Book Review on Jinxed by Thommy Hutson

JINXED by Thommy Hutson 


BOOK REVIEW

If you love suspense and thriller books then this book is for you. It's about a group of elite seniors in high school who get tainted by death. It is then taken to a few years in the future with a new group of seniors that are in the same spotlight as the last group of students.  Lanya and her boyfriend Max are constantly fighting off her old boyfriend because he is stalking her. Then they found themselves dealing with a death. They think it was suicide but they learn it wasn't. Now they have to figure out what is going on. 

Jinxed has so many twists and turns. I read the whole book in one sitting because I wanted to know what happened. Thommy Hutson does an amazing job at making the characters relatable. He also did an amazing job at making the conflicts seem realistic. At times they are a little graphic, but murders are graphic. I loved how he put his characters and situations at a Performing Arts Academy. I could see this be made into a TV movie either for Freedom or even Lifetime.  If you like thrillers/murder/mystery/horror then this is a great book to read. I loved it.  

ABOUT THE BOOK

Praise for JINXED

[Hutson] creates a gore-filled throwback to the classic teen slasher flick genre … Graphically detailed descriptions make it clear that this work of horror isn’t for the faint of heart. ―Publishers Weekly

Thommy Hutson’s ‘Jinxed’ is a Must Read for Classic Horror Fans (linked to full iHorror review)
“Hutson … knocked it completely out of the park … with an expertly paced, cinematic slasher in a setting that would make Agatha Christie proud.” ―Waylon Jordan, iHorror.com

“…gory but captivating … a masked murderer starts picking off the teens, killing them all in theatrically grisly ways. … entertaining” ―School Library Journal

“Thommy Hutson is the ultimate authority in nostalgia-driven storytelling.” ―Clive Barker, Bestselling Author of Books of Blood and The Thief of Always

“Jinxed is the teen whodunit that Wes Craven and Lois Duncan never made. Hutson has created the best new slasher franchise since Scream.” ―Peter M. Bracke, Author of Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

“A dark, tension-filled thriller that’s wicked to the very end. Bad luck was never so much fun!” ―Jeffrey Reddick, Creator of Final Destination

High School Can Be a Real Killer

Break a mirror
Walk under a ladder
Step on a crack

Innocent childhood superstitions …
But someone at the secluded Trask Academy of Performing Arts is taking things one deadly step further when the campus is rocked with the deaths of some of its star students.

Layna Curtis, a talented, popular senior, soon realizes that the seemingly random, accidental deaths of her friends aren’t random—or accidents—at all. Someone has taken the childhood games too far, using the idea of superstitions to dispose of their classmates. As Layna tries to convince people of her theory, she uncovers the terrifying notion that each escalating, gruesome murder leads closer to its final victim: her.

Will Layna’s opening night also be her final bow?

Paperback: 246 pages
Publisher: Vesuvian Books (March 13, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781944109127
ISBN-13: 978-1944109127
ASIN: 1944109129

Purchase the book at: 
Amazon: Click Here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born and raised in Upstate New York, Thommy Hutson graduated from UCLA and launched his career co-writing the story for the Warner Bros. animated hit SCOOBY-DOO IN WHERE’S MY MUMMY? He followed that with co-writing the concept and additional material for CHILL OUT, SCOOBY-DOO!

His career then took a thrilling turn when he wrote and produced several definitive genre film retrospectives for television and home entertainment: SCREAM: THE INSIDE STORY (Bio Channel), NEVER SLEEP AGAIN: THE ELM STREET LEGACY (Bio Channel), MORE BRAINS! A RETURN TO THE LIVING DEAD (Chiller) and HIS NAME WAS JASON: 30 YEARS OF FRIDAY THE 13th (Starz/Anchor Bay).

He was also a staff writer on Hulu’s daily web series “The Morning After,” a smart, witty, pop culture program aimed at getting viewers up-to-date on the latest entertainment news and celebrity interviews.

Thommy also produced the critically acclaimed feature THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRUTH, an insightful relationship drama starring Lea Thompson and John Shea. He also produced DREAMWORLD, a quirky, romantic dramedy.

He co-wrote and produced ANIMAL for Chiller Films and Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films. The project debuted in iTunes’ top ten horror films (reaching #1) and became the network’s highest-rated original movie.

Continuing his passion for uncovering the stories behind the story, he went on to produce CRYSTAL LAKE MEMORIES: THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF FRIDAY THE 13th, which is the most comprehensive look at the popular film franchise.

He produced and made his feature directorial debut with THE ID, an independent psychological drama/thriller. Filmmaker Magazine stated it was “a deeply unsettling thriller that’s as moving as it is frightening…with skillful, provocative direction that has echoes of early Polanski.”

