Today I have a guest post from Jennifer Lane for the Streamline blog tour hosted by the lovely people at AToMR Tours! Make sure to check out the rest of the our stops HERE and I have TWO giveaways for you!
The Writer's Cave:
I started writing novels at a desk in my guest bedroom, where my internet connection resided. Then I stepped into the 21st century with wireless and haven't strayed from the comforts of my living room sofa.
I can prop up my feet on the big coffee table, and I just had to match the color of my laptop to my sofas.
Usually my plus-sized cat Izzie is with me but she wasn't cooperating with this photo session. A cat not cooperating? Shocker!
I'm trying to rein her in. Watch her try to escape, ha ha.
I really love to write and anywhere will do as long as it’s quiet and cozy. Lately I’ve been spending more time online than on my manuscript, so it appears I need to install some internet blockers to get any writing done!
Thank you for being part of the Streamline blog tour!
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Thanks to Omnific Publishing, I have ONE e-copy of Streamline to giveaway!! Make sure to enter! and also, you can enter to win a $25 gift card from Jennifer Lane as a grand prize!!ENTER HERE.
Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.
As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.
*thanks to the publishers for the review copy of this book*
Emma's thoughts:
I... wish I knew what to say. I was kind of, torn, about this book. I didn't know if I liked it, or if I didn't? And generally that's not a great thing for me.
It started off pretty generic. New girl in a small town with a strange mysterious boy. Yes, 'True's' back story, supposedly being in the witness protection program, sounds awesome and exciting, but it really just consists of her family being really, really protective and unbearably overbearing (oh don't get me started on Aunt Eva). It just made me cringe.
Taylor and Chase are two people Jewel meets at school. Taylor's your typical 'first-day-of-school preppy buddy' and Chase is that cute guy that Jewel is obviously not going to end up with. They kind of made me cringe too. Just. So. Cliché! Jewel said something, at the end, along the lines of that Taylor was the bestest friend she's ever had out of all the best friends she's ever had. But what? I didn't feel there was any kind of best friend bond, I didn't see them become friends. It felt like, Taylor had no friends, except for her boyfriend, before Jewel came. It was just unrealistic. *facepalm* Even in fantasy books, realistic characters are a must! And Chase with his bitchy ex-girlfriend; aagghhhh. I'm not... I can't even go there...
But that's the cringe-worthy part over!
The second half is much, much, much better! It's exciting, slightly less predictable and there's fighting! You meet new people, and they are plainly, awesomer. At the point, I couldn't stop reading because really, everything was moving so fast. One moment she's in America, next in Russia... oh and, Italy! This was really the highlight of the book, when Jewel finds out who she really is, and not just a few hints, but she really learns to harness these 'powers' she got. (yaay go Jewel!)
And I feel like I should mention the love interest, Roman. Brooding, dark, and forbidden. I mean, he's pretty perfect, but it made me want to gag. I just don't know if it's because of him or my current biased opinion on relationships right now. So I won't go into detail, but I just felt like Jewel and Roman were a little too cheesy and too in love for my taste. But then again, many other people seemed to love them, so hey, maybe I'm just being a bit of a downer.
In all, parts of the beginning really made me want to scream at Jewel and her crazy aunt, but the climax was fun to read. The aspect of being a witch was pretty interesting to read about too. Having your own specialty sounds awesome and if I could have my own, it'd definitely be invisibility :)
Overall rating: 3 stars~ Sometimes predictable but still enjoyable(:
First:
Living in the witness protection program didn't make me feel so much protected as it made me feel cursed.
Today The Book Barbies is the tour stop in the Forgiving Trinity by Liz Reinhardt book blog tour hosted by Amanda @Letters Inside Out. Forgiving Trinity is a book I read an absolutely, positively all the way adored by an author I love and support to the death! Check out the other tour stops HERE and enjoy!
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Racquel!! I
thought it would be cool to give an excerpt from Ruth’s book [a companion book to Forgiving Trinity featuring Trinity's best friend, Ruth, titled: Catching Ruth!], still in editing!
It’s graduation day for Christian, and Trin is not handling it well…but Ruth is
there to help and love her! Hope you enjoy!!
