Sound of The Heart by Genevieve Graham

Title: Sound of The Heart
Author: Genevieve Graham
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Overall: 5/5
Source: From Publisher For Review

From Genevieve Graham, author of Under the Same Sky, comes a sweeping romantic historical novel of one man’s strange gift and dangerous battles…
      Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold. Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies. There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love...

 Review:

*Warning, may contain spoilers for Under The Same Sky*

Sound of The Heart is a companion novel to Genevieve Graham’s debut release, Under The Same Sky. The books focus on the separate adventures of two brothers who believe the other was lost at the Battle of Culloden. In Under The Same Sky, readers are introduced to Dougal MacDonnell, Andrew’s brother who is believed to have died in battle. It is later revealed in Sound of The Heart that Dougal is in fact still alive and is an incredible warrior. Dougal and his family are Highlanders in Scotland, and while trying to save their home land from the crown, Dougal is captured by the British. Unfortunately back home, there are not many survivors.

Along with the help of those who have befriended Dougal, the men devise a plan to escape their captors. Once going over all the details, there is only one issue that is left in the minds of those involved… What will happen to the men after they gain their freedom?

At the risk of revealing too much of the story, I will just quickly mention that there is a female character named Glenna that plays a primary role along with Dougal in this historical fiction novel. Although the novel's synopsis gives you a little hint as to what to expect, you will all just have to read the novel yourselves to find out more about the relationship between these two characters *winks*!

My favorite aspects of the novel were the underlying meanings of the storyline. Sound of The Heart is about finding strength in moments of despair and never giving up without a fight. The characters showed a tremendous amount of bravery, honesty, and passion. They were engaging throughout the novel and every character played an important role and even if they only appeared on a few pages, they stand out and will leave a long-lasting impression on readers. I also enjoyed how the novel was split into parts and had alternating point of views between the two main characters.

With a rich flair of history and a great deal of romance, readers will once again fall in love with Genevieve Graham’s second novel, Sound of The Heart. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this fantastic author.

I recommend Sound of The Heart to those who enjoy Historical Romance and Adult Fiction titles.

 

An Enjoyable Read, Well Written, Recommended

**Please Note: This review is my honest opinion and I received no monetary compensation from it.**

Find Genevieve Graham online:

Official Website | Goodreads | Facebook

Buy Sound of The Heart online:

Goodreads | Official Website | Amazom.com | Book Depository

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Under The Same Sky by Genevieve Graham

Title: Under The Same Sky
Author: Genevieve Graham
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Overall: 5/5
Source: From Publisher For Review

The yearis 1746. A young woman from South Carolina and a Scottish Highlander share an intimacy and devotion beyond their understanding. They’ve known each other their entire lives. They live a half-world apart.  

And they have never met…

Maggie Johnson has been gifted with “the Sight” ever since she was a child. Her dreams bring her visions of the future and of a presence she knows is not a figment of her imagination. She calls him Wolf, having watched him grow from a careless young boy into a fearsome warrior, and she trusts him with her life and her heart.

Andrew MacDonnell is fascinated by the woman who has visited him in his dreams for as long as he can remember, entranced by her beauty, knowing deep in his soul that she is as real as he. Although he doesn’t know who she is, Andrew believes that destiny will bring them together.

When tragedy and war strike their homelands, both Maggie and Andrew suffer indescribable losses. Separated across an ocean, the bond they share nevertheless grows as they sense each other’s pain, lend each other strength, and embark on a journey of the spirit to find and love one another at long last…

 Review:

What would you do if you had the ability to take a glimpse at another person’s life, someone who you’ve never know and that person lives thousands of miles away. Maggie has never been ordinary; she has always had the gift to see events before they have occurred. She feels connected to Andrew, a man who she’s never met and who frequently appears in her visions and dreams since she was a little girl. But Maggie isn’t the only one who has this remarkable ability; Andrew can take a glimpse into Maggie’s life as well.

Tragedy strikes with the death of her father, and Maggie is in desperate need of Andrew’s help. Will Andrew travel thousands of miles away to rescue someone he has never met?

