Cover reveal: Rex by Adam Rocke, Mark Rogers, and Cody B. Stewart

Today is the cover reveal for Rex, by Adam Rocke, Mark Rogers, and Cody B. Stewart.

Title: Rex

Author: Adam Rocke, Mark Rogers, Cody B. Stewart

Genre: Middle Grade

Release date: October 5, 2016

Publisher: http://www.commondeerpress.com

Presale Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Rex-Cody-B-Stewart-ebook/dp/B01GUEAVJ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467646180&sr=8-1&keywords=common+deer+press

Blurb

When eleven-year-old TJ finds a weird looking egg in the Florida Everglades after a tropical storm rips through, naturally he takes it home for identification. It could be the egg of a mutant duck or something, which would be awesome. Problem is, the egg doesn’t look like it came from a mallard, even a mutated one—it’s too big and heavy and…strange. So he hides it away in his closet and continues on with his life as usual, doing his best to ignore the creepy men constantly banging at his front door and the significant rise in military helicopter sightings in his typically quiet neighbourhood.

Then one day he comes home from school and it’s as though a hand grenade has gone off inside his bedroom. Suddenly, TJ knows he’s dealing with something a little more interesting—and a little more deadly—than a duck.

About the Authors

Cody B. Stewart

Cody B. Stewart was born in the Adirondacks, in Upstate New York. His love of stories began in those mountains as he vanquished trolls, fought in the American Revolution and discovered his latent mutant powers. Stories have continued to consume his life, but he now plucks them out of his head and puts them down on paper in the form of novels and comic books. He left the Adirondacks to grow into a man, did so, and has since returned with a wonderfully supportive wife and two sons.

Adam Rocke

Adam Rocke Slutsky never met an adventure he didn’t love. From swimming with great white sharks without a cage, to jumping out of a plane without a parachute, Adam’s adrenaline junkie tendencies play a major role in his writing. Throw in a secondary degree in CryptoZoology and it’s anyone’s guess where Adam’s literary travels will take him.

Mark Rogers

Mark’s career as a travel journalist has brought him to 56 countries and counting. These trips have fed his imagination while at the same time provided authentic experiences and sensory detail that find their way into his novels and screenplays. Mark’s won multiple awards for his travel writing, including an award for his Hurricane Ivan coverage in Jamaica. His work regularly appears in USA Today and other media outlets. Mark lives in Baja California with his Sinaloa-born wife, Sophy, where they recently built a rock house overlooking the sea.

Now that we've shared this awesome cover, we can't wait to share the book!

See you in October!

www.commondeerpress.com

www.facebook.com/commondeerpress

@AHerdOfDeer

Cover reveal: Magic Me This by Konstanz Silverbow

~ Magic Me This (Eclipsed, Book One) MEDIA KIT ~

Title: Magic Me This

Series: Eclipsed ~~~ Part of the Only Half Alive Universe ~~~

Author: Konstanz Silverbow

Genre: Clean YA Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Release Date: August 27th 2016

Blurb:

Abigail Leigh always believed herself to be boring, average, and dull. However, Caleb, her lifelong crush, couldn't be any of those things—not with his luminescent white irises, heart-melting smile, and elusiveness.

But a missed prom date, stalkers, and strange happenings lead to the truth—Abigail is anything but normal. A child of the Eclipse, bound to protect the world from the creatures once believed to be mythical, she is thrust into a world she didn't know existed.

Zolnerowich, the vampire clan leader, is determined to bring darkness to all, and Abigail and Caleb must stop him. Traitors among them, teammates lost, the stakes ever growing . . . Abigail must risk losing her soulmate to right the wrongs she unknowingly helped create and to restore peace to the world of magic.

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18764515-magic-me-this

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/452163120/magic-me-this-paperback-pre-order

The first 35 Paperback Pre-Orders through the Etsy Store will receive one of these gorgeous Sun, Moon, and Star Pendants! AND a special Sun, Moon, and Star Crayon Set made by Evie the Crayon Creator!

About the Author:

Konstanz Silverbow has always been a dreamer . . . but not a writer. Being an author was something she was dragged into. But since that day, she hasn't stopped. It has become more than a hobby, it is a passion.

During the day Konstanz works, making jewelry, playing the violin, collecting dragons, and learning all she can about medieval weapons. But at night she creates made up worlds and places where those dragons come to life and the weapons are used in battle.

