Robin Reviews It: Haunted Echo by Janet McLaughlin

If you are in the mood for a little bit of spookiness and a whole lot of fun, Janet McLaughlin's Haunted Echo is sure to be a teen crowd-pleaser. The dialogue is witty and the story line unique. I normally shy away from stories that scare me, but this book is more mystery and less horror. I would describe it as a "Ghost Whisperer" for teens with clean romance and a plot that will have you second-guessing where it is headed. With it's simplistic writing, you'll breeze through this read in one sitting - just make sure it's not too late at night, or you might give yourself a little scare.

Title: Haunted Echo
Author: Janet McLaughlin
Genre: YA Mystery
Summary: Sun, fun, and her toes in the sand. That’s what Zoey Christopher expects when she joins her best friend and fellow cheerleader Becca on an exotic Caribbean vacation. What she finds instead is a wannabe boyfriend, a voodoo doll, and Tempy – a tormented young ghost whose past is linked to the island grounds. Zoey has always seen visions of the future, but when she arrives at St. Anthony’s Island to vacation among the jet set, she has her first encounter with a bona fide ghost. Forced to uncover the secret behind the girl’s untimely death, Zoey quickly realizes that trying to solve the case will place her in mortal danger. Shaken and confused by a menacing threat and by her budding feelings for the too-cute, too-nice Chris, will Zoey find a way to survive this vacation and put Tempy to rest?

About the Author:

Janet McLaughlin has been involved in the communication field most of her life as either a writer, teacher, or editor. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and is an avid fan of all things spiritual and mystical. In fact, she's convinced she was a Shaman in a past life! Her other passions involve reading great books, playing tennis with her daughter, traveling with her husband, and meeting people from all walks of life. 

Janet lives in Florida with her husband Tom. HAUNTED ECHO is the first novel in her Soul Sight Mystery Series.

And the official title of book 2 in the Remembrandt series is . . .

It's been almost 8 months since my first book, Remembrandt, came out and Remembrandt 2 is done! At 84,533 words, this book is quite a bit longer than Remembrandt. I also spent much more time editing, researching and writing this baby. I'm so happy with how it looks now, but I know it will be even better as I work with my editor to polish it more. 

In celebration of completing the book, I figured it was time to announce the official title. Here goes:

“Espionage isn’t just her job, it’s a work of art.”

SO what do you think of the title? Do you like the little teaser for the book cover in the background? And the tagline . . . I love the tagline!

And here's the summary:

Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Stewart finally has a life worth remembering - a Spanish tutor who gives perfecto a new name, a roommate that could double as her sister, and a special role in a secret spy organization that exists in the basement of Brown University.

But when her colleague, Daly, returns from a recent trip to Moscow accompanied by a man she never thought she'd see again, Alex is ripped away from her life in Providence and sent across the globe in search of a stolen piece of art.  In desperate need to find the Van Gogh painting, she will do anything to find it. Anything.

From Barcelona to Paris with only Daly at her side, the bonds of friendship are stretched as the duo uncover a truth neither one of them saw coming. Finding the painting could mean discovering a part of Alex she is ashamed could even exist, but without it, she could lose everything. The world around Alex threatens to corrupt the memories she holds most dear and the person she loves the most is at stake.

 If you haven't read Remembrandt, you will want to get your hands on a copy before the sequel comes out. Van Gogh Gone will hit the shelves this fall.

A Tribute to Gilbert Blythe

Source

Dear Gilbert,

Before I could even read, I often found my mom lying in her bed late at night reading Anne of Green Gables. I remember the dictionary she kept on her night table because the author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, had an extensive vocabulary. What I didn't know at the time, was that those books would be made into a television film adaption in 1985. What I also didn't know was that you would enter my life and I would never be the same.

First Edition of Anne of Green Gables

The first time I watched Anne of Green Gables, I coveted red hair and I was somehow jealous that those scarlet braids found there way into the hands of a dark-curly-haired-hazel-eyed boy. I didn't care that you were a bully. Those of us who read Montgomery's words, knew that wasn't your intention:

"Gilbert Blythe was trying to make Anne Shirley look at him and failing utterly... Gilbert Blythe wasn't used to putting himself out to make a girl look at him and meeting with failure. She SHOULD look at him, that red-haired Shirley girl with the little pointed chin and big eyes that weren't like the eyes of any other girl in Avonlea school. Gilbert reached across the aisle and picked up the end of Anne's long red braid, held it out at arm's length, and said in a piercing whisper: 'Carrots! Carrots!'" 

Though it took Anne several movies/books to figure it out for sure, I always liked you. Your intelligence, witty comments, willingness to give up Avonlea school because you thought Anne needed it more after Matthew died, and never stopping to earn Anne's forgiveness and trust  - those qualities basically gave me high standards to look for in a future partner. 

