Molli Moran's Blog, page 7

Mol Reads Books: Second Position by Katherine Locke

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to various themes; it may also be considered New Adult, or contain triggers. Second Position by Katherine Locke
Series: District Ballet Company
Published by Carina on April 13, 2015
Add on Goodreads
Buy @ Barnes&Noble • Buy @ Amazon • Genres: new adult
Source: Galley from the publisher

Four years ago, a car accident ended Zedekiah Harrow’s ballet career and sent Philadelphia Ballet principal dancer Alyona Miller spinning toward the breakdown that suspended her own. What they lost on the side of the road that day can never be replaced, and grief is always harshest under a spotlight...


Now twenty-three, Zed teaches music and theatre at a private school in Washington, D.C. and regularly attends AA meetings to keep the pain at bay. Aly has returned to D.C. to live with her mother while trying to recover from the mental and physical breakdown that forced her to take a leave of absence from the ballet world, and her adoring fans.


When Zed and Aly run into each other in a coffee shop, it’s as if no time has passed at all. But without the buffer and escape of dance—and with so much lust, anger and heartbreak hanging between them—their renewed connection will either allow them to build the together they never had... or destroy the fragile recoveries they've only started to make.

 

Confession: Sometimes I read books, then I want to talk about them. But I don’t want to write super formal reviews like I did when I first started blogging. I want my reviews to be fun and hopefully make YOU want to read the book. So…here goes! 

 

I’m always a tiny bit a lot nervous when I pick up a book by an author friend, especially when the book is one I’ve anticipated as much as I anticipated SECOND POSITION, Katherine Locke’s debut novel. New Adult + second chance romance + ballet was exactly the Molli bait that guaranteed I’d be on this book so hard. Thankfully, I didn’t actually have any reason to worry, because within a few pages of Locke’s ballet book, I was basically like:

THE PROSE, YOU GUYS. Katie writes super beautifully. It’s haunting. It’s descriptive to the point that you’re THERE, feeling what the characters feel, seeing what they see, aching with them. Because of how gorgeously Locke writes, you immediately get drawn into SECOND POSITION effortlessly, there in that coffee house where Zed and Aly come face to face for the first time in years.

When we talk about “second chance romances,” (aka the number 1 way to get me to read a book), I have to list Katie’s book as one of my favorites. It’s all there. That rich, undeniable history. That complicated friendship, bleeding into more. That ache, that gorgeous, full-body ache, that comes from a shared past. That beautiful hope, the hope that this will be different, this time will be redemption and a beginning, instead of an ending. Katherine Locke nails the essence of second chance romance, and makes it look easy (it isn’t.) 

SECOND POSITION is everything I want from New Adult: the uncertainty that comes from the time in your life when the world is telling you that because you’re legally an adult, you should have it all together — except, what if you don’t? There’s the sense that your life is wide-open, and you’ve got time to figure it out, but not forever. Everything is brand new, except the growing pains. That’s familiar, and there are definitely growing pains between Zed and Aly. Watching them navigate their ghosts, both together and separately, brought back so much of my own New Adult years. I was struggling with my realizing my sexuality. Zed is struggling with being a recovering alcoholic, Aly, an eating disorder. We don’t see enough NA books that tackle tough subjects, that take characters away from the secondary parenting device of college, parties, and sex, and really put them on their own. SECOND POSITION does. There’s no security blanket. Aly may be living with her mother, but she and Zed are very much tasked with working through their issues. 

 

I connected with SECOND POSITION personally. I could write a lot more about that aspect, but suffice to say I thought Aly and Zed were both SO brave. Neither of them is written as perfect, but I understood both of them, and their individual struggles. There were times I cried for Aly, watching her in therapy, trying to come to terms with her life and her eating disorder, and the need to dance again. There were moments of such vulnerability, times when she was so fragile, that I just wanted to hug her.

AND THE REST, OH. Want to know what happens?

 

TL;DR

Swoonage on a scale of 1-10: DEFINITE 8. Aly and Zed are sizzling together, in an intimate, constant way. There isn’t a lot of sex in SECOND POSITION, but what there IS, is a chemistry that is undeniable.

Reread eligible on a scale of 1-10: Oh I’d love to re-read it someday!

Connection on a scale of 1-10: I couldn’t identify with Zed, but that didn’t make me love him any less, especially seeing how he was with Aly. And Aly herself…wow, I felt so connected to her, like I knew her.

I heart it on a scale of 1-10: 10. 10. 10. Amazingly written book, great pacing and history, and seeing it all come together was so meaningful. There’s a LOT of heart here, friendship, family relationships (with Aly’s family), and it was just all beautiful.

 

Favorite Quote

He looked at me in there like he wanted to scream at me and like he wanted to kiss me, and if he could have done both of those things at the same time, we’d still be in there, scream-kissing each other into pieces. 

Blog Tour: One Chance Night by Eliza Boyd

I had the chance to read ONE CHANCE NIGHT a few months ago, in an ARC form. It’s such a moving, original book, one I hope you will all take a chance on. (See what I did there? Haha.) Today, Eliza is here to answer a few questions. here ya go!)

Are there any songs she associates with OCN or certain parts of it?

