YA Book Spotlight: The Second Sign

This one is for any paranormal lover of the eerie and edgy, and it releases TOMORROW!! Happy Early BOOK BIRTHDAY!

Title: THE SECOND SIGN
Author: Elizabeth Arroyo
Genre: Dark Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Release Date: February 7, 2013
Pages: 232

I'd like to thank the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this story for review.

Favorite Line/Passage: "Liar. Cheat. Murderer." Something more than anger wrapped around Gabby, and a feeling of freedom sparked through her. A feeling so feral leapt in here mind, blasting her with images of lunging at Heather, clawing her eyes out, driving her fist deep into the witch's chest, and ripping our her heart. Wrath. Betrayal. Gabby shook her head just as heather laughed. But Gabby did not move.

Description: Bred to believe in the war between angels and demons, Gabby has come to the conclusion that love is responsible for war, jealousy, and all the other deadly sins she can think of. So when she’s exiled to the middle of nowhere for getting kicked out of her fifth school for fighting, she doesn't expect to meet Jake. Much less fall in love. But Jake is quickly drawn to the eerie beauty of her violet eyes while Gabby is unsettled by their undeniable connection.

When a demon guardian comes to collect her soul, she refuses to give it up. She’s not a demon. She can’t be. Her father and twin brother are angels. The demon gives Gabby twenty-four hours to decide her allegiance, and then starts killing her short list of friends, leaving a message behind: She is the Second Sign.As Gabby and Jake begin to unravel the mystery behind the Second Sign, she learns Jake may be the key to saving her soul. But it means a sacrifice has to be made that will change their lives forever. 

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY!

My Splats: A dark, twisted tale that will keep you yearning for more.

Gabby appears to be the average troubled high school student with too much energy to burn. Such a characteristic often leads her astray. But there is more to Gabby than just being a student and simply mischievous. And more about herself than even she knows.

The opening pages immerse the reader in a facade of religious references and icons, seemingly the darker side of faith. This could have been a risky subject in a young adult novel; however, as the first few pages turn, the story shows neither praise nor condemnation, but uses the characters and their inner motivations as the focal point. I found myself pondering along with the characters about beliefs and one's own soul. And that is when the story really began. This technique was clever because it not only gave valuable information the reader will need to know, but it also set the tone and mood for the entire story. 

Arroyo has a beautiful writing style, ease of flow and imagination. The story is structured in multiple point-of-views, but mainly from the two main characters, Gabby and Jake. It works, as does the surprises that satisfy the appetite of any adventurous, mystery-twist loving reader.

Gabby and Jake's relationship is intense, yet an underlying pulse of sweetness and genuineness draws them closer - a need somewhat teen, but also new and never felt by either. Jake has that typical teen male attitude, attributing some of his worth to the number of girls he's dated and/or more. But he only holds slight arrogance, which is teasing and attractive. 

Although otherworldly and even horror elements soon surface, threatening Gabby and all she's known, she still struggles with most of the same issues the average teenage girl does: Who am I? Where do I fit in? She's never felt at ease in her own skin or with anyone, not even her brother Max or her guardian Alder. The time would soon come when that must change, when she'd need to drop her barriers and let Jake in to she what she's made of. 

As the tale unfolds and Gabby faces each new danger, Jake is drawn in deeper, stepping over the threshold of her walls, sensing a need for each other - a purpose larger than themselves.The climactic ending shocks and explodes, executing the power of friendship, love, and sacrifice. 

Young Adult Teen Tuesday: Fire Elemental Blog Tour!

Here with another edition of YATT, and what I have for you is pretty cool! 'K, not cool, but hot. Fiery HOT. I'm pleased to be a part of another AToMR Tour, introducing you to FIRE - Elemental #4 in Shauna Granger's series and HERE for full tour schedule. 

GOODREADS

Author: Shauna Granger

Release date: Dec. 18, 2012

Genre: Urban Fantasy, YA/New Adult

Demons, faeries, and mermaids. Claws, teeth, and nightmares. 

They have been beaten and bruised, set on fire, and nearly drowned, but manage to always find their way home.  Over their last Winter Holiday break before college, Shayna, Jodi, and Steven try again to put aside the magic in their lives for a little mundane fun. But Shayna's mother is having dreams of fire and death. A mysterious stranger by the name of Liam has just arrived in town. And Shayna's attempts to manage her new angelic powers are set back by Steven's insistence that the trio intervene in a riot outside of a concert, with disastrous consequences.