Ruth's POV
Chapter 1: Graduation Anxieties and Parties It’s graduation day at South Effingham High School, and I’m
relieved that I’m just watching the processional and not actually
graduating. Even as an observer, graduation feels incredibly overwhelming;
I can hardly imagine graduating and then facing all the decisions that come
after. College? Work? Peace Corps? Marriage?
Loafing? I shudder and say a silent prayer of thanks that I still have an
entire summer and ten months of school before I have to contemplate
graduation. I’m here because my best friend’s brother (and my sometimes
crush), Christian McCabe, is getting his diploma and then heading off to
college in the fall. Someone from a rotary club is droning on and on, and
there’s a renegade beach ball making the rounds while the almost-graduates sit
in the bleachers and wait to get to the parties.
I love the warm night air, the electric buzz of the crowd,
the sporadic cheers and fog horn blasts. It’s like bubbling, spitting
almost-chaos at a ceremony that the administrators want to be so staid and
serious, and the rebel buried deep, deep in me loves that. Trinity, my
best friend, is sitting next to me, the graduation program clutched in her
fist. It’s damp on either side of her hand from sweat, and she’s biting
her lip hard to keep from crying. I made sure that I brought a tube of
waterproof mascara when I came over to help her get ready. Not that she
needs mascara at all. Trin doesn’t make a big deal about her looks, but
she’s gorgeous and has these soft, spiky black lashes that they could use for
mascara commercials. She’s too pale because she spends a lot of time
inside or walking in the woods, but her pale skin gives her an ethereal, pretty
glow. It also sets off her eyes, so dark blue they’re almost plum colored
and it’s completely striking against all her inky hair. Her boyfriend,
Aidan, is definitely appreciative of Trin’s beauty. When he looks at her,
you can just see that he’s totally head over heels.
I’ve had a few boys look at me like that. Christian
is one of them. But it’s a little complicated with me. There are a
lot of reasons for that, and most of them are reasons I really, really don’t
want to dwell on. I would consider myself a big-time romantic, except that
I don’t seem to be able to open up and actually be all that romantic.
I’ve had a lot of good opportunities thrown my way, but I feel…like I have some
unresolved stuff. That’s the understatement of the century. There
was this one night that I would erase if I could, and that I blame because I
need to direct my blame somewhere. It’s funny how one night can make such
a huge difference. And be so misunderstood. And make you feel so
many conflicting things.
Before I can think too much more, the principal is calling
Christian’s name and his whole family plus me and Aidan are on our feet, our
hands cupped around our mouths, screaming and hollering and blowing fog horns
like crazy. From the stage, Christian grins and waves in our
direction. Trin loses it and starts crying hard, shoulder-shaking,
snot-pouring, yelping sobs that make Aidan’s eyes go wide. I put an arm
around her and lead her away, giving Aidan an ‘I’ve-got-this’ look over my
shoulder. Trin’s mother smiles at me, and her dad looks worried.
When we get behind the bleachers and I shoot a nasty look at some of the
puffing smokers and smooching couples and get them to scatter, I pull Trin
close and hug her.
“Shh,” I say, running my hand over her smooth hair, rapidly
frizzing. It sticks to my hand a little, damp from the humid air and all
the gushing tears. “Shh, Trin. You’re gonna make yourself sick,
hon. Take a breath.”
Trin puts her arms around me and leans her head on my
shoulder hard. “I missed so much, Ru. I messed up so much, and now
Christian’s gone! He’s gone!” She starts sobbing again. I can
feel hot tears and probably at least a little snot drench my shoulder and the
strap of my dress.
“It’s okay, Trinnie,” I say, using that voice my mom always
used when I was a kid and sick. Kind of a sing-songy, sweet voice.
“Christian loves you so much. And this year has been awesome.
That’s what Christian’s going to remember, not the other stuff. He’s just
going to college. You’ll be able to visit him, Trin.” It’s a pretty
pithy attempt at smoothing over years of Trin’s crazy using, abusing and
neglecting, but I want her to pull herself together so she can enjoy Aidan’s
big day.
“But it’s Oberlin! It’s Ohio!” she wails.
“So what?” I say, cupping her face in my hands. “Look
at me, Trin. So what? You can save your money and fly to see
him. And maybe I’ll be able to come with you sometime! There might
even be snow. That would be amazing, right?”
