“I just finished Sundial and The Light Bringer’s Way (in like two days!  I couldn’t put them down.)… I absolutely loved them!  They were the perfect blend of romance, paranormal, action, drama, etc.  Indiana Jones and Robert Langdon meet the best of Katniss Everdeen and Edward Cullen.  The only difference is that I actually LIKE these characters….Whitney, Reid and their friends (even with all of their special abilities) are believable.  And  I actually care about what happens to them… You most definitely have a fan in me!”

We love hearing from readers and it is especially heartwarming when readers help each other out through their review comments.  That’s why today, we are sending out a special thanks to Anjie K. for putting the following advice into the blogosphere via Goodreads:

“I really couldn’t put it down until I finished the book.  The characters grabbed me and held my attention the whole time.” — 5-star review of SUNDIAL

“I couldn’t put this one down either. I really wanted to know what happened next… I look forward to the third book.” — 5-star review of THE LIGHT BRINGER’S WAY

Her reviews made our day with her comments and we hope reading a good book was on her to-do list the day she finished SUNDIAL and THE LIGHT BRINGER’S WAY! Thanks again for taking the time to provide feedback to us and other readers via Goodreads!

The wait is over and the sequel to SUNDIAL, THE LIGHT BRINGER’S WAY, is available through Kindle! We worked very hard to craft an exciting and emotionally intense second book in the series. But don’t take our word for it—here are some of our early reviews (thanks, readers!!):

“The authors do a seamless job of answering lingering questions from book one as well as leaving the reader with a giant tease of a cliffhanger in book two!” Running Mom

“The book’s unpredictable scenarios, plot twists and clever construction definitely will keep me coming back for more.” Adventure Girl

“A truly smart and terrific read that may make you reflect on how your own actions and choices define your life. A rarity in the YA world.” DC

“In the sequel I was happy to read more about Blair and Patrick and see them expand their roles while Whitney and Reid continued to captivate.” Edison

SUNDIAL, A YOUNG ADULT NOVEL THAT USES FOOD ALLERGY IN A SUBTLE AND PIVOTAL TWIST:  IT IS EVIDENCE OF AN EVOLVING SUPER RACE AND ONE THAT MUST PREVAIL

Feeling different is nothing new to Whitney Forbes – she has accepted that her psychic abilities set her apart. She thought her biggest problem was determining if there was more to handsome Reid Wallace than just his looks and popularity until it is revealed she has an evolved genetic makeup. Now she finds herself wondering if genocide could happen in America and if she has what it takes to stop it.

SUNDIAL explores choices, social isolation, trust and inner self-growth through an exhilarating story driven by compelling and strong characters.

“When you have a food allergy, taking an unnecessary risk is not an option. It requires vigilance, situational awareness, the confidence to communicate and the ability to surround yourself with trustworthy people,” said co-author M.I. Pearsall, whose daughter has a life-threatening peanut allergy. “These are survivor skills and they can give you an edge when life gets challenging.”

“SUNDIAL increases food allergy awareness as a subplot. This makes the book accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Knowing is half the battle, and by understanding the safety needs of food allergic teens it should reduce their feeling of social isolation and help others know what to do to protect a life,” said co-author C.F. Fruzzetti.

Several parents of food allergic children were beta readers for the novel. Katie Morgan, whose ten-year-old son is allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and cottonseed and whose seven-year-old daughter is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, said, “I’m thrilled to see food allergy as part of a smart young adult novel. I like that while food allergies are an important issue for these teens, it is not the defining factor in their lives. They have to watch what they eat, but otherwise they are teenagers who are capable, athletic and intelligent and ready to take on the world – literally!”

An in-depth book group and educator discussion guide is available at http://sundialbook.com to further promote relevant discussion and awareness of several issues, including food allergy.

Secretariat is the last horse to have won the Triple Crown.  Almost forty years later, his winning time in the Belmont Stakes and his margin of victory have never been approached. He is considered the best racehorse of all time.

I can’t think of many athletes who were considered the best in their field four decades ago.  In the 1970’s, Mark Spitz was the best swimmer of his time but most people today would give that honor to Michael Phelps who has a streamlined swimsuit and sleeps in a pressurized chamber to help him achieve that status.  We live in an age where sports records are broken every day and athletes’ training programs benefit from the advances in technology so when a record stands unbroken for that length of time with nothing but muscle, sweat and the love of winning that speaks to me.

