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A Strange There After (Savannah Shadows #2) by Missy Fleming-Review & Interview with the Author

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A Strange There After (Savannah Shadows #2) by Missy Fleming-Review and Interview with the Author

A Strange There After

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 26, 2014

Ghosts exist. Quinn Roberts knows this because she is one – kind of. The spirit of a dysfunctional ancestor, Catherine, has evicted Quinn from her own body, forcing her to live in a world with the paranormal. No one can see, touch or hear her, except the ghosts she grew up with and the bane of her existence, a self-centered paranormal investigator named Boone.

Forced to watch the growing bond between her boyfriend, Jason, and the body snatcher, Catherine, Quinn delves deeper into the history of her family in search of a way to reverse what’s been done. What she finds is a dangerous entity more terrifying than anything she’s encountered before. He’s willing to grant all her desires…for a price.

As Quinn faces painful decisions and makes unlikely alliances, she learns how far she will go to get her life back. Desperation is a wicked thing and she soon realizes that recovering her body may only be the beginning of her end.

••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: A STRANGE THERE AFTER is the second instalment in Missy Fleming’s contemporary, young adult Savannah Shadows paranormal storyline focusing on a centuries old curse that has followed Quinn Roberts family through the generations. As the sole surviving Roberts family member, Quinn has become the target of ghosts and spirits avenging their death at the hands of Quinn’s ancestors. Now that Quinn’s spirit has been forced from her own body, she must find a way to let everyone know that the spirit inhabiting her body is not Quinn but someone who hopes to make the switch permanent.

Missy Fleming continues the world building from book one where Quinn’s life read like a Cinderella fairy tale including the wicked step-mother and step-sisters but in A STRANGE THERE AFTER the fairy tale takes on a more sinister note. With her extended family out of the picture, Quinn will discover that not everything they did was under their control. With the Savannah, Georgia area notorious for hauntings and magical incantations Quinn, along with the help of her best friend and a young psychic with connections to the other side, Quinn sets out to find a way to reverse the curse set upon her family for hundreds of years.

A STRANGE THERE AFTER is a young adult storyline (written in first person POV) with all the hallmarks of the genre-a love triangle; absent parents; misguided and misunderstood youth; villainous adults; and the requisite mean girl who pushes Quinn from her body and takes over her life as well as her boyfriend. Quinn’s friends try desperately to find a way to reverse the curse but Quinn takes it upon herself to make a deal with an otherworldly spirit only the Devil himself would love.

The storyline is well paced; there is mystery and suspense; perceived betrayal and broken hearts. The secondary characters are colorful but Quinn’s long suffering boyfriend plays only a small role in the second storyline. The reader is pulled into a story where voodoo, magic and revenge have crossed hundreds of years to finally come full circle with the last of the cursed family. Once Quinn is out of the picture, what’s an angry spirit to do for fun?

Reading Order
1. Happily Never After
2. A Strange There After

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Interview orange:black

TRC: Hi Missy and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of A STRANGE THERE AFTER.

WE would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Check out Missy’s Website

Missy FlemingMissy: I live in beautiful Bozeman, Montana, not far from Yellowstone National Park. Being outside, especially in summer, is a bit of a necessity, so that often leaves me with less time for writing than I’d like. I love traveling, am an adoring aunt, and spend a lot of time with my family. When I’m writing, I always have to have something on in the background; music or the TV. For some reason, I am not the type who does well with silence.

TRC: What or who influenced your foray into writing?

Missy: As much as I hate to admit it, I’d have to say it started with Stephanie Meyer. If it weren’t for Twilight and the craze causing me to pick the book up, I might not have fallen as hard and fast as I did for the Young Adult genre. Although I grew up reading Nora Roberts, I find it MUCH harder to write adult books. My other biggest influence is my critique/writing partner. She has been amazing at giving me tough love, helping me become a better writer. I will always be thankful to her.

A Strange There AfterTRC: A STRANGE THERE AFTER is the second installment in your young adult, paranormal Savannah Shadows series. Would you please tell us something about the series and book premise?

Missy: Quinn Roberts has grown up in the shadow of her stepsisters, often neglected by her stepmother, and can’t wait to get away from them, even if it means leaving her beloved childhood home. Quinn is a sensitive, meaning she can hear and see ghosts. But there is something evil in her house, affecting her stepmother. The further she delves into the history of her family, the more disturbing things she finds. And as the series progresses, she winds up in a position she never imagined, fighting for her life and to get back all she has lost.

TRC: The first book –HAPPILY NEVER AFTER- followed the ‘Cinderella’ outline. What was the deciding factor to use an established fairy tale formula for the introductory storyline?

Click HERE for our review of Happily Never After

Happily Never AfterMissy: Personally, I love fairy tale retellings and I love ghost stories—much like what Marissa Marr has done with her Cinder series. Putting those beloved stories into a modern setting makes them relevant to new readers, makes them more relatable. I wondered what it would be like if the fairy godmother was a ghost and the prince, an actor. In the second book, I kind of flirted with the whole Rumplestilskin tale, about trading favors and making good on a contract or partnership.

