#MMBlogTour What's Your Supernatural Pet? (Giveaway + Blog Tour)

This giveaway is open internationally! So let’s tell the blogging world!

Hi everyone, I’m Sherry Soule—waving from Castro Valley, California, where it gets foggy even during the summer months. But even with the fog burning off by afternoon, I’m relaxing on the sofa and blabbering on Twitter about my life-long obsession with books.

It’s a real honor to be a guest today as part of my Moonlight Mayhem Blog Tour this summer and meet all these awesome booklovers.

My tour has a great response and it is nice seeing the familiar names in the comments box at each stop. For those of you who haven’t heard of my epic Moonlight Mayhem blog tour it’s not too late to join the fun!

To celebrate the release of author, Sherry Soule’s newest paranormal novel, MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, the second book in the epic Spellbound Series, take this super fun quiz to discover which paranormal pet you’re fated to own, and score a Kindle or Nook version of the first book in this unforgettable YA series, BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN! 

Most heroes need a sidekick, and if fate smiles upon you, then you’ll have a paranormal pet watching your back. But which one best suits YOU?

Take this quiz and be sure to check the bottom of the post for the details regarding this random giveaway. 

What size pet would you prefer?

1. Small
2. Medium
3. Large
4. Gigantic

Do you mind a pet that might shed?

1. Loose fur? I’m cool with that
2. Rough scales are acceptable 
3. Transparent coat? No biggie
4. Shedding pelt—ain’t a problem 

How would you like your pet to greet people at the door?

1. Rub their ankles and purr
2. Spitting and growling
3. Bark and sniff hand
4. Snarling and howling

How much protection would you like to have?

1. Minimum – docile and fluffy
2. Moderate – Vicious yet cuddly
3. Extreme - Invisible but deadly
4. Tremendous - Bite anyone who messes with me

What would you like to feed your new pet?

1. Tuna and bowl of milk
2. Human emotions—fear, anger, lust, vengeance
3. Nothing
4. Chew on skeleton bones—they make a tasty snack

Where will your pet sleep?

1. On my lap 
2. Hiding in the shadows
3. Never sleeps
4. Curled up in a cozy cave

What type of toys would your pet like most?

1. Mice and squeaky toys
2. Stuffed dinosaurs or dragons
3. Chase balls and fetch newspapers
4. None. Does not play well with others

If you answered...

Mostly a's: Your pet is a cat! Witches have used familiars for years to help increase the power of their spells. Cute and helpful!

Mostly b's: Your pet would be a Shade! These affectionate creatures are a cross between a puppy and a dragon. Small but fierce!

Mostly c's: Your supernatural pet is a ghost dog! These creatures are often dubbed hellhounds, too, and they are vicious animals. Muscular and opaque!

 Mostly d's: Your pet is a ferocious lycan! These were-creatures make impressive guard dogs. Clever and scary!

MOONLIGHT MAYHEM Synopsis:

Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic. Fiery Romance.

Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast! 

It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic problem.

When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that's not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil. 

But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…

Moonlight Mayhem is the second novel in the unforgettably epic Spellbound series

By Sherry Soule

Where you can find author, Sherry Soule online:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com

Official Spellbound Series Universe: http://thespellboundseries.blogspot.com

Twitter @WriterSherry: http://twitter.com/writersherry

Awesome Book Trailers/YouTube: http://youtu.be/5uqVXKygvUs

  and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o44sW-gFtvA

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11634793-beautifully-broken

Random winner will be picked on INSERT DATE and be posted at the top of this quiz, please check back on that day to find out if you’re the lucky winner.

Giveaway details for a Kindle or Nook edition of BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN:

1.) You must comment with your quiz results

2.) Be a follower of Sherry’s blog

3.) Be a follower of this blog

4.) Follow us both on Twitter

Good luck!

Debut YA Book Birthday

So, I skipped last week to bring you a fantastic cover reveal, and it turns out last week brought an impressive array of cover reveals.  I mean did you see these?

