Saturday, October 14, 2017

SPOOKTACULAR GIVEAWAY HOP - Spooky Reads





I love October, I love Halloween, I love horror, ghost stories and spooky reads. So for my hop stop I am going to spotlight several horror, ghost stories and spooky reads. In no particular order you will read about some books and authors that I either have read and enjoyed or that can be found on my TBR list. For my giveaway I am offering a signed copy of "Skull full of kisses" By Michael West who is one of my favorite horror writers. 


1.) Tim McWhorter 
Tim McWhorter was born under a waning crescent moon, and while he has no idea what the significance is, he thinks it sounds really cool to say. A graduate of Otterbein College with a BA in Creative Writing, he is the author of the novella Shadows Remain, the suspense-thrillers, Bone White, and its sequel, Blackened, and a collection of short stories titled Swallowing The Worm and Other Stories. He lives the suburban life just outside of Columbus, OH, with his wife, a handful of children and a few obligatory 'family' pets that have somehow become solely his responsibility. He is currently hard at work on another thriller with just enough horror to keep you up at night. 

He is available for conversation through Twitter (@Tim_McWhorter), Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Tim-Mcwhorter-author) and his website (www.timmcwhorter.com).
Bone White (front - CS)
Where to buy: Amazon
2.) Lindsey Behee
Lindsey Behee was born and raised in Frankfort, Kentucky. Married in 2009, she had the opportunity to travel the United States due to her husband's job, living in California and Colorado before settling in Texas. Currently, she is lucky to get to stay home with their two young daughters. This has given her the chance to fulfill her dream and finally get pen to paper.

In October 2015, Lindsey published her first book, a collection of short stories titled "Paranormalish: A Collection of Writings."
Paranormalish: A Collection of Writings by [Behee, Lindsey]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lindsey-Behee-396110584137252/
Where to buy: Amazon
3.) Brick Marlin 
Brick Marlin has been writing since he was a child. From an early age he was exposed to older, original horror movies. The great ones that have made a mark in history. He also tackled reading the likes of Stephen King, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Dean Koontz, Charles Dickens, Harper Lee, H.G. Wells, W. W. Jacobs, etc. Thus, he decided to engage himself and write horror and dark fantasy, scaring readers such as his parents, his friends, a handful of neighbors, and even leaving a few school teachers scratching their heads wondering if the boy should be committed or not with his gruesome tales of terror. Short story ideas continued to visit. A book idea or two sometimes stopped by for a sit. In 2007 he decided to take a more professional approach with his work. Hence, as a member of the Horror Writers Association, already having five books published by small presses with one more in the works coming soon, nearly twenty-five short stories published, adding to the few anthologies and collaborations with other authors, Brick Marlin trudges onward, hoping to achieve more creations, living in the minds of his characters making decisions such as whether to turn the knob and enter through the Red Door, or perhaps try and take a chance at the Blue Door, the one that is already ajar, a bony finger beckoning the next visitor. You can also visit Brick at: http://www.brickmarlin.com/
Shadow Out of the Sky (Transitional Delusions Series Book 1) by [Marlin, Brick]
Where to buy: Amazon
4.) Selah Janel 
Selah Janel has been blessed with a giant imagination since she was little when she wondered if fairies lived in the nearby state park and worried that vampires hid in the old barns outside of town. Her appreciation for a good story was enhanced by a love of reading, the many talented storytellers that surrounded her, and a healthy curiosity for everything. A talent for warping everything she learned didn't hurt, either. 
Everything she does feeds the idea machine and she often finds a story in the strangest of places. She gravitates to writing fantasy and horror but will give any genre a chance if the idea is good enough. Her work has appeared in the winter 2012 issue of The MacGuffin, issue three and five of The Realm Beyond, and the back to school issue of Stories for Children Magazine. She has also contributed to multiple anthologies including The Big Bad: an Anthology of Evil, the upcoming Thunder on the Battlefield, and the upcoming Bedtime Stories for Girls.  She has multiple e-books with Mocha Memoirs Press, including Holly and Ivy and The Other Man. Olde School, the first book in The Kingdom City Chronicles will be out later this year with Seventh Star Press.
Catch up with Selah in the following places: Blog - www.selahjanel.wordpress.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/authorSJ
Twitter - www.twitter.com/SelahJanel
Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/selahjanel
Mooner by [Janel, Selah]
Where to buy: Amazon
5.) Stephen Zimmer
Award-winning author and filmmaker Stephen Zimmer is based out of Lexington, Kentucky. His works include the Rising Dawn Saga, the Fires in Eden Series, the Hellscapes and Chronicles of Ave short story collections, the Harvey and Solomon steampunk stories, and the Rayden Valkyrie Tales. Stephen currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky.