Source

"Gilbert had also sprung from the boat and now laid a detaining hand or her arm. 'Anne,' he said hurriedly, 'look here. Can't we be good friends? I'm awfully sorry I made fun of your hair that time. I didn't mean to vex you and I only meant it for a joke. Besides, it's so long ago. I think your hair is awfully pretty now - honest I do. Let's be friends.'"

Thank you for rescuing Anne from her re-enactment of the Tennyson poem before she drown. Every girl needs a hero.

I will be always grateful for you showing me that movies can be just a good as books. Jonathan Crombie will forever be in my heart as the only actor who could ever be you on screen. The world will never be quite the same without him.

Last of all, Gilbert, thank you for teaching me that the best things in life are worth the wait. You never gave up on Anne and your willingness to fight for her and love her despite her turning you down so many times, is something we all wish we had. You taught Anne that she didn't need to look for her dreams outside of herself. You helped her discover "it's not what the world holds for you, it what you bring to it."

Source

Your Kindred Spirit,

Robin (with an "i")

If you are looking for an Anne of Green Gables-inspired romance set in a nowadays spy world, check out my romantic suspense book, Remembrandt and its sequel, Van Gogh Gone, coming September 2015! You'll have to let me know who you think is Gilbert.

Press Kit for Remembrandt by Robin King

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, November 20, 7pm
Remembrandt Book Launch
The King's English
1511 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84105

Local Suspense Author, Robin King, 

Debuts a Clean Teen Read Worth Remembering

Alexandra Stewart doesn’t just walk down memory lane, she lives on it.

REMEMBRANDT BY ROBIN KING

Alexandra Stewart doesn't just walk down memory lane, she lives on it.  Her eidetic memory records her experiences and plays them back, DVD style.  It's great when she wants to ace a test, but not so great when she topples over a cute boy in the hallway and the humiliation plays back over and over and over . . . Brown University seems like the perfect place for the seventeen-year-old to forget her past.  Hope for a normal life comes in the form of a handsome new running partner who makes her heart race and body perspire even before she laces up her shoes.   

When her Russian professor gives her a puzzle that seems impossible to solve, Alex discovers that he has a secret—one that will catapult her into a world of cryptic codes and covert missions.   As she tries to find a balance between the two different worlds vying for her attention, her have relationships with the ones she cares about while hiding a clandestine life, uncovering the truths of an underground enemy.

One thing is for certain, whatever happens will be forever etched into her memory.  And some things are better left forgotten.

REMEMBRANDT is the first in a young adult suspense series with playful romance, espionage, and a splash of mystery.  Fans of Ally Carter's HEIST SOCIETY and GALLAGHER GIRLS would enjoy reading this series.

150 Word Summary: 

Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Stewart doesn't just walk down memory lane, she lives on it.  Her eidetic memory records and plays back her memories, DVD style.  It's great when she aces a test, but not so great when she topples over a cute boy and the experience plays back on an endless loop of humiliation.

When her Russian professor gives her an impossible puzzle, Alex discovers he has a secret—one that will catapult her into a life of cryptic codes and covert missions. Of course, running secret ops would be easier if she weren’t trying to impress her handsome new running partner. As if love weren’t hard enough already, now she’s trying to find it while dodging bullets and going undercover.

Two worlds vie for her attention and Alex is caught in a battle of heart and mind. If you think keeping secrets is easy - forget it.

50 Word Summary: 

Alexandra starts a new semester at college, hoping to escape her painful memories—a nearly impossible task with her eidetic memory replaying everything in movie-esque detail. Things aren't always what they seem: her handsome running partner shows up when she least expects it, her Russian professor is anything but ordinary and Brown University holds a well-kept secret. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Official Book Launch

Thursday, November 20, 7pm

The King's English

1511 South 1500 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84105

"A Night at the Opera"

Pull out those fancy gowns and dust off those tuxes because we are joining Alexandra at the Mariinsky Theatre! We may not be seeing an actual opera in Russia, but there will be entertainment (a reading from Remembrandt by author, Robin King), cocktails (non-alcoholic, of course), and maybe a song or two. A prize drawing will be held for everyone dressed in their best opera attire. The author will be signing books that can be purchased from The King's English that night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reviews

In this clever and fast-paced young adult novel, Robin King delivers a perfect mix of suspense and romance. . . .  Alexandra’s eidetic memory will reel you in, and her double life will keep you guessing until the end. —Brooke Hargett

Let’s be honest, we’ve all dreamed of being one of those suave, oh-so-cool spies or secret agents, right? Well, with Remembrandt, you get to be! Or at least, Alexandra gets to be, and the writing is so effortless you feel like you’re right there along with her.  —Caitlin Jacobs

