Seventeen-year-old pop star Lavender Stanhope, AKA Lily of the Valley, lives a life most teens could only dream of.
When her dad dies in a freak accident, she agrees to visit his hometown, knowing he had unfinished business there.
But Canon Springs has an eerie, bloody history. And there are creatures there whose memories are long, and whose plans center on Lavender, whether she wants to be involved or not.
As she tries to overcome grief, grudges and mistrust, she realizes that escaping Canon Springs may require saving it.
Jordan Elizabeth writes down her nightmares to live her dreams. When she’s not creating art or searching for lost history in the woods, she’s updating her blog. Jordan roams Central New York, but she loves to travel.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Witches-of-Ajaz.jpg1200800itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2025-02-07 00:01:142025-02-07 05:04:45Witches of Ajax by Jordan Elizabeth
From the outside, Olivia Macomb looks like she leads a charmed life. She’s an up-and-coming influencer who is an heir to the Macomb family fortune, and about to start a lifestyle brand with her childhood sweetheart, Jeff. Then her world gets blown apart by her longtime boyfriend leaving her the morning of their website launch. Not only has he left, but the business she created is all in his name and she’s been left with nothing to show for all her hard work. Now she has to pick up the pieces and find out who she is on her own.
Enter Walker Vinton, the indie pop star who used to date Olivia’s close friend, Paige. When their school throws a big event, Paige asks Walker to be Olivia’s date to give to the gossip bloggers something else to talk about other than Olivia’s broken dreams.
Walker ends up coming to Olivia’s rescue in more ways than one at the party, and a twist of events leads to the two embarking on a fake relationship. Walker and Olivia wind up becoming best friends and she realizes he’s the boyfriend of her dreams.
He helps her build both her brand and her self-esteem back up. Walker even helps her start a new business. However, the lines begin to blur as Olivia’s feelings for Walker are very real. The two share intimate conversations and dreams, but what’s real and what’s fake in this starry world?
Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. Her work includes YA contemporary, middle grade fiction, and adult and young adult rom-coms. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends…Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, and Competing with the Star (The Star Series: Book 2), Dating the It Guy, Can Dreams Come True, and In Over Her Head: Lights, Camera, Anxiety. Her debut novel, True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for children/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Finalist. Best Friends…Forever? is a 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Children – Preteen genre. Landry in Like is a Literary Classics Gold Medal recipient and a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal Winner. She received her BA in English and master’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Michigan-Flint.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/WhenStarsCollideintheCity_Huge.jpg1200800itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2025-01-15 00:00:232025-01-27 10:37:40When Stars Collide in the City (Stars in the City Series) by Krysten Lindsay Hager
Welcome to Branson Academy, where secrets can kill, trust is a dangerous game, and the deadliest lessons aren’t taught in the classroom. When tech prodigy Mackenzie Fleming disappears, her best friend Lucas Rambally is determined to find her. But the deeper he digs, the darker it gets. Blackmail, death threats, secret societies, corporate espionage… This is way bigger than a missing person case. As his search intensifies, Lucas uncovers a web of dark secrets that could bring Branson Academy to its knees. Then Branson insider and chess master Ivy Ishihara starts dropping sinister chess metaphors. And they’re not just clever wordplay—they’re dire warnings. Lucas has stumbled into a game he was never meant to play, and one wrong move could prove fatal. The clock is ticking, and to find out what really happened to Mackenzie, Lucas must answer one simple question: Is his friend running for her life, or is her disappearance a mind-blowing con that conceals something far more shocking than anyone could have imagined?
Gledé Browne Kabongo is a multiple award-winning author of eight psychological thrillers that keep readers at the edge of their seats from the first page to the last.
Readers have described Gledé’s work as “unbelievably addictive,” “brilliant,” “captivating,” “unputdownable,” “spellbinding,” “deliciously duplicitous,” and “haunting and complex.”
