, Kinsey is working four projects (three non-paying):

Project number one is helping her friend, Ruthie, sort out the business records her late husband, PI Pete Wolinsky, left her. His record keeping is a mess. While sifting through the mess, Kinsey comes across a package with information Pete was gathering before he was shot and killed in the last book.

Project number two, Kinsey decides to chase down the clues Pete left, and once she understands what is happening, she will deliver the package to the person it was meant to go to.

Project number three is meeting with an elegant very wealthy woman, Hallie Bettancourt, who wants help finding her long lost son, Christian Satterfield.

Hallie pays her $200 to get started, and Kinsey gladly accepts (slow business times, after all).

Project number four is investigating who Henry’s new elderly neighbors are, because, Kinsey suspects they are definitely not who / what they seem.

One project can lead to a serial killer (and possibly her own death), one to an art theft worth millions of dollars, one to solving an embezzlement case, and one to happiness for one forgotten child (who is now grown up with a kid of her own).

“X” is the next to last book in the Kinsey Millhone series, since, sadly, we lost Sue Grafton at “Y”. I have “Y” but will save it for awhile, as I will miss Kinsey being in my life…..yeah, I know she is a fictional character, but, still……:-(

How to Write a Book Review

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Book reviews can be fun, informative, and important. They don’t have to be pages long. Simple and quick is better than nothing at all. If you want to write an essay on why you loved a book, you can do that too but be sure not to give away and spoilers!

Here are three things to know about writing a book review.

  1. KISS. Keep it super simple! Yes, you are in control. You can determine what to include. But be sure to include a brief bit about the story itself. No spoilers though! Spoilers are bits of the story that give away a surprise or important plot point that could affect the reader’s experience. Include what you loved about the book. That’s it really. What the book is about. What you loved. You might include who you think would enjoy the book. And if you didn’t care for it, be respectful in the way you share what you didn’t enjoy. You may not have enjoyed it, but perhaps you know other people who love this kind of book?
  2. Where to put the interview. There are so many places where you can include your well thought out book review. If you have a blog or website or social media you can share there. Amazon book reviews, Goodreads, even WalMart and Target allow for reviews. If you like to do video book reviews you can upload that to YouTube or Facebook (or TikToc if you’re way more cool than me!)
  3. Be fair, be honest, and be kind. Yes, you may have hated the editing or the ending but please be thoughtful in how you share that information. Someone took a lot of time and effort to write the book. Being polite doesn’t cost a thing. And remember that as you share your review, people are reviewing your review! Being shocking and snarky may sound fun, but is it worth hurting someone else?

That’s it! We hope you’ll consider reviewing the books you read. It’s helpful to other readers and of course to the author who wrote the book!

Books That Lifted Our Staff in 2020

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Books that lifted our staff in 2020 and maybe they’ll lift others in 2021!

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

The Artist’s Way: 25th Anniversary Edition by Julia Cameron

The Artist’s Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert, Tim Ferriss, and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose. Julia Cameron’s novel approach guides readers in uncovering problems areas and pressure points that may be restricting their creative flow and offers techniques to free up any areas where they might be stuck, opening up opportunities for self-growth and self-discovery.

The program begins with Cameron’s most vital tools for creative recovery – The Morning Pages, a daily writing ritual of three pages of stream-of-conscious, and The Artist Date, a dedicated block of time to nurture your inner artist. From there, she shares hundreds of exercises, activities, and prompts to help readers thoroughly explore each chapter. She also offers guidance on starting a “Creative Cluster” of fellow artists who will support you in your creative endeavors.

Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Joel Fuhrman, MD

The Eat To Live 2011 revised edition includes updated scientific research supporting Dr. Fuhrman’s revolutionary six-week plan and a brand new chapter highlighting Dr. Fuhrman’s discovery of toxic hunger and the role of food addiction in weight issues.  This new chapter provides novel and important insights into weight gain. It explains how and why eating the wrong foods causes toxic hunger and the desire to over consume calories; whereas a diet of high micronutrient quality causes true hunger which decreases the sensations leading to food cravings and overeating behaviors.  It instructs readers on how to leave behind the discomfort of toxic hunger, cravings, and addictions to unhealthy foods.

