Friday, June 29, 2012

First Visions (Second Sight Book One) by Heather Topham Wood - Author Interview & Review


Two years ago, 21-year-old Kate Edwards became deathly ill and slipped into a coma. While unconscious, she crept into the mind of a missing boy and awoke with the knowledge of his location. Friends and family were skeptical and wary of her new ability to see into the minds of others. Their fears prompted Kate to keep her psychic powers a secret. Feeling alienated, she dropped out of college and spent most of her days holed up at her mother's home.

Now another child has been abducted. Police detective Jared Corbett seeks out Kate for her help in solving the case. Reluctantly, Kate agrees and they must work together to bring 8-year-old Cori Preston home to her family. Although attracted to one another, Jared has a girlfriend with ties to the abduction case and Kate is sarcastic and guarded since her coma. With visions she can't control and an uncontrollable attraction to the detective, she wonders if she can leave the past behind and finally stop hiding from the world. Otherwise, Cori may be lost forever.  
My Thoughts:
I loved this book! End of review. Just kidding.
I was drawn to this book when I read the above blurb. Kate wakes with psychic powers?!?! What? Sign me up! I've always wanted psychic powers, but only if I had complete control over them. That never seems to be the case for book characters though. 

Kate is an awesome character. She is snarky and sarcastic in all the right places, the perfect blend of sarcastic comebacks, sensitivity, toughness, and vulnerability. She is definitely my favorite character in First Visions and she's now one of my top ten favorite female characters ever! She has her moments when she gets a little whiny but she bounces back and I felt like she grew a lot by the end of the book. 


Finally, an author gives a girl a great mom. Kate's mother Darlene is wonderful. She's supportive and down right fierce when she needs to be. I loved the relationship between these two. Yeah, they have a few things to work out but it's obvious that they both love and respect each other. It's a beautiful thing really! 


Woods does a great job of keeping the novel moving along at a quick pace while letting you get to know the characters really well. Kate had me laughing again and again, and I even teared up a little at times. The mystery and suspense are engrossing and realistic without keeping me from sleeping after I'd finished the book. First Visions is a great book that gets a definite two thumbs up from this reader!


You can get your own copy (and you really should) of First Visions (Second Sight Book One) at:


Amazon B&N Smashwords 


Now I would like to shout out a huge WELCOME to Heather Topham Woods! I hope you guys enjoy this interview as much as I did.



Hi Heather and welcome to My Neurotic Book Affair
How are you enjoying your summer so far?
It's been great, thanks! We've had a heat wave recently in Jersey, so we've been living in the pool.

1) In three words can you describe First Visions?
Haha, you're gonna ask the tough ones, aren't you? Hmm, I guess I would choose: YA psychic romance.

2) If you had to choose a theme song for First Visions what would that song be?
I have two: Where Have You Been? by Rihanna and Trouble Is a Friend by Lenka

3) Which of your First Visions characters is your favorite? Why?
I would have to say Kate. I love writing her and I usually have her say things I would love to say, but never have the nerve. I also like that she's not perfect, but still someone you can root for. I'm a fan of non-traditional female leads in stories and I think Kate fits that description.

4) I've always thought it would be super cool to be physic (which is why I was drawn to First Visions). If you could chose to have one supernatural or super power which one would you want to have?
The first thing that popped into my head was being able to read minds. But the more I think about it, I probably rather not know what people are thinking most of the time!

5) What are a few of your favorite supernatural books and tv shows?
I have a ton, so I'll try to narrow it down. For TV, I love the shows True Blood, The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural. For books, a few favorites include the Existence series by Abbi Glines, Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer, Lothaire by Kresley Cole and Ethereal by Addison Moore.

6) Are you an organized writer with everything being just so, or are you more of fly by the seat of your pants kind of writer?
I am desperately trying to be more organized, but I am more of a fly by the seat of your pants writer. I'm attempting to work off of an outline for my next novels and schedule times to write, but instead I find myself pulling all nighters or walking away from one story because I feel inspired about another tale.

7) When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?
A part of me always wanted to be a writer, but I never considered it a very realistic goal. Then, I went through a long period of time when I wanted to be a nurse which is funny since I can't stand the sight of blood.

8) How many books are you planning for the Second Sight Series as of now? 
I'm almost certain there will be total of four. I have the majority of them worked out in my head and partially outlined. I wanted an end in sight before I began because I find it annoying sometimes reading a series that goes on and on well past its prime.

For a little more about Heather here is her bio.

