Dickensen Academy by Christine Grabowski - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

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?

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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?”

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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

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

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

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

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

“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

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

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

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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:

https://www.christinegrabowski.com

Newsletter:

http://www.bit.ly/ContactList-CG

Email:

christine@christinegrabowski.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/christinegrabowskiauthor

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/christinegrabo

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/christinegrabo

BookBub Author Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/christine-grabowski

BookBub Book Page:

https://www.bookbub.com/books/dickensen-academy-by-christine-grabowski

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18276822.Christine_Grabowski

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41065431-dickensen-academy

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2DRkYwA

The Wild Rose Press Author Page:

https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/2402_christine-grabowski

Christine’s beautiful dog, Riley, the inspiration for “Zoey” in the Dickensen Academy.  Sadly, Riley has passed on, but she is living the life up in Dog Heaven playing with limitless balls to chase, enjoying never-ending tummy rubs, and chomping down countless treats :)

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle:

https://amzn.to/2KHpmzC

Amazon Paperback:

https://amzn.to/2TYBLTV

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dickensen-academy-christine-grabowski/1129315140

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dickensen-academy

Apple iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dickensen-academy/id1419915501

Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christine_Grabowski_Dickensen_Academy?id=3LpsDwAAQBAJ

The Book Depository:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Dickensen-Academy-Christine-Grabowski/9781509221233

BAM! Books-A-Million:

https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dickensen-Academy/Christine-Grabowski/9781509221233

The Wild Rose Press Ebook:

https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/6044-dickensen-academy.html

The Wild Rose Press Paperback:

https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/paperback-books/6132-dickensen-academy-paperback.html

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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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**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.