I’m soooo excited! Today we are revealing the first chapter of my new novel ASHES IN THE SKY, which releases March 15, 2016! Check out the full chapter below and enter to be one of the first readers to receive an eGalley!!
As most of you know, Fire in the Woods was meant to be a stand-alone. When approached to write a second novel, I really had to scratch my head. I mean, the story was
over, right?
Well, apparently I “left them screaming for more” as everyone always says.
.
I really didn’t want to deal with the direct aftermath of book one, so I decided to fast forward a few months: to a time
when things should be settling down for poor, exhausted Jess. All she wants to do is get her life back to normal again, and to do that, she needs to get back to school.
when things should be settling down for poor, exhausted Jess. All she wants to do is get her life back to normal again, and to do that, she needs to get back to school.
.
Unfortunately for Jess (and maybe fortunately for us) it will be a little while before our girl has anything close to a normal life again.
Unfortunately for Jess (and maybe fortunately for us) it will be a little while before our girl has anything close to a normal life again.
.
So enjoy Jess’s first day back at school after saving the world. Here is chapter one of Ashes in the Sky: book two of Fire in the Woods.
Alien Kisses!
Jennifer M. Eaton
ASHES IN THE SKY
After inadvertently saving the world, eighteen-year-old Jessica Martinez is ready to put adventure behind her and settle back into the familiar routine of high school.
Though when she’s offered an opportunity to photograph the inside of an alien space ship, Jess jumps at the chance. After all, she’d be crazy to turn something like that down, right?
Spending time with David on the ship has definite advantages and the two seem to pick up right where they left off. But when Jess discovers a plot to sabotage David’s efforts to establish a new home for his people on another planet, neither David’s advanced tech nor Jess’s smarts will be able to save them.
ASHES IN THE SKY is an action-packed, romantic Sci Fi adventure that will leave readers screaming for more.
Chapter One
Dad’s brow creased. “You don’t have to do this, Jess. We can turn around now and go home.”
His fingers rapped on the limousine’s armrest as we pulled up to the entrance of my normally quiet school. Outside, police officers and several uniformed security guards held advancing reporters and camera crews on the sidewalks.
“Relax, Major,” Elaine said, across from me. She pulled out a compact and touched up her lipstick. “Two months after single-handedly saving the world from an alien invasion, Earth’s teenage savior returns to finish high school.” She snapped the case shut. “This is the public interest story of the year.”
Dad’s nose flared. “Yes, she’s supposed to be going to school, but you’ve made it a media circus. Why’d you have to schedule a press conference in the auditorium?”
She slipped her lipstick back into her designer purse. “They would have been here anyway. The best way to calm a stalking fox is to invite him in for tea.”
“Tea? I’ll give you tea.”
I held up my hand. “Dad … ” I didn’t have to finish. I never did. Their arguments were always the same. Father protects daughter, while the publicist pushes media exposure as far as she can legally get away with—and me stuck in between.
Elaine wasn’t all that bad, as far as publicists went. Not that I’d known any other publicists, but she’d been by my side since my very first press conference, and the hundred or so more over the past two months. She could be pushy, but she understood the power of a pint of Death By Chocolate ice cream at the end of a long day, which totally earned her brownie points in my book.
Dad’s gaze returned to me. “We just got back. Do you really need to do another press conference?” The deep lines around his eyes added to the weight of my own exhaustion.
I shifted in my seat, my hands clammy against the leather interior. “If we go home, they’ll just show up here again tomorrow. Let’s get this over with. Maybe then things can get back to normal.” I grabbed his hand. “I can do this.”
Dad pressed his lips together. Of course, he knew I could do it. But knowing and wanting me to answer another set of invasive questions were two different things, and I loved every stubborn inch of him for it.
Elaine fluffed my hair and adjusted the collar of my shirt. “Show time.” She knocked twice on the window, and the Secret Service agent outside opened the door for her. She glided through the crowd with a practiced grace.
Camera-palooza erupted outside. Dang, there weren’t this many photographers when I met the president.
Dad stepped out before me, an imposing figure in his combat uniform. Having an over-protective father did have its advantages. No one was getting by this bodyguard. No one.
I closed my eyes and clutched the charm on my necklace. My mother’s strength seeped into me, giving me courage. You’ll be fine, I heard her whisper. You’re my strong little girl. Always have been.
“I’ll try, Mom.” I opened my eyes and shuddered. You would think I’d be used to the feeding frenzy by now. This was the longest fifteen minutes of fame ever.
Steadying myself on the limo door, I stood.
“Jess, look over here.” Flash.