Heather Topham Wood graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor's degree in English. Working full-time as a freelance writer for publications such as USA Today, Livestrong.com, Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style magazine, she writes fiction novels in her spare time. She resides in Trenton, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV shows.
First Visions is the first book in the Second Sight series.





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Thursday, June 28, 2012

From The Review Pile (6/28/2012) Elemental by Emily White




From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.
The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.


This week I am showcasing Elemental by Emily White which I received to review and will hopefully be reading with the week. 



Just because Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn't mean she should. 

But she wants to. 

For ten years—ever since she was a small child—Ella has been held prisoner on an interstellar starship. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers.

Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories?

Is Ella the prophesied Destructor… or will she be the one who's destroyed?


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (6/27/2012) Circle of Silence

Author: Carol M. Tanzman
Expected Release Date: July 24, 2012


Summary from Goodreads:
THE BIGGEST STORY OF MY LIFE COULD BE HOW IT ENDS It's my turn to run a "Campus News" crew, and I've put together a team that can break stories wide open. And Washington Irving High has a truly great one to cover, if only we can find a lead.

A secret society has formed in our school. It announced its presence with pranks: underwear on the flagpole, a toilet in the hallway, cryptic notes. A circle of silence keeps the society a mystery. No one knows its members, agenda or initiation secrets-until a student lands in the hospital under "strange" circumstances.

I "will" blow this story wide open and stop others from being hurt...or worse. And while my ex, Jagger, might want to help, I don't trust him yet. (And, no, not because of our past together. That is "not" important to this story.)

But whether you find me, Valerie Gaines, reporting in front of the camera, or a victim in the top story of the newscast...be sure to watch "Campus News" at 9:00 a.m. this Friday.



I just read a mystery and it was so good that I am ready for another. Bring It On! 



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?

Monday, June 25, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


It's Monday What Are You Reading? is hosted by Book Journey 


I am SO SO SO far behind on reviews right now. I am making it my mission to finish at least half of my reviews by the end of July. So hopefully you will be seeing a lot them in the very near future! While I haven't been reviewing I have been reading and I've had a string of pretty great books lately. 


What I Read Last Week
(not yet reviewed)


Four Secrets by Margaret Willey

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker

Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

Audio Book
Once Was Lost by Sarah Zarr

What I'm Reading Now
Grave Mercy 

The Future Of US

First Visions (Second Sight Book One)

Audio Book this week
Thirteen Reasons Why

Upcoming Reviews

First Visions by Heather Topham Wood 
Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

In Other News
I've been dieting for a while and I'm SO close to the 50lb. mark. Crossing my fingers that it will happen this week. I've also started the couch to 5K training as part of my exercise training. Looking forward to being able to jog on the beach this fall. So...what's new with you?
Happy Monday!















Friday, June 22, 2012

Neurotic Thoughts - One Moment Book Review

One Moment
Author: Kristina McBride
Expected Release Date: June 26, 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published By: EgmontUSA
Source: EgmontUSA and NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of OppositesOne Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.



One Moment kept me reading mostly because I really needed to know what had happened between Maggie and Joey up on the cliff. I would get to the point where I would think I had it all figured out, and then I would be thrown for a loop. I did finally figure it out on my own though, and way before poor Maggie was able to get it. Once I had figured out the main "mystery" the rest of the story was a tad predictable.


I really enjoyed the first few chapters of One Moment and I was bawling by page 17. However, soon after that I really did feel like the only reason I was still reading was to see if I was right and had figured it out. The writing wasn't bad, the story wasn't bad, I just never fell in love with any of the characters. 


I did feel like Kristina McBride did an excellent job of portraying how different people grieve when they lose someone they love. 


PLOT: I kept feeling like I had read this book before. I finally realized that the death scene was very similar to another book I had read. Other than that I thought the plot was pretty decent. Romance with a bit of mystery. Possibly a bit forgettable for me. 
CHARACTERS: a little blah for my taste.
WRITING: Not bad
ENDING: Satisfying 
KID FRIENDLY: I don't remember anything shouting out to me as not kid friendly
OVERALL: I wanted to finish quickly so I would know what all the drama was about, and so that I could move on to the next book on my shelves.







Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (6/20/2012) Send Me a Sign

Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Expected Release Date: October 2, 2012

Summary from Goodreads:
Mia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’texpect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more. Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose. From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death.


What's with me and heartbreaking books lately?




Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (6/19/2012) The Future of Us

I don't know what Harry Potter or The Help are, but Josh gave me Tuck Everlasting for my eleventh birthday. I still remember reading the scene where Tuck rows Winnie across the lake. 


