Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature from The Broke and the Bookish. Last week’s subject was light reads and this week we’re going to the dark side. Surprisingly, this week’s topic was easier for me than last weeks! I’ve been gravitating towards lighter books lately, though I’ve certainly read my share of tough subject books.
These books deal with the tough stuff:
1. Miracle by Elizabeth Scott - Miracle takes on the aftermath of a plane crash and PTSD. Living Dead Girl by Scott could also easily be on this list- it still haunts me to this day.
2. Live Through This by Mindy Scott – Live Through This is a gripping novel about abuse.
3. If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch – If You Find Me is a tale about abuse, and survival.
4. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson – Wintergirls is a chilling book about anorexia. Anderson’s Speak should easily be on this list as well.
5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – I tend to think of this book being about depression and grief for the most part, but there are other tough issues explored as well.
6. Hold Still by Nina LaCour – This book centers on the aftermath of suicide.
7. Speechless by Hannah Harrington- Speechless is about a bully who becomes bullied herself.
8. Don’t Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala – Takes you inside the life of a runaway trying to survive on the streets.
9. The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas - Loved this book about grieving and healing after losing a mother, but after going through this myself this is the kind of book I avoid now. It’s so interesting how personal experience shapes our book choices.
10. Something Like Normal by Trish Doller – Male POV about a soldier experiencing PTSD on his return home from Afghanistan.
Do you prefer to read lighter books or those dealing with tough subjects? Are there any tough subject matters you avoid?
Bout of Books 7.0 Starting Line
It’s read-a-thon time! Here’s my game plan:
The Books:
Finish my books in progress- The 5th Wave and Click to Subscribe
Listen to 1-2 more review audiobooks – Down London Road and Ten Tiny Breaths or something else TBD
Read 1-2 other ARC’s – potentially Golden and The Language Inside
Be social:
Cheer on other blog participants
Participate in challenges and at least one #boutofbooks chat
Don’t stress if I don’t get through everything- just have fun
I’ll do a wrap-up post at the conclusion of the read-a-thon!
Happy readathoning!
Mailbox Monday #48
Mailbox Monday is a weekly event where we share our latest book arrivals. Join in to share your book loot and discover some new book blogs. Drop by 4 the Love of Books to link up for May.
Hope you all had a nice weekend and happy mother’s day. My family gifted me with a new kindle paperwhite so I’m pretty excited to get that set up. My current kindle 2 is on its last legs.
We are having triple digit heat in my neck of the woods so it was hard to concentrate on reading this weekend. Summer is here early!
May is shaping up to be quite a big book month! It’s a little intimidating to be honest. Good thing Bout of Books readathon is going on. What books are you excited to read this month?
Books Received:
Purchased:
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – Yep, the hype got to me. It’s really good so far.
Invisibility by David Levithan & Andrea Cremer – My daughter is a total David Levithan fangirl so had to grab this one.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein – New to paperback
What We Lost by Sara Zarr – New paperback cover and title (previously called Once Was Lost)
Digital- not pictured:
If I Should Die by Amy Plum – kindle edition
The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr – audiobook
Won:
Don’t Let Me Go & Where You Are by J.H. Trumble – Won from Brigid Kemmerer in her Breathless Release Week celebration. I loved Where You Are and I’m happy to own a copy, and to check out the first book in the series.
Review:
The Keep by Veronica Wolff – The Watchers book 4 from NAL Trade.
Audiobooks from Penguin Audio:
The Black Country by Alex Grecian
The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindel
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delahanty
Silken Prey by John Sandford
A Delicate Truth by John Le Carre
Digital Review Books:
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (audio received after I bought the book, so I can compare reading experiences! The narration is fantastic)
Down London Road by Samantha Young (audio)
Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
How to Love by Katie Cotugno
Once We Were by Kat Zhang
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
The Hazards of Skinny Dipping by Alyssa Rose Ivy
Let me know what you’re reading in the comments. Have a good week!
