{"id":13597,"date":"2021-08-02T06:00:46","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T10:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/?p=13597"},"modified":"2021-08-01T13:16:37","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T17:16:37","slug":"blog-tour-paola-santiago-and-the-forest-of-nightmares-by-tehlor-kay-mejia-excerpt-giveaway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/blog-tour-paola-santiago-and-the-forest-of-nightmares-by-tehlor-kay-mejia-excerpt-giveaway\/","title":{"rendered":"Blog Tour: Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia (Excerpt + Giveaway!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ubb-blog-tour-banner\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rockstarbooktours.com\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/PAOLA-SANTIAGO-AND-THE-FOREST-OF-NIGHTMARES.jpg\" alt=\"Blog Tour: Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia (Excerpt + Giveaway!)\"><\/a><\/p><p>Happy Monday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES by Tehlor Kay Mejia! I&#8217;m so excited because today I have an excerpt of the book to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I&#8217;m so excited to for you to find out more about it, PLUS enter for a chance to win a print copy!<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/paola-santiago-and-the-forest-of-nightmares-cover.png\" alt=\"Blog Tour: Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia (Excerpt + Giveaway!)\" title=\"Blog Tour: Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia (Excerpt + Giveaway!)\" class=\"ubb-cover-image alignleft\"><strong>Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares<\/strong> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/authors\/tehlor-kay-mejia\/\">Tehlor Kay Mejia<\/a> <br><strong>Series:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/series\/paola-santiago\/\">Paola Santiago #2<\/a> <br><strong>Published on<\/strong>  August 3, 2021 by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/publishers\/rick-riordan-presents\/\">Rick Riordan Presents<\/a> <br><strong>Genres:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/genres\/fantasy\/\">Fantasy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/genres\/middle-grade\/\">Middle Grade<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/reviews\/genres\/retellings\/\">Retellings<\/a> <br><strong>Pages:<\/strong> 336 <br><strong>Add to <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/56209478-paola-santiago-and-the-forest-of-nightmares\" target=\"_blank\">Goodreads<\/a> <br><strong>Author Links:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tehlorkaymejia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Website<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tehlorkay\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/16305520.Tehlor_Kay_Mejia\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Goodreads<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/375F6sr\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Amazon<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tehlorkay\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Instagram<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@tehlorkay\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">TikTok<\/a> <br><blockquote class=\"ubb-synopsis\"><p>Six months after Paola Santiago confronted the legendary La Llorona, life is nothing like she'd expected it to be. She is barely speaking to her best friends, Dante and Emma, and what's worse, her mom has a totally annoying boyfriend. Even with her chupacabra puppy, Bruto, around, Pao can't escape the feeling that she's all alone in the world.<br \/>\nPao has no one to tell that she's having nightmares again, this time set in a terrifying forest. Even more troubling? At their center is her estranged father, an enigma of a man she barely remembers. And when Dante's abuela falls mysteriously ill, it seems that the dad Pao never knew just might be the key to healing the eccentric old woman.<br \/>\nPao's search for her father will send her far from home, where she will encounter new monsters and ghosts, a devastating betrayal, and finally, the forest of her nightmares. Will the truths her father has been hiding save the people Pao loves, or destroy them?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n\t\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t\"@type\":\"Review\",\n\t\"datePublished\": \"2021-08-02T10:00:46+00:00\",\n\t\"description\": \"Happy Monday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES by Tehlor Kay Mejia! I'm so excited because today I have an excerpt of the book to share with \",\n\t\"publisher\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"Kait Plus Books\"\t},\n\t\"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\\\/books\\\/blog-tour-paola-santiago-and-the-forest-of-nightmares-by-tehlor-kay-mejia-excerpt-giveaway\\\/\",\n\t\"itemReviewed\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Book\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares\",\n\t\t\"author\": {\n\t\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\t\"name\": \"Tehlor Kay Mejia\",\n\t\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.tehlorkaymejia.com\\\/\"\t\t},\n\t\t\"isbn\": \"1368049346\"\t},\n\t\"author\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t\t\"name\": \"Kaity\",\n\t\t\"sameAs\": \"https:\\\/\\\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\\\/books\\\/\"\t},\n\t\"reviewRating\": {\n\t\t\"@type\": \"Rating\",\n\t\t\"ratingValue\": false,\n\t\t\"bestRating\": \"5\"\n\t}\n}\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12312\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Read-an-Excerpt-Summer-2021-1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>one<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>There\u2019s Almost Nothing Worse <\/b><b>Than Meat Medley Pizza<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it hadn\u2019t been for the dream she\u2019d had about her estranged father the night before, maybe Pao\u2019s bonding time with her mom\u2019s new boyfriend wouldn\u2019t have been quite so awful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But her luck never worked like that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Six months ago, Paola Santiago had walked out of a collapsing magical rift after defeating the legendary ghost turned god, La Llorona, and freeing the spirit of the Weeping Woman\u2019s last remaining lost child.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao had tamed a chupacabra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She had even earned the respect of the girl who had tortured her in sixth grade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And yet, she still didn\u2019t have the power to turn this guy into dust? Ideally right now, across the sticky table of this pizza place?