**Visit Tynga’s Reviews today for her PSF Interview & Giveaway with Nicole Peeler author of TRACKING THE TEMPEST**
Jeri Smith-Ready is my guest today. She is the author of one of my favorite Paranormal YA’s this year, Shade (which has just been optioned as a TV series by ABC Family), as well as the romantic fantasy trilogy, Aspect of the Crow, and the urban fantasy series, WVMP Radio. She is here to talk about her phobias and give away some ARCs! Plus, thanks to S&S, I’ll be giving away 2 copies of the third WVMP book BRING ON THE NIGHT. See details below.
Jeri Smith-Ready has been writing fiction since the night she had her first double espresso. A constant stream of caffeine has resulted in seven published novels, including WICKED GAME and EYES OF CROW, which have each won multiple awards in the fields of fantasy and romance. Jeri had her teen fiction debut in May 2010 with the Simon Pulse release of SHADE, a paranormal love story featuring a world of spirits only the young can see. The sequel, SHIFT, will follow in 2011. The next two years will also see the continuation of Jeri’s fun and sexy WVMP RADIO urban fantasy series from Pocket Books, including BRING ON THE NIGHT (July 27, 2010). Jeri currently lives in Maryland with her husband, cat, and the world’s goofiest greyhound. When not writing, she can usually be found—well, thinking about writing.
by
Jeri Smith-Ready
I’m not afraid of spiders. I’m not afraid of snakes. I have none of the usual primal human fears of falling, drowning, suffocating, or being eaten by wild animals.
But I definitely have spoiler-phobia.
“Spoiler” is such an apt word. If I know how a book ends, I’m as likely to read it as I am likely to eat potato salad left out in the sun all day. My pulse races when I glance at the end of a book to see how many pages it has. Will I accidentally see a name or a clue that will tell me who’s still alive, or which lover the main character chooses?
As a writer, I’m usually not so spoiler-phobic. If I feel that a review gives away more than I would like, I might not link to it from my website, but I certainly won’t complain about it or try to get it removed. In general, I think the advance buzz is worth the risk that readers might not find a surprise on every page.
Until now.
But I have good news! My publisher will still mail review copies of the final book (send your request with your name, U.S. mailing address, and review blog URL to me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com, and I’ll pass it on), and I’ll be giving away copies as prizes. But they won’t be mailed until July 27—or the day online booksellers ship it, whichever comes first.
(Yeesh, I really sound paranoid and melodramatic, don’t I? Oh well, it’s worth it.)
So are you spoiler-phobic? Or are you like my mother-in-law, who reads the last page first? What lengths will you go to to avoid spoilers? Do some books and movies inspire more spoiler-phobia than others (THE SIXTH SENSE, anyone?)?
Thanks to Abigail and All Things Urban Fantasy for inviting me to take part in the Paranormal Summer Fest!
Thanks Jeri for stopping by. Come back anytime.
Visit Jeri online:
Want to read more from Jeri Smith-Ready?
Aspect of Crow
1. Eyes of Crow
2. Voice of Crow
3. The Reawakened
WVMP Radio
1. Wicked Game
2. Bad to the Bone
3. Bring On the Night
Shade
1. Shade (read my Review)
2. Shift (coming in May 2011)
Giveaway
Giveaway courtesy of Simon and Schuster
Two (2) copies of BRING ON THE NIGHT by Jeri Smith-Ready
Upcoming release: BRING ON THE NIGHT (Book 3, WVMP RADIO series), July 27, Pocket Books.
Book Description
What's Blood Got to Do With It?
Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree!
But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps?
Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious, fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.
Click HERE to read an excerpt of BRING ON THE NIGHT
GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES
- Open US only
- Fill out the form below
- Entries for all Paranormal Summer Fest giveaways must be received by Midnight MST on July 4th. All the giveaways winners will be announced on July 6th.
I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks. And please say hi to Jeri. Thanks!
Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME
Hi Jeri and Abagail,
ReplyDeleteFun post - I don't like peeking either :) I do look through to the back to see how many pages are left, but I look at the page numbers, not the words.
Congratulations on your release, I've been looking forward to this book (my husband reads this series too!)
