The Haunting Season Book Blitz {Excerpt and Giveaway}

I lurve all things supernatural and spooky, so I jumped at the chance to participate in The Haunting Season Book Blitz! Today, I have a creeptastic excerpt and awesome giveaway to share...

The Haunting Season 

by Michelle Muto

December 21st 2012

from Dreamscapes, Ink 

Genre: NA Paranormal/Ghosts

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Purchase: Amazon / B&N

Synopsis:

Be careful what you let in…

Siler House has stood silent beneath Savannah’s moss-draped oaks for decades. Notoriously haunted, it has remained empty until college-bound Jess Perry and three of her peers gather to take part in a month-long study on the paranormal. Jess, who talks to ghosts, quickly bonds with her fellow test subjects. One is a girl possessed. Another just wants to forget. The third is a guy who really knows how to turn up the August heat, not to mention Jess’s heart rate…when he’s not resurrecting the dead. 

The study soon turns into something far more sinister when they discover that Siler House and the dark forces within are determined to keep them forever. In order to escape, Jess and the others will have to open themselves up to the true horror of Siler House and channel the very evil that has welcomed them all.

It was only when the crickets and frogs stopped that Jess awoke. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the dark. She turned back over, expecting Allison to be either still sitting up, or asleep. But her bed was empty and Allison stood in front of the dresser, hands at her sides, staring at the mirror. Alarmed, Jess sat upright.

“It’s happening again,” Allison said.

“Huh?”

“The spirits. They’re back. I can see them.”

Jess rubbed her eyes as a spark of uncertainty and a moment’s worth of fear rustled somewhere deep inside her. “They’re there, in the mirror?”

“Yes.”

Jess got out of bed and tentatively stood next to Allison. She looked at the mirror, then behind her. Nothing. Uncertainty gave way to disappointment. The mirror cast back only the shadowy figures of Allison and herself, their faces made pale by the moonlight streaming into the room. They were alone, as far as Jess could tell.

Damn it! Why couldn’t she see the ghosts? Were they here? Disappointment gave way to a pang of envy.

“You don’t seem as upset as you were before,” Jess said. “If they’re back, aren’t you afraid they’ll take over? Possess you?” She wasn’t making fun of Allison. Something horrible had happened to her, and she was probably more sensitive to the supernatural than Jess was.

“Yes, I’m afraid,” Allison replied calmly.

The way Allison spoke seemed at odds with her words. The hairs on Jess’s arms tingled, but not because of any ghosts she couldn’t see. Right now, the only thing creepy in the room was Allison. The girl had been possessed, after all.

Allison turned her head to look at Jess, her expression unreadable in the shadows, even this close up. “He collects souls.”

Jess peered harder into the mirror, trying not to show Allison she was indeed afraid. “He? Who are you talking about?”

“He’s looking at you. I can’t make out what he’s saying. But see?” she pointed to the mirror. “He wrote his name.”

Fear and a healthy dose of agitation rose inside Jess. Fear, because someone staring at them from inside a mirror was downright scary. Agitated, because she couldn’t see anything, and Allison’s continual freak-outs were wearing on her. After a long day getting here, she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

“Allison, I don’t see anything! He? Who are you talking about?”

“Riley,” Allison whispered.

“Riley? Who’s Riley?”

Allison stood just as still as she had upon Jess’s wakening. “He lives here. With the others.”

“Others?” Jess stepped closer to the mirror, leaning against the dresser to get a better look. Her breath fogged it enough to reveal a single name, written backward: Riley.

Michelle Muto

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Michelle Muto lives in northeast Georgia with her husband and two dogs. She loves changes of season, dogs, and all things geeky. Currently, she’s hard at work on her next book.

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The Haunting Season!

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Interview and Giveaway: Don't Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto

The very lovely Michelle Muto is stopping by today for an interview and a giveaway of her book Don't Fear the Reaper. You can read my review of her wonderful book HERE

Welcome Michelle! And thank you for stopping by :)

Q. What three words best describe Don’t Fear the Reaper?

Haunting. Dark. Dystopian.

