To kick off the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, I am offering a 3-day promo during which time the Kindle version of MYTHOLOGY is FREE. A YA urban fantasy that has been praised for its beautiful writing, suspenseful storytelling, a strong female protagonist, and a unique and interesting cast of characters – all yours for FREE today through Wednesday of this week only.

Why a banned book promo? Because I was recently informed by some of the public school libraries in my home state that one of the scenes in the book is "problematic" and therefore cannot be considered for school library adoption. This was technically not a "ban" because it was not actually adopted before it was challenged. But many librarians I spoke with after the wake of this incident stated that they screen books heavily for content prior to adoption. Why? So they don't have to deal with having to ban it after its adoption and suffer being labeled a "book banning library." On the other end of the spectrum, I also spoke with other school librarians who are greatly opposed to book bans or book screening of any sort. 

The scene in question? The MC goes to a women's center and sees in her counselor's office contraceptives and pamphlets about sex-ed related topics. And the counselor asks the MC if she needs anything. Why was it written this way? Because I have volunteered at women's centers before and this is what they look like. And this is what counselors ask you. The MC was sexually assaulted in her past (backstory), and this event contributes to who she was. I treated these real YA issues with the utmost respect but also with what I viewed as an appropriate measure of authenticity. (Read what a family-friendly blog said in its review about MYTHOLOGY here.) As one librarian told me, teen issues are not all about unicorns and glitter (I'm paraphrasing here). 

So, in honor of  Banned books Week, I offer MYTHOLOGY to you. So you can read the story that a select number of public high schools won't let you see. 

Download it for free on Amazon (alternatively, I won't try to convince you otherwise if you'd rather purchase the paperback copy), read it, tell a friend about it, and if you have time after reading it, please leave a review of it (about the whole book, not just this issue). 

Comments are always welcome!