House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods by Robert Liparulo (AND GIVEAWAY)

My Review: I loved House of Dark Shadows. I did not want to put it down. I have not read the second yet but I look forward to reading it soon. I read them during the daylight. ;) There is almost no spiritual element present which was my only concern. I highly recommend this series to both middle school and older. It might appeal more to boys but this girl really liked it and this is not my typical book. Great summer reading. To win the set of both books leave a comment on this post until Wednesday June 18 at midnight.

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing a double pair

House of Dark Shadows
and
Watcher In The Woods
(Books 1 and 2 in the Dreamhouse Kings Series)
Thomas Nelson (May 6, 2008)
by
Robert Liparulo
ABOUT THE BOOKS

House of Dark Shadows
(Dreamhouse Kings Book 1)
Dream house...or bad dream?
When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into--as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places--in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.

Watcher In The Woods
(Dreamhouse Kings Book 2)

It's not just the house that's keeping secrets.
Pretending everything's all right is harder than it sounds. But the Kings know that even if they told the truth about the bizarre things happening in their house, no one would believe them. They're hyper-focused on rescuing their lost family member before anyone finds out what's going on.

But when a stranger shows up to take their house, their options start dwindling fast. Why would he be so interested in a run-down old place? And what secret is he hiding--just as he hides the scars that crisscross his body?

The mystery gets stranger with each passing day. Will the Kings be able to find a way to harness the house's secrets and discover who is watching their every move before another gets snatched into an unknown world?

The Dreamhouse Kings Series has three contests that you will not want to miss...Dream the Scene, a weekly "Thanks For Reading Trivia contest, and the Dreamhouse Kings Street Team contest. There are also free bookplates that you can request, and a chapter of each book that you can download!

You can get all those goodies HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Robert's first novel painted a scenario so frighteningly real that six Hollywood producers were bidding on movie rights before the novel was completed. His acclaimed debut novel, Comes A Horseman, is being made into a major motion picture by producer Mace Neufeld and his short story "Kill Zone" was featured in the anthology Thriller, edited by James Patterson.

Bob has sold the film rights to his second book, GERM. And he is writing the screenplay for a yet-to-be-written political thriller, which sold to Phoenix Pictures, for Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) to direct!

And his third book Deadfall. debuted to rave reviews!

Frenzy by Robert Liparulo

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Frenzy

Thomas Nelson (May 18, 2010)

by

Robert Liparulo





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first novel, Comes a Horseman, released to critical acclaim. Each of his subsequent thrillers—Germ, Deadfall, and Deadlock—secured his place as one of today’s most popular and daring thriller writers.



He is known for investing deep research and chillingly accurate predictions of near-future scenarios into his stories. In fact, his thorough, journalistic approach to research has resulted in his becoming an expert on the various topics he explores in his fiction, and he has appeared on such media outlets as CNN and ABC Radio.



Liparulo’s visual style of writing has caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman. were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”



Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted in 2008 with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers, released in January 2009, and number four, Timescape, in July 2009, and number five, Whirlwind in December 2009. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series, Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”



With the next two Dreamhouse books “in the can,” he is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects supernatural elements into his brand of gun-blazing storytelling. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on his acclaimed short story, which appeared in James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.



Visit Robert Liparulo's Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/LiparuloFans







ABOUT THE BOOK

Their destiny is to fix history. Their dream is to get home.



When you live in a house that's really a gateway between past and present, you have to be ready for anything. It's a painful fact the Kings have faced since moving to Pinedale eight days ago. Desperately trying to rescue their mother from an unknown time and place, brothers Xander and David have lunged headlong into the chaos of history's greatest--and most volatile--events. But their goal has continually escaped their grasp.



And worse: Finding Mom is only a small part of what they must do, thanks to the barbaric Taksidian. His ruthless quest to sieze their house and its power from them has put not only the family, but all of mankind, in grave danger.



Somehow, the key to it all hinges on Uncle Jesse's words to the boys: "Fixing time is what our family was made to do." But how can they fix a world that has been turned updisde down--much less ever find their way home?



At long last, the secrets of the house and the King family are revealed in the stunning conclusion to this epic series.



If you would like to read the Prologue and first Chapter of Frenzy, go HERE.



Sign up for the Frenzy Newsletter HERE.

First in a Series Challenge Completed List

First in a Series Challenge Finished List:

"A Treasure Worth Keeping" by Kathryn Springer (DONE)
"Child of the Mist" by Kathleen Morgan (DONE)
"From a Distance" by Tamera Alexander (DONE)
"House of Dark Shadows" by Robert Liparulo (DONE)
"In the Company of Secrets" by Judith Miller (DONE)
"Killing Floor" by Lee Child (DONE)
"Miss Fortune" by Sara Mills (DONE)
"Shadows of Colossus" by T. L. Higley (DONE)
"Sisters Inc" by Rebecca Seitz (DONE)
"Stuck in the Middle" by Virginia Smith (DONE)
"The DoppleGanger Chronicles:The First Escape" by G. P. Taylor (DONE)
"Twice Loved" by Lori Copeland (DONE)

I pretty much liked all the books I read for this challenge. I was surprised I liked the DoppleGanger Chronicles and House of Dark Shadows but I did and they are YA. The only book I did not like and would not recommend at all is Killing Floor by Lee Child. It is not Christian fiction and it is full of murder, gory stuff, s*x, and cursing. The concept was cool but it was ruined for me by all the other junk. My sister likes the series and is on book ten so different books for different people. My two absolute favorite Christian fiction off the list is Stuck in the Middle by Virgina Smith and A Treasure Worth Keeping by Kathryn Springer but I recommend any on the list. :)

Timescape by Robert Liparulo

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Timescape
Thomas Nelson (July 14, 2009)
by
Robert Liparulo


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first novel, Comes a Horseman, released to critical acclaim. Each of his subsequent thrillers—Germ, Deadfall, and Deadlock—secured his place as one of today’s most popular and daring thriller writers.

He is known for investing deep research and chillingly accurate predictions of near-future scenarios into his stories. In fact, his thorough, journalistic approach to research has resulted in his becoming an expert on the various topics he explores in his fiction, and he has appeared on such media outlets as CNN and ABC Radio.

Liparulo’s visual style of writing has caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman. were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall
for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”

Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted last year with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers, released in January, and number four, Timescape, in July. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series, Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”

With the next two Dreamhouse books “in the can,” he is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects supernatural elements into his brand of gun-blazing storytelling. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on his acclaimed short story, which appeared in James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.


