Archive for September 2015

A NOTE FROM CLARA:

I had always intended to write only one story in the Lovelly series. It was about Heath and Ace, two best friends that found each other through loss and friendship. But by the time I was done with their book—Forever Kinda Love—the other Lovelly brothers demanded their story be heard. That was how I came about writing a story for Hudson Lovelly—Flirting with Love— and currently plotting Harrington Lovelly’s story—Title TBA, Release November 2016.

Since not a lot of you are aware of the Lovelly brother, I figured I’d sit down with the boys and do a quick “This or That” interview with them for this blogfest. Just know that they might have deviated from the interview at times.

Without further ado, here’s the special interview for all YA Contemporary Romance readers! Please welcome: Heath, Harrington, and Hudson Lovelly!

Clara: Hello boys! How are you? So we’re here celebrating Spring YA Scavenger Hunt and I thought it’d be fun to interview you all. Remember this is YA readers, so be good. **glares at Harrington*

Harrington: *raises an eyebrow* Why are you looking at me like that? I didn’t do anything.

Clara: Yet. *looks at notecards * Okay, so first question. Villian or Hero?

Heath: Hero

Hudson: Hero

Harrington: *grins* Villian

Clara: Question 2: In Love or For Love?

Heath: In Love

Hudson: In Love

Harrington: *gag* I refuse to answer that question.

Clara: *rolls eyes* Always so dramatic. Anyhoo. Moving on. Ghosts or Sci-fiction?

Heath: Sci-Fi

Hudson: Ghosts

Harrington: Ghosts

**Heath and Hudson look at Harrington*

Harrington: *shrugs* What? Ghosts are freaky dude!

Clara: Question four: Flight or Fight?

Harrington and Heath respond at the same time: Fight

Hudson: *Looks at his brothers* *Blinks* Seriously? *Sighs* Fight—But only if it can’t be avoided

Clara: **looks at notecard then to Harrington, then back at notecard* I seriously don’t know what I was thinking writing this question… But alas… **sighs*: Brains or Beauty?

Hudson: Brains

Heath: Brains

Harrington: You both are such losers! Beauty. I don’t care what anyone says, but you get judged in this world for how you look. And being beautiful matters.

Heath: Beauty is so subjective.

Hudson: And it doesn’t last long.

Harrington: Says the two dou—

Clara: Harrington! Language!

Harrington: *clears throat and continues* Can you two be any more hypocritical? It’s easy for you to say it cause your woman are H.O.T.

*Heath rolls eyes*

Hudson: Did you every think that maybe you think they are ‘beautiful’ because you see their inner beauty.

Harrington: That’s like telling a homeless guy “You’re hungry cuz you haven’t eaten anything in days.” It doesn’t make sense.

*Hudson blinks*

Clara: Okay! I think it’s safe to say that’s all the time we have Lovellys. Thank you all for joining and taking part of this fun –get to know your characters for FUN interview.

Heath: Thanks Clara, from all of us!

Clara: **looks at Hudson and Harrington with worry*

Heath: Don’t worry about them. They’ll be okay once they figure out they can’t stay mad at each other for long.

Clara: Hope you guys had fun getting to know Heath, Harrington, and Hudson during this short, but fun “This or That” interview. Be sure to check out Forever Kinda Love and Flirting with Love if you get a chance. Both books can be read as standalones!

Well Hello!

I’m Australian YA author Rhonda Sermon My debut YA urban fantasy novel Timesurfers released on 28^th of August 2015. I have written a letter with some advice to myself when I first started writing. I hope you enjoy.

Dear 2010 Rhonda,

You’ve just started writing a YA fantasy novel. I know this because I’ve already written it. High fives all round. Despite a flair for doing everything wrong numerous times, it turned out okay. People you don’t know are buying it and reading it. The cover is gorgeous!

Because I love you I’m going to give you a few tips that will save you a lot of hair pulling.

1. Firstly the last Harry Potter book was made into two movies and they were both amazing.

2. A bit of housekeeping. You are still married to the same man and live in the same house. Both kids are healthy and doing fine. Your parents are doing great. They just sold their house and are moving. You are now FIFTY KG lighter and a size 8!

