Wired

Twist of Fate #1

by Liz Maverick

If Maverick's fast-paced, genre-bounding novel is any indication, Dorchester's new imprint, Shomi—which aims to hook a younger generation of readers—should catch an audience quickly. Maverick grabs readers from page one, throwing together romance, science fiction and cyberpunk—a mash-up hinted at in the anime-style packaging— to tell the story of L. Roxanne Zaborovsky, a high-strung freelance computer programmer whose reclusive life gets tossed on its head when two men show up looking for her. Appearing mysteriously one night, the pair immediately set to fighting over Roxanne; before long, she realizes one is an old college acquaintance, Mason Merrick. Taking off with Mason, Roxanne learns that the men are each after a valuable bit of her work—a piece of code she hasn't even written yet. When even stranger things follow—like close friends showing up with entirely different lives—Roxanne discovers that her pursuers are playing with the threads of reality, trying to gain advantage over the other.

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Romance, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 3, 2007

About the author

Bestselling, award-winning author Liz Maverick is a novelist, adventurer and odd jobs specialist whose contract assignments have taken her from driving trucks in Antarctica to working behind the scenes on reality TV shows in Hollywood.

Liz is known for writing out-of-the-box romance novels with fast-paced, unique plots and lots of kick-butt action. Her previous works include Cosmopolitan Magazine Book Club Pick What a Girl Wants, PRISM/Daphne finalist The Shadow Runners, Golden Leaf winner Crimson Rogue, and Waldenbooks/B&N bestseller Crimson City, the first book in the multi-author continuity series she created.

Liz and her books have been featured on Fox's Geraldo at Large and in USA Today, Cosmopolitan Magazine, San Francisco Magazine, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Toronto Star, and more.

https://www.facebook.com/LizMaverickC...

Reviews

[Parajunkee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wired by Liz Maverick

Wired by Liz Maverick was fast-paced, exciting, sexy and funny at times. It was a really cool concept I just needed it explained a little bit more and as the action and science of it got really intense I found myself confused at places - as if something was left off or forgotten. But, the novel did impress and I'm really interested in reading more of Maverick's writing.

A mish mash of science fiction romance and cyberpunk, Wired starts with a girl. Two a.m in the morning on a deserted street, heading to the local 7-Eleven. Thinking she is about to get mugged as two strangers appear in front of her, L. Roxanne Zaborovsky panics. The funny thing is, one of the strangers appears to be Mason Merrick, her roommates ex-lover and someone she had a major crush on. She also hasn't seen him in forever. What is he doing out here in the middle of the night and now drop kicking some guy in an expensive suit?

Roxanne is a bit confused and her confusion doesn't stop for awhile, because both men have declared her a Major in a particular timeline and they will do anything to control her and the code she is going to write. They'll even change the past and future to get this code. She just has to figure out who has her best intentions at heart?

Zippy, a little schizo and a bit sexy (I was hoping for a bit more after that particular party scene), Wired did impress. If a little bit more time was spent on explaining the wire crossing plot I might have been slavering all over this one. The author's tone was well done, her writing was spot on and the characters were enjoyable. Like I said before, if the plot would have been expanded on this would be a raving review.

Recommended for science fiction romance fans. You might enjoy this one if you liked Gini Koch's Touched by an Alien, Sherillyn Kenyon's League novels.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book a couple of days ago and I had to let it percolate a bit to get my thoughts in order. Why? Well, this is complicated book. You get popped from the past to the present, back to the past, whisked into the present and all the timelines are tweaked just enough that it's like being on a roller coaster where all the big dips are hidden and they spring up on you without warning and slap you in the face.

Was the book complex? Oh, yeah. Was it fun? Yes, indeed! Did I sometimes feel like I needed a roadmap to navigate the alternate timelines? Well, yeah. But that was part of the fun. As Roxy is trying to piece together the truth about her life, we're trying to gather up the bits and put them into some sort of cohesive order. Does it all make sense in the end? Absolutely. Plus, we get some big setup for the next book.

I loved the twists and turns. I loved how the truth could be manipulated from one timeline to the next. I loved the guys (one more than the other!). I loved that Roxy chose to be the person she wanted to be instead of allowing herself to wallow in the circumstances she found herself in.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Michele Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wired is a book about L. Roxanne Zaborovksy her future, past and present and all the layers in-between. This book is a mix of romance and sci-fi, sadly more science fiction with just a hint of romance. I say layers because in this story she is moved between different time lines by two men both of which are trying to "create" a specific future. It's unclear, in the beginning and to our heroine, which is trying to right the future and which is trying to make things go to the future he wants. Who should she trust the man with two last names Mason Merrick, or the charming well put together brit Leonardo Kaysar. Which man has her best at heart or they both only concerned with their own agenda. This is what Roxie has to figure out while she is being "spliced" from one timeline to another, while also finding out what kind of woman she is and what kind of woman does she want to be.

There where times when I got lost in the story because of the terminology but I didn't let these few moments deter me from the story. Over all I enjoyed the story and the start of this Shomi series enough that I reread the book in order to write a more accurate review of it.

If you enjoy stories about time travel with just a hint of romance then give Wired a shot it's a nice quick read.

[Mario · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book really hard to engage with at the level the book wanted me to engage. I wasn't interested in the romance/love triangle part, although that was really less of a focus than the book wants to make it seem. Then there were the time travel/wire-crossing elements, which were potentially interesting, but the rules were arcane and way too loose for me to enjoy. The main character wasn't too bad, but Kitty was paper thin, and the dudes were plot-mysterious instead of being legitimately mysterious. In my heart I want to call it a mixed bag, but I can't think of an element I enjoyed.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

L Roxanne Zaborovsky is having a really tough time, all she wants to do is go the 7-Eleven get some stuff and go home. To make sure she is not disturbed by anyone she does her shopping at two am. So when a couple of men accost her, fight over and know who she is, well life gets even more complicated for Roxanne. For both these men Mason Merrick and Leonardo Kaysar have designs on influencing Roxanne's future and she finds both of them just a tad irresistible.

Wired is interesting mix of time travel and cyber punk, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. All the characters are well developed and the story rattles along at a good pace.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wired Steampunk romance by Liz Maverick
Don't understand this genre but thought I'd give it another try.
To me it's futuristic and lots of techno terms where there's no standard set yet.
Wirecrossing is like going through time warps/holes and why do you want to keep repeating the same day over and over just like groundhog day.
Don't think things will be changing and if so there are very small changes that don't change the outcome.
Imaginative I can say.

[Al]

Took most of the book to get comfortable with it, but then could not put it down.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable tale. Fun read. Very clear plotting. =)

[Chrissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Maverick's tale begins with a late-night trip to a convience store that quickly deteriorates into the main character's search for the best potential life among the shifting options created by two time-traveling men who offer completing claims on the main character's trust and affections.

Although I enjoyed the protagonist's journey--her constant determination to pick the best and path for her future despite the confusion of her memories caused by the actions of the men competing for either preservation or control of the future, I found the story itself to be difficult to follow at times in both its nebulous references to changing character stories and motivations and in its exclusion of a larger import of the item at the supposed heart of the story.

I enjoyed trying to guess at what the goal of the story would turn out to be and Roxanne, the main character, was an entertaining narrator. Not unlike the cover of my copy, I found this to be reminiscent of a translated cartoon in which you enjoy the story while wondering whether you are missing the underlying intent.

[Martina the Book Fairy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Wired (★★★★★) by Liz Maverick. It's a SHOMI novel which seems to be a brand of action-adventure romance, many of which have a futuristic tilt. It's also the first thing I've read by Liz Maverick since I finished the Crimson City & 2176 Series - both of which I adored, so it really is a crime that Wired has been sitting on my TBR pile since Christmas 2007.

I love a little kick-ass in my romance and I also frequently adore a little futuristic fun, so it's not really a surprise that I gave this book five stars. I found it a smart & exciting read and would highly recommend it if these are qualities you like in your romance.

L. Roxanne Zaborovsky finds herself outside of a 7-Eleven at 2:00 A.M. with two men fighting over her - and not in a good way! From that moment on, her life is snippets of time that are twisted in on each other. Does she trust Mason Merrick - a man from her increasingly jumbled past - or Leonardo Kaysar, a debonair Brit with all the answers? Who is telling the truth and which reality is real?