Q. Where did the idea behind this book come from? Were you inspired by any specific folklore, mythology, or religious texts/stories?

I came up with the idea after an agent who read The Book of Lost Souls asked for something darker, more dystopian. My own grief over the loss of so many loved ones, along with Blue Oyster Cult’s iconic ’76 song inspired the rest. 

Q. You dedicted the book to your sister and the book is about two sisters, twins in fact…were Keely and Jordan inspired by your own relationship with your sister? Are you and your sister anything like the twins?

My sister is older than I am, but we’re as close as many twins. We’d do anything for each other, so that love and closeness probably inspired the strength of the bond between Keely and Jordan.

Q. I love Keely’s fiestiness, but I think I was most captivated the complexity of your character Daniel. Do you have a favorite character of yours?

In Don't Fear the Reaper, it’s Keely. She had to grow up much faster in death than she ever did in life. I could truly connect to her grief. But yeah, Daniel is such fun.

Q. Can you tell us anything about what’s to come in future books in the Netherworld Series?

Keely is going to learn how well Daniel and Banning really know each other. She’s going to find out just how far to bend the rules as a reaper. Things also heat up with Daniel and Keely.

Q. Who’s your favorite literary villian…who do you just love to hate or hate to love?

Hannibal Lechter, especially in Hannibal Rising.

Q. If you could magically transport yourself into ANY made up world from ANY book/movie/tv show, which would it be and what would you do there?

Hands down, it’d be the Harry Potter World. Aside from Voldermort, it just sounds like so much fun.

Q. If you could magically transport ANY character from ANY book/movie/tv show into your world, who would it be and why?

Wow. So many choices for so many reasons. Maybe Luna Lovegood because she’s such a sweet, fun character. Or, maybe Damon Salvatore because he’s so snarky and handsome.

Q. What’s the one book you wish you had written?

Who wouldn’t have wanted to write Harry Potter?

Q. What’s the one book you think everybody should read at least once in their lives?

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, but that’s just me. I’ve read it probably 4-5 times.

Find the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Writer of urban fantasy, the paranormal, and all things eerie and curious.Michelle has always loved storytelling. When she was a child, her favorite stories were of monsters and things that lurked in the dark. Telling stories often frightened her classmates and got her into a lot of trouble with her teachers. They had no sense of humor.As an adult, Michelle traded her love of writing for the corporate life where she was an IT professional. Today, she’s doing what she loves best – writing and storytelling.Michelle grew up in Chicago, but currently lives in NE Georgia with her husband and their two dogs, one of which is a Beezlepup. She loves scary books, funny movies, sports cars, dogs, chocolate, old cemeteries, and changes of season. Michelle even loves photography. One day, maybe she’ll upload a better photo – one that wasn’t taken in late afternoon with Photobooth. Or, maybe not.Michelle writes on a Mac and is a true geek at heart. She agrees with her dogs who think cheese and bacon should be in their own food group. But most of all, she believes everyone should trust their imagination, have a kind heart, and should definitely have a sense of humor.

Michelle has generously offered 3 ebook copies of Don't Fear the Reaper to give away!

Will run from 1/18 -1/23 at 11:59pm ET

There will be 3 winners

Open internationally as long as you can accept ebooks

Fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter

• Must be 13 or older to enter
• One main entry per person
• Winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours

Review: Don't Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto

TITLE: Don't Fear The Reaper       SERIES: Netherworld #1 AUTHOR: Michelle Muto                PUB: Dreamscapes, Ink PUB DATE: 9/23/11                        FORMAT: ebook SOURCE: from the author in exchange for my honest review

Grief-stricken by the murder of her twin, Keely Morrison is convinced suicide is her ticket to eternal peace and a chance to reunite with her sister. When Keely succeeds in taking her own life, she discovers death isn’t at all what she expected. Instead, she’s trapped in a netherworld on Earth and her only hope for reconnecting with her sister and navigating the afterlife is a bounty-hunting reaper and a sardonic, possibly unscrupulous, demon. But when the demon offers Keely her greatest temptation—revenge on her sister’s murderer—she must uncover his motives and determine who she can trust. Because, as Keely soon learns, both reaper and demon are keeping secrets and she fears the worst is true—that her every decision will change how, and with whom, she spends eternity

THREE WORDS: Original, Funny, Intriguing

MY REVIEW: Michelle Muto’s Don’t Fear the Reaper took me on a haunting and intriguing ride through an unexpected and surprising netherworld.

