The Way It Hurts Blog Tour ~ Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hello, friends! Patty Blount has a new book out, The Way It Hurts, and I'm excited to be part of the tour! After reading Some Boys, I've wanted to read more from Blount!

In Patty Blount's THE WAY IT HURTS, two teens’ quest for fame goes terribly wrong when a single tweet goes viral and the online backlash follows them into real life. Fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay will like how main characters Elijah and Kristen bond over their music in this edgy, real world contemporary young adult read that examines the impact social media has on the lives of today's youth.

The Way It Hurts by Patty Blount 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire Release 
Date: August 1, 2017 
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary 
Pages: 352 pages 
Format: Paperback and Digital 
Print ISBN: 978-1-492632-788 
Digital ASIN: B06XR172ZD 


Synopsis:

There may be two sides to every story, but sometimes there's only one way to set things right... 

Music is Elijah's life. His band plays loud and hard, and he'll do anything to get them a big break. He needs that success to help take care of his sister, who has special needs. So he'd rather be practicing when his friends drag him to a musical in the next town...until the lead starts to sing. 

Kristen dreams of a career on stage like her grandmother's. She knows she needs an edge to get into a competitive theater program--and being the star in her high school musical isn't going to cut it. The applause and the attention only encourage her to work harder. 

Elijah can't take his eyes off of Kristen's performance, and snaps a photo of her in costume that he posts online with a comment that everybody misunderstands. It goes viral. Suddenly, Elijah and Kristen are in a new spotlight as the online backlash spins out of control. And the consequences are bigger than they both could have ever imagined because these threats don't stay online...they follow them into real life.

Buy: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes
Add to Goodreads.

Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks! 

Advanced Praise for The Way It Hurts:

"Blount writes authentically; both protagonists’ voices are distinct. The author explores the rapidly consuming world of social media and how it affects relationships online and in real life. A relevant read and must-have for all YA collections." – School Library Journal

"THE WAY IT HURTS draws our attention to the joy, heartache and confusing contradictions that arise as we try to find our place in the real world and the virtual one." – Kimberly Sabatini

“Elijah and Kristen’s personal evolutions through the novel, along with their chemistry, feel as authentic as the conflicts they face. A genuine plot filled with steady tension that will keep readers hooked.” – RT Book Reviews


“This book sensitively covers topics such as sexism, handicapping conditions, communication, and ageism. Agency is also shown when Kristen says she wants to pursue studying in a conservatory rather than continue in the band and the three young men acknowledge her wish. Talking about what bothers us rather than trying to guess another person’s feelings is demonstrated through the actions of the characters. The characters’ issues are eventually resolved through hard work and understanding, making this an interesting and informative read." – School Library Connection


Excerpt:

Elijah took my hands. “Okay, look. Maybe you’re right. Maybe these people are taking this whole battle thing way too seriously. If you’re scared, then we’ll stop. No more posts except for appearance information.”

“So no more battle of the sexes, no more make Kris scream?”

He held up his hand. “Swear to God.”

“Okay.” I sighed in relief. “You’d really do that?”

He leaned closer and repeated the vow. “I promise, Kris.”

And just like that, I forgot why I was mad at him. I couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even blink because I was afraid he’d let go. This was the part of him I adored. I clung to him for a long moment, and when his gaze drifted to my mouth, I wondered if—hoped—prayed—he’d finally kiss me.

And then, Etta’s voice suddenly spoke inside my head. “Well, my God, darling, it’s the twenty-first century. What on earth are you waiting for? You can kiss him.”

I could. Yes. Yes, I could just lift my head and lean in and kiss Elijah Hamilton like it was a normal, ordinary occurrence.

Right. Like kissing Elijah Hamilton would ever be ordinary?

I’d watched him kiss that girl at the mall and was sure I’d memorized all the steps in his routine. He’d move in, grip my face between his hands, run his thumb along my jaw, and finally, glide his arm down around my body, pulling me against his own, all the while, peeking through his lashes to see if I enjoyed it.

I wasn’t sure when I decided—even what made me decide. I just touched my lips to his and waited.

It took a second or two. But then there was a sudden, tiny squeak from him, and I felt the pulse in his wrist leap under my fingertips.

