I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Butternut Summer” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. Realising this was a second novel within a series, I requested a copy of the first novel “Up at Butternut Lake” in order to understand the continuity of the characters & the story. I received a complimentary copy of the novel direct from the publisher William Morrow without an obligation to post a review. Whereas I received a complimentary copy of “Butternut Summer” direct from the publisher William Morrow, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
Stories of second chances have always held fast to my heart, as life has this beautiful way of giving us a bit more than we’re expecting it to yield most of the time. The idea that there are ways to have a renewal of our lives through a second chance or a new beginning elsewhere from whence we are currently has a very alluring appeal! I have been an appreciator of Contemporary Romance & Contemporary Women’s Fiction for a good 20 years now, as I snuggled into a fierce appreciation for Debbie MacComber originally when I first started noticing both of these genres. Sherryl Woods followed 15 years later when I discovered the small towne of Serenity, and the series the Sweet Magnolias (although I personally refer to that series as ‘Serenity’). MacComber’s Angel series drew me into her narrative arcs, followed closely by the Cedar Cove series and Blossom Street; as I appreciated her style of story and the homespun sincerity of her characters. Being that both MacComber & Woods are going to have series based off their novels on the Hallmark Channel within the next year or so, humbles me a bit as I have this history of discovering both authors ahead of their newfound popularity. I even knew Debbie MacComber’s works would find a home on Hallmark Channel, but that’s a story for another time, perhaps!
I had started to curate a List on Riffle entitled: Contemporary Romances : Returning back to the Modern Eraas I wanted to walk back into an area of literature I have started to negate reading. When I first had the opportunity to have a library card after a considerable absence, my checkout queue looked quite hyperactively complied! I simply couldn’t wait to grab this or that novel, and try this or that author! I started so many wicked awesome series by new-to-me authors, I have a list a mile long of ‘next reads’ to continue the happiness I had begun five years ago! Then, I started to shift my wanderings a bit, exploring new genres and/or committing to new styles of the craft of storytelling itself. My wanderings are always a bit decidedly serendipitous in their nature, but as much as I have a niche for being addicted to the historical past, I am equally entranced by the modern era!
I may or may not have highlighted my joy of giving back to deployed servicemen & women as much as I have a deep appreciation for the sacrifices and hard work they give whilst they dedicate their lives to others. Military fiction was a branch of literature I was attracted too as a young teen, and likewise, my passion for watching JAG, NCIS, NCIS: LA, & NCIS: NOLA originated out of my love of Jack Ryan stories (by Tom Clancy). Hallmark Channel has a lovely Romance with Lori Loughlin entitled: Meet My Mom of which I loved for bringing a realistic story to their offerings and shining a positive light on today’s military families.
As soon as I read the book synopsis, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to read both of these novels, whilst being wicked happy the third novel: Moonlight on Butterlake releases in 2015!
In the tradition of Kristin Hannah and Susan Wiggs, Mary McNear introduces readers to the town of Butternut Lake and to the unforgettable people who call it home.
It’s summer, and after ten years away, Allie Beckett has returned to her family’s cabin beside tranquil Butternut Lake, where as a teenager she spent so many carefree days. She’s promised her five-year-old son, Wyatt, they will be happy there. She’s promised herself this is the place to begin again after her husband’s death in Afghanistan. The cabin holds so many wonderful memories, but from the moment she crosses its threshold Allie is seized with doubts. Has she done the right thing uprooting her little boy from the only home he’s ever known?
Allie and her son are embraced by the townsfolk, and her reunions with old acquaintances—her friend Jax, now a young mother of three with one more on the way, and Caroline, the owner of the local coffee shop—are joyous ones. And then there are newcomers like Walker Ford, who mostly keeps to himself—until he takes a shine to Wyatt . . . and to Allie.
Everyone knows that moving forward is never easy, and as the long, lazy days of summer take hold, Allie must learn to unlock the hidden longings of her heart, and to accept that in order to face the future she must also confront—and understand—what has come before.
Mary McNear lives in San Francisco with her husband, two teenage children, and a high-strung, minuscule white dog named Macaroon. She writes her novels in a local doughnut shop, where she sips Diet Pepsi, observes the hubbub of neighborhood life, and tries to resist the constant temptation of freshly made doughnuts. She bases her novels on a lifetime of summers spent in a small town on a lake in the northern Midwest.
Picking up the pieces : from loss & tribulations:
One of the hardest obstacles about living our lives forward without the benefit of understanding the events that will take place in the future, is being able to dig deep into our wells of strength and fortitude to accept the hope that our lives will start to turn back around. The thematics which are strongly represented in Up at Butternut Lake are an evolving exploration of Change (questions of destiny, permanence, and stability – of not only the mind, heart, and spirit but the physical locale of where your life will be lived); where each character who takes a central focus is at a turning point in their lives. Where they can choose to move forward and let go of the past that is weighing them down, or they can continue as they are without moving forward at all.
The complaisance’s of life arise out of the complexities of a cobweb’s worth of lies, spun innocently enough at the time they are created but woven into the texture of your life can become a haunting self-reminder of how untruthful of a life you’re actually living. Within the thematics of the story, this kernel of truth is an underscore that affects different characters in different ways, as the lies we tell ourselves to recover from something we feel we cannot face head-on are just as damaging as the lies which remain unspoken or proven untrue through the wrinkles of time itself.
