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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Butterfly Girl by Sarah Floyd!

Read on for more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!

Before we get to the trailer, here’s a note from the author:

Hello YABCers!

I’m excited to share the trailer for Butterfly Girl! 🦋

Butterfly Girl is an Upper MG contemporary novel set in modern-day America, woven with a shimmering thread of ancient Irish magic. It’s a heartfelt coming-of-age story about family, friendship, and finding the courage to chart your own course. Perfect for tween and teen readers who believe in a little magic… and a lot of heart.

Inside its pages you’ll find frenemies and true-blue friendships, complicated family dynamics, first crushes —and yes, flying! Although it’s written for ages 9-13, many of my adult beta readers (especially women who love MG and YA) told me it transported them right back to that tender, exhilarating stage of life.

I hope you will love Butterfly Girl as much as I loved writing it! 💛

Meet The Author: Sarah Floyd

Sarah Floyd was born in Carmel Highlands, California, where she and her friends roamed the Big Sur wilderness that surrounded their homes. When she was in fifth grade her family moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then to San Francisco, California. Sarah always brought her favorite books wherever she moved, and she always made new friends who loved to read. Now she writes books for children and teens — for her, it’s the best job in the world.

In addition to Butterfly Girl, Sarah Floyd is the author of the YA novel, Survivor Mountain, and Ten Clever Ninjas, a children’s picture book. She lives in Florida with her husband and son. To learn more, please visit her website: sarahfloydbooks.com

Author Website * X * BlueSky * Goodreads

About the Book: Butterfly Girl

“I call on you, ’tis birthright to ask. And set loose magic from days gone past…”

Twelve-year-old Meghan is abandoned on her grandfather’s Oregon farm, stumbles on an ancestor’s magic spell book . . . and sprouts wings.

When her absentee mother shows up with superstar plans for her Winged Wonder Girl, Meghan must decide if a Hollywood life with the mother she longed for is worth leaving the friends who stood by her, and Grandpa, who loved her before the whole world knew her name.

Purchase

Title: Butterfly Girl

Author: Sarah Floyd

Release date: June 24, 2025

Publisher: Wild Ink Publishing

ISBN:  1964885051  (and  9781964885056)

Cover designer/artist credit: Melanie Mar

*GIVEAWAY* 

Three (3) winners will receive a bookmark and a signed copy of Butterfly Girl  (Sarah Floyd) ~ US Only!

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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland!

Read on for more about Richard, his book, and a giveaway!

Meet The Author: Richard Harland

Richard always wanted to be a full-time author, except that twenty-five years of writer’s block got in the way. He went through a few other lifetimes as poet and performer and songwriter, then as a university professor. But finally he finished his first novel, which turned into a horror cult. He took the plunge, resigned from university – and he’s never looked back.

He’s had nineteen books published in all the spec fic genres: fantasy, SF, horror, steampunk. His biggest international success has been his YA steampunk novel, Worldshaker, which was published by Simon & Schuster in the US and won the Prix Tam Tam du Livre Jeunesse in France.

He’s now settled in Australia, south of Sydney, where a green escarpment butts up against blue sea with a string of golden beaches. Living with partner Aileen and Yogi the Insatiable Labrador, he’s still catching up with all his ideas from those wasted twenty-five years!

Author Website * Website * X * Facebook * Instagram * Goodreads

About the Book: Ferren and the Angel

An angel falls from the sky and crashes to the ground! Miriael the Fourteenth Angel of Observance has been shot down in the thousand-year war between the armies of Heaven and the armies of the Earth. Damaged and unable to fly, she waits for extinction.

Ferren, peering out at the night sky, sees where she fell. He’s a young tribesman living a bare survival existence. He’s been brought up to see himself on the side of the Earth, and to go in fear of all celestials. But although he’s as ignorant as the rest of his tribe, he’s curious too.

