CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Hidden Pieces by Paula Stokes

Release date: August 28th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Embry Woods has secrets. Small ones about her past. Bigger ones about her relationship with town hero Luke and her feelings for someone new. But the biggest secret she carries with her is about what happened that night at the Sea Cliff Inn. The fire. The homeless guy. Everyone thinks Embry is a hero, too, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Embry thinks she’ll have to take the secret to her grave, until she receives an anonymous note—someone else knows the truth. Next comes a series of threatening messages, asking Embry to make impossible choices, forcing her to put her loved ones at risk. Someone is playing a high stakes game where no one in Embry’s life is safe. And their last move...is murder.

"Hidden Pieces is the dark, twisted, amped up, I Know What You Did Last Summer-esque YA suspense of my dreams! Paula Stokes delivers a modern classic."
-Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten and #MurderTrending

"A character-driven mystery perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.”

-School Library Journal

“Stokes offers a classic whodunit, masterfully played. Characters, even minor ones, are well developed, as are the subplots . . . All become, as the title indicates, pieces of an intricate puzzle.”

-ALA Booklist, starred review

About the Author

Paula Stokes is half writer, half RN, and totally thrilled to be part of the world of YA literature. She started out writing historical fiction under a pen name and is now branching out into other YA genres.

When she's not working (rare), she's kayaking, hiking, reading, or seeking out new adventures in faraway lands. She's petted tigers, snuggled snakes, snorkeled with stingrays, and once enjoyed the suction-cuppy feel of a baby elephant's trunk as it ate peanuts from her palm. Her future goals include diving with Great White sharks, learning Krav Maga, and writing a whole slew of novels, not necessarily in that order.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The Other Twin by L. V. Hay

Release date: November 15th 2017
Publisher: Orenda Books
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

When India falls to her death from a bridge over a railway, her sister Poppy returns home to Brighton for the first time in years. Unconvinced by official explanations, Poppy begins her own investigation into India’s death. But the deeper she digs, the closer she comes to uncovering deeply buried secrets. Could Matthew Temple, the boyfriend she abandoned, be involved? And what of his powerful and wealthy parents, and his twin sister, Ana? Enter the mysterious and ethereal Jenny: the girl Poppy discovers after hacking into India’s laptop. What exactly is she hiding, and what did India find out about her? 

Taking the reader on a breathless ride through the winding lanes of Brighton, into its vibrant party scene and inside the homes of its well-heeled families, The Other Twin is a startling and up-to-the-minute thriller about the social-media world, where resentments and accusations are played out online, where identities are made and remade, and where there is no such thing as truth.

About the Author

Lucy V. Hay is a novelist, script editor and blogger who runs a writer's consultancy. She is the associate producer of the films Deviation and Assassin, head reader for the London Screenwriters' Festival and the author of Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays and Writing & Selling Drama Screenplays.

www.lucyvhayauthor.com | twitter.com/LucyVHayAuthor

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Love Bites by T.L. Clark

Series: Darkness & Light Duology #1
Release date: August 27th 2017
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In spite of her so-called normal life, Shakira doesn't fit in. 

She moves to Wales in search of a home, the sense of belonging which has always eluded her. 

She gets more than she ever dreamed possible when a handsome young man unwittingly transforms her. 

Suddenly her world is full of magick and mystery, which she struggles to come to terms with. 

Witches and vampires exist, and Shakira’s very existence is against the vampire clan’s law.

About the Author

TL Clark is a British author who stumbles through life as if it were a gauntlet of catastrophes. 

Rather than playing the victim she uses these unfortunate events to fuel her passion for writing, for reaching out to help others.

She writes about different kinds of love in the hope that she‘ll uncover its mysteries.

Her loving husband (and very spoiled cat) have proven to her that true love really does exist.

Writing has shown her that coffee may well be the source of life.

tlclarkauthor.blogspot.co.uk | twitter.com/TLClarkAuthor

Review: Royally Romanov by Teri Wilson

Series: The Royals #2
Release date: July 17th 2017
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pocket Star
Purchase: Amazon 

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In this charming modern day retelling of the 1956 classic Anastasia, a museum curator falls for a mysterious man who may or may not be a long lost heir to Russia’s imperial Romanov dynasty.