But those books won't be out for awhile (or in the case of Shatter Me, is already out), and this week we have some debut YA book birthdays that are here RIGHT NOW!  Hold onto your hats, because here are the birthday books:

Secret Letters by Leah Scheier
Inquisitive and observant, Dora dreams of escaping her aristocratic country life to solve mysteries alongside Sherlock Holmes. So when she learns that the legendary detective might be her biological father, Dora jumps on the opportunity to travel to London and enlist his help in solving the mystery of her cousin’s ransomed love letters. But Dora arrives in London to devastating news: Sherlock Holmes is dead. Her dreams dashed, Dora is left to rely on her wits—and the assistance of an attractive yet enigmatic young detective—to save her cousin’s reputation and help rescue a kidnapped heiress along the way. 
 
Steeped in Victorian atmosphere and intrigue, this gripping novel heralds the arrival of a fresh new voice in young adult literature. 

Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price
A girl's letters to her best friend reveal two lives derailed by anorexia in this haunting debut that's Wintergirls meets The Sixth Sense

It's not a hospital, a spa, or an institution. That's what they told me--that's what the brochures promised.

But no matter what the brochures promised, Zoe finds that Twin Birch is a place for girls with a penchant for harming themselves. Through journal entries and letters to her best friend, Elise, she tries to understand why she was brought there, and how she could possibly belong in a place like this. But Zoe's letters to Elise remain unanswered. She wonders why her best friend would cut her off without a word, reliving memory after memory of their beautiful, rocky, inescapable friendship. But everyone has secrets--including Zoe--and as her own fragile mental state hangs in the balance, she must finally learn to come to terms with what happened to Elise before she's able to let go.

Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson and Girl, Interrupted will race through this hauntingly emotional debut novel with the pacing of a psychological thriller.

Between the Lines by Samantha Van Leer and Jodi Picoult
New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her teenage daughter present their first-ever novel for teens, filled with romance, adventure, and humor.

What happens when happily ever after…isn’t?

     Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

     And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

     Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.

Well, not quite so many coming out this week, but these all sound interesting.  Any you can't wait to get your hands on?

Melissa Luznicky Garrett in the Indie Author Spotlight

Hi everyone!  I’m very excited to be shining the Indie Author Spotlight on Melissa Luznicky Garrett, who has penned both YA and adult fiction.  

So tell us, Melissa, your YA novels appear very diverse -- is there a common theme among them? 

There are no overt commonalities among any of my novels, with the exception that all but one takes place in upstate, New York. I love the little college town I live in and enjoy weaving real-life places with fictional for my characters to visit. Most of my YA characters also attend the same fictional high school. Maybe one of these days I'll write a book in which they all meet and share one big adventure! 

With regard to common themes, I suppose you could say each of my books focus around a central character at a crossroads in her life, the point where choosing this path over that one will have a major impact on her life. 

Your first novel, Precipice, is for adults.  What made you decide to switch over to YA?  Are you planning to write more adult novels too? 

Precipice was my very first novel-length manuscript from many years ago that sat untouched in a desk drawer. I published it (without really editing it!) at the insistence of a friend who loved the story and characters and wanted a print version. I honestly did not expect to sell many, if any, copies. Incidentally, it will be getting a complete cover and content makeover in the near future. I've  learned a lot about writing since then and now can't look at that book without cringing a little (okay, a lot). My next adult novel, which I plan to start writing by the end of the year, will be a spin-off of Precipice and focus on Julia's sister, Kim. I'd love to write a romantic comedy, too!

When I first started writing, I hadn't read any novels specifically marketed for the YA crowd. But then I heard about this little book called Twilight, and it was all downhill from there. I was hooked! I quickly followed that up with the House of Night series, then the Wicked Lovely and Wolves of Mercy Falls series . . . anything YA I could get my hands on. 

Your first YA novel, Turning Point, sounds like a blend of contemporary and thriller.  How do you categorize it? 

Turning Point was a difficult one for me to categorize because it definitely is a blend of the two. I tell people it's a YA thriller. Turning Point is unlike anything I would ever normally read or write, but I had this little scenario stuck in my head and just ran with it. The first version was quite wicked and had to be toned down for the YA crowd. Even now, it's one I recommend for a more mature audience. Jenna and Dominic remain two of my favorite characters. 

