Super Middle Grade Mondays ~ Feature & Giveaway

 

Welcome to this week’s Super Middle Grade Mondays presented by Tantrum Books/Month9books!

Today, we get up close and personal with

Jennie K. Brown

author of Poppy Mayberry, The Monday a 2016 title coming from Tantrum Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Jennie K. Brown is a high school English teacher by day, freelance magazine writer by night, and middlegrade/young adult author by late-night and weekend. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Jennie can be found reading a good book, traveling, or spending time with her awesome husband, amazing son and super-spoiled yorkie.In 2010, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) named Jennie the Pennsylvania English teacher of excellence, and she currently serves as President of the Pennsylvania Council for Teachers of English and Language Arts (PCTELA). She is also an active member of SCBWI, NCTE and ALAN.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

 

Inspiration with Jennie K. Brown

 

Many people have asked me where I got the big idea about having magical powers based on the day of the week you’re born for my MG novel POPPY MAYBERRY, THE MONDAY. So, I’ve written a bit about my inspiration below!

The idea actually came to me when I was stopped at a red light in my hometown. I glanced up at the Starbucks on the corner across the street to see a young girl tossing a ball into the air. From the angle I watched, it looked as if the girl was controlling the ball with her mind. At pretty much the same time I asked myself, What day of the week is it? (I have a tendency to lose track of the days over the summer!) And then I put those thoughts together – What if a person had certain powers depending on the day of the week? Or what if a person had a special power specific to the day of the week in which they were born? And that’s where I got the concept for Poppy’s town of Nova. Then I took that a step further and gave certain powers to certain days of the week. If you check out this link, you can see what day of the week you were born and the power behind that day!

Monday – telekinetic powers (controlling things with your mind) Tuesday – teleportation Wednesday – energy/electricity manipulation Thursday – mind reading (So cool!) Friday – invisibility (disappearing!) Saturday and Sunday – powerless  (This is funny, because I was actually born on a Saturday myself!)

In POPPY MAYBERRY, THE MONDAY, the main character (Poppy Mayberry) is struggling with her telekinetic Monday power. Because of this she is sent to a remedial summer camp for the powerless - Power Academy – where she gets teamed up with her archrival, a mind reading Thursday, and a few other weekday hopefuls to combat the awful headmistress Clothes-too-tight Larriby and her equally awful sidekick. The novel is set to release in April 2016 with a sequel in December! Find out more and Jennie and her writing inspiration on her website jenniekbrown.com

:) Jennie

 

What if your teacher could read your mind just because she was born on a Thursday? Or the kid next to you in class could turn back the clock just because he was a 'Wednesday''? In the quirky town of Nova, all of this is normal, but one thing is not---Poppy Mayberry. As an almost-eleven-year-old Monday, she should be able to pass notes in class or brush her dog, Pickle, without lifting a finger. But her Monday telekinesis still has some kinks, and that plate of spaghetti she's passing may just end up on someone's head. And if that's not hard enough, practically perfect Ellie Preston is out to get her, and Principal Wible wants to send her to remedial summer school to work on her powers! It's enough to make a girl want to disappear...if only she were a Friday.

"Whimsical, imaginative, and fun. Poppy Mayberry is a modern Annie - immediately likable, charming and spunky. Kids will be rooting for this wonderful heroine from page one." --- Robert Beatty, New York Times Bestselling Author of SERAFINA AND THE BLACK CLOAK

Poppy Mayberry, The Monday by Jennie K. Brown Publication Date: September 2016 Publisher: Month9Books

 

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This giveaway is hosted and sponsored by Tantrum Books. StuckInBooks is not responsible for selecting a winner or sending out prizes.

Super Middle Grad Monday ~ Feature & Giveaway

 

Welcome to this week’s Super Middle Grade Mondays presented by Tantrum Books/Month9books!

Today, we get up close and personal with

Michael Gibney

author of The Three Thorns (The Brotherhood and the Shield #1) from Tantrum Books.