ABOUT THE BOOK

David, Xander, Dad, and Keal have discovered a terrible secret. Now, finding Mom is only a small part of their mission. And time is running out. Using the portals to build an empire, Taksidian wants the house for himself, and there's nothing he won't do to get the family out. The consequences of his meddling reach far beyond the family--to the future of the world itself. The Kings know their survival depends on stopping the bloodthirsty assassin. If only they can find his weakness in time.

Most startling of all is their ability to change the path of history. But will their tinkering in time reunite the family and save the future . . . or set mankind on an irreversible course of destruction?




If you would like to read the first chapter of Timescape, go HERE


Enter the contest to win this book package by clicking on the image!!!

Whirlwind by Robert Liparulo

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
Whirlwind
Thomas Nelson (December 29, 2009)
by
Robert Liparulo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first novel, Comes a Horseman, released to critical acclaim. Each of his subsequent thrillers—Germ, Deadfall, and Deadlock—secured his place as one of today’s most popular and daring thriller writers.

He is known for investing deep research and chillingly accurate predictions of near-future scenarios into his stories. In fact, his thorough, journalistic approach to research has resulted in his becoming an expert on the various topics he explores in his fiction, and he has appeared on such media outlets as CNN and ABC Radio.

Liparulo’s visual style of writing has caught the eye of Hollywood producers. Currently, three of his novels for adults are in various stages of development for the big screen: the film rights to Comes A Horseman. were purchased by the producer of Tom Clancy’s movies; and Liparulo is penning the screenplays for GERM and Deadfall for two top producers. He is also working with the director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, Holes) on a political thriller. Novelist Michael Palmer calls Deadfall “a brilliantly crafted thriller.” March 31st marked the publication of Deadfall’s follow-up, Deadlock, which novelist Gayle Lynds calls, “best of high-octane suspense.”

Liparulo’s bestselling young adult series, Dreamhouse Kings, debuted last year with House of Dark Shadows and Watcher in the Woods. Book three, Gatekeepers, released in January, and number four, Timescape, in July. The series has garnered praise from readers, both young and old, as well as attracting famous fans who themselves know the genre inside and out. Of the series, Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine says, “I loved wandering around in these books. With a house of so many great, haunting stories, why would you ever want to go outside?”

With the next two Dreamhouse books “in the can,” he is currently working on his next thriller, which for the first time injects supernatural elements into his brand of gun-blazing storytelling. The story is so compelling, two Hollywood studios are already in talks to acquire it—despite its publication date being more than a year away. After that comes a trilogy of novels, based on his acclaimed short story, which appeared in James Patterson’s Thriller anthology. New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” He lives with his family in Colorado.

Visit Robert Liparulo's Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/LiparuloFans


ABOUT THE BOOK

Which door do you go through to save the world?

David, Xander, and Toria King never know where the mysterious portals in their house will take them: past, present, or future. They have battled gladiators and the German army, dodged soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, and jumped from the sinking Titanic. They've also seen the stark future that awaits if they can't do something to change it--a destroyed city filled with mutant creatures.

And they've still got to find a way to bring Mom back and keep Taksidian from getting them out of the house. The dangers are hitting them like a whirlwind . . . but the answers are becoming apparent as well.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Whirlwind, go HERE

I just received this book in the mail. My 12 year old girl cousin is reading it now. She absolutely loves this series. After she finishes she will ask me periodically when the next one is coming out. lol :) I would have thought this series to appeal more to boys but it is a credit to the author that it has widespread appeal.

100+ Reading Challenge 2008 Finished List

I particpated in the 100+ Reading Challenge hosted by J. Kaye as part of keeping up with my whole list. I met 100 twice and almost three. I read 260 books in 2008. I am very overwhelmed looking at my list. I do not know how to summerize it or discuss it.

