Tag Archives: YA

Jera’s Jamboree review : Heroic by Phil Earle

Heroic-front-678x1024Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Penguin (Puffin) (25 April 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0141346272

ISBN-13: 978-0141346274

‘For the past five weeks I’d prayed that I’d never see my brother’s name spelt out in poppies. In the weeks that followed I often wished I had.’

Jammy and Sonny McGann are brothers, but that’s where the similarities end. One is calm when the other is angry; one has a plan while the other lives purely in the moment.

When Jammy returns from Afghanistan a very different man to the one who left, it’s Sonny who is left to hold things together. But just how far will he go to save the brother who always put him first?

Inspired by S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and by the battles facing young soldiers all over the world, this is a devastating novel about brotherhood and sacrifice, from the award-winning author of Being Billy and Saving Daisy.

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I have to be honest and share with you that I’m a huge fan of this author.  I’ve loved both of his previous books (Being Billy and Saving Daisy) both being keeper’s for me.  With each plot he has made me cry … which is a good thing!  With Heroic, I was hooked from the beginning.

There’s a poem at the beginning, ‘The Brothers’ by Michael Wagg.  When I first read it I thought it was something really special and when we get to the acknowledgements at the end, we find out just how special.

Sonny and Jamm’s story is told in distinctly different voices.  We spend time with Sonny on the Ghost (estate) and with Jamm from the moment he’s touching down in Afghanistan.  At the point where we leave each brother, we’re left with a cliffhanger, not knowing how it’s going to work out.

On the Ghost, we have the stereotypes you would expect with crews like the ‘Cuda’ and we learn from Sonny the commandments Jamm made that keep them safe  … and which he doesn’t follow exactly.  We have poignant scenes with hearses being driven along the High Street for the returning soliders …

In Afghanistan we arrive with Jamm and best mate Tommy at the Forward Operating Base and spend time on the hot, draining streets and buildings where the estate rules mean nothing.

In both places, I felt as if I was actually there with them.  Earle’s writing is so evocative, it engages the senses and you feel the fear and adrenaline alongside our two brothers in their different environments.  You feel the community and belonging alongside the loss and distress. I love the way Earle ‘shows’ us in a few words a depth of feeling.

When Jamm comes home on leave his experiences have scarred him.  Sonny is the only one who can see there’s something wrong.  It doesn’t take long for the action to begin and I couldn’t predict what would happen.  I have to say that the ending was just perfect!

Heroic is a gut-wrenching and heart-breaking novel.  It is sensitively written with the underpinning values of family and community – and the lengths those that are closest to you will go to protect you.

Even though I loved Earle’s first two novels, Heroic is even better!  No surprises at my rating:

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy ... it's a keeper!

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

I would like to thank the author for providing a copy, and signing it! in exchange for an honest review.

Connect with Phil Earle via his website 

Jera’s Jamboree review : This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith

happyHardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Headline  (4 April 2013)

ISBN-10: 1472203852

ISBN-13: 978-1472203854

Kindle: ASIN: B00ABLJ4FU

When 17-year-old Graham Larkin sends an email to a friend about his pet pig, Wilbur, the last thing he expects is a response from the other side of the country, from one Ellie O’Neill. As their online friendship blossoms, they begin to reveal more about themselves but crucially leave out the truth about Ellie’s past and Graham’s career as a Hollywood heartthrob. And when a new location needs to be found for Graham’s next film, he jumps at the chance to visit Ellie’s hometown, Henley, Maine. But, now that they’re together, it’s impossible to keep their secrets for long and there’s a lot to overcome if love is to blossom…

This Is What Happy Looks Like | Amazon Hardback | Amazon Kindle

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This Is What Happy Looks Like begins with a prologue … the email that was sent to Ellie in error and her response.

Part One we get to read the emails Ellie and Graham have sent to each other, leading up to his arrival in Henley.  Ellie is still unaware of who Graham is.

We’re made aware that Ellie came to Henley with her mum when she was a pre-schooler and that they were escaping something.  Whatever it was, Ellie does not want to be in the public eye – she doesn’t want to be noticed.

Narrated in the third person, we also get to hear Graham’s point of view.  I love this in books as I feel it gives added depth.  Graham’s had to leave his life since the huge change of movie stardom two years ago and hasn’t found a way to belong yet… either with his parents, his friends or his new life.  He’s lost his place in the world. Instead of parental authority he has his manager, publicist etc telling him what to do.

After a mix-up on his arrival in Henley, they finally get to meet.  What follows in part one is their growing feelings for each other.  Part Two begins with emails – but they are the drafts that Ellie never sent …

Underlying their relationship and why Ellie can’t be seen with such a public figure is also her acceptance into Harvard on a poetry course.  With no scholarship available, Ellie is working hard to get the money together.  This leads to quite an exciting adventure on July 4th and also realisations. There’s also trouble between Ellie and her best friend Quinn.  Lots of conflict in this story that will hold your interest besides the sweet romance.

I really enjoyed Smith’s writing style.  For example, in my proof copy I loved this :

“The morning felt like a mixing bowl, just waiting for its ingredients; there was a sense of possibility to it, a promise of something more to come.”

How evocative is that?  You really ‘feel’ this!

This Is What Happy Feels Like has a simple plot, our male lead who is finding it difficult to adjust to his new life and our female lead with a secret in her past and a new identity.  Their meeting brings everything out of the shadows into the light so healing can begin to take place.  However, the journey along the way is full of excitement and conflict amidst a small community.  I feel as if I have been on holiday in Henley alongside our characters and watching their love blossom and grow.

YA readers will adore This Is What Happy Feels Like while adult readers will also be transported back to that first love and the uncertainty of emotions, with change on the horizon.

 

Buy it and spread the word

Buy it and spread the word

 

I would like to than Sam Eades at Headline for providing a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

You can visit the author’s website to find out more.  The author tweets @JenESmith

 

Jera’s Jamboree : Boy Nobody ~ Sneak peak ~ Chapter One

You may remember how excited I was to receive my Boy Nobody proof package from Orchard Books.