My favorite element of Under The Same Sky was the paranormal edition to the novel. I have recently become intrigued with historical romance novels and Under The Same Sky was no exception. I definitely appreciate the paranormal elements Genevieve Graham incorporated into the story as it is my favorite genre. The plot was captivating and the characters had emotional depth. I also enjoyed getting to know both characters’ background, and could clearly imagine the two much different worlds they each seem to live in.

Under The Same Sky is a remarkable debut by Genevieve Graham. There is much more than meets the eye of this historical romance novel. Genevieve Graham has created a unique spin on the "although thousands of miles apart, love prevails all" cliche. With a hint of paranormal elements in addition to the large dose of romance, readers are sure to enjoy this incredible tale.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I would definitely recommend Under The Same Sky to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction and Paranormal titles.

 

An Enjoyable Read, Well Written, Recommended

**Please Note: This review is my honest opinion and I received no monetary compensation from it.**

Find Genevieve Graham online:

Official Website | Goodreads | Facebook

Buy Under The Never Sky online:

Goodreads | Official Website | Amazom.com | Book Depository

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Inanimate Objects Tour: Author Interview With Kendra L. Saunders

Kendra L. Saunders has kindly allowed me to interview her about her newest release, Inanimate Objects, as part of this wonderful blog tour hosted by Parajunkee.com.

 About The Author:

Picture by Luna Gracie

Kendra L. Saunders is a 25 year old novelist, freelancer, poet, interviewer, short story writer, tea enthusiast, lover of all things English, record-shop-haunter and marketing coordinator for Spencer Hill Press. She’s won Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Book Awards and is currently promoting her magic realism novel, Inanimate Objects, as well as traveling the known universes with her steampunk friends and a hot cup of tea.

Find Kendra L. Saunders on the Web:

Official Website | Goodreads | Facebook

 Interview:

Please share with us what you enjoy most about writing?

I remember being in first or second grade and we had a writing assignment. Everyone else wrote stories about kids, but I decided to write a story about a woman on the Mayflower. I got really into it, thinking about how much she missed her husband and kids, because she’d been separated from them for some reason. My teacher contacted my mom and said I was the only kid she ever had who wrote about adults. But there was just this magic to it, and I was already addicted. I loved the idea of becoming someone else, slipping into their mind and learning about them. And adults were so fascinating! I just loved getting to become someone I wasn’t.

It’s much the same now… there’s still this excitement about getting to become other people, or befriend them. I don’t like to write about people who “we all know.” I like to write about people that we all wish we could meet, people we’ll never run into while waiting in a line at the grocery store.

When you are not writing, what do you enjoy doing on your spare time?

I have so little spare time! Besides writing, I work as a marketing coordinator for Spencer Hill Press and still work at a music store (I’ve been a music store girl for years now). It’s maddening sometimes. My spare time is usually my writing time, honestly, and then if there’s any time after that, I steal away to spend time with friends. Most of my closest friends live at least two hours away, some many states away, so I don’t get to see them as often as I wish. But if I have a day off- truly off- I usually visit friends. And sometimes go on adventures with my friends from the steampunk group, The Vagabonds.

Name the top three things you can’t live without.

Music. Music is probably the biggest one, because lyrics to me are life-markers and words of wisdom. Good lyrics are the poetry I set my life against, and they inspire me in ways nothing else can. A song can hold so many memories in it, and concerts have this incredible energy that just can’t be explained. Plus… there’s such a nostalgic, melancholy feeling to sliding a record from its sleeve and dropping the needle, settling in for a while to listen to something that someone poured their heart and soul into.

My laptop is the definite next. I hate gadgets and my eyeballs suffer every day from them (I see flashes of color and light now even!) but I couldn’t live without my laptop. I take it almost everywhere for writing and internet needs. Plus, it allows me to spend hours every day talking to my best friend, Dusty, since she lives very far away.

And finally, glitter. I always need something shiny, sparkly, feathery or fabulous. It’s just in my DNA.

What do you believe makes a good story?

I think that’s a really undefinable thing. Some stories are good because the characters make you ache to hear their voices a little longer. Some stories are incredible because they introduce an idea or theory. Some stories are good because they encourage or uplift you. I would say some of the universal elements in my favorite stories, though, are characters with a unique point of view, lyrical prose and a really great ending. I tend to skip to the end of books before deciding if I should spend my time reading them or not. A good ending can or break it.

