I'd like to welcome this week's Guest Reviewer, Esme!
******************** Canadian Author Lawrence Hill is the author of this epic historical novel about the slave trade. In Canada the book was published under the title The Book of Negro. In the United States and elsewhere the book was renamed Someone Knows my Name-due to concerns about book sales and controversy.
No matter what title you choose to read the book under, it is a phenomenal piece of writing. You are introduced to Aminata as an old lady, reflecting on the life she led. The book is told by Aminata, a young twelve year old girl who is kidnapped from her idyllic life in her village along with other villagers. Aminata's childhood is showered with love and education. Her mother has her assist her with her midwifery, her father teaches her from the Quran. When a group of bandits raid and burn her village, this life comes to an end. Having witnessed her mother being brutally murdered, Aminata is forced to walk across Africa to the Atlantic Ocean where she is branded before boarding a slave ship.
Aminata's voyage across the Atlantic proves to be more arduous than her march across Africa. Her wit allows her to make herself helpful on the ship and gain extra food and living conditions while she watches her fellow Africans die of disease and despair.
Aminata is taught how to read by one of the other slaves on the plantation. When she is sold to a Jewish merchant, he continues her education, encouraging her to speak the Queen's English, improve her reading and learn how to how to handle money and the books. Aminata is helped by a free slave during a visit to New York with the merchant. As tensions rise between the British and the Americans Aminata is asked to assist the British compile The Book of Negroes- — a record of Black British loyalists promised freedom and passage to British North America.
The Book of Negroes is a little unknown part of Canadian history. This book's records descriptions and information on African American slaves who fought for the British Crown in the American Revolution. These free slaves were then relocated to Nova Scotia, becoming the first Black community in Canada. Others moved on, via the auspices of the Sierra Leone Company, to Sierra Leone, where they formed the original settlers of Freetown and founded the Krio people. As a Canadian, born and educated in Canada, I was completely unaware of this piece of history until I read the book.
Life in Nova Scotia was encountered with many of same racist attitudes these former slaves had faced in the United States.
Aminata returns to Africa even though the risk of enslavement still exists. Here she meets British abolitionists, who use her as the mouthpiece to end slavery.
This story is truly an amazing combination of history and emotion. Hill tells a memorable story that captures Aminata's desire and dream to return to her homeland. This was one of my favorite reads of 2009. It amazed me that I had never heard of the Book of Negroes or the first Black community in Canada. I was fascinated that a book actually exists recording free slaves that were loyal to the Loyalists. Quite simply I was enthralled by the story of Aminata, and her desire and will to escape slavery.
Born in Toronto in 1957, Hill is the son of a black man and a white woman, civil rights activists Daniel and Donna Hill. His African Canadian heritage and mixed race identity frequently inform his writing. The Book of Negroes is his third novel, following Some Great Thing (1992) and Any Known Blood (1997).
Hill came upon the idea for The Book of Negroes in a book he borrowed from his parents about 20 years ago. The Black Loyalists, written by historian James Walker and published in 1980, tells how black Americans settled in Nova Scotia after serving the British in the Revolutionary War. Walker described how many of these men and women later abandoned harsh racism in Nova Scotia for life in Sierra Leone. Canada, Hill learned, was home to the world’s first “back to Africa” movement. What most captured his imagination, however, was this single, astonishing fact: A number of the blacks traveling to Sierra Leone had originally been born in Africa.
“Wow! What a story,” Hill recalls thinking at the time. “What kind of person – what kind of woman – might have lived in such a way as to be born in Africa, shipped into slavery in the United States, made it up to Canada, and then chose voluntarily to go back to Africa? I was very impressed by the idea.”
In Canada, you can purchase an illustrated version of this book. I saw the book when I was home at Christmas. It is gorgeous with it's illustrations of the lives of black in the 1700's. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great novel or historical fiction. Author Hill has brought to life a little unknown piece of history.
********************* Thank you Esme for such a wonderful review! I've never heard of his book — I'm definitely intrigued. Please visit Esme at Chocolate and Croissants!
Partials by Dan Wells Publisher: Balzer + Bray (February 28th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 472 pages Source: Publisher Series: Partials #1 Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.
When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.
Review:
If you are a reader who likes a challenging book, Partials is the one to grab! Partials was a surprising read for me. I expected it to be great but it really brought a lot of science and detail into a dystopian world. Most of the humans have been killed by an airborne virus. The ones who have survived are scrambling to find a way to save the children being born, and soon dying, from the disease as well. So far, no child has been born immune and it seems the human race will soon die off completely.
Kira is a medic. She is a 16-year-old who is intelligent far beyond her years, and her and her friends are well aware of the issues that plague the human race. To make things worse, it's not just the virus causing issues. Politics are causing people to rebel and n ow the leaders are trying to show more power as a way to make people listen.
Soon, Kira comes up with a plan that she feels will help save the humans. She will study a Partial, an engineered being that everyone feels is responsible for the spread of the virus years ago. Her and her friends go into dangerous territory to find a Partial and this journey shows her a lot more than she expected.
Dan Wells is a brilliant writer. The world we are introduced to in Partials is scary, desolate, and all too possible. A virus spreading quickly across the planet is a real threat so I think that's why Partials is such a frighting story. Dan brought a lot of science into this story. He didn't leave us with questions as to what exactly had happened to the rest of the humans. We know about the virus, what it did to the victims, and how it spreads. I loved that the readers can really feel like they take part in deconstructing the virus itself and seeing what can be done to stop it. This was really a book that allows readers to step back and think about what's going on, and attempt to figure it out with the characters.
Although few humans survived, I got a good idea of how the remaining population lived in their new surroundings. The young adults (and very young teens) were critical to the survival of the race. The political figures always made that clear and in a way it showed how the younger population had more power than one would think
The characters we meet in Partials were so well developed and interesting. Kira was intelligent, focused, and extraordinarily brave. She thought of herself last. Her friends were always at the top of her list. Kira's friends were each so different and brought so much to the story.
Probably the most surprising part of this book to me was just the visuals. Dan Wells used honest, descriptive language to describe a world that is harsh and ruined. Everything from the broken roads, abandoned homes and skyscrapers, decaying remains, and wild animals were things I could picture with such clarity. I saw it like a movie or one of those Discovery shows that that go through what would happen if humans didn't exist. It's so frightening.
If you are thinking of taking a chance and reading a post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel, pick up Partials!
Dan Wells did a remarkable job bringing this world to light and showing a harsh reality. Partials had everything I could hope for in a fabulous YA novel!
Recommended: Lovers of post-apocalyptic/dystopian, science fiction, with strong characters and outstanding world-building.
1. Your YA debut book Shade was a huge hit (and one of my all-time favorite books!), what surprised you the most once you stepped into the YA world? Thanks, Jessica! I was honestly surprised by the excitement people showed over SHADE. I mean, I loved it, of course, since it was my book, but I’d never experienced that kind of massive swell of enthusiasm for a novel before. I’ve been really touched by tales of how it made readers cry and how they could relate to Aura. 3. If you had the ability to see ghosts, like Aura and others born after the Shift, how do you think you would handle it?
I would probably try to block them out as much as possible, using any means necessary. I’d probably always have my earbuds in so I couldn’t hear them, and whenever I wasn’t in a BlackBoxed building to keep out ghosts, I’d wear as much red as possible to repel them. Then again, that’s coming from the perspective of someone who would be tossed into that world as an adult. The “post-Shifters” in SHADE don’t know any other kind of life. They’ve seen ghosts ever since they were born. So I think they take a more blasé approach to them. They’ve learned ways to blot them out, but they also refuse to let ghosts run their lives. They’re not scared of them at all (except the really creepy ones, and shades, of course, who can hurt them).
4. Do you have any other YA projects in the works other than the Shade series? I have a YA vampire short story coming out in November in an anthology called ETERNAL: MORE LOVE STORIES WITH BITE. “Thief” takes place in the same world (with the same vampire rules) as my adult vampire series, but with completely different characters and setting. The four young adult characters are Irish Travellers from South Carolina, who Since I always get attached to my characters, it might be fun to turn that into a series one day. I also have one of those Super Sekrit projects in my head, for a big stand-alone YA. Hopefully I’ll have more details on that next year. It definitely needs a few months to percolate before I start writing. It’ll be that long before I find room in my crazy deadline schedule, anyway! 5. I, like many others, am really excited for the release of Shift next May. Can you tell us a little about the book, and what else to expect from this series? In SHIFT, we’ll find out the answers to a lot of Aura’s questions about her parents and their connection to the Shift. But of course those answers will lead to more questions, as answers often do. On the personal side, the love triangle will be settled, but not until after it gets much more complicated (a love pentagon?). After that, I’m not sure how many books there’ll be. Originally I thought there would be a total of four, but after writing SHIFT, the number 3 keeps coming up as significant. So think it would be better as a trilogy. But I need to start writing Book 3 before I can be sure. I know what the main event is, but I’m not sure how far-reaching its effects will be. Which is a fancy way of saying I don’t know how it all ends.; -) But seriously, I used to know how it ended but after writing SHIFT I’m getting some new ideas, so… we’ll see. I’m very excited to start writing Book 3 and to find out how it all unfolds.
