Category Archives: YA books

Don’t Miss the Omnibus!

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Hooray! A new publication from FVP Featured Author, Victoria Bastedo.

Anythm Quest, is a two novel collection under one cover. Otterby’s Child and The Mere’s Crown are parts one and two of an Aquatic Fantasy, not to be missed!

Anthym was 14, filthy, and the ninth son of the ninth son of the ninth son. Kye had been searching for him since the lad was 3 days old. This teen had a destiny to fulfill, and Kye intended to see he did it, even if he had to drag him in. Despite his team being force-fed a diet of undersea danger, nothing mattered to Kye more than saving the city of Moonlight. At least when the journey started…

Find out MORE…

Available on Amazon

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Book Launch: Sheri J. Kennedy’s -Through the Cracks

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Through the Cracks is officially launched! This new novel from FVP’s Featured Author, Sheri J. Kennedy is a rich and honest relationship story with a good measure of mystery and a bit of a supernatural element. It’s also the story of three women that fall within a wide age span, so it carries a three-generation view of life and friendship, fear and trust, and growing into who you are. Get your copy today! CLICK HERE

THE BLURB: A Story of Friendship and Light… Lydia has been in dark places, and she still feels alone. So when she hears the old shopkeeper next door weeping, her heart goes out to her. She’s shocked when the rest of her follows! She falls through the still-locked door of the peculiar shop and into a new level of trouble but also finds a remarkable glimmer of hope. It feels amazing to help someone, but is this actually happening? Maybe she’s losing it again. Either way, her mom’s going to freak out.

Wine & Words – Victoria Bastedo

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Wine & Words was a fun and well-received event last night. We had nine authors who read, five from FVP and four from our community. The pieces were moving, funny, and entertaining. I’m always astounded at the writing quality and talent that emerges in this tiny Valley on such evenings.

Victoria Bastedo was our Special Guest Author for the evening, and she delighted the crowd by telling us of an actual old tree she, perhaps, saved with her expressed upset at seeing a chainsaw nearby.  Then she read the following fun and touching story from one of her blogs, SnoValley Hobbit:

Donago Greenhaven buttoned his new fawn-colored waistcoat. As a rule, hobbits don’t tend to dwell on overt fashion and vanity, but he loved it when his mirror reflected a brightness to his image. From the top of his reddish-gold curls, to the bottoms of his hairy feet, he wanted to appear cheerful, intelligent, and ready for any adventure that might await him over the next hill.

Donago plucked at the red handkerchief that peaked in a triangle out of the upper pocket, making sure it stood out. Tonight he was especially interested in making an impression. Traveling hobbits had arrived in Little Delving, bringing wares for the market, presents for friends, and news of the other regions. He wanted to share in it, the busy world of those who worked, and those who dreamed.

He beamed at himself, at his own bright eye, at the dimple an inch from the edge of his mouth, and his one crooked tooth. He’d been told that he was born ready to grin, and that he’d no doubt die with a last bit of laughter on his lips. He looked fine. From the little round window that overlooked his garden and the distant fields to the west a breeze filtered in a whiff of the sea. The scent must have traveled for many miles, must have flirted with clumps of silver grasses and coasting birdwings, holding its essence to arrive in his room and call to him. It always made him laugh.

“All right!” he told it, forgetting his finery as he hurried out of his bedroom and then outside his hole. His intention had been to visit The Brown Barrel, Little Delving’s busiest Inn, and hear the tales that might be told, but that could wait… READ MORE

Launch Party – Casondra Brewster’s Wilderness Rim

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Under the light of a full moon, FVP Featured Author, Casondra Brewster‘s new YA novel, Wilderness Rim – Book 1 of the Echo Falls series was celebrated in true NW style. Cheers!

Get Your Sasquatch On!

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Come and Meet Our New FVP Featured Author, Casondra Brewster, and Celebrate her New Release YA Fantasy, WILDERNESS RIM – Echo Falls! This Saturday at The Black Dog Arts Cafe’ at 8062 Railroad Ave SE, Snoqualmie, WA. This will be a fun event with treats and music…FREE to attend. Sasquatch/NW themed attire encouraged. Come on down!