The Program by Suzanne Young Audiobook Review
Book: The Program by Suzanne Young, Simon & Schuster Audio, April 30, 2013
Book Info: YA Dystopia, Audiobook received for review from Simon & Schuster Audio. Running time: 10hrs, 56 mins. Read by: Joy Osmanski. Also available in HC, 416 pages from Simon Pulse
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
More Info: Goodreads | Audible | Amazon
The Program takes place in an alternate reality where suicide is a teen epidemic. If a teen aged 13-17 shows signs of depression they are sent to the Program for treatment, where doctors erase the suicidal thoughts with therapy and drugs. Once your memory is reset you are considered cured and can re-enter society. Sloane wants to avoid going into the Program at all costs, so she tries to avoid the attention of the watchful handlers and teachers. She lost a brother to suicide so her parents are especially attentive to Sloane’s moods. Her safe haven is with her boyfriend James, and with him she can be herself and not so controlled. But they are both feeling the weight of depression and it’s harder and harder to escape notice of the Program.
The future is pretty bleak in the Program. I was worried about how depressing this book would be to read, but it’s actually a really interesting premise. This book gave me food for thought about depression, therapy, and anti-depressants. It made me wonder, if I could, would I erase painful memories so I could live my life blissfully unaware of my psychological scars? I guess it’s tempting, but I wouldn’t want to have that decision forced on me like in the Program. It reminded me of the procedure in Delirium to cure the love disease, except this is more of a complete mind eraser/reprogramming.
There is a strong romantic side to this book, with an epic love story between James and Sloane. It’s pretty interesting and creative how 
we learn their backstory and how their relationship evolves over the course of the book. I was invested in their saga and wanted them to beat the odds.
A few side characters play a part in Sloane’s journey, most notably Realm. He’s someone a little sketchy who you’re never sure if you can trust. But mainly this is Sloane and James’ story, and they have plenty of obstacles to overcome all on their own.
Joy Osmanski read the audiobook. I listened to her narrate What the Spell prior to this book but I didn’t even recognize her voice this time around. Osmanski captures the essence of Sloane and her voice sounds like a teen. Her pace is good, and I had no trouble telling the characters apart. When I wasn’t listening to this audiobook I was thinking about it and wanting to get back to it. There is some trickiness in the storytelling with flashbacks and mind games and Osmanski handles that well and brings the reader along for the ride. So in terms of the unique nature of the book, the audio format enhances the reading experience, but I’m curious to see how it compares in print.
At the end of the audiobook there’s a bonus interview with Suzanne Young and she discusses how she came up with the story and teases the next book. There is one more book in the series, and I think it’s considered a companion book. The ending does make me excited to see what happens next, though the book works pretty well on its own too.
I think The Program will appeal to readers who like romantic dystopia like Delirium or Matched. For what it’s worth, I’m more into contemporary these days and I did get more of a contemporary vibe in this one than sci-fi/dystopia, and the author considers it to be alternate reality in fact. The Program is a book I wanted to talk about immediately after I finished it, so I think it would make for a good book club discussion. The book illustrates depression quite well, while not being depressing if that makes sense. It also strikes a hopeful note and I’m interested to see where Young takes it next.
Suzanne Young talks about The Program:
True Blog Tour: Interview with Erin McCarthy and Book Giveaway
I’m excited to welcome author Erin McCarthy to the blog today. I recently read her book True, a New Adult e-book from InterMix, an imprint of Penguin.
You may be familiar with Erin’s Fast Track, Vegas Vampires, or NY Girlfriends series’ but now she’s getting her feet wet with New Adult. I chatted with her a little about the NA genre, tattoos, and what’s coming up next.
True is about Rory, a smart, sexually naive college student, whose friends hire the perfect guy to give her some experience. Tyler is the tattooed bad boy type in the EMT program. He has more than a casual interest in Rory, but he also has some serious family drama going on competing for his attention. Do they have what it takes to go the distance? If you liked the intensity of Beautiful Disaster, True may be the right book for you.
Please welcome Erin McCarthy to the blog today:
Thanks for answering a few questions about True, Erin! I really enjoyed the book and I’m looking forward to reading more about these characters.
Where did you get the idea for True?
Honestly, I have no idea. I was just brainstorming ideas for a new adult and suddenly Rory was there in my head.
Rory is easy to relate to, and I liked seeing her character develop as she gets more immersed in Tyler’s world.
This is your first New Adult novel. What drew you to that category?
I love the raw honesty of the genre. It’s so emotional at that age, and everything you do is helping you define yourself as an adult. Mistakes, passion, highs and lows, it’s a unique point in life and I was excited to try to capture that.
I think it’s an exciting category too, and I’m interested to see how it evolves. Raw honesty is a good description.
Did you read any New Adult books for research? Do you have any favorite titles or authors to recommend?