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready Publisher: Simon Pulse (May 4th, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Series: Shade, book #1 Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart… and clues to the secret of the Shift.
USE GOOGLE to read my review of SHADE To find Jeri Smith-Ready: Jeri Smith-Ready / Twitter / Facebook / Blog / Goodreads
Purchase Shade: Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes & Noble
Ada Adams, author of the book ReVamped, is here today to tell us about the characters from her book. She has also been kind enough to offer up a signed copy of ReVamped to one lucky winner! Sign up below.
Thank you very much for having me on your wonderful blog today! I am honored to be here and excited to share some exclusive information about the main characters of my new novel, ReVamped!
Age: 19 in 2015 Birthday: July 5th, 1996. Birthplace: Undisclosed, USA Eyes: Violet Hair: Brown, Long, Wavy Height: 5’6 Dawn is a special kind of vampire—a Born. In total, only about five vampires are born in the world in every generation. A Born vampire is stronger than any Made vampire, and ages and grows just like a human child until she gives birth to her own offspring. Dawn doesn’t know much about her mother (who died in childbirth) or her past, and throughout the novel, we find out that her father has guarded some very monumental secrets from her. Dawn had spent her entire life within the confines of the Scarlet House (her vampire father’s presidential headquarters). She had always dreamed of being allowed to venture out on her own mission, and is ecstatic when she’s finally tasked with revamping a group of four misfits into strong and powerful guardians of a little town called Angel Creek. Her father had ensured that she has had the best academic and combat training, but being sheltered from the outside world prevented Dawn from having much of a social life. She’s is very shy and guarded around guys, so when she ventures out into Angel Creek and meets Ethan and Sebastian, it’s not surprising that they turn her world upside down. Dawn is very caring when it comes to her friends—she constantly puts others ahead of herself. While the misfits drive her crazy on more occasion than one, she always comes to their aid whenever necessary.
Vampire – Made Age: 21 in 2015 Birthday: November 18th, 1853. Turned: July 7th, 1875. Birthplace: Angel Creek, USA Eyes: Light Grey Hair: Black, Longish, Curly Height: 6’2 Before Dawn ever meets Sebastian, Hannah, the gossipy waitress from the Angel Creek Diner, has this to say about him: “Sebastian York is a twenty-one year-old Scorpio. He has gorgeous light gray eyes, the color of sparkling glaciers. His midnight-black hair is slightly curly, and just long enough to make you daydream about running your fingers through his locks. He’s super tall and really, really hot. Just try to peel your eyes away from all those lean muscles! Yum! He’s brooding, mysterious, strong, and self-deprecating (or at least, he seems like the type)—the perfect vampire!” However, upon meeting him, Dawn doesn’t receive the best first impression of Sebastian. He’s rude, moody, and clearly wants nothing to do with her or her mission in Angel Creek. Throughout the novel, we find out that there is much more to Sebastian than meets the eye. His ties to Angel Creek, and even Dawn herself are essential to Dawn discovering more about her past. Soon, she finds herself falling for him despite her desire to stay away, but Sebastian’s secrets may shatter her world.
Age: 23 in 2015 Birthday: July 24th, 1992. Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA Eyes: Hazel Hair: Blond, Short Height: 5’11 The moment Dawn meets the cute, kind Angel Creek bartender, she’s completely smitten with him. So much so that she even forgets how to talk! Everything about Ethan is effortless, warm, and safe. However, as we learn more about the seemingly perfect Ethan, we discover that he’s harboring some very dark secrets that could be detrimental to both Dawn’s mission and her safety.
The Misfits
Vampire – Made Age: 17 in 2015 (Forever) Birthday: March 29th, 1942. Turned: May 10th, 1960. Birthplace: Sacramento, California, USA Eyes: Dark Blue Hair: Blonde, Shoulder-Length, Straight, Bangs Height: 5’5 Brooke has spent most of her vampire life travelling around the country, enrolling in countless high-schools, and vying for cheer captain spots and prom queen crowns. While at first glance, she seems like a shallow, boy-crazy girl (and one some extent she is), she’s also haunted by her past. Her father had abandoned her for his political career, so ever since then, Brooke has been trying to cling on to the only thing that brings her a sense of comfort and stability—the quest for popularity. Brooke is the type of character you will either love or love to hate, but as the series develops, we will see her grow and mature as she faces certain challenges. There is also a rumor that there may be an unexpected romantic interest in her future!
Vampire – Made Age: 18 in 2015 (Forever) Birthday: April 17th, 1900. Turned: August, 9th, 1918. Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, USA Eyes: Dark Brown Hair: Black, Bun Height: 5’0 Sophie is a sweet, shy girl. She has been a vampire since the 1920’s and currently works at the Angel Creek Library. She is very smart and loves to read, but she’s not the greatest vampire. In fact, she knows very little about her kind, so her transformation into one of Angel Creek’s guardians is a slow and laborious one. Sophie was turned by her best friend, Charlotte—a girl she considered to be her sister. However, due to the fact that Sophie was of lower status in society, Charlotte broke off their relationship when it came time to choose between inheriting her family’s wealth or her friendship with Sophie. Sophie still harbors a deep love for Charlotte, despite the fact that it has been almost a hundred years since she has last seen her.
Vampire – Made Age: 21 in 2015 (Forever) Birthday: October, 16th, 1961. Turned: June 23rd, 1983. Birthplace: Owensboro, Kentucky, USA Eyes: Green Hair: Brown (Blue and Green Streaks, Red Tips), Long, Ponytail Height: 6’1 Hunter’s motto in life is “the louder, the faster, the better”. He’s an ex-80’s rock star who, even after being turned by a vampire groupie, hasn’t abandoned his bad-boy ways. When Dawn first meets him, she finds out that Hunter has been drinking the blood of drunks and junkies and has no plans for being reformed. Dawn is not only tasked with running a homemade rehab program for him, but also has to find a way to get him on board as one of Angel Creek’s guardians.
Vampire – Made Age: 16 in 2015 (Forever) Birthday: March 3rd, 1999.Turned: June 25th, 2015. Birthplace: Angel Creek, USA Eyes: Dark Brown Hair: Black, Short Height: 5’8 Seth is the youngest member of the group—both in human and in vampire years. He had been turned only two weeks before Dawn arrives to Angel Creek for her mission, by none other than Brooke herself! While most people in society admire vampires, Seth’s family is against “the fad”. Therefore, Seth must hide his transformation from his parents, while training with Dawn and learning about his new abilities (which are few and far between—his five-year-old brother can still beat him up)!
Who is Aurora, you ask? You’ll have to read ReVamped to find out! I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into some of ReVamped’s characters! ReVamped is only the first book in the series—an introduction to the characters. In the upcoming books, we will learn much more about the characters’ pasts, as well as witness development in their personalities and love lives!; ) If you have read the book, I would love to know: “Who is your favorite member of the ReVamped gang?”
ReVamped by Ada Adams Published: February 20th, 2012 Paperback: 300 pages Reading Level: Young Adult Series: Angel Creek #1 A simple mission turned deadly.
Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.
When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a SIGNED copy of ReVamped by Ada Adams.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 (or have permission) to enter.
Name and email must be provided.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US only and ends May 2nd.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
SNAP DECISION: MAYBE TONIGHT? By Bridie Clark On Sale August 6, 2013 Paperback: 224 pages Summary: Maybe Tonight? opens as the reader is getting ready for the most exciting party of the year—Midwinter’s Night Dream, set in the frosty woods just off campus—with her roommates and best friends Annabel Snow, Spider Harris, and Libby Monroe. Choices unfold quickly and the reader must decide which risks to take in pursuit of social status, adventure, success, and love. Guest Post by Bridie Clark on NYC! New York City seems to work its way into everything I write. My first two adult novels, Because She Can and The Overnight Socialite, take place there. And although the Snap Decision series—my first foray into the YA world—is set on the leafy green New Hampshire campus of Kings Academy, somehow the reader gets invited to party with A-list celebs in Manhattan. That happens to every freshman girl, right? I don’t know, a book just doesn’t seem complete until it sticks a toe into New York City.
I don’t live in the city anymore and it hurts me to admit that. I think it’s temporary. Well, maybe not exactly temporary—but not permanent, either. I love New York, love everything about it, and I’ve been there many a stinking-hot August.
I wrote and then rewrote my first novel in New York, while living in a shoebox studio apartment on Christopher Street. Every day I would break from writing to run down to the Hudson River, fighting against the steady current of cross-dressing teenagers emerging from the subway. When the doorbell of my studio rang, it was almost always my now husband with a bag of Westville take-out. We would eat on a blanket spread out on the floor. When the book came out, we were married and living on the Upper West Side and we had a table (a horrible, sharp-edged glass table that has since vanished without a trace… poof). In the next blink, we were living on East 66th Street. I was pregnant and working on my second book. When our daughter was born, it proved hard to focus where I could hear her (I would elbow out our amazing babysitter to get to the babe’s dirty diaper), so I spent a few hours each day at the Society Library on 79th Street. I loved that place. Not only was it practically free, it was teeming with writers who seemed so industrious and legit that I would have been ashamed to surf the internet in their presence.
