Charity is a fairy godmother. She doesn’t wear a poofy dress or go around waving a wand, but she does make sure the deepest desires of the student population at Jack London High School come true. And she knows what they want even better than they do because she can glimpse their perfect futures.

But when Charity fulfills a glimpse that gets Vibha crowned homecoming queen, it ends in disaster. Suddenly, every wish Charity has ever granted is called into question. Has she really been helping people? Where do these glimpses come from, anyway? What if she’s not getting the whole picture?

Making this existential crisis way worse is Noah—the adorkable and (in Charity’s opinion) diabolical ex of one of her past clients—who blames her for sabotaging his prom plans and claims her interventions are doing more harm than good. He demands that she stop granting wishes and help him get his girl back. At first, Charity has no choice but to play along. But soon, Noah becomes an unexpected ally in getting to the bottom of the glimpses. Before long, Charity dares to call him her friend…and even starts to wish he were something more. But can the fairy godmother ever get the happily ever after?

Glimpsed is a charming, sparkly rom-com that follows a wish-granting teen forced to question if she’s really doing good—and if she has the power to make her own dreams come true. It’s got geeky fandom, enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and a hint of magic!

A Few of the Main Characters:

Charity – seventeen, has some abandonment issues, is juggling a lot at school, and is a fairy godmother.

Noah – another student at Charity’s high school and a diehard Trekkie; nursing a broken heart from getting suddenly and thoroughly dumped a hot minute before junior prom.

Vindhya ­­– Charity’s current Cinderella (Cindy); currently in robotics club and soon-to-be (if everything goes to plan) Homecoming Queen.

Sean – a former Cindy; currently a male ballet dancer and school It Boy.

Memom – Charity’s grandmother, also a fairy godmother.

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

I love them all, but Noah is my favourite. I love his confident nerdiness, his unabashed passion for Star Trek, and his determination to remain completely himself even when that isn’t winning him popularity points. I love that he is able to admit (eventually) when he’s wrong. He’s smart, funny, and shamelessly in-touch with his inner child. And, quoting Charity, “he looks like Ross Lynch.” (Not waxed-chest, bleached-hair, cool guy Ross Lynch. More like “Harvey Kinkle” Ross Lynch.)

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

Even though I know that most people, if they’re talking about a problem, just want a sympathetic ear…even though I’ve seen that episode of Parks & Rec…I still can’t help myself. There’s something inside me that says all problems must have solutions. The words come unbidden out of my mouth, “Have you tried—?" I guess what I’m trying to say is that it came pretty naturally for me to write a book about a girl who legitimately believes it’s her job to fix everyone else’s stuff. And I loved exploring—in a really whimsical way—the question of: “What does it mean to truly help others? How do we engage with people who are struggling without imposing our own will on them or diminishing their dignity?”

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Maybe Problem by Ariana Grande. As a fairy godmother, Charity is fixing A LOT of problems in Glimpsed—her own and other people’s—and she’s pretty convinced that if she could just get Noah off her back, that would be one less problem for her to deal with.

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

Noah is the easiest to cast—we’d need Ross Lynch, obviously. For Charity, how about Mary Mouser (Sam Larusso in Cobra Kai)? I’m not even going to try to cast the rest! There is practically a cast of thousands in Glimpsed. JLHS is a very diverse school, and—sad to say—there seems to be a really limited number of teen Japanese, Latinx, and Indian actors. So lots of the cast will have to be new up-and-coming actors that I can’t wait to meet! But if you guys have ideas, send them to Netflix with the subject line “please make a Glimpsed movie” (copy me, please, because I’d love to know too)! 😉

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

There is kind of a lot of eating in Glimpsed, so there are a few different ways you could go with this:

- You could have a cozy night at home with Star Trek themed foods like Romulan Ale and the Klingon delicacy gladst. (You can easily find recipes for these and more on line. The Star Trek fandom is legit.)

OR

- You could order some Thai take-out. Pad Thai is always a great choice.

