Tag Archives: young adult

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Minutes Before Sunset, #1 in The Timely Death Trilogy, by Shannon A. Thompson

shan-003Epic Battle between Light and Dark – Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series

Shannon A. Thompson will be releasing Seconds Before Sunrise, the second book in The Timely Death Trilogy on 27th March. The first book in the series, Minutes Before Sunset, was one of my ‘top reads’ for 2013 and I recommend that you check this series out to see if you would like it to. Just in case you missed my review first time around, as we have gained some more followers since it was first featured, I’ve reposted it ahead of my review of Seconds Before Sunrise, which will be posted tomorrow.

Tina ❤

Minutes Before Sunset is the first book in Shannon A Thompson’s Timely Death Trilogy which tells of the elemental power struggle between Dark and Light. It is an amazingly well crafted and multifaceted novel with a fantastic hero and heroine and memorable supporting characters.

In Minutes Before Sunset, seventeen year old Eric Welborn lives in the Midwest town of Hayworth. Eric is a shade, not just any shade, but a descendant, destined by prophecy to battle with the descendant of Light, ancient enemies of the Dark, when he is eighteen, in a battle that will decide the fate of many. Eric has been rocked by tragedy in his life and his obligations weigh heavily on his shoulders, making him a loner, who fears to care for anyone, lest they be taken away from him. However, two encounters are about to change his life – one with Jessica Taylor, a new student at his high school and another, with a powerful, nameless shade, ignorant of her birthright and as such vulnerable to not only his shade community who do not trust outsiders, but also to the Light. He breaks the rules by not reporting her to his Elders and trains her to develop and control her powers, but cannot reveal all his secrets to her.

Jessica Taylor has moved to Hayworth with her adoptive parents, committed to finding out about her deceased biological family who were local to the town. To garner help from her adoptive parents in this quest they  require her to obtain perfect grades. This task appears impossible as she is paired with the taciturn Eric Welborn on a key science project. Eric is distant and preoccupied, often skipping class and is disinterested in completing the project with her. However,  not only will Jessica not fail her science project, but she also wants to find out more about his secrets and at the same time feels drawn to him.

As the battle between Light and Dark approaches Eric must devote more time to his training and remain focused. However, his thoughts often stray to the nameless shade, who grows more and more powerful and he is also distracted by Jessica, who piques his human side. Key players in the Light close in on Eric and he must protect those he cares about and keep himself alive until the battle commences, a battle he fears that he is destined to lose. Yet when he discovers that the Dark Elders have lied by omission about key elements of the prophecy, he feels deceived and the events which ensue threaten dire consequence for all he holds dear.

The cast of supporting characters is strong, from the adults to Eric and Jessica’s fellow pupils. The fact that neither the shades nor the Light  recognise each other easily in their human form adds an element of mystery to the plot and we as reader are therefore not party to the secret identity of  many characters. We can only guess at their true nature and I am sure that the author will reveal more in subsequent books in the trilogy.

Minutes Before Sunset is an original and compulsive read. The tale is told in the first person, with chapters told from the perspective of Eric and Jessica. This is effective in terms of both advancing the plot and giving depth to the characters. I particularly enjoyed the maturity and selflessness of the hero and heroine, Eric and Jessica, and found their growing attraction and love for one another both believable and sweet. The novel ends in such a way that I am chomping at the bit to read the next instalment.

Minutes Before Sunset is a magical, if slightly dark tale, containing romance and adventure, which explores fate and free will and self-sacrifice. I recommend it to readers of both adult and young adult paranormal romance.

To read author Shannon A Thompson’s author post, in which she talks about her inspiration behind the series, please click here. Tina 🙂

Author Shannon A Thompson website

AEC Stellar Publishing

Cover artist Grace Griffin, Autumn Fog Photography

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Unscathed by Tim O’Rourke and C.J. Pinard

UnscathedI just absolutely had to be a little naughty and squeeze Unscathed into my schedule to read and review, after it has been written by two fantastic authors, Tim O’Rourke and C.J. Pinard (my personal favourites at the moment). I was also curious to find out what ‘deadly twist’ Unscathed had in store for its readers in this seemingly contemporary romance. After being wowed so often by Tim and C.J. on their solo ventures I expected a similar reaction to Unscathed, and I was not disappointed. Unscathed exceeded my expectation tremendously and was a different type of ‘wow’ as the authors interweave a unique story of romance with a paranormal edge. Unscathed comes complete with two amazing main characters in Mina and Jax who have their own demons to tackle and some pretty hot sensual scenes that certainly turn the heat levels up!!!

