Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

They called it the Thorn Hill Massacre—the brutal attack on a once-thriving Weir community. Though Jonah Kinlock lived through it, he did not emerge unscathed: like the other survivors, Jonah possesses unique magical gifts that set him apart from members of the mainline guilds. At seventeen, Jonah has become the deadliest assassin in Nightshade, a global network that hunts the undead. He is being groomed to succeed Gabriel Mandrake, the sorcerer, philanthropist, and ruthless music promoter who established the Thorn Hill Foundation, the public face of Nightshade. More and more, Jonah’s at odds with Gabriel’s tactics and choice of targets. Desperate to help his dying brother Kenzie, Jonah opens doors that Gabriel prefers to keep closed.

Emma Claire Greenwood grew up worlds away, raised by a grandfather who taught her music rather than magic. An unschooled wild child, she runs the streets until the night she finds her grandfather dying, gripping a note warning Emma that she might be in danger. The clue he leaves behind leads Emma into Jonah’s life—and a shared legacy of secrets and lingering questions.

Was Thorn Hill really a peaceful commune? Or was it, as the Wizard Guild claims, a hotbed of underguild terrorists? The Wizards’ suspicions grow when members of the mainline guilds start turning up dead. They blame Madison Moss and the Interguild Council, threatening the fragile peace brokered at Trinity.

Racing against time, Jonah and Emma work to uncover the truth about Thorn Hill, amid growing suspicion that whoever planned the Thorn Hill Massacre might strike again.

The Enchanter Heir (The Heir Chronicles #4) by Cinda Williams Chima

Published by Disney-Hyperion

To be released on October 22, 2013

Lisa Burstein is a tea seller by day and a writer by night. She received her MFA in Fiction from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University and is glad to finally have it be worth more than the paper it was printed on. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her very patient husband, a neurotic dog and two cats. Pretty Amy is her first novel. She never went to her senior prom.

Celebrity crush? Ryan Reynolds

Favorite television show? LOST

Can you tell us about your newest book, Dear Cassie?

Dear Cassie is about finding love in the unlikeliest place. Cassie is sent to a wilderness rehab program and forced to journal about her experience. Her “journal” is the book. She is so hurt and angry from a relationship in her past that she can’t open up to anyone, until she meets one of the male campers, Ben. Slowly, over the course of their time at camp, Ben teaches Cassie she can trust and love someone again.

So far, we’ve read about Amy and Cassie. When will we get Lila’s story?

It is definitely in the works. I don’t have a date yet, but as soon as I do I will let people know.

There were some pretty intense topics in both Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie. How difficult was it to write the heartbreaking scenes that occurred in both?

Surprisingly not hard, but I think making them feel real and true is very hard. It takes me a few drafts for what occurs to feel organic and like it’s not just “thrown-in”. Strange that I have to work to make things feel organic to the character and the story, but that’s the truth.

Some could say that Cassie’s story is still unfinished. Do you plan to write more from her POV in the future? And what about Amy?

I am so surprised that people are saying this about Cassie, but they are. I felt like I made it clear at the end of the book what her decision was, but I suppose people want to know if once she made that decision things turned out well for her. I hate to say that I truly don’t know the answer to this question, but that I hope she is happy now. I am not sure if I will write something else from Cassie or Amy’s POV, but I do know they will both be in Lila’s book so readers will see how they are doing.

After Amy, Cassie and Lila’s stories are finished, what do you intend to work on next?

I am actually working on a new adult novel in the interim and I would like to write a new stand-alone YA.

What is the best book you’ve read lately?

Gone Girl

What is currently in your To-Be-Read pile?

Too many books to list, it’s embarrassing .

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy’s mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who’s always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Rachel Hawkins’ delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as theNew York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance!

I guess I should start out this review with a confession. Here goes….I’ve never read the Hex Hall series. There, I admitted it. I mean…I OWN the first book, Hex Hall, but I’ve never had a chance to actually read it. And then, of course, someone borrowed it, and now the book smells way too strongly of smoke to even read it. Note to readers: Do NOT loan out your books to smokers! Anyways, there you have it. The honest to goodness truth. I, the queen of reading all books in a series, read the first book in a spin off without reading the original series. Shame on me. The good news is that School Spirits was AMAZING, and people who want to read this book without reading the original series don’t have to worry about a bunch of spoilers. Honestly, I wouldn’t have known it was a spin off unless I hadn’t read about it.

