Release Day…WITH YOU ALWAYS by Rena Olsen

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Adult book, release day, Rena Olsen, The Girl Before, Thriller, With You Always

Happy book birthday, Rena!!!

One of my bestest writing friends, one of the Shenanigals, a fantastic writer, Rena sets more of her words free today!

I am so proud of Rena, so grateful that I have been on this writing journey with her. She deserves all the good things and all the Gummy Bears. If you liked her first book, you will like this one.

Let’s celebrate MORE BOOKS!

In the wake of a painful breakup and struggling to prove herself at work, Julia feels adrift. When Bryce blows into her life, he seems like the perfect anchor. Handsome, charming, secure, and confident, Bryce brings out the best in Julia, sweeping her off her feet with attention and affection while grounding her with his certainty and faith. Together they embark on a path guided by the principles of his family and their church, each step a paving stone leading to happily ever after.

But this is no fairy tale.

Step by step, one small concession leading to another, Julia is slowly isolated from her job, her friends, and her family, until she comes to find that her dream come true is a cage. Then one day everything changes…and Julia is faced with no choice but to find a way out.

 

Want a copy? Of course you do! Go here!

 

Haven’t read her first book THE GIRL BEFORE? Read it. I cried. I cringed. In the end, I smiled. Go find it here!

Connect with Rena on Twitter, she loves new friends.

 

 

Kathy Reads Women’s Fiction: A Tale of Leaving the Zone of Comfort

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Adult book, reading, Stepping out of the comfort zone, Summer Heacock, The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky, thoughts, trying something new, Women's fiction

So, if you know me, you know what I like. Creepy. Magical. Scary. Fantastical. Weird.

I read fantasy, dark fantasy, magical realism, and horror. I read YA and MG.

Kissing isn’t my favorite, but boy do I like demons and magical worlds waiting to swallow you whole.

But sometimes…sometimes, it’s good to step out of your comfort zone. As scary as that sounds.

I just finished reading The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky by Summer Heacock. She’s on Twitter, go find her.

I’ve been following Summer for a long time on Twitter and FB and have met her at Midwest Writers Workshop…so, when her debut book released, I was intrigued. When I saw it, sitting there to buy at Midwest Writers last month, I bought it. When I asked her to sign it, her face lit up like Christmas…seriously if you ever get to go up to an author and ask them to sign their book, DO IT!

Anyway. I knew this book was VERY different than what I normally read. VERY DIFFERENT kinda doesn’t even cover it. But, I gave it a shot.

I struggled in the beginning. I doubted that I would finish it, the character voice was good, there was plenty of conflict, but I was unsure. There were other books calling to me. So I told myself to get to the halfway mark and see. And somewhere in the middle of a story about fixing broken vaginas and baking cupcakes, I began to care. I finished it yesterday with a smile on my face. Well-written. Great characters that I could relate to. There was kissing and a love story. Oh my. But I bought that love story, it felt real. There were great friendships, people I wanted to be friends with. But more than that. An emotional journey was hidden beneath the folds of snark. Emotions I understood.

In the end, I enjoyed the book.

So, just goes to show you that climbing out of your happy rut can be a good thing. The world is bigger than my rut. I did know that. I do know that. As hard as it is to stride into the land of different, it’s necessary to do. To remind ourselves that we are more than likes and dislikes, that we are more than this one color we wear. We are complex beings, who need to feed all the parts of ourselves.

Try something different. All that can happen is it doesn’t work…or maybe it will.

I mean, sure, I pulled out a YA horror book to read after, but…yeah.

Road Trip and Friendship

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Adult book, ARC, candy wrappers, friends, pitch wars, reading, Rena Olsen, road trip, The Girl Before, thoughts, Thriller

Tomorrow I am driving 8 hours (or 9…or whatever) to spend the weekend with a dear friend to celebrate the fact that HER BOOK RELEASES ON AUGUST 9TH!

Yup. I’m driving all by myself. For the weekend.

Why?

Let me tell you a story…

About two (or was it three?) years ago…I mean, who cares, friendship isn’t measured in years…I entered Pitch Wars. That wonderful contest just began again…mentors are reading and trying to decide who they will choose to help and mentee hopefuls are chewing their fingernails off.

I’ve been there. Only it was candy wrappers.

I made a comment about eating chocolate and someone tweeted back that she stole and ate the wrappers. So I went with it. It became a thing. We indicated our nervousness by tweeting “*crinkle*” to each other. Others showed concern at the whole eating wrappers thing, but it helped diffuse the tension and did something much more important…it gave me a new friend. We bonded over eating candy wrappers.

Now neither one of us made it into the contest. And we were sad, for a second…then we forgot about that and looked forward, down the road to the next thing. We walked the journey together. It’s good to have a friend.

I watched her go from writing YA sci-fi to an adult, an OH MY GOODNESS WHAT AM I DOING WRITING THIS adult. A manuscript about human trafficking. And I said, “THIS IS IT! THE BOOK THAT WILL MAKE IT!”

And she scoffed at me.

Then she was getting offers from agents and stopped scoffing and started panic-excited-screaming. HOW WOULD SHE EVER CHOOSE! I told her to calm down and listen to her heart…and her gut. She signed with her agent from Dystel and Goderich.

Then revisions.

Then on submission.

THEN A BOOK DEAL!

AND NOW IT IS ALMOST HERE! HER DEBUT BOOK THE GIRL BEFORE IS GOING TO BE RELEASED INTO THE WILD I’M SO SORRY I’M SCREAMING BUT I AM VERY EXCITED!

I got to be a apart of the Love Tour. An ARC was mailed here, there, and everywhere. We read. We tweeted under #TheGirlBefore. We cried. We sent virtual hugs.

The ARC in MY hand on its way from Sarah to me to Jamie.

I was sad to see it go, but happy to have added my words full of love and support to my friend, who got it back not long ago and got to read everything we all wrote.

As much as I miss that book, I am ready to buy my very own copy on the 9th! I might stand in line jabbering to the cashier how I know the author and how FABUTASTIC the book is… I might. I might have book marks that I hand out to people.

Dude. I. Know. Her. RENA OLSEN. I KNOW HER. SHE IS MY FRIEND.

AND I KNEW HER WHEN, PEOPLE, I KNEW HER BEFORE SHE HAD AN AGENT AND A BOOK DEAL!

So I am going on a road trip. Because more than freaking people out with talk of eating candy wrappers. More than getting my heart broken by not getting chosen for Pitch Wars. More than anything…I made a terrific friend. One I have had the privilege of knowing, have gotten to tag along on her journey.

And it’s not over yet.

My dear Rena,

I am so proud of all you’ve accomplished.

I am proud to be one of the people you turn to when you are frustrated or have great news to share.

I am happy to stay by your side forever, to believe in you when you forget how, to excited-squeal with you when great things happen, and to be your roommate at any and all writer’s conferences. Because then I get to be cool by association.

I can’t wait for the weekend. We will have so much fun!

And me telling you how awesome you are at least 49957593720.8 times a day won’t get old, I promise.