In her attempt to stop the riot, a man sees Shayna use her magical abilities – a man driven mad by watching his brother die at the hands of a black witch. He stalks Shayna, plotting to destroy her and her friends. With her mother’s warnings echoing in her mind, Shayna is now in the fight of her life against an unlikely foe: a human man.

Check out the special excerpt given to me to share with you! But PSST...Make sure you read to the end and enter a fabulous giveaway! Plus, I'm FINALLY announcing a splatter of winners from my past few giveaways. 

Excerpt #1 from FIRE: 

We stood there in companionable silence for a while, watching the dancers swaying to the music while the shadows and light flickered between them. I didn’t realize I had started moving to the beat of the music until I accidentally brushed up against Liam.

“Oops,” I said, “sorry.”

“Perfectly all right,” he said. Then he took my hand in his and started forward, pulling me with him.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” I asked, trying in vain to pull against him.

“Oh, lighten up, will you?” he said with a roll of his eyes when he stopped and turned to face me. 

He twirled me suddenly, surprising a yelp out of me before he caught me. My back was to him, shoulders pressed into his chest. His body was already moving to the slow, low beat of the music, and his hands were resting on the swell of my hips, guiding me to follow his lead. Tiny pin pricks were running up my spine and my palms were a little sweaty. I could feel the crowd around us, pressing against my shields and stealing some of the air.

“Relax,” Liam whispered in my ear. 

His breath was hot against the nape of my neck, making me shiver. I closed my eyes and focused on my breath. I could taste the smoke and ash in the air, the spice of lust and abandon, the musk of warm bodies. The music slipped and slid around us. Behind my eyelids, I could see the electricity of the bodies around us again. Liam’s body was warm and firm behind me. His fingers curled into my hips, guiding me into the swish and sway of his body. My head dropped back, resting on his shoulder as my muscles slowly began to unwind, one by one. I settled my hands over Liam’s as we moved, my knees bouncing in time with the music, my hips in time with his.

Liam turned his face towards me so that his cheek brushed against mine. It was smooth and warm and I felt myself turning towards it. I opened my eyes and could see the rich redness of his lips very near to my face. The tip of his tongue darted out to moisten his lips, making me swallow. I lifted my gaze up the length of his jaw, over the cut of his cheekbone until I watched his eyes. Surprisingly, he wasn’t watching me. His eyes were half closed and it seemed as though he wasn’t looking at anything really, he was just lost in the moment.

His head dipped forward and he turned his face towards me again so that his nose and lips were nuzzled in close to the bend of my neck. My heart thudded against my chest and his fingers gripped my hips tighter, pulling me against him so that there wasn’t as much as an inch between the lines of our bodies. I felt a rumble in his chest, rolling through him until his lips vibrated against my neck. I was suddenly very aware of my pulse in my neck, terrifyingly close to his lips. Chills ran up my arms, and just when I thought he might’ve kissed me, the music shifted and Liam pushed me away and spun me around.

He laughed when I gasped in surprise, but he caught my wrists and pulled me into him again, draping my arms around his neck. His hands slid down my arms, over my ribs until he finally took my waist and again he was leading me in a rhythmic swaying dance. Now that we were face to face, I felt less self-conscious looking him in the eye and he stared right back. A corner of his mouth quirked up in a little smile and his eyes held a heat that made me want to swallow again. I brought my hands down to rest against his chest. It was strange not feeling a heartbeat under my fingers, even though I had never thought about that before when dancing with a boy.

Can't help but wonder what happens next!

Giveaway: (5) ebooks of EARTH, AIR, WATER, or FIRE – Open International

• Grand prize: Shayna’s Solstice gift to Deb (a hand knitted scarf) and a signed paperback of the winner’s choosing (Earth, Air, Water or Fire), bookmark, and a $10 Gift Card for either Amazon or B&N. – Open to US/Canada

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Purchase:

• Earth - Amazon, Barnesand Noble, Kobo.
• Air - Amazon, Barnesand Noble, Kobo.
• Water - Amazon, Barnesand Noble, Kobo.

Author Bio:

I don't do well talking about myself. So as basics go, I have recently self-published the first two books in my Elemental Series, Earth and Air, Young Adult Urban Fantasy novels. Look for the third installment, Water, coming in 2012!

I have been working on the Elemental Series for the last four years and plan for it to be a 5 book series. It was a hard decision to self-publish but it's been an exciting and terrifying ride. Shauna Granger | Twitter | Facebook

ALLEYWALKER SPLAT ALERT!! 

