J.R. JOHANSSON is a young adult thriller author published with Flux & FSG/Macmillan. Her debut, INSOMNIA is coming June 2013. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she’s not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she’s nearly drowning in testosterone.
Visit J.R.: WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TUMBLR | GOODREADS
* * *
LDSWBR: What books do you plan/hope to read this summer?
J.R.: ABANDON by Elana Johnson, DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Kasie West, TEN by Gretchen McNeil and GAME OF THRONES by George R. R. Martin.
LDSWBR: Did you ever go to summer camp, and/or what is your most memorable camping experience?
J.R.: I never went, but I always imagined that there would be a boys camp across the lake and we would sneak out and play tricks on them while they slept…it’s probably better that this little delusion was never shattered. :) My most memorable camping experience as an adult involved food poisoning, and that’s just not something I should talk about–ever.
LDSWBR: If you could have a summer home anywhere in the world, where would it be?
J.R.: It would be on a beach in the Caribbean, but I’m leaving this open for revising. There are a lot of places in the world I haven’t been yet. I reserve the right to change my mind.
LDSWBR: Thank you so much!
* * *
Find INSOMNIA
In J.R.’s words: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Indiebound, BooksAMillion, Book Depository and pretty much everywhere else. Plus, it will be coming soon in Germany, Italy, Hungary and Taiwan!
It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.
Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.
Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker.
Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?
Read Sheila’s review of INSOMNIA
Time to spill your best prank-at-camp story.
* * *
To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.
Comment on each Countdown to Summer 2013 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.
Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions HERE.
If you don’t already follow LDSWBR through email, Facebook or Twitter (those cute little book buttons on the sidebar) you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. Following LDSWBR is not required but it is nice to know that our book reviews are useful to other readers.
If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, perhaps you would consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2013. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Book prizes generously donated by the authors as of 6/19/2013 (more added throughout the countdown!):
- A Blind Eye by Julie Daines (signed), a bookmark AND a Mind the Gap temporary tattoo
- I, Spy by Jordan McCollum (choice of paperback or ebook)
- Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards (choice of paperback or ebook)
- Glimmer of Hope by Sarah M. Eden
- A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver
- Fairy Godmothers, Inc. by Jenniffer Wardell (signed paperback)
- Esther the Queen by H.B. Moore (Kindle or Nook)
- Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears (or winner’s choice of another book by Gale)
- Farworld: Air Keep by J. Scott Savage (personalized copy)
By commenting and participating in the Countdown to Summer 2013 you agree to the following:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins June 10, 2013 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight June 30, 2012 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each post’s required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected July 2, 2013 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winners will have until July 10, 2013 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments & questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
19 Responses to “Insomnia by J.R. Johansson – Countdown to Summer 2013”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Saran wrap on honey on toilet seats ;) !!
I never did any pranks at camp. When I was a young adult, a friend and I sprayed some Pam or something under some friends’ car door handles, though.
Shoot, I didn’t really pull any pranks at camp. Just the normal snype hunt stuff. I was going to take my dad’s rubber snake one year and use it to scare people, but after tricking me into going for a final year he decided that I couldn’t take the thing he had bribed me with after all!
Thanks so much for hosting me! This was a perfect short and sweet interview for a summer day. :)
Our pleasure, Jenn. Thanks for participating!
I’ll only share because my girls and YW won’t see this. Out of all the pranks I pulled, my favorite was the plastic wrap under the toilet seat with ketchup, jelly, honey, and whatever else we were able to scrounge up on the toilet seat. We had also taken the toilet paper. We were woken up in the middle of the night with a girl running screaming and crying through the camp. She had been the unfortunate victim.
I didn’t really pull any pranks while at camp. My friend, on the other hand, had a very creative mind. One year, she got some clay and shaped it into these bumpy, lumps of goop. Once the clay had dried, she painted it brown… thus making the lump of clay look like cow/deer patties. She then placed these “patties” around the campsite. She would laugh and laugh whenever someone almost stepped into the patties or actually stepped into the clay.
I have never been a prankster but I do remember some of the other YW in our ward taking our adult leaders clothing while they were off showering. I think someone else took pity on the leaders and rescued them, though.
I didn’t really do any pranks, although I did take the younger girls on snipe hunts (I never was a snipe), and we did spork/write nice notes to one group.
No pranks but we did sneak out after curfew to meet up with some boys to talk (shocking I know) and the leaders were looking for us only calling my friend, Lisa’s name. They never thought that I would break the rules because I was “Miss innocent”.
No pranks for me. :) Just the thought of pulling pranks would probably have made me ill. (I can’t even stand to pull April Fool’s Jokes.)
I’ve got my ebook.
I’m not a prankster, probably fearing the do unto others repercussion if I did something. ;)
One year at camp we had a girl that would sleep through anything. So the other 6 of us in the cabin decided to duct tape her to the light pole until the morning. The same gal was well endowed and we placed her bra into the freezer that same night. Needless to say she did not speak to us for the remainder of the camp.
Never did pranks at camp. Never had pranks done to me. I guess we were really boring!!
One year at camp it was the job of myself and the other girls my age to initiate the camp newbies to snipe hunting.(This is a fictional hunt but they did not know that) We got them all pumped and took them out into the woods were some girls were hiding in the bushes with red pen lights and one of us older girls said that we would catch them for the girls and as we walked into the bushes she was pulled down and screamed at which time the rest of us older girls raced into the bushes to “save her” and we were pulled down as if we were being carried off. The younger girls raced back to tell the leaders that we were being ravaged by wild snipes and yes there may have been tears and mild hysteria, needless to say we got into trouble and were never allowed to lead snipe hunts again.
This book looks great! It is definitely going on my to read list.
I’ve heard so much buzz about this book I’d love to get my hands on a copy.
I dont have any good prank camp stories but I did witness one. Someone put mint toothpaste in oreo cookies. Makes me shudder just thinking about it.
I avoid camping like the plague! The only time I ever really went was girl’s camp, and then I was too busy counting down the minutes until I returned to civilization to bother with pranks.
I wasn’t a prankster, but One of my youth group leaders painted another leader’s toes with honey while she was sleeping. They thought it would be funny to wake up to a bear licking her toes. Good thing it didn’t work.