It’s been twenty three days since Quinn has slept for more than minutes at a time. Demons have invaded her dreams, stalking her, and whispering of her death. The lack of sleep and crippling fear are ruining her life. Energy drinks and caffeine pills don’t make a dent. When Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. The demons are determined to keep them apart, and Aaron from discovering the secret locked away in his memory. Together, they could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.–Description from Goodreads
Paperback, 321 pages
Expected publication: April 23rd 2013 by Month9Books
From the first page, “Pretty Dark Nothing” grabbed my attention and refused to let go. This book is well written and interesting and just grows more mysterious as the pages go by. The reader is fed bits of background on the characters little by little as the story progresses and I felt this helped keep the mystery going in a way that made me eager to keep reading.
Quinn is an interesting character that has a lot of confusion and strange events plaguing her life. Through her journey, the reader is able to see multiple parts of this story. Aaron is another strong and vital character and he makes up the other part of the book that Quinn does not. This book would be suitable for older teens. There is some swearing and sex, but nothing that is intensely graphic or inappropriate.
By about halfway through the novel the paranormal aspect consumes much of the writing space, and I was impressed with the author’s take on this subject. Rather than taking the familiar beaten path, she chose to make her own way using unique paranormal happenings to colour and give life to her writing. There are moments in this book where the activity is so frightening that you almost want to turn your head away from reading and wait for your heart to return to a normal rhythm. There are certainly no dull spots in this book.
There were a few unexpected twists along the way. I actually found the relationship between Quinn and Aaron to be a bit frustrating at times, but if the author intended to go for high school drama that resembles reality, in that respect she did a great job. Nobody in this book knows what they want or how to hang on to it. The indecisiveness of the characters annoyed me a little, but also one must keep in mind that I am not a teen and have a different perspective on things as an adult than a younger reader might.
There are a couple of characters that you will no doubt love to hate. Heather Reid did a super job of making her characters have depth and their own individual quirks and personalities. If you are looking for something to read and like books where the characters make you want to hug them and strangle them at the same time, this is a great choice. I personally enjoy detesting a character. If a book can make me feel something, then it has done the job I asked of it.
The not so good for me was the way it ended. Not sure if this is going to be part of a series (hope so.) If it is, then I could understand why it ended the way it did. Don’t get me wrong, I like a story where everything doesn’t turn up roses at the end. But this one had a huge revelation that was somewhat of a stunner and then it was over. Just like that. Done. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
Overall this was an engaging read that kept me wanting to come back for more. If you like paranormal YA this is certainly a book that I would recommend, even in spite of the abrupt ending.
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.
Today I welcome Carmen Stefanescu to Readful Things so that she may share some of her thoughts on publishing, writing and her first full length novel, “Shadows of the Past.” Carmen is an amazing woman who has overcome much adversity to write and publish her book. She lives in Romania, but speaks fluent English. All around, she is a wonderful person and I am very proud to introduce her.
Want a chance to win a digital copy of Carmen’s book “Shadows of the Past?”
Here’s what you do: share the link for this interview with your favorite social media outlet, come back and leave a quick comment that simply says “I want a copy!” Three winners will be chosen at random next week ( 7 days from now) and will get each get a digital copy of their very own!
Author bio:
Carmen Stefanescu was born in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble – the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.
Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books.
She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.
What first made you decide to write a book? I have dreamed all my life to become a writer, my idol being Agatha Christie. I’ve been writing since I was a student. Satirical poems and short stories at that time, in my native tongue, Romanian, as you know I live in Romania, better known as Dracula’s country. All of the things I wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for me. I started publishing. Poems in English, first. And now long prose – novels. The trigger point for Shadows of the Past was a small article, in a Romanian newspaper, about a haunted mountain in England.
How has the publishing process been different than you expected when you first started?
I had no idea what to expect at first. The publishing process was a long road for me as everything was trial and error until I got a clear picture of what I had to do and how to do things in a proper way. And the fact that I finished the novel in two months but I got it published many, many years later was a bit of a shock.
Has marketing been more difficult than you would have imagined?
Absolutely. I thought that most of itis done by the publisher. I was wrong. Most is done by me. I work hard to find blogs willing to host book spotlights or to accept reviewing Shadows of the Past. I learned a lot along the way and still do. The positive part is the fact that I’ve made fabulous friends in the bloggers I met in the cyberspace while doing this search. The only thing that is a matter of dissatisfaction is that now I spend all my time in the advertising process, instead of writing.