(to refresh your memories, you can find the post here)

boynobodyPaperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Orchard (23 May 2013)
ISBN-10: 1408327600
ISBN-13: 978-1408327609

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and doesn’t stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend’s family to die — of “natural causes.” Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, and moves on to the next target.

When his own parents died of not-so-natural causes at the age of eleven, Boy Nobody found himself under the control of The Program, a shadowy government organization that uses brainwashed kids as counter-espionage operatives. But somewhere, deep inside Boy Nobody, is somebody: the boy he once was, the boy who wants normal things (like a real home, his parents back), a boy who wants out. And he just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program’s next mission.

Now I’m excited to be able to share with you the first chapter extract!

I PICK UP A BASEBALL BAT.
It’s a thirty-two-ounce Rawlings composite. I feel the weight in my hands. The balance is slightly off from a dent on the tip. I grasp the bat on either end and stretch out in the parking lot after the game. Natick vs. Wellesley. My Natick teammates are all around me, high school jocks doing what they do after a win. Celebrating. Big-time. I celebrate, just like them. This is what I think to myself: I am one of you. I am young. I am a winner. I smile and stretch. After a moment, I shift my weight onto my back leg and I swing hard. Jack Wu comes up behind me at the same time. The bat misses his head by an inch. A big man in a black suit tenses nearby. Tenses but doesn’t interfere. This is Jack’s bodyguard and driver, a shadow behind Jack whenever he goes out. Jack’s dad is rich. Rich and nervous. Jack hates the bodyguard. He’s told me a dozen times. Jack and I are friends, so he tells me these things.
“Watch it with the bat, dude,” Jack says, and he punches me on the shoulder. A playful punch. The Suit steps forward, and Jack spins around, anticipating him. “Down, Rover,” he says, like he’s talking to a pit bull. The Suit grins like he’s in on the joke, but I wonder if he
wouldn’t slap the hell out of Jack if he had the chance. Instead he leans back against the sleek black Mercedes and waits. “You killed it out there,” Jack says. He head-gestures toward the field. “I do my best,” I say. “Your best kicks ass and takes names,” Jack says, and he
punches my shoulder again. This time the big man doesn’t move. But the other players are looking at us. Two punches on the arm. A way of asserting dominance. Dominance is a threat. It must be dealt with. I run a checklist in my mind: I can let him punch me. Choose a lower status. I can retaliate in equal measure, with equal force. I can escalate. Assert my dominance. Which should I choose? Jack is supposed to be my friend. A teenage friend would punch a buddy the way he punched me. When in doubt, emulate. That’s what I’ve been taught. So it’s option two. I give Jack a light punch on the shoulder. “Ow!” he cries in mock pain. “Take it easy on me.” This entire transaction takes no more than two seconds: I swing the bat. Jack punches. I punch back. We both laugh as the Suit looks on. This is what you’d see if you were watching us now. Two jocks, buddies, teasing one another. “You want to come back to the bank vault?” Jack says. The bank vault. That’s what Jack calls his house. “For a little bit,” I say. Jack steps toward the car. The Suit reacts quickly, opening the back door for him. “My friend is coming with,” Jack says to him. “Yes, sir,” he says, and he gestures for me to get into the car.

THE LEATHER IS SOFT IN THE MERCEDES.
It’s the kind of leather seat that pulls you in, begs you to relax against it. A seat that says, You are being taken care of. You are being driven where you need to go. I imagine having a father who can afford things like this. Expensive cars. Expensive bodyguards. Not just afford them, but a father who wants his son to have them. Wants him to be taken care of. But this is not something I should be thinking about now. Not when there’s work to do. I glance at Jack. He’s leaning back with his eyes closed. “I was thinking,” he says. “That’s unusual for you,” I say. “Asshole,” he says. He smiles, his eyes still closed. “I was thinking about you and me.” “Stop right there,” I say. “You’re making me nervous.” “Can I be serious for a minute?” Jack says. “You want to get all heavy for sixty seconds, I’m not
going to stop you.” “I was thinking that you’re a real friend.” “You’ve got tons of friends,” I say. “Not guys I invite over to the house. Not guys I trust.” “You trust me?” “For real,” Jack says. The Suit in the front seat coughs. A warning to Jack? A reminder that he’s still here? Or nothing at all. A tickle in the throat. “If you trust me, can I borrow a hundred bucks?” I say. “I don’t trust you that much,” Jack says. He laughs. He punches my arm. I let him do it.