Jeri - I hate spoilers! I do everything in my power (which is really hard because of the internet) to remain spoiler free of any book I haven't read, movie I haven't seen, etc. Being spoiled is just that - it ruins the entire experience for me.
ReplyDeleteI have Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone waiting on my TBR shelf by my bed. I look forward to the series. :)
Patti: Thanks! When I look at the back of the book, the temptation to look at the words is SO strong. It's like that weird temptation to swerve into the opposing lane when driving on a two-lane highway. I mean, everyone has that, too, right? Right?
ReplyDeleteSmash Attack: Thanks for picking up WG & BTTB. Hope you enjoy the series!
Oh, I'm one of those people who always reads the ending. Usually I'll wait until I'm about halfway through, but no longer than that. If it's a good book, I just get so involved in it, that the anticipation kills me and I'd rather know the end. This is the main reason I don't read thrillers/mysteries LOL.
ReplyDeleteI promise, though, that I'll try hard not to spoil myself when I read Bring On The Night. Looking forward to reading it. I love the WVMP series.
Jeri rocks i cant wait to get my hands on Shade(my postie is mean) as soon as it arrives im sure i wont be able to put it down xx
ReplyDeleteI don't like reading spoilers in reviews and try very hard not to put any in the ones I write (or at least give a warning) but when I'm reading a book I admit to sometimes peeking at the last few pages. I don't read it - just try to pick up a few words - to know if a characters name is there for example - to know that they are still alive.
ReplyDeleteYou do know that after your post that is exactly what I'll do with BOTN :-))
I'm one of those readers that sometimes reads the end of a book first, esp. if I think it might have a sad ending. Therefore, I actually usually enjoy spoilers.
ReplyDeleteJenM: Just promise you'll make it to the halfway point of Bring on the Night, OK? ;-) That's all I ask.
ReplyDeleteAyesha: Thanks for getting SHADE--hope you enjoy it!
Karen: As I told JenM, as long as you wait until the halfway point, I'm cool with you reading the end. ;-)
mbreakfield: Good point about knowing whether it's a sad ending. If you know everything will turn out well, it can make it easier to suffer with the characters along the way.
Ok Jeri - you do realize that now I will be obsessed with getting to the middle!! lol Good lord - you're killing me!
ReplyDeleteHello Jeri!
ReplyDeleteI am SCARED of spoilers. I never read a review of a book I want to read because I'm scared they will give to much away. I usually jsut read the last paragraph to have their final conclusion.
I don't read teaser chapters either, it's just more teasing than I can handle.
And of course when I write my reviews, I always write them spoilers free (at least I always try to...).
Thank you very much Jeri for your participation in the Paranormal Summer Fest, it's greatly appreciated =D
Hi Jeri,
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm spoiler-phobic. I hate to hear the details of a book or movie before I get to experience it for myself, especially if there are surprises in it. There's nothing like a surprise that's totally out of left field, I love it.
Spoilers are a way of life for me. I have friends with more money and life than I do, consequently...yes you guessed it. I will not read any reviews of BoTN, because I'm taking the day off to read that baby straight out of the package.
ReplyDeleteFor a highly anticipated book, I go out of my way to not read any spoilers or even any book reviews.
ReplyDeleteBut once I start the book, I am like JenM, I get about half way and have to read the ending. Then, I can just sit back and enjoy the story.
Thanks for the chance to win this story.
Tynga: I'm the same way with teaser chapters. Sometimes I don't even read the back cover, because they give away too many clues.
ReplyDeleteBarbaraE: Yes, I love to be fooled by a book or movie! Yesterday I unfortunately stumbled across the big twist at the end of a book I wanted to read. I will never be able to scrub my brain of "So-and-so is the such-and-such." Arrgh!
Carrie: You should be in good shape, then. ;-)
CathyM: Thanks, I'm happy to be here!
I have to admit I'm a bit mixed about spoilers - I do not want to read spoilers in reviews and teasers for books before they come out always kill me but I still read them and try to patiently wait for the book to be released..though once I get the book I usually end up peeping at the back when I'm at least a third in..I guess I like to control the spoilers ;)... I'm even more excited to read Bring On The Night with the big hints you gave...I can't wait!
