Family Secret Book Blast & Review

Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the newly released young adult thriller "Family Secret" by Kay LaLone.

About the Book

Title: Family Secret | Author: Kay LaLone | Publication Date: September 29, 2015 | Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing | Pages: 229 | Recommended Ages: 12+


Summary:

On the road to solving his mother’s murder, sixteen-year-old Thomas Patrick Henry discovers a secret his father has kept from him for years. Tom thought Dad’s secret put him in danger. Mom’s secret is far worse. Magic. Witches. Ancient Book of Spells. Magical Amulet. Ghosts. Demons. Tom never thought these things existed until he is face to face with them. There is nothing else to do but destroy the demons before someone else Tom love dies. He already lost his mom and a close friend because this secret was kept from him. No one else will die. No one else will be possessed. Tom faces his demons. A mother’s love gives Tom the strength to slay his demons.

Amazon  *  Barnes & Noble  *  MuseItUp

 

The Early Buzz About the Book

"Once I opened this book, I couldn’t put it down until I came to the very satisfying ending. Family Secret is definitely a book I’ll read again and again.  I highly recommend Family Secret for teens who love the paranormal, especially boys looking for a good adventure." ~ Kathleen S., Amazon

"The world building was really well done and very immersive. The plot kept me guessing and was wrapped up very well." ~ Melissa, Goodreads

 

About the Author: Kay LaLone

I’m Kay LaLone, author of Ghostly Clues, my first MG novel. Family Secret is my first YA novel. Both published by MuseItUp. I live in Michigan with my husband and teenage son (two older sons and a daughter-in-law and my first grandbaby live nearby) and two dogs. I love to get up every morning and write about ghosts, the paranormal, and things that go bump in the night. I write PB, MG and YA novels. No matter the books I write, I want my readers to feel like they have met a new friend. I’m an avid reader of just about any type of book (mystery, paranormal, and ghost stories are my favorites). I do reviews and post them on my website and blog. I love to collect old books, antiques, and collectibles. You can find many of my antiques and collectibles selling on ebay and at fleamarkets.

MuseItUp  *  Blog  *  Website

Facebook  *  Goodreads  *  Twitter

My Review of Family Secret:

What I Liked:

I loved the paranormal aspects of Family Secret. The depictions of the demons were extremely well done. The story is filled with twists and turns and some unexpected elements that added to the thrill. The secrets of the family are woven well into the story. The scope of those secrets surprised me as well as other characters in the story. Tom's longing for his mother comes across as genuine, and young readers will be able to relate to that as well as to the complete character of Tom. This is a clean read that ages 12 and up will enjoy. I enjoyed reading this. I give it 

✮✮✮✮

What I Didn't Like: 

I thought the story started off slow. It wasn't until chapter seven that I found myself caught up in the action. Tom's continual protestations of being called a kid could have happened less. I think there were other aspects of his character—like his genuine love of his mother and his puzzlement and anger of his father—that served better as descriptions of him. As always, the English teacher in me cringes at the misuse of the English language, particularly when the wrong words are used and problems in sentence structure.

** Book Blast Giveaway **

Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice

Giveaway ends: December 15, 11:59 pm, 2015

Open to: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Kay LaLone and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.

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Meet MG/YA Author Kay Lalone

Join me in welcoming MG/YA author Kay Lalone to Carpinello's Writing Pages. Kay's debut book Ghostly Clues was released in November 2012 by MuseItUp Publishing.


Kay, tell us a bit about yourself.

I have been writing for most of my life. Some of my short stories have been published in children’s magazines. Other short stories have grown into MG and YA novels. I have an interest in the unexplained things like ghosts, dreams, witches, demons, and just things that are weird so most of my stories reflect that interest. Ghostly Clues is my first book to be published. I live in Michigan with my husband and youngest son.

What types of books do you like to read?

Mystery mostly. I love the Harry Potter series and the Twilight series. I like books that have believable characters who are put into weird and strange situations that upset their normal life, routine. It is entertaining to see how they survive the situation and see how their lives change. 

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade/YA?

Children and teenagers have an open mind and wild imagination so it is fun to write MG and YA. Writing for that group of people is a challenge to dig deep into my own imagination and view the world like my readers would and to be creative and entertaining. I picked writing books for MG and YA because it gives me a chance to be a child again through my characters.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family whether it’s play games or watching movies. I have two adult sons and one teenage son at home so family time is hard to come by with everyone being so busy. My husband and I love to go to auctions and buy antiques. I love camping with my sons and doing things that interest them like playing video games (even though my youngest beats me all the time.) When I want to relax, I love to read.

 Tell us about Ghostly Clues and how the story came to be.

Ghostly Clues started out as a short story. I was around thirteen, same age as the main character, Sarah Kay when my grandma died. That was when I had my first encounter with a ghost. It was a ghost hand that crawled up on my bed and grabbed a doll. The next morning the doll was found way under my bed. I believe it was my grandma telling me I was too old to sleep with dolls. This memory has haunted me all these years. And I started asking myself what if questions and soon Ghostly Clues developed into a novel.

Blurb:

The sweet scent of lilacs permeates the air around Grandma’s gravesite. Only Sarah Kay can smell Grandma’s favorite flower, and they’re not even in bloom.

Sarah Kay and her best friend, Mary Jane, believe the lilacs are a sign from Grandma’s ghost. The girls follow one ghostly clue after another, uncovering a secret that Mom never wanted Sarah Kay to know.

Grandma makes sure Sarah Kay gets the message even from the grave. As the evidence piles up, Mom still refuses to accept the possibility Sarah Kay’s father is alive.

Sarah Kay finds Dad’s parents. A set of grandparents she didn’t realize existed. They make it clear her father is alive but days and miles separate the father and daughter reunion because Dad is a truck driver on a long haul.

Sarah Kay waits. The news reports a fatal car accident involving a semi and Sarah Kay fears the worse. She runs away which leads to Dad and the truth, Mom wanted Dad to remain dead.

Dad had faked his death so why not just stay dead.  The ghostly clues of Grandma wouldn’t allow Dad to remain dead to Sarah Kay.


Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

I have written other books but they aren’t published yet. One manuscript that I am finishing up and will send to MuseItUp is a YA novel entitled Family Secret. It’s about a fifteen year old boy named Tom whose mother died and his father leaves him with a family friend to go away on business and try to figure out who killed his wife. Tom feels abandon by both parents. Strange things start to happen to Tom and he discovers the family secrets his parents have kept from him will put him in danger.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Yes. I am always working on new stories. I have a lot of stories running through my head. But another story that is almost complete is a YA novel Mysterious Visions. It is about Nicole who has visions, one of her parents' fatal car accident, and how she deals with her friends knowing her secret.  Also, strange things that happen in the caves on the island.

What advice do you have for other authors?

The best advice I was given is read, read, read, and write, write, write. Reading is important not just for entertainment, but to see how other authors write. As an author it is hard to find the time to write. So you need to discipline yourself to sit down and write. If you don’t have that discipline or drive to write, than learning to how to write a story is useless.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I would like to hear from my readers. I think the great thing about technology is that you can facebook or even email your favorite authors. I always wished I could do that when I was a kid, but way back then it was harder to contact an author. So I love hearing from my readers to find out what they are thinking and what they would like see in a story.

Where can readers find you and your books?
My website is Kay Lalone Author  and my blog is www.kaylalone.blogspot.com. 

Ghostly Clues can be found at MuseItUp Publishing.