Whispering Minds

Summer's Edge #1

by A.T. O'Connor (editor), Robb Grindstaff (contributor), Simon P. Clark (contributor)

Short stories by 13 authors. This is book one in the Summer's Edge collection where not all relationships are meant to last.

Stories include:

Ellie’s Head by Robb Grindstaff
Octopus Rules by Simon P. Clark
A Real Girl by Matt Sinclair
Just a Perfect Day by Shawn Proctor
Children of the Trees by R.S. Mellette
Cradle and All by Amanda Hill
The Siren’s Gift by A.M. Supinger
Mornings on the Beach by Ken Staley
Summer Soulmates by Tista Ray
Indiscretions by Cat Woods
Plan B by Samantha Enders
Irreplaceable by Julie Hutchings
Drowning Man by Jennifer Prescott

Genres: Young Adult, Anthologies, Thriller, Fantasy

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2013

About the author

I read, write and live YA. As a mother of four, a speech coach and an advocate for at risk youth, I strive to write books that matter. My debut novel, Whispering Minds, is slated for release November 1, 2013.

Reviews

[Harold Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came to me as a GoodReads giveaway.

I stayed up late hoping to finish this novel in one sitting. Unfortunately, perhaps because of my vintage years, I fell asleep. But I awoke early — before dawn actually — and continued reading until I reached the end.

Then I ate breakfast.

This book grabs you by the shirt collar and pulls you in close so that you’re looking deep into Gemini Baker’s eyes, deep into her mind where the whispers dwell.

After her grandmother’s death, Gemini fears she is losing her mind because she can’t account for blocks of lost time.

Hours before her grandmother’s death, Gemini overhears her parents make reference to a secret they hope Granny won’t reveal on her deathbed. Surprised that such a secret exists, Gemini begins to believe that the secret revealed will help explain the confusion she’s experiencing, will help explain why the whispers in her mind are becoming louder.

Gemini seeks support from an online group — the Dozen — she joined as part of a lucid dreaming project, but their assistance grows more bewildering daily.

Travis, apparently the only real friend she has, seems to be skirting around the issue of some mystery in Gemini’s past. His behavior further increases Gemini’s frustration and fear.

Collin, her partner for preparation of a term paper on the theme of utopia, is the only other person Gemini can approach for help and that somewhat reluctantly.

Gradually drawn into Gemini’s story, you begin to realize the true source and nature of the whispers in her mind. Page after page foreshadows the truth of the raveling secret.

You feel an urge to reach out and hold Gemini back out of harm’s way. You might even feel the need to enfold Gemini and hold her, shelter her from the painful revelation she’s striving to lay bare in her own destructive fashion.

No doubt, Gemini is a character you’ll want to protect at the same time knowing you can’t. You must watch helplessly as she plunges headlong toward mind-shredding events.

Oh, by the way, there’s a jim-dandy knitted turkey hat in this novel as well as a furry bunny. Both provide Gemini with some solace.

Check it out.

[Jennifer Prescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: My own short story, Drowning Man, is featured in this anthology, so I won't comment on it. However, I DO wish to comment on the rest of the material, which is superior. The stories from a diverse array of writing talents are engaging and strong. I read the entire anthology during a train ride to and from NYC and was gripped throughout. While every story held my attention, my favorites included "Cradle and All" (absolutely stunning and heartbreaking), "The Siren's Gift" (beautifully eerie), and "Mornings on the Beach" (richly imagined and truthful). Thank you to Elephant's Bookshelf Press for honoring the short story form with this collection!

