Reviews you wanna read

5-star review at Wine Relaxation and My Kindle!

Ana's Attic Book Blog is packed with all kinds of goodies: review, guest post, and additional scene.

Tuesday and Wednesday Tour Stops

Reviews:

Vilma's Book Blog
SinfulReads Blog (Not yet posted)

Excerpt:

Book Reviews and More by Kathy

Review and Guest Post:

Enticed by Books

Memorial Day Weekend Tour Stops

Hi Everyone! Thought it would be easier to post all these tour stops together. After you get back from your Memorial Day mini break, you can check them out!

Saturday, May 25 - Review Stop

The Boyfriend Bookmark
Choo Choo Tre

Sunday, May 26

Lori at Just Bookin' Around featured a guest post written by yours truly. If you're interested in learning about my choices behind the epilogue scene (why I wrote the sex the way I did), then stop by to read about it. But don't read it if you haven't read Going Under. There are many details revealed in the post that you don't want to discover until you read for yourself.

The Book Avenue packed their post full of Going Under stuff: synopsis, excerpt, additional scene. Go check it out and help support this great blog!

Monday, May 27

Book Excerpt: Rainy Day Reads
Review: Scandalicious Book Reviews (Not yet posted. Check back.)

Rounding out the Work Week

Don't miss these stops on the tour!

 

Reviews:

Up All Night Book Blog

Naughty and Nice Book Blog

Devoured Words (not yet posted)

 

Promo and Excerpt:

Nose Graze

(image created by Bree at Fun, Fab, and Tantalizing Reads)

A Birthday Kiss and Review

Oh, man. Isabel is one LUCKY girl! Check out her blog today. She actually had Ryan stop by and wish her a "Happy Birthday." And yes. There was a kiss involved. :)

And don't miss out on a review at Sugar and Spice Book Reviews! Good stuff today, peeps. Good stuff.

Interview and Promo

I think bloggers have been doing a fantastic job asking me questions not tackled in previous interviews. I haven't done a lot of interviews, but I've done quite a few, and I must say that the questions are always original and surprising. Check out the interview at A Love Affair With Books and learn about my superhuman power. :) Also, don't miss the promo at Reading is my Breathing.

Day Five

Hi Everyone. More reviews for you at Confessions of a Book Heaux and Globug and Hootie Need a Book. Check them out!

Also, don't forget that there's still time to bid on the Going Under Ultimate Prize Pack. Help support author Brenda Novack's diabetes drive.

Can't get enough of reviews!

Today, Say It With Books and Love N. Books are featuring reviews of Going Under. Encourage your friends and family to stop by these blogs if they haven't given Going Under a chance or if they need some more persuasion. :) xo

Review Day!

Check out more reviews today of Going Under!

Romance Addict Book Blog

Classy Ladies Dirty Books

Jessica's Book Review

Killer Post

Hey Everyone!

We're on Day Three of the I *heart* Ryan tour, and I gotta tell you: Nicole at Book Addicts Not-So Anonymous blew my mind with her post. I can't really explain it (and I'm supposed to be good with words). You just have to check out her blog to understand. This is WAY more than just a review of Going Under. (Oh, my heart feels so happy right now!) Thank you, Nicole, for one killer post.

Missed my post about the Going Under soundtrack? Well, you can listen to it over at Literati Literature Lovers. It's accompanied by song explanations as well. Don't read those if you haven't yet read the book. I don't want to spoil anything for you!

xo Summer

Review Stops!

Check out reviews at the following tour stops today:

BookLYSS (not yet posted)

Brittany's Book Reviews

Tour: Day One

First Stops on the Tour!

 

 

Super excited to finally get this tour underway! I hope you guys will stop by and support these amazing blogs each day as they feature Going Under and all things Ryan. Here's what you can expect today, along with some fun facts about our leading man. Go. Learn. Swoon.

Check out Morning After a Good Book for a 5-star review of Going Under.

