Shadow Lilies - Book Tour and Giveaway

Shadow Lilies
The Shadow Lilies Book 1
by Lee Ann Ward
Genre: YA Mystery 

Sixteen-year-old Julia Reynolds struggles with her parents’ gypsy lifestyle and the urgent need to find out what happened to her missing cousin, Aubree. Soon Julia stumbles upon the mystery surrounding the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans, its banned third floor, and the blessed nails that seal its windows shut.

Solving the mystery of the Ursuline and blogging the story to the entire free world could gain more interest in the disappearance of Aubree. But there’s just one catch: the others who have explored this mystery have one thing in common…they’re all dead.

Things get even more complicated when Julia falls for Ryan Grandle, the hottest guy in her school, and he falls right back. Will she really risk her life and new love to explore an unsolved mystery for the story that could save her cousin? Turns out, staring death straight in the face is just the beginning.


Goodreads * Amazon

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​When someone tells you the worst news in your life, it’s not with screams. No, the screams are what cut through your house like scissors through paper. Ripping. Tearing. Creating torn pieces that will never be whole again. The actual words are calm, quiet—so quiet you can still hear her voice, smell her hair, visualize the wilted flower still tucked behind her ear like the last time you saw her.
“But where is she?” I’d repeated over and over. Repetition never bothered me when I was twelve.
“We don’t know,” Mom had explained for the hundredth time. “Aubree is just…missing.”
“Is she dead?”
“Don’t say that, Julia!”
It was rare for Mom to yell, but the day my 16-year-old cousin disappeared, so did normalcy…if you can call how we live normal.
“Well?” I’d urged again.
“I don’t think she’s dead, Julia. Can’t think it.” Mom never looked me in the eyes that day. “Maybe she just found a better future, more than your Aunt Beth could offer her…”
I decided that day never to ask my mom about Aubree again. My cousin wouldn’t just disappear…wouldn’t up and leave us. Leave me. Maybe my family had stopped searching just to move on with life.
But not me. No matter what, I’m finding Aubree.

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Lee Ann Ward is an award-winning fiction author with a background in journalism and mass communications. She is also the former Senior Editor of Champagne Books. Her love of books started at the age of three, and she's been addicted ever since. She's published six novels with her seventh and eighth on the way (SEE a YA paranormal by Evernight Teen in June 2017 and GLIMPSES OF WILDERNESS a YA romance by Inkspell Publishing in December 2017) and has written several more. When she's not writing, she's reading, singing, baking designer cakes, bowling and dreaming. She's married to Joe (who also happens to be her publicist) and they have 4 sons whom they adore, and a granddaughter who is the love of their life. They make their home in the small fishing community of Bayou La Batre, Alabama.


Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads ​

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Is the Color of a Character's Eyes Really THAT Important?

Characterization. It can make or break a novel. Truly. If a reader can't see into a character's soul from practically page one, then what is their motivation to keep those pages turning? Well, nothing. So, here's my two cents on characterization that should resonate with fellow authors, and let readers know what to expect from my novels. **Hint: I fully flesh-out my characters, and it has nothing at all to do with their physical characteristics.
"He was a handsome man, blond hair and deep blue eyes that melted my insid--" Blah blah blah... Honestly, who cares? Even though it is nice knowing that our leading man has blue eyes, I am more concerned with what I feel when I look into those eyes. And, so are my readers. In every novel, the readers must see the souls of the characters. No one is going to fall in love with looks alone. Okay, I know, I know... Yes, I have seen Jamie Fraser (shout-out to my fellow OUTLANDER fans), and he is a gorgeous piece of man-flesh, no doubt. But, if he were not also devoted to Claire, and his family, and his beloved Scotland--if he were not the man who never compromised his principles of love and country, well, we wouldn't love him nearly as much. Show me a gorgeous character and I will say, "Okay, he/she is gorgeous," and leave it at that. But show me the beauty of his/her soul--make me fall in love with the true person--and I will follow them into the devil's hell and back until the last page is read (or red, depending on the amount of carnage).
With all the Feels...

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

June 5
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
All the Ups and Downs
Mythical Books

June 6
The Readdicts Book Blog
Sweet Southern $avings

June 7
SnoopyDoo's Book Review
Readeropolis

June 8
Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
Twisted Book Ramblings

June 9
Celebrating Authors
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!

June 10
A Mama's Corner of the World
Book Butterfly in Dreamland

June 11
Bookworm for Kids
Tome Tender

June 12
Book Review Virignia Lee
Books all things paranormal and romance

June 13
Book Sniffers Anonymous
Girl with Pen

June 14
Book Crazy
Books a Plenty Book Reviews

June 15
books are love
BookwormBridgette's World

June 16
Brianna Remus Books
Inside the Insanity

June 17
Bound 2 Escape
Midnight Book Reader

June 18
Aconite Cafe
The Book Dragon

June 19
Eclectic Evelyn
James Quinlan Meservy - Author

June 20
Luv Saving Money
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

June 21
Ms. Cat's Honest World
Scrupulous Dreams

June 22
the bookworm lodge
Maiden of the Pages

June 23
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

June 24
My Chaotic Ramblings

June 25
Paranormal Palace of Pleasures
Teatime and Books

June 26
nanasbookreviews
Stacking My Book Shelves!

June 27
Anna del C. Dye official page
eBook Addicts

June 28
What Is That Book About
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'

June 29
The Authors Blog
The Book Town

June 30
Smada's Book Smack
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews

July 1
Jessica Rachow - REVIEW

July 2
Sylv.net
T's Stuff

July 3
Triple A
Laurisa White Reyes, Author

July 4
Viviana MacKade
Jazzy Book Reviews

July 5
Rabid Readers Book Blog - REVIEW
The Phantom Paragrapher - REVIEW

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