I did read popular New Adult authors like Tammara Webber, Jamie McGuire, Abbi Glines, and Colleen Hoover just to see what was out there. Lots of good titles to chose from!
Those are some of my favorites. I loved Easy especially, and everything by Colleen Hoover.
There is a meaningful tattoo featured in True. Do you have any ink? If you were to get a symbolic tattoo what would it be?
I have two tattoos. On my forearm I have the phrase in Latin “I’ll either find a way or I’ll make one.” It’s a tattoo for strength and determination. On my foot and ankle I have a vine of morning glories, which was my dad’s nickname for me when I was little. In the vines, the phrase “Let it Be” is woven to remind me that I can’t control the fact that he died in my twenties, but I will always have the great memories. For me, something permanent on your body should have deep meaning, but it’s not for everyone.
Thanks for sharing the meaning behind your tattoos. That’s a lovely tribute to your dad and I’m touched that you shared it with us.
What were your favorite characters and/or scenes to write?
Obviously, I love Rory and Tyler, but I have to say that Jayden wormed his way into my heart. His honesty and acceptance is awesome. My favorite scene was probably out by the garage at Tyler’s house, when it becomes obvious their relationship had changed, become something more.
Jayden is awesome, and I like all the scenes with Tyler’s brothers actually. 
What is your writing process like? Any quirks, favorite drinks or snacks, best time of day to write, or music you like to have on hand?
Diet Coke and coffee and water. I drink liquids all day and you will never see me without a drink in my hand or my bag. I write during the day, ten to 3ish Monday through Friday. I always listen to music though it depends on what it is according to the book. I tend to listen to what the character would listen to, so for TRUE there was a lot of metal involved.
It’s interesting how some authors need complete silence to write and some feed off of that musical energy. Metal and diet coke go hand in hand 
Let’s play casting director. Who would star in the movie version of True?
I am super territorial about my guys and I can never think of an actor that would be what I pictured in my head. Girls are a little different, I’m more flexible. I could see Emma Roberts as Rory.
I can see that. And yes, maybe an unknown actor for Tyler and his brothers.
Is it true that a sequel/companion novel is in the works about another character in True? Can you tell us a little about that? Will we see more of Rory and Tyler?
It is true! And no, that isn’t a pun. 
The second book will feature Riley, Tyler’s brother, and Jessica, Rory’s roommate. Tyler and Rory will be back, along with the younger Mann brothers. Jessica finds herself without a place to stay after lying to her parents, and she ends up bunking with Riley… lots of sparks between those two.
Haha I didn’t think about the True pun! I think we saw some of those sparks in True and I can’t wait to see how it develops.
Thanks for the chat, Erin and InterMix Books!
About the Author:
Erin McCarthy is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 40 novels and novellas in the paranormal, contemporary romance, and young adult genres. The author is a RITA award finalist and an American Library Association winner of the Reluctant Young Reader award. She lives with her family in Ohio.
Connect with Erin: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads
Buy True: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
About True:
When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide
that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.
Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…
Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…
True is available as an e-book exclusive from InterMix/Penguin for $3.99.
Congrats to Nicole who won an e-book of True!
The Week Before the Wedding Blog Tour: Interview with Beth Kendrick
I’m excited to welcome author Beth Kendrick to the blog today. I recently read her book The Week Before the Wedding, a contemporary romance from NAL Trade that just hit stores this week. It’s about what happens when a bride-to-be’s world is turned upside down by the appearance of her ex-husband.
The Week Before the Wedding is so fun, like reading the book version of a rom-com – think Sweet Home Alabama or My Best Friends Wedding. Emily is caught between her old flame, bad boy turned hotshot film producer Ryan, and her fiancé and man of her dreams, surgeon Grant. I liked them both- how often does that happen in love triangles? The comedy and romance put a smile on my face all the way through.
And here’s Beth Kendrick to share some behind the scenes info on the book:
Hi Beth! Thanks for answering a few questions about your latest release. I enjoyed your book and I’m thrilled to have you on the blog.
The story is so fun and romantic like a romantic comedy, and I can easily imagine it as a film. What are your 
favorite rom-coms, and if The Week Before the Wedding was a movie, who would star?
My all-time favorite rom-com is “Clueless.” (To this day, when I’m struggling to parallel park, I’ll mutter, “You’re a virgin who can’t drive” to myself.) I also adore “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Muriel’s Wedding.”
