HAUNTING JOY

I'm thrilled to be part of the HAUNTING JOY blog tour today! I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of HAUNTING JOY, a novella by the amazing Lena Goldfinch. Not only did I know I loved Lena's writing already, I was excited about a good ghost story before Halloween.

First about the book:

Joy’s new dress has a secret – one with a little supernatural history, one that’s a little more than she expected.

It all starts one ordinary afternoon, as seventeen-year-old Joy tries on some thrift-store clothes her grandmother gave her. The little white dress fits perfectly. Trouble is, now it won’t leave her alone. Soon Joy is swept up in an extraordinary journey to help a ghost complete some unfinished business. If only that didn’t involve Joy driving through dangerous intersections...or calling up her high-school crush, Nick...or getting stuck at a cemetery after dark.

Will Joy accept this ghostly challenge to be "more"? And just how far will she go to uncover the truth?

Light Paranormal Novella

Now, before I tell you what I think I asked the most appropriate *person* I could think of to review the book as well. Please welcome Bertha the ghost.

Bertha: Thank you, Lisa. We prefer the term bodily challenged. Ahem.  Finally I have an opportunity to prove that I'm an intelligent being worth listening to. My opinion counts, people!!

Me: Um, yeah. Of course it does. That's why I asked you here.

Bertha: It's just that it can be difficult being bodily challenged. People seem to assume I'm there to scare them - as if I don't have anything better to do.

Me: Yes, well, Haunting Joy...

Bertha: Of course. I did enjoy the book. I appreciated that the bodily challenged individual wasn't simply a one dimensional stereotype. She had goals, feelings, you know all things that make us human.

Me: *silence* (I'm not going there)

Bertha: It's only too bad we had to hear it from the point of view of a girl blessed with a body. BORING.

Me: Hey! You had a body once too.

Bertha: *eyes turn black* *teeth sharpen into points* *hair floats around head*

Me: Sorry to interrupt. Please continue.

Bertha: That's all.

Me: Thank you, Bertha and good luck.

As for me? I loved it!! It was a fun story, nicely balanced and well written. I give it 5 stars even if it wasn't written from the ghost - er, bodily challenged individual's - point of view.

In honor of the release of Haunting Joy, Lena Goldfinch is giving away a few spooktacular prizes! The giveaway is open internationally, and there will be three winners (randomly drawn) – one winner for each of the prizes listed below:

·         glass heart necklace (like Joy’s!)

·      A signed copy of Haunting Joy (paperback)

·      An e-book copy of Haunting Joy

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

Lena lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. She writes fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose of "sigh-worthy" romance. You can visit her online at www.lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com.

You can find Lena at any of the following places:

Website: http://lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lena_goldfinch

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lenagoldfinch

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4412038.Lena_Goldfinch

Newsletter sign-up: http://lenagoldfinch.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d20c77e0f3ef8dff993ecfcf7&id=6b1c2994d1

Character Interview With Kita from SONGSTONE by Lena Goldfinch

Stay tuned after the interview for contest and book info!! I LOVED THIS ONE, GUYS!! And isn't the cover gorgeous??

Hi, Lisa! Lena here. Thanks so much for having Kita on your blog. I'm just a little bit nervous about what she'll say, but I'm so glad you invited us here! :)

Kita, Tell my readers a little about yourself and what makes you special.

I was found as a baby crawling in the forest by a village girl named Noni. No one knows where I came from or who I am, but they all say I must be Huwi. They all fear me just a little, for the Huwi are a mysterious tribe with pale skin and blood red hair. Like mine. They live in the trees of the smoking mountain, among the ancient island spirits. They protect the sacred places. And they can turn to mist.

Don’t look into their eyes, mothers whisper to small children, or they’ll steal you.

They look at me and shiver. I'm sure they think I'm about to do something awful to one of them. I'm not sure why. It's not as if I have any special powers. For one thing, if I'm supposed to be Huwi, why can't I turn into mist? I suppose I can meld song into stone, and only a few can do that...but that's not really a mystical power. It just is. It's as natural as breathing. How else would we share our stories with the generations to come? 

I don't dare tell my master my secret though. As it is, he steals drops of my blood to perform his terrible black magic. How I hate him. He's such an evil, vindictive man, who punishes his enemies for the smallest offenses. What if he found a way to use my gift for evil, to capture a spell in the heart of the stone? I'm not sure how he'd do it, but I don't ever want to find out.

What are your favorite three things about the island you live on?

1. I love the sound of the island breathing: the sound of waves surging to shore and the sigh they make as they return to the sea. It's a beautiful place, and it's also a deadly place. That's something I deeply respect and admire.

2. I love sea turtles. I love how they loll the waves and bob gently up and down. Noni used to take me to watch the sea turtles when I was little, because she knew I loved them....

I think life for a sea turtle must be very simple. A sea turtle doesn’t have to worry about magic or wickedly sharp bird bones, or losing drops of her blood—or any of that. Besides that, they're simply beautiful and just looking at one can make you feel better. 

3. Lastly, I love trees (even though that only confirms to the villagers that I belong in the deep forests, beyond the green belt of Mount Tul, where the mysterious Huwi live). I especially love kala trees and dream of someday having a hut in the kala trees near the sea.

* Of course, everyone loves Pono, don't they? It's more than annoying how, in one day, he can win the whole village with one of his silly smiles. It's even more annoying that I find myself watching him when no one else is looking. But I don't really want to talk about that. I barely know you, after all.

If you could change three things about your life, what would they be?

I can't imagine changing three things about my life. All my energy is spent wishing for one thing and one thing only: I want to be free--to escape from my evil master, Matiko. I want him gone forever. I wish he were dead. 

