Swinging at Love by Kendra C. Highley Book Blog Tour

Swinging At Love by Kendra C. Highley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Swinging At Love (Suttonville Sentinels #2)
by Kendra C. Highley
Publication Date: March 13, 2017
Publisher: Entangled TEEN Crush
Outfielder Tristan Murrell has a problem. As the number two slugger for the Suttonville Sentinels, his team is counting on him to make their very first run at the state championship. But he has a secret—his swing has totally deserted him. As in, he can’t hit anything. He needs to fix the issue, and fast, but how?

Ballerina Alyssa Kaplan has a problem, too. The shiny new sports complex in town has left her family’s batting cage business on the verge of going under. Nailing her audition for a prestigious dance company is everything, but there’s no way she’s letting her some shiny big-box company destroy her family’s livelihood.

Tristan needs a miracle. So does Alyssa. And maybe, just maybe, Tristan’s secret weapon might be the girl of his dreams…

Disclaimer: This book contains hot, shirtless baseball players, kisses that bring a ballerina to her knees, and a lot of baseball smack-talk. 

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34323623-swinging-at-love

Purchase Links:

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Amazon | B&N| Kobo | iBooks

Link to Tour Schedule:

http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/tour-schedule-swinging-at-love-suttonville-sentinels-2-by-kendra-c-highley-presented-by-entangled-teen-crush/

My Review

First sentence....

"There's a sound that can only be made by an aluminum bat striking a baseball. TING!"

I knew I was going to like this book by that first sentence. I am a tomboy at heart and love sports, so right away I knew that Alyssa and I were besties. That being said, I dove into this with big hopes. Alyssa's character was good and I loved her desire to work hard and help her father's batting cages work. She didn't even mind getting dirty messing with tools.... ehemmm.... yup, that is me! A girl after my own heart.

Tristan was a great character as well. A baseball player with skill, but was having a bit of a slump. The way Tristan and Alyssa meet was cute and made the story what it is. I didn't really appreciate the "let's date and not tell our friends" type of deal for it only to last like 2 days. But other than that I enjoyed the story and the characters. There were some definite swoony kisses and teenage angst mixed in for the win! What girl, no matter what her age, doesn't like some shirtless jocks and some testosterone filled sports? I sure do!! and this one was good, clean and a quick , fun read.

The Author

Kendra C. Highley

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories, and the restorative powers of dark chocolate.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Tumblr

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Baseball player Kyle Sawyer has many labels: bad boy, delinquent, ladies’ man, fearless outfielder… Only one of them is actually true. But then sweet ballet dancer Faith Gladwell asks him to help wreck her reputation, and everything goes sideways.

Faith knows a thing or two about love, and what she had with her cheating jerk of an ex wasn’t it. When he starts spreading rumors about her being an Ice Queen, Faith decides it’s time to let a little bad into her life.

Lucky for her, Kyle Sawyer—dark, dangerous, totally swoonworthy Kyle Sawyer—is landscaping her backyard over Spring Break. Shirtless. And if she can convince him to play along, “dating” Kyle will silence the rumors.

But Faith’s plan threatens to expose Sawyer’s biggest secret of all…and that’s a risk he’s not willing to take.

Disclaimer: This book contains drop-the-book-and-fan-yourself kisses…and touches. Fall in love with a bad boy at your own risk.


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30415027-the-bad-boy-bargain

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Chasing Truth Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop in the Chasing Truth Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Chasing Truth (Eleanor Ames #1)

by Julie Cross

Publication Date: September 27, 2016

Publisher: Entangled TEEN


Goodreads Summary:  

At Holden Prep, the rich and powerful rule the school—and they’ll do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

When former con artist Eleanor Ames’s homecoming date commits suicide, she’s positive there’s something more going on. The more questions she asks, though, the more she crosses paths with Miles Beckett. He’s sexy, mysterious, arrogant…and he’s asking all the same questions.