Which character in your novel do you believe you relate to most and why?

I was actually just talking about this with a friend the other day! When I first began Inanimate Objects, Elisha was very much a reflection of the bitterness I felt towards my living situation, towards what I viewed as my own weaknesses in comparison to others. Elisha was so unhappy and had such a grudge! I’m not the type to hold a grudge over much of anything, so I think Elisha was my way of getting out a lot of frustration.

Halfway through the draft, though, life became so stressful and hectic that I had something like a mental and physical breakdown. I fainted at work and hurt my head and developed anxiety that I’d never had for even one day in my life. My health got worse and worse and the next two and a half years were literally a struggle, every day, to find some way to recover enough that I could live a normal life again. During that time, I communicated almost exclusively with friends through the internet or text, because it felt ‘safe.’ And during that time, Leo first appeared in my head. He was strong and aggressive, he was beautiful and alluring. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that writing Leo helped me tap back into my strength, my natural showman side. As my health very slowly improved, I worked through several drafts of the story, and around the time that I was able to return to working full time, I finished this book. I may not be as strong as Leo, but I have some of his determination and that strong desire to use his art both to ‘exorcise the evil soul’ and to create a career. 

Is there a message in your novel that you would like readers to grasp?

It’s funny but I’ve rarely been a ‘message’ kind of writer. Sometimes I wish I was more of one, but the 'moral of the story' idea always seems to be elusive. Forgiveness is a very important theme in this story, as is the power of families, whether for good or evil in the future of the children and parents alike.

 Guest Post:

Title: Inanimate Objects

Author: Kendra L. Saunders

Publication Date: August, 2011
Publisher: Invincible Starlight Publishing

Inanimate Objects is a dark and glittering novel of artists and magicians, muses and immortals. At the heart of the story is Leonidas Bondi, a charismatic young artist who falls under the watchful gaze of Matilda August. Matilda has been a patron to the stars for hundreds of years, but this fickle muse is more than a little taken with her new protégé, blurring her own lines of work and obsession. Providing opposition is Matilda’s son, Elisha, a moody figure who holds revenge above all else after he suffers a terrible wrong.

Find Inanimate Objects Online:  

Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon | Book Depository | B&N

 Watch Kendra Read Chapter 1!

 Blurbs:

“Inanimate Objects is quite possibly the most unique story line I have ever read.  Everyone and everything is filled with mystery and enchantment.  However, it’s all on a much different level than anything I have come across.” – Pure Textuality

 Inanimate Objects Blog Tour:

Happy reading until next time!

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Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman

Title: Babe in Boyland
Author: Jody Gehrman
Publisher: Dial
Format: Hardcover
Publication Date: February 17, 2011
Overall: 4/5
Source: Bought

When high school junior Natalie-or Dr. Aphrodite, as she calls herself when writing the relationship column for her school paper-is accused of knowing nothing about guys and giving girls bad relationship advice, she decides to investigate what guys really think and want. But the guys in her class won't give her straight or serious answers. The only solution? Disguising herself as a guy and spending a week at Underwood Academy, the private all-boy boarding school in town. There she learns a lot about guys and girls in ways she never expected-especially when she falls for her dreamy roommate, Emilio. How can she show him she likes him without blowing her cover?

 Review:

Natalie, or Dr. Aphrodite as she’s known as while she writes her advice column for her high school paper, knows all about love and relationships. Or, at least, she thinks she does (not that she herself has even been in love or anything). That is, until a bunch of guys come forward and claim Dr. Aphrodite knows absolutely nothing about guys. So Nat decides disguise herself as a guy to go undercover at an all boy’s boarding school so she can figure out the secret to guys.

I picked up this book because I spotted in the bookstore and I thought the cover was kind of cool (and the girl on the cover has huge eyes, and as a fellow huge-eyed girl, I had to buy the book just so I could compare whose eyes were bigger if I took a picture from a similar angle. Verdict: I win).

Anyway, the cover made the book look fun, entertaining, a nice light read to put me in a good mood. And then I read the description and I knew this was going to be a good one. Because the description sounded a lot like one of my favouritest favourite movies She’s the Man. I like that movie. Like, a lot. Like, a lot a lot. And this book? Not going to lie, it’s a lot like She’s the Man. Like, a lot.

