Happy Book Birthday to 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil!

Science-fiction-horror YA fans have something to celebrate today!

Want it? You can find it at IndieBound, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Here's my review of Gretchen's debut novel, Possess. I also adored TEN, which somehow I missed reviewing but, seriously, Gretchen has a knack for snarky scares and suspense-building that you DON'T want to miss. OR ELSE (heehee)!

Waiting on Wednesday: Two Fall Temptations at the Start of Summer

Just as summer vacation begins, I'm going to give you two great reasons not to be sad for the inevitable return of back-to-school September. (Note: My summaries are distilled from Goodreads synopses). They're both about mystery, identity and the ticking of clocks...

Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. 
That text is Rachel's first clue to her once-best friend Jaycee, who embarks on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth...DEAD GIRLS DON'T LIE by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse. Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.  3:59 by Gretchen McNeil


Both look like perfect fall reads by a fireside to combat the inevitable eerie shivers!
 
For more WoW fun, click over to BREAKING THE SPINE, founder of this fabulous midweek meme!

Bookanistas: POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil

Fantastic hot-but-how-can-I-like-him boy crisis...The adorable Matt Quinn.  Can Bridget be falling for the son of the man she holds partly responsible for the death of her father?

Badass heroine jewelry...Bridget's bracelet.  A charm, a protection, a memory, and a fashion statement even though "...the raised scrollwork was not quite as defined as it had been when she first put it on...." (p. 128)

Why you should read this book...It has a genuine mystery feel.  Don't get me wrong, the book is packed with cool supernatural stuff and an authentic, sweet relationship between Bridget and her brother, Sammy.  But what makes POSSESS unique for me is that is has the kind of classic real mystery structure you rarely see this days, complete with a murder, a second crime, red herrings, and awesome clues to follow.  Gretchen McNeil's book makes me hark back to some favorite novels by Josephine Tey and Arthur Conan Doyle with an added paranormal element.  Actually, JT (and, uh, I don't mean Justin Timberlake) and ACD featured their share of supernatural stuff, too, now that I think of it :)

What are the rest of the Bookanistas gushing over this week?

Elana Johnson shivers over Shifting

Christine Fonseca is definitely Falling for Hamlet
Shelli Johannes-Wells contemplates The Future of Us
Shana Silver finds Fateful Fabulous
Sarah Frances Hardy leads you into the Circle of Secrets
Corrine Jackson delights in a Hex Hall & Demonglass double feature

Almost Too Much Awesomeness for One Friday

First, the super-charismatic Gretchen McNeil has a new trailer for POSSESS and it is, well amazingly-spooktacularly, incredibly...well, just watch it yourself!

Next, from the supernatural to the supersweet, fellow Viking author Katy Longshore (GIRL IN A DIAMOND COLLAR, Fall 2012) is sharing a stage story over at A YEAR OF AUDITIONS.  Click on over to read about Shakespeare, boys and screaming lunatics (okay, so it's not entirely spook-free).  You heard me!  Not curious enough yet?  Check out this: