Hey! Adding to the extras page on my blog again. :) This is a video read-along that I did for the Cinder & Ella book release ball. I introduce the book and then read the prologue and chapter one.
Enjoy!
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Cinder & Ella read-along (With me!)
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Cover reveal: Pixilated by L.S.Murphy
Hey guys! I'm helping out a fellow baseball nut with a cover reveal today. She's a Cardinals fan, but I will overlook that little folly (Go Dbacks!) because I had the pleasure of reading Pixilated a few months ago and really enjoyed it. I'm happy to help spread the word about the upcoming release. Check out this cute cover!
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Pixelated
by L.S. Murphy
Release Date: 06/30/15
Bloomsbury Spark
Summary from Goodreads:
Senior Year.
Middle of nowhere.
What's the new girl to do?
For Piper Marks, the answer is simple. She’s determined to have her photography rock the cover of National Geographic someday, and moving to Clarkton, Iowa for her last year of high school is not going to stop her. Even if her usual subjects have changed from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows…and more fields.
But when photographer at the local paper quits in a huff, she steps into his spot. Her new job keeps Piper busy capturing tackles, and zooming in on first downs and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she can’t resist the pull she feels toward this mysterious country boy. But this small town is keeping a secret, and it’s one that could destroy any chance they have to be together.
It’s up to Piper to decide what to do with the distorted truth. Can she risk exposing her heart? It might be worth it, 'cause Les is about to change her world from black and white to fully saturated color.
Praise for Pixelated:
"In Pixelated, L.S. Murphy weaves a complex web of secrets and lies with a ‘will they or won’t they’ romance that kept me turning pages and holding my breath!" ~ Julie Reece, author of The Artisans and Crux
"Beautifully written, with a full spectrum of emotion and complex characters, Pixelated will tug at all your heartstrings. I easily lost myself in the world L.S. Murphy created and couldn't stop reading because I needed to see how the story ended." ~ Kelly Oram, author of Cinder & Ella
"L.S. Murphy brings something for every reader with Pixelated: romance, secrets, mystery, and a main character torn between two choices. Murphy's writing is sharp and steeped in emotions, deftly hooking her readers from the first sentence to the last." ~ Sarah Bromley, author of A Murder Of Magpies
"In Pixelated, L.S. Murphy weaves a complex web of secrets and lies with a ‘will they or won’t they’ romance that kept me turning pages and holding my breath!" ~ Julie Reece, author of The Artisans and Crux
"Beautifully written, with a full spectrum of emotion and complex characters, Pixelated will tug at all your heartstrings. I easily lost myself in the world L.S. Murphy created and couldn't stop reading because I needed to see how the story ended." ~ Kelly Oram, author of Cinder & Ella
"L.S. Murphy brings something for every reader with Pixelated: romance, secrets, mystery, and a main character torn between two choices. Murphy's writing is sharp and steeped in emotions, deftly hooking her readers from the first sentence to the last." ~ Sarah Bromley, author of A Murder Of Magpies
About the Author
L.S. Murphy obsesses about St. Louis Cardinals baseball, fangirls over her favorite authors, and watches every episode of Doctor Who like it's the first time. When she's not doing those time-consuming things, the former farm-girl turned city slicker turned suburbanite writes sweet romances for teens and adults.
Website: lsmurphy.com
Twitter @LSMurphy
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Cover Reveal! Joni, Underway by Kelly Oram and Jonathan Harrow!
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   About the Authors:  Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. Jonathan Harrow left a career in Hollywood to pursue his dream of writing novels. He has an author crush on Charlotte Bronte, and a real crush on his author wife, YA bestseller Kelly Oram. They live in Phoenix with their four kids and their cat, Mr. Darcy. Connect with Kelly Connect with Jonathan |
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Science Geek Appreciation Week August 3 - 7
Hey everyone! I don't know if you've heard the news or not yet, but the science squad is back! Avery and Grayson may have had their romance already, but science geek Libby's is just heating up in her very own companion novel to The Avery Shaw Experiment.
The Libby Garrett Intervention is set to release October 24, 2015. To help me spread the word, bloggers around the globe are letting me commandeer their blogs August 3 - 7 in a week long cover reveal and sneak peek event!
Here's a breakdown of what you can look forward to.
Monday Aug 3– The Avery Shaw Experiment spotlight including cover, summary, links, and a teaser.
Tuesday Aug 4– The Libby Garrett Intervention cover reveal including cover, summary, preorder links, and a teaser.
Wednesday Aug 5– A post from me (author Kelly Oram) including fun facts, my inspiration/experience writing the Science Squad books, some of my favorite reads, and a couple of interview questions.
Thursday Aug 6– A post about The Avery Diaries. (Six short stories taken from Avery and Grayson’s diaries.) The post will feature a brief explanation of the diaries and feature one of the stories with links to the others.
Friday Aug 7– The Libby Garrett Intervention sneak peek including the first-ever excerpt from the book, and a message from Kelly Oram. Along with a few photo teasers to share.
Along with these awesome posts, there will be extra games and giveaways on Facebook, and best of all The Avery Shaw Experiment will be on sale for just $0.99 the whole week so you can read the story that started it all for next to nothing! Mark you calendars guys. You won't want to miss it.
And as always, being on my newsletter mailing list gives you special perks. (Because my peeps are very special to me!) Newsletter subscribers will get to see the Libby cover early, have their own private giveaway on top of all this fun, and they'll get an exclusive peek at my next big project! Shhh! It's still a secret! If you want to be one of my awesome special peeps that I occasionally reward with cool stuff, SUBSCRIBE HERE!
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Spotlight The Avery Shaw Experiment
Welcome to Day 1 of Science Geek Appreciation Week with author Kelly Oram--a fun-filled week of teasers, interviews, games, giveaways, and lots and lost of science! We're going to kick off the week by introducing you to the stars of the Spanish Fork High Science Squad--Club President Avery Shaw and her newest recruit, Grayson Kennedy--in their debut novel The Avery Shaw Experiment.
Author: Kelly Oram
Publisher: Blufields
Pages:221
Available: Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo
Summary: When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.
The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.
Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest.
Teasers:
Avery
I was so out of it that I’d slipped into the bathroom while Grayson was in the shower, and I didn’t even notice until he poked his head out from behind the curtain with a surprised look on his face. “Aves, babe, I’m a little busy here.” He cocked an eyebrow and gave me a crooked smile. “Unless you’re planning to join me...?”
Just then there was a loud knock on the door, and my mother’s worried voice called out to me. I looked up at Grayson and in a moment of sheer panic didn’t think twice before jumping behind the curtain with him.
“Whoa! Avery! I was only teasing!”
I could hear Grayson, but I couldn’t really respond. I leaned my back against the cold tile wall and closed my eyes, letting the hot water rain down on me.
There was another knock, louder this time, and then the door opened. “Avery? That you in here, sweetie?”
I frantically shook my head, praying that Grayson would do the right thing.
“Sorry, Kaitlin. It’s just me.”
“Oh. Sorry, Grayson. I thought maybe you were Avery.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” he teased.
My mom laughed and then sighed heavily. “If you see her after you’re done, tell her I’m looking for her.”
“Will do.”
The door clicked shut and things got quiet. I stood there for so long that my head started to hurt and I got really dizzy. My knees buckled.
Grayson quickly caught me under the arms. “Avery, breathe,” he commanded.
I took a breath. As oxygen flooded my lungs, I realized it was probably the first breath I’d taken in minutes. Literally.
“Aves,” a low steady voice said. I felt hands on either side of my face. I opened my eyes, and Grayson’s beautiful piercing blue ones were staring down at me from just inches away, taking up my entire field of vision. “You good now?” he asked.
I may have been breathing, but I would never be “good” again. I flung my arms around him and began to release gut-wrenching sobs into his chest.
“Will do.”
The door clicked shut and things got quiet. I stood there for so long that my head started to hurt and I got really dizzy. My knees buckled.
Grayson quickly caught me under the arms. “Avery, breathe,” he commanded.
I took a breath. As oxygen flooded my lungs, I realized it was probably the first breath I’d taken in minutes. Literally.
“Aves,” a low steady voice said. I felt hands on either side of my face. I opened my eyes, and Grayson’s beautiful piercing blue ones were staring down at me from just inches away, taking up my entire field of vision. “You good now?” he asked.
I may have been breathing, but I would never be “good” again. I flung my arms around him and began to release gut-wrenching sobs into his chest.
Grayson
I always looked at her as sort of a pesky little sister, but that all changed the day my brother dumped her. Why, you ask? Let me put it this way: When a girl lets you be the one to hold her as her entire world falls apart, even though you’re ass naked, it changes the way you see her. The soaking-wet, see-through t-shirt didn’t hurt, either.
...
...
“You look really nice,” I blurted, unable to hide my surprise.
The compliment startled her. She blushed and looked at her feet as she mumbled, “I need to blow my hair dry.”
I grinned. “Don’t want to have to explain to anyone how it got wet, eh?”
She turned even brighter red but then glared at me. “I just don’t want my hair to freeze.”
I laughed as I threw my hands up in surrender and then laughed even harder when she stalked past me into the bathroom.
I leaned against the door and watched, curiously, as she dried her hair. There was something oddly fascinating about watching Little Avery Shaw primp. She’d never seemed like such a real girl to me before. She wasn’t so little anymore, either.
She caught me staring at her in the mirror, so I quickly said, “I thought dorks were supposed to have bad hair and horrible, frumpy fashion senses.”
“Just because I enjoy learning doesn’t mean I’m a dork,” she said, insulted.
“Two words for you Aves: science club.”
The compliment startled her. She blushed and looked at her feet as she mumbled, “I need to blow my hair dry.”
I grinned. “Don’t want to have to explain to anyone how it got wet, eh?”
She turned even brighter red but then glared at me. “I just don’t want my hair to freeze.”
I laughed as I threw my hands up in surrender and then laughed even harder when she stalked past me into the bathroom.
I leaned against the door and watched, curiously, as she dried her hair. There was something oddly fascinating about watching Little Avery Shaw primp. She’d never seemed like such a real girl to me before. She wasn’t so little anymore, either.
She caught me staring at her in the mirror, so I quickly said, “I thought dorks were supposed to have bad hair and horrible, frumpy fashion senses.”
“Just because I enjoy learning doesn’t mean I’m a dork,” she said, insulted.
“Two words for you Aves: science club.”
This week only, The Avery Shaw Experiment is on sale for just $0.99! Make sure to snag a copy while it's cheap!
Amazon * iBooks * B&N * Kobo
For more bonus material, teasers, games, and chances to win things like signed books and swag stop by the Facebook event, happening now through Friday.
Kelly wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.
Connect with Kelly
Connect with Kelly
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The Libby Garrett Intervention Cover Reveal
Welcome to Day 2 of Science Geek Appreciation Week with Author Kelly Oram! If you missed yesterday's post about The Avery Shaw Experiment, you can check it out HERE. And don't forget to stop by the Facebook party for all kinds of extra bonus material, games and giveaways. There's a new giveaway every day. CLICK HERE TO PARTY!
Now... On to the cover reveal for The Libby Garrett Intervention!
The Spanish Fork High Science Squad is back in this hilarious and heartwarming companion novel to The Avery Shaw Experiment.
When Libby's behavior spirals completely out of control, her best friend Avery Shaw and the rest of the Science Squad stage an intervention hoping to cure Libby of her harmful Owen addiction. They put her through her very own Twelve Step program—Owen's Anonymous—and recruit the help of a sexy, broody, hard-as-nails coffee man to be her official sponsor.
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Adam Koepp has watched Libby Garrett for years. How could he not notice the sassy girl with the purple skateboard and helmet plastered with cat stickers? But in all the years he's crushed on her, Libby has failed to take notice of him. Why would she when he was just a nobody high school drop out who served her apple cider several times a week? Especially when she was hooking up with a guy like Owen Jackson—a guy with a college scholarship and more abs than Kyle Hamilton.
Adam finally gets the chance to meet Libby when his co-worker Avery Shaw recruits him to take Libby on the journey of a lifetime. With his ability to play Bad Cop and his experience with the Twelve Step program he's the perfect candidate to be Libby's sponsor. But will he be able to keep his personal feelings out of the matter and really help her the way she needs? And will Libby hate him when he forces her to take an honest look at herself?
Teasers
Libby
Avery sighed. “This isn’t an attack, Libby, it’s an intervention.”
My head snapped Avery’s direction. “Homegirl says what?”
Avery smiled again, but this time it was full of determination. “You have a problem, Libby. We’ve all come here tonight because we love you and we’re worried about you.”
“Okay, someone definitely cooked up something special in the chem lab or something. You’ve all officially gone mental. I’m not on drugs.”
Avery shook her head. “But your relationship with Owen is just as destructive.”
I’d heard enough. “An intervention?” They were comparing me to a drug addict and saying Owen was my crack? “I came here to apologize to all of you and this is what I get?” I jumped to my feet. “This is such equus ferus feces!”
I bolted for the door and got about three steps before Adam intercepted me, blocking the way like a lean, tattoo-covered wall of attitude. He stood in a typical bouncer’s stance with his feet shoulder width apart and his arms folded across his chest. Though he wasn’t particularly tall or bulky, he was still intimidating. I glared up at him. “And you’re a gluteus maximus!”
Adam’s face pulled into a frown and he looked to the group to translate. Aiden grinned. “That’s Libby speak for ‘This is horse shit’ and ‘You’re an ass’.”
Adam brought his gaze back to me, and I kept up my glare, refusing to take it back. I waited for him to flip out on me, but was shocked when his lips twitched as if he was fighting a smile. I had to be wrong, though, because there was no way this jerk had a sense of humor. “Get out of my way.”
He face hardened again. “You sit that luscious little gluteus maximus of yours back down on that couch right now,” he said, “or I’ll put it there myself.”
It really does not happen often, but I was rendered completely speechless. I was also unable to move, save the way my eyes tripled in size as I gawked at him. He gave me a dry look and added, “Capisce, Cider Chick?”
Adam
When I looked at Libby, she shrugged as though she was as helpless in this situation as I was. “Help me, Coffee-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”
It was so Libby.
“Okay.” I prayed I wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Kate and Avery both squealed and pounced on me, giving me hugs. I was still wary, but their energy was contagious and I cracked a smile.
“Thank you, Adam,” Avery said. “You really, really are the best. Is there any chance you could get started tomorrow? Libby managed to say no to Owen tonight, but if we don’t help keep her distracted tomorrow, she’s going to end up in his very expensive hotel suite tomorrow night.”
And just like that, all my reservations about this disappeared. I was all in, and failure was not an option. Libby was never going to end up in that jerk’s bed ever again if I could help it. “Tomorrow’s as good a day as any. I’m off work at two.”
Libby was already at the door trying to escape, but she stopped before turning the knob. “Actually, I need you ready to go at seven thirty in the morning. Avery already cleared it with your boss. He was more than happy to take your shift. He said he’s been trying to get you to take a vacation day for months.”
My head reared back. “You cleared my schedule tomorrow?”
Libby looked me right in the eyes and grinned wickedly. The smile did something to my insides. “You’re mine tomorrow, Coffee Man,” she purred jokingly.
I stopped breathing. Hers. Yes. Yes I was. Heaven help me, but I was hers. This was so bad. If I wasn’t careful Libby Garrett was going to break me. I had to take control of this situation fast. I don’t know what kind of look I had on my face when I stalked across the room toward her, but her eyes widened and she backed up until she bumped into the door. “You’ve got that all wrong,” I said, placing my hand on the door beside her head, trapping her in front of me.
I’d meant to intimidate her a little, but when she sucked in a breath and shivered, I lost control again. I leaned in a little too close and my next words accidentally came out in a possessive growl. “Starting tomorrow, Cider Chick, you are mine.”
To receive special preorder discounts and be notified upon release,
SUBSCRIBE to Kelly Oram's newsletter.
SUBSCRIBE to Kelly Oram's newsletter.
This follow-up companion novel to The Avery Shaw Experiment can be read as a stand alone. (But where's the fun in that?) The Avery Shaw Experiment is only $0.99 right now. So why wait until October to meet Libby when you can fall in love with her right now for only a dollar?
