Check out the cover of Two Truths and One Liar by Deirdre Riordan Hall #Mystery #Thriller #YoungAdult @DeirdreSpark @XpressoTours

Two Truths and One Liar

By Deirdre Riordan Hall

Knives Out meets One of Us is Lying with a hint of the Inheritance Games. Like the original whodunnit, Clue, this suspenseful mystery also has three possible endings explaining what could have happened.

They all have secrets. They all have motives. They all tell lies.

Every year, at a prestigious boarding school, Professor Groff hosts the Midnight Masquerade. But this year, before the festivities, he’s discovered dead in his office. Yet six students still receive invitations. The same six students who’re questioned about his murder.

The show must go on. At the Masquerade, two additional students claim to know the truth. The lights go out and when they come back on, one of them is dead. Anyone could’ve been at fault.

Francisca blind in one eye and deadly on the rugby field. Toshi a number ninja and the campus punching bag. Taz who struggles with anxiety and lingers in the shadows. Fish the golden boy hiding wounds and not only in his heart. Caroline the heiress and the image of perfection. Gorgeous George the resident Greek God with nothing to lose.

The six receive anonymous notes, making them question themselves and the assumptions they’ve made about each other. Brought back together, they must prove their innocence before the all-school meeting the next morning, otherwise, they risk humiliation if their secrets are exposed exposed—and worse, if they’re found guilty.

It’s a long night of theft, danger, and threats by a secret society that shows Professor Groff was right during his final lecture.

Everything that can go wrong will.

Publication date: December 28th 2021

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult 

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Deirdre Riordan Hall is the author of the contemporary young adult bestsellers Sugar and Pearl as well as the High School Murder Mystery series. She’s in an ongoing pursuit of words, waves, and wonder. Her love language involves a basket of chips, salsa, and guacamole, preferably when shared with her family.

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Read my review of Type X (Project W.A.R., #2) By M.A. Phipps #Dystopian #YoungAdult #YA @authormaphipps @XpressoTours

Type X

(Project W.A.R., #2)

By M.A. Phipps

Feared by many. Frightened of few. Torn between humanity and the monster she’s become.

When Wynter surrendered to the DSD two years ago, she thought she was protecting her friends. Lured by the promise of a cure, she hoped she might finally be rid of her devastating disease or, at least, be on the path to controlling it. But Dr. Richter was never interested in curing her.

With a collar around her neck keeping her unstable powers in check, Wynter is transformed into an unstoppable weapon. Compelled to do the State’s bidding, she kills without feeling, remembering nothing of the people she gave herself up to protect. Her only thought is to obey.

When a mission goes wrong, triggering suppressed memories, Wynter finds herself determined to piece together her past. But as she uncovers the truth, she realizes it’s no longer clear who the real enemy is, and with the threat of war looming, she must again make a choice. Can she escape her role in the impending destruction?

Or is she doomed to remain a monster forever?

TYPE X is the second book in the Project W. A. R. trilogy, which readers have compared to The Giver, Divergent, and The Hunger Games!

“This series is a must-read for dystopian and YA readers.” ★★★★★

“Twists at every chapter will have you thinking and rethinking about the way things will play out and even then you will never see it coming!” ★★★★★

“Amazing story that leaves you begging for the next one.” ★★★★★

Publication date: March 26th 2021
Genres: Dystopian, Young Adult 

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MY THOUGHTS

Wynter Reeves surrendered herself to the DSD in a bid to save those she loved. She went with the promise of a cure to the disease that threatened her life, hoping that it would mean she would never be out of control, never be a danger to those around her. But after two years, it is crystal clear what Dr Richter’s intentions were when he tempted her back – he never wanted to cure her, to help. He simply wanted her to return willingly, so he could use her. A weapon of the State. An angel of death.

Forced to kill and destroy, helping the state take down their enemies, Wynter cannot remember why she returned to the DSD. She does not even remember what happened in her time away. Whether her memory was wiped, or she forced herself to forget, there were memories missing. What she does know, though, is that she must’ve come back to the DSD to protect something, or someone, and even if she doesn’t remember them, she can’t bear to think about causing harm to someone she might have cared for. Someone important to her. And knowing that, should she rebel, or go against any command, someone might get hurt, keeps her in line. Even if it means killing thousands of innocents.

With PHOENIX still at large, and Wynter’s confusing past slowly returning to her, she comes to a crossroads. She knows the State is bad, evident from the lengths they are willing to go to get their own way, but what about PHOENIX? Is PHOENIX good? In a turn of events, Wynter finds history repeating itself, but can she trust the people who know her, when she knows nothing about them? Even still, what was the true motivation behind such a risky rescue mission?