“Miss Martinez, how does it feel to be back at school?” Flash.
“Jessica, to your right.” Flash. Flash.
The faces and camera lenses blurred. My mind filled with the phantom sounds of alien weapons. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply to ward off memories of blinding lights and screaming voices.
It was over. The aliens had left, and I was alive. We were all still alive.
The Secret Service closed in around us as Dad placed his hand on my back, guiding me to the front entrance. With a well-rehearsed smile, I made my way forward, hoping to avoid a repeat of tabloid-gate when the worst-of-the-worst photos of me turned up on the cover of the National Daily.
Dad moved beside me as we stepped over the threshold. I slipped my fingers into his hand and squeezed. One more press conference. Just one more. I could do this.
We made our way through a throng of reporters, students, parents, and teachers to the auditorium. Hundreds of voices jumbled into one chaotic roar rebounding off the lockers.
A microphone appeared in front of my face. “Ms. Martinez, how did you—”
Dad pulled me to his chest as two Secret Service agents pounced on the guy. The reporter and the agents sunk back into the crowd, disappearing like a stone thrown into water.
“There will be question and answer time after the presentation,” Elaine called as we passed through the auditorium’s stage door.
I exhaled, rubbing my arms. That had to be the worst crowd ever.
Dad circled the area behind the curtains and checked the cracks and crevices backstage. The Secret Service agents had long since given up on trying to convince him that the government pre-secured all of my speaking engagements. I used to joke about their paranoia, until someone actually found a bomb. Those guys in ugly suits quickly became my best friends.
“Did you practice your speech?” Elaine asked.
I raised an eyebrow. “No.” You’d think she’d stop asking me that. I hadn’t memorized one yet. Why would I start now?
I pulled aside the curtain and scoped out the auditorium. A sea of smiling, wide-eyed faces filled the room. Camera crews and reporters intermingled with the student body.
Going back to high school was supposed to help me get my life back.
This fiasco was not getting my life back. But maybe if I answered everyone’s questions now, they wouldn’t keep asking later.
Hey, a girl could dream.
Elaine patted my shoulder before heading out past the curtains. Her heels clopped across the wooden stage as she passed a huge poster of National Geographic’s “The Night the World Stood Still: Special Edition.”
Steven Callup’s cover photo was one of those shots every aspiring photographer dreamed of catching: perfect lighting, engaging subject, active backdrop, and undeniable emotional tone. I wasn’t drooling over this masterpiece, though; because the photograph featured me.
The flames over my shoulder were in crisp focus and flawlessly mirrored in my dark hair. The mottled hues of a fresh sunrise blended perfectly with the devastation in the background. And my God, the expression on Dad’s face as we embraced … the love in his eyes.
That night would haunt me forever. Something incredible had happened, and it had nothing to do with an alien invasion. That cover immortalized the moment for the world to see: a year after my mother’s death, my father finally opened up and started to feel again.
I released the curtain, ready to face my peers, knowing that no one gave a rat’s ass about me or my dad.
They only wanted to know more about David.
I mean, I totally got it. An alien guy crash lands on Earth and has to escape before his people wipe out humanity. Heck, I’d be interested, too. But the clincher was that David changed his people’s minds because of me. I was the heroine in the story of the millennia, whether I liked it or not.
I cringed, thinking of how many people had contacted me for the movie rights. Ashes in the Sky, they wanted to call it. What kind of idiotic title was that? Ridiculous, all of it. The world almost ended right in front of me. I didn’t need to see it again on a big screen.
As Elaine announced my name, and the audience applauded, I wondered if anything would ever be as it was before David’s people arrived.
I took my place behind the microphone and squinted into the harsh auditorium lighting. I’d been in that audience dozens of times, but never on stage. The faces looking back at me were familiar, but distant. Awestruck.
This place was my school. My safe haven. Having the media here was wrong.
I gritted my teeth and gripped the sides of the lectern. This assembly would be the absolute last time I talked about what happened to me in public. Ever.
A mop of perky, blond curls caught my attention from the third row. My BFF Maggie beamed as she gave me a thumbs-up. Part of me relaxed, knowing I had a friend near.
Maggs was the only other person who’d known about David before the Army started chasing us. She even risked her own rear-end helping us escape. She’d talked her way out of a grounding from her father, the general, thank goodness. Damn, he must have been ticked when he found out what she’d done.
Taking one last breath to steady myself, I edged closer to the mic. “You’d have to be dead not to know what happened two months ago. So I’m just going to open it up to questions.”
Hundreds of hands shot into the air.
One of the moderators handed a microphone to a bubbly girl with a blond ponytail. “Is it true that the alien looked just like Jared Linden?”
