A Much Needed Hiatus....

Hello Everyone,

So I meant to actually post on here back in June that I was taking a much needed hiatus from blogging to work on some of my own writing, but with the end of one job, vacation, and the start of another job... well lets just say that never happened.  I have been getting a ton of review requests and I am going to start getting back into reviewing Indie Authors and getting some new stuff posted on here. I will do my best to get everyone who requested a review taken care of in the next month or so, but I am in the process of getting ready to release a second edition of my first book, Harvest Moon, as well as writing my second book, Winter Solstice. 

I am thankful to everyone who has reached out to Turn The Page and stayed loyal even while I was away. I take reviewing very seriously - I know from an authors perspective what it means to read someone's opinion, so believe me when I say I am back and ready to start fresh. My hiatus was a time for me to clear my head, think some things through (especially from a reviewers point of view), and get some of my own writing done. 

I will be putting my Manic Monday on hold until I get caught up with all of the backlogged reviews I have. Since my partner never ended up coming on board, due to her schedule, I have a LOT of work to do. So bare with me over the coming weeks and I promise to bring you some fantastic new books from up and coming new Indie Authors!!!  

Thanks, 

Megan 

DYING TO FORGET (BOOK # 1 OF THE STATION SERIES)!!

"...With trembling fingers, I reach up and touch the hard and chiseled contours of his chest while Ryan's large and strong hands roam over my entire body, feeling and squeezing everything. I've never been touched like this before and my insides are starting to freak out.

"I want you, Piper," he murmurs into my neck.

My mouth drops open in surprise and even though my brain seems to be telling me to jump and run out of the room, I’m unable to move, stuck firmly to the same place on the mattress. With my nerves on high alert, I glance at the door repeatedly, sure that someone will come bursting through it at any second but the steady thumping of the music downstairs reminds me that no one can hear what is happening in this room. No one cares that Ryan Burke took me, of all people, into a bedroom. That realization hits me suddenly. Oh. My. God. What am I doing here?"

Piper Willow dies the summer after her high school graduation but she doesn’t make it to Heaven or Hell…instead she finds herself in a spiritual terminal called the Station. She’s given only two choices: Return to Earth as the subconscious for a person in need of some outside assistance, or move on and spend an eternity lost in her own sorrow and pain. 

Does Piper have what it takes to save a life - to be the nagging voice inside someone else’s head - or will she fail and end up lost and tormented in limbo...forever?

Author: Trish Marie Dawson  

Title: Dying To Forget(Book #1 of The Station Series) 

Genre: Young Adult>Fantasy>Paranormal

Publication Date: August 2012

Links to Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Reviewer: Megan

My Review: 4 out of 5 stars

This will probably be my shortest review... not because I wasn't a fan of the book, but because it's a book that you can easily give spoilers away if you talk too much about it. So, here is what I can tell you - it was a fast, fun read. The concept was interesting and kept me intrigued enough to finish it in one sitting and even convinced me to buy the second book in this series within minutes of finishing.

 The circumstances around Piper's death, at first, was unsettling to me, but the author did a really good job of explaining the spiritual terminal called "The Station".  In fact, it was pretty creative. I liked the main character. I felt for her. The events or difficulties that led to her death were hard. Having personal experience with losing someone (a best friend), I can relate to Piper's devastation over her loss. And as a girl, I can relate to the other things she goes through. 

At one point, I did find myself thinking "this is way too easy... things are just falling into place for her too much." I continued to feel this way the more Piper interacted with others around her.... however, it is the way the first book ends and the second begins (there is a preview of the first chapter of the second book in book 1) that made me realize the story was just beginning for Piper. What might have appeared to be too easy for Piper, just might prove to be the opposite. I enjoyed the story and the authors take on a difficult topic and I am looking forward to reading the second and even the third book (set to be released in July 2013) in this series. 

** Ps. The author's end note also made an impact on me. Like I said, this was a difficult topic and I truly feel like she put an interesting, thought provoking, twist to it and in her message, she makes it clear what her intentions were or were not. 

Manic Monday #9

Manic Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Turn The Page where we get to decide who the 

next Indie/Self-Published author featured will be.