Now I just make it into the city to see friends. Don’t love this as much as I thought I would (other than the seeing my friends part). My feeling about New York is that you’re either in or you’re out. Stopping by occasionally feels touristy. I don’t want to be a tourist in a city that used to feel like home. Maybe someday it’ll be home again. Until then, it’ll be one for my characters. GIVEAWAY:
Snap Decision: Are you going out or staying in tonight? One (1) winner receives: · Copy of Snap Decision: Maybe Tonight? andwinner’s choice: Either a $15 Fandango gift card for a night out or a $15 iTunes gift card for a night in. Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only. Prizing & samples courtesy of Macmillan. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Learn more about the book at http://www.macteenbooks.com/books/spring2013/maybetonight.php Learn more about the author at http://www.bridieclark.com/ Follow Macmillan and Bridie Clark on Twitter and join the conversation using #MaybeTonight
About the Author Bridie Clark has worked as a book and magazine editor and written for the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and New York magazine. Her novels Because She Can and The Overnight Socialite have been published in nineteen countries and featured in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Glamour UK. She was born in West Hartford, Connecticut and currently lives in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Stephanie Thomas has stopped by today to tell us a little about the world we will see in her book Luminosity. Be sure to sign up for the giveaway below!
Can you describe the world we will read about in Luminosity?
Luminosity is set in a dystopian world. The first book of The Raven Chronicles mostly takes place in The City, which is… exactly what it sounds like: a city! This city was created after a war that destroyed most of what was formally known as America. The survivors rebuilt on the East Coast, in this city that is protected with a force field-like shield and an electric barrier fence.
The City is mostly a dark place. In my head, I pictured it kind of like Gothim City. The “normal” people who live inside The City are called Citizens. They are kept inside the barricades for their own safety from whatever lies outside the fences. They must abide by curfew and other rules, but they don’t think of themselves as being oppressed. In fact, they are quite happy to have a place that is deemed safe enough to thrive.
The Seers are those who have the ability to see into the future and have been tasked with protecting the Citizens to the best of their ability. They live in the Institution, which is the tallest and most central building of The City. You’ll have to read to find out more about this mysterious place!
The only other place mentioned in book one would be Aura, where the Dreamcatchers live. Little is known about Aura as it’s so far away and houses the enemy.
Technology also has a huge role to play in Luminosity, though it is staggered and a bit inconsistent at best. The Seers definitely have some advanced technology, but there are times where it might be thought the Dreamcatchers know a bit more about what they are working with in that regard. It’s an interesting element to explore, since science and technology can be used to help and to hurt depending on whose hands it falls into.
I hope you enjoy the world I’ve created! I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to give anything away, so if you are curious, you’ll have to take a peek for yourself and see! Happy Reading!
About Stephanie: Stephanie Thomas has been writing ever since she could put letters together to form words. When she was a small child, she would present her mother and father with self-made newspapers filled up with make believe stories and pictures. Her love for writing followed her all throughout her schooling, where she entered and won writing contests of all sorts. Stephanie decided to become an English teacher and completed her B.A. at The Pennsylvania State University. While teaching, she later went on to get her Master’s in writing from The Johns Hopkins University. She completed her very first manuscript during her graduate studies, and by the end of the program, she had completed two more. Stephanie is quick to tell anyone that she’s a born and raised Philadelphian, and her heart will always belong there. She moved to Baltimore with her husband, and they’ve been living there for the last five years with their doggie, Sailor, and their rabbit, Buns (aka “T Sizzle).
Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas Published: Entangled Publishing (November 13th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 296 pages Series: Raven Chronicles #1 My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since.
The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.
But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win.
Tour Wide Giveaway! Prize: A Signed Copy of Luminosity, A Raven Pepsi Bottle Cap Necklace, and Swag.
Thanks to my Blogoversary, I have a few Guest Reviews to share! This weeks Guest Reviewer is Amber from Just Your Typical Book Blog.
**************************** Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart. Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart... and clues to the secret of the Shift.
Step aside werewolves, vampires, fairies, there's a new obsession in my reading pile and it's ghosts! Everyone loves a good ghost story. The unanswered questions of what happens when we all leave this world, but could you image what our lives would be like if ghosts were a normal thing to be around? In Shade we meet Aura, your typical music loving teenage girl who just so happened to be born into a generation of kids who can see and communicate with ghosts. It's not exactly a huge deal to these teens. Sure it gets annoying when you're out with friends and a random ghosts is standing in the middle of the food court table demanding you help her out. But Aura handles a lot of it like it's a piece of cake. Until her boyfriend, Logan the future rock star, becomes a ghost. The relationship between Aura and her boyfriend Logan is not only truly realistic but so heartbreaking. I didn't expect to tear up while reading this, but I did. I loved learning bits of pieces of how these two formed their relationship together. Aura is my type of female character. While most characters would be moping around, Aura takes it a day at a time. She's head strong, tough, but at the same time she sensitive. The plot to this story is fast paced which kept me glued. There are many hints of things that keep you guessing what's going to happen next. I was constantly wondering what Aura was going to do with Logan on the verge of turning into a Shade. Not to mention the new guy in town, Zachary. My alerts were going off like crazy when he was introduced. We all know how those new boys can be. My only dislike throughout this novel was how fast Aura and Zachary's relationship developed, but the two have a certain connection that has many unanswered questions — ones I'm very excited to see in the next installment. Jeri Smith-Ready writing is very addictive and wonderful. She knows how to hook a reader. If you weren't aware she's also a bit evil. Yes, you've been warned this one has a cliffhanger, a wonderful teasing evil one that has me dying to read more. I haven't read anything else by Jeri, but if this is just a taste of what her adult books are like, then consider me sold! *************************** Big thanks to Amber from Just Your Typical Book Blog! I bought my copy of Shade during BEA at the signing at Books of Wonder but it's currently under a large pile of "To Be Read" books so I really appreciate the review! This review definitely made me want to move the book up in the pile! Please visit Amber at Just Your Typical Book Blog and check out her original review. If you're interested in becoming a Guest Reviewer, please visit this page and email me at google at gmail dot com for more information!
"Not only a page turner, but a 'stay-up-all-night-to-finish' book!" — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart. Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever.Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift."
Why I read this: The cover was definitely a "draw in" for me, plus the synopsis, and the author is amazingly approachable and funny — the recipe of a great read!
Plot: Set in "post-Shift", where anyone born after the Shift can see and communicate with the dead, "Shade" is a fantastically riveting read that intrigues readers from the beginning. The idea alone that the young are so separated from the older generation because of this "dis/ability" is alluring enough when you take into consideration how anyone under the age of 17 today assumes they are so disconnected from my generation or older. The plot was unlike anything I had ever read and I couldn't get enough of it.
Characters: I really connected with Aura's character; I can definitely see why she wants to get rid of her "ability" and I love how persistent she is to find the truth. This novel is so heart-breakingly honest, especially during the trial. My emotions throughout the novel ranged from "Oh my gosh are they really... " and "Oh he didn't... " (at the beginning), to mortification and embarrassment (towards the end), and finally settled at "I need the next book!" (the last page). These characters were so real to me that I felt like I had went on this journey right along with Aura, Logan, and Zach.
Speaking of Zach, he definitely gets my vote (can you say "sweetheart"!). His whole story line was definitely intriguing, page turning, and completely surprising.
Cover: This cover is SO eye-catching and alluring, before even meeting the author or reading the synopsis I knew I wanted to read this book due to the beautiful cover.
Random Thoughts: I'm just going to say... I need the next book.
Final Thoughts: I am so upset that I let this book sit on my bookshelf for seven months. It was so fantastic! Not only a page turner, but a "stay up all night to finish" book! I definitely recommend this novel to readers of all ages who are looking for an exciting read. I love this book so much it'll be my first classroom book talk for the New Year! Definitely read this novel.
Today I am a stop on the Awaken blog tour. I have the lovely Katie Kacvinsky here to answer some questions and I will be giving away a finished copy of Awaken to one lucky reader.
1. Can you tell us a little about your past in the entertainment industry and your time as a teacher?
I took time off of college when I was nineteen and moved to Los Angeles. I’ve always had a huge passion for film and I wanted to work in the entertainment industry. In the year and a half that I lived there, I worked on a movie set as an a assistant to the director, worked for a production company, worked at a stand up comedy club and wrote on the side. Later, after I went back to school and graduated from college, I realized that no matter what I did it had to involve writing. I wanted to inspire kids to write, which is why I became a high school English teacher. I also love working with teenagers—I think high school is such an interesting phase and kids go through so many changes.
2. What made you decide to pursue writing?
I’ve always written. It’s an outlet, a form or entertainment, a mobile therapist, and a friend. I majored in journalism in college, but fiction writing has always been my passion. I love the creative liberty. I started writing books that I wish were on the shelves. I just write stories I would want to read.
3. Can you tell us about the main characters in Awaken, Maddie and Justin?
Maddie was born out of some journaling I did when I moved to Oregon. I was entranced by the beauty of this state—the rainforests and oceans and valleys. I was constantly outside hiking and exploring and I started realizing how much people miss when they’re always online. That’s how Maddie was created—this trapped, spirited character craving more than her confined life. Then, I thought, how cool would it be if someone came around to open her up? Open that lid and help her crawl out? That’s how Justin was born. He represents the “real” world. In so many ways Maddie is asleep and Justin needs to wake her up. I liked that idea. I thought it was romantic and interesting.