I want to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Leslie Wells to Jorie Loves A Story, as it is not often I get the chance to interact with an Editor who is also a writer! It has happened on occasion and each time is always a blessing for me, as I find Editors have incredible insight into the changing tides of the book industry itself as well as the gift for seeing how even though a few things might change as time moves forward, a few things will always remain the same! I have been holding back a few questions in regards to the shifting climate of print vs ebooks, the addition of POD printing options (for those of us who read traditionally), and the myriad of changes in an evolving climate of today’s publishing market. I felt Ms. Wells would be the best person to address these questions, as she has had one foot in traditional publishing whilst embracing a foot inside the world of the Indies.
Her strength and achievements throughout her career in having such a blessed duality of focus is an incredible well of knowledge to pass forward, and I was thankful I had the pleasure of interviewing her and sharing the conversation we had with my readers – as some of my regulars are writers themselves, and are dipping into the Indie world of the market or attempting a more traditional trajectory.
A quick note on why I chose to participate on this particular blog tour is due to the fact that I am constantly curious about new avenues to pursue as a reader. I have my comfy niches inside the genres I routinely duck inside, but there are times where I like to step outside of that familiarity and embrace something quite a bit different yet altogether has a knitting of the heart I hope to find inside any story I come across. I have lost a foothold in the Contemporary world of story craft and when I saw this was going on tour, I simply knew I wanted to become a part of it!
I look forward to sharing my ruminations on the novel & an Excerpt of the opening bits of the story a bit lateron in October! Until then, enjoy our conversation!
Book Synopsis:
Julia is a book-loving publisher’s assistant. Jack is a famous British rock star. “Opposites attract” is an understatement.
It’s 1981. Twenty-four-year-old Julia Nash has recently arrived in Manhattan, where she works as a publisher’s assistant. She dreams of becoming an editor with her own stable of bestselling authors—but it is hard to get promoted in the recession-clobbered book biz.
Julia blows off steam by going dancing downtown with her best friend, Vicky. One night, a hot British guitarist invites them into his VIP section. Despite an entourage of models and groupies, Jack chooses Julia as his girl for the evening—and when Jack Kipling picks you, you go with it. The trouble is … he’s never met a girl like her before. And she resists being just one in a long line.
Jack exposes her to new experiences, from exclusive nightclubs in SoHo to the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood; from mind-bending recording sessions to wild backstage parties. Yet Julia is afraid to fall for him. Past relationships have left her fragile; one more betrayal just might break her.
As she fends off her grabby boss and tries to move up the corporate ladder, Julia’s torrid relationship with Jack takes her to heights she’s never known—and plunges her into depths she’s never imagined.
With a fascinating inside look at publishing, this entertaining story of a bookish young woman’s adventures with a rock superstar is witty, moving, and toe-curlingly steamy.
Leslie Wells left her small Southern town in 1979 for graduate school in Manhattan, after which she got her first job in book publishing. She has edited forty-eight New York Times bestsellers in her over thirty-year career, including thirteen number one New York Times bestsellers. Leslie has worked with numerous internationally known authors, musicians, actors, actresses, television and radio personalities, athletes, and coaches. She lives on Long Island, New York.
By having the insight of a career rooted in the traditional publishing paradigm and shifting out of it into the Indie side of publishing, what is the greatest gift you received as a writer as well as a woman who opened her eyes to both platforms of literary vehicles?
Hi Jorie, thank you so much for having me on your fantastic website!
The greatest gift that I have received has been the amazing support and reviews from readers and bloggers. When Come Dancing receives a good review, I feel like I’m on cloud nine; I literally float on a tide of happiness all day long. And since I’m working on a sequel, it has been extremely helpful to me to see what readers have enjoyed in particular, and what they’d like to see more of in the second book!
I have also been so pleased that people have responded positively to Julia’s career in book publishing. I really wanted that to be a part of the novel, and not to write perhaps a more typical romance that only focused on the heat between the characters (although there’s certainly plenty of that!). The other aspect that readers have responded to is the 1981 setting, when there were no computers, no cell phones or texting, and when records were still vinyl LPs.
To me a measure of success for any writer is the level of enthusiasm from the reader(s) who start to discover the work that is left behind for them to read. However, I have noticed that more oft than not, success in the publishing industry isn’t brokered on the gratitude of the readers but against the bottomline returns. Do you notice a shift of emphasis and on acknowledgement between the different markets (i.e. Traditional Publishing, Indie Press, and/or Self Publishing platforms) or are they more akin to each other than they are different?
I respect authors need to achieve a living wage for the work they are contributing to literature but what I meant to ask is why is a readership that is dedicated to the work of an author not outweighing the size of the returns? Small, medium, or large the dedication of readers should be held in high regard as the true gift of all the stories being created are to inspire a reader to soak inside the world and heart of a character; transforming their life for the moment the pages are in their hands. How do you measure your own success as a published author?
Great question! I have definitely seen a shift in traditional publishing toward more emphasis on the bottom line, as opposed to sticking with an author throughout the natural peaks and dips in his or her career. In part, the shift is a result of conglomeration: big (non-publishing) corporations acquiring publishing houses in search of media synergy, for instance. But for even bestselling authors, this means that if one book doesn’t perform well, they may not get a contract for their next book, no matter how fantastic it is.
That’s why the option of indie or self-publishing is so terrific. I have a number of author friends who have opted to go that route, and who have been thrilled with the results. Certainly it takes more effort to self-publish; you have to create (and pay for) your own cover, book design, marketing, and so on. But the creative control is extremely rewarding.
In addition, being able to price the book as you like (which is not an aspect of traditional publishing) is a great option. For instance, I have kept Come Dancing at $1.99, because I wanted to attract the largest possible readership and make my book available to everyone. Sometimes I lower the price to 99 cents as a special promotion; again, something you can’t do if you aren’t indie published. And for me, being read by the largest number of readers who (hopefully) like the story—and also want to read the upcoming sequel—is how I would measure my success.