Finley Abbot is organizing the most prestigious art exhibit of her career at the Louvre museum—a retrospective of art from the House of Romanov. But the sudden appearance of Maxim Romanov threatens to turn her into the biggest laughingstock of the art world. When she finds herself falling in love, she realizes there’s even more at stake than her career. How can she trust a man with her whole world when he can’t remember a thing about his past?

After suffering a violent blow to the head, Maxim’s only clue to his identity is a notebook containing carefully researched documentation in his own handwriting indicating that he is the sole surviving descendant of the Grand Duchess Anastasia, previously thought dead in the murder of her family during Russia’s Bolshevik revolution. His struggle to put the mysterious pieces of his past back together leads him to Finley. At first, she’s convinced Maxim is nothing but a con artist. But there’s something undeniably captivating about the beautiful, brooding man who claims to be searching for his identity—something Finley can’t quite bring herself to resist. When he reveals a secret about one of the imperial Fabergé eggs in the collection, she accepts he may actually be telling the truth. But as soon as Finley and Maxim act on their feelings for one another, Maxim is confronted with evidence that calls into question everything he’s begun to believe about himself.

*Publisher provided ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read the first book in the Royals series, but I noticed that each has different main characters and when I saw that Royally Romanov is a retelling of Anastasia, I became eager to start it.

The story begins with Maxim in the hospital and we quickly get the gist that he doesn't remember who hit him or why. Things move at a fast pace but not so much that you can't keep up with the characters, and I did manage to warm up to them easily. Maxim came off as a nice guy that just wanted to understand what was going on and Finley was working hard to move up in her career at the museum and let go of what she'd experienced back in the states.

Loved the Paris setting; I could picture the scenes so vividly even with the slightest detail given. And Finley's job sounds so cool. I found it amazing that she was involved in the collecting of historical pieces that had once been forgotten. When Maxim approached her, I knew there must have been something prior to his incident that would have led him to Finley. But it was interesting how she connected immediately and related with him on an intense level based on her own terrifying experience. She was hesitant to trust him at first, which is understandable considering he was a person of interest to the police and the fact that there had been other con artists in the past that have tried to come off as having ties to the Romanov line. But she simply could not stay away and just had to know the truth, in spite of the warnings from her superior at the museum.

The mystery surrounding Maxim was the biggest part of the story and what kept me so interested. I liked the items that came about and the information learned at the cathedral. However, things started to unravel rather quickly toward the end, and I also felt like their feelings for each other intensified too fast, but I wasn't bothered by that too much as I wanted to know if Maxim truly was connected to Anastasia and the identity of the person who had struck him. I learned the answer to both but after that was cleared up, the story didn't seem to end right. At least not for me. I feel like more was needed in regards to Maxim's character and what was next for him.

To conclude, Royally Romanov is a good story with an interesting twist on a classic and a subtle mystery that will hold your attention. Although I had a few minor issues, I still liked it for the most part.

About the Author

Teri Wilson is a romance novelist for Harlequin, Pocket Books and Tule Publishing. Her novels UNLEASHING MR. DARCY and THE ART OF US are both now Hallmark Channel Original Movies, and she currently has two other films in development with the Hallmark Channel. Teri is also a contributing writer at HelloGiggles.com and Teen Vogue, covering books, pop culture and everything royal. She's crazy about cute animals, vintage fashion and traveling.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Review: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Release date: January 3rd 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life. That includes taking her job... and her boyfriend. It's a huge risk — but it's just what Hawthorn needs to find her own place in the world.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit surprised that I ended up liking this one more than I'd expected to, because initially, Hawthorn's character was a huge turn off and some things in the story made me cringe. We'll get to the cringing part later. First, let's discuss her personality. 

Hawthorn came across too immature and somewhat detached. Her thoughts and the things she'd say baffled me, a lot. She had no consideration for other people's feelings and was way too caught up with what others thought about her and constantly saying she was perceived as a loser because she didn't go to an event or wasn't super popular. The latter aside, because no one cared, I felt like she was too much in her own world and never regarded anyone else, in particularly her supposedly best friend, Emily, and her brother. And maybe she'd even have more friends if she would open up more and check her attitude. But in spite of her seemingly selfish ways and immaturity, I found myself laughing at times at her sarcasm and ridiculous conclusions about Lizzie Lovett's disappearance. 

