Showing posts with label lisa orchard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lisa orchard. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Book Release and Book Sale!

Today, Ms. Orchard's 
 book The Super Spies and the Pied Piper and isn't the cover wonderful? :)
Anyways, here some information about this newborn book:

We have the Back Blurb:

Sarah Cole and her sister Lacey are at it once again when they learn their missing parents’ cell phone has been traced to Alden, Michigan. When the FBI declines to continue the investigation, Sarah takes matters into her own hands. She calls upon the Super Spies and they delve into the situation. Suddenly, the teens find themselves immersed in small town intrigue and mystery involving a menacing stranger, who Sarah dubs “The Stalker." But when Sarah learns he’s connected to her parents’ disappearance, she’s determined to find out what that connection is. The Super Spies embark on a journey that leads them into a web of corporate corruption at its highest level that leaves innocent victims in its wake. Can they find the proof they need to stop the greedy corporation before it’s too late?


Then we have an excerpt:

Chapter One

“What do you mean you lost them?” Sarah Cole fidgeted as she waited for Agent Gray to answer. I can’t believe it! He lost the only clue to our parents’ location. What is wrong with this picture? Agitated, Sarah shifted in her seat and chewed on her lip. She was uncomfortable in the folding chair and rearranged her petite frame so she wouldn’t feel the cold metal against her bare legs. Shivering, she glanced around the all-too-familiar room.
The gray cement block walls no longer gave her that creepy, closed-in feeling she’d used to get when she first came to the interrogation rooms. She remembered the first time she’d been in that tiny space. It had been the day she’d discovered the Cat Lady’s dead body. Sarah shuddered at the memory and then smiled when she remembered forming the Super Spies and bringing the Cat Lady Killer to justice. Glancing around the room again, she realized she’d been in this room quite a bit these last few weeks, not only during the Cat Lady investigation, but the High School Bomber investigation as well. Shivering again, Sarah rubbed her arms but she really wasn’t cold. Her mind filled with the image of the bomber the Super Spies had helped apprehend just a week earlier.
Wow! Was it just last week?
She tugged at a lock of her honey colored hair, then brushed it away with an impatient hand. She sighed and glanced at her younger sister. Lacey sat beside her with her legs crossed, jiggling her foot at such a rapid rate it seemed like her whole body was electrified. She caught Sarah’s eye and for a moment her eyes glittered like emeralds before she shifted her gaze to Aunt June, who had placed her hand on Lacey’s leg in what appeared to be an attempt to quiet her. Sarah shifted in her chair and sighed again. Are we ever going to find Mom and Dad?
A commotion out in the hall drew everyone’s attention. Sarah leaned forward
and craned her neck to see what was happening.
“Chief, we’ve got an OD!” An officer yelled.
“What?” Chief Johnson yelled as he rushed by. “An OD on what? Give me the details.”
“The parents found their son unconscious in his room this morning, and an empty bottle of prescription medication on his bedside table.”
“What was it?” Chief Johnson asked.
“It’s Myodine.”
“Who makes it?”
“Ah… Piper Drugs.”
“Call Poison Control with the name and manufacturer and ask them what to do about an overdose. Instruct the parents to get their son to the hospital pronto,” Chief Johnson ordered.
“They’ve brought him here.”
“What?” Chief Johnson exclaimed.
The sound of policemen rushing through the hall pulled Sarah and her sister out of their seats. They hurried to the door, unable to stifle their curiosity. Peering down the corridor, Sarah caught a glimpse of a young man sagging between two officers as they desperately tried to keep him on his feet. One officer gently slapped his face while the other officers held him up. The young man blinked and then gagged, puking on the officer in front of him.
The rancid stench of fresh vomit filled the air. While plugging her nose, Sarah ducked back inside the interrogation room, followed by her sister. Sarah closed the door, hoping it would keep the smell from penetrating the room.
“Did you hear that, Lace? Piper Drugs! That’s the company Dad works for,” Sarah whispered in her sister’s ear before proceeding back to her seat.
Lacey opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when Agent Gray cleared his
throat and motioned for them to sit down.
He continued his conversation as if they hadn’t been interrupted. We were on our way to the location of the ping… but before we got there it disappeared.”
“So, what does that mean? Did you find our parents or what?” Sarah blurted out as she sat down. She stared into Agent Gray’s icy blue eyes, trying to read his mind.
And then we have some info about the wonder Ms. Orchard:


Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. She was hooked on mysteries by the fifth grade and even wrote a few of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then.  "The Super Spies and the High School Bomber" is the second book in the "Super Spies" series. Her first book was published in March of 2012 and it has received rave reviews.
  After graduating from Central Michigan University with a Marketing Degree she spent many years in the insurance industry, pining to express her creative side.  The decision to stay home with her children gave her the opportunity to follow her dream and become a writer. She currently resides in Rockford Michigan with her husband, Steve, and two wonderful boys. Currently, she's working on the third novel that stars the same quirky teens. When she's not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, and reading.


And then we have some links for you to check out. Be sure to check out the buylinks because the first two books in the Super Spies series are only 99 cents because Ms. Orchard is celebrating her next book's release.





