Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Christine
Grabowski and her new book, “Dickensen Academy”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish
Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in
this post.
Be sure to make it to the
end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Christine
and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping
by! Wishing you lots of luck in this
fabulous giveaway!
Dickensen Academy
by Christine Grabowski
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GENRE: Young YA - Fantasy
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BLURB:
Dickensen
Academy isn’t a typical boarding school. The faculty is hiding an unbelievable
secret within their fine arts program. When Autumn Mattison receives an invitation
to attend the high school, she yearns to escape her overbearing father yet
remains reluctant to leave her mother and brother. Her doubts fade away when a
vivid dream convinces her she belongs there.
Away
from home, Autumn discovers a unique school environment that awakens her
creative potential, and her new friends become like a second family. However,
as she uncovers more about the dark side of the school and struggles with its
curriculum, she questions whether Dickensen Academy is truly where she belongs.
When
tragedy strikes, Autumn must learn to believe in her own power and stand up to
her greatest fear or risk having her memories destroyed to protect the school’s
secrets. Caught between secrets and dreams, can she find her true self?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT ONE:
“I
feel like there’s something big we don’t know about. Something those students
were protecting. I mean, really, why are we here?”
I
thought it was just me who was confused. “Well…the recruiters said we’re
creative and focused.”
“Yeah,
that’s what Principal Locke said too.”
“And
we have the right personality.”
Ben
looked up at the sky, sighed then turned toward the forest. “What did he
say…something about how it will soon become clear why we’re here, and there’s
some ultimate purpose for our creativity?”
“I
know. That whole creativity part was a bit bizarre.”
He
shrugged. “It seems everyone is going with the flow. But I have so many
questions.” Then he touched my arm to stop me, so I turned toward him. “I’m
thinking they’re isolating us for some special reason,” he admitted in an
embarrassed tone.
I
tried not to laugh—he was acting paranoid. But I didn’t know Ben well. Maybe he
was joking, trying to freak me out. Or was he hitting on me? The flutter in my
chest moved to my stomach. I was already anxious about being away from home and
whether or not I could hack the academics. I didn’t need to obsess about
anything else. But I still had to know about Ben’s dream.
“So…I
also had a dream about Dickensen before I accepted the offer.”
Ben’s
head snapped toward me. “You did?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GUEST POST:
7 Reasons to Read Dickensen Academy
Dickensen Academy has
been receiving excellent reviews. With 63 ratings on Goodread, the book has a
4.59-star rating. Here are 7 reasons to read it in reviewers’ own words.
1 – Fresh Premise
The
basis for the story – dream conveyance and reception, was intriguing and
different than other YA books that I have read, and I found that refreshing.
~ Roxie
What
a creative plot! Even after finishing the book I’m wondering at all the
different things that are possible at Dickensen Academy, can’t wait for more.
Teens and adults alike will love this book.
~ Chrissy
~ Chrissy
2 - Strong Female Lead
It is
nice to have a strong female lead character, Autumn, who is relatable to so
many teens, as she struggles with her relationship with her father, but grows
emotionally and comes of age as she deals with her first year away from home at
the boarding school of her dreams.
~ Eileen
~ Eileen
3 – Fast Paced Engaging
Plot / Difficult to Put Down
Once
my 12-year-old daughter started reading this book she couldn’t put it down! We
just received the book last week, and she is already re-reading it.
~ Stefanie
This
was a fast-paced story with an incredible plot twist that this reader never
expected.
~ Teresa
~ Teresa
Autumn's
first-person character is nicely done and inviting, and the world of Dickensen
with all of its conundrums and confusion comes to life through her eyes, making
for a story that is hard to put down.
~ Diane
~ Diane
4 - Relatable Teen
Protagonist
“Autumn’s
desire to succeed academically, her overbearing father, and her sometimes
misguided attempts to make her own decisions while living away from home for
the first time will likely resonate with readers…"
~ Jen McConnel, VOYA Magazine
5 - Intriguing Setting
This
book gave me chills from the start. Autumn is selected to attend a unique,
invitation-only boarding high school in a remote area of Washington State.
~ Lori
In
just looking at the cover, the book pulled me in. You see what Autumn Mattison
sees – a large daunting structure – but there is a hint of innocence with her
braided hair and bright pink flowers. You wonder along with her, what is to
come.
~ Lisa
~ Lisa
“The
setting of the story was described so well you felt like you were there with
Autumn and her friends during their dream classes and around campus.”
~ A. Stout, Reader Views Kids
6 - Feel Good Giving to
Your Kids
As a
mom, it's often difficult to find books that are appropriate for my teens. I
would definitely recommend this book for teens and adults ages 13 and up. It's
a fun story with great messages about friendship with no unnecessary adult
language or themes.
~ Jennifer
~ Jennifer
As a
teacher and school counsellor I would highly recommend “Dickensen Academy”, by
Christine Grabowski, to any young adult/adult reader looking for a wholesome
character coming of age with an interesting twist.
~ Marie
~ Marie
7 - A Perfect Balance
This
book is the perfect mix of self-discovery, romance and action. The writing is
superb. The romance is tender, the plot original and the book fast-paced.
Surprises in one chapter lead quickly to the next event which unfolds in ways
that captured my interest and drew me on.
~ Tina
~ Tina
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AUTHOR BIO:
Dickensen
Academy is Christine’s
debut YA novel. After graduating from the University of Washington, she earned
her MBA at the University at Albany. She honed her technical writing skills in
marketing and consulting but attributes the creative part of the process to her
passion for reading.
When
she isn’t reading or writing, Christine can often be found running, skiing, or
hiking. She lives in Newcastle, Washington, with her supportive husband, two
avid teen readers, and their energetic wheaten terriers.
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CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE:
Christine’s super adorable
puppies, Ruby and Max.
Website:
Newsletter:
Email:
christine@christinegrabowski.com
Facebook:
Twitter:
Instagram:
BookBub Author Page:
BookBub Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page:
Amazon Author Page:
The Wild Rose Press Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle:
Amazon Paperback:
Barnes and Noble:
Kobo:
Apple iBooks:
Google Play:
The Book Depository:
BAM! Books-A-Million:
The Wild Rose Press Ebook:
The Wild Rose Press Paperback:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Christine will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N
GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just
helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored
by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not
Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are
solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
