Cover Reveal ~ The Ghost Files, Volume 3 by Apryl Baker

THE GHOST FILES SERIES SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!!

The Ghost Files Volume 3
By Apryl Baker

Summary from Goodreads:

One, two, the ghosts are coming for you…
Three, four, better salt your door…
Five, six, death and hatred mix…
Seven, eight, help will come too late…
Nine, ten, never reap again…

Seventeen year old, Mattie Hathaway, has enough on her plate without having to deal with the latest teenage ghost drama. The ghosts of eight murdered girls are out for her blood. They blame Mattie for their deaths. She has to figure out what happened to them before they make sure she ends up just like them…dead and angry.

Not only that, but she has to face the greatest fear of her young life, the death of someone she loves. Can she let nature take its course or will she interfere and cause the balance of life and death to spiral out of control?

She’s out of time, and doesn’t know if she should trust Silas, the demon who has taken a very disturbing interest in her or her father, a man just as evil as Silas. Either way, she has to make a choice. But what will it cost her and those she loves?

Coming June 10, 2014
From Limitless Publishing

The Ghost Files Series: Soon to be a major motion picture!!

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Ghost Files, Volume 2 by Apryl Baker

The Ghost Files, Volume 2

by Apryl Baker

Coming January 2014!

At seventeen years old, Mattie Hathaway has survived her mother attempting to kill her, multiple foster homes, and a serial killer.  Oh, and she sees ghosts on a regular basis too. You’d think Fate would give her a break right?  Umm…nope, not Mattie.

Dan Richards is the only person in the entire world Mattie trusts, but then the boy goes and breaks her heart.  Mattie does what she does best, she runs and lands herself slap in the middle of a haunted house full of ghosts turned vengeful that want Mattie to join their ranks.

Only bright spot on all this?  Eli Malone – the gorgeous boy with the beautiful aqua eyes that makes her feel things she’s never even imagined before.  She’s not sure what to do with him, especially when Dan shows up glowering at him.

She’ll figure Eli out if she can survive the house.  The ghosts are bound and determined to kill her so she’ll be one of them.  Now if she can just figure out how to survive them and the demon stalking her, she might be able to decide what to do about her feelings for Dan and Eli.

That is if she can survive the night in the house.

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About the Author

So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.

Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama you were seen kissing a particular boy on a particular day just a little too long. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters.

Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol.

I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

Facebook / Twitter  / Goodreads / Website / Amazon

Blog Tour: The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker *Review

I'm excited to be hosting the next stop in The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker Blog Tour! Keep reading to read my review of The Ghost Files and to enter the giveaway for a copy of The Ghost Files!

The Ghost File

By Apryl Baker

Published: August 13, 2013

Publisher: Limitless

Available: Amazon

Cherry blossom lipstick: check
Smokey eyes: check
Skinny jeans: check
Dead kid in the mirror: check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too.

Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally.

Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance.

Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim…

Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?

Review:

I love when a heroine has some spunk and Mattie definitely has that! But spunk has a very fine line with me between being enough and trying to hard. Baker though manages to keep from going too far with Mattie, and has created a character that stands up for herself and what she believes while not being annoying.

The chemistry between Mattie and Officer Dan is obvious, but it's hard to define. Part of my thinks that they could be long lost siblings, yet I suspect that further in the series Baker may decide to make them love interests. Personally I vote for them to be siblings, but even if Baker decides to take the alternate route, I don't doubt that she can pull it off and pull me onto team Dan. That said there were a couple of other potential guys popping up in Volume I, so I suppose I'll have to be surprised on the next one.

As for the actual ghosts, well they are spooky. Baker does an amazing job of painting a picture of the horrors Mattie is seeing and experiencing. Not that the whole book is one big scare. There's touches of humor sprinkled through out, main due to Mattie's mouthy attitude and the relationship between Mattie and Dan.

Absolutely can't wait until Volume II comes out!

About the Author

So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.

Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama on you. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters.

Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my family and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol.

I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

PS: DO NOT GET IN MY WAY IF THERE IS A SALE ON AT TARGET - my home away from home!