Gledé has spoken at multiple industry events including the Boston Book Festival, Sisters in Crime (SinC) New England Crime Bake, and the Women in Publishing Summit. When she’s not torturing her characters, she’s hosting webinars and workshops on the craft of writing fiction and working as a Content Marketing Manager for a high-tech start-up. Gledé lives outside Boston with her husband and children. You can reach her at glede@gledekabongo.com or her author website.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/AGameofMalice_Ebook_1600x2560.jpg1200750itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2025-01-08 00:00:122025-01-27 10:42:14A Game of Malice (Malicious Games Series) by Gledé Browne Kabongo
Like Buffy and Bella, (but without the vampires), seventeen-year-old Mary Donahoe, has a secret. She’s more clued in than most of earth’s inhabitants about the true nature of reality. She can answer with confidence eternal questions such as, does life go on after physical death? Yep! What about angels and demons? Yep! What about the eternal battle between good and evil? Yep! Ongoing.
From Mary’s point of view all the above are just the usual straddling of time and eternity she’s dealt with her entire life. Recently though, Mary’s noticed there was significantly more action on the eternal side of things. According to the rumors she was hearing lately, humankind was about to be in some serious shit. Something about how the sand in earth’s hourglass was down to its last granule. Apparently, the arbiters of the universe (or Archangels, as they are known in this little world), have run out of patience with humankind’s gleeful descent into evil, evidenced by earth’s wars, violence against the vulnerable, oppressive governments, destruction of the planet, weapons of mass destruction, etc. etc. You get the idea. Evidently, all the spirits racing towards earth lately are gathering to see the show, in anticipation of the spectacular nature of divine vengeance about to be wreaked upon us unsuspecting humans. Even in the angelic realms, both the fallen and unfallen variety, bets are being placed on the outcome.
Mary doesn’t have the bandwidth right now for intergalactic mysteries. She’s already time-challenged and stressed over the whole college admissions deal. Between parental admonitions about keeping her grades up, acing the SATs, adding to her extracurriculars, not to mention the day-to-day challenges of being a teenager in these trying times, there’s nothing left over to unravel the fate of humankind.
You see, Mary hasn’t figured out yet that her dirty little family secret has a price attached to it. Since the beginning of time, generation after generation, the gift has passed unbroken from mother to daughter. And the price of that gift is about to come due.
Oh, and all those disembodied visitors speeding towards earth from across the galaxies? They’re coming to see Mary.
Bethany Summers is the pen name for Lynn Wood whose books you’ll find in the suspense and thriller, romance, and historical romance genres, usually with a magical or supernatural thread woven through the tapestry of the stories. Mortals and Angels, the first book in The End of Eternity Series, written under Bethany Summers, is Lynn’s first novel in the fantasy/young adult fantasy genre and explores deeper her fascination with timeless questions of mortality versus eternity, good versus evil, humanity’s place in the mosaic of creation, and humanity’s relationship to the angelic realm. When she’s not reading or writing, Lynn spends her time with family and friends, traveling around the country and the world, and whenever she can, at the beach, under an umbrella…reading a book, of course.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mortals-and-angels.jpg1200777itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-12-30 00:00:292025-01-27 10:50:08Mortals and Angels (The End of Eternity Series) by Bethany Summers
Sixteen-year-old Summer Ellis is terrified of ice. But there’s a valid reason. Ten years ago, she lost her childhood best friend on frozen Winterberry Lake. Returning to the remote New Hampshire town, she stumbles upon another young victim claimed by the lake. It appears the past is repeating itself.
After her gruesome discovery, newcomer Summer is dubbed the town outcast. While she comes to terms with two tragic losses, she meets beguiling blue-eyed Tate, who quickly sweeps her off her feet. The problem? He is not just charming, but Winterberry High’s star ice hockey goalie. Which means only one thing: MORE ICE.
With a town full of suspects and tensions as thick as January ice, Summer’s detective mom reassures the residents that the killer will soon be brought to justice. But just as the lake drew Summer to its dark icy depths so many years ago, she now feels compelled to solve its next chilling mystery.
Like the memories of her childhood, Summer is FROZEN IN TIME.
Growing up immersed in beloved “Teen” novels, Kelly Swan Taylor now crafts her own sweet stories that bridge the gap between middle grade (MG) and young adult (YA) fiction. From friendship adventures to chilling mysteries and thrillers, all with a sporty twist and a dash of romance, her contemporary novels ignite the imagination while championing the everyday hero.