Need a little taste of the book before making a commitment? Go to She Reads New Adult and Seeking Book Boyfriends for an excerpt.

And make sure you enter for a chance to win all the goodies in the I *heart* Ryan giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I *heart* Ryan GOING UNDER Blog Tour Schedule

WARNING: Long ass post ahead. Just sayin'.


It's almost here! The I *heart* Ryan tour starts tomorrow! I'm so incredibly stoked about this tour because it's all things Ryan, and I think you'll be uber happy about it :) The schedule is below, and each day I'll post links to the blogs that are featuring me. I hope you follow the tour. Yeah, it's a long one, but you're learning something new every day. Invite your friends to tag along as well, especially if they haven't read the book. It may just entice them to. xo (Ugh. Totally ended that last sentence with a preposition.)

Tour Schedule

May 15

Morning After a Good Book – Review

She Reads New Adult - Promo/Excerpt

Seeking Book Boyfriends - Promo/Excerpt

May 16

BookLYSS Book Blog – Review

Brittany's Book Reviews – Review

May 17

Literati Literature Lovers – Promo/Playlist

Book Addicts Not So Anonymous – Review

May 18

Classy Ladies Dirty Books – Review

Jessica's Book Review - Review

May 19

Say It With Books – Review

Love N. Books - Review

May 20

Confessions of a Book Heaux – Review

Globug and Hootie Need A Book – Review

May 21

A Love Affair with Books – Author Interview

Reading Is My Breathing – Review

May 22

Sab The Book Eater – Guest Post

Sugar and Spice Book Reviews – Review

May 23

Up All Night Book Blog – Review

Nose Graze - Promo/Excerpt

May 24

Devoured Words – Review

Naughty and Nice Book Blog – Review

May 25

The Boyfriend Bookmark – Review

Choo Choo Tre - Review

May 26

Just Bookin' Around – Guest Post

The Book Avenue - Promo/Excerpt

May 27

Rainy Day Reads - Promo/Excerpt

Scandalicious Book Reviews – Review

May 28

Vilma's Book Blog – Review

Book Reviews & More by Kathy - Promo/Excerpt

May 29

SinfulReads Blog – Review

Enticed by Books – Guest Post

May 30

Wine Relaxation and MY Kindle – Review

Ana's Attic Book Blog – Guest Post

May 31

Fab fun and tantalizing reads – Character Interview (Ryan)

Amber's Reading Room – Review

June 1

Bean Counting Mommy – Review

SMIBookClub – Review

June 2

Confessions From Romaholics – Character Interview (Brooke)

Book Crush – Review

June 3

Book Reader Chronicles – Review

The Shadow Realm – Author Interview

June 4

Tiffany Talks Books – Author Interview

Infected Loser – Review

June 5

Love Between the Sheets – Review

Cocktails and Books – Promo/Excerpt

Romance Addict Book Blog – Character Interview (Cal)

And to kick off this tour I thought I'd share a guest post from my editor, Julie. She wanted to describe her experience for you editing Going Under. Please don't read this if you've not read the book. She goes into specifics with the storyline, and I don't want it to ruin the book for you. Enjoy this little read. It's funny and insightful and all the things that make up Julie. :)

Adventures in Editing: Going Under

 

           Going Under is a gripping, emotional reading experience. It was also a far-flung, messy and rewarding editing experience!

           Summer has an amazing knack for delivering manuscripts just as I set off to travel. Going Under arrived a few days before I left for a major business trip. Tucked safely in my carry-on, the manuscript traveled through six states; shared a plane with a 1980s sitcom star; saw ocean, desert, mountains and snowfall; bunked in a dazzling hotel; and sat through some excruciatingly boring business meetings.