Did you ever worry about accidentally having a quasi non-original idea stepping into the role of a writer after being in Book Acquisitions as an Editor who had guided and nurtured other writers into their own voices of thought and creativity? I oft wondered if those who work behind-the-scenes in publishing ever have any thoughts of concern when they start to pick up the pen themselves. How did you take the Editor hat off and not approach writing from the standpoint of an Editor’s point of view?
After thirty-plus years of being an editor, one learns to entirely separate the editing from the writing. I have a totally different mindset when I’m editing, as opposed to when I’m writing; I’m always extremely careful about that. Actually many editors also write fiction—it’s kind of a tradition in book publishing!
What was the impetus which gravitated you into writing? I realize you previously disclosed it was out of the ether of a dream, yet did you have any inkling of gravitating towards writing prior to that moment? And, when did this occur?
My first novel was published in 2001 by Warner Books. (It’s very dark and literary, so I don’t connect it with Come Dancing, which is fast-paced, funny and commercial.) Then for a number of years, I didn’t have an idea that excited me until I literally woke up from a dream, and the words “Please Do Not Touch” were echoing in my head. I felt compelled to go downstairs and write the scene that became a chapter in my book, when Julia and Jack first come together romantically.
I also knew that I wanted to write about my first years in New York City, and I drew upon many of my own experiences to create Julia’s life: going out dancing in downtown nightclubs, buying funky clothes at second-hand stores, getting by on a minuscule publishing salary. And I wanted to write about the punk/rock scene in Manhattan then, which was incredibly exciting and edgy.
I read in an interview you gave that part of the inspiration for Come Dancing was directly due to the fact that a particular portion of modern history still had a bubble of safety for those who wanted to enjoy the nightlife without the flash of cameras and the tracking of lives through the press. I applaud you for tackling a modern slice of contemporary life and fusing it into a modern historical window of the past – as more often than not, historical glimpses go further back in time, say to the World War eras and beyond. Do you find there is an absence of writing that captures how life is being lived in the latter half of the 20th Century and beginning of the 21st where anecdotal stories like this one could breathe new life into Contemporary fiction?
I definitely agree, and I think that is why Come Dancing seems to have really captured people’s imaginations. So many readers have commented that they loved the Eighties setting, and the reminder that not so long ago, people had to use landlines and phone booths. Back then, when you went out to a nightclub, there was much more open mingling between celebrities and regular people, because everyone didn’t have a camera (ie, a cellphone) with them 24/7.
I do think there is a dearth of contemporary fiction that takes place in modern times, yet not the 2000s. (“Contemporary Romance” and “Contemporary Fiction” are defined as fiction that takes place after 1950.) I hope that Come Dancing helps to fill that gap.
What are your favorite tools to use whilst writing? And, where do you write to gain the most inspiration?
Usually I get up very early in the morning (between 3 and 4 am) to write. I bring my dog into my home office, have a cup of coffee, and write on my computer until I have to get my kids up for school. My daytime hours are spent editing other people’s books.
What do you think the publishing world has lost with the addition of ereaders and the ebook industry? And, what do you feel it has gained?
I love to read hardcover and paperback books, so I’m a little sad that the next generation of readers will probably do most of it on ereaders. I also wonder about the future of brick and mortar bookstores, if print books are on the way out in future decades. That said, I’m thrilled that more people than ever seem to be reading, and I do think that the inexpensive nature of ebooks has helped with this increase in the number of books downloaded.
As I am a reader who does not own an ereader and will not be crossing into the emarket of literature, how do you feel the industry reacts to those of us who are traditional readers whilst caught up in a world bent towards a digital age? As some of us cannot read the breadth and length of stories on digital formats, do you find there is a shift in perception of who a reader is in today’s world?
Like you, Jorie, I read print books (hardcovers/paperbacks) when I read for pleasure. Because I work on a computer all day with my editing, I don’t want to stare at a screen at night. I do know that publishers are in something of a catch- 22 with the increasing ebook readership. They can see ebook reading increasing every year, yet they still need to print and publish hard copies of books for those who don’t use an ereader. How many copies to print (ie, the book’s first print run) has always been somewhat of a guessing game, based on the orders that the sales reps get from bookstores before publication. A publisher can be left holding the bag if they vastly overestimate how many copies will be sold; it’s also bad to underestimate and not have enough books to fill the orders, because a reprint takes time to print, ship, and then stock in the stores. And obviously creating a print copy is much more expensive than a digital version—so those are some of the issues facing publishers in terms of format.
The best blessing for me is finding stories released straight into ebooks originally are eventually being released into POD and/or traditional print editions six months to a year after their original publishing dates. Is this the new route books are taking in publication, as originally hardback editions pre-empted a paperback release? And, with the resurgence of the Indie Bookshoppe spreading like wildfire across the country, have you noticed a turning back towards more traditional markets whilst the explosion of the emarkets starts to hit its peak?
I do think that print on demand (POD) will become increasingly popular, so that readers who want a print version can immediately obtain it. I believe that people who want to read a hard copy will always find a way to do it, and independent bookstores are great about ordering hard-to-find books. The great thing about POD is that a book never needs to go out of print, whereas in previous years, if it went OP, you’d be hard-pressed to find a copy.
At the heart of Come Dancing is a woman wrapped inside of an awakening within her soul and of the choices she is choosing to elevate her position in her career. What enticed the make-up of Julia’s outside persona and internal conflict of character to become explored in this first installment of a story which continues in a forthcoming sequel? What drew you inside this part of Julia’s life to be revealed as a way for a reader to understand her?