Connect with Apryl:

Amazon: Ghost Files

Amazon: The Promise

Amazon: The Awakening

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Wattpad

Blog

Chicks Writing Rockin’ YA

Limitless Publishing

Linked In

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Pinterest

 Other Books by Apryl Baker:

 

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The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker Blog Tour Kick Off!

The Ghost Files Blog Tour kicks off today and we have some great interviews, posts, excerpts, as well as an awesome giveaway lined up!

Here is a look at the schedule:

Monday, October 7th

Book Bliss - Promo Post

Charles Ray - Promo Post

Charles Ray Ramblings - Promo Post

Tuesday, October 8th

The Book Addict - Review

The Grateful Undead - Promo Post

Wednesday, October 9th

Rose and Beps Blog - Promo Post

Chicks Writing Rocking YA - Promo Post

Thursday, October 10th

Gotta Have YA - Promo Post

Turning the Pages - Review

Friday, October 11th

I am a Reader - Promo Post

Saturday, October 12th

Deal Sharing Aunt - Promo Post

Once Upon a YA Book - Review

Sunday, October 13th

Edible Bookshelf - Review

Flying Horse Books - Promo Post

Blog Tour Sign up: The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker

Sign up for The Ghost Files by Apryl Baker Blog Tour has opened! Just click on the tour banner to be taken to the sign up form!

The Ghost Files

by Apryl Baker

Published: August 13, 2013

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Genre: YA Paranormal

Cherry blossom lipstick: check
Smokey eyes: check
Skinny jeans: check
Dead kid in the mirror: check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too.

Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally.

Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance.

Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim… 

Review: The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead and Buried
by Kim Harrington
Published: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic Point
Available: Amazon

Synopsis:
A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

Review:

The Dead and Buried is a well written, well paced ghost story. There is no gore, but the spooks are definitely there. I've always been a bit freaked out about the idea of ghost and seances, and you will never convince me to try a Ouija board. Not that I believe in that. 


Harrington does a good job of developing Jade into a 3-dimensional character. While I thought she was a bit of a brat at first, she managed to redeem herself and I realized that when I was a teen, I would have acted in a similar way. She's a bit shallow, but at the same time refuses to back down in the face of peer pressure and befriends the school oddball. Harrington doesn't get preachy with the anti-bully undertone and that's what made me like this book even more. She gets her point across and does it without seeming like it was forced or driven by an agenda. This was the same with the issues of blended families. Jade obviously has some pent up emotions form her mother's death and her father's remarriage that she needs to deal with. At first it all seemed one sided, and that is where I felt Jade's brattiness took over. Then bits and pieces of her stepmother fell into place and it was easy to see that some of the issues were hers.

Secondary characters are written just as well and each hint at the deth of their lives beyond the pages that they appear on. While it's hard to see any of them as a killer, it is also hard not to question their guilt. None of them are truly innocent of the things that Kayla (ghost girl) was doing, and each had their own motives for wanting her gone. I thought that the morbid curiosity of the other students was spot on. It's like a giant group of rubber neckers who have nowhere else to go. They all want to be friends with Jade simply for the fact that she lives in the dead girl's house.

There were few surprises in The Dead and Buried, but that did little to curb my enjoyment. This is a ghost story that works well and isn't trying to be something it isn't. If they made this into a movie it would be exactly the kind I would want to see.

Review: Ever by Jessa Russo

Ever (Ever, #1)
by Jessa Russo
Published: October 1, 2012

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Available: Amazon

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Ever’s love life has been on hold for the past two years. She’s secretly in love with her best friend Frankie, and he’s completely oblivious.

Of course, it doesn't help that he’s dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible.

Frustrated and desperate for something real, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But falling for Toby comes with a price that throws Ever’s life into a whirlwind of chaos and drama. More than hearts are on the line, and more than Ever will suffer.

Some girls lose their hearts to love.

Some girls lose their minds.

Ever Van Ruysdael could lose her soul.

Review:
There were so many things I wanted to like about this book. The ghost of a childhood crush, a girl who was a devoted to his memory, a hot new neighbor. Combined they should have made an awesome read. Instead this story fell flat.

So, Frankie is dead and he's been haunting Ever for the past two years. Which was pretty much fine by her because she was fifteen (or was it fourteen) and madly in love with him when he died, although he never once thought of her that way. Having Frankie haunt her and her family is just peachy because this way she knows that she never has to move on and actually experience any healthy relationships. Then Toby moves in next door and he's hot enough that Ever realizes she's not dead like Frankie and maybe she should move on with her life.