THE SUIT TYPES A CODE INTO THE SECURITY GATE.
The large metal gate slides open to reveal a long driveway, a guard hut set twenty feet in. We pull up to the hut and the Suit nods to a guard. He lifts two fingers. Two people coming in, Jack and me. The guard marks it down on a clipboard. He’s seen me before and
it’s not a big deal. We continue around a hairpin turn and the house comes into view. Big but not lavish. The Suit stops to let us out.
Jack types a code to gain access to the house. The front door beeps to announce our entry. Front door open, it says. It beeps again when the door is closed. Front door closed, the electronic voice says. Jack’s dad wanders by with a beer in his hand. Chen Wu is his name. His friends call him John. He’s the CEO of a hightech firm along Route 128. Lots of government contracts. Does he need all this security? I know he likes it. It makes you feel important to have a lot of people with guns around you. It makes you feel safe, and more importantly for him, it makes his wife feel safe. That keeps her from giving him a hard time. It’s not just Mr. Wu. All the CEOs are edgy right now. There was some violence a year ago. An important kid got shot during an attempted kidnapping while on spring break in Mexico. The Fortune 500 went security crazy. Now rich kids like Jack need a commando team to take a dump. “Nice to see you, boys,” Jack’s dad says. “What’s up, Dad?” Jack says. “Gotta take a squirt. Pardon my French.” He turns to leave. “Hey, I can’t stay too long,” I say. “You gotta go?” Jack says, disappointed. “Gotta call my mom,” I say. “I guess it’s morning wherever she is.” “Crap in a bag,” Jack says. He shoots up the stairs. “You have time for a cold one?” Jack’s dad says. “Beer or soda?” “How old are you?” he says. “Sixteen.”
“Soda for you. But it was a nice try.” I shrug like I’m bummed out, and I follow him through the den. “How was the game?” Jack’s dad says. “Amazing,” I say. “You should come sometime.” “High-school ball is not really my thing,” he says. But it’s his son’s thing, so what does it matter? I see this a lot with the Fortune 500. Mr. Wu is always working. Except Friday nights. His only downtime, and he doesn’t want to spend it with his family. He relaxes for the evening, then works again all weekend. So be it. It’s Friday night and he’s here. So am I. That’s the important thing. We head into the kitchen, and the conversation drifts to the Red Sox. We’re in Boston, so we have to talk Sox. I notice an expensive knife block on the counter with one of the knives missing from its slot. A wide slot. This is a knife big enough to be used as a weapon. I scan the room. The sink. The knife is sitting on a cutting board next to the sink, ten feet away from us. A safe distance away. I relax and exhale. I sit at the table, and I reach into my backpack and take out a ballpoint pen.  Jack’s dad looks at me from the refrigerator, a question on his face. “You taking notes?” “When you talk baseball, I listen,” I say. Jack’s dad smiles. I smile. When in doubt, emulate. I turn the cap and double click, exposing the point. Jack’s dad reaches forward to hand me the cold soda. I push the end of the pen into the meat of his forearm. The action depresses a miniature plunger. His eyes widen as the drug hits him. His mouth puckers, forming the familiar Wh— Maybe it’s why he’s trying to say. Maybe it’s what, as in What are you doing? But the drug is fast acting. Its actual speed depends on age and conditioning, which is bad news for Jack’s dad. He’s out of shape. So it is fast. Faster even than a word can form. Jack’s dad stumbles, and I catch him, place him on the floor by the kitchen table. I don’t let him fall because I don’t want Jack running downstairs to see what caused the noise. I don’t want anyone else rushing in. Not yet. I need fifteen seconds. Six seconds to lay him down, arranging the body, limbs splayed as if from a fall. I use an elbow to knock over the can of beer next to him. The foam hisses. Five seconds to put away my pen and notebook, zip the backpack where it hangs from the back of a chair.
Four more seconds to play out the chain, let the chemical reaction in Mr. Wu’s body take him beyond the point of resuscitation. Fifteen seconds. Done. I look at the body. The man that was Jack Wu is gone. A husband is gone. A father is gone. “I trust you,” Jack said. That was your mistake, I think. Twenty seconds have passed. The outside edge of my operational window. “Oh my god!” I say. “Help!” I fling open the front door. “Someone!” I shout. Jack comes running down the stairs, and his face turns white with shock. A sound comes out of him, something between a moan and a scream. The security people rush in. One look at the body and the first guy knows. It’s all a show after that. I stand to the side and watch it happen. Resuscitation attempts, the ambulance, all of it. I push forward like I want to be in the middle of the action, be near my friend Jack. The Suit from the baseball game stops me. He puts an arm on my shoulder, gently, like he’s my father or something. I want to shrug it off, but I don’t. “Maybe it would be better if you stepped away,” he says.
“What about Jack—?” “It’s a family matter,” he says. I relax my shoulders beneath his arm. “I need my backpack,” I say. He steps into the fray, grabs my backpack, hands it to me, and guides me out the door. I glance back. My last image is of Jack on the sofa, his back
hunched, his head almost to his knees. A profile of grief. All because of me.

Wow, I think Boy Nobody definitely needs to sabotage The Program!

Do you want to read on?  

Jera’s Jamboree Review : Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

monument14Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (4 April 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1444914707

ISBN-13: 978-1444914702

Fourteen kids stranded inside a superstore. Inside they have everything they could ever need. There’s junk food and clothes, computer games and books, drugs and alcohol … and without adult supervision they can do whatever they want.
Sounds like fun?

But outside the world is being ripped apart by violent storms and chemicals leaking into the atmosphere that, depending on blood type, leave victims paranoid, violent or dead.

The kids must remain inside, forced to create their own community, unsure if they’ll ever be able to leave. Can they stop the world they’ve created inside from self-destructing too?

Monument 14 (Monument 14 #1) | Amazon Paperback  |   Amazon Kindle
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Monument 14 is narrated in the first person by Dean Grieder.  We begin with a journey to school.  Dean is thinking about rummaging for old electronics after school and we know there is a gas shortage.  We move straight into the action with huge hailstones raining down on them, causing damage to the bus and driving haphazard.  The bus skids and crashes into a lamppost, turning the bus on its side.  Dean’s brother is in the bus in front which is being driven by Mrs Wooly – she manages to drive into the Greenway store window.

Already we have deaths in Dean’s bus and one of the young people, Brayden, starts filming.  Mrs Wooly rescues those alive and starts to organise everyone in the store.  She leaves to go to the hospital to get help.

The metal shutters come down locking them all inside and so our journey for real begins!

Through 12 days, we spend time with these 14 young adults and children as they move from fear and chaos into a party mood, on to conflict and finally organising themselves into a community, a society… I couldn’t wait to see if their strengths were enough for others not to exploit their weaknesses…

The plot is fast moving and carried me along on a wave of tension.  The characters are so well portrayed I felt as if I was in the Greenway with them, facing everything they did!  The chemical war compounds and the way they affect different blood groups is woven into the story beautifully and comes into play at a really important time when decisions are made.

There are a few scenes that had me in tears too.  I think this shows how easy it is to identify with the characters and that Monument 14 will suit readers of all ages.

I have to admit I did wonder where it would end … gutted we’re left on a cliffhanger but am excited to see where the story will take us in Sky on Fire (November in the UK!) where there are two storylines.

Monument 14 is a debut post-apocalyptic novel that you will not want to put down.  I couldn’t.  I LOVED it.  It hooked me in on many different levels …

Highly recommend this one whether you are a YA reader or .. older!

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy ... it's a keeper!

