Hourglass- With free read opportunity

I love Gone with the Wind; I do.  I'm a Southern lady, we do that.  But, as much as I would like to have gone to the barbecue with the Tarlton twins, I don't want them see them on my doorstep now...in 2011.  But, that's the kind of thing that happens to Emerson Cole from Myra McEntire's book Hourglass (watch the trailer here). 

                                          Emerson is able to see people from the past.  This gift, or curse, developed after the tragic death of her parents.  Emerson was not able to cope with this tragedy and wound up severely medicated and institutionalized.  After her treatments, she left her small Tennessee town to attend a boarding school in Arizona better suited to her needs.  But, when her scholarship runs out, she finds herself back in Tennessee living with her loving brother Thomas and his amazing wife, Dru.  Thomas wants to help Emerson transition back into a normal life and finds someone whom he thinks can help her.

Enter Michael Weaver.  Michael works with a mysterious group called Hourglass.  Emerson is mysteriously and almost electrically drawn to handsome Michael.  She discovers that Michael can also see these people from the past, and that they are uniquely bonded with one another because they both have the ability to travel in time.

Michael is shrouded in mystery, which confuses and pulls Emerson closer to him.  Emerson begins to learn about the dangers of Hourglass and is faced with a decision.  Should she help Michael and his friends travel back in time to stop a murder even though this could cost her or others their lives?

I really liked this book, and was excited to learn that Myra McEntire is a Tennessee girl.  I can't wait for her to bring more of the story full circle in her follow up book, Timepiece.  Timepiece is set to release in June of 2012.  Until then, I found an exciting site for you.  This site allows you to download a free PDF of Hourglass in its entirety.  Eureka!  It's free.  I love a free book.  Click here, now.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

You know the age old expression, "a picture is worth a thousand words"?  Well, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children takes this expression and makes it a reality.  Ransom Riggs, author of several other books like Talking Pictures and The Sherlock Holmes Handbook, was inspired to write about the band of peculiar children because of vintage photos he unearthed at various flea markets and other locations about three years ago.

Inspired by the strange children in the black and white photos, Riggs tells the story of a band of "peculiar" children (watch the trailer here) who influenced the life of an aging World War II veteran who had tales of a childhood that seemed almost impossible.  Abraham, grandfather of the main character, Jacob spent his life telling his children, then his grandchildren stories of his childhood spent on an island with a group of other children who had amazing abilities.  Among these amazing characters were a girl who could create fire in her hands and a boy who could restore life to things that had died.  But, of course in order to be among these peculiars, Abraham must have been peculiar himself.  However, this is only one part of the mystery he left Jacob to deduce.

Sixteen year-old Jacob must go half-way around the world to help solve the mystery of his grandfather's life and death.  On his journey he finds the impossible, the children from his grandfather's youth still live.  Jacob must understand how those children from 1940 remain not only alive, but unaged. 

Riggs states on his blog that there will be a sequel.  He has searched and located more photographs to inspire the next chapter in the life of the peculiars.  Since the first was released just a couple of months ago, we will have to wait to a while to see what the new photographs say.