The Mayfair Moon Book Tour: Review & Giveaway

The Mayfair Moon

By J.A. Redmerski

Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (January 6, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1468185527

Genre: paranormal YA

Summary: After a nightmarish encounter with a werewolf, seventeen-year-old Adria Dawson loses her sister, but gains the love of a mysterious young man and his legendary family.

Strange and tragic things begin to happen in the small town of Hallowell, Maine: residents come down with an unexplainable ‘illness’ and some disappear. In the midst of everything, Isaac Mayfair is adamant about keeping Adria safe, even from her sister whom he has warned her to stay away from.

As unspeakable secrets unfold all around Adria, impossible choices become hers to bear. Ultimately, no matter what path she takes, her life and the lives of those she loves will be in peril. As she learns about the werewolf world she also learns why her place in it will change the destinies of many.

Purchase links: Amazon book | Kindle 

My review: It is certainly a great time to be a reader. Self publishing and ereaders have opened up the world of available books and there have been many smaller published books I would have never heard about if it weren't for the book blogging community. This book is one of those titles. 

I'm so glad I found, read and hosted the tour for The Mayfair Moon (The Darkwoods Trilogy #1) by J.A. Redmerski. Two close sisters, a long distance move, budding love, alluring mythology, and werewolves are all part of this intriguing novel. Finally an author has put the 'beast' back into werewolves and that's how it should be (at least for me). From the opening scene with Adria, 17, and her older sister, Alex, walking home one evening, I fell into their world. The author has such a smooth way of writing I lost track of time as I read. During their walk the sisters are freakishly attacked and afterwards make it home. Battered and bruised, they stay home from school but Social services intervenes, blaming the abusive Jeff for their injuries. Since Adria is under age, she has to comply with the decision to remove her from their alcoholic mother's house and Alex,18, goes along with her to their uncle's house in Maine.

New home. New school. Mysterious supernatural situations. Yes, it all sounds formulaic and it didn't bother me one bit. The sisters shared a realistic relationship and I found Adria a sympathetic yet strong character. While at her new school Adria meets up with some distant kids who follow her home.  Not afraid, she begins to hang out with them--especially the mysterious Zia and swoon-worthy Issac. Though Adria does fall for Issac sooner than I had wanted, I could understand her need for a boyfriend with her background. Finding out this group are werewolves, Adria figures she can somehow get back her allusive sister and maybe get the attention of a certain hottie too.

If paranormal romance and scary werewolves (13 To Life, Raised By Wolves, The Gathering) appeal to your paranormal reading tendencies, I recommend The Mayfair Moon to both YA readers as well as adults. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

Rating: I really liked it.

Cover comment: Since I'm kind of tired out of the pretty girls in pretty dresses covers for now, surprisingly I like this cover. There's something about the gunmetal gray which makes me think about silver bullets. I like the title font and the large "M". 

About the author: I'm a Contemporary Fantasy and YA writer - author of THE MAYFAIR MOON and DIRTY EDEN. I'm a mother, werewolf & zombie fanatic, book addict and a happy hermit obsessed with the Universe. Oh, and AMC's "The Walking Dead".
I started my first novel at the age of thirteen and have been writing something ever since. Generally, I love characters in life and on paper. I pay attention to people, especially those whose personalities make them different from the rest of us: the drug addict roaming the Laundromat that talks to himself, the young, inattentive mother in the park with the meanest kid on the playground - (the entire cast of 'Swamp People') - characters fascinate me and I hope that it shows in my literary work.

Some authors that inspire me are Neil Gaiman, Cormac McCarthy, David Moody, Philippa Gregory, Max Brooks, Anne Rice, J.K. Rowling, Richard Matheson, William R. Forstchen, Carrie Ryan, Stephenie Meyer and Lisa Smedman.

Also, almost more than anything I love nature and this beautiful planet that I live on. I just wish everyone else did too....

Author links: Website & Blog | Twitter | Goodreads


GIVEAWAY: We are giving one reader an ebook copy of The Mayfair Moon. All you need to do is leave a comment along with your email address below. This contest is open internationally and end on midnight, March 31.

The Mayfair Moon tour schedule:
Monday, March 19, 2012:
The Fairytale Nerd ~ Excerpt #2 and eBook Giveaway
Young Adult Book Reviews ~ Review, The Writer’s Cave Guest Post, & eBook Giveaway
Good Choice Reading ~ Excerpt #1

Tuesday, March 20, 2012:
Chapter by Chapter ~ Review and eBook Giveaway
Pen to Paper ~ Review and eBook Giveaway
Fictional Distraction ~ Review
We Fancy Books ~ Review
Bookworm Lisa ~ Review
Splash Of Our Worlds ~ Review and eBook Giveaway

Wednesday, March 21, 2012:
BookSpark ~ Excerpt #3 and eBook Giveaway
Dreaming Dreams ~ Review and Author Interview
Refracted Light | YA Book Reviews ~ Dream Cast Guest Post
Some Reading Required ~ Review
My Pathway to Books ~ Top 10 with Jessica Guest Post and eBook Giveaway

Thursday, March 22, 2012:
The Autumn Review ~ Review and eBook Giveaway
JJ iReads ~ Review and Excerpt #4
The Life of Fiction ~ Review and eBook Giveaway
One Minute Books ~ Review

Friday, March 23, 2012:
Endlessly Bookish ~ Review, Deleted Scene Guest Post, eBook Giveaway
Hazel the Witch ~ Review
A Tale of Many Reviews ~ Final stop and Grand Prize


Tour is hosted by ATOMR Book Blog Tours.