I spent the entire novel rooting for Ever and Toby. Yes, Frankie appears first, and there's the whole unrequited love issue Ever has going on with him, but seriously? He's a 17 year old ghost with a pompadour and a cigarette behind his ear, who is actually pretty mean to Ever. There was a lot of Ever flip flopping between her love of Toby and Frankie. And really, it's pretty pathetic how quickly she does it. One minute she's making out with Toby the next she's realizing Frankie is her life (despite the fact he has none) and then it's back to Toby.

A few other characters appear and it's kind of hard to figure out what their motives really are. By the end I was confused and disappointed, and maybe even a little angry. Ever was set up to be a girl who had realized that she was wasting her life day dreaming over someone she could never have, who was determined to move on with her life, and then she just folds.

While the writing wasn't bad, this is not a series I am the least bit interested in continuing. I have a feeling that the next book will simply weaken Ever to the point of no return.

Review: Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

Blackwood
by Gwenda Bond
Published: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Available: Amazon


Synopsis:

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.

Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.

Blackwood is a dark, witty coming of age story that combines America’s oldest mystery with a thoroughly contemporary romance.

Review:
For some reason I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed Blackwood. I wasn't expecting to not like it, so maybe it was because it had been a while since I requested it and downloaded it that I'd forgotten what it was that had intrigued me. Whatever it was, I'm glad that I finally sat down and read it.

Blackwood manages to walk a fine line between creepy and creeping me out. I hate ghost movies and books, simply because to me of all paranormal activity it seems most likely. When Bond first introduces the paranormal to the book, the main character Miranda believes that she has hallucinated it, yet she doesn't need to suffer thinking that long, because Bond moves the plot along quickly. The fast pace doesn't let up much and it made for a really fast read. I finished in one sitting of maybe 3 or 4 hours.

Miranda is an outcast in her small town. She is harassed and bullied, yet she is not a victim. She hits back (verbally) and doesn't wallow in self-pity. I liked that she stood up for herself when she felt like it and ignored the bullies when she didn't. Phillips was a bit harder to connect with. I felt that when in his perspective it was further removed from him than when in Miranda's perspective. There seemed to be so much more to his character than we get to see and I wish Bond had revealed more about him.

The one thing that kept me from absolutely loving this was the lack of depth in Miranda's dealing with her father's death. She alternates between being sad, devastated, and coming forgetting about it. Considering he was an inattentive, negligent, alcoholic father, I could have believed her lack of emotions at certain times, if it had been consistent.

Overall, Blackwood was a good read, and I think it has potential to appeal to some male readers as well since it alternates perspectives and the focus is on the ghost mystery and not some insta-love.

Review: Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan

Gift  
by Andrea J. Buchanan
Published: March 2012

Publisher: Open Road Media

Available: Amazon

Blurb:

High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in—and a cute senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide—before it’s too late?

Review: 

To start off, I have to say the blurb is very misleading. It sounds as if Daisy's gift is at the center of the story, but really this is a story about three girls being haunted by a ghost, and I think the blurb does an injustice to the real heart of the story.

Gift was a really quick read. I finished it in about two days, and that's both good and bad. It's good because the pace was fast, things moved quickly and I didn't have time to get bored. But it's also a downfall because I think there was a lot of missed opportunities to develop the characters and their relationships more.

Daisy is likable enough (despite the whining about being so poor), as are the other characters, but I couldn't quite figure out why they were so connected. The exception is the budding romance between Daisy and Kevin, as the more we learn about him the more understanding it is that he, a senior, is willing to hang out with a sophomore. I especially like how Buchanan has Kevin deal with Daisy's actions, it felt very realistic in a book of paranormal events. It's really the relationships between the three girls or at least their relationships with Daisy that I struggled with, especially between Daisy and Vivi. I wish there had been more individual interactions between them that could make me understand why they so easily made some of the choices they did.


There are so many twists in the story, that it was hard to put down, simply because it always felt like I was on the verge of learning something else that would be vital to figuring out what would happen in the end. Definitely a recommended read for people looking for a quick non-horror ghost story.