It's A Spooktacular Book Giveaway!

Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer for hosting the 5th annual Spooktacular Giveaway Hop. In the spirit of All Hallow's Read, Fairday's Blog is giving away copies of Coraline and The Graveyard Book. 

Neil Gaiman is one of our favorite storytellers, and we agree that there should be a bookish holiday- and why not have it be a little scary? After all, there's nothing like a fright on Halloween! So give the gift of a story, and join in the monstrous fun lurking around the book block. ;) 

Click here to stalk the other blogs! 


We'd like to thank all of our readers for stopping by, and we wish you all a spooktacular Halloween! Mwahahaha.,. 

Happy reading!
~ DMS 

Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears...

Read the reviews! 

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own...

Read the reviews! 

Enter the Book Giveaway: 

1) Follow Fairday's Blog with GFC or Bloglovin
2) Leave us a comment: What is your favorite Halloween story?

3) Fill out the Rafflecopter form below 

Giveaway runs until October 31st
(Open to US and International )

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Begonia House keeps its secrets. Everyone knows that. Everyone, that is, except for clever eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow, whose family has just moved in. Being the Senior Investigator in the Detective Mystery Squad, more commonly known as the DMS, she’s ready to uncover the mysteries hidden within the strange manor. As the investigation gears up and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, the DMS enters into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Follow along with Fairday and her friends, as spooky meets lovely in this twisting tale of dark secrets and hidden pasts...read the reviews! 

Scheduled to hit bookstores everywhere in December of 2015! 

Brought to you by Krista Vitola at Delacorte/ Random House

What Fairday's Blog is all about...

Fairday's Riddles are posted on Mondays- they can be written about anything and everything, all at the same time!

Lizzy's Book Reviews are posted on Wednesdays. Lizzy has read just about every middle grade novel out there, and she loves to share her thoughts and, of course, her opinions.

Author Interviews are posted on Fridays. The DMS seeks out the best middle grade authors today and brings them here to chat about their stories. 

Margo's Musings Fridays are sometimes shared with Margo, Fairday's little sister. This post focuses on reviewing children's book authors, which we follow up with an Author Interview.

The DMS Wants to Know was a post we came up with because when we get together to hang out on the weekend, we always chat about different situations and ideas that are floating around in our brains and we like to listen to what other people think about them- some of the comments we've gotten have been absolutely fascinating!

Character Book Club: Join us to find out what your favorite characters have to say to each other. Sign up for our monthly newsletter for more information about the Character Book Club !

*NEW! Nate Rocks Virtual Sketchbook: Join Marcus Brocket (aka Brocket the Rocket ;) for some awesome adventures with Nate Rockledge from the Nate Rocks series by Karen Pokras Toz. 

Make time to riddle and rhyme! 
62 original riddles and illustrations  

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 
Available in all e-book formats 
FREE until October 31st!
Coupon Code: EQ79Z 

Jessica Haight is a true New Englander, with a deep desire to be near the ocean and a love of the four seasons. She enjoys drawing while standing up and cultivating magic in her garden. She easily floats away in the pages of a good story and is still waiting for her owl from Hogwarts. Jessica lives in Connecticut with her charming fiancé, James; their dog, Jack; their cat, Bill; and a very entitled bunny named Alice.

Stephanie Robinson lives with her husband in a quiet town, though it is not as quaint as Ashpot. After teaching fifth grade for almost fifteen years, she is now enjoying her role as a school media specialist. One of the many benefits of her job is that she learns something new every day. When Stephanie isn't isn’t working, she spends her time creating stories, getting lost in books, and traveling to new places. 

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The Answer to Monday's Riddle is a Book Bonanza!

Excellent guessing Riddlers! In the spirit of All Hallow's Read with Neil Gaiman, we're giving away lots of great books this week. :)

The Alias Men: Book 3 in the Double Vision series by F. T Bradley is out today, and we couldn't be more excited to host a giveaway for signed copies of this action-packed trilogy. Enter the rafflecopter form below for your chance to win!

Ferry's Scary Giveaway is happening until Halloween, and even though he'd rather stay in hell on that ghoulish day, he's got a mystery book prize that he's dying to giveaway. You can also catch an exclusive interview with the bakerman from hell, so stop by the post and give yourself a thrill. ;)



Lizzy's Review will be taken over by the 5th annual Spooktacular Hop, hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. We've got a chilling book prize pack up for grabs, plus there's lots of great blogs participating that will be handing out books like candy and terrifying you with monstrous prizes.

Friday, stop by for the Character Book Club, where Linc from the Double Vision series will be chatting with the DMS. It's sure to be an excellent time! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

The gift of words sets you free, linking up thoughts between you and me. Pages show scenes that play in the mind, bringing up feelings that eternally bind. You never know what's in store, for when given to you, they live once more. The tellers and peddlers of these letter like darts take aim with precision at all of our hearts. Weaving their tales into our fashion; colors run deep when sewn with passion. Shared with another they remind us in time, that we're sisters and brothers of all humankind. Connected to spirit, we're boundless and true, and the way we remember is passed onto you. 

What am I referring to? Answer: Sharing Stories! 

Follow along with the 

Double Vision: The Alias Men blog tour!

Oct. 14: Double Vision: The Alias Men is released! Have a virtual party at the YA Sleuth blog…! And follow F.T. on Twitter @FTBradleyAuthor for more kid spy fun.

Oct. 16: F.T. Bradley gives you Five Ways to Bring MG into The Classroom at the Unleashing Readers blog, plus a GIVEAWAY.

Oct. 17: Linc is interviewed by Lizzy, Fairday and Marcus over at The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow blog. A fun post!