And, it starts.
“Yes. David mimicked an advertisement and looked just like Jared Linden’s character in that movie Fire in the Woods.”
Okay, that was only half of it. The truth was far too embarrassing. David pulled Jared Linden’s features from my mind. He didn’t look exactly like Jared. Just the hotter parts. The rest was an amalgamation of other cute guys he’d yanked out of my brain. There was no way I would admit to that, though.
A tall kid in a black band tee stood. “So what really happened out there? They were going to annihilate us. How’d you get them to change their minds?”
I cleared my throat. A flash of David’s smile and the warmth of his touch sent a shiver down my spine. “Luck was totally in our favor. If David’s plane hadn’t crashed, we never would have met. It didn’t take long before he realized the human race was worth saving.”
A teacher handed a microphone to a girl wearing glasses. “How long will it take them to terraform Mars?”
Ugh. I tried to think of David’s new home like Seattle or Los Angeles, but it wasn’t. It was Mars. As in: not Earth. Talk about your long distance romance.
“I have no idea how long it will take them to make Mars livable. I do know that they are running short on supplies, so I’m hoping it will happen pretty quickly.”
A girl in a cheerleader uniform flagged down the lady with the microphone. “Everyone says you and the alien were doing it. Inquiring minds want to know. Was he any good?”
Camera flashes singed my eyes as a teacher tried to pull the mic away from the girl.
“No,” a reporter shouted. “Let’s hear the answer.”
The audience murmured, shifting like hyenas waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting foal. Beside the stage, Dad’s face became an unnatural shade of crimson.
Crap.
“Well?” the cheerleader asked.
I wiped the sweat from my palms, remembering the shockwave that raged through me when David’s lips covered mine. The tabloids had reduced our relationship to supermarket trash, and Rah-Rah Girl probably wouldn’t know a real emotional connection if it bit her.
David and I shared something so deeply intimate it transcended everything. No one could possibly understand. I wasn’t even sure I understood. All I knew was that I was in love, and I’d probably never see him again.
I blinked, realizing the room had gone quiet, awaiting my answer about doing it.
My hands fisted, but I forced a smile and rustled up the rote response Elaine had prepared for me. “I heard that rumor, too, but David and I were only friends.” A sickly gash sliced through my heart. The thought of living the rest of my life with him on another planet was akin to living in the desert without water.
Was he out there somewhere, longing for me as much as I yearned for him?
My stomach fluttered. I hated how people’s stupid questions dredged up feelings I’d worked hard to suppress. I had to get off that podium.
A kid in the back stood. “How does it feel to know that six million people died while you were out there hugging dear old dad?” He pointed over my shoulder to the huge magazine cover behind me. “How does it feel to know the death count is still rising?”
It was? “Umm—”
“When did you know they were hostile?” someone else shouted.
My heart thumped against my ribcage. “I, uh—”
A reporter snatched the microphone. “Do you honestly believe they won’t come back and finish us off?”
The rumble of voices intensified. Cameras flashed as dozens of voices drowned one another out. So much for school being my safe haven.
Elaine gripped my shoulder and pulled me from the dais. “Thank you,” she said. “That’s all the questions we have time for today.”
She scooted me past the curtains, Dad following close behind. The volume in the auditorium escalated.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We should’ve been ready for that. Next time—”
“There’s not going to be a next time.” I thrust my chin in the air. “That was my last public appearance. I’m already behind in school, and I need to graduate this year. I just want to get back to my classes and put this all behind me.”
She grinned in that syrupy way adults do when they are about to condescend your butt. “We’ll talk about this later, honey.”
Dad’s gaze seared through her before he offered me a nod of approval.
No, Elaine. We would definitely not be talking about this later.
Dad’s brow creased. “You don’t have to do this, Jess. We can turn around now and go home.”
His fingers rapped on the limousine’s armrest as we pulled up to the entrance of my normally quiet school. Outside, police officers and several uniformed security guards held advancing reporters and camera crews on the sidewalks.
“Relax, Major,” Elaine said, across from me. She pulled out a compact and touched up her lipstick. “Two months after single-handedly saving the world from an alien invasion, Earth’s teenage savior returns to finish high school.” She snapped the case shut. “This is the public interest story of the year.”
Dad’s nose flared. “Yes, she’s supposed to be going to school, but you’ve made it a media circus. Why’d you have to schedule a press conference in the auditorium?”
She slipped her lipstick back into her designer purse. “They would have been here anyway. The best way to calm a stalking fox is to invite him in for tea.”
“Tea? I’ll give you tea.”
