I'm looking forward to being one of the participating authors at the Dayton Book Expo this weekend. The panel I'm on, Exploring the Journey of a Writer, is at 11:15 AM.
ExplThe
The Expo is on April 29th at Sinclair College from 11 AM to 4 PM. The all-day event includes panel discussions for writers, activities for children, and book signings with over ninety authors from a variety of genres. The event is free and open to the public. The Dayton Book Expo is located at Sinclair Community College in the David H. Ponitz Sinclair Center Great Hall-Building 12 located at 444 West Third Street, in Dayton, Ohio. For more info: www.daytonbookexpo.com/
oring thExploring the Journey of a Writere Journey of a Writer

It's day  of my 3-day tour and here's some of the reviews today:

From Papercut Princess: 5 stars

5 Paper Cut Princess Stars! It's not often I read YA novels, but I am glad I grabbed this one! It was sweet, emotional, and REAL. Not only did I connect with the characters, but the author made me feel everything right along with them. Full of ups and downs, Emme's journey is one I recommend to readers whether or not they are avid YA fans!

Review here: www.facebook.com/papercutprincessbooks/posts/1856127241315384

And from Alpha book club:

Emme is going through a recent breakup and heartbreak since her boyfriend was cheating on her. She has serious trust issues because of it.
Brendon is a senator’s son and is the it guy to a lot of girls including his ex girlfriend who doesn’t seem to want to accept that it’s over.
As the door opened, I held my breath, and in walked Brendon Agretti, the senator’s son and possibly the hottest guy in Michigan, okay, the entire western hemisphere.
Emme ends up being Brendon’s partner in their summer class. They end up growing closer and start dating. Then the insecurities and trust issues kick in and start causing problems for Emme. We also discover that Emmes family is also dealing with some serious health issues with her grandparents.
I felt like I was back in high school again with all of the drama that is in this book. The struggles that Emme had were right on and my heart went out to her several times. I kept going back and forth on the will they or won’t they be together. The secondary characters were great. There are some secrets revealed and the ending couldn’t have been better. And the serious topic of alzheimer’s really gives you a glimpse into what a family has to struggle with, Krysten Lindsay Hager does a great job of telling their story.

I'm on tour this week with Dating the It Guy and HEA Book Tours. Here's my first review on the 3-day tour! Find the whole post with new excerpt here: heabookshelf.blogspot.com/2017/04/dating-it-guy-by-krysten-lindsay-hager.html?zx=b3319b4597a9def2

– REVIEW: 4.5 STARS! –
I love Krysten Lindsay Hager's writing! She always manages to take me right back to my teenage years. All the insecurities, worries, heartaches, and down-right emotions are perfectly developed throughout the book. 

Emme was a genuinely good girl. She got her heart broken by her cheating ex-boyrfriend on top of dealing with personal issues at home. Falling for the popular guy in school didn't really help ease her worries, but you can't help who you fall for, right? Girls, especially high school girls, can be petty. So to add some more drama to her already not-so-boring life, Emme had to put up with Brendon's ex (man, I disliked her!) and the fact that he was probably the most wanted guy in school. Now, this may or may cause a woman to feel insecure, but when you're a high school teenager, that insecurity is most certainly present. Now, it wasn't all bad though! Ms. Hager made my heart smile during those sweet scenes too! I

The situation surrounding Emme's grandparents really broke my heart. Shattered it, even.I felt her concern and her pain. I wanted nothing more but to comfort her which only shows what an amazing author Krysten Lindsay Hager truly is. She evoked a lot of emotions from me while reading. From the very beginning to the very end, I wanted nothing but for Emme to find happiness. 

This is truly a great YA novel I recommend if you're in the mood for a thought-provoking and at times emotional read. 4.5 stars!