Your cover for The Spirit Keeper is amazing and I’ve already loaded it onto my Kindle because it sounds fabulous.  Did you have to do a lot of research into Native American folklore to write the novel?  [yes - I’m cheating and trying to get more insight into the novel.] 

Thank you! Damon Xeda, the artist who designed the covers for The Spirit Keeper and Blood Type, is brilliant. You can view a sampling of other covers he's designed at http://www.Damonza.com. 

When I first had it in my mind that I wanted to write a novel with a Native American main character, I began researching the Iroquois Nation. It seemed only natural, given that the book is set in upstate New York and the Iroquois once had a strong presence in this area. But then I began writing the story in such a way that it portrayed that particular group of people in a very negative light. In my gut, I didn't like what I was doing or where my story was going. I toyed with the idea of making Sarah Caucasian, but I knew the story would never work if I did. So I did what any other author would do; I made up my own tribe! The Katori people, to my knowledge, are completely fictional. Readers will learn more about them in The Seventh Tribe, which is due out in the spring of 2013.

I’m secretly still in love with all things vampire so Blood Type looks great to me, but were you afraid of writing in an area that publishers say has been overdone post-Twilight?  [editorial note: Blood Type is coming this fall.]

I love vampires. LOVE THEM! The great thing about being a self-published author is that I get to write what appeals to me. I've always joked that I was going to write a vampire novel at some point in my life, and then it just sort of happened. The idea for the book grew from a creative writing prompt. In fact, the entire first chapter is a polished version of my original submission. And Blood Type is nothing like Twilight, trust me. About the only similarity is that the main characters happen to be teenagers. 

What’s scarier: an angry spirit or a vampire at night? 

A vampire at night, definitely. I remember reading Salem's Lot when I was eleven or so, and then watching the movie and having nightmares because of it. But what's even scarier are the vampires you meet during the day . . . I'm convinced The Commons in downtown Ithaca is a hot-spot for them (hint, hint). 

You’re probably getting used to doing interviews by now -- what’s the one thing you’ve always wanted to be asked but no one ever does?  (I want to hear the answer too!)

Does your spouse read your books? I always want to know that about writers, but they never talk about it. The short answer to that question is NO, and I really hope this guilts my husband in to reading my work! In all seriousness, my husband did read the final version of Turning Point, which he enjoyed. However, he's not big on YA paranormal. Given that he's a 46-year-old male, I can't hardly blame him.

Speed Round:

Thriller or paranormal romance?

paranormal romance

Food you couldn’t live without?

This would probably change from day to day depending what I'm craving. Right now it's my husband's homemade chili and cornbread.

Favorite musician/band?

The Killers

Pets?

Eight of them! My black lab puppy, Chloe; the cats - Louie, Joey, and Ernie; the guinea pigs - Jeffrey, Mikey, Buddy, and Dobby

Favorite smell?

Crabtree and Evelyn's Rosewater perfume. It reminds me of my grandma. 

And there we have it, folks.  Now you know a little more about Melissa and her novels.  If you’d like to learn more, you can find Melissa here:  
http://www.MLGarrett.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/MLGarrettwrites

And to buy, check her out on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

How Artist & Author Alicia Kat Dillman creates stunning covers (+ contest)!

Behind the Cover: A Peek Through the Mists

How I breathe life into the stories in my head, or in other words, how I convey a whole story within a single image.

First I decide what story I’m trying to tell; what I’m trying to get across in the image. Then I hit the books, analyzing what’s out there. Trying to design something that’s true to the story while at the same time something that will stand out from the pack of other new releases.

Daemons in the Mist is very atmospheric, almost like the environment is a real breathing creature itself, and my characters embody their environments. I wanted to convey this on the cover, so I chose one main character and one location that reflected a part of the city and the character at the same time.

For this first book I wanted Nualla, one of Daemons in the Mist’s main characters, to look like she was standing across the street from you, her hair caught up in the gust of wind from a passing car. Placing her firmly in our world but at the same time pulling you into something hidden; something extraordinary. She is as much inviting you, the reader, into her world as she invites Patrick into her life in the story.

