Allusive Aftershock Blog Tour: Review, excerpt and giveaway!

Title: Allusive Aftershock

By: Susan Griscom

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Published by Amber Glow Books

Release date: December 18, 2012

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Blurb:

What happens when a major earthquake changes life as you know it and the boy you thought you hated ends up saving you? Three times!

Courtland Reese is the guy everyone hates and makes fun of because … well, he is weird. He communicates with animals. Strange or interesting, seventeen-year-old Adela Castielle can’t quite figure out, but when he saves her from being trampled by her own horse, she begins to understand him a little better and wants to learn more about him.

But, Max--her best friend/dream guy/someday-to-be-her-husband-only-he-doesn’t-know-it-yet--hates Courtland with a passion. Adela wants to know why, except neither boy is talking.

When Max leaves her stranded in his parents' wine cave with his worst enemy, Courtland, after what the experts are calling a “megathrust” earthquake, Adela starts to question her loyalty to Max as steamy kisses in a dark damp cellar only fuel her emotions with more conflict.

But does she really have time to worry about that when fire, destruction and mayhem surround her?

My Review:
This book is so very unique. A contemporary Young Adult novel that centers around a major earthquake and the aftershocks that follow, leaving unimaginable destruction in their wake. At first I had doubts that I would enjoy this. Earthquakes are known for being extremely devastating and the one in Allusive Aftershock is no different. But the story completely sucked me in. It was haunting and beautiful and sad. It was incredibly well written, too. An emotional, powerful, roller coaster ride. I think it would make a great Lifetime movie.

The story revolves around three very different characters, all relateable in their own ways. As the novel progresses, these characters go through so much and the reader can see them grow up before their eyes.The situation they're in forces them to grow up quickly because if they don't, they'll die. It's one big race to survive and if they are not careful, they won't.

The story has a slight dystopian feel to it because of the breathtaking and detailed counts of the destruction. It's told by two of the three main characters, Adela and Court. These two develop the sweetest and most adorable relationship. It definitely shows that no matter how bad things have gotten, good things can still occur afterwards. I really enjoyed getting to know both of them better through their point of views.

Court is such an interesting character. I warmed up to him quickly. He's every girls dream guy. Great with animals, strong, protective, good looking. He's not afraid to be affectionate and he can hunt and cook for you. *sigh*

The cover is absolutely stunning and it goes perfectly with the story. It captures the essence of the entire novel.

Allusive Aftershock is a story about life and love. It's emotional, heartbreaking, romantic, and heartwarming. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will give you hope.

5/5

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A note from Susan:

I daydream often and sometimes my daydreams interrupt my daydreams. So I write to remember them. If I didn't write, I think my mind would explode from an overload of fantasy and weirdness. To the annoyance of my friends and family, my characters sometimes become a part of my world. During my childhood, I would frequently get in trouble in school for daydreaming. Eventually, my vivid imagination paid off and I had the privilege of writing and co-directing my sixth-grade class play—a dreadful disaster, though not from my writing, of course, I must blame it on the acting.

I love writing about characters living in small quaint towns and tend to lean toward the unusual and spooky.

My paranormal playing field delves into a different milieu, abandoning vampires and werewolves, but not discounting them. Someday I might like to write a novel about vamps and those furry creatures. But for now I like the bizarre mixed with romance. A strong hero or heroine confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers and capabilities gets my blood running hot.

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Excerpt 1:

As Courtland stood, the legs of his chair scraped along the floor and the back of his knees pushed it out of the way of his tall frame. His dark green hoodie hung loose and unzipped, his jeans sat low on his waist. His hair was slicked back away from his face, different from the normal way it usually fell over his forehead, giving him the appearance of an ancient Native American warrior. If I wasn’t already in love with Max and Court hadn’t been so mean to me the other day, I might actually think he was hot, the way he walked up to get the book without saying a word, his gait easy but cautious as he sauntered past Max’s desk. One never knew what Max might do and Courtland had been the brunt of his antics more than once.

“Stop by the library on your way back and pick up a couple of the books they have on earthquake preparedness. There should be a good selection on the subject. Ask Mrs. Snow to help you; she’ll steer you in the right direction.”

Courtland strolled out of the room while Mr. Montgomery continued his talk about earthquakes.

Sometimes I felt sorry for Courtland, the way some of the kids made fun of his keen intuition with animals. This morning, I was still too mad at him to care much about that, though. My mind wandered back to Big Blue. I really wanted to ride him—maybe today would be a good time to do it. If Max rode with me, Courtland might stay clear. I scribbled a quick note in my binder, ripped the page out, folded it into a little square and handed it to Max while Mr. Montgomery wrote something on the board. He read it and folded it back up before sticking it under his history book. After flashing a smile at me, he nodded.

I sat doodling on the paper in front of me, making little swirling designs I thought might look good on a book cover, half listening to Mr. Montgomery when I felt a brush of material glide over my arm. I looked up to see Courtland as he strolled past me, back from his trip to the office.

 All of a sudden, my desk jolted 

Buy Links: Kindle http://www.amazon.com/ALLUSIVE-AFTERSHOCK-ebook/dp/B00AQ9LF72/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1356055532&sr=1-1&keywords=allusive+aftershock

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Allusive-Aftershock-Susan-Griscom/dp/0615737897/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356055655&sr=1-3&keywords=susan+griscom

Website: http://susangriscom.com

Blog: http://swblog.susangriscom.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SusanGriscom

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/SMGriscom

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Griscom/e/B008R94FNO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_3

Facebook personal:  https://www.facebook.com/SusanGriscom1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/SusanGriscom

Please purchase the e-book to be eligible for the swag pack. Please enter your receipt number. New purchases only, date must fall between 1-14 and 2-14. If you purchase my book and then win an e-book copy of AA, I will reward you with another book of equal value of your choice. Winners will be chosen on my birthday, February 23rd.


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Happy Reading!
Kristina