Oh yes. Haha! Brett Eldredge’s song “Don’t Ya” popped the idea in my head. (The name makes sense now, huh?) After I’d watched the video, I heard the song again and pictured part of the end of the book (think chapters 27-29). Then I had to go back and figure out how Chelsea got there. Months after I finished the book, I heard Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” for the 87 millionth time and realized that my MMC did something similar for Chelsea. I’d wanted to write that song into a book for a while, but that listen to the song drove home that I’d already done it. J

   2. Which character does she most identify with, and why?

Definitely Chelsea. She has my soul from a time in my life where I also felt stuck and powerless. But I think all of them have a little bit of me in them. Brett’s kindness, Ian’s semi-foul mouth, Stevie’s sense, Mayra’s love… I heart them all. J

    3. What’s her favorite part of the writing process?

I think my favorite part is just the writing. Mostly because I’m a pantser and really don’t know where the story is going to take me. I have an idea in my head and try to aim for it, but sometimes, the characters have minds of their own and I’m just along for the ride. So I get to explore the world through their eyes while I write, and I really dig that. J

    4. Why did she choose to write women’s contemporary romance?

I read a lot of romance, and I’m a sucker for a love story, but I’m also all for strong women, women coming into their own, women taking their lives by the horns and rocking it. A lot of romance these days has the male POV, and it also has a lot of sex. I wanted to write something that was solely about the woman and what she was going through, and I wasn’t interested in writing sex at that point. More power to people who do though! J

 

 

 

Once Chance Night by Eliza Boyd
Series: Make a Change #1
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Pages: 188
Published: May 15, 2015 by Patchwork Press

Book Description:

On the surface, Chelsea Greer has it all: A loving husband. A nice house. A good job. In reality, she works hard to maintain the illusion that is her life. She’s also missing the most important thing: Love. One night could change her life. One night could give her the strength to rediscover what’s important. In one night, she could find love when she most needs it and least expects it. All Chelsea has to do is follow her heart after One Chance Night.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Apple | Scribd
Amazon UK | Amazon Canada

About Eliza Boyd: Eliza Boyd is a contemporary women’s fiction and romance author. Also an avid reader, she writes novels, short stories, poetry, and whatever else strikes her fancy. Born and raised in Northern Illinois, she now lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and her plethora of animals. When she’s not reading, writing, or working, she can be found walking around her neighborhood (for exercise, not for stalking), taking photos of her pets, or catching up on her favorite shows. Catching up really means binge-watching.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Instagram | Pinterest | Blog | Newsletter

 

 

Author Interview: Lou Anders

by Lou Anders

I’m pretty excited to have author Lou Anders on the blog today for an interview about his THRONES & BONES series. If you don’t know Lou yet, you can visit his site or follow his Twitter! He’s @LouAnders.

 

Who was your favorite character to write, and why?

 

I’m not sure I’m allowed to have favorites. Isn’t that a bit like asking “which one is your favorite child?” What if it gets back to them!?! What if I don’t say Thianna? I don’t want an angry seven foot tall tween pounding on my door with the hilt of her arming sword. ’Truth is I love them all. But I’m very proud of the voice of Thianna’s dad Magnilmir the frost giant. He’s the first character that just emerged whole cloth and told me exactly how he spoke from the beginning. I’m also proud of Orm the Great Dragon. Unlike Magnilmir, who waltzes into the story so naturally on his own, I really worked hard to make Orm a grand and majestic force of nature. There are already many iconic dragons in popular culture, starting with Tolkien’s “Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities,” and I wanted to make sure that my dragon would live up to their example and not fall short. It took time, but when I hit it, Orm became a blast to write. And Desstra, the dark elf that is introduced in Nightborn, with her mix of cocky sarcasm and under-confidence really sparks something in me. My characters are all very, very real to me, and as the books progress, the cast gets larger, which just adds to the fun.

 

How did you think up the games (Thrones & Bones, Charioteers)?

 

I’m so glad you asked about the gaming angle, a unique aspect of the Thrones & Bones series.It evolved organically. I wanted to write about a female character who wasn’t relegated to the role of sidekick, or a co-protagonist who was the brains or the magical member of the team. I wanted my girl to be the one kicking tail and taking names. So when we first meet Thianna, she’s playing a rough ball game called knattleikr against giants twice her size and winning! But I needed a boy character, and I wanted him to have a passion too. And since he wasn’t going to be athletic, I came up with  board games. I reasoned that the “gamer personality” was as old as time, and Karn would love his board games as much as Thianna loved her sports.

I knew from my research that the Vikings played a game called hnefatafl. It was an “asymmetric board game” meaning that one side had nearly twice as many pieces as the other. They played it for centuries until it was gradually replaced by chess. Sadly, no set of rules survived, though there have been several (conflicting) attempts to reconstruct it . When I started writing Frostborn, I realized just how instrumental the game was to the plot, I knew I couldn’t fake the game rules.  So I stopped writing, went to a hobby store, and came back with wooden dowels and paint pens, and I made a board game. Then I sat down and worked out my own set of rules  for balance and   for plot. I didn’t end up with  hnefatafl, but what you could imagine was an analogous game from another world. We included the rules in the book so readers could play the game, just like Karn and Thianna.

Now, I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say there are chariot races in Nightborn; it’s on the cover after all! So for book two, I wanted a game that would simulate a chariot race. First, I researched the antecedents of backgammon by reading up on the Egyptian game Senet and the Royal Game of Ur, but I had different requirements. I learned that rich patrons used to back more than one team in the real races, and if one team realized they weren’t going to win, they might throw their efforts into helping another team backed by the same sponsor. So I wanted a game where each player controlled multiple playing pieces, where winning wasn’t defined by getting all of the pieces across a finish line but only some of them. What I ultimately created doesn’t really derive from any one source and is a really unique dice-racing game. We’ve found in play testing that Charioteers is a fast, fun game that encourages cooperation and back-stabbing in equal measure.