Advice for other authors who are not located in the U.S.?
Follow your dream. Don’t be discouraged by rejections. They are something to be expected in the process of getting approval for your submission. Roll with the bitter punch of rejection and go on trying. That’s what I kept doing. Do your searching thoroughly and find the best solution for you. E-publishing and now self-publishing offer everyone, no matter where they live, a chance to see their work published.
You have written such a beautiful love story, what was the inspiration for this?
It was that article about a haunted mountain in England. The souls of two sinners, a nun and a priest who break their vows and elope, can’t find their rest. The tourists visiting the haunted area sometimes hear agonizing moans during the night. That was all. The moment I put down the newspaper I experienced a strong urge to write about them. This is how The Ballad of the Priest and the Nun came to life, first. Later, I felt it was not enough. I felt Genevieve’s story must be told in detail. And thus I wrote this novel. On the other hand, I have an attraction for the Medieval Times and for tragically evolving characters.
Do you wish you would have done anything differently with your book?
Perhaps a better Neil character. I am not very satisfied with how I built him. My thoughts were focused on Genevieve and Anne. I am a strong feminist at heart.
What do you hope your readers get from Shadows of the Past, other than enjoyment?
That things in life are never only black or only white but we must always take what’s good from our short stay here, in this existence. Choices can be made and true love can really be found. I also wantmy readers to enjoy themselves while reading my books and, above all, to connect to my characters.
Tell us something we don’t know about you?
I am a great coffee, pets and role play games addict!
What are some of your favorite books/authors?
A difficult question because I have many favoritebooks/authors. I love thrillers as much as psychological paranormals or action packed romance books and mysteries. I don’t want to do wrong by naming one book or one author when there are so many I’ve read all along my life and which marked my existence. I have respect for each and every writer who enhanced my life and made me cry or laugh or dream, who enabled me to imagine different worlds, alternative realities, paths not chosen, cities not yet built. Catherine Cookson, Th. Hardy, Jeffrey Archer, M. H. Clark, Alexandre Dumas, Balzac, Somerset Maugham, Mihai Eminescu, Liviu Rebreanu, A. Tennyson, F. Forsyth, Stephen King, Agatha Christie. And many, many others.
If you could visit one place in the world where would you go and why?
I would escape to a paradise island. Somewhere where the temperature is never too cold or too hot. With no earthquakes or strong tempests! No dangerous insects and no predators – either four or two-legged.
Anything else you would like to say to your readers/ links etc. that you would like included.
A last piece of advice: Get quickly Shadows of the Past and read it! If not, you don’t know what you are missing! Ha-ha-ha! And stay tuned for my soon coming novel Dracula’s Mistress!
Thank you Ionia for hosting me. It was a lovely day for me.
“Things aren’t the same when your best friend dies in a car accident. But when your best friend, Temple, comes back as a ghost to help you solve a case, life definitely becomes better. You’ll love him. He’s a funny, opinionated, cool nerd who doesn’t quite have the hang of being a ghost. When I, Campbell (Bell) Olson, decided to run for eighth-grade president, I didn’t expect my opponent to be Will Tuffy, the most obnoxious boy at school. I especially didn’t expect the race to start with a dead rat on my doorstep! That was the easy part. From there, things got worse and my case went from being a mystery, to a dangerous trail of clues. This is my tale of the ghost, the rat, and me.?” Campbell Olson. –Description from Goodreads
ebook, 110 pages
Published November 20th 2012 by Winking Owl Publications
ISBN13
9781596579781
edition language
English
My thoughts :
The Ghost, The Rat and Me is a middle grade fiction book that has a paranormal twist. While the book, in and of itself, is not terribly frightening, I thought it was entertaining enough to hold the attention of of a young teen.
Temple is a very well thought out and well described character. I like the way the author described his devotion to Bell. There are plenty of funny moments throughout the book that made me smile and a couple that outright made me laugh. There were a few parts in the book that I couldn’t see even a young teenager believing, but for the most part this was pretty fun. There is also a bit of sweet romance.
This book is very age-appropriate for the 11 to 14 age group. There is nothing in it that you wouldn’t want your child to read. Bell was an interesting character, although there were times when she acted very naive. The story contains a bit of mystery a few thrills and is an easy enough and short enough read that it can be accomplished in a single sitting.