For more bonus material, teasers, games, and chances to win things like signed books and swag stop by the Facebook event, happening now through Friday.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Kelly wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.
Connect with Kelly
Connect with Kelly
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Music says so much about a person...
Or, in this case, a book. I generally have a soundtrack or playlist for all of my books that I will listen to over and over again as I work on a project. I need quiet when I'm doing the actual writing part, but I still wear my playlists out all other hours of the day.
It's usually a combination of things that will draw a certain song to a book playlist. Whether it's a sound, or a line of lyrics, or it reminds me of a certain scene or character. For my Libby Garrett soundtrack, it was definitely all about the Character.
Libby Garrett is a one-of-a-kind girl. Her personality is so big, that she tends to be a spotlight hog. It was no different when I put together my playlist for The Libby Garrett Intervention. This songs on this list don't so much remind me of the book as they just feel like Libby. That said, check it out and give it a listen. I guarantee you will come to understand Libby just a little bit better. Here they are in my actual playlist order.
Drumroll please...
It's usually a combination of things that will draw a certain song to a book playlist. Whether it's a sound, or a line of lyrics, or it reminds me of a certain scene or character. For my Libby Garrett soundtrack, it was definitely all about the Character.
Libby Garrett is a one-of-a-kind girl. Her personality is so big, that she tends to be a spotlight hog. It was no different when I put together my playlist for The Libby Garrett Intervention. This songs on this list don't so much remind me of the book as they just feel like Libby. That said, check it out and give it a listen. I guarantee you will come to understand Libby just a little bit better. Here they are in my actual playlist order.
Drumroll please...
I Wanna Do Something Freaky To You ...... Count Dee's Hit Explosion
It's a Beautiful Day ..... Michael Buble
Lets Get it On ..... Marvin Gaye
Burning Love ..... Elvis Presley
Take Me To Church ..... Hozier
Am I The Same Girl ..... Swing Out Sister & The Fall
Walking On Sunshine ..... Katerina & The Waves
These Boots Are Made For Walkin' ..... Nancy Sinatra
Barracuda ..... Heart
Dancing Queen ..... ABBA
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) ..... Michael Jackson
Wicked Game ..... Chris Issac
I'm Every Woman ..... Whitney Houston
I Will Survive ..... Gloria Gaynor
Respect ... Aretha Franklin
I Will Survive ..... Gloria Gaynor
Respect ... Aretha Franklin
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Author Spotlight Kelly Oram
Well we're mid week now--half way through Science Geek Appreciation Week--and it's time to get up close and personal with the author of the Science Squad series, Kelly Oram.
If you missed any of the previous posts about The Avery Shaw Experiment or The Libby Garrett Intervention, be sure to stop by the Facebook event. Along with the posts, there's all kinds of extra bonus material, games and giveaways going on. Lots of chances to win signed books and swag, talk to the author and just have fun with other science geek loving friends. There's a new giveaway every day. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PARTY!
So, what should you know about Kelly Oram?
I love to write.
&
I'm a ginger.
The Basics:
I wrote my first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about my favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which my family and friends still tease me. I'm obsessed with reading, talk way too much, and like to eat frosting by the spoonful. I live outside of Phoenix, Arizona with my husband, four children, and my cat, Mr. Darcy. And we named his litter box Pemberly because it's where he makes ten thousand (poops) a year! Connect with Kelly:
Newsletter * Amazon * Facebook * Twitter
The Fun Stuff:
1. I love to sing and went to college as a voice performance major.
2. I once competed in the Miss Michigan Teen USA pageant. (I did not win LOL.)
3. I’m a baseball fanatic. (Go D-backs!)
4. I broke my head as a kid and had to wear a hockey helmet to school as my cast.
5. I own my own 10-sided dice for role-playing that no one but me is allowed to role.
6. I’m left handed.
7. I am credited as associate producer for the independent film Amber Alert.
8. I live for road trips. Best vacation I ever took was a three-week coast-to-coast-and-back drive with my father.
9. The Backstreet Boys were my 1D in high school, and I was a total fangirl. I still have a whole collection of fan paraphernalia.
10. I took both golf and bowling classes in college to fulfill my PE credits. (I still suck at both.)
The Bookish Stuff:
How did you come up with the idea for The Avery Shaw Experiment?
I remember the day I came up with the idea, but not exactly how the concept popped into my head. I went for a run. (Okay, it was more of a walk-run during one of my on-again times where I was dedicated to working out. The off-again times are way more frequent.)
Anyway, I'd ton for a run and it was one of those precious moments where I was by myself, no distractions, no kids--just me and my thoughts. The concept for a girl getting over a broken heart using the seven stages of grief popped into my head, and before that half an hour (yes, that's all I can run before I want to die) was over, I had most of the book plotted.
I was in the middle of another manuscript at the time, but I went home and wrote Avery's prologue right away. Five weeks later I had a finished book. The Avery Shaw Experiment had been my easiest book to write so far. It just flowed so naturally, and honestly, I blame that on Avery and Grayson's natural chemistry. (Hehe science pun totally intended!)
Are you a science geek yourself?
I am a geek of many colors. Music, fantasy, sic-fi, choir, books... But no, I was never a science geek. I was actually a very mediocre-to-horrible student. I never liked the academic stuff, and I struggled with a lot of it. (I spent too much time in my own imagination!) But, that said, I can see the fun in doing science experiments, and I find the occasional documentary about science stuff interesting. Most of my science geek inspiration was drawn from my mother. (She is a HUGE science nerd!) The woman love bugs and dissection and all things dealing with the human body. She worked in a chemistry lab when I was younger and now works with a team of rocket scientists putting rockets in space and sending supplies to the space stations and things like that. It's a dream come true for her every time she travels to Virginia to launch one of her rockets. She's a hard-core nerd and I love her dearly for it, which is way I had to dedicate The Avery Shaw Experiment to her. (Love you Mom!)
How did you come up with the idea for The Libby Garrett Intervention?
Libby was a little different. The idea didn't come as easy. It took a lot more planning. I loved Libby's character and really wanted to write her a story, but it took me a long time to commit to it. As much as everyone asked for a Libby and Owen story, I really felt like Owen wasn't the right one for her. The idea for the Libby Garrett Intervention sparked from me imagining what a relationship between Owen and Libby would be like based on there characters from The Avery Shaw Experiment. I just couldn't imagine Owen ever being a Grayson, and falling for Libby the way she deserved. That's where the idea of Libby's "addiction" to Owen came in and it was a short leap from there to the Twelve Step program. I loved the idea of the steps because it fit perfectly with the stages of grief I used in the first book. It was the perfect companion story. And suddenly, volia! I had the next book.
Will there be more Science Squad books in the future?
There will be at least one more. I have a story already plotted out for one of the other science squad geeks, though my writing schedule is so packed that it will probably take me a couple years to get to it. After that, I don't know. I'd love to end the series with Aiden's story, but I'd have to actually come up with a story for him first. I've pit the idea in my head though, and am letting it simmer, so we'll see what happens.
What's your favorite part of the story, and your favorite quote from The Avery Shaw Experiment? Oh, goodness, that's award one. I know most people probably love the shower scene (it's not what you think!) in the beginning, or the dancing scene, or basically all the more romantic scenes between Avery and Grayson, but my favorite scenes are actually the science/school. stuff. (Maybe I'm a bit of a science geek after all. My mother would be proud!) I love the scene where the science squad takes Grayson to the bowling alley for a lesson in applied physics and explain Newton's laws. Like I said, I struggled a lot in high school, because, like Grayson, I have a different style of learning than most people. I need things to be interactive and fun, and I need things explained to me in ways that are applicable to my daily life. I had a lot of fun finding a way to make science fun and creative.
My other favorite scene is between Grayson and Mr. Walden at the end. As much as I loved Grayson and Avery, I had a special place in my heart for the relationship between Grayson and his Physics teacher. I've been where Grayson was, and I had a couple of cool teachers that, despite my grades and struggles, really understood me. Those were the teachers that made a difference in my education, and I really wish there were more great teachers out there. So, yeah, developing the relationship between those two was a lot of fun for me, and in the end when they've completed character arc, it still makes me smile every time I read that scene.
As for my favorite quotes? I have a million, but I'll narrow it down to two for you. I already have them in convenient photo teasers for you to pass around the internet, should you feel so inclined. ;)
So, that's me in a nutshell. Hopefully you've recognized my brilliance by now (and my sarcasm) and I've convinced you to check out the books. I think they're a lot of fun and I'm so excited to share Libby with the world!
The Avery Shaw Experiment is on sale this week only for just $0.99.
I promise, it's worth the dollar!
Or to be notified upon release,
SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter.
If you'd like to see more, there are more teasers, excerpts, character interviews, games and giveaways happening on the Science Geek Appreciation Week Facebook event. Make sure you stop by the party and enter to win some of the giveaways. Signed books and swag! FACEBOOK EVENT
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Meet the Geeks of Spanish Fork High!
In honor of Science Geek Appreciation Week, I have some special guests on the blog with me today! A true geek is only as good as her club, so I'd like you to meet the members of the Spanish Fork High Science Club. (Or the Science Squad as Grayson calls them.) I've invited the lovely Mel from Words Feather Blog to join me today and interview this amazing bunch of kids, so I'm going to pass the mic and let Mel do what she does best!
Mel: Thanks Kelly! First of all, thanks for inviting me to the party. I'm excited to be here, and especially excited for the chance to meet all of you guys. I loved you all so much in The Avery Shaw Experiment, and I can't wait to see what kind of trouble you get into next in The Libby Garrett Intervention. So, why don't we start by letting you all introduce yourselves? Can you tell us your names, position in the science club, and a few things about yourselves? Let's start with our stars, Avery Shaw and Grayson Kennedy.
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Mel: Thanks Kelly! First of all, thanks for inviting me to the party. I'm excited to be here, and especially excited for the chance to meet all of you guys. I loved you all so much in The Avery Shaw Experiment, and I can't wait to see what kind of trouble you get into next in The Libby Garrett Intervention. So, why don't we start by letting you all introduce yourselves? Can you tell us your names, position in the science club, and a few things about yourselves? Let's start with our stars, Avery Shaw and Grayson Kennedy.
Name: Avery Shaw
Science Squad Position: Co-President
Year: Senior
Scientific Focus: Physics
Wants to be when she grows up: Aerospace Engineer
Favorite color: Blue
Favorite TV show: MythBusters
Hobbies: reading, watching documentaries, billiards and pool, tutoring, skiing, museums
Name: Grayson Kennedy
Science Squad Position: ex-secret member
Year: College freshman at Utah Valley University
Scientific Focus: Social Science
Wants to be when he grows up: Social Psychologist
Favorite color: Orange
Favorite TV show: Utah Jazz games
Hobbies: basketball, dancing, movies, parties, snowboarding, working out
And for the rest of the club, lets start with the current
Co-president, Aiden Kennedy!
Name: Aiden Kennedy
Science Squad Position: Co-President
Year: Senior
Scientific Focus: Physics
Wants to be when he grows up: Journalist
Favorite color: red
Favorite TV show: the news
Hobbies: debate, snowboarding, watching documentaries, reading, museums, writing
Name: Brandon Campbell
Science Squad Position: Vice President
Year: Junior
Scientific Focus: Bio Chemistry
Wants to be when he grows up: Biomedical scientist
Favorite color: green
Favorite TV show: House, Mystery Diagnosis
Hobbies: reading, board games, word puzzles, babysitting, research, science experiments, museums, learning, hanging out with friends,
Name: Elizabeth “Libby” Garrett
Science Squad Position: Secretary
Year: Senior
Scientific Focus: Astronomy
Wants to be when she grows up: yet to be determined, but it will be awesome
Favorite color: purple
Favorite TV show: Bizarre ER
Hobbies: snowboarding, freeboarding, skateboarding, reading, stargazing, tutoring, cats, learning about rare freaky diseases, romantic comedies
Name: Levi Engel
Science Squad Position: Treasurer
Year: Junior
Scientific Focus: Computer science/nano technology
Wants to be when he grows up: video game designer
Favorite color: blue
Favorite TV show: Dr. Who
Hobbies: Role-playing, LARPing, reading, movies, board games, video games, science fiction and fantasy
Name: Tara Lindsay
Science Squad Position: newest member
Year: Sophomore
Focus: Biology
Wants to be when she grows up: Marine biologist
Favorite color: pink
Favorite TV show: Downton Abbey
Hobbies: reading, music, movies, animals, camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, renaissance fairs, hair braiding
Mel: Wow! Sounds like we've got quite a mix of brilliant minds here today. Thank so much everyone, for coming today.
Avery: Oh, of course! We have so much going on with Libby's upcoming story, and we're excited to be here.
Mel: Well, why don't we start with the co-presidents? We all heard about the success of last year's science fair. How do you feel about having brought this great distinction to your school, especially when it was something so personal for you?
Grayson: *snort* Great distinction? To Mr. Walden, maybe. The science squad doesn't get any love from anyone else in the school. No one besides us even really knew about us winning. Even since we put that giant trophy in the trophy case, no one knows what it was for.
Aiden: *grumbling* Lucky for you, right?
Grayson: Um, yeah. Duh.
Aiden: So you were embarrassed to be part of the science club.
Grayson: Duh. The squad was really great about keeping my involvement on the down low though. They're cool like that. *gives fist bumps to all the geeks present except his brother, and squeezes Avery in a hug*
Aiden: *glaring* So you're embarrassed of your friends? Of your girlfriend?
Grayson: *glaring back* Hell no. I hang out with the Science Squad all the time. They're cool. People know I have respect for them. And I'm way proud of my brainiac. I show her off all the time, and I love that she's so smart. *kisses Avery's cheek* Her intelligence is the first thing I brag about to people. I always say I'm not worthy of her.
Avery: Yes you are. And you're smart too. You're doing great in your first semester of college. You may be an athlete, but you fit right in with us nerds.
Aiden: *bursts into laughter*
Grayson: *kicks Aiden's shin from his seat* *grimaces sheepishly at Mel* I wouldn't say I fit in, exactly, but I like them. I have fun with them, and I respect them. We're friends.
Aiden: Whatever. You're a big ol' nerd, just like the rest of us.
Grayson: Shut up, loser. I'm nothing like you. What are you even doing here? You don't belong in this interview.
Aiden: Me? Mel asked that question of the co-presidents of the Science Club. That's Avery and me. Not Avery and you.
Grayson: *stiffening in his chair* You had nothing to do with last year's science fair. You bailed on science club, remember? You aren't even on the science squad anymore!
Avery: *Grab's Grayson's hand and tries to calm him down* Aiden is part of this team. He came back at the end of last year and we welcomed him.
*heads nod slowly all around except for Grayson and Libby who both glare at Aiden*
Avery: And Aiden had everything to do with our success at the science fair last year.
Grayson: He broke your heart!
Avery: Exactly. Without Aiden, I wouldn't have been heartbroken and there wouldn't have been a project at all.
Grayson: *grumbling* I'd be okay with that.
Avery: Without him, The Avery Shaw Experiment never would have happened. You and I wouldn't have happened.
Grayson: *sighs* *smiles* You win. *Grins at Mel* See? She's brilliant! Can't argue with a genius.
Avery: To answer the original question, the people that matter to us, our friends and family, know what we accomplished last year and that's what counts.
Levi: In the high school science world, everyone in the country knows about the Spanish Fork High Science Club. We're proud of that reputation.
Brandon: Very. We're so proud of Avery and Grayson, the Avery Shaw Experiment, and everything that came with it.
Avery: The fact that it was so personal to me only made it that much more special.
Grayson: *smiles wickedly* And of course, we're still enjoying the spoils of our victory. *plants a hard passionate kiss on Avery that makes Tara blush and everyone else groan*
Avery: *pushes Grayson off her with a shriek* Grayson! We've talked about this! Not in public!
Grayson: *rolls his eyes* *sighs*
Mel: So it sounds like all of you were part of the experiment, and not just Avery and Grayson. Was it just moral support, or were you actually involved?
