The Beauty of Bloggers and a New Review of Ghostly

In the last few days I have been reminded of the single, largest marketing tool an author has in her arsenal right now.....Bloggers!  I want to take a quick moment to let you know how grateful I am that you exist.  I sent out a casual request for a review of Ghostly, to see if I can get the sales to match those of Spellbound.  The reviewer replied that she was regrettably booked (haha, a pun!) until June, but with my permission she would farm out my request to 20 (!) of her contributing reviewers to see if anyone might like to tackle one or the other of my books.

The response has been nothing short of amazing!

I have received, in the expanse of barely one full day, more than seven responses.  And they keep coming.  In fact, as I write this, two more have popped up.  I am so excited.  And the best thing of all, they all want to read BOTH of my books and review them for all the regular review sites: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and my very own facebook page.  I am overwhelmed with delight.

So, it's important to take this time to fully and thoroughly thank Angie from Books4tomorrow.  I am eternally grateful that bloggers exist and that they share their talent for reviewing with the world.  I am also grateful to Mera Sampson from Meras's YA Book List.  She wrote the following review, for which I am still glowing:

Ghostly by Samantha Combs Review

I have been a fan of Samantha Combs’ work since reading her debut novel, Spellbound. So it suffices to say that I had high expectations for her second published work, Ghostly. Ghostly is the tale of a high school freshman, lovingly nicknamed Juice by her small group of friends. After meeting Shane, a teenage ghost stuck in our world, her life completely changes. But only the story can tell whether the changes in Juice’s life are for better or for worse.

              

           I think it is safe to say that I loved Ghostly just as much as I loved Spellbound, if not more. Samantha Combs’ writing style is somewhat indescribable, but it would be wrong of me not to try. I could see her sitting at the kitchen table or on a comfortable sofa, slowly thinking up and telling her romantic paranormal tales for teens with a captivated audience soaking in her every word. The way she writes is recognizable and refreshing. She seems to have created a niche for herself and she is solid with the way she chooses to portray her characters. During the time I spent reading the galley Samantha so graciously provided to me, I was torn between who was right for Juice. But as I delved further into the story, the right person for her became evident to me.

                The addition of her unique group of friends was awesome. The story slowly progressed and Samantha managed to put the climax closer to the end, which ultimately worked brilliantly. As I read of the events occurring, my heart leaped out of my chest. At one point, I was holding back tears, and as I finished reading I felt that tingly sensation that only occurs in me in three instances. The first instance being after I try a ride at an amusement park, which is not often due to my fear of heights. The second being after I’ve gone through a tidal wave of different emotions. And finally, the third occurs after I’ve read an amazing and emotional book. I have to applaud Miss Combs on her ability to entrance me with her writing and her characters. I would love to have friends like Jett, Sixx, Creepshow, and even Shane, and the story had an absolutely powerful and perfect ending.

Point blank: Samantha Combs is an author that you should definitely look out for. Ghostly, as well as her first book Spellbound (which is to be the first in a trilogy), is a great read I would recommend to anyone, but especially to tweens, teens, and young adults.

You won’t regret reading it. Her stories are like a refreshing walk in the park. Even if you’re tired or sleepy, you wish her words would go on. 

If you haven't done so yet, check out my interview with the fabulous author just a few posts below!

Also, look out for the sequel to Spellbound entitled Everspell in January, and her fourth work Waterdancer at the end of summer 2012!

So, to all the bloggers out there, and I am certain I speak for at least every author I know, THANK YOU!  You make getting out there easy and we appreciate you more than you can know.


Here are the links to the two bloggers I have highlighted here:
http://merasyabooklist.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookstomorrow.blogspot.com/

New Review for Spellbound is in - 4 STARS

Hey everyone, pleased to post a new review from Mera's YA Book List, an excellent blogger on the web, I'll post her site at the end of the review.  Check out what she had to say about SPELLBOUND:

Chamera's Reviews > Spellbound

My rating:

edit my review

shelf: read

Spellbound 
by Samantha Combs (Goodreads Author), Elaina Lee (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 

Chamera's review

Aug 11, 11

Read from July 19 to August 11, 2011

Logan Daniels has had an acceptably ordinary life. In fact, if you were to ask him, he'd say his family and his town were in all regards normal. This all changes when Serena Starr and her two siblings move into the quiet town of Lancaster. Upon sight of Serena, Logan is instantly smitten, and with perfect reason. Serena, with long honey colored hair and shimmering green eyes, as she is described by Logan, is absolutely stunning. Besides her looks, Serena is perfectly sweet and pure of heart.

But there are many things that the dark haired cutie, Logan, doesn't know about Serena. In fact, there are several things he doesn't know about his town, his family, and most importantly himself.
Samantha Combs' telling of this beautiful tale is spectacular. One thing I admire most in an author is the ability to make the events, and especially, the characters, of a novel realistic, and Miss Combs does not fail in that regard. The characters remind me of people I know from high school, and I can see qualities of average teenagers reflected in each person she has spun into creation.

Serena and Logan are perfect for each other, and other relationships in the story will make you smile. The story tests most of these relationships, and the characters struggle to work through the problems that occur. But don't let the love in this story fool you. This is far more than an average teen love story. Things take an ominous and dangerous turn, not just for Logan and Serena, but for their families, their friends, and everyone in the town of Lancaster.

Because the things Logan doesn't know about Serena and her mysterious sisters, and the thing he learns about his entire family is that they are spectacularly... witch-y. As dark forces cast their eyes on the couple and everyone they hold dear, it becomes obvious that it is up to Logan to help save the day. I love a story with both a hero and a heroine and Spellbound is definitely that. Also, with interchanging view points throughout the book, the thoughts of everyone is made known, which only makes this book even more perfect.

I love the language used, the diverse characters, the love connections, the conflicts, and the familial like ties the characters strengthen with one another. The dialogue was perfect and the chapters melded together splendidly. Samantha Combs' Spellbound had me biting my lip, tapping my leg, and anticipating the next act in the chain of events that occur. At times I smiled like a dork and screamed like a lunatic (and trust me, when you scream out loud in a room that's not particularly empty, you get lots of strange looks). This book is at times both fun and somber, and you feel what the characters feel. One thing this book is not is predictable, and I love that. This is one YA novel that will keep you on your feet and the ending will have you wishing for more Samantha Combs. It has an completely stunning cover that captures the eye, and was what first drew me to the book. Both the author and her mystically delicious characters are absolutely... bewitching. Samantha Combs is a force to be reckoned with in the writing world. The last time I delved into a story so easily and completely was when reading P.C. + Kristin Cast's House of Night series and trust me, this is a very magnificent accomplishment. I highly recommend it... and not just because Logan Daniels is entirely drool worthy

http://merasyabooklist.blogspot.com/?spref=fb


Don't miss it, it's awesome!