Category: blogging

The Memory Keeper of Kyiv
Erin Litteken
Publication date: May 16th 2022
Genres: Literary Fiction

Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.
“A powerfully moving debut . . . Ukraine’s tragic history painfully echoes its current crisis, and on every page, the Ukrainian spirit shines out, unbowed, unbent, and unbroken. This is a compelling, timely read.” Kate Quinn, author of The Rose Code

In the 1930s, Stalin’s activists marched through the Soviet Union, espousing the greatness of collective farming. It was the first step in creating a man-made famine that, in Ukraine, stole almost 4 million lives. Inspired by the history the world forgot, and the Russian government denies it, Erin Litteken reimagines their story.

In 1929, Katya was 16 years old, surrounded by family, and in love with the boy next door. When Stalin’s activists arrive in her village, it’s just a few, a little pressure to join the collective. But soon neighbors disappear, those who speak out are never seen again and every new day is uncertain.

Resistance has a price, and as desperate hunger grips the countryside, survival seems more a dream than a possibility. But, even in the darkest times, love beckons.

Seventy years later, a young widow discovers her grandmother’s journal, one that will reveal the long-buried secrets of her family’s haunted past.

This is a story of the resilience of the human spirit, the love that sees us through our darkest hours, and the true horror of what happened during the Holodomor.

“I never imagined the release of my novel on a past oppression of the Ukrainian people would coincide with such a parallel tragedy.” Erin Litteken

May we never forget, lest history repeats itself.

A share of proceeds will be donated to DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

A sharp click echoed in the room, and everyone froze. The Russian’s cocked pistol pointed at Tato. “Are you resisting orders? If you are, we will have to label you an enemy of the people. We all know what happens to enemies of the people. I could shoot you right now, and nobody would care.”

Katya’s head buzzed. All the anger she’d felt morphed into sheer terror as she stared at her Tato. His beet-red face glistened with sweat and his hands curled slowly into fists, the anger crackling off him like a hungry fire seeking fuel. If someone didn’t intercede, he would be shot for attempting to murder Prokyp with his bare hands.

Mama, too, saw his inner struggle, for she stepped in front of Tato and spoke calmly. “I apologize for my husband’s behavior. He’s overprotective of his daughters. He didn’t mean what he said. We’ll cooperate, I swear it.”

The Russian smirked and lowered his gun. Dropping Alina’s hand, Katya pulled her father into a hug and spoke in his ear. “Please, Tato, there is no harm done, but we can’t lose you. Please.” She felt the tension lessen from his body, but vibrations of anger still throbbed like the veins on his neck.

Prokyp watched the scene with amusement, then sauntered back over to his cohorts, smiling. The Russian turned to him and asked with complete sincerity, “Have you been offended by this man? What would you like to do, Comrade?”

Prokyp glanced at Tato and then at Alina, who was white as a sheet, but holding her head high as Mama had taught them to. Katya’s legs wobbled, so she locked her knees and held her breath as they waited for this fool to decide the fate of their family.

“I suppose I can overlook it this once, as long as he and his family promise to cooperate fully in the future.” His gaze lingered on Alina. “But we shall have to check back here often to make sure they are behaving.”

Another activist pushed into the house with a large sack of wheat balanced on his shoulder. “I found this, and another just like it, hidden in the barn loft.”

Katya’s heart sank. She’d worried the wheat in the barn wasn’t hidden well enough, but Tato thought it safe out of sight beneath the hay.

“You can’t take that!” Tato shouted. “It’s my seed for planting this fall!”

“This will pay your quota. For now.” The Russian Soviet waved a hand dismissively, as if suddenly bored by them. “Come, we must move to the next house.”

The woman cast an apologetic look toward Mama and hurried behind the men as they left. The door swung wildly in their wake, and none of them moved until Tato strode forward and slammed it shut, though not before Katya saw the activists’ cart stacked high with sacks of grain, just like the ones they’d taken from the barn.

Author Bio:

Erin Litteken is a debut novelist with a degree in history and a passion for research. At a young age, she was enthralled by stories of her family’s harrowing experiences in Ukraine before, during and after World War II. She lives in Illinois, USA with her husband and children.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

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Book Info:

Hollow Fires by Samira Ahmed
Genre: Young Adult Mystery Thriller
Publishing Date: May 10, 2022

Synopsis:
A powerful, gripping YA novel about the insidious nature of racism, the terrible costs of unearthing hidden truths, and the undeniable power of hope, by New York Times bestselling author Samira Ahmed. Perfect for fans of Sadie and Dear Martin.

Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.

Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist—and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering.

Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.
This gripping and powerful book uses an innovative format and lyrical prose to expose the evil that exists in front of us, and the silent complicity of the privileged who create alternative facts to bend the truth to their liking.

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and for graciously providing me with an eGalley of the book to read for my review stop today.

This was another powerful read that brought out many feelings for me. There definitely needs to be more books like this out there. I highly recommend picking this up to read.