Oct. 20: Buried in Books lets F.T. Bradley talk about the Double Vision trilogy…

Oct. 20: Also this day, the fabulous Ms. Yingling reviews Double Vision: The Alias Men on her blog for Marvelous MG Monday…

Oct. 21: Another favorite blog, YA Book Nerd, hosts F.T. Bradley and the Double Vision trilogy, plus a GIVEAWAY

Oct. 21: F.T. hangs out at Sleuths, Spies and Alibis…

Oct. 24: F.T. Bradley gives tips for parents of reluctant readers, Seven Ways to Get Your Kid to Read, at Pragmatic Mom’s blog, plus a GIVEAWAY!

Oct. 25: At the Nerdy Book Club, find F.T. Bradley’s top 10 books for reluctant readers...

Read the reviews! 

Enter the Book Giveaway: 

1) Follow Fairday's Blog with GFC or Bloglovin
2) Leave us a comment: If you were a hollywood actor/ actress what character role would you want to play?

3) Fill out the Rafflecopter form below 


Giveaway Runs until October 31st
(Open to US and International )

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Monday's Riddle: Woven Words to Share...

Hello Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? We're all about this idea. ; ) ~ F

The gift of words sets you free, linking up thoughts between you and me. Pages show scenes that play in the mind, bringing up feelings that eternally bind. You never know what's in store, for when given to you, they live once more. The tellers and peddlers of these letter like darts take aim with precision at all of our hearts. Weaving their tales into our fashion; colors run deep when sewn with passion. Shared with another they remind us in time, that we're sisters and brothers of all humankind. Connected to spirit, we're boundless and true, and the way we remember is passed onto you. 

What am I referring to?

I gave you a clue! 

Clue: Neil Gaiman 

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F.T. Bradley's Back!

The third book in the Double Vision series: The Alias Men by F.T. Bradley will be hitting book stores everywhere next week, and recently we were lucky enough for the chance to interview F.T. Bradley and find out more about the stories. So, without further ado... take it away, F.T....

Stop by Fairday's Blog on Tuesday, October 14th for the chance to win signed hardcover copies of this exciting trilogy!

What inspired you to write the Double Vision series? 

I really wanted to write a book for that regular kid: the boy (or girl) who may not be a sports all-star or academic genius—maybe even a troublemaker. Linc Baker, the main character in the Double Vision books, is just that type of kid. He learns to use his instincts (and willingness to take risks, even if he gets into trouble…) to go on dangerous spy missions.

I love writing from Linc’s perspective. He’s so fun—and it’s like he’s telling me the story when I sit down to write.

How long did it take you to write Double Vision: Code Name 711? Which book in the series took the longest to write?

It took me about three months to get the first draft down, then it took about three to four months editing—it’s about the same for all three books. The first book probably took the longest, since I worked with my editors at Harper to refine the series concept.

I’ve really come to enjoy the editing. Every time I think the story is at its best, the next draft makes it even better. I feel privileged to work with such great people at Harper Children’s.

What was your inspiration for the characters Linc and Henry?

For Linc, it really was that vision of the funny troublemaker with a big heart that got me started. I had a good idea of who he was, but it wasn’t until I started to develop his parents and grandfather (who lives at their house) that his voice really came to life. At his core, Linc is a great kid who really loves his family, despite his crazy antics…

Henry is that geeky kid who doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He’s super-smart and kind of sweet, but lacks Linc’s street smarts, which is why I think they’re the perfect team. 

I’m inspired by my own kids (I have two daughters ages 11 and 13), and by the kids I meet when I do school visits. Middle-graders are such creative, funny and positive kids.

What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you?

I loved anything by Roald Dahl when I was young. It seemed like anything was possible in his books. I’m still a Pippi Longstocking fan—when I was little, I would sleep upside-down in bed, like she does. I think it’s a redhead thing…

I think I love writing kids for the same reason I loved those books: anything is possible, with a little imagination and some guts. Plus, spy gadgets come in handy if you’re going on a mission.

If you could live anyplace real or fictional, where would it be? Why?

I would love to live in Pippi Longstocking’s house! I guess I’m still a bit of a kid at heart… I’m a big animal nut (and a bit of a catlady—I have four cats), so I would love to live anywhere animals roam free.

Otherwise, I have a bit of a crush on California: great food, weather, and people.

If you could befriend a character from one of your books, who would you befriend? Why?

Ohhh, that’s a tough choice… Linc would get me into trouble too much, so I think I would opt for Henry. I would have gadgets for everything, which would come in handy…

The first two books in the series take place in very different places (Paris and Washington D.C.). Do you use settings that you’re familiar with or do you visit the places that you’re writing about in order to incorporate them accurately in your books?

I’ve been to Paris a few times, so that helped—it’s good to know the ‘flavor’ of a certain place: the way it feels when you’re there. But when it was time to write the book, I still had to do a ton of research to get the details right. Thank goodness for the internet!

I have to confess I’ve never been to Washington, D.C…. But as a military spouse, I’ve spent a good chunk of my life around government-run places, so I had a good idea of what the city was about. After that, I did lots and lots of research.

The biggest compliments I get is from Parisians and D.C. area locals, when they tell me I got all the locations right. That means so much.

Henry creates some amazing spy tools and equipment. Is there a spy gadget you would like to get your hands on?

Hmmm… Maybe a snack generator, so you always have something to eat when you’re on a mission. Food is important.

Or some shoes that make you run double-fast when you’re trying to outrun a bad guy. I’m not very athletic, so that would help…


Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

I just finished work on Linc’s third (and final) adventure, entitled Double Vision: The Alias Men—it was hard to say goodbye to Linc, I have to say. I’m now developing some new middle-grade and YA ideas, so stay tuned…!

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