Book Tours
Retro Geeks
by: Karen Mueller Bryson
Retro Geeks is a Short on Time Books for Teens, fast-paced and fun novels for readers on the go. Remember when it wasn’t cool to be a geek? That’s so yesterday! Retro Geeks, chronicles the (mis)adventures of two self-proclaimed geek girls, Molly and Ally, as they attempt to land super-hot dates for their senior prom. The 80s obsessed BFFs attempt a variety of date-finding schemes, including spying on the popular girls for the 411 on fitting in, in their quest for top-tier prom dates.
Retro Geeks Blog Tour Schedule
Author website | Facebook |Twitter |Goodreads Author Page
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Review
I was actually a teen in the ’80s, so this story really got me feeling nostalgic. Some of my favorite movies, like The Breakfast Club, were referenced. I could picture all of the bands named, hear the music, and even remember how I LOVED the clothing and hair back then (even though, just like in the book, no one who didn’t live it really thinks those styles were ever cool). Those of you not up on your ’80s trivia will definitely need to look some things up, so you can get a good visual of what Karen writes about.
Talk about being awkward! Ally and Molly are just that…awkward. Neither of them has any clue how to land a prom date, let alone talk to boys. They also have no clue that there are two wonderful boys already head-over-heels in love with them. If they’d just open their eyes and look right in front of them, rather than trying to be popular, Ally and Molly wouldn’t have any problem finding dates!
Retro Geeks, touted as a quick teen read, is just that. Even though it contained a wonderful message about being yourself and not being a follower, it was accomplished without all of the adult-like preaching nonsense:)
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Caterpillar (The Metamorphosis Trilogy #1)
In a small college town in northern California, a lonely young man is working himself to the bone to solve a sixty-year-old problem … a stranger with a will of iron and eyes the color of ice is searching for someone he can’t identify … and a girl who loves plants is about to grow roots of her own.
When Cara Gallagher’s parents are transferred overseas again, she’s off to spend her senior year of high school living with her sister, a graduate student at the famed McNair University. Cara, a girl with a passion for science and an indifference to people, hopes this move will be her first step in claiming the independence she craves. Cara has her future planned down to the letter: her college, her major, her career.
Then she saves Will Mallory’s life, and both of their futures are completely rewritten.
The last years of Will’s life have been spent shifting from one identity to the next, dodging the FBI, and trying desperately to find a way home. But Will’s home is forty-four light years away, and to reach it he’ll have to outwit the man who’s hunting him–and leave behind the only love he’s ever known.
Review
The story that begins with Cara reaching out to someone, a stranger and ends with a love that she never thought she’d have. What a read! Kate Oliver’s beautiful writing had me laughing and crying. One part that resonated with me was her description of high school being like a black hole. Boy, did she hit the nail on the head! High school isn’t made out to be some wonderful time that we all should remember, bur described to be what it really is. Full of kids who are difficult, mean, spiteful and followers.
Another favorite part of the story are Will’s journal entries. Reading these filled in the gaps and allowed us to get to know who Will really is.
I can’t tell you what really happens in this story, but I can say that if you are hesitant to read a good science fiction story because you only read contemporary fiction…well, this may make you change your mind. I look forward to reading book two in this series:)
Sam Hopkins is a good kid who has fallen in with the wrong crowd. Hanging around with car thieves and thugs, Sam knows it’s only a matter of time before he makes one bad decision too many and gets into real trouble.
But one day, Sam sees these thugs harassing an eccentric schoolmate named Jennifer. Finding the courage to face the bullies down, Sam loses a bad set of friends and acquires a very strange new one.
Because Jennifer is not just eccentric. To Sam, she seems downright crazy. She has terrifying hallucinations involving demons, the devil, and death. And here’s the really crazy part: Sam is beginning to suspect that these visions may actually be prophecies—prophecies of something terrible that’s going to happen very soon. Unless he can stop it.
With no one to believe him, with no one to help him, Sam is now all alone in a race against time.
Finding the truth before disaster strikes is going to be both crazy and very, very dangerous.
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Award winning author, screenwriter and media commentator Andrew Klavan is the author of such internationally bestselling novels as True Crime, filmed by Clint Eastwood, and Don’t Say A Word, filmed starring Michael Douglas. Andrew has been nominated for the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award five times and has won twice. His books have been translated around the world. His latest novel for adults, The Identity Man, has been praised by Nelson Demille as “fast paced, intelligent and thought-provoking; a great read!” Television and radio host Glenn Beck says “Andrew Klavan never disappoints…one of the best illustrations of the power of redemption that I’ve ever read.” His last novel Empire of Lies was about media bias in the age of terror, and topped Amazon.com’s thriller list. Andrew has also published a series of thrillers for young adults, The Homelanders, which follows a patriotic teenager’s battle against jihadists. The books have been optioned to be made into movies by Summit Entertainment, the team behind the mega-successful Twilight film series.
Author website | Twitter | Facebook |Thomas Nelson Fiction
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What did I think?
This is the first Andrew Klavan book I have read, but it certainly won’t be the last. He begins Crazy Dangerous with a creepy description of a vision that Jennifer is having. This vision does not get explained until later on in the story, but it definitely sets the stage for the trouble Jennifer and Sam will get into.