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The harsh realities of middle school meet the endless possibilities of an online fantasy realm. Nole, an awkward eighth-grade introvert, escapes into the mystical world of Enix, where he reinvents himself as a brave adventurer. While facing the daily struggles of adolescence – bullies, unrequited crushes, and self-doubt – Nole finds solace in a digital universe filled with mythical creatures, perilous quests, and the chance to be anything he dreams of. But will his newfound confidence in-game translate to real life? Kianola is a tale of friendship, self-discovery, and imagination, capturing the journey of growing up across two worlds.
Nathan Roth is a sometimes-bearded connoisseur of immaculate bants that lives on the internet. Although he greatly enjoys trashposting in online video games, it’s all just a cover for his legitimate love of writing fantasy. His first book started as a joke, like most things he does, but after the punchline faded, his commitment to storytelling stuck.
Roth fluctuates between ordering large quantities of hot dogs, avocados and bananas and forgetting to eat altogether. In his free time he can been found taking care of his plot-twistingly cute shaking-leaf of a dog, Rosa-Barksia, and seeking human touch via flesh-chess, aka Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
I’d always sensed something peculiar about the reclusive Evergreen Academy, tucked deep in the woods of my hometown. But I never could have imagined it was a college for magical botanists–and that I am one of them.
An invitation to the academy opens up a whole new world of wonder, yet my plant affinity powers remain elusive, and my scientific training is far behind that of my peers.
When I’m assigned a tutor, Callan Rhodes, a powerful descendant of the academy’s founders, I’m baffled by his willingness to help me.
Despite my challenges, I’m enchanted by the academy’s glass schoolhouse, its grounds which are overflowing with plants that defy the climate, and the quirky festivals held each equinox and solstice.
But disaster looms as the verdant shield that protects the academy from the prying eyes of nonmagical people begins to falter. Can Callan and the other founder’s descendants sustain the magic on their own, or will the clock finally start to tick on figuring out my powers?
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JPEG-Ebook-C_Evergreen-Academy.jpeg1200800itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-10-25 00:02:372024-11-20 09:07:13Evergreen Academy (Society of Magical Botanists Series) by Heather Schneider
14-year-old Abbey’s ability to talk to ghosts has saved both friends and strangers in need. But it’s also attracted the wrong sort of attention.
That attention arrives in the form of a domineering federal agent who insists that Abbey help her with something dangerous. She tells the story of a roguish fellow, Manfred Krug, who traveled the world as a fabled trader in the 1920s. As his diary details, Krug returned from Shanghai with artifacts holding the power to gather and focus otherworldly energy. The agent warns that if the relics fell into the wrong hands, it would be a disaster of biblical proportions.
Enlisting her ride-or-dies, Abbey, Kelly, and Lexi search some of the most haunted places in Minnesota. But someone else—someone dangerous—is after those same artifacts, and they’re right behind Abbey and her spook squad.
Author Allan Evans has been finding success of late. His debut novel, Abnormally Abbey, was published in 2020, and the follow-up, Class Clown, came out in 2022. Silent Night, a short story, was in the Haunted Yuletide anthology (2020) and a serial killer thriller, Killer Blonde (the first in this series), was published in 2021.
Son of famed jazz musician Doc Evans, Evans has written advertising and marketing for nearly two decades. A soccer coach, he can often be found on the field teaching kids about soccer and life. Evans lives in the Twin Cities.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SpookSquad-cover.jpg1200811itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-10-09 00:00:062024-10-28 15:19:43Spook Squad by Allan Evans
Alice Harper yearns to determine her own fate. Desperate to change her parents’ minds about moving away from everything she knows, the gifted archer sets out to win a coveted scholarship. But the seventeen-year-old feels completely out of control when she and her friends stumble through a strange portal to a mysterious world.
Separated from the others, the bold and reckless teen finds herself whisked away to an impossible palace where charming mages offer help. But as she becomes entwined in the politics of the court, Alice grows suspicious of her new allies, and she struggles to distinguish friend from foe…
As she’s pulled deeper into treacherous plots, can the heroic young adult rescue her peers and get everyone home?