So before we get to this weeks Manic Monday Feature, I must tell you all that as of now (and not permanently) I am limiting my Manic Monday's to the first Monday of every month. At this point, with my really really hectic work schedule, my own writing, and all the books I am reviewing - the weekly Manic Monday is getting to be too much. I am just not finding the time to read each of the featured books in the week it wins and I want to be fair to those requesting my review.  Once my work schedule settles down a bit and I am closer to finishing Winter Solstice: Book #2 of The Harvest Series I will resume my weekly Manic Monday features.  I will still be reviewing Invisible and this weeks winner as well, before I switch to the monthly feature. Thanks for hanging in there and supporting TTP! 

The chosen Indie/Self-Published Author for

Manic Monday Week #9 is:

Glimpse - Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Congratulations Stacey!!

Review Coming Soon! 

Monday July 1, 2013 Manic Monday Picks

1. Eternal Eden (Book #1 Eden Trilogy)- Nicole Williams

2. Be Always On My Side - Nicola Starks

3. Me Again - Keith Cronin

The Winner will be announced on Monday July 1, 2013 and new Indie Authors will be selected for the August feature. 

* If you've read it, tell us what you thought and tell me which book should be chosen as our Manic Monday Indie/Self-Published Author Feature for Week #10

Also, Tell me if you've found outstanding Indie books (for FREE or PAID) that you think deserve a spotlight in our Manic Monday. 

INTERVIEW with Indie author KAREN AVIVI (SHREDDED)

Lets Meet Karen Avivi, Author of SHREDDED!

Karen Avivi spent her childhood in Concord, Massachusetts where she lived within walking distance of Thoreau’s hut, learned to swim in Walden Pond, and attended Alcott Elementary school. She spent her teen years in the Chicago suburbs where she wished her life were more like a John Hughes movie. 

Karen has tried surfing, skydiving, scuba diving, stunt classes, archery, winter camping, orienteering, mountaineering, mountain biking, and she even attempted a bike ramp once, but it didn’t end well. If she's not reading or writing, she’s usually planning a new adventure.

A Message from Megan: 

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Karen while reviewing Shredded, her high adrenaline contemporary YA novel about Josie, a fearless BMX rider/competitor. I had so much fun reading the book and writing the review that I just had to ask Karen to take time out of her busy life to chat with us. This story really struck a cord with me since I was not only a skateboarder, but also a freestyle rollerblader as well. I know first hand the implications for girls in these predominantly "boy" sports. The fearlessness that one has to posses is substantial and must be present in order to prevent injuries. I praise Karen on her diligent research, her willingness to "fall down" - literally, all with the hopes of bringing the most authentic characters to you in Shredded. From the very first page until the last line, Shredded will keep you entertained and wanting to know more about this high adrenaline - fringe sports world of girl BMX riders... and I assure you, you will not be disappointed!

I was fascinated and enthralled reading some of Karen's answers... I can honestly say that Karen is one Indie author I will be adding to me "favorites" list and I look forward to reading more of her upcoming high-adrenanline contemporary young adult novels! Without further ado, let me introduce you to Karen Avivi.  (See my full review of Shredded here)

Turn The Page's Cozy Chat with Karen Avivi, Indie Author of Shredded

1. What inspired you to start writing?

• I'm not one of those authors who always wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be a flight attendant. Travel, adventure, always on the go... it looked like the best job in the world. Fortunately for airline passengers, my dream of serving drinks and pushing carts at high altitudes was not to be. The eyesight requirements wouldn't even allow me to send in an application. A brief stint with waitressing a few years later showed that jobs involving serving the general public were not a good fit for me. 

• The first time I seriously thought about writing a novel was after reading One for the Money by Janet Evanvich. I was going through one of those "is this what I really want to be doing with my life?" phases, and that book was such a fun escape, I decided that writing novels was something I wanted to learn how to do. 

2. What inspired you to write Shredded?

• I had a seventeen-year-old female character in mine, and I wanted her to do an individual fringe sport-not a school team sport. A friend's daughter is into motocross and when I was looking at her sport I stumbled onto girl's BMX and kept clicking and clicking and thinking wow, I didn't know girls did this. Girl's BMX grabbed my interested and made it a lot of fun to research and write the book.

3. How did you come up with the title Shredded?

• I didn't come up with the title. Roxanne St. Claire did, and I am extremely grateful.

4. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

• The only thing I'd like to resonate with readers is that you are the only judge who matters. Not parents, friends or even judges. At the end of the day it's how you feel about yourself that's important. It sounds simple, but it's easy to forget, and most people I know struggle with other people's expectations well past their teen years.