[Jai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is told from the first person point of view of L. Roxanne Zaborovsky, a programmer who gets intercepted from going to the 7-11 one night by two men. What follows is a non-linear story where time gets manipulated like a record being scratched by a DJ - forward and backward, reset and spliced, Roxy lives through the same situations a few times but with different variables. I read some of Liz Maverick's Crimson City novel, and I prefer her first person voice here to the third person voice in that start of the series. Roxy's story had an urgent pace, and the story flowed well. The comment I have would be similar to many other reviewers - I think because I expected this to have romance I noticed that the romance was cut short and really happens somewhat out of frame. Also the time travel confused me; I understood certain aspects of it but I couldn't always wrap my head around what affected what.

More detailed review here - http://janicu.livejournal.com/15278.html

[Tez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time-travel, alternate realities, wire splices...you don't have to understand any of these things in order to enjoy Wired. I still don't get all the little details, but it's nonetheless a cracking good read, sparking with intrigue plus an unexpected emotional hard-hit. Generally speaking, escapist fiction doesn't tend to have heroines with psychological disorders, so L. Roxanne Zaborovsky is surprisingly relatable. She loves spy pop culture, but living the espionage life isn't as glamorous as she hoped. Still, she takes to it rather easily, and that she remembers previous reality splices is rather "speshul snowflake", but the novel is as entertaining as it is incongruous. The banter between Roxy and Kitty is fun, and their Girls' Own adventure in the future is a delight. I love the way Liz Maverick's weird and wacky creativity works!

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so trippy. In a totally awesome way, BTW.

Roxanne is thrown into an impossible situation, caught between two men - Mason Merrick and Leonardo Kaysar. Two very different men that seem to despise each other, and are both very keen to convince her the other is the bad guy. There are some moments where you just have no idea where the hell she's going to end up. And even start to doubt both guys. Although I was kinda convinced who was good and who wasn't that good by about halfway through the book.

There were a few clues, but still enough doubt left to question your every thought. So you can imagine just how confused Roxanne is. Lol. I loved that things weren't always as they seemed. The concept of time being altered by wires that could be manipulated, was fascinating.

Excellent.

[Sarai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay let me start out by saying this is not my normal book. It is very loaded with Computers and a lot of jumping around. The concept was okay and I think that if I had liked the character I would have loved the book. I didn't like any of the characters I didn't like that I was more then confused during half the book and I didn't like that I had no idea what was going on until half way through.
The only reason I finished this book is the middle where it picked up steam and was no holds but I wouldn't have finished if I was so damn determined to figure out what the hell was going on.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, awesome book! I've read a couple other SHOMI novels, and enjoyed them. Honestly, this was the most complicated - but most intriguing. I love it when I can't guess the ending of a book, and this is one of those cases. It just kept me guessing, and I couldn't stop reading! If you love sci-fi, and you can keep up with a complicated storyline (or at least stick it out until the end, where it all comes together and makes sense), this is your book. Loved it!

[Tsuki-chan]

A good book, one of my favorites, not sure why its a favorite, but it is. The ONLY thing I didn't like about this book was the fact that it was predictable, but of course not form the very first page. It was a decent read though, it kept me entertained and Maverick's writing style intrigues me for some reason.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced ride that’ll have you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what’s happened to turn Roxanne Zaborovsky’s life upside down. If you’ve ever wanted to live your life in multiple dimensions, try this tale on for size.

[Jacque Sherbak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 70-something friend of mine recommended this and she was right on. Edge of your seat stuff and a guilty pleasure. I think she borrowed it from a teen-age grandaughter! Go ahead and read it even though you won't want to admit it!

[Jean Brashear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am wowed by the originality of the premise and the difficulty of executing it. Ms. Maverick deserves huge kudos for what must have been a tough book to plot. She kept me guessing yet engaged me with the characters so that no way was I not going to finish!

[Kimberlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I figured this would be some live triangle story in the cyberpunk style, but it was so much better!! Not a romance, just a sci-fi story that builds slowly into a grand finale. Loved the development of the heroine over the story. Highly recommended!

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crappy cover but decent story inside. Although this was in the romance section it doesn't follow the usual romance novel plot lines at all which was pretty cool. On the other hand, the story telling was a little too jumbled to really get what was going on.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my review!

[Amytha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shomi, purveyors of keeping the plot a secret from you and the heroine.

[Tasula · Rating 1 out of 5]

forgettable

[Rachel-RN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I liked it, but way too many angles. It was difficult keeping up with what "reality" was really real.

[Rossy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the storyline was really well written. And it really made you want to keep reading through all the way to the end.