TRC: Why Savannah, Georgia? Do you have a connection to the town and the people?

Missy: Savannah is steeped in history, especially the kind centered around the paranormal. It is said to be the most haunted town in America. It seemed to be the perfect place to set the story. The town has always fascinated me.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background, history,etc) did you encounter writing this particular story and series?

Missy: Believe it or not, I have never been to Savannah, so I have to always consult maps and visitor guides. In book two, I had a whole new set of obstacles. I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read the first, but involving Quinn became nearly impossible. I had to get inventive and introduce new characters to make it work. It frustrated me to no end, but I am extremely happy with how it turned out.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Missy: Three. I will be starting the third book very soon. Been jotting down notes and ideas so it’s time to make sense of them.

TRC: Why your interest in writing ‘young adult’ storylines? Have you considered writing other genres? Adult storylines?

Missy: I love the younger voice. The stories come easier to me. It’s hard to explain. I have an adult/women’s fiction I’ve been trying to tweak for years, but it never feels just right. While I can pop out a YA book in a few months. I think I may venture into New Adult eventually, but right now, I am happy where I am. I love the genre and I think it still has a lot of places to go.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters (Quinn, Catherine, Abby, Jason, Boone) in this storyline, which models or actors best represents your ideal image?

Missy: To me, Quinn has always been either Victoria Justice or Vanessa Hudgens. They both have the same look as Quinn and I’d totally cast either of them.

For Abby, I would choose Taylor Swift. I think she’d be great in that part, feisty and determined.

Jason is a tough one. Maybe Brant Daughtry from Pretty Little Liars or Chase Crawford.

Boone was based off of Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures, a little embarrassing to admit, but I can’t see him being cast as anyone else. Maybe Zak wants to try out acting!

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Missy: I like to think of the least predictable road, what would be the least cliché option. I don’t want to ever be just another paranormal. I want to be different. It can take a couple tries, but eventually you find something that fits and it feels good.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Missy: The characters direct me. There’s been plenty of times I am surprised by where the story has gone, how a certain character has evolved. I never intended to bring another love interest into the story for Quinn with Boone, but it happened that way. I wasn’t sure how this experience would change her but it does. She surprised me and I love it when that happens.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Missy: Sometimes, I think writers try too hard, they overreach, have the characters react to something and go overboard. To me, emotion comes from the simple things, from a struggle the everyday reader can relate to. And it has to feel real.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Missy: I don’t force it. Even if it puts me behind schedule, I don’t force it. It will only make me more frustrated. Often, I will switch to some other project for a bit or lay in bed at night working through it in my head. Walking away is often the best medicine.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Missy: My sister is a good one. She’s read most of my works in progress. The best person I have is a fellow writer. We write and edit together and I have learned so much from her. She’ll tell me exactly why she doesn’t like something and often, I have to mull it over to realize she is right. We have our routine down to an art.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Missy: A historical Young Adult set in the 1860’s gold rush in Montana. While that may not sound like something a lot of teens would read, I’ve added the whole Hatfields & McCoys element, or more recognizable, Romeo and Juliet. It’s about a girl who has lost everything and takes a chance to go west, leaping into the unknown, and is caught between two warring families. It does have a love triangle and the gold rush town it is set in actually still exists today. The boom and excitement of instant wealth is just the backdrop to the story. It’s my first historical and I’m really happy with how it’s turning out. Well, I still have to figure out the end, so we shall see.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Missy: Thanks for this opportunity! As an author, I am still learning the ins and outs of marketing myself. Sites like this have helped immensely. I am that writer, and reader, who gets so caught up in their current project, they often forget the real world exists out there. I’d love to hear from any of my readers so feel free to contact me through Goodreads or my (very neglected) website.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Love any kind of seafood. And popcorn. That’s my go-to snack.

Favorite Dessert
A certain chocolate cake of my mom’s. And angel food cake.

Favorite TV Show
Once Upon a Time – go figure – and Scandal. Also ADDICTED to Game of Thrones

Last Movie You Saw
New movie? I’d have to say that would be Frozen. And I am in love with it.

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Dark!

Favorite Song (at the moment)
Happy by Pharell. It’s just a happy song. How can anyone hear it and not want to smile or move?

Secret Celebrity Crush
Ian Somerhalder. Not only is he hot but he is into environmental awareness and an animal lover. Whole package

Last Vacation Destination
Just got back from Orlando two days ago. It was a work thing, but we spent a couple days extra going to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Lots of people but something about that place is amazing. So much to see and do.

Pet Peeve
Oh wow. Not sure. People who think they are entitled to certain things. Like on an airplane. Just because you get on first doesn’t mean we’re leaving any sooner, so stop pushing your way through the crowd!

TRC: Thank you Missy for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on all of your success. We wish you all the best.

