Dream Shade

by Heather Fraser Brainerd

As if high school wasn't tough enough, sophomore Sarah Pasmore has one extra little ghosts have started appearing to Sarah and they seem to want something from her. With help from her brainy best friend, as well as a few new friends (including the hottest guy in school), Sarah must solve the mystery of what the spirits want in order to put them back to rest. To complicate matters further, a more evil spirit will go to great lengths to make sure this doesn’t happen. As they investigate the past to unravel this supernatural mystery, the teens learn a lesson in the powers of friendship and love.

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2013

About the author

Heather Fraser Brainerd is a multi-published author and a renaissance woman. After earning a degree in Anthropology, she embarked on an incongruous career as a workers' compensation insurance adjuster. She rapidly climbed the claims-handling ladder before surprising her colleagues by leaving the high-powered world of lumbar strains and carpal tunnel syndrome to run a child care center. Thousands of dirty diapers and gallons of strained peas later, she decided that maybe the insurance industry wasn't quite as bad as she remembered. Unfortunately, it was. Fortunately, a few years later, she was swept off her feet by the most wonderful man in the world. Now a stay-home mom to three amazing boys, she is able, at long last, to focus on her writing. She lives in New York with her family and their crazy pug/terrier.

Heather writes in a variety of genres, including paranormal mystery, Young Adult paranormal romance, and Middle Grade fantasy. All of her work contains a hefty dose of humor. Her books have received multiple 5-star reviews. Deception Al Dente, her debut novella, was an EPIC Awards finalist. Her influences include J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Stephenie Meyer. If she could marry a fictional character—and if she wasn’t already quite happily spoken for—she would be Mrs. Sherlock Holmes.

Reviews

[Beverly McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if you dreamed about a ghost, and that ghost seemed to want something from you? Would you try to ignore the ghost and hope he went away? Would you investigate and see why the ghost came to you? Or would you think you were going crazy?

Tenth grader Sarah Pasmor faces such a situation in Author Heather Fraser Brainerd’s YA paranormal, mystery, romance novel DREAM SHADE. When Sarah starts seeing ghosts, she enlists the help of her friend, Anna, and the girls investigate the sightings. Soon Will Conor, the nerd, and Nate Spencer, the most gorgeous guy in the junior class, are involved in the girls’ search to determine who the ghosts are and what they want from Sarah. A touch of teen romance, a mystery, spirits, some not so friendly, a haunted house, and a most unusual Halloween party make for a fun story that’s sort of scary, but not too much for the easily spooked reader. (Like me.)

The author has developed her characters nicely. Even the minor characters like Sarah’s mother and brother have distinct personalities. The ghosts are … well … ghostly, and there’s a mystery to keep you guessing why the ghosts cannot have peace and what Sarah must do so they can finally rest after many years.

DREAM SHADE is not only a ghost story it’s also a story of family and friends. Sarah has a typical relationship with her mother and brother that makes the reader feel right at home. I liked younger brother because he seemed so real, teasing his sister, yet loving her as only a brother can. Heather Fraser Brainerd makes you care about her characters and hope that life works out for them, even for the ghosts. I think not only teens but older readers, too, will enjoy meeting Sarah and the ghosts. An enjoyable read that will keep you guessing the outcome until the very end.
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[Lin Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

My feet are cold.

Okay that's probably a weird way to start a review but I've learned it is bad to screen those thoughts that just pop into my head or out through my typing little fingers. Somewhere within the body of this review saying "My feet are cold," is going to make sense.

I'm here to review DREAM SHADE by Heather Fraser Brainerd.

Everyone loves a good ghost story. Unfortunately not everybody can write them. Luckily for all of us Helen Fraser Brainerd is not one of those hapless people that cannot write a spine-tingling ghost story that's meant to make us gnaw on our fingertips while shivering in our boots.

This is a story about a young girl in her first year at the BIG KIDS High School, who for some reason begins seeing shifting patterns of coalescing and dispersing glow-lights. Not the kind you see in the tubes they pass out at Country Fairs, or to light your way when you're Trick-or-Treating...no these are the kind that sparkle but make your body go real cold...Hmmm, do you think that's why my feet are cold? Am I resting them on a bit of ectoplasm that hasn't decided to get all sparkly yet? (See, I told you it'd fit in.)

Sarah Pasmore, her friends Anna and Will are about to step into the world of May, a ghost who comes to them when Anna decides that because of Sarah's weird case of the twinkly chills, needs to conduct...oh heaven help them...a seancé.

What a journey Ms. Brainerd puts poor Sarah through, but for us, the happily ensnared reader it is a top notch ghost story for the young, and yep, those of us not young, but who love ghostly tales.

DREAM SHADE is worthy of more than I can give it, but it DEFINITELY deserves

FIVE STARS.

Question...will we be seeing more tales about Sarah and her friends? Just asking?

[J.Q. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't like ghosts unless it's Casper, the friendly ghost. But because I enjoy Heather Brainerd's storytelling, I decided to try Dream Shade. I was not disappointed. Brainerd skillfully handled mixing a contemporary teen story with a Victorian era ghost story. What a brilliant juggling act to develop these characters and settings. The interaction between her family seemed so typical and contemporary and very entertaining. Sara, the main character, also had to deal with being a teen and meeting the cute guy she always dreamed of. She involved her friends to help her sort out these crazy dreams of ghosts, and what a romp we enjoy as we read the story of the kids uncovering who the ghosts are and what they want. It kept me reading to find out how this talented author could wrap up all these story lines and deliver a satisfaction ending. She did all of that and with lots of humor too!

[Matthew Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book like I read all of Brainerd’s work: compulsively, and I honestly can’t say that about too many books. Sarah Pasmore is as believable and charming as any teenage protagonist out there. I also have to say that I love the paranormal, so this book appealed to me on that level, for the well developed and deftly executed plot includes some pretty scary elements! The descriptions in this book are lush and really give the feel of living the story. Brava, Ms. Brainerd! I look forward to reading everything you dream up!