I should add, too, that one of the most rewarding things about being a children’s book author is seeing the photographs that kids across the US (and overseas!) have sent me of Thrones & Bones sets they and their parents have made. I can’t wait to see the Charioteers sets. More info: http://www.louanders.com/thrones-and-bones-sets.html ]

 

 

Who would you want to play a match of Thrones & Bones against (real person, fictional character), and why?

Well, I certainly wouldn’t play Karn, because he’d stomp me into the dirt and be bored doing it. I might like to play Thianna just to spend some time with her doing something that didn’t involve extreme sports, and playing against her dad might be fun just for the rambling conversation. What I’d really like to do is to watch Karn Korlundsson play against Star Trek’s Mr. Spock, since Spock’s own love of tridimensional chess helped instill a love of fictional board games in me to begin with! (Molli’s note: Spock!!!)

 

I should say that I’ve already played some great games of Thrones & Bones against fans in Montgomery, Athens, and New York that were wonderful. Playing against my readers is great fun, and some of them have given me a run for my money!

 

What’s next for you, writing-wise?

Well, the third Thrones & Bones novel, Skyborn, has been delivered to my editor, and I am awaiting her brilliant feedback now. Meanwhile, I’ve been doing the research and world-building for some of the countries on the continent of Katernia we haven’t visited yet, and I’ve tentatively started initial outlining of a novel set in the world but featuring different characters. When I created the setting for Thrones & Bones, I worked hard to make it rich enough that I could tell stories in it for the rest of my life. So far, it hasn’t let me down.

 

 

__________

 

 

 

Lou Anders drew on a recent visit to Norway along with his adventures traveling across Europe in his teens and twenties to write Frostborn and Nightborn, combining those experiences with his love of globe-trotting adventure fiction and games (both tabletop and role- playing) However, he has yet to ride a wyvern. With the addition of characters Desstra and Tanthal, Anders hopes that his second book in the Thrones and Bones series will continue to appeal to boys and girls equally. Anders is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. He has published over five hundred articles and stories on science fiction and fantasy television and literature. A prolific speaker, Anders regularly attends writing conventions around the country. He and his family reside in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com and ThronesandBones.com, on Facebook, on Tumblr, and on Twitter at @ThronesandBones and @LouAnders.

 

Blog Tour: Hello, I Love You by Katie Stout

 

I’m super excited to have the awesome Katie Stout stopping by the blog today to share her fan cast for her just-published, HELLO, I LOVE YOU. I’ve anticipated this book since it was first announced, so I absolutely am psyched to share Katie’s fan cast.

 

I had a ton of fun fancasting my characters! Some of them were casted very early on in my brain while I was writing – I actually had two singers in mind while I was writing the rough draft of the book!

 

While these are who the characters look like in my head, I love hearing other people’s thoughts.  or I’d love to hear who you think Grace, Jason, Sophie, and everyone else looks like, so hit me up on Twitter or Tumblr with your picks!

 

  Grace – Lily James

I’m a Lily James fan in general. (I mean, how can you not love her as Cinderella?!) Plus, I think she has the perfect hair for Grace. And girl’s got attitude, which totally fits my sassy, broken protagonist.

Source: http://www.swide.com/celebrities/lily-james-5-facts-including-boyfriend-matt-smith-cinderella-and-downton-abbey-5/2014/06/

 

Source: http://www.popsugar.com/fashion/Lily-James-Style-36991211?crlt.pid=camp.VSgfjt3SeJuj#photo-37043348

 

 

Jason – Jung Yonghwa

Yonghwa was actually the first character I casted in my head. I knew while I was still rough drafting that he was who Jason looked like. Actually, if you’ve ever seen the Korean drama Heartstrings, you may recognize some of the outfits I describe Jason wearing as ones he wore in that drama. I just loved those sweaters and colorful shoes so much.

 

 

 

Source: http://jujalica.tumblr.com/post/46326683289/purpledream08-perfect-i-fell-in-love-with-him

 

Sophie – IU

Sophie is another character I knew early on who I would cast. IU has been one of my favorite KPOP singers since I saw her in the drama Dream High, and I think she perfectly embodies Sophie’s sweetness and charm.

  

Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1a/da/96/1ada964951713cb60bad39e5421f0b6c.jpg

Source: http://weheartiu.com/forums/

 

  Yoon Jae – Ok Taecyeon

I wanted Yoon Jae to be really striking, where you turn your head when he walks by. I also wanted him to have a little bit of a baby face. Really, there’s no one else I could choose for him besides Taecyeon, who’s both super hot and super cute. And really, he’s perfect for the character I would have chosen to date if I were Grace.

 

 

 

 

 

 Source: http://kmagazinelovers.tumblr.com/pos...

Source: http://www.dramafever.com/p/33250/who-are-you.html

 

 Tae Hwa – Seungri

Seungri is one of the hottest guys in KPOP, I think (despite his scandals). And I had to choose someone great for Sophie, who’s probably my favorite character in the whole book. Really, I maybe had too much fun looking for good pictures of him.

 

Source: http://kpopphotoedits.tumblr.com/image/74238302124

 

Source: http://www.dkpopnews.net/2013/07/big-bangs-seungri-to-make-comeback.html

 

 

 

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can’t stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can’t deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

 Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she’ll leave behind  the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

 

Buy Links!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1250052599/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1250052599&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hello-i-love-you-katie-m-stout/1120204885?ean=9781250052599&itm=1&usri=9781250052599&r=1

Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781250052599

IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250052599

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hello-i-love-you/id946809568?mt=11

Cover Reveal: Dare To Run by Jen McLaughlin

Published by NAL

As soon as I heard about Jen McLaughlin’s upcoming book, DARE TO RUN, I knew I had to get involved in the cover reveal. And YOU GUYS. It’s really swoon-worthy. I think you’ll want to take a peek at it, and then stick around to enter the giveaway. Because…HOTCHACHACHA.