Eleanor might not trust him—she doesn’t even like him—but they can’t keep their hands off of each other. Fighting the infuriating attraction is almost as hard as ignoring the fact that Miles isn’t telling her the truth…and that there’s a good chance he thinks she’s the killer.

Tour Date:

September 26-Oct 14, 2016

Blog Tour Schedule 

 Find it on Goodreads 

Available for purchase:

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | IndieBound | BAM | TBD

About the Author

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press).

She’s also the author of the Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA.

She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

Outside of her reading and writing cred, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

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Fates Divided Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Fates Divided Blog Tour by Bound Book Tours.  I hope you enjoy my review of this Paranormal New Adult book by Jules Barnard.  

ENJOY!

Fates Divided by Jules Barnard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Elena Rosales has busted her ass to get into a good college. She’s the only one in her family ever to attend, and expectations are high. No pressure. But Elena’s got this one in the bag, because she’s as dependable as the molecules she studies, as reliable as the chemical reactions that comfort her in their predictability. Until they don’t.

Elena has always wondered why her mother abandoned her on her first birthday. It’s not until she turns eighteen and her chemistry experiments go berserk that she learns the truth: Her mother wasn’t human, and the Fae are willing to harm those Elena loves if she doesn’t use her power over the elements to cure them of a deadly disease.

Derek, Elena’s brooding neighbor, isn’t the friendliest guy, but he has access to an off-hours lab and is willing to help Elena create the antivirus. He has his own secrets to keep, and this business Elena is mixed up in could blow his cover. But when Elena and Derek get together, more than chemicals spark fire—and they soon discover just how complicated attraction can get when they find themselves on the other side of the portal, fighting for survival. Lives collide, and allegiance and love are tested, in Fates Divided.

My Review: 

First off, just let me say this: I am not a Fae fan. I do not like the usual pointy-eared, crazy colored hair, prankster type of Fae stories. I do not like the Fae world that is full of creepy trees, weird animals that talk and well... you get the idea. While I do enjoy a good fantasy book, there is just something about the Fae stories I have read that just don't grab me. So if you do like those kinds of books, this book is NOTHING like that! This.... this is what I would image my kind of Fae to be... Big, tall, gorgeous, and as arrogant as hell.. NOTHING like the "elf-like" image typically given the Fae.

So... that being said, I really fell in love with all the main characters, and secondary characters. Derek and Elena are half Fae and half human, (a.k.a Halven) and the sparks fly from their first meeting. They both don't really know what they are so when their lives turn upside down from each other and their powers developing, it gets crazy quickly! Keen and Reese are such great background characters. Keen is always around, bossy, arrogant and yet still lovable all at once where Reese is that one roommate we all know and love.

The best thing about this book is that there is not only magic, but SCIENTIFIC magic! That concept intrigued me to no end! Of course it is no hocus pocus, but having to deal with cells, chemistry and the changing of elements that got me fired up. Who knew I was this nerdy? Of course there is the romance type of Chemistry... yup lots of this stuff! The tension was huge from day one and grew to something significant as the story went on. This is a New Adult so there were some sexual situations but not graphic. So be aware!

All in all, this book was exciting and did not disappoint me at all! It kept me up late at night and hindered my real life activities because I couldn't put it down!

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Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks│Kobo│Google Play

About the Author

*Click HERE to sign up for Jules's New Release Newsletter. You'll be the first to learn of new releases and gain access to subscriber freebies, including FREE extra scenes.**

A RITA-nominated author, Jules Barnard began her publishing career in 2014 with Deep Blue, the first book in the contemporary Blue Series, hitting bestseller lists on Amazon, iBooks, and All Romance. In 2015, she launched Fates Divided, the first of a romantic fantasy series Library Journal calls “…an exciting new fantasy adventure.” Whether she’s writing about beautiful Lake Tahoe, or a Fae world embedded in a college campus, Jules spins suspenseful stories filled with realistic characters who have heart and humor.