The Discovery of Magic is the captivating first book in The Intrigue of Magic epic fantasy series. If you like relatable characters, powerful enchantments, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love L. J. Evias’s battle for courage.
J. Evias writes exclusively in the fantasy genre, infusing stories with a dash of adventure and mystery. In Evias’s worlds, moral absolutes do not exist, giving life to a diverse cast of intriguing characters.
The Intrigue of Magic is Evias’s debut series, featuring accessible world-building, intricate plots, and unforgettable heroes and villains. Released in 2024, The Discovery of Magic is the first book in this series.
When not immersed in the pages of a novel, Evias enjoys real-world adventures both in the UK and abroad. The enchanting settings of The Intrigue of Magic series draw inspiration from personal travels, notably the unique architecture and evocative landscapes of Morocco.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/The-Discovery-of-Magic.jpg1200750itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-09-27 00:03:122024-10-16 09:42:34The Discovery of Magic (The Intrigue of Magic Series Book 1) by L. J. Evias
In a post-apocalyptic world where humans are extinct and animals thrive, a young rabbit starts to wonder why rabbits must accept their status as prey animals. She asks pointed questions of the warren elders, and gets exiled for it.
Without a warren, she’s enormously vulnerable, but she reaches out to others in desperate straits. Soon, she’s locked in a ferocious battle for survival—and maybe even freedom.
Part naturalistic adventure, part modern-day fable, War Bunny is a fast-paced story about friendship, honor, standing up for yourself, and coming of age.
Click here to experience a Chapter Reading of War Bunny (War Bunny Chronicles) by Christopher St. John
Christopher St. John is a writer based in northern California. He volunteers for several animal rescue organizations. And he’s proud to be part of the group that helped get the California Fur Ban signed into law in 2019.
He and his family live with rescue bunnies running freely in their well-nibbled home.
The first book in the War Bunny Chronicles was published in 2021. Kirkus Reviews calls it “An entertaining, imaginative post-apocalyptic scenario with special appeal for animal lovers.”
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“The bloodline awakens, and with it, the power to reshape destinies.”
In the thrilling 5th installment of the Gods’ Scion series, brace yourself for Rodrick’s and Arcelia’s new journey that will leave you breathless and yearning for more!
Snakes slither into the forefront as betrayals and curses unravel long-held family mysteries. The battle between Rodrick and Arcelia’s royal families reaches new heights, with struggles of power, magic, and, hopefully, loss. More of Rodrick’s family secrets rise to the surface and begin to shake the very foundations of loyalty he and his siblings once held.
And with every new revelation, Arcelia begins to doubt who she can trust and believe more and more. She will now have to delve deeper into the darkness that lurks within mortals and deities alike to save the ones she holds dear–even if it kills her.
Winnifred, or as most know her by Winnie, is an artist, entrepreneur, and author of her debut series: The Gods’ Scion. Winnie has had a lifelong love of literature and art. She wants to create a beautiful fantasy world with compelling and intriguing characters as a writer. Winnie loves to spread positivity and joy to those around her and look at the world through a glittery pink lens.
GOODREADS – To be a Fae Rogue (Realm Chronicles Series) by Tricia Copeland
BOOKBUB – To be a Fae Rogue (Realm Chronicles Series) by Tricia Copeland
Queen Titania gave up everything, her kingdom, her family, her friends, and her home, to end Sonia. Alas, Sonia’s soul lives and grows more powerful, threatening annihilation of the human realm.
Titania’s supposed death may be the only thing deterring Sonia from unleashing her wrath on the Fae Realm as well, but Titania has a sworn duty to protect the humans. Does she dare risking detection by aiding the witches in stopping Sonia from unleashing Hell on Earth?
All Titania has left is the one fae who’s pledged his love for her. Can she risk losing him, too?
To Be a Fae Rogue, the fourth book of the Realm Chronicles series, is an adventure in discovering whether the disparate beings of the human realm can set aside their differences to stop impending doom.
Read To Be a Fae Rogue to find out if Titania can outwit a powerful dark angel today!
Tricia Copeland believes in finding magic. She thinks magic infuses every aspect of our lives, whether it is the magic of falling in love, discovering a new passion, a beautiful sunset, or a book that transports us to another world. An avid runner and Georgia native, Tricia now lives with her family and four-legged friends in Colorado. Find all her titles from contemporary romance and fantasy, to dystopian fiction at www.triciacopeland.com.