Intuitive Eating: a Revolutionary Program to Stop Dieting, Binging, Emotional Eating, Overeating and Feel Finally Free to Live the Life You Want by Nathalie Seaton

How often have you heard, “You shouldn’t eat that because of reasons x,y,z”?

Or how about this one, “Why would you ask me to eat that? You know I’m in the middle of my fasting window!” Your best friend screaming this across the table at you, obviously dealing with some low blood sugar issues.

Statements such as these are all too common nowadays, and with the food and diet industry actively doing all they can to manipulate us into buying more, finding solutions that are actually healthy can often seem quite daunting.

Aren’t you sick and tired of all of this? Have you yourself been yo-yo dieting for far too long? Maybe you’ve tried it all and nothing seems to be working? Or maybe you’ve even succeeded in the past, but the weight, the bloating and the lack of energy just keep coming back?

It doesn’t have to be this way. There are certain things we can do for ourselves, habits we can integrate, that will build us a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Even if none of the above is true for you, surely you would like to feel less inflamed, more energized, and completely free to eat whatever you like, whenever you like?

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

No Dig Organic Home & Garden: Grow, Cook, Use, and Store Your Harvest by Charles Dowding

No dig organic gardening saves time and work. It requires an annual dressing of compost to help accelerate the improvement in soil structure and leads to higher fertility and less weeds. No dig experts Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty, explain how to set up a no dig garden.

 

 

Summer 2021 Middle-Grade and YA Graphic Novels from IDW

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IDW and imprint Top Shelf Productions have unveiled their Summer 2021 lineup of middle-grade and YA graphic novels. Here’s a look at their spectacular line-up for next year:

Better Place, by debut author Duane Murray and Shawn Daley (Samurai Grandpa), tells the story of Dylan, a young boy in a new neighborhood whose best (and only) friend is his grandad. Together, with the power of imagination, they entertain themselves as Red Rocket and Kid Cosmo, saving the world daily from evil. But when Dylan learns that his grandad is suddenly gone to “a better place”, the sidekick ventures off on a grand adventure to find his superhero. Better Place (ISBN 978-1-60309-495-5), a touching story about family, grief, change, and growth, will be released as a 160-page paperback in August with an MSRP of $19.99 US ($25.99 CAN).

Chibi-Usagi: Attack of the Heebie Chibis, by Stan Sakai and Julie Fujii Sakai, makes the rich world of multiple award winner Usagi Yojimbo accessible to readers of all ages in this chibi-style original graphic novel. Stan Sakai’s beloved rabbit samurai has won countless fans over his 35-year history, thanks to a clever blend of thrilling action, heartwarming characters, and realistic portrayal of Japanese culture. In this tale, Chibi-Usagi and his friends must rescue a village of clay people from the threat of the dreaded Salamander King. Chibi-Usagi (ISBN 978-1-68405-790-0) will be released as a 120-page paperback in June 2021 with an MSRP of $12.99 US ($16.99 CAN).

The Girl and the Glim, the exciting debut graphic novel from animator India Swift, with colors by Michael Doig, gives the classic new kid in school story a wild science fiction twist. Thirteen-year-old Bridgette is nervous enough about starting class at her new school, but just when she thinks the bullies will be as bad as things can get, her life is turned upside down by an otherworldly being from outer space that only she can see! Now, the new kid is the only thing standing between her classmates and total destruction in this wildly imagined, beautifully drawn story about the importance of friendship, human connection, and doing what’s right. The Girl and the Glim (ISBN 978-1-68405-741-2) will be released as a 128-page paperback in August 2021 with an MSRP of $12.99 US ($16.99 CAN).