2008 Completed Books Reading List
January
1. A Time to Mend by Sally John and Gary Smalley
2. Searching for Eternity by Elizabeth Musser
3. Next Door Daddy by Debra Clopton
4. Kissing Adrian by Siri Mitchell
5. The Other Daughter by Miralee Ferrall
6. In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols
7. Splitting Harriet by Tamera Leigh
8. Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen
9. A Walk with Jane Austen by Lori Smith (NF)
10. One Little Secret by Allison Bottke
11. Snow Angel by Jamie Carie
12. For Better or Worse by Diann Hunt
13. Awaken My Heart by Diann Mills
14. Just Cause by Susan Page Davis
15. My Name is Russell Fink by Michael Synder
16. Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith
17. Days and Hours by Susan Meissner
18. Killing Floor by Lee Child
19. Skizzer by A. J. Kiesling
20. Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
21. Death of a Garage Sale Newbie by Sharon Dunn
February
22. Sisters Ink by Rebecca Seitz
23. Only Uni by Camy Tang
24. Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn
25. Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequest (NF)
26. First the Dead by Tim Downs
27. Bayou Corruption by Robin Caroll
28. Picket Fence Promises by Kathryn Springer
29. You Had me at Goodbye by Tracey Bateman
30. Blue Heart Blessed by Susan Meissner
31. A Soldiers Family by Cheryl Wyatt
32. Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini
33. Elvis Takes a Backseat by Leanna Ellis
34. Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck
March
35. The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello
36. Taming Rafe by Susan May Warren
37. Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury
38. A Treasure Worth Keeping by Kathryn Springer
39. The Next Level by David Gregory
40. For Pete's Sake by Linda Windsor
41. Her Baby Dreams by Debra Clopton
42. The Barefoot Believers by Annie Jones
43. Hearts in the Highlands by Ruth Axtell Morren
44. Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart
45. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
46. Military Daddy by Patricia Davids
47. Looking for Salvation at Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore
48. Danny Gospel by David Atheny
49. In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller
April
50. Whispers Along the Rails by Judith Miller
51. There's a Spaceship in my Tree by Robert West
52. Attack of the Spider Bots by Robert West
53. Are You There God, Its Me Margaret by Judy Blume
54. Legacy of Secrets by Sara Mitchell
55. Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
56. The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones
57. Embrace Me by Lisa Samson
58. Bella Novelization by Lisa Samson
59. The Bounty Hunter's Bride by Victoria Bylin
60. The Road to Love by Linda Ford
61. The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill
62. Out of the Devil's Mouth by Travis Thrasher
63. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
64. The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter
May
65. The Briton by Catherine Palmer
66. Lookin' Back Texas by Leanna Ellis
67. Someone to Watch Over Me by Teresa Hill
68. Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner
69. Danger in a Small Town by Ginny Aiken
70. Child of the Mist by Kathleen Morgan
71. Skid by Renee Gutteridge
72. The Redemption of Jake Scully by Elaine Barbieri
73. Rattled by Trish Berg (NF)
74. Mountain Sanctuary by Lenora Worth
75. Act Two: A Novel of Perfect Pitch by Kimberly Stuart
76. Promise Me Always by Christine Lynxwiler
77. Along Came a Cowboy by Christine Lynxwiler
78. The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguie
79. From a Distance by Tamera Alexander
80. I heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson
June
81. Jamaican Me Crazy by Debbie DiGiovanni
82. Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper
83. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
84. Matchpoint by Erynn Mangum
85. Now and Always by Lori Copeland
86. A Promise for Tomorrow by Sara Dubose
87. Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker
88. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo
89. Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas
90. Deep In the Heart of Trouble by Deanne Gist
91. The Cowboy Takes a Bride by Debra Clopton
92. Grits and Glory by Ron and Janet Benrey
93. Oh, Baby by Judy Baer
94. A Mile in My Flip Flops by Melody Carlson
95. She Always Wore Red by Angela Hunt
96. Controlling Interest by Elizabeth White
97. Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
98. The Prince Charming List by Kathryn Springer
99. Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy
100. Hidden by Shelly Shepard Gray
101. Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck
102. His Small Town Girl by Arlene James
103. Bayou Judgment by Robin Caroll
104. Beyond the Night by Marlo Schlasky
105. A Steal of a Deal by Ginny Aiken
106. Mission Motherhood by Marta Perry
July
107. Bayou Paradox by Robin Caroll
108. Table for One by Georgiana Daniels
109. Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
110. Wiser Than Serpents by Susan May Warren
111. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
112. Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
113. Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery
114. Anne of Windy Populars by L. M. Montgomery
115. Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Mongomery
116. Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
117. Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery
118. Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
119. Try Darkness by James Scott Bell
120. Wind River by Tom Morrisey
121. Romancing Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
122. That Summer Place by Macomber, Wiggs, Barnett
123. That's (Not Exactly) Amore by Tracey Bateman
124. Bluegrass Hero by Allie Pleiter
125. Suspicious Minds by Christy Barritt
126. The Sweetgum Knit Society by Beth Pattilo
127. Hidden Treasures by Kathryn Springer
128. Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
129. Lone Star Secret by Lenora Worth
130. River of Secrets by Lynnette Eason
131. Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins
132. Coral Moon by Brandilyn Collins
133. Finding Stephanie by Susan May Warren
134. Dogwood by Chris Fabry
135. Amber Morn by Brandilyn Collins
August
136. The Mermaid in the Basement by Gilbert Morris
137. Full Circle by Davis Bunn
138. Winter Haven by Athol Dickson
139. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
140. Beach Dreams by Trish Perry
141. Dear John by Norma L. Betz
142. All Through the Night by Davis Bunn
143. At His Command by Brenda Coulter
144. Trepassers Will be Baptized by Elizabeth Hancock (NF)
145. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L. M. Montgomery
146. Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke
147. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
148. Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
149. Twice Loved by Lori Copeland
150. A Conspiracy of Ravens by Gilbert Morris
151. Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
152. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
153. Sugar Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
154. House of Wovles by Matt Bronleewe
155. It's all About Us by Shelly Adina
156. Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke
157. Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke
158. Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
159. Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
160. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (NF)
161. The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson (NF)
162. The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
September
163. Get Cozy, Josey! by Susan May Warren
164. Before the Dawn by Carolyn Aarsen
165. Sweet September by Tricia Goyer
166. Badge of Honor by Carol Steward
167. Saturdays with Stella by Allison Pittman (NF)
168. The Duchess on Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff (NF)
169. Goodbye Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
170. Countdown to Death by Debby Giusti
171. Miss Fortune by Sara Mills
172. Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff (NF)
173. The Bride Bargin by Kelly Eileen (ARC)
174. A Taste of Murder by Virginia Smith
175. The S.O.S. for PMS by Mary Byers (NF)
176. Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
177. Single Sashimi by Camy Tang
178. John 3:16 by Nancy Moser (ARC)
179. My Sister Dilly by Maureen Lang (ARC)
October
180. A Promise to Believe In by Tracie Peterson
181. The Fall of Candy Corn by Debbie Viguie
182. The Winter of Candy Cane by Debbie Viguie
183. Bon Appetit by Sandra Byrd
184. A Beautiful Fall by Chris Coppernell
185. Home Another Way by Christa Parrish
186. The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
187. Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
188. Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
189. A Cut Above by Ginny Aiken
190. A Matter of the Heart by Patricia Davids
191. Ripple Effect by Paul Mccusker
192. Less the Dead by Tim Downs
193. Dangerous Heart by Tracey Bateman
194. Back to Life by Kristin Billerbeck
195. Multiple Blessings by Jon and Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson (NF)
196. Bundle of Joy by Robin Lee Hatcher
197. Family Treasures by Kathryn Springer
198. A Texas Thanksgiving by Margaret Daily
199. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander Mcall Smith
200. Courting Miss Adeliade by Janet Dean
201. Holiday Illusion by Lynette Eason
202. Rain Song by Alice Wisler
November
203. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
204. The Yellow Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee (NF)
205. A Military Match by Patricia Davids
206. Out of her Hands by Megan DiMaria
207. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin
208. Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman
209. One Holy Night by J. M. Hochstetler
210. White Christmas Pie by Wanda Brunsetter
211. My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt
212. Godly Love by Stephen G. Post (NF-Not Recommended)
213. The Sighing of the Winter Trees by Laura Grossman
214. Infidel: Graphic Novel by Ted Dekker
215. The DoppleGanger Chronicles: The First Escape by G.P. Taylor
216. The Chosen by Chaim Potok
217. The Death and LIfe of Gabriel Phillips by Stephen Baldwin and Mark Tabb
218. Long Journey Home by Sharlene MacLaren
219. Leave it to Chance by Sherri Sand
220. Par for the Course by Ray Blackston
221. Homefront Holiday by Jillian Hart
222. Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y'Barbo
223. Cyndere's Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet
224. Hannah Grace by Sharlene MacLaren
225. More Than A Cowboy by Susan Hornick
226. Kill Me If You Can by Nicole Young
227. Zero G by Alton Gansky
228. Falling Into You by Julie Ortolon
229. Shadows of Colossus by T. L. Higley
230. A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
231. Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins
December
232. Quills and Promises by Amber Miller
233. After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart
234. Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie(ARC)
235. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
236. When Mother was eleven-foot-four by Jerry Camery Hoggatt
237. Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis (ARC)
238. Season of Glory by Ron and Janet Benrey
239. A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen (NF)
24o. An Irish Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson
241. Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
242. How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen (NF)
243. The X'ed Out X-Ray by Ron Roy
244. The Promise by Chaim Potok (reread)
245. Summer Snow by Nicole Baart
246. The Truth About You by Marcus Buckingham (NF)
247. Loving Liza Jane by Sharlene McLaren
248. Wanted by Shelley Shepard Gray
249. Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard
250. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo(Reread)
251. Sweethearts by Sarah Zarr
252. One Perfect Day by Laurine Snelling
253. Sarah, My Beloved by Sharlene McLaren
254. Courting Emma by Sharlene McLaren
255. Sky Burial by Xinran
256. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Short Story)257. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
258. Chamber Music by James Joyce (Poetry)
259. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
260. A Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer

100 Books Challenge

So yes I am joining another reading challenge probably another one after this too :)

This one calls for reading 100+ books in 2008. If you would like to join visit the blog here:
http://100-book-challenge.blogspot.com/

I will have a link on my sidebar so if you are so inclined can see my progress. It sounds like fun to me because I read 52 books for the Fall Reading Challenge last year. I have a link on my sidebar for that old challenge too. :)

Here starts my list:
January
1. A Time to Mend by Sally John and Gary Smalley
2. Searching for Eternity by Elizabeth Musser
3. Next Door Daddy by Debra Clopton
4. Kissing Adrian by Siri Mitchell
5. The Other Daughter by Miralee Ferrall
6. In Search of Eden by Linda Nichols
7. Splitting Harriet by Tamera Leigh
8. Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen
9. A Walk with Jane Austen by Lori Smith (NF)
10. One Little Secret by Allison Bottke
11. Snow Angel by Jamie Carie
12. For Better or Worse by Diann Hunt
13. Awaken My Heart by Diann Mills
14. Just Cause by Susan Page Davis
15. My Name is Russell Fink by Michael Synder
16. Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith
17. Days and Hours by Susan Meissner
18. Killing Floor by Lee Child
19. Skizzer by A. J. Kiesling
20. Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
21. Death of a Garage Sale Newbie by Sharon Dunn
February
22. Sisters Ink by Rebecca Seitz
23. Only Uni by Camy Tang
24. Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn
25. Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequest (NF)
26. First the Dead by Tim Downs
27. Bayou Corruption by Robin Caroll
28. Picket Fence Promises by Kathryn Springer
29. You Had me at Goodbye by Tracey Bateman
30. Blue Heart Blessed by Susan Meissner
31. A Soldiers Family by Cheryl Wyatt
32. Truffles by the Sea by Julie Carobini
33. Elvis Takes a Backseat by Leanna Ellis
34. Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck
March
35. The Stones Cry Out by Sibella Giorello
36. Taming Rafe by Susan May Warren
37. Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury
38. A Treasure Worth Keeping by Kathryn Springer
39. The Next Level by David Gregory
40. For Pete's Sake by Linda Windsor
41. Her Baby Dreams by Debra Clopton
42. The Barefoot Believers by Annie Jones
43. Hearts in the Highlands by Ruth Axtell Morren
44. Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart
45. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
46. Military Daddy by Patricia Davids
47. Looking for Salvation at Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore
48. Danny Gospel by David Atheny
49. In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller
April
50. Whispers Along the Rails by Judith Miller
51. There's a Spaceship in my Tree by Robert West
52. Attack of the Spider Bots by Robert West
53. Are You There God, Its Me Margaret by Judy Blume
54. Legacy of Secrets by Sara Mitchell
55. Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
56. The Big Picture by Jenny B. Jones
57. Embrace Me by Lisa Samson
58. Bella Novelization by Lisa Samson
59. The Bounty Hunter's Bride by Victoria Bylin
60. The Road to Love by Linda Ford
61. The Queen of Sleepy Eye by Patti Hill
62. Out of the Devil's Mouth by Travis Thrasher
63. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
64. The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter
May
65. The Briton by Catherine Palmer
66. Lookin' Back Texas by Leanna Ellis
67. Someone to Watch Over Me by Teresa Hill
68. Ruby Among Us by Tina Ann Forkner
69. Danger in a Small Town by Ginny Aiken
70. Child of the Mist by Kathleen Morgan
71. Skid by Renee Gutteridge
72. The Redemption of Jake Scully by Elaine Barbieri
73. Rattled by Trish Berg (NF)
74. Mountain Sanctuary by Lenora Worth
75. Act Two: A Novel of Perfect Pitch by Kimberly Stuart
76. Promise Me Always by Christine Lynxwiler
77. Along Came a Cowboy by Christine Lynxwiler
78. The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguie
79. From a Distance by Tamera Alexander
80. I heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson
June
81. Jamaican Me Crazy by Debbie DiGiovanni
82. Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper
83. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
84. Matchpoint by Erynn Mangum
85. Now and Always by Lori Copeland
86. A Promise for Tomorrow by Sara Dubose
87. Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker
88. House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo
89. Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas
90. Deep In the Heart of Trouble by Deanne Gist
91. The Cowboy Takes a Bride by Debra Clopton
92. Grits and Glory by Ron and Janet Benrey
93. Oh, Baby by Judy Baer
94. A Mile in My Flip Flops by Melody Carlson
95. She Always Wore Red by Angela Hunt
96. Controlling Interest by Elizabeth White
97. Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
98. The Prince Charming List by Kathryn Springer
99. Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy
100. Hidden by Shelly Shepard Gray
101. Love Starts With Elle by Rachel Hauck
102. His Small Town Girl by Arlene James
103. Bayou Judgment by Robin Caroll
104. Beyond the Night by Marlo Schlasky
105. A Steal of a Deal by Ginny Aiken
106. Mission Motherhood by Marta Perry
July
107. Bayou Paradox by Robin Caroll
108. Table for One by Georgiana Daniels
109. Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
110. Wiser Than Serpents by Susan May Warren
111. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
112. Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
113. Anne of the Island by L. M. Montgomery
114. Anne of Windy Populars by L. M. Montgomery
115. Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Mongomery
116. Anne of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
117. Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery
118. Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery
119. Try Darkness by James Scott Bell
120. Wind River by Tom Morrisey
121. Romancing Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
122. That Summer Place by Macomber, Wiggs, Barnett
123. That's (Not Exactly) Amore by Tracey Bateman
124. Bluegrass Hero by Allie Pleiter
125. Suspicious Minds by Christy Barritt
126. The Sweetgum Knit Society by Beth Pattilo
127. Hidden Treasures by Kathryn Springer
128. Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
129. Lone Star Secret by Lenora Worth
130. River of Secrets by Lynnette Eason
131. Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins
132. Coral Moon by Brandilyn Collins
133. Finding Stephanie by Susan May Warren
134. Dogwood by Chris Fabry
135. Amber Morn by Brandilyn Collins
August
136. The Mermaid in the Basement by Gilbert Morris
137. Full Circle by Davis Bunn
138. Winter Haven by Athol Dickson
139. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
140. Beach Dreams by Trish Perry
141. Dear John by Norma L. Betz
142. All Through the Night by Davis Bunn
143. At His Command by Brenda Coulter
144. Trepassers Will be Baptized by Elizabeth Hancock (NF)
145. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L. M. Montgomery
146. Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke
147. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
148. Messenger of Truth by Jacqueline Winspear
149. Twice Loved by Lori Copeland
150. A Conspiracy of Ravens by Gilbert Morris
151. Fudge Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
152. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
153. Sugar Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
154. House of Wovles by Matt Bronleewe
155. It's all About Us by Shelly Adina
156. Peach Cobbler Murder by Joanne Fluke
157. Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke
158. Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
159. Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
160. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (NF)
161. The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson (NF)
162. The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
September
163. Get Cozy, Josey! by Susan May Warren
164. Before the Dawn by Carolyn Aarsen
165. Sweet September by Tricia Goyer
166. Badge of Honor by Carol Steward
167. Saturdays with Stella by Allison Pittman (NF)
168. The Duchess on Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff (NF)
169. Goodbye Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
170. Countdown to Death by Debby Giusti
171. Miss Fortune by Sara Mills
172. Q's Legacy by Helene Hanff (NF)
173. The Bride Bargin by Kelly Eileen (ARC)
174. A Taste of Murder by Virginia Smith
175. The S.O.S. for PMS by Mary Byers (NF)
176. Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
177. Single Sashimi by Camy Tang
178. John 3:16 by Nancy Moser (ARC)
179. My Sister Dilly by Maureen Lang (ARC)
October
180. A Promise to Believe In by Tracie Peterson
181. The Fall of Candy Corn by Debbie Viguie
182. The Winter of Candy Cane by Debbie Viguie
183. Bon Appetit by Sandra Byrd
184. A Beautiful Fall by Chris Coppernell
185. Home Another Way by Christa Parrish
186. The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
187. Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
188. Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn
189. A Cut Above by Ginny Aiken
190. A Matter of the Heart by Patricia Davids
191. Ripple Effect by Paul Mccusker
192. Less the Dead by Tim Downs
193. Dangerous Heart by Tracey Bateman
194. Back to Life by Kristin Billerbeck
195. Multiple Blessings by Jon and Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson (NF)
196. Bundle of Joy by Robin Lee Hatcher
197. Family Treasures by Kathryn Springer
198. A Texas Thanksgiving by Margaret Daily
199. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander Mcall Smith
200. Courting Miss Adeliade by Janet Dean
201. Holiday Illusion by Lynette Eason
202. Rain Song by Alice Wisler
November
203. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
204. The Yellow Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee (NF)
205. A Military Match by Patricia Davids
206. Out of her Hands by Megan DiMaria
207. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin
208. Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman
209. One Holy Night by J. M. Hochstetler
210. White Christmas Pie by Wanda Brunsetter
211. My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt
212. Godly Love by Stephen G. Post (NF-Not Recommended)
213. The Sighing of the Winter Trees by Laura Grossman
214. Infidel: Graphic Novel by Ted Dekker
215. The DoppleGanger Chronicles: The First Escape by G.P. Taylor
216. The Chosen by Chaim Potok
217. The Death and LIfe of Gabriel Phillips by Stephen Baldwin and Mark Tabb
218. Long Journey Home by Sharlene MacLaren
219. Leave it to Chance by Sherri Sand
220. Par for the Course by Ray Blackston
221. Homefront Holiday by Jillian Hart
222. Beloved Captive by Kathleen Y'Barbo
223. Cyndere's Midnight by Jeffrey Overstreet
224. Hannah Grace by Sharlene MacLaren
225. More Than A Cowboy by Susan Hornick
226. Kill Me If You Can by Nicole Young
227. Zero G by Alton Gansky
228. Falling Into You by Julie Ortolon
229. Shadows of Colossus by T. L. Higley
230. A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
231. Dark Pursuit by Brandilyn Collins
December
232. Quills and Promises by Amber Miller
233. After the Leaves Fall by Nicole Baart
234. Wind Dancer by Jamie Carie(ARC)
235. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
236. When Mother was eleven-foot-four by Jerry Camery Hoggatt
237. Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis (ARC)
238. Season of Glory by Ron and Janet Benrey
239. A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen (NF)
24o. An Irish Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson
241. Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
242. How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen (NF)
243. The X'ed Out X-Ray by Ron Roy
244. The Promise by Chaim Potok (reread)
245. Summer Snow by Nicole Baart
246. The Truth About You by Marcus Buckingham (NF)
247. Loving Liza Jane by Sharlene McLaren
248. Wanted by Shelley Shepard Gray
249. Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard
250. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo(Reread)
251. Sweethearts by Sarah Zarr
252. One Perfect Day by Laurine Snelling
253. Sarah, My Beloved by Sharlene McLaren
254. Courting Emma by Sharlene McLaren
255. Sky Burial by Xinran
256. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Short Story)
257. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
258. Chamber Music by James Joyce (Poetry)
259. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
260. A Valley of Betrayal by Tricia Goyer