English-born Mina Porter is sent to Florida, USA, to live with her uncle after an incident in London upsets her mother. Unfortunately for Mina her secret is difficult to escape from and when she meets Jax McElvoy, a tattooed bad boy mechanic, she feels compelled to follow him. It isn’t too long before Jax begins to take an interest in Mina and romance begins to blossom. That is until Mina’s strange behaviour makes him question her motives and he becomes determined to discover Mina’s secret. Once revealed, Jax wishes he hadn’t found out as it shockingly affects him personally in an unimaginable way. Is Mina crazy? Or does she hold answers that he needs to seek? Either way, how will he now deal with his feelings towards Mina and her secret?

What began as a contemporary romance, and what I initially felt was right for the Young Adult alone, began to turn into something a whole lot more with hints of the paranormal and a darker, denser plot as the story moved on, encapturing the mind for all adults. Due to the momentum of the story, the strong characters, style of writing and of course the curiosity and need to have to find all the answers I found Unscathed to be a quick read and had it read within a day.

Unscathed is told from Jax and Mina’s point of view, making it easy for the reader to connect to both characters as we are made aware of both of their histories. Mina is a girl that didn’t intend to cause any of the trouble that she found herself in. And yet in many ways it couldn’t be helped. Having to start a new life at her young age and to leave her mother and friends behind must have been an ordeal in itself as she has had to settle down and make new friends in Florida. This alone makes Mina a very strong character. She doesn’t seem too daunted by her new life in the US and even with her secret shadowing her she appears confident and sociable.

Jax, I LOVED Jax!!! Although much younger I personally couldn’t help but picture the character ‘Jax’ from FX’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ series. Whilst the two characters’ appearance are different there were some similarities in their name, image of being a little rough/tough with tattoos and them both working at a garage. This made it so easy for me to instantaneously click with the character and want to fight his cause from the very beginning. Actually, ‘can I be Mina?’ I hear myself ask! Jax is HOT!

Jax and Mina’s chemistry is ELECTRIC! The physical scenes are written very sensually. It kept the momentum and the passion/intensity flowing. There is also a sense of realism when some of these moments don’t always end up rosey. The story can change very quickly from love being in the air to confusion and awkwardness between the characters due to the tension that is created from Mina’s behaviour and the revealing of her past and how it is possibly connected to Jax. The reader is left feeling sympathy for both characters.

Both characters had a type of common ground and both, over the course of the story, were willing to change or at least try to listen. Unscathed is quite tragic in many ways. This is a story that not only tells of the romance between two young adults but also of how their young, innocent lives have been affected by their elders, which in turn has forcd them to face truths that no young person should have to face. Due to their separate ordeals they are actually more mature than their peers but still feel the need to try and fit in.

Even after reading Unscathed I was still excited about the characters, the chemistry between them and the emotional ride that the reader goes on with them. I simply couldn’t stop thinking about this book. It is difficult to believe at the end of the novel that these two young individuals have only been together a short time as they have been through so much together.

Unscathed was received gratefully for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Unscathed it can be found on Amazon UK for £1.91 and Amazon US for $3.04. (Prices correct at the time of posting.)

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

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Ways to See a Ghost by Emily Diamand

WaysToSeeGhost CvrA Fun and Dramatic Young Adult Sci-fi/ Paranormal Adventure (11yrs+)

In Ways to See a Ghost two teenagers, Isis and Gray, are brought together during strange circumstances, in which thereafter their parents start dating. In many ways, as well as being a paranormal adventure, this book is a fun read, with Gray’s father, Gil, believing in many different conspiracies relating to UFO’s and the Government, and Isis’ mother, Cal, working as a psychic! However, Isis can see the ghost of her dead, little sister, Angel, and has been able to do so since the terrible ordeal that took her. Isis has never been able to tell anybody that she can see her sister, but this is all about to change since she has formed a friendship with Gray. The drama heightens when Cal, Isis’ mum, joins the Welkin Psychic Society where the intentions of its leader, Philip Syndal is not as they seem. Isis and Gray begin to piece the jigsaw together but will their parents believe them? Will they be able to prevent the danger that lies around the corner?

