31 Novels to Read Before You Die by Deb Atwood Day 10 in the Monster Mash Book Blitz Countdown Event

Deb Atwood holds an MFA and lives in California with her husband and rescue dog Nala. Her time-slip novel Moonlight Dancer was selected as a front page Featured Review by Book Ideas. Deb's work has appeared in numerous anthologies. Her interests include ghost fiction, Korean culture, quilting, and, of course, reading.

Q&A With the Author:

What is your largest unfulfilled dream? What are you doing towards making that dream a reality?

My unfulfilled dream is to write the perfect book. With every project, blog post, essay, manuscript, I try to stretch myself beyond what I’ve done before. I’m a perpetual student. I read excellent novels, study writing craft, and produce multiple drafts. That’s partly why I’m so slow to put out books. I haven’t written the perfect project yet, but I keep trying.

Tell a story about yourself.

To say I am directionally challenged would be like calling Buckingham Palace a cozy bungalow. The phrase “She can’t find her way out of a paper bag” was invented for me.

I try to compensate. Truly I do. For instance, I always mark my parking ticket with the floor and section. Once, I had driven my husband to the airport back in the days when you could walk people to the gate. When I reached the walkway in front of the airport, I realized I had failed to mark my location. No problem, thought I, as I could see my car from the walkway. Clever me, I noticed that my car was directly in line with a commercial bank. All I’d need to do upon exiting the airport would be to walk in a line toward the bank and I’d reach my car. My daughter and I saw my husband off, and I left the airport confident in my abilities (I have since noticed that in my case confidence bears an inverse relationship to competence). What I hadn’t realized was that the airport was built on a circle. Everywhere I turned, every direction I walked, lugging my 19 pound firstborn for an hour in 90 degree weather, was in a direct line to the commercial bank. By the time we stumbled upon the car, I was exhausted.

A few times my husband (who’s an excellent navigator) was out of town, and I’ve had to transport myself to events with questionable results. Most recently, my daughter and I were driving to my niece’s wedding. (Why is it always weddings that give me trouble?) I had carefully transcribed the directions from Mapquest and was reading them to her as she drove. I was so proud of myself for noting down every turn that would take us to 145 Main Street (but, as they say, pride goeth before a fall). The drive would take 30 minutes; naturally, I had added the 125 percent cushion required by someone with my infirmity. All was going well until we prepared to exit the freeway at Main Street in Vallejo when my daughter turned to me and said, “Doesn’t Allegra live in Vacaville?”

Vacaville, Vallejo…what’s the difference? Back on the freeway, we raced to Vacaville, parked, and ran to the service where we arrived just in time. All part of the plan.

Connect with the Author here: 

 ~ Website ~ Twitter ~

"As readers of Deb Atwood’s blog Pen In Her Hand know, Atwood is passionate about ghost fiction. Since 2011, Atwood has read, re-read, and written about ghost literature. 31 Ghost Novels to Read Before You Die presents a selection of the best of these posts. 

Among the books discussed are old favorites (The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson) as well as some indie gems few people will know about (The 20’s Girl, the Ghost, and All That Jazz by June Kearns). There are ghost novels for every reader, in genres ranging from historical to literary to romance. "

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon AU ~

Top Ten List:

1.  I like spiders, but I'm afraid of yellow jackets (the insect, not the garment).

2.  My hair is purple.

3.  I love to wander around old cemeteries.

4.  I have traveled throughout the Korean countryside (and treasured every minute).

5.  My heart goes pitter patter for big dogs and fat cats.

6.  If I had to choose one mode of travel, I would choose the train.

7.  I suffer from math phobia.

8.  One time in London I inadvertently spent a night in a homeless hotel, and it changed me.

9.  I'm a scaredy cat passenger in a car (as my husband will attest).

10. I'm passionate about ghost fiction and ghost movies.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Great Summer Countdown Day 10- A Doorway Back to Forever: Believe by Nanette O'Neal

Musician, author, and avid Star Trek fan, Nanette loves anything that challenges her mind and enlightens her spirit. She got the idea for her book series from her faith and love of family. Wouldn’t it be neat to travel back and forth through time to discover hidden powers and your true potential? Nanette thought so, and thus began the Doorway series. Believe is the first of seven books designed to entertain and inspire both young and seasoned readers. She is a frequent hiker at Glacier National Park, loves her dear husband and family, and when she isn't writing, takes her dogs on long walks.


Q&A with the Author:

3.  What is the thing you struggle with the most while writing? And how do you defeat it?

I struggle most with finding time to write. There’s always something that gets in the way if you let it, and when I do make time, my mind is often flooded with other things I should be doing. I’ve learned to budget my time better and to not beat myself up if I don’t reach a daily goal. I’ve also learned that if I give back to the writing community by doing critiques or reviews, it inspires me in my personal craft, making it easier to write.

4.   What kind of music do you listen to while you write?

I’m a musician, so music is always running through my head! But the best music for me is something epic and uplifting. It motivates me and gets the creative juices going!