Once again, Wynter has gone through hell, but coming out the other side isn’t something so easily done. Being forced to kill, Wynter shut off her emotions, turned herself into the shell of a human, just to deal with all she has done. If she let herself feel, the guilt would surely kill her. Wynter’s struggle with everything she has done, as she tries to justify her lack of choice, has been created brilliantly. She has been given control over her power through a collar around her neck, an ever-present reminder that she is an animal to the State, something to be owned and controlled. But what gives her control, and makes her safe, also scares her. The State already tracks people with implants, what’s to stop them from being able to control her powers themselves, through the collar? Dr Richter has surely threatened it enough times.

A reunion with Ezra and Jenner is something I was sorely waiting for, since they are wonderful characters. Jenner, in particular, was my favourite from book 1, and I was excited to spend more time with him. Unfortunately, not much time of this book is spent with Jenner, and not much more with Ezra. There is a lot more of Wynter’s plate than these two men who were her friends, or maybe more than that, and spending quality time with them is not seemingly a very high priority or something achievable with different people trying to keep her under lock and key.

There are always fictional characters who you love, and those who you hate. If Dr Richter was a real person, I do not know what I would do, for he is so incredibly horrible, I can barely stand to read about him. His every move, motivation, everything he says – all of it makes me hate him even more. I do not think there could ever be a redemption arc in sight. There is a slight hint at the end as to his motivations, but even still, he repulses me, and I have absolutely no sympathies for him at all. There is, though, something to be said about authors who have the ability to make readers feel passionately about their characters and, believe me, I have an incredibly strong, negative feeling towards this man. Wynter, Jenner, and Ezra, though? I love them, and I want to be friends with them.

This is a fabulous continuation from book 1, and, as before, I have been left on a cliffhanger. The only difference is that when I finished book 1, book 2 was already out. This time, I am left, waiting for the release of book 3, with no indication as to what is going to happen. All that I can find for the blurb? Blood demands blood. And if that isn’t intriguing, I don’t know what is. So, do yourself a favour, and get caught up on the first two books in the Project W.A.R series, ready in time for book 3.

M. A. PHIPPS is an American author who resides near the ocean in picturesque Cornwall with her husband, daughter, and their Jack Russell, Milo. A lover of the written word, it has always been her dream to become a published author, and it is her hope to expand into multiple genres of fiction.

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Find out about Alexander Delacroix's book Heart of the Impaler #HistoricalFiction #YoungAdult #GuestPost @alxdlcroix @XpressoTours

Heart of the Impaler

By Alexander Delacroix

Alexander Delacroix’s darkly romantic debut Heart of the Impaler is perfect for fans of Kiersten White’s And I Darken.

Vlad Dracula has long lived in the shadows cast by his bloodthirsty father, the voivode, and his older brother, Mircea. Despite their cruelty, Vlad has yearned to prove himself worthy of the throne his whole life. In the cold halls of the voivode’s palace, Vlad can only rely on his cousin and closest friend, Andrei Musat.

When Vlad and Andrei meet Ilona Csáki, the daughter of an influential boyar, they each find themselves inextricably drawn to her. But then Ilona is betrothed to Mircea as part of a political alliance, and Vlad’s resentfulness of his brother begins to seethe into something far darker.

Ilona has no desire to marry the voivode’s eldest son, but love and marriage are the least of her worries. The royal family’s enemies have already tried to put an arrow through her back—and if anyone discovers her blossoming feelings for Andrei and Vlad, she may just wish they’d succeeded.

Beneath the shadow of impending war, the only battle that will be deadlier than the one for Ilona’s life will be the one for her heart.

Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: December 7th 2021
Genres: Historical, Young Adult 

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I have asked Alexander Delacroix how she went about writing this book, and I will now pass this over to her, to explain what inspired her to write Heart of the Impaler, and what research she did to bring this story to life!

I’ve been interested in Vlad Dracula’s homeland, Romania, since I was a teenager. It was around that time that I learned Transylvania was an actual place and not some fictional land that had been created to provide horror stories with dark forests, forbidding castles, and bloodthirsty monsters. As I learned more and more about Romania, I also discovered that Dracula was real and that he ruled over a Romanian region called  Wallachia in the mid part of the 15th century. Tales of his unbelievable cruelty led me to question what might inspire such brutality. This in turn prompted me to write Heart of the Impaler.

A lot of research went into this novel. In fact, what readers will find in the book is only the tip of the historical iceberg. To bring the story to life I needed background knowledge far beyond what appears in the novel. Understanding Wallachia’s boyars and their influence on Wallachian politics was crucial. They were far more influential than one might think and largely affected a voivode’s ability to effectively rule. When Vlad Dracula III finally managed to acquire the throne, much of his brutality was focused on crushing the boyar politics that had so often hampered his father. It was also important to understand the Ottoman Empire’s influence on Wallachia and its neighbors. To accurately portray events during Vlad’s time, I needed to know how previous conflicts and political maneuverings placed the country and the characters in the situations they were in.