Brandon: Of course the experiment was Avery's and Grayson's, but as a team, we all felt it. Aiden leaving the club hit us all very hard. And what it did to Avery? *shakes his head* Avery and Aiden were our presidents--our leaders--and suddenly one had completely destroyed the other, nearly shattering our entire group.
Aiden: *cringes and looks at his lap* *mumbles an apology*
Avery: *Reaches for Aiden's hand and squeezes it.*
Libby: *ignoring Aiden* As a group, we were pretty wrecked. But then Grayson showed up as Avery's knight in sagging basketball shorts, and not only did things get much better looking, but our girl got better.
Tara: We all wanted to see Avery succeed with her experiment and get over her heartbreak. We helped her try to reach her different stages of grief as much as we could.
Levi: Plus, when we adopted Grayson into the squad as our mascot, the whole dynamic of science club changed. So yeah, after everything that happened, we all feel like we had a hand in it. It was personal for all of us. Avery the most, but she's one of us, our leader. What happens to her happens to all of us.
Avery: *smiles at her team as her eyes gloss over* Thanks guys. I couldn't have done it without all of you. *looks at Mel* It was definitely a group effort. They all supported me so much. Even Aiden helped me reach acceptance in those final stages.
Mel: *smiles* So, you’re more than teammates. You really are friends.
Avery: *nods enthusiastically* The best of friends.
Libby: Like family
Aiden: A highly dysfunctional family in Libby's case.
Libby: *rolls her eyes* At least I'm not the family idiot.
Avery: *sighs* Guys. Come on.
Mel: *clears her throat and tactfully moves the discussion along* What is the coolest thing about you all sharing your passion for science?
Aiden: I think our shared passion for science is the coolest thing about our friendship.
Tara: I like that we can be ourselves and we don't have to worry that the others are going to make fun of us for the things we like.
Grayson: Unless you're Levi. He's a little weird even for the science squad. *winks at Levi*
*heartbeat of silence passes then the whole group cracks up*
Mel: *eyebrows hit the ceiling* Wow. Well, um, I guess I'm glad you all understand one another. But probably not a lot of people do. How do you handle it when other people label you as the freaky nerds of the school?
Grayson: We remind them that Spanish Fork High also has a chess club. *laughs at his own joke*
Avery: *smacks Grayson's shoulder* Be nice! Sun Li and Louis Sanchez are in the chess club and they're both very nice.
Grayson: But they're definitely geekier than the science squad. You guys aren't the freaks of the school.
Levi: You mean "we" Grayson. You're one of us, don't forget.
Grayson: *grins* I'm graduated, Levi. I'm not a science geek.
Levi: Really? What's your major at college?
Grayson: *sighs* Social science.
*laughs and giggles all around*
Brandon: *snorts* You're definitely one of us.
Grayson: *frowns* But I'm not a geek. I make science cool.
Avery: Yes, you do, Grayson. And we love that about you.
Grayson: *grins again* And I love you.
Aiden: *groans* You aren't answering the question again.
Grayson: *blinks* *frowns* What was the question?
Mel: Um, I asked how you handle it when other people label you as the freaky nerds of the school?
Avery: We stick together.
Brandon: Who cares what the rest of the school thinks? We're happy. We have fun together. We get to do what we love with friends who understand us and share our same interests. What more could we want?
Libby: *mutters* Seven minutes in Heaven with Owen Jackson.
Avery: *giggles*
Grayson: Don't you mean a photo booth?
Libby: *flashes Grayson a wide smile* Same thing my vertically gifted friend.
Mel: *laughing* You guys are the best! Thank you so much for stopping by today and letting us get to know you a bit better. I'm sure we'll all be rushing out to pre-order The Libby Garrett Intervention just as soon as this is over. It has been a pleasure. Geek power!
Grayson: Actually, it's nerd power.
Mel: Excuse me?
Grayson: They're nerds. Not geeks. There's a difference. Nerds are smart. They like learning and knowledge. Geeks are different. They're passionate about hobbies. They're fan boys and girls.
Libby: Like Levi.
Grayson: Yes! Levi is a prime example of a geek with his passion of role playing and Dr. Who.
Brandon: But he's a nerd too, as he appreciates gaining knowledge and likes academia.
Mel: Okay. Well, thank's for that distinction. Power to the nerds then. And, some geek power for Levi.
Levi: Thanks Mel.
Mel: Anytime! So , we're going to open it up to questions now from some of your fans.
Aiden: We have fans?
Mel: Well, um, mostly Avery, Grayson, and Libby do. You sort of have a hate club.
Aiden: *sighs*
Mel: *feels bad* Sorry. It's just, people really love Avery. It was hard to see her so hurt. People were really upset with how you treated Avery last year.
Aiden: I know. I suppose I deserve a hate club. I hate myself too, you know, for what I did to Aves. I made mistakes that I can't take back and I'll never forgive myself for them. I just wish people knew that I really do love Avery. I didn't mean to hurt her, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to her.
Avery: No need, Aiden. I understand even if the rest of the world doesn't, and I've forgiven you.
Mel: You know, Aiden, if you'd like to do your own interview, and maybe defend yourself and set the record straight, I could come back. We could give you some time in the spotlight by yourself. Maybe you could help the rest of the world understand a little better. I think they might appreciate that.
Aiden: Yeah, I think we could manage that.
Mel: Great! We'll plan it. Friday sound good?
Aiden: Yeah, friday works for me.
Mel: Great. I'll meet you then, same time same place. Now, lets get to these last few questions, so that all of you can go home. This first question is for Libby.
Libby: Sweet. I win.
Mel: Libby. Your fans are dying to know--what is with your cat obsession?
Avery: *snorts*
Libby: Are you kidding me? Cats are only the cutest animals in existence! I mean, hello!!!
IS THAT NOT THE MOST ADORABLE THING YOU'VE EVER SEEN OR WHAT?
But more than that, cats are also extremely smart and full of attitude. Nobody bosses a cat around. A cat does what it wants. It lures in it's less intelligent prey with it's incredible cute and cuddliness and then RAWR! GOTCHA SUCKER! Cats are awesomesauce!
Mel: Thanks Libby. Next, I have one for Levi and Brandon. What hobbies do you have that aren't related to the Science Squad?
Levi: Well as the others previously mentioned, I appreciate the wonderful world of gaming. All kinds of gaming--video games, board games, roll playing... I'm an active LARPer (Live action roll playing). I also like to read. Science fiction and fantasy are my favorite. L.P. Morgan is my favorite author! He's coming to Salt Lake soon for a signing and Brandon and I are going to meet him. I'm pretty excited.
Brandon: Yeah, L.P. Morgan is amazing. That's going to be fun. I love reading too, but I don't just stick to one genre. I'll read anything from fantasy to text books. I love reading biographies. I'm not too big into video games like Levi, but I'll play board games with him. I like strategy based games and co-op games where the players are all on the same team and have to beat the game itself. I also like problem solving games--word puzzles and stuff. But mostly I love doing my own experiments. I have a genius IQ, and I need to constantly be learning. I research for fun, watch documentaries, and go to museums. But I also like to relax and hang out with my friends too. Sometimes it's hard being so smart. It's hard to turn it off, you know? I never really feel normal. When I need a break, I like to spend time with my family. I have twin little sisters. They are crazy, and a handful, but they don't see me as a weird genius. To them, I'm just their big brother. So I like spending time with them. Actually, I like all little kids for that same reason. They simplify things, and sometimes I just need to keep it simple, so I love to babysit too.
Mel: That's amazing! You're an actual genius?
Brandon: *Blushes*
Avery: He is! There's no one in the world like Brandon Campbell. He actually got recruited by MIT this year.
Mel: MIT! At what? Sixteen?
Brandon: *shrugs* It was cool. But I'm not going to go. I want to finish high school the normal way. I'll go there after I graduate. But I'm going to do this special summer program this year though, after school is out. I'm pretty excited about that.
Mel: *shakes head in awe* Very awesome! So, who's next? How about one for Grayson. Grayson, what career do you see yourself pursuing in the social sciences? Y'know, just in case the basketball thing doesn't work out.
Grayson: Ah, I've always known the basketball thing would never be a career. I'm good, but I'm not that good. I'm not a division 1 superstar or anything, you know? The NBA won't be knocking on my door, but that's okay. I love the sport, but it's never been my life. I enjoy too many other things to be so devoted as professional athletes have to be to the game. As for what I want to do, the experiment with Avery last year really opened my eyes to some things I'd never have thought about before. I'm thinking right now that I might like to be a social psychologist. I really like studying people's behaviors, and just the different types of groups of people. The Science Squadders were so different from anyone I'd ever known, that they fascinated me.
Levi: You were quite the case study for us too, Grayson.
Grayson: *chuckles* I'm sure I was. Seriously, though, the squad freaked me out a little at first, but they made me curious too. Then, helping Avery and seeing the changes in her--I really liked being a part of that. I liked that I was helping to make her life better and I think I'd really enjoy doing that kind of thing for others.
Mel: Aw, that's so sweet!
Grayson: *grins at Mel* That's me. Sweet, sensitive, caring Grayson.
Aiden: *scoffs*
Avery: It's true. That's what I've always loved about him. He likes to hide his sweet side, but it's definitely there under the surface, and it's amazing.
Mel: You two are just the cutest couple ever! And your story is so awesome. But, Avery, what about you and Libby? We know how you met and became friends with Grayson and Aiden, but you and Libby seem just as close friends as you and the Kennedy brothers are. How did the two of you become friends?
Avery: Oh! Well, that's easy. I met Libby the first day of kindergarten. I've always had a problem with anxiety--especially social anxiety. Aiden and I were in the same grade and went to the same school, but we were put in different kindergarten classes. When we got to school that first morning and had to stand in separate lines, I started crying. Libby was standing behind me and asked me what was wrong. I told her I was scared because my friend wasn't in my class. She said she didn't have any friends either and told me she would be my friend so I wouldn't be scared anymore. She took my hand, picked the desk next to mine, and we've been great friends ever since.
Mel: Aw. That's amazing. I can't believe you've all known each other for so long. You must have so many memories.
Libby: A lifetime of them.
Mel: Speaking of memories, Grayson, a lot of people have asked, what's your most memorable moment with Avery?
Grayson: *grins like the devil* Do you really need to ask? The shower, of course! I will never, ever forget anything about that moment.
Avery: *sighs* Grayson. Can't you be serious? Please?
Grayson: I am being serious! It was more than just the fact that we were in the shower together, Aves. And that there was nakedness involved... And that you looked beyond amazing in a wet t-shirt...
Avery: Grayson!
Grayson: Seriously, though, Aves, I was shocked that day. Forever changed in that moment. You'd always just been Little Avery Shaw to me before that. My stupid kid brother's geeky little girlfriend. You were practically a sister to me. I knew you, but I'd never paid attention to you before that day. Then, suddenly you were real. You were beautiful and vulnerable. That was the first time I ever really saw you for you. And I knew right then, as I held you while you shattered in a million pieces in my arms, that I wanted to take care of you. That I had to help you and protect you. *clears a surprise lump of emotion from his throat* That moment changed my life, Aves. It changed me as a person. You changed me.
*collective sighs from girls all around the world*
Avery: *blushes* *Grayson kisses her--a sweet kiss that she doesn't get mad at him for*
Mel: *still swooning* what about you, Avery? Do you have a most memorable Grayson moment?
Avery: *also still swooning* As much as I'd like to say it was the shower too, that moment didn't have the impact on me that it did on Grayson. I was so distraught that I hardly even knew what was happening. My attitude change toward Grayson happened a lot slower. He was like an older brother to me, the way I was a little sister to him.
Grayson: Actually, she thought I was like a gross older brother. And she liked to say as much.
Avery: *grinning* I don't deny it. You were gross. Maybe that's why it took me a lot longer to fall for you.
Grayson: Maybe you're just that much more amazing than me.
Avery: Not possible. But anyway, I guess the most memorable moment I have with Grayson was probably the night we went to that party and he taught me how to dance.
Grayson: Mmm, that was a good moment.
Avery: I'd never spent time with anyone other than my small group of friends before and suddenly I was at this rager of a college party. I was so far out of my comfort zone that I could barely function. I was terrified, but Grayson was right there with me the entire night, keeping me in control. I know sticking with geeky little me who wouldn't drink or dance, or even socialize, and who wasn't going to make out with him, wasn't Grayson's idea of a party. But he stayed glued to my side and even seemed to enjoy himself. That night I realized Grayson wasn't just hanging out with me for extra credit, or because he felt sorry for me. He genuinely cared about me and liked spending time with me.
Grayson: Of course I did.
Avery: Then when we danced... *shivers at the memory* *blushes* That was the moment I fell completely head over heels for the Grayson Kennedy charm, even if I wasn't ready to admit it. He wasn't just Aiden's crazy, annoying, and yes, gross, older brother anymore. And when I realized that I wanted to kiss him, that I really really liked him, I knew things were going to change.
Grayson: *snickers* Took you long enough, Aves.
Avery: *rolls eyes* I was heartbroken thank you very much. And you had a reputation that was hard to overlook.
Grayson: *smirks* Well, don't worry, I have quite a different reputation now, thank, you very much.
Libby: *snorts* What reputation? Completely whipped?
Grayson: Exactly. I lost all my street cred and had to give up my man card.*sighs playfully* It was worth it, though.
Avery: *pokes Grayson in the side* You are such a smooth talker.
Grayson: Maybe. But that doesn't make what I say untrue. You're worth everything, Aves. I love you.
Avery: I love you too.
Mel: Aww. And I think that's our cue to end this interview! Thank you so much, everyone, for coming today! I hope you've enjoyed this interview as much as I have, and don't forget to buy your copies of the Geek Squad books and witness the science in action!
Kelly: Shameless plug time! Avery and Grayson's story, The Avery Shaw Experiment is on sale right now for only $0.99!! Download it now from Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Kobo.
And then, make sure to go pre-order your copy of The Libby Garrett Intervention so you don't miss out on the next great Science Squad adventure. (With Libby Garrett driving the story, you're bound to go for a wild ride!)
Libby: You mean a wild journey, Kelly. Get it right, girl. You know, for someone so creatively awesome, your grammar in your first drafts... tisk tisk...
Kelly: Hey! It's a rough draft!
Libby: *snickers* Rough, is a good word for it.
Kelly: *sticks out her tongue like a five year old* Be nice to me Libby, or I'll give you a zit on prom night.
Libby: *gasps* You wouldn't DARE!
Kelly: *raises an eyebrow* Don't think so?
Libby: *smiles sweetly at her creator* Have you done something different with your hair, Kelly? It looks fabulous! And, have I thanked you yet for giving Adam tattoos??? So HOT. You're brilliant.
Kelly: *snort* Why thank you, Libby. Aren't you so kind!
Kelly: Goodbye everyone! See you tomorrow with more great bonus material! Don't forget to enter all the giveaways!
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The Avery Diaries
Happy Thursday everyone! Today marks day 4 of Science Geek Appreciation Week. I hope you're having as much fun with it as I am. So far we've been introduced to The Avery Shaw Experiment, we've been teased about the upcoming The Libby Garrett Intervention, and we've gotten to know a little about the author behind all the geeky goodness, Kelly Oram. Today, it's time to get to know the stars of the Spanish Fork High science club a little better with a peek in their personal journals.
If you missed any of the previous posts about The Avery Shaw Experiment or The Libby Garrett Intervention, be sure to stop by the Facebook event. Along with the posts, there are all kinds of extra bonus material, games and giveaways going on. Lots of chances to win signed books and swag, talk to the author and just have fun with other science geek loving friends. There's a new giveaway every day. CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE PARTY!
As part of the Avery Shaw Experiment, Spanish Fork High science club president, Avery Shaw, and her new recruit, Spanish Fork High basketball star Grayson Kennedy were required to keep journals throughout their study. I happen to have a few of those journal entries, and am very excited to share them with you. Before I do, just in case you haven't read the book yet, (For which there is no excuse because it's on sale for $0.99 this week. ;) ) I believe I should give you a tiny bit of insight as to what, exactly, The Avery Shaw Experiment is. But since this is the day to get to know Avery and Grayson, I'll let them explain it in their own words.