5. Is the premise of the book (girl BMX riders) based on your own experience, someone you know or just a passion you had?

• I enjoy individual sports like scuba diving, cycling, and kayaking. I like to mix sports and travel, like going on a dive vacation or a multi-day cycling trip or kayak camping down a river. The fewer rules and more opportunities for adventure and fun, the better. For Shredded, I wanted a fringe sport with a no rules attitude that hadn't already been done several times in novels. When I found girls' BMX, I liked the way that girls from around the world are supporting each other since there are so few of them in the sport. 

6. Tell us a little about the cover.

• A friend of mine is an athlete and a professional graphic designer, so she was the perfect fit to do Shredded. I told her I didn't want a decapitated girl on the cover, and I didn't want it to look like a romance. I asked for a graphic treatment, and she gave me several fantastic concepts. I had a hard time choosing one. I love what she did on the back cover too. 

7. What were the biggest challenges for you when writing Shredded?

• Approaching teenage boys in the skate park was terrifying, but once they realized I wasn't going to complain about them making noise or being reckless, they were flattered that I was taking an interest in their sport. Making the time to write was really challenging. I couldn't cut sleep, workouts, or earning money so cleaning the house took the biggest hit. 

8. What did you learn from writing Shredded - both from a writing perspective as well as from the research you did on girl BMX riders?

• I had to face some serious self-inflicted stress issues. I became my own worst boss at times when I was trying to force myself to stick to an unrealistic writing schedule. While it's necessary to spend time at the keyboard, too much will lead to burnout and physical injuries. Writing a novel can't be rushed, and I can't be stressed when I sit down to write. The ideal "flow" state of creativity requires relaxation. That doesn't mean I can wait until I feel relaxed before I write, it means I have to figure out how to relax when I need to write. Not easy. The research I did on girl BMX riders gave me the inspiration and courage to go Indie. Girl riders don't get a lot of encouragement or support but they don't let that stop them or use it as an excuse not to try. I also learned first-hand what it feels like to lose control on a ramp, wipe out in front of a bunch of people, and have your bike land on you. 

9. Are there any new authors that have caught your interest?

• Thanks to Goodreads and book blogs that feature contemporary YA I'm discovering more and more authors who are new to me. I loved Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, and Raw Blue by Kristy Eager. My "to read" pile is overflowing. I just added Merch Girl by Rebecca Lewis based on Megan's review. 

10. What books influenced your life the most?

• I was an avid Nancy Drew fan as a kid. I have a couple of the old 1930's editions with black and white illustrated frontispieces. After reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer I read a lot of Everest books and I think that put the idea of climbing in my head and inspired me to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. 

11. Can you share a little bit of what you're working on now, or any upcoming projects you might be working on?

• My current work-in-progress is about a teen who lies to her parents about going to college while she chases opportunities in the world of high-risk adventure sports instead. The research has been a fun look at how much some things have changed. One weekend in '99 I was a reported on the web team covering an adventure race-we posted content using old dial-up modem (this was back in the days of limited cell phones and no Facebook). The competition was fun to follow, but the behind-the-scenes stories fascinated me. Ideas and what-if's from that experience have been running through my head ever since and they fit well into my girl in a fringe sport niche. 

12. Do any have any advice for other writers?

• Be brutally honest with yourself about your strengths and weakness in your craft and process. Take classes and listen to critiques to improve your craft. Dig down to the root cause of your process problems-why aren't you getting enough writing done? The answer usually involves some kind of fear, but you have to face it to move forward.

13. Is there anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

• Thank you! I appreciate everyone who chooses Shredded from their "to read" pile. Your comments, reviews, and emails mean a lot to me. Whenever someone writes something in a review that tells me they really *got* Josie, I know that writing is what I really want to be doing with my life. 

Be sure to get your copy of Shredded today at Barnes & Noble or Amazon

Where you can connect with Karen: 

Goodreads

http://www.karenavivi.com/

** Indie authors rely on readers and fans like you and I to help them spread the word about their work. If you enjoyed Shredded, please feel free to share your comments with us here,  as well as write a review on BN.com and Amazon. **

TTP Is Nominated for The Leibster Award!!!

Thank you Mindy Larson for nominating me for the Liebster Award, which I graciously accept! 

