Hey
everyone! Today I have a special post on a special day. I'm taking part in the blog tour to help
spread the word about the newest book in The Wish Makers series, Had a Great
Fall by Shawn McGuire. I have to share today, what the book is
about, an excerpt, and the giveaway that is being hosted. Now I had the pleasure of meeting the sweet
and wonderful author at UtopYA where she talked about her series with such
passion you need to check it out. People
dealing with serious issues making wishes and Genies there to make them happen
and all the stuff that happens when those two things collide. Magic.
Everyone
deserves happiness. Is Robin the exception?
A cross-country move to a new state offers Robin Westmore the chance to get away from the relentless bullies and reinvent himself. But on the first day at his new high school Robin finds himself in front of Zane, the school’s star pitcher and chief tormentor, at the exact wrong moment and right back into the role of victim. Hopeless, he wishes for it all to stop.
When Desiree, the new leader of
the genies, grants Robin’s wish he’s sure things are finally going his way. But
problems in the magical realm have made Desiree equally hopeless and too
distracted to give Robin the attention he needs.
As
Desiree hides from her responsibilities, Robin disappears into the video game
he’s created. There he finds excitement, adventure, and control. When the game
presents him with a real escape from his tortured life, will he take it?
“You
stayed up late again?” she asked as she took a box of tea from the back of the
cabinet.
“Lots
of homework,” I said. She knew I spent my summer developing the game. She
didn’t know I spent at least two hours a night, after homework, still working
on it.
She
never protested when I said the dark circles under my eyes were studying
related. Usually that was the case. Sometimes, though, Zane’s harassment got
really intense and the circles came from lack of sleep due to nightmares.
There
were days when he would stop in the middle of whatever he’d been doing and
charge at me from across the lunchroom to slam into me or sneeze on my lunch.
Once he even stood in front of me flapping his arms and making birdcalls. In
the middle of the lunchroom. Why didn’t someone record that and put it up on
the web? He looked ridiculous. Didn’t anyone else see that?
“Are
you feeling all right?” Mom put the back of her hand to my forehead and I
resisted the urge to swat it away. It was a caring touch. One of the few signs
lately that someone gave a damn about me.
If I told her what was happening, would
she do something? Maybe I could do online schooling. She knew I was a
self-motivator and that she never had to check to see if I’d done my homework.
Grades were everything to me. I’d never had less than a 3.8 GPA. The only
reason it fell below a 4.0 was because of gym class. I could barely lift my
backpack let alone do a pull-up. Maybe online school was the answer to my
problems.
“Mom—”
Her
phone rang just as I was about to ask.
“Hello…
Oh, I’m so sorry.” She glanced at the clock on the microwave. “I was thinking
there was a one hour time difference. Five months and I’m still adjusting to
being in the Mountain Time Zone. Let me get to my office and I’ll call you
right back.”
She
was already heading out of the kitchen when I said, “Bye.”
“Oh,
sweetie.” She came back and kissed my forehead. “If you’re not feeling well you
can stay home. Or call if you need to come home early. I’ll give permission for
you to leave.”
She
knew I got motion sick on the bus. If I said I was nauseous, would she still
make me ride the bus or would she take twenty minutes off of work to come and
get me?
I
toasted a piece of cinnamon-raisin bread and spread on a thick layer of butter.
Then I tugged on my coat and headed out the door. With every step I thought of
how Zane would be waiting for me and that single bite of toast turned into a
little rock in my stomach. I paused at the garbage can next to the garage and
lifted the lid to toss in the barely-eaten piece when someone came around the
corner, making me jump.
“Are
you Robin?” A girl with long dark hair that looked kind of like dreadlocks but
kind of not stood at the corner of my garage. “Wait. You’re not throwing that
out are you? That’s so wasteful. There are hungry people who would gladly eat
that.”
I
looked from her to the toast and then shoved it in my mouth. I couldn’t handle
a lecture right then.
“Who
are you?” I asked through the mouthful of bread-covered raisins.