Once I started reading I could not put this down. I was instantly hooked. I should warn that there are quite a few trigger warnings in the book such as islamophobia, racism, bullying, anti-semitism and nazi ideologies, physical violence, kidnapping, and murder.

The book begins on June 2023 when Safiya discovers Jawad’s body and then it works its way to the beginning of the story (2022) but it also jumps back to 2023.

Hollow Fires is told from two points of view, Safiya (a high school student) and Jawad (a 14-year-old 9th grader). Safiya wants to be a journalist when she is finished school. She works in the school newspaper at an elite prep school in Chicago which she attends on a scholarship. She is a Muslim with Indian immigrant parents. She is outspoken and is targeted for her opinions by not only students but by the administration at her school.

Jawad is a Muslim son of Iraqi immigrants. He attends a public school in Chicago. Jawad wants to be an inventor and this is how the story opens. Jawad loves to create things from recycled parts/pieces and he is thrilled with his latest creation of building a jet pack for his Halloween costume. He is so thrilled that he wears it to school the next day. The only thing his English teacher jumps to the conclusion is that it’s a bomb and quickly phones the police without waiting for an explanation of what it is. Jawad is handcuffed and taken to the police station. Where once again no one wants to listen when he tried to tell them what it really is. Jawad is treated like a criminal and ends up with a new nickname of Bomb Boy. From there, things don’t get better. Jawad was an innocent boy who was murdered for this misunderstanding.

Although Jawad and Safiya don’t know each other she is compelled to bring justice to his family and for everyone to remember him. She knows there is more to this story than the press and police are saying. Can she solve this mystery and bring justice to Jawad?

One of the things I loved about Hollow Fires is that Samira tells it like it is in the book from the heated political climate that hit the US these past few years to alternate facts, facts, and the truth. Samira weaves real-life events into the story effortlessly.

Added to the storyline are text messages, articles, transcripts of voice mails, interviews, and news reports.

I know after reading this that I definitely want to pick up a finished copy to reread this. There are some aspects I want to see how it’s done in the book. I know I will be annotating as I read this again.

Book Links:
GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Chapters Indigo
Indie Bound

About the Author:
Samira Ahmed is the bestselling author of Love, Hate & Other Filters, Internment, Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, and  Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds, as well as a Ms. Marvel comic book mini-series.  Her poetry, essays, and short stories have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies including the New York Times, Take the Mic, Color Outside the Lines, Vampires Never Get Old and A Universe of Wishes.

She was born in Bombay, India, and grew up in Batavia, Illinois, in a house that smelled like fried onions, spices, and potpourri. A graduate of the University of Chicago, Samira has taught high school English in both the suburbs of Chicago and New York City, worked in education non-profits, and spent time on the road for political campaigns.

Samira currently lives in the Midwest. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found on her lifelong quest for the perfect pastry.

Author Links:
Website: https://samiraahmed.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sam_aye_ahm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sam_aye_ahm/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8345582.Samira_Ahmed

Tour Schedule:
https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/03/15/tour-schedule-hollow-fires-by-samira-ahmed/

No Matter What Happens
Kelly Collins
Publication date: May 5th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Does marrying well mean marrying rich?

As a senator’s daughter, Kennedy Blackwell has everything, or so it seems. But on her wedding day, a shocking secret changes everything, and Kennedy’s fortunes turn on a dime. Instead of offering their unconditional support, her parents turn their backs on her, proving once and for all that her father’s goal of becoming president is more important than his own child. Forced to start over, Kennedy relies on a pact she and five friends made to each other back in junior high. She also enlists the help of the “entertainment” from her bachelorette party, a handsome handyman-by-day, exotic dancer-by-night.

Wade Roberts faces his existence one crisis at a time. Everything bad in his life has directly resulted from a poor decision or the actions of a member of the Blackwell family. So, when the senator’s daughter calls asking for help, he’s torn between assisting her or making her “pay.” Soon tangled up in the Blackwell family drama, he finds himself being framed for an unspeakable crime. Wade must step up and prove his innocence and his love for a woman who deserves more than he can offer.

Can two people who start with nothing end up with everything?

Find out in No Matter What Happens…

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

She blinked and focused on her future husband standing at the end of the aisle. He looked as nervous as she felt. There was even a green hue to his complexion, probably a side effect from his bachelor party. Unlike Emily, he could toss the booze back with little effect, but last night they must have really tied one on.

She made her way toward him with knocking knees and trembling hands.

When the minister asked who gave this woman and her father answered, a ball of emotions welled inside her. Who’d thought those words were a good idea? It was like she was being traded for political favors when the only exchange between father and future son-in-law was the promise of box seats for next year’s games.

She took Logan’s hand in front of the officiant, who talked about the sacred vow of marriage and what love meant. They recited traditional promises to love, honor, and cherish until death do they part, but neither met the other’s eyes. Logan looked past or through her to her bridesmaids. She stared at a piece of lint on his shoulder.

“Does anyone here have a reason to object to this marriage?” The minister’s voice boomed, leaving no doubt everyone heard him.

Kennedy ran through an entire list of reasons to object in her head. She still had time to change her mind, but when she looked at Logan and saw the same fear she felt, a small giggle escaped her mouth. They both had wedding jitters. That was normal.