The Leibster Award  is an award for upcoming bloggers with less than 200 followers and for who someone believes deserve some recognition for their blogging. How wonderful a concept this is... This is especially wonderful since as fellow bloggers we know and can appreciate the time and thought that goes into giving our readers something spectacular! 

Here are the Rules for being nominated AND receiving this award:

Step 1- 11 Random Things About Me!

1. I love reading and I get totally lost it in. I lose days sometimes... this love of reading led to my first published novel, which led to my book blog.

2. I love dogs and if I could, I would have a dog shelter/boarding/doggie park of my own just so I could continue to add to my family of furry babies (I currently have 3)

3. I am crazy obsessed with my fur babies: 

• Bailey - our 4 yr old rat terrier/border collie mix who was a sacred rescue and our gift from God. 
• Madison- our 3 year old dwarft black lab mix who was also a rescue.
• Emma - our 4.5 month old papilion... our first non-rescue, but they all need love regardless of their origins!
• Cassi- our 5 year old tortoise shell and calico cat who has traveled more of the country than most people have.

4. Bailey is the inspiration for one of my upcoming short stories "Who Rescued Who?" You can read details on www.theharvestseries.blogspot.com

5. I hate shopping, unless I know exactly what I want. 

6. I have lived all over... here is my interesting route: 

• Dover, Nh. -->
• Boston, Ma. --->
• Phoenix, Az. -->
• Boston, Ma. --> (A short short 1 month stay in Phoenix)
• St. Louis, Mo.  -->
• Tampa, Fl. -->
• St. Louis, Mo. -->
• Tampa, Fl. -->
• Bowling Green, Oh. -->
• Eagle Pass, Tx. -->
• Columbiana, Oh. -->
• Boardman, Oh. 

** with lots of states visited along the way....

7. My husband is almost 7 years younger than I am. :) 

8. I have a major addiction to seafood!

9. I hate fighting with anyone... I am a complete pacifist and usually avoid conflict at all costs.

10. My book Harvest Moon was brought to light after a failed attempt to write a non-fiction version based on events in my own life.

11. My husband and I have more framed photos of our fur babies hanging throughout our home than we do of people or anything else! 


Step 2- My Answers To Mindy's Questions.

1.   If you could pick one album to listen to every day for the rest of your life what would it be and why?  

• hmmm.. this is interesting. I guess I would say Daughtry, Leave This Town because just about every song on this album I can relate to my own life at one time or another, but also because this album gave me a lot of inspiration while writing Harvest Moon. A lot of the songs are on the Harvest Moon soundtrack list. Music should always provide us with an emotional connection... and this album does that perfectly!

2.    If you were stranded on a desert island what one thing would you bring and why?

• My favorite book. The reader in me would never survive if I couldn't read words on a page ever again... just the thought of it makes me teary. 

3.    If you could live inside of a book which one would you choose and why?

• Well... the only series of books I have ever read more than once were Judy Blume's books, since then there has only been one other.... The Twilight Saga. I know, I know - people either love or hate this series, but I literally read the whole series 4 times in a ROW! So, I think it's only fair to say I would live here. There are plenty of others and it kills me not to share them, but I will follow the rules. 

4.    What three foods could you not live without out?

1. SEAFOOD!!!
2. Cereal
3. Chocolate 

5.    Are you a morning person or night owl?

• A little bit of both. I love waking up early, because I feel like I get so much accomplished and then have all day still, but I am typically more creative late at night, when it is quiet... I can really go either way, but If I had to choose I would want to be a morning person!

6.    What animal would you be and why?

• Um, a furry puppy - one that is loved and lives in the lap of luxury like mine of course. I choose a dog, because they are smart, loyal, loving, and trustworthy. Plus they get to sleep all day and play with fun toys, they still get the "good food" (well at least mine do), and they are usually loved unconditionally. 

7.    What is your all time favorite drink?

• Normally I would say milk, but recently I tried this adult beverage called the Banana Monkey and it was FABULOUS! Oh, and I loooove me a Starbucks mocha frappuccino too!

8.    Knowing what you know now, and you could somehow go back in time and change one thing about your past, what would it be and why?

• I would listen to my gut, put aside everything that seemed important at the time, and call my best friend to apologize for our fight... because although my instinct told me to call I allowed myself to believe I had plenty of time, so I finished packing and doing what I needed to do. It wasn't until the next morning that I realized my gut was telling me to pick up the phone for a reason... and now it was too late, she was dead. There is nothing worse than living with the regret of what you didn't do or say to someone while they were alive. Life is much to short. 