The mystery surrounding Lizzie kept my interest for the most part. I wanted to know what happened to her and why everyone was so in love with her, especially Hawthorn. She'd only spoken to Lizzie once and had somehow developed this unhealthy fascination with the girl. It definitely irked my being seeing how obsessed Hawthorn was, I mean to go as far as to work at the same place and spend time with Lizzie's boyfriend was just weird. Still, I kept reading because I wanted to see if Hawthorn's character would experience growth; open her eyes and see that there were more important things in life and that the world didn't revolve around her. 

Back to what made me cringe. The situation with Hawthorn and Lizzie's boyfriend was seriously inappropriate. And I was beyond surprised at how lightly it was handled by Hawthorn's parents. She'd heard them complaining that Hawthorn was spending too much time with him, but it was never really addressed and their positions in the story as parents was rather disappointing to me. They could have done more in regards to their seventeen-year-old daughter. Maybe that's why Hawthorn was like that to begin with. Anyway, regardless of the issues I had, I still liked the story. The writing's great, very intriguing. And while Hawthorn wasn't the most likable character and her behavior often made me want to shake the hell out of her, I did love her brother's friend and the visitors her mother had welcomed. They provided great insight that helped change Hawthorn's perspective, and in the end, I could feel the change that started to take place in her. 

About the Author

Chelsea Sedoti fell in love with writing at a young age after discovering that making up stories was more fun than doing her school work (her teachers didn’t always appreciate this.) In an effort to avoid getting a “real” job, Chelsea explored careers as a balloon twister, filmmaker, and paranormal investigator. Eventually she realized that her true passion is writing about flawed teenagers who are also afraid of growing up. When she’s not at the computer, Chelsea spends her time exploring abandoned buildings, eating junk food at roadside diners, and trying to befriend every animal in the world. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada where she avoids casinos, but loves roaming the Mojave Desert.

www.chelseasedoti.com | @chelseasedoti

Review: The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell

Release date: June 7th 2016
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Imagine that you live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses. You’ve known your neighbors for years and you trust them. Implicitly. You think your children are safe. But are they really? 

On a midsummer night, as a festive neighborhood party is taking place, preteen Pip discovers her thirteen-year-old sister Grace lying unconscious and bloody in a hidden corner of a lush rose garden. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?

Dark secrets, a devastating mystery, and the games both children and adults play all swirl together in this gripping novel, packed with utterly believable characters and page-turning suspense.

*Received physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved how the story started with a startling discovery and from there I was pulled into the mystery of what had happened and who had done that?

While it was an interesting story, told from third person narration and giving the reader everyone's backstory and what the surrounding was like, the pacing was rather slow and a tad draggy. I couldn't wait to get back to the present and find out the situation with Grace, and that alone kept me going. But at the same time, I understood that knowing each character would give me an idea as to who had hurt Grace. I figured it out pretty early and was basically looking forward to some kind of punishment. But unfortunately, it didn't come. And at the end of the story, I was left disappointed and confused. I kept asking, "What was the point of all that then?" 

I don't think I cared much for any of the characters, well except for Pip. She was the most likable. And I kind of felt like she was too mature for the age. The voice came out like a sixteen year old and not of a twelve year old, and she even seemed older than her sister, who was thirteen. I don't know, maybe it's me. But a lot of times I was confused and forgot their ages because their voices and actions seemed older. 

In regards to what happened to Grace, some may say she deserved it and should have behaved better. But look at the situation. Her father was mentally ill and the family had endured a dramatic, emotional change. The poor girl didn't know how to cope and was clearly looking for something. And I think the mom should have put an end to Grace's relationship with that kid. What they'd done was inappropriate for their age and they were too young to have been carrying on like that. Plus Grace needed better structure and a more present parent. That's just my opinion on the matter. 

Pip was the only one that seemed to have it together. People forget sometimes that just because you're adults doesn't always mean you'll handle things better. In fact, Pip seemed more together than their mom. I'm just saying. 

Other things that bugged me were the Howes family. They were just too carefree and the father was clearly a perv. Their children didn't seem to have much discipline either and the mom would rather be in the dark than address issues. 

There was just a lot of things that put me off about this group of people and the things that took place with the kids. But the mystery surrounding Grace kept me going. Sadly, the ending didn't satisfy me and I wanted a better conclusion--justice--for the girl. Overall, an interesting story. It need a bit more though. 

About the Author

Lisa Jewell is a popular British author of chick lit fiction. Her books include Ralph's Party, Thirtynothing and 31 Dream Street. She lives in Swiss Cottage, London with her husband Jascha and daughters Amelie Mae and Evie Scarlett.

www.lisa-jewell.co.uk

twitter.com/lisajewelluk

Review: One Was Lost by Natalie D. Richards

Release date: October 4th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Are they labels or a warning? The answer could cost Sera everything.