4. What originally made you want to tell this story?
I wanted to write a thought-provoking love story. So many love stories I read have a good romance, but the plot falls short. I find myself skimming over the storyline, just to get to the love scenes. I wanted to write a book with a plot that was gripping enough to keep the reader engaged. I love dystopian stories, especially when they’re focused around technology. I definitely think technology has its perks but I also think it’s important to keep it in check.
5. In a world where computers are used for everything, do you think that the main idea of your story could come true someday, or that in some way it already is true?
I think if we continue on the path we’re going my story could easily come true, and in many ways we are already there. We work, shop, order food, date, socialize, watch movies, read, take classes and can even exercise through a computer. The problem with this convenience is it’s getting harder and harder to turn off. I feel like you can either be excited for the future, or you can fear it. Lately, I live on the side of fearing it.
Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Children (May 23rd, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 352 pages
Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her. Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking. In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a copy of Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky.
Rules:
You must be at least 13 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US Only and ends June 1st.
Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
The form must be filled out to enter.
Find Katie Kacvinsk y | Website
Purchase Awaken Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
I'd like to welcome Preetham Grandhi as today's Guest Author.
A couple weeks ago Preetham was great enough to send me a copy of "A Circle of Souls" for review. The review will be up later tonight — and I can't wait for everyone to read it! But without further ado, please welcome Preetham Grandhi!
Mr. Preetham Grandhi, tell us about you.
Preetham: I was born and raised in Bangalore, in south India. I went to Baldwin Boys high School, one of the old British schools in Bangalore. Soon after high school I went to into medical school followed by residency in America. After my graduation from the Child Study Center at Yale, I have been the chief of service for House 5 at Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center. I am devoted to helping young children gain insight into their emotional and behavioral needs and empower them to maximize their inner potential. I also have a private practice and reside in Westchester County, New York, with my family. My wife has also just published her first cookbook titled "Spice up your life: The flexitarian way," and our seven year old son presented his first story at school titled, "Hal the howling monkey."
What was it like writing "A Circle of Souls"?
It was one of the most challenging things I have ever done and I thought going to medical school was hard. Writing the book and more so promoting the book is harder.
How long did it take you to write "A Circle of Souls"?
It took me four and a half years to write. I actually wrote the first draft in 1 and half years, it took me the rest of the time to revise over 15 times.
Where did the idea for this book come from?
It was a few months post 9/11, and I was looking at the biographies of the people who had lost their lives. I began to wonder if there was a larger meaning to their lives. All of a sudden, a story flashed into my mind, and I quickly wrote it on a piece of paper. I knew then that I needed to write a story that was larger than life. It needed to communicate the essence that there is a bigger purpose and meaning to our passage on earth. I knew that in order to capture and convey such a message, the book needed to be captivating, interesting, and thrilling. I realized that a story based on the work I do would be the right place to begin. I am a child psychiatrist and had just started a new job. During my fellowship, I worked with children with numerous psychosocial issues and had many life stories to tell. It was at that moment that I decided I could write a book that would capture all these thoughts. That was how A Circle of Souls was born.
Any advice for aspiring authors?
Never give up, anything is possible but you will never know it if you don't do your half.
What are the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of writing?
The hardest thing is writers block, especially if it lingers for weeks on end. The most rewarding thing is when people read it and say they like it.
If you could be any literary character, who would you be and why?
Tintin from the comic series, for all the adventures he has.
What is in your CD player/iPOD right now?
I like Paul Van Dyke, the rhythmic beats are very soothing and gets me to the pace where I can begin to write.
Again, I'd like to thank Preetham Grandhi for stopping by and sending me "A Cirlce Of Souls" for review! Check out his website here. I'd like to pass on this book — but I don't know if I can part with it. But I still highly recommend you purchase it or look for it at your library.
This year's very first Guest Reviewer is Esme, from Chocolate and Croissants!
******************* From Kathryn Stockett... "Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step. Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed."
Sometimes you read a book that speaks to you from the heart, The Help is one of those books. Author Kathryn Stockett brings to life the story of three women living in Jackson Mississippi in the early 60's as the civil rights movement was reaching the deep South.
For me, I was able to picture the women, the homes they lived in and their friends. First time novelist, does a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life. The women are seemingly as different from one another as can be, but come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
Each woman has her own cross to bear and social graces to maintain. Skeeter, a recent college graduate returns to her parent's home after graduation. Yearning to be a journalist, her mother is more concerned about Skeeter's clothes and hair and the trust fund that she find her a suitable husband. Hoping to land a job at a publishing house Skeeter writes the stories of black maids in Jackson. Her main ally is Aiblileen, an older wise maid raising her seventeenth white child. Aibileen is troubled that the children she raises may become an extension of their parent's racism. Suffering from the loss of her own child, she empowers Mae Moberly to realize, she is important, smart and beautiful. At the risk of being fired she teaches the little girl lessons about Martian Luther King and that love comes from what is inside of you. Minny, Aibileen's best friend is the best cook in Jackson, but loses her jobs because she sasses the missus back. Together the three women rally the black maid community to tell their stories. What fascinated me about the book was the author's impetus for the story. Raised in Jackson herself. Her family had a maid, Demetrie. Stockett loved her maid, after her parents divorced her maid was a surrogate mother for her. Someone's shoulder she could cry on or a lap to crawl on.
To quote Stockett " Our family maid, Demetrie, used to say picking cotton in Mississippi in the dead of summer is about the worst pastime there is, if you don't count picking okra, another prickly, low-growing thing. Demetrie used to tell us all kinds of stores about picking cotton as a girl. She'd laugh and shaker her finger at us, waring us against it, as if a bunch of rich white kids might fall to the evils of cotton-picking like cigarettes or hard liquor." Demetrie was born in Lampkin, Mississippi, in 1927. It was a horrifying year to be born, just before the Depression set in. No-one ever asked Demetrie her story, what it was like to work for a white family.
There is one line in The Help, the author truly prizes, which brings home the point of the book. We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.
If you can fit one more book onto your bookshelf for the year. Chose The Help. ********************** Esme, thank you so much for the great review! Please stop by Chocolate and Croissants and share some book love! Check out her original review here.
Hey again street teamers! We now have 110 members. WOW! That's so incredible. Thanks to everyone again for your tweets and blog posts. We really appreciate it! Still want to sign up? Just USE GOOGLE!
Do you want to show off your DAUNTLESS spirit on facebook? There are new graphics you can check out here. Just click and download!
Last week's challenge is complete and 2 brave members created vlogs talking about"What it means to be Dauntless". We are so proud of them! Since this was a hard challenge, BOTH people will get swag packs!
Here are the links to their vlogs. Steph's Book Corner Lover of Paranormal Now, for new business. First make sure you check out the information for FREE FOUR. If enough people pre-order INSURGENT, we will get to hear from FOUR's point-of-view. Amazing, right?!
We promised we would share answers from the street team members on why each person wanted to join the Dauntless faction. We are going to share the answers from the first 30 members. More will be posted next week.
I completely identified with Tris's decision in Divergent and love the fearlessness behind the DAUNTLESS. — Sara's Books and Life
I want to stand tall and not be afraid. I want to live on my will power and not be a coward. - Beata M.
Because I'm fierce, I love adrenaline rushes and good tattoos. - JustJmac's Facebook
Living Dauntless is to face life's fears and obstacles and cleverly overcome them. There is no better way to live! - Fiction State of Mind
I honestly wasn't sure I was Dauntless until I re-read Divergent and I realized that I loved surprises and I would be the kid who is scared of nights but would jump off the building anyways. I'm a strong person and once I get something stuck in my head, I'm determined to see it through. - Reading the Best of the Best
I've lived my life trusting my instincts to survive and overcome many things. I intend to continue in this manner. I trust Tris and Four's example of choosing DAUNTLESS and believe that DAUNTLESS is my faction as well. - Novels by G. Donald Cribbs
Because I believe in facing your fears and living in the moment like the Dauntless do. Don't be afraid to live life to the fullest; don't let your fears keep you from doing what you want. - Paranormal Dystopia
I try to be brave. I don't want to be afraid anymore. - Stephanie Diaz
Because I'm into tattoos and piercings: P - Fighting Dreamer
I am the old Dauntless. The one who cherishes strength and bravery. Not being a bully and standing up for what you think is right. It's where I belong and where I could find myself. - Paper Cuts
I want to join the DAUNTLESS faction because I feel it is where I belong. I am a strong, independent person who is fearless when it comes to the tasks at hand. I think I would make a great addition to Dauntless. - Steph's Book Corner
Because for so long I've been selfless and taught to do such. I want to be brave and learn to face fear head on. To come out completely out of the shy shell I used to live in.^^ - The Dauntless Writer
Bravery before brains, bravery before blood, bravery for beliefs. - Misty's Book Mess
The Dauntless aren't afraid to march to the beat of their own drum. Having the guts to be who you really are is true courage. - Starting the Next Chapter
Short and simple: because Tris is amazing and the strength she gains by being a dauntless is fantastic. I want to learn to face my fears like her! - The O.W.L
I want to be in the Dauntless faction because I believe that a person must have the determination and will to learn. To do great things you need to perservere and step out of your comfort zone and that is what makes up courage. It's not how strong you are or how tough you look but it's how far you're willing to go for the faction or anything else. I want to be in the Dauntless faction because I want to experience what it's like to explore new things and be able to face trials and obstacles head on. I want to be brave and I know I can do good. - Soul Sisters
I've been fearless my entire life. It's about time I flaunt it!! - The ParaHangover
Joined Dauntless for the knowledge that I could face anything and come out on top. - 600 Sugarcubes
I was born to be Dauntless, it's in my blood. - tanemax
Knowing me, I would be born into Dauntless. I have always be"encouraged" to try everything and anything. I'm a natural fighter, but as well as intelligent. But I'm not cocky like those Erudites; D. Naturally I belong in Dauntless; D - The Reading Fish
I would want to join the Dauntless faction because I want to face my fears head on and I wish for my life to be exciting and to live life to the fullest and I find that would be fulfilled best in the Dauntless Faction. Plus I always wanted to use moving trains as my transportation. - LifeOffTheRails
The Dauntless are brave regardless of the circumstances that they are faced with! - TwiWildflower
Because I am DAUNTLESS! oh and Yara asked me too=) - A Book-Lovers Review
Hummm… Why the Dauntless faction? Was there ever even another option? We ROCK! Hands Down! Enough Said!: ) - Lover of Paranormal
Dauntless gives me the option to do things that I've always wanted to do but never could. I try to be this good kid all the time, but every now and then I'm just not. I am really proud when I do something that normal people wouldn't think of doing because it could ruin an object or hurt them. I've started to becomem very brave and bold, and I want to be free to do that. - Brooke R.
