Grab my Hand and make a difference!

I am sure by now you've seen posts all over cyberspace about Authors, Bloggers, Book-a-haulics in support of Anti-Bullying. October is the month set aside to support anti-bullying campaigns.  I too have felt their pain. I debated for a long time about making this post but decided that my own bullying experiences made me into who and what I am today. I decided that by not speaking out I was allowing those bullies to have power over me as an adult.  If my attackers still had that power over me as an adult then I would still be that victim. So I said NO! 

I was teased because I was skinny and flat-chested, I was teased because I loved to read, I was picked on and I learned to fight back. But not everyone will fight back. And strangely enough now as an adult I am nothing at all like that skinny little girl who they called babs because she spent hours in a tree.  Memories aren't always pleasant but they have created a caring and loving person who hopefully has taught her children to accept others and love them for all the differences of the earth. And while perhaps my bullying experience wasn't as drastic as some kids today face. I had my family and their strength and acceptance. I had friends who stood up for me. So I was one of the lucky ones.

We MUST remember that words can and do harm. It isn't always a punch that scars a person. Words invoke feelings of pain and anger, frustration and anguish, these wounds can be the deepest of all scars because they don't go away and heal as the outside bruises do. Insides require so much more time to heal. The scars can make a person strong and provide a foundation to change the world for the better. or they can cause a fatal tragedy. I was lucky. I formed scar tissue and didn't allow anyone to harm me with words. Some aren't so lucky and it leads them to their doom.

I am very proud to join Sparring Stepsisters and Just my Opinion, along with my blogging and indie author friends and must not forget my book-a-holics. Please won't you join our fight? It isn't hard. All you have to do is grab the picture here just like the one at the top of the post and place it on your facebook page, twitter profile, blog where ever you can think of. Just please Grab a Hand you won't be fighting alone! Stand up! Together we can make a difference and be the change that the world needs!

Please I cannot stress enough... Bullying Can Kill!!! Please help us to put an end to this behavior which is NOT something children need to endure!

Its always darkest before the dawn!

TITLE:  Dark Before Dawn
AUTHOR:  Stacy Juba
PRINT LENGTH:  213 pages
MY RATING:  aaaaa
PUBLISHED: September 24, 2011
LANGUAGE: English
RATING:  Tween/ Young Adult
GENRE:  Paranormal
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon 

SUMMARY: Psychic chills and thrills in a deserted Maine beach town from the author of Twenty-Five Years Ago Today, Sink or Swim, and Face-Off. When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortune teller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak "accidents" in town, Dawn has an important choice to make - continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her.

REVIEW: Stacy Juba has created a fabulous story for kids and adults. We begin this story with Dawn a young girl with psychic abilities that her mother wants her to hide. She has a premonition that something horrible is going to happen on her first day of school. And boy was she right!

What happens next is the stuff of nightmares. I can’t go into too many details because it would give away the story. But I will say that Juba has created a character family that is so wonderful in all its crazy familial intricacies. The fear Dawn’s mother feels at each and every new psychic awakening. The struggles of a young girl in a new family with a new step-father and step-brother and going to a new high school are all so very believable. The “mis-fits” who Dawn finds and fits in with and the mysterious psychic who is willing to teach children to awaken their inborn talents make this mystery a true page turner.

The twists and turns that this story takes were relatively straight forward and whether it’s my instinctual abilities to deduce what’s going to happen next or a psychic ability I just knew all was not as it seemed. And so I knew something would happen with the psychic but even I never truly expected who she was and why things were happening.

Stacy Juba really needs to continue on with this saga because I feel that there is so much more to be done with Dawn. But it is a strongly written piece and I do recommend this book to children aged 10 and up. I really believe that young and old alike will love this tale and as a woman whose own children are different I can say that this is a wonderful story of how children treat their peers and a good lesson on how to treat those that are different than you. And while it wasn’t written to be a lesson on acceptance of others it is indeed a story about accepting who you are regardless of your differences. So please do go out and grab a copy of this book because it is well worth the read and will keep you flipping those pages to find out what happens next.

Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

OMG! FANTASTIC!!!

TITLE:  Awaken
AUTHOR: Kristen Day
PRINT LENGTH:  Awaken
MY RATING: aaaaa

Okay first let me say ARGH!!  OMFG!!  SERIOUSLY!!!! YOU'RE ENDING IT LIKE THAT!!!!  I AM SO ANGRY!!! Now that I have that out of the way let me explain.

Kristen Day has created the cliff hanger to end all cliff hangers! And that has me furious that I now have to wait until February to continue on this glorious story.

This book picks up were we left off in her first book Forsaken. The beautiful and lovely Pasha and the equally adorable Finn. Their escapades in this book are as exciting as they were in the first book.