Guest Post For Krysten Hager
 
                Family.
There are many different forms of family these days. It isn’t all simply ‘Mom, Dad and kids’ anymore. Some families have two moms or two dads. There are homes with blended families, half-brothers and sisters or even where another family member cares for children for various reasons. There are also friends who care for and look out for one another like family. Regardless of how one defines it, as long as there is love, nurturing, guidance, acceptance and a sense of security, it is a family.
That’s the base of where I got the idea for ‘Just Shut Up and Drive’. Wil Carter is an eighteen-year-old young man who endured tragedy at a very young age when he lost his parents in a car crash. Fortunately for him, he had a strong support network that made sure he was brought up by the best person. And that was his Gramps.
Gramps Wilf isn’t your typical sweet old man. He is a feisty ninety-five year old man with a short temper and more energy than guys Wil’s age. But despite his tough exterior, he cared about his grandson. He just wasn’t always gentle in his approach. But tough love was what Wil needed, considering how his life started out, and Gramps ensured he got it.
I love the characters in this book. I made sure to introduce a couple of other non-essential characters they duo came across along their way who contributed to the storyline, but the bulk of the story revolved around Wil, Gramps and the things Gramps wanted his grandson to understand about life before he went off to college.
My grandfather did the same thing for me. Well…it wasn’t really a road trip, and if we had done one it certainly wouldn’t have been as eventful. But it would have been just as eye-opening and meaningful.
Here is a little blurb that gives an idea of the relationship between these two men, and how alike they are, as much as each of them would most likely disagree, despite their ages.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You want to do what?" eighteen-year-old Wil Carter asked his grandfather. 
Gramps Wilf clicked his tongue. "I know you aren't deaf, my boy. I said you and me are going for a road trip for a week or so in the summer."
Wil shook his head, picturing being crammed in his puny hatchback with his ninety-five-year-old grandfather. For "a week or so." Sounded like the start of a really bad cheesy movie: “The Adventures of Young Dude and Grumpy Old Man.” Wil thought of more than a fistful of things he'd rather do than drive hundreds of miles with a grouchy old geezer. But he knew there was no use in putting up a fight. He'd end up doing exactly what he always did: what he was told.
All Wil wanted to do over his summer holiday was work over at the corner drugstore and hang out with his buddies. After all, it was going be his last summer in Winnipeg before he headed out east to go to university. But, no, Gramps had set his plan in motion, yet again, without him even knowing.
"Gramps," Wil said, releasing a sharp breath. "You know that I work at the pharmacy every summer. How am I supposed to earn up my tuition if I'm chauffeuring you around the country? Besides, Mr. Bassey isn't going to give me that much time off. He's shortstaffed and—"
"Already taken care of," Gramps interrupted, shuffling over to his favorite recliner, backing up to it, and then plopping himself down. "Jim said he could spare ya for the time we're gone by getting the other gals to take their holidays later. Done."
Wil allowed his jaw to fall slack. "Uh, Gramps? Did it ever dawn on you that, maybe, I'd like to… oh, I don't know… have some fun this summer, being that I have to go to university in the fall?"
Gramps flipped the footrest of his recliner up, scootched his body back, then folded his hands across his belly. He tilted his head down, staring into Wil's pale blue eyes over the rims of his Buddy Holly-styled frames. "What? You got a girlfriend?"
"Well, no."
"Big plans aside from workin'?"
Wil put his hands on his hips then looked up at the ceiling. "No."
"Doin' anything special on your days off aside from slackin' off with those freaky friends of yours at the beach, starin' at those girls you only wish could be your girlfriends?"
Wil looked back down at his grandfather. "Ouch, Gramps. And, yeah. Hello? I said I wanted to have some fun.”
Gramps grabbed the remote from the armrest. "Mmm-hmm. Well, 'fun' should be spent doin' things you're interested in and good at."
 
"Well I'm interested in sitting on the beach, and I'm good at looking at girls. C'mon, Gramps. It's summer. And it's the last one I have in high school. Some of my friends are moving away to go to school and—"
The old man leaned forward and pointed the remote at Wil, who took that as a cue to shut it. "Let's get something straight, son. You're still living under my roof. I know you're a man now and want to be makin' all your own choices, but there's still plenty of things you need to learn about life before you'll make it on your own. And I'm gonna teach you those things this summer. I got some important things I need to show ya. I said we're goin' on a road trip, and that's exactly what we're doing. Now either sit on down and watch the news with me or find something more useful to do."
With that, Gramps pressed the remote with his thumb and Wil heard the TV blaring behind him. The two men glared at each other for a few seconds, then Wil dramatically flopped himself into the green-and-white-checkered barrel chair beside his grandfather's recliner. He put his elbow on the armrest then leaned his cheek onto his fist.
"Can you at least tell me where we'll be going?"
"No."
"What? Why not? If you're going to kidnap me, I should at least know where I'm going. Especially since I have to be the chauffeur."
"We're just gonna make a few stops between here and the other side of Saskatchewan. You'll find out soon enough. And by the way, if I'm kidnapping ya, then you don't need to know exactly where you're goin', now do ya? Since you're the driver, you just gotta go where I say."
From the corner of his eye, Wil saw his grandfather's mouth tug up into a little smirk. Then Gramps cranked the volume loud enough for any passerby outside to hear the news right along with them. Another subtle sign that their conversation was done, at least from Gramps' perspective.
Wil squinted at the TV, heat radiating from the nape of his neck. Great, he thought. A week or more of my summer vacation wasted with His Royal Crankiness.
He wondered what his grandfather could possibly have left to teach him. Or if he really wanted to know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHYNNA LAIRD – is a mother of four, a freelance writer, blogger and an award-winning author. Her passion is helping children and families living with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and other special needs. She’s authored two children’s books, two memoirs, a Young Adult novella, a Young Adult paranormal/suspense novel series, a New Adult contemporary novel and an adult suspense/thriller.
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Shut-Drive-Chynna-Laird-ebook/dp/B00DGJK3B8
Website: www.chynnalairdauthor.ca
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Chynna-Laird-Author-203311629699211/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chynnalaird
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/chynnaauthor/
Author’s Den: http://www.authorsden.com/chynnatlaird
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I was excited to be on The Soul of the Everyman radio show with hosts Michael and Margaret Lynes this week. We talked about all the awkward and difficult moments about growing up and how we can be more aware and helpful towards kids and teens today going through their own struggles with the pressures of social media and body shaming. We had a lot of fun and I hope you check out the show!