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

 

Michael Gibney began working in restaurants at the age of sixteen and assumed his first sous chef position at twenty-two. He ascended to executive sous chef at Tavern on the Green, where he managed an eighty-person staff. He has worked in the kitchens of Morgans Hotel Group, 10 Downing in Manhattan, and Governor in Brooklyn’s DUMBO, among many others. Over the course of his career, he has had the opportunity to work alongside cooks and chefs from many of the nation’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, Daniel, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Bouley, Ducasse, Corton, wd~50, and Momofuku.

In addition to his experience in the food service industry, Gibney also holds a BFA in painting from Pratt Institute and an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Connect with the Author: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Would You Rather With Michael Gibney

 

Would you rather never be able to speak again or always have to say everything that is on your mind?

Everything that is on my mind. I value honesty and the power of words, both written and audible. It’s not in my nature to stay silent, especially concerning injustice i.e. Animal Cruelty, etc.

 

Would you rather be able to read or be able to read minds (but be illiterate)?

I can do both. Haha. Read. I’d find reading people’s minds an invasion of their privacy, unless it was to help them.

 

Would you rather be able to speak fluently every language in the world or be the best in the world at something of your choosing?

Be the best in the world at something. Reason being I love the fact that learning another language is a feeling of achievement and an exciting challenge. I wouldn’t want that challenge made easy.

 

Would you rather read only one book over and over for the rest of your life or read as many as you want but never remember what they’re about?

Oh, tough one. Well, if you can’t remember there’s not much point. Seems like a waste of time and effort for nothing, so I’d go for reading one book and that would be J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (aka Peter and Wendy). The best fantasy book ever written in my opinion. So simple but yet such Genius.

 

Would you rather only the first page of a book or the last page?

Last Page. I always have to find out how a story ends.

 

Would you rather read 5 pages per day or 5 books per week?

Five books a week if I could and had the time. Knowledge is power.

 

Would you rather read only one genre forever or never read the same genre more than once?

One genre forever because you’d quickly run out of genres, right? And there’s plenty of amazing books and various sub-genres to be found in the Sci-Fi and Horror genre. Not so much in the romance genre.

 

Would you rather be invisible or be able to read minds?

Invisible. Would be so much fun but not if it’s like the Predator or Hollowman/The Invisible Man. That would suck.

 

Would you rather never use the internet again or never watch TV again?

Never watch TV again. There’s too much sad news and superficial reality shows on TV these days and not to mention a cluster of commercials. Yes, give me the Internet, so I can watch the art, music, movies I want and keep in contact with those I love around the world. Much better than a one way street of TV.

 

Would you rather have one wish granted today or three granted in 10 years?

Definitely one wish granted today. Life is unpredictable and short. We’re not guaranteed anything. Also, I hate waiting. Patience is a virtue. Possess it if you can. Seldom in a woman, but never in a man.

 

Would you rather know it all or have it all?

Have it all. I’m a deep enough thinker and have a strong enough imagination as it is and that can be quite exhausting. So, knowing it all would drive me crazy. Plus, one would be viewed as pretentious and arrogant if they had the ability to know it all. And both are not good attributes. =)

 

Three brothers born to a once powerful King were abandoned at birth and cast out into the old world as orphans - alone and unaware of the other's existence or their royal heritage.

In the new world, by order of the false King, three of the most lethal assassins are sent to kill the children before they come of age and avenge their father’s throne.

But when the brothers find one another, Benjamin, Tommy and Sebastian must resist the temptation of magic and power if they are to defeat the unspeakable evil that has threatened them since birth.

The Three Thorns is book one in an exciting children’s fantasy series called The Brotherhood and the Shield from debut author Michael Gibney.

Chapters Indigo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | TBD | Indiebound | Google Play | BAM | iBooks

 

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Super Middle Grade Mondays ~ Feature & Giveaway

 

Welcome to this week’s Super Middle Grade Mondays Book Blitz presented by Tantrum Books/Month9books!