The early 1980s was when I first got into publishing in NYC, and it was a magical time for me personally: coming to the city from a small town in Virginia, and being exposed to so many different experiences for the very first time. In some ways, I wanted to relive that very exciting time in my own life, and explore it through the fictional character of Julia.
Whilst building the arc of the central characters together, you put an emphasis on trust, communication, and friendship to become nurtured first in the beginnings of Jack & Julia’s growing relationship. Why do you think these traits are oft-times absent in Contemporary Romance stories, yet the true path towards having a meaningful relationship that is not hinged to physical attraction alone?
I very much wanted Julia and Jack’s relationship to start off a bit slowly, because I knew that Julia was not the kind of person to trust someone with such a bad-boy rocker reputation. She would have been very cautious in getting physically involved with someone like that, frankly suspecting that he would want a one-night stand and then move on to the next willing girl. Also, unlike her friend Vicky (who was such a fun character to write about), Julia wasn’t into bed-hopping. And she had just been badly burned in her previous relationship; not to mention having general issues about trust after her father abandoned her mom when Julia was fourteen. So for all of those reasons, she wanted to get to know Jack as a person (as opposed to his superficial superstar image), and needed to trust him before she got closer to him. Then, once they did get physically involved, the sparks really flew because of the buildup!
The start of the sequel presents a change of location for Jack and Julia (as they go to England), did you originally conceive a bicontinental setting for the story to evolve into after the first half was told or did the sequel grow out of the years spent with the characters whilst writing Come Dancing? Is this going to be a full-on series or limited to two installments?
The sequel takes Julia and Jack to England to meet his Mum over the holidays, then it moves right back to New York City and continues from there. I really had fun writing the scenes where Julia interacts with Jack’s mother and sister; there are some very funny misunderstandings based on British slang (hint: a “kip” is having a nap—not having sex!). Right now I’m responding to requests from readers and reviewers that I write a sequel (which made me feel great!). If the same demand exists after the second novel, I may well write another.
If someone was meeting you for the first time, what would be a surefire clue you were bookish and happily geeky whilst being a champion of stories and the craft of creating them? What would you share with them to encompass this part of who you are?
The greatest clue that I love books would be my favorite question to ask people once I get to know them a little bit: “What kinds of books do you like to read?” I’m always so interested in the answers, and have discovered so many great books that way! And I would share that I’m a book editor who truly loves what I do.
Thank you so much for these fascinating and thought-provoking questions, Jorie!
Warmly,
Leslie
I would like to thank Ms. Wells for being especially keen to answer my thought provoking questions inasmuch as she gave us a hint of what is yet to come for Julia & Jack! I must confess, I am always on a bit of pins to know whether or not I should disclose my own thoughts on potential sequels, as I have generally taken the route of holding back a bit in this regard. Reading her responses in this interview has led me to change my opinion on this, as the next time I am reading a novel where I feel there is a window of an opening towards a sequel or a succession of books in a series that could carry forward what had become rooted in the story I have read, I will include a small notation on my forthcoming reviews! I am even going to keep in mind as I continue to read Come Dancing on potential reflections on behalf of what I hope is expanded in the sequel!
Ah! Yes, I can give a bit away about my own findings of joy in Come Dancing, where I felt it was wickedly brilliant there was a backwards focus on ‘other pieces of tech’ outside the sphere of the digital age where all of our lives have grown a bit muddled in the pursuit of ‘now’ and ‘immediate’ replies and/or material possessions. The slower pace of previous decades where you had to wait for a phone call whilst darting back home to see if a message was on your answering machine fit well with the pace of my own life now in the 21st Century. No smart phones for me, in other words! And, more than a handful of my followers on Twitter are oft-times surprised I tweet traditionally as I am always on a computer when I am tweeting out my Joyful Tweets!
I will keep a bit of a surprise on my reaction to the book world for my review, but I simply wanted to say as far as technology is concerned, the story proves that even thirty to thirty-three years into the past; life carried on quite well without all the instant gratification and gadgetry of 2014! I did have a computer in the early 80s, so I am not sure when that came to be — I do know I had one a year after the story is set as by 1982 I was a savant at using one! As far as the internet is concerned, I didn’t hop on the web until at least 1990 or thereabouts. My life is a time capsule of the technologic age apparently!
I did find it disheartening the shift in the paradigm of traditional publishing — yet, I have witnessed this happening left, right, and sideways; especially with authors I have followed as I read their releases to conversations I’ve had with authors who were eager to sort out a non-traditional path that might allow them a more positive return on creative freedom and liberty to tell the stories they want to see flourish rather than losing the control of where their stories are being led. My heart simply warmed with a bright glow when I read Ms. Wells express this:
And for me, being read by the largest number of readers who (hopefully) like the story—and also want to read the upcoming sequel—is how I would measure my success.
I had to smile inwardly when she touched on one aspect of publishing I had already considered myself as a way to circumvent the wave of ebooks — to seek out the releases via POD editions, whilst acknowledging there is a developmental change yet not resolving that all my next reads can only be occupied by what was published in the past. I do believe we will start to see niche market publishers rise up a bit as well — to carry forward the traditional writers who want to publish in print and opt-out of the ebook trade completely.
I am not as worried about brick and mortar bookshoppes after seeing the Indies take back the physical selling and trade market of the industry. Even states where the Indies died out to near extinction are starting to see a re-surge in the economy where new Indie booksellers are re-defining the passion for traditional bookshoppes outside the scope of the conglomerates. I believe this is happening due to the same reason more writers are opting for non-traditional publishing platforms (especially on the level of Self-Published, Hybrid, and/or Indie Press & Publishers) to create a path that is not readily known but provides the most blissitude in the end.
