When the yearbook comes out, there's something funny about it. Instead of the usual senior superlatives, there are ways people die. People believe it's the work of Martina and Rick - best friends who have pulled some epic pranks. But they swear it's not them.Mostly people see this as a joke until their guidance counselor goes missing. He turns up in a lake - and his superlative said he'd be sleeping with the fishes. Maybe it wasn't a prank after all. Maybe this is real. The other people named in the superlatives get together to share information. Could there really be someone out to get them?
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This is the final book in the series, so I do want to highlight it.However, I don't want to spoil anything for people.
Season four of the family friendly reality TV show ended with a murder. No one won the prize that season.Six months later, season five is kicking off. The surprise contestant is the sister of the murdered girl - the one many believe killed Alicia.Now Audi, Carter, and Beck have been thrown together with Sierra to create a team. While they're good at escape rooms, they're not the fastest AND another team is targeting them. Plus, someone is dropping clues about Alicia's murder. The truth will come out, but only IF Sierra's team makes it to the finals. Can Team Helsing stay in the game long enough to collect answers?
* Book 6 in the Forgotten Five series *
I can't talk about this book too much because of spoilers for the series.
But like all the other books, it's full of action, danger, and drama.
Everything is coming to head before the last book.
I can't wait to see how everything plays out, but I also don't want this series to end.
I highly recommend this series.
Students win a trip of a lifetime to Earth Two, a research facility after winning the state science fair. Three students from one school join other students. Rowan and Tinker are friends. They are not friend with the third student - Amari. Because they three of them are from the same school, they are paired together for their volunteer work.In the swamp zone, they spy a small creature that's unlike anything they've ever seen before. The scientists don't believe the students saw anything out of the ordinary. Rowan and Tinker decide to uncover the truth...but they'll need Amari's help. Can the three uncover the truth about the creature?
Simon and Jade are visiting their grandfather in Maine during the summer. Their grandfather runs a curiosity museum. The tourist town is having a bit of trouble with rumors of break-ins. Simon and Jade are curious about them, but their grandfather is being strangle tight lipped.Simon and Jade hear strange sounds at night. But their grandfather dismisses their fears. He warns them to stay upstairs rather than wander the museum at night. Simon and Jade feel betrayed, but they are also determined to get to the bottom it this mystery.They go searching for the creature that could be stalking the town. They camp out in the museum. Nothing they do seems to change anything. The break-ins are getting worse. Can they solve the mystery?
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The rebel supers are beginning to understand just exactly what they are up against when one of their own goes undercover in the President's house. It's not looking good and they're beginning to lose heart.They aren't prepared for a fight this big. Doubts creep in. Tensions run high. And people are beginning to wonder who to trust...
Three friends are going on one last ride together before the amusement park closes. But the ride breaks down. One by one, they get out of the car. When the ride resumes, they can't scramble back to the car in time. Unfortunately, they are locked in the manor house for the night. The ride required them to leave their phones in lockers outside the ride.The three friends search for an exit, but nothing opens - including the emergency exit and the windows. Matteo discovers a secret passageway. And that's where things go sideways...Could the creepy stories about local legend Hezekiah Crawly be true?
What can you tell us about the Monsterious series?
Monsterious is my spooky middle grade monster mystery debut series. The books are short, and as each story is standalone thriller with a unique cast of characters, they can be read in any order. Escape from Grimstone Manor (Monsterious #1, coming May 9) is about three friends who are trapped overnight in a haunted house amusement park ride and discover the monsters are real. The Snatcher of Raven Hollow (Monsterious #2, also May 9) is about two friends who learn that a mysterious monster is behind the disappearance of infants in their small town—but no one believes them. Terror in Shadow Canyon (#3) publishes Aug 22, followed by The Beast of Skull Rock (#4) in January 2024.
How many books would you like to be in this series?
A lot! I chose an anthology style series for Monsterious, where the books are tied together by a theme, spooky monster mysteries, yet each is a standalone adventure with a unique cast of characters. I did this partly because if the series finds a strong readership, I can write many Monsterious books, which would be a dream!
What was the first horror book you remember reading?
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley. Even at a young age, I was enthralled. I can remember sitting
on the couch in our family room, murmuring the words aloud as I read. After
Dracula by Bram Stoker, I checked out every book in my elementary school
library on vampires, werewolves, ghosts, Bigfoot, Yeti, and the Loch Ness
Monster. I was hooked!
What's your favorite monster?