For our previous Super MG Mondays, we've featured some of our amazing middle grade authors. Today, we thought it’d be fun to feature publicity team!

It's Staff Day! YAY! Introducing:

Jaime and Stefani!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Jaime:

 

Describe yourself in three words. Easy Going, Social, Hard working.

Tell us about your day job. I am the Publicity and Marketing Director for Month9Books and Tantrum Books so I get to work with awesome authors and help their dreams come true all day long J

Which writers inspire you? There are too many to mention but all of our GMMG authors inspire me on a daily basis!

What are you reading right now? Winter by Marissa Meyer then Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes.

Do you have an author crush? Hahahaha yes I have quite a few! For their writing here’s just a few but definitely not my complete list because that would go on forever! Veronica Rossi, Leigh Bardugo, Naomi Novik, Maria V. Snyder, Jennifer Jenkins, Brynn Chapman, Julie Reece, Cindy Pon, Jennifer Davis, & Sarah J. Maas.

Now actual crush, crush? OMG have you seen Pierce Brown? He’s gorgeous!

Quick questions:

Physical books or eBooks? Physical books all day!

Coke or Pepsi? Neither. I rarely drink soda and when I do it’s Orange Soda.

Twitter or Facebook? Twitter.

Song you can’t get out of your head right now? Die A Happy Man by Thomas Rhett. He’s a cutie and I freaking love this song!

Embed code if you want to add the video ;)

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Sweet or salty? Both I love salted caramel and chocolate covered pretzels!

Coffee or tea? Tea.

Write on computer or notebook paper? I don’t write lol but I do make a to-do list for each day and that’s on paper. Just like I still keep an old school paper calendar instead of a google calendar.

Find Jaime online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | Tsu

 

Stefani:

 

Describe yourself in three words. Bookish, hard-working, wanderer.

Tell us about your day job. I’m the Publicist for Tantrum Books, so I get to promote a group of wonderful middle grade authors, and a Youth Services Librarian in Mississippi, where I get to plan, promote, and host programs for an amazing group of teens plus a lot of other librarian activities.

Which writers inspire you? So so many. Any author that has written a book and put it out into the world inspires me.

What are you reading right now? Placebo Junkies by J.C. Carleson, The Selection by Kiera Cass (my teens at the library have been trying to get me to read this one for months), and Fairest by Marissa Meyer on audiobook.

Do you have an author crush? Um, duh. On their writing? Maggie Stiefvater, David Arnold, Becky Albertalli, Renee Ahdieh, Matt Haig. On the actual person? In a totally non-romantic way, Jeff Zentner – he’s hilarious and his book is incredible.

Quick questions:

Physical books or eBooks? Physical, hands down.

Coke or Pepsi? Gross. Neither.

Twitter or Facebook? Twitter, all day every day.

Song you can’t get out of your head right now? R.I.P. 2 My Youth by The Neighbourhood.

Embed code: <iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vKH-rcO6PA8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Sweet or salty? Depends on what time of day. I like a bit of both at every meal.

Coffee or tea? COFFEE, she types as she takes a big sip of coffee.

Write on computer or notebook paper? Computer for blog posts and such, but actual paper for planning.

 

Find Stefani online: Twitter | Blog | Instagram | Goodreads

 

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Super Middle Grade Mondays ~ Feature & Giveaway

 

Welcome to this week’s Super Middle Grade Mondays Book Blitz presented by Tantrum Books/Month9books!

Today, we get up close and personal with

Charles Curtis

author of Strange Country Day from Tantrum Books.

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Charles Curtis is a writer and journalist based in New York City. He has reported and written for publications including NJ.com (where he is currently the site’s sports buzz reporter), The Daily, ESPN.com, ESPN the Magazine, Bleacher Report, TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. Charles has covered the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, golf, tennis and NASCAR. He has also written about television, film and pop culture.

