Sheila's Guests and Reviews

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Emma Right to my blog. Her new book Dead Dreams, a YA psychological mystery recommended for age 11 and up, was released last month, and I'm honored to be one of her tour hosts. There's a tour wide giveaway going on too, so don't forget to follow the Rafflecopter links at the end of this post. About Dead Dreams: Eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara has so much going for her: a loving family in the sidelines, an heiress for a roommate, and dreams that might just come true. Big dreams--of going to acting school, finishing college and making a name for herself. She is about to be the envy of everyone she knew. What more could she hope for? Except her dreams are about to lead her down the road to nightmares. Nightmares that could turn into a deadly reality.   I asked the author: How much of yourself is there in the main character of the novel? And to what extent do you think authors write themselves into the stories they tell? Ple...

I'm not sure how it happened, but I just read two stories set in those Marcher lands between England and Wales, and I loved them both, so they have to be first in my lists of books reviewed this week. Grab a coffee and find out why: First is The Cuckoos of Batch Magna, by Peter Maughan , a wonderful story with evocative scenery, zany characters, pitch-perfect dialog, general hilarity, and a hapless American who inherits an entailed manor and dreams of theme parks. The locals are split--those who don't want to lose their homes, and those who can't wait to milk the tourists. But otters swim, Wind in the Willows echoes through the breeze, and a gently honest humor keeps even the flakiest boat afloat. Enjoy this with a perfectly balanced, smooth and full-flavored three-star coffee. For younger readers (or older ones who enjoyed Harry Potter and co), Jasper Fforde's The last Dragonslayer is another wonderful novel, set in a slightly alternate universe where magic is dyi...

Today I have a very special virtual guest, reluctant inhabitant of a virtual (blue) world. So hang on to your keyboards and I'll pass you over to author R. J. Sullivan as he meets with... Blue. Welcome to the next installment of the blog tour, this time a topic by request, an interview with Blue, AKA Fiona Shaefer, the protagonist of Virtual Blue and its preceeding novel, Haunting Blue. RJ: Blue, how would you describe yourself? Blue: Wow, jumping right in with the tough ones, aren't you? I guess it depends on "when" we're talking about. When I think back to 2010, I was a senior in high school, very sure of myself. I remember being so damned angry at everything. Now I get a little embarrassed when I remember that. RJ: Why? Blue: Well, gee, if this is how it's going to go, maybe you should ask me to pull up a couch. [smiles] . It's okay, I've been to therapy, I can call myself crazy. RJ: Are you crazy? Blue: Well, *I...