Remembrandt is a remarkable book with a captivating plot that offers a fresh flavor of mystery. With an added pinch of espionage, a dollop of suspense, and a splash of romance, this book kept me reading and loving it. —Julia King, author of Félicité Found

What a great debut novel! Author Robin King keeps you intrigued as you try to figure out the puzzles Alexandra is faced with. . . . I would highly recommend this book to young adults and adults alike. —Wendy Mallatt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author

​

Robin M. King received her bachelor’s degree in education from Brigham Young University and has been instructing children and young adults for over ten years. When she’s not writing or helping her students remember the quadratic formula, she leads a clandestine life in Lehi, Utah as a wife and a mother of five. Don’t tell anyone, but Robin’s also a marathoner, photographer, singer, seamstress, baker, and household-appliance repairman. You can find her online at www.byrobinking.com and on social media @robinyourheart.

Price: $16.99

Publisher: Walnut Springs Press

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Binding: Softcover

Size: 5.5”x8.5”

ISBN-13 978-1-59992-948-4

ISBN-10 1-59992-948-1   

Release Date: November 2014

Available at Deseret Book and other local booksellers. 

Order online at DeseretBook.com or Amazon.com.

Contact: Garry Mitchell

Walnut Springs Press

(801) 949-1083

gmitchell@leatherwoodpress.com

Just a little taste of what is to come . . .

I thought it was about time to give my friends some fun from my book. It is still a few weeks until Remembrandt hits stores, but I thought it would be fun to share some scenes and quotes over the next few weeks to give you a little taste of what the book is like.

This quote is taken from a scene near the beginning of the book where Alexandra has just opened an envelop given to her by her Russian professor. She is shocked by its contents and the possibility that Brown University isn't at all what it seems.

This next one has to be my one of my favorite scenes from the book. The main character, Alexandra (Alex) and Mr. Daly (a colleague that drives her insane, despite his good looks) are sitting on adjacent balconies staring out over the city of Moscow - similar to scene in the picture below. Alex asks Daly how he manages to keep the secret of their job while still having a normal life. This is his response to her.

I can't wait to share more!

Remembrandt by Robin King: A New Young Adult Suspense

Title: Remembrandt
Author: Robin King
Publisher: Walnut Springs Press
Date: October 2014
Pages: 240
Genre: Young Adult Suspense

Summary: Alexandra Stewart doesn't just walk down memory lane, she lives on it.  Her eidetic memory records her experiences and plays them back, DVD style.  It's great when she wants to ace a test, but not so great when she topples over a cute boy in the hallway and the humiliation plays back over and over and over . . . Brown University seems like the perfect place for the seventeen-year-old to forget her past.  Hope for a normal life comes in the form of a handsome new running partner who makes her heart race and body perspire even before she laces up her shoes.   

When her Russian professor gives her a puzzle that seems impossible to solve, Alex discovers that he has a secret—one that will catapult her into a world of cryptic codes and covert missions.   As she tries to find a balance between the two different worlds vying for her attention, she wonders if she can have relationships with the ones she cares about while hiding a clandestine life, uncovering the truths of an underground enemy.

One thing is for certain, whatever happens will be forever etched into her memory.  And some things are better left forgotten.

__________________________________________________________

You can now preorder it on DeseretBook.com! 
It will be released the end of this month and ship soon after. 

Here's the summary Deseret Book put out (I wrote it, but they shortened it a bit):

Alexandra Stewart doesn’t just walk down memory lane, she lives on it. Her eidetic memory records and plays back her experiences, DVD style. It’s great when she aces a test, but not so great when she topples over a cute guy.

After her Russian professor at the university gives her an impossible puzzle, Alex discovers he has a secret—one that will catapult her into a life of cryptic codes and covert missions. Of course, running secret ops would be easier if she weren’t trying to impress her handsome new running partner. As if love weren’t hard enough already, now she’s trying to find it while dodging bullets and going undercover. One thing is for certain, whatever happens will be forever etched into her memory.

The Making of a Book Cover: Remembrandt

People keep asking me if I got to chose the cover to Remembrandt or not. I kind of ho-hum around the topic because it is a yes-no answer. Any of you who know much about the publishing world, know that most authors have no say whatsoever in their cover.

After Walnut Springs Press offered me a contract earlier this year, they had me send them a list of some book cover ideas, along with a detailed description of all the characters and places in the book. I sent a list of about 5-6 ideas. Since their graphic designer was out of the office until the next week and would only have a few days when they got back to deliver some mock-up covers to Deseret Book, I asked if I could put some of my own mock-ups together. They said yes!