Thommy also wrote the screenplay for Syfy Channel’s supernatural horror film TRUTH OR DARE, which was a trending topic on social media the night of its release.

As an author, Thommy crafted a limited-edition coffee table book detailing the making and legacy of Wes Craven’s 1984 classic A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. A trade version distributed by Simon & Schuster reached number one in Amazon.com’s Movie History & Criticism category. His latest novel, the teen thriller “Jinxed,” (Vesuvian Media) is the first book of a trilogy and has been called “A must-read for classic horror fans…Inevitable and shocking. Brutal and beautiful. Homage and originality…Hutson could easily take on the mantle as the next Lois Duncan.”

He is currently scripting a film for The Hallmark Channel as well as writing another book that definitively details the history, making, and legacy of another fan-favorite genre film from the 1980s.

A member of the Producers Guild of America and Horror Writers Association, and an aficionado of horror and teen movies from the 80s and 90s, Thommy continues to develop unique, compelling, and provocative projects across multiple genres for film, television, publishing, and home entertainment through his company Hutson Ranch Media.

His Webpage: Click Here

Facebook: Click Here

Instagram: @thommyhutson 

Twitter: Click Here

Goodreads: Click Here

Some Boys by Patty Blount

SYNOPSIS

Some boys go too far. Some boys will break your heart. But one boy can make you whole.

When Grace meets Ian she's afraid. Afraid he'll reject her like the rest of the school, like her own family. After she accuses the town golden boy of rape, everyone turns against Grace. They call her a slut and a liar. But...Ian doesn't. He's funny and kind with secrets of his own.But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you believe in love?

A gut-wrenching, powerful love story told from alternating points of view by the acclaimed author of Send.  

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Praise for SOME BOYS

"You will be satisfied at the end of this powerful work. " ―RT Book Review

"A largely sensitive treatment of an emotionally complex topic. " ―Kirkus

"Some Boys" belongs in every YA collection." ―School Library Journal  

EXCERPT FROM BOOK

Minutes pass, but they feel like centuries. I fumble for my phone—my mom’s phone since she made me switch with her—and call her.

“Grace, what’s wrong?”
“Can’t breathe, Mom. Hurts,” I push out the words on gasps of air. “Okay, honey, I want you to take a breath and hold it. One, two,

three, and let it out.”
I follow her instructions, surprised I have any breath in my lungs to

hold for three seconds. The next breath is easier.
“Keep going. Deep breath, hold it, let it out.”
It takes me a few tries, but finally I can breathe without the

barrier. “Oh, God.” “Better?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t hurt now.” “Want me to take you home?”

Oh, home. Where there are no laughing classmates pointing at me, whispering behind their hands. Where there are no ex-friends calling me a bitch or a liar. Where I could curl up, throw a blanket over my head, and pretend nothing happened. Yes, take me home. Take me home right now as fast as you can.

I want to say that. But when I glance in the mirror over the row of sinks, something makes me say, “No. I have to stay.”

“Grace—”
“Mom, I have to stay.”
There’s a loud sigh. “Oh, honey. You don’t have to be brave.”Brave.
The word hangs in the air for a moment and then falls away, almost

like even it knows it has no business being used to describe me. I’m not brave. I’m scared. I’m so freakin’ scared. I can’t see straight, and I can’t see straight because I’m too scared to look very far. I’m a train wreck. All I’m doing is trying to hold on to what I have left. Only I’m not sure what that is. When I say nothing, she laughs too loudly. “Well, you’re wearing your father’s favorite outfit, so just pretend it’s a superhero costume.”

That makes me laugh. I glance down at my favorite boots—black leather covered in metal studs. My ass-kicking boots. Ever since Dad married Kristie, Mom lets me get away with anything that pisses him off, and wow does he hate how I dress.

“Why don’t you go to the library until the bell rings? Relax and regroup, you know?”

Regroup. Sure. Okay. “Yeah. I’ll do that.”

“If you need me to get you, I’ll come. Okay?”
I meet my own gaze in the mirror, disgusted to see them fill with tears. Jeez, you’d think I’d be empty by now. “Thanks, Mom.” I end the call, tuck the phone in my pocket, and head for the library.

The library is my favorite spot in the whole school. Two floors of books, rows of computers, soft chairs to slouch in. I head for the nonfiction section and find the 770s. This is where the photography books live—my stack. I run a finger along the spines and find the first book I ever opened on the subject—A History of Photography.