I personally am applauding the path towards Jack & Julia’s relationship being developed in Come Dancing as it is quite literally non-typical given who Jack is and the background of his previous relationships. The story itself parlays it’s own unique voice and attributions on a part of celebrity centered limelight that fuelled my interest as each time I turnt a page, I was drawn more into seeing where these two budding lovebirds were going to go next! They are writ individualistically strong and they have conversations to ignite a proper sense of where each of them stand in their relationship instead of opting only for physical desires and pleasures. I applaud this as I am a reader who appreciates reading relationship-based Romances where the story is explored through the choices the couple makes in order to be together or to live apart; as sometimes you do not always get a happy ever after. Thankfully, knowing a bit about the sequel of Come Dancing before I started it, I knew a resolution I might appreciate could be waiting for me in the end! Yet, the bits in-between the beginning and the end!? Ooh, now that was the wicked bits for me to explore!
Yes! I know exactly what you mean about a confusion of British expressions — as if someone is especially vexed and flaming red in anger, an American might say “you’re quite pissed aren’t you?”. Yet, across the Pond this particular expression of anger has nothing to do with emotional signals but a must-need desire to visit the loo! Although, I also found that it can mean a person drank a bit too much alcohol and is decidedly drunk. I love reading across the countries because it gives a level of realism for realising that even though we are only separated by the North Atlantic, we are a bit of a world apart as far as how we use language and words to reflect different meanings out of ordinary life situations. I loved seeing how you inserted certain British words to reflect Jack’s origins yet grounding him with a bit of American English as he has grown used to being over here as well. You found a good balance between where he came from and where his career is starting to grow.
I had a good bubble of a laugh reading your last response — I am always at a plumb loss as to know which story to mention first as I have the tendency of being deeply passionate about more than a small handful all at once! My tweets this month will start to reflect that, as I want to shine a book cheerleader light on some of the most beautiful and captivating stories I’ve read this past Summer! I wasn’t always able to tweet past my tour stops, so I want to spread a bit of bookish cheer now that Autumn is winking it’s way into our lives — a happy respite from the angst and fiery weather!
I want to thank you for giving such hearty answers and for being pleasantly forthright about your observations! I appreciate your insight and the joy you bring to your readers by remaining insightful and mindful of our reading differences. You have a keen eye for finding your readers and for allowing them the grace of inspiring you with the stories your continuing to pen. I pray you will always remain open and responsive, as this is one attribute I appreciate the most in the writers I have found along my literary wanderings! I love to interact and I love to share my thoughts on what I loved inside of a book a writer has written that left me with a head full of heady thoughts and an imagination of warm memories!
Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
I positively *love!* comments in the threads below each of my posts, kindly know that I appreciate each thought you want to share with me and all the posts on my blog are open to new comments & commentary! Short or long, I appreciate the time you spent to leave behind a note of your visit! Return again soon!
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Come Dancing”, Leslie Wells Books badge, book synopsis, author photograph of Leslie Wells, author biography, and the tour host badge were all provided by Book Junkie Promotions and used with permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Tweets were able to be embedded by the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}
Today, I am welcoming to Jorie Loves A Story a New Adult novelist S.B. Alexander as I started to realise that the best way to understand the changing market of Young Adult & New Adult novels is to seek out writers who are penning the stories and thereby finding a way to understand how the market is continuing to yield to the demand for stories that relate to today’s youth and emerging adults during the University years as much as provide a positive contribution to the craft of stories for growing minds. What interested me the most about S.B. Alexander’s Dare to Kiss novel is how diversely unique her lead character Lacey Robinson is inside the story itself.
Alexander tackles the brutality of domestic violence and murder of loved ones whilst honouring the anguish of surviving through the loss by giving her character an upward climb back into her reality. PTSD is a living issue affecting so many people right now, that I was surprised that it is not spoken about more in today’s fiction, as it is not only limited to returning servicemen and women anymore. Extreme trauma and stress can affect anyone who is attempting to resolve what is unthinkable and unfathomable to accept. I appreciated seeing the bold choice in Lacey’s mental health affliction as much as the courage to show through the strength of a sport she was passionately a part of she could grow a bit of distance from what shattered her life, and fuse a period of re-building and grace out of sorrow.
I originally had planned to read this novel for review for the blog tour, however, a print edition was not available which is why I opted instead to host a Book Spotlight & Author Q&A. I regularly speak about how I applaud the continuance of Equality in Literature & Diversity in Literature and I believe the more realistic stories can formulate a bridge towards understanding, empathy, and acceptance of what people are facing in today’s world, the better chance we all have towards a healthier community of people who not only respect each other but can offer a kindness that might otherwise have gone unseen. We’re all a part of the living mecca of life on Earth, but there are times where I think sometimes our differences can overstep our ability to see how our similarities will always knit us close together and allow us to enjoy each others company.
Without further adieu, here are the Questions I elected to ask of S.B. Alexander on behalf of her writing style and voice as well as the story inside Daring to Kiss:
I love how your writing novels in different genres and not keeping yourself strictly inside the Paranormal & Fantasy genres but exploring another avenue such as New Adult. I have noticed that authors of New Adult are classifying their novels in this genre on two distinctive branches of the fold: either with explicit language included and stories without explicit language. As I am a reader who prefers less brass language, how do you approach the genre for those readers who enjoy reading Young Adult but do not want to read the coarse words often found in today’s modern Adult fiction? Do you temper how much you include?
