Showing posts with label First Kiss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First Kiss. Show all posts

Friday, July 18, 2014

Giveaway & Character Interview: How I Fall by Anne Eliot @yaromance




How I Fall
(Bk 1)
by Anne Eliot
YA Sweet Romance 
(first kisses, butterflies! <3)
Self-Published June 15, 2014


Synopsis via Goodreads:

CAM LIKES ELLEN * ELLEN LIKES CAM * CAM LIKES ELLEN* ELLEN LIKES CAM
What if on one fall day, everything goes terribly wrong at school but somehow turns out right? Suddenly you're forced into friendship with your secret crush—thanks to a glitter crazed new-girl who turns your life upside down. Literally. But you know your crush needs to stay how it's always been—distant, impossible, in your head—because you have problems and hide things this crush would never understand.


ELLEN LIKES CAM...
But what if you all end up in the same group photography project? Suddenly talking and making friends is easy, more than easy. It's almost perfect. What if high school felt normal for once, and what if your crush wasn't who you thought they were at all, and what if they liked you as much as you like them?


CAM LIKES ELLEN...
And what if when you kiss…it’s so amazing. You tell each other secrets and you make the kind of promises that are impossible to keep when you’re only sixteen and have no control over your own life. Which is why, long before things fall apart you kind of already knew nothing this beautiful could have really been yours for long…


Grab Your Copy:
Amazon





Anne Eliot writes sweet, first-love stories. She was raised in the mountains of Colorado, but says she really learned about life, love and friendships from summers spent with her large, Italian immigrant family in Ontario, Canada.

Anne is grateful to have had schools with inspiring teachers and librarians who directed her to worlds she would not have found on her own. To this day, she adores school visits, teaching writing to teens, and is dedicated to making sure kids in need have access to books that will fuel their hopes and dreams.

While growing up, Anne hid her own anxieties by hiding and reading book after book. She developed an addiction to first love, first kisses and her favorite: the happy-ever-after story. This is what she writes today. Now she's a mom of two and happily married to her own first love. Anne works hard to juggle being a wife and parent while writing, but fails at cooking because she is still trying to read book, after book of love stories on the side.

Anne Eliot’s first book, Almost, became a top 100 best selling Kindle book, and was a Readers Choice, Top 12 of 2012 book for Amazon.com at #11, and will be translated and released in Germany and Turkey fall 2013. Her second book, Unmaking Hunter Kennedy, is a also a Kindle, top 100 best selling book in Teen Romance for 2013. She's hard at work on her third novel, another sweet teen romance releasing fall/winter, 2013. She loves to hear from readers. Please look for her on Facebook or tweet her @yaromance.

Representation: Anne Eliot’s foreign translations, audio and film rights are represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel and Goderich Literary management.


Connect with Anne:  






http://www.kaylasplace.com/2014/06/happy-release-day-giveaway-review-how-i.html

Go check out my review of How I Fall & the amazing story about this fabulous young lady by the name of Allison! You MUST read about her project & look at her precious photos! The girl is awesomeness! Totally epic awesomesauce! Really... she's incredible. Please click on the logo above and go check her out! :)
http://www.rmchildren.org/programs/stink-bug-project/




I had the pleasure of interviewing Cam & Ellen, the fabulous stars of How I Fall. How much fun was this?! I had a blast & I hope Anne, Ellen & Cam did too ;)





You two are adorable. I absolutely loved your story in How I Fall. I have a few questions for you & I hope you enjoy answering them! I’m going to try and stay away from the stressful questions & keep things light J We all know Ellen has CP but CP does not make her who she is. And Cam, you love her even though she has CP because you know that CP doesn’t make her. She’s Ellen… the absolutely adorable girl you have a crush on and she just happens to have CP. I won’t focus on CP because it’s not the prime focus of your story. 

You two are absolutely adorable..Wait... I said that already. OBVIOUSLY, I’m interviewing you after the conclusion of your tale because, of course, at the end of book two, I can’t really put you two in the same room together… :) 

This question is for both of you! When was the first time you picked up a camera? What is your absolute favorite thing to take a picture of? If you could go take a picture of anything, anything at all, what would your dream focal point be? 


Ellen: “Truthfully, I’m an iPod, iPhone photographer. I didn’t point and shoot until I got an iPod for Christmas. It was the first version that also had a camera, and shortly thereafter, I got Instagram and I was hooked. If I could take a picture of anything (not counting Cam’s eyes) I would seek out more ice. We all know I’ve got a thing for frozen, frozen and more frozen!”