OR

- Head to a coffee shop or bakery that has good cream cheese croissants. Wash them down with tea or orange juice. (But definitely don’t order coffee. Charity would not approve.)

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish GLIMPSED?

For contemporary romance with snarky, fast-paced dialogue, try Abigail Johnson’s books, especially If I Fix You and Every Other Weekend.

For a book that will make you laugh out loud, try Gloria Chao’s Rent a Boyfriend.

For a good enemies-to-lovers story, I enjoyed Tweet Cute by Emma Lord.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

Before getting published, I would have said, “Nothing! It’s all fun, and I enjoy creating every step of the way!” Now that I’m published, to be honest, I would say, “EVERYTHING! It’s all hard!” There are lots of other people invested now who are looking over my shoulder with certain expectations…and that creates some pressure that I never had to worry about before. Will Smith once said that success is the enemy of creativity. Not that I will ever have anywhere near the talent or success of Will Smith, but I have to agree that the hardest part of creating something new is trying to figure out how to step out of the shadow of what you’ve done before.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a fun new romcom with a little bit of magic! I can’t talk too much about it because it’s not sold yet and is still very much a work in progress. But if you want updates about that and future books, you can subscribe to my “sporadic news” on my website gfmiller.com and follow me on Instagram @author.gfmiller. See you there!

by Amber Torney

Release Date: November 2020

Genre: Polyamorous, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult, Reverse Harem

**Phoenix**

Shhh ... don’t scream

I prayed the hand over my mouth would suffocate me

before I ever had to tell my best friend the truth.

I loved Logan Ducane—he was everything to me.

But my secrets ripped our families apart.

I’ve spent the last four years trying to rebuild a life worth living,

and trying to find my voice after I’d lost so much.

Four years of progress ...

GONE.

I thought I had nothing left to lose,

but I was so wrong.

My bags are packed, and I’m on my way,

to let another Ducane boy finish ripping me to shreds.

He says I’m the enemy ...

but if only he knew.

**Logan**

The last time I saw her she was scared, crying, and bloodied,

my cousin’s cold and lifeless body at her feet.

Four years ago, everything I thought I knew was uprooted and shattered.

The girl I thought I loved was the cause of so much pain and angst.

Her lies destroyed everything we had,

but now I get my chance to make her pay.

Four years of hate, anger, and pain—all ready to be released.

Shattered Dreams is a Young Adult, Dark Bully Enemies to Lovers, Reverse Harem Romance. This book contains Dark and often confronting themes that some may find TRIGGERING.

Shattered Dreams is the debut book for Amber Torney, and also the first book in the breakout Crew series. As an overall, before we dive into a more in depth review, I would like to say that this is a good start for a series I will definitely be following. However, I think there are a few gaps that could have been fixed, but hope these get mended in book 2.

WARNING: This book contains triggering topics such as rape, stalking and bullying. So before you dive into this story, be aware that these topics are the main focus of Phoenix's story.

Just as a quick summary, we follow Phoenix's story (since everything that happens and new characters only get introduced into the story when she moves around) from different POVs, which always help understand what are the intentions when there are some bullying scenes in the story. Logan and Phoenix were best friends as kids. Their moms were best friends and everyone thought they would end up together. However, one day something really bad happens (trying not spoil anything here, even though it's quite obvious...) and ends up with Phoenix's dad in jail, and Logan loosing all contact with Phoenix and even blaming her for the death of someone in his family.

Fast-forward to now, after years of therapy and trying to be comfortable around people, Phoenix's on the right path when tragedy strikes again. Forcing her to move to the States with her guardian: Logan's parents. That's when Logan starts to unfold "his plan" to ruin Phoenix's life like "she did 4 years ago".

I have a few problems with the story and it doesn't have to be necessarily with the author's writing:

1) The parents. Logan's parents believed that not telling what really happened four years ago was "for the best" since he already lost so much... *insert eye roll* I am not a parent, so I am not sure what I would do, but I want to say not telling Logan the truth was an absolute and out of touch for what Phoenix had to go through. Ending in Logan not truly understanding the situation and hence seeking revenge. I suppose otherwise we wouldn't have this story...

