The Non Reluctant Reader YA Paranormal Spooktacular Day Five: Jessica Spotswood

Hey guys, welcome to the fifth day of The Non Reluctant Reader YA Paranormal Spooktacular! I'm pleased to welcome Jessica Spotswood, author of the witch novel, Born Wicked. First Jessica will guest post, then there will be a giveaway! So read on and prepared to be scared! And make sure when tweeting about it you use the hashtag #NRRYASpooktacular! See the schedule of the entire event and all the authors featured HERE.

A gorgeous, witchy, romantic fantasy by a debut author! Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and the Beautiful Creatures series!
Everybody thinks Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave. Then Cate finds her mother's diary, and uncovers a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. But if what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe--not even from each other.

 Jessica Spotswood's Favorite Spooky Reads

When I was a teen, my favorite books were historical romance. But I also loved horror - Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, and especially Lois Duncan.

I was visiting my parents in August when my eyes fell on my old bookshelf and a few tiny Lois Duncan paperbacks. I'm behind on my Goodreads challenge to read 100 books for the year, so I picked them up and brought them home with me, thinking a few quick re-reads would help. And once I read those three, I was hooked. I ended up buying five more. September became a Lois Duncan reading marathon for me.

What I love about Lois Duncan is that her books aren't really horror - there isn't the shock value associated with horror movies - it's more of a slow, creeping suspense. Her heroines have to save themselves from dreadful, often supernatural, predicaments. There are always fantastic villains. And the plots are crazy, high-stakes drama. Let me tell you about four of my favorites (warning: spoilers ahead!).

In DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU, April's dad has been working with the FBI to bring down a drug dealer, and her family gets relocated through the Witness Protection Program. She has to leave her house, friends, and boyfriend behind with no explanation. She doesn't even get to choose her own name. And when she tries to reach out to her old life, a notorious assassin begins to chase her family. I love this one because even though April makes some seriously bad choices, I totally understood her frustration; she doesn't have any control over anything.

In STRANGER WITH MY FACE, Laurie's boyfriend insists that he's seen her out when she's home sick. Strange sightings continue, and Laurie starts to feel haunted. Eventually, she discovers that she's a) adopted and b) capable of astral projection and c) so is the twin sister she didn't know she had. I love this one because it's seriously creepy and the setting is amazing. Laurie's parents' are a writer and a painter, and they live on a house perched on the edge of a cliff on an island in Maine (called, naturally, Cliff House). I want to live at Cliff House!

In SUMMER OF FEAR, Rachel's cousin Julia is orphaned and moves in with Rachel's family. Everyone else seems enchanted by Julia - including Rachel's boyfriend. But when accidents befall everyone who opposes Julia (including, sniff, Rachel's dog!), Rachel starts to suspect her cousin isn't what she seems - and that she might be a witch. I love this one because Rachel seems like such a brat, but she's totally right all along!

In LOCKED IN TIME, Nore's dad has remarried and she's forced to spend the summer with her new stepfamily at their isolated plantation, Shadow Grove. Soon, Nore starts to feel like something is off about her gorgeous young stepmom. Then her stepbrother asks her to run away with him - and tries to drown her when she refuses. Eventually, she discovers that her stepfamily has stopped aging and her stepmom has become a Black Widow in order to keep their beloved plantation up and running. I love this one because it's just totally whackadoodle.  

What are some of your favorite scary reads?

Giveaway

Jessica has generously offered up a giveaway for a copy of any Lois Duncan book, plus some Born Wicked swag! Enter after the page break!

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