She
made a disgusted face. “Manners. Heard of them?”
I
chewed, swallowed, and brushed the crumbs off my hand. “Sorry. Yes, I’m Robin.
Who are you?”
She
smiled then. She had a great smile, one that made her eyes crinkle at the
corners. “I’m Dara.”
“Nice
to meet you. Can I help you with something?”
“I
don’t know. Possibly.” Dara put her hand to her mouth and tapped a navy
blue-painted fingernail against her blindly-white teeth, like she was
contemplating the question. “Teasing. Nothing you can do for me, thanks, but I
can sure help you.”
I
shook my head. “You’ve got the wrong person. I don’t need help.” At least none
that she could give. I doubted she could take on Zane.
“You’re
Robin Westmore.”
She
knew my name. Whatever that meant.
“You
just moved here from Wisconsin.”
“Five
months ago. So not just but yes, I’m
from Wisconsin.”
“You’re
being bullied by some kid named Zane and you want it to stop.”
I
stood there, next to my garbage can, wondering who this girl was and what she
was up to. It was common knowledge that I was Zane’s favorite target. Of course
I wanted his harassment to stop, anyone would, but what could she possibly do
about it?
“Look,
I don’t know who you are but if Zane sent you—”
“Zane
didn’t send me.” She paused, just for a beat. “I guess you could say the
universe did.”
I
didn’t need this. I had enough drama in my life. I didn’t need this chick
adding crazy to it as well. Marijuana was legal in Colorado. Maybe she’d been
dining on pot gummies or something. The universe sent her. Yeah, right.
“I’ve
got to get going,” I said. “I’m going to miss my bus.”
“Don’t
worry about that,” Dara said. “I can take care of that.”
I
started walking. I had to go six blocks in about two minutes. If I wasn’t there
I’d have to either wait for the next bus, which wouldn’t be for half an hour,
or beg my mom for a ride during which I’d have to listen to her chew me out
about responsibility.
Dara
followed, her arms wrapped tightly together. She wasn’t wearing a jacket.
“Let
me try again,” she said. “This is my first time and I’m not sure how to do
this.”
What
was she saying? “Are you a prostitute?”
“What?
God.” She made a face. “No, I’m not a prostitute. What kind of hooker comes up
to someone by their garage first thing in the morning?”
“I
wouldn’t know. I’m not privy to the methods of the, uh, working class.”
She
said nothing for half a block and then started laughing. Probably at the
thought of me soliciting a hooker.
“Let
me try this again.” She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders.
“Yesterday afternoon around three-forty-five you made a wish.”
“I
did what?” Oh yeah, the dandelion. “Do you live next door or something? How
could you know that?”
“I
told you, the universe sent me. Your wish has been granted.”
Bio
Shawn
McGuire is the author of young adult novels that blend contemporary setting and
issues with a touch of fantasy and magic.
She started writing after seeing the first Star Wars movie (that's episode
IV) as a kid. She couldn’t wait for the
next movie to come out so she wrote her own episodes. Sadly, those notebooks are long lost, but her
desire to write is as strong now as it was then.
Her
books deal with harder topics (death of a sibling, divorce, dating violence,
bullying, and teen suicide) because she believes it is important to talk about
these things. Those kinds of tops can be
hard to handle and a bit overwhelming, so she infuses a bit of humor in her
work as well because she also believes that a sense of humor can help you get
through just about anything.
Shawn
lives in Colorado with her family where she spends her time reading, cooking
and baking, practicing yoga and meditation, and hiking and camping in the
spectacular Rocky Mountains.
Other Works: The Wish Makers Series
Sticks and Stones
Free e-book at:
Free e-book at:
Break My Bones
Free e-book until July 24th with newsletter signup
Free e-book until July 24th with newsletter signup
There
you have it. A look into a magical
series to check out. Also look at how cool the titles line up to make a saying I remember from childhood! Now for the
giveaway I mentioned.
Tour Hosted and Organized by:
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