Trin blinks, the waterproof mascara totally nailing its job
and keeping her from looking like a raccoon. Which is a good thing,
because my best friend is beautiful, but she is definitely an ugly crier.
Already her eyes are bloodshot and red, her nostrils are pink rimmed, her hair
is stuck to her cheeks and her skin is splotchy. I smooth her hair back
and look in my purse to see if I can find something to mop her face with.
I find a wet wipe from a seafood place my parents took me to the week before
and do what I can. She looks better. And smells lemony fresh.
“I love you, Ru,” Trin says, pressing her head on my
shoulder as she takes a long, shuddery breath.
I wrap my arms around her and hold tight. I don’t
need to cry right now. I don’t. I take a deep breath and anchor
myself to the person I’m closest to in the world. “I love you, Trin.
I really do. Are you ready to go back? Aidan will be having a heart
attack by now.”
At the mention of her boyfriend’s name, Trin perks up, and
we walk back to the bleachers. Trin’s parents and Aidan all look at us,
worry coating their faces. I know it’s for Trin, but I feel a prickle of
panic. I still get that look from my parents fairly often. Not that
I didn’t give them lots of reasons to worry…but there’s something about seeing
that look on other people that makes worry flare up in me, even if I know
there’s no real reason.
I have to sit in the bleachers and mentally tell myself,
“Stop. Calm down. There’s no reason to worry. Stop it.
Be calm.” I close my eyes and swallow back the bile that edges up way too
easily. I’m glad that Aidan has his arm around Trin and is kissing her
head, so madly in love I’m tempted to be jealous. I like taking care of
her, being her big, bad best friend, but every once in a while that mask slips,
and I’m just scared little Ruth Clask, fending off all the world’s crap with my
own traitorously weak body. I don’t want her to see that. I’m not
ready to be that anymore. Or ever again, actually.
The moment passes, like it always does, and then the music
blares and there are hundreds of graduation caps flying into the air like a
swooping swarm of sharp edged maroon and silver birds. We go up to the
guard rails and Christian runs across the field to us, then swings himself up
to the bleachers, his silver gown billowing behind him. Trin crushes him
in a hug, and I feel a moment of jealousy again. What’s wrong with
me? This is my best friend. Why am I feeling all of this negative
crap?
I shake it off and smile when Christian finishes hugging
and kissing his parents and shaking Aidan’s hand. He turns to me and opens
his arms up, and I give him a real, solid hug. It’s quick and sweet, and
it stirs up memories from months ago when we were kind of flirting and
sort of an item. I love the feel of his hair, as silky dark as Trin’s and
longish. It’s past the collar of his button down shirt, which he’s
wearing untucked with a skull tie.
“Glad you came, Ru,” he says, using Trin’s nickname for me.
“I wouldn’t have missed it,” I say. His family and
Aidan are making very, very quiet conversation, because they’re also eavesdropping.
They haven’t made any secret of the fact that they would love it if Christian
and I dated, but all of their wishful thinking doesn’t change one basic
reality; dating Christian is too complicated for too many reasons, and so is
completely out of the question.
My life is complicated enough without adding a crazy
relationship to it.
“You coming over the house after this?” he asks.
“Yeah. I think I’m spending the night,” I say.
“Cool,” he smiles and my heart thumps around. I know
that I can’t date him, but I’m not made of stone! Far from it. A
boy like Christian is so perfect; wild hair, blue eyes sweet under their
multiple eyebrow piercings, tall, musically talented, a kind brother and son,
smart, tons of fun, creative…I could go on and on, but why bother? The
bottom line is that Christian is awesome, and I know that, and I also know that
I’m not going to be dating him or anyone anytime soon. It’s not exactly
my choice; it’s more like a side effect of where I am in my life right now.
The romantic in me really wishes something would snap so I could get over it
and have my own real romance. The realist in me knows that the romantic
in me is also stupidly optimistic.
At seventeen, Trinity
McCabe has already made enough mistakes to fill a lifetime. Especially
the one where she got high, drove a car, and almost killed a dog. And
then let her friend Aidan take the blame.