I would be thrilled if “The Week Before the Wedding” were adapted for a film. I don’t usually create characters with real people or celebrities in mind, so I’d leave that decision up to the casting directors!
Love those movies! Now I’m going to have to re-watch Clueless. I couldn’t help but cast the film in my mind while I was reading it.
Are there any funny real-life wedding stories that inspired the book?
There’s a scene set in a high-end male strip club that may or may not involve some autobiographical elements. But to hear that story, you’ll have to corner me at a writing conference and ply me with martinis…
I see! Haha we’ll have to see about that.
Keeping with the wedding theme, what is your favorite flavor of wedding cake?
Chocolate cake with chocolate filling and chocolate frosting. Plus, a little chocolate sauce on top—you know, to cut the sweetness.
If your book had a theme song, what would it be?
This story was inspired in part by the Sugarland song “Stuck Like Glue.” It’s an upbeat, funny song about the people in our lives who drive us crazy but love and understand us in a way no one else does. Sometimes great chemistry overrides conventional wisdom…and that’s not always a bad thing!
Fun fact: If you watch the video on YouTube (below), you will notice a tarnished silver skull ring in the opening shot. That skull ring makes a cameo in the book!
Very cool! I believe the skull ring is mistaken for a wedding ring in the book – that would be an unconventional choice.
Favorite/worst songs played at wedding receptions?
I’m a sucker for the classics: “Moonlight Serenade” by the Glen Miller Orchestra and the Etta James version of “At Last.”
And I’m in no position to criticize anyone else’s song choices, because my mother’s side of the family has this tradition where we always play Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” at some point during every reception. (Like most writers, I come from a weird family!)
That’s an awesome tradition!
What was your favorite scene to write?
The scene where bride-to-be Emily is trying on her dainty heirloom wedding dress while simultaneously trying to referee a flower girl fight, stop her mother from stabbing the groom’s mother with a bejeweled stiletto, and stay out of sight of her fiancé…and in doing so, runs right into the ex-husband she’s been trying to purge from her heart for the last ten years.
Ryan, the ex, hasn’t seen Emily since she was fresh out of college and favored a wardrobe of faux leopard print and leather hot pants. And now she’s in pearls and kitten heels. So he gives her a slow, smoldering once-over and then he says…well, I won’t ruin it for you, but it’s one of my favorite lines in the book!
Me too- I love that scene. I fell for Ryan right away. Their chemistry is off the charts.
Have you ever wanted to write a sequel to any of your books or do you prefer writing standalone novels?
My next novel is called The Cure for the Common Break Up, and it’s actually a spin-off of The Week Before the Wedding. The heroine, Summer, was Emily’s maid of honor. Summer is one of those characters who just burst onto the scene and stole the spotlight. My editor and I both adored her, so we decided she deserved her own story.
Glad to hear there’s a companion book in the works!
How have your own rescue dogs inspired your writing?
Oh, yes. Their behavior may be bad, but I console myself that I’ll get good material out of it. Those shredded rolls of paper towels did not die in vain!
What have you been reading lately?
I’m in the middle of Data: A Love Story by Amy Webb. It’s the funny, fascinating memoir of a tech-savvy journalist who was fed up with the horrors of online dating and figured out strategies to “game” the system so she could search out—and attract—the most compatible prospects. So interesting from a cultural, psychological, and mathematical perspective.
I haven’t heard of that one. Data does sound fascinating.
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions, Beth!
About the Author:
Beth Kendrick’s writing career began at a wedding. She was invited as a plus-one to a wedding, and when she heard that the bride was a successful romance novelist, well, how could she say no? Being a writer had always been herdream job, and here was the chance to run elbows with one! She waited until the bride and all her author friends uncorked the good champagne, and then sidled up to them at the bar and peppered them with endless questions about writing, editing, and landing an agent. Before long, she was knee-deep in the manuscript that eventually became MyFavorite Mistake.
Since then, Kendrick has written eight more novels, including Nearlyweds, which was made into a movie by Hallmark starring Naomi Judd (released in January 2013), and the popular title The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, which was recently included in a “Top 10 Women’s Fiction” list from Booklist.