House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo

It's May 21st, time for the Teen FIRST blog tour!(Join our alliance! Click the button!) Every 21st, we will feature an author and his/her latest Teen fiction book's FIRST chapter!

Robert Liparulo

and his book:

House of Dark Shadows: Dreamhouse Kings, Book #1

Thomas Nelson (May 6, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Liparulo is an award-winning author of over a thousand published articles and short stories. He is currently a contributing editor for New Man magazine. His work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Travel & Leisure, Modern Bride, Consumers Digest, Chief Executive, and The Arizona Daily Star, among other publications. In addition, he previously worked as a celebrity journalist, interviewing Stephen King, Tom Clancy, Charlton Heston, and others for magazines such as Rocky Road, Preview, and L.A. Weekly. He has sold or optioned three screenplays.

Robert is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Here are some of his titles:

Comes a Horseman

Germ

Deadfall

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

“A house of which one knows every room isn't worth living in.”

—Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa






Prologue


Thirty years ago

The walls of the house absorbed the woman’s screams, until they felt to her as muffled and pointless as yelling underwater. Still, her lungs kept pushing out cries for help. Her attacker carried her over his shoulder. The stench of his sweat filled her nostrils. He paid no heed to her frantic writhing, or the pounding of her fists on his back, or even her fingernails, which dug furrows into his flesh. He simply lumbered, as steadily as a freight train, through the corridors of the big house.

She knew where they were heading, but not where she would end up. In this house, nothing was normal, nothing as it appeared. So while she knew in advance the turns her attacker would take, which hallways and doors he would traverse, their destination was as unknowable as a faraway galaxy. And that meant her taking would be untraceable. She would be unreachable to searchers. To would-be rescuers. To her family— and that realization terrified her more than being grabbed out of her bed. More than the flashes of imagined cruelty she would suffer away from the protection of the people who loved her. More than death.

