Andrea Nourse's Blog, page 11

After Everything Cover Reveal

I am so excited to FINALLY reveal my new book, After Everything. This book is my heart and soul on paper. Keep reading to learn more! And, if you’re interested in joining the blog tour and receiving an advance copy, please check out the link below!

After Everything Blog Tour Application

All Abby Rhodes wants is a chance to pursue her songwriting dreams. When she leaves her husband on Christmas Eve and puts their Missouri hometown in her rearview mirror, she heads straight to Nashville and onto the doorstep of her estranged father.

But in typical Abby fashion, nothing goes as planned.

Unemployed and alone, Abby lands a job waiting tables at her neighborhood dive bar. There she meets a local singer-songwriter with steel-grey eyes and a reputation that threatens to unlock Abby’s small-town innocence.

Just as Nashville starts to feel like home, her past comes crashing back in the form of her soon-to-be ex-husband, forcing her to confront the truth behind her midnight escape.

If Abby can’t reconcile her history with her future, she might lose out on her dreams and her second chance at finding love.

STAY TUNED FOR PRE-ORDER INFORMATION!

What’s Left of Me, Kristen Granata

I know I don’t give star ratings anymore but if I did, What’s Left of Me would get all of them. Every last f-ing star.

This book is raw, honest, emotional, and filled with hope. Kristen’s writing is so beautiful and perfect as she guides the reader through the story.

Did I cry? Yup. Did I laugh? Yup … be honest Kristen, you’re totally Josie. Fierce, loyal, protective. A potty mouth that would make a sailor need a dictionary.

If this book isn’t on your TBR, go buy it now. I read it in one night because I could not put it down.

Oh, and look, my nails match Kristen’s cover too!

Releasing Your Words into the Wild

On Sunday, I sent the first ARCs of After Everything out into the world.

I had the emails and attachments ready. Then, I started at the screen with my mouse hovering over the send button. I stayed frozen in that position for a very long time … longer than I’d like to admit.

When I finally hit send, I held my breath and tried to steady my heartbeat. I failed and it felt as though it would race right out of my chest.

It’s scary sending a piece of you out into the world knowing it will be judged and reviewed and not loved by all. Some people will hate it. They won’t like Abby or my writing voice.

It will sting when I see those reviews, but that’s okay. Not every book is for every reader. Writers don’t write to please everyone, at least I don’t. I write because I want at least one person to read the story and see a piece of themselves inside one of the characters.

I see some of me in Abby, but there is also parts of a someone who once meant a lot to me; someone I don’t see or speak to much anymore—someone I miss dearly. In a way, After Everything brought this friend back to me in the form of Abby.

This is what I hope to bring to readers through the characters they meet and the stories I tell. Connection. Belonging. A feeling of being seen.

How We Fight For Our Lives, Saeed Jones

Raw. Honest. Real. Those are the words I’d use to describe Saeed’s memoir.

As a gay Black man raised in Texas, Saeed details his self-discovery and the struggles he and his single mother faced. And, he doesn’t hold back.

In addition to being a powerful story, Saeed’s writing had a melodic flow that pulled me in and held me captive.

After Everything

There is just something magical about holding your words in your hand. The weight of them becomes real, and they come alone.

When I started writing After Everything, I decided to write it for myself. I didn’t give myself rules or deadlines. I let my characters guide me—and boy did they!

This book is special to me on so many levels and I cannot wait to share it with you in a few months.

If you haven’t already, add it to your Goodreads shelf.

What You Wish For, Katherine Center

(Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy)

Before I dive into my review, if you haven’t swiped to the second photo, please take a moment to join me obsessing over this week’s mani.

Alright, on to the book, which I loved!

I’ve yet to read a Katherine Center novel that I didn’t fall completely in love with, but What You Wish For just might be my favorite.

I adored Sam and Duncan, Babette, Clay, Alice, and evening Tina (eventually).

The message of joy and love and personal forgiveness was so refreshing and just what I needed. Plus, Katherine Center has such a gift for writing real, relatable characters.

It’s Okay to Let Go

Just write. Pick up the pen and let ‘er rip.

I stare at the blank page and then close my eyes as if I’m willing the words to appear. Of course, they don’t.

While there is a bit of magic in finding the right words, the right story, and the right characters, it also requires work.

I know I’ve discussed this in past posts, but I’m a plotter. I like to sit with my characters and listen for their voice and stories. My outlines are usually rough sketches written with the intent of being changed as I write and discover the quirks of my characters.

Sometimes, though, I write the perfect outline with characters and stories that I fall in love with. But somewhere along the way, I lose inspiration and stop writing.

Those moments hurt. I tell myself that I can come back to them when the time is right, but I rarely do. In some small way, I mourn the loss and move on. Occasionally, the characters come back to me and I find their new/true story. Most of the time, I don’t. I let them go and move on.

I’m slowly learning to be okay with this, and to accept that while it feels like a failure, it’s not. As a writer, it’s important to know when to walk away and when o push through. The hard stories need to be told, too.

Some day, I’ll find the words and inspiration to return to those characters I’ve left behind. If I don’t, though, that’s okay too.

What Comes Next

As I dive head-first back into my self-publishing journey, I keep looking back at the books and characters that started it all.

When I started my writing journey, I wrote poems and song lyrics. Music was and is a huge part of my life. I could spend hours getting lost in an album dissecting lyrics and searching for a line that spoke to me.

The shift to writing novels was gradual and intimidating. I didn’t know how I could write 80,000 words about anything. Did I even know that many words.

Turns out I did, and once I started, I couldn’t stop.

My latest book, After Everything (keep reading for the blurb), pulls my love of music and songwriting into my love for storytelling. In it, a young woman leaves behind her life to start over and chase her dreams.

While I’ve loved all of my books, this is the one I’m most excited for. It is the most “me” too be allowed my writing to be.

Over the next few months, I’ll be sharing a little bit more about Abby & After Everything, and I hope you fall as in love with her as I did.

AFTER EVERYTHING
All Abby Rhodes wants is a chance to pursue her songwriting dreams. When she leaves her husband on Christmas Eve and puts their Missouri hometown in her rearview mirror, she heads straight to Nashville and onto the doorstep of her estranged father.

But in typical Abby fashion, nothing goes as planned.

Unemployed and alone, Abby lands a job waiting tables at her neighborhood dive bar. There she meets a local singer-songwriter with steel-grey eyes and a reputation that threatens to unlock Abby’s small-town innocence.

Just as Nashville starts to feel like home, her past comes crashing back in the form of her soon-to-be ex-husband, forcing her to confront the truth behind her midnight escape.

If Abby can’t reconcile her history with her future, she might lose out on her dreams and her second chance at finding love.

A Burning

I finished this book on Saturday and have been trying to find the words for a review.

As much as I loved this book, it angered me. Jivan’s story was heartbreaking and, sadly, it is a reality for so many.

While reading, I found myself yelling at those who refused to stand up for Jivan and those that eventually allowed the pressures of the government and society.

While I can’t say I enjoyed this book, I did like it—if that makes sense. The writing and narrative voice was unique for each character, which made the story leap from the pages. The topic was heavy but important.

I definitely recommend this book.

Saving Ruby King, Catherine Adel West

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

Family. Friendship. Secrets. Lies. Saving Ruby King wove all of these elements into an unexpected and heartbreaking story.

Layla’s dedication to both her friend Ruby and the truth was what really sucked me into the story. Her loyalty and strength were inspiring.

I loved pretty much everything about this book, but especially the role the church building played and how the history was told.