 

 

Today we are celebrating the release of the DARE TO RUN cover! DARE TO RUN is a gritty, super sexy, adult title coming out on February 2, 2016 from Jen McLaughlin and published by Penguin (NAL Signet). To celebrate, we are having a scavenger hunt! There are 8 clues scattered around groups of bloggers hosting this feature. All you have to do is find all 8 clues and figure out the scrambled word.

To make it easy for you, we will tell you where you can find Clue #1.
Just go to this article on DARE TO RUN, found at USA Today HEA!
In order to find the groups of bloggers posting, go to Jen McLaughlin’s blog and she will have the lists so you can check out each group and find the remaining 7 clues.

 

For this site, the clue is listed below, along with the rafflecopter.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

DARE TO RUN Summary:

The New York times bestselling author of the Out of Line Novels takes readers to Boston where one gang of criminals knows how being bad can be so good…

She knows what he’s like on Boston’s mean streets. Now she’s going to find out if he’s got some heart.
Lucas Donahue is not ashamed of his criminal past, but after a brief stint in prison, he’s ready to go legit and live a normal life. The problem is, no one leaves the gang without permission—even if he is one of the boss’s top men. Plus someone’s placed a hit on him. And then there’s that feisty little bartender who’s going to cause him even more trouble.
Heidi Greene knows to keep her distance from a ladies’ man like Lucas—even if she can’t keep her eyes off him. When he rescues her from an attack in the alley outside her bar, she’s forced to stay by his side for safety. But the longer she spends time with him, the greater her chances are for getting hurt in more ways than one.

 

ADD THE BOOK TO GOODREADS

PRE-ORDER THE BOOK NOW
AMAZON | THE BOOK DEPOSITORY | KOBO

 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy New Adult books. Under her pen name Diane Alberts, she is a multi-published, bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, released September 6 2013, and hit the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and a cat. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

FIND HER HERE:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

 

 

Review: Nightborn by Lou Anders

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Nightborn by Lou Anders
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on July 14, 2015
Add on Goodreads
Buy @ Barnes&Noble • Buy @ Amazon • Genres: young adult fantasy
Source: Galley from the publisher

From the author of "Frostborn" comes Book 2 in the acclaimed Thrones and Bones fantasy-adventure trilogy for fans of Lloyd Alexander and Brandon Mull. Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. "Not" a riddle solver. But in order to rescue his best friend, Thianna Frostborn, he will need to travel to the faraway city of Castlebriar (by wyvern), learn how to play a new board game called Charioteers (not a problem), decipher the Riddle of the Horn, and tangle with mysterious elves.


Meet Desstra. She's in training to join the Underhand--the elite agents of the dark elves. When she crosses paths with Karn, she is not all that she appears to be. Everyone is chasing after the horn of Osius, an ancient artifact with the power to change the world. The lengths to which Karn will go in the name of friendship will be sorely tested. Who knew that solving a riddle could be so deadly?

 

NIGHTBORN is the second book in the Thrones & Bones series by author Lou Anders. When the publisher pitched it to me, I instantly knew I wanted to read these books (starting with FROSTBORN), because young adult + fantasy + epic games = fun times for Molli.

I was instantly interested in the world and the characters. NIGHTBORN starts out with Desstra, a dark elf, trying to pass her world’s version of a final exam — only in this book, the “exam” is a war-game-esque mission. From there, the action is non-stop, the pacing quick. I was never bored reading NIGHTBORN! In fact, I was on the edge of my seat, following Desstra and Karn on their various (mis)adventures. The fast pace had me turning page after page, eager to see what was next.

From wyverns to rogue elves to the hunt for the mysterious Horn of Osiris, NIGHTBORN definitely has something for everyone. Karn is back from the first book, as is his friend, Thianna, who is so fierce and capable, and a great role model for girls everywhere. We got to see more of their friendship, and see them both grow, through trying scenes and excitement and danger.

Lou Anders’s writing is easy to follow, making NIGHTBORN a quick, fun read. It’s marketed as YA, and I’d say it’s a lower YA, good for fans of POISON by Bridget Zinn. They both have loads of adventure, a great cast of characters, intrigue, and funny moments.

Overall: 

The One Where the Magic Stops

 

This post is a long time coming. *deep breath*

Writing, to me, has always been its own form of magic. You live with these characters in your head, you sit at your computer (or with a notebook, etc, in front of you), and somehow, you transform the characters from fragments in your mind to words on a page. Those pages multiply, making a book. Then that book is in the world, in the hands of readers and other authors, librarians who, if you’re very lucky, might passionately support your book, lending their voice to your creation.

It’s a mysterious magic. It’s a little like a leap of faith. You close your eyes, hoping that you’ll be able to float, not fall, or at least build your wings on the way down, as the quote goes. And for me, I always built my wings, found a tail wind that carried me past the first awkward pages, onto the next chapter and the next, until I was finished. A first draft became a second, a third.

Then a published book. Then another.

Then, the magic stopped.

***

People talk about their writing processes, the triumphs, the fear, the joy, the frustration. They don’t talk about writer’s block, or just plain fatigue. Writers guard the magic closely, cupping their hands around the spark like Bastian in the Neverending Story, making our wishes to tell the first, we hope, of a thousand stories.

No one wants to talk about what happens when the spark goes out.

