Haunted Halloween: Jeri Smith-Ready + A Giveaway!

Thanks so much for having me on your blog to help celebrate my favorite holiday!

When I was growing up, I loved going to slumber parties. Problem was, I was always the last girl to fall asleep. Always. Occasionally my friend Angela would stay awake with me for an hour, but soon she’d join the others in Dreamland.

Usually this was just an annoyance. I’d lie awake for a while alone, and eventually drift off due to boredom. But one night, it became much more than annoying.

We were at my friend Elizabeth’s house for her tenth birthday, having a slumber party in her basement. It was like any other suburban family room, with a pool table, ping-pong table, and shelves and shelves of board games.

But it had one weird thing: a horse.

A relic from an old merry-go-round, the horse was all white, with red-rimmed black eyes that I swear would watch you as you moved around the room. It was caught in mid-gallop, straining at the bit, frozen forever in a dark basement. And very, very angry about it.

So we stayed up late, telling ghost stories and holding a fake séance where we raised one of our fellow slumberers up with just the tips of our fingers (still can’t figure that trick out). Then everyone else went to sleep. I lay there, staring at that horse in the dim light from the red lava lamp. I was afraid to take my eyes off it, positive that if I looked away, it would move closer, like the hedge animals in THE SHINING.

Finally I started to drift off and closed my eyes. That’s when I heard it.

Four. Quick. Footsteps. Right next to my head.

I jerked awake and turned to see…nothing. The floor next to me was empty. My friend’s family didn’t have a cat or a dog that could’ve made that noise. Besides, they sounded less like paws and more like—

Hooves.

I tried to wake Angela, whispering her name as sharply as I could. But she slept on. Everyone slept on, and I was too scared to scream or cry. All I could do was lie there, as frozen as that carousel horse.

Which was now smiling at me.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Title: Shade

Synopsis: Love ties them together.

Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Read an excerpt of SHADE Online - HERE

Available from Simon Pulse Now!

Order Online:

Amazon | Borders | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Shift (Shade, #2)

Preorder Online here:

Amazon | Borders | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

Shade Book Trailer:

Also, Jeri has a story n the anthology coming out on Oct. 26th -

Title: Eternal: Love Stories with Bite

Synopsis: Now Eternal: More Love Stories With Bite presents all-new YA stories featuring vampires, the romantic heroes and heroines that still hold the reading public enraptured. A mix of writers from the first anthology and new contributors makes for a fresh new collection with all of the dark romance of its predecessor, and a book that’s sure to thrill vampire romance fans old and new.




Order Online here:
 
Amazon | Borders | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository
 
Find Jeri Online Here:
 
Jeri loves to hear from readers, so visit her at http://www.jerismithready.com/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jerismithready, or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jsmithready.   Her next release will be the short story “Thief,” in the YA vampire anthology ETERNAL: MORE LOVE STORIES WITH BITE, coming November 1.  Her debut YA novel, SHADE, was released in May 2010, with a sequel, SHIFT, coming May 2011!

 

Enter to win a SIGNED copy of SHADE + a Bookmark!!

(NOTE: If a US resident wins, they will receive a
Hardback copy of Shade, if a resident elsewhere wins,
they will receive a Paperback UK edition.)

Here are the rules and how to enter:

You MUST complete the form to enter. No entries in comments please they won't count. Comments are welcome, so share your love with Jeri!
You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
This contest is open to INTERNATIONAL!!!
Contest ends: Nov. 6th, 2010

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Good luck to everyone who enters. If you have any questions, please see my policy page or feel free to email me with any questions.

A HUGE Thank You to Jeri for her time, the post and donation that made this giveaway possible. Jeri, what more can I say... you ROCK!

Check out Jessica's Haunted Halloween post with...........

REMINDER: *If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry!

Please ready full entry rules HERE.

*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this page.