Former wild-child Emily McKellips yearns for a drama-free life, complete with a white picket fence. Her dreams are about to come true: she has a stellar career, a gorgeous house, and the perfect fiancé. Now she just has to survive the week before her wedding at a rustic lakeside resort in Vermont with her extravagant mother, her impossibly well-adjusted future in-laws, and a pack of restless bridesmaids. Then it’s happily ever after.
But when Ryan Lassiter, her ex-husband from a starter marriage, shows up unexpectedly, Emily can’t help but remember the kind of girl she used to be—and the kind of girl she might still be. As the bridesmaids revolt and the mothers of the bride and groom do battle, Emily is surprised to discover new sides of both her ex and her fiancé. She thought she had life and love all figured out, but the next seven days might change her mind—and her heart.
Celebrate Wedding Week with Beth Kendrick by entering her #weddingweek twitter sweepstakes!
Every day of Wedding Week (May 13-17) one entrant (US only) will be chosen at random to win a copy of The Week Before the Wedding.
How to enter #weddingweek sweepstakes:
1) Follow the author on twitter at @BKendrickBooks
2) Tweet a picture of your wedding dress or dream wedding dress to the above twitter handle
3) Use the hashtag #weddingweek in your tweet
What a fun contest! Find out all the contest rules and information at Beth Kendrick’s website.
Inhale Exhale Blog Tour: Interview with Sarah M. Ross
I’m excited to welcome author Sarah M. Ross to the blog today. Her new book Inhale Exhale made its debut this week. We chatted about her New Adult release, writing contemporary vs. paranormal, and summer jobs, and Sarah gave me an excuse to put a picture of Jordan Catalano on the blog. Win!
Hi Sarah! Thanks for answering a few questions about your latest release. I enjoyed your book and I’m thrilled to have you on the blog.
Thank you so much for having me, Lucy! I’m very happy to be here!
You have written several paranormal books, but this is your first contemporary book. What inspired you to make the change, and how did you like writing contemporary?
Writing contemporary is hard! Much harder than I expected. Contemporary writing forces you to focus on the emotions of the situations and characters, rather than the action of the scene (like a lot of paranormal writing). Writing Inhale Exhale really pushed me as a writer; it was emotionally exhausting but very rewarding!
Do you think that readers are gravitating more towards contemporary now, particularly with the popularity of New Adult, and why do you think that is?
I think that New Adult and contemporary really are the popular kids in school right now, and their popularity is due in part to Jamie McGuire, Colleen Hoover, and Abbi Glines (some of my favorite ladies!) A few years ago, everyone was all about paranormal books. Twilight and vampires ruled the school. People loved the romance in these books, but tired of the overwhelming number of vampire books on the market. So they kept the romance and ditched the vamps. I don’t know how long New Adult Contemp will be the King of the Castle, but no matter what, there never be a lack of books to read—in any genre!
That makes sense to me. And you’re right, at least there’s a book out there for any mood!
In Inhale Exhale Jillian gets a summer job at an office. What was your favorite or worst summer job?
When I was sixteen, my grandparents had friends who owned a flower shop and nursery. When they asked if I wanted a summer job with them, I thought I was going to be arranging flowers all summer and quickly said yes. Then I found out that I would be working in the back, in the garden center. I would work for eight hours watering plants, consolidating perennials, and carrying 50 pound bags of “fertilizer”. It was the worst summer job I’ve ever had. (Besides, anyone who knows me knows that I have a black thumb and kill every plant within a 50 yard radius of me. It was not the ideal job for me!)
That does sound like hard work!
Keeping with the summer theme, do your reading habits change in the summer, and what are your favorite summer reads?
I don’t think my reading habits change as far as what I read, but instead of how much I read. I tend to read more, as I’m laying out at the pool or by the beach more often. And when I’m reading on the beach, I tend to like lighter reads. Nothing that makes me think too hard, just a sweet story that I can get lost in for a while.
Did music play a part in your writing process? Any particular songs you feel relate to the book?
I don’t listen to any music when I’m writing. (I don’t listen to a lot of music period). I’m one of those people who needs complete silence to write. I tend to get easily distracted, and have even been known to write what the TV is saying instead of what my characters are saying if I have it on.
The book has dual POV with Jillian and Grant. Which perspective was more fun to write? Did you ever consider adding Christian’s POV as well?
I loved writing the dual points-of-view in this book! There have been so many times when I’ve read a book when I wish I had the guy’s perspective, so when I began writing Inhale Exhale I knew I wanted to include Grant’s perspective. The story really is theirs, not just Jillian’s. They each have their own struggles they’re trying to work through.