So, now that we know what kind of experiment Avery and Grayson have embarked on, lets get a peek inside those journals...
The following is a short story written as bonus material for The Avery Shaw Experiment. It is not an excerpt from the book and is spoiler free. Enjoy!
"I See London, I See France"
(Avery)
Dear Diary,
Though I am clearly past the shock, denial, and bargaining stages of grief, I have not attained guilt yet. If I had to describe myself as anything right now, I would say I’m simply empty. Sad, hurt, and empty.
What happened between Aiden and myself was tragic, but, really, it was nobody’s fault. Aiden has as much right to his feelings as I do mine. He did what he did because it’s what he needed, not because of something I’d done. Even Grayson agrees that I did nothing wrong. He’s told me a hundred times already that I have nothing to feel guilty about.
Grayson’s right. I have nothing to feel guilty about. And I don’t. Feel guilty, that is. It’s been days and still the guilt won’t come. I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to feel guilty about. I just know it’s the next stage in the grieving process.
As part of the Avery Shaw Experiment, I have decided to try and let the stages of grief occur naturally. However, that doesn’t mean that I will sit around waiting for acceptance and a cured heart to find me. No one has ever achieved results by being stagnant.
I’ve decided that the best thing for me to do is that which true mourners do—try to move on with my life. I need to stop dwelling on the past. I need to accept that my relationship with Aiden will never go back to the way it was, and that my life has changed in a very permanent way. I will never be the same.
I figured step one of “moving on” was to purge my life of all things Aiden Kennedy. Tonight I had Grayson come over to my house and help me remove everything that reminded me of Aiden. My theory was that if I see nothing that sparks a memory, then I would be able to think of Aiden less and it would be easier for me to forget him.
This experience was much harder and more painful than I thought it would be. I never could have done it without Grayson’s support and encouragement. Crying in front of him was embarrassing, but he didn’t seem to think any less of me for it. I’m grateful to have such an understanding partner.
After it was all over—Grayson had to pry the garbage bag full of memories from my hands and drive away with it, or all of that stuff would have ended up right back in its place—I expected to feel better. I expected some sort of closure or sense of relief. Instead I looked around at all the bare walls and dust outlines on the dresser and cried even harder.
The empty spots where the pictures and souvenirs once were now stand as reminders themselves—big empty voids just like the one in my heart that used to be filled with my best friend. Part of me is missing. It’s as if I am an amputee missing an arm or a leg.
The spot on my wall where I used to hang a poster of Albert Einstein that Aiden had given me after I’d dressed as the brilliant physicist for Halloween in middle school was the most obvious gaping hole. I took one look at that spot and broke down.
When I lost it, Grayson wrapped his arms around me, told me he knew how to fix the problem, and then disappeared slamming my bedroom door shut behind him. After a minute, he came back and I watched, bewildered, as he pinned a pair of smiley face boxer shorts to my wall where Einstein used to watch over me.
I couldn’t help the way my horrified gaze dropped to Grayson’s pants. He burst into laughter, knowing what I’d been thinking, and insisted that the shorts now on my wall were his emergency pair—clean and washed—that he kept in his gym bag, and that this was most definitely an emergency.
I asked why he tacked his underwear up on my bedroom wall and he told me because now every time I looked at that spot I would think of him and laugh instead of thinking of Aiden and crying. He was right. I can’t help smiling at the ridiculous smiley faces.
He also told me that they would help me have good dreams. When I asked why he said because I would dream about him being mostly naked instead of having nightmares of Aiden leaving me. I’d freaked out so badly that he’d had to prompt me to breathe again. I don’t know that I’ll have any dreams at night, but the daydreams are already ridiculous. I can’t stop picturing him in those shorts! I’m going to have to get something to replace them. Soon!
"Purging"
(Grayson)
Avery is crazy. Girls are slightly insane in general, but Avery is especially nuts. She called me up tonight and asked me to help her purge Aiden from her life. I have been asked by a lot of girls to do a lot of things, but never to help them purge. Whatever she meant, I was sure it wasn’t going to be all fun dates and playing like she’d promised me when I agreed to this whacked-out experiment.
Apparently purging was smart-girl talk for throwing out your ex’s junk. I know this is like some kind of sacred ritual among chicks—they have scenes about it in movies and everything—but I don’t get what the big deal is. It’s just stupid crap. Pictures, CD’s, lame stuffed animals, and in Avery’s case, old science projects, reports, and even a Civil War diorama that she and Aidan had done in the 3rd grade. The thing was practically biodegrading and yet Aves nearly had a panic attack when I shoved the old shoebox into a garbage bag.
Avery was a freaking train wreck through the whole thing. I had to do all of the actual throwing out because she wasn’t really capable of anything more than pointing at stuff and bursting into tears. She couldn’t even explain why half of that crap reminded her of Aiden. (I’m still at a loss with the Diana Ross CD.)
I thought her attachment to all of it was stupid, but I have to admit the concept had merit. She needed to get over my idiot brother already. The dude was not worth the emotional pain Avery was putting herself through. If I could, I’d wipe Aiden clean from the Earth, but since murder is a felony and I’m too hot to go to prison, purging him from Avery’s life was the next best thing. Aves may have found the evening emotionally scarring, but I thought it was mildly satisfying. Punching Aiden in the face would have been more satisfying, but there was some consolation in burning his pictures.
The more stuff we got rid of, the better I felt. When I carried the garbage bag out of the house—I had to pry it from Avery’s fingers—I thought Aves would feel better too. I thought for sure there would be some kind of relief for her.
Not so much.
I came back inside and found Avery staring at her bedroom wall like some kind of mental patient. When I walked in the room she turned to me and my heart almost broke for her. Her tears were pouring down her face again and the look in her eyes was so devastated that I felt her pain with her.
In a single stride I pulled her against me and wrapped her tightly in my arms hoping that feeling her there would stop the throbbing in my chest.
Crying girls have always been my biggest weakness. I pretty much hate this about myself, because it makes me vulnerable to them. But I seriously cannot stand it when girls cry. It’s like there is something in me, some kind of physical part of me that reacts when I see a girl cry. It makes me crazy and the feeling doesn’t go away until I’ve made them stop. I have to make them stop. I have to do whatever it takes to put a smile on a sad girl’s face no matter what it does to my dignity.
I’m such a sucker.
Tonight was no exception. Actually, it was one of my least dignified moments ever. Curse my stupid hero gene.
Aves was falling apart and I had to make it better. While she buried her face in my chest, my brain spun frantically searching for some sort of solution. I wasn’t even sure what had set her off this time, but then I looked up at the wall and everything fell into place.
Avery had had this lame poster on her wall of an old dude with crazy hair. I think it was Albert Einstein or someone. I’d taken it down, but it had been in that same spot for so long that you could see the outline of it where the sun had bleached the paint around it over the years.
The big empty rectangle spot was worse than the poster. It was practically jumping off the wall, mocking me in the worst way. I may as well have painted the words AIDEN LEFT YOU in the poster’s place when I took it down, because now it was obvious that it was gone. Just like Aiden was.
I had to fix it. I had to get rid of that spot. But I couldn’t put the poster back. I had to put something else there. Something that wouldn’t remind her of Aiden. More than that—it had to be something that would cheer her up and put a smile on her face when she saw it. It was the “smile” thought that gave me the idea.
Now, this is the part where my dignity comes into play. I was so desperate to cheer Aves up that I’d have given her the shirt off my back if I thought it could help. Unfortunately, in this case, my shirt wouldn’t do any good. But my underwear…
That’s right, I gave Avery Shaw my underpants. The stupid, dorky ones Aiden got me for Christmas a couple of years ago because he’s a tool like that, that I kept in my gym bag. They were white with rainbow smiley faces all over them. Ridiculous. But they would make Avery laugh.
Before I could think better of it, I strolled into Avery’s room and tacked those dumb shorts right over that stupid poster spot. After they were securely fastened to her wall I turned around and grinned at her as big as I could. The trick was confidence. I had to act like I thought this was totally normal, and the most brilliant idea ever or Avery would know how stupid I suddenly felt and then she’d get embarrassed.
Avery looked slightly horrified and her eyes dropped to my waist. I burst into laughter and pulled up my shirt, exposing the band of the boxers I was wearing as proof that I was still dressed beneath my pants. Once she was assured that the shorts on her wall were at least clean she, of course, asked me why I’d just decorated her room with underwear.
I explained my theory of them making her laugh and think of me instead of the Einstein poster making her cry over Aiden. It worked. She looked up at my shorts and actually smiled. It was the first smile I’d seen on her face since I’d arrived. I felt five hundred pounds lighter all the sudden and my smile reached goofy status.
Then, because I’m a jerk and couldn’t help myself, I made a comment about her dreaming of me in nothing but those smiley faces. She totally freaked of course. I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but I love watching her blush too much. She turned so red that I was sure she had a very clear mental image stuck in her head.
I waited until she started breathing again, then I kissed her bright red cheek and told her to have pleasant dreams tonight. It was classic. There is no one on the planet more adorable than Avery.
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Kelly wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.
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A Sneak Peek Into The Libby Garrett Intervention
Well, here we are folks. The final day of Science Geek Appreciation Week. And what a week it's been! We've read all about The Avery Shaw Experiment, revealed the cover and got a few teasers from The Libby Garrett Intervention releasing this October, we've gotten up close and personal with Science Squad author Kelly Oram, and we've invaded Avery's and Grayson's privacy by reading their journals.
We've partied on Facebook with games, teasers, bonus material, and giveaways. (The party's still going on, so stop by the FACEBOOK EVENT and enter the giveaways before they're over.)
Hopefully you've all bought your copy of Avery at its Science Geek Appreciation price of just $0.99. I promise, it's worth the dollar! Amazon * iBooks * B&N * Kobo. And, of course, The Libby Garrett Intervention is coming October 24th! So hopefully, you've signed up for Kelly Oram's NEWSLETTER to receive special preorder discounts and be notified of the book's release.
It seems there's only one thing left to do, and that would be get a nice good look at The Libby Garrett Intervention in this first-ever sneak peek!
When Libby's behavior spirals completely out of control, her best friend Avery Shaw and the rest of the Science Squad stage an intervention hoping to cure Libby of her harmful Owen addiction. They put her through her very own Twelve Step program—Owen's Anonymous—and recruit the help of a sexy, broody, hard as nails coffee man to be her official sponsor.
...
Adam Koepp has watched Libby Garrett for years. How could he not notice the sassy girl with the purple skateboard and helmet plastered with cat stickers? But in all the years he's crushed on her, Libby has failed to take notice of him. Why would she when he was just a nobody high school drop out who served her apple cider several times a week? Especially when she was hooking up with a guy like Owen Jackson—a guy with a college scholarship and more abs than Kyle Hamilton.
Adam finally gets the chance to meet Libby when his co-worker Avery Shaw recruits him to take Libby on the journey of a lifetime. With his ability to play Bad Cop and his experience with the Twelve Step program he's the perfect candidate to be Libby's sponsor. But will he be able to keep his personal feelings out of the matter and really help her the way she needs? And will Libby hate him when he forces her to take an honest look at herself?
SNEAK PEEK
(This excerpt hasn't been though it's final round of edits and is subject to change in the final draft.)
“I love Avery, and I’m happy for her—she certainly deserves Grayson—but now her perception of reality is totally skewed. She thinks everyone has a fairy-tale ending coming to them. She doesn’t understand that most of us won’t be so lucky. Especially not someone like me.”
Adam kept his gaze on the window and let out a breath. “Someone like you?”
“Yeah, someone like me. Fat girls don’t exactly get a lot of love.”
He pulled his eyes away from the view to glare at me for that one. I wasn’t sure what his problem was. It’s not like my weight was a secret.
“Maybe I’m not three hundred pounds, but I’m definitely pushing it when I use the word chubby. In high school, that equates to being the fat girl, and, before you ask, I can’t just lose the weight. I have hypothyroidism. I was diagnosed when I was eleven because I became borderline diabetic. I’ve been on a strict diet and exercise program ever since so that I don’t develop more serious health problems. I’m actually in decent shape cardiovascularly speaking; I just can’t get rid of all the weight. This is as good as I will ever get.”
Adam pulled his eyes away from the window and shifted his entire body so that he was facing me. “You don’t think you’ll ever find someone that loves you because you’ll never be thin?”
I scoffed. “This is real life, not Hairspray. There is no Link Larkin out there waiting for me. Don’t even try to tell me that there is. You know there’s not. It’s a miracle Owen even gives me the time of day.”
After pulling the beanie off his head to rake his hand through his hair, Adam slumped in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring out the windshield. I didn’t understand the mood swing. He’d seemed pretty chill when I first picked him up. Now he was back to being that stick-up-the-butt grump I first met. “What about Owen?” he asked suddenly. “He doesn’t seem to mind your weight.”
“Ha!” I clenched my hands so tightly on the steering wheel that my knuckles turned white. I’d been telling myself that same thing for a year, but that didn’t make it true. “Of course he does. That’s the biggest problem we have. He acts the way he does with me because he’s embarrassed of my looks. I always knew that, but I told myself it didn’t matter, because even if he was ashamed of his feelings for me, at least he had them.”
Adam was appalled by my logic. “Are you serious? The guy is ashamed of you, and you don’t think that matters?”
A surge of anger pulsed through me, but I managed to keep hold of my temper. “Of course it matters. Do you think I like that he won’t introduce me to any of his friends? I don’t. I hate it. He won’t even admit to Grayson that we’re dating. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
“Then why do you put up with it?”
“Because it’s better than nothing. Which is what I have without Owen. No one has ever wanted me before. At all. In any way. Owen can be a jerk, but I know at least part of him cares about me. It’s not like he hooks up with me because I’m his only option. The guy is gorgeous, popular, and athletic. He can be with anyone he wants, but he still chooses to be with me. He likes being with me. He’s not a total douche. He does appreciate my awesomeness. When we’re together and it’s just us, he can be so sweet. He makes me feel beautiful—desirable, special, wanted. I don’t get to feel like that any other time in my life, so I take the bad with the good.”
I couldn’t believe I was having such an intimate conversation with this odd stranger, but it was surprisingly nice to be completely honest for once. “I can’t say no to Owen because I know that if I say yes, I’ll get to feel those things. The bad stuff will disappear and I’ll feel amazing, at least for a little while. And I’m afraid that if I don’t come when he calls, he’ll find someone else. I’m sure he sees other girls at college. Yes, I hate that, but what other choice do I have? If I push him away, then I’m back to having nobody. Without Owen, I’m back to being a lonely, fat nerd. I don’t want to be alone for the rest of my life.”
The conversation died there.
I’d never been so honest with anyone before, not even Avery. I wasn’t sure how Adam got me to crack open like that, but I felt so exposed. I’d spent years building up the thickest skin a human being could possibly have, and somehow, in less than an hour, Adam broke right through all of my defenses. That scared me. Who was this guy? How did he get to me so easily?
Adam sat in silence on the other side of the car. I knew he was thinking about everything I’d just said. Knew he was putting it together with all the times we’d met so far, and forming a new opinion of me. I didn’t want to know what that might be.
I drove us through the winding mountains, paying more attention to my crappy thoughts and feelings than the road. We were lucky I didn’t send us plummeting over the side of the canyon to our deaths.
“Believe it or not, I understand how you feel,” Adam said, breaking the long silence with his soft voice. “I know exactly what it’s like to be so desperate for someone’s affection that you’d let them destroy you just to win their approval.”
My chest tightened at his admission. It made me crazy with curiosity. Who had he loved so much that he could sound as full of despair as he did now? There was truth in his words, and whatever truth it was, it had been devastating to him. Was there more to Avery asking him for help than just his ability to play Bad Cop? He said we had something in common, but I couldn’t understand how a guy like him could ever be an outcast the way I am.
“If you don’t let him go,” Adam said, pulling my attention back to the conversation, “he will destroy you eventually.”