When he investigates and discovers Miriael lying in the grass, pity and admiration win out over all the rules of his upbringing. He tries to keep her alive by feeding her food and water – which should be impossible, since she a purely spiritual being. Yet she eats and drinks – and survives!

That’s the beginning of a unique friendship between a human being and an angel. Ferren learns truths about his world that the tribes have long forgotten.

His world is actually a thousand years from now, a thousand years after medical scientists found a way to cross the boundary between life and death. They revived the brain of someone who’d died, discovered the reality of an afterlife with angels in Heaven, and ended up starting a war war between Heaven and Earth.

By Ferren’s time, the war has reduced our planet to a ruined wasteland. Instead of human civilisation, the artificially created beings called Humen now rule and conduct the fighting. The original human beings have been reduced to scattered tribes, who contribute some of their members to serve in the Humen armies. In a period of exile, Ferren learns the horrific truth of what really happens to those selected for ‘military service’.

Meanwhile, the Humen are determined to capture, dissect and analyse a sample angel – Miriael. The consequence is a terrible, destructive terra-celestial battle, where only Ferren’s friendship with the angel can save his tribe from annihilation.

Purchase

Book Trailer: 

Title: Ferren and the Angel

Author: Richard Harland

Release Date: November, 2023

Publisher: IFWG Publishing International

ISBN (if available):  9781922856296

Cover designer/artist credit: Elena Betti

*GIVEAWAY* 

Six (6) winners will receive a copy of Ferren and the Angel (Richard Harland) ~ US Only!

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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Beginner’s Guide To Basic Book Marketing by Hank Quense!

Read on to learn more about Hank, his book, and a giveaway!

Meet The Author: Hank Quense

Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences.

He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom live close by.

For vacations, Hank and Pat usually visit distant parts of the galaxy. Occasionally, they also time-travel.

Besides writing novels, Hank lectures on fiction writing, publishing and book marketing. He is most proud of his talk showing grammar school kids how to create a short story. He used these lectures to create an advanced ebook with embedded videos to coach the students on how to create characters, plots and setting. The target audience is 4th to 7th graders. The book’s title is Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids.

Website * X * Facebook * Instagram

About the Book: Beginner’s Guide To Basic Book Marketing

Time for the Trailer Reveal!

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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Beginner’s Guide To Publishing A Book by Hank Quense!

Read on to learn more about Hank, his book, and a giveaway!

Meet The Author: Hank Quense

Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences.

He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom live close by.

For vacations, Hank and Pat usually visit distant parts of the galaxy. Occasionally, they also time-travel.

Besides writing novels, Hank lectures on fiction writing, publishing and book marketing. He is most proud of his talk showing grammar school kids how to create a short story. He used these lectures to create an advanced ebook with embedded videos to coach the students on how to create characters, plots and setting. The target audience is 4th to 7th graders. The book’s title is Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids.

Website * X * Facebook * Instagram

A message from Hank!

If you’ve written a book and are wondering how to get it published, this ebook will explain what your options are.

About the Book: Beginner’s Guide To Publishing A Book

Publishing a book these days is a baffling project because of the many options available. The situation is compounded by the amount of inaccurate, mis-leading or wrong information on the internet.
This problem is especially acute for authors who have completed their first book and are unfamiliar with the publishing industry.
This book is for those first time authors. It lists the publishing options now available and it offers practical advice on seeking agents and/or publishers. It also provides an introduction to the self-publishing process.
Overall, beginning authors will find this small ebook a valuable resource.

Purchase Now

Time for the Trailer Reveal!

Title: Beginner’s Guide To Publishing A Book

Author: Hank Quense

Release date: November 15, 2024

Publisher:  Strange Worlds Publishing

ISBN:979-8-9891163-3-1

Cover designer/artist credit:  Gary Tenuta

Ten (10) Winners will receive a digital copy of Beginner’s Guide To Publishing A Book  (Hank Quense) ~ International!

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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Beginner’s Guide To Developing A Plot by Hank Quense!