The reader instantly feels for Isis. She has lost her little sister in a terrible accident, her mother has taken a downturn because of the distressing situation and to make matters worse, Isis can see her sisters ghost and feels that she cannot tell anyone for fear of being labelled as crazy and/or creating more problems for her mother. In addition to this, Isis doesn’t support her mother’s psychic work and this causes a rift between the two at times.

It was Cal’s psychic work that brought Isis and Gray to meet. Cal was visiting a client, Sondra, for a psychic meeting to try and work out where Sondra’s boyfriend, Norman Welkin, was. Meanwhile Gil, Gray’s dad, worked as a gardener for Norman and had taken Gray with him. Whilst in the garden, Gray came across Isis, sitting on a bench, waiting for her mum. Words were exchanged between them before the raised voices of Sondra and Cal could be heard. Trying to get back to her mum, Gray showed Isis a short cut through the garden, when they discovered the body of Norman Welkin.

This discovery really opens the story out as it was confirmed that Norman had died from natural causes. However, Gil with his theories disbelieves this. How can a man be found frozen in Spring as the temperture begins to rise? Gil automatically believes that there is a cover up and that the circumstances are suspicious. Meanwhile, Cal is invited to join the psychic society that Norman had set up. Cal, although dating Gil at this point, is taken in by Philip Syndal, the society’s leader, and worships the ground he walks on. Isis sees through Philip’s charm and between Angel’s ghost, Isis and Gray they begin to work out why Philip is so interested in Cal!

My favourite character is Gray. I love his sense of humour and the manner in which he explains happenings and the descriptions of people. He is full of wit and so honest – maybe a little too honest at times, but this is what makes him so funny and likeable! If he thinks that something is plain rubbish he says exactly that. A couple of examples, whilst in the garden at Norman Welkin’s house he notices Norman’s girlfriend, Sondra, through a window:-

“…I looked through the window into their living room, but there was only Sondra, his girlfriend. Not like that sounds, because she’s really old, as old as him……..She was as weird as him….”

Gray goes on to explain Sondra’s artwork:-

“She said she was an artist, but she showed me a couple of her pictures once, and they were all…swirly and mixed up. Rubbish, I thought.”

Despite Gray’s honest and sarcastic side, he also shows empathy towards Iris and helps her in times of need when no one else will or can. This is quite a sweet side to him, although I bet he’d hate me to say that!

Although both have their own reasons for being isolated from the other kids, Isis and Gray can, overtime, be sympathetic towards each others differences. Isis didn’t want to open up to Gray as she feared his reaction would be to laugh and make fun of her. And yet as they become closer, Isis does decide to open up to Gray, who ,soon enough, has reason to believe her, making him the only one aware of the full story – Isis and Cal’s angle and his father’s UFO theory. ediamand photo b&wEmily Diamand has approached both characters with the reader feeling quite sorry for them as well as making it fun with Gil and Cal at complete opposite ends. It’s surprising that they got together! The story and characters are exciting and interesting. And it is great how it can be witty and funny one moment, scary and creepy another and then dramatic and sad in other parts.

I really liked two of the supporting characters, Mandeville and Stu The Keeper! Mandeville is a ghost that regularly reaches out to Isis. Even though she really doesn’t want him to, I like the idea that she can see him and other ghosts and the settings in which she can see them at times is brilliant. And Stu The Keeper is a great, fun character. He is a friend of Gil’s who is also very serious about conspiracy theories – even moreso than Gil. He visits Gil from time to time with his anorak on to disguise himself, carrying his laptop that has The Database saved and between them they cross reference their findings and discuss in secret what they believe is happening. It is quite hilarious at times!

Whilst Ways to See a Ghost is planned for release next month, July 2013, there is a sequel planned for 2014. It would be great to see how Isis and Gray’s relationship grows further and leaves me wondering what adventure they will be going on next!

