Amy Durham's Blog: Amy Durham

CALEB'S CHANCE, Resolution Series book 4

What a cliche, to fall in love with your brother’s best friend…

Growing up in a small Kentucky town, bright spots in Brenna Malone’s childhood are rare. With her mother dealing with crippling depression and a completely disinterested father, Brenna and her brother, Hunter, fend for themselves, with the help of Hunter’s best friend, Caleb. Over the years, Brenna and Caleb’s feelings for each other blossom from friendship to more, something they both deny out of respect for Hunter. When tragedy takes Hunter from them forever, their only choice is to cling to each other. But as Brenna learned at an early age, the good times rarely last, and her father is capable of turning even the most beautiful things into heartache.

Walking away from the one you love is the hardest thing you’ll ever do…

Six years ago, Caleb Hanson walked away from Brenna Malone, knowing it was the right thing to do, but leaving his heart firmly in her hands. And while his life has moved on, with a career as a successful tattoo artist at Resolution Ink and a solid group of friends who are more like family, he’s never overcome his soul-deep loneliness. Intensely private, he’s shared the whole truth about Brenna with no one… until the day she shows up without warning at Resolution, and he’s given the chance to rediscover the girl he’s loved since he was a boy.

Love is always a risk… but for Brenna and Caleb the rewards could change their lives… if they’re willing to take the chance.



Click HERE to Pre-Order!

Today is Release Day for SHANE'S HARMONY!

I'd like to share with you the first review, from Maddy at Booked Every Night Blog. Maddy was gracious enough to agree to read an advanced copy, and I'm just thrilled with her review.

Along with enjoying the story and the journey that Shane and Sydney take, one of the biggest compliments she gave me was this:

"This book is along the same sort of theme as Jessica Sorensen and Colleen Hoover’s work so if you like them you should check it out!"

I'm an enormous fan of both Jessica Sorenson and Colleen Hoover, so to have something I've written compared to their work, even in the SLIGHTEST, is simply thrilling for me.

So... thank you Maddy... for reading the book and sharing such a thoughtful review!

To read the entire review, click HERE!

And, if you haven't picked up SHANE'S HARMONY yet, you can find it at:
AMAZON
B&N
iBOOKS
KOBO

SHANE'S HARMONY is a New Adult contemporary romance. It is book 3 in the Resolution Series, but can be read as a stand alone. Like the rest of the series, this book deals with characters who are in their twenties and building the first foundations of their adult life. 

SHANE'S HARMONY will release on July 11. Until then you can pre-order the ebook at the discounted price of $2.99. After release, the price will change to the regular $3.99. So, if you're interested, now's the time! 


SHANE'S HARMONY (Official Blurb)


Some things you want to forget…

Trapped in a nightmare after a college party her freshman year, only sheer determination got Sydney Baldwin through her sophomore year. But the effort of pretending she can lead a normal life in the place the nightmare began has finally proved too much. After her final exams, she packs her belongings, resolved to leave campus life behind forever. She’s hoping for a fresh start, and being maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding seems like the first step to moving beyond the darkness of her past.

Some things you’ll never be proud of…

Growing up with a drug-addicted single mother taught Shane Dawson that it’s the people you love most who hurt you the worst. He made some bad choices as a teenager, but now he’s put his self-destructive behavior behind him. He’s earning good money working as a tattoo artist at Resolution Ink, alongside his best friend. Still, he’s careful to hide his loneliness by pretending to be the happy-go-lucky one of the bunch. People can’t hurt you if you keep them at arm’s length. 

Some burdens are easier if they’re shared…

After meeting the handsome, tattooed best man at her friend’s wedding, feelings stir in Sydney she thought were dead forever. She sees through his carefree facade to recognize a kindred sadness, one that stares back at her when she looks in the mirror. The aftermath of betrayal. 

Shane can’t stop thinking about Sydney. Even more than her beauty, it’s the haunted look behind her eyes that touches something inside him. The walls he’s spent years building around himself threaten to crumble, as Sydney leaves him vulnerable in ways he never expected. 

Will their tortured pasts pull them into the shadows and ruin their chance at happiness? Or will Shane and Sydney find the courage to reach for the hope of a brighter future together?


Heat Level: Sweet - Mild

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Also, take advantage of the discounted prices of ASHER'S MARK (Book 1) and GABE'S SECRET (Book 2)! Click HERE to find them!