Dauntless are afraid, but act anyways. - Books Were My First Friends
I was to be a Dauntless member, because I want to learn to master and conquer my fears! Also jumping on and off of trains is rather appealing! PLUS the dauntless don't hide they face everything head on with no nonsense! - Moonlight Book Reviews
I love to read and support authors. — Tamara
- The Magic Attic
Assignments
1. This week's hashtag will be #FaceYourFears. - Tweet, or blog, telling us about your fears or one that you have faced lately. - It can be anything, big or small. Being Dauntless is just having the courage to face what you are afraid of.
2. Keep spreading the word about the Dauntless links. - Make sure you visit them yourself. There are new things added to the Dauntless tumblr site each day. - Use the hashtags #TeamDauntless, #DauntlessFaction, and #DivergentNation with the links http://bit.ly/dauntlessfaction and http://bit.ly/choose_dauntless
3. Another email will be sent to street team members on Friday. - We have a surprise in store and we need your help with it!
4. There are some huge giveaways going on now. - You can still enter to win a NOOK with an ebook of INSURGENT. - Our big giveaway this week was for a Breaking Dawn poster SIGNED by Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner and a Mockingjay pin from Comic Con! - Remember: You can enter these 2 giveaways each day.
Challenge
This week, we are asking members to blog about all-things DAUNTLESS. We have 3 topics to choose from. Post your answers and leave the link to where we can find the post. Here are your 3 choices:
Movie Night: List of movies that would be shown for a Dauntless movie night.
List of actors you want to play in the Dauntless faction
Dauntless required reading
Use any graphics you would like. They can be found on the various Dauntless posts. Please include links to the two sites http://bit.ly/dauntlessfaction and http://bit.ly/choose_dauntless so people can find more information about #DivergentNation.
This challenge will be open until next Tuesday, April 17th. Make sure you put your link in the linky tool below!
This year we have 23 authors that I'll be featuring over 7 days and each day you'll have a chance to enter to win! There's also a scavenger hunt going on, so be sure to check out The Crossroads Tour Post to see what questions will be asked, what blog you'll be able to find the answer on and enter to win! Today I am featuring Dorothy Dreyer, Sarah Bromley, and Ty Drago. Be sure to check out the rafflecopter giveaway, too!
1. Tell us what makes Zadie such a great character. What are a few things we need to know about her personality?
Zadie is no ordinary girl, as one might be able to gather from the book blurb. She has powers, though she doesn’t quite know how to control them. But I don’t think it’s her powers that make her so great; I think it’s the love she has of her family. She would go to any lengths to protect them, to save them, and to keep them alive. She has a big heart she just has to learn to trust it.
2. Share with us your favorite line from My Sister’s Reaper.
The leather cover was smooth under my fingertips, worn with age, but the photograph tucked along its binding grated against my heart like sandpaper.
1. A Murder of Magpies will be coming out next year. What can you tell us about the book?
I wrote the book in 2008 after a hiatus during which my first two children were born. Vayda and Ward were both so strong in my head, and I knew there was no putting off their story. I am firm believer that the things our parents do can trickle down and, in some cases, taint us. Curse us. Vayda and her twin, Jonah, experience a lot of that, and Ward does as well. Vayda and Jonah come from a background of murder and scandal and have been in hiding in Black Orchard for two years. Ward is the first person either of them has grown to trust, and they know it can go terribly wrong in a heartbeat. They fight against expectations placed on them, but as they do so, they all uncover secrets about their families, truths they weren’t prepared to face.
2. Can you share an excerpt from the story?
I can! My publisher, Month9Books, LLC, has been gracious in letting me give you the first sneak peek at the book with the entire first chapter of A MURDER OF MAGPIES! __________________
Chapter One
Vayda
I always swore Jonah would blow our cover, and today looked ideal for a catastrophe.
We’d seen disasters, somehow crawled out of the rubble and lived. They didn’t just happen, all explosive and bombastic at once so that we had no doubt everything had changed. No, a real disaster began with a slip-up, a spark of fire that rose in the air and snuffed out. But when the ash landed, it was still hot enough to burn, and from that ember, everything we knew went up in flames.
It had happened before. I had reason to fear it would happen again.
My fingers drummed on the time-scarred armrest on a chair in Monsignor Judd’s office. Someone etched a cross into the wood five, ten, maybe twenty years ago. In an ornate stained glass window, there was no comfort in the saint’s face, only my guilt for not knowing the saint’s name. Outside the office, Monsignor stood with his fingers steepled while the heating vent blew the draping of his cassock. His ear turned to the young nun whispering with him over the manila folder of Jonah’s permanent record. Curls snaked out from her nun’s habit, and her eyes slid to watch me. Dull, dark. Nearly dead.
My hands grew warmer. I forced my breathing to slow. Calm down, Vayda girl. Nothing to get too worked up over yet.
Not easy when I was literally a magnet for emotion.
Slouching low in his chair, Jonah fidgeted with a hole in his blue trousers. A bruise purpled his cheekbone. His heat, a mix of emotion and energy, radiated with an intensity that further prickled my hands until they were scorching. I needed to cool down, put everything on ice to stabilize both myself and Jonah. I exhaled in hopes for a cold breath. I wasn’t built to absorb my twin’s fury.
You outdid yourself this time. I pointed the thought to his mind like a laser. Do you honestly think fighting with Marty Pifkin is worth all this trouble?
He avoided eye contact, naturally. That didn’t mean he didn’t hear me. And he answered soon enough, silent to all but me. Dad’s already gonna read me the riot act. Don’t give me any grief, especially since I was defending you.
Defending me from Marty Pifkin of all people. Let it go. What’s done is done. I didn’t know whether to give my brother a good wallop upside the head like our mom would have or pray we’d skate on by. Keep at it, Jonah, and people will notice what you can do. Deliberately throwing a desk without using your hands isn’t exactly wisdom for the ages.
Why don’t you keep that in mind the next time you lose it and break all the light bulbs in the science lab? He swiped a rogue strand of long, dark hair from his face. You lack subtlety and finesse, Sis.
Subtlety. Finesse. Words sixteen-year-old boys knew oh-so-much about. I choked on a laugh and lowered my eyes to the natty, blue Chucks I paired with the Catholic school-issued plaid, wool skirt and tights. Even when I wasn’t in school, I wore long skirts most days. I could move my legs and didn’t feel so caged in.
Brushing away the glass dust on my skirt, I overlooked the blood drying on my hands and clasped them together. They were less dangerous that way.
The door to the office lobby opened. The new nun’s floor-length dress gave her the look of a black dandelion seed gliding into Monsignor’s office. He followed then finally my father walked in last, the scent of wood dust clinging to his clothes. Most parents visiting St. Anthony of Padua High School rolled in wearing suits or golf attire, and then there was Dad with his New Glarus brewery shirt and vanish-splattered jeans—evidence he’d been working on restorations when called to the school.
Even if the fight between my brother and Marty hadn’t already strained my mental barriers, I would’ve noticed the disappointment coming off Dad. He had so many of what he termed cardinal rules for Jonah and me, and right then, one whispered in my conscience: There’s a devil on every man’s shoulder, whispering in his ear. Only he decides if he’ll throw salt at the devil or feed him his soul.
“What happened, Magpie?” Dad asked, a Georgia-born drawl buttering his voice, as he checked out the cuts on my hand.
“Broken glass,” I answered.
“You ought to be more mindful, don’t you think?”
His question had everything and nothing to do with breaking glass.
Monsignor cleared his throat. “Sorry to have you back in my office so soon, Mr. Silver.”
“Twice in one week is overkill.” Dad stood behind Jonah and me, a hand on each of our shoulders.
