Walden Pond Press presents... NO ONE LEAVES THE CASTLE by Christopher Healy - REVIEW!

Today's the day for MYSTERY. 

Today's the day for enchantments. 

Today's the day to get lost in a new twisty, turny book that will keep your head spinning and the pages turning as you seek out that unfathomable end! Today's the day we welcome Walden Pond Press, as it's our turn to host their latest title on tour, with much celebration, enthusiasm, and excitement. Why? It features the work of an author we've featured several times before and I absolutely love their writing/ story telling style, so I couldn't wait to indulge. Ready to dive in with me? Here we go! Today's book of choice and blog tour guest...

No One Leaves the Castle

by

Christopher Healy

978006234194-5 Hardcover

978006234196-9 e-Book

978006239575-7 Audio Book

Walden Pond Press

Publication date: August 15, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

Agatha Christie meets the Brothers Grimm in an unexpected, hilarious, and wholly original new fantasy-mystery from the beloved author of The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom.

The Lilac. The bard songs say that she’s the world’s most fearsome bounty hunter. That there’s no criminal she can’t catch, no mystery she can’t solve.

None of that is true. Yet.

In reality, the Lilac is just a kid, and the bard who wrote all that is her best friend, Dulcinetta. But when a priceless artifact goes missing from the home of famed monster hunter Baron Angbar, the Lilac and Netta see their chance to apprehend the thief and make a name for themselves.

When they get to Castle Angbar, however, and meet the Angbar family and their servants and guests—an unsavory group of nobles, mages, and assorted creatures, each more shady than the last—the Lilac begins to wonder if the reward is worth the trouble.

And that’s before the dead body is discovered.

Now everyone is magically sealed inside the castle—and there is a murderer among then. If the Lilac wants to make it out with her reputation intact, it’s going to be up to her to figure out who the killer is. But everyone in the castle—even the Lilac herself—has secrets to hide, and as the walls literally start to close in around them, the Lilac worries that her first job as a bounty hunter may be her last….

🗡⚡️  🌐  🪄 ⚡️🌐⚡️  🪄 🌐  ⚡️ 🗡 

The Lilac...

...a name to strike fear into the hearts of do-badders across the kingdoms...

... eventually...

... when she actually gets a bounty to hunt...

... which is a task and a half once they see her, but looks can be deceiving, in more ways than one!

So begins the tale of the (soon to be infamous) Lilac, and her trusty kingdom renowned (sooner than later) bard Dulcinetta the Dulcet-toned, as they make their way through a mystery they never saw coming with so many secrets running amuck your head will spin trying to keep up, all trying to get straightened out before they get crushed by a giant blue bubble... shield... spell that shouldn't have been but was and wouldn't go away! As madcap as that all sounds, there's more than meets the eye to not only the characters, but the takeaway...

This is a story as much about secrets as it is about the importance of the truth. It's a tale about doing what you're told, or following your heart. It's a message to be true to yourself, and let the world see you for you, never taking no for an answer to your dream, and achieving the impossible through drive, hard work, and determination. It reminds us that while not everything may be what it appears, it doesn't make it inherently wrong (or evil... take the orge!)... and let us not forget to leave prejudice behind and form our own opinions about people and situations based on observances and facts not hearsay. 

So, if you're looking for adventure filled with witty banter, a know-it-all narrator (whose reasonably humble), characters you'll love to know, and those you'd rather not have met, you won't want to miss the beginning of the Lilac!

🗡⚡️ 🌐 🪄 ⚡️🌐⚡️ 🪄 🌐 ⚡️ 🗡

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher Healy is the author of the New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom and its sequels, as well as the Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem series. Before becoming a writer, Chris worked as an actor, an ad copywriter, a toy-store display designer, a fact-checker, a dishwasher, a journalist, a costume shop clothing stitcher, a children’s entertainment reviewer, and a haunted house zombie. He lives with his family in New Jersey. You can visit him online at christopherhealy.com

🗡⚡️ 🌐 🪄 ⚡️🌐⚡️ 🪄 🌐 ⚡️ 🗡

Special thanks to Debbie and the Walden Pond Press team for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as 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 just celebrated its BOOK BIRTHDAY, so be on the lookout at your local brick and mortar, or click on over to your favorite online retailer today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

Blog Tour Schedule

August 2-18, 2023

August 2 Nerdy Book Club (@nerdybookclub)

August 7 Bluestocking Thinking (@bluesockgirl)

August 8 Teachers Who Read (@teachers_read)

August 12 Maria’s Mélange (@mariaselke)

August 15 A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust (@bethshaum)

August 18 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers (@grgenius)

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

SPOTLIGHT + GIVEAWAY starring... TWIN SISTERS LIVINGSTON by Mary Knight

 

Ready for a little mystery?  A little adventure?  A little something spooky and mysterious to get the wheels turning and add an extra spark to your October?  Check out this new Middle Grade title on tour with Silver Dagger Book Tours, and perhaps discover your next must read...

