Cover Reveal

Title: Dead Girl Walking (Royal Reaper)

Author: Ruth Silver

Expected Publication: Summer 2014

Publisher: Patchwork Press

Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy

Cover Design: Erica Crouch

Blurb:

In 1346, Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally murdered.

Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her greatest adventure begins with death.

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20749515-dead-girl-walking

Excerpt:

                "The scroll chose you. For whatever reason, she's your reap."

                "Well, that sucks." Leila chewed her bottom lip. "If I don't do it?"

                Edon hesitated before he said, "Her soul will rot inside her body. Do you have any idea what that’s like? She'll be a living corpse, a shell of a person. She won't feel anything including love. We as reapers, the undead, feel more than she ever will alive."

                Leila swallowed the lump in her throat. "How do you know that?"

                "Because I've seen what it does to a person," Edon said. "That little girl deserves better."

About the Author:

Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005.  While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004.  Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.  Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia.  Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing. She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories.  Her debut novel published by Lazy Day Publishing and Patchwork Press, ABERRANT, was released April 2013.  The second novel in the series, MOIRAI, continues the saga. ISAURA, is the final installment in the ABERRANT trilogy. Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager.  Her current writing projects include a YA science-fiction fantasy series, ORENDA, and a YA paranormal series, DEAD GIRL WALKING. Both novels are due for release in 2014. She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

You can visit her online at http://writeawaybliss.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss

Facebook: http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Silver/e/B008NGH038

Slimy by Karen Arnpriester

Pages: 86
Genre:  Middle Grade, Young Adult, Autobiography
Source: Review copy in exchange for my honest opinion


From Goodreads 
Slimy is the painful account of my experiences as a bullied, isolated and humiliated child. My journey of abuse began in the fifth grade and continued through the ninth. I chose to share my story so that others will understand how bullying can damage and alter a child’s self- image. How we learn to tolerate injustice and mistreatment as if we do not deserve anything better. A belief that can alter a lifetime. My story is sad and filled with powerful memories that affected who I became, but my story is not unique, many children are targeted and suffer quietly without an escape. Every school has bullies, children that are angry, hurtful people who are allowed to control and determine who has value and who does not. I believe that a solution to the rampant epidemic of bullying will need the involvement of parents and teachers, but the most effective resolve for this growing threat will require a student body that chooses not to tolerate bullies and the pain they inflict. The true power belongs to the students who passively watch. These students empower the bullies through their silence and apathy. I hope to encourage the bullied child, inspire the student body to make a difference and expose the fear that bullies operate through.

My Thoughts
 I had the privilege of reading this book before it was published. It was absolutely spot on as far as the message about bullying. As a teacher I felt anger at what the main character had gone through. I felt ashamed that a teacher did not stand up for her. I felt her pain. I realize that bullying comes in all forms. There was so much I could identify with. I've seen kids bullied like this at school and do my best to stop it. Unfortunately, so many of them experience the bullying and never tell an adult. We can't stop what we don't see. I looked at myself and asked if I was doing all I could at school to make sure my students were not being bullied. Was I really as observant as I could be? Was I observant with my children? With a suicide of a young girl here in Florida so fresh on every one's mind I realized that this is important to have in schools everywhere. Students need to know they don't have to be alone or feel afraid to tell someone. As parents we want what is best for our children and grandchildren. This made me ask myself if I was always doing what was best or if I thought my actions would make them stronger. I can't recommend this book strong enough.

Student Saturday: Chomp - Carl Hiaasen

Student Reviewer Ryan P.

This book review is about Chomp by Carl Hiaasen. The publisher of the book is Alfred A. Knopf. This book is published in 2013 and has 290 pages. This book is a fiction adventure because the characters go on an adventure into the Everglades and try to save a TV star. The author is a Florida writer. Every book he writes is about Florida.  I chose this book because I like the Everglades and I love the story Hoot.

The story is about a boy and a girl that tried to save their friend and a TV crew from a gun man. The first setting is Wahoo's house. The weird thing about Wahoo's house is that his house has snakes and alligator's in the backyard and his alligator bit his thumb off. The second setting is in the Everglades. The endless ways you could get lost, the endless trees, and plants to get lost in. In addition to Wahoo is his friend Tuna. Tuna is a friend of Wahoo and came on the expedition with Wahoo and Mickey. Oh, I forgot to tell you about Mickey. Mickey is Wahoo's father in the story. The producer calls Mickey because he has animals in his backyard that he thinks he can use them for his show, "Expedition Survival". The story is told by Wahoo. The story is light hearted adventure because no one dies and they go on an adventure throughout the forest of the Everglades.

The problem the characters Wahoo and Mickey are having is that they can't pay the mortgage cost because of all the caught animals and the food cost. Mickey loves catching animals with his son Wahoo. Raven Stark and Derek Badger want animals to be stage props for Derek Badger's show. Raven Start=k is Derek Badgers TV show manager,

In the beginning of the story, Wahoo and Mickey get a call from Raven Stark that she wants to borrow animals for her show as props. Wahoo said, "dad we need the money".  "OK" he said to Raven Stark. Then Raven Stark said "OK, I will be there." So when it was show tie Derek got ready for thew worst time of his life. He had to wrestle the eight foot long alligator named Alice. But, when it was time to wrestle Alice, Alice wrestled him. When he had enough Mickey got in ad saved his life and that led him to the Everglades. First Mickey caught a snake that bit Derek in five different places. Then when Derek was getting something to eat a bat bit him on the tongue. He had Mickey rip it off. His tongue was swollen for four days straight. Then Derek disappeared in the Everglades. Do you think Derek will survive through the Everglades?

The book was good because it was written by my favorite author Carl Hiaasen. To me there are no weaknesses. The book did hold my interest at the end of the story but not so much in the beginning. I learned that the Everglades is dangerous because i has snakes, alligators and wild hogs and I thought it was full of nature. I thought the end when Derek got lost in the Everglades was the best part of the story. I would like to recommend Chomp to people who like fiction adventure books.