I pull the book off its shelf, curl up with it in a chair near a window, and flip open the back cover. My signature is scrawled on the checkout card so many times now that we’re old friends. I know how this book smells—a little like cut grass. How it feels—the pages are thick and glossy. And even where every one of its scars lives—the coffee ring on page 213 and the dog-eared corner in chapter 11. This is the book that said, “Grace, you are a photographer.”

I flip through the pages, reread the section on high-key tech- nique—I love how that sounds. High-key. So professional. It’s really just great big fields of bright white filled with a splash of color or some- times only shadow. I took hundreds of pictures this way—of Miranda, of Lindsay, of me. I practiced adjusting aperture settings and shutter speeds and overexposing backgrounds. It’s cool how even the simplest subjects look calm and cheerful. It’s like the extra light forces us to see the beauty and the flaws we never noticed.

I unzip my backpack and take out the school’s digital camera. It’s assigned to me—official student newspaper photographer. I scroll through the images stored on the card—selfies I shot over the last few months. Why can’t everybody see what I see? My eyes don’t sparkle. My lips don’t curve anymore. Why don’t they see?

With a sigh, I close the book, and a slip of paper floats to the floor. I pick it up, unfold it, and my stomach twists when I read the words printed on it. A noise startles me, and I look up to see Tyler Embery standing at one of the computers. Did he slip this paper into my favorite book? He’s had a painfully obvious crush on me forever. Every time he gets within five feet of me, his face flushes, and sweat beads at his hairline. Tyler volunteers at the library during his free periods and always flags me over to give me the latest issue of Shutterbug that he sets aside for me as soon as it arrives. He grabs something off the desk and walks over to me. I smile, thankful there’s still one person left in this world that doesn’t think Zac McMahon is the second coming of Christ. But Tyler’s not holding a magazine. He’s holding his phone.

“Six-eighty-three.” There’s no blush, no sweat—only disgust.

I make it to the end of the day. At dismissal I make damn sure I’m early for the bus ride home so I can snag an empty row. I plug in my earbuds to drown out the taunts. It’s not so bad, I tell myself repeat- edly, the taste of tears at the back of my throat familiar now. I don’t believe me.

Once safely back in my house, I let my shoulders sag and take my first easy breath of the day. The house is empty and eerie, and I wonder how to fill the hours until Mom gets home. Thirty-two days ago I’d be hanging out after school with Miranda and Lindsay or shopping at the mall or trying to find the perfect action photo at one of the games. In my room I stare at the mirror over my dresser, where dozens of photos are taped— photos of me with my friends, me with my dad, me at dance class. I’m not welcome at any of these places, by any of these people anymore. I don’t have a damn thing because Zac McMahon took it all. I think about Mom killing all of my online accounts and switching phones just until things settle. But now that the video of me that Zac posted on Facebook has 683 Likes, it’s pretty clear that waiting for things to settle is a fantasy.

I rip all the pictures off the mirror, tear them into tiny pieces, and swipe them into the trash bin next to my desk. Then I pull out the slip of paper I found in the photography book, and after a few minutes of staring at it, I dial the number with shaking hands.

“Rape Crisis Hotline, this is Diane. Let me help you.”

Copyright © 2014 by Patty Blount

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patty Blount grew up quiet and a bit invisible in Queens, NY, but found her voice in books. Today, she writes smart and strong characters willing to fight for what’s right. She’s the award-winning author of edgy, realistic, gut-wrenching contemporary and young adult romance. Still a bit introverted, she gets lost often, eats way too much chocolate, and tends to develop mad, passionate crushes on fictional characters. Let’s be real; Patty’s not nearly as cool as her characters, but she is a solid supporter of women’s rights and loves delivering school presentations.

Patty is best known for her internet issues novels, including SOME BOYS, a 2015 CLMP Firecracker winner and SEND, a 2012 Junior Library Guild Fall Pick. Visit her website at pattyblount.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. She blogs at YA Outside the Lines and is also active online. She loves hearing from readers, especially when they tell her she’s cool (even though she knows it’s not true), and is easily bribed with chocolate. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

PHOTO CREDIT: DAN DEMERIAD 

WEBSITE: https://www.pattyblount.com/
TWITTER:  @PattyBlount
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5344531.Patty_Blount
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/PattyBlountNovels
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pattyblount3/ 

GIVEAWAY

- Must Be 13+ to enter. 

