Review: Shattered by Kathi Baron

Hello, Therians!

It's review day for Kathi Baron's Shattered :)

Shattered is about Cassie Prochazka, a violinist in the Chicago Youth Symphony. About what happens the day after her debut as a soloist when her dad breaks her violin. She's enraged and runs away. She meets a number of helpful and not-so-helpful strangers. Eventually, her violin teacher talks her into returning home, where she unravels a terrible secret within her family. A painful violin secret. Within the secret is also her sense of power, which she uses to open up new possibilities for healing the homeless, her family, and herself.  

Buying Links:

  The Magic Tree Bookstore in Oak Park, IL 

Amazon
Barnes and Noble     

REVIEW

Firstly, I have to say how much I love this cover. It is a perfect reflection of what can be found between the pages of this book. 

The first half of the story seemed to rush by and I never got a real sense of who the characters were. It was only after Cassie's return that I actually settled into the story. I was happy that she was able to find some kind of normalcy in her life after all the chaos and I think Nick played a big part in her healing process. Their time spent at the batting cages was fun and for the first time I got to see a happy, carefree Cassie.  

I was also glad that Cassie and her Mom were able to reconnect again. It gave me hope that even in the darkness there is light. The mystery of why Frank was so on edge about her violin playing was constantly on my mind. I was as eager as Cassie was to find out the truth once she reached her grandfather's place, but then he flipped out and the weird mystery deepened. My heart went out the the entire family when the truth was finally revealed. I didn't care too much for Frank but when he poured his heart out to his family, I actually felt a twinge on guilt for disliking him so much.  

Cassie has more to worry about than whether her broken family will stay that way or not. As a soloist for the Chicago Youth Symphony, she has to face the possibility of her dream fading away, because without a violin, how can she possibly play? There is hope of a benefactor who can keep her dreams alive but Cassie cannot lie about what happened to he violin and that kind of dashes any hopes of her getting another violin.

This book had so much potential. A story of one girl's journey through fear, heart ache, loss, love and forgiveness, I only wish I had been able to connect on a deeper, emotional level with the characters. 

I give it...

PRAISE FOR KATHI BARON AND SHATTERED:

 "The family drama will grab readers, but just as enthralling is the story of a young person devoted to her music, note by note."                                                            --Booklist

"Baron successfully uses musical metaphors in the structure of the novel--short chapters with staccato action and slower cadences reflective of the family's struggle to work their way through this situation...a moving story..."                                                               --School Library Journal
"...a compelling read." --Kirkus

"This is a novel about picking up pieces, told in a voice that is both poetic and compelling. Kathi Baron's Shattered has perfect pitch."
   --Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath, a Newbery Honor Book and National Book Award Finalist

"It takes a special kind of author to create an emotional jouney that opens our hearts. Kathi Baron is that kind of storyteller andShattered is that kind of book." 
   --Louise Hawes, author of The Vanishing Point and Waiting for Christopher, both New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age, and Rosey in the Present Tense, a YALSA Popular Paperback

"Readers will cheer Cassie's journey as she runs away from a shattered home to a brief experience with homelessness and back again. Kathi Baron soars in this debut novel full of creative inspiration, healing and hope.  --Lynn Hazen, author of Shifty, a Smithsonian Notable Book & Voice of Youth Advocates "Top Shelf Fiction"

"Shattered is a sonata in words, a deeply lyrical journey, ringing with overtones." 
   --Tim Wynne-Jones, Horn Book and Edgar Award winning author of Blink and Caution and The Uninvited

CONNECT WITH KATHI

You can reach me at: kathi@kathibaron.com

My blog: http://www.kathibaron.blogspot.com

Follow me on Twitter: @KathiBaron
On Facebook: Shattered 

MEET KATHI BARON

7-12-13 to 7-14-13--Vermont College of Fine Arts Alumni Mini-Residency--Montpelier, VT
9-28-13--Zion Benton Library--Teen Writing Workshop--Zion, IL