 

I tried everything. I tried to force it. I tried to let go of expectations. I tried taking breaks and coming back refreshed. I tried reading favorite books to get my mojo back. Nothing.

Not being able to write, not knowing if you’ll be able to again, is paralyzing. To have the words and feelings on the tip of your tongue, yet trapped there, is a goddamn tragedy. It’s like you’ve been breathing easily all your life, and now all you get is a tiny sip of air. It’s like living in the light, then someone plunges you into darkness. You don’t have a light switch, or a flashlight, or a match. There’s just darkness. You know there’s a way out, but for the life of you, you can’t find it. You start to panic. You start to believe you’ll always be in the dark.

And you miss the light. You miss it with everything you are. 

***

When the year started, I had a clear plan: a novella, the second Walker Boys book, and then the first companion to ONE SONG AWAY. I bought a planner that sat on my desk, collecting dust. I opened the novella document so many times, but writing wasn’t easy anymore.

It was hard. 

It was painful. 

I leapt, but my wings were just paper, paper that couldn’t hold me aloft for long. 

I fell. 

***

Over the next weeks, I threw myself into work, and didn’t think about writing at all. I knew, in my heart, that the novella wasn’t working, and worse, *nothing* was working. There was a place I wanted so badly to get Jonah and Quinn to, but it wasn’t going to happen the way I’d originally envisioned. So I worked. I spent time with friends. I read.

I went to the beach with two of my best friends and my girlfriend. I slept with the sound of the ocean carrying me into sweet dreams, and I laughed until I cried, and cried out of sheer joy, which is never a bad reason to cry. I came home with a plan for the future in terms of where I want to end up…and somewhere in the middle of all that, I let go of what wasn’t working.

What I did might work for the next person, and it might not. All I know is that when I rebooted, I felt a bit of the old me, the me that knew how to string words together into a pretty sentence, into something that can bring a setting to life, make a character seem real, like a friend.

I opened a new Scrivener project and named it AS YOU BREATHE AGAIN. In some ways, I’ve been waiting to tell Reece Walker’s story since he appeared, fully fleshed, in the middle of AS YOU TURN AWAY’s Chapter Two.

It was a new beginning. 

***

Writing again was tentative. Tender, like the first time you dare to stretch your foot after a painful cramp locks you up, making moving impossible. It was fragile, like repairing a nearly severed relationship. It was like coming back to your childhood home, where things are different, but yet the same, too.

That novella, AS WE FALL TOGETHER, is still in my Scrivener. After a few difficult months, I had to admit to myself that even though I had ideas for a Jonah and Quinn novella, it wasn’t working. It wasn’t the right time, and maybe it wasn’t the right time for *them*, either. As much as I want to check in on them after AS YOU TURN AWAY, a novella isn’t the way to do it. I’m working on different ideas for that peek into their lives before AS YOU TURN AWAY and their appearances in AS YOU BREATHE AGAIN, and I’ll update y’all as soon as I know how it’s going to happen. Because it will. I’m not giving up.

Instead, I’m taking a leap again, on Reece and Lanie’s book. It will be out this year, but beyond that, I can’t say for sure. I wanted to publish it in the summer, and that may still happen. It may be the fall. It may be the winter. It may be the only book I release this year. And that’s okay. 

Every word is a little easier. That magic is working again, sometimes in fits and starts, sometimes with a creak or a groan, but it’s working.

I’ll never take it for granted again.

I learned that they say “Eyes on your own paper” for a reason. I cannot compete with other writers. I am not them. I don’t write any anyone’s pace but my own. Putting out less or more books a year than other authors does not lessen *my* accomplishments. My readers, I hope, will be here on this journey.

And it is. A journey. I focused too hard on the destination, thought I could speed my way through the aching growing pains of creating another book. I thought if I wanted it hard enough, I could get there faster by forcing it out. I thought I had to change my timeline.

Now, I see that I can only write on my own timeline. I can only write for myself. I can only hold myself to my own expectations. I don’t need to look at anyone else’s grass, seeking a greener hue. I only need to work patiently on my own.

***

Add AS YOU BREATHE AGAIN to your TBR on Goodreads | Follow the Pinterest board

Mol Reads Books: Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson
Series: In Focus #1
Published by Penguin Intermix on March 17, 2015
Add on Goodreads
Buy @ Barnes&Noble • Buy @ Amazon • Genres: new adult
Source: Galley from the publisher

With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.


As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.


But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.


Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.

 

No gif-tastic review for this book, lovelies. It meant a great deal to me, made me swoon and laugh and cry, so I need to do something a bit different. I call this my “Love Letter to an Author.”

 

Dear Megan Erickson,

As soon as I heard about TRUST THE FOCUS and JusLan, I was excited. The world needs more boy/boy books. More friends-to-more books, because sometimes those are just the most poignant. And most importantly, we need more coming out books, and books that combine the scariness of coming out, with the freedom, deep-breath-and-get-busy-living-ness of afterward. Of After. Of Being You, Genuinely. Of Leaving the Fear Behind. Of Not Being Ashamed. We need all of these things, and you made TRUST THE FOCUS a celebration of them, of friendship and romance, and two guys being friends who are in love, and how big and overwhelming that is, and how love is worth changing your life for.

I’ve talked a lot about my coming out experience, about the aftermath, and about why we need diverse books, and the type of diverse books I plan to write. I’ve talked about what it’s like to be out and in love. I’ve tried to show that the positives in my life since I came out far outweigh the negative, but I believe that *both* aspects — the before and the after — are relevant and inspiring and vital.