Marie Curie: A Quest For Light, written by Frances Andreasen Østerfelt and internationally acclaimed Danish astrophysicist Anja Cetti Andersen with art by Anna Blaszczyk, focuses on the exceptional life and groundbreaking research of Marie Curie, the first female Nobel Prize winner, who expanded scientific understanding and created new opportunities for women. Curie’s unique drive, against all odds, to understand Nature’s ways and laws led to ground-breaking discoveries, which revolutionized medical theory and practice. Marie Curie (ISBN 978-1-60309-494-8) will be released as a 136-page paperback in August 2021 with an MSRP of $17.99 US ($23.99 CAN).

Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken Vol. 3: Macaroni and Bees?!?, by Ray Friesen, is the latest installment featuring the ridiculous adventures of the fan-favorite flightless fighting friends. Whether they encounter werewolf shampoo, time travel, or anti-gravity popcorn, the bouncy battle birds are always engaged in the ultimate competition: to see which friend will win once and for all. Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken Vol. 3 (ISBN 978-1-60309-497-9) will be released as a 64-page hardcover in August 2021 with an MSRP of $9.99 US ($12.99 CAN).

The Science of Surfing: A Surfside Girls Guide to the Ocean, by Kim Dwinell, is the coolest way to experience a beach vacation and learn at the same time. Sam and Jade, from the pages of the beloved graphic novel series The Surfside Girls, explain the science behind the amazing wonders of the sea — everything from life-sustaining plantlife to aquatic animals to crashing waves. Plus, there’s a whole step-by-step chapter on how to surf. The Science of Surfing (ISBN 978-1-68405-837-2) will be released as a 136-page paperback in July 2021 with an MSRP of $9.99 US ($12.99 CAN).

“Today’s young readers have an insatiable appetite for vibrant, thoughtful stories, so we’re thrilled to deliver an inspired mix of titles that showcases the full potential of graphic storytelling,” says Justin Eisinger, Editorial Director, Graphic Novels & Collections for IDW. “These books run the gamut from outright fun to introspective and even educational, further evidence that IDW and Top Shelf are home to an eclectic, necessary library of fiction and non-fiction graphic novels.”

Memoir Monday: Shadows Over the Sun by Giselle J. Robin

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Growing up in Nazi Germany, finding love in Hungary and starting an organic winery in Australia is just the general points of this amazing memoir by Giselle J. Robin. The strength and inspiration of one woman’s life, growing up in an uneasy world, moving on and then having to face mental issues, it is a story to inspire anyone! Shadows Over the Sun by Giselle J Robin is a must-read!

This compulsively readable autobiography traces the journey of a remarkably courageous woman from a childhood under Nazi Germany, through her marriage and then emigration to Australia to make a new start by developing an organic winery in McLaren Flat in South Australia. After traumatic experiences she has had to battle with bipolar mental disorder. Giselle tells her story in flawless prose and with compelling honesty. This is the story of a strong woman adding to the growing literature on women’s lives. The story takes you in from the first page and never lets you go.

DR. BASIL MOORE, PHILOSOPHER/LECTURER

 

An honest and precise account of a life journey, demonstrating life struggle and immense resilience of the author to bounce back and reinvent herself. Great buoyancy shown for the life by Giselle as she immerses herself in her many endeavors.

VESNA ILICIC, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WRITERS CENTRE

 

Triumph of the spirit over adversity.

BILL GUY, JOURNALIST, EDITOR AND WRITER

 

I cannot believe the strength and courage of Giselle.

MEMBER OF UNITY HOUSING COMPANY

 

I found the story most informative and have enjoyed reading it.

LORRAINE ROSENBERG, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF ONKAPARINGA

 

Giselle’s story is a story of the triumph of determination and optimism in the face of tougher challenges than many of us could imagine surviving. An interesting read indeed.