Alexander responds: In the Young Adult genre I do temper the strong language. I limit it as much as I can unless a scene calls for an out of character moment or it reflects a character’s personality.
At the heart of the story is a girl who is attempting to understand and live with her PTSD after having lost part of her family from homicide – what was the kernel of inspiration to breathe life into a character whose anguish of loss gave her such a difficult path to sort through as she walked forward from the tragic death of her Mum and sister?
Alexander responds: I had a hard road growing up, and went through something similar to the protagonist. When I was five-years-old, my dad had picked me up for the weekend, and we were going to spend it at his best friends house. I was so excited to see his best friend that I tore out of the car and ran into the house. When I did I found the man, who my dad loved dearly, dead in such a way that I had nightmares for the longest time.
By focusing on a sport she has a passion for such as baseball, I could almost see how she could put the pieces of her life back together by fusing her focus with something altogether outside the deep layers of her grief. What connected Lacey to the game originally and do you share a similar passion for baseball as well?
Alexander responds: Lacey’s older brother played baseball, and he taught her everything about the game, from the positions to the pitches. They’d sit for hours, watching the Dodgers, talking about how to throw a curveball, a fastball and a slider. After so much talking and learning the game, she wanted to try her hand at pitching. Once she slipped her fingers into the glove and threw her first fastball, she was hooked.
Like Lacey, baseball has always been a sport I’ve loved. For me, as a little girl my nighttime prayers consisted of two things. I prayed for a better life, and I prayed that when I woke up in the morning I’d be a boy and not a girl. Sure, it was a crazy prayer or wish, but I hated when the boys in my neighborhood told me I couldn’t play baseball or any sport for that matter. “Go play with your dolls,” they had said. I didn’t want to play with dolls or dress up pretty. Nope, I wanted holey jeans, a T-shirt, a bat, a glove and a baseball. I wanted to get dirty, run around bases, hit a ball, and play the game. After all these years I’m still hooked on the game. My favorite team is the Boston Red Sox.
What kind of research did you conduct for this novel as it is a step outside your regular releases?
Alexander responds: As far as baseball, I know the game so well. Even though I’ve never had the luxury of playing baseball, I follow the sport religiously. So the sport aspect for me was easy. However, I did do a lot of research on PTSD.
What was the impetus which gravitated you into writing? And, when did this occur? Who was your best cheerleader?
Alexander responds: I’ve written in a diary since I can remember. I’ve always found writing cathartic, a way to release my emotions. Still, I’ve always had the story idea of a girl playing baseball in a male dominated sport. I tried several times to weave the idea together, but after a few attempts I shelved the story due to the career path I followed. It wasn’t until two years ago when I decided to get really serious about writing. An employee whom I managed at the time, his wife was striving to be a writer. Her and I used to talk about stories and writing. From those conversations, she motivated me to stop talking about writing a book and just do it. So I put all my effort into the learning the craft. I took online classes, and found an editor who loved my writing. She was my cheerleader as I began my writing journey, and still is.
What are your favorite tools to use whilst writing? And, where do you write to gain the most inspiration?
Alexander responds: I love to begin my outline and my first chapter the old fashion way—a notebook and a good pen. I’ll work this way until I have the plot somewhat worked out. Then I switch to my Mac. I don’t use any of the special software for writing. I use Microsoft Word for all my stories. I also keep a binder with character descriptions, themes and any research I do along with a summary for each chapter.
Most of my ideas stem from getting out of my office and not thinking about the plot or the characters. I find whether I’m in my car or on a plane an idea will come to me, especially if I’ve been struggling to figure out the next scene. I also find that sitting in front of the TV with my laptop works wonders for my inspiration.
As you have mentioned previously you write the story first and settle where the story fits on the shelf later, are there any stories you have yet to explore that are outside Young Adult & New Adult audiences?
Alexander responds: I do have a mystery lurking in the depths of my subconscious.
Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Sense & Sensibility: A Latter-Day Tale” direct from the publisher Bonneville Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read: this girl is a Janeite!
I am not sure when the exact moment occurred in my childhood, but I started to feel a kinetic bond with Jane Austen, to the brink that I knew that once I started to read her beloved works by all who already knew her, … I would become a Janeite. She simply had a convincing way of expressing life as it was lived during her own era, of the minute details of ordinary life intermingled with the reflections of a keen observant eye. My first forays into Austen’s canons was a bit of a hit/miss for me, as I began originally with “Sense & Sensibility”, although I attributed this false start due to what had been on my mind and heart at the time I had first picked it up. The gift I spoke about on my participation page for ‘Austen in August‘ is the very reason I approach this particular blog tour without the benefit of reading the canon. I wanted to reaquaint myself with the gifted books and step back through a door I had not yet fully opened.
It was not until Keira Knightley’s edition of “Pride & Prejudice” that I was able to ascertain the focus I wanted to garnish for Austen, as I nestled into a pocket edition of Pride. Forestalling my visit to the local cinema and barely making it to see the new adaptation before it left the theater completely! In my further expeditions into Classical Literature, I’ll have to talk about my passion for ‘pocket’ hardback editions, as I only briefly mention them in quirkily placed positions on my blog thus far along! Knightley’s motion picture will always hold a special place in my heart, despite what others might express on her behalf. I already ruminated previously that Colin Firth’s mini-series would be my most adored adaptation, but there is always room for adaptations that draw a measure of liberty with their scope.
