Spectral Blog Tour: Guest Post by Shannon Duffy

(Click the image to go to its Goodreads page)

  Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

Sounds great, right? And the author, Shannon Duffy, has written a special post today, all about...

The love triangle in Spectral

I do think writing a love triangle can be tricky because I never wanted anyone to think that Jewel is fickle or whatever. But, in reality, love triangles happen—emotions get mixed up, hearts are unsure, and different circumstances come into play that can make you second guess everything. Add to that, being a teenager and it can be even harder. I remember my teen years very well, and well, romance can be so all consuming and emotional. 

It was important for me to make it so that Jewel had a reason to doubt one of the guy’s true intentions, and therefore, second guess her heart and her ability to make the right choice. As a reader, we are in her head, so therefore we’re supposed to doubt one of the guys too. So, I’m hoping that people can relate to her decisions and confusion. But, it’s not long before Jewel realizes where her heart truly belongs, and in the end, she figures things out.

Thanks for inviting me to your blog today.

~Shannon

This does help you understand the nature of love triangles better, right? I know I do kinda hate the sometimes, but now I know why. Thank you so much Shannon, for sharing this with us!

Jen @ Midnight Book Thief

Until Next Time by Amy Lignor: Review

Hey! Today's my stop on the Until Next Time blog tour! I've got a review for you guys, so read on. :)

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

As part of the Until Next Time blog tour, I was given the opportunity to review the book, and I don't regret my decision to do so!

The Bad

The beginning. So the first part of the book confused me. I totally could not understand where the story was going, and it almost made me stop reading. It kinda made me disoriented at first, and took some time to get used to. 

The conflict. Okay, so the conflict kinda disappointed me. Not to mention confused me. I was expecting so much more for the main event, but when it finally came, I was a bit let down. Yes, it was kinda cool, but still. It could have been so much more. 

The Good

The writing. Amy Lignor has a unique was of writing. It's beautiful, the way she writes. She successfully captures the beauty in her words, and she fills her pages with inspiration. Her characters are well introduced, both the earthly and heavenly ones. And I also love how she placed some humor in the story!

The Awesome

The ending. Wow, Until Next Time had such a beautiful ending. It was so sad, and it gave me that warm fuzzy tingly feeling. So breathtaking- what a way to end the story! But not only that, it ends with a cliffhanger. It leaves you hanging with a huge question mark, such that you have no choice but to pick up the next book. 

The Rating

I'm giving this book four stars. I have to say, this was an unusual read. I did not get what I expected when I read this book- in a surprisingly pleasant way. In no way did this book have a cliche that so many other YA novels have. Amy Lignor is one author I'm gonna be watching for!

Jen @ Midnight Book Thief

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