Hi, beautiful people! Sil here. I'm excited to be part of this virtual book tour for A TINY PIECE OF SOMETHING GREATER by Jude Sierra. Jude is one of my favorite authors and I hope many people pick up Jude's books! This little interview here will give you a great view inside Jude's head and her characters. Hope you enjoy.

1. Tell us something no one else knows about your characters. 

Reid very badly does and has always wanted to go to college, but so deeply internalized this idea that he was too behind, too fucked up, and a general mess that it isn’t until he’s on the road to wellness that he realizes how easily story we tell ourselves is true (or that we think others have told us is true) can quickly become a fact. It’s a story he’s told himself and that others have told him so often, he won’t even begin to untangle how he really feels about it for a long time. 

I think we can tell from Tiny that Joaquim loves having younger divers in his classes. Where the boys are at the end of the book—happy, together, but unsure of where they will go next—is just the start of a turning point for Joaquim as he begins to evaluate the sustainability of his wandering and free spirited approach to the future. A part of this evaluation is the beginning of some serious thought about what he might want to do some day down the road—and although it’ll be a while before he really unlocks this, I can definitely tell you that working with children is a big part of it.   

2. Do you have pictures that you use for your characters? Can you share them with us? 

I do! I will say that Joaquim was so hard to find, I felt like there was a team of people trying to find the perfect J for us: eventually the wonderful Julian Winters and my fellow book blogger Annie found me the closest match. Joaquim has shorter hair but otherwise this particular male model is A+

Conversely, is so much this boy that I can’t even handle my feelings over how 100% Reid he is.

3. Did you learn anything from this book and what was it? 

I learned a lot about how far into painful emotions I’m willing to go, for one. Which sounds weird, but there were plenty of times when I felt like I was gutting myself writing Reid. But it felt really important and very true and necessary to making this book as realistic and honest as possible. 

I think I also learned more about my relationship with romantic gestures, oddly enough. Reid and Joaquim are by far the most romantic couple I’ve written: they do such lovely sweet things for each other and go on really romantic dates. I didn’t realize I’d never really explored that sort of dynamic in depth before and it was really fulfilling to write, once I let myself go there. In real life I’d be super uncomfortable with the level of romance these two share, because I have a very hard time expressing deep feelings in particular ways. I knew that this applied to me when it came to painful emotions, but hadn’t realized quite how much I protect myself from letting people in across the board. It’s a strange and interesting thing to learn about yourself when you write romance novels! 

4. What do you think makes your book stand out from the crowd? 

On a most basic level, I’ll say that I’ve never seen a book about a character with cyclothemia, although I’m sure they are out there. I’d never even heard of cyclothemia until I was over 30—having known about it I might have been saved or saved myself tremendous suffering in silence. 

Tiny is a love story, and I enjoyed writing it so much; but in some ways, it’s almost like this book is half a love story and half a coming of age. I read a lot of romance that broaches difficult topics, but I tried very, very hard to stay away from the idea that love would cure or fix Reid in any way. The love story enriches his life and Joaquim’s life, and Reid’s mental illness complicates their new relationship as they learn to communicate and navigate each other and their stories. I knew when writing Tiny that some parts of it would be hard enough to read that some people wouldn’t be able to pick it up or finish it. That’s a hard thing to come to terms with ahead of time. But by the same token, there was no other way for me to do justice by the story and the message and the characters. I needed this book to be its best, most honest self, both for myself and for readers.   

5. say it takes a community to write a book: tell us about the community that helped you with this book. 

I dedicated my book to a group of women who were instrumental in my wellness and recovery after I had a mental breakdown. For over a year, every week, our meetings were what I looked forward to, a touchstone for my wellness, a ballast. These women and the relationships we had made a huge difference in my ability to forgive myself. They helped me learn how to draw and stay true to boundaries I needed to create in toxic relationships. They helped me understand that my responsibility to my survival and happiness were of utmost importance in my life, and that if I found happiness, I would be my best self for my family and friends. A Tiny Piece of Something Greater would never have happened without them. I needed a certain perspective and distance from some topics in the book in order to get as close to them as I did (which probably makes no sense, but is true). They were a huge part of that journey for me. 

So far as the writing of the book goes, I was super indebted to my sensitivity readers—Taylor Brooke, Julian Winters and Min (from Min and her Books Blog)—who offered tremendous help and support in large part because they believed in me and the story. I had such personal and honest moments with all three about various aspects of the book that I couldn’t imagine this process without them. Annie, my co-book blogger read every sentence of this book from the first draft. She literally read along as I wrote it during NaNo. When you’re doubting if you can or should do a thing, it helps to have a cheerleader like Annie. I had other wonderful friends who shared stories with me, read snippets of difficult parts (I don’t want to name names if they don’t want them), who gave me feedback on if certain parts rang true, etc. Despite the fact that I wrote this from a POV within these experiences, in no way are my experiences monolithic. I’m super grateful to everyone who gave me feedback and cheered me on and supported this book as I wrote it.