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/konstanzsilverbow

Facebook Group (Silverbow Dragons): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1651561488436997/

Website: http://www.authorkonstanzsilverbow.com/

Blog: http://nothoughts2small.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KonstanzS

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/konstanzs/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7102407.Konstanz_Silverbow

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Konstanz-Silverbow/e/B00FG9AW9O/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1466400470&sr=8-1

I'm Tasha the new co-blogger!!

Well hello there!

Before I just jump into posting here I figured I would first introduce myself.
I'm Tasha, Tanya's new co-blogger here on Bookish Fangirl. I am 28, have two beautiful daughters who are 8 and 7 and a wonderful, loving husband. I love to get lost between the pages of books, visiting far off lands without ever leaving the comforts of my own home, and I love learning not just new things but also lessons to be learned through the words written on pages.
Most of you probably remember the riddle, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." Well, I beg to differ. Words hold power. They can be used to tear someone down, hurt them, make someone, anyone feel bad. They have the power to tear your heart open and out of your chest. They can at times be scary. However, they can also be used to encourage and uplift. They can make us swoon and fall in love. Most of all they can give us hope. I LOVE reading ALL the words!!! I want to use my own words for good because those are the best.!
My favorite genres are YA and Romance that I know of right now but I am always down to try new genres and new books! I want to widen ALL of my Horizons!!
A few of my favorite authors at this time include:
Emery Lord. She has the most magical way with words ever!
Jennifer L. Armentrout because her books are amazing and grab you right from the start and don't let you go.
Courtney Summers, my oh my. All I can say about her right now is if yoy haven't read All The Rage DO IT!! DO IT RIGHT NOW WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!!!!
My last favorite author you won't hear me talk about here on this site because her genre isn't covered here which is fine but I still must mention that she is a favorite of mine: Maya Banks!
So there's a little about me. If you want to know more or just want to chat feel free to leave a comment or you can find me on twitter at
@tashacoburn9713
 or email me at abundanceofreading@gmail.com

One last thing before I go though. I want to say a special thanks to Tanya for allowing me to join her blog. I love the bookish community and am glad to be apart of it again. So:

THANK YOU TANYA FOR THIS AMAZING GIFT AND BLESSING!!!!
YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!

Happy reading my friends!!!

Rebel or Role Model by Elizabeth Corr and Katharine Corr

Rebel or role model? The scrutiny facing female YA characters

When we wrote The Witch’s Kiss, we tried hard to make our protagonist Merry realistic: to make her a strong character with an agenda, yes; but more importantly, to make her a believable teenage girl.

Sadly, we’ve realised (through reading, and talking, and talking about reading) that real, tangible female characters are so often scrutinised and judged. And, even worse, they’re judged so much more harshly than male characters of the same age.  

YA readers themselves don’t seem to care about this too much. As readers ourselves, we very rarely attach a label to a character (‘good girl’, ‘bad girl’, ‘rebel’, ‘Mary Sue’) whilst we’re in the middle of her story. It’s critics, reviewers and, unfortunately, some parents, who perpetuate this idea that every young female character has to represent...something, as opposed to just being. Is the heroine ‘good’ for teens to read about, is she a worthwhile role-model, are the personal qualities she displays sufficiently admirable? And so on.

For example: you might see, on an online forum, a mother asking whether a YA book is “appropriate” for her younger teenager.

I’m not sure, somebody might comment. ‘The protagonist drinks’, or ‘she’s too bland’, ‘she’s too submissive’,  ‘she’s not the best role model’.

But books which are supposedly more appropriate for boys (and gendered reading is a whole other thing we could rant about) seem to provoke far fewer concerns about whether the (male) main character is ‘aspirational’ enough for young people to read about. Are we suggesting that girls are inherently more impressionable than boys? That they’ll ‘pick up’  bad habits or not be sufficiently motivated to do their best in life, all because of a character from a novel? That girls, and women, are far more easily affected than male readers would be?

On a side note, we might point out any number of adult books intended for women where the protagonist does so-called ‘bad’ things. “Chick-lit” is so often about women struggling to cope with boyfriends, jobs and babies, and yet we have no scruples about reading this ourselves, no concerns about the potential adverse effect on our personality, on our ability to have a normal relationship, to hold down a job or raise a family. We instead identify with these often very flawed heroines. Who doesn’t love Bridget Jones, for instance, with all her quirks and shortcomings? Who doesn’t love Becky Bloomwood? No one dismisses her for being a spendthrift, obsessed with material things. Yes, the girl comes good and matures at the end of the novel, but we love her for her flaws, not in-spite of them.