What I loved so much about TRUST THE FOCUS is that it all comes together. You have the richly written setting along the road trip route, the beautifully described emotions (grief, wonder, fear), and most of all, the characters. *sigh* I immediately felt like I knew Landry: silly, out-and-proud Landry, with his ink and tendency to burst out singing, his huge, beating heart, and Justin: closeted, caring, afraid, angry, missing his dad. Justin, with his carefully guarded secrets, his other side that no one ever saw. Justin, who could reach Landry when no one else could.

Oh, these boys.

JusLan were the heart of TRUST THE FOCUS. With every picture Justin took, every blog post Landry created, I felt myself giving in to the feelings this book was making me feel so keenly. The doubt both guys so obviously felt, that a relationship would ever happen for them. The amazement, the hope that it could. The fear — would they be able to make it work? Would the world accept them? I know that fear. I’ve inhaled it, exhaling even more of it as I stood in front of yet another new person I needed to come out to, waiting with baited breath for that moment when their expression shuttered, changing.

It hasn’t happened more than a handful of times, but God, I always anticipate it. I know what Justin and Landry were feeling, as they worked through it, choosing bravery and hope over fear. I know what they went through, before they were honest with each other. When I realized I was falling for my best friend, I spent a few weeks wrestling with what to do before I told her how I felt, and asked if she thought there was any chance for us.

I wondered for weeks. Justin and Landry wondered for years. Years. At the point of TRUST THE FOCUS where we knew they were taking that leap together, over the hill they’d pushed up together, I had cried so often. Laughed. Swooned. Yearned just like the two of them, for that moment, that spark that would light their flame.

I read the second half of TRUST THE FOCUS on my back porch, sitting in the sunshine. There were moments I didn’t think I’d be able to finish, because of the beautiful sense that they’d each found their path. Megan wrote that SO very well. It resonated, seeing them each want to change, partially for the other, but mostly for themselves. Seeing all of Justin’s growth felt so much like my own, those moments when I was facing a crossroads and made the choice to live bravely, to shed all my armor and march forward, no matter what it meant…because it was worth it, to be ME, finally.

During TRUST THE FOCUS, I’d have to put down my Nook several times because I was crying too hard. Sometimes it was from sadness, wondering if JusLan would make it through this storm or that one. Sometimes it was from happiness. And more than once, it was because I was texting quotes to my girl, my path, my heart.

 

“I wouldn’t change it you know,” he said, his breath raising goose bumps on the skin of my neck. “The girls, the other boys, everything we experienced before this moment. Because that was all wrong. And I think we needed to feel what was wrong to know what’s right.”

Like that one there. I cried so much when I let those words wash over me like an ocean wave. I’ve been there. I’ve felt what’s wrong so that I’d be prepared, ready to be in the relationship that was right.

I could go on for days about this book, about how *important* it is. About how relevant coming-out stories still ARE, because there are places were LGBTQ folks still aren’t safe, where we have to weigh the pros and cons of coming out against staying closeted. I could pull quotes, scenes that tugged so hard at my heart. I could talk to you about what a well-written, beautiful, BRAVE book TRUST THE FOCUS is.

Or I could just ask you to read it for yourself. Please.

Megan, thank you thank you for such a lovely, heart-felt book. Thank you for giving a voice to people like me. Thank you for reminding me that the choice to live honestly and genuinely is always, always worth whatever comes afterward.

The One with First Chapter Friday

Welcome to First Chapter Friday!

Curious what this event is about? Organized by fab indie author Elizabeth Barone, First Chapter Friday is a fun way for a few authors to give readers sneak peeks into their works-in-progress. Participating with me are: Elizabeth Barone, Noree Cosper, J.C. Hannigan, and Mina V. Esguerra.

What’s in it for YOU: a printed, signed copy of the first chapter of everyone’s (minus me) first chapter of their WIP! Each author has done as I have, and posted their first chapter at their blog, but we’ll all be pulling winners from our email subscription list. So from mine, FOUR people will win, each winning one of the first chapters. Four winners from the others will each win a copy of MY first chapter.

How to win: RSVP to the Facebook event page, then sign up for each author’s newsletter! Easy peasy, right? Be sure to sign up for my newsletter, too, so I can draw winners! You can do all this in about 5 minutes!

What am I sharing with you? The first chapter of AS YOU BREATHE AGAIN, aka Farm Boy Book. It’s the second in my The Walker Boys series! I’ve been trying to write this one for the better part of a year, and it’s finally coming together. Note: this is not the final version, as it’s only been through one light edit. 

*******

“You know, this always looks a lot easier in the movies.”

Twisting around as best as she could in the tiny-as-fuck closet, Delaney Shaw tugged her shirt over her head. She wasn’t sure how long they had before gym period was over, but she wasn’t going to waste a second with Sex On a Stick in classroom 202. She’d been eye-sexing him all week, waiting for this moment.

“A lot of things look easier in the movies,” he grunted, practically tearing off his shirt. “Like playing golf, getting a job, and hooking up in an elementary school supply closet.” His g’s were soft, slip-sliding out with the hint of a drawl, probably the product of growing up somewhere in the south. Right now Lanie needed him to do other things with his mouth, and if he wanted to go down south on her, well that was fine.

“Shut up,” she hissed, stepping out of her skirt in one fluid motion, “and kiss me.” Her panties hit the floor next, a whoosh of cool air kissing her thighs.

“Yes m’am.”

