I finished up the outline for Siren Song in January, and then promptly didn’t write a word until… late February. My “goal” (which I frequently find myself ignoring) is two 500-word sessions a week. I can remember writing 10,000+ words a day for NaNo years ago, so 500 words twice a week should be ridiculously easy. Should be.
As it turns out, actually making myself sit down and write is almost impossible. But this morning, I made that my first priority, and wrote 1,000 words.
Not setting any records with that, but I’m thrilled with it.
I also started outlining my final project for my capstone class, which is a short story based on the mythos of Camelot. I’m actually looking forward to writing it, and using it as backstory for when I start writing the Camelot project sometime in the future (because my Muse gave me a fantastic idea with that months ago).
This Is Where It Ends is told by four different characters, over the course of 54 minutes. It is a tale of love, of family, of friends, and of violence. It is the story of a school shooting, something horrifically more common today than ever before.
When the semester starts in Opportunity, Alabama, everyone is gathered in the school auditorium to listen to the principal’s beginning-of-semester speech. That is the last normal thing they experience that day. When they get up to leave, the doors won’t open. And someone starts shooting.
The author weaves together the viewpoints of four different characters, telling a tale that is sadly familiar to today’s society. It is a story of a small town ripped apart by violence, and by people forever scarred by the actions of one person.
(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)
This was not an easy book to read. It’s a hard topic, but one that is far too common today. The characters are diverse and vividly-imagined. The setting feels familiar. The details bring the story to life.
Side note: I knew going in what this story was all about. I was also clear that this story was told from multiple POVs. Which is why, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why someone on Goodreads gave this one star, and listed their reasons, starting with 1) “I really, really hate violence.” And, 2) “I hate multiple POV books.”
Um, okay. So you requested this book, when it was clear it was about violence and told from multiple characters’ viewpoints, which you hate, but you gave it a bad review for these reasons? Hmmm….sounds like the problem is with you and not with the book. I’m just saying: if the book is about something you hate, why even read it? More importantly, why give it a bad review, when it’s your fault you didn’t like it, not the author’s?
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)
Estelle Maskame was sixteen when she finished writing her Did I Mention I Love You trilogy, which went viral via Wattpad with over four million hits. Estelle lives and writes full-time from Scotland. Did I Mention I Love Youis her first published novel, available now.
Eden Munro hasn’t heard from her father in years, not since he left her and her mother behind. Now he’s re-married, with a new family and a new life, and he wants her to spend the summer with him in Santa Monica. Even the prospect of the beach and three new stepbrothers can’t make Eden look forward to the visit.
Tyler Bruce is Eden’s oldest stepbrother, and her total opposite. Angry, egotistical, and with a troubled past and a drug problem, Tyler is bad news. But Eden soon finds herself hanging out with Tyler’s friends, going to parties and doing things she knows she shouldn’t be doing. Despite Tyler’s clingy, vindictive girlfriend and her own love interest, Eden finds herself drawn to Tyler. Can she find out what’s really behind Tyler’s façade and help him win his battle against himself?
Did I Mention I Love You is an edgy young adult romance with dark layers. The parties and drugs aren’t glorified, but presented in a realistic manner that makes them heartbreakingly real. Eden finds herself going along with things she never imagined, as she searches for a way to save Tyler from the depths of his anguish. Their relationship is tense, complicated, and ever evolving. Did I Mention I Love You is a fast-paced read that is not all sunshine and light, instead focusing on the darker moments that give life its depth.
(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to Text Publishing Company.)
Leanne Hall is a Melbourne author who has written two books, This is Shyness and Queen of the Night. Queen of the Night is out today.
Six months ago, Nia met Wolfboy, the mysterious boy from Shyness who promised to call. He didn’t, and Nia has revamped her life: new school, new friends, new job. She has forgotten about Wolfboy, or at least she’s tried to.
