Here by Denise Grover Swank

This year I have now read three books by author Denise Grover Swank and yet if I am completely honest if these hadn’t been sent to me to review I probably wouldn’t have picked them to read as they are not my usual genre choice when it comes to books but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading each of her books and I find myself eager to read another of her books as she really knows how to leave you in suspense on that cliff hanger! Here by Denise Grover Swank is the book I have just finished and this book was just as good as the other books.


Plot
Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before.


Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

My Opinion
I think I have beat my personal best whilst reading this book I finished it in only 4 and a half hours so as you can tell this book was impossible to put down I was even reading it whilst standing making the dinner! I never expected to enjoy a YA book as much as this. The best thing about this book is the suspense factor you never know what is going to happen next and it is impossible to predict the ending.

Each of the characters are developed well and each have an edge of mystery at the beginning of the book which makes you unsure of who to trust, who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. Our main characters Julia, Evan and Reece all form part of a love triangle but this is a love triangle like no other as usually when I read books with love triangles I know who I want to be the one the girl ends up with but this is definitely not the case in this book as both of the boys bring out the best in Julia but both of them have completely different characters with Evan feeling like the romantic settling down safe option and with Reece a more thrilling kind of chemistry.

You do need to really concentrate when reading this book as it did take a while to understand the storyline of the book as it is by no means straight forward making the book quite intense not one of these books you can pick up and put down after a few chapters.

The book has clearly been left open for a sequel and I for one will be looking out for it as soon as it becomes available on Amazon.

Chosen by Denise Grover Swank

This year I have taken part in the Chicklit plus tour. One of the great benefits of being part of the tour is the authors I have been introduced to. One author in particular has stuck out tto me since taking part on the tour and that was Denise Grover Swank. Earlier in the year I read and reviewed her book Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes, this would not have been the type of book I would have picked up but after reading it I am eagerly awaiting a sequel! So when I was approached for another book tour for Denise again I jumped at the chance. This time the book in question is Chosen which again is not the kind of book I would usually opt for but after reading Denise’s previous book I was eager to give it a try.

Plot
Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.


Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn't know she has.


Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his pay check and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it's too late.

My Opinion
Chosen is centred around three main characters, Emma, Jake and Will. Each of the characters are developed so well which made the characters feel more real. Although Emma has been running for years to protect her son Jake she doesn’t take on the damsel in distress roll she embraces the challenge head on doing anything in her power to help protect her son. I loved the character of Emma she was easy to connect to. I also love Will although it is quite clear from the start that he has an ulterior motive you cannot help but warm to his character as he seems like he is such a nice guy who has just fallen onto the wrong path.
Now time for the character of Jake! Jake can only be summed up in one word and that is creepy. It was hard to see his character as a 5 year old boy. Because of his phsycic abilities he seems to sound very wise and old before his time. I still found his character intriguing but that was my main difficulty with the book is seeing this boy as a child.

The reason I jumped at the chance to read Chosen is because of the element of suspense Denise managed to create in her previous book. She is back with a bang in Chosen I actually feel that the suspense factor is greater in this book at times I felt like I was gripping my kindle so tight anticipating what was going to happen next.
I was on the edge of my seat reading this action packed novel when it suddenly came to an end. I think because the storyline is so intense and flows at such a fast pace you did not see the ending coming and it has clearly been left open for a sequel.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who likes paranormal, action packed read. I know I for one will be eagerly awaiting a follow up to this book.
If you have a kindle this is at an unbelievable price at the moment by clicking the link below.

Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank and author Interview

Plot

For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect.


Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbour Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own.


Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.



My Opinion
I have just finished Twenty Eight and A Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank. This is not the usual kind of book I would pick up but when the book was offered to me to review there was something that intrigued me about the storyline mainly to do with our main character Rose who has visions which has always been of interest to me. The book gets off to a great start and a fast pace with the first line of the book “It all started when I saw myself dead” .I think this line is going to stick in my mind for a long time as I have never read any kind of book which starts in this way and it certainly had me gripped.

Our main character in this book is Rose who I took an instant like to. She seems quirky and innocent in her ways which I think is mainly due to the sheltered life she has lived. I loved the fact that I found her funny without her even trying which only made her character more likeable. There seemed to be so much in life she had missed out on which only left me rooting for her to tackle all the things she wants to do in life.

I also really enjoyed the character of the next door neighbour Joe. We know he is keeping secrets which only make his character more mysterious and intriguing. Even though I couldn’t work out if he was a good guy or a bad guy I still found his character so likeable. I enjoyed the relationship between the two characters.

The storyline to this book is so intense there is just something happening all the time which meant I couldn’t put it down as I needed to know what was going to happen next. What I enjoyed most about this book was the suspense factor. I kept chopping and changing my mind with what I thought was going to happen and all in all I was wrong! Just as I thought the story was starting to wrap up something else would happen so to say I was then on the edge of my seat is a slight understatement!

There is such a mix to this book so there is definitely something for everyone in this book. Action, romance, suspense and even a splash of humour. I truly think this book would make for a great film.
I would recommend this book and I will also be keeping my eyes open for more work by Denise Grover Swank

Denise has been kind enough to come over and have an interview with us too hope you all enjoy....!!

What gave you the inspiration for Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes?
I took my son to the DMV to get license plates for his new car and told him it would be awesome to have a character work at a DMV. He rolled his eyes and gave me his "mom's talking weird" again look. I knew I wanted the book to be lighter and more fun than the book I had just finished and somehow out of that Rose was born. I usually have to let a character roll around in my head for a bit to get to know them, but Rose was born fully developed a raring to go.

I came up with a blurb for the book three days later and wrote the first chapter the next day.

Are you planning on a sequel to Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes and if so can you tell us a little bit about your plans for it?
Yes! I have three semi-plotted books in the Rose Gardner Mystery series. Each book will have a mystery but will also focus on Rose's continued growth as she adjusts to her new life and deals with her long distance relationship with Joe. And Violet will be just as involved.

You are bringing up 5 of your beautiful children do you find it hard to find time to sit down and write?
Yes, but the key is headphones and a laptop. I'm working on this interview in a dance studio waiting room while my younger children hide behind benches. I've written at play rehearsals, doctor's offices, Starbucks, motel rooms, the front seat of cars. And countless other places. If I have free time, I pull out my laptop.
And I also write a lot at night. I say I never thought I'd have a night job, but the majority of my writing takes place between 9 p.m. and 2-3 a.m. It's a good thing I'm a night owl and I can live several nights in a row on 4-6 hours sleep.

You self published Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes, what advice would you give to anyone who is thinking of going down the self publish route?
First, make sure you've had writers thoroughly critique your work. I have three-four for each manuscript and then I have beta readers. They're looking for plot holes, inconsistencies, etc. THEN I have a professional copy editor read through it. You may only have one chance to make an impression on a reader. You want them to read your book and hopefully be looking for your other work.

What was the last book you read?
The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Beautiful book, full of fascinating characters. And the movie was well done, too.


If you were stuck on a desert Island what would be the 3 things you would have with you?
I'm hoping I don't have to chose between my kids. ;) I'm guessing no electricity since it's a deserted island. (Bye bye laptop and headphones!) I'm in big trouble because I'm an electronically dependent woman. I can't go more than a few days without writing so I would want the thickest notebook I could get my hands on and pen. (there's two) And I'd want a book, because I can't go long without reading either. Just don't make it War and Peace. Please. :)

Thankyou to Denise for taking the time to answer our questions and also Denise and Chick lit Plus for giving me the opportunity to read this thrilling book.

Grab yourself a copy over at Amazon  on the link below