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Holland Morriss has never really met a guy she could crush on. It makes sense, she lived her whole life in the same town with the same people. It’s just really hard to have a crush on someone you’ve seen eat crayons in kindergarten.
Then at the start of her junior year of high school, her family makes a sudden move to a whole different state. Holland’s new life plan is to keep her head down and graduate early so she can hightail it back to Colorado and start college with her best friend Alicia.
That is, until she meets not one, but two perfect guys. The kind of guys she’s read about in novels. The type she’s dreamed about forever. If Holland thought life was complicated before she had two crushes, she was super wrong. Really, she had no idea.
Cori Cooper lives in the magical Arizona Mountains, which she’s pretty convinced is the setting for all the fairy tales.
Besides writing stories, she adores hanging out with her family, playing board games, hiking and baking, baking, baking. Like Cat’s family, she’s positive Cinnamon Rolls fix everything.
You can connect with Cori on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and her website – Coristories.com.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/received_1258403922013171.jpeg500338itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-09-17 00:00:362024-10-07 20:36:02A Tale of Two Crushes by Cori Cooper
BOOKBUB – Productivity is Power: 5 Liberating Practices for College Students by Hillary Rettig
Can’t finish your work?
Can’t start it?
Feel like your grades don’t reflect your potential?
These days, there’s more pressure on college students than perhaps ever before. A bad economy makes it even more important to get great grades, get great internships or work-study experiences, and to graduate with a great plan. The competition at every stage is intense, and so is the stress. Meanwhile, social media isn’t helping. Not only is it massively distracting, it’s full of competitive, critical, negative, and otherwise destructive messages.
At the same time, you’re probably dealing with all the “normal” productivity challenges that most people face, including procrastination, perfectionism, and time crunch.
Traditional productivity books for general audiences can help some, but what’s really needed is a book that addresses college students’ unique needs and productivity challenges. Productivity is Power is that book. It will help you:
Locate, understand, and overcome your barriers to productivity and success so that you can become immediately more productive, successful, and happy.
Start your work on time, work steadily on it, and hand it on time. (Or early!)
Work through problems and obstacles. (No procrastination or derailments!)
Handle mistakes, failures, and other setbacks.
Manage your time well, so that you can succeed academically while also living a healthy, happy, and balanced life. And,
Work more effectively with your professors, teaching assistants, and other academic personnel.
And much more! Productivity is Power also offers many unique, and uniquely effective, solutions, including:
Re-Empowerment. How to locate and remedy the specific forms of disempowerment that keep you from doing your work.
Compassionate Objectivity. The mindset that neutralizes perfectionism while maintaining accountability and a success orientation.
Timed Work Intervals, Randomization, “Dialoguing with the Critic,” and other solutions to perfectionism.
The Joyful Dance, a highly effective work method founded on principles of personal empowerment and compassionate objectivity.
Values-Based Time Management, which helps you achieve not just maximum empowerment and productivity in the short term, but maximum success and happiness over the course of your career.
Many solutions for common writing and work problems including not finishing, not submitting, over-researching, constantly starting over, and avoidance (of difficult parts of the project). Also, for efficient decision-making both within and around projects.
Solutions for coping with criticism, rejection, and perceived failures. And,
Solutions for “digital distraction,” online harassment, and other 21st Century obstacles to work and success.
…all of which will help today’s undergraduate not just succeed, but thrive.
Don’t procrastinate on achieving your full potential! Get Productivity is Power now for yourself, or for the student, teacher, counselor, advisor, coach, or parent in your life.
C.L. Schneider is an award-winning author of immersive fantasy fiction, including The Crown of Stones Trilogy and the Nite Fire Series. While fantasy is her main focus, she also pens the occasional horror or apocalyptic tale. Born in a small Kansas town, Schneider resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley Region with her husband and two sons. To learn more about the worlds she creates, please visit her websitewww.clschneiderauthor.com or connect with C. L. Schneider on social media, where she is an active part of the indie author community.
