New Book - Seventy Times Seven

 

I want to introduce you to my new book. It came out right before Christmas. Unfortunately, as happy as I was, I was in the middle of preparing things for a wedding. My Step-daughter, fiance, and her daughter came down for a December 29th wedding.  I put off promoting my book until today. What better day to introduce a new book?

Here is the synopsis:

Frankie's school year is going downhill. His math teacher hates him, he keeps getting suspended. The new preacher keeps telling his dad how to handle his "problem" son. When the preacher's son is left with them for a few weeks, Frankie sees this as a relief until they are involved in a hit-and-run accident. All these conflicting emotions and secrets bring Frankie to a breaking point. Just when he decides what he must do to make things right, his sister and best friend go missing. Frankie is tormented by nightmares where he hears his sister calling for help while being chased by something dark and unseen. Everyone has abandoned him, including God. What will it take to set everything right again?

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Ghost Hunter's Daughter by Dan Poblocki

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Horror

Source:  I purchased a copy

I loved this book. I am hoping my students will as well. I have this author's Shadow House Series on my shelves so this is a great addition.  Claire lives with her aunt because her mother is dead. She is popular at school because her dad is a well known ghost hunter with his own popular show. Lucas lives with his grandmother because his parents are off working on the east coast after it was destroyed by Tsunamis.  Claire's father goes missing while on an investigation. Claire learns this from the weird kid Lucas. Everyone knows his grandmother can speak to the dead and now, so can Lucas. Lucas gives Claire a message from her dead mother about her father. The two set out to rescue him.  But there is a lot at stake here.  The story is based on one town's resident ghost.  The kids act just the way you would expect them to.  They leap into a situation before they look. It is possible that they and everyone they involve in this hunt for her father will fall victim to the ghost of this town.  I didn't see the ending coming.   This will keep you on the edge of your seat like it did me. I could not put the book down. I read it in one sitting from cover to cover.  Highly recommended.

Dragon's Winter by Kandi J. Wyatt

Blurb:

Scout the area.

Plan the escape.
Rescue the slave.
What could possibly go wrong?

Mere's continuing her apprenticeship in San Valencia, but when a strange illness affects everyone in the dragon colony including dragons, she's forced to help a pregnant girl find safety. 

Rescuing slaves is all in a day's work for Jareem, until a new slaver in town takes exception to Jareem's interference. Now, sick and with a wounded dragon, Jareem must free the slave and find Mere and the pregnant girl before the slaver.

The clock is ticking. The baby's due any day, and the slaver's persistent. Mere and Jareem must reach beyond who they believe themselves to be in order to bring the former slaves home in one piece.

 

When I read most books the first question I ask myself is if this is a book I would put on my shelves for my students, and why.  I have every book in this series so far. My students love them.  When they found out Kandi was a teacher that was another boost.

The first thing I thought after finishing this book was that my students today would be able to make connections. That is important to me.  The idea that slavery still happens around the world is appalling. However, this is very prevalent in this book.  The idea of standing up for what is right no matter what the risk is something we want our kids to learn.  

I felt very at home in the world Kandi has created. I have said before she is a master at world-building. You don’t just read about these places, people and dragons.  You walk beside them throughout the story.  You are there alongside them fighting for what is right.

As far as her characters go, they are all not only believable, but lovable.  I absolutely felt like I was on an adventure with friends.  One more thing. When Kandi creates her antagonist he is a character that you love to hate. This is a book that I highly recommend to young and old alike.