RRR presents... UNDERRATED by Morwenna Blackwood - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!

HI there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a title currently on tour with Rachel's Random Resources. It's a story that explores the world of escape from BOTH sides of the drug crisis. After the proper introductions, KEEP READING as we share a SPECIAL EXCERPT for your reading pleasure! Ladies and gents, prepare to fall down the rabbit hole as we take a closer look at today's title in the spotlight...

Underrated

by

Morwenna Blackwood

About the book...

“I stand as close as I can to the Liver Building without looking proper weird and tip my head back. My eyes can’t focus properly, but I can make out a turquoise shape right at the top, so I mouth ’iya to Bella. I’m a bit soft on the Liver Birds. They’re 300-odd feet up in the air, so they should be able to see everything, but they’re chained down…”

A story of the far-reaching effects of unrequited love and drug (ab)use, Underrated follows five lads who are just trying to make things better for themselves. In Liverpool and on the south Devon coast, their lives entangle as they turn to cocaine.

While some people take drugs to escape their circumstances, others deal drugs to escape theirs. But is escape ever really an option?

---> GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY <---

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~~~ EXCERPT ~~~

Will is eighteen. He was unhappy at home with his parents, so he found a flat, and has just moved in. He’s short of money, and his landlord has just given him some bad news. At a loss as to what to do, Will has gone to the pub...

I’d never been the first one in a pub before. The church clock was clanging eleven as I got there, but I didn’t take any notice of it until I pulled the door and realised it was still locked. I stood on the step and rolled a cigarette – a nice fat one – and as the main entrance gave hardly any shelter, I stood in the alcove bit in front of the big black gates, and smoked it as I would have done any Saturday night. I wasn’t there long before the alchies began to gather. I felt a bit awkward – this was clearly a morning ritual for them, and they presumed I was joining them. I didn’t want to make small talk with a bunch of wasters, so I just smiled and moved over a bit, but one of them – a thin bloke in dirty jeans – slurred, yellow-faced “Mate, don’t suppose I could cadge a bit of weed off you, could I?”

I was a it taken aback, and replied, “Sorry, mate, I don’t touch the stuff.”

He just smirked and said, “I may look a bit gone in the head, mate, but I wasn’t born yesterday – your coat stinks of it.” He had me there. And that’s when it started.

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About the author...

When she was six years old, Morwenna wrote and endless story about a frog, and hasn’t stopped writing since.

She’s the author of bestselling noir psychological thrillers, The (D)Evolution of Us, and Glasshouse, has an MA in Creative Writing, and can usually be found down by the sea. Morwenna's third novel, Underrated, was published by #darkstroke on Valentine's Day, 2022, and she has several works in progress.

She often thinks about that frog.

SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM

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YOUR CHANCE TO WIN...

...paperback copies of The (D)Evolution of Us and Glasshouse by Morwenna Blackwood

 (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

PRE BOOK BIRTHDAY BUZZ: Coming Up for Air by Nicole B. Tyndall - REVIEW!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're shining the late night book spotlight on a title set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY this Tuesday via Delacorte Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It's a NEW Young Adult title that deals with some pretty heavy topics, doesn't sugar coat, and yet still reminds us that we're never truly alone, if only we'll reach out a hand. Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

Coming Up for Air

by

Nicole B. Tyndall

9780593127087

Delacorte Press

About the book…

Ever since her mom’s cancer scare, Hadley hasn’t been one for taking risks. And after seeing her sister go through one too many heartbreaks, she definitely has no interest in dating. Hadley just wants to keep her head down and enjoy the rest of high school with her friends, focusing on her photography and getting into the art school of her dreams.

Then enters Braden, star of the swim team and precisely the kind of person Hadley avoids, all bravado and charm and impulsivity. From their first moment together, they are perfect sparring partners, equally matched. And it’s intoxicating. Braden sees her, really sees her, and Hadley decides it might be time to break all her rules.