CHECK OUT ALL THE STOPS IN THE BLOG TOUR

June 10
Book Spotlight at Much Loved Books

June 11
Guest Post and Book Spotlight at Moonlight Gleam

June 12
Interview and Review at A Diary of a Book Addict

June 13
Book Spotlight at Unputdownable Books 

June 14
Feature and Guest Post at Delphina Reads Too Much

June 15
Review at Hopeless Bibliophile 

June 16
Book Spotlight at Every Free Chance Reading 

June 17
Interview and Giveaway at Word Spelunking

June 18
Book Spotlight at My Fiction Nook 

June 22
Review at Stuck Between the Pages

June 24
Review at Books, Thoughts and a Few Adventures

June 25
Guest Post at Now is Gone

June 27
Review at The Kari Annalysis 

June 28 & 29
Guest Post and Review at Therian

June 30
Review and Interview at J Bronder Book Review 

 

#JKSSummerReads - Reads To Keep Your Brain Sharp: Free Prices Now! by Hunter Lewis

Hello, Therians!

 

Welcome to the JKSCommunications #JKSSummerReads Blog Tour.

 

Today I am showcasing reads to keep your brain sharp :)




FREE PRICES NOW! by HUNTER LEWIS

 

“Free Prices Now!” begins by asking why the human race is still so poor. How can it be that
billions still lack even enough to eat? It then provides the answer. A prosperous society is a
cooperative society. Cooperation in turn depends on trust. And trust requires honesty.
The most reliable barometer of economic honesty is to be found in prices. Honest prices, neither
manipulated nor controlled, provide both investors and consumers with reliable economic
signals. They are the foundation for a successful economy.

A corrupt economic system does not want honest prices, honest information, or honest results.
The truth may be unprofitable for powerful government leaders, private interests allied with
them, or economic “experts” whose careers have been devoted to price manipulations and
controls.

The US Federal Reserve and other central banks have created a system of “liar loans” and false
prices. Other parts of government have contributed as well. In effect, the regulators on whom we
depend have become dis-regulators.

Can it really be this simple, that economic prosperity and job growth depend on allowing
economic prices to tell the truth, free from the self-dealing and self-interested theories of
powerful special interests?

Yes.

Although Lewis takes us inside the complexities of the national economy and the Federal
Reserve, his lively and transparently clear writing style makes it easy for anyone to follow him.

 

Grab a copy from Amazon:

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renowned investor and author Hunter Lewis has written eight books on the financial issues of America, providing real solutions to turn the economy around.

He is the former CEO of Cambridge Associates, a global investment firm he co-founded after graduating from Harvard University. The company’s clients represent three-quarters of higher education endowment assets in the United States as well as other nonprofit groups and high net worth individuals. Lewis has also served on boards and committees of 15 leading nonprofit organizations, including environmental, teaching, research and cultural groups, as well as the World Bank. Lewis runs the successful watchdog website AgainstCronyCapitalism.org with fellow writer and political consultant Nick Sorrentino.

Reviewers across the globe have noted Lewis’ unique economic insights, and he’s shared his expert opinion on national television programs including CBS’ Money Matters and NBC’s TODAY. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Times of London, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Forbes.com and other media. The Charlottesville, Va. author’s newest book releases, “Free Prices Now!: Fixing the Economy
by Abolishing the Fed” and “Crony Capitalism in America: 2008-2012,” hit bookshelves on
September 1, 2013.

Connect with Hunter:

Website

Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter

Be sure to check out the other reads in this category:

Crony Capitalism in America: 2008 - 2012 by Hunter Lewis

Riding on a Beam of Light by Ramsey Dean

 

#JKSSummerReads - Reads To Keep Your Brain Sharp: Crony Capitalism in America: 2008 - 2012 by Hunter Lewis

Hello, Therians!

 

Welcome to the JKSCommunications #JKSSummerReads Blog Tour.