           Editing this manuscript was a bloody process. On a flight from Nashville to Los Angeles, about 15,000 feet above an expanse of flat brown prairie, my pen exploded. Puddles of ink pooled on the pages as I frantically whipped out my travel tissues and begged fellow passengers for their cocktail napkins. With horrified faces, they quickly obliged as ink streamed down my fingers and arms. Summer has the manuscript now, and I can’t remember the ink color (I blocked it out – I think it was blue), but forever in my mind, it is bloody, bloody red. Note to self: when writing on airplanes, stick with cheap ball points. Those silky-smooth roller-ball pens turn to shit under cabin pressure.

           Yes, Summer and I take editing old-school. We edit her work on paper. Each of us spends enough time on computers to appreciate the opportunity to step away from them. She says it’s easier to incorporate the edits if she sees them on paper. I enjoy the ability to immediately respond to what I’m reading without clicking any “comment” buttons. And you can’t beat the portability of paper. It may be a quaint system, but it works for us.

          Going Under was originally titled Slut. I loved that title. Summer and I were the only ones who did. She renamed the book after a lot of input from trusted advisors and a lot of soul searching. I hated to see Slut forsaken as the title, but Going Under truly is an appropriate name for this book. I love its many facets, its allusions and limitless metaphorical implications.

          Brooke has claustrophobia. Me? I had a few panic attacks while editing Going Under – starting with the first chapter. I despised Brooke in Chapter 1 of the first draft. I yelled at the early Brooke on the page: “GET OVER YOURSELF!” I phoned Summer after I read it: “I can’t stand Brooke! As I reader, I have to like her enough to move on to Chapter 2!” We agreed that Brooke needed a bit of charm school in the first chapter. Summer did a great job of softening Brooke early in the story, showing her vulnerability and humanity, along with her vanity and guilt. Her revisions of Chapter 1 give us a sympathetic yet imperfect Brooke. But if you look at the early manuscript, my disdain for Brooke is unmistakable.

          Another sticky point in the editing: It is logically impossible to allow one’s self to be raped. Rape, by definition, is involuntary – except perhaps in some cases of consensual statutory rape. Framing someone for rape charges isn’t a rape: It’s a set-up. We can all agree that Brooke was in a dark and twisted headspace as her plan unfolded, and that Cal and his cronies are scumbags. But the concept of “trying to get raped” is an oxymoron. One major editing challenge was constructing precise language that didn’t state that Brooke, in her distorted condition, was “trying to get raped.” Intensive effort went into weaving the text to distinguish a rape from a set-up. The book owed that to readers, and perhaps more importantly, to victims of sexual violence who all too often must endure the horror of proving they weren’t complicit. Summer carefully refined the syntax to ensure clarity and sensitivity in the language. It was one of those seamless time-intensive efforts that won’t be obvious to readers, but it required a lot of sweat equity by the author. Observing how Summer deftly reworked the language in describing Brooke’s demented plan was one of my most fulfilling associations with this work.

          “ARE YOU INSANE?” That was my unabashed question to Summer upon my first reading of the gang rape and orgasm scene. In my head, I kept hearing Oiser Boudreaux from “Steel Magnolias” saying to Clairee, “You are too twisted for color TV!”

 Then Summer told me about her research on orgasm during rape. She explained the available research, the anecdotal and scientific evidence, the limited literature on the topic, and the consistent conclusions of the data. I listened, agog and speechless. She delivered an astonishing persuasive argument. She schooled me. I knew nothing about orgasm during rape, but Summer did her homework beforehand, and (she’ll hate my saying this) she taught me.

 I digested her response. It was dizzying and disturbing and important. I backtracked on urging her to remove the orgasm from the rape scene. Instead, I encouraged her add the context of her research to the story. Summer subsequently added the letter at the end of the novel, and it genuinely informs the work. Summer will tell you that she doesn’t write to teach. I will tell you that Summer doesn’t write from a gratuitously lurid place of fantasy and ego. By adding that letter, she beautifully bridged an important gap in perspective and framed an informed reader response.

