Seventeen-year-old Mackenzie Smith is sent away to spend a boring summer at her grandma's. But then she meets Wesley. He tells her exactly what she wants to hear and has information about her past that no one else knows. It's almost like he can read her mind.
Only Wesley isn't who he seems.
By the time Mackenzie discovers his true identity it may be too late. She's in too deep and he won't let her go. Now Mackenzie must call on the strongest power of all in order to save her life.
My rating:
My thoughts:
Prowl was such a great read! I read most of it in one day and found it to be very interesting! I didn't expect there to be so much supernatural elements in Prowl, but it definitely made for an intriguing read.
Mackenzie Smith dealt with so much! She grew up without a father, deals with cutting, and when she visits her grandmother for the summer, she meets Rhiannon who introduces her to witchcraft... that leads her into a lot of danger.
Prowl was very easy to read and I enjoyed the good vs. evil message. Some of the scenes with "Wesley" were really weird, but that can be expected considering who he is.
My favorite character was Isaac (Mackenzie's grandmother's neighbor) - he seemed really sweet and I hope he's in Entice(book two in Amber Garza's Prowl trilogy).
A great YA novel that I really enjoyed reading! I recommend it if you enjoy YA novels or books with some supernatural elements.
*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the author for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
Posted by Melanie on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 with 25 comments
Welcome to Christian Bookshelf
Reviews, Ray! Will you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi, thank you for having me.I
began my writing career while working for the Orange County Sheriff's
Department in Orange County, California in the spring of 1989. After working
for a number of years in the maximum-security facility, I transferred to patrol
working along Orange County's coast as well as the inner canyons and barrios.
After 8 years there, I moved to Idaho and continued my law enforcement career,
serving as an instructor for the Idaho POST Council.
I was ordained into the ministry
while living in Orange County and now serve as the Associate Pastor in my home
church. I also served as a United States Marine in the early 1980’s prior to
Desert Storm. I now do public speaking to groups of all sizes on the topics of writing
and the creative process, as well as community and personal safety. I am
currently working as an active duty police officer, having worked as the lead
sex crimes investigator for almost 10 years and am now back on the streets in
patrol. I have been married to the same beautiful
woman for 28 years, have three grown children, and live with my family in
Idaho.
What is N.H.I.: No Humans
Involved about?
Well, N.H.I. stands for “No Humans
Involved” a term used by cops, as slang, to represent a group of people or a
person that is running beneath the standard of a decent citizen: literally a
person or people without value. The book deals with this concept. When Nate
Richards, a newly appointed homicide investigator, finds himself assigned to
investigate the violent death of a young gang member, he thinks it may be his
lucky break; perhaps this would be his one big chance to prove himself to the
investigative team. But when the death is linked to the mayor’s office and a
new street gang known as Abyss, Nate soon realizes he has been thrust in the
midst of a struggle of racism, drugs, and the possibility of police
involvement.
Overnight his new life is shattered, and Nate
finds himself caught between an evil gang lord and political pressure to make
it all just go away. Drugs, vice, and the lust for power all converge on
Detective Nate Richards and threaten to draw him into a darkness that will
consume him and destroy his fledgling faith. Nate has to solve the murder and
discover the identity of the mysterious leader of the new street gang all
before his girlfriend, who turns up missing, is destroyed by the evil unleashed
on the streets.
Can Nate hold up against the pressure put on him by
his command and stop the swelling tide of fear threatening to take over the
city and will he find his girlfriend alive? The fate of a city and one man’s
faith hangs in the balance.
When did you first realize you
wanted to be a writer?
Actually, like most, I wrote my
first book when I was child, a super hero serial. I even drew the pictures,
knowing Marvel and DC Comics would be knocking on my door at any minute.
How many books have you written?
Which is your favorite?
I have completed three full-length
manuscripts and a number of short stories. As for my favorite, I think it’s the
one I’m working on now, the third book in the Nate Richards series. But, of the
finished pieces, I think DRT is my favorite.
Where do you get your information
and/or ideas for your books?
As I mentioned earlier, I am
bi-vocational: I am a minister and a police officer. My inspiration comes from
the mixture of these two worlds. As read
the scriptures and see the condition of man juxtapose to the grace and goodness
of God and then see, those same realities lived out on the streets, the ideas
just come to me.
What would you say is the best
and/or worst part about being a writer?
The best and the worst is a mixture
the same. In writing I have the opportunity to live in and explore this
wonderful world of make believe, but it can be a lonely place for the real
world. I can’t take my wife and family there until after it’s been created and
polished for guest. The highpoint is, of course, being able to present the
message of God’s love and forgiveness to a great mass of people who would never
otherwise open their Bibles to explore these same truths for themselves.
What do you like to do when you're
not writing?
I love teaching. I teach a Bible
study out of my home, and when I’m not preparing for that, I like to get a good
workout in, read, and of course the best of all, take long, hot bubble baths
with a good book for company.
What are three things you wouldn't
want to do without (besides the Bible, food, and family)?
Three things, huh? Books would be
one, and the second, would have to be friends, and lastly bubble baths.
Is there a place you’d like to
visit, but haven’t yet?
Yes, I would love to go Washington
DC. There is just so much history there and to spend a week or two in the
Smithsonian.
Do you have a favorite song and/or
movie?
My favorite gospel song is “Your
Grace and Mercy” by the Mississippi Mass Choir, and my favorite none church
song, at least one of them, is “Just my Imagination” by the Temptations.
Do you have any favorite authors?
Yes, my favorite authors are
Francine Rivers and C.S. Lewis.
Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
Psalm 27:10 “When my father and my mother forsake me,
then the LORD will take me up.” This passage is one of my favorites because it
speaks of the steadfastness and faithfulness of God’s love. I know I can trust Him.
Are you currently working on any new
novels? If so, could you tell us a little about it?
Oh yes, could I? [Smile] As I
mentioned earlier, the third book in the Nate Richards series is called I.A.I.
and stands for Internal Affairs Investigation. In this story, while it still
holds its thriller edge, it will move us deeper into the heart of Nate as a
character. This will be a much more dramatic telling and emotional story. For
that reason alone, I am looking forward to exposing the heart of the average
police officer to a reading audience; perhaps in such a way that understanding
and hope can be shared.
I am also in the process of editing
and having edited my very first novel, a sci-fi piece that is every bit the
thriller, but still carries with it the message of God’s love and grace. I am
very excited about these projects.
Thanks so much for being here! Where
can we find you on the web?
Enter to win a copy of N.H.I: No Humans Involved! Open Internationally! Winner has the choice of either a print or eBook copy of N.H.I.
Enter by filling out the Rafflecopter below (here is a tutorial, if you aren't familiar with Rafflecopter). The mandatory entry is to leave a comment on this blog post - after you do that, the other entries will become available. :)
Posted by Melanie on Friday, April 06, 2012 with 1 comment
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