CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS: Grenade Bouquets (Runaway Train, Book 2) by Lee Matthew Goldberg Book Tour, Guest Review and Giveaway!

Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Grenade Bouquets (Runaway Train, Book 2) by Lee Matthew Goldberg Publisher: Wise Wolf Books (August 5, 2021) Series: Runaway Train, Book 2 Category: Young Adult, Runaways, Outcasts, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Depression, Mental Illness Tour dates: August31-September 24, 2021

ISBN: 978-1953944078

Available in Print and ebook, 286 pages

Description Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg

I had stars in my eyes and I couldn't see around them... The year is 1995 and my parents have finally allowed me to take the summer to tour in a VW van across the country with my boyfriend Evan and our band. Yes, my dream to be a singer became reality. Even with Clarissa, Evan's jealous ex-girlfriend, as the lead singer, it's my presence on stage that led us to a major record deal. There are moments you'll always remember in life, but I can't imagine anything more cool than hearing your song on the radio for the first time. But being a Rockstar isn't as easy as it sounds. Using alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms, nothing but tension surrounded me, hurting my still blossoming relationship, and continued grieving over my sister's death. A love letter to the nineties and a journey of a girl becoming a woman, Grenade Bouquets charts the rollercoaster ride of a band primed to explode on the scene, as long as they keep from actually exploding.

Praise Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg

"An engaging '90s pastiche with an earnest heart beating at its center."- Kirkus Reviews

"Runaway Train is a high-energy testimonial to the redemptive power of a road trip with an awesome soundtrack. Lee Matthew Goldberg balances the urgency of youth with a whiff of anticipatory nostalgia for the music and misadventures of late adolescence. Attuned to way distinctions between music genres and teen idols can feel like impermeable walls worth defending, and then crumble as a teen like Nico Sullivan finds her own voice."- Jenn Stroud Rossman, author of The Place You're Supposed to Laugh "Raw. Riveting. Runaway Train stays true to its title as it explores the deep pain of a teenager desperately trying to find peace in a world full of pain. Lee Matthew Goldberg is a master at bestowing sympathy and strength on deeply flawed characters. Realistic and shocking, hopeful and satisfying, Runaway Train will keep readers turning the page."- USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Forster

"It's an incredibly challenging task for an author to utilize a darkly comedic tone without coming across as disingenuous--but Goldberg executes it here with expert precision. Brimming over with the visceral atmosphere of the early 90s grunge era, RUNAWAY TRAIN is a must-read for those willing to buckle up for the ride."-Peter Malone Elliott (Director of Operations, Book Pipeline)

Review Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg

Guest Review by Katy M.

“I know that I’m susceptible to temptation, something I’ll have to watch out for if I ever really become a rockstar. Like my former hero Cobain, I’ve seen how too easily it can fester and destroy.”

17-year-old Nico is on a collision course with fame, fortune and possible failure. In the first book in Lee Matthew Goldberg's 'Runaway Train' series, Nico runs away from home after the death of her sister. Now, a year later, Nico is leaving again, but this time it's with her parent's permission.

Nico has taken up singing background vocals for the band 'Grenade Bouquets' and she is planning to go on a multi-state tour with them over the summer of 1995.

Joining her are her boyfriend, Evan, who is also in the band and his ex-girlfriend, Clarissa, the lead singer who is jealous of Nico's rising star. Nico must contend with Clarissa's attempts to sabotage her, sudden interest from record companies and the temptation of drugs and alcohol as she learns to navigate sudden stardom and adulthood at the same time.

In 'Grenade Bouquets,' Goldberg perfectly captures the turbulence of teenage girlhood while mixing it with the grunge edge of the mid-1990's. The music references in this book were probably my favorite part. From Nine Inch Nails to Ace Of Base, the full kaleidoscope of 90's music is portrayed by someone who clearly remembers it well.

Every chapter is named after a song from that era, which effectively makes the chapter list into a playlist similar to the one that Nico brings with her on the road in the form of a cassette (use to be referred to as a mix tape).

'Grenade Bouquets' is an edgy, rock and roll experience that makes you feel both nostalgia and intrigue in equal parts. This book cannot be missed by music loving readers!

About Lee Matthew Goldberg

Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of seven novels including THE ANCESTOR and THE MENTOR, currently in development as a film off his original script, and the YA series RUNAWAY TRAIN.

He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the Prix du Polar. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, Hypertext, If My Book, Past Ten, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others.

His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City.

Website: http://www.leematthewgoldberg.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeeMatthewG

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leemgol

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leematthewgoldberg/

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Giveaway Grenade Bouquets by Lee Matthew Goldberg

This giveaway is for 3 print or eBook copies, 1 each per winner. Print is open to the U.S. only, eBook is open worldwide. This giveaway ends on September 25, 2021,midnight pacific time. a Rafflecopter giveaway