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

I would like to thank the publishers for providing a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more and connect with Emmy Laybourne via her website.

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Jera’s Jamboree : Review Through Dead Eyes by Chris Priestley

through dead eyesFormat: Kindle Edition

File Size: 333 KB

Print Length: 224 pages

Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens  (14 Mar 2013)

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B009IRL1W2

Alex joins his father on a business trip to Amsterdam. During the day he hangs out with the daughter of a family friend. They visit the usual sights but also coffee shops and flea markets off the beaten track. At one of these markets Alex spots an ancient-looking mask. Before he knows what he’s doing he buys it. Later, in his hotel room, he feels compelled to put the mask on. Alex is sucked into a parallel Amsterdam, one from centuries before which begins to reveal the dark past of both the building he is staying in and the little girl who once lived there . . . edging stealthily towards the terrible twist.

Goodreads       Amazon Kindle   Hardback

 

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We begin Through Dead Eyes with Alex and his father Jeremy arriving at Schiphol Airport on a rainy day in March.  Jeremy is an expert on WW2 and his recent book is a best seller in England and Holland.  He’s in Amsterdam to meet with publishers and negotiate a TV deal.

On arrival at the hotel, Alex looks up and is drawn to a face at a window.  This is the beginning of coincidences that pull Alex into another era.

Family friend Angelien is studying history for a doctorate and she has journals from an artist who lived across from what is now the hotel (although then it was the home of a wealthy merchant Van Kempen and his daughter Hanna).  It is at the antiques market on one of their trips out that Alex is drawn to the Japanese mask.  Each time he wears the mask, adjusting to a parallel world gets easier and easier.

Through Dead Eyes is not just about the mask.  Running alongside the paranormal is Alex’ pain from his parents breakup and his crush on Angelien.  Conflict comes from Angelien’s boyfriend.  Amsterdam and the culture is portrayed really well and for me, learning a little about its history gave the story an added edge.  My 3 x gt grandfather was a British citizen born in Holland in 1810 and this has given me added impetus to find out more!

On the flight on the way home from Amsterdam, Alex finds out the truth of Hanna and her family.  This brings home that sometimes what we see is not the truth but our own interpretation of events!  The journey in the car and the ending gave me shivers …

This is definitely a story that YA’s will love.  They will identify with the parenting and confused emotions.  The horror will engross and the ending will provoke thoughts of what could happen next …

Buy it and spread the word

Buy it and spread the word

I would like to thank the publishers for accepting my request to review on Netgalley.

About the Author

Chris Priestley lives in Cambridge with his wife and son. His novels are brilliantly original additions to a long tradition of horror stories by authors such as M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe.

Chris wrote one of the World Book Day books for 2011 and has been nominated for a variety of prestigious children’s book awards.

You can find the author blogging  and on Twitter and find him on his author page on Facebook.  You can also stay up-to-date via Chris Priestley’s website.

 

Jera’s Jamboree review : The Day I Met Suzie by Chris Higgins

dayimetsuziePaperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (7 Mar 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0340997028

ISBN-13: 978-0340997024

 

‘My boyfriend could get into trouble if he gets caught. He could go to jail.’ I moan softly. ‘So could I.’
‘Anything you tell me is completely confidential.’ I sigh deeply. What have I got to lose? ‘I wouldn’t know where to begin.’
‘At the beginning?’ she says. ‘In your own words.’
So that’s what I do. I start at the beginning like she says.
The day I met Suzie.

Indigo (Indie) rings the Samaritans. She is frightened and desperate with no one to turn to. Over the course of one long night, Indie tells her story to the person on the end of the phone. She realises that her friend Suzie has taken over her home, her friends, her work, her boyfriend – and her life. After every few chapters we are brought back to the present moment, and see how piecing the story together helps Indie progress towards resolution.

Buy Amazon              Goodreads

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Narrated in the first person by Indie, we begin at the start of her conversation with the Samaritans.  Through reflection, we’re taken through the story, interspersed with the present time (the phone call) until past and present meet.

Beginning with the first day of Indie’s second year at hair and beauty at college ( when Suzie Grey is the girl in front of her trying to enrol with no fixed home address … and Indie steps in to help her out), we’re taken through an emotional rollercoaster ride of friendship and love.

On the first day of college in the common room we find out more about Indie’s boyfriend Rick and how opposite they are.  Indie is cautious and organised from a middle class family and Rick is impulsive, lives for today and is from a sprawling council estate at the other side of town… and lives for his cars which mean everything to him. Indie reflects on a perfect summer day they shared – this portrays beautifully the depth of their love.

Indie fights for the underdog and Suzie with her sad demeanour piques her interest and she wants to know her story.  Suzie changes from a drab and sad teen by copying Indie’s hair cut/style and along with this transformation, changes her name.

The reader knows that something awful has happened.  In the proof, Indie says, “How naïve was I?  Now I know there are worse things than being hungry and homeless.  Far worse.” This draws the reader in, wanting to find out exactly what the story is building up to. It captures the imagination …

As Suzie becomes more and more entrenched in Indie’s life, more and more goes wrong for Indie.  Rick makes some bad choices which lead to some heart-wrenching scenes.  Once the Samaritan’s share information that changes things, the plot builds in intensity.  Even though I was enjoying the story beforehand, when the timelines merge into the present time, I just couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!

The flow and style of writing pulls you in and everything feels so real.  The reader feels those emotions alongside our characters and at one point, despairs that life will be anything else but the fear and dread.  We’ve all made a decision at some point that has turned out to not have the effect we wanted … The Day I Met Suzie takes us along one of these roads that could so easily have been ours.

Not only is this an enjoyable read, it also highlights a valuable service that is available for everyone – the Samaritans.  It also lays bare something that is real and makes us aware of possible dangers (can’t say too much because I don’t want to give away any spoilers!)

I finished this story with mixed emotions.  Joyous at a victory but the final couple of pages made me feel quite upset that there are people who see the best in everyone and that makes them vulnerable (yes, I am one of those people). That this is so easy to exploit… and that it is!

