Want to win some books? I feel like giving some away today. I have 2 ARC and 3 Hardback copies of titles new or coming soon from Merit Press. Just leave a comment below by Friday (10/21/2016) to be entered to win. Be sure an leave a Twitter or email contact so I can contact you if you win. Open to U.S. residents only please.

Aftermath by Clara Kensie

Publisher’s Book Description

Charlotte survived four long years as a prisoner in the attic of her kidnapper, sustained only by dreams of her loving family. The chance to escape suddenly arrives, and Charlotte fights her way to freedom. But an answered prayer turns into heartbreak. Losing her has torn her family apart. Her parents have divorced: Dad’s a glutton for fame, Mom drinks too much, and Charlotte’s twin is a zoned-out druggie. Her father wants Charlotte write a book and go on a lecture tour, and her mom wants to keep her safe, a virtual prisoner in her own home. But Charlotte is obsessed with the other girl who was kidnapped, who never got a second chance at life–the girl who nobody but Charlotte believes really existed. Until she can get justice for that girl, even if she has to do it on her own, whatever the danger, Charlotte will never be free. (November 2016)

Beneath Wandering Stars by Ashlee Cowles

Publisher’s Book Description

After her soldier brother is horribly wounded in Afghanistan, Gabriela must honor the vow she made: If anything ever happened to him, she would walk the Camino de Santiago through Spain, making a pilgrimage in his name. The worst part is that the promise stipulates that she must travel with her brother’s best friend–a boy she has despised all her life. Her brother is in a coma, and Gabi feels that she has no time to waste, but she is unsure. Will she hesitate too long, or risk her own happiness to keep a promise? An up-close look at the lives of the children of military families, Beneath Wandering Stars takes readers on a journey of love, danger, laughter, and friendship, against all odds.

Color Bind by Sheila Sobel

Publisher’s Book Description

April is alone in the world. When she was only a baby, her teenage mother took off and now, unbelievably, her dad has died. Nobody’s left to take April in except her mom’s sister, a free spirit who’s a chef in New Orleans–and someone who April’s never met. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, April is suddenly supposed to navigate a city that feels just like she feels, fighting back from impossibly bad breaks. But it’s Miles, a bayou boy, who really brings April into the heart of the Big Easy. He takes her to the cemetery where nineteenth-century voodoo queen Marie Laveau is buried, and there, April gets a shocking clue about her own past. Once she has a piece of the puzzle, she knows she will never give up. What she doesn’t know is that finding out the truth about her past and the key to her future could cost her everything–maybe even her life.

Dessert First by Dean Gloster

Publisher’s Book Description

Upbeat–that’s Kat, the girl in the family who everyone turns to when things get difficult. Especially now, when her beloved younger brother Beep is in his second leukemia relapse, and a bone marrow transplant from Kat may be his only chance.
But Kat’s worried that she and her bone marrow may not be up to the task: She can’t even complete homework, and she’s facing other rejection–lost friendships, a lost spot on the soccer team, and lots of heartache from her crush on her former best friend, Evan. Kat doesn’t know if her bone marrow will save Beep, or whether she can save herself, let alone keep her promise to Beep that she’ll enjoy life and always eat dessert first.

Dessert First is a funny, moving story about coping, appreciating sweetness, and learning to forgive.

If You Were Here by Jennie Yabroff

Publisher’s Book Description

Just one person cared. And now she’s gone.

Tess was already an outcast before her mother started showing up at school acting like the insane person she actually is. Although Tess has some compassion for her mother’s mental illness, she’d never have made it without the support of her one true friend, Tabitha, and the stress relief of long runs through Central Park. Then Tabitha defects to the other side, becoming a fashion Barbie and dropping Tess like a bad habit. Before Tess can even come to terms with this loss, a horrific tragedy occurs, and everyone is blaming Tess. Now, Tess is heartbroken and obsessed: Is she headed for a fate like her mother’s? And can she find out what really happened to Tabitha and, at the very least, be able to claim her innocence? (January 2017)