Cam: “I’ve loved photography ever since Mom took me up to Toronto to see this Ansel Adams exhibit at a museum up there. He’s a photographer who took nature pictures. Black and white, landscapes. Mom’s purchased me a new camera every year for either my birthday or my Christmas present. Not because I need one, just because she knows I love cameras. It’s really extravagant of her to do this, but I don’t complain. I love cameras, and I also love the camera on my iPhone as well. If I could take a photograph of anything, (besides stalking Ellen and taking photos of her) I would love to head down and to the USA national parks. Follow in the footsteps of Anesl Adams. Take shots of that, El Capitan down in Yosemetie Valley, California.”


I’m so excited about the photo competition! I can’t wait to see if your entry won [C’mon Anne Eliot! Write faster ;) KIDDING… Magic takes time, I can be patient]. What was your inspiration, Ellen, for your photo contest entry? That was wild & completely fantastic. I wish I could see the photos! 


“I guess, I’m inspired by the frozen landscapes because when you see them around here by Lake Huron, it’s like walking into Narnia or into some sort of place you could never go to besides in your own mind, yet on days when the ice moves over everything, and for the few hours everything is coated, it feels so magic. And I’m not the only one who is fascinated with ice and ice crystals…or did you not see Elsa and Anna and the Disney Frozen movie. Oh do I love that movie.”


Cam, what crossed your mind when the project was explained to you? Did you think she was an absolute creative genius or did you think “holy crap, how are we going to do that?!”

“No. I thought, holy crap, I get to do that with Ellen! Truthfully, my whole prime directive, if you will was to simply get to work and talk to Ellen. I was so excited to have the chance to work with her, to talk to her…thinking about the project and pulling it off never really crossed my mind. I knew Ellen could do it. I saw the shots and I read her plan and I was just like, happy about all of it, you know?”

If you both grow up to have your own studio or your own photography business, what will you call it? Something creative or will you just go by your names? C’mon, you're both young. I know you’ve thought about it ;)

Ellen: “I have not thought about that…honest. It’s too far ahead for me, but it would be cool. How about…oh..it’s too impossible to think all the way into the—(blushes)—our future.”

Cam: “If we’re talking about far into the future, I can name our photo studio. I’d call it, Happy Newlywed’s photo studio.”

Ellen: (blushing more and punching him in the arm) “That name SUCKS, but…yeah…it’s also great, dork.”
Cam: “Let the record show, in front of all of these witnesses, this girl just sort of agreed to marry me.”

Ellen: “SHUT it down, crazy. I did not.”

Ooooh Laura! You have to tell me what you really thought of that girl. She was such a hoot (yes, hoot!) and I couldn’t get enough of her spunk and glitter. Now, okay, I’m glad I wasn’t standing next to her because glitter really doesn’t look good on me, but she was completely rocking the glitter and fairies. Ha. Did you ever think you’d end up with such a little firecracker as a solid supporter? Between Laura & Patrick, you guys have some awesome friends. 

Cam: “Laura…what can I say. Most of you don’t know the antics she pulled in book two, but we all know and she’s lucky to be alive. That’s all I’m saying, beyond…yeah. Love her. Seriously love that girl.

Ellen: I agree with Cam, only she did what she needed to do. And I’ve loved her since the day she knocked me flat. Well…maybe since the day after she knocked me flat, but still. No better friend, though for awhile, I thought I would have to dump her and Patrick for being so stupid. And when Patrick went insane and started writing her poetry—

Cam: “The world’s worst poetry!”

Ellen: Let’s just go back to the part where we love them both. Laura’s toned down the glitter this year, also, but I hope she always wears a little.”

Cam: “I do not hope that. I hope to never see glitter in my life, ever again.”

The mascot beanies! Ah! I loved that and would’ve died a happy girl to see Cam cheering with her in the hall that day. I’m sure the other students got quite the kick out of that. Cam, kudos for that. It was awesome. High five! But seriously, did you catch some flack from the football team for that one? Or others in school? I loved how you opened up and really let yourself be…. Well… be you around Ellen & Cam. 

Cam: “Look, me roaring in public is not ‘me, being me’ so don’t even go there. I did it all for Ellen. So, if being and doing insane things is part of being with her, okay then. I’ll take it. And yes, the guys said stuff to me…of course. Who wouldn’t. I deserved it.”

