If I could lock myself away somewhere for a day—to spend it in any way that I like—the day would involve three things: fresh dark-roasted coffee, a cozy place to curl up, and an excellent book.
Now, I don’t generally get those days. And even when I do have miraculously little to get done, I choose to spend any extra time with my family. Or write.
But this actually makes the choosing of books that much more important. I read, on average, 12 books a month. What? Not have time to read, you say? Bear in mind that I homeschool my kiddos, and we—after beginning every day in the Bible—dig into historical fiction novels and non-fiction (books/textbooks/magazine/journal articles) as we study. Add to that the inspirational and skill-sharpening books I study to hone both my writing craft and my biblical counseling ministry, and I’ve got quite a stack.
Oh, and don’t forget the novels I read for market comparison as I seek an agent.
Obviously, when I have an hour to read, I must be selective. Must.
Books that satisfy or impress me and books that challenge me, especially those that I can recommend without reservation to the youth, young adults, and women who are so often in my company, ought to be passed on—whatever the genre. So, I’m going to begin today adding book reviews to my blog schedule. They’ll be sporadic, I’m sure. Whenever I read something and just have to share it. You can check out what I’m reading here. (I will absolutely continue the series on missions.)
But today.
Today, I need to tell you about a world of mind-blowing detail. Of mind-changing reflection. Of mindjacking danger. The world of Open Minds, created by my rocket-scientist turned writer friend, Susan Kaye Quinn.
“When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.” Enter the world of Kira Moore, a determined and witty sixteen-year-old, coping with a brand of caustic high-school culture few of us could have dreamt up. Kira is a zero. An outcast. Unable to read minds, she simply can’t be trusted.
And the day she accidentally mindjacks her best friend Raf and almost kills him, even she stops trusting herself. Hiding the terrifying truth from her family and friends, Kira stumbles into an underworld filled with others like her who use their abilities to terrible ends. As she searches for answers and help, she realizes there is nowhere to turn. Even the “good guys” believe that anyone different is dangerous, and their barbaric methods target even young and innocent mindjackers. She’s landed in an ethical warzone.
Open Minds is sure to spark intense reflection (and could lead to fabulous discussion), as readers follow Kira on a journey fraught with danger and moral dilemma. And that’s only the beginning. It is the first book in the Mindjack Trilogy.
Sue Quinn and I began writing seriously around the same time, and we formed a friendship that—at the start—revolved around imaginary worlds and the people we dreamed up to inhabit them. Since then, we’ve brainstormed, challenged, critiqued, and cheered each other on in our writing journeys. I remember the birth of this novel—last year during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). One month to write an incredible story. And one year to hone it and release it to the masses.
Don’t miss it. Get your copy (paper or e-book) on November 1, 2011.
Thank you for the amazing review, Bethany! You so get Kira’s dilemmas … wait, did you mindjack into my head?? 🙂 *hugs*
Nope. I mindjacked the backcover copy and added my two cents. 🙂 You said it best.
Sue, the funny thing is, your book was nowhere near me when I wrote that. You must’ve written and painted such a clear picture in your blurb that it stuck with me (and flowed out in my re-description.) Scary (and a little awkward) how similar that one paragraph is. I wrote, revised, posted, and went to bed. And then re-read this AM, and said, “Oh my goodness. It sounds like I plagiarized!” I swear right here in print that it was an unintentional hijack.
See? I mindjacked YOU. LOL!!
(And I totally didn’t even blink at it.)
And now I have a confession – I actually wrote Open Minds TWO years ago. Will you think I’m less awesome now? 🙂 (It just took a lot longer for me to figure out how to write that story than you might imagine!).
I do not, in fact, think you’re less awesome. You’re an inspiration and challenge (and mindjacker.) 🙂 Thanks for not blinking.
As if being a teen isn’t hard enough, poor Kira has to deal with her impenetrable brain dilemma. I can’t wait to see where Sue goes with this next. As a teacher, I’d like to jack into a few minds myself.