(And if you haven’t seen that movie, you totally should because it’s hilarious, and even though I’ve watched it countless times, I still laugh every single time. Like, it’s not even a guilty pleasure for me. It’s just a straight up pleasure.)

And as for Babe in Boyland. . .I’m completely okay with it being like the movie, with a premise that has been done quite a few times (including Shakespeare). And here’s why:

1. Babe in Boyland was really well written. For me, writing is key, so if a book has strong, solid writing, it will probably win me over. Strong writing creates strong characters, which this book has. They act like real teens, they sound like real teens. It was all completely believable. . .even with a narrator who’s actually a girl but going undercover as a boy to research the behaviour of boys.

2. Babe in Boyland was funny and entertaining. I could probably count on two hands the number of books that have actually made me laugh out loud. This is one of them. I’m giggling just thinking of some of the scenes, but I won’t detail them here. . .you’ll have to read them for yourself! And even though I was totally expecting some of the awkward situations and jokes that would arise from having a girl pretending to be a boy, they were so well executed (so well written) that the predictability of this book wasn’t even an issue for me.

3. Hot boys. Do I need to elaborate on this one?

4. It was light and fun, but it wasn’t shallow. Okay, I probably sound like a shallow person, what with a whole point dedicated to hot boys. Ha! But the book wasn’t. I wasn’t expecting it to be either, considering the whole point of the book was that Nat wanted to better understand boys. And I think the good writing and well-rounded characters also helped this point.

I went into this book wanting something fun to read and that is exactly what I got. I couldn’t stop reading and I was smiling the whole way through.

I recommend this book to contemporary YA fans and those who want something fun to read.

 

An Enjoyable Read, Well Written, Recommended

**Please Note: This review is my honest opinion and I received no monetary compensation from it.**

Find Jody Gehrman online:

Official Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Buy Babe in Boyland online:

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

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(Montreal Author Signing): Sarah Mlynowski

Hello fellow book lovers!

I am so thrilled to share with you an author signing event that I attended today!!! 

Author, Sarah Mlynowski, had a book signing event held at the Chapters in the Pointe-Clair area, in honor of her newest release in her fun fractured fairy-tails series, Whatever After #1: Fairest of All.

I attended the event with one of my great Montreal Book Blogger friend, Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books, which we decided to go out for lunch before the signing! We decided on Moe's for lunch and we both placed the same order!

mmmm doesn't that look tasty? lol! 

Cindy and I arrived early and were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the author. Chapters' employees were bringing a bunch of chairs down from the second floor to set up before the event began.

While we were waiting, Cindy and I went to hunt for some of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series and other YA/MG novels. I ended up buying all except two (since I'm awaiting the release of Whatever After and Ten Things We Did novels to release in paperback). I actually ended up buying an Omnibus of the first two novels in the Magic in Manhattan series as well as the individual books as I just had to own them all (with such adorable covers too!).

Here are the books I bought:


When the event began, Sarah read from her newest release, Whatever After. She is such a wonderful story teller that she had all of us who attended, hooked on the storyline. The novel has a really cute fractured fairy-tale concept and I really cannot wait to pick up a copy once it comes out in paperback!

I had the great pleasure of meeting Sarah, who by the way grew up right here in Montreal!

Sarah also signed all of my books as well as two blank stickers to go into the novels that I am missing in my collection.

 I also had the chance to see Laura, another Montreal book blogger, for a little bit! 

Whatever After: Fairest of All:

Title: Whatever After #1: Fairest of All

Author: Sarah Mlynowski

Publisher: Scholastic Canada

Release Date: May 2012

A fresh, modern spin on a classic fairy tale--from bestselling author Sarah Mlynowski! Mirror, mirror, on the basement wall . . . Once upon a time my brother and I were normal kids. The next minute? The mirror in our basement slurped us up and magically transported us inside Snow White's fairy tale. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. But hey -- we're heroes! We stopped Snow White from eating the poisoned apple. Hooray! Or not. If Snow White doesn't die, she won't get to meet her prince. And then she won't get her happy ending. Oops. Now it's up to us to: Avoid getting poisoned- Sneak into a castle- Fix Snow White's story. And then, fingers crossed, find our way home.

