STAINED by Cheryl Rainfield-Cover Reveal and Book Trailer

Happy Tuesday everyone. Hope your week is off to a great start. Mine is. Got to hang out over at Shannon Messenger's blog and sing the praises of a favorite 2012 read. And today I get to be a part of Cheryl Rainfield's cover reveal for her upcoming novel, STAINED. 

Now, I've read two of her other books ( a contemporary YA, Scarred and a YA fantasy, Hunted). Both were gripping page turners that have made me a fan of this author's work. Next up to read is Parallel Visions and when I am done that one you can bet I will be reading STAINED. SO! On with more about the book. 

 The description: 

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer.

 The book trailer:

   

And without further ramblings from me...THE COVER!

Pretty darn awesome wouldn't you agree?

Here's some more from Cheryl:

Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope readers will see Sarah's strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself. The book is out from Houghton and Mifflin, November of 2013.

Available For Pre-Order on:

Amazon (hardcover): http://www.amazon.com/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087(well, it says you can get an email when avail)

Amazon (kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

Amazon.ca (hardcover): http://www.amazon.ca/Stained-Cheryl-Rainfield/dp/0547942087

Amazon.ca (ebook): http://www.amazon.ca/Stained-ebook/dp/B00AUZS5VG/

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780547942087/?a_aid=allbookstorescom&selectCurrency=USD

Powell's: http://www.powells.com/biblio/:new:0547942087:?&PID=7355

Books a Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780547942087?AID=42121&PID=520726

In the meantime I highly recommend you check out Cheryl's other books. It will help with waiting for STAINED to arrive.

Happy Reading!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and Company

Good morning all! I am spending Marvelous Middle Grade Monday over on Shannon Messenger's blog. Talking up the love of Mike Jung's Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities. I loved it. Alot. So am thrilled to be sharing it over there. Why? 'Cause Shannon always does a giveaway. Get thee over there for a chance to win a copy of this fantabulous book...please:)

Hope you all have a marvelous Monday. Happy Reading!

Talking Writing With My Daughter

Greetings all. This week I have been visiting my youngest daughter and her family. It has been an absolutely wonderful. Beading, drawing, building castles, dressing up, dancing, coloring, reading stories and the list goes on. And midst it all the daughter and I have written. She is working on a YA novel. She has read bits of the first draft to me and oh my, it's good. Gritty.  Voice all over the place. Yes, I am biased. But, I have also read a lot of issue driven contemporary YA and I know good when I hear it. And this is only the first draft she is working on!

So, all of our talking back and forth about writing led to her thinking she'd like to interview me for her blog. Sure, I said. We sat down and here is the result:

Interview attempt #1: Talking with Deb Marshall « The Dissocial Mom

Hope you have a chance to check it out. Happy Saturday and...Happy Writing!

MMGM #Cybils Round Up 2

Morning all! Sorry for the lateness of this post on this fine Monday morning. Computer issues I was not prepped for got the better of me and the plan is not going as planned. Here is the link back to marvelous middle grade monday founder's post so you can keep moving along! Will be back with an update to this post as I figure out the computer!

EDITED TO ADD:


Okay. I am up and running-ish now. SO--here (finally) are the books I would like to share for this #Cybils Round Up. Not part of our shortlist, but great just the same and each for their own reasons. All descriptions are from GoodReads. Will be back next week with more. Until then, happy reading and I hope you have time to check these three out.

Ungifted by Gordon Korman (go here to browse inside the book!)
The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

What I loved was the twist on who was fitting in with who. That is, this time it was someone trying to fit in with the "nerds", the super smart kids who are really good at something-science, art, math. Genius level smart in some cases. Along comes Donovan who figures he is not really good at anything but getting into trouble. And let's face it he's good at that...really good at that, with hilarious results. Okay, teachers make not find it all that hilarious, but I did and so will other readers young and old. His latest foray into trouble making lands him quite by accident into a school for the gifted, something he is convinced he is not and something each and everyone of his public school teachers are convinced of. But sometimes we really do rise up to what is expected of us and reach heights we didn't think possible because of what everyone else believes about us. With humor and incredible insight the author shows us that in a story that will captivate younger readers who love to laugh.

Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip Flops of Doom by Rachel Vail
Justin is going to start fourth grade—but first, he has to survive the summer. He “gets” to go to camp every day on a bus. He “gets” to experience all sorts of new things: Bugs. Mess hall food. Flip-flops (they hurt the space between his toes and they’re hard to walk in). And (gulp!) swimming. 