Buylinks:

“The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer”
“The Super Spies and the High School Bomber”

Barnes and Noble:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-super-spies-and-the-high-school-bomber-lisa-orchard/1112263058?ean=2940014992244




Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer by Lisa Orchard::Review


THE SUPER SPIES AND THE CAT LADY KILLER by LISA ORCHARD

Movie Rating: PG
Book Rating: @@@@
Swearing: None
Inappropriate Scenes: None
# of Pages: 237 (paperback)
Genre: YA Mystery
Publisher: Astraea Press

Back Blurb:

In a small town in Michigan, fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle's with her sister, Lacey. She's not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl names Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman and what's worse? One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death.
Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own investigation. The Super Spies can't understand why anyone would want to murder the "Cat Lady" until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and sttempt to bring this information to the police, only o be reprimanded for meddling in the investigation. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it's up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer.
Or die trying...

My Review:

Ever wondered what a more modern Nancy Drew would be like? If you have then you should probably pick up this book. Growing up, I loved the Nancy Drew books, but I haven't read any in a while (too many other books to review and too little time to do it. lol) so when I picked this up it was like reading a modern day Nancy Drew. And I loved it! It was like a flashback to my younger days (yeah, I'm so old...) when I would curl up with a good ole' mystery novel and help the main character solve a mystery.
Written almost but not quite, like a Nancy Drew book, The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer is a book that will keep flipping furiously through all two hundred and thirty-seven pages.
All the characters were lovable and not the least bit annoying. YAY for having no annoying characters. :) And it was so nice to read about 3 teenage girls that weren't just like the rest of the crowd. It gave them a sense of uniqueness, and added to their lovableness (I don't think that's word but I hope you know what I mean.)
I also liked that the girls were punished for disrupting the crime scene. Because (here come the rant) for goodness sake, I get so sick and tired of all the books where the main characters break the law and get away with it because they were breaking the law for the greater good or w.h.a.t.e.v.e.r. Blah. Excuse me while I go gag. *gag* Okay, now that I'm done with that...if you're still reading this and haven't exited the page because I totally grossed you with my gagging then I hope you'll finish reading my review. Except that most of you haven't bothered reading this far into my review have you? because if you had read this far into my review you would be buying your copy off of Amazon.com right now, if only because you want to rid yourself of the boring monotony of reading about yet a character that breaks the law and gets away with it scot free, but I prefer to hope that you buy this book not only because the main characters are punished but because my review left you desperately and irrationally craving for the story of the Super Spies. (if you had read this far into my reveiw you would have noticed that I spelled the previous review wrong and would tell me about it in the comments box at the bottom of the page.)
Definitely a GREAT read! Ms. Orchard, I loved your book and cannot wait to read the next one! Keep calm and read on! :D

Recommend to lovers of: Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and the 3 Investigators.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Guest Post by Lisa Orchard (Author)

Hi, guys! Talking (or posting or whatever you want to call it. lol) on The Maniacal Bookworm today is author Lisa Orchard. (I'm currently reading her first book and it is very good! Review to come) So please welcome....Lisa Orchard, talking about what inspired her to become an author.


Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you. I’m Lisa Orchard the Young Adult Author of the Super Spies series and I’m a guest today of Brenna’s. Thanks Brenna for having me here today.
Brenna wanted me to share my inspiration for writing with you, so I thought I would start at the beginning. I knew in fifth grade that I wanted to be an author. However, I didn’t get the chance to pursue that dream until I decided to stay home with my kids. That’s when I picked up my pen and started writing again.
There was no doubt that I was going to write for the Young Adult Market. I love this age group! When I started writing “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer”, I looked back on my own life and realized my teen years were some of my happiest times. It’s that time in your life when everything is possible and I remember how excited I was to explore all the possibilities I could imagine. I wanted to bring that same feeling of joy and anticipation to my readers.
Now that I’m working on my fourth book, I realize what keeps me writing.  It’s my kids. I have two beautiful boys and they are my inspiration for everything. I feel very strongly that they need to see what it takes to meet a goal. They need to see how to overcome obstacles and disappointments. It’s important for them, so that when they’re pursuing a goal and come to a particular obstacle they’ll know how to handle it.
I also feel that pursuing our dreams is the real key to happiness and I want my kids to have the happiest life they can. So if they see me chasing my dreams, I’m hoping that will give them the courage to chase theirs.
I’m encouraging them throughout their childhood to find things that they like to do; just like my mother did when she bought me my first Nancy Drew Mystery. Who knew it would spark my passion for writing? I’m hoping my kids find their passion and strive to bring their dreams to fruition.
We talk about my books quite a bit. My boys are always giving me suggestions for titles and plot lines. They each have a paperback copy of  “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” by their beds. They are so proud and it’s really cute to see.
My oldest told his teacher he wants to be a published author like his mom. I’m glad he’s thinking about what he wants to be when he grows up. It’s never too soon.  
I’m hoping that I can build on my Super Spies series so that I can leave behind a legacy for them.  Now wouldn’t that be something?
Thanks for stopping by and reading my post. I’d love it if you shared your thoughts with me! Leave a comment and if you get a chance check out my books! They’re great tween/teen reads!
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Thank you Ms. Orchard! That was an excellent post. :) Now here's some links to check out:








Find Ms. Orchard at these sites:




Favorite Series