“I’ve spoken with our new staff psychologist, Sister Polly Tremblay.” Monsignor introduced the new nun. “She was hired this year after Dr. Fernandez took a position in Madison. Sister is a licensed practitioner, educator, and bride of Christ.”
Dad raised an eyebrow. “Is she now? That’s all very impressive, Sister. Do you go by Sister Polly or Sister Tremblay?”
The nun blinked twice, no emotion registering on her face. “Sister Tremblay. Polly is from my past life.”
Monsignor grabbed the manila folder from the nun’s hands and hurried through his words. His hurrying, seemingly to get us out of his office and be done with us, made blots of sweat rise along my widow’s peak. “Sister Tremblay has acquainted herself with Jonah’s file and feels he may benefit from some sessions with her. Mr. Silver, your family came to Wisconsin two years ago, but of the people I’ve spoken with, no one really knows you.”
“I see you’re a widower running an antiques business,” Sister Tremblay added.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Dad snapped.
“The adjustment period after moving, especially when grieving and moving, can be prolonged. In that regard, two years isn’t very long at all,” Sister Tremblay answered. “Teenagers tend to cope by acting out. And if you’re as busy as I suspect—”
“I’ve got time for my kids,” Dad argued. “Always.”
The heating vent blasted more hot air into the office. My brother beside me, silent, burned with frustration, and my shoulders tightened. I crackled my knuckles, all too aware of how the lights dimmed as I did so.
Monsignor let out a sigh. “Sister Tremblay is only suggesting that talking to someone away from family could be good for Jonah.”
There was no outside the family. There never was. Hard to make friends and get past the New Kid stigma when we were either cooped up at home or at Dad’s shop under his watchful eye. No wonder our classmates thought we were weird—we were.
The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened, and I shifted in my chair for a better view into the lobby where another boy waited to talk with Monsignor. His hair curling near his jaw was the color of liquid cinnamon dashed with espresso, and a wire umbilical cord tethered an iPod to his ears as he held an icepack to his bottom lip.
Jonah’s sort of friend, Ward.
He averted his eyes from mine.
My hands grew hot again, and the overhead lights flickered, this time drawing everyone’s eyes to the ceiling. Dad’s grip pumped my shoulder.
Jonah stretched his legs. “I’m not seeing no damn shrink. Marty Pifkin’s got everyone wrapped around his finger.”
“Here we go again,” I muttered. “Jonah, stop it.”
“That guy is a creeper, and—”
I looked to Dad for sympathy. “Marty asked to compare answers on our homework and Jonah lost it.”
“—he was bothering Vayda,” my brother talked over me. “Guys like that shouldn’t be talking to her. He’s gaje. I didn’t throw the first punch, didn’t ask for Ward’s help. I barely know the kid.”
Monsignor waited until Jonah and I both quieted down. “What’s gaje?”
Jonah gave Dad a pleading look, but Dad confessed, “It means outsider, though it seems we’re the outsiders here.”
Monsignor gave a satisfied nod. “Marty claims Jonah threw a desk. That’s not behavior that will go unpunished.”
“And the physics’ lab? Every light was broken.” Sister Tremblay crossed her arms.
I sank into my chair and hid behind my hair. Those dull eyes couldn’t be avoided. I wanted out of the office. Now.
The flickering of the overhead lights grew faster. I shuddered, not cold but burning up. The poster of a kitten clinging to a clothesline cheering “Hang in there!” obviously didn’t know how fragile my grip was when so many emotion flooded a room. Usually, I could keep it together with mental barriers to deflect the constant flow of others’ feelings, but so much tension …
“You’re seriously suggesting a couple of kids broke every light bulb just like that?” Dad’s voice rose. He gestured to the palsied lights above our heads. “Y’all would be better off hiring an electrician before the school burns down.”
The room skewed left, and my vision blurred and head dizzied. Too hot, cluttered. My hands—I shut my eyes.
Energy. Rising. Must release!
Crack! A fracture drove down the length of the fluorescent light above the desk. Sister Tremblay yelped and snatched Jonah’s folder to her chest.
“Hell of a power surge.” Jonah’s black eyes searched for a way into my mind. I flung up a barrier to keep him out. Not gonna let him in, not this time. He was worried, but nothing was wrong. Except that I felt like I could spew red, white, and blue.
“Vayda, go get some fresh air,” Dad ordered. “You look flushed.”
Monsignor dismissed me, and with the expected curtsey before hoisting my backpack onto my shoulder, I cracked my knuckles one last time to diffuse the energy swelling in my hands. I stepped out of the office, out of the glow of the stained glass window, and paced near the chairs where Ward waited. Jonah started this whole mess. Marty had done nothing to me. This time. Marty never listened until Jonah made him last spring. Ever since then, Jonah had his eyes and his anger on Marty. Anything Jonah felt, I felt ten times worse. When he was happy, he was very happy, but when he was angry, he was furious.
Mom had been the same way.
“I promise you won’t go belly-up if you hold still.” Ward’s voice was deep, raw honey. His head rested against his chair, eyes shut, yet I knew he’d been watching me.
His left eye opened a crack, and I gave him a weak smile. My ears liked his voice.
Ward had been at our school only since Monday, and already he’d been cast into the same social boneyard where Jonah and I had roamed since we transferred in after Christmas break nearly two years ago. We’d tried blending with the nameless, faceless uniforms, but it wasn’t so simple. The other students never warmed to us, or we to them. We weren’t from here. We didn’t look or act like them. We were among the Avoided. But, as of yesterday, we had a shadow. A gaje shadow.
“How’s your hand?” Ward asked.
I eyed my brother and father talking to Monsignor. That Jonah hadn’t chased off Ward was a tacit tolerance of him. “A few cuts. I’ll live.” I twisted my black hair, which was long enough to skim my hips. “You hardly needed to play the white knight. Marty’s not much of a dragon, more like a salamander.”
“Maybe I like fighting salamanders.”
Chipped gray polish colored his fingernails. Artsy in an I-don’t-give-a-damn-I’ll-wear-it-if-it’s-clean way. If Monsignor noticed, that’d earn him a detention or two.
“Listen, gajo.” He didn’t deserve to be shoved to the outskirts all because of my cavalier brother. He needed to back off. While he still could. “Marty won’t bother you if you don’t bother him. Tangling with him will never be forgotten.”
His mouth twitched, neither a grin nor a frown. “I don’t scare easily.”
He slipped on his headphones and closed his eyes once more. Must be nice to be so untouched, unfazed. Must be peaceful.
“Hey,” I called. He lifted one side of his headphones. “What are you listening to?”
“Music.”
Smart ass.
Thud!
Ward’s eyes popped open and landed on the overturned chair in Monsignor’s office. A chair no one had been sitting in. Dad’s muffled voice came fast as he pulled Jonah by the arm. From the dark expression on his face, we were in for a major talking to.
“We need to leave. Now,” Dad said as he steered Jonah out of the office.
There would be no explanation to Ward of why we were leaving so fast. Dad whisked my brother and me out of Monsignor’s office, past the sanctuary where our footfalls echoed on wood floors polished by nuns until glistening. The school was a dour extension of a century-old Catholic parish. The walls in the language arts’ wing were painted rich blue, the Virgin’s color. Hung between classrooms were carvings from the Stations of the Cross, thick with dust except for the Christ’s eyes, which followed us and knew my family’s secrets and sins.
Outside was better. Riding in the car, the windows were lowered to allow in the fire-musk smell of mid-October leaves, but there was something else, an odor of buried things deep in the black earth. Dad steered into a parking lot by a grocery store. With the silence in the car, I couldn’t push back the memory of the last time we pulled over like this. Instead of a parking lot, it’d been off a highway in a forest in northern Georgia and, with the haze of morning fog guarding the Chevy we’d escaped in, Dad had vowed we were going straight to Wisconsin. There, we would start over.
Find someplace new. Claim different names.
Dad pushed his fingers through his black hair streaked with silver and set his green eyes, the same shade as mine, on my reflection in the rearview mirror. “This stops now. Your mama might’ve called what y’all do Mind Games.” The last two words were spoken slowly. “But I won’t play.”
“Yes, Sir,” Jonah and I answered.
“Mind Games, if you must work them, are private. Working them in public is how your mama found trouble.” He twisted his wedding band. “We can’t risk a repeat of Georgia.”
I jerked my head to look out the window. Black Orchard, Wisconsin. Such a pretty town despite its eerie name. Easter egg colored Victorian homes lined the streets, and people spoke with northern accents that sounded friendly no matter what was said. But pretty towns and nice people could turn on you.
Last time that happened, we escaped with nothing but our lives.
If it happened again, would we even have that?
1. What can you tell us about the third book in The Undertakers series?
SECRET OF THE CORPSE EATER raises the Undertakers’ adventures to a whole new level. The Corpses have launched a daring new scheme down in Washington D.C.: they’ve somehow replaced a sitting U.S. senator with one of their own, a trick that’s supposed to be impossible. But when Will and Sharyn go undercover as Senate Pages to foil the plot, they get even more than they bargained for. Because something haunts the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol Building. Something big and strong and impossibly fast. Something that seems to have a taste for Corpses!
But can the enemy of your enemy truly be your friend?