You guys! SHANE'S HARMONY is finished! Well, at least until I get to the task of editing. But, the story itself is DONE. Last night I typed "THE END".In my heart, all of my books have something that makes them special. For example, in my first book, ONCE AGAIN, the heroine, Layla, has a lot of "me" in her. I didn't really do that on purpose, but at some point during the process of bringing that story to life, I realized it. So, even now, 5 years after that book published, I still feel a love for that character that's different from the others.
Book 3, DUSK, has always been close to my heart. It deals with what it means to forgive, both ourselves and those that hurt us, which is something that's so critically important in our hearts, our families, and our communities. I've always been really proud of that story.Now, here I am on Book 7, SHANE'S HARMONY. This is the third book in the Resolution Series, which chronicles the lives of a group of people all connected to the Resolution Tattoo Shop in Flagstaff, Arizona. There's always pride in finishing a book, but when I typed THE END last night, that pride felt different. Often times, people say "write about what you know". I guess I sort of did that with my first book, giving the heroine a personality like my own. But this book... there's nothing about Shane and Sydney that I have "known" personally in my own life. The things they experienced, the journeys they took, were both very, very different than my own upbringing and life experiences. But for so many... too many... people in our world, they are familiar journeys. I won't "spoil" the story here, but for a long time I thought I could never do justice to the story of two people who had experienced such tragedy and heartbreak. But I told myself that I would do my absolute best. I would read and research. I would go to the hard places to make the story as close to authentic as I could. My writing is not dark. Sometimes I wish it was, because I like a good, dark story as much as anyone. But it's just not my "voice". At times during the writing of this book, I thought that lack of "darkness" in my writing meant I wasn't telling the story right. But my wish is that my "voice", the aspect of my writing that I've always loved the most comes through in this book. HOPE. Perhaps it's my personality. Perhaps it's my heart, but I can't help but write stories that carry a thread of hope. And my greatest desire is that even Shane and Sydney's story, one that came from places of great darkness for these characters, will be imbued with a sense of hope that I believe is available to EVERYONE, regardless of their circumstances.So... without anymore verboseness (is that even a word?) from me, please enjoy the cover art for SHANE'S HARMONY (both the ebook cover and the cover for the print version). As always, my cover artist, Tracy Stewart, has outdone herself.SHANE'S HARMONY... coming VERY soon!

I'm always excited to read and review one of Ginger Scott's books, and this one is no exception.

A GIRL LIKE ME, the follow up to A BOY LIKE YOU, has a bit of everything... suspense, excitement, heartbreak, and romance.

One of the things I love the most about this book was the growth we saw in the heroine, Joss. She truly comes into her own in this story. She's faced with the biggest challenge of her life, and she definitely rises to the occasion. She becomes strong and self-reliant, able to tackle things on her own, but at the same time glad to accept help from her father, friends, and eventually from Wes.

The mystery surrounding Wes is captivating. I love this character so much. He's strong, gentle, talented, determined, and fierce. Wondering what happened to him kept me turning pages!

In the end, Joss and Wes find their way back to each other and get a fresh start... free of secrets, family drama, and self-destructive behavior. It's WELL worth the journey to take this ride with them.

I highly recommend this duet of books. The sweeping story of this young love will entertain and move you! FIVE STARS!

The sequel to A BOY LIKE YOU,  by Ginger Scott! 

A GIRL LIKE ME

YA Contemporary RomanceScheduled to release: May 26, 2017
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34404140-a-girl-like-me?from_search=true
Preorder links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rImqJf
iBooks: http://apple.co/2rI6BSF
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rty9OF
BN: http://bit.ly/2qcdHgx
BLURB: I’m not supposed to be here.

Death has come for me more than once, and each time it’s been a boy who’s stood between me and my final breath.

I called him Christopher when he saved me as a child. When he came into my life again, only months ago, I knew him as Wes. Just as he did the time before, he disappeared the moment he made sure I was out of harm’s way; as if I didn’t need any more saving.

This time, though, death left me with a reminder of how powerful it is. I know it meant to strip me of my spirit again, but it failed.

Even so, I know I need Wes to survive. Our souls are woven together somehow, our every breath in sync. I feel it, even though everyone says I shouldn’t.

The world thinks he’s missing.
His loved ones don’t want to believe he’s dead.
Only I know just how special he is.

I’m going to find him and bring him home, where he belongs. Together, we’ll face impossible—we’ll rewrite our ending.

And when the bad guys come calling, we will always win.