Bigfoot
is a sentimental favorite from my childhood, and I have a soft spot for the
Loch Ness monster as well. A few years ago, I had the chance to sail on Loch
Ness, which was a thrill! I’m also fascinated by werewolves. There’s something
about a monster who is a normal human most of the time that I find so
intriguing.
My love of spooky adventures came from being a scared kid. I was afraid of all kinds of things—the dark, bullies, the basement, the woods. Reading those stories gave me a way to experience fear in a safe, controlled, and fun way. Seeing characters in books face their fears gave me courage to face my own. When I decided to pursue novel writing as an adult, those were the kinds of books I was drawn to write. I want to provide the same encouragement and inspiration for kids today that I had growing up. Besides, spooky stories are just so cool!
Do you have favorite horror writers?
In
the middle grade space, I think Lindsay Currie is a stand out. She’s able to be
genuinely scary without being gory or over the top. In young adult, I’m hooked
on the new horror series The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. For classics, Edgar
Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker all have staying power for a reason.
While I don’t know of any concrete evidence for the existence of ghosts, I believe many things exist that are currently outside of our scientific understanding. Does that include ghosts, spirits, non-material phenomena? It could.
I did once chase a mysterious ghost light that appeared in the pre-dawn hours on a mountain behind our house over the course of a week. After several failed attempts and numerous scrapes and bruises from barreling along a rocky slope in the dark, I finally solved the mystery—a distant neighbor had set up a giant, nuclear-powered green spotlight in his backyard. The long throw through branches swaying in the wind created an amazingly compelling dancing ghost light!
What's a writing day look like for you?
I’m an earlier riser, usually around 5:30 am. After some stretching, exercise, and meditation / prayer, I usually spend the morning drafting or editing one of my books, depending on my deadlines and publishing schedule. If I’m drafting, I write a minimum of a thousand words a day. My wife and I break for lunch around 1:00 pm and watch of few hours of reality TV to give our creative minds a break, then I do admin and marketing work for the rest of the afternoon.
What's the last book you read and loved?
Good
Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt, a powerful and eminently readable middle grade
novel in verse about a neurodivergent girl who learns to embrace herself and
find her place in the world. It really increased my understanding of and
empathy for people who are neurodivergent.
Quick Questions:
Panster or Plotter?
I’ve
written books both ways, but lean more toward plotter. With the rapid
publishing schedule of the Monsterious series (the first four books all come
out within nine months), outlining has helped me hit all my deadlines!
Do you listen to music when you write?
I find music distracting. As a former professional musician, I catch myself analyzing what’s happening in the music. I like streaming YouTube nature videos on our TV in the background while I write.
Do you snack and write? Do you have a favorite snack?
I
drink English Breakfast hot tea all day long even during scorching Phoenix
summers. I love all kinds of salty-sweet snacks but not while writing!
Thanks for chatting with me today, Matt!
Go grab the book tomorrow when it comes out. But if you're like me, don't read it in the dark!
Calvin has always been a boy - even if he was born a girl. He faces telling his family - who are super supportive. They shop for new clothes and take him for a new haircut. He's nervous about starting school but with support, he's able to be himself.
* First in a new duology*Shadow has been training all her life with her aunts. But now she's told that she can not join the Guild. They said it's too dangerous for her; she's determined to prove them wrong.My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I enjoyed how Shadow ran off and created a new life for herself. I loved her determination. I enjoyed the banter between Shadow and Cal. I enjoyed the dual perspectives. I liked how they found themselves create a web of lies for their mission. I was not expecting the final twist at the end - and I'm so curious as to see what happens next?
Caledon, the Queen's Assassin, killed a man to save a girl in the woods. He's sent to prison, with a task to lay low until the Queen sends someone to break him out.
Shadow believes if she can convince Caledon to take her as an apprentice, then her family won't be able to stop her. She runs off to the prison and breaks him out. She bluffs her way into his life, desperate for a chance. Together, they attempt to uncover an enemy in a foreign court.
Zona and her father are close - each relying on each other. But Zona's dad changes the rules when he decides to go to Greece to write a book.My Thoughts: I now want to go to Greece to explore and soak up the culture!
Zona has NO desire to leave school or her friends or the paper for six months. She has even less desire to meet the family who cut off contact with her mother.
After several conversation, it's clear that her dad isn't budging. Resigned, Zona packs up and leaves New York behind for Greece - and maybe a a chance to uncover her heritage.
Final Thoughts: I hope there's a junior and senior book planned because Meredith Zeitlin rocks. Sophomore Year is Greek to Me is the perfect summer book with exploring a new country, testing your ideals, and trying new things. Zona's ambitious, smart, and someone I'd like to meet.