I had no doubt he was speaking from experience, but I didn’t ask, and he didn’t elaborate. He left me alone after that, and we spent the rest of the drive in silence. It wasn’t until we reached the ski resort and climbed out of the Escalade that he finally said, “You have to want it, Libby. Admitting that the relationship is unhealthy is a good start, but it isn’t enough. If you don’t genuinely want to give him up, then we’re wasting each other’s time.”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever fully want to give Owen up, but I didn’t want to let him keep using me, either. “What exactly are we doing with each other, anyway?” I asked as I led Adam through the parking lot toward the mountain. “How do you plan to help me?”
“Every twelve-step program is a journey. It’s actually a very spiritual experience for the person taking the steps. It requires a leap of faith. My job as your sponsor—so to say—is to take that leap with you and sort of guide you through the process. You’ll have to do all the work. I can’t take the steps for you, but I can show you the way. I’m here to hold your hand or give you a nudge when you need it, point you in the right direction if you can’t see clearly, and pick you up if you fall.”
We reached the base of the mountain and immediately hit a wall of people. The mountain was packed because it was the last weekend of the season, and it looked like the competition had also drawn quite a crowd as well.
I grabbed Adam’s hand tightly so that we wouldn’t get separated, and headed toward the halfpipe. Adam startled at my touch, but didn’t pull away. He looked down at our hands and then did that infuriatingly sexy thing where he raises one of his eyebrows at me, as if demanding an answer.
Man, he could be so hot when he wanted. If I weren’t in such a hurry, I’d have stayed locked in that challenging stare with him until the snow melted. Unfortunately, there was no time to explore the tension that sometimes ignited between us. I rolled my eyes at him, pretending I wasn’t the least bit excited to be touching him, and started tugging him through the spectators. “Gotta move your honeybuns, Coffee Man. We’re late.”
“You know,” he said lightly as he followed me through the crowd, “when I mentioned hand holding before, I was speaking metaphorically.”
“Well, that’s just too bad, because right now I need it in the literal sense. I don’t have time to lose you. It looks like they’ve already started, and I’ll be the worst daughter ever if I miss my dad’s first run.”
Adam chuckled. Then, a few seconds later he relaxed his grip, shifting his hand in mine so that our fingers laced together. There was something intimate in the casual way he clung to me as we walked. It was as if he weren’t hanging on for the purpose of staying together, but rather holding my hand simply for the pleasure of it. The way a boyfriend would. The way Owen had never done. The way no one had ever done.
It took everything in me not to stumble to a stop and gape at him. I glanced back as subtly as I could manage. He met my eyes, smiling as if he didn’t have a care in the world. As though holding my hand was something he did every day, something so natural he didn’t even have to think about it.
The Avery Shaw Experiment is on sale this week only for just $0.99.
I promise, it's worth the dollar!
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Kelly wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.
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Confessions of an antagonist: Aiden Kennedy Tells All
Back by popular demand, I have Spanish Fork High's most hated misunderstood science geek on the blog today, and he's ready to shed some light on The Great Aiden/Avery Fallout as their friends have come to call it.
Joining me once again to ask the tough questions is Mel from Words Feather blog. Hey Mel! Thanks so much for hanging out with my characters this week.
Mel: Oh, of course! It's been a blast.
Kelly: And Aiden... You're a good sport.
Aiden: *snorts* Thanks so much, Kelly.
Kelly: So, I guess I'll let you guys get too it. Take it away Mel!
Joining me once again to ask the tough questions is Mel from Words Feather blog. Hey Mel! Thanks so much for hanging out with my characters this week.
Mel: Oh, of course! It's been a blast.
Kelly: And Aiden... You're a good sport.
Aiden: *snorts* Thanks so much, Kelly.
Kelly: So, I guess I'll let you guys get too it. Take it away Mel!
Mel: Thanks Kel! Hey Aiden! Thanks so much for coming back today to sit with me in a one-on-one interview. I know it’s been rough for you since the whole Avery Shaw Experiment went down last year. Some mistakes were made, people were hurt, and those close to Avery and Grayson haven’t been particularly forgiving even if Avery has. You seemed so sincere the other day sitting with Avery, that my heart went out to you. Hopefully we can clear the air a little with all the fans out there, and you can finally move past the Avery Shaw debacle and find your own peace with what happened.
Aiden: *mutters* One can only hope.
Mel: So, I guess the best way to do this is just to dive in and get right to the heart of it. What all the fans out there really want to know is…WTF? How could you? What was going through your head when you abandoned Avery and broke her heart?
Aiden: *lets out a long, heavy breath* Every story has to have an antagonist, right? Guess I drew the short straw. *sends Mel a small self-deprecating smile* Really, though, I just made a mistake. I never meant to hurt Avery. I’d never want to do that. She’s my best friend.
Mel: So what happened?
Aiden: *sighs* I took Avery for granted, plain and simple. I didn’t do it on purpose, and I didn’t hurt her on purpose. I never dreamed that quitting science club and getting a girlfriend would destroy my relationship with Avery. I never once considered the possibility that I could lose her. It was Avery. We were… were… *sighs* I mean we just were. The thought of that changing—of us not being whatever we were—was incomprehensible. We did everything together, loved each other unconditionally. She was such a part of me that I couldn’t separate us. I couldn’t think of us as individuals. Nothing was ever about what I liked or what I wanted. There was no I. It was always we. What did we like? What were we going to do today? She wasn’t my sister, but she wasn’t my girlfriend. She was part of me. Does that even make sense? I’m not sure I can really explain it any better.
Mel: I think I get it. But if she was such a part of you, then how could you abandon her the way you did? Wouldn’t that be like cutting off your arm or leg, or something?
Aiden: *meets Mel’s gaze with a pained look* Losing Avery was like being ripped in two. Without her I wasn’t whole anymore. It was the worst feeling I’ve ever experienced, probably the worst thing that I ever will experience.
Mel: *frowns* But… But it was your choice to leave her. I guess I still don’t understand how you could do it. You had her. She loved you. She would have probably stayed with you forever and been happy. If you cared so much for her—needed her to make you complete—how could you give her up?
Aiden: *closes his eyes and takes a long deep breath* Look. I really hate to use such an overdone cliché, but sometimes you really just don’t know what you have until you lose it. Have you ever felt lost? Confused about who you are, or what you want? I was almost seventeen, half way through my junior year of high school. And I had no clue what I really wanted in life. All of my friends kept making decisions about college or were involved in activities or programs that were going to help them after school. They were dating, going to dances, kissing, breaking up… They were experiencing life. I’d never had a girlfriend. Never kissed a girl. I’d never done anything on my own.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I grew up, wasn’t sure what my interests were. I’d never thought about myself. My first thoughts were always about Avery. Always. We did science club because I knew she liked it. We watched most of the movies we did because I knew she wanted to. I took her to museums because I knew it made her happy. Yeah, I enjoyed all of those things too, but would I have done them if Avery wasn’t factored into the equations? I didn’t know.
The truth is, my relationship with Avery, the way it was, wasn’t healthy for either of us. I did what I did because we needed the separation. We both needed to learn to think for ourselves and figure out who we were as individuals. I still stand by that thought. I didn’t handle it the best way, because I wasn’t really sure what I was doing, and how do you handle something like that anyway? Is there ever a good way to tell the person you love the most in the world that you need some space? I think Avery would have understood if we’d sat down and really talked about it. I think she would have even been okay with it or a little excited about it. *smiles to himself* She’s have treated it like an experiment. The Avery and Aiden Self Discovery Experiment. We’d have tried different things and spent time apart, but we’d have done it together.
My biggest mistake was letting Mindy manipulate me. *smirks bitterly* But what guy has never acted stupid over a girl at least once? Mindy was good at using the truth against me to get what she wanted. She was jealous of Avery. Intimidated by how close I was with her. I still can’t really blame her for that. But that’s what made it so easy for her to get me to stay away from Avery. I understood Mindy’s insecurity. I sympathized with it. From her perspective, it was a horrible situation. She had a boyfriend who spent all of his time with another girl. A girl he loved. To an extent, Mindy had a right to ask me to back off of my relationship with Aves.
And she was my first girlfriend. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted to let her know she could trust me. I wanted her to feel like I cared about her, put her first before any other girl. I wanted her to feel safe with me. Are any of those desires bad for a boyfriend to want? No. Those kinds of things are qualities a girl should look for in a guy. They’re things she should expect in a relationship—things she deserves. So while it was happening, I was trying to look at a confusing situation logically. I was trying to make everything black and white. But Avery’s and my situations wasn’t black and white. I needed to think with more than just my head. I needed to use my heart too. I just figured that out too late, and by then, the damage had been done. And the worst part of it was, I was heartbroken, and I felt like I didn’t deserve to fix it. It was my fault. I’d destroyed Avery. I was in my own personal hell, and I deserved everything I got.
Mel: *a little choked up* That must have been hard.
Aiden: It’s still hard. I’ll pay for those mistakes for the rest of my life.
Mel: But Avery’s forgiven you at least. You guys are friends again, right?
Aiden: She’s forgiven me, but she’s not mine. What I lost last year, I will never get back. Not completely. I’m relieved that she’s forgiven me, and grateful we can still be friends, but it’s not the same. I have her still, but in a way, I also lost her for good.
Mel: *just a little bit heartbroken for Aiden* So, you still love her.
Aiden: Of course I love her.
Mel: No, I mean you’re still in love with her. Aren’t you?
Aiden: *looks away and glares at the ground* *doesn’t answer the question*
Mel: *in a soft voice* But some good came out of this still, right? I mean you said that you guys needed the separation. You’ve changed a lot over the past year. You have some knew friends, and you seem to know what you want to do with your life now. After everything is said and done a year later, do you regret what happened? Even with the positive changes in your life?
Aiden: *thinks for a long time* Honestly? Yes there have been some positive changes in my life, but I think I could have figured things out without losing Avery. I could have done things better. I didn’t have to hurt either of us and destroy the amazing relationship we had, so yes. I regret it. I probably always will.
Mel: I’m sorry.
Aiden: *shrugs* We all have to live with the consequences of our mistakes. The best we can do is learn from them.
Mel: So what have you learned?
Aiden: *sends another bitter smirk into his lap* To think before I act. To use my heart more. To cherish the people who mean something to me and never take my friends for granted. To trust myself more and not allow people to manipulate me. And I’ll definitely take a much closer look at any girls I date. I won’t be jumping head first into a relationship ever again.
Mel: So, are you dating anyone then?
Aiden: Can’t. Avery’s taken. *flashes Mel a small smile to let her know that was a joke, but can’t quite hide the truth in his words* *sighs, resigned* No. I’m not dating anyone right now. I don’t think I’m ready to try that again. *smiles a small smile for real this time* I might have to try Avery’s seven stages of grief first. Right now I’m just focusing on finishing school. Graduating. Learning more about myself. Getting ready for next year.
Mel: What are your plans for next year?
Aiden: I’m going to study journalism at the University of Utah. I think I’d like to be an investigative reporter. I love the news. I like learning the truth of things, and I’m good with words.
Mel: Yeah, I’d say you are. I think you’ve done a great job explaining your side of the story today. I’m sure you’ve convinced at least some of the haters out there that you actually are a decent guy. You’ve convinced me, anyway. I think I can forgive you for hurting Avery.
Aiden: *smirks* Thanks.
Mel: No, thank you for coming back today. I’m really glad I got to hear your story, and I’m sure a lot of others are too. I wish you the best of luck next year at college. And hey, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you find exactly the right girl for you so you can find a little inner peace. You know, I happen to be in pretty good with Kelly. I could put in a good word for you. I hear she’s pretty darn good at the matchmaking thing.
Aiden: *chuckles* *shakes his head softly* *mutters more sincerely this time* Thanks Mel.
↧
Brian & Ella discuss all things Halloween!
Brian and Ella wrapped up the Cinder & Ella blog tour on Halloween with one last Internet chat over at Paper Cuts blog. They talked costumes, candy, and scary movies!
EllaTheRealHero:Hey everyone, Cinder and Ella here! We want to thank Rachel for inviting us to stop by Paper Cuts today.
Cinder458: Yeah, we’re happy to be here. My actual name’s Brian, though, not Cinder. You can call me Brian. Ella forgets that sometimes.
EllaTheRealHero:I don’t forget. It’s just that Cinder & Ella are so cute together. I like it.
Cinder458: It’s a little cheesy. And it makes me seem like one of those actors who doesn’t know the difference between myself and the characters I play.
EllaTheRealHero:Sorry. You’ll always be Cinder to me. Cinder & Ella. It’s cute. Not cheesy. And it’s a fun play on words that people can remember, so it’s probably going to stick. You have a nickname. Embrace it, my friend.
Cinder458: Whatever. We’re getting off topic again.
EllaTheRealHero: Yeah, we’ve done that a lot this tour. We’re kind of terrible at the blog touring stuff, aren’t we?
Cinder458: Speak for yourself. I’m awesome at it.
EllaTheRealHero:You’re the one who got us off topic.
Cinder458: Well you’re the one who refuses to use my name.
EllaTheRealHero:You’re doing it again. This is our last stop. We have to get at least one right. Come on, focus, we’re supposed to be talking about Halloween.
Cinder458: Right, so, Rachel, Halloween. Hit me.
RachelPaperCuts: Okay, let’s start with costumes. If you guys dressed up together, like, as a couple, what would you want to go as?
EllaTheRealHero:Cinder and Ella from The Druid Prince. Obviously.
Cinder458:Boring.
EllaTheRealHero:What?
Cinder458: Been there and done that. I had to wear that dumb costume for months while filming. I don’t want to go as Cinder and Ella. Let’s be something different for a change. That’s what Halloween’s really about, anyway. Disguising yourself. Being someone you don’t normally get to be. We’re always Cinder and Ella. You won’t even call me by my real name!
EllaTheRealHero:Because Cinder’s cuter.
Cinder458:Whatever. I’m not being Cinder and Ella for Halloween.
EllaTheRealHero:All right, how about Cinderella and Prince Charming? That would be so cute too.
Cinder458: And cliché, woman. Come on. You’re more creative than this.
EllaTheRealHero:Fine. What do you think we should go as?
Cinder458: I’m thinking a doctor and his sexy nurse. How awesome would that be?
EllaTheRealHero:Are you kidding me?
Cinder458: What? I think it would be awesome to be a doctor!
EllaTheRealHero: And you said I was being unimaginative? It doesn’t get more cliché than Doctor and Sexy Nurse.
Cinder458: But it doesn’t get any hotter, either. Come on Ella, where’s your sense of adventure? Be my sexy nurse. Oh, or I know, I could go as a butler and you could be the maid.
EllaTheRealHero:Let me guess, you mean a sexy French maid with that little black dress, white apron, and fishnet tights?
Cinder458: Is there any other kind?
EllaTheRealHero:I am not going as a French maid. Or a sexy nurse.
Cinder458: A Pimp and his ho could be fun too.
EllaTheRealHero: In your dreams!
Cinder458:Underwear models?
EllaTheRealHero:Okay, moving on. Next topic, Rachel?
RachelPaperCuts:Um… how about candy? What kind is your favorite?
Cinder458: All the chocolate of course.
EllaTheRealHero:Agreed.
RachelPaperCuts:That’s it?
EllaTheRealHero: What’s better than chocolate?
RachelPaperCuts:Wow, okay, I guess I just expected more of an argument.
Cinder458:Really? Home come?
RachelPaperCuts:Uh… No reason. Lets move on. How about scary movies? Do you like them? What are your favorites?
EllaTheRealHero:They aren’t a good romance or an epic fantasy, but they’re all right, I guess.
Cinder458: They’d be a lot better if Ella would respond to them appropriately.
RachelPaperCuts:What do you mean?
Cinder458: Well you know. Because at a scary movie, your girl freaks out and clings to you through the whole movie. She makes you hold her and buries her face in your chest at the really scary parts. Jumping and squeaking and stuff. It’s great!
RachelPaperCuts:And Ella doesn’t do that?
EllaTheRealHero:If I ever acted like that I’d have to slap myself in the face.
Cinder458: Ella is that girl in the theater—you know the one I mean, there’s always at least one—who isn’t clinging to her boyfriend. She’s sitting upright in her chair, laughing at inappropriate times, groaning loudly, and yelling at the “idiot girl” on the screen for opening the door or running up the stairs. She’s obnoxious.
EllaTheRealHero:I am not that bad.