And then, his hands were in my hair, angling my head just the way he liked it, his tongue brushing against mine, so soft it might have been my imagination...except imaginary kisses were never so intense. He kissed me like I was a song he wrote, lips wrapped around every word until it hummed with hidden meaning and promise, and his hands held me the way they held his guitar—like the music would stop if he let me go.

Copyright © The Way It Hurts by Patty Blount 2017

About Patty Blount:

Native New Yorker Patty Blount is the award-winning author of several critically acclaimed internet issues novels for teens as well as a few adult contemporary romances. She is inspired to write by such greats as Judy Blume, JK Rowling, and Gayle Forman. In fact, Judy Blume is the reason Patty elected to write under her real name…so she’d appear on shelves next to her idol. Patty adores writing; she’s written everything from technical manuals to song lyrics (see THE WAY IT HURTS, coming August 2017). Patty wants you to know she loves chocolate…really, really loves chocolate.

When not crushing on actors Gilles Marini or Sam Heughan, Patty can be found sitting in traffic somewhere on the Long Island Expressway, listening to audio books or talking wildly to herself about plots and characters. Prone to falling madly in love with fictional characters, Patty suffers frequent broken hearts when they all invariably prefer the heroine to her… go figure. When she’s not writing, Patty loves to watch bad sci-fi movies and live tweet the hilarity, and scour Pinterest for ideas on awesome bookcases. Patty lives on Long Island with her family in a house that, sadly, lacks bookcases.

Connect with Patty Blount

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon • BookBub

* * * GIVEAWAY * * *

It's giveaway time! Patty Blount is generously offering one (1) lucky winner a $50 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

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This is a group giveaway. So little time... is not responsible for books lost or damaged in shipping or any prizes shipped by publishers or authors.

Many thanks to Barclay Publicity for including me in this blog tour! 

Congratulations to Patty on the release of her new book! And a big thanks for your generous giveaway! 

You can see my review of Some Boys here. 


Any thoughts? We'd love to hear from you! 

This Christmas by Katlyn Duncan ~ My Review

I read this before Christmas, but I got caught up in the holidays and didn't get this review written. The holidays are over, but I still wanted to get this posted! :) 

This Christmas by Katlyn Duncan 

Publication Date: November 18th, 2014 
Publisher: Carina UK 
Pages: 160 
Received: E-copy from the publisher. 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 
I enjoyed reading This Christmas. This novella is the sequel to This Summer, and is full of Christmas themes! A cabin in the woods, snowball fights, picking out and decorating a Christmas tree…

With the holidays approaching, Hadley and Will are finally going to spent some much-needed time together. Hadley has a lot of insecurities about her relationship with Will, and she hopes spending Christmas Break together is just what they need to get back on track. But old insecurities, moodiness and misunderstandings put an edge on the festivities.  Hadley wants more than anything to make Will's Christmas a special one.

I think I would have enjoyed This Christmas more had I read This Summer first. I wasn’t totally lost, but I think I would have understood Will's moodiness more. Being a novella, it was a quick read and festive for the holidays! Now, I would like to get to know Hadley and Will more by reading This Summer!

FTC Disclaimer: I received an ARC e-copy of the story from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.

Buy: Amazon
Add to goodreads

FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provide, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!

Connect with Katlyn Duncan

twitter • facebook • website

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear! 

This Christmas Blog Tour & GIVEAWAY!

Hello my Lovely Readers! I'm excited to be part of This Christmas Blog Tour! Christmas is fast approaching, and I don't know about you, but I'm getting my Christmas reads gathered together. I have to say, This Christmas looks like a great read!

In this light hearted and festive sequel to THIS SUMMER, Hadley and Will rekindle their relationship against the sparkling winter backdrop of upstate New York. This is a must read for fans of HOPELESS by Colleen Hoover.

As part of the blog tour, I asked if Ms Duncan would share some of her favorite Christmas Traditions, and here's what she wrote:

My favorite Christmas traditions are as follows:

Family dinners on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day involving perogies and golumpki’s. And more recently, lasagna!

Fire. I love sitting by the fireplace after a filling meal with family.