2. Can you tell us one word you’d use to describe Will and each of his friends?
I’ll try!
Will Ritter: Reckless Helene Boettcher: Courageous Dave “The Burgermeister” Burger: Loyal Tom Jefferson: Noble Sharyn Jefferson: Fearless
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This is a super hard list for me. I've read a huge number of books this year. 154 books as of today! Picking 10 of my favorites makes me break out in a sweat! But I will try my best.
Title: Deity Author: Janenifer L. Armentrout Publisher: Spencer Hill Press Add to Goodreads "History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time."
Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner… and so is Aiden.
If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time"training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.
But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed… and destroyed.
Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate.
Title: Easy Author: Tammara Webber Add to Goodreads A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?
When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.
Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.
When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.
Title: Onyx Author: Janenifer L. Arme ntrout Publisher: Entangled Publishing Add to Goodreads Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…
Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.
Something worse than the Arum has come to town…
The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.
But then everything changes…
I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?
No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…
Title: Partials Author: Dan Wells Publisher: Balzer + Bray Add to Goodreads The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.
Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them--connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.
Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulsepounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.
Title: In Honor Author: Jessi Kirby Publisher: Simon & Schuster Add to Goodreads Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn’s celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.
Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn’s last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn.. and ruggedly good-looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?
Title: Taking Chances Author: Molly McAdams Add to Goodreads Eighteen year old Harper has grown up under her career Marine of a father's thumb. Ready to live life her own way and experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit; she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.
Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family and emotions. Some she wasn't expecting yet, and others she never knew she was missing.
She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with her boyfriend Brandon, and her roommate's brother Chase. Covered in tattoos, known for fighting in the Underground and ridiculously muscled… they're exactly what she was always warned to stay away from, but just what she needs. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both adore and would do anything for Harper, including stepping back if it means she's happy.
Her first year away is turning out to be near perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything.
Title: The Secret of Ella & Micha Author: Jessica Sorensen Add to Goodreads Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.
Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home.
Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.
Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes.
Title: Born at Midnight Author: C.C. Hunter Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Add to Goodreads Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.
Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.
Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…
Title: The Edge of Never Author: J.A. Redmerski Add to Goodreads Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.
Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.
With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.
But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?
Title: Anew Author: Ch elsea Fine Publisher: Firefall P ublishing Add to Goodreads Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery… until she met a boy with a familiar voice.
Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.
Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past… might just be the death of her.
Now it's YOUR turn! Link up your list using the Linky below! Lisa from A Life Bound By Books is hosting the giveaway for today!! Note: This is the SAME Linky on all FIVE Co-hosting blogs.
Jennifer Echols is here today to talk about her brand new book Love Story.
If you haven't read it, or any other of Janenifer's books yet, do it! They are wonderful!
Can you tell us 10 of your guilty pleasures? Oreos Fritos American Idol Cake icing Stupid, funny movies (Hot Tub Time Machine) Phineas and Ferb Krispy Kreme doughnuts Cadbury Creme eggs COPSReno 911! Name 10 places you'd love to visit. New York Las Vegas Key West Hawaii La Jolla, California Destin, Florida Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Miami Lake Martin, Alabama (where I grew up--swimming in the lake would be nice today!) Thailand (where my husband was born)
Love Story by Janenifer Echols Publisher: MTV Books (July 19th, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 256 pages She's writing about him. he's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines.
For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter.. so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?
Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter.. except this story could come true.
Please welcome Connie, from LitMuse, as this week's Guest Reviewer.
******************* North of Beautiful — Justina Chen Headley
"Terra Rose Cooper is stunning. A tall blonde with a trim body, she could easily be a model. Except for one thing. Terra was born with a port-wine stain birthmark that covers the right cheek of her face. And she is ashamed of it. Her self-esteem suffers from it as well as being under the thumb of her controlling father. Terra longs to get away from her small Washington town and it seems like all her dreams are going to come true when she gets an acceptance letter from Williams. But, her father will not allow her to go and it seems like she is stuck under her father’s thumb, like the stain is stuck on her face no matter how many laser surgeries. But, she meets an odd, Chinese, goth boy and her future trajectory is changed." It took me awhile to get into the story but, I’m glad I persevered. It was a wonderful story of self-acceptance and beauty. The characters all have their problems and subplots that intrigue me as well as the main story – the mother’s relationship to their father, Terra’s two brothers who seem to be never there, Terra’s relationship with Erik and Karin. I also really loved the play on words. Terra’s father is a cartographer and the book is filled with map imagery of charting lives and borders… Wonderfully connected into the story that it adds another layer of the story. My favorite part is their journey to China. I’ve only been there in 2007 and it was my first time over there and travelling overseas. So it was nice to read the experiences that Terra and her mom had over there. Like seeing the hutongs and comparing it with the modern China and walking the Great Wall. Not to mention, geocaching. I never heard of it and now am very interested in finding more about it. Overall, a wonderful, reflective story. ******************* Thank you so much, Connie! What an awesome review! If anyone else has a great book to recommend to high school students, please email me (my profile has the address). Check out this post for more information on how to become a guest reviewer.
Please remember to check out Connie's blog, LitMuse, and share some book love. To Connie's original review, in my blog.
Thanks again, Connie! This is already on my book list! Check out what Megan from WriteMeg thinks about this book! Read her review!
1. What are the biggest differences now that you are promoting the second book, Purpose, from when you were promoting Promise? Releasing Promise was one of the most exciting times of my life because it was my debut. My first in everything. That also made it a lot more stressful, because I was scared to death people would hate it. Fortunately, they didn’t. J And now they’re looking forward to Purpose. Combine that with my own feeling that Purpose is a better story and I’m not quite as worried about that part of the equation. Of course, I’m still anxious – maybe it’s not what readers are expecting, maybe the change in Alexis turns them off, maybe it takes a direction fans don’t like, etc. – but this is the book I started out writing, the one that grabbed my heart and soul. So whether people like it or not, I personally feel a lot better about it than I did Promise.
2. I do know that you have had a few major events and awards since you were last on here, would you like to share some of those? Hehe Yes, Promise has exceeded my expectations in the big world. It won the 1st Place Fantasy (Published) Royal Palm Literary Award for the Florida Writers Association. That is a huge honor that I don’t take lightly. It’s also received some great reviews, including a “highly recommended” by the prestigious Midwest Book Review. MBR may not mean a lot to the average reader, but it has a strong influence on booksellers and librarians. It’s a feather in the industry cap. Promise is also (finally!) available at all major and indie retailers (though you may have to request it), including for international delivery through The Book Depository. I’ve also done some appearances, like at the Miami Book Fair International, and have some signings and presentations coming up in January.
3. Can you share with us some of what we can expect for the continuation of this story? In Promise, Alexis starts out as a young woman just barely getting started in this world she had no idea existed. Purpose really initiates her into the world, giving her (and the reader) a taste of what’s to come. She has many challenges ahead of her as she fulfills her destiny of being the fierce protector of human souls and, eventually, taking her leadership role of the Angels’ army on earth. She transforms from vulnerable, pretty naïve and nearly human in the first book to kickass warrior in the books to come. The love story of Promise evolves into stories about the various forms of love we all experience, from love of our soul-mates to our children to complete strangers and people we never thought we could love.
4. Will any other books be featuring these characters? The rest of this part of the series – 5 or 6 books – is Alexis’s story, so, yeah, there’s a lot more coming. Some of the major-minor characters have been sharing more of their stories with me, too. I don’t know if they’ll be full series or even books, but at least some short stories or novellas.
5. Do you have any other books in the works? We NEED more from you!: ) I’ve started book three, but it’s been back-burnered for quite a while, so I don’t know where I’m really at with it. I’m really looking forward to getting back to it, however, I’m also excited to work on some of these other stories. So many ideas, so little time…
6. What is the main thing you have learned from the entire process of getting a book out to the public? Patience. That goes for any writer, regardless of where you are in the process. You need patience to produce the best story possible; patience in seeking publication; patience with the publishing process; and patience on the other side, as well. The word has been spreading, but it takes time to build buzz and momentum. Just because someone wants to read a book doesn’t mean they go out and buy it right away. Or even if they do, they don’t necessarily read it right away. I’m the same way. My TBR pile is a mile high. And I know most readers are that way. So we just have to have patience while the snowball grows.
7. Did you have to take out any scenes that you wish you could have kept in the story? What were the biggest changes in the story from the time you first wrote it, to the finished version? Promise and Purpose started out as one story. Now, ending up as two books, they are, in some ways, quite a bit different than when I wrote that first draft. There are many scenes that didn’t make it and many new ones that have been added. I’m happy with the final results, but there were some sweet scenes originally in Promise with Alexis and her mother Sophia and others with Alexis and Tristan that just didn’t do enough to move the story along so they had to be cut. Probably the biggest change from that very first draft, however… something I didn’t see at first while focused on just this one book… something that has added a whole new twist to the entire series… originally, Dorian wasn’t born alone.
8. You've had quite a roll in the promoting of Promise and Purpose and you have done a fabulous job! Is that part more stressful than the writing? Marketing is my background and I mostly enjoy it, but writing is my passion. The most stressful part, really, is not having enough time to do everything.