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Everlasting (Night Watchmen #1) by Candace Knoebel-a review

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Everlasting (Night Watchmen #1) by Candace Knoebel-a review

Everlasting

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 19,2014

The annual Culling ceremony is a day every coming-of-age novice looks forward to within the Primeval Coven. It’s the start to being initiated into the Night Watchmen, humankind’s protectors, and it’s the long-awaited day when novices discover if they’re a Hunter or a Witch.

But this day is not a happy one for Faye Middleton. Not when she’s known her whole life that she’s a Defect and is about to face banishment in front of her fellow novices. She’s forced to attend the Culling with little hope for her future, but what she discovers about herself is far worse than she could’ve imagined. And far more dangerous.
Thrown into training and separated from her friends, Faye must learn to adjust. She struggles to find her place within the Coven, and with Jaxen Gramm, the darkly handsome and extremely unnerving man assigned to watch and protect her. Emotions run high, and when she discovers a deadly secret about him, her struggles deepen. As corruption within the Coven begins to unravel, Faye pieces together her role in saving the future of her people, and within Jaxen’s life…but will the truth save her, or be her undoing?

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW:   EVERLASTING is book one in an exciting new YA series by Candace Knoebel. If you love her Dragon Series, you will enjoy this new series. Luckily, the author spells out the rules to this new world in the first couple of pages. Witches are teamed with hunters to guard humans against the supernatural threats to them. There had been a power struggle between the two groups, so the solution was to pair them up! At the Culling Ceremony, each person not only finds out if they are a witch or a hunter, but they are shown their Affinity partner. This is their mate for life! I wasn’t sure how I felt about this dynamic, it’s a forced match! This leads to some interesting pairings.

Faye Middleton has believed her whole life that she has no magic, that she is a “Defect”. Her back up plan is to join the human world and go to college. To make matters worse, her parents disappear the night before her Culling Ceremony. With a heavy heart she attends the ceremony and gets the shock of her life. She has a rare gift that could be both a blessing and a curse. Instead of celebrating this great discovery, the Elders tell her to keep quiet and she is assigned a personal trainer slash bodyguard. Jaxen Gramm and Faye are drawn to each other from the moment that they laid eyes on each other. The only problem is that Jaxen has a curse on his family and he already has a witch paired to him. Talk about complications! Life at the Academy is rough! Faye’s fellow classmates are downright mean to her. I don’t remember the number of times people called her a freak! Her best friend even goes against her for part of the book. I don’t know how Faye survived, but she is one tough cookie! She has amazing powers that she can’t control, classmates that are cruel, and a crush on a guy that she can’t have, or can she?

The story is action packed. Once again, a young girl must figure out her powers, save her parents from the Underworld, find some powerful artifacts, save the Coven and get the guy! Oh, did I mention the corruption in her Coven? I don’t even know who the bad guys are yet! The book is a little heavy with unique metaphors, but it’s a fun read and a great introduction into an exciting new world!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Jules

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Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends #1) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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Sea of Shadows (Age of Legends #1) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

Sea of Shadows

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RELEASE DATE: April 8, 2014

In the Forest of the Dead, where the empire’s worst criminals are exiled, twin sisters Moria and Ashyn are charged with a dangerous task. For they are the Keeper and the Seeker, and each year they must quiet the enraged souls of the damned.

Only this year, the souls will not be quieted.

Ambushed and separated by an ancient evil, the sisters’ journey to find each other sends them far from the only home they’ve ever known. Accompanied by a stubborn imperial guard and a dashing condemned thief, the girls cross a once-empty wasteland, now filled with reawakened monsters of legend, as they travel to warn the emperor. But a terrible secret awaits them at court—one that will alter the balance of their world forever.

••••••••••••••

REVIEW: SEA OF SHADOWS is the first instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s new YA fantasy series-Age of Legends. With the focus of the storyline on sixteen year old twin sisters Moria and Ashyn (the famed Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood) the reader is pulled into a world of death and destruction; warring empires; magic; fabled Shadow Stalkers, Death worms and Thunder hawks.

Sea of Shadows follows Ashyn on the annual trek into the Forest of the Dead to retrieve the bodies of the damned and send their spirits to the after life while Moira protects the village from those wishing to cause them harm. This is Ashyn’s first solo hunt. When the spirits focus all of their energy to destroy the village of Edgewood and everyone who lives within, Ashyn and Moria are pulled into a war between good and evil where everyone will suffer-in the end.

The premise and storyline are told from two distinct voices-Ashyn and Moria. Sea of Shadows is a novel that blends Native and Asian mythology where monsters and demons control the dreams and subconscious of the living and the dead. We are introduced to Ashyn and Moria ‘animal familiars’ who are as attuned to their human companions as they are to the environment in which they exist.

There are also two young males introduced as potential love interests for the sisters-two men who have experienced more in their short lives than any one knows.

The world building takes the reader beyond Edgewood into a forest rife with murderous beasts and zombie-like creatures. We follow Ashyn and Moria as they encounter mythological animals, once thought not to exist and a kingdom of betrayers who want nothing more than to use the young adults as pawns in a war.