Twin Sisters Livingston and the Mystery at Madame Molineaux's

by Mary Knight

Genre: Middle Grade Mystery Adventure 

Twin sisters Maddie and Jo Livingston have spent their lives traveling the world with their famous archaeologist parents. But when the Livingstons’ work takes them on a mysterious year-long excavation in Siberia, much too dangerous for two twelve-year-old girls, Maddie and Jo are whisked off to a castle in Switzerland, where they find themselves piecing together a mystery of their own.

Madame Molineaux’s School for Girls is filled with interesting students and professors from all over Europe. But it doesn’t take long for the girls to figure out that this is no ordinary boarding school: bizarre animals, hidden tapestries, secret tunnels, and a long list of unanswered questions keep Maddie, Jo, and their new friends searching for clues around every corner. Where is that snotty Rosemary Byron going when she sneaks out of her dormitory at night? What secret is their beloved headmistress trying to protect? Who is concealing treasures in the unlikeliest of hiding places? The girls must put all these strange pieces together to discover the staggering truth, and to save their school before Madame Molineaux’s closes its doors—for good!

Amazon * Goodreads

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Before she started writing the Twin Sisters Livingston series, Mary studied International Affairs and foreign language at Georgia Tech. After almost a decade as a musician, waitress, and paralegal, she fell into the exciting world of tech startups and developed her entrepreneurial skills.

But how to write books and start companies at the same time? Mary merged her two passions to create the Twin Sisters Livingston brand of stories and Living Lantern Media Group, a company devoted to entertaining, educating, and inspiring girls all over the world through smart, safe, sophisticated media. She lives in Georgia with her two kiddos and a couple of rascally cats.

To learn more about upcoming Twin Sisters Livingston releases, appearances, social media, and contests, visit:

Website * Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RRR presents... MOLLIE MACK, PRIVATE DETECTIVE by Linda Dobinson - SPOTLIGHT + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we shine the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a new stand alone title from author Linda Dobinson. It's a Middle Grade/Young Adult crossover in the Crime subgenre, so all those future Sherlock's and Enola's out there...take note! This one's for you. Ready or not, here comes today's Rachel's Random Resources tour title in the spotlight...

Mollie Mack, Private Detective

by

Linda Dobinson

About the book...

Mollie is excited!

She has been a private detective for six months, and FINALLY a BIG case has landed on her desk. If she solves it, it will make the papers and make her agency famous. She needs to give it her full attention; but she already has three cases she is working on. And when she gets an unexpected lead in her oldest case, she HAS to run with it.

AMAZON  UK  |  US

KOBO

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About the author.. 

Linda Dobinson was born in Croydon but grew up in Barbados – endless sunshine and never to far from the beach. She has worked in fashion, the motor industry, and been a PA.

In the 90s she picked up her pen and started writing poetry. Her work has appeared in poetry magazines, and for two successive years she had poems selected for the anthologies Southern England and South-West England. Her second collection Encounter reached the top of Amazon’s poetry charts. Since then she has started writing middle grade novels and has discovered that immersing herself in a plot is a great distraction from a pandemic.

GOODREADS  |  TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

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YOUR CHANCE TO WIN...

...a Kindle copy of Mollie Mack, Private Detective!

(Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide 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!

Walden Pond Press presents... THE IN-BETWEEN by Rebecca K. S. Ansari - REVIEW!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, I'm thrilled as punch to hep kick off a fabulous book tour for a newly released title (just yesterday!) by author Rebecca K. S. Andari via Walden Pond Press!  It's a work of Middle Grade Fiction that has a healthy serving of mystery, a heaping scoop of reality, and a whole lot of heart!  Seriously guys, I JUST finished reading it and I'm still reeling.  So roll out the red carpet and double check that what you just saw across the street is still what you saw across the street, because here comes today's blog tour guest and book of choice...