 Here’s what Summer won’t tell you: She’s taken some deeply personal hits for her work – from people in her life and from strangers. She gets fan mail, but she gets hate mail, too. She’s made new friends, but she’s lost some old ones in the course of publishing her three novels. The ones she lost were probably worth losing, IMO. Her work is a reflection of how she treats people. It’s committed. It’s brave. It’s honest. It’s authentic. It’s forthright. And her intelligence, compassion, and courageous inner voice always take the lead.

 

Julie Lindy is a freelance writer and editor who welcomes your feedback and inquiries. Contact her at julielindyeditor@gmail.com.

 

GOOD Excerpt!!! (I'm doing it! I'm putting it out there unedited! Dear. Lord.)

I think I'm out of my damn mind! Anyone who knows me well knows what a complete control freak perfectionist I am, and this is the first time I've posted an excerpt of my work that has NEVER seen the eyes of an editor or critique partner. (Even my husband reviewed my Going Under additional scenes.) If you find mistakes, don't tell me. Please. Don't shame me like that.

I hope you enjoy. I am in love with Mark and Cadence, and I hope you get butterflies for them from this scene. It won't be full-on love yet because you still won't know them well enough, but hopefully this scene ignites a little spark. And now I'll shut up and let you read. (Oh, who am I kidding?? You didn't read these intro paragraphs. You skipped right down to "I was shocked . . .")


Excerpt from Chapter 4
"Thank-you Note"

I was shocked when Mr. Connelly placed a large bag on the table in front of me in the cafeteria. All I could do was stare at the name of the restaurant printed on the front: Moe’s Southwest Grill.

“Your Dad left this for you in the office. I was in there, so I said I’d bring it to you,” Mr. Connelly explained.

It was a big, fat lie. Dad would never in a million years bring me lunch. And certainly not from Moe’s. It wasn’t completely Mexican—more of a Tex-Mex restaurant—but it was close enough. And Dad didn’t like any food remotely resembling Mexican. How did Mr. Connelly get it?

“Are you going to eat?” he asked, taking the seat beside me.

All I could do was nod and stare. Mr. Connelly chuckled and reached into the bag, pulling out chips and salsa and a large burrito.

“Your Dad got you chicken,” he said. “With guacamole on it.” It came out more as a question.

“I like chicken,” I replied. “And I love guacamole.”

“Good.” He sounded relieved, like he got my order just right.

I looked at Nicole and Riley who had sopping, unappetizing pieces of cafeteria lasagna on their plates. I looked back at my food knowing I could never eat it all. I felt a slight rumble in my stomach—something I hadn’t felt in a long time—but it wasn’t the kind of hunger that could put away all this food.

“Would you guys like some?” I asked.

They looked at me and furrowed their brows.

“I won’t be able to eat it all,” I said. “Nicole, let me have your knife.”

She handed it over, and I cut my burrito into three pieces before remembering Mr. Connelly.

“I don’t want any,” Mr. Connelly said, when I apologized to him. “But thank you, Cadence.”

I don’t know why he didn’t want any of the food he paid for. And I don’t know why he brought it for me in the first place. Did I look that desperate and disappointed in church yesterday when Dad rejected my lunch suggestion? I tried to ignore how weird the situation was and passed Riley and Nicole a piece of my burrito. I also pushed the chips and salsa to the center of the table. We all scooted closer together to reach the chips, and in the process, I accidentally nudged Mr. Connelly. I mumbled an apology, then bit into the best lunch I’d ever eaten at school.

***

I decided the mannerly thing to do was to thank Mr. Connelly for buying me lunch, but I was too embarrassed to do it face-to-face. Instead, I ignored the history lecture sixth period and wrote him a thank-you note. It would have been so much nicer on a piece of stationery and not my notebook paper, but I couldn’t be choosey if I wanted to give it to him by the end of the day.