Teaser from page 23
(I have been wanting to read this book forever!) 


Summary from Goodreads:
It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.



The Future of Us was released in November of 2011.



Miz B hosts Teaser Tuesday every week, check her out for the official rules.  I never seem to be able to stick to the rule about only 2 sentences.
I love reading teasers so let me know where I can view yours in the comments. Have a great day!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Review - Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Something Like Normal
Author: Trish Doller
Expected Release Date: June 19th, 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary
Published by: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: Bloomsbury and NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads:
When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.



Trish Doller has just gotten herself a brand new fan. I honestly can't find one thing to fault with this book. The characters were amazing. The writing was fast, honest, funny and emotional. The story was captivating and unlike any I have ever read.

WOW! My daughter had mentioned that this book was really good but... wow! I was totally blown away. I started Something Like Normal a little while after dinner and ended up staying up late so I could finish. YES, it is one of those books that once you start you won't want to put it down. I became so invested in Travis and everything that he was going through that I had to know how his story would end. 

You see, Travis is not your typical amazing guy. He has faults, plenty of them. Yet, you still fall for him. He's not perfect in anyway! He's understandably messed up from serving in Afghanistan, he's lost a lot, and now he's just trying to make it through the best way that he can.

I was sure that my heart was going to be completely broken by Trish Doller and Something Like Normal, but instead I was left with that happy little smile and sigh that I get at the end of an amazing book. 

I do want to point out that the cover makes this look like a girly romance novel. There is romance, but this is in NO way a book geared towards girls. This is an everyone book. Written from Travis's point of view this book definitely can be enjoyed by guys as well! 

Warning: This book contains mentions of sex, violence, and has plenty of "bad" words. This should in no way stop you from reading this amazing book though! 


Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (6/12/2012) Dante's Girl

Author: Courtney Cole
Expected Release Date: June 29th, 2012

Summary from Goodreads:
I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring. 
Until this year. 

And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:

1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.
2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.
3. I am horribly and embarrassingly allergic to jellyfish.
4. I am in love with Dante Giliberti, who just happens to be the beautiful, sophisticated son of the Prime Minister of a Mediterranean paradise. 
5. See number four above. Because it brings with it a whole slew of problems and I’ve learned something from every one of them.

Let’s start with the fact that Dante’s world is five light-years away from mine. He goes to black-tie functions and knows the Prime Minister of England on a first name basis. I was born and raised on a farm in Kansas and wear cut-off jeans paired with cowboy boots. See the difference? 

But hearts don’t care about differences. Hearts want what they want. And mine just wants to be Dante’s girl. 

My heart just might be crazy.



This sounds like it could be one of those perfect laying by the pool reads.


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Teaser Tuesday Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

We talked about everything, from the philosophical to the ridiculous--like who would win in a fight, between a liger and a grizzly/polar bear hybrid. We nearly got into a fight ourselves over that one. 


Teaser from Page 29 the ARC 


I had a horrible time trying to pick just one quote from this book because there are just SO many great ones!!!

Summary from Goodreads:
When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.


Expected Release Date: June 19, 2012

Miz B hosts Teaser Tuesday every week, check her out for the official rules.  I never seem to be able to stick to the rule about only 2 sentences.
I love reading teasers so let me know where I can view yours in the comments. Have a great day!


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Second Week Of Giveaways


To enter this weeks giveaway just head on over to my facebook page and leave me a comment letting me know which book you would pick if you won. Two of you will be randomly chosen to win one of the following books. Giveaway ends Tuesday June 12th at midnight. Open to anyone (as long as Book Depository delivers to your area).
love? maybe. by Heather Hepler (Hardcover) 
Perception by Kim Harrington (Hardcover)  

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder (Hardcover)
The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder (Hardcover)

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (Paperback)
The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson (Hardcover)


GOOD LUCK! 

You can click here for my facebook page as well






Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (6/5/2012) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

He nearly said my name. He caught himself and stammered a little, then smoothly cried out, "MA CHERIE!" and slung me over backward in a swooning Hollywood Kiss.
We both came up for air gasping. 


Teaser from page 239 of the ARC


Summary from Goodreads:
Oct. 11th, 1943—A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? 

Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. Code Name Verity is an outstanding novel that will stick with you long after the last page.



Published May 15, 2012 by Hyperion Books for Children

Miz B hosts Teaser Tuesday every week, check her out for the official rules.  I never seem to be able to stick to the rule about only 2 sentences.
I love reading teasers so let me know where I can view yours in the comments. Have a great day!