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All’s Fair – Fair Folk Chronicles Book 4 – Great Winter Read!

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Jeffrey Cook’s and Katherine Perkin’s 4th Book in the Fair Folk Chronicles, All’s Fair, was released in 2016 and is a perfect read for Winter. Be sure to put it on your holiday wish list, or get your copy now to add to your to-read stack!

alls-fair-coverLate December is a magical time of year. Magical enough for the forces of the Fomoire to truly begin their conquest.

Many people travel and consider new things during a gap year before college. Megan of the Unseelie, all of 18 now, is spending hers hurrying between realms and trying to figure how to stop the Fomoire from running rampant over all worlds when the Winter Solstice arrives.

Now Megan must rally her friends and allies one more time in a last, desperate mission. Especially because some on both sides say all those worlds are doomed.

Just Two More Days…Until Donuts!

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It’s our pleasure to host a blog spotlight on Author, Rachel Barnard to celebrate her new release Donuts in an Empty Field on June 3rd.

This is Rachel’s third novel. You can find her others HERE. FreeValley Publishing is proud to have Rachel as one of our Featured Authors. She’s an avid reader, book reviewer and great supporter of other authors and her community. You can learn more on HER BLOG. And SPOILER ALERT there are giveaways, fulfillment of Rachel’s special request, and other great links at the very end of this post. If you skip stuff, don’t miss out on those! And don’t miss your chance to meet Rachel this weekend at the FreeValley booth at OddMall in Everett, WA.

Without further ado, let’s find out more about the book:

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DONUTS IN AN EMPTY FIELD  Available June 3rd, 2016 (aka National Donut Day).

Letting go of anger is life’s greatest challenge.

Vanessa hasn’t been the same since her father’s death. A hero until the end, he died saving a restaurant owner’s son from a burning building. Nessa blames the boy, but her best friend Nichole thinks it’s time to let go of the past. In a last ditch effort to break Nessa’s obsession, Nichole hopes signing up for the local food challenge will bust her out of her shell. A single choice defines the road ahead for Nessa. Doing the right thing isn’t easy, but living with the consequences of doing nothing might be worse.

And let’s also find out more about Rachel. First, the basic stuff – her bio. Then I’m going to ask her several categories of questions. We’ll do three of each category.

Biography:

Rachel Barnard

“Author, Reviewer, and Donut Enthusiast”

My greatest accomplishments have been eating an entire half gallon of ice cream in one sitting, winning a boot toss, and writing a fictional novel based on my high school years. The first book in my For the Love of Donuts Books, Donuts in an Empty Field, is available June of 2016. My other YA novels include Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams and At One’s Beast. For more information and to see what I’m up to, visit my website: rachelauthorbarnard.com

Find the author: Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Simple Questions for Rachel:

  • Go to Starbucks order: Tall child-temperature latte
  • Favorite movie line: “INCONCEIVABLE” – Princess Bride
  • As a child, what pet did you want to own: A pig

3 random Facts about Rachel:

  1. Her resume is in book form.
  2. She’s donated at least her height in hair.
  3. She has a geocache in Sarasota, Florida that has more finds than she’s personally found as a geocacher.

Harder questions for Rachel:

  • If your sweetheart wanted to sweep you off your feet, what would they need to do?  My sweetheart would have to do something uniquely tailored to me to sweep me off my feet. I love good surprises and I love well-thought out presents. My ideal sweep me off my feet date would include a surprise itinerary, multiple stops, dessert of some sort, and something gushy romantic.
  • What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer? Fall? Winter? Spring?   In the summer I love to play outdoor volleyball, go out on my boyfriend’s boat, and just be outdoors in the sunshine. In the fall I like to go geocaching and do the same things as in the summer when the days are nice. In the winter I like to take dance classes and work on my writing and participate in NaNoWriMo. In Spring I like to edit what I’ve written and continue taking dance classes.
  • What would you do if you were the last person on this earth?  How would I know I was the last person on earth? I would probably cry and then go searching for chocolate.