I watched him leave his classroom at the beginning of seventh period, and slipped inside quickly to place the folded note on his desk. I hurried out of the room before he came back; I didn’t want to be caught in the act, and thought it was a silly feeling. I was only leaving him a thank-you note, after all. I tried to ignore the fluttering of my heart as I imagined him reading the letter before class:

Dear Mr. Connelly,

Thank you for bringing me lunch today. I know it wasn’t from my dad. He would never do something that nice for me so soon after my “big mistake.” Plus, he hates any food that resembles Mexican food. Come to think of it, I don’t believe my dad has ever stepped foot inside a Moe’s. I guess my question is, how did you have time to pick it up when you teach a class right before lunch? Maybe you have secret powers that I don’t know about? In any case, I thought it was a very kind gesture. I guess yesterday in church I looked really disappointed not to get my Mexican food. You better be careful. I could find other reasons to look “disappointed” that might incite your generosity. Would crying over a bad quiz grade count for anything?

Sincerely,

Cadence

Tuesday morning I opened my locker to another note. I picked it up and groaned. I couldn’t imagine what was written. I thought those bitches had exhausted every conceivable bad name to call me and considered trashing it. But curiosity, as it so often does, won out, and I unfolded the letter to take a look.

My heart nearly fell out of my chest. I wasn’t expecting anything nice, and I certainly wasn’t expecting it from Mr. Connelly. I hurried to the bathroom and locked myself in the far stall. I wanted complete privacy when I read it, especially since my emotions read so easily on my face.

Dear Cadence,

I knew you were too smart to buy the story of your father bringing you lunch, but I couldn’t very well tell you I did in front of the students at your lunch table. And yes, your disappointment at church the other day spurred me to action. Every girl should be able to have Mexican food every once in a while. I hope you don’t think my actions were inappropriate. And as much as I’d like to claim secret powers, I can’t take credit for actually picking up your lunch. I was busy going over algebraic formulas with my ninth graders. It was my friend who dropped it off. He was in the neighborhood.

I must confess that when you look sad, it compels me to act. I’m not sure it would be ethical to change a grade over tears, but if anyone could do it, you would be the one.

Sincerely,

Mark Connelly

I read the note five times. And each time, I convinced myself a little more that Mr. Connelly was the man I was going to marry. It was ludicrous and immature, and I clung to the fantasy as long as I could until the first period bell rang, screaming at me to get to class.

I walked into math class a complete wreck. I kept my eyes glued to the floor and then my desk once I was seated. I couldn’t look at him. I was blushing too badly, and I knew he would know it was because I’d read his note. There was really nothing inappropriate in it unless you wanted to look at the entire situation as completely inappropriate. What would the checklist look like?

1. Male teacher buys female student lunch: Inappropriate

2. Female student writes male teacher a thank-you note: Appropriate?

3. Male teacher leaves note for female student in her locker: Inappropriate!

4. Note states that female student “compels” male teacher to act: FREAKING INAPPROPRIATE

Okay. So I had no idea what Mr. Connelly was up to, if he was up to anything. Maybe he just saw me as one really pathetic, lonely student whose father was cruel to deny her Mexican food, and decided buying me lunch would be his good deed for the year. Why the focus on me, though? There were tons of other losers at this school who could benefit from his kindness. And why would he take the time (and risk) to write me a note and stick it in my locker? Was I over-thinking it?

“Mr. Connelly? Do you have a girlfriend?” I heard from the back of the classroom.

I perked up immediately. A girlfriend? No way. Just the other day at church his mother was trying to set him up.

“Well, that has nothing to do with factorials, and I’m pretty sure you’re not allowed to ask me about my personal life,” Mr. Connelly replied.

The class laughed.

“Seriously, Mr. Connelly,” Derek said. “You never share anything with us. I thought you were supposed to be a cool teacher.”

“I can tell you with certainty that I’m not,” Mr. Connelly said.

“Oh, just tell us!” a girl pleaded.