I held up my hand. “Dad … ” I didn’t have to finish. I never did. Their arguments were always the same. Father protects daughter, while the publicist pushes media exposure as far as she can legally get away with—and me stuck in between.
Elaine wasn’t all that bad, as far as publicists went. Not that I’d known any other publicists, but she’d been by my side since my very first press conference, and the hundred or so more over the past two months. She could be pushy, but she understood the power of a pint of Death By Chocolate ice cream at the end of a long day, which totally earned her brownie points in my book.
Dad’s gaze returned to me. “We just got back. Do you really need to do another press conference?” The deep lines around his eyes added to the weight of my own exhaustion.
I shifted in my seat, my hands clammy against the leather interior. “If we go home, they’ll just show up here again tomorrow. Let’s get this over with. Maybe then things can get back to normal.” I grabbed his hand. “I can do this.”
Dad pressed his lips together. Of course, he knew I could do it. But knowing and wanting me to answer another set of invasive questions were two different things, and I loved every stubborn inch of him for it.
Elaine fluffed my hair and adjusted the collar of my shirt. “Show time.” She knocked twice on the window, and the Secret Service agent outside opened the door for her. She glided through the crowd with a practiced grace.
Camera-palooza erupted outside. Dang, there weren’t this many photographers when I met the president.
Dad stepped out before me, an imposing figure in his combat uniform. Having an over-protective father did have its advantages. No one was getting by this bodyguard. No one.
I closed my eyes and clutched the charm on my necklace. My mother’s strength seeped into me, giving me courage. You’ll be fine, I heard her whisper. You’re my strong little girl. Always have been.
“I’ll try, Mom.” I opened my eyes and shuddered. You would think I’d be used to the feeding frenzy by now. This was the longest fifteen minutes of fame ever.
Steadying myself on the limo door, I stood.
“Jess, look over here.” Flash.
“Miss Martinez, how does it feel to be back at school?” Flash.
“Jessica, to your right.” Flash. Flash.
The faces and camera lenses blurred. My mind filled with the phantom sounds of alien weapons. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply to ward off memories of blinding lights and screaming voices.
It was over. The aliens had left, and I was alive. We were all still alive.
The Secret Service closed in around us as Dad placed his hand on my back, guiding me to the front entrance. With a well-rehearsed smile, I made my way forward, hoping to avoid a repeat of tabloid-gate when the worst-of-the-worst photos of me turned up on the cover of the National Daily.
Dad moved beside me as we stepped over the threshold. I slipped my fingers into his hand and squeezed. One more press conference. Just one more. I could do this.
We made our way through a throng of reporters, students, parents, and teachers to the auditorium. Hundreds of voices jumbled into one chaotic roar rebounding off the lockers.
A microphone appeared in front of my face. “Ms. Martinez, how did you—”
Dad pulled me to his chest as two Secret Service agents pounced on the guy. The reporter and the agents sunk back into the crowd, disappearing like a stone thrown into water.
“There will be question and answer time after the presentation,” Elaine called as we passed through the auditorium’s stage door.
I exhaled, rubbing my arms. That had to be the worst crowd ever.
Dad circled the area behind the curtains and checked the cracks and crevices backstage. The Secret Service agents had long since given up on trying to convince him that the government pre-secured all of my speaking engagements. I used to joke about their paranoia, until someone actually found a bomb. Those guys in ugly suits quickly became my best friends.
“Did you practice your speech?” Elaine asked.
I raised an eyebrow. “No.” You’d think she’d stop asking me that. I hadn’t memorized one yet. Why would I start now?
I pulled aside the curtain and scoped out the auditorium. A sea of smiling, wide-eyed faces filled the room. Camera crews and reporters intermingled with the student body.
Going back to high school was supposed to help me get my life back.
This fiasco was not getting my life back. But maybe if I answered everyone’s questions now, they wouldn’t keep asking later.
Hey, a girl could dream.
Elaine patted my shoulder before heading out past the curtains. Her heels clopped across the wooden stage as she passed a huge poster of National Geographic’s “The Night the World Stood Still: Special Edition.”
Steven Callup’s cover photo was one of those shots every aspiring photographer dreamed of catching: perfect lighting, engaging subject, active backdrop, and undeniable emotional tone. I wasn’t drooling over this masterpiece, though; because the photograph featured me.
The flames over my shoulder were in crisp focus and flawlessly mirrored in my dark hair. The mottled hues of a fresh sunrise blended perfectly with the devastation in the background. And my God, the expression on Dad’s face as we embraced … the love in his eyes.