Simple Questions for Rachel about books and writing:

  • Favorite book quote: One of my favorite quotes is from Closed Hearts (Mindjack Saga Book 2) by  Susan Kaye Quinn, “Different isn’t a crime, you know.” (Kindle locations 7202-7203).
  • Name a literary invention you wish was real: The Time Turner from Harry Potter
  • Favorite hero: Zorro

Harder Questions for Rachel about books and writing:

  • How do you come up with your characters or story ideas?   I come up with new story ideas or character ticks every week. My ‘story ideas’ tab in OneNote on my computer keeps growing and growing. I surround myself with interesting people and do new and interesting things (like juicing or random meetups or going to Norwescon) that tempt my imagination at times and prompt me to add a new note in my ‘story ideas’ tab. My characters are amalgamations of people I’ve known, people I’ve read about, and the person I want to be.
  • What kind of stories do you write?   Currently I’ve delved into young adult, middle grade and recently, a romance, but I plan on branching out into the thriller/romance/fantasy genres more. I like to write stories with strong relationships between characters.
  • How long have you been writing?My Linkedin account states that I’ve been writing over 26 years (since birth), but I’ve truly been writing since the fourth grade when I learned how to write creatively. I started writing long form (novels) after I graduated from college.

Simple Questions about Donuts in an Empty Field (For the Love of Donuts Book 1):

  • Favorite quote: “Everyone is always so concerned for their own selves. Not my Dad.”
  • Song that fits the book for theme song: Raspberry Beret by Prince. (Editor’s note: I love it already! FVP-SJK)
  • If this book became a movie, who do you imagine playing Vanessa: Either Sarah Gilman or Jennifer Stone

And here are the links to contests and other cool stuff related to Rachel Barnard, the For the Love of Donuts series and the upcoming release:

Big Donuts Giveaway (you could win this prize too!)

June 3rd Online Release Party: 

Donuts Goodreads link

Donuts Amazon Order link

Thunderclap signup link

Rachel Barnard Newsletter Signup

 

 Important upcoming Dates/Events:

Odd Mall June 2016Event: Oddmall Emporium of the Weird

Location: Holiday Inn Everett, WA (Booth 8 with FreeValley Publishing)

Date/Time: 06/04/16 – 06/05/16

 

 

 

 

CaptureEvent: Maple Valley Days

Location: Lake Wilderness Park, Maple Valley, WA (near the Info booth with FreeValley Publishing)

Date/Time: 06/10/16 – 06/12/16

 

Event: Neverending Bookshop Reading with Donuts and Books

Location: Bothell, WA (10123 Main Place St. 2)

Date/Time: 06/25/16, 3:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.

Local author Rachel Barnard will read from her most recent publication, Donuts in an Empty Field. Bring your used books for store credit and to get more entries into the free raffle. This event features a blind donut tasting of several local donut shops. Come try some local donuts and vote on your favorites. Got something cool to say about donuts? Don’t forget to add it to the “All about the Donuts” comment/quote box. First five purchases after 3:00 P.M. will receive a FREE mini donuts swag pack.

Event: Third Place Books Dual Author ReadingLocation:

Third Place Books in Bothell, WA (17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park)

Date/Time: 06/25/16, 6:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.

Come listen to Ksenia Anske and Rachel Barnard as they read from their new books The Badlings and Donuts in an Empty Field (For the Love of Donuts Book 1) respectively. There will be challenges, a raffle, and other fun stuff.

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Last but not least, the fulfillment of Rachel’s special request. I (Sheri J. Kennedy) was asked to blog about my favorite donut:

I’m a fan of cinnamon-sugar cake donuts. I like to take a satisfying bite of the firm but moist deliciousness and then let the gritty cinnamon-sugar melt away before chewing up the yellowy cake. Yum! …Best with an excellent Americano or double-shot of espresso of course. -SJK

So Many Summer Events…So Much Time to Plan!

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Hear ye, Hear ye… There’s still time to get tickets to this new Faire! Our FVP featured author, Victoria Bastedo will be peddling her Fantasy Book wares and enjoying this fancy-filled day with you all… Mark your calendars for the Eighteenth and Nineteenth days of June! And CLICK HERE for more info.

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