Murder, justice, and revenge were so not a part of the plan when Sera set out on her senior camping trip. After all, hiking through the woods is supposed to be safe and uneventful.

Then one morning the group wakes up groggy, confused, and with words scrawled on their wrists: Damaged. Deceptive. Dangerous. Darling. Their supplies? Destroyed. Half their group? Gone. Their chaperone? Unconscious. Worst of all, they find four dolls acting out a murder—dolls dressed just like them.

Suddenly it's clear; they're being hunted. And with the only positive word on her wrist, Sera falls under suspicion…

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third time reading a Natalie D. Richards book and honestly, I was hoping for more after that blurb. It filled me with intrigue, seeing as the characters were camping in the woods. I like that setup; it's dark and alluring, the perfect mix for a suspense novel. But throughout One Was Lost, while the mystery held my attention, I kept wanting more. 

I liked how it started out with the characters already in the woods and about to start heading back. It would have been fine like that, but then Sera hinted at a kiss that happened with one of the guys and the roller-coaster emotions between them that went on was just frustrating. In fact, I didn't care for it at all. In their present situation, I felt like the romance could've stayed out of it. I don't know, it just didn't seem to blend in with the rest of the story, especially after realizing a dangerous person was lurking around your camp planning to kill you and you weren't even sure if it was one of the people you were with. 

There was also the issue of not really connecting with them. But that didn't deter me and aside from that and the romance thing, I did enjoy the mystery and wanted to know who had drugged them and had written on them. I liked that the author kept us guessing. I mean, I suspected ALL of them. Even Sera, thought maybe she had split personalities or something lol. And then I believed it was the guy she so loved and pretended not to. Then I was convinced it was their remaining teacher. I mean, why take his students out to a place where tragedy had occurred before? That was suspicious on his part. So yeah, the mystery of who the culprit was kept the story alive for me and in the end, I was truly surprised by who it turned out to be. 

To conclude, not a bad novel with a dark setting and creepy moments so fitting for the season. The writing was fluid. The overall mystery will keep you hooked.

About the Author

Lifelong Ohioan, Natalie D. Richards, spent many years applying her writing skills to stunningly boring business documents. Fortunately, she realized she’s much better at making things up, and has been writing for teens ever since. A champion of aspiring authors, Richards is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writing groups. She lives in Ohio with a Yeti, a Wookie (her dogs) and her wonderful husband and children.

www.nataliedrichards.com | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Review: The Cabin by Natasha Preston

Release date: September 6th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.

When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.

As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent…

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you went away with some friends and two of them ended up murdered? The doors are locked and there's no sign of forced entry. Would you maintain that trust in the friends that survived, or would you suspect them? 

I kept asking myself this for the most part of the story. I honestly wanted to give each character the benefit of the doubt and consider the fact that maybe someone else with a key came in while they were all wiped out from drinking and killed their friends. I even went as far as to suspect Blake's mother. She was a strange one. But the more I got to uncover about each "friend", the more I realize that none of them were innocent, as indicated in the blurb. They all had a reason, but the question was, which had it in them to actually commit murder.

The Cabin started out pretty interesting and I liked how it was a murder mystery involving friends; the fact that it tested friendships and how well you thought you knew someone. However, I did have some issues throughout. One of the major things that threw me was Blake's personality. I get that some people have different ways of dealing with grief and other hurtful things in their lives, but I found his behavior and the things he'd say a tad inappropriate in various scenes. Mackenzie got caught up in it at times too, and one scene in particular that turned me off was the way they were acting when another murder occurred. They were basically flirting with each other right after getting the terrible news and it just didn't seem... realistic. I mean, who thinks about sex or makes jokes after hearing about a murder? That didn't make any sense to me. And that happened a lot throughout the book, which is the main reason why the story fell short for me. When it comes to this genre, I like a more serious, dark, and suspenseful theme with a little bit of light outside of serious moments, but instead it seemed like this one was mostly straddling the edge of humor. 

The ending was also crazy and even though I'd suspected that friend was the killer, I never anticipated it would play out in such a way. Overall, interesting plot and nice writing. And I am curious as to what will happen in the next book because surely there will be a follow-up after that cliffhanger. 