Wolfboy hasn’t forgotten about Nia. He’s different now: he spends time with his niece and her mother, he goes by Jethro now, and he wonders what might have been with Nia. But things are changing in Shyness, the town where darkness reigns. His friend Paul has fallen in with a dangerous crowd, and Wolfboy wants to save him, even when strange things start happening. Will Nia help him save his friend?
Queen of the Night has the feel of Alice in Wonderland for readers who have not read This is Shyness. The ever-present dark, the strange characters, the forest of cut-out trees, all combine to create a strange, eerie world. Nia and Jethro are both intriguing characters, strong yet flawed, and the moments between them are vibrant and evocative. Queen of the Night is well worth the read.
(Galley provided by Text Publishing Company via NetGalley.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to SparkPress.)
Kristen Hunt is from Alaska, but now lives in Arizona, because she believes anything below 64 degrees is freezing. Her new novel, Blonde Eskimo, is a young adult novel set in Alaska.
Neiva Ellis would much rather have toured Europe with her parents. Instead, she is sent to stay with her grandmother in Spirit, Alaska. She’s always known there was something special about Spirit, but now that she’s living there, she realizes everyone in the town, including her grandmother, is keeping something from her.
On the night of her 17th birthday, the Eskimo rite of passage, Neiva discovers the truth, and falls into a world of traditions, mystical creatures, and magic. When an ancient evil threatens everything that she loves, Neiva must work together with her best friends to discover the truth behind tradition, and stop the enemy from destroying the entire world, and everything that she loves.
Blonde Eskimo is full of the rich heritage of a culture that most know little about. Ms. Hunt brings this culture to life with vivid descriptions and fascinating characters living a life most never imagined. The relationship between the characters is dynamic and strong, changing as the characters grow. The mystery surrounding Spirit will have the reader riveted to the page.
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Shannon. A. Thompson and Clean Teen Publishing.)
Shannon A. Thompson is a young adult author, a poet, and a blogger. Her newest book, Death Before Daylight, is the third book in The Timely Death trilogy, and hits shelves tomorrow. Shannon is currently with Clean Teen publishing. She loves cats and coffee, and both keep her going while she works.
The time for the showdown between the Light and the Dark has finally arrived. Someone must die. All Eric wants is Jessica by his side for the battle to come, but as soon as they are reunited, fate intervenes and they’re torn apart again. With a new breed of shade in play, the three descendants finally meet, but Jessica and Eric aren’t expecting to hear the truth from Darthon, who reveals his identity to Eric, who cannot divulge the secret. Jessica must find out the truth for herself—and make a decision that will decide the fate of the shade worlds forever.
Death Before Daylight is the last book in The Timely Death trilogy. The characters are believable and realistic, and the relationship between Eric and Jessica grows on every page. This world is a unique creation, with the Dark being good, and the Light bad, and the dual identities of all the shades is a great twist. This series is a fascinating, fast-pace read that will appeal to readers who love paranormal, fantasy, young adult, and romance.
***
My apologies to Ms. Thompson for the delay. I was about to post my review when you announced you would be leaving your prior publisher, so I decided to wait until that situation was resolved, and the book was available again. (Also posted to Examiner.com).
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to GPK Publication LLC.)
Mary Karlik is a native Texan with an MFA. Though she lives in New Mexico now, her heart still belongs to Texas. Her book Hickville Confessions is the second book in the Hickville High series.
Ryan Quinn is new to small town life. She wants a fresh start, far from the darkness of her past, and will do anything to get it. Including joining the conservative Purity Club, a far cry from her “old” self. However, when the members of the Purity Club discover her secret, their vicious attack leaves Ryan helpless.
Good thing Justin is there to rescue her. But Justin is everything Ryan thinks she needs to avoid, harboring secrets of his own. Justin is the only one who understands Ryan, and she needs that, as the secrets of her past threaten to surface. Justin’s own secrets terrorize him, and he’s not sure he can trust Ryan with them. Will the two of them be able to overcome the shame of their past to heal for the future?