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Thirteen-year-old Joey is in trouble. His mother can hardly feed him, which-because of his small size-is saying a lot. As war moves closer to their little town, his mother’s options for more work are a big fat zero. Desperate, she sends him to a place where he won’t starve, Lapidius. Soon after arriving, however, Joey learns that he and the hundreds of other children aren’t just charity cases. Lapidius is a prestigious military institute that develops specialized skills for combat. But Lapidius is also a mysterious place where Joey learns that the battle for which they are being trained fot is full of magic, malevolence, and monsters. The new students discover a nation found worthy to fight for.
Like the characters in his books, Matt Runals believes that individual freedom is a necessary part of working together. An early entrepreneur, he owned a paintball business as a teenager and competed in paintball semi-professionally. He attended Longwood University getting a degree in History and a Master’s of Divinity from Regent University. Later he worked at Liberty University, where he served as assistant coach and chaplain for Liberty’s paintball team and worked as a code of conduct officer and a class 3 civil rights Title IX investigator with the Dean of Students. After college, he spent fifteen years as a youth minister, mentor, and counselor, focusing on the wellbeing of trauma victims and the spiritual development of teens. Feeling called to serve in the Army he joined as a chaplain, a position he’s held for eight years. The work Runals has done in mentoring, counseling, and guiding those in need has reinforced his strong belief in community involvement and volunteering. In 2019, Matthew’s leadership was recognized when he was nominated for the General Douglas Leadership Award. Runals currently lives in Texas with his wife Dana, whom he met while playing Ultimate Frisbee, and their three children. He hopes that his work with the Army and the heart he puts into his writing will help more people see the promise and possibility in our American heritage.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/lapidius.jpg500320itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-09-05 00:01:342024-09-20 09:03:25Lapidius: Book 1 (A Nation Found Series) by Matthew Runals
Paige thought she had it all: a job on the soap opera Charmed Lives and a boyfriend who was trying to get discovered as a singer/songwriter. Then her part on the show is reduced to reoccurring status and her family pushes her to leave her acting dreams behind to major in journalism—what they call a “real job.” Her relationship with her wannabe pop star boyfriend, Walker, ends only for her to find out he signed a recording contract right after their breakup. Then she reads online that his new album is about their relationship.
She gets an internship in the sports department at the TV station where she meets a college hockey player named Viktor who has trust issues from a past relationship. Now with Walker’s pop star dreams taking off, it leaves her questioning her own play-it-safe tendencies, her acting career aspirations, self-worth, and relationships. Everyone else seems to have it together but her.
Paige and Viktor begin to confide in each other, which soon leaves them falling for each other, but Paige worries their worlds are too different for them to work as a couple. Plus, there’s the issue of Walker trying to back together with her, but has fame changed him?
Meanwhile, Paige has a minor accident which leaves her questioning if she ever really wanted a flashy lifestyle or if it was what she felt she was supposed to want. Now she must figure out what she really needs to be happy and fulfilled in life. Can Paige find both her purpose & true love?
Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. Her work includes YA contemporary, middle grade fiction, and adult and young adult rom-coms. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends…Forever?, Next Door to a Star, Landry in Like, and Competing with the Star (The Star Series: Book 2), Dating the It Guy, Can Dreams Come True, and In Over Her Head: Lights, Camera, Anxiety. Her debut novel, True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for children/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Finalist. Best Friends…Forever? is a 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Children – Preteen genre. Landry in Like is a Literary Classics Gold Medal recipient and a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal Winner. She received her BA in English and master’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Michigan-Flint.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FallingforaStarintheCity_Small.jpg1200800itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-08-04 00:03:212024-08-23 09:56:52Falling for a Star in the City (Stars in the City Series) by Krysten Lindsay Hager
Red Riding Hood & Beauty and the Beast meet Dragons in this fast-paced fantasy about a young woman caught up in a world steeped in danger and all the power and fiery heat of dragons.
Gillian was willing to enter the Shadowlands and trade her life for her brother. Getting caught by the son of the Great Dragon was not the trade she’d bargained for. Now she’s a captive, far from home, learning a tangled web of history she’s somehow part of.