About the Author

UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back since. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.

www.natashapreston.com

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Review: How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Release date: July 26th 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Salem, Massachusetts is the site of the infamous witch trials and the new home of Samantha Mather. Recently transplanted from New York City, Sam and her stepmother are not exactly welcomed with open arms. Sam is the descendant of Cotton Mather, one of the men responsible for those trials and almost immediately, she becomes the enemy of a group of girls who call themselves The Descendants. And guess who their ancestors were?

If dealing with that weren't enough, Sam also comes face to face with a real live (well technically dead) ghost. A handsome, angry ghost who wants Sam to stop touching his stuff. But soon Sam discovers she is at the center of a centuries old curse affecting anyone with ties to the trials. Sam must come to terms with the ghost and find a way to work with the Descendants to stop a deadly cycle that has been going on since the first accused witch was hanged. If any town should have learned its lesson, it's Salem. But history may be about to repeat itself.

*Received a physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Dark and intriguing, How to Hang a Witch filled me with questions from the beginning and had me spooked to the very end. The story definitely stirred me to the point that I wanted to learn more about the Salem witch trials and about Cotton Mather.

The book opened with Sam and her stepmother, Vivian, moving to Salem for reasons I had suspected weren't true. But still, I wanted to believe Vivian's intentions for Sam and her comatose father were good. I've always had this mentality about Salem being an eerie place and have been nervous about visiting, and this was all reinforced with the way Sam described the location and the sort of welcome she received, especially when people learned her last name. Being a Mather in Salem doesn't seem like the best choice one should make. And I figured perhaps that's why Sam's father evaded going back all those years and had kept Sam away too. I mean, there were rumors about her grandmother and the situation with the other descendants (descendants of accused witches at that) was not good. It was obvious that Sam was going to endure a lot of crap for being related to Cotton, but she never anticipated the level of isolation and discrimination, much less all the other paranormal stuff that arose upon her arrival.  

Sam found herself in deeper water when people close to the descendants were being horribly affected by a so-called curse, and everyone, except her quirky spell-loving neighbor Mrs. Meriwether and her swoon-worthy son, blamed Sam. There were things that happened that made me wonder if Sam was truly connected, but with Elijah's ghostly presence and the way her stepmother was behaving, I knew something else was going on. 

Although the story was creepy and I wanted to solve the mystery of this curse, there were moments that I found myself a bit confused, didn't really make sense of a particular detail, and would drift off. And at times the story seemed a bit draggy. But I continued reading because it was interesting and I needed to see how things would play out. 

As for the characters, I liked Sam's personality. She had endured a lot and wasn't quick to open up to anyone. With all that she'd been through in the past, I didn't blame her, especially when she was hesitant to trust Jaxon. I wasn't sure about him at first either but his character grew on me. I liked his cockiness and how he tried to make Sam feel like she belonged. Jaxon was super kind and funny; I wanted more of his character though, just like his mother. I feel like Mrs. Meriwether could have added more to the story with how well she knew Sam's grandmother and father. 

Overall, How to Hang a Witch is a really good debut. I loved how the author was able to incorporate her own research and family history, and delivered such an alluring story. The way she correlated what happened during the witch trials to modern-day bullying was nicely done as well. I'm now left with anticipation for what Adriana does next because I'm expecting her to give us more and more with her writing as she goes. Definitely give this one a read, but avoid doing so at night.

  

  

~~BOOK TRAILER~~

About the Author

Adriana Mather is the 12th generation of Mathers in America, and as such her family has their fingers in many of its historical pies – the Mayflower, the Salem Witch Trials, the Titanic, the Revolutionary War, and the wearing of curly white wigs. Also, Adriana co-owns a production company, Zombot Pictures, in LA that has made three feature films in three years. Her first acting scene in a film ever was with Danny Glover, and she was terrified she would mess it up. In addition, her favorite food is pizza and she has too many cats.

facebook.com/adrianamatherauthor

twitter.com/AdrianaMather

Guest Post: Author Morgan Dark on the origin of 'Zero'

Release date: June 28th 2016

Publisher: Rubiños

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A baffling robber.

A mystery hidden for years.

And an elite boarding school where no one is who they say they are.

Kyle Bradford is the envy of Drayton College, but everything takes a turn when a dangerous shadow, hidden in the darkness, starts to stalk him. From then on, his life falls apart. Unjustly accused of being the main suspect behind the robberies terrifying high society, he is forced to prove his innocence. And to do so, he has to find the real culprit: 
Zero, an infallible criminal who keeps his identity hidden under a silver mask. What Kyle does not know is that his enemy is keeping a secret. A secret he would sacrifice everything for.

