Lisa McMann CRASH

I've read several other books by Lisa McMann, so this was an easy selection. I knew I'd love it. And I did. You can read my previous reviews here.

CRASH is the beginning of a new series. Here is your quickie synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Jules, whose family owns an Italian restaurant and has a history of mental illness, starts seeing a recurring vision about a rival restaurant, a truck crash, and forbidden love.

What I enjoyed:
I was intrigued at the beginning, but it didn't really grab me until mid-way through when it sucked me right in. The suspense was relentless from that point on. I began staying up way too late to find out what would happen next. The sense of urgency forced me to read the second half all in one sitting.

Another highlight of the book is the relationship between Jules and her brother. Trey is her rock and helps her throughout the book. Plus he's just a really fun, witty character. You will adore him! Her sister Rowan is also an important part of the family. I'm looking forward to seeing these relationships build in the next installment. Of course, there is another relationship that I'm sure everyone is eager to see develop, but I won't divulge any spoilers here.

Anyway, if you like suspense with a little physic visions thrown it, this one's for you!

Author Tidbit: Lisa McMann was a featured author at the Montgomery County Book Festival in January. As the official blogger for the festival, I was able to snag an interview. Click below to go straight to the interview.

Lisa McMann. DEAD TO YOU

At seven-years-old, Ethan was abducted from his front yard. It’s nine years later and he’s been returned to his family.

He’s so happy. His parents and siblings are happy. But after a short while, his brother, Blake, becomes increasingly angry at him. Ethan isn’t sure why. His new little sister has become fast friends with him.  His mother and father are both so thrilled to have their family whole again. What's up with his brother?

Blake begins to question Ethan about the abduction. Ethan can’t remember anything about it or anything before the abduction. Blake makes accusations and begins investigating Ethan. Ethan just wants to be left alone to enjoy his new family. Why won’t Blake leave it alone? Are there really secrets to uncover about the incident?

I enjoyed Lisa McMann's CRYER'S CROSS, so I chose to read this one too. Ethan is a sympathetic character. I felt his pain and longing for his "normal" family. His little sister is a wonderfully engaging character. However, the ending left me wanting more. A lot more. I'm hoping there is a sequel. I'm not a fan of these kind of endings unless there is a sequel. But that's just me. Others loved the ending. You decide! And please, let me know what you think of the ending, if you read it.

Check out Lisa McMann's website. Below is the trailer:

Lisa McMann. CRYER'S CROSS

Cryer's Cross has a unique setting and an interesting main character. The town has a population of 212, which means that our main character Kendall attends a one room high school with only 24 students in all four grades. When one teen girl disappears, it makes a huge impact on such a small community. Foul play is such a rare occurrence. The whole town searches for Tiffany, but after five days there are still no clues and no suspects.

Kendall returns to school and tries to get back into her normal routine, which is a little different from your typical teen. She's OCD, so she likes things just right and in order. Fortunately, this trait may help her solve the mystery of Tiffany's disappearance, because she picks up clues that others miss. When someone close to her disappears, she becomes even more intent on solving they mystery.

I really enjoyed this mystery. It has a touch of romance and a rich sense of setting. I felt at home in this small town. Kendall and her friends and family are interesting and likeable characters. In fact, they really make the book, since there wasn't as much action as you might expect for a mystery. It's also a little creepy (in a good way!) and a lot suspenseful! You'll most likely want to read it in one sitting.

One little note about character names. One character's name is Jacian. Even though the character tells us how to pronounce it, it doesn't feel right to me. I went several pages having trouble pronouncing it in my head. So, I made my own pronunciation and then I was able to go smoothly throughout the rest of the book. Character names that are hard to pronounce annoy me. But, I got over it here. At least we got the character telling us how to pronounce it, which is helpful for sure.

Lisa Mcmann's WAKE trilogy has been popular in my library, so I plan to read those too.

Check out Lisa McMann's websites and her other books here.
You'll get an idea of the creepy-factor when you watch the trailer:

TeenBookCon! This Saturday

TeenBookCon is this Saturday! It's a FREE Teen Book Festival with an amazing array of authors. There will be 27 authors! The list includes Orson Scott Card, Holly Black, Lauren DeStefano, Michael Grant, Maggie Stiefvater and Lisa McMann. Check it out by clicking the link below.

