Auracle by Gina Rosati. Review, Excerpt and Giveaway!

Trapped outside her body, Anna sees and hears but cannot touch the one she longs to
hold.

Anna has a secret: she can astrally project out of her body. But when there's an
accident and her classmate Taylor gets into Anna's body, what was an exhilarating gift
threatens to become a terrifying reality. Anna and her best friend Rei form a plan to set
things right, but they don't anticipate the feelings that are beginning to grow between
them. Auracleby Gina Rosati is an exciting, sensual novel that explores the relationship
between body and soul and the power of a single touch.

For your viewing pleasure (and as a little tease) here is an excerpt from Auracle...

Today, we are finally doing the challenge course, which means we get to climb the rock

wall to a platform, jump over to the trapeze, swing over to a balance beam that’s suspended

about twenty feet in the air, walk across it, then jump off and our belayer lowers us down. How

fun is that!

I walk to the locker rooms with Seth. By the time I’ve switched my jeans for a pair of

shorts and get to the gym, Rei is having kittens because Callie won’t let him hold my rope.

“Rei, we get graded on our ability to maneuver the course and belay. If you won’t let me

hold the rope for Anna, how am I supposed to learn this? It’s not like I can hold your weight or

Seth’s.” Callie is busy strapping herself into a harness as she talks.

“Well . . . but . . . ” Rei isn’t comfortable with this at all. “You know you need both hands

on the rope at all times.”

“God, Rei,” Callie laughs, “don’t worry about it!”

Seth snorts. “That’ll be the day.”

I struggle with my own harness, mostly because the leg loops are too big on me, even

when I adjust the straps. Rei comes over and squats down in front of me to make sure I’m putting

it on right. “Did you double back your buckle?” he asks as he fiddles with my straps. “Do you

want me to hold the rope for you?”

No, I did not double back the buckle and yes, I do want him to hold the rope for me,

because I trust him and I know he would never let me fall. But the P.E. teacher assigned Callie as

my partner and Rei can’t hold my rope forever.

“No, she’s right. How are we supposed to learn this if we let you and Seth do all the

work? Plus, what’s the big deal? You never worried when I did gymnastics.”

“I didn’t worry as much,” he corrects me.

“Are the legs okay on this? They feel kind of big.”

“It’s as tight as it will go.” Rei tugs at the harness leg loops and I am suddenly aware of

his hands on my thighs.

“Okay, then, it’s good!” I tell him and step back, dangling the carabiner in front of

him. “Which doohickey do I attach this to?”

He takes it and clips it on, gives the rope a tug, then gives me a stern look. “You are not

Spider-Girl.”

“Yes, Anna, you are Spider-Girl!” Callie insists. “Now go climb that wall.”

Rei clears his throat. “Helmet?”

“Oh, right. Thanks.”

It is much more fun to scale the wall if I ignore all the bickering going on below me.

Callie good-naturedly blows off all of Rei’s suggestions and Seth just laughs at both of them. My

only contribution to the conversation is to yell “Slack!” over my shoulder until I finally reach the

platform that hangs twenty feet in the air.

Everyone looks smaller than me from up here. I like it.

“You sure you’ve got her?” I hear Rei ask Callie for the bazillionth time.

“No, I am totally going to drop her on her head,” she tells Rei and then she yells up to

me, “Let’s go, itsy-bitsy Spider-Girl. Jump!”

I decide not to torment Rei with daredevil antics, so I trapeze over to the beam, walk

across, and Callie lowers me safely to the ground in a most unadventurous way.

“Was that fun?” Rei asks as soon as my feet touch the ground.

“Yes!” I unclip the carabiner. “It was awesome! I wish I could take rock climbing

lessons.”

He sighs. “I was afraid of that.”

“Ha. Don’t worry. I can’t afford it.”

After Callie, Rei, Seth and the rest of the class have had a chance to maneuver the course,

I hang up my harness and we’re ready for lunch. “I just need a quick shower,” Rei says. “I’ll

meet you down there.”