Day's character creation is fabulous. Each character in her story has a unique personality and I love each and every one. Well except for the bad guys those I HATE! As I am supposed to. In this story we are introduced to a new girl Nadia. And boy is she a *$^#&! Yes I know I didn't say what she is but I am sure you will read the book and determine the same thing I did that she is one twisted person!

The story line moves along and it keeps your attention from the first page to the last.

I am furious with Kristen that I am going to have to wait for months to continue this story and find out what happens next.

But I say this is a MUST READ!!! Of course read book one first so you get the entire feel for the story. But Kristen Day has definitely created a tale worth reading and I love the entire Goddess story line. She has created a magical and wonderfully exciting tale.

Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Resistance Day 7

We have come to our 7th and final day of the Resistance Character Quest. For our final day, we are welcoming Gabe to the blog!

Gabe's Bio: Vanquisher in Homer’s clan, Gabe is a compassionate, giving leader, but sometimes brooding and introspective. While leadership is a natural role for him, he sometimes longs to be the one who is taken care of.

Welcome, Gabe. Glad to have you here to SUBDUE our snooping minds! Let's get down to the nitty gritty of it all...

What’s your favorite book?

1984 by George Orwell. My favorite short story is “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Funny, I was always drawn to dystopian stories in high school, and now look where I’m at.

What worries you most these days?

Never getting rid of the reapers, never getting back to normal, never getting back home. But mostly, losing those I care about.

What do you like most about Clara? Least?

What I like most? Her smile, her honesty, her eyes. The way she bites her lip when she’s thinking about something.

Least? When she closes herself off to me. I can’t help her when she pushes me away. Sometimes, I wish I was a Tracer like Homer so I could just talk to her directly mind-to-mind. I wonder if she could block me out then. Hmmm…that’s something I’ll have to ask Homer.

In your Setti clan, who is the most difficult to live with and why?

Well, no one is really difficult, but Ben snores really loud sometimes. Honestly, I’m probably the most difficult because I tend to always think I’m right about things. (Of course, that’s because I usually am.)

What’s a quote that would represent your life right now?

“Faithless is he who says farewell when the road darkens.” J.R.R. Tolkien

Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting with us today, Gabe. It's been great having you here!

If you would like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble


We would like to take this opportunity to thank the author, Stephanie Judice, for allowing us to delve deeper into the minds of her characters. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know them. We cannot wait to learn more and more about them throughout this series!

If you'd like to add Stephanie's Books to your Goodreads list, click on the links below:
Rising
Resistance
If you'd like to stalk Stephanie, click on the links below:
Stephanie on Goodreads
Stephanie Judice's Fan Site on Goodreads
Stephanie on Twitter
Saga of the Setti on Facebook
Stephanie's Blog

I'd also like to take the opportunity to thanks all the blogs that participated in this great event, as well as all the Facebookers and Tweeters! It's been a great experience working with you all! Please visit thes other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Resistance Day 6

Welcome to day #6 of the Resistance Character Quest. We hope you are all finding our bios and questions interesting and enlightening. Today we are privileged to welcome Sonya to the blog.

Sonya's Bio: Vanquisher for Herrald’s clan. There is no one who will tell you like it is the way Sonya will—whether you like it or not. She’s strong-willed almost to a fault. Jeremy’s nickname for her is “she-cat.” And she totally deserves it.

It's so great to have you with us here today, Sonya! We're glad you stopped by to QUELL our inquisitive minds! On with our interview...

 What is your favorite movie?

Kill Bill by Quentin Tarantino. Uma Thurman kicks ass in that movie. So cool.

What is a special childhood memory?

Well, I certainly don’t divulge this kind of information often, but I’ll be honest with you. My favorite childhood memory was Christmas when I was 9 years old. My dad was on tour in Afghanistan, and I knew he wouldn’t be home in time. Still, I also knew that he would send me something special. That morning, it was just Mom, Grandpaw and me. I kept opening presents, every time hoping it was the special one from Dad. After opening everything under the tree, Mom finally gave me a small, red-wrapped package the size of a jewelry box.

The way my mom smiled with tears in her eyes, I knew this was the one. But what could it be? The box was so light. My dad knew I didn’t care for jewelry, not really. I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy. Very excited, I unwrapped it and opened the box gently. Inside, there was a small, square sheet of paper. In my dad’s handwriting, it said, “I love you, Buttercup.  Look outside.”

I ran to the window and pushed opened the curtains. There in the middle of the front yard was my dad, beaming from ear to ear with a giant red ribbon wrapped around him. Needless to say, it was a happy reunion—the best Christmas ever.

(If you tell any of the others my nickname was ‘Buttercup,’ I might have to kill you.)

 In your clan, who is the easiest to get along with?

That’s easy. Hannah. Sometimes I think she should’ve been a Healer. She’s got that serene, giving spirit, like an angel or something. Sooooooo not like me. Nice to have her around though.