That night would haunt me forever. Something incredible had happened, and it had nothing to do with an alien invasion. That cover immortalized the moment for the world to see: a year after my mother’s death, my father finally opened up and started to feel again.
I released the curtain, ready to face my peers, knowing that no one gave a rat’s ass about me or my dad.
They only wanted to know more about David.
I mean, I totally got it. An alien guy crash lands on Earth and has to escape before his people wipe out humanity. Heck, I’d be interested, too. But the clincher was that David changed his people’s minds because of me. I was the heroine in the story of the millennia, whether I liked it or not.
I cringed, thinking of how many people had contacted me for the movie rights. Ashes in the Sky, they wanted to call it. What kind of idiotic title was that? Ridiculous, all of it. The world almost ended right in front of me. I didn’t need to see it again on a big screen.
As Elaine announced my name, and the audience applauded, I wondered if anything would ever be as it was before David’s people arrived.
I took my place behind the microphone and squinted into the harsh auditorium lighting. I’d been in that audience dozens of times, but never on stage. The faces looking back at me were familiar, but distant. Awestruck.
This place was my school. My safe haven. Having the media here was wrong.
I gritted my teeth and gripped the sides of the lectern. This assembly would be the absolute last time I talked about what happened to me in public. Ever.
A mop of perky, blond curls caught my attention from the third row. My BFF Maggie beamed as she gave me a thumbs-up. Part of me relaxed, knowing I had a friend near.
Maggs was the only other person who’d known about David before the Army started chasing us. She even risked her own rear-end helping us escape. She’d talked her way out of a grounding from her father, the general, thank goodness. Damn, he must have been ticked when he found out what she’d done.
Taking one last breath to steady myself, I edged closer to the mic. “You’d have to be dead not to know what happened two months ago. So I’m just going to open it up to questions.”
Hundreds of hands shot into the air.
One of the moderators handed a microphone to a bubbly girl with a blond ponytail. “Is it true that the alien looked just like Jared Linden?”
And, it starts.
“Yes. David mimicked an advertisement and looked just like Jared Linden’s character in that movie Fire in the Woods.”
Okay, that was only half of it. The truth was far too embarrassing. David pulled Jared Linden’s features from my mind. He didn’t look exactly like Jared. Just the hotter parts. The rest was an amalgamation of other cute guys he’d yanked out of my brain. There was no way I would admit to that, though.
A tall kid in a black band tee stood. “So what really happened out there? They were going to annihilate us. How’d you get them to change their minds?”
I cleared my throat. A flash of David’s smile and the warmth of his touch sent a shiver down my spine. “Luck was totally in our favor. If David’s plane hadn’t crashed, we never would have met. It didn’t take long before he realized the human race was worth saving.”
A teacher handed a microphone to a girl wearing glasses. “How long will it take them to terraform Mars?”
Ugh. I tried to think of David’s new home like Seattle or Los Angeles, but it wasn’t. It was Mars. As in: not Earth. Talk about your long distance romance.
“I have no idea how long it will take them to make Mars livable. I do know that they are running short on supplies, so I’m hoping it will happen pretty quickly.”
A girl in a cheerleader uniform flagged down the lady with the microphone. “Everyone says you and the alien were doing it. Inquiring minds want to know. Was he any good?”
Camera flashes singed my eyes as a teacher tried to pull the mic away from the girl.
“No,” a reporter shouted. “Let’s hear the answer.”
The audience murmured, shifting like hyenas waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting foal. Beside the stage, Dad’s face became an unnatural shade of crimson.
Crap.
“Well?” the cheerleader asked.
I wiped the sweat from my palms, remembering the shockwave that raged through me when David’s lips covered mine. The tabloids had reduced our relationship to supermarket trash, and Rah-Rah Girl probably wouldn’t know a real emotional connection if it bit her.
David and I shared something so deeply intimate it transcended everything. No one could possibly understand. I wasn’t even sure I understood. All I knew was that I was in love, and I’d probably never see him again.
I blinked, realizing the room had gone quiet, awaiting my answer about doing it.
My hands fisted, but I forced a smile and rustled up the rote response Elaine had prepared for me. “I heard that rumor, too, but David and I were only friends.” A sickly gash sliced through my heart. The thought of living the rest of my life with him on another planet was akin to living in the desert without water.
Was he out there somewhere, longing for me as much as I yearned for him?
My stomach fluttered. I hated how people’s stupid questions dredged up feelings I’d worked hard to suppress. I had to get off that podium.
A kid in the back stood. “How does it feel to know that six million people died while you were out there hugging dear old dad?” He pointed over my shoulder to the huge magazine cover behind me. “How does it feel to know the death count is still rising?”