As soon as his mouth touched hers, she wanted to crawl inside this moment, because her brain went quiet. There was no thinking ahead or wondering if this was a disaster waiting to happen. Lanie wasn’t really a “plan for the future” kind of girl to begin with, so right now the only future she wanted to think about was the next few minutes and nothing else. Just him. Just touches and heat and his tongue gliding against hers. His hands cupping her through her bra, the thin silk suddenly irritatingly in the way. He slid his hands around to the clasp, fumbling with it.

Breaking their embrace, Lanie reached behind her back, undoing her bra for him. God knew it wasn’t the first time. Bras were kryptonite to some guys, but Lanie wasn’t going to let that stop her. As it fell to the floor, she didn’t miss the appreciative way 202 eyed her breasts. Most guys had a hard-on for that kind of thing when it came to girls with an abundance of blessings in the chest area—but time and place. She didn’t blame him, or any of them. If they’d had time, she’d be setting cruise control at a slower pace so she could take her time with him.

“Eyes on me,” she whispered, moving slightly to the left. The last thing she wanted was a broom all up on her when she wanted 202 all up on her.

Taking charge, she looped her arms around his neck. He didn’t hesitate to kiss her, but he seemed afraid of making the next move. Any other time, she’d be down for all kinds of foreplay, but they were on the clock here. And okay, the only way this had a prayer of working was if they got aligned right, and neither of them stepped in a mop bucket, but dammit, she needed this. She needed to lose herself in 202, and no, she didn’t want to know his name or get his number.

Moving her lips to his neck, Lanie dropped her hands to his pants and worked on undoing his belt. She kissed and licked him lightly, unzipping his pants at the same time. It would have to be a quickie, but it would also be a hell of a lot better than the nothing she’d had recently. She hadn’t gotten off without the help of something battery-operated in too long.

“Have you ever done this before?” He sounded almost breathless.

“Here?” She smirked. “No, sugar, but this isn’t my first rodeo. Why?”

“It’s mine.” He met her eyes, suddenly looking younger than she’d realized.

Fuck her life, was he serious? Oh this was so not her week. If there was an award for Most Laughably Bad Week Ever, Lanie was the sole contender right now. First prize was apparently trying to seduce a virgin while the smell of cleaner hung in the air.

“Are you serious?” Reaching for her skirt, she tugged it over her hips, fastening the wide belt. She hadn’t even thought about him being inexperienced, just assumed he’d carpe’d as much diem as she had in college. Even if his college experience was a few years more recent than hers. Whoops. Apparently she was wrong, and now she wasn’t getting any.

Again.

Aaaaand her lady boner was gone. Fuck this week. Fuck it as hard as she wished she was being fucked right now. She growled under her breath as she struggled back into her bra and shirt.

“Look, I’m sorry, but it isn’t going to happen.” Her shoulders slumped. Didn’t he know better than to go around in New York City being honest about his virginity?

“You mean here?” 202 squinted, thinking. “If you can wait until tonight, I can see if my mom will go out with some friends—”

Making a face, Lanie shoved his shirt at him. He looked confused, like a lost puppy. Some other time, he would have been adorable. There still wasn’t any chance she would have slept with him, though. God knew she had enough issues of her own without deflowering someone.

“No, I mean at all.” Drawing back her shoulders, she sighed. She definitely wasn’t watching the way his muscles bunched as he put on his shirt. “If this really is your first time, it sure as hell isn’t going to be with me.”

Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Lanie made a hurry-up gesture at 202. She didn’t know what the protocol was for getting caught hooking up on school grounds, but she wasn’t keen on finding out for sure. She needed out of this situation, now.

“But I thought…”

She nodded. “I know. You’re great, really, but I’m not emotionally equipped to deflower someone.”

His face fell. “Okay. If it helps, I promise I’m not gonna morph into a stage 5 clinger.”

“You did not just reference Wedding Crashers.”

“If I actually did, does that earn a shot with you?” His dark eyes sparkled at her until she pulled the cord, sending them into darkness.

“Sorry,” Lanie offered, backing out into the hallway. “Get back with me when you’ve had all kinds of safe sex and I won’t feel bad about corrupting you.”

She was back in her classroom, the bell signaling the beginning of last period shrilling at her, before she realized she’d left her panties in the closet.

Yep. Worst. Week. Ever.

___

“I’m sorry…” Lanie worked on keeping her tone even and unclenching her fists. “Can you repeat that, please?”

Leaning forward in her chair, Lilah Summers sighed. “No, I’m sorry, Delaney. I know how much you love teaching, so it breaks my heart to tell you this, but it’s out of my hands. We won’t be renewing your contract for another school year.”

Even hearing the words a second time didn’t make them real. They floated through Lanie’s mind, staying just outside her grasp. Teasing her with her worst fear. She felt numb. The pressure of Lilah’s fingers around hers barely registered.

“But next year would be my third year here.” She swallowed once, twice, forcing herself to stay ahead of the lump forming in her throat. “I need it to get tenure or I’m…” The word was there, but it wouldn’t come out, stuck somewhere between her pride and disappointment. “Jobless.”

Lilah frowned. “Yes. I fought for you, but with the recent budget cuts and the decision to extend tenure to two other teachers, we just don’t have room for you here. I deeply wish we did, because I think you are a wonderful, caring teacher.”

“I can’t believe this.” Standing, Lanie circled her chair, unable to face her principal. Lilah took her under her wing when Lanie began teaching her, and through the insane policies, the late nights, the pencil-thin budget for her classroom—Lanie thought there was a place for her here. She didn’t take much seriously, but teaching meant a lot to her.

“If there’s anything you need…”

“I need a job.”

Lilah’s gray eyes were already filling with tears by the time Lanie realized how razor-sharp her words were. The older woman recoiled slightly in her chair. The color fled her cheeks as she folded her hands together, worrying them.