“Why do you care about my life?” he asked.

“Because we find you fascinating,” Kara said. “Now answer the questions. Why do you like teaching teenagers, and do you have a girlfriend?”

Mr. Connelly scanned the room. I guess he figured no one would pay any more attention if he didn’t answer the questions first.

“I haven’t decided if I like teaching teens yet,” he said. “I’m only a few years in.”

A few chuckles.

I held my breath for the second answer. I don’t know why. I knew he didn’t have a girlfriend.

I swear Mr. Connelly glanced at me before replying, “And yes. I’m dating someone.”

Some of the girls squealed. Others groaned. I made no noise; I just listened for the fracturing of my heart. How? How was that possible?

“Where did you meet her?” Trisha asked.

Mr. Connelly smirked. “It was a set-up.”

God, my stomach hurt! All of a sudden, it hurt like hell. I guess my heart fragments punctured it or something.

“How long have you two been dating?”

“It’s brand new,” Mr. Connelly replied.

“Are you going to marry her?” came a question from the far side of the room.

“Moving on,” Mr. Connelly said, and I stopped gripping the sides of my desk. I hadn’t realized I was doing it. I guess it was a reaction to my aching stomach.

I kept my head lowered for the rest of the period. I didn’t hear a thing about factorials. I just doodled in my notebook, writing the same word over and over. Sometimes in bubble letters. Sometimes in block letters. Sometimes in cursive. Sometimes in all caps. By the end of class, I had a nicely decorated page filled with the same word.

“Stupid.”

© S. Walden, 2013

Julie becomes my "accidental" editor

Oh! I'm so happy to have my editor share with you all today! For one, I didn't have to write a post (man, I sound totally lazy), and two, she's amazing and insightful. I could gush about her all day long, but I thought it'd be so much better for you to actually hear her voice. The woman behind cleaning up all my mess. Because let me tell you, my manuscripts are messy. What you ladies get at the end, that's the good stuff. Julie only gets to see it when she's too damn tired to read it again! So here's Julie, and this is how she became my editor.

The Accidental Editor

 

            I never intended to become Summer’s editor. I just … well, accidentally edited one of her novels.

            It all started with Summer’s second novel, Honeysuckle Love. Summer and I knew each other through graduate school. One of our mutual friends (SHOUT OUT TO MARSHA KINDRACHUK LOVERSKY) helped critique Summer’s first novel, Hoodie (which is dedicated to Marsha). Marsha excitedly told me about her work critiquing Hoodie during some of our girls’ nights out.

            I’ve been writing and editing professionally long enough to refuse to say how long I’ve been writing and editing professionally. My career has concentrated on nonfiction, but I’d been struggling with a stab at writing some fiction of my own. When Hoodie was released, I bought it, loved it, and emailed Summer with some questions. Summer then invited me to join Marsha as one of her critique partners for Honeysuckle Love, and I joyfully accepted.

 The manuscript for Honeysuckle Love arrived shortly afterward. I soaked into it – pen in hand – like a sponge in a warm bath. I scribbled notes, comments, deletions, suggestions, and occasional smartass remarks on the manuscript. That’s what I thought critique partners do when a fictional work is being prepared for mass consumption – give it honest, in-depth, detailed feedback. I sent the manuscript back to Summer.

 A few days later, I received an email from her. It said, “You’re not my critique partner. You’re my editor – for life!”

 I thought I was critiquing, but I guess I was editing on autopilot. Maybe after years of editing for passion and a paycheck, it becomes an involuntary reflex. Maybe I inadvertently crossed some confusing line between critiquing and editing. All I know is that I thought I was critiquing, and Summer thought I was editing.  Whatever. “A rose by any other name …” and all that.

 The bottom line? A really fulfilling and happy collaboration emerged for both of us, and we share a common vision of the endgame: Deliver a book that hooks, that you can’t put down, that elicits an emotional response, that is worth your time, that leaves you immersed in the storytelling and committed to the characters … happily ever after.