- Winner will receive a Signed Copy of SOMEONE I USED TO KNOW (+Swags) by Patty Blount.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER -- Ends December 19, 2018

BOOK TRAILER

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Secrets by Beckie Lindsey

MY BOOK REVIEW
Beckie Lindsey's book Secrets takes on four high school students, Mackenzie, Sadie, Tammy, and Krystal. It shows the struggles teens go through. For example, depression, sexual drama, and even suicide. We see the girls go through spiritual warfare.  Lindsey does an amazing job intertwining all four of these girls experiences together. Her writing was descriptive, vivid and emotional. I could relate a little to these girls. The struggle with demons is real. This is not only a great book for teens but adults could relate and find the book to be interesting. I know I had a hard time putting it down.  It was so interesting reading about the battles of demons and angels. I could see this being made into a movie. I can't wait to read book #2.  

I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 
Purchase book: Click Here 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Author: Beckie Lindsey
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: February 2018
Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find- but the demons already have. Four girls. Four sets of secrets. Four searching for answers.
Mackenzie is a shy, awkward new girl at school, depressed and desperate for a real friend. When she stumbles upon the deepest secret of a sarcastic, angry-at-the-world track star, Krystal, they become instant enemies-especially about the flirtatious baseball player, Bryce.
Tammi, a gloomy singer/musician who couldn't care less about what others think of her meets Sadie, a dancer and a people-pleaser with a cotton candy disposition. They have nothing in common until their lives begin to collide in more ways than one.
As the girls' worlds begin to converge, their secrets rather than their similarities draw them together. Meanwhile all that's kept hidden has left them vulnerable to a battle in an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep the girls chained to their pasts while angels of light work to free them.
Can good ever come from evil? Can beauty ever arise from ashes?

Click here to purchase your copy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beckie Lindsey is an award-winning poet, author, blogger, and the editor of Southern California Christian Voice, a division of One Christian Voice, a national news syndicating agency. She is a major coffeeholic and enjoys a good book with a cat on her lap. She also loves to hike and hang out with family and friends. Beckie and her husband, Scott have three adult children, two adorable cats and live in California.

Check out her website: Click Here

GUEST POST FROM BECKIE

Why I write YA and the BFA series by Beckie Lindsey

I believe a teenager still exists inside each of us. 

We hear a familiar tune from our "glory days" and are instantly tapping our toes. Mentally, we're back in high school-- poofy bangs, scrunchie, neon off-the should sweatshirt-- and all. Oh, wait. That's me back in the 80s! 

Ah, yes, There is something wonderfully awful about those coming of age years. 

From the first kiss to the first breakup, tehre are memories we cherish and some we dont care to ever revisit. Being a teen can be exciting, confusing, painful, joyous, or even all of those things at once! 

No matter how different your teenage experience was from mine, one thing is true for us all: these years have an enormous impact on who we become as adults. We can all sympathize with the plight of puberty and the longing for independence and acceptance. Yeah, there’s still a teenager in all of us!

These are the reasons I write YA. 

 My hope is to use the power of storytelling to move past barriers and open hearts to accept how much God loves and desires a personal relationship with us.

At every age, we all need the grace and love of Jesus.  In the Beauties from Ashes (BFA) series, I write about relatable characters with difficult issues and traumatic pasts to enlighten readers about the unseen spiritual battle referred to in Scripture. Each character has a secret that has left them vulnerable to the battle in an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep them chained to their pasts and angels of light work to free them.

The characters and their issues are complex, just like real life. In fact, some of the topics are often considered too taboo to talk about openly. But what is left in the dark, festers and grows. It is only in the light that we can be free. In the BFA series, readers experience the character’s quest for truth, love, grace, and freedom while hopefully finding the same for themselves.

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate her tour, Beckie is giving away a grand prize of a $30 Amazon gift card. Giveaway Code: d56f

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine entries into the giveaway Click here to enter. 

7th Grade Revolution by Liana Gardner Trailer Blast

SYNOPSIS

WHEN UNEARTHING A NATIONAL TREASURE BECOMES A NATIONAL INCIDENT

Inspired by True Events

Dennis Alexander: Washington Academy Middle School promises to be another in the long line of boring schools he has been expelled from.

Rhonda Snodgrass: Although trained from childhood in survival tactics, she tries to stay off the radar of the “cool” kids who think she’s weird.


7th grade turns out to be anything but normal when teachers announce the students’ bloodless revolution succeeded and they are now in charge. After conducting a secret-ballot vote on policy, the 7th graders emerge to find the school evacuated and the FBI lurking outside with the task of unearthing a treasure of national importance.

The students’ mission is clear—discover the treasure before the FBI locks down the building. Dennis and Rhonda lead the revolt and must work together to follow century-old clues left by a crazy Revolutionary War buff.