Although The Day I Met Suzie is targeted at the YA audience, I also recommend for adult readers too.

 

Buy it and spread the word

Buy it and spread the word

I would like to thank the publishers for providing an uncorrected proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more about Chris Higgins on her website.

Jera’s Jamboree : Giveaway ~ Black Diamond by Jennifer Loiske

I have a fabulous YA giveaway for Jera’s Jamboree readers today.

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(age 12 and up readers)

After her mom’s sudden death, twelve-year-old Shannon McLean has to move from the US to the English countryside to live with her mysterious father, Connor McLean, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a baby. Soon she discovers that he doesn’t want her around and her moving into his huge manor, Greyman Hill, is nothing more to him than a compulsory deal. But if he does not exactly give her a warm welcome, his servant Robert is most likely an incarnation of evil. He runs the house with an iron touch and makes everyone who works there his little puppets.

Weird things start to happen and the whole place scares the crap out of Shannon. Her dad can control her just by looking at her. The walls are full of secret passages and apparently she has the talent to awaken the ghosts in them. Every day is worse than the day before and she wants badly to run away but discovers it’s impossible. If she wants to stay alive she has to do exactly as her dad says or else she will not only jeopardize her own life but also the lives of the people around her.

While Shannon struggles to find the magic inside her, Connor is slowly turning into a demon. One carelessly spoken word from her could either save or destroy them both. In the end she has to decide whether to save herself and her loved ones, or lose her dad to the darkness and evil that threaten to eat his soul.

What was the inspiration behind Black Diamond?  Jennifer says:

It all started from a birthday party invitation to England’s countryside. The minute I Googled the party venue and saw the pictures, my fingers started to tickle and I had to start writing. Endless green fields, old dry-stone walls, mysterious woods, huge stone manors…Yes, I lost my heart to Burford long before I actually visited it and I knew the idea of young witches and demons would haunt me until I’d give in and put it on the paper. Six months later the first draft of Black Diamond was ready and in January 2013 it actually went live and was published in Amazon worldwide.

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Jennifer

Read on for an Excerpt (Chapter Five):

“Shannon,” Connor said from the doorway. It looked like he had been waiting for her.

Shannon said nothing and tried to pass him.

He blocked her way but didn’t touch her. “Shannon,” he said again, but this time danger lurked in his voice.

She swallowed. Connor’s eyes were so dark and something horrible gleamed behind them. She froze. She could’ve tried to push past him, but his eyes warned her not to even try anything like that, so she lifted her head and met his eyes. “Connor,” she said, and was proud that her voice didn’t shake.

Connor sighed heavily. “Shannon, Shannon, Shannon. What am I going to do with you?”

“You could start by letting me go,” she suggested quietly.

Connor shook his head. “Can’t do that.”

“Can’t or won’t?” Shannon asked and felt the courage coming back to her body.

Connor was quiet. The air around him seemed so dark. Almost like he was a black hole that absorbed all the light around him. He was dressed all in black and looked more like a devil than a human.

Shannon could see Robert grinning wickedly behind him. Her mind was screaming that she should be deadly afraid of this man in front of her, but she wasn’t. She was more afraid of the man behind him and somehow Connor seemed to be the safer choice. There was nothing human in Robert. It was like he was waiting for Connor to strike her down and feast on her dead body. He stared at them with his small, cold, mean eyes and seemed to be encouraging Connor to harm her.

Connor did nothing. After a very uncomfortably long time he shooed Robert away with his hand. “Both,” he said and moved out of her way.

She had almost forgotten what she had asked, but when Connor moved, she moved as well, carefully, from the outside to the inside of the house. He followed. She was scared of him, but there was something so vulnerable in him just then that she couldn’t leave him alone. After all, he was her dad. Robert was gone, thank God, so she dared to speak to him more openly than she had thought possible. “What do you mean? This is your house and I’m your daughter. You can do whatever you want,” she said and hoped she hadn’t gone too far.

“I know. It’s just that I’m no good with little girls like you, and it’s been so long since I remembered what it feels like to be a—” He stopped and looked at her like he was suffering.

“To be what?” Shannon whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

Connor stared into her blue eyes and everything vulnerable was gone from him. He looked even scarier than before. The candles burned brightly around them and when he spoke, their flames flashed like someone had thrown something into them. “Never mind. Just stay away from me and obey my orders. If I tell you to eat, you’ll eat and so on, okay?”

“No! It’s not okay!” Shannon shouted. Tears burned behind her eyes. “You can’t tell me what to do! I’m not a baby anymore!”

“You’ll do what I tell you to do or you’ll be sorry for the day you were born!” Connor thundered and something touched Shannon’s hair. It felt like a spider web but it was really cold. It could’ve been somebody’s bony fingers as well, but whatever it was made her scream.

She ran upstairs, scared to death. If she had turned and looked behind she would’ve seen the pain in her father’s eyes and how beaten he looked, but she didn’t. She ran for her life, and when she reached her room she slammed the door behind her, turned the key in the lock, and hid in her bed. She pulled the blanket over her head and sat under it shaking and crying. What kind of place was this? And what was her dad? Not who but what!

“This is just a dream,” she whispered to herself. “Just a dream.”

She tried to calm herself down. She remembered a horror movie she had once watched with her best friend. Mom hadn’t known, of course. This place and these people were just like it. Maybe worse. This was not a movie. This was real and she was trapped. She wondered why Connor had allowed her to come there. He obviously didn’t want her there and for some reason was stuck with her now. But one thing was sure. She was not safe and she needed to get away. If she stayed, something terrible would happen. She was sure of that. Something beyond her imagination, and she didn’t want to find out what it was.

She lowered the blanket a little. She was still alone. No one had followed her and her room looked as white as it had before. There was no threat in there and she felt stupid. Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks with her.

“Now you are being stupid,” she whispered. This was not a trick. This was true.