9.    If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be, and why?

•  I would be myself... mostly because the grass only seems greener on the other side. I know that I made all of the choices I made in my life that led me here, to the person I am.  However, I wouldn't mind adding maybe a little more money to my bank account and a book deal or two!! ;) 

10.  What makes you the happiest?

• Spending time with my husband and our fur babies. We live our lives around them... take them everywhere, plan our days off according to what we can do and where we can go with them... these are the moments I cherish- they are my family!

11.  If you had a dinner party and able to invite ANY three people, alive or deceased, who would you choose and why?

• My best friend Melissa, just so I could see her one more time... to let her know how much I love her.
• My little sister Mari, because I don't see her nearly as often as I would like.
• My husband, because life is just sweeter when he is in it. 
• 
  

Step 3 - My 11 Questions To You!

1. What one person inspires you the most?
2. What is your favorite  book and why?
3. If you could be any character from a book you've read, who would it be and why?
4. What is your biggest pet peeve? 
5. When you picture the perfect Saturday afternoon, what are you doing that makes it perfect?
6. What is one thing you can't leave the house without?
7. What is your worst vice?
8. How did you get into blogging?
9. What is one random thing most people don't know about you?
10. What's your favorite book genre and why?
11. Which Dystopian society would you rather live in: Divergent, Hunger Games or 1984 and why. (if you haven't read any of these, tell me from what you have read, which society you'd choose? 

Step 4-  Blogs I Nominate. 

1. Between The Lines - A truly fun book review blog that I come back to time and time again. From her witty sarcasm to her Top Ten Tuesday lists, BTL is one blog I couldn't live without.
2. Amy Book Worm- I was drawn to this blog because of her meme: book blogger confessions. Love these dirty little confession moments!
3. Dawn Husted - Author of Silently Screaming ( A book I reviewed and really liked) and  the upcoming dystopian novel Safe. Oh, and she designs book covers... A jack of all trades! 
4. Paper Fantasies- I have been addicted to this blog for a while and anyone who reads my Books, Blogs & Page Turners Meme knows why. From her YA epidemics, Indie spotlight (My novel, Harvest Moon, is the feature this month), to her fabulous reviews. And lets not forget her beautiful blog page! 
5. Books and Reviews - I found this site while I was looking for book reviews for Harvest Moon and found it warm and comfortable... so I settled right in and never left. I love how she puts photos with her reviews to depict the characters... it's such a nice touch. 
6. Up All Night Reviews- These gals actually found me through Goodreads and asked to do a feature spot of Harvest Moon (in July). However, since then I have visited almost weekly, just to check out their reviews, promos, and giveaways. Between the two of them, these two girls read a lot of books!
7. Tangled Up In Books (formerly Perks of being a book worm)- I can never stop admiring the cuteness of this blog... I am infatuated with it. Her reviews are always honest, I love her author interviews.... and of her course of princess phase! 
8. SensitiVitality - Author of the Emi Lost & Found Series and Choisie Series... what more can I say besides I love this Indie Author and I love all the fun stuff on her blog, about her series! 

** These were the only blogs I could nominate. I did not want to randomly nominate blogs just to reach 11, because then, what's the point? These are the blogs I believe to be exceptional and worthy of recognition! 

NEVER LOOK BACK!! (EMI LOST & FOUND SERIES - BOOK #3)

Jack Holland finally has everything a man could want. After a lengthy courtship that has required persistence and self-restraint, Emi Hennigan– the woman Jack has been fantasizing about since college– has fallen in love with him. Together, the couple sets out to create their own happily-ever-after.

It’s only when Emi delivers some unwelcome news that Jack begins to question everything about the woman he loves. It will take a considerable amount of understanding and sacrifice for Jack to accept the future Emi can offer him– a future he never imagined for himself.

This romantic drama is the final book in the Emi Lost & Found series.

Author: Lori Otto  

Title: Never Look Back (Book #3 of the Emi Lost & Found Series)  

Genre: Young Adult>Contemporary>Romance>  

Publication Date: May 2012

Links to Purchase: Amazon

Reviewer: Megan

My Review: 5 out of 5 Stars. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!