Giving gifts. I love seeing smiles on everyone’s faces (especially my puppy) when the gifts are opened.

Spending a very special time with family.

The tree! I love picking out the perfect tree and decorating it!

Speaking of decorating and picking out the perfect tree, here is a snippet from This Christmas where Will and Hadley find their Christmas tree: 

“Let’s find you a Christmas tree.”

We spend the better part of ten minutes locating the axe he dropped during our impromptu snowball fight before arriving at the grove. I find the perfect tree within minutes. The shape and fullness of it is optimal for my vision of Christmas, but I feel bad cutting it down.

Will senses this and wraps an arm around my shoulder. “How about we come back here in the spring and plant another one in its place?”

I lean my head against his shoulder. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

I wander through the other trees as Will chops down the one I chose. The trees further into the grove have a lot of pine cones which quickly give me an idea. I collect several before they start to overpower me and fall one by one to the ground. I need at least two dozen to do what I want and the tree we cut down only has a few.

I unzip my coat and shove the pinecones I already have into it. Snow gets under my sweatshirt and through to my skin, but the sacrifice will be worth it. I have just enough when I hear Will calling for me.

I meet him by the tree I picked which is on the ground. He lifts it by the trunk and starts walking towards the cabin. He opens his hand at his side and I take it, getting more excited with each step I take.”

About This Christmas:

This year, if Hadley wrote her dream Christmas list, it would go something like this:

1. Spend every waking – and sleeping – moment with her incredibly gorgeous boyfriend, Will.

2. Figure out what’s been bugging him lately. Yes, going away to college has been tough…but it’s time they reconnected.

3. Enjoy a sparkling Christmas in New York City, gazing at the Rockefeller tree, going ice skating, and drinking steaming mugs of cocoa in Central Park.

So, driving off to spend Christmas in a rustic cabin in the woods wasn’t exactly the plan. But when it comes to her irresistible, and at times, impossible boyfriend, nothing’s ever that simple. And as fantasies of an icy Times Square are replaced by a clumsily decorated tree, making snowmen and the warmth of a log fire, Hadley feels herself falling in love all over again.

Except does Will have something to tell her that could change Hadley’s happily-ever-after Christmas dreams into a not-so-winter wonderland after all?

Don't miss this festive sequel novella to This Summer.

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | iBooks UK | Kobo

Also in the This Summer series: THIS SUMMER by Katlyn Duncan!

About Katlyn Duncan:

Katlyn Duncan was born and raised in a small town in western Massachusetts. Her overactive imagination involved invisible friends, wanting to be a Disney Princess and making up her own stories. Her bibliophile mom always encouraged her love of reading and that stayed with her since. Even though she works full time in the medical field Katlyn has always made time for books, whether she is reading or writing them.

Katlyn now lives in southern Connecticut with her husband and adorable Wheaten Terrier and she is thrilled to finally share her stories with the world.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Want to get to know Katlyn better? Check out her Dear Reader post on Barclay Publicity’s Book Scoop Blog!

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Rafflecopter for Tour Wide Giveaway:

Prize: Grand Prize $25 Gift Card Amazon or B&N (winner’s choice) OR a Bundle Pack featuring Katlyn's LIFE AFTER series! 

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below! This giveaway is part of the This Christmas Blog Tour. So little time... is not responsible for the distribution of prizes. Thank you.

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For more stops on This Christmas Blog Tour click here! 

Any thoughts? Comments are always welcome! 

SOME BOYS Blog Blitz ~ Excerpt & GIVEAWAY

Hey Everyone! I'm very happy to be part of Barclay Publicity SOME BOYS Blog Blitz!! 

When I was first asked to be part of the blitz, the book intrigued me so much that I bought it and read it! I hope to have a review written soon!

YA author, Patty Blount, is back with another  novel that addresses one of today’s most pressing issues facing today's youth. SOME BOYS is a gutwrenching and edgy love story told from alternating points of view that's perfect for fans of Simone Elkeles and Katie McGarry.

