*This title will be released on December 6, 2011*

Title: Surrender Author: Lee Nichols Series: Haunting Emma #3 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: No Source: Netgalley Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Ages 14 and up Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (December 6, 2011) ISBN-10: 1599904233 ISBN-13: 978-1599904238 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to sex Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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*This title will be released on March 1, 2011*

Title: Betrayal Author: Lee Nichols Series: Haunting Emma #2 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (March 1, 2011) ISBN-10: 1599904225 ISBN-13: 978-1599904221        Sexual Content: Kissing   My Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle.

 

Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper, Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive—one a snarky teen boy, the other a British scholar—Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good.

As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.

Review

If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? – Emma Vaile! She may be only seventeen, but she’s the most powerful ghostkeeper in generations.  She can summon, communicate, and dispell ghosts back to the Beyond.  She’s like the Buffy version of a ghostbuster, minus all the punning, though she does have a brooding boyfriend and in BETRAYAL, even gets a Giles-like teacher.

 

Buffy comparisons aside (always a good thing), BETRAYAL does suffer a bit of the sophomore slump as so much of what was intriguing about DECEPTION involved the mystery of finding out about Emma’s ability and introducing her to the world of the ghostkeepers.  In BETRAYAL, a lot of that mystery has already been solved.  We know what ghostkeepers are, we know what powers Emma has, we know about the Knell and their involvement in Emma’s life.  In place of those mysteries, Emma struggles with her relationship with Bennett (if they touch too much, the stronger will absorb the others powers), a brutal hostility from her classmates who now call her QBK—Quarterback killer after her involvement with Coby’s death, and the ongoing hunt to dispel Neos and prevent him from unleashing anymore wraiths.  

 

Emma and her friends are every bit as sharp and fun as in the previous book, specifically Harry and a new character named Lukas.  There were moments of levity that felt out of place given grim circumstances or too closely following a tragedy.  I understand that the author was trying to keep the story from being too melancholy, but in those instances, their behavior was a little shallow and not at all in keeping with my impression of the characters overall.

 

The Paranormal YA genre isn’t overflowing with ghost stories, but the Haunting Emma series stands out as one of the best.  A great debut, a solid sequel, and hopefully an equally entertaining conclusion when the third book in the series, SURRENDER, comes out in December of 2011.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Deception	That Bookish Girl I Read to Relax! Lisa and Laura Write

**Visit Tynga’s Reviews today for her PSF Guest blog with Jennifer Lynn Barnes author of RAISED BY WOLVES**

My guest today is author Lee Nichols here to talk about DECEPTION, the first book in her paranormal YA Haunting Emma trilogy which I loved!  I described it as a combination between Fallen by Lauren Kate and Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series.  I’m so glad that Lee’s fabulous publisher, Bloomsbury, is giving 5 of you a chance to win this excellent book. Details below.

Lee Nichols was born in Marblehead, Mass., raised in Santa Barbara, and now lives in Yarmouth, Maine. Which is probably why the four years she attended Hampshire College in Amherst, where she studied history and psychology, made her antsy. It was much too far from the ocean. She is the author of five novels for adults and the HAUNTING EMMA series for young adults. She is married to novelist Joel Naftali, who sometimes writes as Joel N. Ross, and they have one son.

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Interview

ATUF: Your husband Joel N. Ross is also a novelist, writing historical thrillers. Did he offer any good tips and insight while writing DECEPTION?

LN: Yes, we’re heavily involved in each other’s projects. I can’t imagine writing anything without him. Whenever I started working on an action scene, I’d ask him, “How do you do it again? Tell me your secrets.” And he did.

ATUF: Can you describe the inspiration for the setting Emma's old-fashioned private school Thatcher? Did you attend a similar school?

LN: No, I went to a huge 2,400 person public high school, the complete opposite of Thatcher. I wanted a setting that would be totally foreign to my character, Emma Vaile, who comes from a public school much like my own, yet be somehow connected to her—she discovers the school used to be an estate that belonged to her ancestor.

ATUF: Where did the idea of a ghostkeeper come from?

LN: I wanted to write a contemporary gothic novel with a kick-butt heroine, and Emma Vaile was born.

ATUF: The book description taunts readers with the promise of a "shocking ending will leave readers desperate for book two." Is it a true cliffhanger? How long will we have to wait for Haunting Emma, book 2?

LN: Well, someone who read the novel recently tweeted me: “Just finished Deception and how am I supposed to sleep with a cliffhanger like THAT?!?” So, I guess it’s pretty good. But at the same time, there’s a satisfying ending. The second book, BETRAYAL, comes out in the winter of 2011.

ATUF: If DECEPTION were ever made into a movie, who would your dream or, to keep things interesting, nightmare cast be?

LN: I am twisted enough to love the idea of a nightmare cast. Miley Cyrus as Emma and Justin Beiber as Bennett, the guy she falls for. Actually, that sounds like a sure-fire hit, with lots of catchy songs.

ATUF: What other projects can we look forwarding to reading from you soon?

LN: After BETRAYAL, comes POSSESSION, the third Haunting Emma book. I’m writing it now.

ATUF: What are some of your favorite titles/authors in the paranormal genres?