I have five, count'em, five giveaways to announce the winners for. I promised not to waste anymore time, so here goes: 

The winner of my TRANSCEND Book & Swag Giveaway is: BEVERLY STOWE MCCLURE!!

The winners of my THANKSGIVING DAY Giveaway:

•  a copy of The Best of Vine Leaves Literary Anthology 2012, which released yesterday is:  LAURA PAULING!!
• an ecopy of my bestie Leigh Moore's ROUGE is: DAWNA NEWMAN!!
• Kindle edition of my bestie Sarah Fine's SANCTUM is: ELIZA TILTON!!
• an ecopy of my besties Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi's EMOTIONAL THESAURUS is: BEVERLY STOWE MCCLURE!

The winner of our PASSION BLUE Giveaway is: KELLY HASHWAY!

The winner of a digital copy of FADE Giveaway is: FIERY NA!

YA Teen Tuesday: Why YA?

Young Adult Author Suzy Turner has something awesome to celebrate today, the release of her YA novel THE GHOST OF JOSIAH GRIMSHAW!!! *pompom cheers* And she's here to give you her reason why she writes for the young adult audience. Let's give her the floor.

When I was a child, I read children's books. When I was a teenager I read raunchy chick lit (!). When I was an adult, I started to read YA. So yes, perhaps I did go a bit awry in my teens but I learned a lot!

But why did I only discover YA books in my adulthood? Well, that's easy really. It was when Harry Potter appeared on the scene, followed by Twilight and the Hunger Games. These were the books that tempted me into the realms of books for teens and young adults. I devoured them and all other books like them. So with such a passion for reading this genre, it seemed only natural that I should write them. I'm so glad I did. The Raven Saga was my first foray into the YA world and the series has been welcomed by all with open arms (huge sigh of relief).

Having learned a lot along the way, I believe my latest offering is my best work to date. Yes I admit it, I'm proud of it and I hope you will be too. The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw has already started receiving rave reviews, in fact one reviewer wrote: 'I would go so far as to say that this book could be the beginnings of a series as good as those by J.K. Rowling!' (Cue dancing around the room like a crazed teenager with a grin like the Cheshire Cat!)

To read more about The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, please check out the virtual tour. Tomorrow, I can be found on E.J Steven's blog, From the Shadows.

Description: Adopted sisters Lana Beth and Emma Jane are polar opposites, but when the same strange 'tattoo' suddenly appears and winds its way up their bodies within days of each other, they soon realise there's more to their relationship than they could ever have imagined.

Sent off to London for two weeks of 'work experience', the Morgan Sisters soon find themselves being initiated into the ancient Praxos Foundation, one that protects the innocent while fighting evil, both human and supernatural.

At the same time, Lana Beth and Emma Jane must also investigate why the sweet but sometimes pesky ghost of Josiah Grimshaw just won't leave them alone.

Visit Suzy on her Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest. The book is available on Amazon.

For more YA, visit these YATT Meme Supporters:

Margo Berendsen

The Write Game

Julie Musil (not every wk)

Rosewood Pencil Box

Misha Gericke (not every wk)

Fairbetty's World 

Concrete Pieces of Soul 

The B.L.O.G (The Bizzare Life of One Girl)  

A Day into the Writer

Want to take part in spotlighting young adult literature? Join our team. For more information, go HERE.

Reading Lists & Young Adult Teen Tuesday

I'm over on Oasis for YA today, with my latest YA suggestion and a question. I'll give you a hint: the story is paranormal and fantasy and encompasses a world imprisoned. I'd love to hear from you over there.

Splat: my recovery is still going well. Just really exhausted, so if I don't catch up with you as readily as I'd like I hope you'll understand.

Thanks so much and enjoy your Tuesday!!

For more YA, visit these YATT Meme Supporters:

Margo Berendsen

The Write Game

Julie Musil (not every wk)

Rosewood Pencil Box

Misha Gericke (not every wk)

Fairbetty's World 

Concrete Pieces of Soul 

The B.L.O.G (The Bizzare Life of One Girl)  

A Day into the Writer

Want to take part in spotlighting young adult literature? Join our team. For more information, go HERE.

AFTERMATH ~ Cover Reveal

Though I'll be spending the remainder of this week recovering from surgery, I couldn't resist sharing a fantastic reveal with you. Welcome to YA Author Jenna-Lynne Duncan's AFTERMATH cover reveal, hosted by AToMR Tours.

