Congratulations to Lora Smith, our winner! Lora – you will be contacted via e-mail today for your mailing address. Thanks to all who participated!

Today we welcome our lovely Young Adult Columnist Nicole O’Dell as she features the newest release in the award winning series, A Charmed Life, by Jenny B. Jones:

Newly single, stalked by a killer, and in desperate need of some chic clown shoes–Bella is one skinny mocha frapp away from total meltdown.

When the Fritz Family Carnival makes its annual appearance in Truman, Bella’s keen reporter instincts tell her the bright lights hide more than they reveal. Her suspicions are confirmed when one of the stars is murdered. Though the police make an immediate arrest, Bella doubts this case is quite that simple.

She needs her crime-solving boyfriend, Luke, more than ever. Problem is, his ex-girlfriend has moved back to town, giving Bella some murderous thoughts of her own. Then again, there’s no time for a relationship crisis when Bella’s doing her best to derail her father’s wedding and stay one step ahead of a killer.

Is God sending her a message in all of this madness? With a murderer on the loose and her boyfriend’s ex on the prowl, this undercover clown has never had more to juggle–or more to risk.

So Over my Head doesn’t disappoint as the third and final installment in the super-wacky and thoroughly enjoyable series starring amateur detective, Bella Kirkwood.  The book opens to a page of endorsements, this one was mine:

“In So Over My Head, Jenny B. Jones hits a high note with her masterful ability to spin the most charming and clever sentences. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, you’ll shake your head in wonder at the wacky but believable situations in which Bella finds herself. Grab anything you can by this author! The Charmed Life series is a great place to start.”

That Bella cracks me up. Though most of us would never find ourselves working as a clown at a circus while investigating a mystery like Bella, Jenny B. Jones somehow makes the situation seem normal and totally believable.

But poor Bella suffers from severe insecurity in relationships as a result of her parent’s divorce and a cheating ex-boyfriend (see the earlier books in the series). Her relationship struggles are real to her, but they aren’t always grounded in reality. Let’s be honest, how many of us have let fears and assumptions cause us to jump to conclusions? Mm, hmm. Just as I suspected.

One cool feature of So Over My Head is an all-access pass into the mind of Jenny B. Jones. I know, scary . . . but it turns out to be perfectly safe. Periodically throughout the book, there are *asterisks* that lead to a blurb in the back of the book where Jenny shares with readers her inspiration or connection to a particular detail. FUN idea! If you like that little taste, you can dig even deeper into Jenny’s mind by following her Zippity Blog.

You should definitely pick up So Over My Head–actually, start with book one, So Not Happening, if you haven’t already read it. When you’re finished, you’ll be so glad the other two are available right away.

Coincidentally, Jenny was my guest on Teen Talk Radio last week.  We had a great time talking about writing, books and teenagers. Check out the podcast at  http://choicesradio.com Or subscribe to Teen Talk Radio on iTunes for  free here. 

Now for the really fun part! To celebrate the completion of the series, Thomas Nelson has graciously provided a fantastic giveaway just for She Reads readers. One lucky winner will receive the entire Bella Kirkwood series, So Not Happening, I’m So Sure and So Over My Head!

You ladies know the drill. Simply leave a comment on this post and tell me about a teen girl in your life that would benefit from these books. We will randomly draw the winner on Friday. Good luck!

About Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is the co-founder of She Reads, novelist, blogger, and life-long reader. She lives in Texas with her husband and four young sons (aka The Wild Rumpus). Ariel believes that Story is the shortest distance to the human heart.

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