Stephen can be found online at:
www.stephenzimmer.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sgzimmer
Hellscapes, Volume 1
Where to buy: Amazon
6.) Alexander S. Brown
Alexander S. Brown is a Mississippi author who was published in 2008 with his first book Traumatized. Reviews for this short story collection were so favorable that it has been released as a special edition by Pro Se Press. Brown is currently one of the co-editors/coordinators with the Southern Haunts anthologies published by Seventh Star Press. His horror novel Syrenthia Falls is represented by Dark Oak Press. His current short story collection The Night the Jack O’ Lantern Went Out, published by Pro Se Press, received bestseller status under three literary categories on Amazon.com upon release. He is currently dabbling in spoken word poetry. He is the author of multiple young adult steampunk stories found in the Dreams of Steam anthologies, Capes and Clockwork anthologies, and the anthology Clockwork Spells and Magical Bells. His more extreme works can be found in the anthology Luna’s Children published by Dark Oak Press, Reel Dark published by Seventh Star Press and State of Horror: Louisiana Vol 1 published by Charon Coin Press. Brown is also the producer of, and actor, in the short film The Acquired Taste inspired by a story in his book Traumatized and directed by Chuck Jett.
Connect: https://www.facebook.com/Alexander-S-Brown-47904064687/
https://twitter.com/alexandersbrown?lang=en
https://traumatizedalexandersbrown.wordpress.com/
Where to buy: Amazon
7.) Emerian Rich 
Emerian Rich is the author of the Night's Knights Vampire Series. She's been included in many short story anthologies and also writes romance under Emmy Z. Madrigal. She is the horror host of HorrorAddicts.net and Editorial Director for the San Francisco Bay Area magazine, SEARCH. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and son. Find out more about Emerian at: www.emzbox.com
https://www.facebook.com/EmerianRich/
Product Details
Where to buy: Amazon
8.) Glenn Porzig 
Glenn Porzig is best known as the creator of the comic book heroine Ace of Diamonds. Glenn grew up reading comics, pulp novels, and watching too much TV. Glenn and his wife Carly have written three screenplays together. They live in Indiana with a menagerie of both furry and scaly pets. Since 2005 he has been the co-host of PodCulture.com a weekly fandom podcast. Glenn has worked over twenty years in the television industry including two highly rated specials for SCI FI Channel; The Roswell Crash: Startling New Evidence, and The New Roswell: Kecksburg Exposed. He currently, literally, has his head in the clouds as a videographer on a TV news helicopter. Recently he has turned his attention to writing short stories and novellas. Glenn's first short story, Master of the Dead, was published by Destroyer Books in More Blood: A Sinanju Anthology. His debut occult horror novella, Darkness Unbound: Lady in Black, was released the summer of 2014. Glenn is proud to have collaborated with legendary Scream Queen Brinke Stevens to bring the Darkness Unbound series to life as audiobooks.
You can learn more about his writing projects at DarknessUnbound.com.
https://www.facebook.com/GraphicEntertainment/
https://twitter.com/glennporzig
Product Details
This one is his trilogy in one book and it is only 99 cents for the eBook. 
Where to buy: Amazon
9.) Jack Wallen
Jack Wallen is what happens when a Gen Xer mind-melds with present day snark. Jack is a seeker of truth and a writer of words with a quantum mechanical pencil and a disjointed beat of sound and soul. Although he resides in the unlikely city of Louisville, Kentucky, Jack likes to think of himself more as an interplanetary traveler, on the lookout for the Satellite of Love and a perpetual movie sign...or so he tells the reflection in the mirror (some times in 3rd person). Jack is the author of numerous tales of dark, twisty fiction including the I Zombie series, the Klockwerk Movement, the Fringe Killer series, Shero, The Nameless Saga, and much more.
http://monkeypantz.net/
https://www.facebook.com/author.jackwallen/
https://twitter.com/jlwallen?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Product Details
Where to buy: Amazon
10.) JH Glaze
Living in the heart of the South, J.H. Glaze spins tales that will grab you by the throat and not let you go until the last page. If you are a fan of Horror, Thrillers, Action, and like the occasional dash of Humor in the mix, Glaze is the author who should be on your reading short list. His stories are packed with punch and wit, and when you meet him at a Horror/SciFi/Fantasy convention, he will dare you to pick one up, read a few paragraphs and try to stop reading – if you can. With multiple titles under his belt, Glaze has established a solid reputation as a writer. When his characters aren’t screaming, their cool and natural dialog will draw you into their world and set you up for some of the most unique plot twists you have ever encountered. Step into the vortex of the writings of J.H. Glaze. When you reach the final page of each of his stories, you will find yourself shaking your fist at the sky and screaming what most everyone who reads him does, “I WANT MORE!” Glaze draws inspiration for his tales from the adventurous life he has lived and the unusual people he has met along the way. He was born and raised in Niles, Ohio, but currently lives in Atlanta with his wife, Susan, three dogs and a parrot who bites him whenever it gets the chance.
http://www.jhglaze.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JHGlaze.author/
https://twitter.com/themostcoolone?lang=en
Product Details
Where to buy: Amazon
11.) RJ Sullivan 
R.J. Sullivan’s latest book, Commanding the Red Lotus, is a novel-length collection of three space opera tales in the tradition of Andre Norton and Gene Roddenberry. His novel Haunting Blue is an edgy paranormal thriller and the first book of the adventures of punk girl Fiona “Blue” Shaefer and her boyfriend Chip Farren. Seventh Star Press also released Haunting Obsession, a Rebecca Burton Novella, and Virtual Blue, the second part of Fiona’s tale. R.J.’s short stories have been featured in such acclaimed collections as Dark Faith Invocations by Apex Books and Vampires Don’t Sparkle. These stories were compiled in R.J.'s 2015 collection Darkness with a Chance of Whimsy.