I suppose that is three things, isn't it?

What I can barely admit to myself is how much I long to know who I am and where I belong. I want family, friends, and love. I hope this isn't too much to wish for, but I fear it is. If there is anyway that I could have it all, well, I suppose I'd be willing to give up just about anything for that.

Enter below for some really AWESOME stuff! The giveaway is open internationally, and one winner (randomly drawn) will receive:

·      A signed copy of Songstone (Paperback)

·      A sea glass necklace with turtle charm 

·      A $10 Dairy Queen gift card (U.S.) or a $10 Amazon.com gift card (international)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Book 

Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling—the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone—is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he's secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he’ll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can’t see him for what he really is.

Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn't brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita's unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He's come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village—a storyteller who'll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she'll risk her life to take it.

A dark, twisty tale of sorcery, tummy-tingling romance, and adventure, inspired by the folklore of New Zealand's Māori people.

About the Author

Lena lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. She writes fiction for young adults, mostly light fantasy with a healthy dose of "sigh-worthy" romance. You can visit her online at www.lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com.

Author’s Links

Website: http://lenagoldfinch.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lena_goldfinch

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lenagoldfinch

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4412038.Lena_Goldfinch

Newsletter sign-up: http://lenagoldfinch.us5.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d20c77e0f3ef8dff993ecfcf7&id=6b1c2994d1

The Next Big Thing!

The Next Big Thing blog tour began in Australia and has wound it's way all aorund the world to Southern California. It's a great way to discover authors and illustrators that you might not be familiar with and what their latest book is about. Each author or illustrator answers ten questions and tags two more authors who will continue the tour. So this week it's my turn to talk about my next big thing. BUT I will be answering some questions not about THE BINDING STONE, which just came out in print as well as Kindle, but an upcoming book in a brand new series. If you want to see more about THE BINDING STONE check out this post (when I was tagged earlier! LOL)

Thank you to Laurisa Reyes for tagging me!

Here are the questions:

What is the working title of your next book?

WINGING IT will be out in the next year through Fuzzbom publishing again because they are slathered in awesomesauce. 

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I'm always thinking about who would be the worst person to put into which situation and it occurred to me that it would be a teenage boy's worst nightmare to find out he's actually a fairy godmother. Poor, poor Zach! But his character is one of my favorite that I've ever written. The song RHYTHM OF LOVE by Plain White T's inspired me.

What genre does your book fall under?

DUH. Paranormal YA of course! LOL. Seriously I promise I write other things, but that is my favorite! 

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Well, when I started writing it I had people in my head, but now they'd be all grown up! LOL. So let me try with current teen (or at least could pass for teen) actors. 

Zach: Ross Lynch

Jenna: Sally Martin (I don't know her, I just think she's adorable!)

Kelly: Victoria Justice

This book has a huge cast in it, so I could put a dozen more, but I'll spare you!!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? (note: I'm cheating here and putting in two sentences).

In WINGING IT, sixteen-year-old ZACH discovers his mom is a fairy godmother, but what’s really freaking him out is the fact that he’s a fairy too. Now that his mom’s been injured, he must finish her assignments before the next full moon or they’re both grounded, meaning no wings, no wands, and no position in the Organization of Destiny Fulfillment (ODF).

Who is publishing your book?

Fuzzbom! The wonderful new small press that published my book, THE BINDING STONE, and has done such a wonderful job!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I think about two months. I write first drafts quickly. It's the revisions that take me forever!! LOL

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I'd have to say PARANORMALCY because of the humor and action. 
Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Guess I already mentioned this! So see above. 

What else about the book might pique the reader's interest?

The male POV, the nonstop action, humor, and heart in this book. Also the fairy lore that's accessible but gives a nice nod to traditional lore some readers may know. 

Next up for THE NEXT BIG THING are Ellen Booraem and Lena Goldfinch. They will post the next two respective thursdays! Don't miss out on reading about their books. Below are some teasers for you!!

Perpetual scaredy-cat Conor O'Neill has the fright of his life when a banshee girl named Ashling shows up in his bedroom. Ashling is--as all banshees are--a harbinger of death, but she's new at this banshee business, and first she insists on going to middle school. As Conor attempts to hide her identity from his teachers, he realizes he's going to have to pay a visit to the underworld if he wants to keep his family safe.

"Got your cell?"
"Yeah . . . . Don't see what good it'll do me."
"I'll text you if anything happens that you should know."
"Text me? Javier, we'll be in the afterlife."
"You never know. Maybe they get a signal."

Discover why Kirkus has called Booraem's work "utterly original American fantasy . . . frequently hysterical." This totally fresh take on the afterlife combines the kid next door appeal of Percy Jackson with the snark of Artemis Fowl and the heart of a true middle grade classic.


Kita can meld song into stone. In a world with no written word, storytelling—the ability to meld (or magically impress) song into stone—is greatly honored. The village honors her master as their medicine man, but Kita knows he's secretly a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he’ll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it from him. Each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope. His spells blind the villagers, so they can’t see him for what he really is.

Not that anyone would want to help her. She was found in the forest as a baby and would have died if a village girl hadn't brought her home. But the villagers saw Kita's unusual coloring and decided she belonged to the mysterious tribe who lives in the forests of the volcano, a people feared for their mystical powers. So they fear her too. Now seventeen, she can barely admit her deepest longing: to know who she really is and where she belongs.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He's come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village--a storyteller who'll be chosen at the great assembly. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom and she'll risk her life to take it.

A dark, twisty tale of sorcery, tummy-tingling romance, and adventure, inspired by the folklore of New Zealand's Māori people.