The storyline is slow to develop as much of the premise focuses on the building relationship between Moria and Ashyn and the two young men who have sworn their loyalty and protection. In the end, all is for naught, when betrayal is first and foremost on everyone’s mind.

Kelley Armstrong has written an engaging and interesting tale where those who control the magic control the world. As our young heroes fight to save the lives of the people that they love, they will discover that the fight is one they may not win.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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Time Trap/Time Return – Red Moon Trilogy by Micah Caida – Reviews

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Time Trap/Time Return – Red Moon Trilogy by Micah Caida – Reviews

 

Time Trap
Red Moon Trilogy – Book #1
by MIcah Caida
Release Date: January 19, 2013
Time TrapLinks to order Time Trap: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description: In this coming of age debut trilogy, USA Today bestseller Micah Caida turns dystopian young adult fiction on its ear with a breathtakingly fresh science fiction, fantasy story that is as much a thriller as it is a romantic tale.

Rayen’s memory is blank. Her future’s in question. Her power is dangerous.

I awoke in an unknown desert landscape that I felt I should recognize, yet I have no real memory of this place or…who I am. A strange ghost told me my name and that I’m seventeen, but he disappeared just as I could have used some help. I was captured along with others my age who said the land was called Albuquerque, then I was handed over to a private school where at times things are as familiar as the nearby mountain range and as alien as seeing a reflection of my face. Everyone thinks I’m a Native American runaway, whatever that is, but the school has offered me a place to stay until they learn my true identity, or my memory returns. As if things aren’t confusing enough, while stuck with a cocky computer-savvy boy and a gifted, but oddball, girl the three of us discovered a secret that threatens the existence of this world – and the future. In the middle of all this, I’m drawn to a seventeen-year-old boy who is as deadly as he is attractive and thinks I’m the enemy.

Review:
Time Trap by Micah Caida is the first book in the Red Moon trilogy, which is a sci fi, dystopian young adult fantasy in a futuristic world. This story starts off immediately with a bang.  You need to pay attention, or you will be lost very quickly. Rayen is our heroine (she is 17), and she wakes up at the start of the story with no memory.  She ends up in a private exclusive school, under surveillance, since she is truly an unknown.  Rayen befriends Gabby, a strange and different young girl.  In class, she is teamed with Tony, a handsome ego centric computer geek (usually they are jocks lol); and he looks down at both Rayen and Gabby as misfits.

Before you blink, all three are sucked through a computer, into a nightmare. They are in an alien land which has a red moon. As they walk around trying to find a way to go back, they find themselves captured by man-eating plants. It is here we see Rayen use a fire burning energy power that frees them; a power she knows nothing about, nor how to control it.  As they desperately look for help in this strange hostile land, they hear sounds of screaming and run to discover a monstrous beast attempting to harm a child, and a group of children surrounding the beast.  Rayen bravely reacts automatically to defend the child, and again using her power, manages to kill the beast.  You would think the young children, led by an older teenage boy, would be thankful. But not so, as Rayen, Gabby and Tony are taken as prisoners to the group’s compound. 

All of this happens fairly fast.  The action was wild and furious, and early on I was wondering what I got myself into, since I was a little confused.  But as we end up in the compound of the children, we learn about how they too are stuck in this dangerous sphere, spending their time trying to survive.  Micah Caida gives us lots of details about this futuristic world, with Mystiks, who have magical powers; and Tecknati, who are technical geniuses.  Why are all these Mystik children in this Sphere?  Why do the Technati agents try to kill them? What kind of world is this?

I will not give any spoilers at this point.  There is much to learn, as the world building is huge, and once you learn more and more, things become clearer and the rest of the story is a very exciting tale of survival.  Caida has created some really wonderful characters, such as Rayen, Gabby, Tony, Callan, Mathias, Vru, Zilya, Etoi and villains (SEOH & the Tecknati’s).  The ending was exciting, with a cliffhanger that makes us want to come back to find out more.  I did enjoy the attraction between Callan and Rayen.  I marvel at how Micah Caida has created this world of young children/teenagers to fight a survival of the fittest; and make us believe in it.   Now that I am hooked, I can’t wait for Time Return.

 

Time Return
Red Moon Trilogy – Book #2
by Micah Caida
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Time ReturnLinks to order Time Return: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Her Time. His Time. No Time

Rayen promised to return, Gabby must return, and Tony can’t return.
Three teenage friends are connected by a shared secret that forces a decision with consequences no one expects. When Rayen arrives on the Red Moon sphere again, she finds shocking changes. Her arrival causes more upheaval and danger for the MystiK children, creating a heart wrenching challenge for Callan who must choose between duty and holding onto the one girl he can’t have. But walking away is harder than he expects when a new MystiK male in the sphere is poised to take Callan’s place. Under threat of attack from an unexpected enemy, Rayen and Callan must put their personal feelings aside to unite a village in chaos.
Choices backfire, trust is forfeit and alliances shift as elements of the Damian Prophecy begin to fall into place and the time of reckoning is closer than anyone expected.


