Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Thanks for all of your feedback on the whole e-reader and my character craziness. I finally got through the bump, and I'm happy to say, I see the end in sight. So sorry for my panic post.

On with the review.

I won a signed copy of Shade last year from the lovely Dianne Salerni. I didn't read right away, but when I finally did. I was in love. When I heard that this was a trilogy, I did a happy dance. Why? First, here is my review of Shade. Second, I loved Shade. I guess if you read my review you could get that impression. Anyway, I was excited to hear of the second book's release, but a little scared. What if I didn't like it? Sometimes the next book falls short. Well, my friends, no disappointment here. None at all. Let me give you the blurb. 

Title: Shift

Author: Jeri Smith-Ready

Pages: 384

Publisher: Simon Pulse

The blurb:

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.
As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.


The review:
I will make this short because there is not much to say other than I loved this. Yes, I'm gushing. You know how I get with books that I've read in two days, yes two days, because I couldn't put it down. I have to say this  has become one of my favorite trilogies, and making Jeri Smith-Ready, one of my favorite authors. I'm not going to comment on how I missed the local book signing. Let's just say, my family owes me big.

Anyway, the pace, characterization, voice, dialogue, plot, all of it, in my mind, was wonderful. Now of course, the formula was right for me: ghosts, romance, love triangle, action, drama, mystery, yeah it's all in there, and let's not not forget, the kind of punky musician, Logan, and, Zachary, the Scottish boy. Hey, don't judge. The characters were so real to me, it reminded me of my high school years, my friends people, I was a good girl. No, I didn't see ghosts so I guess that makes me a Pre-shifter.
 
The love triangle between Zachary, Aura, and Logan kept my heart pounding, and bouncing back and forth on which one should win. I really couldn't decide.
 
The whole idea of pre-shifters and post-shifters is fantastic mixed with the mystery of Aura and Zachary's past, couldn't have been planned any better. The whole story plays out beautifully.
 
Another thing that I really loved is the location where all of this takes place. The main locations--Baltimore and Philadelphia. The author is from these parts and I know every place she describes, so it's fun to see something local written into something paranormal with great detail. Also, some other locations are Ireland and Scotland, places I wish to visit one day.
 
The end: I'm not going there. You must read it for yourself because, Shine, the final book in the series will be out Summer of 2012. I will definitely be buying a copy of that one.
 
So, have you read Shift? Let me know what you think?
 
Have a great day!

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Don't forget my contest closes tomorrow. Go here for details.

I know I gush about books, loving them. I do I really do, but this book has made me fall hard and in love. In fact, I'm putting it on my list of favorite books. What is this book?

Title: Shade

Author: Jeri Smith-Ready

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 320

The blurb:

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.

My take:

Yeah, the cover had me at hello, I will admit, but this book is so much more. I love ghost stories and this one had me turning the pages so fast I wanted to read it again when I was done. Aura is a great character, very realistic and likable. She's not perfect and neither is Logan, her boyfriend. I think that is what made them so real. They were not angels. Of course, Logan is a hottie, but that's just me. So is Zachary (he had a Scottish accent, I'm just sayin'.) 

Anywho, The whole plot to me was intricate, yet, seemed simple. I think the way the author wrote it made it easy to understand.

It took place in Baltimore, Maryland. A place I've been several times so I could perfectly imagine where they went. Philly was also mentioned (yeah). There was also a lot of references to Ireland and Scotland (places I would love to visit.)  

The end had me with my mouth open, wanting more. My wish is about to come true because on May 3rd, The Shift will be released. **lets out big breath** Not sure I can wait that long.

Do I recommend this: Absolutely

Contains: great characters, intriguing/thought provoking plot, hot boys, great setting, and ghosts-- who doesn't love that.

 Has anyone read this?
Let me know you thoughts.
Have a great day!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

I decided to do a short review today. As you know, things have been a little hectic. Since I've been limited on writing time, I've been reading. I checked out this little nugget.

Yeah...look at that cover. The inside doesn't disappoint. The girl on the cover reminds me of Scarlett Johansson.

Title: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 352

The Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Evie learns that she is not quite the person she thought she was in this creature-feature mash-up. Possessing the unique ability to recognize paranormals beneath their glamour, Evie has lived most of her life under the protection of the International Paranormal Containment Agreement (IPCA), an organization dedicated to the cataloging and neutralizing of paranormal creatures. After a mysterious entity begins killing paranormals around the world, Evie discovers some startling truths about her own identity.