Do you like to sing and dance?

Sing? Uh, no. Never. But I like to dance, or at least I used to. My best friend Jenny and I used to hang out at the top of the bleachers with the band during football games and dance right alongside them. That was so much fun. Wow. I haven’t thought about that in a long time. Feels like years ago, not months.

 What’s a quote that would represent your philosophy on life?

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” By Dr. Seuss. I’ve always been one to do and say what I mean and what I feel. Sometimes, I piss people off, but whatever. Like the quote says, those people don’t matter. I am who I am. No apologies.

Thanks so much for stopping by and letting us into your world a bit, Sonya, it was great having you here!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Tomorrow we are excited to welcome Gabe to the blog. So come back and join us for our final day of Character Quest with these wonderful characters from Resistance.
Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6. Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Resistance Day 5

Today we're moving on the day #5 of the Resistance Character Quest. We're gonna be having a little chat with Michael today!

Michael's Bio:  Guardian for Herrald’s clan, there is one word that describes Michael—confident. Some might say he’s cocky, but he doesn’t think so. A motto he lives by? “Know what you want in life then go for it.”

It's so great to have you stop by here today, Michael. We want to welcome you and hope you can break the BUBBLE of curiosity we hold about you! On with our questions!

What’s your favorite book?

Well, I’m not a big reader, but our English teacher once made us read Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. That story has always stuck with me. Jean Valjean was a good guy, but was corrupted by a cruel world, becoming sort of heartless after a 19-year stint in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. When he finally leaves prison, one man teaches him that anyone can change from bad to good, from darkness to light. Valjean ends up doing just that. I love this kind of story. I have to believe that there is redemption for anyone, no matter what dark path they are on.


What do you miss most about high school?

I miss football the most—the guys, my coaches, my best friend, Daniel. There was something about being on that field with my offensive line, calling out plays in the huddle, hearing the crowds in the stands and the coaches calling from the sidelines that made sense to me. Everything was simpler, easier to figure out. Now, the world’s upside-down and we don’t know what’ll happen from one day to the next.


What’s a quote that would represent your life right now?

I remember this guy reciting a monologue from Henry V on Speech Night the very week before the Reapers came. His words are constantly in my head. Well, I guess they’re actually Shakespeare’s words. He said, “From this day to the ending of the world, we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”

Yeah, that’s how I feel these days, but it goes for the girls, too. I feel tied to the Setti. We’re in this together till the end.

What is a special childhood memory?

Daniel has been my best friend since 1st grade. Even then he was a big kid. He’s always been the big kid. He’s also always been the nice guy. Well, Daniel and I lived about a block apart. When we were in 5th grade, I remember there was this middle-school bully that lived in a house between ours. What was his name, Gary or Jerry, something like that.

One day, I was waiting for Daniel to meet me at my house, and he was taking forever. So I got on my bike and rode after him. Halfway there, I see Gary what’s-his-face with two other scrawny kids surrounding Daniel, throwing globs of dirt at him. Daniel’s just standing there, taking it, even though he was bigger than all of them.

So I rush into the circle, pushing one of the kids to the ground and asked Daniel what was going on. He sort of whispered that his mom told him it was bad to fight. I told him there was always a time to fight and this was that time. It was like a light went off. Daniel pushed skinny kid #2 to the ground then punched Gary right in the nose. Gary squealed like a girl and ran off.

That might seem odd to define a “special childhood memory,” but I’m fond of it, because it was the day Daniel stood up for himself and never looked back. Yes, he was still the nice guy, but no one tried to pick on the “big guy” after that.


What draws you to Clara? Do you think she feels the same?

What’s not to draw me? Number one, there’s undeniable chemistry between us. She’s hot, and well, she seems to like what she sees in me. It’s kind of obvious the way she looks at me all the time. Number two, we’re both Guardians. We just fit in every way.

And yes, she definitely feels the same way. No doubt.

Michael your answers to these questions were certainly enlightening! Thanks so much for stopping by and spending time with us!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on one of the following links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Stop by tomorrow to meet and hear all about Sonya!
Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Resistance Day 4

It's day #4 of the Resistance Character Quest. We hope you're enjoying getting to know these characters! Today we're gonna hear a bit about Jeremey!

Jeremy's Bio: Sounder for Homer’s clan. Jeremy is calm, cool, and confident.  And, yes, he knows it. His favorite hobbies besides listening to his iPod? Annoying Ben and teasing Clara. Something no one really knows about him? He loves playing the piano.

So excited to have you with us today, Jeremy! Welcome! I hope you have a BLAST answering our questions! Let's get down to them....

What do you miss most about life before the Reapers came?