The In-Between

by

Rebecca K. S. Ansari

9780062916099

Walden Pond Press

About the book...

A dark, twisty adventure about the forgotten among us and what it means to be seen, from the acclaimed author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O’Reilly.

Cooper is lost. Ever since his father left their family three years ago, he has become distant from his friends, constantly annoyed by his little sister, Jess, and completely fed up with the pale, creepy rich girl who moved in next door and won’t stop staring at him. So when Cooper learns of an unsolved mystery his sister has discovered online, he welcomes the distraction.

It’s the tale of a deadly train crash that occurred a hundred years ago, in which one young boy among the dead was never identified. The only distinguishing mark on him was a strange insignia on his suit coat, a symbol no one had seen before or since. Jess is fascinated by the mystery of the unknown child— because she’s seen the insignia. It’s the symbol of the jacket of the girl next door.

As they uncover more information— and mounting evidence of the girl’s seemingly impossible connection to the tragedy—Cooper and Jess begin to wonder if a similar disaster could be heading to their hometown.

HarperCollins

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First things first, that cool as all get out and yet ultra creepy cover!  Once you get started in the book, you can see where the different elements come from and the significance of each, but before you read...it's another puzzle needing to be solved, and I was only so happy to have the chance to do just that!

Story wise...I was glued to every page!  The mystery of the catastrophes, the appearance of the crest, the fixture of a girl across the way with little to no interaction, the unusual things they seem to be only privy too (well, Jess, Coop, and Gus, that is)…shall I keep going?  Okay, but really....the friendships lost and found, the family connections severed and built, the sense of self and importance rediscovered...there are so many areas of interest to follow, and yet you never lose sight of the main thread.  You feel included in this sibling plus friend trio, and despite their own doubts as to their standing in their own worlds, they are quite clearly an important part of your own once you're between the pages.  

I can't risk saying too much because to ruin the mystery at its heart would break my own...and trust me, mine was already broken as I had tears streaming down my face further along in the book...but suffice it to say, this is one family despite its history that you will want to be a part of.  This is one gathering of friends that you will want to know.  This is one story that will keep you on edge right to the very last page, and you most definitely won't soon forget.  I mean, once someone has impacted your life, how can they ever truly be gone...

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About the author...

PHOTO CREDIT: PIXEL DUST

Rebecca lives in a very loud house in Minneapolis with her husband, four boys, and her seriously massive pets. After twelve years as an ER doctor, she shed her scrubs to write magical and mysterious worlds for middle-grade readers. She is drawn to any story that evokes, "Please, Mom! Just one more chapter!" and she strives to craft the same. Rebecca was the winner of the Minnesota SCBWI Mentorship for 2015. When she isn't writing, you can find her biking, cooking or escaping "up north" with family, friends, and a stack of good books.

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Special thanks to Debbie and the Walden Pond Press team for the ARC for review and the chance to bring this tour to you.  (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 now, so be on the lookout for it at your favorite online retailer or brick and mortar store!  Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

January 27 Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers @grgenius

January 28 Michele Knott @knott_michele

January 29 Writer's Rumpus @writersrumpus

January 30 Maria's Melange @mariaselke

February 1 StoryMamas @storymamas

                  Charlotte's Library @charlotteslibrary

February 2 A Library Mama @alibrarymama

          Iowa Amber Reads @iowaamberreads

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

 

Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to THE AMELIA SIX by Kristin L. Gray - REVIEW!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we've a special BOOK BIRTHDAY review featuring a NEW Middle Grade Fiction Mystery in stores now via Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing!  It stars six fabulous young ladies that are smart, inquisitive, creative, and not afraid to get their hands a little dirty in the name of good...and trust me, they have to in this tale because the game afoot is SO not a game!  Ready or not, here comes today's book birthday celebrant in the spotlight...

The Amelia Six

by

Kristin L. Gray

9781534418851

Paula Wiseman Books

About the book...

Amelia Earhart’s famous aviator goggles go missing and eleven-year-old Millie has to find them before the night is over in this girl-powered middle grade whodunit.

Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford—Millie to her friends (if she had any, that is)—doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address.

Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her luck changes quickly when the goggles disappear, and Millie was the last to see them. Soon, fingers are pointing in all directions, and someone falls strangely ill. Suddenly, a fun night of scavenger hunts and sweets takes a nosedive and the girls aren’t sure who to trust. With a blizzard raging outside and a house full of suspects, the girls have no choice but to band together. It’s up to the Amelia Six to find the culprit and return the goggles to their rightful place. Or the next body to collapse could be one of theirs.

🛩     🛩     🛩     🛩     🛩

This is a classic whodunit wrapped in kid friendly packaging and served up with a healthy dose of girl power!  I loved the fact that the mostly female cast showed the roles women have in society and how even now, there are differences sometimes in how they are treated, respected, and/or looked to, while reinforcing that the JUST BE YOU philosophy is truly the only way to go.  If you like cubing, like cubing.  If you like scientific exploration, then like it.  If you want to breach the new frontier, grow the most beautiful flowers, tinker with gizmos and gadgets, do it!  The world is your oyster and no one can tell you what you can or cannot be.  It's a great message for any age, but especially the youngsters this Middle Grade release is intended for, and quite honestly, it's done rather well!

Really...it sneaks in while you're busy getting to know the characters, for better or worse.  It makes itself at home as the mystery starts to unfold and skills are put to the test from problem solving to engineering.  It reveals itself slowly as all the clues start to come together and the moment of truth arrives...even as the BIG TWIST happens and it looks like lights out (again!) for the whole crew...keeping you on your toes and those brain cells firing!  It's a great combination of story, skills, and heart that'll leave you with the warm fuzzies, but also a curiosity that might need to be slaked about SO MANY things, and that invitation to explore more, never hurt anyone.

🛩     🛩     🛩     🛩     🛩

About the author...

Brooke Robinson Photography
via publisher's website

Kristin L. Gray is the author of Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge (which Publishers Weekly called a “sensitive and uplifting coming-of-age journey”) and The Amelia Six. Kristin loves to read, walk her dogs, and eat cake for breakfast. Her fourth-grade self would never believe she has five children, two dogs, one fish, a bearded dragon, and a shy gecko. She lives in northwest Arkansas. To learn more about Kristin, or to send her a cake, visit her online at KristinLGray.com

🛩     🛩     🛩     🛩     🛩

Special thanks to Jenny at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the eARC for review (and the print edition too!) as well as the chance to bring this title to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title celebrates its BOOK BIRTHDAY TODAY (woot woot!) via Paula Wiseman Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 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!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Audible Original creator Ashli St. Armant!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

So, I have some LATE BREAKING NEWS to share about a recent(ish) Audible Original release!  It's a Jazz infused Young Adult Mystery and from the sound of things, it'll hit the right notes for music AND book lovers alike!  Ready to discover more?  Here's a quick look at what's inside...

Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons 

by

Ashli St. Armant

Read by

Bahni Turpin

About the book...

Viva Durant, New Orleans’ youngest detective is on a quest to solve a jazzy mystery involving hidden treasure, while exploring the city’s unique culture, history and music. This family-friendly Audible Original features original jazz music from the creator, Ashli St. Armant, and enthusiastic narration from world class Audible narrator, Bahni Turpin. Plucky 14-year-old Viva Durant heads to New Orleans every summer to spend time with her loving but stern grandmother, known as Gram. After Gram reads Viva an article in the local paper about a missing treasure related to the world-famous song, “Miss Mary Mack,” Viva traverses the Crescent City on an epic adventure to solve the mystery. Along the way she meets some of the city’s most colorful characters as her journey takes her to the French Quarter, a jazz club, a creepy cemetery, and even the circus. Can Viva rise to the occasion and solve this musical mystery? Listeners will find Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons a joy to listen to!

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It's currently available as a member benefit this month on Audible.com meaning it’s free to all Audible members through December 1st...so yeah, I know, I didn't give you much notice, but HELLO...you can TOTALLY click right on over to snag your copy now!  Ah yes, the digital world has its moments of beauty too.

Now, let's get a closer look straight from the creative mind behind the work, as we welcome author Ashli St. Armant!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW:  Ashli St. Armant

Hi there! Nice to meet you.

 

 Now, let's get you properly introduced to our reading audience.

In TEN WORDS OR LESS, describe yourself through your eyes...

I’m an entertainer, an educator, a writer, and a mom!



You have quite the varied background (admittedly, I read your bio!) and have had your hands in everything from music/theater programs to an actual jazz band! Which of your past experiences did you enjoy the most and why?