I spent a few days searching for stock images of the main character (a blonde teen with gray eyes) and scenes from Russia (one of the settings in the book). I came up with a few possible ideas and put together a couple cover ideas. BUT I still was't happy with them. Then a friend and fellow photographer (thank you, Mary!) reminded me that I am a photographer too and offered to help with a photo shoot. We gathered together seven or eight models who matched the description of the main characters in the book and clicked away at our cameras.

I spent the next couple of days editing photos, adding text, and layering images. It was a blast coming up with different ideas. Here are some of the many mock-ups we came up with:

My favorites were was the top left one, the black dress with the pink shoes, and the ones with fingers crossed behind back. The publisher also liked the top left one, along with the boy and girl on the bench, Unfortunately, the distributor wanted a more "suspense" looking over. Now that I look back, I totally agree with them. In the end, the graphic designer and Walnut Springs found another model (which is the perfect Alexandra!) and used the Russian scene from my favorite mock-up cover and combined them, similarly as I had done in the top middle mock-up above to get this:

The amazing designer, Tracy Anderson,  added a little makeup to make her appear older (since she's 17 in the book):

At this point, I loved it, but my artist brother, Devin, noticed a crane in the city background, Alexandra's missing shoulder, and thought he could make the transition between her hair and the city more natural. Willow Springs gave me permission to make the changes and here's the final image:

The final cover of Remembrandt

Xoxo,

Robin

Book Cover Reveal: Remembrandt

It's here, people! It's cover reveal time. Remembrandt will be coming to a store near you Fall 2014. Since you are my loyal friends, you get to see the cover first before it hits the shelves.

Drum roll, please . . . 

Stay tuned next week for an in depth look at how the cover came to be, all the mock-up covers we came up with, and why the publisher finally decided upon this one. 

I Have an Announcement

No, I'm not pregnant. We're not moving. I'm not going back to school (yet) and no one is graduating from anything.

But...

I have butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it. Are you sitting down? 

I just signed my first writing deal! A publisher wants to publish my 1st book, Remembrandt (a young adult romantic suspense novel). Whoo hoo!!

I sent Walnut Springs Press my manuscript over 18 months ago and a few months back they contacted me asking if it was still available. Three weeks later I signed the contract!

Now before you all think I'm going to be famous and have movie deals or clothing lines and a fan club, let me clear it up for you. It is a smaller publisher. The book will be available online in print or electronic form (Amazon and Deseret Book) and at local bookstores, mostly Deseret Book, Costco and any others that accept books from Brigham Distributing.

I am hoping this is a step in the right direction in my writing career (can I call it that yet?). I'm just super excited that a publisher actually liked my book and wants to get it out there for me. If things go well, they would also like to publish more books in this series.

The past few weeks have been a little crazy with meeting the publisher, going over contracts, and helping prepare sample covers and ideas (all while taking care of 5 kids, no biggie). I even did a photo shoot for the book cover.  The next few months will be filled with revisions and grueling edits.

My First EVER manuscript all printed out, crisp and clean.
From what I hear, it will soon be plastered with pen marks, pages ripped and torn out, and tears shed.

If all goes as planned, Remembrandt should come out this November. THIS NOVEMBER! It's all a little fast and I am really nervous, but it's my foot in the door and I'm hoping it will open up my writing opportunities for the future.

Wish me luck!

Robin

Ahhhh (sigh of relief) . . .

It's official!  I have completed the first draft of my book!  I feel like I deserve putting up my feet and lounging outside my imaginary beach house, eating a thick strawberry cheesecake shake (oooooo, or maybe Oreo??), and watching the waves as they crash to the shore. Ahh.....

But alas, no, this soon-to-be author, will immediately be getting to work brushing up this novel to get it ready for publishing.  This book has been in my mind for over five years, but I didn't start the writing process until about nine months ago.  That's funny.  I just realized it took me just as long to write this book as it takes to wait for a baby to come.  Well, I guess this book is my "baby" right now.

I know all you curious ones out there are wondering what I've written, so I've come up with what I'd call a book jacket for this Young Adult novel.  I still have some kinks to work out, but this is what I have so far:

Remembrandt

some things are better left forgotten

Forgetting the past is hard to do when you have an eidetic memory, but Alexandra Stewart decides to make her first year at Brown University one worth remembering. After she runs into William on campus, she begins to feel like she can have a normal life and ignore the flashbacks that haunt her at night. Solving puzzles becomes more than just a compelling game, when her Russian professor gives her a puzzle that seems impossible to complete, catapulting her into a world of secret codes and intrigue. As she tries to find a balance between the two different worlds vying for her attention, she wonders if she can have relationships with the ones she cares about while hiding a clandestine life, uncovering the truths of an underground enemy. Will this new found life help her forget her past or is it all somehow connected?

Leave a comment and tell me what you think! Also, follow my blog so that you can hear more about the story and be the first to know where my book is at in the publishing process.  I'm excited to take this journey with my friends and family!