To stay one step ahead of the FBI, they must delve into history and amass an arsenal to defend their school … because this is WAR

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

AWARDS
2018 American Fiction Awards Winner for Pre-Teen Fiction (Ages 10-12)
2018 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Juvenile Fiction
2018 International Book Awards Finalist for Children's Fiction
2018 Hollywood Book Festival Honorable Mention for Children's Fiction

Praise for 7th GRADE REVOLUTION

"7th Grade Revolution is a thrilling and engrossing ride through past and present based on real events in North Carolina. Though technically a middle grade book, I feel readers of all ages will enjoy this novel. Trust me, you won't want to put it down." ―Tracy Riva, Midwest Book Review

"... a stunning new Middle Grade novel that is part historical fiction, part action adventure mystery, and all around fun. Featuring a cast of wacky, interesting kids I was hooked on page one and enjoyed every twist and turn of the creative plot. Gardner is a writer to watch." ―Dan Elish, Award-Winning Author of BORN TOO SHORT: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case

"... an exciting, smartly written book filled with adventure, intrigue, and history in a modern school setting. Luke Spooner's accompanying art is simply spot on. I can't wait for my daughter to read this, and there's no higher compliment than that." ―Mercedes M. Yardley, Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author of Little Dead Red

So, I arrived home earlier today to find your book on my front porch and I have just come up for air, realizing that I haven't even eaten since I picked it up. (It's 11:00) I don't even know where to begin. Should I start with the dedication that brought me to tears? The first time I saw my name as the teacher and I gasped? (I really had forgotten that you had said you would use my name!) The fact that the beginning of the book is so very reminiscent of the real thing? The illustration toward the end when I saw myself? All of those things were beyond my expectations, but what I really want to say is that the book held me captive from beginning to end. You captured the middle school mind perfectly, showing their insecurities as well as the amazing strength that is just below the surface. Bravo! It is a wonderful book and I can see it being used during a study of government as a class read. The illustrator is also superb. I could go on and on. (I also am really amazed at how you captured me as a teacher ... how did you do that?) So thank you, thank you, thank you! I loved every part of this book and I am so very proud, as I said earlier, to have had any part in it. ―Karen Rectanus, Exploris Middle School  

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

A ghostly moaning carried to them across the water, along with clanking chains.

Selena smacked Spencer’s shoulder. “Knock it off. This isn’t time for any of your stupid pranks.”

Spencer shook his head. “It’s not me. I swear.”

Dennis believed him because he wouldn’t have had time to set up something so elaborate and he’d lost his cocky attitude.

Selena raised her finger and stuck it in Spencer’s face, but before she had a chance to say a word, more chains rattled followed by even louder moans.

Brooke squealed and scuttled backward until she hit the wall surrounding the grotto, hard. Stones cascaded down as the wall behind her crumbled from the impact. She held her head where she’d banged it.

Brooke sagged against the wall causing it to disintegrate a bit more. A bony hand flopped out onto her shoulder. She screamed.

“Get it off me. Get it off.” She bounced on the balls of her feet.

Spencer ran to Brooke and lifted the skeleton hand, but it was caught in Brooke’s hair. “Stand still for a minute so I can get it untangled.”

Dennis joined Spencer and helped pull the strands of hair from the joints. Behind Brooke’s head, a skull was partially visible. How long had the poor guy been walled up in the cavern lake? Well, he didn’t know guy or girl, but one thing was sure—this wasn’t some prank.

Copyright © 2018 by Liana Gardner

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Liana Gardner is the award-winning author of 7th Grade Revolution and the Misfit McCabeseries. Daughter of a rocket scientist and an artist, Liana combines the traits of both into a quirky yet pragmatic writer and in everything sees the story lurking beneath the surface. Engaged in a battle against leukemia and lymphoma, Liana spends much of her time at home, but allows her imagination to take her wherever she wants to go.

She fostered her love of writing after reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and discovering she had a great deal in common with the character Jo. The making up of stories, dramatic feelings, and a quick temper were enough for her to know she and Jo would have been kindred spirits.

Liana volunteers with high school students through the International Trade Education Programs (ITEP). ITEP unites business people and educators to prepare students for a meaningful place in the world of tomorrow. Working in partnership with industry and educators, ITEP helps young people “think globally and earn locally.”  

WEBSITE: http://lianagardner.com/
TWITTER: @lkgg 
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16959433.Liana_Gardner
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lianakgardner
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/liana.gardner/  

GIVEAWAY

-- Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

-- Winner will receive an Award-winning 2017 MG, 7th Grade Revolution Swag (Mugs,   Playing Cards, T-Shirts) by Liana Gardner.

-- Winner will receive a $25 Dollar PayPal/Amazon Gift Card.

-- Ends: December 17, 2018 

- CLICK HERE TO ENTER

BOOK TRAILER

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