JENNY RUSSELL, EDITOR AND FOUNDER OF THE GREEN DIRECTORY TRADING CO. PTY LTD

 

What a truly amazing life Giselle has led. Her book is bursting at the seams with the full panoply of what life can bring – or throw at us. Giselle’s story has it all. I was warmed by her spirit in truly tough times and her irrepressible sense of adventure that has helped her to pick herself up and get on with life. After her difficult journey through episodes of mental illness which led to spiritual healing she has no doubt much wisdom to share with others on a similar journey.

ANNA BYAS, MENTAL ILLNESS FELLOWSHIP SOUTH AUSTRALIA

 

A life with so much sadness and trauma begs the question of how Giselle Robin survived. However, she not only survived but has ultimately triumphed over a mental illness – which was mismanaged most of the time. Again and again Giselle has picked up the shards, worked out how to piece them together and then got on with life. Her story – in all its innocent frankness – is an inspiring one.

HON. SANDRA KANCK, MEMBER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT FOR 15 YEARS.

SNEAK PEEK: 13 DAYS OF TERROR Dwayne Clayden

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13 DAYS OF TERRORBook Four of the Brad Coulter Thriller Series by Arthur Ellis Award Finalist Dwayne Clayden

Monday Morning.

A man drops dead in the parking lot of a car dealership in downtown Calgary. No one knows where the shot came from. No one knows why the victim was targeted. The shooter? Invisible. An hour later, another body hits the ground. Random victim, random location. A sniper is terrorizing Calgary. Detective Brad Coulter has just returned to work after a leave of absence. He is thrown directly into the fire and tasked with stopping what is rapidly becoming one of the city’s deadliest killers. The shooter leaves no evidence behind but taunts Brad with notes addressed directly to him. As the death count rises, city-wide panic ensues. It is a race against time. But how can Brad hunt a ghost?

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dwayne Clayden writes crime thrillers. Dwayne was born and raised in Calgary, and  resides in Bowness.

Crisis Point, Dwayne’s first novel, was a finalist for the 2015 Crime Writers of Canada, Arthur Ellis Awards.

13 Days Of Terror is the newest novel by Dwayne and is the fourth novel in the Brad Coulter Thriller Series!

In his 40-year career, Dwayne has served as a Calgary Police Officer, Calgary Paramedic, tactical paramedic, firefighter, emergency medical services (EMS) chief, educator, and Academic Chair at SAIT.

Dwayne is a popular speaker at conferences and to writing groups presenting on realistic police, medical and paramedic procedures.

The co-author of four paramedic textbooks, he has spoken internationally at EMS conferences for the past three decades.

More information can be found about Dwayne at:

DwayneClayden.com and at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dwayne-E.-Clayden/e/B0034PT4RI

10 Books with Video Game Tie-Ins

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You may know a lot of books-to-movies but what about books-to-video games? Let us show you some games and tell you where you can find the books. Many of the classics can be read online, legally, for free!

Have you played any of these games? Have you read all the books?

Here are 10 to check out!

Alice in Wonderland – Game(s) and read the book by Lewis Carroll for free!

 

 

 

 

Agatha Christie has so many books to choose from she gets her own category! Find the Games and read the books for free!

Conan the Barbarian is rife with adventure whether you play the GAME or read the BOOK by Robert E. Howard!

Dracula! Yes, there are GAMES based on Dracula! But be sure to read Bram Stoker’s classic novel too! You can read it for free!

 

Frankenstein can’t be left out of the GAME business! But this classic by Mary Shelley is still scary even 200 years later so be sure to read the BOOK!

Harry Potter by JK Rowling can’t be left out! I bet a lot of you have played some of those GAMES! And many more have read the book(s)!

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is an adventure no matter how you play the GAME! But the books take you inside the mind of the brilliant detective!

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Don’t you wonder what that GAME would be like? Especially if you read the book!

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski is one of the newer additions. Play the GAME but be sure to read the book! And if you like movies you can see the series on Netflix, too!

The Mark of Zorro by Johnson McCulley is one of the classic heroes. You can be Zorro in a GAME or read a book about his adventures!