In Secretariat, John Malkovich’s character says it best when he shouts, “Don’t fall off, Ronnie!” Good advice when your hard work and dedication finally starts to pay off–don’t forget to hold on and enjoy the ride.

Yeah, we are talking to you! Thanks for all the positive feedback and support. We really appreciate it and are so pleased about the quality of our readership.

It inspires us to keep creating something from nothing!

Thank you, Readers! We are THRILLED to have so many great reviews on Amazon! As indie writers, this helps us to expand our readership base and keeps us energized while we are writing the sequel.

Speaking of sequel, we are pleased (and relieved) to report we on target for hitting our summer 2012 release date! We just wrapped a pivotal chapter today and it is so juicy!!

Reid. *Sigh* How is it possible he gets more incredible each chapter–wait–maybe the real question is what in the world happens to make Whitney walk away from him? Yikes!

Blair and Patrick–romance in Africa? Finally!

Karen Eubanks and Sean. Oh yeah, they’re back making things worse than ever.

And that whole bit about pure energy and saving the world. That is a pretty huge deal as well. Especially since Whitney finds out it is only just beginning…

Listening to that Inner Voice
The dictionary definition of intuition is “quick and ready insight; immediate apprehension.” It is sensing and evaluating the time between foresight and hindsight and predicting when an idea or concept will become reality. Incredibly, we all have the gift of intuition and it’s up to us what we do with it.

Practice Makes Perfect
As humans, nature provided us not with the sharpest teeth but with the biggest brains. Intuition is an internal warning that goes off when the information is there–usually that there is some sort of hazard or danger. This warning goes by many names: a hunch, a gut feeling, and woman’s intuition to name a few. Whatever you call it, this feeling helps humans survive by giving them an inside track that they may be in a vulnerable situation (if a person is smart enough to pay attention to it). And, the cool fact is, the more you use your intuition the better you get.

Meet SUNDIAL’s ‘Super’ Couple
Whitney Forbes is highly intuitive and, as a result, she carefully evaluates every situation. Dating is no exception and she knows the risks: rejection, disappointment, incompatibility or the one that she usually finds herself–totally bored. That is, until she meets Reid Wallace. Suddenly she finds herself anything but bored as he begins to run into her in the school halls (literally) and amps up his flirtation to the point she can’t deny he is interested in her.

Reid is the most popular guy in school but that fact does not give him any leniency in Whitney’s mind. If anything, Whitney scrutinizes him all the more since her idea of “blending in” does not include being dragged into the school spotlight.

One thing Whitney knows for certain is that Reid unnerves her by the way he seems to know a lot more about her than she cares to admit. Usually, she is the one who knows too much–and her intuition is telling her there is something about him that sets him apart.

SUNDIAL begins with her trying to figure out if she’s afraid of Reid or if she’s afraid of dating Reid and risking her heart. She will have to make a decision and soon…

Excerpt
Unexpectedly, the prickling sensation of my intuition going into overdrive shivered across my skin. It became more intense as Reid got closer…The closer he came, the more my skin tingled. The hair on my arm felt like iron filings being attracted by a magnet. This kind of response didn’t make sense. I knew he didn’t have extrasensory perception. I recognized that rare trait in someone else immediately.

Others with extrasensory perception gave me a feeling I could only describe as relief. It was comforting when I didn’t have to disguise how I knew information. Reid did not give me a feeling of relief. He made me feel hyperalert. Why was he causing this sort of reaction?

Reid embraced my shoulder like a fellow conspirator. “I wasn’t sure Liz would have known what to do with a soccer ball heading in her direction. You seemed like a more logical choice. The dirt on your legs it was a dead giveaway,” he said in a low voice with a hint of a smile. I could smell peppermint in his mouth.

The touch of his hand on my arm made my heart jump-start. I dulled my escalating pulse by contemplating him with my hazel eyes. What a flirt, I thought to myself.

Reid smiled and patted my shoulder as if to tell me to keep up the good work. Then he walked away. p.4

So, what’s your intuition telling you about Reid? Why is he so hard for Whitney to read and do you think he is hiding secrets of his own?

*Originally guest posted on Ex Libris, Oct. 2011