**Blog Tour ~ Secret for a Song ~ S.K. Falls**

Hi y'all! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Secret for a Song by S.K. Falls. My stop includes all the pertinent details for the book, my review, and a giveaway!

This blog tour is presented by Xpresso Book Tours. You can click here to follow all the participating blogs.

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Secret for a Song  by S.K. Falls

Publication date: June 3rd, 2013 

Genre: NA Coming-of-Age

Synopsis:

Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.

She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.

Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives

For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?

Purchase Secret for a Song

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My Review

Wow! Secret for a Song is an incredible read. It is real and emotional and, at times, disturbing. There was even a moment when I thought I might be physically ill. S.K. Falls' writing is amazing in its ability to evoke so much emotion from me for these characters.

I have heard of Munchhausen Syndrome by Proxy and know what it is. But for some reason it never occurred to me that if "by Proxy" existed, Munchhausen Syndrome must as well. Saylor Grayson suffers from Munchhausen. I must admit that Song for a Secret is difficult to read at times. Saylor and her circumstances broke my heart. And while I can't fathom someone hurting themselves for attention, I can understand the reasons behind Saylor's actions. All the interactions between Saylor and her mother made me cringe and mourn for Saylor's childhood. As a mother, I was appalled for Saylor's parents, but particularly her mother, couldn't see her disease for what it really is...a cry for attention. Saylor started making herself sick at the age of 7 for goodness sake. Her mother is always busy whether it's building dollhouses or plaing Bunco. She makes it clear she has no time for her daughter. Saylor's father is the epitome of an absentee father. What kind of life is this for a child?

Saylor has recently been removed from school because of her illness. She is undergoing the mandatory therapy, without the recommended attendance of her parents. Her therapist sets up up with a volunteer position at a local hospital. It's here she meets Pierce, Carson, Zee and Drew -- the only friends she's had since middle school. However, these friends are made under false pretenses. When everything is revealed, Saylor stands to lose so much.

Drew is a phenomenal character. He's strong, resolved and beautiful. He's survived so much adversity in his life. And he's facing more still. He brings something to Saylor's life she's never experienced before.

" It was because he made me feel things. Drew made me feel like there were parts of me worth saving. That maybe there might be people out there who'd love me for being me."  --Saylor 

I did kinda want to punch him though as he proved himself wrong with Saylor. It knocked him down a peg for me even if he did redeem himself a little. 

Secret for a Song also deals with terminal illness as well as Munchhausen. Ms. Falls portrays the turmoil and emotions that patients and their families experience in a very real way. The book also broaches the subject of alcohol and substance abuse. Ms. Falls discusses these openly and poignantly. She also made me think about the perceptions "healthy" people have of the mentally and terminally ill.

My only issue with Secret for a Song is the ending. I felt it wrapped up a bit too neatly. I think these characters have a long road ahead of them and that wasn't really expressed. Overall, though, this is such a touching and realistic story. The characters are well developed and I do feel as though Saylor made great strides in fighting her illness. And it did leave me hopeful for Saylor, her mom, and Drew. I definitely recommend reading this book.

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Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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AUTHOR BIO

Adriana Ryan is the pen name of writer S.K. Falls.

A huge fan of spooky stuff and shoes, I enjoy alternately hitting up the outlet malls and historic graveyards in Charleston, SC where I live and imbibe coffee. My husband and two small children seem not to mind when I hastily scribble novel lines on stray limbs in the absence of notepads.

Since no writer’s biography is complete without mention of her menagerie of animals, you should know I have one dog that doubles as a footstool, a second that functions as a vacuum cleaner, and a cat that ensures I never forget that my hands are, first and foremost, for pouring cat food.

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