2) Logan. A scene that really, really bothered me was when he was looking at the live recording happening in Phoenix's room and when she was having the night terrors triggered by her experience 4 years ago, he LITERALLY THOUGHT THOSE WERE CAUSE BECAUSE OF A GOOD DREAM. So freaking disconnected from reality this guy.

3) The guys we are shipping. So 3 are clear: Stryker, Logan (cause duh) and Jonah (?). But then I thought the other 2 in Logan's group were in Phoenix's sexy radar? I don't know if it was me just misinterpreting the whole thing or not, but if they are they were literally non-existent in this story. So I suppose I would like to see more of their POVs in book 2 and see a somewhat relationship with Phoenix that can justify her being with them.

4) The relationships. This is related to the previous topic, but when Phoenix calls her friend Angel back in Australia she says "she likes them all". Hang on girl, define all. As in all of Logan's friends, him included AND Jonah? If so, why? Because the interaction throughout the whole book was with Logan, Stryker and Jonah. Maybe I misread this bit, but as of now I cannot understand why would she like the other 2 unless it's just a physical attraction.

The ending was quite abrupt and left in a cliff-hanger. However, "the revealing" at the end wasn't really a massive shock to us readers. I suppose it's more about Phoenix actually talking to someone and saying it out loud what happened all those years ago the shock factor.

Overall, it was a good read, don't get me wrong. I will be definitely grabbing book 2 and reading more about Phoenix's story. There are a lot of unanswered questions that the author left unanswered aside from the boy drama that really caught my attention and I want to know more. It was definitely a quick read and would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a YA RH bully romance with difficult topics that will make you think about the characters decisions.

by Michelle Hercules

Publication date: March 3rd 2021

Genres: New Adult Sports College Romance

Player.

Casanova.

Heartbreaker.

I’ve heard it all. But the truth is, I’m the king of wanting what I can’t have.

Jane is a beacon of light I didn’t expect to find. Her innocence and joy call to my dark soul.

But she’s off-limits, my best friend’s kid sister. And I’m a damaged jerk with enough baggage to fill a jet plane.

All it took was one taste for my resolve to stay away to crumble. Now I can’t get her out of my head, out of my mangled heart.

If her brother finds out about us, he might kill me. If Jane finds out about my past, she’ll never speak to me again.

This love is a disaster waiting to happen, and yet, I can’t help going back for more.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

The Twisted Sisters are coming home.

Prince Quin has returned to the river kingdom, ready to spearhead a rebellion and reclaim the throne. He vows to destroy Mia, Pilar, and Angelyne if they oppose him—even if he must use his newfound magic to set the world aflame.

Across the four kingdoms, the elements have been tipped askew. Volcanoes erupt, glaciers collapse, and cities sink into the western sands. After losing Angie, Mia and Pilar journey to the glass kingdom to seek help, though soon their fragile bonds of sisterhood begin to fray. Mia’s sensations are creeping back, and with them, a deep and searing grief. Pilar, terrified of being broken, once again seeks comfort in her fists. But when they hear rumors of a misty island that promises to erase all pain, they suddenly find themselves with an answer—if they are willing to pay the cost.

As tensions mount, the sisters are drawn back to the river kingdom for a final reckoning with the boy they each loved. The shattering conclusion to Bree Barton’s Heart of Thorns trilogy challenges why we grieve, whom we love—and how to mend a broken heart.

I’m going to go with Nelladine. We meet Nell in TEARS OF FROST, but we get to know her much better in SOUL OF CINDER as she takes Pilar and Mia to her homeland. She’s warm and generous and sometimes contradictory—she’s a complicated character, in part because she is in many ways a caretaker, meaning she has a habit of subverting her own desires to give other people what they want. Crafting Nell’s mental health journey was something I worked very hard on; it’s hard to bring in a new character for the last book of a trilogy, especially when you’re already balancing several main characters and POVs. But Nell is more than deserving of her own arc, and I hope I’ve done her justice. 

