First Love (Burning Bright Blog Tour)

Today we have the lovely Sophie McKenzie with us.  To celebrate the release of the second book in her Flynn Series - Burning Bright - she has stopped by to talk about first love...
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First Love

The first time we do anything it’s almost always a bigger, stronger, more intense experience than the times that follow. That’s why we often feel first times so deeply and remember them so clearly. Which makes it strange, to me, that adults are so often dismissive of first love. Grown-ups sometimes seem to think that when the two people involved are young, their feelings are somehow less powerful. I think the opposite is often true. When you are young, you rarely have the reference points and resources that help you to put emotional highs and lows in any kind of context. Everything is heightened – the joy and the pain – precisely because it is fresh and new.

In my Flynn series, River and Flynn fall deeply in love with each other. This isn’t always an easy experience for either of them. All the books are written from River’s point of view and basically provide a record of her obsession with Flynn – how she learns to live with her strong feelings and their consequences. Falling Fast shows them coming together and gradually learning to understand each other. In Burning Bright, the focus is on Flynn’s anger and the impact on River of his outbursts.

Although I was never in a relationship quite like River and Flynn’s as a teenager, I do remember how intense my emotions often were back then. Everything in both Falling Fast and Burning Bright is imagined, but my own experiences definitely inform the books, as do stories I have heard other adults tell about their teenage love lives.

I have been asked if I would ever write a book – or part of one – from Flynn’s point of view. I’ve also been asked, sometimes reproachfully, why I refer to the books as ‘the Flynn series’. The answer to the first question is ‘no, definitely not’, because the whole point of the stories is to explore River’s experiences. Flynn is always seen entirely from her point of view. Sometimes she sees him clearly; sometimes she imagines things that reveal more about her than Flynn himself. This is also why I refer to the stories as ‘the Flynn series’: they are about her experience of him. About first love - and all its hopes and fears.
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Thanks Sophie!

Falling Fast and Burning Bright are available to buy now.

You can read my reviews for them here

Burning Bright by Sophie McKenzie

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: 3 January 2013

From Goodreads: The second title in a new four-book romance series from the Red House Book Award–winning author of Girl, Missing.

Four months have passed and River and Flynn are still going strong. But things are not perfect. Flynn continues to fly into unprovoked rages, and when River tells her mum, she is banned from seeing him. Fighting to stay together, they end up being torn apart. Is it all over for River and Flynn?

I really enjoyed Falling Fast, the first book in this series so I was looking forward to reading this. I really like River and Flynn and am really enjoying their journey.

Following on from the events of the first book, River and Flynn have now been dating for a few months. They are completely smitten with each other – there is just one problem. Flynn’s temper! What I found interesting about this is that it’s not just the fact Flynn gets angry (at pretty much everything) but it is how his mood completely affect River. Not only does he seem to control the way she feels but he is also alienating her from her family and friends. I think as readers we see the same side to him that River does, which is great, but it is also easy to see why her friends and family react to him in the way they do.

I loved the ending to this and how it all plays out. River comes a long way from the character she is at the start of the story – and while she doesn’t make the best choices I think she had to live it to reach the conclusion she does at the end. And Flynn is still as compelling as before – I like how his character is written. How flawed he is, yet how much I fell in love with him too. I could see both the positive and negatives of his character and willed him to see how he appears to others – how that behaviour affects others.

A brilliant look at the intensity of first love, with characters that are remarkably believable. I can’t wait to read the next instalment!

Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: March 2012

From Goodreads: When River auditions for a part in an interschool performance of Romeo and Juliet, she finds herself smitten by Flynn, the boy playing Romeo. But Flynn comes from a damaged family—is he even capable of giving River what she wants? The path of true love never did run smooth . . .

This is real life, not a rehearsal...

Having enjoyed all of Sophie McKenzie’s books I knew I was in good hands for this – and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Using the play Romeo and Juliet as the back drop to a romance is a brilliant idea – I loved it. I really loved the characters too. I really liked River – how she grows and matures in the story – and Flynn is that flawed, kind of intense character I always seem to love. He has issues definitely, and while I’m sure many parents would want him as far away from their daughter as possible, there is something so compelling about him I could understand why River felt about him the way she does.

Drama filled, this is a quick and rather addictive read. As the first in a planned trilogy I’m now really looking forward to reading the sequel, Burning Bright, to see what is next in store for River and Flynn.

Missing Me by Sophie McKenzie

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: 13 September 2012

From Goodreads: Six years have passed since the end of Sister, Missing and Madison is now a teenager. During a visit to her older sister Lauren, Madison learns that their biological father was an anonymous sperm donor and sets out to track him down. Her search bears fruit sooner than she expects, but is the father she discovers all he seems? As Madison gets drawn into a mysterious investigation involving missing girls and secret hideaways, she finds herself in more and more danger. A tense and thrilling end to the bestselling series, not to be missed!