He hasn’t even worked up a sweat during class, but since he doesn’t give me any crap

about not showering, I just nod and head down to the cafeteria. By the time I get through the

crowded lunch line, Rei is already sitting at the table, his hair tousled and damp.

There is a familiar buzz in the cafeteria, that collective conversation you hear no matter

what day it is. I tune everyone but Rei and Seth out and concentrate instead on dissecting a

tomato slice with my trusty spork. As I add another slimy seed to the pile, Rei asks Seth to text

him about something later, but then there’s one of those long silences that makes you look up

just to see if they’re both still there.

Seth is frantically searching through his backpack.

“What are you looking for?” I ask.

“My cell phone,” Seth says. “I remember putting it in my pocket this morning, but now

it’s not there.”

Excerpted from Auracle by Gina Rosati Copyright © 2012 by Gina Rosati. Excerpted by

permission.

All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in

writing from the publisher.

This story is so unique and unlike anything else I've read as of late. The characters are well developed  and written in a way that brings such realism to them, you are intrigued throughout the story.  Something I found extremely appealing about this book was that there are just a few prominent characters and Rosati still manages to keep you guessing;  with twists and turns and plots that are so enthralling I couldn’t stop reading.

Anna has the ability of astral projection (she can slip out of her body and go anywhere she wants), much to the dismay of her best friend Rei.  One afternoon she slips out to check on a friend that may be in trouble and someone else jumps into it.  Left without a body but still with her soul, it’s up to Anna and Rei to A)proove their friend innocent of murder B)figure out the fastly growing feelings that are emerging between them and C)find a way to kick out the B*tch that has taken up residency in Anna’s body, as well as taken over her life.   

I loved how Rosati wrote the growing relationship between Anna and Rei, to spite the fact Anna was basically a spirit.  They are likeable and realistic as they journey down this path not knowing where it will lead; will Anna be able to get her body back or, will she be stuck in the inbetween forever?

5/5 for this book... Definitely a Must Read!  but, that's just my two cents

Gina Rosati grew up in Boston suburbia and now lives with her

husband, two teenagers and two chubby guinea pigs in Merrimack, NH. Gina is a long time volunteer at her local middle school library, and a member of SCBWI, the Apocalypsies and the Class of 2k12 debut author groups. Her debut YA paranormal romance,AURACLE, is available on August 7, 2012 from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan. Visit her website at www.ginarosati.com.

1. I have a husband, an 18 year old son and a 13 year old daughter who are very patient and understanding...it’s not easy to live with a writer.

2. I used to be a secretary. And a cake decorator. And a PTA mom. And I still volunteer at the middle school l brary one day a week because I love it there.

3. On August 7, 2012, I can officially add ‘author’ to my resume...my debut YA paranormal romance, AURACLE, will debut from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan.

4. I am forever grateful to my literary agent, Andrea Somberg (Harvey Klinger, Inc.)

and my editor, Katherine Jacobs (Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan). AURACLE is a far better story because of their help and guidance!

5. I’m not a fan of politics or organized religion, but I love dogs. And cats. And guinea pigs and bunnies and other fuzzy stuff.

6. I used to drink too much sugary soda (32 oz/day.) When I gave it up, I lost 20 pounds and kept it off.

7. Now I drink too much diet soda. I should drink water. From a reusable container.

8. Blue jeans, T-shirts, hoodies, fuzzy socks and sneakers...I’d rather be comfy than classy.

9. As part of my research for AURACLE, I got a tattoo. Now I have 3 and counting...

10. I cannot astrally project. I tried. But I am excellent at procrastinating!

11. I collect glassy things. And fairy things. And rocks.

12. I believe!

To find Gina on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads simply follow the links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gina-Rosati/168090603246100

Twitter: @GinaRosati https://twitter.com/GinaRosati

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4851799.Gina_Rosati

http://apocalypsies.blogspot.com/

http://classof2k12.com/



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