In addition, Curtis has also written, produced and was featured in videos for ESPN.com and The Daily. He has made radio appearances on stations including 92.9 The Ticket in Bangor, Maine, WLIE 540 AM in Long Island and on morning shows across Canada via the CBC. He can be reached on Twitter: @charlescurtis82.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

As a young 8th grade writer who published his first story in my school’s literary magazine, I was always encouraged to write what I know.

So when I sat down to write STRANGE COUNTRY DAY, I immediately knew my protagonist, Alexander Graham Ptuiac, would be a tall, skinny sports-loving new kid just starting middle school and trying to fit in. That’s because, at the age of 12, I was a tall, skinny sports-loving new kid just starting middle school and trying to fit in.

Alex’s first day of school starts out with a bang: During 7th grade orientation, he’s pulled into a room with his classmates for a ritual known as “Fresh Meet Friday.” When the event turns into a riot involving the older 9th graders, Alex discovers he has previously unknown superhero-like powers that propel him to punch the ringleader in the nose.

Unfortunately, my first day of middle school wasn’t nearly as mind-blowing as Alex’s, but I did draw a little bit from experience. I attended a private school where I was one of many new kids faced with making friends with a whole new group of students, many of whom already knew each other. Luckily, there were no hazing rituals I was forced to participate in (unluckily, I didn’t have comic book-like powers, either), but in STRANGE COUNTRY DAY, I tried to capture that same nervousness I felt about walking into a –well – strange environment, trying to fit in and attempting to adjust to an increased workload and new schedule.

In the past few years, I’ve often joked about how my interests in those days – I visited a comic book shop once a week to pick up my stack and played the card game Magic: The Gathering every day at lunch – are suddenly trendy now and lamented about how I would have been much happier if I’d been a middle schooler in 2015. But I realize now just how influential both were on my creativity and imagination.

The other huge influence? Sports, of course. I spent countless nights in front of the television (I promise, Mom and Dad, it was after my homework was done…most of the time) or at one of the many New York stadiums/arenas, taking in any and all Mets, Giants, Knicks or Rangers games I could watch. I always wish I could go back in time and tell my middle school self that one day I’d find myself in the press box at those very same arenas and stadiums. Middle School Charles would be blown away.

The one thing that truly separates me from Alex? With the help of those aforementioned powers, he ends up joining his school’s football team as a quarterback. Despite my love for the game of football, I didn’t have half the athleticism to even begin to think about playing on the gridiron.

But hey, adults – especially authors – are allowed to reimagine their pasts too, right?

 

Alexander Graham Ptuiac, the son of an inventor, wants to play for the school’s football team. During tryouts, and under the watchful eye of the team’s coach, he suddenly manifests mysterious superhuman powers. Alexander makes the team, but not before the some ill-intended adults take notice, putting his life in danger.

Alex struggles to suppress and control his strange new abilities, worried about exposing his secret and being kicked off the football team. Then he befriends Dex, a diminutive classmate who can somehow jump as high as ten feet in the air. Seems Alex isn’t the only one at school with a secret.

As the school year unfolds, Alex will find himself the target of bullies, holding hands with his first crush and discovering the shocking truth about himself and his parents.

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

 

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Super Middle Grade Mondays ~ Feature & Giveaway

 

Welcome to this week’s Super Middle Grade Mondays Book Blitz presented by Tantrum Books/Month9books!

Today, we get up close and personal with

Donna Galanti

author of Joshua and the Lightning Road from Tantrum Books.

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

Donna Galanti attended an English school housed in a magical castle, where her wild imagination was held back only by her itchy uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). There she fell in love with the worlds of C.S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, and wrote her first fantasy about Dodo birds, wizards, and a flying ship. She’s lived in other exotic locations, including Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer. She now lives with her family and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse, and dreams of returning one day to a castle. Donna is the author of the Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books) and blogs at Project Mayhem. Visit her at www.donnagalanti.com.