Let’s see, I hated school, so I didn’t miss much there. Except maybe art class. That was cool. I hated my home-life, so not much to miss there. I know my parents weren’t much of parents, but I do hope they made it out okay. (I doubt it though, so I don’t like to think about that.)

I’d say the only thing I really miss is downloading new songs to iTunes and listening to my favorite bands’ new music. I mean, the idea of no new music being created is driving me crazy! Is this it? Will there be nothing else? That’s insane to think about. We’ve gotta do something about that.

If you could have any three people from history over to dinner, who would it be?

Beethoven, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Amy Lee. Dude, that would be so awesome! Napoleon could tell us stories about fighting in battles and all that, Beethoven could compose music for it, and Amy could sing while I play the piano. Cool, right? I mean, I’ve always wanted to know if Napoleon really was as short as they say he was. I think history experts just make up a lot of stuff. History books are probably full of just made-up opinions by some stuck-up professor somewhere along the line.

I’d bet my iPod that Beethoven was probably a Sounder, too. I just really wanna know. And, why Amy Lee? Have you seen the woman? Have you listened to her? She’s got a set of pipes that light me on fire. If Beethoven and Napoleon stand me up, that’s fine by me. Amy and I will just have a candlelight dinner for two.

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Don’t have one. I don’t get embarrassed.

In your Setti clan, who is the most difficult to live with and why?

Melanie is by far the most difficult. She’s gotta have everything in order and in its place. It’s like living with Mary Poppins or something. I mean, who really cares if there are socks on the floor or Ding-Dong wrappers in the car?

What’s a quote that would represent your philosophy on life?

“Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you’re not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. ‘Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That’s just the way it is.” That’s Clint Eastwood in Outlaw Josie Wales, one of the greatest movies ever made. Next to the Star Wars movies, of course

And you can’t forget Obi-Wan Kenobi’s advice: “May the force be with you.” Don’t ever lose the force, dude.

Thanks so much for coming by and chatting with us today, Jeremy. It's been really great learning a bit more about you!

If you'd like to purchase a copy of Resistance, click on these links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

We're excited to welcome Michael here tomorrow to answer some of our questions! Stop by to see what he has to say!

Please visit these other blogs to show your support:

1.      Brooke DelVecchio The Cover Contessa: http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/

2.      Rebekah Campbell Reflections of a Bookworm: http://reflectivebookworm.blogspot.com/

3.      Amanda Cowley Blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com/

4.      Christina M Condy  Blog: http://www.recentread.com/

5.      Bethany/YA Vixens: http://yavixens.blogspot.com

6.      Rhomy Blog: http://iknowthatbook.wordpress.com/

7.      Soma/ Insomnia of Books  Blog: http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

8.      Marni Jarman/Word to Dreams: http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html

9.      Helena Ison/Accepted Wisdom: http://icanonlybehele3.blogspot.com

10.   Stephanie Judice/ A Writer’s Rest Stop: http://stephaniejudice.blogspot.com/ 

Day 3

It's Day #3 for our Resistance Character Quest. Today we are so happy to welcome Clara to the blog.

Clara's Bio: Guardian in Homer’s clan. Clara is outspoken and determined, which sometimes leads to trouble.  She loves playing Scrabble with Jeremy though she pretends she doesn’t. And while she always says exactly what she means, she often keeps the most important things to herself.

Welcome, Clara! It's so great to have you with us today. We hope you don't SHIELD yourself too much!

What’s your favorite movie?

My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice. My favorite film version is the one with Matthew McFadyen as Mr. Darcy and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett. I can’t help it. I’m really a romantic at heart. But don’t tell Jeremy. He’ll tease me to no end.

In history, who inspires you the most?

Queen Elizabeth I really inspires me. She was a powerful woman in a man’s world. It would’ve taken great courage to accomplish all she did in trying to bring her country together. She wasn’t a perfect leader or person. Who is? But she was intelligent, beautiful, and brave. I admire that very much.

What do you like most about Gabe? Least?

He is determined, strong, loyal, and caring. He also looks awesome in blue jeans and a t-shirt. J What bothers me is when he gets tunnel vision about things and doesn’t listen to what I’m saying. He might hear me, but he’s not listening, if that makes any sense.

In your Setti clan, who is the most difficult to live with and why?

Oh, Jeremy is the most difficult. No contest. He’s such a scamp. He’s always stirring things up and getting Ben all bent out of shape. Honestly though, I love the guy to death. He’s the brother I never had. I imagine a brother would pick on me just as badly as he does, too.

Describe your most perfect guy.

He would be handsome, compassionate, confident and loyal. He would be a good listener, a leader, attentive but not jealous, and he would be someone who fights for what they want in life.

Thanks for stopping by and chatting with us, Clara. It was great having you here!

You can buy a copy of Resistance at the follow sites: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Stop by tomorrow to have a little meet and great with Jeremy. We promise, you won't be disappointed!