Book of the month - June

I've decided to dedicate a post to the best book that I read the previous month. For June, Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready was easily the stand out book for me. Shade is a book that I think I will find hard to ever forget. You can find my review here.

I was extremely lucky and privileged enough to have a quick Q&A session with Jeri, who was so nice to take some time out of her busy schedule for me.

What made you make the move from adult novels to YA?

I'm actually still writing adult novels as well. In fact, my next book in the WVMP RADIO vampire series, BRING ON THE NIGHT, comes out on July 27, and the fourth book will be released next August. I really hope I can continue to do exactly what I'm doing now--writing one adult and one YA book per year--because I enjoy both equally.

For me it's not so much a decision to write one or the other in general as it is figuring out the best way to tell a certain story. I had the original idea for SHADE several years ago as an adult series, but it went nowhere until the character of Aura popped into my head in the starring role.

Right now I have a new series idea percolating in the back of my head that hasn't decided yet whether it wants to be adult or YA. It depends on which character steps forward and yells loudest.

If you were forced to choose between Logan and Zachary, which would it be?
Ooh, great question! If I were Aura, it would be tough to choose. She has a long history with Logan, but personality-wise Zachary is probably a better match for her. Then again, opposites attract, right?

If I were myself (and you know, seventeen and single), it'd be slightly less tough. Zachary has the accent, but Logan has the guitar, so their good points balance each other out. But Zachary has that whole "being alive" thing going for him, which is hard for Logan to compete with. So Zachary would probably be my choice. And again, the accent.

But as the author, my favorite guy is always the one who's in the scene I'm writing at the moment. Which makes me just as confused and torn as Aura.

We already know that Shift will be the second book in this series but are there going to be any more?
I hope so! Ideally there would be four books, two each for Aura's junior and senior years of high school. By the end of SHIFT, Aura knows the answers to most of the important mysteries (including which guy is right for her). But then, what does she do with those answers? How does she take control of her destiny? Who wants to stop her or use her? There's a lot more story to tell, some of it across the Atlantic. ;-)

Hopefully I will know by the end of this year how many books will be in the series. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks for featuring SHADE as your book of the month, Lyndsey, and thanks for having me on your blog!

Jeri loves to hear from readers, so come visit her at www.jerismithready.com, or better yet, at http://twitter.com/jsmithready or www.facebook.com/jerismithready.