Writing Grant’s POV was fun, but I was nervous. I’m not a guy, so I was worried I wasn’t doing him justice. I even had a male friend read each of Grant’s chapters to make sure I made him “manly” enough!
I didn’t consider adding Christian’s POV because even though he is at the center of Jillian’s problems, he really is a secondary character. I didn’t want readers to focus on what he was thinking or doing, because that might take away from the other issues presented between the two main characters.
I’m glad you wrote dual POV. I liked getting into both character’s heads, and yes I think Grant sounds “manly” enough. I guess it would muddy things up to have Christian in the mix.
In the book Jillian is torn between the hot, ambitious IT guy Grant, and her long-time boyfriend, the rock musician Christian. Let’s play casting director- who would play the trio in the film version?
Oh goodness! This is hard one! I mention in the book that Christian reminds Jillian of Jordan Catalano from My So Called Life. So for Christian, I’d have to go with Jared Leto. She was young when she started dating Christian, and like we do when we’re teens she was much more infatuated by how hot he was rather than what he was like as a person.
I’m not sure who I’d cast as Grant and Jillian. I see them so specifically in my mind that I don’t know who in Hollywood could be them. I’ll let your readers tell me who they’d cast after they read it.
What was your favorite scene to write?
There were so many parts of the book that I enjoyed writing, it’s hard to pick just one. I think the one that sticks out in my mind the most was the bar before bowling scene. I just loved all the tension that was building. It was like the part on a roller coaster when you’re going up the big hill, and you know it’s going to be awesome once you get to the top but you’re still a little nervous about how high you’re going. That’s what that scene was like for me.
I shared an excerpt of your book a few weeks ago, and there were some positive comments about the hotness factor. 
You have a knack for writing these steamy scenes. Are they as fun and effortless to write as they seem?
Haha! No. it was not easy and effortless to write. As a matter of fact, I giggled like a 12-year-old girl the entire time. It was very hard for me to write all of the steamy scenes. The “beach” scene took me two solid days—and my face was bright red the whole time!
But I’m very glad that—despite my difficulty—the scenes turned out as steamy as I’d hoped and that the audience enjoyed reading them.
What project are you currently working on that we can look forward to?
I’m currently working on a few things. The first is the sequel to Echo of an Earth Angel (titled Fate of an Earth Angel). The second is a mature young adult contemporary that is yet unnamed. I hope to have both out later this year!
Sounds like you’ll be very busy writing. Thanks for the chat, Sarah!
Thank you so much for having me!!
About the Author:
Sarah Ross started her obsession with reading at an early age, getting in trouble for sneaking BabySitter Club and Nancy Drew books into math class in elementary school. She would read any fiction book she could get her hands on. Sarah knew it was an addiction when instead of grounding her from TV or music, her mom would take away her books as punishment (The Horror!). Her love of all things paranormal was inspired by her good friend Laurie, who convinced Sarah that books with vampires, witches, and all things shifter were amazing. After a little reluctance, she gave it a shot with the Sookie Stackhouse books, realized she was right, and the rest was history.
Sarah grew up in Pittsburgh, graduated from The University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English, and taught 8th graders to love reading as much as she does for several years. She will always be a proud member of the Steelers Nation, but couldn’t take the cold and moved her frozen tush to Florida where she now lives with her family and two cats. You will find Sarah now with her trusty Kindle in hand and toes in the sand!
Visit Sarah: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Inhale Exhale is on sale now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Jillian had a plan: celebrate the end of her first year of college with an amazing summer full of beaches, barbeques, and bonfires. When her mom insists she needs a summer job, and her boyfriend spends more time with his band than with her, Jillian’s plans go down the drain.
Grant had a plan: finish his Masters, get a great job at Google, and get the hell out of Georgia. He might be giving up some of the fun of his youth, but he knows his all work and no play method would be worth it when his dreams come true.
But things never go according to plan.
When temptation brings them together and tragedy tears them apart, Jillian and Grant will be forced to choose: fight for their dreams, or fight for each other.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to win a signed copy of Inhale, Exhale and some other goodies!
Related articles
- Inhale, Exhale by Sarah M. Ross Excerpt and Giveaway (thereadingdate.com)
- Release Day Blitz and Giveaway: Inhale, Exhale by Sarah M. Ross (thebookhookup.com)