 

Julie Lindy is a freelance writer and editor who welcomes your feedback and inquiries. Contact her at julielindyeditor@gmail.com.

Fun Stuff Ahead. Prepare Yourself.

Okay Peeps,

Got some really exciting news and fun stuff happening in the days and weeks ahead. Here's the agenda:

1. My editor has graciously agreed to write some guest posts for me about how she became my editor and what it was like for her editing Going Under. I'm going to post these in the next few days right before the I *heart* Ryan tour. Give you a little insight into the process of polishing a book for mass consumption.

2. The I *heart* Ryan blog tour is coming up next week! May 15-June 5. I have a lot of amazing blogs participating, and since it's Ryan-centric, you'll get to learn more about the leading man. So excited about this tour and the Ryan-themed giveaway. You don't want to miss it!

(This lovely banner was created by Ashley at Nose Graze Book Reviews)

3. You goodreads gals and fans have got me so excited about my next book, Good, that I sent off the first half early to my editor! She's doing me a real favor because it's really not right to send a partial manuscript. But because of you, we're fast-tracking this sucker. That doesn't mean it won't be just as well-edited as my other books (she emailed me about receiving it in the mail last night at 10:30 and already read some. Sent me suggestions. Yeah). It just means that I'm trying to move that Fall release timeframe up earlier. AND, at the end of the week, I'll be posting an excerpt from the book. Friday, to be exact. So I hope you drop by to read it.

Updated GOING UNDER Soundtrack

Yeah, so I'm not sure I know how I feel about playlist.com. Once half my songs disappeared for unknown reasons, I took the advice of Michelle from Literati Literature Lovers and set up an account with Spotify. Seems better, though I read that you may have to refresh the page if the widget doesn't show up. Anyway, I added some songs and changed some things. Here's Going Under . . . set to music.




Song Explanations:

1. Mama - To me, this song represents one overarching idea or theme in the novel: possession.

2. R.I.P - The moment Brooke discovers her "purpose" or plan for revenge.

3. Angry Johnny - Brooke gets to work. It's time to seduce Cal and destroy him!

4. Nasty Boy - Cal. Tim. Parker. 'Nuf said.

5. Hearts - Brooke and Ryan kiss. It's a little awkward.

6. New York Girls - Brooke and Gretchen hang out and watch Sex and the City. Brooke gets a little drunk.

7. Video Games - Yeah . . . I think this one is well understood. :)

8. Crawling - Brooke's emotional and psychological breakdown.

9. What's My Name - Brooke and Ryan. In a bed. Doing fun things. Brooke's POV.

10. Fast Car - Brooke and Ryan. Still in bed. Doing fun things. Ryan's POV.

11. Island in the Sun - Brooke and Ryan skateboarding.

12. Possession - Brooke's rape from Cal's POV.

13. It's Too Late to Apologize - Brooke finds out Ryan's secret. Refuses to forgive.

14. Retrace - Brooke heals, forgives, and decides to reconnect with Ryan.

15. Stand Inside Your Love - Nuclear. Orgasm.

Wanna know the inspiration behind Ryan and Brooke?

Then you better get on over to Sab the Book Eater where I answer some never-before-asked questions! Inspiration behind my main characters is one of them. Oh yeah. And she's giving away a signed copy of Going Under. Thank you, Isabel, for featuring me today. xo

Interview, Review, and TWO Giveaways (That's right: T-W-O)

Hey Everyone!

Go check out the awesomeness today.

Interview and Going Under e-book giveaway at She Reads New Adult

Review and Going Under signed paperback giveaway at Literati Literature Lovers

Show these ladies some love and go check out their blogs. They've been working so hard to promote me. <3

THE NEXT BOOK!! (Yes, some info for you on my upcoming project)

Wait. This has nothing to do with Going Under? Should I even read the rest of this post?