Braden shows Hadley how to live again, and soon Hadley is happier than she’ll ever admit out loud. But that’s before her family is faced with devastating news, and Braden starts hiding a growing, dark secret. As it threatens to shatter everything they’ve built, Hadley must confront her own actions and determine if she has the strength to walk away.

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Figuring out the meaning behind the title is half the fun. Coming Up for Air was such an easy one, or so you might think, considering the main leading male is a swimmer. Ah, but then you’d be judging things a bit too quickly…

Coming Up for Air comes into play SO MANY times in this novel, I'd almost lost track. First, the obvious one we mentioned because at some point, they do have to do that actual action. Second, it applies to Braden yet again in a life sense. Ever been told you take things too seriously? Yeah, well that was him and the swimming. I mean I get it...it was him working towards his goal of a scholarship based on his athletic talent; a totally worthy goal to say the least. The problem lies in that his focus was so laser, so single oriented that when things start messing with that direct path, he's not prepared to swerve. He takes on SO much and keeps holding his head high, so that while yes it looks like he's breathing easy, he's actually been holding his breath the whole time. 

Then we have it in a life sense for our girl, Hadley. She's definitely been treading water, what with her family dealing with her mother's diagnosis and treatment. Add to that college entries, the current school year, and her new boyfriend, Braden. Yeah, okay spoiler alert there, but it's not really because it's pretty much the first thing that happens after we're introduced to the PRESENT and then the PAST. Anyway, why would she need to be coming up for air...especially in the last scenario. Ever get lost in someone? I mean to the point where we don't know where you end and they begin? Yeah, it hits our girl hard, the love bug that is, but there's something else. His problems become her problems and she feels guilty, as if she added to his problems, and that just snowballs from there until it all falls apart, rather spectacularly, and heartbreakingly all at the same time.

So you see, the titles applies several times over and in many ways, but in the end, they all add up to taking a moment in your life to actually BREATHE. It's never too late to change course, and the bumps in the road or rough water we encounter are meant for us to grow from and overcome, but if ever they feel like TOO much, there's no harm in reaching out for a helping hand. In the end, the story kept me pulled in,while the heady topics came as somewhat of a surprise, but I have to admit, as dark as some things get, I appreciated the way the author handled a topic so large and yet so meaningful.

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About the author...

Nicole grew up in a small town in Michigan and currently lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, Matt. When she’s not reading or writing, Nicole can be found cooking in her tiny apartment, trying to collect stamps on her passport, or laughing with her lifelong girlfriends.

Visit Nicole online at nicolebtyndall.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @nicolebtyndall.

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Special thanks to Joey at Random House Children’s Books for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is set to release this Tuesday (December 15th, 2020), so mark your calendar or pre order your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO... Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

I had planned on making this my MONDAY post, but alas, time got away from me and I was still finishing my read through of the ARC, so BOOM...we're breaking out the party hats and horns for a BOOK BIRTHDAY celebration.  You good?  Good because today's celebrant is all about making time for the things that really matter in life...in a dark humor enriched, lack of sugar coating sort of way.  Trust me, the weird factor makes it THAT more memorable.  Make room on your reading lists for today's book of choice...

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe

by

Preston Norton

9781484790625

Disney Hyperion

About the book...

Cliff Hubbard is a huge loser. Literally. His nickname at Happy Valley High School is Neanderthal because he’s so enormous-6’6″ and 250 pounds to be exact. He has nobody at school, and life in his trailer-park home has gone from bad to worse ever since his older brother’s suicide. There’s no one Cliff hates more than the nauseatingly cool quarterback, Aaron Zimmerman. Then Aaron returns to school after a near-death experience with a bizarre claim: while he was unconscious he saw God, who gave him a list of things to do to make Happy Valley High suck less. And God said there’s only one person who can help: Neanderthal. To his own surprise, Cliff says he’s in. As he and Aaron make their way through the List, which involves a vindictive English teacher, a mysterious computer hacker, a decidedly unchristian cult of Jesus Teens, the local drug dealers, and the meanest bully at HVHS, Cliff feels like he’s part of something for the first time since losing his brother. But fixing a broken school isn’t as simple as it seems, and just when Cliff thinks they’ve completed the List, he realizes their mission hits closer to home than he ever imagined.