It was? “Umm—”
“When did you know they were hostile?” someone else shouted.
My heart thumped against my ribcage. “I, uh—”
A reporter snatched the microphone. “Do you honestly believe they won’t come back and finish us off?”
The rumble of voices intensified. Cameras flashed as dozens of voices drowned one another out. So much for school being my safe haven.
Elaine gripped my shoulder and pulled me from the dais. “Thank you,” she said. “That’s all the questions we have time for today.”
She scooted me past the curtains, Dad following close behind. The volume in the auditorium escalated.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “We should’ve been ready for that. Next time—”
“There’s not going to be a next time.” I thrust my chin in the air. “That was my last public appearance. I’m already behind in school, and I need to graduate this year. I just want to get back to my classes and put this all behind me.”
She grinned in that syrupy way adults do when they are about to condescend your butt. “We’ll talk about this later, honey.”
Dad’s gaze seared through her before he offered me a nod of approval.
No, Elaine. We would definitely not be talking about this later.
Corporate Team Leader by day, and Ranting Writer by night. Jennifer M. Eaton calls the East Coast of the USA home, where she lives with her husband, three energetic boys, and a pepped up poodle.
Jennifer hosts an informational blog “A Reference of Writing Rants for Writers (or Learn from My Mistakes)” aimed at helping all writers be the best they can be.
Beyond writing and motivating others, she also enjoys teaching her dog to jump through hoops—literally.
Jennifer’s perfect day includes long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but her greatest joy is using her over-active imagination constructively… creating new worlds for everyone to enjoy.
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Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for me.
I liked how they were always in a different place and in a lot of situations where they couldn’t get out, but they always managed to get out. And I like how it was a really big journey and a HUGE plot twist at the end.
Cress, Marissa Mayer – Loosely based on the fairytale Rapunzel, Cress is a maiden with long hair being held captive in a satellite orbiting earth. Her prince is a swashbuckling hero who doesn’t know he is a hero. This book is book three in the Lunar Chronicles, and does not stand alone. You really do need to read the other two books first. But holy freaking cow—this book was absolutely AWESOME! I was not crazy about Cinder (book one in the series) but everyone told me I needed to keep reading. I am so glad I did. This might just be the best book I have ever read. Amazing characters, fast pace, and a plot that dazzles. It has been many, many years since I anticipated a sequel. I’m really looking forward to the next book.
Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard – To be honest, despite the hype, I had no desire to read this book. I only picked it up because my son plowed through it and told me to drop what I was reading and read Red Queen so we could talk about it. I have to say I’m really glad I gave this book a chance. This is a dystopian in a world where some people have developed magic while others remain normal. There are both futuristic elements as well as similarities to classic fantasy that I think really makes this novel stand out. It is a great story with a very original plot and a great twist at the end. I really enjoyed it.
Alienated, Melisa Landers—Wowzers. This was a delightful read for anyone who enjoys a good alien romance. Great conflict and a nicely plotted conflicted hero who makes mistakes, but for the right reasons. Where the 5th Wave was technically a better novel than Alienated, Alienated is far superior on the sheer enjoyment level. To be honest, both had weak finishes, but Alienated stuck with me, and I would consider reading it again.
This was a very deep and introspective story. One that really makes you think. It is easy to see why this has become such a hit. It walks a fine line across many genres. There are deep, well-developed personal relationships that will appeal to the contemporary reader as well as high action scenes that will keep the thrill seekers turning pages. And, of course, there are aliens… and what’s there not to like about aliens? I went in ready for a “let’s see how much we can blow up” story, and found it to be so much more. The beginning is a touch slow as the world and characters are being built, but the multi-faceted plotline and the way the character’s lives weave together is totally worth the ride. (The end was lackluster, but as a whole, I’d definitely recommend this one)
Scarlet, Marissa Mayer—Wow. I read Cinder (Book one of the Lunar Chronicles) at the end of 2014, and was not really enthused. It was good, but not really my cup of tea. I’d heard a lot of rumblings that Scarlet, book 2, was even better. I gave it a try when I found it at the library. Now, to be honest, I did not like it at first because we continue Cinder’s story from Cinder’s POV, and then, half way around the world, we have Scarlet’s story in her POV. To be honest, I was a lot more interested in Scarlet’s story than Cinder’s… so I had to trudge through the Cinder chapters. But the last five chapters or so, when they came together, really changed my mind. I am totally interested in continuing the series now. Really good.