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe if she glared at him a little harder . . .<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pizza Pete\u2019s was full tonight, with chattering families, screaming kids, and illuminated arcade machines trying to trick dads into digging deeper for quarters. GHOST HUNTER 3! one of the games flashed in acid-green letters.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No way <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">realistic, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao thought, narrowly avoiding a scoff. Like a series of zeroes and ones blinking on a screen could ever There\u2019s Almost Nothing Worse Than Meat Medley Pizza get close to the real thing. Binary code was incredibly versatile, of course, but Pao had learned firsthand that there were some things that math and science couldn\u2019t fully capture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao\u2019s mom looked at her like she had heard the almost scoff. Pao stared back insolently, tempting fate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever since winter break had started three days ago, Pao had been prohibited from scoffing. Also scowling, smirking, stomping, and swearing (even using mild words like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stupid <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">jerk<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). The message was clear: There was no room for sullen Pao when <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aaron<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was around.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To be fair, though, it didn\u2019t seem like there was much room for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">any <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">version of Pao. So why couldn\u2019t she mope to her heart\u2019s (dis)content?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because moms were unfair, that\u2019s why.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the arcade, three boys a little older than Pao were hurtling full speed toward <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ghost Hunter 3<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cI hear it\u2019s, like, actually scary!\u201d one of them squeaked.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah, Sully said the guys that made it went to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">real <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">haunted houses and, like, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slept <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in them and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">saw <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSo cool! They\u2019re like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">actual <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">experts!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m so sure, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao thought, returning to her scathing inner monologue. Like a bunch of white guys with phone cameras in a tourist trap knew anything about real ghost hunting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the truth\u2014and Pao\u2019s terrible secret\u2014was that she would have given anything to be fighting real ghosts or monsters right now. She would have been thrilled to see a terrible hairy Mano Pachona, or a full-grown slavering chupacabra. Anything to prove that last summer had been real. That she had actually been through something.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That she wasn\u2019t just a freak who no longer belonged in her own life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across the table, Aaron shifted uncomfortably in his seat, grinning goofily when he caught Pao looking at him. No one had spoken a word in nine minutes and forty-three seconds. So much for bonding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her mom was looking desperate now, and for a second, Pao almost felt sorry for her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But only for a second.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After Pao\u2019s disappearing act last summer, things had improved between her and her mom. For a while. But Pao had quickly realized that accepting her mom\u2019s differences, as she had done while trapped in the endless throat of a magical void, was actually a lot easier than getting along with her in real life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Especially now that her mom was dating Aaron.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao tried to ignore him, thinking of her dream the night before instead. Even a nightmare was better than this guy. She\u2019d been walking through a dense pine forest, a weird green light filtering through the trees. The road she\u2019d walked was long and straight, and at the end of it was a silhouette she\u2019d somehow known was her dad.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It made sense, Pao thought, that she hadn\u2019t seen his face. She hadn\u2019t seen her dad in real life since she was four years old. Her mom never even talked about him. But in the dream, Pao had run toward him anyway, like he was coming home from a long absence and she couldn\u2019t wait to throw her arms around him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, she hadn\u2019t made it that far. Just before she\u2019d gotten close enough, the ground had opened at her feet. A massive crack in the earth took Pao with it as it gave way, leaving her father shouting from the cliff above.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After waking from a nightmare like that, shaking and sweating, was it any wonder Pao didn\u2019t wanted to spend the evening fake-smiling over greasy food with a total imposter?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across from her, Mom and Aaron chewed in silence, exchanging an awkward look between them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao could have made it easier for her mom, she knew, but right now that was the last thing she wanted to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why would she want to help someone who hadn\u2019t even noticed that her daughter was suffering the aftereffects of one of her notorious nightmares? The kind she had experienced ever since she was little and had led her to enter a magical rift to fight a legendary ghost.