You can find it here: www.artistfirst.com/lynes.htm

I was very excited to appear on The Soul of the Everyman radio show with hosts Michael and Margaret Lynes this week. We talked about those awkward and difficult years growing up and how our experiences shaped up as well as the pressures and expectations of teens and preteens today with the social media and body shaming. 

You can find it here: www.artistfirst.com/lynes.htm

​

​Manuscript Title: Grimm Remains
Series Name: Warlock of Rochester
Author: Eli Celata
Tagline:
Sometimes the fairy tale’s end is just the Grimm beginning.
Back Cover Blurb:
Mammon’s summoning turned Rochester into a beacon for the denizens of Hell. As demon activity increases, Jon settles in for a new academic year, and Jordan moves in as the city’s protector. Unfortunately, the young warlock of Rochester might not be around long if the Devil’s marine legion has a say. Havfine, demonic mermaids, don’t often leave deep lakes and ocean waters. They’re better known for drowning mortal sailors than hunting magic users, but something has sent them upstream from Lake Ontario. When three orphans vanish from a magical sanctuary in Toronto, their caretaker – the Wizard Monday – dredges up a part of Jordan’s and Jon’s father’s history that Jordan would have rather forgotten. In this race against the Bane of Hamelin, more than three souls may be on the line.
Author Bio:
Eli Celata was born in Rochester, NY and currently attends Binghamton University as a doctoral student in Biological Anthropology. When she isn’t studying bones or working on interdisciplinary experiments, Eli writes science fiction and fantasy.
Author’s Social Media Links:

• Twitter: @Celata_E
• Website: elicelata.wordpress.com
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EliCelata/
• Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/EliCelata/

Buy Links:
TO COME!
 

Excerpt (1):
I drummed the coin against the table. Three fast, one slow, then repeated. My foot tapped. Jitters ran down my legs, and every few minutes, I’d hold still. Not even a breath would escape. Then I’d begin again. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched the sun dip lower, inch by inch, in the sky. It trickled down like a waterfall of gold sinking below the darkening cityscape. The steady warmth of summer faded with each vanishing ray though August – in name alone – would remain for another few days.
“Come on,” I whispered.
The sky shifted. My leg stilled. Metal paused, hanging above then falling to sit against the wood. As the sun fell down below the horizon, the Void Hours came in spades. Evening turned to night inside the bookshop, but I still pressed into the rising tension. A figure shifted down the street, but I kept my eyes straight ahead. The street lights buzzed and flickered on. Lemniscates shimmered over the window panes. From one side of the glass to the next, the sideways figure eights connected one into the next like linked chain. Inhaling, I let my eyes shut as the world hummed around me. Then the angel rang, and the door opened as if by a gust of air. The whole shop stretched out in the same breath and eased back with a sigh as the door locked. Fingers tapped the chalk remnants on the door before unhooking the ringer.
“Jon.”
I smiled, opening my eyes. “Welcome back to the States.”
 