"SOME BOYS belongs in every YA collection." - School Library Journal

"5 stars. Very well-deserved! This book did quite a number on me - unlike most books (contemporary or not), this one made me FEEL, and feel really strongly." - The Eater of Books

About SOME BOYS:

Some Boys go too far. Some Boys will break your heart. But One Boy can make you whole.

Seventeen-year-old lacrosse player Ian Russell—sidelined by a concussion—is sentenced to spend spring break scrubbing out lockers. It’s bad enough when Ian discovers his partner for the week is Grace Collier, the girl who claims his best friend raped her at a party in the woods a few weeks ago. But what sucks most of all is that he used to have a thing for Grace… before Zac MacMahon got to her first. 

Grace wants to crawl into one of the lockers and die. Ian was the only reason Grace even bothered to go that stupid party, but he never showed up. Not until… after. Suddenly, someone was shaking her awake. The last thing she remembers is the expression on Zac’s face. But Zac told the entire school the sex was consensual and posted a video on Facebook to prove it. Her best friends have abandoned her and even her parents aren’t too sure.

But Ian and Grace surprise each other. He never disrespects her, and she even helps him when a dizzy spell hits. Ian still likes Grace with her bad-ass style. Unlike the rest of the school, who has rejected Grace, calling her a slut and a liar, Ian is funny and kind with secrets of his own. But how do you trust the best friend of the boy who raped you? How do you challenge your best friend and call him a liar? How do you believe in love?

Excerpt:

Climax:

A large shard, all jagged edges and sharp points shines in the center of the light beam like it’s on stage.

Seductive.

I pick it up, fondle it for a minute, glide it against my skin. It’s cold and smooth, and with just one flip of my hand, I figure it’ll bite. It’ll hurt. But it can’t be any worse than what I feel right now, and when it’s done, I’ll be done too.

I adjust my grip on my piece of glass, my passport to freedom, and shut my eyes, imagining it, imagining the peace, the end of the pain, just…an end. I grip it harder, and a jagged edge reveals its teeth. My hand shakes, and my breath hitches.

No.

I drop the shard, fall to my knees, and cover my face.

“Jesus H. Christ, you scared the shit out of me.”

I swing the light beam around, and Ian steps into my clearing.

Maybe there’s a God. Maybe there isn’t. Something got him here just as I’m ready to break, and I wonder, Is he here to save me or smash me himself? He’s not happy—that’s clear. His eyes have shadows, and his face is tense. I pick up my bottle and chug, then stretch out on the ground against a tree.

“What are you doing, Grace?”

I lift my eyebrows at his painfully obvious question and don’t bother to answer. I swallow another drink, feel it burn a path to my stomach. A few seconds later he takes my bottle, swallows some, makes a face.

“Can I sit?”

I go still. Me wearing my kick-ass boots, drinking in the woods alone with a boy, and he wants permission to sit? Are you completely insane? every cell in my body screams at me, but I shift over a bit because it just doesn’t matter. What can he possibly do to me that hasn’t already been done? He crouches beside me, leans against my tree, and passes back my bottle.

“So why didn’t you do it?” He picks up my piece of glass, tosses it far out of the way. I mourn the loss as I follow its trajectory and swill more rum when it plops somewhere behind a shrub. Why didn’t I do it? Damn good question. How can I possibly explain it? I wanted to. I still do. But there’s something else I want more. Need like I need air to breathe.

Goodreads  •  Amazon  •  Barnes & Noble  •  Kobo

Also by Patty Blount: TMI and SEND!

About Patty Blount:

In addition to writing novels for teens, Patty Blount writes technical information for a computer company. Her first novel, Send, was inspired after a manager suggested she learn more about social networks. A short version of that same novel finished in the top ten of the Writer's Digest 79th Annual Writing Competition. She is also the author of the young adult book, TMI. She lives on Long Island with her family. Visit her at pattyblount.com.

Website  •  Facebook  •  Twitter  •  Goodreads  •  Pinterest

Want to get to know Patty better? Check out this exclusive interview!

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY~ ~ ~

Enter to WIN a $10 gift card for Amazon or Barnes & Noble + all 3 of Patty's books & SWAG including a SEND wristband, a TMI magnet and a SOME BOYS safety whistle! 