Dear Jerry Spinelli,
In my 17th year of teaching, I was given the privilege of teaching reading to a group of 8th grade students for the very first time. I was nervous, but excited! Reading is such an important skill… necessary for success in every aspect of life. But even beyond than that, reading is something that can ENRICH your life in so many ways. Middle school students don’t often enjoy reading it seems. They read because they have to. I had many goals for myself as a first-year reading teacher, but at the top of my list was to try to give the students a reading experience they could enjoy. No, I might not be able to turn them all into voracious readers, but maybe, just maybe, I could find a book that would resonate with them… a story that would grab their attention. And perhaps, even if they never read another book simply for pleasure, they could look back on their 8th grade year and say, “I liked THAT book.”
I searched for books most of the summer, trying to find something age-appropriate, that had a bit of everything… humor, relationships, life lessons… something that would appeal to both 8th grade girls and 8th grade boys. My search led me to “Stargirl”. 
In my wildest imagination, I could not have imagined the students’ response to the book. They latched on to Stargirl’s story, grasped the underlying messages behind the plot, and just thoroughly enjoyed reading it. So much so they asked over and over again if we could read the sequel, “Love, Stargirl”. So, in the last part of the school year, I announced that we would indeed be reading “Love, Stargirl”. Their excitement was evident… they couldn’t wait! As we began reading together in class and discussing the things in the book, it was like visiting with old friends, welcoming them into our lives again after a long absence. 
We read the last several chapters of “Love, Stargirl” together… with me reading aloud to them. When I read the last word of book, the students applauded. Let me repeat that. THE STUDENTS APPLAUDED. ABOUT A BOOK. And it wasn’t my reading skills they were clapping about. It was the book. The story. They applauded your story. And I knew I’d done what I set out to do... to give the students an experience with reading that they could enjoy, one they would remember. Your books helped me accomplish that.
I asked them all to write a letter to you and tell you about their experiences reading your books. The letters are below. I hope you’ll be as pleased as I am to read that so many of them learned to not judge others on appearances, to be “okay” with being a little different, to never give up hope, and to keep moving forward no matter what life throws at you. 
As an author myself, I know that hearing from readers is incredibly meaningful. I hope our experiences with your Stargirl books re-affirm that what you’ve created is not only enjoyable… but important.
Thank you for helping me bring a love of reading to my students… even if it’s only for a little while.
Amy Durham
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
I enjoyed your books. There were so many emotions I experienced while reading them. I learned to just be yourself and not someone you’re not, and not to judge someone by their looks until you get to know them better. I have changed by reading these books. These books were awesome and they have really helped me in many ways.
Sincerely,Gracie
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
Your book “Love, Stargirl” is really an amazing book. It really hits a lot of points about teenage life. I like how your book tells the life of a girl, but you do it like a journal, which is cool. I think your book made me understand myself better. I’m like Stargirl. I always tried to fit in and finally I learned it’s ok just to be myself. I also learned it’s not right to judge people if you don’t know the whole story. The characters that you talked about in this book all had problems, and Stargirl had problems, too, and I liked how you made the characters help each other through the book. This book has taught me how to trust myself, trust others, believe in myself, and never give up on the ones you love. Thank you for writing this book.
Anna
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
My experiences with both Stargirl books have been awesome. Stargirl has an awesome lesson to be learned. It teaches us that it is okay to be different. I loved reading about Stargirl because I can relate my life to some of the stuff in the books. Stargirl has changed me. I think that being “weird” is cool now. Thanks for writing such amazing books.
Piper
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
I am writing to you today to tell you about your two wonderful books, “Stargirl” and “Love, Stargirl”. It has made me see that it’s okay to be yourself and to stand up for yourself. Not only that, but also to live life to the fullest and be free. I hope you continue writing books like this one.
Yours truly, Natalie
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
These books have influenced me. “Stargirl” and  “Love, Stargirl” taught  me to be myself and to love all people. It’s also taught me to face my fears, not run away from them. It taught me to worry less and never be afraid to make new friends. These books were very inspiring, so thank you for writing them.
With love, Gabby
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
“Stargirl” and “Love, Stargirl” have really taught me a lot. Mostly, the character Stargirl taught me how to be myself. Stargirl was always herself and when people judged her for who she was, she still stayed the same.
8th Grade Student
***
Dear Mr. Spinelli,
Stargirl and her story have affected me as a person. Between her adventures and crazy moments, I learned “don’t jump to conclusions”. I thought “Love, Stargirl” would have a totally different ending!
Madison
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
These books have affected me greatly. They have taught me to be more confident… to be “me”, not somebody else. Also, they’ve taught me not to judge a book by it’s cover.
Ashley
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
I absolutely love your books, “Stargirl” and “Love, Stargirl”. They’re so relatable and they just take everything off my mind. Thank you so much.
Kali
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
These stories have had an affect on me, especially concerning treating other people with respect. I’ve learned it’s not all about me; it’s about other people who have other needs.
8th Grade Student
***
Dear Jerry,
I’m just a random kid telling you about how good your book, “Love, Stargirl” is. This is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. Keep it up!
Sincerely,Jonah
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
I have read both “Stargirl” and “Love, Stargirl”. These books taught me that I never have to change myself to be what others want me to be. Thank you for writing these books.
Olivia
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
Thanks to your books I’ve learned it’s ok to be myself instead of what everyone else wants me to be.
8th Grade Student
***
Dear Mr. Spinelli,
Your books are amazing. The two Stargirl books truly warm my heart. They inspire me to be myself. They teach me about life. So thank you for entertaining me with the story of Stargirl and Leo.
Sincerely,Serenity
***
Dear Jerry,
Thank you for showing me it’s ok to be yourself and stand out.
8th Grade Reading Student
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
I was never much of a reader all my life. Books never interested me, but two of your books, “Stargirl” and “Love, Stargirl” did get my attention. Both tell a really interesting story about someone who is different. In my case, I am a little different too like Stargirl.
Sincerely,8th Grade Student
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
Reading “Love, Stargirl” was a good experience. It changed my outlook on life. I learned about actual situations that can affect people. They were special to me because I can relate to several things. I learned that life can be very unpredictable.
Savannah