Title: Aftermath (Hurricane, #2)

Author: Jenna-Lynne Duncan

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Paranormal /urban fantasy

Expected Release: February 2013

Cover Design: No cover designer specified by the author

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Summary:

Adriana can't decide which is harder- living in post-Katrina New Orleans or living with two immortal brothers. Ana and Hayden are finally together but Hayden's brother Luke is trying to come between them... and he has never been known to play fair. Ana is still attempting to cling to her normal life despite psychic visions taking over her dreams. With Mardi Gras season approaching and a vision of a murder, Ana will find out if she can really change the future or if she's just upsetting a very delicate balance. What she could never predict was just how far Luke would go to satisfy his obsession...

LUKE

HAYDEN

The author is offering a giveaway in conjunction with the reveal.

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Bio:

Jenna-Lynne Duncan graduated from the University of St. Thomas with degrees in Political Science, International Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies. Hurricane is her debut novel and she is planning a series.

Jenna- Lynne Duncan|Facebook|Twitter

For more YA, visit these YATT Meme Supporters:

Margo Berendsen

The Write Game

Julie Musil (not every wk)

Rosewood Pencil Box

Misha Gericke (not every wk)

Fairbetty's World 

Concrete Pieces of Soul 

The B.L.O.G (The Bizzare Life of One Girl)  

A Day into the Writer

Want to take part in spotlighting young adult literature? Join our team. For more information, go HERE.

Book Spotlight: SANCTUM

Ever get all giddy when you receive a book in the mail? Well, I sure did with this one, especially once I began reading it.

Title: SANCTUM
Author: Sarah Fine
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's/Amazon Children's Publishing
Expected Release Date: October 16, 2012
Pages: 433

I'd like to thank both Author & Publisher for supplying me with an ARC of this book for review.

Favorite Line/Passage: I turned back to the Gates, clenched my teeth, and marched forward. Others pressed in behind me, trapping me against layers of bodies, filling me with nausea as they pushed against my back, reminding me of things I'd worked really hard to forget. I wriggled myself along, carefully nudging past arms and shoulders, chests and heads, toward the outer edge of the crowd. Time for a close encounter with the Guards. I wailed and cried, uniting my voice with others' despairing sobs.

Description: "My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple."

A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos's best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance – hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn't just anyone – she's determined to save her best friend's soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife. 

As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she's captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city's endless streets. Their all-too-human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn't – the dark city isn't the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.

COVETED!! A MUST READ!

My Splats: riveting debut brimming with heart-wrenching endings, thought-provoking beginnings, and unforeseen choices in a world that only death can bring on.

Taking the initial quote from SANCTUM'S blurb: "My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple." Now, we all know that nothing is simple during the teen years. And SANCTUM stays true to that course, contemplating the delicate subject of teen suicide and what really happens 'after.' 

From her scattered foster care life, Lela has a different scale with which she measures life. That scale grows more unbalanced as the only friend she's ever had takes her own life. Grief and guilt are immediately evident within Lela, only adding to her already complex emotional shelf. She dreams of a place where only desolation exists and knows it's the place her friend has gone. Lela is searching, longing for closure over her friend's tragic decision. But even more for the pain of her personal past to heal and release her. 

Ultimately, she ends up in the same place as her dreams. There she meets Malachi, who shares her anguish of a disturbing past with the inner turmoil that creates. Lela finds her inner and outer conflicts followed her into her afterlife - insecurities, loneliness, and longing for peace and acceptance - where Malachi has been stirring in his afterlife, healing, and moving toward a new beginning. But for Malachi, meeting Lela with her quest to save her friend means a new beginning of unknowns and uncertainties. 

Fine captures the poetic beauty in such a struggle, holding the reader's attention with humor as well as the more serious; it's quite drawing. The structure of events, and personal reflections and revelations are strategically placed to feed the reader a desire for more. Surprising inner revelations direct Lela and Malachi to evolve as the story nears its climax. And the shocking ending left me only longing for Book II.

The world Fine created pieces together plausible elements in just the right places to make it believable and thought-provoking, like souls seeking frivolous things to fill their emptiness and the inability to see past those and hope. This isn't simply a YA story that draws in the reader, but a tale which urges contemplation of one's own existence and future.


For more YA, visit these YATT Meme Supporters:

Margo Berendsen

The Write Game

Julie Musil (not every wk)

Rosewood Pencil Box

Misha Gericke (not every wk)

Fairbetty's World 

Concrete Pieces of Soul 

The B.L.O.G (The Bizzare Life of One Girl)  

A Day into the Writer

Want to take part in spotlighting young adult literature? Join our team. For more information, go HERE.

