Shadowed by Stephanie Black – Countdown to Christmas 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 212012
 

 4 days until Christmas

 

Stephanie Black has loved books since she was old enough to grab the pages, and has enjoyed creating make-believe adventures since she and her sisters were inventing long Barbie games filled with intrigue and danger or running around pretending they were Charlie’s Angels. She is the author of a futuristic thriller, The Believer, and five contemporary suspense novels, including Shadowed (2012). She is a four-time Whitney Award winner for Best Mystery/Suspense, most recently for Rearview Mirror (2011).

Visit Stephanie:  WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | GOODREADS

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LDSWBR: Do you top your Christmas tree with a star, angel, or something else? Does it have special meaning to you?

STEPHANIE: This year, we have a wire star there that used to be an ornament. As far as special meaning, the special meaning is “we should look for a nice tree-topper at the after-Christmas sales.”

LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?

STEPHANIE: The Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s funny, fun, festive, touching, and has great music.

LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?

STEPHANIE: I can’t think of a specific gift that tops the list, but here’s one that I think is awesome :) A few years ago I made fleece blankets for all the kids. I am NOT good at sewing, but these fleece blankets were something I could do that turned out great. They don’t involve any actual sewing–just two layers of fleece with the edges cut into strips and tied together. Anything I make out of fabric is going to turn out crooked or uneven in some way, but with these blankets, it doesn’t matter–when it’s wrapped around you, you don’t notice the flaws. I tried to choose fabric each child would like, and it was fun to have a handmade blanket for each child on Christmas morning.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Stephanie!

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Purchase Shadowed: 

AMAZON | KINDLE | DESERT BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

Gifted musician Catherine Clayton was born into a life of wealth and privilege. Following the death of her father, she makes a bold decision she hopes would make him proud: she’s using the family money to establish a music school and offer free lessons to the underprivileged. A providential suggestion from an old college friend leads Catherine to select Riley, New York, as the perfect location for her new school. Hit hard by the economic downturn, Riley personifies economic hardship: peeling paint, overgrown landscapes, and damaged buildings. But the damage runs much deeper than Catherine first realizes. Two years ago, Riley was rocked by weeks of vandalism followed by the brutal murder of beautiful elementary school secretary Olivia Perry. Everyone in town loved Olivia but especially the two men with whom she was caught in a love triangle. Though the murder remains unsolved, Catherine receives ominous warnings that one of these men, Adam Becket, is responsible for the girl’s death. Unimpressed by the lack of evidence against him, Catherine is drawn to the shy but endearing Adam. Could he really have been involved in Olivia’s murder? Just as Catherine is settling in and getting to know Adam, a vandal strikes again, and it’s eerily reminiscent of the events surrounding Olivia’s murder. The death threats splashed on the walls prove that the killer is back and this time, it’s Catherine who wonders if she’s come to the wrong place at the wrong time.

Do you shop the after Christmas sales? Ever find any great deals?

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Christmas 2012 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 below.

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 Christmas 2012. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!

By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2012, you agree to the contest rules below:

**NOTE: Deadline for commenting and entering has been extended to Midnight December 25, 2012 Mountain Time.**

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2012 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 25, 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 posts 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 December 27, 2012 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 3, 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.

Book Prizes (as of December 21, 2012 – more to be added to this list!)

  • Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
  • Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
  • Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
  • Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
  • Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
  • The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
  • Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
  • Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
  • The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
  • The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (ebook- PDF/.mobi)
  • Lady Outlaw by Stacy Henrie (signed paperback)
  • A Note Worth Taking by Lu Ann Staheli (Kindle)
  • When Hearts Conjoin by Lu Ann Staheli (paperback)
  • Paige by Annette Lyon (signed paperback)
  • All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon (personalized paperback)
  • Smart Move by Melanie Jacobson (signed & personalized paperback)
  • Shadowed by Stephanie Black (personalized paperback or ebook)

Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:

 