She got up and tried the doorknob. It was still locked. She sat on the bed and glanced at the clock. It was 2 p.m. What in the world was she supposed to do for the rest of the day? She let her hand slide over the pillars on her amazing canopy bed. The wood felt smooth under her hands. It was such a shame they had painted the old bed white. She was sure that it would’ve been stunning in its natural oak color. Her hand stopped. She had felt something. Some kind of mark or engraving. She looked closer, searching for the mark. There it was. An upward-pointing triangle. What did it mean? Was it some kind of ancient symbol, or had it been made by someone that had been held in this room as a prisoner? How exciting! She forgot her fears and searched the other pillars.

Each one of them had the same triangle. She scratched one with her nail. The triangle had originally been red and looked like a campfire. She tried to reveal more of it, but the paint was so thick that all she managed to do was break her nails. She scanned the room. There had to be something sharp. Scissors, maybe, or some cutlery. She found nothing.

She emptied her toilet case and found her nail file. It wasn’t as sharp as she had hoped, but it was better than nothing. She started to work on the paint. The triangle meant fire all right. Soon she had managed to reveal all four triangles, and there was no mistake that they could be pyramids or mathematical triangles. The wood was colored red and the edges of the triangle were rough so they looked like flames. They looked very old. Ancient, actually.

She decided to search the rest of the room. She hoped that she would find a clue to what these triangles meant. She didn’t. She found something much more interesting.

In the middle of the window was a pentagram. It was a weird-looking one but there was no mistake. It was a pentagram. And she found a triangle on the ceiling as well. She almost missed it, as it was tiny and didn’t look the same as the others. She was thrilled. This was better than treasure hunting! She moved the furniture and searched every inch of the room. She dug through all the drawers and closets. She crawled on the floor like a maniac, and that’s where Lily found her.

“Are you all right, Miss?” she asked in her quiet voice.

Shannon freaked out. “How did you get in? The door was locked! I’m sure of it!”

Lily shrugged and showed her the tattooed locks on her palms. Shannon stared at them, and when she finally understood what Lily meant, she was horrified. She wasn’t safe even in her room. It was just an illusion. Connor and his people could get through any door. It didn’t matter if it were locked or not.

Lily stared at the floor and Shannon could swear she saw some red in her cheeks. Good! She was supposed to feel embarrassed. “I don’t want you to come into my room like that. You could at least knock, you know,” she snapped.

Lily nodded and hid her hands behind her back. “I did knock, but Lord Connor’s order was to make sure that you’ll be downstairs at seven o’clock sharp. And it’s ten to seven.”

Shannon glanced at her watch. It really was almost seven. She had spent almost five hours triangle hunting. Her stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten anything but an apple all day and she was really hungry. She knew that Lily meant no harm, so she got up and prepared to follow her.

Lily looked at her in shock. “You can’t come to dinner like that,” she said in horror.

Shannon glanced at herself. She was a little bit dusty, she admitted, but so what? She wasn’t going to change her clothes for Connor.

Lily didn’t move. She looked like she could die any minute. Shannon felt sorry for her and shrugged. “Whatever. Give me two minutes and I’ll be ready,” she said.

Lily smiled and whispered, “A dress. You should wear a dress.”

Shannon winced and swallowed the nasty response she was tempted to give. Lily looked so miserable that she didn’t want to make it worse. In silence she changed into clean jeans and a new T-shirt that said ‘It’s better to be dead than a sissy’ on the front. Lily looked even more terrified, but Shannon didn’t care.

The dining room was set for three again. The candles burned and the table was full of delicious-looking food. This time, however, Shannon didn’t have the pleasure of eating alone. Connor sat at the head of the table and looked at her T-shirt in amusement.

He didn’t look as dangerous as earlier, but this time Shannon knew to be wary and didn’t want to irritate him. So she took all the food that the pale women put on her plate. She didn’t eat it, though. She threw it under the table every time Connor looked away, as she was convinced it was poisoned.

The third seat was still empty. Shannon wanted to ask who was supposed to sit there, but Connor looked so absent that she didn’t want to disturb him. It was weird to sit and pretend to be eating. Connor hadn’t said a word since she came into the room, and she didn’t want to draw his attention to her and the food she was throwing on the floor. Yes, she knew it was stupid and she would get caught in time, but at least she would be safe tonight.

Eventually, Connor finished his dinner and got up. He nodded at Shannon, looking pleased, and she blushed. How pleased would he be when he found out what she had done? She got up as well. She would’ve thanked the women, but they were nowhere to be seen, so she decided to go to her room and continue her search for triangles. However, this time she moved a heavy bureau in front of the door and hoped it would slow down whoever tried to come into her room without an invitation.

She stared at the pentagram on the window. She traced its lines with a finger and glanced out absentmindedly. She froze. Someone was moving in the forest. She gasped. A faint light flashed between the trees and then faded. The forest was as black as it had been a minute ago. Was it Connor? Or some of his servants? Whoever it was obviously didn’t want to be seen. She kept staring and there it was again. It looked like a flashlight and now she was sure that someone was walking in the forest.

“Run, you idiot,” she whispered. She knew she couldn’t warn that person but wished she could. Who would be so stupid to go into the forest like that in the middle of the night? Well, almost the middle of the night. It was nine o’clock, so it wasn’t technically the middle, but it was so dark that it could’ve been. She wished she had a telescope. The light seemed to follow some kind of path, maybe the same as she had walked earlier. And then it stopped in the middle of the forest. Other lights joined it and for a second there was a bright flash that lit the trees and the sky above them, and then it was all black.

She stared at the forest for a long time but there was no more light. Not even a dim one. Oh my God, she thought. Maybe they were hikers and had been captured by Connor or Robert, or even by some more horrifying person. She felt hot tears burning her eyes. She wanted to run into the forest and help them, but what could she do? She would only get herself hurt or worse and she had no idea how to help those poor people.

“I’ll go there tomorrow,” she whispered. “I promise. Just hang on in there.” She heard a quiet voice behind her door and froze. “Who is it?”

“Lily,” a quiet voice whispered. “Please, let me in.”