So obviously you see the natural progression of my rating throughout this series. With each book I enjoyed the series more. I will say at the start, that again this book seemed a bit longer than it really needed to be and there were times when it just lagged, but, the totality of the story, the characters, and the ending just made it all worth it... 

I felt a wider range of emotions with this final book in the series. I am not sure I have ever cried so much throughout one book, as I did with Never Look Back. Sad tears, happy tears, sad tears, happy tears... the cycle continued on until the last page. During the final 25% I pretty much never stopped crying and I think my husband might have actually thought I was having a breakdown.... but this is what made this series so good. There were times, that again Emi's actions frustrated me. I realized she was never really good at coping or dealing with major things without the help of someone else. From her brother, to Nate, and then Jack - someone was always helping her through these situations, which is great, but it was always after she handled it badly. But I suppose this is why we love her so much - she's real!! 

I LOVED that this final book was told from Jack's point of view. It was nice to get inside his head and really see him. I loved how he let Emi grieve for all of her losses, never pushed and while there were times he felt pangs of jealousy, he understood and he was willing to allow Emi to cling to this love and loss she could not let go of. Not too many men out there would be capable of living with those kinds of ghosts - being compared to a great love that could have been. 

I loved Jack's family - Matty and Lucas were my favorite! Steven made me SO mad in Colorado and then redeemed himself thereafter. I guess we can all appreciate protective siblings, but man he came on strong. I loved Donna's continued relationship with Emi and her tie to Jack. It was obvious that this was a difficult place for Emi, but Donna was warm and loving... only wanting what was best for Emi. 

And without saying too much, what Jack does for Emi and Nate -both with the stuff left in storage and well, for those who have read the series... you know the thing I mean, and for those who haven't, hopefully you will soon enough. I was left speechless and bawling like a baby over Jacks selfless actions for Nate and Emi. He re-affirmed what a wonderful man he was.

As for the storage unit stuff, I loved his willingness to let Emi enjoy the memories. I loved his willingness to share in those memories and learn more about her through them. As for the um, who know... "I can't say anymore part", I loved Jack's secretiveness while he pulled it all off, I loved how giddy he got when he was able to reveal it to Emi and how he was so willing to let her have this part of her life. He never once tried to force her to let it go... 

And Contessa.... Mmmmmm! I can hardly wait to start this other series of books that actually ties into this series. Lori surely fulfills the series whore in me, wow! I loved this whole aspect. I loved how it all unfolded, I loved that we got to see the start of this relationship in this series and I LOVED that it completed everything. While things worked out for Emi in the end, it wasn't without substantial loss throughout the series or enormous heartache  and regret. We saw so many characters; Emi, Nate, Jack, Chris, Anna, and Jenn grow throughout this series. I felt such an attachment to them all.  The series as a whole to me was fantastic and would get 5 out of 5 stars! 

I praise Lori for her writing, for her bravery, and for bringing these wonderful characters into my life. 

***This next paragraph contains SPOILERS...  PLEASE DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE SERIES!!!**

I hate writing spoilers, but this series was wonderful and I wanted to touch on Nate without giving anything away to readers who haven't read it. I loved Nate. While I didn't like his behavior in book #1, I still loved him. I was so devastated when he was killed and to watch Emi go through such heartache - to lose her love and their baby was just so raw and emotional, something I know personally. (My best friend was killed in a car accident in our early twenties and I have never gotten over it.. loss like that is always hard. As for her baby, a lot of woman, including myself know the pain that comes with this kind of loss... it's excruciating and difficult to understand). I cannot say enough, how happy I was that throughout the second and third book we still see Nate - through Emi's memories, the storage items, the wonderful paintings he's done, and the gallery that Jack gives Emi. I remember feeling slightly cheated at the end of book #1. Just when Emi and Nate finally find love and happiness together (after two books), it is taken away. But it was what made the story so beautiful. Like I had started to say before, but couldn't, if Nate and Emi had ended up together, the story wouldn't have gone very far.  