Once, I got a chance to sit in with big band of about 15-20 musicians. That was a dream of mine. With so many musicians, swing dancers, and friends in one room, the energy was outstanding!


What made you decide to branch out into Children's Literature, specifically?

I’ve been a writer since I was 10, and writing has always been a part of my art expression since then. I’ve been creating arts experiences for children since 2008. So, it was a natural for me to tap into my passion for children’s entertainment while trying my hand with long-form writing.

From the sound of things, Viva Durant is quite the little caper solver, or at least she's trying to be. Tell us, what was your favorite part of creating this adventure? Any plans on making it a series?

Because this is mystery, I wrote this story backwards, from end to beginning. I really got a kick out knowing the secrets and the plot twists that absolutely no one else knew, not even the characters in the book!

Of your characters, is there one that you find yourself reflected in most?

In a lot of ways, I am Viva. As a kid, I spent a few summers visiting family in New Orleans, but my experiences were no where near as adventurous as Viva’s! In a way, this story is a reimagining of my childhood.

If there was one message you could have readers/listeners walk away with after the final notes/syllables of Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons have played, what would that be?

Sometimes, adventures can start in the most ordinary place. You just have to be looking for them!



A little quid pro quo, if you would. I'll say FAVORITE and you fill in the blank. Ready? Set? GO! Favorite...
...color? Gray
...season? Fall
...way to relax? A nature walk.
...type of music? Jazz!!  (totally saw that one coming!)
...book/author? Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare). Close second: a children’s book called Leonardo the Terrible Monster (Mo Willems).

Last but not least, any parting words for budding writers/creators out there...

Keep a notepad and pen close by. You never know when you’ll get a great idea for a story!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ashli St. Armant is a vocalist, writer, and arts educator, based in Southern California, where she was born and raised. She is the founder of Leaping Lizards Music, a music and theater education program for students, TK-12. She is a professionally trained vocalist and actor who attended the Orange County High School of the Arts and holds a degree in Child Development from Saddleback College. Alongside teaching, writing, and raising her two sons, Ashli tours with her band, Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards, a jazz band for young audiences. Together they have produced four albums featured by NPR and L.A. Times, and have performed at numerous venues including Lincoln Center and Sprout Network (NBC). Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons is Ashli’s debut audio original., and sets the path for her new venture into children’s literature.

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Special thanks to Stephanie at Mayers Consulting for the heads up on this title, as well as the chance to connect with the creator for the awesome interview...and much thanks to Ashli St. Armant for those wonderful answers!  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the creator, or the vocalist, feel free to click on through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so check it out on Audible today!

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

Rockstar Book Tours presents... ELIZABETH WEBSTER AND THE COURT OF UNCOMMON PLEAS by William Lashner - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining forces with Rockstar Book Tours  and Disney Hyperion to shine the BOOK SPOTLIGHT on a NEW MIDDLE GRADE title COMING SOON to a bookstore shelf near you!  It's perfect for the reading season and sounds UBER exciting, so without further ado, allow me to introduce you to today's blog tour guest...

Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas

by

William Lashner

Disney Hyperion

About the book...

Welcome to Elizabeth Webster's world, where the common laws of middle school torment her days . . . and the uncommon laws of an even weirder realm govern her nights.

Elizabeth Webster is happy to stay under the radar (and under her bangs) until middle school is dead and gone. But when star swimmer Henry Harrison asks Elizabeth to tutor him in math, it's not linear equations Henry really needs help with-it's a flower-scented, poodle-skirt-wearing, head-tossing ghost who's calling out Elizabeth's name.

But why Elizabeth? Could it have something to do with her missing lawyer father? Maybe. Probably. If only she could find him. In her search, Elizabeth discovers more than she is looking for: a grandfather she never knew, a startling legacy, and the secret family law firm, Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned.

Elizabeth and her friends soon land in court, where demons and ghosts take the witness stand and a red-eyed judge with a ratty white wig hands out sentences like sandwiches. Will Elizabeth's father arrive in time to save Henry Harrison-and is Henry the one who really needs saving?

Set in the historic streets of Philadelphia, this riveting middle-grade mystery from New York Times best-selling author William Lashner will have readers banging their gavels and calling for more from the incomparable Elizabeth Webster.

Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Kindle  |  Audible

B&N  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  TBD

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~~~ EXCERPT ~~~

-- Chapter 3--

Shortly after my mother got remarried, she arranged for me to have a talk with a nice psychologist. At the time I didn’t understand why I needed to talk to anyone. Do you think maybe it was because of the way I acted at the wedding?

I told my mother I didn’t want to go and see the nice lady. I buried my face in a pillow and screamed when she insisted. And then, in the doctor’s office, I sat on the couch with my arms crossed for the entire “talk.”

“I feel some anger here,” said the doctor.

You think? Like I said, she was nice, and she tried really hard, but there was all this stuff swirling in my head that made dealing with her impossible. I mean, how do you put a tornado into words?

“Tell me about yourself, Elizabeth,” said the doctor.

And right there, at her very first question, I was stumped. What could I say then? What could I say now? When I thought about myself, I only thought about who I wasn’t and what I couldn’t do. I wasn’t an actor or a singer—my grandmother once described my voice as frog-like. Yes, my grandmother! My math was okay, sure, and I liked to read manga paperbacks, stories about wide-eyed girls with supernatural powers—everyone needs heroes—but I couldn’t dance or write poetry, my clarinet was a certified instrument of torture, and I certainly wasn’t a sparkling conversationalist, as my mother pointed out to me every night at dinner.

“So how was school today, Elizabeth?” she asked after dishing out the meatloaf, potatoes, and peas.

“Fine.”

“Did anything exciting happen?”

“No.”

“Nothing.”

“It’s school.”

“You must go to the most deadly dull school in America,” said my stepfather, Stephen Scali, in his slow voice. Stephen, bald and thin, suffered from an incurable disease called boringitis. “Gosh, I remember all my adventures in junior high. I might have to call the principal and tell her that they need to liven up the place.”

“Please don’t. Tell him, Mom, please.”

“Don’t get into such a huff,” said my mother. “More mashed potatoes, Peter?”

“What’s a huff?” said my little brother, Peter.

“You know the big bad wolf?” said my mother. “Well he huffs before he puffs.”

“He smokes?” said Peter.

“No wonder he couldn’t blow down that house,” I said.

Peter laughed. Unlike me, Peter, who was in the second grade at my old elementary school, laughed a lot.

“We don’t want to embarrass you, Elizabeth,” said Stephen. “We’re just trying to be part of your life.”

“Why?” I said. “Even I don’t want to be part of my life.”

My mother looked at Stephen with that look. You know the look. I was one step away from another talk with the nice psychologist, when my brother flew to my rescue.

“We went into space today,” said Peter.

“Was it exciting?” said my mother.

“Not really, until we almost ran out of fuel and started falling back to earth. The lights flicked on and off and some kids started shouting until Mrs. Swinton just happened to remember to fire up the booster rockets.”

“Thank goodness for Mrs. Swinton,” said Stephen.

“She sure saved the day,” said Peter, giving me a glance to let me know who was really being saved. “If she can flick the lights fast enough, next week we’re landing on the moon.”

“That sounds like fun,” I said. “I could use a few weeks on the moon myself. Can I go with?”

“You have to bring your own lunch,” said Peter. “Moon pies.”

“Yum,” I said.

“And Mrs. Swinton told us we need to bring moon boots.”

“What’s a moon boot?” I asked.

“I think it’s just a sneaker with duct tape all around it.”

“Stylish,” I said.

“I’ll ask for you, Lizzie,” said Peter, “but there might not be enough seats. And with you on board, we would need more fuel. Mrs. Swinton is a little crazy about the fuel.”

I glanced up to see my mother smiling at me, as if I had just had a breakthrough. Peter sat back with a smirk like he had arranged it all, which he had. He was a sharp little weasel, my brother.

Mom remarried two years after the divorce. Two years of it just being her and me. When Stephen appeared, I didn’t get why we needed this new guy around. I even insisted—with a series of endless arguments that my mom and Stephen still shake their heads about—that I retain my original last name. I don’t remember why I was fighting so hard, but eventually I got my way.

Since then, to be honest, I hadn’t been so nice to Stephen. At first it was to punish him for coming between me and my mom, and then later it was just out of habit. I even called him Stephen so I wouldn’t have to call him Dad. But there was no question that the greatest thing Stephen ever had done, or could do, for me was to give me Peter.

For the rest of dinner, as mom talked about this and that, and Peter laughed, and Stephen droned on about something boring that happened at work, we were almost like a happy family, the three Scalis sitting around the table, tolerating the Webster in their midst.