ReplyDeleteJeri - I'm am so spoilerphobic that this whole conversation is making me twitch :)
ReplyDeletePatti - I will sometimes glance to see how many pages are left too, but I always seem to zero in on a name or something so I have to be careful.
Smash Attack - Mega ditto! It ruins the enjoyment for me to know the end first. Can't stand it.
JenM - Really? I can't imagine that. Do you still finish the book after reading the end?
Ayesha - I loved SHADE. Really excellent and bittersweet.
Karen - I try and be super careful in my reviews too. A good rule of thumb is to avoid anything that the description doesn't mention.
Mbreakfield - Wow, I really didn't think that people enjoyed skipping to the ending first. But, hey, if that is how you love to read :)
Karen - I think you might be right. I'll bet a lot of people will feel compelled to skip a head now :)
Tynga - You always do a great job of keeping your reviews spoiler free. I never have to worry at your site :)
Carrie - I hear you. I did that with the last Kate Daniels book, I was so paranoid that I come across a spoiler!
Cathy M - Again with the spoiler fans. I'm almost tempted to try it myself to see if I'm missing out out :)
Heather - Controlling the spoiler. I like that. If those who want them can find them & those who want to avoid them can...win win!
Argh! It drives me nuts when people read the end of the book early. Don't they understand that how you get there is important, not just where you end up?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post. Congrats on the new book.
Heather: Bwa-hah-hah! Glad I could tempt you. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAbigail: Thanks again for having me--so glad you enjoyed SHADE!
LSUReader: Yeah, it totally changes the experience when you know how it ends. I'm still very angry about the Publishers Weekly review of John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA. I read the review when I was about 1/4 through the book (accidentally saw it when I went on Amazon to buy it (was reading a library copy)). The chapters are titled "5 DAYS BEFORE", "20 HOURS BEFORE," "5 MINUTES AFTER," etc., but you don't know what that central event is. The stupid PW review only had to use one word, and I knew what it was. Funny thing is, by the end of the book I realized that that event was supposed to be ambiguous, that maybe it wasn't what the review had said. But it had biased me toward that interpretation. So it did more than just ruin that plot development--it skewed my perception of the entire book.
Still one of the best books I've ever read. But it would've been even more emotionally powerful if I hadn't seen it coming. Grr, still so bitter.
Just letting you know that you won an award over at my blog =)
ReplyDeleteOoh, I can't stand spoilers! When I was a kid, I learned my lesson because I read the last sentence of a Hardy Boys book -- and it gave away the identity of the mystery thug! Oh no! Really, though, I'm pretty extreme. I won't even watch the "next week on..." teasers for shows I really like. I want to see everything unfold as the writer intended it to!
ReplyDeleteI do still finish the book, even though I've already read the ending. It's just a weird quirk of mine. I feel almost compelled to read the end - I just can't stop myself. On the other hand, I actually do usually skip over spoilers in reviews. It's like it's okay to spoil myself, but I don't want anyone else to spoil me.
ReplyDeletei skim in to the mddle of the book if its something that grabs me ir ead the beginning to avoid spoilers tho like obn blogs and such ill scan if theres an excert that isntg iveanything ayway illr ead it if it says spoiler then i totally utterly skip it
ReplyDeleteI don't like spoilers and I'm not certainly not more afraid of them then I am spiders but I'm guilty of occasionally flipping through some of the later pages looking for names of characters to make sure they're still there or something like that.
ReplyDeleteThere are ton of reviews that I read daily but I do tend to skim when it's a book I plan on reading in the near future so I won't read a spoiler accidentally.
Not that I know of...
Ken - Don't you hate that? I still have bitter taste in my mouth from books & movies that got spoiled for me (the Sixth Sense is a particular sore spot). I do watch teasers though, but not for all shows.
ReplyDeleteJenM - As long as you still read the book and don't mind knowing the end :) That's funny about skipping spoiler reviews. I wonder if other Skippers feel that way too.
SiNn - At least I can appreciate when they clearly spell out that a spoiler is coming for those of us who avoid them.
Ladytink - Spiders or Spoilers...do we have to choose? They both make me shiver :)
I only read the end of the book if the book is bummin' me out. I want to see if it's worth continuing. Life is too short to read bad books, don'tcha know.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on the book or movie if I see a spoiler. I know that's an eeshy kind of answer, but there it is....