Unfortunately, YA heroines seem to be held to a different standard. Sure, one might argue that younger girls are more impressionable than older women, and this is probably true, to a degree  – they are still growing up, still coming to terms with the world around them and, more importantly, with themselves. But then, so are boys. Yet nobody worries that a 15-year-old boy will take up smoking because the guy in the book he’s reading had a cigarette. Nobody looks down on a male protagonist having sex because, well, isn’t that just what boys do?

The modern education system is designed to teach young adults to be discerning and objective. A compulsory Literature GCSE means that all 16-year-olds have to develop that skill of looking at a text’s purpose – what is the writer trying to say? why has this character been presented like that? – so they can all distinguish fiction from real-life, and know not to mimic everything that they read in a book. If we really think that teenage girls (or boys)  are influenced that easily, we are underestimating them and their intelligence.

But in our still-sexist society, female YA characters are too often described as either fantastic role models or people never to be copied. There is always some moral lesson to be learned from them. Why can they not just be people? Why is Hermione so often viewed through the prism of being a role model, but Harry is just Harry?

Yes, there are the stereotypical male heroes that YA authors try to avoid – the brooding love interest, the jock who falls for the new girl. But these characters are avoided because their inclusion would be detrimental to the author, not the reader.

A YA girl can’t just be a ‘girl’: she has to be role model, and if she’s not, she’s criticised. Tragically, this is something of a reflection of the difficulties real girls face in our society. We live by double-standards, and we are perpetuating them in the way we judge YA fiction.

So, from a couple of authors who passionately want to create a Real Girl with Real Flaws, it’s time to stop judging characters because of their imperfections, and trust that our teenage girls – the next generation of leaders – are brave and clever enough to understand that that is how people are.

Girls don’t need to read novels primarily to find role models – there are plenty of those in the real world, for young men and young women.

Instead, they need escapism and adventure and just a really incredible story.

As do we all.

To purchase The Witch's Kiss: https://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Kiss-Katharine-Corr-ebook/dp/B01BB1VGVI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469546751&sr=1-1&keywords=the+witch%27s+kiss

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/12886/The-Witch-s-Kiss-by-Kate-Corr-Elizabeth-Corr.html

Cover reveal: Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina

Madame Presidentess is about Victoria Woodhull, the first presidential female candidate who ran in 1872 by author Nicole Evelina. It comes out July 25 and will be available on major booksellers. 

Cover Reveal: Renegade by Heather Dahlgren

☆Renegade by Heather Dahlgren☆ Brooklyn Adler has the life she’s planned for. Job, house, and boyfriend – in that order. It’s a boring, routine life where there are no surprises and nothing is spontaneous. It’s safe, it’s mundane and she’s fine with that. Crosby Fitzgerald, better known as Fitz from the band Renegade, has a life he never planned for. Popularity, women and success – not always in that order. Everything he does is spontaneous and exciting, because life is worth living to the fullest. A chance meeting with Brooklyn and Fitz alter both of their worlds – ensuring neither will ever be the same.
 ☆Releasing August 23rd ☆
Add to your TBR https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30807521-renegade ☆
Join the release party https://www.facebook.com/events/271270933229615/ 
~~Cover Reveal~~
     Renegade 
Heather Dahlgren

Scheduled Release Day: August 23, 2016


Synopsis:
Brooklyn Adler has the life she’s planned for. Job, house, boyfriend – in that order. It’s a boring, routine life were there are no surprises and nothing is spontaneous. It’s safe, it’s mundane and she’s fine with that.

Crosby Fitzgerald, better known as Fitz from the band Renegade, has a life he never planned for. Popularity, women and success – not always in that order. Everything he does is spontaneous and exciting, because life is worth living to the fullest. 

A chance meeting with Brooklyn and Fitz begins to alter both of their worlds – ensuring neither will ever be the same.






Bio:
Heather Dahlgren writes Contemporary Romance, sprinkling each book with a bit of humor, a lot of naughty and true love. She self-published her first book in 2014 and continues to do so today. Her over active mind promises the stories are in no short supply. Heather grew up and still resides at the Jersey shore. She loves being so close to the Atlantic Ocean and the Pine Barrens. She is surrounded by the best of both worlds.She is married to her high school sweetheart and has three kids. There is nothing more important in the world to her then her family. When Heather isn’t writing you can find her getting lost in a great book, spending time with family and helping her fellow authors.

Click here to add Renegade to your Goodreads tbr!

                                     Follow Heather on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeatherDahlgren

Twitter: http://twitter.com/HeatherDahlgren

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00LNTFE2G

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8202664.Heather_Dahlgren

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bdyss9

Reader group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1388028314829772/