There were also smaller details to consider. What was the usual layout of a 15th century boyar’s manor? How did people at that time dress? What did they eat? And so many more questions. Sometimes I found specific answers. More often I found partial ones and had to use a combination of imagination and common sense to fill in the details. Always I attempted to make the story feel as authentic and true as possible.

I’m grateful to the team at Swoon Reads and Fierce Reads for making this book possible. I hope readers will enjoy this glimpse into Dracula’s 15th century world.

About the author:

Alexander Delacroix earned Masters degrees from Brigham Young University and Western Governors University. As an undergraduate he majored in French, Russian, and German but ultimately became a Language Arts teacher. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and writing. Heart of the Impaler is his debut novel.

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Read an excerpt from Glass Ornament Christmas by Cheryl A. Hunter #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @CherylAHunter4 @maryanneyarde

Glass Ornament Christmas

By Cheryl A. Hunter

This year, Christmastide will be extra special for glass blower Shayla Toselli who lives in Canterbury Corner, England. The town square will have its first electrically lit tree, and she has been commissioned to create delicate glass ornaments for the new Duke’s Christmas Eve ball. One morning, the Duke’s youngest brother, Adam Preston, finds himself in the Toselli glass factory. He is fascinated with glass blowing and with Shayla. The temperature in the workshop heats up in more ways than one as the unlikely pair work together in the days leading up to the ball. This will certainly be a Christmastide to remember.

Publication Date: 23rd August 2021

Publisher: Grand Owl Publishing

Page Length: 238 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

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EXCERPT

“Captain, Shayla tells me that you are learning the glass craft quickly,” Aunt Margaret said with a smile.

“It is entirely due to her excellent teaching,” he replied with a nod and smile to Shayla that made her heart flutter.

“He learns quickly,” Shayla praised him. 

Adam watched as she cut the meat on her plate. He knew her hands were strong, and he wanted to feel those hands pull him close. He closed his eyes for a moment. He needed to keep his mind off such thoughts. He took a large drink of wine to steady himself.

Dinner was a combination of discussion and a great quantity of food, and when they adjourned to the parlor, Shayla relaxed and found herself engaged in conversation with Adam. “Tell me about your first time blowing glass,” he asked her.

Shayla rolled up her sleeve. “See this?” She held out her arm for him to inspect. Adam looked closely and saw a small but distinct scar.

He looked up into her eyes. He hated to see anything mar her skin. Skin that was soft and fragrant. The scent of flowers surrounded her. He leaned down and kissed the scar. He knew his actions would not go unnoticed. Shayla shuttered at his touch which he also knew would be noticed. Why was he being so bold? He wanted Shayla. They knew each other only a short time, but Adam felt so comfortable with her, with the entire Toselli family because they were warm and welcoming. “So, tell me what happened?”

“Everyone was taking a break. I had watched them work so many times that I thought I knew what I was doing. So, I opened the furnace and dipped in the pipe. I blew a small bubble. Nothing big really, but I was thrilled. I detached it from the pipe and reached in the oven to set it on a self and accidently touched my arm to another piece.”

Hal had walked over unnoticed. “And boy did she scream,” he laughed, and Shayla was startled to see him standing beside her. “We realized it was time to teach her the craft. The next day, we got her small gloves and began training her. She learned quickly too.”

Aunt Margaret and Uncle James stood up. “I am afraid we must retire early tonight,” she said. “Henry, thank you for a wonderful evening.” She kissed Henry’s cheek, and he returned the kiss. Hal walked over and kissed her cheek. Shayla embraced her aunt and uncle. Adam watched their exchange. His family was always properly formal when they were out in public or had guests at the estate. He liked the open and warm affection Shayla’s family showed one another whether it was at home or in the shop. 

Adam stood up and kissed Margaret’s hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Oliver.” He shook hands with James and then held his arm out for Shayla, and they walked out of the parlor. They said their goodbyes, and Aunt Margaret smiled at them which made Shayla flustered under her stare.

Not having a butler, Henry opened the door. “It is snowing,” he called back to the others as Margaret and James stepped out the door.

“It is?” She looked out the door. A very light snow was falling. “I love snow!” Shayla sounded excited.

“Would you like to take a walk?” Adam asked.

“I would. I will get my coat.” She rushed up the stairs.

Cheryl A. Hunter is an author and artist. Her books span multiple genres including historical fiction, contemporary fiction, paranormal fantasy, and nonfiction. Cheryl is also an artist who works in glass, ink and watercolor, and photography. When she is not writing, taking pictures, or creating glass art, she loves to travel. Her interest in Ancient Greek and Roman cultures has taken her to many Archeological sites and museums in several countries.

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