Monday, February 4, 2013

YA Bound Presents Manipulation Blog Tour by Jolene Perry

Insight (Shadows #1)
Release Date: 09/03/12
Paperback/e-book
367 pages

Summary from Goodreads:
Micah hates her ability to “see” things when she touches people. She’s terrified of relationships, holds on to guilt over the death of her classmate, Lacey, and has no idea what to do with a vision from Landon, a boy from her school. She feels him falling for her, but Micah doesn’t do friends, much less relationships.

Enter a spooky history project about a tragedy from three hundred years ago, and voodoo dolls that Micah somehow feels has to do with her gift. Suddenly she’s sure the shadows in the woods are following her every move—without Landon’s relaxed attitude about what’s happening in her life, Micah would be sure she’s going crazy.

With no ideas on timing or specifics, the visions of both herself and the people she cares about are turning dark—and it appears the shadows around her house do move on their own. But as Micah and Landon try to prevent Micah’s visions of the future, the shadows close in, and they’re now afraid they’ve become the cause…

Micah's story is the first of three girls, with unique talents, who are part of a 300 year old tragedy that follows them in the shadows.

My Review
5 of 5 Insight

First I have to say that Jolene Perry is BRILLIANT! I absolutely loved Insight. It is the first story in the trilogy and I have to say that I have never ever read a book that has gripped me so much that I was yelling at the kindle and having a conversation with myself. The world created by Jolene is one where things are not always as they seem and people or things are lurking in the background and causing disturbances. Can you imagine when you touch people you can see any part of their life. You can see glimpses of their past, present, and future. You don't mean to but when you touch them that is what happens. So you spend your life avoiding people and situations that would cause you to touch people and get close to them.

This is what Micah has to endure every day. She stays away from people and refuses to have relationships because if she does she would have to touch them and she would feel their pain and sorrow and she does not want that. She wants to live a somewhat normal life but she knows that she can;t with the gift she has. As it is she still feels guilt over the death of her classmate Lacey. But one day things change for Micah. Micah has these visions involving another one of her classmates Landon. When she touches him she feels safe and secure with him and she sees that there is goodness and protection in him.

Landon is kind of the bad boy next door and has a reputation with the girls but he sees something in Micah that captures his heart and he has to be with her. The only thing is is that Landon knows Micah does not trust anyone nor does she hang with anyone so how can they become a couple when she keeps herself isolated? Then to make matters worse they have a history project to research a tragedy that happened 300 years ago and as they unravel it they find that some things go bump in the night. Will Landon help or hurt Micah? 
Manipulation (Shadows #2)
Release Date: January 2013
Paperback/e-book

Summary from Goodreads:
Addison Prince has almost always gotten what she wants.
Dean Courser only wants to find his brother, but it's the one thing he’s failed at... Even with his unusual ability.

Dean and Addison share the gift of Manipulation—a brief touch that forces others to do what they wish. But when they meet and realize their connection, they find more questions than answers. Suddenly Dean is seeing shadows move on their own, and Addison is learning her father’s mysterious group may know more about her abilities than he’s ever let on.

As Dean and Addison second-guess every decision about who they are and why they're wanted, time is running out. With shadows following their every move, they're losing hope they’ll ever get to safety—if such a thing exists.

My Review
5 of 5 Manipulation

Jolene Jolene Jolene she has done it again! Holy Hades the second book in this trilogy took me by storm and Lord Have Mercy I could not put this one down either. My poor family they had to eat take out because I refused to put this book until I was finished reading it. Addison is a spoiled rich brat who gets what she wants and wants what she gets. Her parents are not really around so she and her little sister are left alone to do whatever it is they want. This gives Addison a pretty bad attitude and when she wants something she will stop at nothing to get it. She also knows she has a secret and that secret is she can manipulate people into doing things she wants. A simple touch and she wishes them to do something and they do it no questions asked.

As this gift of hers is used she finds out that she is not the only one that has this gift. Enters Dean lord I loved this boy. He did not have the best life growing so he does not abuse his gift like Addison. All Dean wants to do is find his brother and move on from his tragic life. But as fate would have it the two of them are paired to do a project and Addison and Dean soon realize that yes they have a gift but something or someone is lurking in the background and Addison's father may know more than what he is letting on to. Dean sees the shadows but what do they mean? Are they there to harm him and Addison? 

Addison will have to press her father for answers and she is not so sure she wants to hear them. If she and Dean are going to solve this shadow mystery they will have to uncover the secrets of the shadows. Will they be able to in time?
"A couple hundred years ago, my gift was considered one of the weaker ones, but with the way The Middle Men has grown, people who can seek out talents the way I can have become imperative. We’re both the collectors of new talent, and police the talent that we’ve already collected. No one else could. Insighters can see us coming, and Manipulators could tell us we don’t want to be there. Shields can slow me down. But Seekers, as Mom puts it, see through all the BS, and do what needs to be done.
We also have to be the best at blocking the talents of everyone else. It’s the perfect job for someone like me—structured and methodical with room for creative hunting.
Seeker. It's what I do best." 

Told from the perspective of "the bad guys" Seeker is the final book in The Shadows Trilogy...

Expected publication:
 March 15th 2013 by Next Door Books
About the Author
Jolene kissed a boy on her high school graduation night. One she’d wanted to kiss for a long time. They got married two years later, have built two homes together, survived military deployments, law school, student loan debt, and two children.

Jolene plays the guitar, takes pictures, and loves to hike. She doesn’t like rivers, but loves the ocean. She loves to fly, but gets motion sick. Her ultimate vacation would be to sail through the deserted islands in The Bahamas. Two years ago, she got that wish when her parents retired on a sailboat.

She taught high school French when she was only a few years older than her students, and then taught middle school math with her degree in political science and French.

She spends grocery money on designer fabric, shoes, and books.

Jolene cannot express how many times she wished she could write a whole novel. And now she has. Several times. Life is good.


***GIVEAWAY***
Prize #1: (1) Paperback copies of Insight and Manipulation (International)
Prize #2: (1)Paperback copy of Manipulation (US only)
Prize #3: (3) e-book copies of Manipulation. Kindle or Nook (International)

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