Okay, okay. I’ll get to the questions that I’m sure everyone wants to know… What’s next? What can we plan to see in the continuation of your story? No spoilers but you can give us a tickler right? I’ve stayed away from the tough questions like Ellen’s recovery and Cam’s parents. I know readers would all like to get their hands on Cam’s dad and teach him a few lessons. Again, no spoilers, but whatever you can share about How I Fly would be exciting :)
 
Cam: “Well, we’ve had this interview together so you can see I’m planning on marrying this girl so…”

Ellen: “And you can see I’m not marrying an insane person…so yeah…um Cam, you can stop talking about that for another 5 years. He and I, we’re friends. Very close friends right now and we’re working on…you know. Being that.”

Cam: “Let the record show this girl, Ellen Foster, has agreed to be with me for at least 5 more years. This is way more than friendship and it always has been.”

Ellen: (laughing) “Oh…here we go again.”

Cam: “It’s a relief this friendship, because truthfully…I almost messed it all up—with my Dad and the car and stealing his wallet--well…we saw what that got me, right?”

Ellen: “No. I almost messed it all up by not following my own mandate that we be patient. The blame at that point was not on Cam. All on me. For sure.”

Cam: “The mess was all mine. Let’s agree on that.”

Ellen: “Fine. Mess yours. Love triangle. That was mine, I think. And the mess was really Laura’s and Patrick’s if we’re keeping any sort of track of who really made the biggest mess.”

Cam:  “Did she say LOVE? Is anyone keeping track of the word LOVE here…just asking…to whom were you referring when you used that word…because I’d rather focus on the words love for the next five years over the word triangle…which is a word I never want to hear again, ever…”

 Anne Eliot: (Is this a spoiler? You decide…)

I’ll leave you both with an open ended question so you can share anything else that’s on your mind: What do you want readers to really take away from your story? A lesson about first love, seeing people for who they are and not “what” they are (Ellen, seriously… I wanted to whip someone when you were called and known by the “handicapped girl’…grrrrr…..), going after your dreams…..?  

Ellen: “I guess, for me…it’s a lesson in this: People are going to say/think what they want. As far as I’m concerned, I’m not going to get stuck on words and definitions. I define myself, I know what I am and what I want to be. Everyone should do the same, you know? Not care about what other people think.”

Cam: “Oh, for me…hmmm…Let’s take away from this story that it’s a lesson in first love. In how I, Camden Campbell, fell in love. Because that’s what it’s called: How I Fall, just add in ‘in love’ okay? And yeah…is anyone recording the use of the love words here?”

Ellen: “You sound like Patrick. Did he give you a lesson in how to act like a fool just before this interview or something?”

Cam. “A lovesick fool…. That’s what I am. Please, Ellen. I define MYSELF. I know what I want to be and I don’t care what others think.”


Ahhh! I just love you both! And I cannot wait for the next book in the series! Thank you for taking a few minutes to answer a few questions. I know my questions don’t seem very vital to your story and they aren’t the typical questions you probably get when you’re interviewed, but I wanted it to be fun and not stressful. I like fun. Too bad Laura couldn’t join us today. Another time maybe ;) 

You both are special in your own way and when you both work together, you soar…
I can’t wait to see how high you fly :) 




Use the Rafflecopter below to enter the tour wide giveaway for your chance to win a signed copy of How I Fall! Good Luck Everyone!!!



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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Giveaway Hop: Showers of Books - Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot




So for this giveaway, I'm going to be giving away one of my favorite books 
by one of my favorite people!! 

Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win a Kindle copy of:


Synopsis via Goodreads:

After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is...Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist...

And that’s when things get out of control...

High School Romance, first love, sweet romance...


 
I absolutely adored this novel! If you missed my review, you can go and check it out HERE.




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Monday, January 28, 2013

Review: Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot


 Unmaking Hunter Kennedy
by Anne Eliot
Published October 17, 2012 by Butterfly Books, LLC
Kindle Edition: 422 Pages
*ebook obtained for review directly from the author as part of a book tour hosted by Supagurl's Blog Tours*


Synopsis via Goodreads:

"After a car accident--an event he considers a prank gone bad--pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a 'nice' guy.

Funny thing is...Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist...

And that’s when things get out of control...

High School Romance, first love, sweet romance..."



Get Your Copy of Unmaking Hunter Kennedy:   Amazon



About the Author:

 Anne Eliot writes middle grade and young adult fiction full time. She's a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and Pikes Peak Writers. Anne lives in Denver, Colorado, USA. Anne's favorite thing to write about is a first kiss. She loves to hear from readers. For more information, please visit her website.

