Review: Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters

I'm so exited to be able to participate in the Light in the Shadows blog tour! I've been a big fan of A. Meredith Walters ever since I read Find You in the Dark.

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Author: A. Meredith Walters

Genre: YA, Romance

Released: March 26th

 

How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over?

Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.

Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.

When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?

 

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I have previously worked with teens like Clay and while I thought the ending of Find You in the Dark was believeable,  I still craved that happily ever after--and I guess I wasn't the only one because a few months ago I found out that Maggie and Clay would be getting a sequel and I was so excited! I'm a butterflies and rainbows kind of girl by nature so I was really happy that there was a chance for Maggie and Clay to get their happily-ever-after afterall.

 

This book did not disappoint in the romance department. It's realistic and beautiful. Maggie and Clay still have their fair share of ups and downs in this book but they love eachother so much they are willing to work on it together but remembering it's important to make themselves happy and healthy first. That's kind of a crucial lesson I think. You really can't be happy with someone else unless you are truly happy with yourself.

 

I loved Find You in the Dark, it's the kind of story that sticks with you for a long time but I think that I love Light in the Shadows even more because of the powerful message of hope.

 

In the words of A. Meredith Walters:

 For those searching for the light....never stop.

 

 This story had me tearing up at the end, which is always a sign of  a fantastic read so I give Light in the Shadows a well deserved 5 stars and will be giving away one ebook version to one lucky reader!
 

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The New York Times bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including Find You in the Dark, Cloud Walking and Bad Rep.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

A. Meredith recently moved to England and is trying to get used to driving on the other side of the road, eating fish and chips and all things British :-)

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Cover Reveal: Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters

You might remember I read Find You in the Dark by A. Meredith Walters a few months ago and really liked it! I thought the story was amazing and guess what? There's a sequel coming out March 26th and we get to reveal the cover today here on Dash!

Sarah Hansen of Okay Creations designed this beauty:

How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over?

Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.

Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.

When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?

The thing about love, is even when it destroys you, it has a way of mending what is broken. And in the shadows, you can still see the light.


Doesn't that sound amazing? I can't wait to read it!
Sarah Hansen also did a little revamping of the Find You in the Dark cover:

Interview with A. Meredith Walters

 A. Meredith Walters has been writing since childhood and is the author of Irresistible Fear, the first book in a paranormal romance trilogy and Find You in the Dark, a contemporary romance. Having recently made the big move from America to the other side of the pond, to jolly ol' England, she has been afforded the opportunity to write full time. Before that, Meredith spent a decade as a counselor for troubled and abused children and teens.  Working first at a Domestic Violence shelter and then later in a therapeutic program for at risk youth. The experiences and interactions with her clients has been the creative drive behind most of her writing.

When not pecking away at the keyboard, Meredith loves spending time with her husband and daughter exploring the English country side and attempting to cook. While she may not be very good at it, that doesn't stop her from trying.

Recently I got to read A. Meredith Walters' book Find You In The Dark. I really liked it and I knew I couldn't wait to interview her! I love getting to know new authors!
Little did I know that not only did Ms. Walters previously worked in the same field as me, but she shares my passion for all things paranormal, lives in England (my mom was born there and I can't wait for the chance to visit some day) AND has my dream job of being a full time writer. I think I've decided we need to be friends. ;)

Without further ado, please welcome A. Meredith Walters to A Dash of YA!
  
1) What inspired you to write Find You In The Dark?

I spent the last ten years as a counselor for children and teens with emotional and mental health issues. Every day I saw their struggles and it was difficult to see. I came up with the idea after a particularly great day with one of my clients. This was a child who at one time was headed for an institution, their issues were so severe. But after years of therapy and support, they are now an amazing, functional individual. I realized that hope was always there, even for people who others think don't have a chance. I wanted to write about a couple, trying to find that hope, even when it all seems...well, hopeless.

2) When will the sequel be released and are there plans for more books about Maggie and Clay?

I plan to release the sequel, Light in the Shadows in February or March. I also plan to release a novella, entitled Cloud Walking, about Rachel and Daniel in January. This will be a sort of companion piece and takes place during the events of Find You in the Dark. I plan to wrap up Clay and Maggie's story in Light in the Shadows. I want to conclude things realistically but make people happy.

3) What made you decide to indie pub vs traditional publishing?