The author made Temple a fun hero. He was nerdy and geeky (like me) and I think teens would have an easy time relating to his awkwardness. Although he was pretty suave in life, as a Ghost he has a lot to learn. He was just all around a really well planned addition to this story.
Overall, I think this is the type of juvenile fiction that I would be happy to have my own children read, and I would recommend it to the above listed age group.
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.
I read this book a while back and wanted to be sure that everyone has a chance to take notice of it. Carmen Stefanescu is a relatively new author and this is her first book. I was thrilled with it and am so looking forward to her next book.
Here is some info so you can check it out for yourself. It really is a fine example of writing.
Shadows of the Past
Publish date: 4th December 2012
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing
Genre: paranormal/light romance/light horror.
Blurb
Anne’s relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.
The discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door to a new and frightening world–one where the ghost of a medieval nun named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not only to ruin Anne and Neil’s vacation but to end all hopes of reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve’s soul from its torment.
Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?
The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.
Here is an excerpt from Shadows of the Past:
“Come, we should leave at once,” she said and glanced nervously over her shoulder. “Something terrible happened after you left for town. I think the Abbess found out about us. Our meeting in Uncle Ryan’s cabin is no longer a secret. We have been overheard. For all I know someone spies on us even as we speak. I think the Abbess, or one of her ‘friends,’ is hovering somewhere nearby and listening to every word.”
Andrew pulled Genevieve to his chest. “Do you regret you’ve come with me?”
Passion smothered Genevieve’s doubt and guilt. “Never,” she answered, aware of her body’s response to his touch, and she succumbed to his embrace.
Calming the gnawing unease in her mind and the thought of Sister Dominica guessing she was the dough of a sinner, Genevieve repeated, “Never.”
With her eyes closed and their bodies touching she became, for the very first time, simply a woman. She melted in his embrace in spite of the invisible vicious threat breathing around them. Aware they might never be alone again, she fought hard to silence the voice of conscience berating her.
“Oh, God. Please forgive me,” Andrew muttered under his breath when he bowed his head to kiss her. Their lips met in a passionate first kiss.
Genevieve’s spirits fell and her heart skipped a beat when, a couple of seconds later, she opened her eyes and her gaze fell on a knot strangers.
… . . .
Tears welled in Anne’s eyes, blurring her vision. She couldn’t explain them, or the sudden sadness seeping into her heart. This should’ve been a moment of happiness or, at least, contentment. She was with Neil again, and the outcome of their trip together should, very likely, bring their reconciliation. Why then did she seem detached from where she stood?
Anne shivered. Why the deep feeling of having seen this place, this forest before? And why the eerie sensation of being present here only in the body, while her mind was far away?
Away from the forest.
Away from Neil, the man who’d betrayed her trust and her love.
An onrush of sensations unfamiliar to her followed. Dizziness and a malevolent feeling of unreality suffocated her.
Anne edged cautiously closer to the rim of the bare cliff. Her foot tapped the edge. It seemed solid. She stared into the darkness of the abyss at her feet. It echoed the shadows in her heart. An unusual curiosity took hold of her. Should she step ahead? What was down there? Other human bones? Another mystery? The presence of evil, creeping up and enveloping her, became almost palpable. The vines of fog folded around her, dragging her to the depth. Her throat turned dry, and she gasped for air.
Megan’s face contorted, the voice no longer pleasant. A hoarse gurgle, spluttering distorted words, “Yes, come… I’m waiting… I’ve been waiting for you for such a long time…”
Author bio:
Carmen Stefanescu was born in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble – the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.
Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books.
She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.
When Anne and Neil leave on a one-week holiday hoping to reconcile after a two-year separation, little do they know that destiny has other plans for them. Their discovery of human bones and a bejeweled cross in the hollow of a tree open the door to the supernatural realm and the anguished life of Genevieve, a nun from medieval England.
Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve her eternal rest?
The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.–Description from Goodreads.
ebook, 231 pages
Published December 4th 2012 by Wild Child Publishing
Or you can go visit the author Carmen Stefanescu and find out more HERE
I am very proud to introduce “Shadows of the Past” By Romanian author Carmen Stefanescu. This is an amazing debut novel that really captured everything I love so much about history, paranormal and romance.