A dizzying, heart-stopping thriller you won’t be able to put down.

~GUEST POST~

One of the most curious anecdotes I have about Zero has to do with the origin of the book. 

About a year ago, I was finishing another book, also YA, that had nothing to do with the Zero saga. An international publishing house had offered me a contract to publish it, and I was just putting the final touches on the manuscript.

One day, however, returning home from a trip, I opened the front door to find that thieves had broken into my apartment in New York. The house was a mess. Most of my valuables were gone, including my favorite ring that my parents gave me when I turned 18. 

I had to stay with a friend while the police went through the house and took stock of everything that had been taken. It was a hectic time… When it was all over, I started thinking, wondering who the thief might have been… 

I forgot about the book I’d been working on and started writing another one which had a mysterious masked thief as the main character. Not even my editor knew about it. When I finished the manuscript, I sent it off to him. He called me a few hours later to say he’d loved it and that he was set on getting it published at all cost.

And that’s how Zero was born.

The strange thing is that when the book had already gone to press, I got an anonymous black envelope quite similar to the one in Chapter 6 in the book. In it was the ring the thieves took from my house months earlier… in perfect condition. I still have no idea who broke into my apartment…

The young adult bestseller ZERO will go on sale in an exclusive ebook edition translated to English that will be available in more than 30 countries simultaneously.

About the Author

Morgan Dark is one of the most original teenage literature writers. Always enveloped in suspense, as of yet no one knows her true identity. She began writing ZERO after a hooded man robbed her in her New York apartment. Included amongst the stolen items was her favorite ring. After ZERO became one of the most awaited teenage books in 2015, her ring showed up in her house again… in black envelope with no sender. 

Visit Morgan at www.morgandark.com

Facebook.com/MorganDarkAuthor
@_MorganDark.

Review: Frayed by Kara Terzis

Release date: June 7th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Dear Kesley, 

My therapist tells me I should write you a letter. Like flushing all my thoughts and feelings out of my system and onto paper. I tell her it's a stupid idea.

But here I am, writing a letter to a dead girl. Where do I start? Where did our story begin? From the moment you were born...or died? 

I'll start with the moment I found out the truth about you. Your lies and my pain. Because it always begins and ends with you.

And that end began when Rafe Lawrence came back to town...

Ava Hale will do anything to find her sister's killer...although she'll wish she hadn't. Because the harder Ava looks, the more secrets she uncovers about Kesley, and the more she begins to think that the girl she called sister was a liar. A sneak. A stranger.

And Kesley's murderer could be much closer than she thought...

A debut novel from Wattpad award-winner Kara Terzis, Frayed is a psychological whodunit that will keep you guessing!

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued in the beginning, especially since Ava was writing to her dead sister and was clearly on a mission to find out who killed her. I'm a huge fan of mystery so I thought this book was right up my alley. And while Frayed had those dark elements, I felt like the story was a bit too rushed for me. Like there were parts that I wanted things to slow down so I could understand the character more. As a result, I couldn't connect with her and it was hard for me to feel for her pain of loss and dealing with insecurities due to her face being scarred. Another thing that happened too fast to me was the way how her relationship turned out, along with what happened between her and her best friend. I mean, there were hints about the friend's attitude at times, but I just wanted more from these characters. 

Speaking of hints, the one thing I liked most about the story is that you couldn't really figure out who killed Kelsey. At one point I thought it was the mom, her friend Lia, then the bad girls from school, and like Ava I even thought Rafe was involved somehow. I didn't realize that those subtle scenes having to do with Ava's behavior was a sign. So the ending came as a surprise and I liked it a lot. I rarely read books about such things so that was an interesting way to solve the mystery of Kelsey's murder. 

Overall, an interesting and dark story with great potential. I just wanted more from Ava. Still a good read if you're looking for something quick and mysterious. 

About the Author

Kara Terzis was twelve when she wrote her first novel, and hasn’t stopped writing since. Later she started publishing her work on Wattpad, where in 2013 she won the Sourcebooks Story Development Prize, leading to the publication of her debut novel, Frayed. She adores fairy tales, photography, rainy days, and film soundtracks. When she’s not writing, you can find her buried in a good book and daydreaming. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia.

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