SHOWERS OF BOOKS GIVEAWAY HOP

Yay! It's time for another blog hop! Kathy at I Am a Reader Not a Writer and One a Day Y.A.  have teamed up to host this fabulous giveaway hop. You can find the participating blogs and enter their giveaways here.


My Giveaway:

No other love has burned so bright

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced that she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart. ~From GoodReads

I lucked out and received a finished copy of SHINE from Simon Pulse. It was amazing. Since I had already pre-ordered a signed copy, I am going to give this to one lucky winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TEASER TUESDAY

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

No other love has burned so bright

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced that she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart. ~From GoodReads

 My Teaser ~

"I clutched her back and wept for Logan, too. My grief for him and my fear for Zachary formed a double-stranded rope of misery that would surely throttle me." (pg. 17)

You can read my full review of SHINE here.


Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Simon Pulse                     


You can pre-order Shine at:
Constellation Books (where you can get a SIGNED copy!) | Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |              Book Depository

Review ~ SHINE (Shade, #3) by Jeri Smith-Ready

No other love has burned so bright

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced that she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart. ~From GoodReads

** I think this review is spoiler-free. If there are any spoilers, they are purely unintentional. **


So...I know what you're expecting. Those of you who know me, at least. You know how much I love this series, and author Jeri Smith-Ready. And I'll bet you're expecting me to "Squee!" and flail and freak out about how much I loved SHINE. But I'm going to attempt to remain coherent, because, truly, my flailing and shrieking wouldn't do this book justice.

For starters, I could hardly look at SHINE without tears welling in my eyes. I just knew I was going to feel everything. I can't think of another auther who has captured my emotions like Jeri Smith-Ready. From the very beginning of the series, with SHADE, I have felt the utter heartbreak, cried all the tears, laughed through some of them, swooned more than a little, and ultimately have fallen in love with Aura, Zach, Logan, Dylan (that kid deserves his own book!) and the supporting characters.

We all love the Shade Boys, Zach and Logan. I've seen many intense debates over who is the best guy for Aura. I've even participated in a few. Only in fun, though, because honestly, I love them both. Well, I have to admit, I was slightly more Team Logan. He was just so stinking endearing. And I miss him. A lot. But, I always wanted Aura to be happy, and no guy could fit that bill better than Zach. And I've always adored him. Except for the Prom. But honestly, how much can a guy take? So I got over that. Here's what I have to say about Zach: I am in awe of him. I learned so much about him in SHINE. He is willing to put himself through unimaginable torment to protect Aura. He is endlessly patient, thoughtful, kind, and always honest. I admire the way he graciously accepts and acknowledges that Logan will always be a part of Aura. He has peace with it. That was perhaps the most bittersweet part of this book, seeing Aura move on. Embracing the fact that Logan will always be a part of her, but moving strongly and surely towards her future with Zach. It was powerful stuff, guys. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it.

BUT...SHINE is Aura's book. In the previous books, Aura has largely been overshadowed by Logan and Zach. No more. In SHINE, Aura reveals an amazing inner strength that I always felt was there, but never got to see fully unleashed. Yes, she's always been strong and amazing. In this book, though, she's taken to a new level. She's willing to fight government, corporations, spirits...anything and anyone to protect her loved ones. Or actually, to protect anyone. There's one moment in the book in which Aura makes me so freaking proud I did a double fist pump in the car.

I could go on and on about my love for this book. Instead, I want to thank Jeri Smith-Ready for creating these characters, their world. Her words have inspired a community of book lovers. We have cried. We've spent a ridiculous amount of time ogling men in kilts. I have participated in more chats about the series than I can count. I consider each and every moment immersed in any part of this world as time well spent. SHADE, SHIFT, and SHINE have been a wonderful part of my life and I am truly thankful to her for sharing the series with the world.

Afterthought:
 My review seems weak, in my eyes. I tried to sincerely convey my thoughts, but I fell short. I think it's partly because I'm so overwhelmed with emotions that my brain in mush. Just please trust me when I say, SHINE is a brilliant, perfect ending to a brilliant, perfect series.

Favorite Quote:

" 'You can't fight memories. They come whether you look for them or not.' " (pg. 275)

"Before being an American, or a Baltimorean, or a Salvatore, I was a human being. There was no greater loyalty than that." (pg. 360)


Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Simon Pulse


You can pre-order Shine at:
Constellation Books (where you can get a SIGNED copy!) | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository


Source: Received a finished copy from the publisher.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...



No other love has burned so bright

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced that she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.

~From GoodReads

Why I'm waiting... Um, if you know me at all, this is the most obvious choice. Shine is my most-anticipated book of 2012, with the exception of Lust for Life, also by Jeri Smith-Ready. I'm sure I will be blubbering, and tweeting, about Shine as I read it. Bring on the tissues.

You can pre-order Shine at:
Constellation Books (where you can get a SIGNED copy!)  |  Amazon

Review ~ SHIFT(SHADE, #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready



Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart. (From GoodReads)

I have a really dramatic statement to make. I know, you're shocked, right? But honestly, I think Jeri Smith-Ready may kill me one of these days. Seriously. Her books completely break me down and leave me red-faced, bleary-eyed, and yet, oddly happy.

I loved, LOVED book one of the series, SHADE. One of my favorite books, ever. So, when I started to read SHIFT, I realized I left my book at home. My home was twelve hours away! It was too late to go to a bookstore, so I did what any book hungry girl would do and bought it off of iBooks. Thank the good Lord for technology because, let me tell you, I needed that book and I needed it yesterday!