Look out for Tina’s review of Ways to See a Ghost over the coming weeks!

Ways to See A Ghost was received gratefully from Templar Publishing in return for an honest and fair review.

Other works by author, Emily Diamand, are Flood Child (2009) and Flood and Fire (2011)

Cover art by Ben Kovar

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

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Wraith by Angel Lawson

Wraith (Wraith, #1)What a story! I absolutely loved ‘Wraith’ by Angel Lawson. ‘Wraith’ was received by myself gratefully in return for an honest review. And in all honesty, I found ‘Wraith’ to be a refreshing read with some dark and emotional areas. Aimed at an audience for young adults, this novel suits it’s audience’s needs perfectly, but is also quite a nice read for adults alike.

Not too short and not too long, this novel is just right with some great characters. Jane is the main character. At seventeen she is outcast as a weirdo, a freak, for talking to herself and behaving in a strange manner both in and around school. Little do people know that she is seeing and interacting with Evan, a ghost and her new best friend. Jane spends most of her time with Evan and they have a very close bond. However, when Connor begins Jane’s school she is not the only one who can see Evan. And Connor, having had connections with ghosts himself, is aware that Evan may not only be around Jane for her friendship but also needs her assisatnce to help his spirit move on. Whilst Jane is not ready to accept this, she eventually realises the truth, needing to help Evan’s mum and sisters escape from an abusive partner/stepfather-type, John.

The reader really feels sympathy towards Jane as it must be difficult for a young person trying to make new friends in a new town, at the same time as having to get used to a new school, leaving her old friends behind and being laughed at by her new classmates. Jane is very brave and holds her own reasonably well.

Connor, on the other hand, is familiar with the school as he used to attend it before. He has friends and is quite popular as some would prefer not to say a bad word against him due to rumours of his previous delinquent behaviour. He is seen as the bad boy at school, but a stunner and a charmer all the same. He can be quite sweet and he understands the situation that Jane is in with Evan.

Throughout the novel the reader experiences a great deal of doubt from Jane and mistrust for Connor. These feelings twist from one way to the other. The reader is constantly kept on their toes in regard to Connor. But as he’s so hot you want to trust him and hope that he means well.

Evan is a troubled spirit who is trapped as he hasn’t moved on in the spiritual world. He uses his time looking out for Jane and being a close friend to her. Thus, making company for both of them. However, Evan is worried about the well-being of his mother and sisters. He is a character that needs to be mothered and the reader just wants to wrap him up in cotton wool – if that is at all possible – and show him some affection.

My favourite character is Jeannie, Jane’s aunt. She is an artist and a hippy-type character. She seems very flighty and free. When she sees Jane she notices her aura and is aware that ‘death’ is following her around. Jeannie is definitely a character that could grow with this series and play more of a crucial role in Jane’s life by allowing Jane to confide in her. Jeannie is very spiritual with an elderly mother who shares Jane’s gift. I would love these characters to develop more and possibly add more humour and support for Jane.

There are some dark action scenes in this novel, nothing too graphic or terrifying, as Angel Lawson writes these scenes very carefully to target her attended audience. These scenes were great and intense as the reader can do nothing but hope for a great outcome. John, the abusive partner to Evan’s mum is an awful character as you could imagine an abusive man to be. Without spoiling the story too much, there are a couple of times he follows Jane. I would have liked more detail at these points to confirm how he knew about where and when Jane would be. Maybe I missed this but I felt that these scenes, even though very exciting and tense, come upon the reader very quickly without too much explanation.

I think that ‘Wraith’ is quite original, written well and easy to read. There is one scene, involving a key, that reminded me of the film ‘Ghost’ where Patrick Swayze’s spirit character, Sam Wheat, is able to pick up a penny and balance it on his finger towards his living wife, played by Demi Moore. It is really quite an emotional read in both sad and happy ways. I would like to read the sequel ‘Shadow Bound’ which is available now. So until then “later”!

Angel Lawson’s website: http://www.angellawson.com

‘Wraith’ book cover by kind permission of Anna Benefield & Samantha Marrs. Designer http://www.angstyg.com

Reviewed by Caroline Barker