She’s clean now and desperate to fix the messes she’s made, but first she’s going to have to get out of her pajamas.
As Trinity struggles to stop sleepwalking through life, she faces
the painful, tingling sensation of waking up. It’s sometimes
embarrassing (she really didn’t want to have lunch with Aidan’s mom),
sometimes terrifying (group therapy is beyond intimidating), and
sometimes, amazingly enough, pretty romantic (who’d have though Aidan
would be such a great kisser?)
Trin is lucky, though—luckier than she deserves, she’s sure—and she
doesn’t travel this road alone. Her family, her therapist, and her new
friends are all pulling for her. And it turns out, some of them have
made pretty big mistakes, too.
But before she can embrace her new life completely, Trinity has to
be forgiven by the one person who is holding out the hardest: herself.
It’s not easy changing everything, especially when you don’t think you
deserve a second chance. Trinity might make an even bigger mess of
things before she figures that out.
When the smoke clears on her latest disaster, will anyone still be standing there?
Liz Reinhardt Autobio:
I've been interested in writing since I rewrote the ending of *Romeo and Juliet* and killed them all off...every last one! My teacher loved it, and my inner writer came out kicking and screaming.
My writing passion is YA, the more verbal sparring, melodrama, and steaminess the better! In my real life I love my gorgeous daughter who makes me laugh and drives me insane, my awesome husband (who is the inspiration for many of my best bad boys...shh!), all the rest of my crazy family, plus travel, great books, good food someone else cooked, movies, and laughing.
Write me if you want! I'm at lizreinhardtwrites@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you and am open to any questions/comments/hilarious Youtube video links. Oh, and check out my blog; www.elizabethreinhardt.blogspot.com. Sometimes it's very funny! (Sometimes I'm the only one laughing.)
Now for the giveaway! This is a wide tour giveaway, meaning if you entered in another tour spot, you're entered here too, but you get an extra entry for commenting on this post!
Title: Night Sky Author: Jolene B. Perry Published: March 1st 2012
by Tribute Books
Genre: YA contemporary romance Rating: ★★★★ Goodreads summary:
Girl I’ve loved, girl I’m falling for. Now that they’re both in view, the problem is clear.
After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy,
Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need
for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs
distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around
like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of
her.
As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems,
and her friends with drums - she's way more than distraction. Jameson's
falling for her fast.
But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story –
and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted
from the disaster of his senior year.
Emma's thoughts:
I really, really, really love reading books from male POV's. And heellooo Jameson! Why do you not exist? Reading from Jay's perspective was utterly enthralling! If you're like me and get constantly aggravated and confused by boys and their incomprehensible decisions, read this! Although Jameson isn't like that. He's decent, more than that, he's genuine. Damn Sarah for being so blind. Damn Sky for being so lucky.
Night Sky starts off typically. He's in love with his best friend, she gets with another guy, he's depressed, blah blah blah. But when you meet Sky, it's like wooah. Take a step back ladies and gentlemen! Her personality oozes confidence and beauty. I don't blame Jay for liking her at all. People are drawn to confidence and Sky is the damn epitome of it. 'Are you gonna drive me to your house, offer me a Pepsi and get me into your pool?' Um, what guy isn't going to say yes to that?
Their relationship is quirky and hot. They depend on each other's honesty, they tell the truth. I love the way Jolene Perry wrote this. Jameson's drawn to the honesty, he begins to love it, crave it. Watching his character change and develop throughout the story is a touching journey.
I truly enjoyed how realistic yet surprising Night Sky. There are twists that you would never imagine happening in a million years, but Perry makes it real. His emotions are real, his feelings, the things that he does. I could see it playing out in my mind, the way that Jameson reacted to situations. It never felt forced or unbelievable. I admire Jolene Perry for writing so beautiful from a guy's perspective.
Rating: 4 stars~ I just couldn't get enough of Jameson♥
First:
I push my way through the masses of dancing couples, out the heavy doors of the school, and stop.
Favourite:
"...if you don't like her enough to ask, you don't like her enough to go out with her."
Teaser:
"I'm sorry that kissing me is so torturous for you."