Read on to learn more about Hank, his book, and a giveaway!

Meet The Author: Hank Quense

Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences.

He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom live close by.

For vacations, Hank and Pat usually visit distant parts of the galaxy. Occasionally, they also time-travel.

Besides writing novels, Hank lectures on fiction writing, publishing and book marketing. He is most proud of his talk showing grammar school kids how to create a short story. He used these lectures to create an advanced ebook with embedded videos to coach the students on how to create characters, plots and setting. The target audience is 4th to 7th graders. The book’s title is Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids.

Website * X * Facebook * Instagram

A message from Hank!

Developing a plot for a new story is a tough gig.  This book won’t make it easy, but it will provide examples and guidance.

About the Book: Beginner’s Guide To Developing A Plot

Creating a story is a complicated undertaking. In it, the writer has to ensure that various elements such as the characters, plots, scenes, dialog and others all mesh together and support each other.
The plot is important because the plot problem gives the characters a job: they have to fix or solve the problem. Unless they are the bad guys in which case their job is to prevent the problem from getting fixed.
However, the plot is one of the most difficult story elements to develop. Beginning writers are often frustrated by the complexity of merging plot events to form a chain of events that lead the reader from the inciting incident to the story’s climax.
I have seen beginners struggle with this issue during my fiction writing workshops. I came to realize these writers need more than just a lecture and a template to fill out. They need more guidance and examples. That is what my Beginner’s Guide To Developing A Plot provides: guidance and examples.

Purchase Now

Time for the Trailer Reveal!

Title: Beginner’s Guide To Developing A Plot

Author: Hank Quense

Release date: October 15, 2024

Publisher:  Strange Worlds Publishing

ISBN: 979-8-9891163-2-4

Cover designer/artist credit:  Gary Tenuta

Ten (10) Winners will receive a digital copy of Beginner’s Guide To Developing A Plot  (Hank Quense) ~ International!

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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Eden by Lisa Tolk!

Read on for more about Lisa, her book, and a giveaway!

Meet The Author: Lisa Tolk

Lisa Tolk is the author of young adult fantasy romance, Eden, her debut novel. A former AP English teacher, Lisa has pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a full-time author. Lisa created her own publishing company, Brave Girl Publishing, symbolizing both overcoming her own fears and the courageous female leads she creates.

Website * Facebook * Instagram

About the Book: Eden

A secret island. A guarded princess. And the handsome boy who saved her from the sea.

On the pristine island of Eden, Princess Kaya’s world is one of tranquility and tradition. Isolated from the modern world, she has been taught since childhood about the arrogance, selfishness, and greed of the Self-lands, as contrasted with her beloved Eden—a peaceful monarchy that has existed intact for hundreds of years.

Until now.

When King Orion is killed in what seems a tragic accident, the palace is in upheaval. Kaya is forced to flee amid the chaos and sets to the ocean alone. Caught in a raging storm, she washes up onto the shore of Owls Head, Maine—the real, mysterious, terrifying, Self-lands. . .

Drew Meredith finds a young, beautiful girl in a gossamer gown unconscious on the shores of his beach. Now, instead of college decisions and lacrosse scholarships, he is uncovering myths and legends, explaining chocolate and flip flops, and teaching a self-conscious princess how to have fun.

And new to both of them is the growing feeling of attachment and desire that binds them. . . and blinds them to impending disaster.

Purchase * Goodreads

Book Trailer: 

Title: Eden

Author: Lisa Tolk

Illustrator: Cover Art by Julia Day

Release Date: May 15, 2024

Publisher: Brave Girl Publishing

ISBN-13: 979-8894122403

Genre: Young Adult

Age Range: 12-24

*GIVEAWAY* 

Two (2) Winners will receive a signed copy of Eden  (Lisa Tolk) ~ US Only!

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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Beginner’s Guide to Creating Genuine Characters by Hank Quense!

Read on to learn more about Hank, his book, and a giveaway!