I am so, so happy that I took that I let my impatient nature take over. SHIFT could not wait. Nuh uh. The book literally continues at the exact moment SHADE ended and takes off running.  Aura, the possible catalyst for the shift phenomenon, is still torn by her love for what she had, Logan, and what may come, Zach.  Can she let Logan go? I don't know that I could. Can she grab her chance at a future with Zach? I hope so. See? I just made two contradictory statements. That's the beauty of this series. There is no black and white in this world.  Anything, ANYTHING is possible.

Now for the most important, debatable subjects of the series, Logan and Zach. Those two make me crazy and sometimes I want to bitch-slap them for the craptastic moves they pull on Aura. But, here's the thing. They are teenage boys. They make stupid, impulsive decisions just like any teenage boys. Sometimes they are ruled by hormones, sometimes they're just idiots. That is the beauty of Logan  and Zach. They are bonehead teenage boys sometimes, and you love them anyway. And occasionally, those two make a beautiful gesture or decision that will take your breath away. For the record, I'm still Team ShadeBoys. You can't force me into choosing a team. YOU CAN'T!

Here's the point, I guess. One of the girls from Fictish Delish (I hardly ever know if it's Amy or Jen, but they're both awesome!) asked me how I felt after reading SHIFT. I wanted to say what I really felt, but was afraid I would creep someone the heck out. But I thought, "These people get it." So I said what I really felt and I'm quoting: "I LOVED IT! I want to cut open my chest, put these books inside and carry them around with me. I'm weird that way." To which she said, "See, to us that just doesn't seem weird. Doesn't everyone want to do that?" So, are we weird for being this passionate about this series? Maybe. Do the books (and author) deserve that kind of passion for writing books that rock our world? Definitely.

Just a warning, I may not survive SHINE. For real.

Favorite Quote ~
I started looking over the quotes I bookmarked, and of course I couldn't choose just one. I also started crying, of course. And I know I say that I'm Team ShadeBoys, but all my quotes are about Logan. Hmm...

"Just be here. Tonight, tomorrow night, whenever you need a quiet place to rest."

"I thought of what Logan and I had shared last fall, and the way his face had looked tonight onstage, as
 a ghost and as a human. Some of the best days of his life were after his death."

Hardcover, 367 pages

Published May 3rd 2011 by Simon Pulse 

You can find SHIFT at:

GoodReads  |  Book Depository  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon  |  Constellation Books (where you can get a signed copy!)

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·         Grab your current read

·         Open to a random page

·         Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

·         Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

This week's Teaser is from



SHIFT (SHADE, #2) by Jeri Smith-Ready

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.
Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart. (From GoodReads)

The Teaser~

"Logan was leaning over, eyes level with mine. With his shirt fallen open, I could see the planes of his 

 violet chest - and my name tattooed over his heart. It would be there forever."

SHIFT, and the first book in the series, SHADE, are two of the best books I've ever read!

To find SHIFT, go to:

GoodReads  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon  |   Book Depository  |  Constellation Books (Jeri's local bookstore)

Review ~ Shade (Shade #1) by Jeri Smith-Ready

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.
(From GoodReads)

In One Word ~ Overwhelming

Honestly, one word could never do SHADE justice. It was also: Astonishing, Shattering, Breathtaking, Beautiful, Funny, and Sad. Does that just about cover it? Not a chance.

I debated writing this review. In some weird way, I wanted to take SHADE and the emotions it drug through me and just hold them tightly to myself, keep it private. Mine. But then I thought about the massive, and I mean MASSIVE amount of conversation that was started on Twitter with me simply saying that I was starting SHADE. People I "talk" with on a daily basis, occasionally, and never before responded. We all had this happy, hilarious and passionate conversation. It was about the books, the characters, whose Team we were on (I'm still officially on what Jeri calls "Team ShadeBoys", I love them both), kilts, music, kisses, and tears. When a book can inspire that kind of commitment and intensity, you know that you've come across something that sort of transcends... well, it just transcends being simply a book. I realized that SHADE is the type of book that binds people. People who would have never laughed, or squee'd with happiness or even talked to one another have become linked by their love for this series and the author, Jeri Smith-Ready.

Oh yeah, this was supposed to be a review. I guess I should be writing reviewer-ish stuff, huh? SHADE is full of everything that makes a fabulous book. Engaging, smart, smartass, beautifully infuriating characters. SHADE has a extremely unique, well-developed plot that involves our world, with a slight tweak that seems entirely possible. Like, I was really looking around for violet-hued figures, lurking in the background.

I read SHADE while traveling twelve, count em, twelve hours with my cranky husband and lovable but really whiny kids. I zoomed through this book in about two and a half hours. The tears started leaking as soon as I opened it. I cried the entire time. But don't get me wrong, SHADE is also a super funny book.  The dialogue is amazing, so funny and sarcastic, just how I like it.

SHADE gave me a really, really good day. Every time I look at this book, I will remember Logan, Aura, and Zach; crying in a car with a box of tissues on my lap; and my brilliant friends who made me feel as if they were reading it for the first time, with me.

Favorite Quote ~


“Aura," he whispered, "I wish I could wipe away just one of your tears. Then I'd 
 feel like a person again. Like I'm something more than a bunch of light."

The Shade Book Trailer





Hardcover, 309 pages

Published May 4th 2010 by Simon Pulse

You can find Shade at:

GoodReads  |  Constellation Books (Jeri's hometown bookstore) |  Book Depository  |   Barnes & Noble  |  Amazon