TeenBookCon via kwout

Author Interview: Cat Patick

I was able to snag an interview with debut author, Cat Patrick! I was excited to interview her because FORGOTTEN was such an unforgettable book. The concept of waking up everyday with a wiped clean memory is fascinating. And if you haven't read the book yet, get right on that! So without further delay, the interview:

We'll begin with a little biographical information. Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Wyoming, and have lived in Boston, San Francisco, and now outside Seattle. My husband and I have twin preschoolers. I love to write, travel, do crafts with my girls, go to movies and drink good wine; I’m afraid of flying and zombies…and flying zombies.

I'm totally with you on the zombies. 

Have you always wanted to be a writer when you grew up?

YES! I wrote my first “book” when I was about seven. It was about a dolphin and was self-illustrated (drawing is not my forte). My mom had it laminated and bound; I was so proud.

That's awesome! I hope you still have it. It would be great to show kids at school visits. 

Did you hold other less glamorous jobs while waiting to be published?

I worked in public relations for 13 years, so I spent a lot of time promoting other people’s successes while waiting for my own.

I hear many times that the first book published by an author isn’t the first book they wrote. Tell us about your first book.

The first book I wrote was an awful fiction novel that will never see the light of day. That said, it was a necessary experience for me. When I got the idea for FORGOTTEN, I never questioned that I could do it. I just wrote.

People always want to know about the writer lifestyle. How much do you write each day?

It really depends. As my girls have gotten older, my writing time has diminished. I usually have about two hours before Hubby goes to work and another two at naptime. Usually, I work Saturdays when he’s home and can hang out with the girls. I also have help one or two mornings a week. I never write in the evening. I’m worthless after about 4 p.m.

Now let’s jump into the book:
How did you come up with the idea for London’s memory issue? Is it a real condition or fictional?

It’s completely fictional. My daughters were five months old when I came up with the idea: I was incredibly sleep deprived. I was doing something in the kitchen and forgot what I was doing in the middle of the activity. My brain wandered to thoughts of amnesia…and thoughts of amnesia in high school. Then the idea of “remembering” forward instead of backward just struck me. FORGOTTEN was born.

It seems like it would be hard to keep up with some of the events London remembered and some that she didn't. Like London, did you have a lot of notes too while writing this?

Definitely. I made timeline after timeline. That said, often when writing a scene that started on a new day, I’d deliberately not read my notes so that I forgot what happened last in an attempt to try to walk in London’s shoes. I think those passages were better for my not knowing.

I get a kick out of those outtakes on DVD releases of movies. Were there some interesting scenes that you liked, but had to take out during the editing process? 

I’m a fairly drastic editor so there are too many deleted scenes to count. Nothing stands out, which I guess is why those scenes were cut. :)

Where did the name London come from? 

I believe it came from my baby name book. Naming characters is such a big deal to me: I obsess over it and can’t start writing until the main characters’ names feel right. I wanted something unique but not over the top, and felt that London fit the bill. More than that, it fit her: the character coming to life in my brain.

Australian Cover - love the tag line
(click to read it)

I agree. It totally fit her. 
I’m so blown away by the concept of this book that I can’t wait to read your next book! Can you give us a little teaser about the plot? 

I wish! I’m dying to share news about my second book because it’s finished, but alas, I can’t…yet. Please stay tuned on Facebook/Twitter and my site as I’ll announce details as soon as my publisher gives the green light. I can say that it’ll be out June 2012, and it’s also about a teen girl in a normal town with an abnormal life.

Finally, I won’t ask your favorite book, because I know how tough that can be. But tell us who some of your favorite authors are.
I have so many favorites! Here are just a few: Neil Gaiman, John Green, Suzanne Collins, Jay Asher, Lisa McMann and Carolyn Mackler. I’ve also read nearly every book by Harlan Coben and Michael Connelly. I love crime novels!

Thank you so much. Congratulations on your success! My readers and I look forward to your next book. :)

Thank you for the opportunity. Very best to you and your readers!

For more on Cat Patrick, check out her website.