Reader Girls Blog

The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky  by Holly Schindler  Middle Grade contemporary Hardcover/eBook, 240 pages Published February 6th 2014 by Dial “Beasts of the Southern Wild” meets  Because of Winn Dixie  in this inspiring story of hope. Auggie Jones lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.” But Auggie is determined to prove that there’s more to her—and to her house—than meets the eye. What starts out as a home renovation project quickly becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time. Holly Schindler’s feel-good story about the power one voice can have will inspire readers to speak from their hearts.

Synopsis Kate Jackson is listlessly floating through her life having no idea what or who she wants to be and burdened by the pains of her past. That is until she meets Derrick Kane.  A whirlwind romance leads Kate to believe that Derrick is the answer to all her questions and the patch to heal all her wounds.  Derrick and Kate’s love is quickly tested as a shocking crime forces Kate to have to figure out how to take care of herself and leads her into a mystery that only Kate has the key to solve.  Can she catch an extremely dangerous criminal and keep the love between Derrick and her alive? Find out the conclusion of this thrilling crime drama and contemporary romance in the following books of The Photographer Trilogy. 

Holly Schindler writes Middle Grade and Young Adult.  Here is the cover for her upcoming YA release: It’s too late for you. You’re dead. Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew.  But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is suddenly found dead in the icy woods behind the school. While everyone is quick to say Serena died in an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it—for she was the one who fou...

Haunt Me  by Heather Long Release Date: 1/27/13 Genre: Paranormal Romance Tagline: Do you believe in second chances? Synopsis: Recently divorced author MacKenzie Dillon has lost her writing mojo. When she inherits her great aunt’s haunted house in Virginia, she is determined to make a new start. The creepy old house provides inspiration but at what cost? Successful architect and paranormal skeptic Justin Kent returns to Penny Hollow to fulfill his father’s dying wish of revitalizing their small town. To do that, he needs the allegedly haunted estate at Summerfield. Mac, the new owner, may be gorgeous and spunky, but she refuses to sell. These two have a dangerous history that spans the ages, but will they discover the truth in time to save their lives? BUY IT:   Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  \  Goodreads  | Author Bio: National bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction...

Title: In the Lyrics Author: Nacole Stayton New Adult contemporary romance Publication Date: February 7, 2014 Summary: Hensley Bradley is the definition of the girl-next-door. She’s kindhearted, beautiful, and talented. Bored with her mundane life, thoughts of fleeing her small town begin to consume her. With aspiring dreams to use her voice as a one-way ticket, she suddenly discovers that music might not be her only passion. After a fallout back home, Colby Grant decides to leave his family’s farm, determined to show his father he’s more than just a wanna-be country singer. With his All-American good looks, it doesn’t take long for girls in his new town to focus their eyes on him. But things aren’t what they appear from the outside, and it isn’t long until Colby feels he doesn't fit into the perfect world that so quickly embraced him. A chance encounter places Hensley in Colby’s path, but it isn’t her natural beauty that first captures his attention – it’s h...

Follow the tour by clicking the banner above Historical Heartthrobs: 50 Timeless Crushes – from Cleopatra to Camus   by Kelly Murphy with Hallie Fryd  Published by ZestBooks and distributed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $17.99 Hardcover; ISBN: 978-1-936976-10-2; Ages 14+} History comes alive in Historical Heartthrobs, especially when reading it causes you stop and consider the likes of Eva Peron, Lord Byron and Ernest Hemingway as potential members of your dating pool. Some items for consideration: Nikola Tesla was a brilliant inventor who made Victorians swoon, but he seems incapable of swooning back. Che Guevara had the smoldering good looks, but would he only look out for himself in a relationship? And what about Nelly Bly? Was it legal to look that good in 1884? Historical Heartthrobs includes both men and women from a wide range of countries, ethnicities, and historical epochs. Some are artists, some are scientists, and many are political or military le...

Phantom Lover by Tamaria Soana Can true love transcend life and death? Olivia Shaw-Clayton’s life revolves around her job ever since her husband was killed eight months ago in Iraq. She slaves away at her desk in hopes of numbing the pain of her loss and the guilt of longing to fall asleep once again to be joined by her phantom lover. Buy Links:  Amazon  |  Crimson Frost Books   Excerpt: Olivia was out waiting for her friends at Vipers after work, when in walked the most gorgeous man that she’d ever seen wearing an Army uniform. He was tall and built like a god. She watched as he took off his coat and placed it over his shoulder. She licked her lips at the sight of him in a t-shirt. His huge arms were covered in tattoos. She knew she was staring, but couldn’t tear her eyes off of him. Finally, she turned away and took a sip of her almost empty drink. When she looked up again, she found the most amazing hazel eyes gazing at her. She thought ...