My thoughts on this novel:
It isn’t often that I put a book in my “I must read this again pile.” I read so much that I usually won’t read a book more than once because I am always ready to move on to the next one I haven’t experienced yet. This is one of those rare times when I know I will read this book again.I am a huge history buff and I adore historical fiction. This is historical plus a lot more. This book has an exciting plot with a paranormal twist that is so well done that it doesn’t leave you rolling your eyes like so many of the paranormal romances of recent memory have done. I fell into this book hard and never wanted to leave.
Although I enjoyed Anne and her role in the book as a contemporary character, I was completely drawn into the story and fascinated all the way to the end by the story of Genevieve and Andrew. This is the kind of love story that is timeless and makes you feel warm inside. I was happy while reading this.
Although from the cover of this book it would seem that it is more adult in nature, this novel would also be appropriate for a YA audience. The romance is believable and beautiful, but is never too steamy. The mystery of the connection between Anne and Genevieve is really the heart of this book, and it is a supremely written mystery at that. You can’t quite figure it all out until the very end and even then, on the very last page there is more to think about.
Carmen Stefanescu has written a love story for those of us who know what that really means. If you have high expectations for your romance novels and expect to see characters with plenty of development, life and purpose then this is the book for you. When you read this novel, you feel you have entered another world. Stepping back in time through Carmen’s descriptions and research, this was an incredible journey.
I would recommend this book to everyone YA audience and over. One of the best romances ever.
***
Aș dori să-i mulțumesc lui Carmen pentru ca mi-a oferit sa citec această carte uimitoare. Am fost surprinsa și încântata de cât de mult mi-a placut. Carmen, esti o persoana minunata!
Nu de multe ori mi s-a intamplat ca am pus o carte pe care am citit-o în teancul “Trebuie să citesc acest roman din nou.” Am de citit atât de multe carti, că de obicei nu voi citi o carte mai mult decât o dată, pentru că sunt mereu gata pentru a trece la urmatoarea pe care nu am experimentat-o încă. Acum este una dintre acele rare ocazii când știu că voi citi aceasta carte din nou.
Sunt o mare admiratoare a istoriei si ador ficțiunea istorică. Acesta este un roman istoric, plus mult mai mult. Aceasta carte are un subiect incitant, o combinatie de paranormal cu iubire si istorie, cate putin din toate, care este atât de bine făcut încât să nu te faca sa dai ochii peste cap de frustrare, asa cum se intampla cu atât de multe dintre romanele paranormale recente. Shadows of the Past este genul de carte care ai vrea sa nu se termine.
Deși mi-a placut de Anne și rolul ei în carte ca un personaj contemporan, am fost complet atrasa în actiune și fascinata până la sfârșit de povestea lui Genevieve și Andrew. Aceasta este un fel de poveste de dragoste, care este atemporala și iti da un sentiment placut de bine. Am fost fericita în timp ce citeam asta.
Deși, din coperta acestei cărți s-ar părea că este dedicata mai mult adulților, acest roman ar fi, de asemenea, adecvat pentru o audiență YA. Romantismul este credibil și frumos, dar nu este in nici un moment prea senzual. Misterul legăturii între Anne și Genevieve este într-adevăr miezul aceastei carti, și este un mister extrem de bine scris. Nu iti poti da seama de adevar până la sfârșit și chiar și atunci, ultima pagină lasa loc la intrebari.
Carmen Stefanescu a scris o poveste de dragoste pentru acei dintre noi care știu ce înseamnă aceasta cu adevărat. Dacă ai așteptări mari de la un roman de dragoste și așteapti să vezi personajele evoluand, atunci aceasta este cartea pentru tine. Când ai citit acest roman, ai impresia ca esti introdus in o altă lume. Pas cu pas, mergi înapoi în timp, prin descrierile lui Carmen; aceasta a fost o calatorie incredibila.
As recomanda această carte pentru toata lumea, audiență YA și peste. Unul dintre cele mai bune romane de dragoste din toate timpurile.
In the tradition of Kate Mosse, a swiftly-paced mystery that stretches from modern London to Tudor England
In modern-day London, architectural historian and recovering alcoholic Annie Kendall hopes to turn her life around and restart her career by locating several long-missing pieces of ancient Judaica. Geoff Harris, an investigative reporter, is soon drawn into her quest, both by romantic interest and suspicions about the head of the Shalom Foundation, the organization sponsoring her work. He’s also a dead ringer for the ghost of a monk Annie believes she has seen at the flat she is subletting in Bristol House.