And I wanted a bridge, in this case the Bay Bridge. Why did I chose the Bay Bridge instead of the Golden Gate Bridge for the cover of Daemons in the Mist? Because really the Golden Gate Bridge is for tourists, most of the locals, the commuters and students, use the Bay Bridge to come into the city. The story is about people who live in the city each day and most of the books are set there so I wanted the readers to get a taste of the city the way I see it. But why a bridge in the first place? In the story, Patrick makes a journey from the human world into the world of daemons, much like a bridge carries us into a new place. Parts of the bridge are obscured by fog conveying to the viewer that not everything is what it seems.

Once I have the story I’m trying to convey firmly in my mind, I start the actual process of creating a cover. For the base ofDaemons in the Mist’s cover, stock photography was used as part of a newer art form called enhanced photo-imagery. I head on over to the stock photography sites and browse for what I need. I then download their mock images and jump into InDesign to start mocking up a cover based on the template generated by the book printers. Because Daemons in the Mist is part of a trilogy, all 3 books were mocked up at the same time. When I get the cover design the way I like it, I purchase the chosen images and head on over to Painter.

I then use my custom designed brushes and go to town. I tend to use what they call “illustrative color” and even though my process with this cover was a departure from my norm, my signature style and use of vibrant color and dramatic lighting is still present. Once the painting is complete, I head back over to InDesign and import the final art before exporting the file and sending it off to the printer.

And that’s how my covers are born.

About Alicia Kat Dillman
Indie author & illustrator Alicia Kat Dillman is a lifelong resident of the San Francisco Bay Area. Kat illustrates and designs book covers & computer game art by day and writes teen fiction by night. The owner of two very crazy studio cats and nine overfull bookcases, Kat can usually be found performing, watching anime or hanging out in twitter chats when not playing in the imaginary worlds within her head. 

Daemons in the Mist
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.

Website Link: http://www.katgirlstudio.com/
Book Link: http://www.katgirlstudio.com/book/daemons-in-the-mist-book/

Want to win your own copy of Daemons in the Mist?  (Yes, you do! Trust me!)  Enter below.

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Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop

 Hi!  Welcome to my stop on the Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop, hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Uniquely Moi Books.

Up for grabs on this hop is $12 worth of YA books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo or Book Depository.  You get more if you pick e-books, but that choice is yours.  (**Free money for books is a perfect time to take a chance on that Indie writer you've been dying to check out. Hint, hint.**)

Rules:
*  book choices must be YA (young adult)
*  13 or older or have your parent's permission to enter
* open internationally wherever Book Depository ships (or wherever you can get e-books)
*  winner must respond to e-mail within 48 hours, or I'll pick someone else


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ALL THE BROKEN PIECES Cover Reveal + Excerpt

Instead of doing the debut YA book birthday post today, I'm helping Cindi Madsen get the word out about her forthcoming debut novel, ALL THE BROKEN PIECES.  Entangled is doing a major cover reveal today, so you're going to be seeing this baby all around the inter-webs.  The book will release in December.

What if your life wasn’t your own?

        Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

All the Broken Pieces, by Cindi Madsen is available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! 

Be sure to connect with Cindi at:

http://www.facebook.com/CindiMadsenBooks

https://twitter.com/#!/search/cindi%20madsen

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1029223.Cindi_Madsen

http://cindimadsen.com/

Amazing Excerpt ~

Olivia reached up, feeling the tender spots on her head. Her fingers brushed across a row of—were those little ridges made of metal? 

“Careful. The staples are almost ready to come out, but it’s still going to be sore for a while.”

Staples?!Her stomach rolled. I have staples in my head? She lowered her now-shaking hand. “Can I get a mirror?”

Mom looked at Dad, then back at her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until you’ve healed a little more.”

Mom patted Olivia’s leg. “You just relax. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The two of them left the room, but when Mom swung the door closed, it didn’t latch. Olivia could hear their voices in the hall. 