At that moment, he looked at her the way he had when they first met. Despite the anxiety and feelings of doom, she was the luckiest woman in the world.

The congregation sat silently as the minister waited the obligatory several seconds for anyone to object. He cleared his throat. “I now pronounce you—”

“Wait!” Emily said loudly enough for everyone to hear, though her voice cracked. “I can’t let you marry him.”

Author Bio:

Like FREEBIES? Join the VIP readers at http://bit.ly/KellyCollinsFreeBook for members-only exclusives!

~ Tip: Just hit “FOLLOW” for notifications about deals & new releases! ~

International bestselling author of more than thirty novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.

Kelly has sold more than a quarter of a million books worldwide, and in 2021 she was awarded a Readers’ Favorite Award Gold Medal in the Contemporary Romance category for A Tablespoon of Temptation.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Amazon

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Today is the cover reveal for Dark Goddess by Kelsey Ketch. Dark Goddess is a vampiric retelling of the Eye of Ra.

This cover reveal is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.

Dark Goddess (A Dark Reflections Short Story #1)
By Kelsey Ketch
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: August 2022

Blurb:
Chaos has descended on Egypt, and the people are revolting against their immortal king.
Little do they know the wrath he is about to unleash using his daughter as his weapon.

Links:
– Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57836873-dark-goddess

About the Author:
Kelsey Ketch is a young-adult/new-adult author, who works as a Wildlife Biologist and Data
Analyst. During her free time, she can often be found working on her latest work in progress.
She also enjoys history, mythology, traveling, and reading.

Author links:
– Website: http://kelseyketch.com/
– Newsletter: https://kelseyketch.com/features/newsletter/
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KelseyKetch
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/kelseyketch
– Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/Kelsey_Ketch/
– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseyketch/
– Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7104482.Kelsey_Ketch
– Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kelsey-Ketch/e/B00IHZXFIY
– Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelsey-ketch

This is my post during the blog tour for Shadowdays by Polly Schattel. In Shadowdays a nurse with a troubled past becomes ensnared in a clash with a violent gang.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 2 till 15 May. You can see the tour schedule here.

Shadowdays
By Polly Schattel
Genre: Psychological Horror
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 28 January 2022

Blurb:
On the dark side of town, what’s past is never really past. And what’s buried is never really dead.

Melissa Sweet is in a delicate state. She’s a clinical nurse in a small town who, after a career-ending accident and the accusations of foul play that followed, is just now starting to put her life back together. She’s got her mom, her troubled brother, and her fiancé Jack to keep her grounded, and right now she’s taking life one uneasy day at a time. But tormented by a harrowing act of violence, she makes an impulsive move that changes her life—and the lives of those she loves—forever. This unleashes a disorienting cycle of brutality and revelation as she reckons with the blood of her own past and the blood of those who transgressed against her.

And it will force Melissa to confront the fiercest, most unrelenting monster of all: herself.

Links:
– Goodreads
– Bookbub
– Amazon

Praise for Shadowdays:
“… a tale that will leave readers squirming in discomfort but unable to stop turning the pages” –Booklist.

“Shadowdays will have you walking a razor’s edge between what’s real and what’s not. Either will break your heart. Schattel teaches you the meaning of guilt, and of grief, at a pace that leaves you breathless. This is pulp horror soaked in empathy, and it will cut you.” –Sarah Read, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Bone Weaver’s Orchard.

“Shadowdays has a gutpunch of an ending. You’ll see it starting to move in that direction in the novel’s climax, but it will hit you like a runaway freight train when it does. As dark as this one was—perhaps because of that—Shadowdays was a lot of fun. Recommended.” –Andrew Byers, Uncanny Books

About the Author:
Polly Schattel a writer and filmmaker who has written and directed three award-winning, internationally distributed feature films. Her first novel, “The Occultists,” was published by JournalStone in 2020. She’s taught Film Directing, Screenwriting and Film Editing in the NC University system, New York City and elsewhere. Proudly and passionately transgender, she lives in the mountains of Asheville, NC with her wife and three wild, vicious animals who love people food.

Author links:
– Website
– Facebook

The main character is Melissa who is a nurse. Three years ago she accidentally killed an infant who was in her care. She accidentally gave the infant the wrong dose of a medication. She was acquitted of the charge but since then she has never really been the same. She lost her job and from that point on she spiraled into a deep depression.

Things are starting to look up for Melissa, she no longer lives in her mother’s house and has a wonderful fiance, Jack. Years later she feels like she is able to return to work and gain some control over her life once again. Melissa decides that she will work at a clinic that deals with treating drug addicts.

Just when you think things are moving in the right direction bam life hits you for a curveball and that is exactly what happens to poor Melissa. How will Melissa cope?

I don’t want to go much further only because I feel like I will give the book away. If you like horror books then I think this is right up your alley.

This is  Polly’s second book. Her debut was called The Occultist. I might actually pick this up to see what that one is about. I definitely would read other books by Polly in the future.