 

Please. Please read it.

I’ve been keeping pretty hush-hush on my current writing project because I wasn’t sure when I was supposed to talk about it. It’s one of those things where you have to figure out how long to ride the promotional wave of your current book before mentioning another. (Until I realized that promotion for your current book never stops.) I figured that now that I’m safely out of the Top 100 in the Kindle store, it’s time to discuss what I have planned for you next.

True to S. Walden form, I am currently writing yet another New Adult book that deals with high school social issues. It’s an interesting hybrid of standard-NA-love-story meets the controversy that this completely inappropriate author likes to write. So unlike Going Under, which many people mistakenly thought was a romance novel (no, it is primarily about guilt, revenge, and forgiveness), I am actually currently writing for you a romance novel. And just because I want to, I’m going to throw up some language that’s still in the working stage but will give you a better understanding of this unconventional love story.

 

Title

Good

 

Series

Yes! It’s the Too Good series. My first one. But don’t worry. As I’ve mentioned before, I do a lot of market research, so I’m aware that readers are fed up with cliffhangers and the like. I will not end Book 1 with a relationship cliffhanger.

 

Heroine and Hero

Cadence Miller: 17-year-old high school senior

(she turns 18 in the book, good grief)

Mark Connelly: 28-year-old high school calculus teacher

 

Book Description:

  

Cadence Miller is a good girl. She just happens to make one terrible mistake her junior year in high school which costs her ten months in juvenile detention. Now a senior, she’s lost everything: her best friend, the trust of her parents, driving privileges, Internet access. And most importantly, anonymity. Everyone knows about her mistake, and the kids at school like to remind her with hate notes in her locker, pranks, name-calling—the works.

But there is one bright spot in the hell that’s become her life: Mark Connelly, her very cute, very off-limits 28-year-old calculus teacher. She falls hard for him—a ridiculous schoolgirl crush headed nowhere. She can’t help it. He’s the only good thing at Crestview High. She doesn’t expect him to reciprocate her feelings. How inappropriate, right? But he does. And he shows her.

And that’s when her life goes from bad to good.

(This is a New Adult fiction book that contains explicit sexual situations and some language.)

 

 

Yeah, so I realize I’m taking a chance with this one (as I do with all my books, it seems). I know many of the student/teacher relationship books out there involve professors and college students to make them a little more accepting. Yeah. I really don’t do “accepting.” Plus, the story spoke to me. It wanted to be written. Cadence needed to be written. Not only am I taking a chance with the stark age difference between heroine and hero, but I’m also taking a chance infusing spirituality in this book. It’s not enough that Cadence would embark on a completely inappropriate relationship with her teacher, but I wanted to make sure she was a Christian as well. So there you go. Start ruffling those feathers. She’s a Christian. She’s involved with a 28-year-old while she’s still a minor. She’s impressionable but not disgustingly naïve. It’s very much a love story that explores personal values, societal expectations, and the meaning of true love.

 

I do have to share this because I thought it was funny. My agent asked me, “Summer, now they don’t do it until she turns eighteen, right?”

“Well, I looked up the age of consent in Georgia. It’s sixteen,” I replied.

Brief pause.

“Summer, they don’t do it until she’s eighteen, right?”

“Oh, Marisa. Don’t you want to wait and find out?”

Not revealing the cover yet. Expected publication date for Good is Fall 2013, but I'm working to change that. I think it'll be earlier. You can add the book to your "To Read" shelf on goodreads. Go here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17801215-good

And that's that. Tell me what you think? Am I completely out of my mind?

Ryan describes heaven . . . and it ain't fluffy clouds

It's finally here! And I'm so happy to be sharing it with you. The gaming scene in Going Under from Ryan's POV. I hope you love it. xo

http://shhmomsreading.com/review-and-exclusive-scene-and-giveaway-going-under-by-s-walden/

(Also, check out the review and giveaway of a signed paperback copy!)