Cinder458: She literally threw her popcorn at the screen once and it got all over the guy in front of us. The management asked us to leave.
EllaTheRealHero:Oh, come on, that was the worst movie ever. Us getting kicked out was the most entertainment anyone in that theater got that night. It depends on the movie. The Ring, for instance, really creeped me out. I had nightmares from that one.
Cinder458:Really? I just figured out what we’re going to do tonight.
EllaTheRealHero:I’m not watching that movie again.
Cinder458: Yes you are.
EllaTheRealHero:No way. That girl is creepy. I told you: nightmares. I’m not watching it. Sorry.
Cinder458: You’ll be fine. You’ll have me. I’ll fend off any psycho chicks who crawl out of the TV. I’m Prince Cinder, remember? I’m excellent with a sword.
EllaTheRealHero: No.
Cinder458: Come on, it’s Halloween. Give me this one chance to watch a scary movie with my girl and have her actually act like a girl. I’ll keep you safe, Ella. Promise. And I’ll make sure you don’t have any nightmares.
EllaTheRealHero: Oh yeah, and how are you gonna do that, genius?
Cinder458: Easy. After the movie’s over, I’ll distract you and give you something a lot sexier to dream about all night.
EllaTheRealHero:Um…
RachelPaperCuts:Oh my. That’s… Is it hot in here?
EllaTheRealHero:Very.
Cinder458: So, we done here? Can we go now? It’s late and the woman and I have things to do.
RachelPaperCuts:Well, um, I mean we still had a few questions—
EllaTheRealHero:I think we’d better end it. We’ve officially distracted him to the point of no return. Things will only go down hill from here and I’m assuming you’d like to keep this appropriate for teens…
RachelPaperCuts: Uh, yeah. That would probably be wise. Okay, well, um, thanks for stopping by then.
EllaTheRealHero:You’re welcome. Thanks for having us.
Cinder458: Yeah, thanks. This has been an enlightening tour stop. Later everyone. Read the book and all that jazz. Peace out!
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Deleted Scene from A is for Abstinence
Hey everyone! As I sent off The Libby Garrett Intervention to my editor today and was looking over some of the scenes I had to cut from the book, that made me think about a number of other scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor from some of my other books. I remembered this specific gem from A is for Abstinence and thought I'd share it with you.
So, in A is for Abstinence, Kyle finally agrees to try and abstain from sex so that Val will go out with him. As you can imagine, it's an entertaining affair. Well, at one point, Kyle officially becomes a spokesperson for the Not Everybody's Doing It Foundation. I thought it would be fun to show Kyle attempting to actually fulfill his duty as a spokesperson, so I wrote this scene where he makes is first high school visit as a guest lecturer. Of course, after I wrote it I realized that the book takes place in the summer, and that high school would be out of session for the entire book and that the scene couldn't possibly work. It had to be cut and I had to find a different way for Kyle to meet Val's younger brother. Yup, authors make bonehead mistakes like that all the time. But sometimes the end result is still entertaining, so... enjoy this deleted scene. (It's spoiler free.)
So, in A is for Abstinence, Kyle finally agrees to try and abstain from sex so that Val will go out with him. As you can imagine, it's an entertaining affair. Well, at one point, Kyle officially becomes a spokesperson for the Not Everybody's Doing It Foundation. I thought it would be fun to show Kyle attempting to actually fulfill his duty as a spokesperson, so I wrote this scene where he makes is first high school visit as a guest lecturer. Of course, after I wrote it I realized that the book takes place in the summer, and that high school would be out of session for the entire book and that the scene couldn't possibly work. It had to be cut and I had to find a different way for Kyle to meet Val's younger brother. Yup, authors make bonehead mistakes like that all the time. But sometimes the end result is still entertaining, so... enjoy this deleted scene. (It's spoiler free.)
.....
Robin had booked Val for a high school appearance that afternoon, but I didn’t want to wait until dinner to see her so I decided I’d make the appearance with her. Hey, I was an official spokesperson for the Not Everybody’s Doing It Foundation after all. I figured no one would get mad at me if I showed up.
Surprising everyone seemed like the best way to go. When I got to the high school I pulled my cap low and ducked into the building. The office secretary nearly had a heart attack when I showed up. Her hands shook so hard as she filled out my visitor’s sticker that you could barely read my name. Not that anyone would need to.
She chattered about how excited the students were going to be as she walked me to the auditorium. I really only cared about the look on Val’s face. She’d tried several times to get me to come to one of these things. I’d never thought it sounded like a good idea until now.
She introduced me to the school’s principal, a sharp looking lady in her forties wearing a suit like all the ones Val always wore. I bet the two of them had a lot in common.
She seemed as thrilled to have me as the secretary and said to go on up. “They’re actually almost finished,” she whispered as she pointed to a set of stairs that led up onto the stage.
“They?”
A proud smile swept over her face. “Val’s birth mom is here too. It’s her first Not Everybody’s Doing It appearance. She shared her experience about being pregnant at fifteen. It was fantastic. Really got the kids to think. We were lucky to have her. Her son goes to school here, you know. Brody. He’s a decent kid. Good student. Plays on the varsity basketball team.”
That made me smile. “Val’s an athlete too. She plays college volleyball.”
The woman smiled and nodded toward the stage. “If you’re going to say hi, you’d better get to it. The bell rings in ten minutes.”
I grinned at the woman. “That’s plenty of time for me to get into trouble up there. Thanks for your help, Marcie.”
The principal flushed when I said her name and whispered, “Good luck.”
I didn’t need it. I climbed the steps and swaggered out to the middle of the stage where Val was sitting on a stool holding a microphone. “Hey everyone!” I called.
The room shook from the screams of the students. I’d sent all the teenage girls into a frenzy that didn’t stop for a good three minutes. If any of them passed out I’d probably get in trouble, but it would be worth it for the look on Val’s face as I joined her on stage and kissed her hello.
“What are you doing here?” she gasped.
I took the microphone from her hand and smiled at the audience. “I’m a spokesperson for the Not Everybody’s Doing It foundation,” I said. “I’m spokespersoning.”
The kids screamed again. I grinned at Val and offered the microphone back to her but she shook her head and waved me on. “Be my guest.”
I turned to the crowd and suddenly realized I had no idea what to say to these kids, so I blurted out the first thing I always said at my shows. “What’s up Riverside High?”
I got more cheering, and a bit of crying.
They waited for me to say something…
“Uh…so…have these fine ladies convinced any of you to not have sex yet? They’re pretty good at doing that. Val, especially.” I held up my wrist to show off my bracelet and grimaced. “Believe me, I know.”
There was a mixture of laughter and cheers that time. When the noise died down I scrambled for something else to say. “So, as you guys may have heard, I’ve been, uh, celibate for over nine months now. What can I say about abstinence? It sucks. A lot.” Gasps and laughter. “And it’s painfully hard all the time.”
That got a roar of laughter and applause so loud that I lost it. I laughed at all their dirty, little, horny teenage minds.
Val jumped up and swiped the microphone from me. “He meant that abstaining is very difficult for him,” she said, giving me a look of death that only made me laugh more.
I stole the mic back and said, “It’s that too, but I actually meant—”
“Kyle! Val shrieked.
“I’m teasing!” I said before she decided to kill me. “I really did mean that it’s not easy for me to abstain. All you perverts need to get your minds out of the gutter. You’re getting me in trouble with my girlfriend.”
“Oh yeah? What’s she gonna do?” some tool in the auditorium shouted. “Stop putting out for you?”
The audience roared again and Val slapped her hands over her face as she shook her head in shame. I decided I’d better get back on track before she had an aneurism.
“Anybody have any questions for me?”
Hands shot up all over the auditorium. “Appropriate questions!” Principal Marcie called out in a sharp warning tone. “Questions relevant to the topic!”
There was a low groan from the audience and most of the hands went down. I pointed to a girl near the front of the stage. “If you hate it so much,” she asked, “why do you do it?”
That was simple. “Because it’s important to Val.”
The girls all swooned while most of the guys scoffed or laughed.
Mr. Teenage Tool from before shouted, “Dude, you are so whipped!”
I laughed. “Hell yes I am.”
“Lame!” the guy called out.
I wasn’t bothered in the least by his taunts. “Are you telling me you wouldn’t want to be whipped by a woman like Val?”
“Okay!” Val shouted, snagging the microphone from me, while the auditorium once again fell apart with laughter. “I think that about covers it for today! We’ve left a bunch of pamphlets about the Not Everybody’s Doing It foundation and the V is for Virgin campaign with your principal. They’ll be passed out to you in your homerooms tomorrow. Remember anyone who comes in and officially takes the abstinence pledge gets a free V or A necklace, bracelet, or keychain. Thanks for having us here!”
With that she dragged me off stage, glaring at me so hard it was a wonder she wasn’t pulling me along by my ear. When we reached principal Marcie, I held my hand out for a high five. She slapped my palm, but the motion seemed subconscious, like she’d done it without thinking because that’s just what you do when someone holds up a hand to you.
“How’d I do for my first time?” I asked, still wondering at the look on her face. She gaped at me with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, at a complete loss for words.
I looked to Val to see if she knew what the principal’s problem was, but she didn’t see me. She was too busy pinching her nose between her eyes. “I am sosorry,” she finally said. “If you get any angry calls from parents, please direct them to call the foundation. I will speak with all of them personally.”
“I would appreciate that,” principal Marcie muttered.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, my gaze bouncing back and forth between them.
Principal Marcie blinked at me again. “He doesn’t even know, does he?” she asked. She was staring at me but the question was directed at Val.
Val sighed. “No, he really doesn’t have a clue. I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was coming. I would have talked to him before.”
“Are you ladies planning to fill me in?” I asked with a forced laugh. I didn’t like feeling cornered by the two of them. “Did I do something wrong? I thought it went well. The kids seemed to have a good time.”
“You can’t even be angry,” Principal Marcie mumbled, astonished.
“Nope.” Val laughed a little, but it was a defeated gesture. “You can’t even get mad. Honestly, I’d say we were lucky. Knowing Kyle, it could have gone a lot worse.”
“I’d believe it.”
Principal Marcie finally snapped out of her trance and a faint smile broke out on her face. She held a hand out to Val, thanking her for coming, and then to me. “Well, Mr. Hamilton, it was certainly interesting meeting you. Thank you for stopping by the school.”
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Interview with Brian Oliver
The lovely Brita over at Bonjour Y'all somehow miraculously got Brian to sit down for a full interview and even answer some in-depth questions.
Brian, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. I must admit, I'm fangirling just a little! I've been a big fan ever since you played Kyle Hamilton in V is for Virgin. Tell me, did you ever get the chance to meet the real Kyle or Valerie?
Aw, well shucks, Brita. Thank you. I’m always happy to meet my fans. I’m glad you liked V is for Virgin. I have to admit, it was a little difficult for me to play the role of Kyle Hamilton. I know the guy personally, and I can’t stand him. He’s so full of himself and he will do anything to get media attention. It’s guys like him that give celebrities a bad rep. But, I have to admit their story was a good one. I enjoyed being part of the movie. Valerie is such a strong admirable woman. I haven’t met her, but I’d like to. Even if only to ask her what she sees in him.
I don't know who has the better real-world romance, Kyle and Valerie, or you and Ella. I met my husband online, so I love hearing about other successful online couples. At what point did you realize you were in love with Ella, without having ever met her in person?
Ella and I so trump Kyle and Val. (No offense to Val.) But seriously, Ella and me? EPIC. How awesome that you met your husband online. Online relationships get a bad reputation, but it’s nice to be able to be yourself. I don’t think I could have had a real meaningful relationship without the anonymity because of my fame. It’s good to know that Ella loves me for me, you know? And I don’t doubt that she does. Just like I love her. I truly did fall in love with a girl I’d never met. I always knew I’d liked her, from the very first time she responded to my letter to her. And I definitely had a blogger-crush on her. But I didn’t know how much she meant to me until she disappeared. She left this huge, gaping hole in my life. Losing her was like losing my heart, and that’s when I realized that I’d loved her—really, truly loved her. When she came back into my life it was no small miracle and I knew I wasn’t going to let her get away from me no matter what.
Now that you and Ella are together, what has been the biggest adjustment in your life?
Remembering to leave the toilet seat down. That drives Ella crazy. Sometimes I leave it up just to annoy her. She gives me this look that’s just—anyway she’s fun. Don’t tell her I do that on purpose. Seriously though, I think the hardest part is all the worrying. My relationship with Ella is solid, but our lives are crazy, and with her special circumstances, it’s impossible not to constantly worry about her. People still say hurtful stuff about her sometimes—there will always be idiots in the world—and it makes me so mad. She’s much better at ignoring all that stuff than I am. But I can’t help it. I don’t want to see her hurt. Ever. I’m always trying to protect her even though I know she’s strong and can take care of herself. I think I’ve given myself an ulcer since getting together with her. I imagine I’m going to be one of those dads who meets my daughter’s boyfriends with a shotgun in my hands someday.
Moving away from your personal life, can you tell me more about your next project?
Well I just wrapped on this incredible project with my all-time favorite director Zachary Goldberg, playing the part of Sir Percy in The Scarlet Pimpernel. That was an experience I’ll remember forever. The movie is going to be amazing! Then, I begin filming next month for A Shattered Kingdom—the second Cinder Chronicles movie. It’ll be good to meet up with my old pal Prince Cinder again, and I know Ella is DYING because she’ll get to visit the set. She hasn’t stopped talking about it for weeks.
What is your dream film adaptation of a book—not counting your current work, of course!—and what would be your dream role in that movie?
Well, obviously, it doesn’t get any better than playing Cinder. He is my favorite character of all-time. And then to be able to play Sir Percy was also like a dream come true, so I really have no complaints. But, if I could choose another one I’d definitely love to play The Count of Monte Cristo. That’s an excellent story and it would be such a great role to play. He’s such a complicated character. There’re so many sides to him. Plus he’s just plain cool. That would be fun.
Thank you again for you time. Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?
You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me stop by. I’m sorry Ella couldn’t join us, she had a thing with her dad today that she couldn’t miss, but she sends her love. That and buy the book. I’ve met the author. Kelly’s a pretty cool chick and she worked really hard to give me an awesome story.
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Interview with Brian and Ella
Brian and Ella sit down with Mar & Mel at Words Feather blog.
Mar & Mel: We’re so excited to have the stars of Cinder & Ella here with us today! Thank you guys for stopping by to chat with us.
Brian: No, thank you for having us. We’ve been having a lot of fun with this blog tour thingie.
Ella: Blog tour thingie? Is that a technical term?
Brian: It is now. I just coined it. I can do that, you know. I’m a trendsetter.
Mel & Mar: Yes you are! Brian, we’re really big fans of both you and the books in The Cinder Chronicles series. We were very excited when you were cast to play Cinder for the movie. What was it like to play your favorite character of all time?
Brian: It was a dream come true. I’ve never had more fun on a project, or worked so hard to really bring a character to life.
Mar & Mel: Being such a big fan yourself, were you a headache (pain in the ass) to the writers/director/other people involved in making the film?
Brian: Hell yes I was. I’m not even ashamed to admit it. But I wasn’t difficult like the way Kaylee was. I’m not a diva or anything. I just had a vision for this film and I couldn’t stand to see anyone screwing it up. I swear my dad was ready to kill me so many times because I kept trying to take over his job. But it was The Druid Prince! I had to.
Mar & Mel: What's the best part about Ella being half Latin?
Brian: Obviously there’s her looks. The combination of her skin tone and her eyes makes her so gorgeous she’s literally painful to look at. But between you and me, I love it when she talks dirty to me in Spanish. Okay, knowing Ella she’s more likely insulting me than talking dirty to me, but the way the words roll off her tongue…it’s so hot. I can’t ever learn the language, because knowing what she’s saying might take away some of the magic.
Mar & Mel: Aw, that’s so romantic! You guys make such a great couple. Tell us more about how you met, and what was the best part about having done it online?
Brian: I wouldn’t give back the way I met Ella for anything. As you said, we met online. I came across a blog post about the books that really resonated with me and felt compelled to write the blogger a fan letter.