But there is more to the lords who rule the Shadowlands than stories of her youth could’ve prepared her for, and she finds her heart thawing in the face of their fiery heat. Torn between duty to family and longing for the forbidden, Gillian must choose a path and, thereby, a future.
And time is running out.
Journey into an action-packed book that blends romance, fantasy, and dragon lore into an unforgettable read
Kristin Ward is an award-winning young adult author living in Connecticut. A science and math teacher for over twenty years, she infuses her geeky passions into stories that meld realism and fantasy. Kristin embraces her inner nerd regularly, often quoting 80s movies while expecting those around her to chime in with appropriate rejoinders. As a nature freak, she can be found wandering the woods or chilling in her yard with all manner of furry and feathered friends.
She is often referred to as a unicorn by colleagues who remain in awe of her ability to create or find various and sundry things in mere moments. In reality, the horn was removed years ago, leaving only a mild imprint that can be seen if she tilts her head just right. A lifelong lover of books and writing, she dreamed of becoming an author for thirty years before publishing her award-winning debut in 2018. Her first novel, After the Green Withered, is one of many things you should probably read.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dark-is-the-Wood-Kindle.jpg1200750itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2024-08-04 00:02:222024-08-23 09:56:13Dark is the Wood (Enchanted Tales with Dragon Scales Series) by Kristin Ward
Breaking free from her homeschooled cocoon, Lily is ecstatic to head off to college. She’s waving goodbye to her mom’s doom-and-gloom speeches about the big, scary world, ready to embrace freedom without a care.
George is every girl’s dream—funny, smart, and handsome. But he’s still wrecked by the mysterious disappearance of his high school sweetheart. He yearns for closure but wallows in self-pity, pining for his lost love.
Sparks fly when Lily and George meet, and their mutual attraction is instantaneous. But George resists their electric connection and retreats. Frustrated by his repeated rejections, Lily is ready to walk away for good.’
Behind the scenes, an inexperienced fairy godmother teams up with an annoyingly handsome and arrogant guardian angel to stop Lily from ditching her true soulmate, George—a potentially catastrophic decision. While they debate their strategy, an enemy from George’s past devises a greedy and revengeful plot that could destroy everything. Can George save Lily, or will he suffer a lonely future—this time, forever?
When fairies, guardian angels, and mortals collide, anything can happen.
While this novel is a complete tale in itself, delving into the first book, Ashes, will enrich your understanding of the characters and their journey.
MK has always been a voracious reader. After hitting a dry spell of reading material, she decided to write the kind of book she’d like to read. This resulted in the creation of her debut novel, Intentional. (Award for Best Sweet Romance – eFestival of Words- August 2014) Unintentional, Breaking Braydon, Taking Tiffany, The Reader, Famous by Default, soon followed. The follow-up to The Reader, The Jack, released August 2018.
Ashes, the first book in a new series of modern-day fairy tale retellings released in May 2022. (Five more books in the series to follow)
When she’s not writing novels, she likes to spend her free time traveling the world, splashing in mud puddles (She lives in Seattle, what can she say?), watching movies and reading (!) She LOVES to hear from her readers!
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Maddy is the opposite of interesting. She follows all the rules, colors inside the lines, and never, ever runs with scissors. It’s one of life’s great mysteries that she’s best friends with Leo Romano. They couldn’t be more different if they tried.
On Maddy’s seventeenth birthday, her beloved Grams gives her a DNA test as a present. It turns out, there’s a lot more lurking in Maddy’s blood than plasma and red blood cells.
Cori Cooper lives in the magical Arizona Mountains, which she’s pretty convinced is the setting for all the fairy tales.
Besides writing stories, she adores hanging out with her family, playing board games, hiking and baking, baking, baking. Like Cat’s family, she’s positive Cinnamon Rolls fix everything.
You can connect with Cori on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and her website – Coristories.com.
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The border between supernaturals and humans is at risk. War is imminent unless a comatose princess wakes. It’s only a matter of time before the situation turns violent. He’s searching everyone and everything to find a cure and a peaceful resolution.
——————
Unattached paranormals are on the prowl…
And who can blame them?
After being missing in action for quite some time, Vampire Lord Kobreon is in the limelight again. The competition is stiff to earn a place at his side. Who knows how long it will be before someone ends up owning a majority stake at the heart of the deal?
