A Shimmer of Angels Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway

 A Shimmer of Angels (Angel Sight #1)
Author: Lisa M. Basso
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Month9Books

Description:

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?  

ABOUT A SHIMMER OF ANGELS: THE PERFECT MIX OF REAL LIFE, PSYCHIATRY and FANTASY in a YA NOVEL

Psychiatry, fantasy and real life come together in A Shimmer of Angels, as a young girl struggles with identity, secrets, and confronting her greatest fears. A Shimmer of Angels is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, or perhaps has felt like giving up entirely. It touches on themes of suicide, ostracism and emotional pain. The author, personally exposed to suicide through the death of a beloved family member, will donate a percentage of sales of this novel to a suicide prevention and outreach program in San Francisco, California.

Top Ten Books 

1. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. This was the first book I read as an early teen that really resonated with me on an emotional level. When I found out she was only fifteen when she started writing this book, I knew writing was something I wanted to try.


2. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur. Full Moon Rising was the first Urban Fantasy book I read. It was spicy, well written, and so full of life. Twists and turns kept me flipping pages and when I was done, I ordered the next three books in the series. This book made me realize paranormal and urban fantasy was what I wanted to write. So I read the next few books, then waited impatiently for the fifth book to release. While I waited, I wrote.


3. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. The way Maggie crafts a story is something so different and so beautiful. Grace and Sam were not your typical teens, and I loved that about them. Every point of view (in the entire Wolves of Mercy Falls series) is unique, making each chapter a sort of gift to the reader, no matter which character is narrating.


4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. This book opened me up to Contemporary (in young adult fiction). Before Anna and the French Kiss, I just didn't think a contemporary book could hold my interest the way a sci-fi or fantasy novel did. Still, reading so many rave reviews made me curious. Then one of my best friends read it. She loved it so much she told me I had to give it a chance. I went out and got myself a copy, sat down, and started reading. The concept of a girl spending her senior year in Paris doesn't sound breathtaking, but Stephanie's writing makes the reader stand up (or sit down as the case usually is) and take notice. Anna's voice was so clear and witty. I fell in love with her instantly. Who else did I fall in love with? St. Clair was a fantastic leading man. The "will they, won't they" romance absolutely killed me. If you're a fan of romance and young adult and you haven't read Anna and the French Kiss yet, my question for you is why?


5. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. After being opened up to Contemporary YA, I've read a good amount of them. Pushing the Limits was one not only one of my favorites last year, but it quickly became one of my favorite books period. Echo is a damaged girl with a painfully locked away past. Noah is a damaged boy in the foster system that misses his younger brothers. Opposites attract when Echo and Noah get partnered (for tutoring) by their counselor. And things don't just heat up, but emotions get deep. Not many books can make me cry. Pushing the Limits did. Several times. Happy tears and sad ones. There's mystery, romance, and two characters so strong they dug their way into my
cold heart (just kidding about the cold part...mostly). I've been recommending this book to everyone who'll listen lately. So...have you read it yet?


6. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. Juliette is (yep, you guessed it) a broken character. Not broken as in emotionally a wreck, broken as in jailed for several years and completely off her rocker. *happy sigh* I love me complicated character. Now add a touch of X-Men (because she can't touch anybody without hurting them), a splash of romance, one seriously messed up bad guy, and this book was practically written for me in mind. I am still dying to get my hands on the sequel. The wait it almost over, but it's killing me.


7. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. Zombies. Check. And feelings? Uh, what? Yes, a zombie book with so...many...feels. The actual zombies in Courtney Summers's This is Not a Test take a kind of backseat to the characters. Now, this doesn't sound so cool, but trust me on two things here. One: this is not a bad thing. The characters are all very rich and unpredictable and seriously, yep, you guessed it, messed up. And two: this is still a zombie book, people. There is blood, death, turning, spookiness, and all-out fear everywhere in this book. It was the perfect blend of contemporary and zombies. Very well done.


8. White Cat by Holly Black. White Cat is different. It stands out among a sea of young adult titles. The world building Holly Black does is always fantastic, but I believe she outdid herself with White Cat. Picture a mystery with a noir feel then throw in a dash of The Sopranos. Odd, right? But it works so well! Every character in this world is full and deadly in some way or another. I can't say enough great things about this series. It's definitely worth a try.


9. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready. I didn't know what to expect when I picked up Shade, but boy was I glad I did. Ghosts are not a new idea, but Jeri takes a very different approach to them by creating this world split in two. Those who can see the ghosts and those who can't. The younger generation all can, thanks to the Shift--some seriously weird mojo that keeps the reader guessing all the way to the third book (which I have, but haven't read yet, so please no spoilers!). This makes for seriously interesting problems for both the author and the characters to tackle. This was another surprisingly emotional read. Another definite must read.


10. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. In the overcrowded shelves of vampire books, Halfway to the Grave stands out. Humor, wit, a strong heroine, and a very steamy bad boy. This book was a FUN read. Action and innuendo. So funny, so action-packed, and with a plot that's one of my favorites, important to the character personally. To me, this always pushes a book up a notch. If getting the bad guy or what he's doing is personal to
the main character, she cares more. It feels more authentic and it makes me care more. And this one has a shocker of an ending. This entire series is a great one that always keeps growing and changing.


These are my favorite reads. What are yours?


Thanks to Stephanie for hosting today! 

Thanks for sharing your favorite books with us today Lisa! It's so interesting to get an inside peek into an author's mind and I love that so many of your favorite books are recent YA releases that we all love too! Thank you for stopping by the blog!

Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Boyfriend that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B. Lisa M. Basso is available for quotes, signings, video or podcast appearances, and all opportunities relative to A SHIMMER OF ANGELS. 

A SLITHER OF HOPE, Book 2 in the ANGEL SIGHT series will be available from Month9Books in February 2014!

ABOUT MONTH9BOOKS:

 

Month 9 Books is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens… where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from each of its annual charity anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 10-12 non-charitable titles annually. A SHIMMER OF ANGELS is Month9Books’s first Young Adult release. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.com for more information.

LINKS:

Goodreads A SHIMMER OF ANGELS: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13572197-a-shimmer-of-angels
Goodreads Lisa M. Basso: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3201662.Lisa_M_Basso
Lisa M. Basso Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lisa-M-Basso/340213186037936?fref=ts
Lisa M. Basso Twitter: http://twitter.com/LisaMBasso
Lisa M. Basso Website: http://lisa-basso.blogspot.com/
Goodreads Month9Books: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/67761-month9books
Month9Books Blogger Central: http://month9booksblog.com/?page_id=477 
Month9Books Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/month9books
Month9Books Twitter: http://twitter.com/Month9Books
Month9Books Publishing Website: http://www.Month9Books.com 

Giveaway: An A SHIMMER OF ANGELS messenger bag with a signed copy of A SHIMMER OF ANGELS and A SHIMMER OF ANGELS stainless water bottle, journal, keychain and postcard pack included in the bag. Open to US/CAN only!

 

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