R.J. co-hosts the Two Towers Talk Show YouTube program with John F. Allen (twotowerstalkshow.com). He resides with his family in Heartland Crossing, Indiana. He drinks regularly from a Little Mermaid coffee mug and is man enough to admit it. Check in to rjsullivanfiction.com to learn the latest about the projects of R.J. Sullivan.
https://www.facebook.com/R.J.SullivanAuthor/?pnref=lhc
Product Details
Where to buy: Amazon
12.) Deanna Jewel
Deanna Jewel is a multi-genre romance author and has been writing for several years. Now living in northern Idaho in the Pacific Northwest, she is working on several projects. In addition to writing, creating book trailers is another of her passions. When she isn't busy creating, Deanna enjoys reading, cover designing, web and banner designs, gardening and travel.  Visit her website at http://deannajewel.com to find out more about her and her work. She has a monthly contests, a new newsletter, and lots to do on her website. She enjoys helping other authors with interviews on her blog site at http://deannajewel.blogspot.com so hop over and find yourself a new author or two!
https://www.facebook.com/deanna.jewel?lst=796298507%3A1290840300%3A1508032630
https://twitter.com/DeannaJewel
Product Details
Where to buy: Amazon
13.) Michael West 
Michael West is the bestselling author of Cinema of Shadows, Spook House, The Wide Game, Skull Full of Kisses, and the critically-acclaimed Legacy of the Gods series. A graduate of Indiana University, West earned a degree in Telecommunications and Film Theory, and since that time, he has written a multitude of short stories, articles, and reviews for various on-line and print publications. He lives and works in the Indianapolis area with his wife, their two children, their turtle, Gamera, and their dog, King Seesar. His children are convinced that spirits move through the woods near their home.  West's short story "Goodnight," originally published in WICKED KARNIVAL #6, was named "Best Horror Short Story of 2005" in the P&E Readers Poll.
http://bymichaelwest.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bymichaelwestpage/
https://twitter.com/byMichaelWest/
Product Details
Where to buy:Amazon