Having really enjoyed both Girl Missing and Sister Missing I couldn't wait to see how Sophie McKenzie would conclude the series. Add to that the fact it's set 6 years later and narrated by Madison - well I was seriously excited to read this one! And I have to say Sophie Mckenzie absolutely blew me away - it was really good!

The decision to make Madison narrate the story is a stroke of genius! Madison has enough similarities in narrative voice to Lauren making the switch in narrative seamless, but there is also enough of a difference (she comes across as much softer) that is doesn't feel like just more of the same. And Madison's drive to seek out her biological father felt real and believable. I imagine that Annie would not be a easy parent to deal with at times!

I loved catching up with Jam and Lauren six years later - and adored the fact they are still very much together. I love Jam and think he is a great balance for Lauren - plus the idea that they could still be together after meeting so young definitely makes the romantic in me smile.

There are new characters in this one.  Wolf really stands out, and I really liked  the budding relationship between him and Madison.  The 'baddy' was rather scary in this one too!  Again there are many twists and turns, all expertly done. I found reading this one really exciting and enjoyable - I steamed through it! And I loved the danger - I felt the stakes were even higher in this one!

If you enjoyed the others in the series you are going to love this one!

Sister Missing by Sophie McKenzie

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: August 2011

From Goodreads: Fighting back my rising panic, I stopped and took a deep breath. Think. Where could she have gone? I turned right around, looking in every direction, trying to spot the familiar silhouette of my sister. But there was no sign of her...

It's two years after the events of Girl, Missing and life is not getting any easier for sixteen-year-old Lauren, as exam pressure and a recent family tragedy take their toll. Lauren's birth mother takes Lauren and her two sisters on holiday in the hope that some time together will help, but a few days into the holiday one of the sisters disappears, under circumstances very similar to those in which Lauren was taken years before. Can Lauren save her sister, and stop the nightmare happening all over again?

I really enjoyed Girl Missing so was excited to find it was going to become a series. I relished the opportunity to catch up with Lauren, Jam and Madison!

It's been two years since we last saw these characters and it was great spending time with them. Lauren is exactly how I remembered her - strong, fiercely independent, a tad selfish at times but really, really kind once you dig that little bit deeper. And how much do I love Jam? He is just full of complete awesome.

The story was really exciting with all the different twist and turns I have come to expect from a Sophie Mckenzie novel. I LOVED the scenes towards the end - I was really worried for Lauren, Jam and Madison! There were a few things that I saw coming - but I have to say the ending completely blindsided me!

Really, really good.! I can't wait to read Missing Me - and I'm really looking forward to having the story narrated by Madison.

Names and Place (Missing Me Blog Tour)

I'm really excited to have Sophie McKenzie stop by today to talk about the names and places featured in her Missing series...
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Names and Places

Where do the names of the characters in the Missing series come from?

Lauren is simply a girls name that I didn’t associate with anyone I knew – and that I really liked. Jam is short for James. I’d read a lot of books with that name for the male main character and I wanted to find a fresh twist on what is a very popular choice for boys.

When it came to naming Madison and Shelby I looked to the United States, where both sisters grew up. My criteria was simple. Madison needed a name I liked. Shelby needed a name I didn’t!

For the new people introduced in Missing Me, I picked names that hopefully reflect the character’s backgrounds. Esme and Wolf were chosen because they are elegant, upper-class names (at least in my mind!) Wolf’s first names are Wolfgang, William… after Mozart and Shakespeare, as he explains to Madison in the book. His father has given him a lot to live up to with those names – as is shown in the relationship between the two.

What made you pick the locations you used for Missing Me?

Lauren’s home was always north London, so it made sense that when Annie brings Madison to live in England after the events of Sister, Missing she would choose to live nearby. I set the original Missing books in north London because that’s where I live, so all the references were on my door step!

The action of Missing Me takes place in various locations in London. I used the Houses of Parliament because I knew it was a venue where security would be high, which I needed for the story. I have visited a number of large houses in Hampstead, so was easily able to imagine Declan Baxter’s mansion.

When it came to the locations outside London, I sent Madison to Cambridgeshire because I was there on an author visit while I was planning the book! As for the cliff top finale. This wasn’t based on any specific part of the coastline, but I love the sea and I’m always happy when I can set a dramatic scene beside the ocean.
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Thanks Sophie!

You can read my review for the first book in the series, Girl Missing here. I'll have reviews for both Sister Missing and Missing Me up later today!

Missing Me is published 13 September 2012.