          MY BRIEF SUMMARY

After Keely’s twin sister, Jordan, is murdered, Keely commits suicide in hopes of being reunited with her sister in a peaceful afterlife. That doesn’t happen. Instead, Keely ends up in a Purgatory netherworld on Earth, with only a reaper (Banning) and a demon (Daniel) to guide her. Caught between simply wanting to find her sister and seeking revenge on the man who murdered Jordan, Keely must decide whether or not to trust Banning and Daniel, something made more difficult when she learns that they’re both keeping secrets from her.

          STORY

I’m a huge fan of stories that explore the afterlife and what happens after we die, and Muto’s story definitely doesn’t disappoint, especially in the originality department. In Don’t Fear the Reaper, Muto offers readers a unique and wonderfully rendered exploration of the afterlife.

Muto’s first chapter is one of the best executed first chapters I’ve come across in a long time. A perfect blend of startling, yet captivating events and mystery, the first chapter had me hooked. However, the next quarter of the book did move a bit slow for my liking and it wasn’t until the halfway mark that I felt like the book found its stride…but once it did, the book moved at a perfect pace and had me enthralled until the end.

There’s a great mix of emotion and tone in this book. It’s haunting and mysterious and both thrilling and chilling. But it’s also quite funny and amusing; not necessarily in a laugh out loud, silly funny kind of way, but an amusing and smart, sarcastic, witty kind of way that I found both refreshing and entertaining. And of course the emotional journey that the characters go through (all the characters) is very important and Muto has crafted this fragile journey beautifully. There were scenes that had me choking up and a couple that had me in tears and moved me profoundly.

I’ll admit that it isn’t easy to impress me when it comes to the paranormal, but Muto has done just that. Her take on the world of reapers, demons, angels, and spirits is quite breathtaking and excitedly original.

There are certainly a few surprising twists and turns, but I can’t say that I didn’t see the ending coming. However, I didn’t mind the predictability that much, because Muto offers a compelling and exciting last quarter of the book. The ending also sets up future books nicely while still offering a satisfying ending.

          CHARACTERS

All of the main characters in this book are well developed and absorbing. The story is told from Keely’s perspective, so readers see, hear, feel, and perceive things through her. I think this created an intimate relationship between me, the reader, and our MC, Keely, but I think it kind of limited my understanding of other characters. I would have liked to have read a chapter or two from the perspective of one or more of the other characters, such as Banning or Daniel. But, I did really like the relationship and connection the book allowed me and Keely to form.

I enjoyed Keely’s feisty nature, humor, and honesty, and I felt genuinely invested in her as a character. But there were things about her character that I had issues with. She spends a great deal of time ruminating and well, whining about the fact that she is dead, which got a little annoying. I could understand her complaining in the beginning of the book, but by the last part of the book it just got repetitive.

Banning and Daniel are both really intriguing paranormal characters. I loved the contrast between the two of them and how wonderfully unexpected their natures are. I really liked Jordan and what she brings out in Keely. Their relationship as sisters is touching and heart-wrenching, but I enjoyed them as individuals too. I’m really hoping we get to know Jordan better in future books.

          ROMANCE/RELATIONSHIPS

There really aren’t any concrete romantic relationships in this book, but past romantic involvements do play a significant role. And there are subtle, yet completely fascinating flirtations among some of the characters and I’m really excited to see where they lead.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Michelle Muto’s Don’t Fear the Reaper is a wonderfully original and enthralling book. The paranormal aspects will thrill you, while the emotional elements will move you. This series has me hooked and I’m excited to see where it goes.

MY RATING

4/5 CUPCAKES

Find the author: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase : Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Smashwords / Createspace

Be sure to come by next week when Michelle Muto stops by for an interview and a giveaway!