White Hot Kiss, Jennifer L. Armentrout – Great Googley Moogley! This book was awesome! I hesitated, because it is a demon romance, and it sounded stupid, but JLA is one of my favorite authors, so I decided to give it a chance. The story surrounds a half-gargoyle/half-demon girl who is raised by gargoyles to hate her demon side. She meets a demon and falls for him, which is a problem because her Gargoyle family’s job is to kill all the demons. (I know, this sounds incredibly dumb – but it was AWESOME!)
Invaded, Melissa Landers – Book two in the Alienated series. I have to admit I cheated and got this at the library to avoid my book-buying ban. I really wanted to get lost in this series again. Nothing but truly entertaining fun in this aliens-come-to-Earth story. I love how Landers portrays a realistic idea of how people would react to aliens, but is still able to keep you entertained with quirky characters. A great read!
There is a group of four brothers living on their own, that have been marked for death because they are stronger than any of the other “elementals” in the world. (Each can control an element, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.) At first I thought I would hate this, because I had trouble telling the brothers apart, but after a while I felt like I got to know them, and I totally got in to this story. There are very few books that I am tempted to pick up book two right away after reading book one. This is that type of book. I stopped myself, though, because I have way too many books that I already own. But I see myself giving in and getting this in the near future.
City of Bones, Cassandra Claire – I enjoyed this waaay more than I expected to. I think the cover turned me off a bit, probably because the guy on the cover looks so old, but he’s only about 17 in the book. It started off with a bang, then got a little slow for me during the world building part, but then it really took off for a great time. I imagine the second book is going to be even better because they can just “get to it” without explaining the world again. This was made into a movie that flopped a few years ago (I’m going to rent it though, because I’m curious) It is also being made into a TV series that premieres in January 2016. I’m totally looking forward to that!
to place this book on my list. (In fact, it was number one for quite a while) Part of me wanted to bash this book because there is something in it that just came across as stupid to me. But I would be lying if I did not admit that I was scrambling to get back to this book every day. The writing was absolutely amazing, and the characters came alive, and became friends that I really cared about. I would totally recommend this book, especially for writers, for the simple reason of researching how the author painted characters that kept me totally engaged even when the plot took a nose dive. I wish I could explain what disappointed me about this book, but it would be an incredible spoiler. If you do read this, I’d love to chat about it. I might even want to read it again. Yep, it’s that good. (This book was my number one for a while, but in retrospect, while I DID LOVE IT, what I will always remember about this book more than anything else is the stupid part. Stinky)
I totally related to the main character. She is a strong-willed woman of privilege. She wasn’t starving to death, or on the streets, or suffering from mental issues… she was just a normal, well-off person. I found that refreshing in a novel. (They gave her a background that may have been a little forced, but I brushed it off) I really enjoyed the chemistry of the main characters, and I appreciated how the intimacy didn’t get ‘rough’ like I’ve seen in far too many books lately (for my tastes anyway.) So, go ahead, sue me. This is a contemporary romance, and I loved it. (NOTE: I originally placed this at the top of my list for the year, but moved it down a few months later, because while I really enjoyed the book, it was not original enough to “stick with me” like some of the others.
Broken Skies by Theresa Kay – Oooo! Aliens! This book was a lot of fun. It is set in a dystopian Earth, where mankind has basically destroyed themselves and live in camp-like city/towns. There is also a city on the planet that has been taken over by aliens. When our main character’s brother is “abducted”, she befriends an alien accidently left behind in hopes he can help save her brother. This is a great alien romance with an interesting take on a dystopian future. And the characters spend a lot of time in the woods, which I always enjoy. This is a first in a series, and doesn’t quite stand alone if you like all of your loose ends tied off. But there is definitely a fun ride of twists and turns, and a plot twist that I never saw coming.
The Looking Glass, Jessica Arnold.
Death Becomes Me, Elizabeth Holloway –
This is a bizarre spooky-scary about a girl who has a family history of magical powers. She tries to save her sister who is in a coma (using magic), and ends up facing off with a reaper (as in Grim Reaper). This is a very interesting take on reaper lore. There is a lot of scary imagery (but not too scary) woven around an interesting set of characters. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2.
The Artisans, Julie Reece – This book is a “Southern Gothic”. I had no idea what that meant, so I was surprised when it started to get a little scary. This is a loose Beauty and the Beast retelling, where a girl is blackmailed into designing clothes in this “mean but cute” rich dude’s mansion in order to save her father. But there’s a catch – the mansion is haunted. And Mr. Hotness might have a few family secrets. I enjoyed this book a lot, especially the last 30% or so when things started to heat up between the main characters, and the ghosties started to get a little… ummm, “impatient”. This is great for romance fans who don’t mind a little “scary” mixed in with their love story.