Cover to Covet (16)

I LOVE book covers. Love, love love them. So I decided to make it a regular post - each post featuring a cover I love.



I love the cover for Sister, Missing.  It's the picture in the hair - like an illusion -  you have to look to see it.  Or maybe that's just me:)  But either way it's totally fab!

Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie  - you can read my review here
Sister Missing by Sophie Mckenzie  - can't wait for this one!  It's published September 2011 by Simon & Schuster

The Medusa Project: The Set Up by Sophie McKenzie

From Goodreads: Fourteen years ago, scientist William Fox implanted four babies with the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities. But Fox died and the babies were hidden away for years.
Now they're teenagers - and unaware that their psychic powers are about to kick in.

Cocky, charismatic Nico thinks his emerging telekinetic abilities will bring him money, power and the girl of his dreams. He's about to find out just how wrong he is...

Another Sophie Mckenzie book that I really enjoyed!  I really like her writing style and find her stories are always great fun to read.

This story focuses on Nico.  It turns out that he was one of four babies who were given the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities.  Once his kicks in he thinks he can use them to impress the girl he really likes.  But it turns out not all is what it seems....

I liked Nico.  He is a tad cocky but he is also likeable.  A bit gullible perhaps but overall I really warmed to him  I also really liked Ketty - I think I liked her the best.  I also liked the relationship between her and Nico.  Dylan and Ed took a bit longer to warm to but I believe each story will be told from each of the character's point of view so that will help bring them more into focus.

I loved all the different psychic abilities.  I always love stories focused on this subject so I had a good feeling I would enjoy this.  Although the plot was a bit predictable at times it didn't spoil the fun at all!  All the action scenes are great - the story fast paced -  this one really sets up the series.  I can't wait to get stuck into the next one.

Girl Missing by Sophie McKenzie

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published:  October 2006

From Goodreads:  Lauren has always known she was adopted but when a little research turns up the possibility that she was snatched from an American family as a baby, suddenly Lauren's life seems like a sham. How can she find her biological parents? And are her adoptive parents really responsible for kidnapping her? She manages to wangle a trip across the Atlantic where she runs away to try and find the truth. But the circumstances of her disappearance are murky and Lauren's kidnappers are still at large and willing to do anything to keep her silent…

I really enjoyed this.  I find Sophie McKenzie has the habit of making me completely addicted to whatever she writes.

The story follows Lauren who has always known she was adopted.  But when she discovers that she might actually be the missing child of an American family it makes her determined to her biological parents. Unfortunately, it might not be that easy...
 
I really liked Lauren.  I found her very single minded in her quest to find out about her biological parents and what really happened to her - which at time made her come across as selfish but I could also completely understand her motivation.  She didn't just want to know she needed to know.  I also thought that her determination to find answers didn't really give her the opportunity to stop and think about the consequences of what she was doing.  Both in terms of the danger she was putting herself in and what the answers would mean in the long term.
 
I absolutely loved her friend Jam!  I loved all of his scenes and really enjoyed his relationship with Lauren - he came across as a great friend and just great fun to be around.
 
The story moves along quickly and I found myself reading this in one go.  I think my favourite part was the end - really exciting and I loved Lauren's decision!  I don't want to go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil anything - it's one of those books it's best to read and discover for yourself.

I can't wait for the sequel Sister Missing when it's published this year - I'm really looking forward to revisiting these characters.

 

Blood Ransom by Sophie McKenzie

Contains spoilers for Blood Ties

From Amazon:  Clones Rachel and Theo now live thousands of miles apart. They keep in touch, but things just aren't the same. When Rachel discovers that evil scientist Elijah is still working in secret for a section of the government and about to murder Daniel, she sets out to rescue the little boy, but her plans backfire with disastrous consequences. Across the Atlantic, Theo becomes suspicious when Rachel misses their weekly internet chat. He discovers a report online saying she's killed herself and travels to Scotland to find her, certain that she has been kidnapped. A clue leads him to Elijah's mysterious clinic, where the sinister Aphrodite Experiment is underway. But what is Elijah really planning? Why does he need to track Rachel down so badly? And will Rachel and Theo be able to pay the ultimate ransom that he demands?

I was completely blown away by Blood Ties so I could not wait to read this one.  I literally picked it up as soon as I'd finished the first!   I was so taken with Rachel and Theo I had to know what happened next.

The story picks up nine months after the end of Blood Ties.  Not able to see each other, but communicating every week through chat rooms Theo becomes concerned when Rachel misses one of their meetings.  Convinced something is wrong he comes across an article online claiming she has committed suicide.  Not believing this to be the case, Theo teams up with Lewis to find her.