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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Banned Book Week Giveaway Hop



I have always been fascinated by banned and challenged books. The minute someone challenges a book I want to read it. Some of the most profound, moving books are on the banned and challenged list. I wonder what it would have been like to never be able to read these books. I am so happy
to be apart if this hop. I am offering one book in this giveaway that has been banned or challenged.  Giveaway can be found at the bottom of the page.
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers — in shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
(http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks)

Top Ten for 2016

Out of 323 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

  1. This One Summer written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
    Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, drug use and profanity, and it was considered sexually explicit with mature themes
  2. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
    Reasons: challenged because it includes LGBT characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint
  3. George written by Alex Gino
    Reasons: challenged because it includes a transgender child, and the “sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels”
  4. I Am Jazz written by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and illustrated by Shelagh McNicholas
    Reasons: challenged because it portrays a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints
  5. Two Boys Kissing written by David Levithan
    Reasons: challenged because its cover has an image of two boys kissing, and it was considered to include sexually explicit LGBT content
  6. Looking for Alaska written by John Green
    Reasons: challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead a student to “sexual experimentation”
  7. Big Hard Sex Criminals written by Matt Fraction and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky
    Reason: challenged because it was considered sexually explicit
  8. Make Something Up: Stories You Can’t Unread written by Chuck Palahniuk
    Reasons: challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being “disgusting and all around offensive”
  9. Little Bill (series) written by Bill Cosby and and illustrated by Varnette P. Honeywood
    Reason: challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author
  10. Eleanor & Park written by Rainbow Rowell
    Reason: challenged for offensive language
(http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#2016) 

 More Information:
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/

 GIVEAWAY TIME!!!!
Up for grabs in one books from the following list of my most favorite banned or challanged book. The winner will choose one book from the following list and it will be shipped straight to them from amazon. 

Bruel, Nick.

Bad Kitty for President.

Square Fish.
Challenged in the Henderson, Nev., James Gibson Elementary School because when talking about money in a campaign, it says “A billion dollars! Holy %#@$.” The author of the chapter book said he believes the symbols are vague and harmless.

Source: Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, Winter 2017, p.36.



Chbosky, Stephen.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Pocket Books.
Removed from the Pasco, Fla., Middle School because it was deemed “disgusting” for its explicit sexual references. A substitute teacher at Pasco Middle School had assigned the novel to seventh-graders in an advanced language arts class. The novel was adapted into a film in 2012, which received mainly positive reviews; MTV, Us Weekly, and Complex named it as one of the best films of the year. Challenged, but retained in the Dubuque, Iowa, School District after three hours of testimony at a school board meeting. While some parents complained about the book’s sex scenes and depictions of drugs and alcohol use, the overwhelming majority of those who spoke over the course of three hours defended the book. Many of the more than forty speakers talked about their personal connection to the book. The school will provide an alternative book if Advanced Placement students or their parents request it.
Source: Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, Summer/Fall 2016, p. 36; Winter 2017, p. 72.

Hinton, S. E.

The Outsiders.

