Book Blitz & Giveaway: The Haunting Season by Michelle Muto

The Haunting Season
Author: Michelle Muto
Genre: New Adult Paranormal/Ghosts
Release Date: December 21, 2012
Publisher: Dreamscapes, Ink

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Description:

Be careful what you let in…

Siler House has stood silent beneath Savannah’s moss-draped oaks for decades. Notoriously haunted, it has remained empty until college-bound Jess Perry and three of her peers gather to take part in a month-long study on the paranormal. Jess, who talks to ghosts, quickly bonds with her fellow test subjects. One is a girl possessed. Another just wants to forget. The third is a guy who really knows how to turn up the August heat, not to mention Jess’s heart rate…when he’s not resurrecting the dead.

The study soon turns into something far more sinister when they discover that Siler House and the dark forces within are determined to keep them forever. In order to escape, Jess and the others will have to open themselves up to the true horror of Siler House and channel the very evil that has welcomed them all.  

The Haunting Season - Playlist:

  

It was only when the crickets and frogs stopped that Jess awoke. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the dark. She turned back over, expecting Allison to be either still sitting up, or asleep. But her bed was empty and Allison stood in front of the dresser, hands at her sides, staring at the mirror. Alarmed, Jess sat upright.
“It’s happening again,” Allison said.
“Huh?”
“The spirits. They’re back. I can see them.”
Jess rubbed her eyes as a spark of uncertainty and a moment’s worth of fear rustled somewhere deep inside her. “They’re there, in the mirror?”
“Yes.”
Jess got out of bed and tentatively stood next to Allison. She looked at the mirror, then behind her. Nothing. Uncertainty gave way to disappointment. The mirror cast back only the shadowy figures of Allison and herself, their faces made pale by the moonlight streaming into the room. They were alone, as far as Jess could tell.
Damn it! Why couldn’t she see the ghosts? Were they here? Disappointment gave way to a pang of envy.
“You don’t seem as upset as you were before,” Jess said. “If they’re back, aren’t you afraid they’ll take over? Possess you?” She wasn’t making fun of Allison. Something horrible had happened to her, and she was probably more sensitive to the supernatural than Jess was.
“Yes, I’m afraid,” Allison replied calmly.
The way Allison spoke seemed at odds with her words. The hairs on Jess’s arms tingled, but not because of any ghosts she couldn’t see. Right now, the only thing creepy in the room was Allison. The girl had been possessed, after all.
Allison turned her head to look at Jess, her expression unreadable in the shadows, even this close up. “He collects souls.”
Jess peered harder into the mirror, trying not to show Allison she was indeed afraid. “He? Who are you talking about?”
“He’s looking at you. I can’t make out what he’s saying. But see?” she pointed to the mirror. “He wrote his name.”
Fear and a healthy dose of agitation rose inside Jess. Fear, because someone staring at them from inside a mirror was downright scary. Agitated, because she couldn’t see anything, and Allison’s continual freak-outs were wearing on her. After a long day getting here, she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.
“Allison, I don’t see anything! He? Who are you talking about?”
“Riley,” Allison whispered.
“Riley? Who’s Riley?”
Allison stood just as still as she had upon Jess’s wakening. “He lives here. With the others.”
“Others?” Jess stepped closer to the mirror, leaning against the dresser to get a better look. Her breath fogged it enough to reveal a single name, written backward: Riley.

Michelle Muto lives in northeast Georgia with her husband and two dogs. She loves changes of season, dogs, and all things geeky. Currently, she’s hard at work on her next book.

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Review: The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead and Buried
Author: Kim Harrington
Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: ARC from publisher

Description:

A haunted house, a buried mystery, and a very angry ghost make this one unforgettable thriller.

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school — until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?   

Review:

The Dead and Buried is a great old-fashioned ghost story set in modern times. Jade has always wanted to move to a bigger city with a bigger house, and now she's finally gotten her wish. The only drawback is that Jade has to start at a new high school, which she doesn't even mind. There are whispers behind Jade's back at school and she starts to wonder what everyone is talking about. Then she discovers that her little brother can see a shimmering girl in his room - one that nobody else can see. Strange things begin to happen in the house. Jade finally discovers the secret that no one wants to talk about - a girl her age died in the house only months earlier. Is Jade's new house haunted? It seems that the angry ghost of the girl who died is now haunted Jade's house - and threatening to hurt her little brother - if Jade doesn't help figure out who killed her. Will Jade be able to solve the girl's murder before it's too late? Will she be able to find a murderer among her classmates?

I absolutely love a good ghost story and this book certainly did not disappoint. There is everything creepy that a good paranormal novel needs - a haunted house, a dead teenage girl, a ghost, murder, and possessions. Aside from being a ghost story, the book is also a fast paced mystery/thriller where Jade must uncover what really happened to the girl who died and who it was that killed her. The writing was incredibly well done and I was completely absorbed in the story from the first page. I literally could not put this down! I started reading it one night when I couldn't sleep and ended up powering through it and finishing around 6 am. It was so worth it though! The characters are realistic and easy to identify with - especially Jade, who I immediately liked. Of course there was a mysterious and gorgeous guy in the book - who just also happens to be heart-broken and suspected of murder. But I still adored him and the relationship between him and Jade was perfectly done. There was tons of action, adventure, twists and turns, and mystery throughout the story - which definitely kept me on my toes and guessing most of the time. The ending was a great twist - one that I didn't see coming until really close to the end. Overall, I totally loved this book. It was a fantastic page turner and a definite must read for fans of creepy ghost stories.

     

Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen #1)

Author: Amanda Stevens

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Mystery

Release Date:April 19, 2011

Review Source: Library

Format: Paperback

Summary: Amelia Gray has always been aware of ghosts, and now she travels all over the South cleaning up forgotten or abandoned graveyards. When an enigmatic yet haunted police detective asks for her help to trap a serial killer, their growing attraction constitutes the very gravest of threats.

Review: I had very high hopes when picking up this book. The description sounded right up my alley - a series of murders in an abandoned graveyard? Awesome! This plot sounded fresh and really interesting - tons of potential. The main line of the story is what kept me reading. It was something new and the twists were good - they had me guessing until the end. The main character, Amelia Gray, was a well done heroine. She had the normal struggles in life with the added problems that seeing ghosts brings to the table. Aside from the solid characters and strong story line, my love for this book stopped there. Of course there was some romance, as to be expected, but what could have been an intriguing relationship or at least the start of one, turned out to be overly predictable and boring. Parts of the story, mostly about the background of some of the characters and the stories surround Charleston's history really bogged the book down. There were good twists and secrets throughout the book, which I was hoping would be given answers at the end, but I was left hanging - and not in a good way. I see how leaving questions unanswered leaves an open ending for the next book, but these questions left me feeling frustrated instead of intrigued. I have already received the next two books in this series, and I'm hoping that they will rekindle my love for this Gothic romance.