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This is a story about those treasured years we spend in high school and how those memories are the fondest of our lives and...this is so much BS right now, even I can't keep a straight face and I'm not actually LOOKING you in the eye right now.  HA!  

Okay, so it's not about the sunshine and roses version of HS, but the raw reality of being on the fringe, trying to survive the day to day servings of craptastisticness life has to offer, and finding meaning in it all to pull us through another day.  It's about hard times, ruthless cliques, and drug use.  It's about suicide, beat downs, and cruelty.  You know what though?  It's also about HOPE.  It's about the person hiding behind the mask (thank you HAL for that well turned borrowed quote).  It's about the way in which we CHOOSE to see the world, and what we're willing to do about it to affect change.  It's about not simply letting life happen, but being a part of life.  It's about making a difference in our own lives, but also in the lives of others.  It's about taking chances, chasing dreams, and finding out what our meaning of life is because let's face it, it's not a one size fits all world out there.

With a cast of characters that are as memorable as the hard hitting dialogue, this book has so much going for it in a somewhat warped sense of  wonderful way, you won't know what hit you.  Just try to forget Neanderthal, aka Cliff, with his larger than average presence that only rivals his larger than average heart...and yes, that sounds incredibly sappy, but once you read his story, see his life through his eyes, you'll see what I mean.  Moving on....proving size doesn't matter, we've got Tegan, a spitfire who takes nothing from no one, no how, and yet carries the weight of a heartbreak so deep, it may push her towards a costly misstep.  Seriously though, LOVED THIS GIRL!  Then there's Aaron, the other male lead, in all his former jock dream glory, taking a curious turn in his High School ruling thanks to an accident (or was it fate?) shaking more than a few screws loose in his well-coiffed head.  His "mission" from the big guy upstairs certainly seems like a stretch, but then again, anything worth doing is gonna take time, calculated risk, and turn a few heads.  I admit, I guessed who HAL was pretty early on...something just struck me about the character and when two and two came together, BOOM, my hunch was confirmed...though it did take a little time for me to see the other connection that was certainly well hidden.

All in all, a surprising read from start to finish.  I found it equally heart wrenching and hilarious, in a dark, sometimes twisted way, and both aspects made me keep stopping to share a little bit with someone, ANYONE close at hand.  Though fiction, it deals with some BIG issues that may hit home for some readers, but it also offers up some sound advice and a reminder that you are not alone.  A perfectly timed release for Pride Month, this is a great add to your reading list for teen readers and beyond!

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About the author...

Preston Norton is: bisexual, slightly genderqueer, married. His partner, Erin, is trying to put him on a diet, and he's revolting (both contexts apply). He has taught seventh grade and ninth grade English, mentored drug addicts, and mowed lawns (in no particular order). He is obsessed with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Quentin Tarantino.

SITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK

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Special thanks to Casey at Disney Publishing Worldwide for the ARC for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available TODAY in ebook and tree book formats, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Booksparks #PopUpBlogTour: WHEN THE BEAT DROPS by Anna Hecker

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Booksparks is at it again with another....

#PopUpBlogTour!

That's right!

It's time for another FABULOUS #PopUpBlogTour thanks to the wonderful folks at Booksparks who are eager to put YOU right there with the best of the best of recently released titles. Take today's for example...it's a Young Adult release that just hit bookstore and virtual shelves May 15th, 2018 via Sky Pony Press.  For a title that I can't even say without the accompanying sound effects (come on....you KNOW you did it too!), it hits some pretty heavy chords amid all the mixing, raves, and out and out partying.  Don't believe me?  Well then, grab your glow sticks and your best neon edged gear because we're hitting the floor and entering the DJ booth with today's book of choice...

