MMGM: A Scary Good Book

Shannon Whitney Messenger created Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays to bring attention to some fabulous books. I'm playing along this week! :)

Anita Laydon Miller has done it again. Her first book, Earthling Hero, was a big hit with the students in my class last year. I haven't read A Scary Good Book to my class (yet), but I know they're going to love it!

In this story, Hannah finds the words Help Me underlined in a library book. When she finds other clues, she starts to wonder if the words are a serious cry for help. As a 12 year old, it's hard to get adults to treat your suspicions seriously, and Hannah continues to investigate on her own, and then with her best friend Ollie.

Hannah's a fabulous character - lots of layers and interesting angles inside her. One of her greatest traits is her courage.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this book has it all: mystery, adventure, humour, action, suspense and even a bit of realistic 12-year-old romance. Loved it!

I also love cover of this one. Anita & her hubby did it together!

I haven't made a cover yet, but I'm looking forward to giving it a shot one day! Have you attempted doing any cover work yourself?

A Scary Good Book!

Great news!! Anita Laydon Miller is releasing a new ebook TODAY! It's a middle grade mystery called A SCARY GOOD BOOK. I can't wait for this one. I loved her 1st book, EARTHLING HERO - and so did my students when I read it aloud to them last year.

Here's what Anita has to say about her new book...

Twelve-year-old Hannah Stone tells everyone she’s “okay,” but that’s a total lie. Two years ago her dad was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The detective in charge of the case never found the driver, but he somehow managed to get Hannah’s mom to fall in love with him. The jerk. And speaking of love, Hannah’s developed a major crush on Ollie Ortega—he’s her best friend and the only one she can talk to—a crush on Ollie is so not a good idea.


Also not a good idea? Searching for a missing person with no help from the police. But that’s exactly what Hannah does when she finds messages in library books—underlined words that point her in the direction of someone who needs her.


And, suddenly, Hannah’s even further from okay. She breaks into a library, gets caught in a kidnapper’s web, and is stalked by her dad’s killer, all in an effort to save a life…but can she save herself, too?
 
Doesn't it sound great? Can't wait. Here's the link for this terrific kids' ebook - it's only 99 cents!!

It's Back!

My computer has returned from Repair Land. With a new cord and a new motherboard. Thankfully it was under warranty so it didn't cost me a thing! :) Cue the happy dance!


So far, I've had to let it turn itself on and off about a dozen times while it downloads all the updates for security programmes and other goodies. It feels so good to have it back! I looked at my Google Reader to see how many blogs I have waiting for me...

... about 10 000.

Yup, you read that right. Ten-freaking-thousand. Really don't think that's going to happen. That Mark All As Read command looks pretty good right now!!

Congrats to all those A to Z Challenge bloggers. I obviously didn't catch most of the posts - but the ones I did were terrific! Way to go! I imagine most of you will be doing a bit of relaxing in May :)

I did manage to read a few more great books while I was laptopless...

Earthling Hero by Anita Laydon Miller. If you're looking for a fabulous MG adventure, this is it!! A quiet kid gets sucked into an adventure of a lifetime in which he's got to work with and against some aliens in order to save his parents ... and the world! Tons of fun in this one. I finished it in no time :)

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. If you're looking for an intriguing YA urban fantasy, you've got to read this one. A teenage girl sees faeries, invisible to most people. When she's chosen by one of them, her whole world starts to spin out of her control. Great fantasy with romance, adventure and lots of action. Loved it!

If you like romantic suspense, Reunion in Death by JD Robb & Cold Dawn by Carla Neggers were also fantastic reads! All this bonus reading time was a definite plus! :)

I hear Elliot Grace's book, South of Charm, is now available! I'm hoping the Kindle version's out soon too. Can't wait to read this one. Elliot's got a magical way with words and images! And that cover is perfect! :)

So, tell me, what did I miss? What should I be looking forward to?