School Spirits is about a demon hunter, Izzy, who has been enrolled in a new school to try and catch and contain a ghost that has been haunting and trying to murder people. Of course, Izzy has never been to a school before, let alone interacted with kids her own age. Needless to say, she is so out of her element. There she meets some awesome new friends and has the chance to embrace a life she’s never been offered before. Unfortunately, it’s not going to last long. Her mom gave her a mission: to kill this pesky ghost. And as soon as the ghost is out of the way, so are they….never to return.

This book was so stinkin adorable. I loved it. I’ve been wanting to read something by Rachel Hawkins for the longest time now, so I begged Disney-Hyperion to let me read and review this one for the site. The main character, Izzy, is an amazing girl to follow. I loved her from the get go, and I never got tired of her. The friends that she met along the way are equally as delightful. There wasn’t one negative character in this whole book!

Mystery is a key component in the book, and I have to say I am DYING for the next one! I kind of wish that I hadn’t read this one quite yet, because I know that I’m going to have to wait like another year for it…and that just sucks. The ending was just too suspenseful! I need to know what happens! I need to know more about the guy in the mirror, Torin, and what happened to Izzy’s sister. I need to know what’s going to happen with Izzy and Dex. Yes, it’s a bit annoying that I don’t have the next book right now. But I loved this book. Loved it!

The one negative thing about this book…well not really negative…but Dex was a really awkward character/love interest for me. I don’t mean this to be offensive at all, but Dex just didn’t come across as straight. And that’s no problem at all! But it made it a bit awkward when he was straight, and he had a think for Izzy. If he wasn’t taken by Magnus, I’d introduce Dex to Alec. I think that they would have a better relationship.

Another thing is that the book was slightly juvenile, but not in a bad way. It just seemed like more of a middle grade book than a young adult book. I love middle grade, so that didn’t bother me at all, but I could see this type of read not being for everyone. Not me, though, I was on board from the very first page!

Overall, I loved School Spirits. It was fun, suspenseful, and full of the supernatural! I could totally see this one as a tv show. Everyone MUST go read this one!

Pages: 304

Source: ARC provided by publisher

Publication Date: May 14th, 2013

Publisher: Disney/Hyperion

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “You are my new hero. Seriously, I might actually be in love with you now. Would it be awkward if we made out?”

Rainbow Rowell is the author of ATTACHMENTS. She has two novels coming out in 2013 — ELEANOR & PARK in February and FANGIRL in the fall.

Rainbow lives with her husband and two sons in Omaha, Nebraska. Right at this moment, she is probably arguing with someone about something that doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things — or trying to figure out how Sherlock faked his death.

Blog and other stuff at rainbowrowell.com.

TEN THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME

By Rainbow Rowell

1. 1.“Rainbow” is my real name. My mom always said I could change it when I was 18 – but, by the time I was 18, I couldn’t imagine asking all my friends to start calling me “Sarah with an h.”

2. 2.I’m addicted (ADDICTED) to Fortnum & Mason’s Smoky Earl Grey Tea, and I bribe people in the UK to ship it to me.

3. Eleanor & Park is my first YA novel, but not my first novel. My first book, Attachments, is about an IT guy who falls in love with a girl in his office after he has to read her email. (It sounds creepy, but I promise it isn’t. Much.)

4. I live in Nebraska, a place where very few books/TV shows/movies are set – so I always put lots of Omaha and Nebraska things in my books, as Easter eggs for people who live here to find. Most of the last names in Eleanor & Park are Nebraska counties. Fangirl is set at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and all the characters are named after buildings on campus.

5. I collect old ceramic things, especially planters. I don’t mean to collect them. But I keep buying them, and now they’re all over the house. The person who made my Web site worked a bunch of them into the design.

6. I’m a design/illustration junkie, and it was a dream come true to have Noelle Stevenson illustrate the cover for Fangirl.

7. I don’t have a home office, so I write most of my books at Starbucks. I like being someplace busy, but where none of the noise and activity is relevant to me.

8. Writing is lonely, so I post more often on Facebook and Twitter when I’m deep into a book. But, right now, I can’t live without Tumblr. It’s my absolute favorite place to park my brain. Fandom plus funny plus pretty pictures.
9. My entire family is obsessed with Cabin Pressure, a British radio comedy written by John Finnemore. I think he’s an absolute genius. Perfect timing, incredible characters. We listen to Cabin Pressure in the car, my kids listen to it before they go to bed – I push it on everyone I know.

10. I have kids! Two boys. They think I type for a living.

You should never judge a book by its cover.

Sure…but they never said we couldn’t admire them. Cover of the Week pays homage to the beautiful and eye catching graphics that grace the covers of our young adult titles.

This week’s cover of the week goes to Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Release Date: June 4th, 2013