“Lilah, that was uncalled for.” Lanie clutched the back of the chair she’d sat in on so many occasions: hopeful when she was first hired, excited during those first months, stressed later, when she supplemented her classroom needs with her own funds. She couldn’t imagine never stepping inside Lilah’s office again. “I just…it doesn’t feel real.”

Without a teaching job secured, Lanie would be officially jobless in a week. She’d worried when the end of the school year approached and she hadn’t heard anything about her contract, but she’d told herself that she was kick-ass at her job (supply closet hook-ups notwithstanding). She worked late, went all out decorating her classroom, and her kids loved her. She made their classroom a safe haven for all of them, and loved watching them learn. Loved seeing their faces light up when they came in on Monday mornings and saw her waiting. Some of her kids didn’t have the most stable of home lives.

Having them in her life grounded Lanie like nothing else ever had.

“What are you going to do?” Lilah asked gently.

Shrugging, Lanie met the principal’s gaze. She honestly didn’t know. She had to work. Anna Shaw would kick her ass if Lanie told her she’d essentially been fired and had no game plan. Her Mama raised her to make the best of every situation. Even one like this.

“I guess I’ll be job-hunting.” Lanie scowled at the thought of sending out resumes and hoping she landed an interview. At best, she was looking at a long summer of working retail and knocking on doors every chance she got. But she’d do it. She had to teach. Had to make a difference.

“Please know I’m always available as a reference.” Lilah smiled at her. “I wish we could have kept you here. You are a terrific teacher, Delaney.”

Sensing the conversation was over, like her teaching career, Lanie stood. “Thanks, Lilah. I really do appreciate you and all you’ve done for me.” She worked up a smile she didn’t really feel, and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Once she was outside the office, Lanie leaned against the wall, needing the support. Her legs were shaky things, incapable of holding her on their own at this moment. She had just lost her job. She was twenty-five. She was supposed to be past this stage in her life. She didn’t have the “But I’m barely out of high school!” excuse to cling to at this point, couldn’t say she was new to adulthood. She was supposed to know what she wanted to do, and be doing it. Not looking forward to a summer of asking “Do you want fries with that?”

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, jolting her out of a grease-soaked nightmarish glimpse into her future. Lanie pulled her phone out of her pocket, glancing at the new text. It was from Quinn. Lanie read the text, only half comprehending what she was reading. Then it hit her, the first thing to break through the panic in the last hour.

Quinn. Lanie latched onto her best friend like a lifeline, using the thought of her almost-sister to pull herself to shore. She made a dash for her classroom, closing the door firmly behind her and collapsing into her desk chair.

Quinn, who Lanie hadn’t seen in months. Quinn, who lived in a picturesque Southern town, complete with tractor pulls and town festivals. Quinn, who had a guest room and, in the last year, had become open to pretty much anything. Quinn, who would hopefully love a visit from Lanie. Even if it was just a week or two, it would mean getting out of the city and a chance to catch her breath.

Before she could second-guess the idea, Lanie dialed her best friend’s number. When Quinn picked up, slightly breathless, Lanie smiled at the voice, as familiar to her as her own. She’d missed her Q over the past months, and this was the push she needed to make up for being a shitty friend recently.

“Hey you. What are you doing this summer?”

 

Meet Lanie Shaw

 

So…that’s my Lanie. Sex-positive, kind of a player, loves her friends like whoa. What do y’all think of her?

Visit the AS YOU BREATHE AGAIN Pinterest board. | Add to your TBR on Goodreads.

Cover Reveal: One Chance Night by Eliza Boyd

Guyyyyyys. I am SO flippin’ excited to FINALLY get the chance to reveal to the world the gorgeous cover for my friend Eliza Boyd’s debut novel, ONE CHANCE NIGHT. I read this book awhile back as a beta reader and I swooned so hard, laughed, cried a little, then swooned some more. I can’t wait for y’all to read it.

 

 

Author: Eliza Boyd
Book: One Chance Night
Series: Make A Change #1
Release Date: May 15, 2015



Blurb:

On the surface, Chelsea Greer has it all: A loving husband. A nice house. A good job.

In reality, she works hard to maintain the illusion that is her life. She’s also missing the most important thing:

Love.

One night could change her life. One night could give her the strength to rediscover what’s important. In one night, she could find love when she most needs it and least expects it.

All Chelsea has to do is follow her heart after One Chance Night.

 

One Chance Night Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/user/elizabo...

About the MAKE A CHANGE series:
One Chance Night, Two Pink Lines, and Three Years Gone are about women who are at turning points in their lives—and fall in love in the process. Each book focuses on one woman, and the women are connected to the other in some way. Though each could be read as a stand-alone as far as the main story is concerned, you’ll likely want to read them in order to the get most out of the series.


About Eliza Boyd: Eliza Boyd is a contemporary women’s fiction and romance author. Also an avid reader, she writes novels, short stories, poetry, and whatever else strikes her fancy. Born and raised in Northern Illinois, she now lives in sunny Arizona with her husband and her plethora of animals. When she’s not reading, writing, or working, she can be found walking around her neighborhood (for exercise, not for stalking), taking photos of her pets, or catching up on her favorite shows. Catching up really means binge-watching. Feel free to contact her on any of her social media sites. She spends too much time on the Internet, so she’ll probably get back to you right away.

 

Connect With Eliza:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Instagram | Pinterest | Blog | Newsletter

 

 

What do you guys think? Isn’t it lovely? Aren’t you psyched to read Eliza’s book? How ’bout a little teaser?