To enter fill out the Rafflecopter below! This giveaway is part of the Blog Tour. So little time... is not responsible for the distribution of prizes. Thank you.

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Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you! Btw, I love how the book cover matches my blog's background! 

Compass North by Stephanie Joyce Cole ~ Blog Tour & GIVEAWAY

Hey Everyone! I'm delighted to be taking part in the Compass North Blog Tour! This is Stephanie Joyce Cole's first novel, and she's stopping by here today to tell us what inspired her to write 
Compass North.

The Inspiration Behind COMPASS NORTH

When you ask an author where the idea for her book came from, you might get a blank stare in return.  Often, a writer won’t know where or how a story is born.  Characters and story lines will pop into her head, unbidden, and who knows where they’ve been lurking up to that point? That’s often been true for me, but it wasn’t the case for the concept behind COMPASS NORTH. 

Although COMPASS NORTH is a positive story of hope and personal reinvention, the inspiration for the book came from a dark place.  After 9/11, when the towers fell in New York, I thought of all the people who had lost their lives and whose remains would never be returned to their loved ones because of the total destruction at the scene.  I also realized that it was likely that some must have escaped certain death just by luck. Perhaps, when the planes hit, they were late for work in the World Trade Center that day, perhaps they had just gone off-site for coffee.  For most people, a tearful reunion with friends and family would follow.  But what if, after a terrible event like that, a desperately unhappy person discovered that the tragedy was also an opportunity, a chance to escape and become someone else entirely?  

As COMPASS NORTH opens, Meredith has been betrayed by her husband and worn down by years of abuse.  In the middle of her misery, a terrible accident hurls her into a new identity and a new life in a small town in Alaska.  At first she is swept away by circumstances, but then she starts to make her own choices.  She begins to rebuild her life anew–but she also discovers that leaving behind her old self isn’t that easy.  COMPASS NORTH is about secrets and the costs of keeping them.  It’s a book of joyful rediscovery too—Meredith has to find the courage to take chances again and to move forward in a new way in her life.  

Alaska, where I lived for many decades, was the perfect place for Meredith’s story to unfold.    Meredith is inspired and challenged by the beauty and harshness of Alaska, and its rugged “end of the road” environment gives her an opportunity to disappear and start anew.  (Haven’t we all yearned to do that, at some point in our lives?)



Title: COMPASS NORTH 
Author: Stephanie Joyce Cole 
Author Location: Seattle, Washington 
Genre: Women’s Fiction; Romantic Suspense 
Release Date: December1st, 2013 (digital) April 1st, 2014 (print) 
Pages: 224 pages 
Publisher: Champagne Book Group 
Format: Digital eBook, Trade Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-77155-008-6 

Synopsis: Reeling from the shock of a suddenly shattered marriage, Meredith flees as far from her home in Florida as she can get without a passport: to Alaska. After a freak accident leaves her presumed dead, she stumbles into a new identity and a new life in a quirky small town. Her friendship with a fiery and temperamental artist and her growing worry for her elderly, cranky landlady pull at the fabric of her carefully guarded secret. When a romance with a local fisherman unexpectedly blossoms, Meredith struggles to find a way to meld her past and present so that she can move into the future she craves. But someone is looking for her, someone who will threaten Meredith’s dream of a reinvented life. 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Author Bio 

Stephanie Joyce Cole lived for decades in Alaska. She and her husband recently relocated to Seattle, where they reside with a predatory but lovable Manx cat named Bruno. Stephanie has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. When she's not writing, she's hiking, creating ceramics, practicing yoga, traveling, volunteering and discovering new ways to have fun--and oh yes, reading, reading, reading. 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Find out more about COMPASS NORTH in this exclusive interview with Stephanie Joyce Cole!

Follow along the official blog tour for an inside peek at COMPASS NORTH!

Tuesday, June 10th at Read Me        

Friday, June 13th at Lush book reviews        

Tuesday, June 17th at Zee Monodee - Author's Corner        

Wednesday, June 18th at Archaeolibraianologist - I dig good books!          

Thursday, June 19th at Hines and Bigham's Literary Tryst   

Thursday, June 26th at Chick Lit Club   

Friday, June 27th at So Little Time...