“More cake?” said my mother.

“Can’t,” I said. “Have to go.”

“Where to?”

“I’m tutoring some kid in math.”

“Good for you, Elizabeth,” said my mother. “Who are you tutoring?”

“No one.” I stood, grabbed my plate and took it to the sink. “Bye.”

“Sweetie?”

“It’s just some guy who asked for help with linear equations.”

“Yes. But which guy?”

“You don’t know him. Henry Harrison.”

“The swimmer?” said Stephen, suddenly alert.

“That’s the one.”

“There was a front-page article on him in the sports section. He won his age group in the states. They say he’s a potential Olympian.”

“So what?” I said. “If there’s anything I care less about than sports I haven’t found it yet.”

“What about patents?” asked Stephen, a patent lawyer to his bones.

“A close second.” A patent is like this little piece of paper that lets you build things but that keeps other people from building the same—sorry, I have to stop. If I keep explaining this right now I’ll fall into the most boring coma of all time. “See you,” I said.

“You want a ride?” Stephen asked hopefully, as if he were anxious to meet the swimming hero. How embarrassing would that be?

“No,” I said, “absolutely not.”

“Elizabeth?” said my mother.

“I’ve been walking alone to my friends’ houses since I was nine,” I said. “This is no different.” Before either of them could say anything more I was out of the kitchen and reaching for my coat.

If I had known then what was in store for me, I wouldn’t have been in such a rush. I might have bagged on Henry Harrison completely and stayed at home. I would have planned our trip to the moon with Petey or done homework in the kitchen while my mother graded papers. It would have been a night like every other night—calm, and quiet, and eye-crossingly dull.

Instead, a few minutes later I was hurrying along the sidewalk to Henry Harrison’s house.

-- copyright Disney Hyperion --

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About the author...

William Lashner Photo © Sigrid Estrada

William Lashner is the New York Times Bestselling creator of Victor Carl, who has been called by Booklist one of the mystery novel’s “most compelling, most morally ambiguous characters.”  The Victor Carl novels, which have been translated into more than a dozen foreign languages and have been sold all across the globe, include BAGMEN, KILLER’S KISS, FALLS THE SHADOW, FATAL FLAW, and HOSTILE WITNESS.  He is also the author of GUARANTEED HEROES, THE BARKEEP, which was an Edgar Award nominee and a Digital Book World Number One Bestseller, THE ACCOUNTING, and BLOOD AND BONE.

Writing under the pseudonym of Tyler Knox, Lashner is also the author of KOCKROACH, described as “roaringly entertaining,” by Publisher’s Weekly, and “an energetic tour de force,” by USA Today.  As Tyler Knox he has written a number of book reviews for the Washington Post Book World.

Lashner was a criminal prosecutor with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. before quitting the law to write fulltime.  A graduate of the New York University School of Law, as well as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he lives with his wife and three children outside Philadelphia. 

Website | Goodreads

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ELIZABETH WEBSTER AND THE COURT OF UNCOMMON PLEAS!
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Special thanks to Rockstar Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you. (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, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun...

*** Blog Tour Schedule ***

Week One:

10/1/2019- Pandora's Books- Excerpt

10/2/2019- Southern Girl Bookaholic- Review

10/3/2019- Shelf-Rated- Review

10/4/2019- BookHounds YA- Excerpt

Week Two:

10/7/2019- Odd and Bookish- Review

10/8/2019- EatingbetweenthelinesINC- Review

10/9/2019- Little Red Reads- Review

10/10/2019- History from a Woman’s Perspective- Review

10/11/2019- Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers- Excerpt

Week Three:

10/14/2019- Books_andPoetrii- Excerpt

10/15/2019- Jena Brown Writes- Review

10/16/2019- Nerdophiles- Review

10/17/2019- Savings in Seconds- Review

10/18/2019- The Reading Corner for All- Review

Week Four:

10/21/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews- Review

10/22/2019- Wonder Struck- Review

10/23/2019- Smada's Book Smack- Review

10/24/2019- Novel Novice- Excerpt

10/25/2019- fictitious.fox- Review

Week Five:

10/28/2019- Fyrekatz Blog- Review

10/29/2019- Two points of interest- Review

10/30/2019- Fictitiouswonderland- Review

10/31/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads- Review

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