SPECIAL FEATURE: In 2020 I learned…..By Rachael Tamayo

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In 2020 I learned…..By Rachael Tamayo

We started the year with new hope. Hope of fresh starts and new opportunities, as we always do at the close of one year and the dawn of the next. Of course, we had no idea that in early spring the rug would be pulled out from under us. Not only as a nation, but as a global community. Not having had a pandemic in the last one hundred years, we were caught off guard, despite what history taught us and the whispered warnings of professionals that saw it coming.

We were blindsided, to say the least.   

But in all of this, I think we all learned something, not just about ourselves but about humanity. We were driven into our homes with nothing but our hopes in our savings and what little we could get from the government to sustain us.

Our hopes put into the guidance of the healthcare system to protect us and our loved ones.

We saw just who would step up and man the front lines for us in the form of emergency workers, healthcare providers, retail workers, and for forth.

But, with all this said, what did we learn? What did I learn?

For a while I worked from home due to school closures in my area. I was responsible for my son’s online learning. From that, I learned that teachers are unsung heroes. I have always known that I do not have the temperament to be a teacher, but I think many of us parents were faced with this lesson and will forever be grateful to those that made us what we are. Learning that we should fall at the feet of those that teach not only us, but our children, for these people will shape the future of our entire world.

I learned that Teachers are the makers of worlds.

When we feared lock down many of us freaked out. Not having ever seen anything like this in our lifetime, we had no idea what to expect. History taught us that we would be okay, but there nags that little voice in the back of our head that whispers to us: but will we be okay?  So, store shelves were decimated. Lines formed; people started to horde supplies. We spent entire paychecks at the grocery store, fearing we would run out of supplies.  But we made it. Thanks to tireless retail workers that put themselves in harms way of a virus that we still to this day don’t totally understand, and they do it still. Stores implemented emergency plans and took what might have been something horrible that caused riots and turned it into organized chaos. Lines and product limits and constant restocking and truck deliveries.

I learned that someone, somewhere will always step up and be a hero in the darkness. Retail workers did this for us. They stepped into the fire, took over, and when this is all over the monotony of day-to-day life will force them back into the shadow where they will be forgotten once again. And they will be okay with that.

Then there will always be those that we never saw. They were not on the news. Their name was not in the paper. They did not get a bonus for what they did. They just did it and went home. Those that take care of our elderly. Those that come in and clean up after us. Those that work in fast food and feed us on a daily basis. Those that drove our kids to school for us or opened childcare centers so that we might get to work. Those that picked up our trash or delivered our mail. Those that brought packages to the door so that we might be safe and stay at home.

I learned that true heroes don’t need clout. They don’t need attention, or acknowledgement. They do it because they want to, and for no other reason. They do it because it must be done.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and many of them we never see, or even think about.  Now we will remember 2020 as a bad year, yes. We will remember it as a year that a mirror was held up to each and every one of us and we saw the truest forms of ourselves.

So, that begs the question, what did you see in that mirror?

Take a look at Rachael’s latest release LUCIFER’S GAME

Cora Davies is on the Devil’s playground now. Unable to conceive, Cora and Andrew are on the brink of divorce. When Andrew moves out Cora is left alone to deal with her depression, it’s just what He’s been waiting for. Now Cora is fair game.

One young woman will be caught by Lucifer and his right-hand man, Devin, the beautiful demon of lust. Trapped in the crossfire of the age-old battle of good versus
evil, A choice must be made. With eternity at stake for all involved, everything rides on this broken couple. The fallen angels have declared war, and only one is strong enough to
fight. Only one can save her soul. But is it too late?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rachael Tamayo is a former veteran 911 operator and an international bestselling author, and a number one best seller on Amazon. She is the author of the Deadly Sins series, and the award-winning thriller, Crazy Love. She lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and their two children.