When Jules isn’t in her sweatpants writing and rewarding herself with chocolate, she spends her time with her husband and two children in their small hometown on the California coast. She credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.

Join Jules's Facebook Fan Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/66563...


Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

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Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Moonchild by Kate L. Mary (Review)

Moonchild by Kate L. Mary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: 

In a world fueled by greed and corruption, where airships rule the skies and coal mines have been turned into prisons, Scarlett Moon has one goal: Survive. Being tough and looking out for herself is the only way to stay alive, but when her best friend, Rory, is arrested and returned to the mines, all of Scarlett’s carefully built walls threaten to crumble.

After being rescued by an airship full of pirates, led by the sexy and irresistible Asher Kimura, Scarlett finds herself surrounded by cons and fugitives, and thrust into the middle of a coal-smuggling business. When they take her to Columbus, the one place she never wanted to set foot in again, she wants nothing more than to get away. And her discomfort only grows as she becomes increasingly drawn to Asher.

But everything changes when she discovers there may be a way to rescue Rory. Enlisting the pirates' help, Scarlett sets out on a mission to save her friend, praying that her overwhelming attraction to Asher doesn’t mean the end to her freedom—in more ways than one.


A futuristic steampunk?! Who knew?

Just think of a world so far in the future, that it has reverted back to the dark ages of steam and coal. A place where there is only certain technology left, and any other is considered evil. People living on the streets in poverty where any minor violation can land you in the coal mines which could mean certain death! But what captured my attention the most was the word.. "Pirates"! Steampunk, drool worthy Pirates, and a dark dystopic time? YES! Yes! and YES!

This was a heart pounding, thrilling read full of strong, beautiful but broken characters. I am not sure if Mary planned it this way, but when I got to know Scarlett a little, it reminded me of another Scarlett from a time when women were considered fragile...but she was strong, independent and stubborn. I loved this Scarlett from the first page, and even more as she grew. Oh and Asher! Did I not say there were some tasty pirates? Yes, this frustrating yet dashing Asher could save me in an airship any day!! The angst and tension between him and Scarlett was enough to drive me to bang my head against the wall.

The secondary characters were just as entertaining and well developed. I can see so many other stories of these diverse characters progressing in other books to come (well, I hope so anyway)! I look forward to see what becomes of each one of them.

I gave it 4 stars for great writing, exciting story, and characters I couldn't get enough of!

I need more Scarlett and Asher!!


Thanks to YA Book Tours for the chance to review this great read!

Art & Soul by Brittainy C. Cherry

Art & Soul by Brittainy C. Cherry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: 

I had always been the invisible art student in high school. Passed by. Glossed over. Unnoticed.
Now I was Aria Watson… that girl.

After one bad decision, and being labeled a slut, I was no longer unseen. I was the whore. The ignoramus. The tramp.
I would never be invisible again.

Particularly to Levi Myers. He was the odd boy with the beautiful soul who accepted and understood the broken girl inside me.

Falling in love wasn’t the plan. But how could I resist his promises of hope? Of forgiveness? Of a future I had stopped dreaming of?
We were shattered. We were scarred. We were something strange and beautiful.
We were two lost souls holding on to the only thing that could keep us together.

Art – noun | [\ˈärt\] : The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. 

"I think you're art". 

When I first saw this on Audible, I jumped on it mainly because the cover is so beautiful and the preview of book touched me. I had never read anything from this author, so I thought I would give it a shot. When I realized this was about teen pregnancy, I wasn't so sure I wanted to read on something so touchy and figured there could be some explicit sex scenes. But kept on listening, I did! Soon I was swept away by Aria's and Levi's stories. It was written with alternating POV between the two of them... which I LOVE! I love it even more in audio format.

One thing I noticed and enjoyed was the writing. The words had a comforting flow that I found easy to get wrapped up in, to get lost in the world she created. Even though her writing was simple, it was beautifully put together.