[Steven Carman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whispering Minds is a YA thriller that packs punch and touches on the darker side of the genre. It’s full of unforgettable characters and has a great ending that shook me. Throughout the novel, I found myself intrigued and tried to guess what would happen next. As far as the writer's writing style goes: I'm a huge fan. Her writing is crisp and concise. But I did feel like I would have enjoyed a bit more description in certain spots. While I loved the faced-paced plot, in my opinion, the characters are the best part of the book. The protagonist, GEMINI BAKER, is a straight A student, a member of the high school dance team . . . and losing her mind. She’s blacking out and forgetting moments of her life at a disturbing rate. The connection between Gemini and her granny is heartwarming and even though her granny died early in the book I got a full sense of how special their relationship was. Her death moved me and I hurt for Gemini. Gemini’s relationship with her immediate family, especially her dad, is broken. It breaks even further after her granny’s death. He is prejudice against Native Americans and that’s a big problem because Gemini’s best friend, Travis, is Native American. Gemini likes Travis and Travis likes her but the relationship is suck in the friend's zone and it’s Gemini who is holding it back for reasons she does not fully understand. It sets up an interesting love angle to the story. Then there’s the Baker’s Dozen, her cyber friends. They are who she often turns to, but she finds out that’s not always the best idea. There's a dark family secret revealed and a surprise ending that kept me reading like the pages were on fire. Without giving away the ending, I will say her life is in jeopardy and she has to remember long enough to avoid the threat. Exciting stuff. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this talented author. Disclaimer: I received a free advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of "Whispering Minds" by A.T. O'Connor through the Goodreads Giveaway Contest. This YA thriller is set in Minnesota in the cold of winter, one week before Christmas.

Gemini Baker is a senior at High School, straight A's, a member of a dance team, a musician, part-time college student, sleepwalker...and an average teenager whose memory is starting to fail, and starting to lose her mind.

Gemini comes from a dysfunctional family, where her parents are alcoholics and when they are somber they are addicted to gambling, and head off to the casinos. Gemini had to look after herself, and contribute money to the operating of the household. My heart went out to her. Her only love was for her "Granny", her dad's mom. They had a special bond together.

Travis, a Native American, was Gemini's best friend. He was devoted to her, but she still couldn't commit to him, and held back.

Then when Granny's in the hospital, dying of cancer, Gemini and her parents make the trip to the hospital. But on the way, Gemini had overheard her parents fighting about some secret...but what secret? When they get to the hospital, she finds Clarence (Travis's grandfather) at Granny's bedside, as he was friends with Granny. Gemini brought a book to read to her Granny...the little special moments or ways they shared their time together. Her father was jealous of his mother's affection for her granddaughter. With that her parents left and told Gemini "to find her own way home." With each spoken word Granny's body was shutting down. They read trilogies as if they could extend the time together. And then Granny died and Travis was there for her.


Gemini realizes that she must search for the answers, to get a grip on her life... a more normal life. She turns to her cyber friends for support,and begins revealing years of secrets and lies. Nobody is who they seem. Gemini must first accept who she was and what happened. The end had me completely engrossed and had me glued to the finish.

[Babs | babs_reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A web of secrets. Concentric circles connected to one irrefutable center."

While Whispering Minds carried a darker theme I believe it fit perfectly with the subject matter at hand. It wasn't too dark and held just the right amount of edge to keep the story flow realistic.

Gemini Baker, our protagonist is straight-A high school student who lives a semi-normal life by day while away from home and by night she seems to be losing her mind...literally her memories. Having the unfortunate circumstance of living with two drunks, who happen to be her parents, she is left with the burden of responsibilities that no one her age should take on, including raising herself.

Right from the start I connected with Gemi and shared a loss with her that immediately had me thinking the poor girl has a right to fall apart...if only a little. As I continued to read I realized that she wasn't falling apart ... she was already broken.

I journeyed with Gemi as she tail spinned every which direction searching for answers she couldn't remember the questions to. Travis is her best friend and someone she uses as an anchor and when she cuts the line she drifts away unable to pull herself back to shore. Their relationship holds a certain gentleness with harsh edges as Gemi is constantly keeping him at arms lengths for reasons she can't remember...or doesn't quite understand.