 

Today I am showcasing reads to keep your brain sharp :)



CRONY CAPITALISM IN AMERICA: 2008-2012
by HUNTER LEWIS

SYNOPSIS

When private interests need a political favor, they know whom to call. When politicians need money, they also know whom to call. The people involved try to keep most of it concealed behind closed doors.

This is the system that prevails in Russia after the fall of Communism. But increasingly it is America's system as well.

Many people regard Wall Street as the epicenter of American capitalism. In reality it is the epicenter of American crony capitalism. Where Wall Street stops and Washington begins is impossible to say. This situation was not caused, as many suppose, by the Crash of 2008. Rather the Crash was caused by the longstanding Wall Street-Washington partnership. But the problem extends far beyond Wall Street to every corner of America.

If we are going to do anything about our present economic problems, and also give the poor a chance at a better life, we will need to eliminate crony capitalism and restore an honest economy.
Although full of hair-raising stories, this book is also about solutions. It tells us in clear and simple terms what is wrong and what needs to be done about it.

 

Grab a copy from Amazon:

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renowned investor and author Hunter Lewis has written eight books on the financial issues of America, providing real solutions to turn the economy around.

He is the former CEO of Cambridge Associates, a global investment firm he co-founded after graduating from Harvard University. The company’s clients represent three-quarters of higher education endowment assets in the United States as well as other nonprofit groups and high net worth individuals. Lewis has also served on boards and committees of 15 leading nonprofit organizations, including environmental, teaching, research and cultural groups, as well as the World Bank. Lewis runs the successful watchdog website AgainstCronyCapitalism.org with fellow writer and political consultant Nick Sorrentino.

Reviewers across the globe have noted Lewis’ unique economic insights, and he’s shared his expert opinion on national television programs including CBS’ Money Matters and NBC’s TODAY. His writings have appeared in the New York Times, The Times of London, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Forbes.com and other media. The Charlottesville, Va. author’s newest book releases, “Free Prices Now!: Fixing the Economy
by Abolishing the Fed” and “Crony Capitalism in America: 2008-2012,” hit bookshelves on
September 1, 2013.

Connect with Hunter:

Website

Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter

Be sure to check out the other reads in this category:

Riding on a Beam of Light by Ramsey Dean

Free Prices Now! by Hunter Lewis

#JKSSummerReads - Reads To Keep Your Brain Sharp: Riding on a Beam of Light by Ramsey Dean

Hello, Therians!

 

Welcome to the JKSCommunications #JKSSummerReads Blog Tour.

 

Today I am showcasing reads to keep your brain sharp :)

 

 

 

RIDING ON A BEAM OF LIGHT by RAMSEY DEAN

Albert Einstein adamantly emphasized the importance of imagination and so does Riding on a Beam of Light. In this vividly illustrated storybook, lights-out turns into learning as we’re swept away by young Albert Einstein’s fantastical, and ultimately world-changing idea in an adventure that’s reminiscent of classics like Harold and the Purple Crayon and Where the Wild Things Are. At it’s heart is a story about imagination and dreaming, adventurous and engaging, with gorgeous illustrations that captures our grown-up hearts and our children’s curiosity.

Grab a copy from Amazon

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ramsey Dean is one of the more recognizable names in the music business, where his career has been a lifelong study of teen culture and cool kids. After graduating college and unable to get a job in the literary field, the Alphabet City denizen pursued his other passion, scoring a job at a record label and over the years inadvertently specializing in the music of the moment, working with Metallica, Megadeth, Guns n' Roses, Anthrax, Slayer, Poison, White Zombie, Pantera, Sick of it All, Ignite, Jane's Addiction, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson, Snoop Dogg, Lil Jon, Ja Rule, Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday, Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights, Atreyu, Bayside, Thursday and hundreds and hundreds of other bands along the way.

