Dream On by M. Kircher Spotlight Post

Title: Dream On

Author: M. Kircher

Author Bio: M. KIRCHER graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts from Gordon College. She devours YA, science fiction, fantasy, and romance on a regular basis and is immensely happy to pour her time and energy into creating stories for other people to enjoy. Bob Ross and J.R.R. Tolkien tie for her two favorite people of all time.

M. Kircher lives in Connecticut with her husband, energetic son, and new baby girl.

Publisher: Astraea Press http://www.astraeapress.com/

Date: April 22, 2014

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy  Romance

Pages: 213

Language: English

Buy Links:

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-On-M-Kircher-ebook/dp/B00JUA2ICY

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dream-on-m-kircher/1119280434

Website: http://mkircher.com/

Blog: http://mkircher.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mkircher83

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MKircher83

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7202354.M_Kircher

Amazon Author Profile: http://www.amazon.com/M.-Kircher/e/B00E8AKEGI

Wattapad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/MelissaKircher

Tagline: Love is dangerous for Emily, even in her dreams.

Description:  Seventeen-year-old dreamwalker, Em, might have to choose—leave her mother forever in the dreamworld or save the life of hot, rebel Gabe. 

Emily Dal Monte and her mother, Lily, are special. They’re humans with a glitch in their genetic code that allows them to explore the fantastic, and often terrifying, world of their dreams for as long as they choose to remain asleep. But when Em’s father is killed in a tragic accident and her distraught mother loses herself more and more in the dreams of her crumbling mind, Em is forced to support the two of them the only way she knows how, by writing down her mother’s amazing dreams and selling them as books. Enter Gabriel Sobel, the punk newcomer at Em’s high school who realizes Em is the daughter of his favorite, reclusive author. Gabe can’t figure out why Em keeps brushing him off and makes it his mission to find out what’s really going on at the Dal Monte household. He stumbles upon their shocking family secret just as Lily takes a turn for the worse. It’s up to Em, Gabe, and one very nosy book editor to hop from one extraordinary dream to the next, to find Lily and convince her to wake up before she loses her mind…and before Em loses her first chance at love. 

Excerpt

Tiny shafts of sunlight stream down from the treetops above us, forming small rings that illuminate the red pine-covered ground below. It’s weird how quiet it is here. There are none of the sounds you’d normally associate with a forest, like the scurrying tread of small animals or the soft breeze rustling through the trees. Everything is completely still.

I rest my forehead against the warm bark of the tree and try to calm my racing thoughts. How do I get us out of this mess? Mom and Evan aren’t here with Gabe and me. At least, as far as I can tell, they aren’t here, and we don’t have any time to find them. Evan and Gabe need to wake up now, or they could die. It’s so simple, yet so complicated. Do I save Gabe’s life? Or do I continue to risk killing him and try to save everyone? If I pull Gabe out, I could risk losing both Mom and Evan inside this dream. I have no idea if Mom’s recognition of me was a moment’s clarity, or something more lasting. I might never be able to locate her and Evan again.

A sob rises in my throat. I can’t help it. I’m so tired and overwhelmed, and we’re all so deeply in trouble. Despite my best efforts, the sob escapes, and then I can’t seem to stop another one from bursting out of my mouth. And then another one. Huge, wrenching cries tear through me, and I double over, my face in my hands, as the tears stream through my fingertips.

It’s all just too much.

I hear Gabe come to stand beside me, and before I can protest, he draws me back into his arms. I can’t seem to stop crying. I’m so embarrassed, but I just can’t stop.

His rough fingers catch the bottom of my chin, and slowly he tilts my face up toward his, so we’re gazing into each other’s eyes. My breath hitches, and it’s not just from all the crying.

“I’m sorry, Em,” Gabe whispers, his soft words loud in the silence surrounding us. “But there’s no one I’d rather be with right now than you.”

Review: The War Inside by M. Kircher

Goodreads Summary:

The end of the world is only just the beginning. So eighteen-year-old Thea discovers when her solitary life on a dying Earth is shattered by a mysterious dream, a devastating choice, and a strange gift that propels her on a journey towards the restoration of all mankind.

Thea is bitter and alone; a perfect embodiment of the sunless, cloud-covered Earth she inhabits. A terrifying dream convinces her to save the life of an injured girl, and despite her misgivings, Thea decides to rescue sixteen-year old Viviana. She soon learns that gentle Viv has a life-threatening infection, as well as a freakish patch of glowing skin over her heart. When this light spreads to Thea, she is forced to trust Caden, an arrogant, lazy, and annoyingly handsome boy she despises. Caden has a map to the last city on Earth, and the only place that might have a cure for both Viv’s infection and the strange light on Thea’s hands. As the trio embark on a journey through the barren wilderness, Thea and Caden try to fight their mounting attraction and discover that the light is not a curse, but a powerful gift meant to heal the polluted Earth and reconnect the remnants of humanity. What they don't know is that deadly shadows watch them, waiting for the chance to make sure that humans stay in the darkness forever.

Publication Date: July 28, 2013

This was a great dystopian based around an original premise. It was fun becoming immersed in the world Thea and her friends live in and following along on her journey. I believe this is the author’s debut and I would definitely consider her one to watch.

Thea definitely grew on me and I believe that stronger female characters are often harder to connect with at the start of books. Thea has her defenses in place and it was nice to see these defenses slowly chipped away at as the story progressed. I liked her relationships with the other characters, especially with Caden and Viv. I almost wished the author made Viv younger because at times she didn’t seem quite like a 16 year old.

World building was exceptional and the author really took her time to make sure the reader could visualize the harsh world Thea lives in.  Many of the descriptions painted a vivid picture of the environment. By mid-point, the novel really picked up and there was more action.

I think the strength of the novel lies in the idea behind it: environmental damage occurred due to society’s reliance on technology. With everyone going online and living in virtual worlds, the actual world collapsed around them. With the way things are today, I could easily see things heading in this direction.

Fans of YA dystopians will definitely enjoy this unique and imaginative tale.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the author for a copy of this novel for review!