The whole series was emotional, and while I loved Nate and missed him constantly throughout the story, I fell more and more in love with Jack as a person and as a companion for Emi. It is situations like this where first we wonder why and then we see the bigger picture. That our life may not be fated the way we believe... death is a harsh way to force your true hand of fate, but life is like that. At a really young age I was diagnosed with cancer and it brought my young adult life to a screeching halt... for years, while I was sick, I wondered why why why???? And then when I was finally better, finally in remission, I headed off to college (at 25) rather than 18 and met the man I would marry, my soul mate - who was 7 years younger than me. It wasn't until after we were married that I realized, that had it not been for my life coming to a standstill, there would have been no way we could have been in the same place (in totally different parts of the country) at the same time... but fate found a way to bring us together. Some people may think this seems crazy, but you know, it makes me appreciate what happened to me so much more, it makes the "whys" easier to understand....  

Again, praise for Lori Otto and her beautiful Emi Lost & Found Series, I am a true fan!! 

TIME STANDS STILL!! (EMI LOST & FOUND SERIES - BOOK #2)

In this second book in the Emi Lost & Found series, Time Stands Still, a near-death experience leaves Emi Hennigan injured and confused, but it's a chance meeting with a man from her past that has her questioning everything she's believed in. Emi is stunned when Jack Holland reminds her of their one evening together in college. Will her heart forever be with Nate Wilson, her best friend and soulmate? Or will she find love with someone completely unexpected?

The second of three books in the Emi Lost & Found series.

Author: Lori Otto  

Title: Time Stands Still (Book #2 of the Emi Lost & Found Series)  

Genre: Young Adult>Contemporary>Romance>  

Publication Date: August 2010

Links to Purchase: Amazon

Reviewer: Megan

My Review: 4.5 out of 5 Stars. 

So as I was saying at the end of my review for book #1, I was devastated and confused. While I was grateful I had this second book, I was so emotional during the first few chapters I had to read some other reviews, which I never do while I am reading a book. I hate the idea of stumbling onto a spoiler... but there was a part of me that was conflicted with the emotions I was experiencing, especially since I had first hand-personal experience with both of the tragedies Emi was facing.  I read several other reviews online and was actually frustrated that people would stop reading this series as a result. I was thankful, as I read through, I hadn't read these reviews before finishing book #1, because they spoiled most of it's ending... and that would have annoyed me to no end. I then started wondering why I was even reading these reviews. What did I hope to find? I suppose I wanted to be reassured that all these emotions would be worth it... and they totally were. 

While the events at the end of book #1 certainly caught me off guard, It still made me want to read more to understand why... why had the author chosen this path for her characters, why was this necessary, and how would this all turn out. I suppose that is what separates us as readers. The ability to appreciate a writers artistic creativity and the bravery that comes from making such bold moves. Unlike all those readers who got mad and said they refused to read on, I disagreed with them. I wondered if they had ever felt this kind of pain before - that raw pain that leaves you broken. Books that make you feel these kinds of emotions are the rare ones, the good ones. 

Had this mind boggling, devastating event never occurred, well the series wouldn't have had a whole lot further to go. It could have been wrapped up all pretty with a sparkly bow and everyone lived happily ever after, but life isn't about being wrapped in a pretty bow where we all live happily ever after. It's about real pain and devastating events that we don't always understand, how we learn from those events - how we pick ourselves up and move forward!

After I read through those first 100 pages of Time Stands Still, I took a moment to reflect on the emotions I had been feeling and still felt. And then, I applauded the author for her bravery in showing us this heartache. So many of us, at some point I am sure, have felt this pain and know it all too well. I believe the author captured the emotions well, and I found myself crying A LOT throughout this book. And even through the heartache there is some good that begins to shine through... and we are reminded that life does go on, even if we aren't willing to move forward with it. Jack helped with this... he refused to let time stand still for Emi, he refused to let her accept her life for what she believed fate had handed her... he forced her to move forward. 

Can I just say for the record, I am in love with Jack!! oh yeah, love love love him. What a patient, kind, honest, and loyal man. He reminded me a lot of my husband (wink), which helped make him more realistic. He was such a beautiful character who was fantastically written and developed. I also loved the development of Chris and Anna, and I loved the relationship that both healed and blossomed between Emi and her sister. In the prequel they truly struggle and this slow appreciation for one another is so wonderful. 

Again, this book felt too long as well... but I still really really enjoyed it. I loved all of the ways that Jack helps Emi overcome all of the loss she experiences and I especially loved what he brought out in her.  I can't say much more without giving important details away... so with that I will move onto the review for the third and final book, stating simply that I really enjoyed Book #2 and I willingly and with childlike impatience and enthusiasm, turned the page toward book #3 so hopeful for how this story would end....