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her mom was supposed to be <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">highly <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attuned to this stuff. She always had been before . . . But tonight she\u2019d just told Pao to get a handle on her hair and wear a clean shirt. Like it mattered how Pao looked for this totally inappropriate ordeal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mom had met Aaron, a firefighter, at the bar where she worked and within <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">six weeks <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">had decided that he was meet-the kid material. But impulsive choices were kind of the norm for Maria Santiago. Even Bruto the chupacabra puppy had given them an <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">isn\u2019t this too soon? <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">look as they\u2019d left the apartment tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For about a month, Mom and Aaron had lied about him coming over to \u201cfix the TV\u201d or \u201cdrop off a book\u201d or \u201clook for a stray neighborhood dog\u201d (Pao\u2019s personal favorite excuse). Last week her mom had finally come clean, and now they all had to play nice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first, Pao had been offended by the lying\u2014she was almost thirteen, she could handle the truth!\u2014but an hour into forced bonding, she found herself wishing Aaron really <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">just the guy \u201credoing the shower grout.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The boys in the arcade were fully enthralled by <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ghost Hunter 3 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at this point. The screen showed one of those cheesy paranormal activity<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">videos, all shaky camera and blown-out colors and vague,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pixelated shapes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao remembered a time when it would have been her and her two best friends, Emma and Dante, crowded around the machine. Dante would have been effortlessly good, Emma hilariously bad, and Pao in the back, refusing to play, mocking people for believing in ghosts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But she\u2019d barely spoken to Emma in two months. And Pao and Dante were pretending things were normal between them . . . but then why had she told her mom that he was too busy to tag along tonight when he really wasn\u2019t?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not even science held her in the same thrall these days. Her microscope lay unused on the dusty top shelf of her closet. And she hadn\u2019t bothered entering the fall science fair at school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everything had changed. And Pao didn\u2019t know how to change it back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOoh, that game looks scary!\u201d Aaron said, snapping Pao out of her moody thoughts. \u201cI\u2019m not sure I could play it. Probably give me nightmares.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This time, Pao really, really couldn\u2019t help it. The scoff took over. It used her body as an unwilling host, like rabies in the brain of a raccoon, and a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pfft <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sound escaped her lips. All Pao could do was hope no one heard it. But of course, her mom had laser-focused on her the moment Aaron had said <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nightmares<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And in terms of death glares, La Llorona had nothing on Pao\u2019s mom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She smiled at Pao, a kind of snarly smile, all her teeth showing. A <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">don\u2019t screw this up or I\u2019ll take away that phone you just got<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> kind of smile. \u201cPaola, why don\u2019t you tell Aaron what you\u2019re working on in school?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cInvisibility,\u201d Pao said after a beat, pulling a pepperoni off her pizza and rolling it up into a greasy little tube. Her mom hated when she did that but wouldn\u2019t dare say anything in front of \u201ccompany.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSounds pretty advanced for seventh grade!\u201d Aaron said earnestly. His blond hair fell into his eyes, and he pushed it back. His face was that healthy-looking kind of tan that white people get when they go skiing or something. Pao wanted to wipe pepperoni grease on it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s more of a social experiment than a scientific one,\u201d Pao clarified, watching her mother\u2019s eyes narrow even more. \u201cYou know, camouflage, deflection, that sort of thing. Luckily, I\u2019m getting plenty of practice at home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao had always distrusted people who smiled all the time, and Aaron\u2019s ski-catalog grin never faltered. She matched it with something akin to a grimace, knowing she\u2019d pay for the comment later but not caring.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWell, middle school is a tough time,\u201d he said, leaning down to look her in the eye. \u201cI\u2019m sure things will get better. Hey, only a year and a half until high school, right!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cYeah,\u201d Pao said. \u201cBecause high school is historically easy on freaks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMija, you\u2019re not a freak,\u201d her mom said, waving a hand. \u201cYou\u2019re just advanced for your age\u2014the other kids are probably jealous.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao would definitely had rolled her eyes if her mom hadn\u2019t snapped her head to look across the room right at that moment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOh! Isn\u2019t that Emma?\u201d She waved, not noticing that her only child was ready to sink into the floor. \u201cEmma! \u00a1Mija! Over here!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was noisy, and Emma was sitting at a crowded table with at least five kids from school. Pao kept her eyes on her plate and hoped that Emma didn\u2019t hear her name being called.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWho are those kids she\u2019s hanging out with?