The Hunted tour is hosted by A Novel Outing | A book tour site. Today for my tour stop, I'm giving you and excerpt- some of my favorite quotes from the book! Be to check out the other tour stops HERE!
Quotes from Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield
"It won’t always be like this, honey.
Someday, we won’t have to run. Someday, we’ll have rights, just like every other citizen. Every Normal.”
"All I care about is the blessedness of almost quiet, the peace that fills me. It’s like unfolding an extra pocket of time that no one else has, time that’s woven from sunshine and cool breeze, soft grass and laughter. Time that spreads gently through me, massaging my thoughts into jelly-bliss."
"The Underground is more than just a network of Paras and Para-sympathizers. It’s more than just a route to safety.
It’s an extended family. And it’s the only sane voice in the torrent of hatred that surrounds us."
"I shouldn’t take such risks, but someone has to fight back. And it feels good. Man, does it ever feel good."
"Books are your friends,” Dad used to tell me. “They allow you to hope and to dream, but they also help to strengthen your talent. Never forget that."
"But it’s his laughter that’s the best. It feels clean and pure, with no hidden malice or cruelty—just joy. I haven’t heard laughter like that in such a long time. It makes me want to laugh with him, to find the world beautiful."
“The way it feels like the world disappears, and there’s only you and the water. No noise, no clutter—just the water cradling you—” He stops, his face flushing. “There’s a kind of peace,” he adds, quickly.
_______________________________________________________________ Buy the book: Amazon | B&N | Goodreads
Authors Website | Twitter |
Tour stops HERE.
Today I'm the blog tour stop for the Awkward by Marni Bates book blog tour hosted by Shanyn @Chick Loves Lit! Yaaay! I have a guest post from Marni, in which I offend her and call her an adult *gasp!* I have learned my lesson, especially since my youngest brother just recently made a comment about how this actress turned 45 and is now extremely old and my darling mother, who's 43, almost had a heart attack at horrors of that comment. Alas, I take from this a very valuable lesson that no one is old or really, an adult ;D Here is Marni answering my terrible questions *shame faced*:
As an adult, how hard and easy is it to write a YA book?
I’m an adult? Really? Hold please, while I call up my grandma and tell her you just called
me that.
And…I’m back!
She thinks you’ve been sadly misinformed.
Truthfully, I think I will still find it incredibly easy to write young adult fiction when I am
in my forties . . . and fifties . . . and sixties . . . and beyond. Let me clarify that “easy”
though: it’s not because I’m dumbing myself down for teens or because writing YA
doesn’t require the same attention as literary fiction. Anyone who thinks that is freaking
clueless. I believe that the key to writing in the genre is the ability to empathize with
the frustration of wanting to be something other than who you are right now. I spent
most of high school wishing that I knew how to flirt and socialize like everyone else at
my school. I gritted my teeth and promised myself that in college I would reach my cool
potential. Then I spent the vast majority of college frustrated that my awkward stage
still refused to go away.
But I was able to laugh at myself. That’s honestly what got me through the misery of
feeling like an odd duck surrounded by, you know, more conventionally attractive ducks.
I’ve spent years wondering what it would be like to be one of the cool kids. One of the
athletic kids. One of the drama kids. One of the kinds who seemed to breeze through
high school with a myth attached to them; usually that they would cure cancer or end
the conflict in the Middle East or something important like that.
I never fit into any of those groups. I wasn’t even a “writer kid” in college because I
never did anything serious. In college, wanting to write about the messages high school
girls are receiving from the media (as well as from their peers) isn’t considered classy.
In order to become suitably impressive, I’d have to write a tragic short story that would
end with a dead dog.
Thanks, but I’ll pass.
Anyhow, those years of imagining how I would act or what I would do differently, have
now paid off. Now it’s my job to tap into the emotional insecurities of fake people until
they feel absolutely real to me.
I hope I never lose the ability to empathize with others. I think it’s essential if you want
to be a good friend (or more generally, a good person). So as long as I can connect with
the wide range of my characters’ emotions, I’ll be writing.
And I suspect I’ll be writing young adult fiction.
Here’s what I love about this specific genre: it tends to focus on kids at a time in their
lives when they are about to decide what kind of people they want to become. Even
if it’s unintentional, all of these little choices can have this unbelievably huge effect.
