Review: 
​A shocking email has just been sent to the entire student body at St. Joseph's, a small prestigious high school in Massachusetts.  As lead reporter for the Warrior Weekly, Eden is placed as lead reporter for the ground breaking story.  The email showed the nude pictures of seven senior girls who attend St. Joe's.  Mysteriously, the email was signed by Eros leaving everyone guessing at the identity of the perpetrator.  The school administration jumps immediately to condemn the actions of the email sender, but also does not want word getting outside of the school community.  Since all of the students exposed were over 18 years old, there is no crime committed under state law.  Eden jumps on the story and begins to document how it has affected the girls that are involved.  However, once the first part of her story comes out in the Warrior Weekly, the principle shuts down any further stories about what has been dubbed Nudegate.  Eden, however, can not drop such an important story, especially when it is helping the girls express their views.

Revenge of the Sluts is a powerful and timely young adult contemporary novel about the unfortunate realities of growing up in the digital age.  The story jumps right into the action with the students receiving the email.  As Eden opens the email we are given insight into her character as she chooses not to scroll through all the pictures and go comfort one of the girls instead.  I should have been surprised about the way the school reacted, with its priorities protecting the school and not the victims; however, this accurately mirrors how young women are treated in many situations.  As Nudegate unfolds, I appreciated that the affected group of girls banded together to form their own support group, The Slut Squad, and reclaim their identities any way they could.  As Eden dives deeper into their group and the mystery of the email sender, she discovers the importance of girls supporting one another.  Furthermore, Eden learns how to be brave and connect with other students as she covers the story.  The mystery of the email sender, Eros, was present throughout the story but didn't really take prevalence until the end as Eden and the Slut Squad stop focusing on who they want the perpetrator to be and are able to think about who really had a motive for such a personalized attack.  While I'm glad that all of the girls in the story were able to rise above the attack, revenge porn is still an issue that haunts many today.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

​ A DEADLY FORTUNE
 BY STACIE MURPHY
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Pegasus Crime
Genre: Historical Mystery


A historical mystery in the vein of The Alienist, in which a young woman in Gilded Age New York must use a special talent to unravel a deadly conspiracy.
Amelia Matthew has done the all-but-impossible, especially for an orphan in Gilded Age New York City. Along with her foster brother Jonas, she has parleyed her modest psychic talent into a safe and comfortable life. But safety and comfort vanish when a head injury leaves Amelia with a dramatically-expanded gift. After she publicly channels an angry spirit, she finds herself imprisoned in the notorious insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island. As Jonas searches for a way to free her, Amelia struggles to control her disturbing new abilities and survive a place where cruelty and despair threaten her sanity.
Andrew Cavanaugh is familiar with despair. In the wake of a devastating loss, he abandons a promising medical career—and his place in Philadelphia society—to devote himself to the study and treatment of mental disease. Miss Amelia Matthew is just another patient—until she channels a spirit in front of him and proves her gift is real.
When a distraught mother comes to Andrew searching for her missing daughter—a daughter she believes is being hidden at the asylum—he turns to Amelia. Together, they uncover evidence of a deadly conspiracy, and then it’s no longer just Amelia’s sanity and freedom at stake. Amelia must master her gift and use it to catch a killer—or risk becoming the next victim.

AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | INDIEBOUND

Advance Praise for A Deadly Fortune
“The 1893 world of the infamous lunatic asylum on Blackwell’s Island comes alive in frightening and horrific detail as a string of murders for profit is discovered when a young woman with a gift for contacting the dead becomes an accidental patient. She must fight for her life as well as her freedom in this engrossing mystery that reveals that all was not golden in Gilded Age New York.” —Rosemary Simpson, author of Death Brings a Shadow: A Gilded Age Mystery

“This engrossing mystery, rich in period detail, probes the dark side of Gilded Age New York and the even darker side of life at the insane asylum on Blackwell’s Island. Plucky Amelia Matthew rises to the considerable challenges that surround her, uncovering increasingly dangerous secrets that point to the presence of a murderer in the asylum. Amelia has a special gift that both helps and complicates her search for the truth, making her a unique heroine. A Deadly Fortune builds to a satisfying conclusion that will whet the reader’s appetite for more of Amelia’s adventures!” —Clarissa Harwood, author of Impossible Saints and Bear No Malice

“Stacie Murphy proves herself to be a masterful storyteller with A Deadly Fortune—an elegantly written, fast-paced mystery that blends the dark side of the Gilded Age, great characters, and a paranormal twist. Impossible to put down.” —Julie McElwain, author of the Kendra Donovan Mystery Series

“Murphy serves up a dark side of the Gilded Age with intrigue, historical detail, and captivating characters. This is a mystery to savor!” —Dianne Freeman, award winning author of the Countess of Harleigh mysteries.