My take:

I'm about to gush about this book. I loved it. It's fresh, fast paced, and the characters...what can I say. I'm speechless. They are wonderful and strong. I really admire Ms. White's ability to write characters I care about. The story itself was nice mix of twisting mystery, action, and humor. I loved Evie and her little comments. I found myself laughing outloud at some parts, and sitting on the edge of my seat at others. Lend, Evie's love interest, had me swooning too. This made paranormal seem normal.

The End:

I did enjoy the end. I think it was the perfect balance of letting it be a solo book, but some things could be fleshed out in a sequel. I'm keeping this short because I think you should go get it now. :)

There you go. I LOVED this book. It's so different from the norm. hehe.

I will be posting tomorrow as part of the What's your Writing Process Blogfest hosted by Shallee.

How was your weekend?

Any goals?

My goals are the same as last week. REVISE and WRITE before I'm taken away for being grumpy.

Have a great day!

Candor by Pam Bachorz

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Today I'm reviewing Candor by Pam Bachorz. I won this lovely book from that super talented/fabulous author, Elana Johnson. You may have heard of her. (BTW-her book, Possession, is to be released June 7, 2011. If you are smart you will go and get it.) I knew nothing about this book, but I'm so glad I've been introduced to it.

Title: Candor

Author: Pam Bachorz

Publisher: Egmont USA

Pages: 250

Blurb:

Oscar Banks has everything under control. In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, he's found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages. He's got them all fooled: Oscar's the top student and the best-behaved teen in town. Nobody knows he's made his own Messages to deprogram his brain. Oscar has even found a way to get rich. For a hefty price, he helps new kids escape Candor, Florida before they're transformed into cookie-cutter teens. But then Nia Silva moves to Candor, and Oscar's carefully-controlled world crumbles.

My Review:

Where do I begin? First, the cover. It fits the whole story and if Oscar Banks looks like that--Heellloo. I loved the pace of this book. It was quick which for me is good (mainly because I like a lot of things that are fast--cars, shortcuts, movies, etc.). I wanted to keep turning the pages, wanting to know more and more. The sentence structure was interesting, too. Short and to the point= perfect. It didn't lack in visual description. I could totally visualize everything even though the sentences were lacking length (excess adverbs and adjectives--it can be done.) There was a little telling which didn't slow it down at all.

The story itself was fantastic. A 'what if'scenario that could possibly happen (you never know.) Written from a male POV (done brilliantly) and first person perspective (always a plus in my book, because that is what I like to write).This story will keep you guessing and wanting to just read on (really, I couldn't put it down). Also, the end will leave you speechless (I hope she comes out with a sequel. I'm just sayin'--yes that's a hint, hint). The YA stuff isn't in your face either. It's not typical YA (at least in my mind, you may have a different opinion).If you are looking for a great, fast, entertaining book, look no further (guys, you might like it too). 

So a must read. Go and take a peek (I'm not responsible if my little messages are considered brainwashing, totally not my intention. He he). :)

Pam Bachorz has another book, Drought, to be released on January 25, 2011. I will be checking it out.

How was your weekend?

Have a great day and don't forget Wednesday, November 24th, Writing the Next Line.  
 

Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner

I am honored to be part of Tamara Hart Heiner's blog tour. I'm also a little nervous. How do I do this again? What if I mess it up? Keeps running through my head.  Anyway, here it is. My review.
Here is the information:

Title: Perilous

Author: Tamara Hart Heiner

Publisher: WiDo Publishing

Release date: November 16th (the e book is already available).

Brief summary:
Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year: go to regionals with the track team, make the honor roll, and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who moved in a few months ago.
What she doesn't plan for is catching a robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. They escape from his lair, only to find that he has spies and agents watching their path home, waiting to intercept them and take them back.
Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.

My take:
Perilous is a Young Adult thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It made my heart pound, and my breath seize. A fast paced page turner that will keep you guessing till the end. This book is written in third person, which usually takes me a while to get into, but Heiner's writing made the transition easy for me. I enjoyed the view not only from the teenage girls, but also from the cop that was on their case. Also, don't be scared with the mention of teenage girls/young adult genre. Even if you don't normally read young adult, it's not a book that screams it.