Throughout the entire story, I kept guessing what would happen. Would Sam choose right from wrong? Would he be able to save Jennifer? Would Sam get caught? Not until the end, where the author wrapped everything up neatly with a bow, was I able to discover just how much of a hero Sam was.
This is a wonderful story for teen boys. One that shows right from wrong with out preaching. One with mystery and adventure. A clean story without language and sex! One that teens are guaranteed to love!
5 out of 5 stars!!
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Redheads are Soulless
High school senior, Sofia Black, has had a very hard life. Since her father’s death 7 years ago, she has had to look after her drug addicted, alcohlic mother. School isn’t any better for her either. The other kids constantly tease, and ridicule her. All she wants is to get out of her small hometown in Alabama.
When new student, Jason, shows up, Sofia’s world is turned upside down. She doesn’t understand why he wants to befriend her so badly… And, just when she thinks she can trust him, trouble appears.
Jason’s twin brother, Robbie, moves into town, and things go haywire. Sofia is now running for her life – and Jason is forced to share hidden secrets with her. She learns the truth about her father’s death, and finds out that she may not be as “human” as she once thought. She struggles to accept her fate, while fighting for her life.
My Review
Wow!
That’s what I’ll begin my review with. From the beginning, I was drawn into the story of Sofia–a redhead with special powers. A girl who also has the ability to make two handsome brothers swoon!
Sofia meets Jason (brother #1) first and falls head over heals in love with his sweetness. He is her protector. She feels safe in his arms. Then Robbie (brother #2) makes his entrance. Robbie is the bad boy. Of course, Sofia falls for Robbie. He’s the one she is undeniably attracted to. Robbie is also the one who committed the very murder that upended Sofia’s life.
How can she forgive him? Easily. Maybe too easily. That is what I thought until…well, I can’t tell you more because I don’t want to give anything away:) Now you just need to go out and get the book!
If you are looking for a fun read; one that will make you laugh out loud and swoon for the bad boy…this is the book for you!
A Rockin’ Interview with Heather M. White
Link to Heather M White Blog - http://heatherstiara.blogspot.com/
1. I know you have been writing since you were a little girl, and you are still very young, so why did you decide to be an Indy author? Have you ever tried the route of traditional publishing?
- Actually, no, I didn’t try for regular publishing. I researched for years. And I actually have a family member who is published, so I knew exactly what to do… At first, I didn’t even know where was another route besides being traditionally published. I knew that that a publishing company would change my stories. I didn’t want that. Then, I found out about self publishing, and how successful some people are. I knew that it was the route for me.
2. Where do your ideas come from?
- I have no idea. Honestly, they just pop in my head. Usually I come up with the main character and base the story around her. With Redheads are Soulless, I came up with the title first. I knew I wanted a story where the character had a rough life. I wanted her to seem real. The story just grew from there.
3. I hear you’re a plotter. Can you walk me through your writing process from beginning to end?
- I actually do not plot. I used to. But it always ended up completely different. So, for ME, plotting was a waste of time… Now, I usually start at chapter 1 and write. Usually when I’m done with chapter 1, I know exactly where I want my story to go.
4. Heather from SupaGirl Books created the beautiful cover for Redheads are Soulless. How did the process of deciding on this cover happen? Has Heather designed any of your other covers?
- Redheads are Soulless is the first cover Heather has created for me, and NOT the last 
. To me, this cover HAD to be perfect. I had an image in my head of what I wanted. Poor Heather, that’s all I can say. We searched for over a month. I said no to sooooooo many pictures. When I got the final pic, I knew it was “almost” perfect. The girl actually had blue eyes, and her hair was a lighter shade of red. So, Heather made the eyes dark brown (like Sofia) and her hair darker. It was a very long (and stressful) process, but very much worth it.
5. You are very active on Twitter, writing, keeping up on your blog…how do you get it all done? What is your secret?
- All I do is write. I don’t have another job. I don’t have kids. I’m married, but my husband works in the city. He’s gone Monday – Thursday. So I’m at home all by myself. I write very fast, so normally I write about 2-3 hours a day. The rest of the time I stay caught up with my blog and Twitter. I think it’s very important if I want to be successful. Which, I do… Oh, and NOS is the BEST energy drink EVER.
6. What is the one thing you would like unpublished writers to know? Any parting advice?
- First of all, YOU are the only person who can write your story. Get off your phone, get off facebook and Twitter, and turn off the TV. Just write. Even if you can only spend 30 minutes each day writing, DO IT. On your lunch break, at school… Write anywhere. I have wrote chapters on my iPhone and emailed them to myself. When inspiration speaks, listen. I re-wrote When Destiny Knocks probably 20 times before I liked it. Don’t be afraid if your story changes.
And last, EDIT. For Redheads are Soulless, I edited. 2 betas edited. I had 1 editor edit. Then I edited again. And then again. And I had ANOTHER beta read over it. And THEN, I proofread it AGAIN! That’s the downside of being self-published… You can’t afford 20 editors. It’s very important, and if there is ONE mistake, people WILL say it in their reviews.
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