3. Congratulations on finding something that you absolutely love. Thank goodness you don’t know how bad that first chapter you wrote is. It’s 1000 times worse than you think. Please research point-of-view.

4. Time travel, wizards and zombies...yes you got them all in there.

5. You will rewrite the first chapter of Timesurfers over 200 times. Absolute truth.

6. Cate will often be moody, annoying, whiney and a bit self absorbed. So like a real teenager. Her powers will evolve as you go. Then one day as you’re listening Cher on the radio it will come to you.

7. Austin will be the most difficult character to work with. The boy has serious swagger. His look, his dialogue everything will be hard work. But in the end people will love him. Go figure.

8. Jonah will always be your favourite character. But you knew that already.

9. Eve will scream PLOT TWIST at the most unexpected moment. It will be brilliant.

10. Rose is a complete bad ass. She says all the things you wish you could say to people.

11. When you get to Chapter 15 and realise there is no actual plot to your story. Step away from your laptop carefully. This is actually the best thing that could have happened. You will go through all the stages of grief before that becomes apparent.

12. To get the finished 91,627 words you will have written well over a million.

13. I know a pen name seems like a good idea now, but when you set up your social media and start your cover artwork use your own name. I can’t tell you how much time and money that will save you.

14. Ignore the person who is mean the first day you join TBNW. You will meet a fabulous group of super talented writers who you now call your friends. Don’t let it worry you when they write and release 4, 5 or maybe 6 books while you are still working on your first.

15. Self Publishing –learn about it.

16. Ebooks – They are here to stay don’t let anyone tell you different.

17. The lotto numbers next week are... (Yep I’m still hilarious!)

Ok I think I’ve been more than generous with my advice. There are a bucket load of things you are going to mess up or get stuck on. But my word you will learn a lot. All of which will be invaluable to get Book 2 written way quicker than the Book 1. Book 2 is going to be a whole other challenge. I can say this because I’m half way through it now. I can only hope that a letter will arrive from 2016 Rhonda with some hints and motivation.

Love 2015 Rhonda

Bars, Beaches, and Boys Who Stay: My Playlist for Goodbye to You

It’s bad enough Thea has a gene mutation that ensures breast cancer is in her future. It’s a punch to the gut when she’s decided to have a preventative mastectomy—and then meets a sweet, gorgeous guy who seems to like her boobs as much as he likes her.

That’s my debut novel in a nutshell. It’s romantic and heartbreaking and hopeful. I am someone who has to write to music. It gets me in the mood for writing all kinds of scenes. Essentially, if I have an idea, I have a playlist started. The story of Goodbye to You started with a subplot on a TV show, and blossomed from songs I was listening to at the same time.

My playlists are comprised of a mix of old and new songs, popular ones and deep cuts from albums long forgotten by the general population. The songs may be ones that my characters listen to, or songs that remind me of the characters or set a mood for a scene. The full playlist for Goodbye to You clocks in at three hours and thirty minutes. It’s fifty-six songs of fun and flirting and heartbreak and triumph. While I’d love to list each song, and explain why I chose it, that would make for one unwieldy post. So let’s take a look at fifteen representative tracks, and then you can listen for yourself!

“Cheeseburger In Paradise” by Jimmy Buffet

Can there be a playlist about a book partially set in Key West without a song by the man whose music embodies the island lifestyle? No way. My main character Thea overhears this in the bar while doing shots with her friends, and is humming it when she comes out of the bathroom and finds the cute guy she’d been admiring from afar.

“I Want You” by Savage Garden

This frothy, upbeat song about instant physical attraction gets my feet moving, and captures the buzz crackling between Thea and Shay from the moment they set eyes on one another.

“Head Over Heels” by The Go-Go’s

Thea’s been long ready to face the harsh reality of body-altering surgery, but for a few moments, she lets herself go and allows a little fun and passion into her life. The lyrics “I waited so long/So long to play this part/And just remembered/That I’d forgotten about my heart” illustrate how one night-and the right guy-free her to enjoy being young and momentarily carefree.