Shannon moved the bureau away and opened the door. Lily stood there holding a bag in her hands. She slipped into the room and glanced around. When she decided it was safe she opened the bag and showed its contents to Shannon. The bag was full of food. Not nicely packed food but messy food that looked similar to what had been served at dinner.

Shannon gasped. “Ew! You cleaned my food! Why did you do it?”

Lily shrugged. “I don’t want him to hurt you.”

“Who? Who would hurt me? Connor? Robert?” Shannon asked, stunned.

Lily looked out of the window and shivered. She couldn’t answer and Shannon didn’t want to press her.

“Thank you,” Shannon said and smiled.

Lily smiled, too. Shyly. “You can’t throw it away. They’ll know and they’ll make you eat it.”

“But it’s poisoned!” Shannon yelled.

“No, it’s not.” Lily took some of the food out of the bag. Slowly, she put it in her mouth and ate it. “You see. It’s not poisoned. It’s just food, and if you don’t eat you’ll lose your strength.”

“So?” Shannon didn’t care anymore.

“Then they’ll get you, too.” Lily was obviously scared that she had said too much.

Shannon touched Lily’s narrow shoulders. “Is that what happened to you?”

Lily shook her head and sniffed. “No. I came here of my own free will. Whatever happens to me is my own fault.”

“I came here willingly, too.”

“Yes. But you didn’t know. I did and I still came.” Lily looked at Shannon’s wide eyes. “None of this is your fault. He shouldn’t have allowed you to come. He shouldn’t.”

Shannon was confused. She had no idea what Lily was talking about but it made her more scared than ever. This place was seriously bad and these people, including her dad, were wacky. And that was putting it nicely. And yet somehow she felt sorry for them. Well, not for Robert, but for Lily and Simon, and maybe a little bit for Connor, too. She wanted to run away. To leave and never come back, but she knew she couldn’t. She literally couldn’t, and if she ever found a way to escape she wasn’t sure that she would. There had to be a way to help them. There had to!

She took Lily’s hands in hers. “I’ll help you. Whatever it takes, I’ll help you. You have my word.”

“No! You don’t understand! There’s no way to help me or the others. We’re in this because we wanted to be! Help yourself and run!” Lily said desperately.

“No, you’re not. Maybe you were at first, but you can’t seriously say that this is what you want. Can you?”

Lily looked at her sadly and shook her head. “No. But I’m in too deep. Nothing can save me. Trust me.”

She showed her palms and Shannon saw the locks move again. She touched one of them and in that second it changed into a black diamond.

Lily gasped sharply. They both stared at her palms. Lily’s eyes got wider. “Oh no! You’re the one! Your life is in danger here! You need to run away. Now, before he finds out about this!”

“What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere!” said Shannon stubbornly.

The black diamond seemed to spin round, and the lock on the other hand seemed to change shape into a black skull.

Lily screamed. And then came the wind.

About the Author:

Photo courtesy of author

Photo courtesy of author

Jennifer Loiske lives in Finland in Naantali, which is a small sunny town on the southwest coast. She is a pre-school teacher by profession but she stayed at home when her youngest daughter suffered brain fever, which developed into severe epilepsy in 2004. She is a workaholic Teen/Young Adult author, who loves dark fantasy, teen movies, chips and candies and warm sunny days. She’s also very keen on charity work and a big part of her royalties goes to charity; mainly to help families with epileptic children but also to the epilepsy units in the hospitals.

Jennifer is one of five authors from the group Authors for Charity.  Check out their Facebook page. They donate every penny from their charity books to the charity.

Her books can be found on Amazon worldwide, Barnes & Noble and Lulu.com

Want to know more? Visit www.jenniferloiske.com

Jennifer tweets @JenniferLoiske

Jennifer’s Author Page on Facebook

Get the book from:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Lulu.com (Paperback)

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If you would like the chance to own a paperback copy of Black Diamond, follow the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway.  I will be posting to the lucky winner so UK/IRE entries only.  The giveaway ends Thursday 4th April at 12am GMT.

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Good Luck!

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Jera’s Jamboree : Trailer Reveal ~ Stephanie Keyes ~ The Fallen Stars

I am very excited to be hosting the Trailer Reveal today for author, Stephanie Keyes’ second book, The Fallen Stars.

Read on for more information about the trailer and the book!

The Trailer

The Book

The Fallen Stars by Stephanie Keyes

The Fallen Stars by Stephanie Keyes

Release Date: April 12th, 2013 |

Pre-order Your Copy | Add to Goodreads

When all is lost, he will have to make the ultimate decision.

Kellen St. James was just your average seventeen-year-old prodigy, until he eighty-sixed the Lord of Faerie and proposed to the Celtic Goddess, Calienta. But then everything in Kellen’s life gets turned upside-down when he and Cali end up on the run from a seriously irritated group of faeries. The worst part? They have zero idea why they’re being hunted.

Suddenly, Kellen is stuck in the middle of another prophecy that foresees him turning away from Calienta and embracing the dark. He’ll be forced to take sides in a struggle to claim his birthright, while discovering secrets about his father’s past. Meanwhile, his passion for Cali grows stronger, even as the prophecy threatens to tear them apart.

In the end, will Kellen and Cali survive the fates? When the ultimate power is within reach, which side will he choose?

Giveaway

There is a great giveaway happening for this event! Check out what you can win.

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Get Hooked on The Star Child

Interested in The Fallen Stars? Why not check out the first book in the series, The Star Child?

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The world is about to be cloaked in darkness. Only one can stop the night.

Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role. Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time?

About Stephanie Keyes

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Author, Stephanie Keyes

Stephanie Keyes has been addicted to Fantasy since she discovered T.H. White as a child and started drumming up incredible journeys in her head. Today, she’s still doing the same thing, except now she gets to share those ideas with readers!

When she’s not writing, Stephanie is also a graphic designer, international speaker, teacher, musician, avid reader, and Mom to two little boys who constantly keep her on her toes. In addition, she’s best friend to her incredible husband of eleven years.

Mrs. Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Business and Management Information Systems from Robert Morris University and a M.Ed. from Duquesne University. She is a member of the Society For Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), as well as a featured author in the global group of writers, Love a Happy Ending.com.