     "We grew tired together, creating our own kind of art. We became the masterpieces of the loneliest souls. The colors in both of our eyes bled out, knowing that sometimes the most beautiful pieces of art were created from the darkest of souls."

So many emotions were brought to the surface as Aria and Levi both had to face so many difficult decisions and situations brought on by bad judgement or just from what life brings. My heart broke, I laughed out loud, I wanted to scream with frustration and then cry my eyes out from it all.

“Maybe it wasn’t about fixing the broken hearts. 

Maybe it was about loving the broken pieces the way they were. 

Maybe when someone you loved was hurting, all they needed was someone to hold their pinkie as a reminder that they weren’t alone.”

My favorite thing about this book was the real life issues Cherry addressed. There were so many valuable lessons to be learned... from being accountable for your actions, the seriousness of having sex, sacrificing or love or selflessness, to respecting others and their decisions. Also she touched on mental illnesses, death, life, bullying, childhood cancer, and birth. I was impressed with the way the characters grew throughout the story and was impressed with the way these difficult situations were finally handled.

Last but not least... There was.. AIR GUITAR!!  How can you not like a book with air guitar played by a violinist?


via GIPHY



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Hair In All The Wrong Places Blog Tour and Giveaway!!

Welcome readers! 

Welcome to my stop in the...

Here is a little about this book by Andrew Buckley:

Hair in All the Wrong Places by Andrew Buckley
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

What has he done?

What’s happening to him?

And what on Earth is that smell?

For Colin Strauss, puberty stinks. Blackouts, hallucinations, and lapses in memory are the perils of growing up werewolf.

Worse than that, Colin worries he might have had something to do with the recent attacks on the townspeople. He may have eaten a person. It doesn’t matter that it’s someone he doesn’t particularly like. What kind of boy goes around eating people?
Foolishly, all Colin can think about is how Becca Emerson finally kissed him for the first time. Yep, hormones are afoot. Yikes!

But girls will have to wait. Collin better get himself under control before someone else ends up hurt or worse . . . dead. 

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN. He works as an editor for Curiosity Quills Press.Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on his next novel, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with three kids, one cat, one needy dog, one beautiful wife, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.

Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.

Website | Twitter | Facebook |Goodreads

My Review

Hair in All the Wrong Places: The Perils of Growing Up Werewolf by Andrew Buckley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hello Andrew Buckley! Let me just say this.... I love me some werewolves! They have been one of my favorite supernatural creatures to read about. When I first received this request for this blog tour, I was a little hesitant because it was considered to be a middle-grade teen read, but Being a mother of teen boys, I was interested on this very different take on puberty.

Collin's life as a 13-yr-old is pretty miserable. Abandoned by his parents and passed from family member to family member, he ends up living with his grumpy, mean grandmother who calls him names everyday. Not to mention the bullying he receives at school, being a loser seems to be his life. That is until he steals his grandfather's old car one night trying to run away, but only to wake not remembering the events of the night. Now he is having weird dreams, crazy hallucinations, smells drive him crazy, and blank spaces in his memories. Even with all the weirdness, he gets a kiss on the cheek by the girl he has been crushing on all year. But even she seems to be hiding something.... along with the strange town he has been living in.

I can see this as a book a lot of teens, especially boys, could relate to and enjoy. There is a little of everything in this book from humor to action to a bit of romance. I am an action junkie and was satisfied with the way Buckley described details that weren't too graphic but exciting. Perfect for the age level involved.

Thanks to Chapter by Chapter, for the opportunity to review and share this great read! I recommend this book to everyone because it has something for us all!

View all my reviews

Be sure to check out the other blogs on the tour... 

Here 

Giveaway

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THE WARRIOR PROPHET (THE WATCHER SAGA #3) BY LISA VOISIN BLOG TOUR

Hey there readers, WELCOME to my stop in 

The Warrior Prophet

Blog Tour!

The Warrior Prophet (The Watcher Saga #3) by Lisa Voisin

Release Date: April 13, 2016
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Mia Crawford is a prophet.
She can see angels. She also sees demons. Everywhere.