Rising through the label ranks, his passion for writing only increased, cranking out novels, screenplays, short stories, and sketch comedy, where he graduated to see his work performed on the famed Second City stage in Chicago. As his writing style garnered a following with the music audience, along with many of the artists he worked with and their fans, he finally had the opportunity to release his debut novel.

In The CoolKids: An Emotional Hardcore Odyssey (Or The Pros and Cons of Maintaining Veganity in an Increasingly Carnivorous World) Ramsey takes his rich past and creates a reality based on the timeless commonalities that each generation of would-be revolutionaries possess as well as the special quirks that make each subsequent generation thoroughly original and at the same time hopelessly cliché. If you understand the title of this novel, you'll certainly enjoy what's inside.

Connect with Ramsey:

Twitter
Goodreads

Be sure to check out the other reads in this category:

Crony Capitalism in America: 2008 - 2012 by Hunter Lewis

Free Prices Now! by Hunter Lewis

Shattered Blog Tour: Guest Post with Kathi Baron

Hello, Therians!

 

Today, Kathi Baron, debut author of Shattered, stops by to tell us why she writes for young adults :)

 

Be sure to stop by tomorrow when I'll be reviewing Shattered!!

Shattered is about Cassie Prochazka, a violinist in the Chicago Youth Symphony. About what happens the day after her debut as a soloist when her dad breaks her violin. She's enraged and runs away. She meets a number of helpful and not-so-helpful strangers. Eventually, her violin teacher talks her into returning home, where she unravels a terrible secret within her family. A painful violin secret. Within the secret is also her sense of power, which she uses to open up new possibilities for healing the homeless, her family, and herself.  

Buying Links:

 

  The Magic Tree Bookstore in Oak Park, IL 

Amazon

Barnes and Noble     

GUEST POST

Why I Write for Young Adults

by

Kathi Baron

There’s usually a pause when I tell someone that I write young adult novels and short stories. I expect something to follow after the pause and usually what does is a comment like, “Interesting.” No one ever follows with: Why do you write young adult stories? Why not adult stories since you’re an adult?

I often wonder if when people pause that they’re making some assumptions about me. Like She doesn’t want to grow up, so she’s staying a teenager by writing about them. Or, That’s just weird. She’s weird. Or it could be this, She’s not good enough to be a real writer, so she writes for kids. Maybe it’s all of the above, although the pause isn’t long enough to come up with all of these thoughts. So that’s not it.

Or maybe the pause is the other person’s opportunity to reflect on that writing about and for young adults is, simply put, interesting.

I agree. Writing about and for young adults is interesting.

I got into writing for this age group after working as an occupational therapist in adolescent psychiatric units for 15 years. The work was challenging and demanding at times, but mostly, I loved our conversations.

When I began writing my first young adult novel, what got my attention was remembering my own coming of age. There was a vulnerability there that was soft and beautiful. There were all those emotions that were intense because they were firsts: first love, first hurt, first loss, the feeling of dancing with a boy for the first time.

So many people say that being a teenager was so painful that they would never return to that time period of their lives, ever again. Not so for me. If given the chance, I’d definitely go back. I’d go to be in the company of my classmates in Orrville, Ohio. There were 187 kids in my 1974 graduating class. We had amazing chemistry and we had the rare opportunity to experience the truest form of friendship.

Back then, we laughed a lot. We cried together. We got into trouble and got through difficult times together. In fact, we were more focused on each other than on academics. I’m sure this annoyed our teachers on a daily basis. But we were busy raising each other and we were enthralled with the idea of being friends. To this day, we are still very close. As a class, we give a scholarship to a senior at our high school every year based on the idea of friendship, not academics, and the recipient must be nominated by a classmate.

So yes, maybe I do write about teens because it is a way to re-live my adolescent years. That period of my life certainly taught me to respect teenagers. But also, the teen brain is fascinating because it is developing the capacity to make complex decisions, to support identity, and to begin to understand what’s right and to take a stand for what’s right.