\u201d Mom asked, craning her neck. \u201cThey sure have . . . interesting hair!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emma\u2019s new friends dyed their hair in bright colors and wore jean jackets with patches and pins all over them. They kept up with current events and sometimes participated in protests. Across Pizza Pete\u2019s, they all laughed loudly at something, and Pao glanced up reflexively, just for a second. Emma didn\u2019t look their way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Rainbow Rogues,\u201d Pao muttered, trying not to sound sarcastic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It didn\u2019t matter anyway. Her mom was back to talking to Aaron, and Pao was back to being invisible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her eyes drifted over to where Emma\u2019s blondish-brown hair (complete with a new purple streak) was just visible over the tall back of her seat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In September, when Emma had decided to come out to her parents, Pao had been with her\u2014via speaker phone\u2014for moral support. Emma had been nervous, but after all the worry and wondering, her parents had been nothing but supportive. Mrs. Lockwood had even bought a LOVE IS LOVE sticker for their SUV.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emma had confessed her secret to Pao just a week after they\u2019d returned from the rift, and together they\u2019d plotted the best way to tell her parents. After Emma did it, Pao was so proud of her best friend she\u2019d thought her heart might burst. The next day, they\u2019d eaten every flavor of frozen yogurt in one giant cup to celebrate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao had known this meant Emma could finally stop hiding. At last she\u2019d get to be her whole, shiny self for the world to see. Pao had even convinced her to go the first yearly meeting of the aforementioned Rainbow Rogues, Silver Springs Middle School\u2019s LGBTQIA+ club.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019d both been surprised by how many openly queer kids went to their school, and Emma had walked out bubbling with excitement and plans to go back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the more time they\u2019d spent with the Rogues, the more out of place Pao had felt.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were plenty of kids in the club who weren\u2019t ready to decide how they identified yet, and even kids who just called themselves \u201callies,\u201d so it wasn\u2019t her lack of specified queerness that made Pao feel left out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It just seemed like most of the kids who were comfortable enough to be out at school were, for the lack of a better phrase, rich and white. Their parents drove them to and from the meetings in their fancy cars and sent them to school with organic lunches. They bought their kids unlimited poster board and, like, the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nice <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">markers in every color whenever they wanted to make protest signs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao, with her bus pass and her subsidized lunch, couldn\u2019t have the Rogues over to her small apartment or chip in for supplies. They never made her feel bad about those things, of course, but the way they were <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">overly <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nice about them somehow made Pao feel even worse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And then there was Emma, who was <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">so <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">focused on making sure Pao had a good time that sometimes Pao felt she was holding her back. There was no reason for Emma to be the odd one out. She fit in perfectly, and Pao wanted that for her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So the next time Emma asked Pao to join in\u2014they were protesting a new Starbucks going in across from a locally owned coffee shop\u2014Pao had made up an excuse. After she did it enough times, Emma had stopped asking.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao knew it was normal, people growing apart. But that didn\u2019t make it any less sad.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She pushed her plate away, her appetite suddenly gone. \u201cI have homework. Can we go home now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aaron had just taken another slice of \u201cmeat medley.\u201d The worst pizza variety ever. Sausage, ham, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pepperoni? What was it trying to prove?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her mom opened her mouth, undoubtedly to chastise Pao for being rude, but before she could form the words, Pao\u2019s drinking glass exploded in front of her, soaking her space-cat shirt in all thirteen types of soda she\u2019d combined from the fountain. It left them a whole different kind of speechless than before, which Pao couldn\u2019t help but enjoy just a little.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were glass shards on her lap and all over Aaron\u2019s slice of meat medley. Next to the glass, a quarter was spinning like a top. It must have come from one of the kids playing in the arcade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After taking a second to recover from her shock (and to make sure Emma and her cool friends hadn\u2019t seen), Pao glanced at her mother, who looked murderous.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCome on!\u201d Pao said. \u201cYou can\u2019t possibly think this is my fault! It was a freak accident! Look!\u201d She held up the quarter, which had just stopped spinning and fallen onto its side.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tails<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Pao noticed, then shook herself before she went down a probability and statistics hole.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her mom, thankfully, had turned her withering glare onto the kids shrieking in front of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ghost Hunter 3<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. \u201cHonestly, where are their parents?\u201d she asked, looking at Aaron to check his reaction. When he nodded, she continued. \u201cThrowing quarters around, breaking glasses? So irresponsible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pao bit her tongue. Her mom had left her unsupervised (or in the care of their elderly neighbor, Se\u00f1ora Mata) for the greater part of her childhood. Now that Aaron was around, she was suddenly Suburban Susie of the PTA?