Goodreads | Book Depository

Book Trailer:

Thank You:

 I had such a great time at the event and getting the chance to hang out with Cindy! 

 I would like to thank Scholastic Canada for arranging this author event in Montreal! Also, thank you Nikole for letting Cindy and me know about the event!

Sarah, it was a pleasure meeting you! Feel free to contact me if you would like to guest post on the blog!

Happy reading until next time!

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Stacking The Shelves (5)

Welcome to Stacking The Shelves hosted by my awesome friend Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. This is where we can showcase the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing our excitement for our newest titles, and discover new books in the process!

  Rules From Tynga's Page:

• Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!
• You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!
• I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.
• Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

• Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

Here's what I got this week:

 Lucy's Books:

For Review:

Mister Death's Blue-Eyed Girls by Mary Downing Hahn [Amazon | Book Depository]
Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm [Amazon | Book Depository]
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis [Amazon | Book Depository]
Breaking the Devil's Heart by H.A. Goodman [Amazon | Book Depository]
Blood and Silver by James R. Tuck [Amazon | Book Depository]

I would like to say a special thank you to the following publishers & author for giving me the amazing opportunity of reading and reviewing the books showcased in this week's Stacking The Shelves:

Kensington Publishing
H.A. Goodman
Thomas Allen Books

Bought:
Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey [Amazon | Book Depository]

A Need so Beautiful by Suzanne Young  [Amazon | Book Depository]

Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr [Amazon | Book Depository]
Shadow Bound by Rachel Vincent [Amazon | Book Depository]

  Another Alternative:

For those of you who would also like another alternative for IMM, my awesome friend Grace at Books of Love has a weekly meme that runs on Saturdays that I would also recommend you consider participating in!

That's all for now!

Happy reading until next time!

Read more >>

Author Guest Post With Jolene Perry

Jolene Perry has kindly agreed to guest post here about her work, and share her inspiration for becoming a writer in honor of her newest release, Knee Deep.

 About The Author:

Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.

After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible.

She is also the author of Night Sky and The Next Door Boys.

Find Jolene Perry on the Web:
Author Page | Author Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

 Guest Post:

Sometimes a story is more personal than you expect it to be.

I read an article in an online newspaper that talked about the YA books coming out that year which dealt with abusive relationships.

I'd part mapped one out a while back, and thought maybe I'd work on it - all evidence that the market had just gotten an influx of them didn't sway me the way it should have…

The more I wrote in the story, the more personal it became.

I was not ever hit by my boyfriend in high school. He never screamed and yelled at me - though I heard him trashing his room a few times when I left after an argument, and he didn't hesitate to show me when he was pissed about something.

He'd pick fights with me over the phone and hang up, knowing it meant I'd sneak out to "straighten things out."

There was one really horrible night with him that I'd blocked from my mind for a long time, that I remembered when I was writing, so I used it.

I see these cases my husband talks about with women who are beaten and bruised and making up excuses and going back over and over. One ended in murder a couple of weeks ago. A case my husband will be prosecuting when it goes to trial.

The abuse story I told is nowhere near that dramatic, but so much of Ronnie's story was mine. WAY more than I realized while I was writing it. When I got to the end, and started writing down the parts of her story that were real (I always do this for my author site), I realized more and more how much of me was in that girl.

I stared at my computer screen in shock.

I had one of my best friends, who was a guy, who I shared more with than I probably did to most of my girlfriends - (like Luke from Knee Deep) and a boyfriend I'd known since I was a kid (like Shawn from Knee Deep) And I felt this draw to my boyfriend, only because I'd known him for so long, not because we really had anything left in common.

I felt more like I was stuck in this relationship, and didn't even realize I didn't want to be there until I visited a friend in college and saw how much more LIFE was out there. It was just that the idea of this one person had been in my head for way too long.

And where did I end up? Married to the best friend.

People talk about writing what you know, and then talk about keeping yourself out of your books. But you know what? I KNEW that situation - and I know I'll get some bad reviews (like you always do - ESPECIALLY when you tackle a tough topic) that are going to say that Ronnie's actions weren't believable.

But here's the thing - I told her story, the best way I knew how. Ronnie's reactions with pieces of my truth. And there are some drastic differences, but there are also some startling similarities. So, to me, Ronnie's actions were completely and totally understandable.

