Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I have an announcement – I decided to start hosting for Xpresso Book Tours for showcasing new books which interest me to be #amreading, such as this spotlight blitz post and/or hosting guest features for authors on behalf of the stories I want to be reading! They mostly feature digital releases on their blog tours, which is why I am not expecting to be hosting review tours for them but I do like to find new Indie published authors and from what I can gather from their list of tours, they have the tendency of featuring quite a lovely variety of Indie writers!
As you know, my search for new Contemporary authors has had its fair share of ups and downs over the past few years, yet when I first read the premise behind this one it felt like it stepped out a bit from what I would usually expect to find inside a Contemporary plot. Especially since this is a story which is anchoured to someone who is trying to not just overcome a particular moment of their life but to find distance and peace from it as well.
Romantic Suspense threads of intrigue are becoming my jam lately – as you well know, I am over the moon in *love!* with #LoveInspired Suspense novels – each of those lovelies is a #RomSusp knitted taut and tight out of high emotions, dramatic passageways and the eclipse of a Thriller you are never fully sure if your prepared to handle but you *keep turning the pages!* all the same! Meanwhile, outside of my INSPY readings – I still love to see out these sorts of stories on the mainstream side of the ledger!
What set this particular book apart in my mind is the fact it’s #NewAdult – a tricky category of interest for me as I rarely if ever find an NA I can soak into and find myself enthused. Ms Acerbo held my attention in the extracts provided on this Blitz tour and that in of itself was a happy surprise! I am truly hopeful as I ever am this Digital First will one day be released into print or audio – thereby allowing me to read it.
What do you currently find yourself drawn into when it comes to Rom Suspense plot threads & especially when it comes to New Adult!? What are you personally seeking when you try to find stories which fit inside these particular categories of interest!?
As an aside, when I first saw the publisher was ‘Torrid’ – it brought back fond memories of a clothing store heralding the same name – you know, from the 90s and early 2000s before it was ‘altered’ out of its funkified state of loveliness to be just another ‘lemming’ of bland!?
Twelve Months of Awkward Moments
by Lisa Acerbo
Dani can’t wait for senior year at college. A straight-A scholar whose anxiety is a daily struggle, being awkward, introverted, and studious has become a way of life. She vows this year will be different. It’s time to move beyond her comfort zone, but that’s not easy.
Dani’s wild roommate and handsome best friend hate each other; her crazy family won’t leave her alone; and a new job forces her to be social. Unfortunately, when college romance finally calls, Dani is unable to answer thanks to a stalker who has her all tied up.
Can she stay alive long enough to find love and graduate?
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 9781682992937
on 30th August, 2018
Format: eBook
Published By: Torrid Books (@torridbooks)
Available Formats: this is a Digital First release into ebook
*I am hoping this goes into print or POD eventually so I can read it!
Converse on Twitter via: #Contemporary #RomSusp
About Lisa Acerbo
Lisa Acerbo is a high school teacher and adjunct instructor at a local community college. Her previous novels have been published through a variety of indie presses. She has a short story “Carnivorous” coming out in October as part of an anthology titled Carnival of Nightmares. When not writing or teaching, she spends time with her family, friends and pets. She also fosters dogs to help them find their forever homes.
Dani’s Top5 Playlist:
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under the Bridge
Sometimes having anxiety and feeling different from other people isolates Dani. This song helps her understand that everyone feels lonely and alone at some point. It’s important to acknowledge the feelings but also move beyond them and find a bright spot to focus on. This is the song Dani plays on repeat.
Praying – Kesha
The backstory to this song, Kesha overcoming years of challenges, reminds Dani that she is in control of her own life and can bring change. No matter how tough things seems, there is a way to continue forward. Praying shows her that everyone, even the most successful people, face daily challenges.
Give Me Love – Ed Sheeran
We all look for the person who understands and accepts us, faults and all. Dani is searching for someone willing to love her for who she is.
Unwell – Matchbox 20
Similar to the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song, Unwell helps Dani recognize that other people struggle to cope with illnesses and anxieties. The song helps her accept herself and appreciate the fact she is not alone.
Banana Pancakes – Jack Johnson
Ending on a positive note, Dani plays this song when she needs to step back, take a deep breath, recite her manta, and relax. It sometimes takes a song to remind her to appreciate the little things in life like her mother’s French toast or banana pancakes.