Hate spoilers. I refused to read one of the Harry Potter books (and then abandoned the series bc of it) because someone told me one of the main characters died. I was SO mad!
ReplyDeleteLittle spoilers I can handle, but if someone starts to talk about anything that involves big spoilers, I have to cover my ears. Although if it was between huge spoilers or huge spiders, I'll take the huge spoilers :).
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read Bring on the Night. I've been waiting for this one, what seems like forever lol. Love, love the series.
I don't read the end of a book but I don't avoid spoilers obsessively. I'm okay if small spoilers are told to me but big things I don't like to know ahead of time. Sometimes I like to know if a certain character will continue to be there and will look for spoilers for that character if it's a series.
ReplyDeleteLove this series. Great post. I dont seek out spoilers. I have read them before, but they dont do much for me because I still want to know why what happens happens or how it came to that conclusion. I hate it though when they are in a post or message and its not indicated until after you have read it.
ReplyDeleteKen: As a writer, I appreciate that. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSiNn: Most blog reviewers are really good about giving spoiler warnings. Sometimes it's almost impossible to describe the book without spoiling it. That seems to be the case with Justine Larbalestier's LIAR, which I'm dying to read precisely *because* I have trouble finding out much about it. If I know too much about a book or movie, I lose interest.
Ladytink: I'm a review skimmer, too, and I usually won't read a review of a book i know I want to read or a movie I want to see. But when I'm on the fence, I tend to read a lot of reviews, OR if I read it and had issues with it and want to see if other people agreed, so that I know I'm not crazy. ;-)
Vickie: Me, too--I'll read the end if I'm just not caring much about the characters and just want to know what happens for mild curiosity's sake.
Tori: I know which character you mean! I ended up reading the book, anyway, but was really mad that I knew what happened ahead of time. Then again, I waited until #7 was coming out before I read #6, so I only have myself to blame.
Off for Father's Day breakfast, so I'll respond to the rest later! :-)
robsad: Thank you! I can't wait to see what you think.
ReplyDeleteteiira: True, with a series it's nice to know sometimes which characters are playing a bigger role in which books.
Thanks, Donna! Yeah, if a review or discussion has a spoiler I like to have some warning, or at least have it not be at the beginning.
I can't imagine ready the last page first. That would be like opening your Christmas presents and then re- wrapping them and pretending to be surprised when you open it on Christmas day. I bend over backwards to not read spoilers and the quickest way to get on my sh**list is to tell me the ending of a movie or book.
ReplyDeletealterlisa AT yahoo DOT com
http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/
I really like this series. It's different from your average vamp series.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I don't mind at times finding out what the end is or what happened. As I always enjoy the journey to get there. But there are times I am so into a book, that I don't want to know. I want it to be a surprise.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post!
Lisa R: Well, I have been known to sneak peeks at my Christmas presents as a kid. ;) But that doesn't affect my spoiler-phobia.
ReplyDeleteAnne: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the series.
Melissa: It's interesting to see the difference in the way we perceive the journey when we already know the destination.
Jeri - So true! I do agree. It is best to not know the end, but on a few stories I am okay to knowing. :) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind spoilers for the most part. if i want to read the book, i'm gonna read it. Knowing what happens overall generally doesn't discourage me from reading.
ReplyDeleteI tend not to worry about spoilers for TV shows or movies too much, but I hate finding out too much about a book before I read it, especially if there's a big deal twist. Sometimes hints are even worse than spoilers. Like the "Someone important dies" hint for Harry Potter 5, which made me want to say, "Thanks, Jo, you've got me looking so hard for that death that I'm totally distracted from seeing what's actually going on in your climax. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteGood for you for keeping a super strict street date on this!
Aloha Jeri!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wicked awesome list of books to your name!
Thank you for participating!!
I don't read the end first and don't really like spoilers. I love to read and experience the story as it developes. I love to try to figure out the ending.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great interview.
Have on my wish list.
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
Hi Jeri! I love this series and can't wait to read Bring on the Night. It's such a cool idea to have the radio station and all the DJs represent different eras of rock. Great songs too! Best wishes and thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDelete(Oops, I may have filled out the form twice. So sorry if I did!)