Justin’s little sister, Elizabeth, seems to deal with camp just fine. So do his friends. Justin is trying very hard not to be a worried kid anymore, especially when it comes to making friends at camp, including a new kid who is kind of . . . rough. After all, Justin is going to be in fourth grade. It’s time to be brave. Right?

The voice in this story is so crazy dead on, just like it was in book one. This boy is one believable kid and other kids will totally relate to his day to day worries, whether they are worriers or not. Heartfelt storytelling from page one captured and kept me reading until the end. Even writing this post I marvel at how well the author does kid speak and tells a story that kids will relate to. As a side note, I would say that if you ever have the opportunity to hear Rachel Vail speak...take it. I heard he speak last year and she is someone who is passionate about writing for children. It shows in her books.

Secret of Fortune Wookie Tom Angleberger

With Dwight attending Tippett Academy this semester, the kids of McQuarrie Middle School are on their own—no Origami Yoda to give advice and help them navigate the treacherous waters of middle school. Then Sara gets a gift she says is from Dwight—a paper fortune-teller in the form of Chewbacca. It’s a Fortune Wookiee, and it seems to give advice that’s just as good as Yoda’s—even if, in the hands of the girls, it seems too preoccupied with romance. In the meantime, Dwight is fitting in a little too well at Tippett. Has the unimaginable happened? Has Dwight become normal? It’s up to his old friends at McQuarrie to remind their kooky friend that it’s in his weirdness that his greatness lies.
With his proven knack for humorously exploring the intrigues, fads, and dramas of middle school, Tom Angleberger has crafted a worthy follow-up to his breakout bestsellers The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back.

Friends to the rescue in this one. Friends who know how important it is to stay true to yourself, with all the wacky included. What a fabulous ensemble of middle school characters that come together in a story that is just as good as the first two. The author knows how to portray the dynamics and dramatics of middle school life, the funny and the not so funny. 

MMGM-Cybils Reading Round-Up #1

Hi everyone! I am happy, happy to be back in the swing with MMGM, the brainchild of Shannon Messenger. The reading for Cybils is done. My fellow judges and I came up with our seven choices to pass on to the next round. You can read all about them here.

I so enjoyed working with the group of teachers, librarians and bloggers who were part of the first round Middle Grade Fiction judging. What a fantastic experience and what a lot of books I want to share with you. We could only choose seven for the shortlist, but needless to say they were others that we loved. So let's begin:

Being as I loved, loved Almost Home and got to write the blurb for it being a final seven, I thought I would tell you about two more favourites that have dogs at the centre.


Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron-Heartwrenching to read, spare and unafraid storytelling that will take kids to the streets of Russia where he is doing his best to survive. And survive he does. From the time he was four. Yes. You read me right. Four. Years. Old. What a testament to human spirit and the amazing ability of children to survive inspite of the adults in their lives. What a testament to the power of family-in this case a family of dogs. For grade four and up I would say.

From Good Reads:

A small boy, a cruel city, and the incredible dogs who save him.

Based on a true story!

When Ivan's mother disappears, he's abandoned on the streets of Moscow, with little chance to make it through the harsh winter. But help comes in an unexpected form: Ivan is adopted by a pack of dogs, and the dogs quickly become more than just his street companions: They become his family. Soon Ivan, who used to love reading fairytales, is practically living in one, as he and his pack roam the city and countryside, using their wits to find food and shelter, dodging danger, begging for coins. But Ivan can’t stay hidden from the world of people forever. When help is finally offered to him, will he be able to accept it? Will he even want to?

A heart-pounding tale of survival and a moving look at what makes us human.

Buddy by M.H. Herlong-A boy and his dog with a crazy twist at the beginning. The boy meets the dog when the family car hits and breaks the dogs leg. The dog loses the leg but gains a family and a loving (well, except for the mom who is not so keen) family. At times funny and sad this book is true to the streets the boy and dog roam and when Katrina hits boy and dog are separated. The ending is so unexpected it's absolute perfection.

From Good Reads:

A classic boy-and-dog tale in the tradition of Old Yeller

Tyrone "Li'l T" Roberts meets Buddy when his family's car accidentally hits the stray dog on their way to church. Buddy turns out to be the dog Li'l T's always wished for--until Hurricane Katrina comes to New Orleans and he must leave Buddy behind. After the storm, Li'l T and his father return home to find a community struggling to rebuild their lives--and Buddy gone. But Li'l T refuses to give up his quest to find his best friend. From the author of the BBYA Top Ten selection The Great Wide Seacomes a powerful story of hope, courage, and knowing when to let go.

That's it from me, not go forth and grow that TBR pile with some more MMGM books!