The YA Mind: readers, writers, thinkers

Whether you're of young adult age or years beyond, if you read or write or think about topics that affect the tweens, teens, and young adults of today, then you have a YA Mind.

And what better way to explore that then by asking questions of ourselves and others? So I'm here today to recruit your help. I want to accumulate a mountain of questions to send to our YA Expert Board to keep them busy for the summer. It's been a while since I've sent them any, so I believe it's time.


You may ask any question that you feel is pertinent to the YA world. It can be about reading, writing, or living the tween/teen life of today.


Here's a few suggestions:

• Relationships - parent/teen, teen/teen, teen/teacher or other
• Romance - age, behavior, seriousness, fickleness, etc...
• Tween/Teen outer appearances vs. inner conflicts
• Settings
• Plots & subplots
• Tween/Teen emotions & emotional gauges
• Contemporary vs. Paranormal
• Action vs. Literary
• Fashion, music, television, technology, sports, activities, the arts, etc...

I'm sure you can come up with more to explore.


Now, when I say I want a mountain of questions, I do mean a mountain. So to help perpetuate this and simply because you all totally ROCK, I'm offering prizes. Yes, prizes, with 5 lucky winners. 

Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to be included in the giveaway!!  The only requirement is that you leave a question for our panel. (Don't leave your question in the comments or you won't be entered. PLEASE leave your question in the Rafflecopter form, so you'll be entered with 2 chances to win.) I would, however, love it if you'd spread the word about this giveaway and challenge. Pwwease.... ;D Thanks so much!!  I'll compile the questions and send them to our board. Winners to be announced on July 17th so you have plenty of time.


And just an FYI: I will be having a massive, gaugantuan, bigger-than-a-shopping-mall giveaway with an announcement very soon, probably after I take my summer blogging break but not sure just yet. I'll need your help then too. ;D (So if you'd be willing to offer up any prizes like critiques, a book, or anything, please let me know with your comment or feel free to email me. I'm willing to return the favor.)

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Book Spotlight~Daemons in the Mist

For today's Young Adult Teen Tuesday, I'm continuing with the theme of Daemons in the Mist by giving you a deeper look into the story of Patrick and Nualla.

Title: Daemons in the Mist
Author: Alicia Kat Dillman
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Publisher: Korat Publishing
Release Date: June 2011
Pages: 490

I'd like to thank the author for providing me with an e-copy of this book for review.

Favorite Line/Passage: Patrick - Nualla was pacing back and forth still waving her hands frantically and talking into her cell in a language I couldn't understand. Though she was speaking quickly, the words flowed over her lips like a beautiful waterfall.

Nualla - The exception, it seemed, to California's bright and sunny weather. It's not the foggiest city in the world, but its damn close. People have written books based here, and songs and movies. Even Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.' Though if I hear one more tourist say it, I'm going to hit someone. (I could have shared a ton of different quotes from Nualla; I just wanted to show you her snarkiness. Awesome, huh?)

Description: Finally getting the girl of your dreams; what could possibly go wrong? Seventeen year old Patrick Connolly has been hopelessly infatuated with Nualla for years but he is all but invisible to her. Until, that is, he rescues her from a confrontation with her ex. Little does Patrick know he’s just set off a dangerous chain reaction that will thrust him into a world of life altering secrets and things that shouldn’t exist, because the fog and mist of San Francisco is concealing more than just buildings.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY

My Splats: A ride of intrigue, hidden agendas, action, and a ting of romance.

The story opens with Nualla and Patrick attending the same high school but living in separate worlds. Of course, the blending of two worlds works to sprinkle the paranormal elements necessary to tell this tale. But this setting also presents the reader with a great parallel of the reality of being a young adult. There are always segregated groups in high school, groups that are seen and those that are not seen. And the perception of these groups is no different than it has been throughout the ages of organized public education.

Patrick’s eyes are opened by the sudden, although somewhat accidental, interest Nualla shows him. Unexpected attention leads to unexpected travels, which take on a life of their own…and consequences. When Nualla believes she and Patrick have violated a serious code of honor for her people, they are forced into abiding by the rules of this code. This is fine with them, because they genially have fallen for each other. But as you might have guessed, there’s more to that part of the story.

Dillman includes what some might call risky subjects in young adult literature, using the reality of teenagers partying, drinking, sexual tension, and references to having sex. With saying this, all is done in perfect taste and highlights more of the real experience of today’s teenage life. It shows that teens might not always use the best judgment with their decision making, but they can act responsibly in handling the consequences when given the opportunity.