——————
She studied his history – collected his memorabilia – worshipped him from afar. If only fate’s favourable gaze would shine on her this one time…
The odds are stacked against her. Instead of fangs and claws, she has soft fuzz; replacing strength and agility are waddles and paddles. No one wants to talk to a failed shifter, let alone date one.
Can the only duckling on the water stay afloat, or will her dreams of a happily ever after sink forever?
Chances for eternal love don’t come around often. She’s praying this opportunity will turn out Just Ducky.
I was diagnosed with clinical depression after the loss of my mother, father and husband within three years of each other; all to cancer. 24/7 in-home care, coupled with the loss I felt, left its mark on my psyche.
Depression takes up a lot of my life. Reading and writing are the only things I have found that help (in connection with regular medication), even if only for a short time. To escape to a different world can make a big difference in my mood in real time.
To put things in perspective, when I was at my lowest point, I couldn’t open mail, talk on the phone, or even drive to the store. Walls of sadness surrounded me. As they closed in, tears would fall. There didn’t need to be a reason or trigger.
People ask me why I started writing. My answer is simple: I wanted to create a world into which other people with similar problems could escape. I wanted to share the one place that had helped me for many years.
I have always said that as long as one person finds a little bit of happiness out of my books, I am, in my opinion, an accomplished author. The same is true for every writer out there. Please don’t ever let anyone tell you differently.
I read books as well as write them and have visited the worlds many different authors have created. Those worlds not only make me feel better, but give me the strength to face real life again. I want to thank everyone who writes—I want them to know they are making a difference.
Fast forward to today…
C.A. King, USA Today Bestselling Author has over 75 books available across multiple fantasy sub-genres.
Awards include:
Hamilton Spectator Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author category 2017 & 2018 & 2019
Brant News Readers’ Choice Award: Best Local Author 2017
Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Best Novella/Short Story 2017 Silver medal
2017 SIBA Awards – Best Novella
2017 SIBA Awards – Best New Adult
2018 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Gold Medal in the Fiction – Supernatural genre
2018 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Bronze Medal in the Fiction – New Adult genre
2019 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Fiction – Supernatural genre
2019 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Young Adult – Fantasy – Urban genre
City of Brantford Featured Artist February 2020
Burlington Post Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020
Toronto Star Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020
Cambridge Times Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020
Burlington Post Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2021
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Goodreads – A Song of Salt and Secrets (Mythic Academy Collection) by Amanda Marin
Bookbub – A Song of Salt and Secrets (Mythic Academy Collection) by Amanda Marin
For Corisande Phillips, being a siren has meant living a cursed life, a lonely life – a life plagued by the fear of hurting someone with her deadly song. At Magwitch Academy, she has learned to control her urge to sing … for the most part, anyway.
But when a moment of weakness gets the best of her, Corisande accidentally causes Noah, a student at a nearby prep school, to crash his sailboat, unleashing the fury of the sea – and an ancient goddess who will not be robbed of her revenge. Only Noah’s love has the power to save Corisande, but how can he ever learn to care for a monster like her?
A Song of Salt and Secrets is a standalone novella-length story.
When Amanda was a child, her father traveled frequently for business, always bringing back a book as a present for her. Whether she was getting lost in the pages of a tale about faraway knights, girls with supernatural powers, or kindly giants, she was quickly hooked on stories.
Nowadays, Amanda writes books of her own. A USA Today bestselling author, she also works in scholarly publishing. Her favorite things include Starbucks lattes, lazy summer afternoons at the beach, and stories with characters that make you go “awww.” She lives in New England with her family and furbaby, Snickers the Poodle.
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Myth says the Guardians ended the Sorcery War by draining all sorcerers of their powers, or killing them. The Guardians then vanished without a trace – and so did magic. But the myths are wrong. Magic wielders lived on in hiding. Now Sorcerer King Nartzeer is recruiting them, in a world that hates and fears their power.��Terrorised by Nartzeer’s pre-emptive strike, Ruarnon’s Guardian-descent-claiming allies set sail to annihilate Nartzeer. Ruarnon hopes to free their family from