She realizes that if she ever wants to get her life back to normal she'll have to start digging deep to find the questions to the answers she searches for. Once she does she begins revealing years of secrets and lies. To accept who she is and move on....she must first accept who she was and what happened. The end had me completely captivated and I couldn't have stopped reading even if I wanted to.

** I received a free copy through Goodreads First Reads**

[Brytani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this review is long over due... I found this book great and can't wait for the sequel. This book follows Gemi, a seventeen year old girl living with her parents. Gemi has many secrets in her life, even from herself as a loved one dies and her father starts to gamble and drink more. The only person she can depend on is her best friend Travis, who has always been there and knows more than she thinks. Gemi spends her time either with Travis, at school, or online with her chat group, a group that is more than it appears. As Gemi begins to unravel and discover the secrets hidden in her life she learns about herself and an event that changed her life forever.

I found this book really interesting with currently being in a psychology class and recently covering the topic of memory. This book explores the mind and coping mechanisms it has. I was sucked in to Gemi's world and immersed in it. This book is written in 1st person resulting in the reader knowing no more than Gemi other than snippets we receive from her cyber friends perspectives.

Overall this is a great book that I would definitely recomend, especially if interested in the brain.

[S.Q. Eries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemporary is generally not my genre, but I did enjoy my read of Whispering Minds. The main thing that hooked me was the Big Secret of Gemini's family. O'Connor did an excellent job of keeping my attention engaged as she gradually unraveled the truth of Gemini's past. I understand O'Connor is a child advocate, and she seems to have incorporated her personal experiences with the court system and dysfunctional families into the plot and characters.

I should note that although the book is categorized YA and the main character is 17, it had more of a New Adult feel. All the other characters are college age or older, and her classmate/classroom interactions are in a community college setting. Also, while the Baker's Dozen was an effective way of depicting Gemini's fractured psyche, at times I wish it was the Baker's Half-dozen because keeping track of all the names and personalities (especially the less dominant ones) got to be a bit tiring.

[Michelle Hauck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of contemporary stories, preferring to stay in the fantasy genre for my reads, but Whispering Minds will stick with me for a while.

This is one contemporary that captured my attention. So many things were not as they seemed in this story that I'm more than usually afraid of giving away spoilers. Let's just say that a few things I guessed well ahead of time, but the ending still came as an unexpected twist.

Smooth writing, a relatable main character in Gemini Baker, and a deep and complex mystery are only a few of the benefits of this story. It also included an ending that satisfied!

If you're looking for a compelling read that will make you think, look no further.

[A.T. O'Connor]

I love anthologies. I love the diversity of voice and character. I love the vast and varied ideas that a single word can evoke.

I love that editor Matt Sinclair seems to like my ideas well enough to publish them!

My idea for Indiscretions in Summer's Edge came from my work. Too often, we think the end of relationships mean the end of human relations. I chose to take this idea in a whole different direction when my MC faces down the demons responsible for the end of his cherished relationships.

Happy reading!

[Precy Larkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fast-paced read for me. It's a well-written debut with lovely prose and intriguing characters. I did get confused at some parts but once I went back to reread, I was fine. The Big Secret, or hints of it throughout, definitely had me turning pages. :)

[Marzena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you say "fast pace" fast enough? This book will introduce you to fear, disturbing emotions, uneasiness and yet you'll want to follow it. The chaotic impression is perfectly understood. But hey, you think you deciphered it? Wrong! You gotta keep reading. A+mazing.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loveable characters, surprising plot twists and SO MANY SECRETS made this one a real winner for me. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't stop until I knew the secrets.

[Austin Bingaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a roller coaster of suspense and emotion

[Shawna Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was crazy! It kept me guessing the whole time! The writing is very well done. The way that O'Connor crafts each character is just amazing. She truly makes each and every character real.

[Jodie Minet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and exciting. It pulled me in from the beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

[R.S. Mellette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think every story in this book is brilliant ... but then again, I wrote one of them, so maybe I'm biased.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its an okay read if you're looking for something quick. It was all too predictable for me though. That's all I really have to say about it.