I really roughed up my characters in the first books, especially in ToF. Mia, Pilar, and Quin have all lost so much, and it’s my fault—like any author, I’ve made them suffer! So it was important to me that I help guide them back from that dark place. You’ll find pieces of my own healing journey reflected in this book, often with a fantasy twist. Yoga. Breathwork. Therapy. Finding a safe, supportive community. I wanted to fold in little gifts for my characters, things that have helped me heal over the last few years. 

For me, travel is always a balm to the soul. I’ve been fortunate to see many beautiful places, and you’ll find hints of them in all four kingdoms—England in Glas Ddir, Peru in Fojo Karacao, Iceland in Luumia, Bahrain in Pembuk. My trip to the Middle East was particularly powerful, and my time there permeates the pages of SoC. 

I also have to give a shout-out to Aysha Mutawea, a Bahraini lawyer, advocate, and feminist who gives whole new meaning to “badass woman.” Getting to know Aysha and seeing just a sliver of the world-altering work she does on a daily basis inspired me to write a better book. 

Oooh, such a great question. Are you familiar with the Enneagram? It’s kind of like the Myers-Briggs personality assessment (ESTP, INFJ, etc.), only with the Enneagram there are nine unique types. You can take a free test online and then read about your results. It’s fun. Anyway a while back my sister sent me the Sleeping At Last album with a song for each personality type. I listened to my song. Cried. Listened to my sister’s song. Cried. Listened to our brother’s song. Cried. They really tap into what’s at the heart of each type. So at the risk of sounding cheesy, I’m going to choose Three for SOUL OF CINDER. It’s a really powerful song, and I think Mia, Pilar, and Quin would each find something of their own journeys reflected in it. Not sure they’d all cry, though. My money’d be on Quin.

I loved The Queen’s Gambit so much, I’m going to have to cast Anya Taylor-Joy. I think she’d make a great Angelyne, but since she can do anything, I’ll cast her as Mia and cast Elle Fanning as Angie. I could totally see Moses Ingram as Nell—she blew me away in Gambit, and her energy feels right for the part. Quin’s got to be Timothée Chalamet, of course. Manny Jacinto as Tobin, assuming he could shuck off The Good Place sweetness and tap into his dark side. Camila Mendes was originally my top pick for Pilar, though I was so impressed by Park So-dam in Parasite I might have to ask the casting director to send them both in. Asante Blackk for Stone—When They See Us absolutely gutted me. As for Shay… is Anya Taylor-Joy still available? 😉

Hmm let’s do the quarantine edition, then the post-vaccine edition. In quarantine I recommend you tuck yourself into something warm—blanket, snuggie, PJs—and brew a nice cuppa. Maybe something sweet and spicy, like you might find in Pembuk. 

Once we’ve all been vaccinated and can finally leave our cocoons, take SOUL OF CINDER to the beach! Sip on some pulped papaya, or find the real-world equivalent to the creamy, frosty sweet concoction the Pembuka call fish ice. It’s not as bad as it sounds.

Read WENCH by Maxine Kaplan (out next week!), and MIRAGE by Somaiya Daud. Two fierce feminist fantasy books that create magic, wit, and brilliance on the page. 

Definitely TEARS OF FROST. I think it was difficult for a lot of reasons—I was trying to launch HEART OF THORNS into the world at the same time, and it was extremely hard to travel and do events and promote the first book while trying to carve out enough quiet time and space to write the second. 

But it was also a difficult book content-wise, because I had to delve deep into sexual assault and depression, both of which are extremely personal for me. The story demanded a lot emotionally, mentally—even physically—and I’m proud of the result. It’s far from perfect, but it’s one of the most honest things I’ve written, and I hope Mia and Pilar’s journey will bring hope and comfort to the readers who need it.

I have a middle grade coming out in 2022! It hasn’t been announced yet, so shhh. I can promise you loads of magic, mayhem, and mataki. ⚡ See, now you’ve gotten me started on emojis and I just can’t stop!