“I still think we should…” She couldn’t make out the rest of Dad’s muffled words. “…know if I can do this.”

“…late for that,” Mom said. “We’d lose everything, including…” Her voice faded as they got farther away. “…have to move.”

Olivia could tell the conversation was tense, but the words were impossible to decipher now. Holding a hand in front of her face, she turned it back and forth. A plastic tube ran from her arm to a machine next to her bed. She peeked into her nightgown and stared in horror at the long red stripe running down her chest. 

Sick.

You’re alive. You shouldn’t be thinking about looks.

Lowering her hand, she scanned the room. I wonder how my face looks. From the way Dad stared at me, plus the fact Mom won’t let me see a mirror, it must be bad. 

Brains are more important than looks.

That’s what ugly people say.

Olivia put her hands on her head and squeezed. “Stop it,” she whispered to her arguing thoughts, hysteria bubbling up and squeezing the air from her lungs. What was happening to her? Why didn’t she recognize her parents or know where she was? Who she was? Tears ran warm trails down her cheeks. “Just make it all stop.”

Simplicity by Valia Lind (excerpt & giveaway!)

Driven, beautiful Alexis Sinclair lives her life to the fullest, following her dreams of running a big company. But when her world is torn apart by a storm, everything she has ever known disappears. Now, marooned on an island with a group of men, Alexis must learn to live in a world made up of simple things. Letting go of every known convenience, she realizes how insignificant her life has become. Filled with unrequited love for her rescuer she must battle the demons buried deep inside and she must look within herself and to her faith to find the strength needed to survive.
Strong and influential, Jacob Peterson, has done all he can to survive. When the fate turned its tables on him, he learned to cope with the inevitable. Plagued by his past and secrets buried there, Jacob exerts a rigid control, refusing to succumb to the joys, and torturous pain, of strong emotions. Without considering love a gift he may never receive, he believes--he chooses to live by strict set of rules. But when a strange beautiful woman washes up on his beach, the walls that he has put up long ago begin to crumble. Is she a punishment sent from God to torment his weary soul? Or is she a gift, sent from above, there to teach him how to trust? Who is this woman? And how will he stop himself from losing his heart?
Will he learn to forgive the past in order to save the woman he loves?

Sounds great, right?  Well, now you can sample some more of the story with this excerpt from Simplicity.

I stayed up most of the night waiting for Jake to make an appearance. However, he never did. When the morning finally broke through I was in a panicking mode. He left late last night and I hadn’t seen him since. He didn’t take any sort of light with him when he left. What if he was lost? What if he was hurt? Or worse? I needed to find John. I located him near the fire preparing breakfast. 

“Good morning, Alexis,” he greeted me warmly.

“John,” I said with no precaution, “Jake never came back last night.”

“Alexis…”

“John, what’s going on? Where is he? Is he okay?” I couldn’t hold back the rush of questions. I was worried about him, really worried.

“There is a place he goes sometimes. It’s his own personal haven, you could say.” John set down the tools he was using and turned to look at me.

“I need to talk to him, John. I need to understand.” I was almost pleading with him to understand me. This was sort of ironic considering I couldn’t even understand myself at this point. “I need to find him.”

John smiled down at me. Shaking his head he said, “Ok, Alexis. Be careful.” He explained to me where to go and with a quick thank you I ran off. I probably wasn’t thinking clearly at that exact moment, all I knew is that I needed to talk to Jake. 

I walked for about ten or fifteen minutes when the path started to rise and I began to climb. When I reached the top of the hill I was met by a breathtaking view. I could see half of the island and the ocean stretching out beyond.  Standing right at the edge of the hill was Jake. He was standing quietly, just looking out over the landscape. I saw a fire going to his left and his trusty bag lying beside it. 

“Jake,” I called softly. He jerked around with a look of surprise on his face. I obviously startled him because he took a calming breath before asking, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to find you.”

“How did you get here?” he still wouldn’t move from his position almost as if he was afraid to come any closer. I moved to stand next to the fire.

“I walked.” I answered smiling. When he didn’t smile back I took a step closer.