Hickville Confessions is filled with difficult issues, but the characters face them with courage and strength, becoming an example to others. The book is not light reading, but the relationships between all of the characters make it a worthwhile experience. The setting captures all the good—as well as the bad—things about living in a small town.
(I do not own this image. Image courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire.)
Natasha Preston is the English author of Silence and The Cellar. Her newest book, Awake, hits shelves today.
Scarlett has a normal life: parents, brother, school, friends. But she doesn’t remember anything before the age of five. Her parents have told her of the fire that took her memory and almost took her life, and she accepts their tales of her childhood. Until a car accident causes unexplainable memories to re-surface, and Scarlett starts asking questions her parents won’t answer.
Noah, her new boyfriend, supports Scarlett in everything. He’s polite, respectful, and everything that other boys her age are not. He’s also determined to shelter Scarlett from the horrors of her past, because Noah knows the truth of what happened. And he’s been sent to bring Scarlett home.
Awake is a young adult novel with an intriguing premise: a girl, raised in a cult, who has no memory of her early life amidst fanatics. Everyone around her has lied to Scarlet for years, and when she starts sensing that, her confusion is merited. The relationship between Noah and Scarlett isn’t a typical teenage romance. These two characters are too different for that, but their loyalty and love will be tested to the limits.
(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Kensington Books and Lyrical Press.)
Laura Johnston loves music, reading, and running. She also loves to write stories with heart. Her newest book, Between Now and Never, is a contemporary young adult novel with shades of mystery and romance.
Cody Rush is the “good” kid: basketball star, stays out of trouble, has a loving family. Julianna Schultz is his complete opposite: she loves art, her brother has a troubled past, her home life is falling apart. Cody’s dad is an FBI agent. Julianna’s mom is in prison. To make things worse, Cody’s dad is the man who put her there. Cody has only spoken to Julianna once, but he knows that their parents’ history will always make them enemies. And Cody agrees.
Until he wakes up in the hospital, with no memory of the night before, and finds pictures of himself and Julianna. Laughing. Having fun. Kissing. What happened that night? Why can’t he remember anything? And what is going on between him and Julianna? As Cody searches for answers to the mystery, he and Julianna grow closer. But the secret hidden in Cody’s memory may drive them apart forever.
Between Now and Never is a contemporary romance with hints of old-fashioned sweetness. Cody and Julianna are perfect foils for one another, and their relationship grows throughout the trials they face while the two learn to judge things—and people—for themselves, despite their past and what other people say. Between Now and Never is a great read that will have the reader intrigued by the mystery of Cody’s memories while rooting for him and Julianna to work out the issues that stand between them.
(Galley provided by Kensington Books and Lyrical Press via NetGalley.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Skyscape and Lori M. Lee.)
Lori M. Lee is an author from Wisconsin, via Laos and Thailand. She writes young adult fiction, in the fantasy genre. Her first published novel is The Gates of Thread and Stone, the first book in the Gates of Thread and Stone series.
Seventeen-year-old Kai lives in the Labyrinth, a warren of poverty, secrets, and desperation on the edge of the city. Keeping your mouth shut is the only way to survive there. It’s just Kai and Reev, her older adopted brother, against the world, and Kai is fine with that. They’re poor, but they have each other.
Then one day, Reev disappears, and Kai has to choose between keeping her mouth shut and trying to save Reev. No contest. Soon Kai finds herself swept up in the revolution that has been brewing for centuries, as the secrets of her past—and her origins—threaten to overtake her. With the help of Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the forbidding reputation, Kai must fight: to save Reev, to find out who she is, for her very survival.
The Gates of Thread and Stone is a compelling tale of magic and adventure, set in a world both forbidding and harsh and filled with mysteries. The world is not as it seems, and neither is Kai. Her journey of discovery—initially a rescue mission—leads her to place she’s never dreamed of, and reveals things she never considered. The riveting tale will mesmerize readers from the first page.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 