The angels are preparing for war to get her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael, back. A war that could take years. 

Haunted by visions of Michael's soul being tortured, Mia can't rest until she knows he's safe. 

To save him, she must make an impossible journey through Hell with the one person she prayed she'd never see again.

| Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29332802-the-warrior-prophet

Check out the rest of the Tour!

My Review:  So to be completely honest I ran out of time to get to this book! (bad bad Karen!) I was given all 3 books of the series to read last week and I was soooo overshooting my ambitions and confidence in my reading skills and balancing real life. BLAH. Real life just doesn't want to let me just sit and read all day!! RUDE for sure!  BUT.... (there is always a butt... I mean but!) I did make it through the first book The Watcher.  I can tell you... I will be reading the rest of this series!! Voisin's writing was so captivating from the beginning.  The characters were wonderful and I can't wait to dive into the next 2 books. I promise I will get to this book soon and when I do, I will post my full review on goodreads when it is done!  Don't miss out on this great series! 

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.

Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13665100-the-watcher

Purchase: BAM | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Now that she’s found him again, all Mia Crawford wants is some downtime with her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael. But the call of duty keeps him away—from school and from her—with more demons to smite than ever.

When Michael is mortally wounded by a cursed sword, Mia must perform an ancient blood ritual to save him. But the spell exacts a price. Haunted by visions of war, torture, and despair, Mia discovers the world is in more danger than she ever imagined. Behind the scenes, an evil adversary pulls all the strings.

After redemption, there’s Hell to pay.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23420120-the-angel-killer
Purchase: BAM | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

The Author

A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

Lisa is also a technical writer, a meditation teacher with the Training in Power Academy, and the leader of the Young Writer’s Club, a local writing group for teens in her home town. A self-proclaimed coffee lover, she can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!

Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.

More about Lisa can be found on her web site: http://www.lisavoisin.com or blog: http://lisavoisin.wordpress.com

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Cover Reveal! Olivia Decoded by Vivi Barnes

 

An action packed read with a dash of computer hacking!

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Olivia Decoded by Vivi Barnes

presented by Entangled Teen!

Check out the newly designed cover for Olivia Twisted too!

 

 

Olivia

This isn’t my Jack, who once looked at me like I was his world. The guy who’s occupied the better part of my mind for eight months.

This is Z, criminal hacker with a twisted agenda and an arsenal full of anger.

Olivia’s spent the past year trying to get her life on track. New school. New friends. New attitude. But old flames die hard, and one look at Jack—the hacker who enlisted her into his life and his hacking ring, stole her heart, and then left her—and every memory, every moment, every feeling comes rushing back. But Jack’s not the only one resurfacing in Liv’s life.

Jack

If there was any part of her that still wanted me, even a little, I’d never be able to let her go. But I couldn’t do that to her. She deserves better than a criminal like me.

When a stalker hell-bent on scaring Liv and framing Jack enters Liv’s life, Jack and Liv will have to work together to find out who it is before someone gets hurt, or worse. But can Liv learn to trust Jack again, when he can’t—or won’t—give up his life of hacking for good?

Book Title: Olivia Decoded (Olivia Twisted, #2) Author: Vivi Barnes Release Date: Sept. 6, 2016 Genre: YA Thriller

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca

 

And check out the new cover for Olivia Twisted!

 

 

Olivia He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.

At least at this moment, I don’t care.

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Liv might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Liv and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Z I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta. It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.

Except that she’s not.

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

 

 

Vivi Barnes was raised on a farm in East Texas where her theater-loving mom and cowboy dad gave her a unique perspective on life. After college, she convinced her supportive husband to

move with her to be part of the sunshine and magic in Orlando, Florida. On a good day, she manages to divide her time writing, working, reading, goofing off with her three kids, and avoiding dirty dishes. Vivi is a proud member of SCBWI and attends conferences whenever she can.

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