But then she saw something more terrifying: her children, scrambling to catch up, to help. Their eyes were wide, streaming. They stumbled up the narrow staircase behind her attacker, seeming far below, rising to meet her. The thought of them following her into the chasm of her fate was more than she could stand.

“Go back,” she said, but by this time her throat was raw, her voice weak.

The man reached the landing and turned into another corridor.

Temporarily out of sight, her son yelled, “Mom!” His seven-year-old voice was almost lost in the shrillness of his panic. He appeared on the landing. His socked feet slipped on the hardwood floor and he went down. Behind him, his little sister stopped. She was frightened and confused, too young to do anything more than follow her brother. He clambered up and started to run again.

A hand gripped his shoulder, jarring him back.

The boy’s father had something in his fist: the lamp from his nightstand! He past the boy in the hallway. His bare feet gave him traction.

Thank God, she thought.

He reached her in seconds. With the lamp raised over his head, he grabbed her wrist. He pulled, tried to anchor himself to the floor, to the carpeted runner now covering the wood planks. But the brute under her walked on, tugging him with them. The man yanked on her arm. Pain flared in her shoulder. He might as well have tried pulling her from a car as it sped passed.

She caught a glimpse of the bizarrely shaped light fixtures on the corridor walls—mostly carved faces with glowing eyes. The bulbs flickered in time with her racing heart. She could not remember any of the lights doing that before. It was as though the electrical current running through the wires was responding to a disruption in the way things were supposed to be, a glitch in reality.

“Henry,” she said, pleading, hopeful.

His grip tightened as he stumbled along behind them. He brought the lamp’s heavy base down on her assailant. If the man carrying her flinched, she did not feel it. If he grunted or yelled out, she did not hear it.

What he did was stop. He spun around so quickly, the woman’s husband lost his grip on her. And now facing the other direction, she lost sight of him. Being suddenly denied her husband’s visage felt like getting the wind knocked out of her. She realized he was face to face with the man who’d taken her, and that felt like watching him step off a cliff.

“Nooo!” she screamed, her voice finding some volume. “Henry!”

His hand gripped her ankle, then broke free. The man under her moved in a violent dance, jostling her wildly. He spun again and her head struck the wall.

The lights went out completely . . . . but no, not the lights . . . her consciousness. It came back to her slowly, like the warmth of fire on a blistery day.

She tasted blood. She’d bitten her tongue. She opened her eyes. Henry was crumpled on the floor, receding as she was carried away. The children stood over him, touching him, calling him. Her son’s eyes found hers again. Determination hardened his jaw, pushed away the fear . . . at least a measure of it. He stepped over his father’s legs, coming to her rescue. Henry raised his head, weary, stunned. He reached for the boy, but missed.

Over the huffing breath of the man, the soft patter of her son’s feet reached her ears. How she’d loved that sound, knowing it was bringing him to her. Now she wanted it to carry him away, away from this danger. Her husband called to him in a croaking, strained voice. The boy kept coming.

She spread her arms. Her left hand clutched at open air, but the right one touched a wall. She clawed at it. Her nails snagged the wallpaper. One nail peeled back from her finger and snapped off.

Her assailant turned again, into a room—one of the small antechambers, like a mud room before the real room. He strode straight toward the next threshold.

Her son reached the first door, catching it as it was closing.

“Mom!” Panic etched old-man lines into his young face. His eyes appeared as wide as his mouth. He banged his shoulder on the jamb, trying to hurry in.

“Stay!” she said. She showed him her palms in a “stop” gesture, hoping he would understand, hoping he would obey. She took in his face, as a diver takes in a deep breath before plunging into the depths. He was fully in the antechamber now, reaching for her with both arms, but her captor had already opened the second door and was stepping through. The door was swinging shut behind him.

The light they were stepping into was bright. It swept around her, through the opening, and made pinpoints of the boy’s irises. His blue eyes dazzled. His cheeks glistened with tears. He wore his favorite pajamas—little R2D2s and C3P0s all over them, becoming threadbare and too small for him.

“I—“ she started, meaning to say she loved him, but the brute bounded downward, driving his shoulder into her stomach. Air rushed from her, unformed by vocal chords, tongue, lips. Just air.

“Moooom!” her son screamed. Full of despair. Reaching. Almost to the door.
“Mo—“

The door closed, separating her from her family forever.




1


Now

Saturday, 4:55 P.M.

“Nothing but trees,” the bear said in Xander’s voice. It repeated itself: “Nothing but trees.”

Xander King turned away from the car window and stared into the smiling furry face, with its shiny half-bead eyes and stitched-on nose. He said, “I mean it, Toria. Get that thing out of my face. And turn it off.”

His sister’s hands moved quickly over the teddy bear’s paws, all the while keeping it suspended three inches in front of Xander. The bear said, “I mean it, Toria. Get that—”

At fifteen years old, Xander was too old to be messing around with little-kid toys. He seized the bear, squeezing the paw that silenced it.

“Mom!” Toria yelled. ”Make him give Wuzzy back!” She grabbed for it.

Xander turned away from her, tucking Wuzzy between his body and the car door. Outside his window, nothing but trees—as he had said and Wuzzy had agreed. It reminded him of a movie, as almost everything did. This time, it was The Edge, about a bear intent on eating Anthony Hopkins. An opening shot of the wilderness where it was filmed showed miles and miles of lush forest. Nothing but trees.

A month ago, his dad had announced that he had accepted a position as principal of a school six hundred miles away, and the whole King family had to move from the only home Xander had ever known. It was a place he had never even heard of: Pinedale, almost straight north from their home in Pasadena. Still in California, but barely. Pinedale. The name itself said “hick,” “small,” and “If you don’t die here, you’ll wish you had.” Of course, he had screamed, begged, sulked, and threatened to run away. But in the end here he was, wedged in the back seat with his nine-year-old sister and twelve-year-old brother.

The longer they drove, the thicker the woods grew and the more miserable he became. It was bad enough, leaving his friends, his school—everything!—but to be leaving them for hicksville, in the middle of nowhere, was a stake through his heart.

“Mom!” Toria yelled again, reaching for the bear.

Xander squeezed closer to the door, away from her. He must have put pressure on the bear in the wrong place: It began chanting in Toria’s whiny voice: “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

He frantically squeezed Wuzzy’s paws, but could not make it stop.

“Mom! Mom! Mom!”

The controls in the bear’s arms weren’t working. Frustrated by its continuous one-word poking at his brain—and a little concerned he had broken it and would have to buy her a new one—he looked to his sister for help.