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not that she was judging her mom for how she\u2019d raised Pao. It was hard to juggle a kid and a more-than-full-time job on your own. But why did her mom have to pretend to be someone else just to impress this guy?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wasn\u2019t that, like, the opposite of what she always told Pao to do?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the two adults chattered about bad parenting, Pao tried to soak up the soda on her shirt with two paper napkins, only to end up leaving little bits of wet pulp all over it. She was almost too lost in thought to notice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m going to the bathroom,\u201d Pao said, standing up abruptly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No one stopped her.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At least this nightmare is nearly over, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she thought.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She should have known better by now than to think things like that.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6>Excerpted from\u00a0<i>Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares<\/i> by Tehlor Kay Mejia. Copyright \u00a9 2021 by Disney Publishing Worldwide.<\/h6>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12282\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/About-the-Author-Summer-2021.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"ubb-about-author\"><h3>About Tehlor Kay Mejia<\/h3><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/tehlor-kay-mejia-350x350.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignleft ubb-about-author-photo\"><p>TEHLOR KAY MEJIA is a bestselling and award winning author of young adult and middle grade fiction.<\/p>\n<p>Her debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine\u2019s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal. Its sequel, WE UNLEASH THE MERCILESS STORM, followed to continuing acclaim, while MISS METEOR (co-written with National Book Award Nominee Anna-Marie McLemore) was named to the American Library Association\u2019s 2021 Rainbow List, honoring outstanding contributions in LGBTQIA teen fiction.<\/p>\n<p>Tehlor\u2019s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney\/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon\u2019s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range. It is currently in development at Disney as a television series to be produced by Eva Longoria.<\/p>\n<p>Tehlor lives with her daughter, partner, and two small dogs in Oregon, where she grows heirloom corn and continues her quest to perfect the vegan tamale. She is active on Twitter and Instagram @tehlorkay.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ubb-author-links\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tehlorkaymejia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Website<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tehlorkay\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Twitter<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/author\/show\/16305520.Tehlor_Kay_Mejia\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Goodreads<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/375F6sr\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Amazon<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tehlorkay\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">Instagram<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@tehlorkay\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"\">TikTok<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Follow-the-Tour-Summer-2021.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Week One<\/b><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/1\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/logcabinlibrary.blogspot.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Log Cabin Library<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>8\/2\/2021<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/kaitgoodwin.com\/books\">Kait Plus Books<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Excerpt<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/3\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/mochagirlsread.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mocha Girls Read<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/4\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/rajivsreviews\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rajiv&#8217;s Reviews<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/5\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/feedyourfictionaddiction.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feed Your Fiction Addiction<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/6\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/thebookwyrmsden.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bookwyrm&#8217;s Den<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/7\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/drewsim12\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">@drewsim12<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Week Two<\/b><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/8\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/blessedmommysc.blogspot.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lifestyle of Me<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/9\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/booksaremagictoo.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">booksaremagictoo<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/10\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/emeliesbooks.home.blog\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emelie&#8217;s Books<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/11\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.morebookspleaseblog.wordpress.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More Books Please blog<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/12\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/booksaplentybookreviews.blogspot.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Books a Plenty Book Reviews<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/13\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bookhoundsya.net\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BookHounds YA\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/14\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amybooksy.blogspot.