Well, finding an agent who will take the time to look at your work is difficult. After numerous rejection letters I was feeling pretty low. But then the Kindle happened. And I saw how many people were doing the whole "indie" thing. And I'm so glad that's how it worked out. It's wonderful to have total control over your work like that. Yeah, you have to do everything yourself, but I feel a sense of accomplishment that can only come from that control over it all. And it's worked out really well for me so far.

4) What genre is your favorite to read?

Paranormal romance definitely. I grew up devouring L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle. I LOVE authors like Kelley Armstrong and Maggie Stiefvater. Romance with that dash of darkness is my absolute favorite.

5) Do you have a favorite author?

Hmm, well I have a bunch actually. I have a big love affair with Indie writers like Jessica Sorenson, Abbi Glines and Jamie McGuire. But I also love authors like Anne Rice, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris.

6) What is your favorite book?

My favorite book ever is Wuthering Heights. I read it hundreds of times when I was a teenager. There's something about that Heathcliff that really gets to me.

7) When is your next book due to release and can you tell us a little about it?

My next book comes out this month actually, December 21st. It's called Bad Rep and is a New Adult Contemporary Romance. It's about a college aged girl who meets this hot drum player and there's this instant connection...until she finds out he's dating one of her sorority sisters. There's a lot of angst as she struggles to resist the temptation and the fall out when that doesn't go so well. It's a romance but also a story about accepting yourself and learning to do what you want and not to worry about what other people think about you. It's definitely a story about a girl trying to find herself.

8) Do you outline before you write or do you just let the story develop as you write?

A little bit of both. With Find You in the Dark, I just wrote it. There wasn't an outline. But with the sequel, I had things I definitely wanted to cover, so I've outlined it. I think it really depends on where my mind is at as to whether I outline or not.

9) How many hours a day do you spend writing?

That changes from day to day. I'm a feast or famine sort of writer. When I'm in the zone, I will write ten hours a day. But then I can go days without writing anything.

10) Do you have an office or do you write wherever you can?

I have a designated office in my house. When we moved to England and I gave up counseling to become a full time writer, that was one of my necessities. A place to write, where I can separate "home" from "working." I need to be able to close the door and get away from it all.

And just for fun:

Apples or Pears? Apples all the way

Lipgloss or Chapstick? Chapstick
Sunset or Sunrise? Sunset
Early bird or Night owl? Night owl

Edward or Jacob? TEAM JACOB!!!

Thank you very much A. Meredith Walters! I am definitely looking forward to reading more of your work! You can find her books on Amazon as well as Barnes and Noble. 

Book Review: Find You In The Dark

Author: A. Meredith Walters
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self
Released: October 10th 2012

Summary from Goodreads:
Maggie Young had the market on normal. Normal friends, normal parents, normal grades...normal life.
Until him.
Clayton Reed was running from his past and an army of personal demons that threatened to take him down. He never thought he had a chance at happiness.
Until her.
Maggie thought their love could overcome anything. Clay thought she was all he needed to fix his messy life.
That together, they could face the world.
But the darkness is always waiting.
Sometimes the greatest obstacle to true love is within yourself.

This was one heck of a roller coaster read! Normally I am a butterflies, sunshine and rainbows kind of girl and this book definitely wasn't any of those things but it didn't matter, I still loved it. Maggie and Clay's relationship, in a word, is dysfunctional and as an adult there were certain situations that were difficult to read about. But after I sat and thought about it (and remembered what a drama queen I was when I was in high school) I realized it was actually a fairly accurate portrayal of the intensity teenagers are capable of feeling.
I found myself torn between wanting Maggie to run to the hills just to get away from Clay and other times where I wanted her to stick around and love Clay despite all of his...uh....issues.
I used to work with troubled teens and I know how important it is for them to have someone there no matter what to offer stability, but at the same time what Clay was doing to Maggie was abuse. And my heart was broken for the both of them because neither one of them realized it.
This book was intense and hard to put down. It had some really funny parts, some really mushy-gushy parts, some really steamy parts and some "I want to slap you across your face" parts thrown in there as well.
You know I won't ever give away any spoilers but I will say this, while the ending definitely wasn't happy, I was content with the ending because I knew there really couldn't be any other way. I am definitely looking forward to reading more from Ms. Walters and seeing where she takes Maggie and Clay's journey next (because yes there is supposed to be a sequel!).

Favorite Quote: "I have learned that sometimes 'sorry' is not enough. Sometimes you actually have to change."
  
 I really liked this book and I would definitely recommend it to most people who enjoy this genre but especially those who don't require their stories to end in sunshine and rainbows. I think this is a story that will stick with readers for a long time after they've finished it.