Review:
Time Return by Micah Caida is the 2nd book in her Red Moon series.  Having read the first book, I was prepared for this adventure, as I now knew this world and the majority of the characters.  I love the start of the book description, which perfectly says it all when starting this book.

Her Time. His Time. No Time

Rayen promised to return, Gabby must return, and Tony can’t return.

When we left off in Time Trap, Rayen, Gabby and Tony were back in their own time. The three of them have become so much closer and in sync with each other. With Gabby having adverse reactions, they need to go back, and the three of them will work together to make it happen.

Returning to the Red Moon sphere (in the future), they arrive to much destruction, though only a few days passed. The situation is dire, and Rayen is ready and willing to help Callan fight off the Tecknati enemies, to save the children and find a way for them all to go home. Though throughout this book, this does not look possible. I will not give spoilers, as it is impossible to tell too much, without being too revealing

We get to see the characters we got to know in Time Trap, especially Callan, Mathias, V’ru, Jaxxson , and the two I hated (Zilya and Etoi), as well as two new great characters, Kaz and Kenja.  I loved how the friendship of Rayen, Gabby and Tony evolved, as well as Callan and Rayen’s slow build romance.  This is young adult/children, so there is not much romance other than the strong feelings between them. 

This was such an exciting adventure, lots of action, as well as learning more details about the upcoming prophecy, which will decide their future.  I was totally hooked by the fast start, and had to finish the book in one day.  What I found amazing is that Micah Caida has been able to convince us that these children, especially the main characters (11-17), are strong fierce survivalists, capable of doing the things we watch them do. We learn to care about them and root for them all the way.  Rayden is a wonderful heroine, whose powers keep growing, and somehow, someway, she is going to be the one piece that will save them, when this trilogy ends.  At least I hope so.  I also loved Gabby, who has grown so much since this series started, which technically is only a few days or so.  Another plus for Caida is how she has taken three characters (Rayen, Gabby & Tony), so very different, and allowed them to develop a bonding and strong friendship.

Time Return is as story of survival, time travel, futuristic, friendship, villians, battles, sci fi, prophecy and a nice simple romance. This is not just a story for young adults, as it is a very exciting story for all ages.  I cannot wait for the final story in this trilogy, Time Lock.

Reviewed by Barb

Copies provided by Author

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Cover Reveal: The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

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Cover Reveal-The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

The Queen of Zombie Hearts Cover Reveal

The Queen of Zombie Hearts
The White Rabbit Chronicles #3
by Gena Showalter
Genre: YA, paranormal
Release Date: September 2014

The Queen of Zombie Hearts

I have a plan.

We’ll either destroy them for good, or they’ll destroy us.

Either way, only one of us is walking away.

In the stunning conclusion to the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, Alice “Ali” Bell thinks the worst is behind her. She’s ready to take the next step with boyfriend Cole Holland, the leader of the zombie slayers…until Anima Industries, the agency controlling the zombies, launches a sneak attack, killing four of her friends. It’s then she realizes that humans can be more dangerous than monsters…and the worst has only begun.

As the surviving slayers prepare for war, Ali discovers she, too, can control the zombies…and she isn’t the girl she thought she was. She’s connected to the woman responsible for killing—and turning—Cole’s mother. How can their relationship endure? As secrets come to light, and more slayers are taken or killed, Ali will fight harder than ever to bring down Anima—even sacrificing her own life for those she loves.

White Rabbit Chronicles

Alice on Zombieland
White Rabbit Chronicles #1
by Gena Showalter
Release Date: September 2012

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Alice in Zombieland CoverShe won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

________________________

Through the Zombie Glass
White Rabbit Chronicles #2
by Gena Showalter
Release Date: September 2013

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Through the Zombie GlassZombies stalk the night. Forget blood and brains. These monsters hunger for human souls. Sadly, they’ve got mine…

Alice Bell has lost so much. Family. Friends. A home. She thought she had nothing else to give. She was wrong.

After a new zombie attack, strange things begin to happen to her. Mirrors come to life, and the whispers of the dead assault her ears. But the worst? A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do very wicked things.

She’s never needed her team of zombie slayers more, but ultra bad-boy Cole Holland, the leader and her boyfriend, suddenly withdraws from her…from everyone. Now, with her best friend Kat at her side, Ali must kill the zombies, uncover Cole’s secret and learn to fight the darkness.
But the clock is ticking…and if she fails at a single task, they’re all doomed

About the Author Black and rose

GenaShowalter2Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of the wildly popular White Rabbit Chronicles, the Angels of the Dark, the Lords of the Underworld, and the Otherworld Assassins series.  In addition to being a National Reader’s Choice and RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazine, and have been translated in multiple languages.  She lives in Oklahoma with her family and menagerie of dogs, and truly believes love conquers all.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/The White Rabbit Chronicles Facebook

 

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Fragile Spirits by Mary Lindsey – Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Fragile Spirits by Mary Lindsey – Review, Interview & Giveaway



Fragile Spirits Banner

 

Fragile Spirits

Links to order Fragile Spirits: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Paul has always known he was a Protector, fated to serve a Speaker who could hear the voices of spirits lingering after death and help those souls find peace.