And that's the story of how Knee Deep came to be.

 Knee Deep:

Title: Knee Deep

Author: Jolene Perry

eBook
SBN: 9780983741886
ISBN: 9781476060316
Pages: 240
Release: May 1, 2012

Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.

Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.

Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both.

Find Knee Deep Online: 
PDF | Goodreads | Google | Kindle | Nook | Smashwords

Find Tribute Books Online:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tours

 Book Excerpt:

 

My front door opens. “Hello?” Shawn calls.

“In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different.

Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea?

Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except...I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me
knew it was weird that Luke was here without Shawn. I thought it, and did nothing. But again, it is just Luke.

“What’re you doing here?” Shawn asks. His dark eyes fix on Luke.

“I figured you’d be here, man.” Luke stands up. “It’s like we always ditch together, right?” 

Romeo and Juliet kissing in the pool on the TV screen probably isn’t helping anything. Maybe Shawn won’t notice, or maybe it’s just sending my heart into crazy flutters because this tension between Shawn and Luke and, I guess, me, is happening during the most romantic scene of the movie.

“Uh, I don’t know.” Shawn’s still scowling, his brows pulled low and his jaw tight.

“You would’ve hated it,” I say. My eyes catch his, but his are as black as his mood seems to be. I’m so stupid. Why did I have to let Luke stay?

“Yeah, maybe.” Shawn’s narrowed eyes go from Luke to me, back and forth, as if judging the situation. Really? What did he think could possibly happen between Luke and I? Even if this is suddenly on my top three ‘most awkward moments’ ever. I can’t even think about what the other two might be. Maybe I’ve just found number one.

“Romeo and Juliet all day.” Luke laughs, but I know him well enough to see he’s trying really hard to be relaxed. His shoulders are too stiff, and his normal stance is too rigid. I wonder if Shawn sees it too. “Guess I’ll leave you two alone.” Luke’s trying hard to keep his voice light.

“Yeah.” Shawn has yet to return Luke’s smile. “I almost never see my girl anymore.” 

It’s like I’m on the edge of my seat, tension pinpricking every part of me. I’ve never seen Shawn like this.

“Well, I should get my ass to rehearsal anyway.” Luke gives Shawn a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading outside. 

I don’t watch him go. My eyes are on Shawn, trying to figure out what to expect next.

“What the hell was that?” His sharp gaze is now pointed directly at me.

I stand up and lean to the side, trying to be relaxed. “It didn’t seem like a big deal this morning.” Maybe if I play it off as nothing Shawn won’t be so mad. He knows Luke and I are friends. No big deal, I tell myself again. But I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself or Shawn.

“Was he here when we were texting?” he asks. His voice may be low, but not in a good way. It’s low in a way that makes him sound like he’s past the edge of reasonable anger.

My body’s screaming for me to take a step back, which makes no sense. This is Shawn. My Shawn. “No.” But I’m weakening by the second, almost shaking inside. His jaw tightens again.

My eyes close as I remember, and dread fills my chest. “He got here as I sent my last one.” Is that bad? Good?

“And you didn’t think to tell me? What the hell is that?”

I jump at the sharpness of his voice. Shawn doesn’t need this stress. I know this. I reach forward to put my arms around him. We just need to hold one another for a minute, then it’ll all be fine.

He stops me, grabbing my arm—hard—just above my wrist.

“This is not okay.” His jaw is set.

“Hey.” My voice shakes. My body shakes. I’m actually scared of Shawn for the first time ever. I jerk my hand once, but he tightens his grip...impossibly tight. My lungs can’t pull in a breath; there’s just not enough air in the room anymore. “Shawn, you’re hurting me.” He can’t mean to hurt me. He can’t.

His face is stuck in a sharp scowl.

“He’s your friend.” My voice is crying. I want to try and pull my shaky arm out of his grasp again, but I’m afraid to; he’s squeezing so hard. Tears are hot against the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over. 

“How would you feel if I spent all day with some chick?” The words come out as angry spit from between his teeth. 

I open my mouth to answer but can’t, the lump in my throat has taken over. All I can think about is that I need to find something to say so he’ll let me go. Some way to get the air through my throat to form words. “It’s just Luke,” I plead, sucking in a breath.