“Jake, please talk to me.” My words seemed to break the spell that was holding Jake motionless. He moved down to poke at the fire.

“It’s nothing.” He said not looking up.

“Now, where have I heard that before?” I was getting frustrated with his silence but I also didn’t want to push. I feared that if I did I would push him to far, and I simply didn’t know if I could deal with the consequences. 

“Lexi, leave it alone.”

“No I won’t leave it alone. Look, you helped me when I needed help and I’m determined to return the favor.” I said crossing my arms in front of me.

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“I didn’t mean it like that and you know it. Don’t twist this into something it’s not.”

“Lexi, it doesn’t matter.” He wouldn’t look me in the eye as he said that and I could tell something was seriously wrong. This was a different side of Jake. 

“Jake, would you just stop saying things like that and answer a simple question!” I was getting frustrated with him and was trying hard to control myself. “Why did you let Gabe get to you like that? You know he’s just being a jerk.”

“It’s not Gabe okay?” Jake exclaimed turning away from me, “It’s me.”

“You? I don’t understand.”

“You wouldn’t, you can’t.”

“Well, of course I can’t if you don’t tell me!” 

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Why do you keep saying that?” I exclaimed coming up in front of him. Placing my hands on his chest I forced him to look at me. His eyes looked bloodshot and his face held a hint of fatigue. I forced down the urge to reach out and smooth away the worry lines on his face. “Jake why won’t you just talk to me?” I pleaded with him.

About Valia ~ 

Author. Photographer. Artist. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia Valia always had a love for the written word. She wrote her first full book on the bathroom floor of her dormitory, while procrastinating to study for her college classes. Upon graduation, she has moved her writing to more respectable places, and have found her voice in YA fiction. Her first adult book Simplicity is being republished, while her YA science fiction is on submission to find a home. 

Find her at http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com and @ValiaLind.

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Blog Tour Review ~ SPECTRAL by Shannon Duffy

Summary: Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe — the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along. As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

My Thoughts: SPECTRAL was a page-turning book. I wanted to keep getting back to it so I could find out what happens next. Which boy will she pick? Who's going to double-cross her now? What new power will the next witch have?

As you get from the summary, Jewel has been moving around her whole life, but she's got a loving family (including a little brother, whom she adores).  In her most recent move, Jewel finally finds a friend instead of being treated like the new-kid outcast.  She also attracts the attention of a hot local and the dark-haired, new boy musician.  As Jewel's 17th birthday approaches, things finally seem to be looking up for her.

But all of that unravels very quickly when she discovers who and what she really is.  The truth brings with it dangerous secrets and leaves Jewel wondering who she can trust.  In the end, we're taken on an International hunt for the coven of witches Jewel really belongs with, forced to make a heart-wrenching choice between the boys, and taken along on an epic battle full of super-hero like powers.

All-in-all, this was a very satisfying book, meant for a slightly more mature YA audience in my opinion (there's some descriptive kissing scenes and death). I enjoyed Ms. Duffy's writing style.  It was easy to get into and had a nice flow.  Jewel was a very likable character - self-effacing and clever. She had this line about her cheeks blushing in their usual dork splendor -- I loved it!

Bottom line: I will definitely be looking forward to reading more of Ms. Duffy's books.

I received a free e-copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.  This in no way influenced my opinion of the novel.

Shannon Duffy's Bio: Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release.

To get your copy of SPECTRAL, check out these locations:

Kindle - $2.99
Nook - $4.95

iBookstore - $4.99
Coming Soon

Google - $3.79
Smashwords - $4.99

PDF - $4.95


And for more links to the author and/or Tribute Books, check out these links:
Spectral web site:
http://spectralwitch.blogspot.com/
  
Spectral Twitter hashtag:
#Spectral

Spectral GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319632-spectral

Shannon Duffy's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001969007586Shannon Duffy's Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/ShannonDuffyLitShannon Duffy's Website:
http://www.shannonduffylit.com/Shannon Duffy's Blog:
http://1fantasyfairy.blogspot.com/Shannon Duffy's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3873156.Shannon_Duffy
Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186