Meet The Author: Hank Quense

Early in his writing career, he was strongly influenced by two authors: Douglas Adams and his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Happily, Hank has never quite recovered from those experiences.

He lives with his wife in northern New Jersey, a mere 20 miles from Manhattan, the center of the galaxy (according to those who live in Manhattan). They have two daughters and five grandchildren all of whom live close by.

For vacations, Hank and Pat usually visit distant parts of the galaxy. Occasionally, they also time-travel.

Besides writing novels, Hank lectures on fiction writing, publishing and book marketing. He is most proud of his talk showing grammar school kids how to create a short story. He used these lectures to create an advanced ebook with embedded videos to coach the students on how to create characters, plots and setting. The target audience is 4th to 7th graders. The book’s title is Fiction Writing Workshop for Kids.

Website * X * Facebook

About the Book: Beginner’s Guide to Creating Genuine Characters

Creating a fictional character that gabs the reader’s attention is a difficult task

The Beginner’s Guide to Creating Genuine Characters makes the task much easier.

Filled with information and examples from books and movies, this Beginner’s Guide is targeted to writers who are just starting  to write their first story.

A story, whether it be a short story, a novel or a screenplay, is about the characters and their journey from the beginning of the story to the climax.

Inexperienced fiction writers struggle with character development.  To overcome their inexperience, they need guidance and examples and that is what this book is about: showing writers how to develop their characters.  The ebook uses artificial intelligence to generate reports on what makes a character ‘great.’  It also uses AI to generate what makes specific characters from literature and movies ‘great.’

The combination of AI reports and an in-depth template filled with examples makes this book just what every new fiction writer needs.

Topics covered in the book include:

• Introduction: Great character reports.
• Physical description. Allow the reader to build a mental image of the character.
• Biography: The character’s background and how the character thinks and what she wants out of life.
• Mental attributes: For both protagonist, antagonist and other main characters.
• Character arc: A necessary story within the story.
• Dominant reader emotion: How the character relates to the readers.
• Flaws: Make the character human.
• Motivation: Why does the character care about solving the plot problem?

All of these topics contain research reports on its importance and what is needed to make your character genuine and great.

Purchase Now

Click here for Book Trailer Reveal!

Title:  Beginner’s Guide to Creating Genuine Characters

Author: Hank Quense

Release date:  9/15/24

Publisher:  Strange Worlds Publishing

ISBN:  979-8-9891163-1-7

Cover designer/artist credit:  Gary Tenuta

Ten (10) Winners will receive a digital copy of Beginner’s Guide To Creating Genuine Characters  (Hank Quense) ~ International!

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Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Chris Halvorson (Kaitlyn’s Wheel)!

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound * Goodreads

Meet the Author: Christ Halvorson

Chris Halvorson grew up in the Pacific Northwest. In fifth grade, he skipped a day of school to attend the Seattle Sonics championship parade. After dreaming of playing in the NBA himself, he soon realized he was too short and slow, so he followed his passion for books to become an author. He majored in Professional Writing at the University of North Alabama and received an MFA in Film Writing at Columbia University in the City of New York. He currently lives in Los Angeles, where he’s adapting Kaitlyn’s Wheel for a television series.

Amazon Author Page * Facebook

About the Book: Kaitlyn’s Wheel

In rural Iowa, Kaitlyn Stokes (18) witnesses a UFO over her house the night her father dies of cancer, giving her reason to believe the aliens took him away―as with Ezekiel’s Wheel in the Old Testament. She secretly hopes he might someday return as an “Ancient Astronaut,” a theory based on modern science.

In the Pacific Northwest, Zachary Taylor (18) reports to his high school principal that he was abducted by aliens, his impromptu excuse for skipping classes the day before. When the school secretary overhears him, she tells her teenage daughter and the story goes viral on social media, leading to a frenzy of TV news reporters outside his house.