Dell; Viking.
Retained on the Williamsburg, Iowa, seventh-grade reading list. The book focuses on the life of a fourteen-year-old boy who struggles with concepts of wrong and right in a society in which he feels he is an outsider. The complainant said the book contained subjects that are socially, emotionally, and developmentally difficult for seventh-graders to deal with, including conflict, crime, death of a character, and gang fighting. The following reasons were cited for retaining the book in the seventh-grade curriculum: lower reading level allows the focus to be placed on the understanding and recognition of the themes that are developed in the book; favored by boys, who tend to be more averse to reading in general; and student members of the reconsideration committee both felt that the book was something they enjoyed reading and that it dealt with topics that come up in movies, television, and video games, and a classroom discussion about those things is helpful.
Source: Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, Winter 2017, p. 72.

Sebold, Alice.

The Lovely Bones.

Little, Brown and Company.
Challenged and under review in the sophomore-level Academic English II classes at Lemont, Ill., High School District 210 because a parent considers it “pornographic.” The 2009 film received numerous accolades, including Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), and Academy Award nominations.
Source: Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy, Winter 2017, pp. 35–36.

Card, Orson Scott

Ender’s Game

Tor Science Fiction
A teacher at Schofield Middle School in Aiken, S.C. (2012) will not face criminal charges for reading to his students from the science-fiction book. In addition to the Card novel -- which has won several science-fiction awards and is listed on numerous children’s literature review websites as appropriate for readers twelve and older -- the teacher read excerpts from an Agatha Christie novel and a young adult novel set in the Old West, officials said. The incident came to light after the materials were characterized by one student and one parent as pornographic, according to a press release issued by the school district. 

       Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, May 2012, p. 107.

Ignatow, Amy

The Popularity Papers

Amulet
Challenged, but retained at two Prosser, Wash. elementary school libraries (2013). Only available to fifth graders, the book is about two girls who want to unlock the secrets to being popular in middle school. One of the girls has two fathers; the other has only a mother.
Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, May 2013, p. 124.


Pelzer, Dave

A Child Called It

HCI
Challenged at the Housel Middle School in Prosser, Wash. (2013) because the autobiography provides graphic depiction of child abuse. Middle-school students had to have parental permission to check out the book.
Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Mar. 2013, p. 49.





Gaiman, Neil

Neverwhere

BBC Books
Temporarily removed from the Alamogordo, N.Mex. High School library and curriculum (2013) because of what one parent calls “inappropriate content.” The British author wrote in The Guardian: “Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child’s love of reading. Stop them reading what they enjoy or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like—the twenty-first-century equivalents of Victorian ’improving’ literature—you’ll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and, worse, unpleasant.”
       Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Nov. 2013, pp. 217-18.

Capote, Truman

In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and its Consequences

Modern Library; Random; Vintage; G.K. Hall; Transaction
Some Glendale, Calif. Unified School District officials and parents (2011) attempted to block a request by a high school English teacher to add the text to the district’s advanced English curriculum because the nonfiction book was “too violent for a young audience”; the school board voted 4-0 to approve the book for Advanced Placement students. Since its publication in 1965, it has been widely recognized as a seminal work in American literature, frequently appearing on high school and college reading lists.

Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, Nov. 2011, p. 204; Jan. 2012, pp. 35-36.

 Smith, Jeff

Bone

Scholastic
Retained in the Rosemount, Minn. elementary school libraries (2010) despite a parent’s concern that the series includes smoking, drinking, and gambling in its graphics and storyline. The series is rated suitable for fourth grade and up, has won several awards, and received positive reviews from national publications, including Time, which touted the series as the “best all-ages graphic novel ever published.”
Source: Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, July 2010, p. 175.

Rafflecopter Giveaway 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions: US Only. Book could be new or used but will come from Amazon. I will email the winner and they have 48 hours to respond or I will choose a new winner. Thanks for entering and good luck. 

This is a Blog Hop Continue the hop and check out these other blogs that are involved in the banned book blog hop. 

THANKS BOOKHOUNDS FOR HOSTING!!!!


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