9. Do you have any recent events planned that you would like to share? Of course, there’s the virtual release party for Purpose going until 12/18. After the holidays, I’ll be doing some local signings and by spring, I should be expanding the tour into other states, including Virginia, Arizona and Minnesota.
10. Can you give us a little excerpt from Purpose?
A shadow shifted in the corner. Two small, red lights glowed from about two-thirds up the wall. I realized they were eyes. It can’t really be Daemoni—can it? We hadn’t been bothered for over seven years. Not a single visit or even a threat. Nothing at all. They had what they wanted. “Don’t you know?” The shadow moved forward, just enough for the light from my clock to slightly illuminate a face—pale, bluish-white in the clock’s glare, glowing eyes and… fangs. The light reflected off his glimmering teeth, bared in an evil grin, if that’s what you could call it, and I knew for sure those were fangs. And I knew immediately what he was. From what I could see, he favored some of my characters, as if he’d stepped out of the pages of the books I wrote. Such a strange feeling—to feel as though I’d awakened in my usual way but know I was dreaming again. I had to be. Monsters were real, but vampires were not. “C-Claudius?” My voice shook. I knew this dream was about to become a terrible nightmare. With his dark hair floating around the sides of his face, this visitor looked similar to my Claudius, leader of the evilest vampire nest in my make-believe world. “Ha!” the shadow barked. “So you do see the resemblance.”
Purpose by Kristie Cook Publisher: Ang'dora Productions (December 15th, 2010) Reading Level: 17 and up Paperback: 377 pages Series: Soul Savers, book #2 Lost in despair, Alexis teeters on the edge of an abyss, her lifeline of hope fraying into a thin thread. If it snaps, she’ll plunge into complete darkness. With the help of her son and her writing, she’s been able to hold on. Until now. Erratic impulses, disturbing delusions and her own demonic blood threaten her sanity. When she’s forced to choose between hanging onto hope or letting go to serve her Amadis purposes, she faces a decision with inconceivable sacrifices.
Alexis runs to the one place she thinks will provide answers, only to find herself at the center of another battle of good versus evil, not only with the Daemoni, not only within herself… but also against the worst opponent imaginable. But even if she wins, what will she lose?
Don't forget to check out the Re-Cover contest of Promise and Purpose. Entries must be in 12/18.
Find Kristie Cook Kristie Cook / Promise / Goodreads Purchase Signed Copies of Purpose
I'd like to welcome Megan from Write Meg! as my very first Guest Blogger!
************************* Give me a call on a Friday night and ask what I’m doing. (Go ahead, I’ll give you my cell.) If I’m not at the movies or running around shopping, I promise you this: you’ll find me curled up in my living room, a thick paperback wedged at my side while skeins of burgundy-and-gold yarn cover my legs. In my hands, maybe along with a mug of tea, will be a long purple hook. And attached to that hook? That yarn. And lots of it. My mother Lisa taught me to crochet when I was a rather serious 8-year-old; as soon as I could hold the hook capably, I was making runners out of pastel-colored yarn. I still have the first piece I made: a lumpy, uneven stretch of pink yarn with very fine stitches. Now? I’m a 24-year-old crafting machine who’s all about Etsy, where I set up shop last February, though it took me a solid five months to get my first sale. And that first fateful transaction was for the item in my shop I thought would attract the least amount of attention: a burgundy-and-gold Gryffindor scarf. And thus my “Harry Potter” scarf business was born.
Since last July, I’ve made approximately 30 Gryffindor scarves (in trademark burgundy and gold) and Slytherin scarves (in gray and green) and sent them to folks all around the United States and Canada. Fans of our beloved, valiant Harry will be happy to note a HUGE disparity between the number of Gryffindor students now running around — lots — and the smaller number of those in the house of the nefarious Draco Malfoy. Good still trumps evil. I’m a huge fan of J.K. Rowling’s sweeping series myself, reading all seven books for the first time the summer that Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows was published. I’ve taken in every film with wide, excited eyes. Making “Harry Potter” scarves is a labor of love — an extension of the love I have for the series. I don’t turn a major profit, but I’m not trying to — crocheting has always been something I do because I simply love it. And I’m pretty sure my friends and family will strangle me with my crocheted creations if I give them even one more scarf. When Christmas rolled around this year, I even crocheted the scarves while watching “Harry Potter And the Prisoner Of Azkaban” (a fact I noted in the thank-you cards I wrote to customers!). Maybe making “Harry Potter” scarves while watching “Harry Potter” will bring the wearers good luck? Regardless, it made me feel awesome to imagine happy brothers, sisters, kids and parents opening my Gryffindor and Slytherin scarves on Christmas morning. And hey, if any of us finally get our acceptance letters to Hogwarts? We’ll blend in seamlessly with the other students crowding the school’s hallowed halls! Though I might have a bit of trouble tracking down some appropriately glamorous dress robes... naturally, mine would have to be pink. And sparkly. ******************** Thanks Megan for stopping by and sharing your passion for crocheting and Harry Potter with us! While I don't know how to crochet, I do knit. And by "knit," I mean I can probably make a straight simple table runner. I'm not even sure if I could 'end' it though, I've never gotten that far! It sounds like a great idea though, knitting and reading at the same time. I wonder if I'm coordinated enough? Thanks for stopping by and make sure to visit Megan at Write Meg! and her Etsy shop for your own Hogwarts Scarf needs.
Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong Publisher: Orbit (September 2nd, 2004) Reading Level: Adult Paperback: 528 pages Series: Women of the Otherworld, book #4 Meet the smart, sexy—supernatural—women of the otherworld. This is not your mother’s coven… Kelley Armstrong returns with the eagerly awaited follow–up to Dime Store Magic. Paige Winterbourne, a headstrong young woman haunted by a dark legacy, is now put to the ultimate test as she fights to save innocents from the most insidious evil of all… In the aftermath of her mother’s murder, Paige broke with the elite, ultraconservative American Coven of Witches. Now her goal is to start a new Coven for a new generation. But while Paige pitches her vision to uptight thirty–something witches in business suits, a more urgent matter commands her attention. Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld’s most influential Cabals—a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction Paige is intimately acquainted with. Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir, is none other than her boyfriend. But love isn’t blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural–born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it’s a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If she gets the chance.
Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong Publisher: Spectra (March 25th, 2008) Reading Level: Adult Paperback: 523 pages Series: Women of the Otherworld, book #8 In her acclaimed Women of the Otherworld series, Kelley Armstrong has created a scintillating realm where the supernatural and the human coexist on the edge of darkness, romance, and eternity. Now Armstrong tells the captivating tale of a young woman with an insatiable lust for danger. She can’t help it. It’s in her blood. Tabloid reporter Hope Adams appears to live the life of an ordinary working girl. But in addition to possessing the beauty of a Bollywood princess, Hope has other unique traits. For she is a half demon—a human fathered by a demon. And she’s inherited not only a gift for seeing the past but a hunger for chaos—along with a talent for finding it wherever she can. Naturally, when she’s chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission, she jumps at the chance…
The head of the powerful Cortez Cabal—a family that makes the mob look like amateurs—has a little problem in Miami: a gang of wealthy, bored offspring of supernaturals is getting out of hand, and Hope is needed to infiltrate. As spells, astral projections, and pheromones soar across South Beach, Hope weaves her way through its elite hot spots, posing as upscale eye candy and reading the auras of the clientele—and potential marks.
Prize:
1 winner will receive a SIGNED copy of Industrial Magic and Personal Demon, and a signed bookplate.
Rules:
You must be at least 17 to enter.
Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
Contest is US ONLY and ends November 2nd.
Once contacted the winner will have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.
The form must be filled out to enter.
Find out more about Kelley Armstrong Kelley Armstrong / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook Purchase books from her Women of the Otherworld series Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
* Check out Lisa's Haunted Halloween post.
*Reminder: If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry! Please read full entry rules here.
Title: Insurgent Author: Veronica Roth Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian"Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.
Title: Dreamless Author: Josephine Angelini Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads Can true love be forgotten?
As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.
Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out--a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.
As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.
Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling Starcrossed delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.
Title: Under the Never Sky Author: Veronica Rossi Publisher: HarperCollins Add to Goodreads Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland — known as The Death Shop — are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild — a savage — and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile — everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.
Title: Easy Author: Tammara Webber Add to Goodreads A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?
When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.
Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.
When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.
Title: The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden Author: Jessica Sorensen Add to Goodreads There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.
Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.
For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.
Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.
Title: Sweet Evil Author: Wendy Higgins Publisher: HarperTeen Add to Goodreads Embrace the Forbidden
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
Title: Pushing the Limits Author: Katie McGarry Publisher: Harlequin Teen Add to Goodreads No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with"freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.
Title: Stealing Parker Author: Miranda Kenneally Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Add to Goodreads Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.
Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.
Now Parker wants a new life.
So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?
But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?
Title: Everneath Author: Brodi Ashton Publisher: HarperCollins Add to Goodreads Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld.. this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.
Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.
Title: The Edge of Never Author: J.A. Redmerski Add to Goodreads Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.
Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.
With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.
But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart? Don't forget to share YOUR list on the Linky Below! Today's Top 10 of 2012 Giveaway is being hosted by — Jaime from Two Chicks on Books! Note: This is the SAME Linky on all Co-Hosts Blogs.