Excerpt (2):
Flexing my fingers, I considered what to do. This was more space than I’d ever been given reign over. Music – I needed music. The air hummed. Drums and horns blared. Jordan’s eyebrow rose, but he remained silent. All the world around me churned with summer heat. Deeply inhaling, I moved. One arm raised, and a strip of pure water rose along with it. The droplets stretched, dispersing throughout the air into beads, trailing and orbiting me like a sphere. Whenever any drew near to Jordan, they flowed through him as though he was not even there. Light glinted off the spheres. Beneath us, the water flowed. I sent the heat along beside it. Degree by degree the temperature dropped, but though my breath became visible, Jordan seemed not to breathe at all.
Soon, crystals formed within the held vapor. Tiny balls of ice hung in the air. Fish panicked and swam quickly on as a thin layer of ice formed over the river within the dome. Millimeter by millimeter, I pushed the cold deeper. Magic crawled along my body weaving as much inward as outward. My hair curled, and when I caught my reflection in the water around me and the ice below, the stray touches of golden brown throughout had darkened. The change distracted me. I had enough concentration to keep what I’d done, but my focus moved from around me to within. My hair’s wave matched my mother’s, but the stray bits of red and gold had been a mark of my father.
My reflection stared up at me from the ice below. It was as if all the gold in my hair had drained into my eyes. They burned like the hot metal of Jordan’s old bike. Streaks of light carved into the ice. In my mind’s eye, I could see the steam rolling. A single word dripped and spelled in the twisted remains of Jordan’s motorcycle: Mine. There was more I didn’t know about Jordan than did. Secrets surrounded him, but this was one I doubted would have a pleasant answer. The Devil had called to Jordan like a child to play, but his son had burned with possessive spite, though I couldn’t tell if the word had been a claiming or a warning. Neither seemed safe.
Beneath the ice, a shadow dove. I leaned closer, trying to get a better look. The droplets fell and clanked against the surface’s frozen water. Running over the ice with a hand, I stared beyond my face into the waters below. When a face came into view, it wasn’t like the havfine I had seen earlier. However, it was just as disturbing. Milky white eyes stared up from a gray face. Blackened lips swelled from sunken cheeks as the dark rimmed eyes appeared almost purple in hue. Its long blond hair was braided multiple times over and wrapped tightly around its throat. Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed my lighter when something hit me. There were runes tattooed along the clavicle.
“Jordan?” I called.
Careful to avoid fire directly over the body, I melted the ice. Chunks floated out and off downstream, melting in the August heat. With a sweep of magic, I brought her above water and held her with magic. She was missing her right arm from the elbow. Her ankles had been bitten by fish and who knows what else. Shoes still on, the woman had been dressed in shorts and a basic cotton short-sleeved shirt. A scabbard at her waist indicated she had a sword somewhere, but there was no telling where it’d gone. Panic flooded me.
“Jordan!” My voice cracked. Sparks jolted down from my fingers, but I held them back and held to her.

I'm so excited to be part of this year's Ohioana Book Festival! I'll be on a teen writing panel and signing books and meeting readers all day on Saturday. 

The Festival will be held Saturday, April 8, 2017 from 10:30a.m.-5:00p.m. at the Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square, 75 E. State St., Columbus, OH 43215. You can find more info here: www.ohioana.org/programs/ohioana-book-festival/

SIX PACK: EMERGENCE
A DRINK COULD CHANGE OR CONTROL YOUR LIFE
Debut novel for B.W. Morris 
 
What if society was controlled by a drink, but there was another drink that might allow one to change the way things were? This is the question faced by Tyler Ward and his five friends in the new book Six Pack: Emergence.
 
Tyler is set to graduate from secondary school when he learns the truth about the nation of Novusordo and how the government controls the population. He and his five friends visit a professor’s house, consume another drink and gain strange powers. Now they find themselves part of a movement against the government and must learn to control their powers and how they might change society. But can they trust the movement… or even each other?
 
Six Pack: Emergence, a young adult, science fiction, dystopian novel is written by B.W. Morris, a longtime writer for small-town newspapers, though it took him a while to embrace his inner comic book geek and put his overactive imagination to work through novel writing. The novel, published by Clean Reads, is Morris’ debut work, the first in a planned trilogy.
 
Morris was born in Texas but grew up in Colorado. He has also lived in New Mexico and Oklahoma and currently resides in Kingman, Kan., a small community 40 miles west of Wichita. Morris is a member of the Kansas Writers Association and loves pizza, barbecue and a good breakfast burrito. He cites the likes of Greg Weisman, George Orwell, Suzanne Collins, Stan Lee and Conor Friedersdorf as inspirations for his writing.
 
Six Pack: Emergence will be released March 28 in ebook format through Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Kobo, Smashwords and iTunes. You may learn more about the book by visiting Morris’ blog at relaxingwithsixpack.blogspot.com or email him at [email protected]. 

Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Six-Pack-Book-ebook/dp/B06WRT8RH1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491374143&sr=8-1&keywords=Six+pack+B.+w.+Morris