Seeking answers, Kaitlyn connects with Zachary and they fall in love during their senior year. With graduation just months away, they could soon overcome the distance between them―or so they plan until Kaitlyn discovers their relationship was built on a prankish hoax.

Brokenhearted, she gets a mysterious signal over her satellite dish. If only her father could make contact, he would let her know that she and Zachary were brought together for reasons impacting the future of our planet. But the message may arrive too late … as Zachary hurtles toward a lethal force of nature.

Amazon * B&N * IndieBound * Goodreads

~Author Chat~

YABC:  What gave you the inspiration to write this book? 

One night, several years ago, I witnessed two glowing orange triangular shapes flying over the Pacific Ocean from my vantage point in Palisades Park (West Los Angeles). I stopped to watch, along with a female jogger whom I had never met – just the two of us there. We said very little, except something along the lines of “What is that?” After a minute or so, the two parallel crafts went flying off at incredible speed toward Malibu and quickly vanished. Without another word, the female jogger and I proceeded to head off in opposite directions. I think she was just as numbed by the experience as I was.

The day after, I learned that several people in the Palm Springs area had reported seeing military crafts being tested over the desert (about 100 miles away). Regardless, I thought that witnessing a UFO would have been a unique way to romantically connect with someone. I also thought it would make an interesting premise for a novel, but I didn’t have any material for what happens after the two people share the experience. Several years later, the story popped into my head while I was doing dishes in the sink.

YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?

Kaitlyn, the title character.  I never had kids, but if I had a daughter, I would hope for her to share many of Kaitlyn’s qualities.

YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel for sure. My working title was originally Kaitlyn’s Lights, and for months I was grappling to find the right title. It wasn’t until after I had a publisher (Bancroft Press) that I finally came up with Kaitlyn’s Wheel. Thankfully, my publisher agreed with the change.

YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

When Kaitlyn goes to visit her father’s grave and she runs into the pastor of her church. He’s the last person she wants to see because she hasn’t been to church in ages and has lost a lot of faith. To her own surprise, the pastor gives her some much-needed fatherly advice. I’m proud of that scene because it conveys a lot of emotion and uses the Midwest autumn season to establish the tone.

 YABC:  What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?

Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 YABC:  What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?

We must work together to save our planet, so that future generations have a chance for a better world. What the planet needs more than anything is love.

YABC:   What advice do you have for new writers? 

There’s an adage that all great writers are great readers. It’s so true. Also, I would start with writing short stories instead of diving into a novel as your first work. Writing workshops can also be beneficial, but they can also be very discouraging. Much depends there on having classmates and instructors who give constructive criticism and encouragement rather than simply tearing your work apart (often through jealousy). If you have the passion to write, you will find your path.

YABC:   Is there anything that you would like to add? 

Writing younger characters was a “return to innocence” so to speak because it put me back in touch with my teenage self. I know technology has changed, and people have become less connected. The story is essentially about two people desperately seeking connection, and I hope to connect with my readers in telling it.

Title:  Kaitlyn’s Wheel

Author: Chris Halvorson

Release Date: April 4, 2023

Publisher: Bancroft Press

ISBN-10:  161088552X

ISBN-13: 978-1610885522

Genre: YA Teen Romance

Age Range: 14 and up

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YABC is excited to share the trailer reveal for

Flying Fillies: The Sky’s the Limit by Christy Hui!

Read on for more about Christy, her book, and a book trailer reveal!

Meet The Author: Christy Hui

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YABC is excited to share the exclusive trailer reveal for

Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex by Lynne Howard!

Read on for more about Lynne, her book, a book trailer reveal & giveaway!

Meet The Author: Lynne Howard

Lynne Howard, author of the Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex series, is a writer, lawyer, and teacher. Passionate about serving her community and dedicated to social and environmental justice, she lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband, children, and two dogs, Halle and Oliver.

Website * TikTok * Facebook

About the Book: Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex

Five Winners will receive a signed copy of Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex (Lynne Howard) ~US/CAN

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