*At this point in time I have not yet seen Colin Firth’s mini-series, a future viewing during Austen in August is planned
I had fully intended to read “Emma” this August, as previously disclosed but due to an increase in demand for the novel to be checked out of my local library, I had to pull it from my reading list; rather unfortunate, but in doing so, I cancelled my queue to receive “Emma: A Latter-Day Tale” as I quite literally felt I ought to wait. I’m still going to be reading “Persuasion” in step with the Jane Austen Reading Challenge, which will allow me to queue “Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale” at that point in time. Blessedly, I have a ready copy of Persuasian on hand, and Jamison’s novels are easily acquired through ILL’ing. (inter-library loan)
You could say, in the future I shall have enough of Austen’s tomes to spread about between my personal library and the backpack I’ll take with me on my travels. The editions I’m collecting are most decidedly of the ‘bookish soul’ who appreciates not only the quality of the volumes, but the unique differences of each presentation of the text.
By joining this blog tour, I am one step closer to my goals of reading through the breadth of Jane Austen and the authors who are as transfixed on her legacy as I am myself. I am hoping participants in this year’s ‘Austen in August’ and thus forthcoming years as well, will lay their comments in the threads below and give way to a hearty conversational thread! I also plan to write a cross-comparison post at such a time as to when I can read Sense & Sensibility!
Book Synopsis Read Aloud for Sense & Sensibility: A Latter Day Tale by BonnevilleBooks
As if it wasn’t bad enough to be getting food from Church welfare, I had to meet one of the Ferreros–a good-looking Ferrero, at that.
Elly Goodwin, a brilliant programmer, is so desperate for a job that she takes one from her ex-boyfriend–the same man who put her family out of business. Then she meets Ethan Ferrero, who seems too good to be true–especially for her ex’s brother-in-law. At the same time, she must help her sister Maren recover from a severe case of depression. Elly is far too busy for love, especially not with Ethan Ferrero.
Meanwhile, Elly’s dramatic sister, Maren, has recovered enough to fall in love, and when she falls, she falls hard. Elly must intercede before Maren’s passion clouds her common sense. Together, Elly and Maren must learn that a mixture of sense and sensibility is the perfect recipe for love.
Fans of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility will love this modern retelling of the classic romance novel.
Author Biography:
Photo Credit: Rachael Nelson
Rebecca H. Jamison wrote novels just for fun until she made a New Year’s resolution in 2011 to submit a manuscript to publishers. Since then, she’s published three books, starting with Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale.
Rebecca grew up in Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, where she earned a BA and MA in English. In between college and graduate school, she served a mission to Portugal and the Cape Verde islands. Her job titles have included special education teacher’s aide, technical writer, English teacher, and stay-at-home mom.
Rebecca enjoys running, dancing, reading, and watching detective shows. She lives with her husband and children in Utah.
I am thankful to welcome, Laura Brown to my blog today, as we chatted about Deaf Culture, being a Mum whilst pursuing a professional writing career, and the joy of writing Romance in fiction. As you may have already realised if you visited earlier in the week during my spotlight of her {New!} Cover Reveal for her début novel, I happily crossed paths with this Indie Author in the twitterverse! It was a true pleasure for me to get to know her a bit better, as we found as we conversed both through this Interview and outside it, that we share quite a bit in common with each other. It is always lovely I think when two people who serendipitously cross paths find a connection with each other to celebrate!
Synopsis of the story:
Never let your friends get involved
in your personal life.
Lila and Nate learn this the hard way. They are the star-crossed lovers of Glendale High. For three years the students have waited for the two to get together. They begged Nate to put his past relationship behind him, and cringed when Lila started dating Bryce. Just your typical teenage romance, except they’re the teachers.
Lila, a guidance counselor with a sweet demeanor, has an answer for every problem, every problem but her own. A visit from childhood friend Bryce thrusts her calm world into turmoil, as emotions buried deep inside are dragged to the surface. He soon realizes what only a friend can notice and a lover regret, that Lila, unbeknownst to herself, is in love with Nate.
Nate has seen better days. He is a history teacher stuck living in the past. Depression has kept his love for Lila unspoken, his ego frail after being cheated on.
Now Lila and Nate’s coworkers must unleash a scheme and uncover Lila’s true feelings. In a school this nosey what better way to get fast results than to involve the student population? The students are all too eager to get involved.
If everything goes as planned Lila will have to choose between two men. If her friends fail they might destroy these three and ruin their friendship. No wonder the scheme is called Project Torture.
Biography of the Author:
Laura Brown lives in Massachusetts with her quirky abnormal family. Laura and her three cats are “differently abled.” Laura is hard of hearing, her oldest cat is deaf and partially blind, and the other two cats have cerebellar hyplasia (they shake, and they don’t find it endearing). The “normal” members of her family include her husband, who has put up with her since high school, and her young son who enjoys “typing” on Mommy’s laptop and has agreed to take full blame for all spelling errors.
In your author’s biography you mentioned you have three unique cats of which are able-bodied in different ways from each other that others might consider disabled. Did you seek out to adopt cats with special needs (as they have a harder time to be placed) or did their medical ailments arise later? Can you share an antidote of how their love and joy has been a testament of hope and resilience in your life?
Brown responds: My cat adoption story began when we adopted a sweet kitten named Callie. She was my first pet that wasn’t a fish, and just the sweetest little cat you could find. Unfortunately she came down with FIP (a fatal feline disease) and died at 9 months old. A month after her death my husband and I went to the shelter, ready to open our hearts to another cat. There we met Oreo, a black and white tiny cat, labeled as “special needs.” Now, after caring for a cat that had chemicals filling her insides, “special needs” did not deter us at all. We asked, and they claimed she had OCD. We didn’t care that she was neurotic, only that she was healthy and made us laugh, which she did. The day I picked her up I was informed she was deaf. I have a hearing loss myself, and I watched as Oreo circled in her carrier, something they labeled OCD. I banged on the table and she stopped circling and looked up at me, feeling the vibrations. I informed the staff that she was circling to make sure she was safe. They had no idea. I’ve tried teaching her ASL, but she insists my hands are just scratching posts.