Shadowed by Stephanie Black — Combined Review

 Posted by  Combined Reviews, Mindy's Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Oct 312012
 

Shadowed

Author: Stephanie Black

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published: September 2012

Paperback: 273 pages

Genre: Mystery-Suspense

ISBN13: 9781621081968

FTC FYI: Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: Mindy and Shanda

Goodreads Summary

Gifted musician Catherine Clayton was born into a life of wealth and privilege. Following the death of her father, she makes a bold decision she hopes would make him proud: she’s using the family money to establish a music school and offer free lessons to the underprivileged. A providential suggestion from an old college friend leads Catherine to select Riley, New York, as the perfect location for her new school. Hit hard by the economic downturn, Riley personifies economic hardship: peeling paint, overgrown landscapes, and damaged buildings. But the damage runs much deeper than Catherine first realizes.

Two years ago, Riley was rocked by weeks of vandalism, followed by the brutal murder of beautiful elementary school secretary Olivia Perry. Everyone in town loved Olivia—but especially the two men with whom she was caught in a love triangle. Though the murder remains unsolved, Catherine receives ominous warnings that one of these men, Adam Becket, is responsible for her death. Unimpressed by the lack of evidence against him, Catherine is drawn to the shy but endearing Adam. Could he really have been involved in Olivia’s murder?

Just as Catherine is settling in and getting to know Adam, a vandal strikes again, and it’s eerily reminiscent of the events surrounding Olivia’s murder. The death threats splashed on the walls prove that the killer is back—and this time, it’s Catherine who wonders if she’s come to the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mindy’s Review

I was so excited to read this book from Stephanie Black.  Stephanie has won 4 Whitney Awards for her work, so I knew this book would be a good one.  I was not disappointed.  Shadowed had me on edge, just waiting for something to happen, anticipating each page eagerly. My heart went out to Catherine. Talk about bad timing, with lots of bad luck. Moving into a town that is not welcoming and down right spooked by past and current events. Catherine is a great character with lots of great qualities. I really enjoyed what took place in the story, and the outcome of who did it. I was not expecting that!

This is a great book to read on Halloween, full of suspense and heart pounding action.

4 out 5 stars.

Shanda’s Review

Shadowed is a great book to read on Halloween. Set in Riley, New York during autumn, the setting descriptions and suspenseful plot were just right for a good, scary read.

I enjoyed the characters and feel like I got to know them pretty well considering we never leave Catherine’s point of view. Each one took their turn as my suspected bad guy. I thought I had the villain pegged a couple of times, but never with much confidence until the end. Stephanie did a great job keeping me guessing.

The pace of the story was effective and kept me reading until my eyes just wouldn’t stay open anymore. Just as I would get feeling comfortable in Riley again, something would happen or hint at happening to shake things up. There are several action-packed scenes near the end that got my heart rate up and kept me turning pages.

I really enjoyed Shadowed and happily recommend it to readers who love mystery-suspense.

Read more about Stephanie Black on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Find Shadowed:

GOODREADS | AMAZON | KINDLE | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

 

The Shy Writer – Stephanie Black – Guest Author Thursday

 Posted by  Guest Author Thursday, Special Features
Oct 252012
 

We are happy to welcome Stephanie Black to Guest Author Thursday. Stephanie is the author of several mystery-suspense novels as well as the winner of FOUR Whitney Awards in the Mystery-Suspense category. Her lastest novel, SHADOWED, was released last month.

Visit Stephanie on her WEBSITE, BLOG, and TWITTER.

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The Shy Writer

I started trying to write a novel when I was seventeen—“trying” in the sense of playing around with a story, writing scenes that interested me. I took that approach for many years, just having fun with it. I didn’t do a whole lot with it in college, but after I graduated and was at home with my first baby, I retrieved the folder containing my writing from my parents’ house and got into it (tangent: that infant daughter is now APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. AAAAAAAAAAAHH! Where did the time go?)