She wasn’t grabbing for it anymore. Just grinning. One of those see-what-happens-when-you-mess-with-me smiles.

“Mom! Mom! Mom!”

Xander was about to show her what happened when you messed with him—the possibilities ranged from a display of his superior vocal volume to ripping Mr. Wuzzy’s arms right off—when the absurdity of it struck him. He cracked up.

“I mean it,” he laughed. “This thing is driving me crazy.” He shook the bear at her. It continued yelling for their mother.

His brother David, who was sitting on the other side of Toria and who had been doing a good job of staying out of the fight, started laughing too. He mimicked the bear, who was mimicking their sister: “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

Mrs. King shifted around in the front passenger seat. She was smiling, but her eyes were curious.

“Xander broke Wuzzy!” Toria whined. “He won’t turn off.” She pulled the bear out of Xander’s hands.

The furry beast stopped talking: “Mo—” Then, blessed silence.

Toria looked from brother to brother and they laugh again.

Xander shrugged. “I guess he just doesn’t like me.”

“He only likes me,” Toria said, hugging it.

“Oh, brother,” David said. He went back to the PSP game that had kept him occupied most of the drive.

Mom raised her eyebrows at Xander and said, “Be nice.”

Xander rolled his eyes. He adjusted his shoulders and wiggled his behind, nudging Toria. “It’s too cramped back here. It may be an SUV, but it isn’t big enough for us anymore.”

“Don’t start that,” his father warned from behind the wheel. He angled the rearview mirror to see his son.

“What?” Xander said, acting innocent.

“I did the same thing with my father,” Dad said. “The car’s too small . . . it uses too much gas . . . it’s too run down . . . ”

Xander smiled. “Well, it is.”

“And if we get a new car, what should we do with this one?”

“Well . . . .” Xander said. “You know. It’d be a safe car for me.” A ten-year-old Toyota 4Runner wasn’t his idea of cool wheels, but it was transportation.

Dad nodded. “Getting you a car is something we can talk about, okay? Let’s see how you do.”

“I have my driver’s permit. You know I’m a good driver.”

“He is,” Toria chimed in.

David added, “And then he can drive us to school.”

“I didn’t mean just the driving,” Dad said. He paused, catching Xander’s eyes in the mirror. “I mean with all of this, the move and everything.”

Xander stared out the window again. He mumbled, “Guess I’ll never get a car, then.”

“Xander?” Dad said. “I didn’t hear that.”

“Nothing.”

“He said he’ll never get a car,” Toria said.

Silence. David’s thumbs clicked furiously over the PSP buttons. Xander was aware of his mom watching him. If he looked, her eyes would be all sad-like, and she would be frowning in sympathy for him. He thought maybe his dad was looking too, but only for an opportunity to explain himself again. Xander didn’t want to hear it. Nothing his old man said would make this okay, would make ripping him out of his world less awful than it was.

“Dad, is the school’s soccer team good? Did they place?” David asked. Xander knew his brother wasn’t happy about the move either, but jumping right into the sport he was so obsessed about went a long way toward making the change something he could handle. Maybe Xander was like that three years ago, just rolling with the punches. He couldn’t remember. But now he had things in his life David didn’t: friends who truly mattered, ones he thought he’d spend the rest of his life with. Kids didn’t think that way. Friends could come and go and they adjusted. True, Xander had known his current friends for years, but they hadn’t become like blood until the last year or so.

That got him thinking about Danielle. He pulled his mobile phone from his shirt pocket and checked it. No text messages from her. No calls. She hadn’t replied to the last text he’d sent. He keyed in another: “Forget me already? JK.” But he wasn’t Just Kidding. He knew the score: Out of sight, out of mind. She had said all the right things, like We’ll talk on the phone all the time; You come down and see me and I’ll come up to see you, okay? and I’ll wait for you.

Yeah, sure you will, he thought. Even during the past week, he’d sensed a coldness in her, an emotional distancing. When he’d told his best friend, Dean had shrugged. Trying to sound world-wise, he’d said, “Forget her, dude. She’s a hot young babe. She’s gotta move on. You too. Not like you’re married, right?” Dean had never liked Danielle.

Xander tried to convince himself she was just another friend he was forced to leave behind. But there was a different kind of ache in his chest when he thought about her. A heavy weight in his stomach.

Stop it! he told himself. He flipped his phone closed.

On his mental list of the reasons to hate the move to Pinedale, he moved on to the one titled “career.” He had just started making short films with his buddies, and was pretty sure it was something he would eventually do for a living. They weren’t much, just short skits he and his friends acted out. He and Dean wrote the scripts, did the filming, used computer software to edit an hour of video into five-minute films, and laid music over them. They had six already on YouTube—with an average rating of four-and-a-half stars and a boatload of praise. Xander had dreams of getting a short film into the festival circuit, which of course would lead to offers to do music videos and commercials, probably an Oscar and onto feature movies starring Russell Crowe and Jim Carrey. Pasadena was right next to Hollywood, a twenty-minute drive. You couldn’t ask for a better place to live if you were the next Steven Spielberg. What in God’s creation would he find to film in Pinedale? Trees, he thought glumly, watching them fly past his window.

Dad, addressing David’s soccer concern, said, “We’ll talk about it later.”

Mom reached through the seatbacks to shake Xander’s knee. “It’ll work out,” she whispered.

“Wait a minute,” David said, understanding Dad-talk as well as Xander did. “Are you saying they suck—or that they don’t have a soccer team? You told me they did!”

“I said later, Dae.” His nickname came from Toria’s inability as a toddler to say David. She had also called Xander Xan, but it hadn’t stuck.

David slumped down in his seat.

Xander let the full extent of his misery show on his face for his mother.

She gave his knee a shake, sharing his misery. She was good that way. “Give it some time,” she whispered. “You’ll make new friends and find new things to do. Wait and see.”

Gatekeepers by Robert Liparulo

It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his/her book's FIRST chapter!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Robert Liparulo

and the book:

Gatekeepers

Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Liparulo has received rave reviews for both his adult novels (Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall) and the first two novels in his Dreamhouse Kings series for young adults (House of Dark Shadows, Watcher in the Woods). He is an avid scuba diver, swimmer, reader, traveler, and a law enforcement and military enthusiast. He lives in Colorado with his wife and four children.

Visit the author's website.

Here are some of his titles:

House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings Book #1)
Watcher in the Woods: (Dreamhouse Kings Book #2)
Comes a Horseman
Germ
Deadfall

Product Details:

List Price: $ 14.99
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595544984
ISBN-13: 978-1595544988

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Tuesday, 6:58 P.M.

