Jeri Smith-Ready

Blogtoberfest Day 2 - Shannon Reinbold-Gee

Today's Blogtoberguest is Shannon Reinbold-Gee, whose debut novel, 13 to Life, won the 2008 Textnovel Contest (written under the name Saoirse Redgrave) and was then picked up in a three-book deal by St. Martin's Press.

13 to Life doesn't come out until June 2010. That means we are a bunch of special people to get such a sneaky preview.

It's so sneaky, in fact, this book will be published under a different pen name to be determined. So don't worry if you have trouble remembering her real name (hyphenated names are so annoying, aren't they? Oh, wait.).

Shannon is one of three or four Blogtoberfest authors who will be giving away an Advance Review Copy of their books. Winning one of these will make you the envy of your friends (the bookish ones, anyway, and those are the only ones who count).

Since it's so far in advance, 13 to Life hasn't been reviewed yet, BUT...some obscure author named Jeri Smith-Ready had this to say:

13 TO LIFE made me laugh, cry, and turn the pages so fast I almost got paper cuts! Jessie and Pietr's bond is sweet and real, with more than a touch of delicious danger. An original, pulse-pounding story!

And she meant every word.

Party on, Shannon!


Where I grew up Homecoming was a pretty big deal (even though we didn’t have a football team). There was a game, a parade, a bonfire at the fairgrounds, a dance... Basically all the same things that happen in 13 TO LIFE’s town of Junction—other than the paranormal stuff. Not so many werewolves in Pennsylvania...

But 13 TO LIFE isn’t my story, it’s Jess Gillmansen’s and Pietr Rusakova’s. It’s small town America meets big trouble and what happens when the changes you’re going through can end life as you know it—in SO many ways.

I’m just the author and although writing this series feels like coming home for me, maybe you’d like to read something in Jess Gillmansen’s voice.


I quickly slipped out of my bloodstained gym shirt and shorts and into my street clothes. Today had officially been Hell and tonight would be Homecoming—the bonfire and game.

Hell. Round two.

There was no escaping it. As an editor of the school paper, I needed to attend. Besides, didn’t I want to watch Derek on the football field, leading Junction’s Jackrabbits to victory?

I sighed and tried to fix my hair in the mirror. “Ugh!” My fingers still trembled from the fight. Why did I bother trying to fix unfixable things? Fixing my mop of mousy brown hair here and now was like a metaphor for my life—wrong place, bad timing, never the right tools to solve the problem. But I kept trying. Stubbornly stumbling forward.

Now my failure was all brought into glaring focus in Junction High’s Girl’s bathroom. Under fluorescent light. Because if I was going to suffer, my suffering should absolutely be illuminated by the worst lighting ever. Crap. It was official. My hair couldn’t get worse unless it caught fire. Somehow the hum of the fluorescents overhead didn’t reassure me that wouldn’t happen next.

Of course it wasn’t like I’d see Derek before the bonfire—probably not even before the game wound up. All I had to do was wash the last bit of blood off my knuckles... “Out, damned spot,” I whispered, quoting Lady Macbeth, as I cranked the faucet on to rub the stain away with fierce fingers.

I’d get on the bus and head home. I’d clean up better there. Regroup. Figure out what was really going on with this Derek and Jenny mess and where I fit in with Derek—if I really did at all.

After the bus ride. After sitting next to Pietr, knowing my luck.

“Crap, crap, crap!”

At least Lady Macbeth believed her Hell was murky. My newest version of Hell was crystal clear—lean and handsome with a soft Russian accent and a frustratingly mysterious past. And yeah, he’d probably be at the bonfire and game tonight, too. And if I compared him to Hell in front of my friends? Amy would just point out that Hell was supposed to be hot.

And Pietr Rusakova was at least that.


Ooh, look what I found! A book trailer:



To enter to win 13 to Life, leave a comment below. For complete rules, read the introductory post.

Deadline for entry: Friday, October 9, 11:59pm Eastern. THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED TO ENTRIES. THANKS!!

Other open Blogtoberfest giveaways:
Rosemary Clement-Moore and The Splendor Falls

Thanks again to Shannon (or whatever your name will be) for giving us a first glimpse!

Labels: Blogtoberfest, Contests, guests

• posted by Jeri @ 12:01 AM
• 66 comments