Keyes is the author of the YA Fantasy series, The Star Child, which currently includes The Star Child (September 2012) and The Fallen Stars (April 2013), both released by Inkspell Publishing. She is currently hard at work on the third book in the trilogy, The Star Catcher.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Love A Happy Ending

Jera’s Jamboree review : The Outside Series by Shalini Boland

The reviews today are a little different …

My OH @pedromansky is reviewing the first book in the series, Outside 

while I am reviewing the second book, The Clearing

outsideFormat: Kindle Edition
File Size: 521 KB
Print Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Adrenalin Books (21 July 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
Language: English
ASIN: B005DLQC0I

A post-apocalyptic romance thriller.

The world of the future is divided by Perimeters: high-security gated communities where life goes on as normal. If you’re inside you’re lucky, if you’re outside life expectancy takes a nose dive.

Riley is fortunate to have been born on the right side of the fence. But her life of privilege comes crashing down when someone breaks through the Perimeter and murders her sister. She forsakes her own safety to go in search of the killer. Luc decides to go with her otherwise she’ll be dead before she’s past the security gate. But what awaits her outside is more unbelievable than she ever expected.

Cut to the present day where Eleanor’s world is falling apart. This time next year, civilisation won’t be quite so civilised . . .

Goodreads                     Buy Amazon Kindle  (also available in paperback)

Outside is set in a post apocalyptic Britain, where groups of residents have set up secure enclaves to shelter from the lawless un-predictable world outside. Following the story of two girls in different era’s, both have to make tough decisions which will have ramifications for their families.

Riley, traumatised by the death of her sister is determined to seek revenge and ventures out into the “real” world in search of the murderer, but her privileged, sheltered life means there is no way she could do this on her own.  Eleanor’s story begins by giving a background to the breakdown in society, but choices she makes when her own settled life starts to come undone forced by events, develop into a crucial story line and Shalini merges these brilliantly towards the conclusion.

Living in the town from where Riley begins her adventure allowed me to picture some of the scenes quoted and immediately made me feel at home with this novel. The characterisation is strong and I really felt the emotions driving the characters and story onwards.

Shalini explores the different ways in which people have adapted and coped with the “new society” and if such a disaster should ever visit Britain, and you were one of the “lucky” ones to survive,  you would surely meet and recognise some of the characters in this book.

There is enough action and twists to keep an adult reader happy, but is also ideal for a young adult reader. Really well written and thoroughly enjoyed.  I would read again.

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy ... it's a keeper!

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

 

TFormat: Kindle Edition

File Size: 443 KB

Print Length: 312 pages

Publisher: Adrenalin Books (14 Jan 2013)

Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.

Language: English

ASIN: B00B12T7GY

In the ravaged future, children are disappearing.

Riley lives safely behind her Perimeter Fence, but soon she’ll have to confront the terrible truth of what’s happening outside. An old enemy is approaching. Threatening to extinguish her way of life.

To save herself, Riley must fight to save another. She must put herself in the last place she ever wanted to be.

Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic

Goodreads                             Buy Amazon Kindle (also available in paperback)

If you read my reviews regularly you will know that I have thoroughly enjoyed Shalini’s writing style and plotlines in previous books.

Book Two in The Outside series doesn’t disappoint!

The prologue is very tense and exciting.  Written in the first person, we’re in a forest clearing and there are hooded people closing in.  I love prologues like this as while you continue reading, you have this image in the back of your mind, waiting for the time when the connection is made and everything falls into place.

Throughout the book we have two timelines that alternate.  Beginning with Riley and a scene where she is trading on the quay with her pa and looking forward to a picnic with Luc we then switch to siblings Liss and FJ 9 years earlier.  With Liss we experience the capture and everything that follows whilst with Riley we are in the now … until the timelines merge. Boland leaves us at each timeline knowing enough to hold our interest but not with the full information.  Of course this makes the reader want to turn those pages to find out exactly what is going to happen next!

Underlying both threads is fanaticism and the power held by a force that has grown strong.  A strength built on brainwashing and religious zeal which is on a path of destruction. If the force isn’t stopped, major consequences will follow. I can’t really say too much because I don’t want to give any spoilers!

Riley is a strong character.  Although she’s brave, she also has that underlying lack of confidence that teens feel.  I loved it that she did things anyway, acting on instinct.  She also feels intense fear at times but still she manages to pull herself together and act with the thought of others before herself.  The romance that there is between Riley and Luc is very fragile.  The connection is there and strong but the focus in this story is on the mission they undertake.  They do get a brief chance to talk about their feelings, but Riley is at that teen stage where she would rather put on a front instead of facing the rejection she is expecting (very true to life!)

Liss is also a strong character.  I loved the way she took on a maternal role for 4 year old Annabelle – despite only being 7 herself!  This relationship is a key factor when things go wrong.  The ceremonies and the fear that Liss feels is really well portrayed.  I could feel my limbs shaking and that dread in the pit of my stomach.

FJ is the character we all love to hate.  Arrogant, lacking empathy and 100% sure of his place in the world – he really got under my skin.  What a fabulous character!  He hooked Riley in with his throw-away comment and I can’t wait to see where this will take us in Book Three.

The Clearing is tense, nerve-wracking and with plenty of action.  It is a world populated with characters and events that are believable (and therefore quite scary).  There is sadness but there is also a familial scene that brought tears to my eyes (for good reasons).

Boland has done it once again.  I’ve been engrossed and my imagination has been captured.

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy ... it's a keeper!

Buy it but be loathe to share your copy … it’s a keeper!

 

Peds and I did discuss the two stories, however, I do feel that each can be read as a stand-alone.  Both are reasonably priced in Kindle format so you could treat yourself to both at the same time!

I would like to thank the author for providing review copies in exchange for honest reviews.

Find Shalini:

 On Facebook

On Twitter

On Goodreads

Website

Shalini recently toured with The Clearing via Fiction Addiction Book Tours.  To catch up with the interviews, guest posts and to check out more reviews, please click here.