Vivienne ignores the voices of the dead.

Paul has always followed the Protector’s rule book, preparing diligently for the day when he’d be matched with his Speaker and fulfill his destiny.

Vivienne never does what she’s told.

So when Paul is matched with Vivienne, they both find the pairing less than satisfactory. But a kidnapping, a malevolent spirit and power stronger than both of them may just prove that they are two halves of the same whole.

In a stunning story about the beauty of fate and the power of secrets, Mary Lindsey returns to the world of Shattered Souls with a breathtaking thrill-ride of a novel.

**Note from author: This book begins one month after Shattered Souls leaves off. Lenzi and Alden are featured in this book, but reading Shattered Souls is not a prerequisite

 

Review:
Fragile Spirits is the second book in the Souls series by Mary Lindsey. The story follows Paul Blackwell whose only life’s mission is to fulfill his dream of being a Protector. A Protector to a Speaker who can talk to spirits that are in the between where they need to be.

Paul has always followed the rules, has memorized everything he needs to know to be a good Protector one day. All of that is completely lost when he is finally paired with his Speaker, Vivienne Thibideaux.

Vivienne, does everything against the grain, against the rules, against society. She is the epitome of teenage rebellion and doing anything and everything not to fit in seems to be the life she has chosen.  Until she meets her Protector…

The pairing is undesirable by both Protector and Speaker. But as time wears on and challenges present themselves, walls begin to fall.  It is then that Vivienne realizes that she may just be able to trust this man sent to be her …the Protector.  And that the more you allow someone into your world – the more they may actually want to be there.

I read this book as a stand alone – not having read the first in the series. I must say, I was captivated and absorbed within the first few pages. Reading and finishing this book in one day I found it fast moving and intricately detailed. I wanted to know everything about all of the characters, the Intercessor Council and the way of life for the Protectors and Speakers.  Paul, to me, seemed like and intelligent, studious, goal-minded Protector – ready and willing to do what was needed to be done for his Speaker. Vivienne is an outspoken, rebel, with a bad attitude. But there are reasons for the way she is. I loved how the story is interwoven with the past and the present – giving you insight into how and why Vivienne is like she is. Paul’s back-story was heartbreaking and moving and within that story came love and understanding.

The sub-characters were wonderfully written – my favorite being – Race.  Race is arrogant and sexy and he knows it.  And he wears it quite well.  He is the character you love to hate or is it hate to love?  Hoping and looking forward to his story one day.  Two things I can say in closing about Fragile Spirits – One, I went out and bought the first book in this series, Shattered Souls – because this authors writing and ability to pull you in is definitely something I want more of.  And two, this is definitely a book I will love to and anxiously want to pass this book on to my daughter to read. There are wonderful and meaningful life lessons to be found inside these pages.

Reviewed by Erin

Copy provided by publisher


Interview-Black and Deep Rose

mary lindsey

 

We would like to welcome Mary Lindsey to The Reading Cafe today.  Mary is here to discuss her new release, Fragile Spirits, as well as to tell us what she has upcoming in 2014.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

 

 

 


Hi Mary.  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for our members at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book. 

TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Mary: I live on the Texas Gulf Coast with my husband, three teens, and a menagerie of odd animals. I teach private acting lessons when I’m not writing.

TRC:  Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Mary: Like most kids, I composed stories, but I never wanted to be a writer. I was (and am) first and foremost a reader.

I majored in English with a focus on the classics. A majority of my writing in college was literary analysis; in law school, it was technical writing and briefs. I avoided creative writing like the plague. In high school, I went so far as to fake sick on days I would have to write a poem or story.

I started writing several years ago by accident. My daughter had just discovered teen literature and had burned through several popular series. She was lamenting the fact that most heroes in paranormal books were demons, vampires or some type of inherently evil creature fighting their wicked impulses. She asked me why the hero couldn’t be a “normal” guy who has some kind of special/magical power, but didn’t have evil impulses.

I told her that for her birthday, I’d write her a book like that. (To this day, I have no idea why I would offer such a crazy thing. I’d never written fiction and had no desire to do so).

True to my word, I gave her a chapter a day for a month. By then, I was hooked and writing was my favorite thing to do.

TRC:  Fragile Spirits was released in January.  How did you come up with the idea of this book?  Is this a standalone book, or will this be a series?

Mary: Fragile Sprits is a companion book to Shattered Souls (2011). It takes place in the same world and features the same characters as the first book, but has a different hero and heroine.

The premise for Shattered Souls and Fragile Sprits came from my youngest daughter when she was a preteen. We got into a discussion (I use that term loosely) over something—I forget what now—that caused her to say, or rather screech, “I wish that for just one day, you could put your soul in my body to see what it’s like to be me!”