Connect with Anne:



My Review:
Cute boys, quirky girls, football players, rock stars, drama, first kiss/first love, the emotional hurdle of learning who you really are - not who people want you to be.

I LOVED this novel. I honestly couldn't put it down.

First off, GREAT characters. I absolutely adore how quirky Vere & Jenna are. I really enjoyed the fact that Vere & her brother Charlie have such a great relationship - even if Charlie gets alittle misguided at some points. He has a great heart though & great intentions so you can't really hate him. When Vere & Charlie first meet Hunter - I was laughing my butt off. I found myself doing just that all through this book. Speaking of Hunter - *Swoon* - I <3 Hunter. He's officially been added to my fictional boyfriends list. Okay - yes he's way too young for me but that's why "fictional" lists are so great right? I can pretend I'm just that young all over again :) Hunter's life just seems to be absolutely spiraling out of control. Hunter has to fight his own demons - even discovering depression runs in his family. Feeling like his own mom uses him for his money, he ends up making a big mess out of the situation - ending up in what I would call a podunk town. Definitely a long way from LA, Cali. Even though this novel deals with such a dark, painful issue, the novel is bright & happy most of the time. Anne keeps the pace & brightens the mood constantly with the antics of Vere's awkwardness, "Dustin's" completely dorkiness, and Jenna...well, just being Jenna.

This novel moves at a constant pace - I wasn't bored a single time, nor did I feel like I needed to take a breather. I didn't want to stop reading.

I really loved how Hunter put himself out there - pretending to be the ultimate geek stereotype. I laughed so many times! The retainer topped it off for me! Absolutely "adorkable" - love that word btw. Then he has his moments where he's himself - the real Hunter - like when he picks up the old Strat that Vere shows him in the antique store. *swoon* Nothing is hotter than a man who knows how to handle a guitar. I can only imagine what Hunter's voice sounds like as he strums the guitar later in the novel. I wonder who he sounds like? I imagine a raspy, low sexy voice - almost bluesy rock... the only thing is, my thoughts on him totally don't match that crazy outfit his mom makes him wear in the beginning - totally over the top pop boy band gear >_<

The romance aspect was precious - it made me wish that I could go back to high school and enjoy these silly butterfly moments all over again. From Vere's crush on Charlie's best friend who she has known forever to Hunter starting to fall for Vere's absolute quirkiness. I adored reading from Hunter's perspective. I enjoyed his internal struggle where he was trying to stay away from her because of the deal he made with Charlie but realizing how hard it is because he's falling for Vere. This book is very tame compared to other novels I generally read because the most "action" you have is kissing but oh man are those kisses perfect. It was like being thrown right back into my teens - when I was so excited to get that first kiss - all those thoughts running around in my head about how it would be, the what-ifs that drove you crazy (what if I'm a horrible kisser, what if he tastes funny, what if he thinks I taste funny, what if freeze up....) Anne did a GREAT job connecting with all those feelings and bringing me right back to those days.

Here's a few of my favorite quotes:

"I’ll let Vere Roth drive me straight into hell if she keeps smiling at me like this."

"Hell. I’m about to go shopping in hell. Hell that sells poop."

"She thinks we’re both of the same species, but vultures don’t make friends with hummingbirds."

“If one fish nibbles my toes I’m going to lose all testosterone and scream like a little girl right in front of you. They won’t, will they?”

“Please! I made that pillow very happy. And you won’t believe the feathers it put in my ear. Still does, and I haven’t made out with it in over a year. You aren’t the only one with mega-skills"


Hahahaha just thinking about those quotes makes me laugh all over again!!! Oooh & the first kiss - jeewiz! Can I please have a re-do on my first kiss? Is Hunter available?? *sigh*



Overall Rating: 5 Whopping Stars
Cover Rating: 4.5 Stars
Characters: 5 Stars
Plot: 5 Stars
Climax: 4.5 Stars <--seriously had be biting my nails because I was so nervous for them!




I had a moment to talk to Anne about Unmaking Hunter Kennedy & specifically Hunter's music. Anne totally opened my eyes to a new musician I had never heard of - Jason Reeves. I'm loving it! Here's a little bit from our conversation. It's great insight & really connects you to Hunter's character even more. Anne makes some amazing points that people probably don't think about often - seeing who is behind the star persona.