Praise for Joshua and The Lightning Road: "Vividly imagined characters in a gripping action fantasy that never lets you go until the very last page." —Jenny Nimmo, New York Times bestselling author of the Charlie Bone series

“Joshua and the Lightning Road is a heart-pounding thrill ride full of unexpected twists and turns from start to finish.” —The Midwest Book Review

Watch the Joshua and The Lightning Road book trailer.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Would You Rather Questions by Donna Galanti

 

Would you rather never be able to speak again or always have to say everything that is on your mind? Never have to speak again! If others knew all my crazy thoughts, I might not have any friends or family left. Ha ha! At least I could still write. J

 

Would you rather be able to read or be able to read minds (but be illiterate)? Read, absolutely! To read means to explore other worlds, create movies in your mind, find deeper meaning in life, experience self-awareness, and go through transformations. I would be afraid to read minds to see truly what people are thinking. I definitely do not want to know what goes on in many people’s heads (especially my son’s)! Besides, it’s more fun to imagine what is in other people’s heads and create character stories about them to entertain myself.

 

Would you rather be able to speak fluently every language in the world or be the best in the world at something of your choosing? Be the best in the world at…playing the violin! I can challenge myself to learn new languages, but I’ve always dreamed of having musical talent – and I adore the violin. Writing and music go hand in hand for me and I want to play and inspire myself, and others.

 

Would you rather read only one book over and over for the rest of your life or read as many as you want but never remember what they’re about?

What a terrible dilemma! As many as I want. Even if I don’t remember them, at least I can experience new worlds through them in the moment.

 

Would you rather only the first page of a book or the last page? Definitely the last page! I have a habit of flicking to the back and reading the last line of a book I pick up to possibly buy. If that last line pulls me in and connects to the first line then I am good to get it!

 

Would you rather read 5 pages per day or 5 books per week?

5 pages per day. I am a speed reader and if I were to read 5 books a week, I know I would skim them and not get the full experience each one. To read 5 pages a day I could immerse myself in the story, slowly, and reflect on it and its journey.

 

Would you rather read only one genre forever or never read the same genre more than once? I would rather never read the same genre more than once. I lost my love of reading when I became an author and couldn’t figure out why. Then a friend made me aware that as an author I now needed to expand what I read. She was right! I had always read the same one or two genres and had simply gotten bored. Now I like to sink into books that challenge me in new ways, to read things I never would have before: non-fiction, science fiction, historical, horror, etc. In reading across genres it helps me expand my skills as an author and also brings a richness to my own writing.

 

Would you rather be invisible or be able to read minds? Invisible! Then I could sneak around and grab private conversations of people to churn my brain with ideas for stories! (a spy but for educational purposes, of course).

 

Would you rather never use the internet again or never watch TV again? That’s easy. TV. I am not much of a TV watcher – and could always catch up on my favorite shows on the internet through Netflix.

 

Would you rather have one wish granted today or three granted in 10 years? Definitely three in ten years. My desires and needs may change across the years. Something I desire today, may not work out for tomorrow!

 

Would you rather know it all or have it all? Have it all. If you have it all, that’s wonderful to not worry about material things and still explore the world to seek knowledge and meaning – and know it’s a vast, never ending tide of information. But if you know it all, what left is there to discover? Life would be very boring. There would be no challenges! No amazing discoveries! No transformations! It would be a life without curiosity and that would be a very sad life indeed.

 

Stay away from the window, don’t go outside when it’s storming and whatever you do, do not touch the orb.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper’s grandpa has always warned him about the dangers of lightning. But Joshua never put much stock in his grandpa’s rumblings as anything more than the ravings of an old man with a vast imagination. Then one night, when Joshua and his best friend are home alone during a frightful storm, Joshua learns his grandpa was right. A bolt of lightning strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever.

To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark place that steals children for energy. But getting back home and saving his friend won’t be easy, as Joshua must face the terrifying Child Collector and fend off ferocious and unnatural beasts intent on destroying him.

In this world, Joshua possesses powers he never knew he had, and soon, Joshua’s mission becomes more than a search for his friend. He means to send all the stolen children home—and doing so becomes the battle of his life.

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

 

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