“Everything Has Changed” by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran

It’s difficult to pick out a single line or even two from this song that describes the impact of Thea and Shay meeting. One day makes a difference, and a simple “Hello” can change the entire course of your life. This song represents the turning point, when Thea begins to realize that Shay could be so much more than a vacation fling if life wasn’t so complicated.

“Daylight” by Maroon 5

After the first night Thea and Shay spend together, neither wants it to end. Shay is leaving home for medical school, and Thea is going home for her mastectomy. When the daylight comes, Thea has to go, but she’ll hold on a little tighter tonight to make the memory last.

“Over My Head” by Fleetwood Mac

Thea was close to her mama, who passed away from breast cancer when Thea was only sixteen. Her mother loved Fleetwood Mac, and Thea believes her mama sometimes communicates with her through songs on the radio. This one plays in the coffee shop when Shay finds Thea in the lobby of the university hospital where he’s going to medical school. He asks her out, and the song inspires Thea to say yes.

“Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” by Luke Bryan

Thea takes Shay to a family friend’s restaurant for a little home cookin’ and some Southern hospitality. The one thing Shay isn’t ready for is to watch Thea shake it in time to this catchy country ditty.

“Accidentally In Love” by Counting Crows

Does anyone really expect to fall in love? Probably even less so when you’re going through some major stressors in your life. This song for me really captures the joy of being caught off guard.

“Head Over Feet” by Alanis Morissette

When Alanis sings “You’ve already won me over/In spite of me,” I think of how Thea just needs to get out of her own way and let something good in. Shay isn’t taking no for an answer.

“I Walk Away” by Crowded House

Every playlist I put together has at least one song by Crowded House (or their related acts) because Neil Finn and company are incredible artists. This gem is from their first album, and it reminds me of Shay’s reaction when he discovers Thea’s secret. “Black day in the coldness of winter/Black words slipping off my tongue/I say ‘Forget it, it’s over’/As a dark cloud covered up the sun.” Shay’s reaction was out of character, surprising even me, but in this situation the only way he could express the pain of deception.

“Goodbye To You” by Michelle Branch

You knew there had to be a song with this title, right? There are a few great ones, but this one is bittersweet and wistful, and illustrates so well a point in the book when not only does Thea thinks she’s lost Shay, but is also on the cusp of her surgery. She has to say goodbye to a part of her body she loves, and also cope with her feelings about the femininity associated with her breasts.

“All In” by Lifehouse

I’ve likened Lifehouse songs to romance novels-there’s often a hero (the singer) and a heroine, and angst and by the end, a deeper commitment than either thought possible. “All In” describes so well Shay’s attitude about Thea’s surgery and the changes it will bring. He’s ready for everything, anything that comes their way. All in, baby.

“Cruel To Be Kind” by Nick Lowe

Thea doesn’t want Shay to be tied to her or the baggage that comes with her genetic defects. She thinks she’s being kind when she tries to break it off with Shay before the surgery actually goes down. Will her cruel streak succeed in alienating him once and for all?

“Into Your Arms” by The Lemonheads

It’s a romance novel, so of course she’s not getting rid of her man that easily. Shay proves himself to be a true hero, beyond the black moment and into the gray world that is reality. Despite the ups and downs that follow traumatic life events, Thea and Shay know where they’ll each find shelter and comfort.

“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by James Taylor

Though James Taylor was born in Massachusetts, he’s so North Carolina there’s a bridge named after him in the college town of Chapel Hill, where his family moved when he was three. So it’s fitting to end my playlist with a lovely song by J.T. about the sweetness of loving, and being loved, by THE one. (Also, I spent a lot of time traveling to Chapel Hill in the two years leading up to the writing of this book, and the beautiful campus there was part of my inspiration for the university in the book.)

Here’s a compilation of the songs on Spotify. Let me know what you think!

As a Blogfest bonus, I’m giving away two sets of the available books! The U.S. winner will receive autographed copies of books one and two, and an e-book of the companion novella. The international winner will receive e-book copies of all three stories. And be on the lookout for the book three, coming this winter!

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