Overall, Dillman’s writing is a hoot! She uses the snarkiest, quick-witted language, especially through Nualla’s dialog. This strong characteristic attracted me like bees to their honey. And it didn’t just attract me, but Dillman’s other characters too. It was obvious that this was one element of Nualla’s personality that Patrick enjoyed. But it also challenged him. Through this, Dillman showed the maturing growth of a teenage boy.

I look forward to reading more of Nualla and Patrick adventures and am excited to see where Dillman takes their story. 

For more YA, visit these YATT Meme Supporters:

Margo Berendsen

The Write Game

Julie Musil (not every wk)

Rosewood Pencil Box

Misha Gericke (not every wk)

Fairbetty's World 

Concrete Pieces of Soul 

The B.L.O.G (The Bizzare Life of One Girl)  

A Day into the Writer

Want to take part in spotlighting young adult literature? Join our team. For more information, go HERE.

YATT Spotlight ~ an INTANGIBLE Giveaway!

For today's YATT meme, I've got TWO--count'em, TWO--special YA books. Firstly, head over to Oasis for YA, where I've highlighted Author Sarah Fine's book SANCTUM. It's expected release date is in October of this year, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

And secondly, but quite happily, I bring you another young adult story which features a bit of the paranormal, the normal, and the abnormal.


Title: INTANGIBLE
Author: J. Meyers
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Publisher:
Release Date: January 2012
Format: ebook
Pages: 264

I'd like to thank the author for supplying me with a copy of her story for review.

Favorite Line/Passage: Tears spiked behind her eyes, hot and sharp. She wanted to stop him. Wanted him to turn and smile and say that he'd stay, that they'd all be friends. That maybe he loved her. That she was worth it.

Description: Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY!

My Splats: intrigue and mystery bring a set of twins to the brink of what it truly means to be siblings.

The suspenseful beginning drew me in. What's going to happen? Who's this guy? And what is his deal? These were the first questions I had, all of which urged me to keep reading. Luke opened up with a sense of urgency and heartfelt warmth and concern, giving me an emotional connection to him from the get-go. 

Sera gave me the same sense of innocence and need to do what is right. I felt an understanding of her from the onset, though different from with Luke. I realized I'd have to worry about her - just like Luke does. Their sibling relationship was genuine and honest. 

It was interesting to me that Meyer was able to get me to join in with one character's feelings about another. If I would have been in the story, I would so have been on Luke's side, urging Sera to be more cautious with what she can do. To me, my reaction is a win-win for the author and the story. I could see myself in the story.

  

One of my favorite aspects of this tale was structure. Meyer told the story from multiple point-of-views--more then just two--which truly worked in this case. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd get confused or lost midst the inner thoughts of those characters but I didn't. Meyer did a great job sharing each character with just enough details to keep the story moving forward. And move forward it did.

As more characters are brought into the story, an intricate web begins threading between them. The world building gets bigger and more intimate. Numerous sub-plots begin to unfold, and I couldn't help but wonder how they were connected. 

An event with Luke (which I don't want to share because of spoilers) was the ledge Meyer decided to use to plunge the reader into the story. The more Luke searches for a way to prevent this event from growing and coming to fruition, the more danger he lures closer. But at the same time, Sera is desperate to exist as a 'normal' teen, giving into her feelings for a new boy and then pushing those feelings away. This unexpected romance adds urgency and drama to the plot, complicating the heck out of the emotional arcs. Not to mention making Luke's job to keep his sister safe even harder. 

When the inner struggles of the twins are mixed with outside threats and then mingled with the inner and outer motivations of the other characters, the plot quickly explodes into a unique paranormal setting and plausible elements. And with the end leading to new, mysterious beginnings, I'm sure there is much more to come from this set of twins.

On a personal note, I have to give the author--a fellow mother of four--major Kudos for writing this book. 

Find J. Meyer on Goodreads and her Site & Blog. AND enter my giveaway below to win a copy of her book!! Giveaway ends June 14th. Winner will be announced on the 15th!

For more YA, visit these YATT Meme Supporters:

Margo Berendsen

The Write Game

Julie Musil (not every wk)

Rosewood Pencil Box

Misha Gericke (not every wk)

Fairbetty's World 

Concrete Pieces of Soul 

The B.L.O.G (The Bizzare Life of One Girl)  

A Day into the Writer

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