Book Tour ~ Don't Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto + Giveaway

Don't Fear the Reaper Tour

Description
Haunted by memories of her murdered twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her only ticket to eternal peace.

But in death, she discovers the afterlife is nothing like she expected. Instead of peaceful oblivion or a joyful reunion with her sister, Keely is trapped in a netherworld on Earth with only a bounty-hunting reaper and a sarcastic demon to show her the ropes.

When the demon offers Keely her ultimate temptation--revenge on her sister's killer--she must determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely soon learns, the reaper and demon have been keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true-- that her every decision changes how, and with whom, she spends eternity.

Genre: YA/Horror/Ghosts

Buy Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Smashwords



Tell Me About Heaven – The Story Behind Don't Fear the
Reaper

I first came up with the idea for Don't Fear the Reaper after several agents had rejected another novel I’d written and asked if I had  anything, darker – more edgy. Oddly, it’s been years, but I still recall  coming up with the concept so vividly.

I was cleaning house and mulling over new ideas when Blue Oyster Cult’s iconic 1976 song, Don't Fear the Reaper, came up on my iPod’s  playlist. There were several parts that truly inspired me: “Take my  hand,” “40,000 men and women everyday,” “Love of two is one. Here, 

but now they’re gone,” and “the candles flew and the mist appeared,  the curtains blew and then he appeared.”

From there, it was a matter of ‘What If’s’ that made my idea unique from the song. What if it wasn’t star-crossed lovers? What if it was  family? What if the main character met up with a bounty-hunting reaper and a handsome, but sarcastic demon? And what if all the odds were stacked against my main character and yet, she still found  hope and assistance in the most unlikely of fellow characters? What if all it took to save a soul was sacrifice, one born of undying love and devotion? And yet, what if the price of that salvation came at a high price?

I couldn’t wait to write it. What I hadn’t expected was how it’d rip open old wounds, how the pain of writing Keely’s grief meant  revisiting my own. I’d lost my grandparents, my parents, my uncles, all my aunts except for one. I’d lost friends and beloved fur babies, all of whom I’d loved with every fiber of my being. I’d witnessed four of  their deaths. I even held the head of two in my arms as they passed. Two loved ones died in the house I currently live in. 

Up to this point, I’d managed my grief. Now, by sitting down to write about love that went beyond death, I was getting ready to stick a  hammer and chisel into the wall I’d built and bring the entire thing down—and with it, all the painful memories I’d carefully placed behind it. 

Tell me about Heaven, Dad
 I really want to know,
Because ten long 

years have passed,
And I miss you so… 

The above stanza is from a poem I wrote to my father ten years after his death. I cannot begin to describe what it was like to lose my father, whom I loved more than my very being. All these years later, I’ll freely admit it: I’m a Daddy’s girl. We’re so much alike, he and I. I was robbed of him far too soon by multiple myeloma, a brutal and incurable cancer.

For those who have read Don’t Fear the Reaper, it’s easy to see the real life example I used. It’s easy to spot the grief, the emotion I used for my main character, Keely Morrison. All scenes I drew from real life.

Oh, and about those agents? I had several tell me that the opening was one of the best they’d read in a long time and that the concept  was truly original. But, in the end, they felt the subject matter was too dark. That’s okay. I think the person best qualified to make that

choice is the reader. 

That’s my heart on a sleeve, Dear Reader. The story behind the story. Thanks for reading about the journey. 

Where to find Michelle: Blog, Twittter, FB

And Now For The Giveaway!

Rules:
Open internationally
Entrants must be 13+
One person per house hold
No cheating (yes entering under different names counts) - I will check entries
I will discount any entries if cheating has occured
Winners have 48hrs to respond to my email to claim the prize. If I don't hear anything withing the time period a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck Everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Shimmer of Angels (Angel Sight #1) - Lisa M. Basso

Goodreads 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?

Source: Netgalley (ARC)
Published January 29th 2013 by Month9Books, LLC

My Opinion

I really enjoyed this book and it was one I found hard to put down. A Shimmer of Angels was fast paced and full of action. Seriously, there was never a dull moment reading it as something was always happening. I liked the fact that Rayna was the only one who was able to see the angels as it gave a different twist to most angel books I have read. The main POV was human, and it was nice to gain a different perspective in the genre. Also the fact that everyone else thought she was crazy heightened the emotions in the book as you sympathised with her character.

As well as this, although I didn't learn as much about the angels as I would have liked, there was enough information to satisfy my curiosity and it was revealed slowly throughout the book so sustained my interest well. I loved the contrast between the two angels, Kade and Cam and the tension between them was well described and sustained throughout the book to make their relationship believable.

The chapters in this book were pretty short, which made it a nice light and quick read. However sometime I felt that the action maybe happened to quickly and skimmed over a few details, I would have liked to read more about. The book tended to jump rather quickly from scene to scene but overall I enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to the sequel.