SPECIAL FEATURE: What 2020 Taught Me by Jennifer Anne Gordon

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What 2020 Taught Me by Jennifer Anne Gordon

At the height of the most powerful creative work of her life, Shirley Jackson suffered from intense agoraphobia. There were months that she was unable to leave her home. Her isolation, and at times deep mental instability led her to create work that inspire me and legions of other horror lovers, now. If there were no Haunting of Hill House, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, then books like Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent and From Daylight to Madness, and When the Sleeping Dead Still Talk (my Literary Gothic Horror novels) would not exist.

I would have a voice that I would perhaps still be afraid to use.

In my past, I too have also suffered from this affliction, this all-encompassing fear to leave the house. It was years ago when I first experienced it, and I was involved in a abusive and controlling relationship. I made my living selling my artwork online. My world was small, it consisted of my old house, my art studio, my dog, my fear, and my imagination.

I created paintings and collages of sad women, former vaudeville stars, most who died young, seeped in tragedy and gin. I saw myself in those women, I created each one as a way of screaming out of my closed windows and bolted doors. I created them as a reminder to the world and to myself that once upon a time I too was an actress on a stage, I was a poet, I was a person.

At the end of February, when 2020 was still so new, my fiancé and I returned home from a trip to Spain, we were on a long-crowded flight, people coughed for hours on end, and I could not find a comfortable way to sit or sleep. My now award-winning novel Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent had just been released and sold record numbers during the presale from my publisher. People would come into the dance studio where I worked with copies of my novel for me to sign, which I did, in a beautiful metallic red marker.

I felt at that time that I was on a precipice of something, perhaps something beautiful, perhaps something frightening…and in the end we were all on the precipice of something silent.

It was the first week of March and suddenly my dance students were starting to cancel lessons. When I was out in public and heard a cough, I grew frightened. There was something creeping out of the shadows for me, for all of us. It was not just a virus, but also paranoia.

By March 16, the few students I had that day came in and wept, I wept. In a job that depends on me touching people, physically and emotionally, we went without touch.

The next day the dance studio shut down, and I was once again, in my house, and afraid to leave.  Luckily for me, this go around, I am with someone who supports me, and loves me, but once again I find myself with an exceedingly small world. An old house, a dog, my fear, and now…my books.

I am now 35,000 words into my fourth horror novel. A literary speculative fiction piece that at its core is a story of how broken people can learn to heal when the world is ending around them. It is of course, a novel about a virus. A story about fear of what is outside, and what is inside your head. I realize I am still that artist telling a story of a sad woman, screaming from behind a closed door. I am still someone looking into a broken mirror and finding myself and the world broken in two.

This is what 2020 has taught me, that life is a cycle, but it also taught me that fear can be incredibly humbling. It can bring you together with people if you are brave enough to let it. I feel closer to people now, even is this world of physical distance, we all share something now, something I never knew could be possible.

As artists, and authors, we are mirrors of the world, we are reaching the fingers of our imagination out and bringing back fragments of stories, pieces of characters, memories that we are creating, and giving to imaginary people.

What happens though when we reach out towards something, and now, we are met with walls. My hands seem to scrape against the things that are keeping me safe. They long to break through, but instead they come back with bruised knuckles.

So…. that goes in the book. It all goes in the book.

Throughout the Pandemic I lost my career as a dance instructor, my world as I knew it died, that day in mid-March. I did not have a backup plan, I never thought I needed one. 2020 had taught me that I should never have taken the aching beauty that lies underneath the mundane of our day-to-day life for granted. It taught me that I should always have been smiling with my eyes, not just now, when I have a mask on.

Sometimes at night I realize that I do long to dance again, to wear a gown and be whirled around a room until I am dizzy and breathless. Until then I dance with shadows, and memories. They are shadows that both scare and intrigue me. I rest my head against my pillow, I hear a large animal rustling in woods outside my window, their sounds softened by feet of snow. I can feel the cold air when I walk towards my window to try and see whatever it is that is out there.

I can’t remember the last time I was outside.