Um, no thanks. I’d been her age and going back did not appeal.  However, I was intrigued by that scenario.  Not trading bodies, but two souls in one body. Could you share memories? Did it hurt or feel claustrophobic? Maybe you experience the host person’s feelings, like a magic decoder ring to the heart.

“Hang on,” I told her, “That’s a great idea. I need to go write it down.” I left her mid-teen-angst eye roll and outlined the first book in the series, Shattered Souls, that afternoon.

Fragile Spirits is dedicated to her, appropriately. 

Fragile SpiritsTRC:  Can you please give us a brief description of Fragile Spirits?

Mary: At heart, it is the story of two teens overcoming prejudice and pain from their past in order to achieve their potential. It’s an opposites attract love story centered around mediating for hindered spirits. I think my publisher summed it up beautifully on the jacket copy:

Paul has always known he was a Protector, fated to serve a Speaker who could hear the voices of spirits lingering after death and help those souls find peace. 

Vivienne ignores the voices of the dead.

Paul has always followed the Protector’s rule book, preparing diligently for the day when he’d be matched with his Speaker and fulfill his destiny. 

Vivienne never does what she’s told.

So when Paul is matched with Vivienne, they both find the pairing less than satisfactory. But a kidnapping, a malevolent spirit and a power stronger than both of them may just prove that they are two halves of the same whole.

TRC:  You write mostly in the Young Adult genre. Have you thought about writing in other genres?

Mary: I also write adult romance, both contemporary and paranormal.

TRC:  Can you please tell us what you working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2014?

Mary: I’m working on several projects, both YA and adult. I am working on a Robert Frost-based ghost story that I am loving.  I also have several books scheduled for release in 2014 and 2015 under the pen name, Marissa Clarke. http://www.marissaclarke.com

TRC:  What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Mary: I outline in full before I write. It cuts way down on the rewrites. I write anywhere at any time, but I am not a night person. By 11:00 pm, I’m worthless. The only things I need for this job are daylight, a computer, coffee, and quiet. I do not write to music.

TRC:  Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth.  Do you have anyone you like to discuss your story with? 

Mary: I have a few writer friends I bounce stories off of from time to time. Sophie Jordan (Firelight Series, Uninvited) has been a blessing in my writing life. Another resource is my agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette.  My friend, Kari Olson and author friend, Leah Clifford (A Touch Mortal) were lifesavers with Fragile Spirits. Both of them did a one-day turnaround on the manuscript for me when I had a plot issue. Of course, my best resource for Fragile Spirits, once it was drafted, was the editorial team at Philomel/Penguin. Jill Santopolo is a wonder.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Mary: I want to thank all the readers who have supported me since the release of my first book until now. You guys are what it is all about.

And thank you for inviting me on The Reading Cafe today.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Sushi

Favorite Dessert: Fudge

Favorite TV Show: BBC Sherlock

Favorite Actor & Actress (TV or Movies) Helena Bonham Carter (esp in Room With a View) Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Irons & John Malkovich

Last Book You Read: The Goldfinch

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): Severus Snape

Milk or Dark Chocolate: Dark

Dog or Cat: Both, but right now, I have a darling Cairn Terrier named Annabel.

Thank you Mary for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you the best of luck with Fragile Spirits.  Please keep us informed about your upcoming new releases, as we look forward to working with you again.


giveawayMary and her Publisher, have graciously offered to give One member of The Reading Café a copy of her new release, Fragile Spirits.

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open US only.

4.  Contests runs from January 24 to January 27, 2014

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Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G.Howard-a review

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Unhinged (Splintered #2) by A.G.Howard-a review

Unhinged

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

UNHINGED (Splintered #2) by A.G.Howard

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 7, 2014

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she’s always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she’ll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

•••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: UNHINGED is the second storyline in A.G.Howard’s exotic and dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland. Advancing the storyline one year, our heroine will discover that Wonderland is only a mirror away and there is more to her familial connection than she could ever have imagined. While life begins to settle down at home, Wonderland is dying; destroyed by Red and her minions; waiting for Alyssa to return and face her future.

The premise follows Alyssa as she prepares for graduation and prom. Her love for Jeb is unfailing but Morpheus’s return finds Alyssa wavering between a future with Jeb or a future as Queen of Wonderland. A.G.Howard pulls the reader into a journey of twists and turns with some of our favorite Wonderland characters who are barely recognizable beyond their previous incarnation. Skeletal rabbits; a garden of flesh eating plants; and enough insects to give the ick factor a shiver or three are pulled into the real world to wreak havoc in Alyssa’s less than orderly life. Add a possessed clown that could rival ‘IT’ on the creepy scale, and you have the premise for a storyline straight from a hellish nightmare.

UNHINGED is a less complicated storyline than SPLINTERED; easier to follow as the sights and sounds are more familiar than the dark fantasy of Wonderland but less complicated does not necessarily mean less entertaining. We follow Alyssa as she is once again pulled into a war to save Wonderland-where the Ivory Queen has been imprisoned in silk and the Red Queen awaits a dual for the crown.