***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
Your Stargirl books show me that it’s ok to be a little different. I see a little of myself in her. All of your characters are so interesting. I love them all, but Alvina is one of my favorites. I know this isn’t really a long letter, but I just want you to know I really, really, really love your Stargirl books.
Sincerely,Maylee
***
Dear Jerry Spinelli,
“Love, Stargirl” is a really great book. It takes your through life, and it makes you think more about life. I’ve learned to let things go and to forgive and forget. And when times get hard, I’ve learned there will always be light in the end.
8th Grade Student

Check out this amazing cover for A GIRL LIKE ME by Ginger Scott! Readers have fallen in love with these characters!

A Girl Like Me by Ginger ScottBook 2 in the Like Us DuetA mature YA romance, and a little something more…Release day: May 26Goodreads
Blurb:I’m not supposed to be here.
Death has come for me more than once, and each time it’s been a boy who’sstood between me and my final breath.
I called him Christopher when he saved me as a child. When he came into mylife again, only months ago, I knew him as Wes. Just as he did the timebefore, he disappeared the moment he made sure I was out of harm’s way; asif I didn’t need any more saving.
This time, though, death left me with a reminder of how powerful it is. Iknow it meant to strip me of my spirit again, but it failed.
Even so, I know I need Wes to survive. Our souls are woven togethersomehow, our every breath in sync. I feel it, even though everyone says Ishouldn’t.
The world thinks he’s missing.His loved ones don’t want to believe he’s dead.Only I know just how special he is.
I’m going to find him and bring him home, where he belongs. Together,we’ll face impossible—we’ll rewrite our ending.
And when the bad guys come calling, we will always win.

NOW AVAILABLE!
A BOY LIKE YOUYA Contemporary RomanceReleased on: March 3, 2017GoodreadsAmazon iBooks Barnes and Noble Kobo

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, Hold My Breath, and A Boy Like You.
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.
When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).
Social Media Links:Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthorTwitter: @TheGingerScottPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthorGoogle: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/postsGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott
Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