2020 Has taught me I need to fight against this fear, I swear to myself that tomorrow I will walk by the river, I will trudge through snow that is up to my mid-thigh, and I will come back to my house dizzy, and breathless. I will dance with the shadows in my imagination. I will waltz with my new main characters Omelia, and Sam. They are the result of these long months, of the sickness with no cure, the almost birth of a second round of agoraphobia. They fight against it all, as do I.

At the end of this long endless day when their eyes close so do mine.

2020 Has taught me to hope, it has taught me about the ephemeral nature of our existence, it has taught me that things can change in a moment, and that there is something beautiful, and frightening about that.

Today, I focus on the beautiful.

Here’s a look at Jennifer’s latest release BEAUTIFUL, FRIGHTENING AND SILENT:

WINNER KINDLE AWARD FOR BEST HORROR/SUSPENSE 2020

Adam, a young alcoholic, slowly descends into madness while dealing with the psychological scars of childhood trauma which are reawakened when his son and wife die in a car accident that he feels he is responsible for. After a failed suicide attempt, and more group meetings that he can mention. Adam hears a rumor of a Haunted Island off the Coast of Maine, where “if someone wants it bad enough” they could be reunited with a lost loved one. In his desperate attempt to connect with the ghost of his four-and-a half year old son, he decides to go there, to Dagger Island, desperate to apologize to, or be condemned by, his young son. Adam is not sure what he deserves or even which of these he wants more. While staying in a crumbling old boarding house, he becomes involved with a beautiful and manipulative ghost who has spent 60 years tormenting the now elderly man who was her lover, and ultimately her murderer. The three of them create a “Menage-a-Guilt” as they all come to terms with what it is that ties them so emotionally to their memories and their very “existence”.Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent is a poetic fever dream of grief, love, and the terrifying ways that obsession can change who we are.

Jennifer Anne Gordon is a gothic horror/speculative fiction novelist. Her work includes Beautiful, Frightening and Silent (2020) which won the Kindle Award for Best Horror/Suspense for 2020, Won Best Horror 2020 from Authors on the Air, Finalist for American Book Fest’s Best Book Award- Horror, 2020, and BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST for Authors on the Air, 2020, it also received the Platinum 5 Star Review from Reader’s Choice.  Her second Novel, “From Daylight to Madness (The Hotel book 1)” received the Gold Seal from Book Review, as well as the Platinum Seal from Reader’s Favorite as well as critical praise. Her third novel “When the Sleeping Dead Still Talk (The Hotel book 2)” Was published late November 2020.

She had a collection of her mixed media artwork published during spring of 2020, entitled Victoriana: mixed media art of Jennifer Gordon.

Jennifer is one of the hosts as well as the creator of Vox Vomitus, a video podcast on the Global Authors on the Air Network, as well as guest host of the You Tube Channel “Talk Horror to Me”. She had been a contributor to Ladies of Horror Fiction, as well as Horror Tree, Writers After Dark, and Ginger Nuts of Horror. She has been featured in magazines as well as numerous podcasts.

She is an active member of the Horror Writers Association.

Jennifer is a pale curly haired ginger, obsessed with horror, ghosts, abandoned buildings, and her dog “Lord Tubby”.

She graduated from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, where she studied Acting. She also studied at the University of New Hampshire with a concentration in Art History and English.

She has made her living as an actress, a magician’s assistant, a “gallerina”, a comic book dealer, a painter, and burlesque performer and for the past 10 years as an award-winning professional ballroom dancer, performer, instructor, and choreographer.

When not scribbling away (ok, typing frantically) she enjoys traveling with her fiancé and dance partner, teaching her dog ridiculous tricks (like ‘give me a kiss’ and ‘what hand is the treat in?’ ok these are not great tricks.) as well as taking photos of abandoned buildings and haunted locations.

She is a leo, so at the end of the day she just thinks about her hair.

For more information and benevolent stalking, please visit her website at http://www.JenniferAnneGordon.com

Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/JenniferAnneGordonAuthor/

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