That’s why I saw high school as a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book. And, okay, that
also freaked me out. What if I picked the wrong thing and ended up working a miserable
desk job at an accounting firm (worst fate imaginable)! What then?
Um, I guess I would apply to work somewhere else?
Looking back, some of my fears were blown way out of proportion. But there is
definitely a lot of pressure in high school to not just have the answers but to have the
right answers. My senior year of high school all my mom’s friends wanted to know my
life goals. Um, I go to school with some really smart people and almost none of us know
the answer to that question—and we’ve had an extra four years to think about it!
That makes writing YA fiction easier too, because most of those basic fears about the
future don’t go away. Instead of freaking out over the SATs and college admission
essays, my friends are freaking out over the LSAT and . . . grad school admission essays.
I know. So different.
But I also think that as people get older they have a harder time reinventing themselves.
Unless you are incredibly rich, it’s unlikely that you can just Eat, Pray, Love for as long
as you want. And even if you did hang out in a monastery for months, you’d probably
discover that after a few weeks back in society you’d be back to regularly checking
Facebook.
At least that’s what would probably happen for me.
That’s why I write about teenagers whose primary struggle is to find a way to live with
themselves. Whether they are being chased by the media (Awkward) or looking for
some recognition (Invisible) or fleeing a seriously pissed off drug dealer (Notable), I
think the hardest part for the characters is finding a way to come to terms with their
decisions.
And that’s why I love my job!
~Marni
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This has been fun! Thanks Marni for doing this, you're an absolute delight of a non adult author♥
Buy the book: Amazon | B&N | The Book Depositary
Author Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Check out the other tour stops HERE.
I'm beyond ecstatic to be participating in the A Place in This Life by Julie Rieman Duck blog tour because I absolutely fell in love with this book, its truly exceptional!
So without further ado, I bring you a terrific character interview with the main character of the book, Natalie:
1. What does living life to the fullest mean to you? any limitations?
I'm still trying to figure out what a full life really is. I used to think it meant having a boyfriend and freedom from my parents. I know now that it goes a lot deeper - inside my heart. When my heart hurts because of things going on around it, I know I'm not living life to the fullest. The only limitation is what I'm able to resist, which is not much.
2. Did being exposed to a fatal disease teach you anything?
I learned that there's nothing permanent. Nothing. It's one thing when your boyfriend breaks up with you, and a whole other when he dies and there's nothing you can do about it. I could have felt helpless with Todd, but then everything we'd have done would have been helpless. That's not living. That's not life.
3. It's been a wild year for you, would you take it back if you could? If you had the opportunity to go through the year minus the craziness Todd and Alex brought, would you?
In the back of my mind, I wonder what it would've been like to have had the boring vacation and then go on to school, meet Alex... have a regular relationship from the start. Not sure that would've worked for me - I became so much more because of Todd. He showed me the garden on the other side of life, and Alex taught me how to grow.
4. Tell me more about your friendship with Cara.
Oh God, she came up to me in grade school - I think it was the first day of 4th grade - and told me how she was going to Hollywood and was an actress and had an agent. Ha! I can tell you, it was more like she had a dream and an attitude to match, but I liked that. She was how I wanted to be, but was afraid to try being. I guess it's like living vicariously through someone else? She's okay with it. Sometimes it feels like the "Cara Show" but she's always there for me. I can't say that about most people.
5. How is living by the beach like? if only we all had that opportunity *sigh*
I must take it for granted. My cousins came down to visit one year and all they wanted to do was walk on the beach, go in the water, and fish on the pier. It was like gold to them, but for me it's a few blocks away. My school is in Long Beach, which is... lol... by the beach! I can't get away from it. Actually, Alex is in Pasadena, which is not near the beach and I'll admit that when I'm up there, I feel strange without the Pacific less than a mile away. I guess I'm a beach bum.
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This is a truly terrific book that will have you tearing up for sure and this is coming up from a person whose family believes was born without tear ducts!
Don't forget to check out the other tour stops and schedule HERE. There is a giveaway ;D
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy the book: Amazon | B&N
Trust me, you are going to NEED to buy it! For .99 cents only, this book is gives much more then it costs♥
I'm so very happy to be part of the Double Clutch blog tour! It's one of my favorite books of the year and it's great to share the love with everyone! Make sure to check out all the other stopsHERE and enjoy this interview with the lovely Liz Reinhardt:D
What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?
Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.
What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.
The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.
But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.
Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.
Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about without juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.
She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?
Recommended Age Group: Older YA
I'm very glad to have Liz Reinhardt do an interview with me, if your a fan of the book don't miss out on these Q & A's!
1- I personally never met Brenna or Saxon, how did you go about finding your characters names? (unique but not overly unique like Rainbow or something haha)
I actually have a story for this! My mom was a young mother. 'Brenna' was the name she picked for me and loved, but, at the last minute, she was afraid it was too trendy, so she named me 'Elizabeth,' which she felt was very dignified. I always loved the story of my almost-name, and it seemed like a great way to give my mom a little shout out in a special way.
Saxon was the name of an older guy at my highshcool. He was kind of a hippie, extremely handsome, mysterious, tons of fun...I think everyone had a little crush on him. And I loved his name. When I had to name my mysterious, trouble-making anti-hero, the name felt like a perfect fit.
2- What gave you the determination to becoming a self-published author? I personally think it's ten times harder!
It took a few years. My first step was writing the book. Then I got a critique partner, some beta readers, and an editor. We all worked hard, and I assumed it would get picked up by a literary agent. A lot of agents said really nice things about it and liked it, but no one chose to represent me. I kept working on Double Clutch and other books, and sent out more queries. Finally I told myself that I would try my last few top agents, and if they didn't want to represent me, I wouldn't try to get just any agent.
I got those final few rejection letters (which were very nice, actually!), and I decided that this was it. I got a cover designer and put Double Clutch out there. I was incredibly nervous, but it was also wonderful to be the final judge. I didn't take out anything I wanted in. I got to choose the cover. I got to blog about it, Facebook about it, tweet about it any way and any time I wanted. I also got to set the price I wanted and release the next book when I wanted. It's an incredible amount of work, but it feels fantastic to have so much control! And the other indie writers I've corresponded with are the absolute coolest colleagues ever! I feel very lucky.
3- Brenna had seen her share of the world, what about you? To what places have you traveled? plan to travel? and the places you would give a kidney to live at?
Ah! Travel! Haha! I definitely have the travel bug. When I was 14, I went to Denmark for a month on my own and stayed with my family's former exchange student. He and his mother took me to Paris for one week. Two years later I lived in Germany for three months. Two years after that I spent seven weeks in London and hiking the south end of Ireland with my little sister, Katie. I went to Montreal with my best friend, Alexa, over winter break in college and did nine weeks of study abroad in Italy. My husband and I plan to take our daughter to Italy as soon as she's old enough, and that's where I'd give my kidney to live for a while! Delicious food, gorgeous weather, plenty of art...perfect! I would also love to spend some more time in Denmark, since that's where my father is from. But I would take a ticket anywhere! I definitely love to travel!
4- If you can read one book for the rest of your life only, what would it be?
It would be Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. It's an amazing, beautiful, twisting story of mothers and daughters. It goes through generations and covers so many beautiful aspects of family and friendship. I absolutely love it. I read it at least once every year. And, much as I love it, I'd be very sad if I only got to read one book! Torture!!!
5- Can we get any teasers or ideas about your future work? ;D
Sure! If you read the end of Junk Miles, you know that the next Brenna book is Slow Twitch, and you know it has Saxon's POV. It's actually told in alternating POVs, so you get to hear from Brenna, Saxon, and Jake, all first person. It follows the three of them through a very crazy summer, and you even meet some very cool new characters and get to know old ones better.
Aside from Brenna, Saxon, and Jake, I am doing last edits on a book called Forgiving Trinity about a girl who gets mixed up with drugs, gets herself in huge trouble, and gets helped out by a guy named Aidan. When she gets back on her feet, she has to figure out how to deal with living life without being constantly dazed. It winds up being funny, depressing, hard, amazing...everything she never expected. I'm hoping that one will be out this winter.
Thank you so much for having me and for your amazing questions!
That's it for my stop:D make sure you check out the other tour stops and don't miss out on the giveaway HERE!
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