Discovery Blog Tour: guest post and review

Discovery (Council Powers Trilogy #1) by Lisa White

NA Paranormal romance

Paperback/eBook, 249 pages 

Published April 20th 2013 by Crimson Romance

WHAT IS YOUR POWER?

Grace Mackay thought she was normal, a little shy maybe, but no less normal than any other struggling young waitress. But she did not know about the secretive Powers world. She did not know she was the only key to the Powers’ survival. And she certainly did not know her newest boyfriend, Gregory, was an Anti-Powers prince who intended to break her heart and her bones in no particular order.

But when she discovers that Ben, her best friend and unrequited former crush, is actually her secret Guardian with superhuman powers, Grace’s normal world turns upside down. And when she learns that she has the Gift, the rare power to heal the injured and resurrect life with her touch, it is official – Grace is a weirdo even in the Powers world. But what freaks Grace out more than all that is the fact she has feelings for Ben again – and he has feelings for her – which makes Grace’s new normal a lot more complicated.

Discovery is the first book in the Council of Powers trilogy and is available at all major eBook retailers.

Enter the Powers World and discover WHAT IS YOUR POWER?

Praise for Discovery

“I have been a Teen librarian for 40 years, and well acquainted with Y.A. literature. Teens like their novels to begin fast with interesting characters and unusual plot twists. DISCOVERY delivers!” – Pamela R. Neal, Teen Librarian, Bristol Virginia/Tennessee Public Library

“Ms. White’s world building is excellent, creating a page-turner about young adult superheroes and a beautiful teenage heroine named Grace, who straddles the supernatural world and the “real” world of ordinary humans.” – Deborah O’Neill Cordes, co-author of the Roman Time Travel series and the Italian Time travel series

“With an interesting society that includes super-powered beings, and a hero who is handsome and devoted to his heroine, Discovery provides the expected fare for readers of paranormal romance, in a kinder, gentler framework than we normally see.” – Selena Laurence, author of Love, Lies, and British Spies

WHAT IS YOUR POWER?

When I first started writing Grace’s story, I never thought it was a Paranormal Romance. There were no werewolves, no vampires. I wrote contemporary romances – stories of ordinary humans in extraordinary situations. What did I know about world-building? But I have always been a fan of superheroes and their origins have always fascinated me – you know, Wonder Woman as warrior princess of the Amazons, Superman from the planet Krypton – and the more I got to know Grace, the more I realized she was not some ordinary human. She had a power, a pre-ordained destiny. And because everyone told me superheroes belonged in the paranormal – here we are. I didn’t choose the paranormal – Grace and her world of Powers chose me.

In Discovery, Grace Mackay is thrown into a world of Powers with nothing but her best friend and Guardian, Ben, to guide her. She feels lost amid the threat of death and the reappearing love she feels for Ben. But despite the death, despite the conflicting emotions she feels for Ben, somehow in the middle of this new, chaotic Powers world, Grace discovers her own Power – and what she does with it forms the basis of my Council of Powers trilogy.

You see, I believe everyone has a Power. Deep inside. Something that makes them special. Something that makes them a better person. Something that makes their life worth living. While not everyone’s power is as evident as, say, Aretha’s voice Power or Picasso’s artistic Power – nevertheless everyone does have a Power. It may be as elaborate as Frank Lloyd Wright’s design Power, or as simple as the Power to make the bag boy at your local grocery store smile. But it is a Power nonetheless, because for that bag boy, you may be the highlight of his day.

Now, not everyone has a superhuman Guardian to help them discover their own Power. But if we at least recognize that we do, in fact, have a Power, we are already halfway to the point of discovering that Power. That Power may last one day such as the Power to score the winning touchdown in the last game of the season. Or it may be persistent like the Power to bake the best chocolate chip cookies in the neighborhood over and over again. But regardless of whether your Power is persistent or a one-time shot – it remains your Power. Yours and yours alone.

So the next time the local grocery bag boy smiles at you, remember your Power. And if you really want to make his day even better, take a moment to ask him:

WHAT IS YOUR POWER?

About the author
LISA WHITE was born in Tennessee and raised in Virginia. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in Italian language and literature, she obtained her law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law.

When not practicing law, Lisa enjoys gardening, spending time with friends and family, and, of course, writing romance novels. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. Her first novel, THE LAWS OF LOVE, was released by Crimson Romance in July, 2012. In April, 2013, Crimson Romance released her second novel, DISCOVERY, the first book in her Council of Powers trilogy. DISCOVERY is a new adult paranormal romance in which two friends discover hidden powers and the love that makes these powers great.

Lisa currently lives in Southwest Virginia where she loves writing romances that let her readers escape...one page at a time.

Like Lisa on Facebook. You can find Lisa’s books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, and Goodreads.

I decide to read books based on three simple things: summary, author, or cover. The summary for Discovery, author Lisa White's first book in her Council of Powers Trilogy, is what did it for me. Yes, I've read many books with a similar set-up about someone finding out they have a 'power'. It's a popular formula I continue to enjoy when developed by skilled authors with new stories to tell. Ms. White tells quite an engaging tale. 

Let me first say I found the beginning chapters to the story slow paced. Grace is a nice young woman, very demure, but I didn't feel an immediate connection to her. I liked her but it was her best friends Annie and Ben who intrigued me. The trio of friends, or as they call themselves, "the three amigos," work at a golf club. Grace is about to celebrate her 22nd birthday and Annie wants to throw her a party. When Gregory Reich walks into the club, things immediately change for Grace. She's attracted to him and Annie tries to help get the two together. From then on the story picked up and the further I read pieces from the 'slow' beginning began to fall into place.

I really liked the idea of people having 'powers' like a new age ability to nurture a strongly felt affinity for something and empowering it with thought. For Grace she soon learns she is the last human with the 'powers' DNA. There are two groups--of course, the good and bad--and Gregory is on one side (Anti-Powers), best friend Ben the other (Powers). Grace used to have a crush on Ben so when he admits his own feelings for her and the fact that he is her Guardian, things get complicated. Ben loves her but isn't allowed to do anything about it. There is a great group of others with 'powers' called the Misfits and they truly lit up the story. The Higher Council declared their powers not to be strong enough but the reader will disagree.

The author seamlessly weaves this new world with the human world and tosses in a few twists. Luckily this is a trilogy so we haven't seen the last of Grace, Ben and the rest. Discovery is an entertaining, sweetly romantic New Adult paranormal which older YA readers will also enjoy. Team Greg? Team Ben? That decision is a no-brainer. I'm Team Ben all the way. Let's hear it for the Misfits too!

Rating: 4

Cover comment:

That type of art reminds me of popular suspenseful mysteries with the woman looking at something/someone. It's okay but doesn't reflect this story to me.

Book source:

I received a promotional copy in return for my honest review during a blog tour.

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