Pinedale, California

Xander’s words struck David’s heart like a musket ball.

He reeled back, then grabbed the collar of his brother’s grimy Confederate coat. His eyes stung, whether from the tears squeezing around them or the sand whipping through the room, he didn’t know. He pulled his face to within inches of Xander’s.

“You . . . you found her?” he said. “Xander, you found Mom?”

He looked over Xander’s shoulder to the portal door, which had slammed shut as soon as Xander stumbled through. The two boys knelt in the center of the antechamber. Wind billowed their hair. It whooshed in under the door, pulling back what belonged to the Civil War world from which Xander had just stepped. The smell of smoke and gunpowder was so strong, David could taste it.

He shook Xander. “Where is she? Why didn’t you bring her?”

His heart was going crazy, like a ferret racing around inside his chest, more frantic than ever. Twelve-year-olds didn’t have heart attacks, did they?

Xander leaned back and sat on his heels. His bottom lip trembled, and his chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. The wind plucked a leaf from his hair, whirled it through the air, then sucked it under the door.

“Xander!” David said. “Where’s Mom?”

Xander lowered his head. “I couldn’t . . .” he said. “I couldn’t get her. You gotta go over, Dae. You gotta bring her back!”

“Me?” A heavy weight pushed on David’s chest, smashing the ferret between sternum and spine. He rose, leaped for the door, and tugged on the locked handle.

He wore a gray hat (“It’s a kepi,” Dad would tell him) and jacket, like Xander’s blue ones. They had discovered that it took wearing or holding three items from the antechamber to unlock the portal door. He needed one more.

“Xander, you said found her! ”

Xander shook his head. “I think I saw her going into a tent, but it was at the other end of the camp. I couldn’t get to her.”

David’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not finding her! I thought I saw her, too, the other day in the World War II world. . .”

“Dae, listen.” Xander pushed himself up and gripped David’s shoulders. “She saw the message we left. She saw Bob.”

Bob was the cartoon face and family mascot since Dad was a kid, drawn on notes and birthday cards. When David and Xander had been in Ulysses S. Grant’s Union camp the night before, Xander had drawn it on a tent. It was their way of letting Mom know they were looking for her.

“She wrote back!” Xander said. “David, she’s there!”

“But . . .” David didn’t know if he wanted to scream or cry or punch his brother. “Why didn’t you go get her?”

“Something was happening on the battlefield. They were rounding up all the soldiers and herding us toward the front line. I tried to get to her, but they kept grabbing me, pushing me out of camp. When I broke away—“ Xander’s face became hard. “They called me a deserter. That quick, I was a deserter. One of them shot at me! I barely got back to the portal.” He shook his head. “You gotta go! Now! Before she’s gone, or the portal changes, or . . . I don’t know.”

Yes . . . no! David’s stomach hurt. His brain was throbbing against his skull. His broken arm started to ache again, and he rubbed the cast. “Xander, I can’t. They almost killed me yesterday.”

“That’s because you were a gray-coat.” Xander began taking off his blue jacket. “Wear this one.”

“Why can’t you? Just tell them—”

“I’ll never make it,” Xander said. “They’ll throw me in the stockade for deserting—if they don’t shoot me first.”

“They’ll do the same to me.” David hated how whiney it came out.

“You’re just a kid. They’ll see that.”

“I’m twelve, Xander. Only three years younger than you.”

“That’s the difference between fighting and not, Dae.” He held the jacket open. “I know it was really scary before, but this time you’ll be on the right side.”

David looked around the small room. He said, “Where’s the rifle you took when you went over? The Harper’s Ferry musket?”

His brother gazed at his empty hand. He scanned the floor. “I must have dropped it one of the times I fell. I was just trying to stay alive. I didn’t notice.” He shook the jacket. “Come on.”

David shrugged out of the gray jacket he was wearing. He tossed it onto the bench and reluctantly slipped into the one Xander held. He pulled the left side over his cast.

Xander buttoned it for him. He said, “The tent I saw her go into was near the back of the camp, on the other side from where I drew Bob.” He lifted the empty sleeve and let it flop down. He smiled. “Looks like you lost your arm in battle.”

“See? They’ll think I can fight, that I have fought.”

“I was just kidding.” He took the gray kepi off David’s head and replaced it with the blue one. Then he turned to the bench and hooks, looking for another item.

“Xander, listen,” David said. “You don’t know what’s been happening here. There are two cops downstairs.”

Xander froze in his reach for a canteen. “What?” His head pivoted toward the door opposite the portal, as though he could see through it into the hallway beyond, down the stairs, around the corner, and into the foyer. Or like he expected the cops to burst through. “What are they doing here?”

“They’re trying to get us out of the house. Taksidian’s with them.” Just thinking of the creepy guy who was responsible for his broken arm frightened David—but not as much as the thought of getting hauled away when they were so close to rescuing Mom. “Gimme that,” he said, waggling his fingers at the canteen.

Xander snatched it off the hook and looped the strap over David’s head. “Where’s Dad?”

“They put him in handcuffs. He told me to come get you. That’s why I was here when you came through.”

“Handcuffs!”

“And one more thing,” David said. He closed his eyes, feeling like the jacket had just gained twenty pounds. “Clayton, that kid who wanted to pound me at school? He came through the portal in the linen closet.” He opened one eye to see his brother’s shocked expression.

“How long was I gone?” Xander said. “Where is he now?”

“I pushed him back in. He returned to the school, but he might . . . come back.”

“Great.” Xander glanced over his shoulder at the hallway door again, then back at David. “Anything else I should know?”

David shook his head. “I guess if I die, I won’t have to go to school tomorrow.” He smiled weakly.

The school year—seventh grade for David, tenth for Xander—had started just yesterday: two days of classes. Mom had been kidnapped the day before that. David couldn’t believe they’d even gone to school under the circumstances, but Dad, who was the new principal, had insisted they keep up normal appearances so they wouldn’t attract suspicion.

Lot of good it did, David thought, thinking of the cops downstairs.

“I don’t know,” Xander said. “Dad would probably figure out a way to get your body there.”

David’s expression remained grim.

“You’ll be fine.”

“Don’t get taken away,” David told his brother. “Don’t leave with me over there. Don’t leave me alone in this house when I come back. Don’t—“

Xander touched his fingers to David’s lips. “I won’t leave,” he said. “I’ll go see what’s happening downstairs, but I won’t leave. No way, no how. Okay? Besides—“ He smiled, but David saw how hard it was for him to do it. “You’ll have Mom with you when you come back. Right?”

It was David’s turn to smile, and he found it wasn’t so hard to do. “Yeah.” He turned, took a deep breath, and opened the portal door.