LN: I have to say TWILIGHT, just because the first book is so romantic. And recently I’ve really enjoyed THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and SHIVER.

ATUF: I'm a cover art junkie. What can you tell us about the cover art for DECEPTION. Do you know who the artist is?

LN: I’ve been using the cover as my avatar on Facebook and wallpaper on Twitter and I’m completely attached to it. I love the girl they chose, the spooky smoke, the school, the colors, all of it. It was designed by Nicole Gastonguay.

ATUF: I did a post recently talking where different authors talked about the books their characters would read. What would Emma read?

LN: I think she’d be into Latin American fiction with its magical realism. Something like THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS by Isabel Allende, or Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE.

ATUF: Can you tell us about your favorite scene in DECEPTION?

LN: It might be when Bennett ties her school tie for her. Just because it’s unexpected and swoony.

ATUF: If DECEPTION was a Frankenstein book compiled from elements of other books, what would some of those other books be?

LN: Wow, that’s tough. My publisher thinks it’s a cross between Kate Brian’s PRIVATE series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with ghosts. And I can't really argue with that.

 

ATUF: In honor of Paranormal Summer Fest, can you describe your perfect Paranormal Summer read? And where would you love to be vacationing while reading it?

LN: I want Charlaine Harris to write a YA paranormal. So in a magical world I’m in Italy reading that book.

ATUF: Thanks so much for stopping by Lee.  Come back anytime!

Visit Lee online:

• Website
• Blog
• Facebook
• Twitter

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Want to read more from Lee Nichols?

Haunting Emma
1. Deception (read my Review)

Novels
Tales of a Drama Queen
Hand-Me-Down
True Lies of a Drama Queen
Wednesday Night Witches
Reconstructing Brigid

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Bloomsbury

Five (5) copies of DECEPTION by Lee Nichols

The intrigue of prep school meets the paranormal as this gripping and romantic series begins

When Emma Vaile's parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, she's left all alone in her creepy old house. But her brother's very cute best friend, Bennett Stern - Emma's knight in J. Crew armor - arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family's museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. She quickly finds friends in the popular legacy crowd at Thatcher and spends her free time crushing on Bennett. But the eerie visions she's been hiding from everyone have gotten worse. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can't explain - it's as if she's returning home to a place she's never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer.

A rich New England setting filled with mystery, tradition, and prep-school intrigue make Deception the perfect choice for fans of series like Kate Brian's Private, as well as all those paranormal fans. The shocking ending will leave readers desperate for book two.

GIVEAWAY GUIDLINES

1. Open to US only
2. Fill out the form below
3. 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 Lee. Thanks!

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Interested in being interviewed on All Things Urban Fantasy?  CONTACT ME

**Deception (Haunting Emma) releases on June 8, 2010**

 

Book Description

A rich New England setting filled with mystery, tradition, and prep-school intrigue make Deception the perfect choice for fans of series like Kate Brian's Private, as well as all those paranormal fans.


When Emma Vaile's parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, her brother's very cute best friend, Bennett Stern—Emma's knight in J. Crew armor—arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family's museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can't explain—it's as if she's returning home to a place she's never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer.

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Book 1 in The Haunting Emma Trilogy

Review:
DECEPTION is like a combination of Fallen by Lauren Kate meets Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series. Like Fallen, DECEPTION has the new sort of gothic school full of students who may not be what they seem, and a main character torn between two guys.  Like the Soul Screamers, DECEPTION’s main character has spent her life thinking she’s crazy and ignorant of her abilities because of her parents fear, and is eventually sent away from them.

I knew from the first page that DECEPTION was going to be good. The tone that Lee creates with Emma's voice is instantly cool and observant. Growing up with her chronically jet-setting parents, Emma has learned to be completely self reliant. She’s capable and not easily intimidated, but also woefully aware of her isolation and secretly longs for true friends, and true love.

The mystery in DECEPTION is full of gothic intrigue and chilling suspense.  What exactly are ghostkeepers?  Why does Emma feel such a connection to Thatcher Academy?  How could her parents keep the truth from her and what else are they hiding?  The answers to these questions aren’t immediately obvious yet they ended up being completely satisfying once revealed. Plus Lee has left a lot unanswered for the next two Haunting Emma books (Betrayal and Surrender).

DECEPTION is the third spooky good ghost story that I’ve read this year (Morpheus Road: The Light and Shade being the others).  If these titles are any indication, ghosts are going to be the next hot thing in paranormal fiction.  If you haven’t gotten your ghost fix yet, DECEPTION is an excellent place to start. This gothic romance has it all: likeable characters, a doomed love triangle, and an intriguing new ghost mythology.  It’s subtly scary and provocative in turn.  I’m already looking forward to Haunting Emma again when Betrayal comes out next winter.

Sexual Content: References to sex. Kissing

My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

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Product Details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
• Published: 05 July 2010
• Format: Hardback 336 pages
• See: Full bibliographic data
• Categories: Crime | Science Fiction | Fantasy | Romance | School Stories
• ISBN 13: 9781599903088 ISBN 10: 1599903083

*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of BBPOC

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Disagree with my review?  Contact me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review