Me:
I'm a sucker for rock music & guitar players so I'd love for you to address the musical aspect of Hunter's world. I was thinking about Hunter & his music over and over again while reading UHK. I picture this low, raspy voice - more old rock and not pop music - but that totally doesn't fit the pop outfit - all white & glittery - that his mom puts him in during his swap with the stand-in. LoL I totally thought of Justin Bieber when she made him wear that outfit - Not something that happens often for this 26 year old rock girl hahaha ^_^

Did you listen to music while writing? I love listening to author's playlists for novels - it's like it opens a whole new chapter for the novels through different eyes. I wonder who, in your mind, Hunter is similar to with regards to musicians - especially when he's sitting there writing music with the old strat that Vere buys him. Did you actually think of lyrics in your mind for possible songs that he might be writing - new love ballads like he tells Martin about in the email? Who you think of when you imagine their band together, up on stage performing?

Anne:
 I did try to write some songs and I almost put one in the book (somewhere on my computer is the love ballad, actually) but it's so hard to do that because everyone reads the lyrics differently and then there's no music to match it -- so it seemed stronger with everyone able to imagine their own. I showed it to a few teens and half would LOVE It, the other half BARFED and dry heaved forever, etc. Music is so subjective so I finally left it out because I didn't want to alienate anyone. While I was writing the Strat stuff though…Jason Reeves was in my head a lot. 'I Just Want to Write You in a Song', and esp. 'Girl You are like Summer Rain…' that one is SIGH… and 'I don't want to be 'just friends'… do you know those?
 
Hunter came about not really because of a band, but more because of that show on MTV called 'Made'. Have you seen it? It's where they took a normal teen and made them into a rapper, or a cheerleader (from dork land) or a beauty queen out of the library…shy girl becomes a slam poet... all sort of opposite transformations. That plus my kids were 24/7 watching Disney channel stuff like Zach and Cody and iCarly (most awesome show). I kept wondering if a kid could be UNMADE. Like if they could get OUT of the life they'd started as kid actors that had them caught in a BIG career yet they'd never known anything else. (This was also when cute Lindsi Lohan [from the Parent Trap cute--not in jail cute] was falling apart on TV every single day.Poor kid.)

I'm not going to lie, though… I think the guys from One Direction are SO cute and The Wanted…, yes even Justin Beiber is adorable and we've all watched him grow up on stage. Every single generation has had a boy band, and after these guys, there will be another set of boy bands coming through. But yeah, what if one kid on One Direction goes home sad every night? He likes that he's making money, but maybe deep down he's a jazz guitarist or something… and so the longer he's in the band the less he's able to find himself and so eventually that would make anyone get depressed. I think if we aren't living in our essence…as our true selves were meant to be. What we crave to be if only we had the time, money, talent…

If we are hiding or scared to try to be what we KNOW we are and we follow the path our parents/society tells us to follow, then eventually our soul/spirit begins to slowly die.

 
Me:
HA - you're totally right there with regards to some people loving vs hating music without lyrics. It's amazing to pick up the booklet for a CD (well, some kids today I guess can't do that but I still have my HUGE binder full of CDs & their books HA) and actually just READ the lyrics to some of your favorite songs. The lyrics you read often don't match the feelings you have when you're actually listening to the song. I've read in other novels the songs that the characters are singing and absolutely swoon - then I'll hear the version of the song that the author will sometimes post on their website/blog (sometimes fan made music, sometimes otherwise made) and I'll think to myself - "huh... I saw that going in a totally different direction." It's amazing (& sometimes annoying especially in conversations that turn into debates HA) how we all interpret things completely different. A favorite book by 1 person will be another person's least favorite. Completely the same for music. I guess that's why I love that the world of books (& music for that matter) is so never ending. It makes me happy to know that I can always find my very own niche & there's a whole world of readers out there that agree. It's one of the few things that people can always find in common no matter what country, what state, what region you live in.

Ooh I totally see your thought process with regards to Made vs Unmade. Sometimes when you see such young stars on tv today (there's so many more now than there were when I was young it seems like), you think "are they going to get to experience Anything in life? Any of the fun simple moments?" I'm sure they're all feeling just like Hunter - thinking about that, you did such a great job capturing that emotion. I'm sure there's so many of them out there that feel exactly like Hunter - or lack of feeling I should say too. Just being told where to go, what to wear, what to say, who to speak to, who NOT to speak to, etc. has to be exhausting. I can see where everyone would lose their own, deep down, personal originality when forced to live that way each and every day. :( All the rumors that fly around have got to be exhausting - I would want to completely shut myself out of the world - well, they probably all do because it's the only way they can breathe.