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Locks, Hooks and Books<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Week Three<\/b><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/15\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/fkrants.blogspot.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fyrekatz Blog<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/16\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/adrianna.reads\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adrianna.reads<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/17\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/dontjudgeread.blogspot.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t Judge, Read<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/18\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/agingerlyreview.wordpress.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Gingerly Review<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt\/IG post<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/19\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/midnightbooklover\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Midnightbooklover<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IG Post<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/20\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/discoverelysian.wordpress.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discover Elysian<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/21\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/abellafairytale.wordpress.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Abellafairytale<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Week Four<\/b><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/22\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/littleredreadz.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Little Red Readz<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/23\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/pagesofyellow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">@pagesofyellow\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/24\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/popthebutterfly.wordpress.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">popthebutterfly<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/25\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/bookreviewvirginialee.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/26\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/themommaspot.home.blog\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Momma Spot<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/27\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/addictedtomedia.net\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addicted to Media<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/28\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/fictitious.fox\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">@fictitious.fox<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><b>Week Five<\/b><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/29\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.twochicksonbooks.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two Chicks on Books<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/30\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"http:\/\/am2cents.blogspot.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two Points of Interest<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8\/31\/2021<\/span><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/lexijavabookish.wordpress.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">@lexijava_bookish\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Excerpt<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12285\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Enter-the-Giveaway-Summer-2021-1-1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.rafflecopter.com\/rafl\/display\/e2389ba21307\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enter here for a chance to win a print copy of <em>Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares<\/em> by Tehlor Kay Mejia!<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>(US Only)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12279\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"850\" height=\"50\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider.png 850w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-300x18.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Summer-2021-divider-768x45.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Questions-and-Answers-Summer-2021.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p>What do you think about <em>Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares<\/em>? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-12768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Kait-Plus-Books-Signature-Summer-2021-1.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"1322\" height=\"880\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy Monday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE FOREST OF NIGHTMARES by Tehlor Kay Mejia! I&#8217;m so excited because today I have an excerpt of the book to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I&#8217;m so excited to for you to find out more about it, PLUS enter for a chance to win a print copy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[484,1001,27],"tags":[3276,537,651,540,462,3279,3280,1248,538,3281],"reading-challenges":[],"class_list":["post-13597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-tours","category-excerpt","category-giveaways","tag-august-2021","tag-blog-tour","tag-excerpt","tag-giveaway","tag-kait-plus-books","tag-paola-santiago","tag-paola-santiago-and-the-forest-of-nightmares","tag-rick-riordan-presents","tag-rockstar-book-tours","tag-tehlor-kay-mejia","book-author-tehlor-kay-mejia","book-series-paola-santiago","book-publisher-rick-riordan-presents","book-genre-fantasy","book-genre-middle-grade","book-genre-retellings"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/The-Forest-of-Nightmares-Featured-Image.gif","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13597"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13655,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13597\/revisions\/13655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13597"},{"taxonomy":"reading-challenges","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kaitgoodwin.com\/books\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-challenges?post=13597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}