“Whatever.” He throws my arm back at me, turns, and walks out the door, slamming it hard behind him. My body jumps at the sound.

I stumble backward onto the couch. I’m like a leaf battered about in the wind. Nothing’s working right. I need to sit. Normally I’d run after him, but I have no idea what to expect. And I’m afraid. Of Shawn.

He’s never been that way before. Ever. He’s moody and particular, but this seems...extreme. I’m cradling my wrist with my other hand, afraid to look at any possible damage. It hurts to move it. What just happened here? How did it happen?

It’s like there suddenly must be something fundamentally wrong with the universe. But the TV’s still on. My house looks normal and quiet. I’m still breathing, but Shawn, my Shawn, just hurt me. Lying down seems so anti-climactic, but I can’t bring myself to do anything else.

When Juliet realizes Romeo’s dying the sobs take over, and I pull my knees to my chest as if making myself smaller will somehow dull the pain. 

It doesn’t.

 Virtual Book Tour:

Click the banner to follow the book tour!

Happy reading until next time!

 

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MINI-CHALLENGE #2: Women Of The Otherworld Series

Hello fellow Kelley Armstrong book lovers!!!

Before I get to the details for this month's mini-challenge, I would like to thank all those who have participated in the very first mini-challenge of the Women of the Otherworld Series Reading Challenge! As the months in the challenge progresses, the mini-challenge will become slightly more difficult (but a lot more fun too, I promise!) To see the posts submitted by the participants from last month, please feel free to check out the post here: WOTO Mini-Challenge #1

So without further ado,
here is your next mini-challenge!!!

 MINI-CHALLENGE:

For this mini-challenge you must:

Create a character casting post, featuring at least 3 characters in the entire Women of the Otherworld series!

Disclaimer: ****I want to take this time to mention that this idea was inspired by my dear friend Tynga at Tynga's Reviews, who asked me to guest post about my character casting of the series, in honor of the release of Spell Bound last year. You can find my entire guest post on her page here: Character Guest Post.****

*NOTE: If you have already created a character casting post for the Women of the Otherworld series challenge between March 1, 2012 and now, it can qualify as your entry. It would be great if you could create a different post with new characters you haven't mentioned before if you'd like!*

*Don't forget to link your blog post below! For those of you who do not own a blog, you can post the picture on any other website that allows you to create a post (ex: tumblr) then link to it below.*

 PRIZE:

ONE participant will be selected to win a book of their choice on The Book Depository (already released or pre-order) with up to a $10 value. There are plenty of Kelley Armstrong books to choose from at that price *winks*. I will be selecting the winners through Random.org. FOR EVERY 10 PARTICIPANTS THERE WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL WINNER!!!

**To qualify for the prize, you must have created your post and link to it in the Linky Tools below, by the end of the month! (May 31, 2012 at Midnight EST).**

**Only Women of the Otherworld Challenge Participants can enter, so make sure to click the banner at the very end of the post to sign up!**

 Lucy's Character Casting:

As mentioned above, I have previously created a character casting post on Tynga's Reviews here: Character Guest Post. I will mention a few of my selections from that post, along with my new picks as while reading the series the second time around, I began to imagine other actors/actresses in their place!

HERE ARE MY PICKS!

I'll begin with my favorites,

The Ware-wolves:

Jeremy Danvers - Alpha
Original pick (Matt Davis)                   New Pick (Patrick Dempese)

Clayton Danvers

Original pick (Chad Michael Murray)           New Pick (Jensen Ackles)

Elena Michaels

Original pick (Sara Foster)                        New Pick (Kate Sachoff)

Antonio Sorrentino            Nick Sorrentino

(Gerard Butler)                                        (Chris Pine)

 
Witches & Sorcerer:

Paige Winterbourne               Lucas Cortez

(Jordana Brewster)                                    (Jay Hernandez)

Samatha Levine

Original Pick (Vanessa Huggens)

Eve Levine

(Angelina Jolie)

Adam Vasic - Half-Demon

Original Pick(Stephen Colletti)
 

Jaime Vegas - Necromancer

Original Pick (Scarlett Johansson)            New Pick (Danneel Harris)

 Reading Challenge:

Don't forget to sign up to the Women of the Otherworld Series Challenge I'm hosting if you haven't already!

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