A few months after we adopted her, as we were starting to think of getting her a friend, the shelter contacted us, asking if we would foster three neurological kittens. We agreed and picked up these fluff balls, two gray, one brown. We looked at them and our first thought was “awww, no.” Famous last words! These kittens have cerebellar hypoplasia, essentially their mom was sick while they were in utero and they have an underdeveloped cerebellum. They were under weight and needed a place to go until they were ready for adopting. Over the weeks of having them with us they grew on us, with their shakes and poor coordination (the only signs of their disease). A friend of ours adopted the smallest, shakiest one and we were prepared to adopt one of the remaining two. The two left over were both the gray cats, almost identical. The guy, Gus had fallen in love with my husband, the girl, Pepper, with me. Since Oreo was more my cat, we decided to adopt Gus. Only when we went to the shelter it was over crowded and full-grown cats were in carriers due to the lack of room. We knew if we adopted both, another cat would get more space, and a home, so both Gus and Pepper came home with us! Gus, I’m convinced, took all the nutrients in utero, because he only shakes when you get him dizzy. Pepper, shakes when excited, or scared, or just being herself. Just don’t tease her, if you shake your head she very carefully and deliberately controls her shakes to stay still!
Whilst reading your story about Oreo and her unique way of trying to sort out for herself if she were safe in her environment made me remember another cat I featured on my blog when I had read Cats Are Part of His Kingdom Too. The video I shared was one of many heart-warming ones I had found on behalf of Oskar. I placed the video that introduced me to Oskar, a cat who was bourne blind but was not defined by his blindness on the Interview I gave with the author Cindy Vincent. Even before I ‘met’ him, I always believed that animals like humans are given such a curious strong will towards compensating and overcoming any physical or sense-driven hurdle that crosses their path. After all, I still smile when I think about the dog who has a ‘wheelchair’ as his hind legs which no longer can support him. He can out run other dogs quick as a fox!
I loved learning about your cats, especially how Gus and Pepper not only knitted themselves into your hearts before you realised they were staying forever in your home, but how they each have such unique personality traits! Cats are beyond quirky, and being a cat lover myself, I have a lot of stories I could share, but the main thread that we share in common is our compassion for cats who need forever homes. My family and I have always given a home to a cat in need; including helping a neighbourhood cat who lost his guardian.
I encourage everyone to click-over the links to Ms. Vincent’s showcase pages, as my love for cats shines through!
You have a unique background yourself – how did you come to realise you’re a writer and what drew you into knitting together Contemporary Romances in particular?As I know, your original entry was through fan fiction based on “Frasier” of the Niles & Daphne storyline whilst contemplating a career as an actress but preferred being behind the scenes.
Brown responds: I’ve always loved writing, but never took it seriously until college, when I began writing fan fiction for Frasier (very, very bad fan fiction, I’m embarrassed to admit!). I loved writing, though, and when I graduated from college I decided I wanted to try my hand at writing a novel. I took my favorite piece of fan fiction, one I knew was very much my own story with their characters, and revamped it to make it completely my own. I’ve always loved romances, in fact, it was the Niles/Daphne storyline that drew me to become a Frasier fan in the first place. To write about matters of the heart is natural for me.
As for the acting: that was a teenage ambition of mine. I did plays in high school and college, but I love having my hands on everything. Impossible as an actor, plausible as a director, but as a writer, especially a writer of novels, there is the utmost control.
I love how you realised your full potential as an artist was to seek out a way which gave you the most creative control over creating your own works of fiction. I can understand and sympathise with this, as I always loved the ability to soak into my own muse, seek out where my heart was leading me next to create a believable world and full-bodied characters; breathing life into that space and watching it develop. Although, I do have interest in live theatre, I’d like to explore acting on stage and perhaps even, directing, as directing was one aspect of production that always had a keen passion for me as I loved the fact you were in charge of running a very large collaborative team! The fact you were inspired by “Frasier” says so much because it was such a cleverly written series!
In a way, as a writer you are still living a creative thread of conscience an actress would internalise, as you take-on the roles of each character as you draw breath into their story. Do you find that having a keen interest in acting has given you a bit of an edge as to how to interact with your imagination as you write?
Brown responds: I do feel my acting past helps me with my writing. I envision scenes in my head, even act them out to a small degree. I get into my characters, try and feel them and see through their eyes. Any way a writer has to connect with a character can only strengthen the way the character is portrayed on the page.
There are times where I think writers have it even a bit harder than actors, as we have to create the entire base of the character based on how depth and far our imaginations can carry us forward into the essence of who the character is; whereas actors have the benefit of what is already written on their behalf in a script. Actors do breathe a lot of dimensional depth into who the character is once it has transitioned off the page and I think it is a cohesive relationship, as writers start the process of creating life of a character but the actor takes the character into life. As much as readers continue the process for the writer, whilst they read and absorb an author’s words of a story.
Up at Butternut Lake
It’s 1981. Twenty-four-year-old Julia Nash has recently arrived in Manhattan, where she works as a publisher’s assistant. She dreams of becoming an editor with her own stable of bestselling authors—but it is hard to get promoted in the recession-clobbered book biz.
involved.