There were some parts towards the end where I got confused, and I also wanted to know a little more about Jaci. Especially, her thoughts after these horrible events happened to her, but these little things did not slow me down. They were minor.

Summing up:
If you are looking for a fast paced thriller, then this is a book for you. It is a must read. I couldn't put it down.

Tamara is also holding some awesome contests (the information below is directly from Tamara's blog):

1) There will be two book giveaways. Signed copies of Perilous, of course. All you have to do to get in on that action is make a comment anywhere in the blog tour. The drawing will be completely random. Of course, the more comments you make, the more chances you have of winning.

2) There will be a Kindle giveaway. This WON'T be random. Kindles are kind of a big thing, so I'm going to make you work for it. The giveaway will be point based, in other words, whoever has the most points at the end of the blog tour wins the Kindle. The contest will run until Dec. 15, at which point all hopeful winners will email me at tamara at tamarahartheiner dot com with their points and their proofs.
Here's how you get points:

+1 for each comment on the blog tour

+1 be a follower on my blog (old or new)

+1 retweet

+2 blog about the blog tour

(You prove all of those by emailing Tamara the links.)

+5 purchase the book; ebook or paperback, doesn't matter

(Email Tamara the confirmation number of your purchase.)

Don't forget the e book is out now, and the release date for paperback is November 16th. You can get it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Tamara's website.

Have a great day!

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Sorry for posting so late. The hubs being off this week has thrown my schedule off.

Thank you guys for participating in Writing the Next Line. It turned out awesome. You guys totally rocked it. I will post it early next week.

Today, I thought I would do a quick review. I just finished The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. Yes, I'm behind on my books so if you've read it, well let me know what you thought.

The blurb--

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

I loved this book. I think I have a new literary crush too. He (Jay) will be added to my list. Anyway, this book had it all and was fast paced. I love books like this. My heart pounded not just from the beautiful romance but the mystery/suspense, especially the parts where the author got into the mind of the kidnapper. Plus, the end. I don't like to give spoilers so I will not say much. Let's just say, this story has stuck with me and there will be another book about Violet. Desires of the Dead will be released March 15, 2011. Can't wait. This story makes you think for sure. I have a daughter so this put the scare back into what I already know is out there. Also, makes you look over your shoulder when you are alone in the dark, possibly in a wooded area. I would highly recommend this.

This book has also made me feel like I still have a long way to go in my writing journey. Oh well, that means back to practicing. 

There you have it, my quick review.

Have any books left you looking over your shoulder lately?

Have a great day!

Review and a lovely blog award--yeah!

I have a couple of things to discuss--so follow along.

First, I have recieved a Honest Scrap Award from Kelly.  Thanks!

I have to list 10 honest things about little old me!

1. I am a procrastinator--especially on things I do not want to do.

2. I like being around people but I also need my alone time.

3. I tend to seek acceptance from others. If others don't accept me, I worry and wonder why.

4. I have trust issues with certain things.  My novel for one.  I am learning on how to deal with this.

5. I really don't like snow.

6. I am a neat freak at heart but I have had to learn that the floor could be washed at another time.

7. I like it when people are completely honest and straight forward with me.  The truth can hurt but it is better than not knowing at all.

8. I dislike being interrupted when I am fully focused on trying to complete a task.

9. I have become addicted to blogging.

10. I am so thankful for starting this journey and finding such a loyal and supportive group of people.

So now I need to pass this on to I think 10 other blogs. All the blogs I have been following to date deserve this too but I need to narrow it down.

                      1. Anissa off the Record

                    2. Dangerous with a Pen

                       3. unedited

                   4. One Significant Moment in Time

                     5. A Woman's Write

             6. Coming Down the Mountain-From Reclusive Write to  Published  Author

                     7. Kimberly Conway
                                             
                     8. This is not my day job

                       9. Amber Lough

                 10. Chronicles of a Novice Writer

Second, My review of hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. 

I loved this book.  Let me say that again --I LOVED this book.  I should have known just by the cover --see above. I will not go into the details of the story but there was action, adventure, mystery, love, the list goes on.  I could not put it down.  I love books that have continuous action and make me want to keep reading.  Fantastic!!   Oh and Patch (swoon) is now on my list of favorite male characters.  :)  Sorry for the short review but I need to get the kiddos to bed.

So here is a question-- I have a long list of books I want to read but I want to hear from you.  What book should I read next?  I need something that will be a page turner. 


Have a great day!