As a result, writing about a character with a teen brain is a natural playground for writers. Like most people, teens can take different actions in a situation, but because they’re inexperienced and aren’t future-oriented, their choices sometimes make for surprising and quirky scenarios. Add to that the feelings of being in a situation for the very first time and this brings complexity of emotion to a story. Throw in a relationship between two or more teens, and you’ve got story wealth.

For many of the same reasons that I write in this genre I’m also caught up in reading young adult literature. It’s a myth, too, that young adult books aren’t as good as books written for adults. I would argue that some of the best writing is found in young adult literature. Since young adult books are not as long as adult books, this challenges the writer to find fewer words to convey the story and to land on the just-right word. Less pages often makes a plot even tighter, too, than it might be if more pages were allowed.

As you might guess, I don’t believe that it’s weird to be an adult writing for young adults. However, I’m sure there are people who could attest to my weirdness. In fact, I’d be proud to give you some names because they are my beloved friends I made when I was a teen. The opportunity to write in this genre has given my life a certain quirky, surprise quality. It often demands that I remember snippets of my adolescence. My young adult book, Shattered has brought invitations to go to schools and libraries to talk with teens. These are all good things. 

 

PRAISE FOR KATHI BARON AND SHATTERED:

 "The family drama will grab readers, but just as enthralling is the story of a young person devoted to her music, note by note."                                                            --Booklist

"Baron successfully uses musical metaphors in the structure of the novel--short chapters with staccato action and slower cadences reflective of the family's struggle to work their way through this situation...a moving story..."                                                               --School Library Journal
"...a compelling read." --Kirkus

"This is a novel about picking up pieces, told in a voice that is both poetic and compelling. Kathi Baron's Shattered has perfect pitch."
   --Kathi Appelt, author of The Underneath, a Newbery Honor Book and National Book Award Finalist

"It takes a special kind of author to create an emotional jouney that opens our hearts. Kathi Baron is that kind of storyteller and Shattered is that kind of book." 
   --Louise Hawes, author of The Vanishing Point and Waiting for Christopher, both New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age, and Rosey in the Present Tense, a YALSA Popular Paperback

"Readers will cheer Cassie's journey as she runs away from a shattered home to a brief experience with homelessness and back again. Kathi Baron soars in this debut novel full of creative inspiration, healing and hope.  --Lynn Hazen, author of Shifty, a Smithsonian Notable Book & Voice of Youth Advocates "Top Shelf Fiction"

"Shattered is a sonata in words, a deeply lyrical journey, ringing with overtones." 
   --Tim Wynne-Jones, Horn Book and Edgar Award winning author of Blink and Caution and The Uninvited
 

 

CONNECT WITH KATHI

You can reach me at: kathi@kathibaron.com

My blog: http://www.kathibaron.blogspot.com

Follow me on Twitter: @KathiBaron

On Facebook: Shattered 

MEET KATHI BARON

7-12-13 to 7-14-13--Vermont College of Fine Arts Alumni Mini-Residency--Montpelier, VT

9-28-13--Zion Benton Library--Teen Writing Workshop--Zion, IL

 

CHECK OUT ALL THE STOPS IN THE BLOG TOUR

June 10
Book Spotlight at Much Loved Books

June 11
Guest Post and Book Spotlight at Moonlight Gleam

June 12
Interview and Review at A Diary of a Book Addict

June 13
Book Spotlight at Unputdownable Books 

June 14
Feature and Guest Post at Delphina Reads Too Much

June 15
Review at Hopeless Bibliophile 

June 16
Book Spotlight at Every Free Chance Reading 

June 17
Interview and Giveaway at Word Spelunking

June 18
Book Spotlight at My Fiction Nook 

June 22
Review at Stuck Between the Pages

June 24
Review at Books, Thoughts and a Few Adventures

June 25
Guest Post at Now is Gone

June 27
Review at The Kari Annalysis 

June 28 & 29
Guest Post and Review at Therian

June 30
Review and Interview at J Bronder Book Review 

 

 

Cover Reveal: Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee

Hello, Therians!