In 1535, Tudor London is a very different city, one in which monks are being executed by Henry VIII and Jews are banished. In this treacherous environment of religious persecution, Dom Justin, a Carthusian monk, and a goldsmith known as the Jew of Holborn must navigate a shadowy world of intrigue involving Thomas Cromwell, Jewish treasure, and sexual secrets. Their struggles shed light on the mysteries Annie and Geoff aim to puzzle out—at their own peril.
This riveting dual-period narrative seamlessly blends a haunting supernatural thriller with vivid historical fiction. Beverly Swerling, widely acclaimed for her City of Dreams series, delivers a bewitching and epic story of a historian and a monk, half a millennium apart, whose destinies are on a collision course.–Description from Goodreads
Bristol House is the first of Beverly Swerling’s novels that I have read. I think I might be hooked. This book deals with both the past and the present and then ties them together in a seemingly effortless way.
Anyone who has studied religious history will clearly see how much reality is presented in this fictional tale. The author has done her research for this book and that made it a very enjoyable and ultimately unforgettable read.
I really liked the main character Annie. She was on point throughout the book and even though she found herself in a difficult to believe situation, she didn’t waste chapters self-doubting and trying to ignore what was plainly in front of her. Okay, so she is aware that there is the apparition of a dead monk in her flat, but she keeps moving. That’s my kind of heroine.
The romance in this work is evenly paced and believable and something that felt natural as the pages turned. I liked the male lead and thought the author did a good job of giving him traits and qualities that made him a good hero.
The dual time periods the author deals with make this a more interesting read than if all of the story had been told in only the present. I like the way she chose to shift between present and past and never felt lost or confused by the transitions.
In the end, this is a book that I would read a second time. I liked the overall story and didn’t have any trouble staying up late to finish this. I would recommend it to other readers who enjoy their fiction to be of mixed genres.
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.
They say “third time’s the charm”, and for sixteen-year-old Brooke Day, they had better be right. She’s been here before, twice in fact, and an evil demon-witch wants her dead a third time.
When Brooke is forced to leave Boston for the small town of Deadwich, she thinks her life is over. Before long, her new friends start acting strange—downright evil. But worse than that, nightmares she’s had her whole life become reality.
Enter Marcus Knight; popular, hot, and the only person Brooke can trust. Not to mention, they’ve shared the same nightmares.
With the discovery of an ancient Celtic amulet, Brooke and Marcus unravel the secrets of her past, which reveals the key to her future.
As the equinox approaches:
Darkness and light merge for the first time in a century.
Soul-mates reunite.
Magic awakens–Description from Goodreads
Paperback, 320 pages
Published September 22nd 2012 by Curiosity Quills Press (first published September 21st 2012)
The Gathering Darkness by Lisa Collicutt is one of the best YA paranormal romances I have read so far.
The author has a unique way of dealing with witchcraft in this story and I am pleased to report that it didn’t feel like a repeat of other books that deal with the same subject.
I liked the main character, Brook. She was intelligent and I thought the fact that she expressed fear instead of coming off as an untouchable character, gave her the depth I needed to see in order to care what happened to her throughout the rest of the story.
The way the author chose to give her main female lead choices in male companionship added just the right element of uncertainty to make it more interesting. Rather than the expected teenage melodrama, I felt the romance in this book was much more mature and well crafted than one usually sees in a teen novel.
Ravenwyck Inn was described wonderfully and I really got a sense that the place was creepy and not somewhere you would want to be caught alone in. I love it when a book has such good imagery that it sends a small shiver up your spine. I liked the fictional town Deadwich (great name) and could really see how a girl that age would have struggled to adjust to her new surroundings.
The only thing I would have changed about this book, is that I would have liked to have seen a little more history on the main character. She obviously has a past, but it is barely touched upon.
Overall, I found this to be an engaging and exciting read with plenty of unexpected elements throughout. If you are looking for a very well written and at times intense YA novel, this book is the one to pick up.
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher.
They say “third time’s the charm”, and for sixteen-year-old Brooke Day, they had better be right. She’s been here before, twice in fact, and an evil demon-witch wants her dead a third time.