Review: 
After a head injury Amelia Matthew's minimal psychic ability manifests into being able to see the dead as well as see a person's possible future death upon contact with them.  Before Amelia can figure out what is happening, she has an incident in public and is taken to the asylum on Blackwell Island.  Dr. Andrew Cavanaugh has had a falling out with society and has taken an upon position on Blackwell Island.  He wants to know more about mental illness and women after a personal tragedy.  When Amelia and Dr. Cavanaugh meet, a touch channels a spirit through Amelia that forces Dr. Cavanaugh to reexamine what he knows. Meanwhile, Amelia's friend Jonas is desperately trying to locate her and Dr. Cavanaugh's friend believes his sister has been taken against her will to Blackwell Island. 


A Deadly Fortune is a riveting historical mystery set in New York's Gilded Age.  With magic, suspense and historical detail, I was pulled onto Blackwell Island.  The book jumps right into the action and at first, I had trouble placing when and where the story took place; however, once Amelia was taken to the infamous Blackwell Island, the setting fell into place.  The treatment of Blackwell's patients was researched well and there was a lot of time given to life inside of the asylum and the condition of the women who were there.  The mystery picked up halfway through the story as the characters realize even darker proceedings on the island.  In addition, the characters were all very well developed.  From Amelia, Jonas and Dr. Cavanaugh to the ladies on the island, each character was thought out.  At first, I thought I was missing something with Amelia and Jonas' backstory, but it was revealed later in the story.  I was also glad that Amelia and Dr. Cavanaugh's relationship did not take the forefront of the story, but there is definitely more to develop there. Overall, an engrossing historical mystery. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author


​
Stacie Murphy grew up near Nashville, TN. She began writing A Deadly Fortune in 2017 as a way to force herself to stay off Twitter in the evenings. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and the worst cat in the world.


WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

About the Book:
Title: THE THANKFUL UNICORN: DREAM
Author: Hayley Rose
Publisher: Flowered Press
Pages: 132
Genre: Children’s and Teens’ Coloring Journal


BOOK BLURB:
The Thankful Unicorn is a groundbreaking and uplifting coloring journal designed to build confidence, improve self-esteem, calm anxiety and inspire creativity!
 
You and your kids will love this 132 page, glittered, hard-bound book filled with whimsical unicorn scenes, positive actions and motivational quotes that will be sure to delight even the young at heart, leading to a more confident, kind and creative human.
 
A great activity to unwind before bed and awake refreshed with a positive attitude. Perfect for ages 5 to adult.



ORDER YOUR COPY
Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/dp/1950842118
Author’s Website → www.hayleyrose.com
The Thankful Series → www.thethankfulseries.com 

Review:

The Thankful Unicorn: Dream is a mindfulness journal that encourages users to focus on four mantras for each entry: what you are thankful for, your dreams and goals, what you love about yourself and your affirmations.  Each journal page asks these four questions and gives space to write answers.  The pages are accompanied by a unicorn coloring page which encourages you to slow down, calm down, create and think deeply.  The illustrations show a magical unicorn in a variety of beautiful settings.  This is a great tool for children who are able to write, teens and even adults who would like a guided journaling experience.  I would have liked to see some different questions for each day, but this still gives a great starting point for looking for a positive and creative journaling experience.


This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

About the Author:
                                                                     
Hayley has been entertaining and educating children across the country since 2002.
 
Her range of educational, interactive concept books have earned over 50 national and international book awards and cover subjects ranging from manners and kindness, to math and geography, to music and emotions. School presentations include curriculum for teachers grades K-4th. Over the years Hayley has been invited to speak at book stores including Barnes and Noble, Borders and Bookmans, and for the last few years Hayley has been a featured author at the Children’s Learning and Play Festival which garners crowds of 10,000 and up.
 
Hayley was recently interviewed on the Author Learning Center alongside authors Stan Lee and R.L. Stine, and she had the honor of presenting keynote presentations for the Readers Favorite International Book Awards and the Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference among others.
 
Hayley is an active member The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Scottsdale Society of Women Writers and the Florida Authors and Publishers Association.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS: 
Website: www.HayleyRose.com or www.TheThankfulSeries.com
 
Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/fifothebear
 
Facebook:  https://facebook.com/booksbyhayleyrose