What inspired Twelve Months of Awkward Moments?
Stories from friends and family inspired me to address the subject of anxiety in students. Twelve Months of Awkward Moments, and the main character Dani took shape after learning about different people’s daily struggles with anxiety. The more I spoke about the topic, the more anecdotes I heard. Anxiety at the high school and college levels also seems to be on the rise, and schools need to deal with it effectively. The National Education Association (NEA) article, The Epidemic of Anxiety Among Students, does a great job discussing the severity of the matter.
I hope Twelve Months of Awkward Moments starts a conversation on the topic. While years of teaching gave me a unique perspective, Dani is a fictional character even if some of her adventures are based on my personal experience with anxiety and stories my daughter told me about her time at college.
What audience are you targeting this book at?
The book is classified as “New Adult” because the protagonist is a senior in college. I wrote it with older high school students and college students as my target audience. College is a time when students take on additional responsibility and independence, and that can exasperate stress and anxiety. The main character Dani makes mistakes throughout the novel, and the reader can see the connections to her anxiety, but she grows from those mistakes, learns from them, and ends up stronger.
The reason I decided to include some of the promotional items available to us as bloggers attached to the Blitz is because after I read through the extracts & the complimenting extras, the PlayList & these two Questions the author responded to I felt painted the picture *behind!* the novel quite well! Especially as instead of merely picking out random songs which might appeal to either the writer (herself) or one of her characters – she went the extra mile to explain *exactly!* why those songs were chosen!
I could immediately recognise why ‘Under the bridge’ would a song Dani could identity with as it is definitely an anthem for different moods & is a good song if you have a lot of angst. I definitely agreed with what she said about ‘Praying’ as no one I think has lived under a rock these past years to not understand the powerful message inside this song – also, it befits any emotionally traumatic event in anyone’s life not just limited to the circumstances it is eluding too which is why I think it has universal appeal.
I personally listen to these artists – Jack Johnson is a refreshing voice whilst Matchbox Twenty was at the end of my high school years and happily occupied most of my early twenties. When you read about what inspired the author to write the story & how she used her inspiration to guide her – you can tell she wanted to write a story which would stay relevant long enough to reach the audience she intended to find it.
I love finding writers who are trying to make a difference, carve out a safe vehicle to start a conversation & make a positive impact on people’s lives. Anxiety is a multi-layered issue in today’s world and I hope this story resonates with those whom it is meant to give a voice too. Encouraging them with newfound hope and hopefully a heroine they can relate too.
This book blitz is courtesy of:
Be sure to visit the blitz page to find information about the giveaway attached to this blitz tour. Find others hosting via @XpressoTours!
This marks my first time hosting for:
Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers. This also extends to Book Spotlights & Book Blitzes which I choose to highlight which might have content inclusive to the post materials which I did not directly add a contribution but had the choice whether or not to feature those materials on my blog.
{SOURCES: Book cover for “Twelve Months of Awkward Moments”, author photograph of Lisa Acerbo, author biography, blitz tour banner and host badge were provided by Xpresso Book Tours and are being used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Stories in the Spotlight banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2018.
Comments via Twitter:
#BookSpotlight w/ #amwriting extras by @Apocalipstick_
+ #NewAdult
+ #Contemporary #RomSusp
+ Realistic Fiction
+ Plot centred around #anxiety & has a pro-positive message
+ #IndiePub by @TorridBooks🎶Playlist for lead character😊
📖https://t.co/zyPO81dvZa | @XpressoTours pic.twitter.com/MXEyOPmsPB
— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 3, 2018
An amazing way to start Monday! Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | "Twelve Months of Ackward" by Lisa Acerbo a new Digital First Contemporary Romantic Suspense which caught my eye! https://t.co/UacasXUWzL via @joriestory
— Lisa Acerbo (@Apocalipstick_) September 3, 2018
You're quite welcome!!😊
I loved putting this #bookblog post together for you! I learnt a lot about the novel in the process and am itching for this to go into print; I'll be keeping my eyes out for news of new formats! #Blessed I could give you a wicked sweet #bookish Monday!🌻
— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 3, 2018
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