When the Beat Drops

by

Anna Hecker

9781510733336

Sky Pony Press

About the book...

Seventeen-year-old Mira has always danced to her own beat. A music prodigy in a family of athletes, she'd rather play trumpet than party -- and with her audition to a prestigious jazz conservatory just around the corner (and her two best friends at music camp without her), she plans to spend the summer focused on jazz and nothing else.

She only goes to the warehouse party in a last-ditch effort to bond with her older sister. Instead, she falls in love with dance music, DJing... and Derek, a gorgeous promoter who thinks he can make her a star. Suddenly trumpet practice and old friendships are taking a backseat to the packed dance floors, sun-soaked music festivals, outsized personalities, and endless beats of the EDM scene.

But when a devastating tragedy plunges her golden summer into darkness, Mira discovers just how little she knows about her new boyfriend, her old friends, and even her own sister. Music is what brought them together... but will it also tear them apart?

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  INDIEBOUND

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Like I said, every time I say the title, it morphs in my head from simply words to an announcement, an anthem if you will, backed by DJ "footwork" and beats that vibrate in your chest. As powerful as that image may be, the story itself is just as hard hitting.

What I loved about this one was how the story married all types of music together, how the author took us behind the turntable into the hearts and souls of those who make or mix the music, and how much deeper the story ran than at first may be perceived. We've got sibling rivalry, artistic competition, family breakdown, those who've unknowingly lost their way, those just finding it, musical expression/appreciation, friendship lost and grown anew, first love/lust, drug use and repercussions of such...shall I continue? The elements of the story run as varied a circle as the notes that make up its virtual tracks, and are as colorful as the outfits sported by the attendees.  Seriously, Google search "rave outfits" and you'll get an eyeful of multi-colored, eye searing, barely there "uniforms" as it were that would fit right in with what the gals wear in the book...though I'd be sticking more with Mira's cat's with laser eyes dress.  🙂

Outside of the musical expressions and adventures, or perhaps it's better to say intertwined with it, is the story of two sisters finding their way after loss, anger, and the bitterness of the world has had its way.  Each character introduced has something to share, to learn, or simply to endure, but it enriches the story that much more.  I adored Mira's character...honestly, she felt REAL.  From her changing passion to her falling fast and hard for a sexy pair of eyes (Derek...grr), her love for her sister to her openness and acceptance of others (hello fellow DJ gal!)...even when she falls on her face (like with her jazz friends), she does it with such aplomb that you can't help but root for her all over again.  Her sister, though completely lost for the time being, is another remarkable soul...hurting oh so much, but no less lovely than the glitter that adorns their faces when its party prep time.  Her sister's best friend was equally splitting her self down the middle from who she was to who she wanted to be in the moment, yet still maintained a quality of innocence despite her extracurricular activities (though yeah, the baby doll bag...no thank you!). As for our love interest/manager...placing hottie status aside, if I may borrow a phrase from Taylor Swift. .."I knew you were trouble when you walked in...trouble, trouble, trouble..."...and TIME AFTER TIME your TRUE COLORS came shining through (Cyndi Lauper, anyone? 😉 ).  Sorry, I simply couldn't help myself!  

In the end, it was a musically charged tale that I simply did NOT want to end, but end it did and really WOW...just WOW.  It'll take you on a ride you weren't expecting, to places you never dreamed to visit, and leave you with a new appreciation for music, life, family, and friends.  Along with the entertainment factor, you've got a great reminder to follow your dreams, wherever they may lead, and even though they may change along the way, that's okay...it's YOUR beat, your mix to make.

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About the author...

Anna Hecker grew up at the dead end of a dirt road in Vermont. She holds an MFA from The New School and spent a decade writing ad copy and chasing beats before returning to fiction, her first love. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son, and fluffy bundle of glamour, Cat Benatar.

SITE  |  TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to the Booksparks team for the chance to bring this title to you and the copy for review.  (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now in "e" and "tree" formats via Sky Pony Press, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!