Author Spotlight: Jeri Smith-Ready

We are very excited to have Jeri Smith-Ready as our featured author for Author Spotlight March!  Jessica and I are very big fans of her Shade trilogy.  If you haven't read the Shade series, what's wrong with you?  Just kidding, we will be giving away the entire Shade trilogy signed (open internationally) just look for the giveaway at the bottom of this post!  Plus Jeri has been kind enough to giveaway a signed ARC (US Only) of her first contemporary novel This Side of Salvation.  Which I just finished reading yesterday, and I absolutely loved it!  So without further ado here's Jeri Smith-Ready!

Thanks for inviting me to be Step Into Fiction’s Spotlight author for March!

Hello, everyone! I’m Jeri Smith-Ready, author of YA books such as the Shade series and the upcoming This Side of Salvation, a contemporary novel about a boy whose parents disappear the night they believe the Rapture’s going to happen. (I’m giving away an ARC of this April 1 release with this post!) I’ve written numerous books for adults.

This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready Review

This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse; 384 pages

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...

PAYA Festival Write Up!

I attended the PAYA Festival in West Chester, PA on Saturday, August 25 along with my friends, Sana (fellow reviewer here) and Stacey. We got there late where we missed the first set of authors signing. Thankfully we didn't have anything for those authors to sign (or in my case, I've met them before - well, at least the one whose book I already own). The next set of authors were already signing when we got there and we went straight to the table to see if any books were there. Brigid Kemmerer (author of Storm and Spark) mentioned that Spark would be available for purchase but it turns out, they weren't allowed to sell them. Utterly bummed. Stacey & Sana were bummed all of the Storms were sold out, as well, because they wanted a copy.

Author Event: Meeting Jeri-Smith Ready

Go Ravens.

Sorry - I had to start my post out with that. Like Jeri said, we Ravens fans have to stick together ;)

Told you, Go Ravens!

Sana and I drove to the Harrisburg area to attend Jeri's midnight Shine release party at Cupboard Maker Books.

Book Review: Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shift by Jeri Smith - Ready
(Shade, #2)
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse; 384 pages

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

Book Review: Shade by Jeri Smith - Ready

Shade by Jeri Smith - Ready
(Shade, #1)
Release Date: May 4, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse; 320 pages

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.