The love triangle, a prerequisite in most YA storylines, is framed by a look into a future and the possibility of a happily ever after. Where Jeb is Alyssa’s perfect love match in the real world, Morpheus is the man of her dreams-literally- through the looking glass. We watch as two men vie for the affections of a less than typical seventeen year old girl but a girl whose destiny has been foretold. Where Morpheus’s reality and understanding of love is skewed to the upside down world of Wonderland, Jeb’s reality of life with Alyssa will begin to fall apart when Wonderland opens the door to welcome Alyssa back home.

A.G. Howard’s concept of the dark and seductive world of Wonderland is filled with imaginative and deadly creatures; colorful and descriptive narration; and a cast of characters that will leave an imprint in your psyche-you will never again see Wonderland through the eyes of the Disney version. Gone are the sweet Alice, singing flowers and complicated hookah pipe smoking caterpillar replaced by a young girl determined to save the people she loves while a passionate but misdirected Morpheus opens up Alyssa’s mind to the possibilities of a happily ever after in Wonderland-with Alyssa at the helm.

Reviewed by Sandy

Click HERE for our review of SPLINTERED (book #1) in A.G.Howard’s Splintered trilogy.

Splintered series

 

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Renaissance Man by M. Garzon

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Renaissance Man by M. Garzon

 

Renaissance ManLinks to order Renaissance Man:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo 

Description:
“And they lived happily ever after.”

In fairy tales, that’s always how things end. The prince and princess ride away on his white horse, and from then on all’s right with the world. But what if it wasn’t? What if the prince’s life didn’t suit the princess? What if she felt stifled by life inside the castle walls? Could she tell him? And if she loved him—really loved him—how could she ask him to give up his kingdom?

 

Review;

That little blurb from the back of the book is a very fitting way to describe the events that take place in M. Garzon’s 3rd and final installment, Renaissance Man, from her Blaze of Glory series featuring the budding relationship between Tea and Jaden.  I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing her previous books; Blaze of Glory, and Look Twice, and it is safe to say that I was not disappointed with Renaissance Man. My only disappointment comes from knowing this wonderful series has come to an end. Over the course of these three novels I have come to learn about and love the characters Ms. Garzon has created and written about and feel like they are old friends.  So no wonder I’m sad to say goodbye to them. 

Throughout the first two novels we’ve seen Tea tackle many obstacles in her young life, and make some hard choices.  However, nothing that has previously happened comes close to the events in Renaissance Man.  In this novel we see just how much Tea has grown not only as a horse-jumper, but also as a woman.  She’s coming to terms with everything in her life and facing many challenging decisions that will affect not only her life, but Jaden’s too, who also happens to be the love of her life. 

Jaden and Tea’s relationship has blossomed and moved past that of young love, to a more mature, life altering love.  They are faced with many decisions that must be made in order for them to make a life together.  These decisions are not easy one’s, they are demanding on both of them, and at times looks like their lives/careers are pulling them in separate directions.  At one point in the story Ms. Garzon had  me worried about them and I wasn’t sure they would make it to their HEA.  Thankfully, after some well written drama, tough decisions, and serious thinking on Tea’s part, she comes to a conclusion that makes not only herself happy, but Jaden as well.  This decision also impacts her other family members; Dec(stepfather), Seth(brother), and her Gran.  When Tea comes to this very mature and well balanced decision to her problems, we see just how much she has grown and is ready to take on the rest of her life and career as a show jumper with Jaden by her side.

Tea and Jaden were meant to be together, they truly are the prince and princess and can now live their fairytale doing exactly what they love most, riding horses; Tea as a show jumper and Jaden as a polo player.  For me I enjoyed not only the love story and adventures of Tea and Jaden, but also the horse side of the book. I loved every scene with Tea jumping her prized horse Hades and watching her figure out just what it is that makes her horse Cal tick.  Tea has a very special relationship with horses and it shines through in every scene she’s in with them.  She knows just what is needed to get them over that next jump, or to help them settle down on a stormy night.  For anyone who loves horses like I do, Ms. Garzon’s writing about them makes you love them even more, and for those of you who maybe aren’t that fond of horses, trust me, you will be after reading this series. 

All I can say is M. Garzon has done it again and has another winner on her hands in Renaissance Man.  The story is expertly written with drama, plenty of emotion, coming of age in both Tea and Jaden’s characters, and learning to navigate through the ups and downs of life and love.  Once again we are swept away into the story and life that is Tea and Jaden and feel as though you are a part of their lives, a spectator on the sidelines watching everything unfold around you.  Ms. Garzon’s writing is smooth and free flowing and keeps you turning page after page, not wanting to put the book down. This was a marvelous ending to a well-crafted series and as happy as I am over the way she ended this series, I’m sad to say goodbye to it.  For anyone who has a teenage daughter and is looking for a remarkable coming of age series I highly recommend this series to you, and for those of you who don’t have any teenage daughters, I still highly recommend this series to you.  No matter your age you won’t be disappointed by this one. 

Until next time, Happy Reading

Reviewed by Marcie

Copy provided by Author

 

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