Ella: *snorts* A fan letter? Is that what you call it?
Brian: *grins at Ella* You liked it enough to respond with a love letter. The rest is history.
Ella: Don’t mind him, he’s delusional. He wrote a “letter to the editor” to tell me how crazy I was and I wrote him back and told him where he could stick his letter to the editor.
Brian: *laughs* And like I said, the rest is history. The best part about our relationship was that it was anonymous. I was able to just be myself with her for the first time in my life and not worry if she only liked me because I was rich, famous, and gorgeous. Plus, she never held back her real opinions with me. No one else in the world will ever defend themselves against me. Why do you think I fell in love with her after I red her reply to my letter?
Ella: It’s true. The boy lives for a good argument. Forget acting, he should have been a politician. I loved the honesty of our relationship too, but I didn’t have his fame problem, and I always wished we could have known each other in person. Though, if we had met in person, I probably would have never gotten to know the real him. He hides himself to most people. Which is a shame, because who he is on the inside is even better than who he is on the outside.
Brian: Aw, thanks babe. But I gotta say, I appreciate what’s on your outside just as much as the inner you. *grins wickedly* Especially certain parts of the outer you.
Ella: Brian!
Brian: I’m talking about your eyes, Ella. Your eyes are beautiful. Geez, woman, and you say I have a dirty mind…
Mar & Mel: Wow, okay, um, so Ella, we have lots of Chilean readers, which is where your mom born, would you like to visit the country? Or any other part of Latin America?
Ella: Of course! I want to see all of the world, but especially Chile. My mom’s family is from Concepcion, Chile. My grandparents came to the States when my mom was twelve, so she remembered a lot from her home country. She told me all about it and showed me tons of pictures, so it sort of feels like this magical place from a fairy tale as well as an old friend. I definitely have to visit there someday.
Mar & Mel: As a fellow blogger, any advice you could give us?
Ella: Get a famous movie star to pimp your blog. Kidding. Though, that does help. ;) Seriously though, the best thing is to be yourself in your posts. Let your personality shine through. If the readers feel like they know you personally, that’s what’s going to set you apart from all the other blogs they read.
Mar & Mel: Thanks. And can we just say that you are amazing at that? You are so funny on your blog! Especially now that you’ve gone public with your relationship. You and Brian are hilarious together. How does it feel dating this guy? Being famous and all. It must be hard but incredibly awesome at the same time. ;)
Ella: I’m not sure I can put it into words. The fame is really, really strange and a huge hassle, but I think knowing that he’s the guy I chatted online with for so many years overwhelms me more than the movie star thing. I mean Cinder was just Cinder for so long. Sometimes I’ll look at Brian and the truth that he’s the guy who’s always been my best friend will hit me all over again.
Mel & Mar: And would you like to do something/reach out/help other people that go through by all you went through?
Ella: I’ve actually already sort of started doing this. I’ve made a couple of motivational public speaking appearances, talking about my experiences, and I’ve got more scheduled for the future. It started when The Kenneth Long Show invited Brian and I to do a follow up interview after The Druid Prince Premiere. After telling my story on TV I got so many calls from all kinds of different organizations from people who wanted me to come and speak. What surprised me is how much I enjoy it. I thought I would be nervous to be in front of an audience, but Brian convinced me it wasn’t much different than posting my thoughts on my blog. He was right.
Brian: Of course I was. She rocked it. She had the whole audience bawling like babies. She’s truly an amazing woman.
Ella: *blushes* I just like that, if sharing my story helps others learn to cope with the troubles in their life, then at least something good came from all my tragedy. Well, something other than Brian, of course.
Mel & Mar: That’s great! I’m sure you’ll be able to help so many people. We were certainly inspired by your story. Thank you both so much for stopping by today. It’s been so fun. We wish you all the best with the new book and the new relationship!
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Interview with Ella
While Brian was off doing busy important superstar stuff, Ella sat down with Coffee, Books, & My Kindle!
Hi Ellamara! Welcome to Coffee, Books & My Kindle, it’s an honor having you today.
Thank you for having me. I’m glad to be here.
Since your love story with the handsome Brian Oliver hit the news, you have been in the spotlight a lot… How are you feeling about that? Are you more comfortable with everything going around?
The fame has been a big adjustment, but Brian’s really gotten me through it. It’s not my favorite thing but it’s worth our relationship. I don’t know that I’m more comfortable with the horrible things being said about me as much as I’ve just gotten better at ignoring it all. Plus, I’ve been able to use the experience to start helping others by speaking to groups about my experiences, so it’s worth it.
I know your tragic accident was very hard for you. You lost your mother, spent eight months in a hospital, had thirty-seven surgeries in a year, and your recovery wasn’t easy, but now you’re in a better place, right? What would you say to other people, teenagers, or young kids who are living a similar case?
I am definitely in a much better place than I was. I think the most important thing I could tell anyone, no matter what their specific struggles are, is to be brave and let people help you. It’s hard to admit sometimes where we’re having trouble, and we don’t want to be judged for our weaknesses. But there are things we can’t recover from alone, and we shouldn’t have to. My therapist said it a million times: you need a support system. Find the people who love you, and let them help you. Ask for help, and let them be there for you. It’s scary, but it will help you heal.
What’s going on with your stepfamily?
Same old, same old, I guess. Things get a little better with them every day. Nobody can expect miracles over night, but now that we’re all making sincere efforts, I’m sure we’ll feel like family soon enough.
I was researching about you and obviously found your blog, pretty interesting by the way and there was a post about your recently recovering path and the conversation with your dad, so my question is how did you feel when you had the counseling session with your dad, and how both of you are dealing with your relationship?
I have mixed emotions about my father. When he finally broke down and told me his story, I was heartbroken for both myself and him. I’m angry, but I’m also hopeful. And now that I understand him better, I’m working on letting go of my resentment. We’re slowly building a relationship. It’s awkward sometimes, but I can see that he loves me, and even though we still have our issues, I do love him too, and I’m grateful to have him back in my life.
Tell us a little about your beginnings on the blogosphere? What motivated you start a blog?
I wanted free books! LOL. I’m a big reader. I love it. I used to follow a lot of blogs and every time someone would post about having a shiny new arc of a book I still had to wait months to read, I was green with envy. I also couldn’t afford to pay for my reading habit. So I started a blog in hopes that I could build up a following large enough that publishers would send me books. I had no idea that I’d love it so much, but after the first month or so I was hooked on blogging!
Did you remember your first post?
Yeah, I do, even though it wasn’t all that exciting. I started with a book review about The Cinder Chronicles. It wasn’t the blog post that Brian found and emailed me about. That came much later. When I first started I only posted basic book reviews. It took me a while to learn how to post on other topics. So my first few posts weren’t as creative as the ones I do now. I hadn’t found my groove yet.
Are you ready for a few flash Q&A? Take a breath and go
Favorite contemporary author? Simone Elkeles. Her Rules of Attraction series is amazing!
Your top 5 all time favorite books includes…? The Cinder Chronicles books 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5! ;)
Best moment as blogger?
The moment Brian Oliver tweeted about my review of his movie The Long Road Home. At the time I still didn’t know who he was, so I thought it was random, and that the worlds biggest celebrity had found my review and liked it. That, or getting to interview L.P. Morgan and Jason Cohen about The Druid Prince at FantasyCon. That video interview is still my most popular post on my blog!
Curling with a good book or movie night?
Tough call. Depends on the book and the move. I enjoy both activities equally. If Brian’s reading to me I used to always pick that over anything, but now that we’ve met in person, snuggling up with him on the couch in front of a movie is pretty fantastic too.
Cinder or Brian?
Now, see, that’s the brilliance of those two. They are one in the same so I don’t have to choose. I get to have my cake and eat it too!
What was the third object you left at the café?
Hmm, well, I left my book, my gloves, and my walking staff. Though, I did manage to get home with my staff that night. If you want to get metaphorical, I also left my old life in that café that night, because once I left, nothing was ever the same.
Done!
Oh this was so fun but time is over. Do you want to say goodbye to your fans and readers?
Thanks for having me. I’m glad I could stop by and share a little bit of myself with you. And I just want to say thank you to all of my fans and readers. They’ve been a huge support to me, and they definitely make life interesting! Never stop reading!
All the best with your plans and say hello to Brian please!
I will, thanks!
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Brian & Ella discuss all things Halloween!
Brian and Ella wrapped up the Cinder & Ella blog tour on Halloween with one last Internet chat over at Paper Cuts blog. They talked costumes, candy, and scary movies!
EllaTheRealHero:Hey everyone, Cinder and Ella here! We want to thank Rachel for inviting us to stop by Paper Cuts today.
Cinder458: Yeah, we’re happy to be here. My actual name’s Brian, though, not Cinder. You can call me Brian. Ella forgets that sometimes.
EllaTheRealHero:I don’t forget. It’s just that Cinder & Ella are so cute together. I like it.
Cinder458: It’s a little cheesy. And it makes me seem like one of those actors who doesn’t know the difference between myself and the characters I play.
EllaTheRealHero:Sorry. You’ll always be Cinder to me. Cinder & Ella. It’s cute. Not cheesy. And it’s a fun play on words that people can remember, so it’s probably going to stick. You have a nickname. Embrace it, my friend.
Cinder458: Whatever. We’re getting off topic again.
EllaTheRealHero: Yeah, we’ve done that a lot this tour. We’re kind of terrible at the blog touring stuff, aren’t we?
Cinder458: Speak for yourself. I’m awesome at it.
EllaTheRealHero:You’re the one who got us off topic.
Cinder458: Well you’re the one who refuses to use my name.
EllaTheRealHero:You’re doing it again. This is our last stop. We have to get at least one right. Come on, focus, we’re supposed to be talking about Halloween.
Cinder458: Right, so, Rachel, Halloween. Hit me.
RachelPaperCuts: Okay, let’s start with costumes. If you guys dressed up together, like, as a couple, what would you want to go as?
EllaTheRealHero:Cinder and Ella from The Druid Prince. Obviously.
Cinder458:Boring.
EllaTheRealHero:What?
Cinder458: Been there and done that. I had to wear that dumb costume for months while filming. I don’t want to go as Cinder and Ella. Let’s be something different for a change. That’s what Halloween’s really about, anyway. Disguising yourself. Being someone you don’t normally get to be. We’re always Cinder and Ella. You won’t even call me by my real name!
EllaTheRealHero:Because Cinder’s cuter.
Cinder458:Whatever. I’m not being Cinder and Ella for Halloween.
EllaTheRealHero:All right, how about Cinderella and Prince Charming? That would be so cute too.
Cinder458: And cliché, woman. Come on. You’re more creative than this.
EllaTheRealHero:Fine. What do you think we should go as?
Cinder458: I’m thinking a doctor and his sexy nurse. How awesome would that be?
EllaTheRealHero:Are you kidding me?
Cinder458: What? I think it would be awesome to be a doctor!
EllaTheRealHero: And you said I was being unimaginative? It doesn’t get more cliché than Doctor and Sexy Nurse.
Cinder458: But it doesn’t get any hotter, either. Come on Ella, where’s your sense of adventure? Be my sexy nurse. Oh, or I know, I could go as a butler and you could be the maid.
EllaTheRealHero:Let me guess, you mean a sexy French maid with that little black dress, white apron, and fishnet tights?
Cinder458: Is there any other kind?
EllaTheRealHero:I am not going as a French maid. Or a sexy nurse.
Cinder458: A Pimp and his ho could be fun too.
EllaTheRealHero: In your dreams!
Cinder458:Underwear models?
EllaTheRealHero:Okay, moving on. Next topic, Rachel?
RachelPaperCuts:Um… how about candy? What kind is your favorite?
Cinder458: All the chocolate of course.
EllaTheRealHero:Agreed.
RachelPaperCuts:That’s it?
EllaTheRealHero: What’s better than chocolate?
RachelPaperCuts:Wow, okay, I guess I just expected more of an argument.
Cinder458:Really? Home come?
RachelPaperCuts:Uh… No reason. Lets move on. How about scary movies? Do you like them? What are your favorites?
EllaTheRealHero:They aren’t a good romance or an epic fantasy, but they’re all right, I guess.
Cinder458: They’d be a lot better if Ella would respond to them appropriately.
RachelPaperCuts:What do you mean?
Cinder458: Well you know. Because at a scary movie, your girl freaks out and clings to you through the whole movie. She makes you hold her and buries her face in your chest at the really scary parts. Jumping and squeaking and stuff. It’s great!
RachelPaperCuts:And Ella doesn’t do that?
EllaTheRealHero:If I ever acted like that I’d have to slap myself in the face.
Cinder458: Ella is that girl in the theater—you know the one I mean, there’s always at least one—who isn’t clinging to her boyfriend. She’s sitting upright in her chair, laughing at inappropriate times, groaning loudly, and yelling at the “idiot girl” on the screen for opening the door or running up the stairs. She’s obnoxious.
EllaTheRealHero:I am not that bad.
Cinder458: She literally threw her popcorn at the screen once and it got all over the guy in front of us. The management asked us to leave.
EllaTheRealHero:Oh, come on, that was the worst movie ever. Us getting kicked out was the most entertainment anyone in that theater got that night. It depends on the movie. The Ring, for instance, really creeped me out. I had nightmares from that one.
Cinder458:Really? I just figured out what we’re going to do tonight.
EllaTheRealHero:I’m not watching that movie again.
Cinder458: Yes you are.
EllaTheRealHero:No way. That girl is creepy. I told you: nightmares. I’m not watching it. Sorry.
Cinder458: You’ll be fine. You’ll have me. I’ll fend off any psycho chicks who crawl out of the TV. I’m Prince Cinder, remember? I’m excellent with a sword.
EllaTheRealHero: No.
Cinder458: Come on, it’s Halloween. Give me this one chance to watch a scary movie with my girl and have her actually act like a girl. I’ll keep you safe, Ella. Promise. And I’ll make sure you don’t have any nightmares.
EllaTheRealHero: Oh yeah, and how are you gonna do that, genius?
Cinder458: Easy. After the movie’s over, I’ll distract you and give you something a lot sexier to dream about all night.
EllaTheRealHero:Um…
RachelPaperCuts:Oh my. That’s… Is it hot in here?
EllaTheRealHero:Very.
Cinder458: So, we done here? Can we go now? It’s late and the woman and I have things to do.
RachelPaperCuts:Well, um, I mean we still had a few questions—
EllaTheRealHero:I think we’d better end it. We’ve officially distracted him to the point of no return. Things will only go down hill from here and I’m assuming you’d like to keep this appropriate for teens…
RachelPaperCuts: Uh, yeah. That would probably be wise. Okay, well, um, thanks for stopping by then.
EllaTheRealHero:You’re welcome. Thanks for having us.
Cinder458: Yeah, thanks. This has been an enlightening tour stop. Later everyone. Read the book and all that jazz. Peace out!
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Happy Book Birthday Joni, Underway!
Well, it's finally here! Today's the day you can sail away with Joni Monday on a life-changing adventure.
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Title: Joni, Underway
Author: Kelly Oram & Jonathan Harrow
Publisher: Bluefields
Available on: AMAZON
Summary: Nineteen year old Joni is loving life as an adult—living on her own, dealing with grown-up things like jobs, hook-ups, and doing her own laundry. Best of all: after finishing her first year at ASU, she will never again be called a freshman.
But when her brother is suddenly killed in a car accident, Joni’s adult life is turned upside down. Struggling to cope with loss, guilt, and anger—not to mention the meddling of friends and family trying to “fix” her—Joni is relieved to be presented with an escape in the form of a sailing trip her brother had been planning for months before he died.
With her first step onto the sailing vessel Lady Marguerite, Joni plunges into an adventure that will mark the beginning of her real adult life—a journey across the ominous dark blue of the Atlantic Ocean with a small, eccentric crew, and the young Captain Reid, whose gorgeous looks are only outmatched by his talent for care and kindness. Unfolding through the ups and downs of life at sea is an unforgettable story reminding us that love will always be a work-in-progress and coming of age never gets old.