Okay. Whew. Back to the topic at hand. At first, I was shy about my writing. I would work on it when my husband wasn’t home, and (this is a little silly) I even gave some computer files fake names like “letter 9-19” or whatever it was, so if he stumbled across the files, they would look like letters to my family (this was in the pre-email days, so I occasionally wrote an actual letter. Dark ages, huh?). My sister (who is now the Evil HR Lady and a business blogger for CBS) wrote some fiction too, so she was the first person I showed my work to.

Even when I got further in the process of writing a novel, I was still shy about it. I didn’t want to write if anyone could see what I was writing (unless the person was a child too young to read). If someone walked past the computer screen, I could minimize that screen at the speed of light. But eventually I got to the point where I was seeking feedback on full drafts—but only from my family. Some experts may say that family members don’t make good feedback-givers, but I haven’t found that to be true. My family has been extremely helpful. I should give them chocolate.

I suppose it’s kind of a funny thing that I was so private about what I was doing when my goal was to publish the book so a bunch of strangers—the more the better!—could read it. But I’m betting I’m not the only writer who was shy in the early stages. Heck, even in the later stages, there’s plenty to be shy about, don’t you think? Creating stories in our minds and at our keyboards, shaping them as best we can with dialogue and semicolons and verbs—then taking those stories and putting them in the public eye, vulnerable, inviting comments from anyone who wants to praise or criticize. But when you love to write, that risk is worth it, and the “I loved your book! It kept me up until three in the morning!” makes it easier to weather the “This book stunk on this, this, this, and THAT level.” And believe me, once you publish, you will get some negative reviews among the positive, no matter how good your book is. Gone With the Wind has 10,175 one-star Goodreads ratings, for goodness sake. Yoooouuu willll noootttt esccaaappe (Oh, sorry. Went all Halloween there for a moment).

In some ways, I’ve become a lot less shy about my writing. When I’m working on a project, I usually leave the file open, minimized at the bottom of the screen—gasp! I’m not too worried about someone picking up my computer and sneaking a peek—I don’t think anyone in my household is that curious about my current work-in-progress. I usually don’t send my manuscripts out for test reads until the third draft. Of course, if I got really mad at someone, I could torment him or her by sending a first draft (Me: “Read this. You’ll love it. Bwahahahaha!” Test reader, after a few chapters: “Noooooooo! Aaaaaaah! What is this?” (flees shrieking to Barnes and Noble and builds a protective fort out of copies of The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) and annotated editions of War and Peace). But I’m usually not THAT mean—at least not in real life. My characters might have a different opinion.

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Find SHADOWED (just in time for Halloween, too!)

GOODREADS | AMAZON | KINDLE | DESERET BOOK |  SEAGULL BOOK

Gifted musician Catherine Clayton was born into a life of wealth and privilege. Following the death of her father, she makes a bold decision she hopes would make him proud: she’s using the family money to establish a music school and offer free lessons to the underprivileged. A providential suggestion from an old college friend leads Catherine to select Riley, New York, as the perfect location for her new school. Hit hard by the economic downturn, Riley personifies economic hardship: peeling paint, overgrown landscapes, and damaged buildings. But the damage runs much deeper than Catherine first realizes.

Two years ago, Riley was rocked by weeks of vandalism, followed by the brutal murder of beautiful elementary school secretary Olivia Perry. Everyone in town loved Olivia—but especially the two men with whom she was caught in a love triangle. Though the murder remains unsolved, Catherine receives ominous warnings that one of these men, Adam Becket, is responsible for her death. Unimpressed by the lack of evidence against him, Catherine is drawn to the shy but endearing Adam. Could he really have been involved in Olivia’s murder?

Just as Catherine is settling in and getting to know Adam, a vandal strikes again, and it’s eerily reminiscent of the events surrounding Olivia’s murder. The death threats splashed on the walls prove that the killer is back—and this time, it’s Catherine who wonders if she’s come to the wrong place at the wrong time.