Again we get the dual narrative that I enjoyed in the first book and it works just as well here.  I think it adds to the 'action-packed' feel of the book by not letting it get stale.  It's really interesting to be able to get the story from both points of view and to see how they view each other too.

The characters had all grown in the nine months and this time I really liked Theo.  Rachel is also much more confident - although I thought she was a little too trusting in the beginning of this story but I can understand why.  I was also very glad Lewis was back - and that his feelings toward Elijah for what he did (in Blood Ties) were explored.

I wasn't sure how Sophie McKenzie would be able to come up with a story that would match the excitement levels of Blood Ties but she has managed it.  It felt like a progression of the first book - and is a great way to conclude the overall story.   There wasn't a dull moment so I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute.  I also really liked how it ended - but I am still holding out hope that we may get more! 

Now, where is my copy of Girl Missing?

Blood Ties by Sophie McKenzie

From Amazon:  When Theo discovers the father he thought died when he was a baby is still alive, he's determined to find him. The clues lead him to the lonely Rachel, who has problems of her own, including parents who compare her unfavourably to her long-dead sister. But when Rachel and Theo are attacked by men from RAGE - the Righteous Army against Genetic Engineering - at Rachel's school disco, they are rescued by strangers and taken to meet a mysterious figure. There, they both make some startling discoveries about their identities, which will affect their past, present, and future in dramatic and life-altering ways...

The first thing I did after finishing this book was to grab my copy of Blood Ransom. The second was to ask myself how on EARTH I had never read a Sophie McKenzie book before. It really was that good!

The story follows two main characters, Rachel and Theo, using a dual narrative. I love this format and it works brilliantly here. I adored Rachel and loved watching her character grow and gain more confidence. Theo is perhaps slightly more distant but that is explored in the story - and I really loved the connection between him and Rachel and watching it gradually develop.

The story itself is action packed - I found myself completely gripped from pretty much the first page. McKenzie has a very assessable style of writing that is really easy to get lost in and she is definitely skilled at writing action scenes. I found myself gasping out loud, then holding my breath as I read. I was completely and utterly hooked!

I found the book to be written in a very realistic way - making it that bit more believable - and the characterisation is superb. All the characters are fleshed out and I found myself very attached to them all, especially Rachel, Theo, Mel and Lewis. Actually I found myself very taken with Lewis and liked the friendship he develops with Rachel.

This is one of those books you are going to want to read in one sitting. Every time I said 'just one more chapter' it got so exciting I just had to keep reading. Even when the book ended I was hungry for more - luckily I had a copy of Blood Ransom to hand! These books are really addictive and I can't wait to try more of Sophie McKenzie's work.

Extract: Blood Ransom by Sophie McKenzie

Blood Ransom is the sequel to Blood Ties and is published on 1 October 2010. Thanks to Simon & Schuster I have an extract for you all to enjoy...

Rachel
My mouth was completely underwater now, so I was breathing through my nose, my whole body shaking with cold.
And then my legs stopped moving altogether. I flailed with my arms, panicking, tipping my head back. Mouth above water. One last yell.
And then I sank beneath the water.
The shock of the water on my face roused me for a second. Enough to register that I had to move.
Swim, my brain screamed at my limbs. Swim.
Somewhere, somehow I managed to move, clawing back the water, fighting the urge to sleep. I was running out of breath now.
Give up, said a little voice in my head. It’s the easier choice.
No. My hands banged the side of the tunnel. I reached along the mossy wall, pulling myself through the water. Which way was up? I couldn’t breathe.
And then a huge hole appeared in the wall. I could feel it with my hands. The water was even colder here.
Swim there, my brain shrieked at me.
I had no idea if I should. I’d lost all sense of where I was or who I was or what I was doing here.
All I knew was that I had to keep moving.
My lungs were going to burst. I kicked myself into the hole. Another kick. Darkness forcing itself into my closed eyes.
And another. The darkness was overwhelming.

Sound good?  Here's the synopsis:

From Amazon:  Clones Rachel and Theo now live thousands of miles apart. They keep in touch, but things just aren't the same. When Rachel discovers that evil scientist Elijah is still working in secret for a section of the government and about to murder Daniel, she sets out to rescue the little boy, but her plans backfire with disastrous consequences. Across the Atlantic, Theo becomes suspicious when Rachel misses their weekly internet chat. He discovers a report online saying she's killed herself and travels to Scotland to find her, certain that she has been kidnapped. A clue leads him to Elijah's mysterious clinic, where the sinister Aphrodite Experiment is underway. But what is Elijah really planning? Why does he need to track Rachel down so badly? And will Rachel and Theo be able to pay the ultimate ransom that he demands?

There is also a contest at The Story Siren today which you should check out!