Elizabeth Lee's Escaping Me will release July 2013.

But today I have the honor of revealing the cover for this New Adult Contemporary Romance!!

 

Isn't it beautiful??!!

I love the hues!

All she wanted to do was forget. Forget the memory of walking in on her boyfriend in the middle of, well, another girl. Forget how she had her entire life planned out. And, forget about being perfect all the time. Unfortunately, she was Whitney Vandaveer and despite the fact that she moved to the middle of nowhere—she couldn't.

He always knew he would never be more than nothing. No job, no money, no future. Cole Pritchett had accepted the fact that he would always be the screw up and he was okay with it. Until he met her.

Here's the thing they quickly found out—sometimes we all need a little help escaping who we think we are.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand.  Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination!  Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabethleewrites

Twitter: www.twitter.com/elwrites
Website: http://elizabethleewrites.blogspot.com
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6542627.Elizabeth_Lee
Novel Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17854029-escaping-me?ac=1

Cover Redesign & Reveal: Undertow by Leigh T. Moore

Hello, Therians!

 

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Leigh T. Moore's Dragonfly, and I cannot wait for the release of Undertow, the second book in the Dragonfly series.

 

The Undertow Blog Tour is coming soon to a blog near you :), but for now I would like to introduce you to this much anticipated read with a Cover Reveal!

 

Ta da...

What do you think??

I love how it ties in with the Dragonfly cover :)

Book #2 in the DRAGONFLY series, coming July 18, 2013!

"Falling in love will pull you under..."

Three friends, three dreams.
One of them will end up dead.
Two will be forever shattered.

Recovering from her broken heart, Anna decides to spend the semester break diving into the three journals Bill Kyser gave her to read--the journals that hold the secret and that Bill says will help her understand his need for silence.

But the more Anna learns about the tragic events behind the powerful developer’s seclusion, the more she’s convinced silence is a mistake.

Anna has to decide if she’ll keep the secrets or tell him the truth about a past that’s been buried for decades. The only problem is the more she knows, the more Anna realizes either choice could cost her the boy she's starting to love.

Read excerpts of her books on Wattpad and Figment!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leigh Talbert Moore is the author of the popular young adult romantic comedy The Truth About Faking, its companion The Truth About Letting Go, and the mature YA/new adult romantic suspense novel Rouge, a Quarter Finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

She is an award-winning journalist and editor, who has also worked in marketing and public relations for many years. Her writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines across the southeast and Midwest U.S., and she runs the popular writing-craft blog That’s Write.

A southern ex-pat and beach bum, she currently lives with her husband, two young children, and one grumpy cat in the Midwest.

LINKS:

 

Facebook | Amazon Author page | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

 

 

 

Cover Revamp & Review: Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

Hello, Therians!

Stained by Cheryl Rainfield has a new cover!!!

Check it out and let me know what you think :)

Sometimes you have to be your own hero

Release Date: Oct 1, 2013

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Seventeen-year-old Sarah Meadows covers the walls of her bedroom with images of beautiful faces she clips from magazines—and longs for “normal.” Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. Why can’t she be like Diamond, the comic-book hero she created? Diamond would never let the insults in. That’s harder for Sarah.

But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had. Can she look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside, somehow becoming a hero rather than a victim? It’s the only way Sarah will have any chance of escaping the prison—both seen and unseen—that this deranged killer has placed around her.

Buying Links:

Amazon (hardcover) 

(well, it says you can get an email when avail)

Amazon (kindle)

Amazon.ca (hardcover)

Amazon.ca (ebook)

Amazon.co.uk (hardcover)

Amazon.co.uk (ebook)

The Book Depository

Powell's

Books a Million

REVIEW

This is a very dark and harrowing story of one girl's strength and will to survive.

Sarah is a brave, sweet girl who is forced to face a cruel and unwelcoming world, day in and day out. She wants nothing more than to be normal; to be one of the Beautiful People, but the devastating turn her life takes will show her that behind the beauty can lie a monster. 