When I was in college, I had an assignment in one of my education courses that required me to interview a number of school teachers and school administrators, then write a report on my findings. I interviewed a husband and wife who were, at the time, 27+ year veterans of our public education system. I don’t even remember any of the questions I asked, but I remember this answer:
“The public gets a FANTASTIC return on the relatively small amount of tax dollars each person invests in our vast public education system.”
I believed that then. But once I went to work in our public education system, I now believe it to the soles of my feet and to the center of every cell in my body. No organization is perfect, and no public school I know of would claim to be. But our public schools are FILLED with the absolute hardest working people I’ve ever known. People who do a job that’s hard, underpaid, underappreciated, maligned in the media and by other public officials. And do you know why we do it? Because it’s IMPORTANT. Two of my colleagues and I had this conversation just yesterday. We could all work at jobs that would make us more money. We could work jobs with less stress. But what made us public educators in the first place and what keeps us there despite everything is that we have a job that is IMPORTANT in the grand scheme of things. 
Much has been said in recent days about charter schools. My instinct is to oppose them, but I find myself at least somewhat willing to see how HB520 plays out and if, as our legislators have stated, local school districts have control and public schools, that are already underfunded, won’t find themselves with even more of a shortfall.
But what I cannot abide is the constant degrading of our public school system. Not every Senator and Representative has taken part in this character assassination of our public schools, and our local legislators have actually been quite complimentary of our local school districts. So please know that I am not lumping all of our state politicians together. However, so much of what has been said and/or written as our legislature moved full steam ahead with a charter school agenda refers to public schools as “failing”, “underperforming”, “falling short”, and on and on and on. I’ve seen the following statistics bandied about as “evidence” that our public school system is failing our most vulnerable students:
75% of students in 4th-6th grades that perform in the bottom 1/3 of students on Kentucky state assessment qualify for free/reduced lunch.56% of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch perform in the bottom 1/3 in reading or math.
What these statistics don’t take into account is the GROWTH that has most likely taken place within that “bottom 1/3”. What this statistic fails to consider is... where did these kids BEGIN? Do we want all kids to reach proficiency? Of course! Is it a quick process for every student? NO! What these statistics fail to address is that a large portion of that 75% probably started in the bottom 1/10 and have since moved up to a higher level, even though they may not have made it out of that “bottom 1/3”. Should that GROWTH not be celebrated and considered a success? Should a child who has progressed not be celebrated simply because he or she hasn’t reached proficient/distinguished level yet? Of course, as educators we don't stop when a child shows growth. We continue to push them forward toward proficiency, but we celebrate all the growth along the way... and consider that growth a success for that child.
At my school we CELEBRATE growth. If a kid moves up 1 reading level during a grading period, they are recognized and celebrated. The student who moves from a 2nd grade reading level to a 3rd grade reading level is celebrated just as much as the kid who moves from a 6th grade reading level to a 7th grade reading level. If a student moves up a level in Math, they are celebrated, no matter what level they started at. There will always be kids who move up the ladder quickly, students for whom success and achievement happen naturally and almost easily. But for kids who come from homes that are in crisis due to poverty, abuse/neglect, or homes where education is just not valued the same way it is in others, achievement isn’t as quick or smooth. But public school teachers don’t give up on those kids. No way! We find those kids. We encourage them, when maybe they’re not getting encouragement anywhere else. Our schools feed those children, many of whom don’t get another square meal once they leave the school building. We TEACH those kids, and we CELEBRATE when those kids GROW. And while, of course, we want those students to reach proficiency, we CELEBRATE when they move from the bottom 1/10 up to the “bottom 1/3”.
A student scoring in the “bottom 1/3” isn’t necessarily a failure. That level may represent a huge success for that student. But in our media and for many of our public officials, that level is evidence that our schools are “failing” those students.


So, as we are apparently moving forward with a charter school agenda in Kentucky, please keep in mind that not all statistics tell the whole story, and what looks like evidence of failure may well represent great success.

In A BOY LIKE YOU, Ginger Scott brings together two characters with childhoods that could haunt and scar them for the rest of their lives: Wes, who has experienced life in the foster care system and has been adopted into a loving family… and Joss who lives with her father, beloved baseball coach and local hero, but lives a life  that proves things aren’t always as rosy as they seem on the surface. Together, these two find peace and healing, and the promise of a bright future.
Beginning with a prologue that takes us all back to those glorious elementary school days, as school winds down and summer break approaches, Ginger Scott weaves a story that intertwines two lives so tightly they can never be unwoven.

In Wes Stokes we have the honorable hero. The boy who’s different from the rest… more observant, more sensitive, more EVERYTHING. In Joss, we have the feisty heroine… the girl who takes no crap from anyone, who keeps her father’s secrets, who has walls so high it seems no one will ever scale them.
Without giving too much away, Joss’s journey of self-discovery is breathtaking. She is a risk-taker, often times to her detriment, but she also longs for the safety she doesn’t have at home. Wes brings her the balance that’s been missing in her life for the past 8 years, becoming the person who takes care of her when her own father cannot. In return, she brings out the playful side of him. Joss and Wes grow and change together, forming a bond that will carry them into their adult lives.
I’m usually not a fan of books that end with a “cliffhanger”, but there are a few authors whose work I love and trust enough to embrace an unresolved ending. Ginger Scott is one of them. It helps that she’s promised book 2 will be released this summer - se we don’t have to wait long - and also that she left us in a place so hopeful and promising that we aren’t left in anguish! I have no doubt that the resolution to Joss and Wes’s story will be worth the cliffhanger and the short wait for the resolution.
As with all Ginger’s books, I have NO trouble whatsoever recommending A BOY LIKE YOU. It’s engaging, emotional, heartfelt, and all the other things that a Young Adult romance should be. So, I encourage all of you to grab your copy and get to reading!

A BOY LIKE YOU by Ginger Scot… 5 STARS!

Amazon: http://a.co/3z8mz1M
iBooks: https://itun.es/us/RVpqhb.l
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-boy-like-you
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-boy-like-you-…/1125494573…