Praise for Joni, Underway
"The story resonated with something deep within me - a novel that left me in awe and deeply touched me. Freakn amazing!" ~ Closet Geeks & Slo Mo
"Wow. I mean... Wow. This book... it was soooo much more than I expected. This was perfection, guys." ~ Istyria Book Blog
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Author: Kelly Oram & Jonathan Harrow
Publisher: Bluefields
Available on: AMAZON
Summary: Nineteen year old Joni is loving life as an adult—living on her own, dealing with grown-up things like jobs, hook-ups, and doing her own laundry. Best of all: after finishing her first year at ASU, she will never again be called a freshman.
But when her brother is suddenly killed in a car accident, Joni’s adult life is turned upside down. Struggling to cope with loss, guilt, and anger—not to mention the meddling of friends and family trying to “fix” her—Joni is relieved to be presented with an escape in the form of a sailing trip her brother had been planning for months before he died.
With her first step onto the sailing vessel Lady Marguerite, Joni plunges into an adventure that will mark the beginning of her real adult life—a journey across the ominous dark blue of the Atlantic Ocean with a small, eccentric crew, and the young Captain Reid, whose gorgeous looks are only outmatched by his talent for care and kindness. Unfolding through the ups and downs of life at sea is an unforgettable story reminding us that love will always be a work-in-progress and coming of age never gets old.
Available exclusively on AMAZON for the special release day sale price of $2.99!
"The story resonated with something deep within me - a novel that left me in awe and deeply touched me. Freakn amazing!" ~ Closet Geeks & Slo Mo
"Wow. I mean... Wow. This book... it was soooo much more than I expected. This was perfection, guys." ~ Istyria Book Blog
EXCERPT:
Back on the docks, lost in the middle of a maze of boats and pilings and light posts, I watched painted numbers pass by. I was surprised at how many of the boats showed signs of occupancy. Wet towels hanging to drip-dry, or lights on in tiny windows just above the water line, or a radio playing softly. All the boats had names, of course. Some creative, or dignified, others just silly. Endless Summer. Serenity. Windsong. Yes Dear. Sea Monkey. Get Her Done. My favorite was Breaking Wind; very classy.
I was passing a shiny black yacht with the moniker Obsession, when a sudden commotion startled me. With a thrashing of water and a high-pitched shrieking came a half-naked body from under the boat. Elbows planted on the dock’s edge, a surfer-bodied guy levered himself up and flopped onto his back with an exaggerated yowl and chattering teeth. A headlamp was strapped to his forehead; its powerful beam blinded me as he leapt to his feet. “Sorry ’bout that. Didn’t get you, did I?” He turned toward Obsession. “Eva! All good now, yeah?” I moved to continue on, but he stopped me. “Hold up. Did I get you?”
“No, I’m good.” I squinted against his light.
“Oh.” He ripped it away and tossed it onto the deck of the boat. “Eva! Try it now!” Back to me: “What slip number?”
“What?” He’d caught me in mid-guess about his age. I’d have estimated mid-twenties and gorgeous. No, he was handsome, which is a word I thought only grandmas used anymore. I mean, guys are cute or guys are hot, but this guy…yeah, he was hot, but in a classic way that wasn’t intimidating. His looks didn’t say Hey baby, like what you see? They said—
“What slip number are you looking for?” He took great handfuls of each leg of his shorts and wrung the water out. His entire body was covered in goose bumps.
“Thirty-one,” I answered, and before I could follow up with the boat’s name, he said…
“Lady Marguerite.” And he cringed with a smile. “Uh-oh.”
“What?”
He glanced sideways at me as he pushed excess water down his legs. “Uh, you’re young and beautiful, that’s what.” He said it with a laugh, like Duh, silly girl, didn’t you know? He could have shoved me in the water and I’d have been less surprised. “Nah, the guys are gonna love it, is all.”
I was so confused. Was he warning me or complimenting me? Should I be scared or flattered? “Okay, thanks.” Again, I turned to leave.
Again, he stopped me. “You ever been sailing?”
“What would you guess?”
He smiled, dark eyes sparkling. “Want me to walk you down there?”
I wanted to say You can walk me anywhere you want. Which, after passing through my filter, came out, “Nah, I can find it. You look really cold, so…”
He hugged himself, shoulders hunched, and his smile broadened as he considered me with a look I could only describe as thoughtful, and the kind of intense eye contact that makes your blood race.
A woman’s voice interrupted: “Yeah, that did it. Reading fine now.” From a tall, buxom supermodel standing on the back deck of Obsession with a glass of wine in hand. She swished it around with an eyebrow cocked at me.
The guy gestured down the pier. “You’re nearly there. Down toward the end, look for two guys drinking beer.”
I murmured some sort of thanks and hurried away, embarrassed by the obnoxious clack-clack-clack of my suitcase. I couldn’t help a glance back: The guy was toweling off; the supermodel had taken a seat to admire him above the rim of her wine glass. For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to marvel at the incongruity of lifestyles in this world. Most of us have to trudge through life, get jobs, go to school, and get sunburned, while others are blessed with naturally-tanned Maxim bodies and live on rich yachts with gorgeous, muscled, goose-bumped handymen.
So, we're excited, yeah? Head on over to Amazon and take advantage of the sale price. It's only for today! The book will go back to its normal listing price of $4.99 tomorrow!
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Co-Authoring! Q&A with Kelly Oram & Jonathan Harrow
Hey guys! First of all, thanks to all of you who bought Joni, Underway today! (Or had already preordered it.) This has been a great release day. Jonathan and I had a great launch party on Facebook where we did a Q&A. There were so many questions about co-authoring this book since it was a new experience for me, I thought I'd post that interview here. Enjoy!
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.
Jonathan Harrow left a career in Hollywood to pursue his dream of writing novels. He has an author crush on Charlotte Bronte, and a real crush on his author wife, YA bestseller Kelly Oram. They live in Phoenix with their four kids and their cat, Mr. Darcy.
Q. What's it like to co-author a book for the first time?
Kelly: Very difficult. We have very different writing styles! And very, very different voice. We had to let him do the actual writing so that the book would sound consistent. If we switched off back and forth, it would have been a nightmare.
Q. What was your method in co-writing a novel?
Jonathan: We knew right away that in order to work together, we would need to have one of us take the lead. Otherwise, every single decision would end in a stand-still. So, in the case of Joni, the original idea was mine, so it made sense for me to be the lead. I know some writers who switch off scenes, or whatever, they literally share the writing, but that would never work with us. Our idea was for me to write the first draft (with all Kelly's input) and then together we'd do the real work, which is rewriting. That's when Kelly would really be able to get her hands on the material and make it hers. Well, not surprisingly, the first draft was pretty light on romance. So Kelly really got in there and did her thing in that department, which made all the difference in the world, of course. The next biggest thing was going back in and getting the actual writing to sound like both of us, which was a challenge, as we have very different writing styles. In the end, I feel that the book is a great blend of both our styles. So the image of both of us sitting side-by-side writing is not accurate. It was more like taking turns.
Q. Do you have plans to continue writing novels together?
Jonathan: Hard to say. We don't have plans for anything right now. After Joni, we were both excited to get back to our own projects. It's so much easier to feel like you have total control over the content. But I feel like Kelly and I collaborate on all our books, to some degree. She is the first to read my stuff and she gives the feedback that really improves my stuff. And sometimes I've been able to provide that help for her, as well. So while we may not be co-writers all the time, every one of our books has been influenced by the other.
Q. Was it hard to collaborate together on certain scenes? For instance, maybe one of you felt more passionate for a certain part then the other. Or did you run into any difficulty?
Jonathan: It indeed was difficult to give up a lot of control. Some things were easy, like anything to do with the romance, I immediately deferred to Kelly and trusted her choices.
Q. Did you two ever argue over how you wanted the story to go?
Jonathan: Yeah, there was some of that, mostly having to do with the romance. Kelly and I have very different love languages, lol, and different ideas about what is romantic. So I'd write something and be like, "Oh, that's so romantic!" And Kelly reads it and she's like, "Seriously? They're just sitting there talking." And I'm like, "I know, right? Getting to know each other." And she's like, "Move outta the way." Hahaha. It took me a while to come around to her way of thinking, but eventually I got it, and after reading her stuff, I was like, "Ohh, okay, I see. Yeah, that's awesome." So if you love the romance in the book, you have Kelly to thank!
Q. How did you two come up with the idea for this novel?
Jonathan:“Joni, Underway” started as an idea I had while watching “Deadliest Catch” about lobster fishermen. The job is so difficult, and that whole world is so foreign to me, and I remember thinking: “What if a city guy like me had to go work on one of these boats, and the experience changed his life?” That sparked an instant comparison to “City Slickers,” a movie I have always loved. So it’s “City Slickers” on a lobster boat, that sounds awesome! The idea sat in my mind for years, and then when Kelly and I were looking for a romance/drama to work on together, the “City Slickers on a lobster boat” idea morphed into “Joni, Underway.” Kelly was sold as soon as I said, "She falls in love with the hot boat captain!"
Q. Which character in Joni, Underway do you most relate to?
Jonathan: I relate to Joni, I think. At least when I was her age, anyway. I had a lot of inner strength, but I needed the right experience to bring it out in me. If left to my own devices, I wouldn't try new things.
Kelly: I had to think about this one, but I think maybe I'd go with Reid, actually. I have total wander lust and a need for adventure. I want to see and experience everything. And I want to visit and learn all about all different kinds of people and cultures. If I could sail around the world, going from job to job just to get to the next journey, I totally would. Jonathan is definitely the more stable on win our family. But I also have a bit of his compassion and empathy. I was always that friend who would go out of my way to take care of my friends who were having trouble.
Q. Kelly: What part of the creation of this novel will you cherish the most?
Kelly: Um.... my husband? lol. I think just the experience as a whole. (And come on, lets be honest, I cherish the creation of Captain Reid!) For real though, I also really love the character of Murray. He's based off of Jonathan's grandpa who was quite the character. We loved him so much and I love that a part of Boompa will always live on now.
Q. Do you have different jobs too, or just write together?
Kelly: Now we don't. I was always a stay-at-home mom while My husband worked in the film industry. Thanks to my writing, Jonathan was able to quit his job and is now going to write full time as well. We are super happy about that, and super blessed!
Q. Kelly: were there certain things that you found out about your husband that you might not have known without working on this piece with him?
Kelly: Hmm. I mostly saw a lot of things I already knew about him. For one, he's WAY more disciplined than me. He needs a schedule and routine, where I'm all over the place. He's way more thorough with research, but he's always been really book-smart. I did learn that he's a much slower writer than me. It takes him WAY longer to write a first draft than me. But I'm more patient with the rewriting process. I guess he just wants to get it right the first time. He's more of a perfectionist than me. But again, after 14 years of marriage, I already knew that too!
Q. How did you know that the other was The One?
Kelly: Actually it was pretty clear. A booming voice shouted down from the Heavens and said, "Hey, you! Yeah, the stubborn one who never dates seriously! HE'S THE ONE!!!!!" We met through my family. He was trying to date my older sister while I was away at college. I came home and she totally tried to pawn him off on me. Two weeks later we were engaged. Two and a half months after that, we were married.
Q. Jonathan: How did you propose to Kelly?
Jonathan: It was nothing planned out, I can tell you that, lol. Very casual, which is my style. We had been dating for 2 weeks (yes, that's 14 days) and we went to Disneyland together (Kelly had never been) and in a quiet moment afterward, Kelly joked about how fun it was hanging out together and I said, "How about we keep hanging out forever then?" or something really lame like that. The truth is, I'd been looking for a way to propose for a couple days, and that seemed as good an "in" as any, so I took it! I remember Kelly smiled and just said, "Yeah, let's do it." That was it! Very low key. But then she dropped the bomb: "But you have to call my dad and ask for permission!" I was scared of her dad, lol. Anyway, I was 21 and Kelly was 19.
Q. Who are your favorite authors?
Kelly: Oh, man, where do I start???? Meg Cabot is my all-time favorite. I totally admire her so much. Then there's John Green, Sarah Dessen, Jen Wylie, Julianne Donaldson, Simone Elkeles, Cinda Chima Williams, Cassie Claire, Cassie Mae, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Stephenie Meyer, Karen Lynch... I know I've left out like a million authors... but I could chat books all day...
Jonathan: Michael Crichton and Charlotte Bronte. I know, that's a weird combo, but it's the truth!
Q. Jonathan: Which is your favorite novel written by Kelly?
Jonathan: Serial Hottie is def my favorite!
Q. If you guys had Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak, what would you do?
Kelly: This makes me think of that Clay Aiken song LOL. Um... with invisibility? I'd so sneak into concerts and go back stage! I want to see the band in their unscripted moments. (And I'm not talking about the changing room you perves!) I'd just like to see what people are like when the world isn't watching them. Also, I could get much better seats to the shows!
Jonathan: If I were invisible, I'd go to Pixar/Disney studios and watch them make their films. I'm a huge fan of animation and I love watching the creative process unfold.
Q. Jonathan: What are your plans thus far for future writings?
Jonathan: I am now writing a sequel to my first novel "Dolls", which is a supernatural horror/thriller in the NA age range. I love creepy/dark stories. But I like haunted horror, NOT slasher horror.
Q. Kelly, can we look forward to another book in the Supernaturals series?
Kelly: Yes! There is one more still to come. Book #4 is called Priestess and it's Clara's story. Just don't ask me when it's coming lol. Sometime next year... I still have to write it.
Q. Kelly, do you plan on writing any sports romance books? And when I say "Sports" I mean SOCCER!
Kelly: I will definitely write a sports romance someday. I don't know how soon I will get to it, but I have two ideas plotted already. one for a women's fiction/chick-lit baseball book and a soccer book that is actually a companion novel to my book Cinder & Ella. It's a Robin Hood retelling that has soccer as the focus. Again though, I have no clue when I'll be able to get to those books. SO many stories, so little time!
Q. Kelly...what is your favorite genre?
Kelly: Young adult anything. The more romance the better. I'm a huge high-fantasy geek though, so probably YA fantasy is my very favorite.
Q. Kelly: We all know you love frosting, but what is your other favorite dessert?
Kelly: Frosting!
Nope, I'm not kidding.
I totally eat cake just so I can have frosting. And I used to keep some in the fridge in college so I could just have a spoonful when I needed it. Nothing de-stresses like a spoonful of sugar! Okay, maybe white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies, cheesecake, and candy corns.
Q. Kelly, I like the jamie baker series and I know that inspiration just hasn't happened yet for the rest of her story. My question is are you upset that it hasn't happened yet?
Kelly: Oh, how do I explain Jamie.... It wasn't a lack of inspiration really. I just knew what had to happen, and there were so many different ways it could go. The first way didn't work, so I scrapped it and tried again... after like seven different versions of the first 150 pages I was frustrated and burned out and still nowhere near finishing. Then I started to feel a lot of pressure to have it finished because people were waiting for it and I'd expected it to be done sooner. And then I started getting anxiety attacks when I tried to work on it. It was very strange. I've never experienced anything like that with any other story. I was so upset for a long time. I was upset with the story, and upset with myself. It broke my heart to have to put the book on hiatus. And, to be honest, I had a rough couple of years the last two years, overworking myself in all aspects of my life, and I went to therapy. (Which did wonders, btw!) And yes, I actually worked with my therapist about the issues I was having with this specific book. And that of course helped me get a much better grip on this new career I'd stumbled onto. Now, I'm in a much better place, and I feel much better about my manuscript. I'm still a little anxious to pick it up again, but at least my love for the book and the characters is back and I'm feeling confident in it again. I'll let you in on a little secret... I've been slowly working on it for the last month or so and I've made big progress. I hope to have the book out sometime next year. Cross your fingers for me!
I definitely needed the time out with Jamie. It was hard to do, but it was honestly the best thing I could have done. I'm ready to start on it again, but while I'd set it aside, I committed to a few other projects. (Like Joni, and Libby, and my upcoming If We Were A Movie...) so now I've had to go and finish those before I could start Jamie again. Good news is, I'm finished with almost everything. I need a couple more weeks with Movie, and then the only projects I have left are Jamie #3 and Supernaturals #4. Of course, knowing me, I'll probably write something random and completely new for my annual nano project. But November never counts in my writing schedule!
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