Connect with the Author here: 

~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Facebook Group ~

Every great warrior begins by taking a stand.

Best friends share everything, right? Unless it’s a secret that could cost them their lives. Robyn and Kit are born with forbidden magic-sense, the power to see and hear beyond Earthly sight and sound. It’s a curse that haunts them, but the girls are strangely drawn to it—could there be more to this power than they’ve been told?

When they spill their secret, it opens a doorway back to Forever—a beautiful realm where magic-sense began. They learn the truth: they have been given a noble gift. It connects them to the Skyborn royalty of this new world. They’ve been summoned back by the forces for good to preserve the kingdom and revive the power where it once flourished—on Earth. It can thrive again, if Robyn and Kit are brave enough to follow.

However, the doorway awakens more than magical fairy-tales. A dark force is unleashed—one that has battled the Skyborn since time began, and it wants the girls dead, the Earth destroyed.

Beyond the doorway is where the adventure begins—trickery, kidnapping, a prison break, rescue teams, sword fights, magical gold-dust, holographic medallions, and singing orbs—but only for those who have the courage to believe.

~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ 
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~ 

Snippet:

“Good night, Kit.” Her mom’s voice echoed in a weary monotone.

“But Mom, it’s still summer vaca—”

“You need to get some sleep before our big move. Good night.”

“But—”

“You heard your mother,” her dad said. “It’s bedtime. Good night.”

Kit muttered to herself. “Sure, now that things are getting good. Always sending me to bed. Like I’m still a little kid.”

She had found an awesome hiding place—molded in the living room couch behind the stack of boxes. It was perfectly out of sight from her parents sitting in the kitchen, but not out of earshot. Listening in on their private conversations had been a game she had mastered when she was ten. At first, it had been to find out where they’d go on vacation, or what kind of punishment her little brother, McCoy, would get for trying to teach the cat to swim, but ever since she turned twelve, things had gotten serious. Last month, the conversations were less about family things and more about scary things—things she thought might have to do with their need to move so suddenly.

She wasn’t looking forward to it. If she could only listen a little longer, she might be able to figure out what was going on. She huffed again, a little louder this time. There was no use arguing when her parents banded together. Her plan was a wash, and she’d have no chance to overhear anything. She rolled her eyes and clomped down the hallway.

Kit shut her bedroom door hard enough to make her anger known, but not enough to wake her younger sister, Shirley. At least in the new house, she’d have her own room. Maybe I can still hear. She opened the door, letting in a sliver of light from the kitchen. She turned to allow for ample hearing space, tucked her hair behind her left ear, then froze in place. She could hear a few things, but not enough to make out anything juicy.

Wait—what was that? The rustling of papers from inside her room distracted her. Shirley was still asleep. The window was closed. What could have made that noise? She squinted in the darkness and brushed her hair back again. A presence entered the room—chilling, menacing—one she couldn’t see, but could feel as if it pressed against her. A tingle ran through her bones. She shuddered at the eeriness—it was overwhelming.

The unknown figure let out a dark laugh that echoed through the room and made the hair on her arms stand up. A voice followed, deep and full of vengeance.

“They thought they could banish me forever—fools, all of them. Underestimating my power and intelligence was their first mistake. Well, they’ll be sorry. I have the power now to destroy them and their precious legend.”

Kit flipped on the light. The presence she felt vanished. The room was empty except for her and her zonked-out sister. Who was that she heard speaking? She staggered, then realized she had forgotten to breathe. She put her hand to her chest and gulped for air. Am I crazy?

A feeling came over Kit like someone else had entered the room. Forces of invisible energy hovered a few feet in front of her. A single presence, then a second, then a third, whispering at first—a conversation—pensive, serious, unlike the first lone voice. They surrounded her, as though she was meant to be a part of it, to hear every word.

“My son, the Golden-Heart cannot lie. It is time.” It was a male voice, solemn, urgent, yet gentle.

“We love you, son. You know what you must do.” A female voice this time. It cracked as if she had been crying.

“Yes, Mother, Father. It all fits together. The ancient book concurs.” The answering voice was from a younger man, yet as gentle as the other two.

Who are they?

“The Legend is to be fulfilled at all costs,” said the older male. “Take this vessel and the Book of Ancient Tomorrows. Guard them faithfully.”

“I understand. I will not fail.”

These voices were so different from the first. A father, a mother, a grown son—concern, urgency. Kit scanned the room. Empty, yet she called out anyway. “Who’s there? What’s going on?” No one replied. The feeling in the room left as quickly as it had come.

Kit’s hair lay in wet strands along the back of her neck. She tried to slow her breathing, but the gasps wouldn’t stop. Shirley stirred for a moment, then turned toward the wall. Kit switched off the lights and sat down at the foot of her bed.

Eavesdropping on her parents was only a game. Hearing conversations from invisible people either meant she was crazy…

…or she had magic-sense.

Either way, she was in big trouble.

To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page 

a Rafflecopter giveaway