Temptation by Kathryn Barrett — This is about an actress who moves to an Amish town to get ready for her role as a young Amish newlywed. Things get awkward when she develops feelings for the handsome Amish widower next door.
Okay, that kinda simplifies things a bit, but that is the gist of the opening premise. There ends up being a whole history about the family she vacations with, and suddenly she is whisked back in time/into another dimension (called Doon) and she meets the guys she’s been seeing images of. This was a nice, light read. Just what I needed after the heavy, disturbing images in The 5th Wave. This is the kind of book that is fun to cuddle up with by the fire and forget about the workday. Just a nice, light, trouble-free read.
Starcrossed, Josephine Angelini. This book had an awesome concept. Children of the original Gods still walk among us with powers, and there is this feud going on that makes descendants of different gods compelled to fight each other to the death. I had high hopes for this book, because it was recommended by a few teen fans. Where I did enjoy the story, I was never submersed in the narrative. I never really felt for the characters. I wasn’t scared in the right places. I will not say it was not a good book. It was. I did enjoy reading it and I would consider reading the next one. I just wish I could have completely lost myself in the world.
The writing was great, and going into the story, I was warned that there was “no ending at all” (By my mother-in-law, of all people). I figured there had to be some kind of ending, and I know there is a sequel, so I started reading expecting there to be a few “open” plot elements that would make you want to buy the next book. While I enjoyed this book overall, I was stunned that there actually WASN’T an end to the book. It is almost like it stops mid-chapter. There are several conflicts: 1. Which guy will she end up with 2. Will her best friend hate her forever 3. What is going on with her Mom 4. How will getting caught pan out in the end (That’s not a spoiler. They kind of let on in the first chapter that she gets caught.) I was okay with the ending at first (It was late and night and I was tired) but the next day, when I realized there was no resolution to ANYTHING I felt a little different. The book is good if you are ready to invest in an entire series. Just go into it ready to be buying more books.
Lifer, Beck Nicholas – I had my eye on this for a while because the cover was gorgeous. LIFER is kinda like reading two books in one. There are two main characters, written in dual first person POV. We start with a slave girl on a space ship with the rumblings of rebellion, and then the next chapter trades off to a boy without any memory waking up on Earth beside a dead kid. LIFER had me scratching my head, because I couldn’t really tell how these two stories would intertwine. And you have to wait until you are about 75-80% into the book to understand why. Despite the cover with space ships on it, DO NOT expect this to be about aliens. LIFER, with it’s oppressive, brutal governments, is really more of a dystopian. If you’re looking for conspiracy, guns, and rebellion, this is the book for you.
Unfortunately, he might have been a bit too delightful, because I found myself rooting for him a few times.) I have mixed feelings about this book. It stayed with me for a while, because I enjoyed the overall premise. I just wish I loved it more. I wish it started later, because it starts off with glowing hands out of nowhere, and then lags for too long until something happens. Then later, when stuff starts to happen, I found myself rolling my eyes at the cliché stupidity of the heroine. The ending certainly rocked, and I did find myself in tears at all the right places… But I think if the entire story had been tightened, and the Claire Daly character had been constructed with street smarts, I would have been wildly singing this book’s praises. (I mean, if you are in a bar, and three guys basically threaten to rape you, and get themselves thrown out of the bar, you DO NOT walk home through the woods by yourself. – I almost stopped reading there, to be honest) And we see near the end that she didn’t learn from her mistake, as she takes off by herself again to another place that would obviously do her harm. Despite all this, though, I do admit that I enjoyed the story overall. I’d give this a solid three stars. It’s an interesting book with a deep spiritual slant about God and angels. (I was sent a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review)
Slumber, Christy Sloat – 
Joshua and the Lightning Road, Donna Galanti –
Until Midnight: An Alienated Short, Melissa Landers –
Saved by the Dragon, Vivienne Savage – I was pleasantly surprised by this novella. I mean, it’s a cheap romance, and they have sex a few minutes after meeting each other – totally stupid, but I loved the characters and the dynamics once they actually started to get to know each other. I’m considering buying more in the series. Funny – I just read the one star reviews, and I have to agree with them all. Everything about this is book is dumb, but for some reason I kept turning pages. (Update – The rest of the series went on sale New Year’s Eve for $.99 for the box set. I figured, hey, why not?)
Happy New Year, Jenn. I’ve watched, listened, and learned from your example. I’m proud to be your friend.
Anna Simpson lives near the Canadian-US border with her family. Even though she’s lived in several places in British Columbia, her free spirit wasn’t able to settle down until she moved back to her hometown.
Jennifer M Eaton 