My heart was in my throat for most of this story. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be, not knowing if you will live to see another day; if your captor will tire of you, and if he does how will your life end. Sarah's battle was only made that much worse by the fact that she was blind to the world throughout her ordeal. The horror she lived through at the hands of her abductor was heart-wrenching and it took all her willpower, as well as mine, to keep it together.

Where Sarah may have seemed desperate and on the brink on crumbling, she was actually being smart, knowing how and when to please her captor, knowing that if she angered him in anyway he'd punish her; but the truth is that everything he did to her was punishment, even if his sick, twisted mind thought otherwise. Sarah showed true courage and fierce determination. When she could have easily fallen, broken by the torment she was put through, she rose above the darkness and fought for her life. 

This book was one of hope, inspiration, and self-acceptance, as Sarah dug deeper than ever before, to find the beauty and courage in her soul. Her triumphs had me cheering, and I'm glad that even in the darkness she was able to find a little ray of light. One that taught her to love herself, and to hold close the people who truly mattered.

I recommend this story to everyone. It will make you think twice about whining about the small things in life, and you'll learn to appreciate everything you have. It is also a reminder that when you feel lost, broken or hopeless, don't give up, dig deep, because we all have a little Sarah in us, we just have to believe in ourselves, and believe that we're worth it.

It gets... 

Praise for Stained:

“Powerful. I raced through it, wanting to know if Sarah would find a way to escape both her captor and her self-doubts. A real nail-biter! “

 - April Henry, New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

“A compelling, gutting, and ultimately triumphant read. You won't want to stop turning pages -- Or blink. Or breathe. -- until you reach the very last one.”

-Jennifer Brown, award-winning author of Hate List

“STAINED is dark, tense and gripping; a triumph of one girl's heart, soul and will to survive. Sarah's strength during her descent into terror kept me reading way past bedtime! “

-Laura Wiess, critically acclaimed author of Such a Pretty Girl

From the Author:

Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope readers will see Sarah's strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself.

"I write the books I needed as a teen and couldn't find." CherylRainfield.com

Award-winning author of SCARS, STAINED, HUNTED, and Parallel Visions

http://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Rainfield/e/B004FRU1BM/

Cheryl on why she wrote Stained:

Join Cheryl Rainfield's Street Team

About the Author

I love to read. Books nurture me, helped me survive the abuse I endured as a child and teen. I also love to write. I write fantasy books and edgy, realistic fiction for teens.

My fantasy books often hold hope that I need, and feel others might need, too, while my realistic fiction is gritty, intense, and emotional. All of my books have fragments of the abuse I experienced. I write about some of the harsh things teens go through...things that I think shouldn't be hidden. But I also write about healing, hope, and love, and finding courage and strength.

In SCARS (WestSide, 2010), Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself before it's too late. It's my arm on the cover. There's a lot of me in SCARS; like my main character, Kendra, I am an incest survivor, I used self-harm to cope, and I'm queer. In my teen paranormal fantasy/dystopian, HUNTED (WestSide, Oct 2011), Caitlyn is a telepath in a world where that is illegal, and she must choose between saving herself or saving the world. Like Caitlyn, I know what it's like to have my life threatened, to face oppression, to experience torture, and to break free from cult or from a group of oppressors. And I know what it's like to have to decide between hiding my true self or being who I am, even if that means danger to myself. I drew on my experience with cults and ritual abuse in creating the world that Caitlyn lives in.

In STAINED, my upcoming YA novel from Harcourt (2013), Sarah, who has a port wine stain and some body image issues, is abducted and must find a way to rescue herself. Like Sarah, I was often imprisoned for long periods of time as a child, had my life threatened, and had to rely on my own strength to survive.

Books were my survival during my childhood, and my journey into myself. Books give me hope. I hope mine will give you hope, too, or something that you need.

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on email Cheryl[at]CherylRainfield[dot]com