Buy the book:

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Special offer: the ebook will be 50% off on Kindle November 12-18.

Hi yall! I'm excited to take part in this blog tour, because this book!!! Curved Horizon is one of my most anticipated romances this year. In fact I actually added it in my other blog post. You all should read it.

I have for you today an exclusive excerpt and a giveaway for Curved Horizon by Taylor Brooke and you will fall in love. I'm always happy to participate in this! 

Title: Curved Horizon

Series: The Camellia Clock Cycle #2

Author: Taylor Brooke

Publisher: Interlude Press

Release date: March 8th, 2018

Content Warnings: x
Interlude Press | Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Smashwords | Kobo

Curved Horizon picks up a few weeks after the conclusion of Fortitude Smashed with Daisy Yuen and Chelsea Cavanaugh, whose Camellia Clocks are drawing close to timing out. Navigating the ins-and- outs of love is hard enough as strangers destined to be soul mates and proves even more complicated when Daisy shares dark, ugly secrets that linger in her and Aiden’s pasts.

Meanwhile, Shannon and Aiden continue to explore their own, new relationship. Fall brings them an unforgettable one-year anniversary, but when Shannon suffers a life-threatening accident on the job, Chelsea, Daisy, and Aiden must find a way to let go of the past to make room for their future.

Dive deeper into the world of the Camellia Clock—a world of soulmates, secrets, and the healing power of love.

After fleshing out a multitude of fantastical creatures as a special effects makeup artist, Taylor Brooke turned her imagination back to her true love—books. When she’s not nestled in a blanket typing away on her laptop, she’s traveling, hiking or reading. She writes Queer books for teens and adults. She is the author of Fortitude Smashed (Interlude Press ’17) and is represented by Saba Sulaiman at Talcott Notch Literary Services.

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Hello yall! I'm back for a moment on the blog. I'm here to reveal this fabulous cover for a book that is getting published by Interlude Press, so you know it's gonna be good. I absolutely loved the cover. You know my love for strong colors and great designs. Without further ado, here you have it!

Tom Wilinsky & Jen Sternick met in high school and started a conversation which, years later, is ongoing through their writing partnership, Never Have I Ever Books.

Tom lives with his partner in New York, where he’s an attorney who likes cold weather, old cars, and anything with zombies.

Jen lives in Rhode Island with her husband, two sons and a cranky, seven-toed cat. She’s a former criminal prosecutor who still works in government. She likes theater, travel, and Twitter, an admitted addiction.

They are both avid readers and share books, recipes, music and strong opinions. As Never Have I Ever Books on Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook, they follow, write, and review YA LGBTQIAP+ fiction, fan fiction, and popular media.

After dinner, they show a bunch of TED talks by woman authors. I’m bored until Soph leans over and whispers in my ear “Let’s go outside.” She and Orly tiptoe out. I take a look around, but no one is paying attention. Clover and Janaye are in the lounge having a debate about whether graphic novels count as real literature, so the three of us run up the stairs, grab our coats and snow boots, and run back outside. 

It's dark and the stars seem fluid, there are so many. “Are we going to make snow angels?” 

Orly asks what they are. 

“We’ll show you,” Soph assures her. “We stand together, lie backward in the snow, and wave our arms so that the impression in the snow makes angels.” 

We find a clear patch of snow and lie down on our backs. Orly gasps when she feels the cold through her clothing. Then we jump back up, and when she sees the three identical angels side by side under the moonlight, Orly smiles. Soph and I stand on either side of her and we each touch one of her arms. 

“You can’t tell who’s who,” says Orly, It’s clear she likes that. 

“No,” I say, “and snow angels always wear robes, so when I was little I thought they were all girls, even when boys were making them. They’re another kind of snowsister, I guess.” 

“How long will they last?” Orly asks. 

“Oh, they’ll—we’ll—probably be filled in with fresh snow before the weekend.” 

“But we’ll still be there together, under the snow, even if no one can see us?” 

“At least until there’s a thaw,” I tell her. I misunderstand what she means. 

But Soph gets it. “Even when no one can see us,” she says. “Even when we’ve gone home and we’re far away from each other.” 

We’re quiet. Faint noises come from the lodge behind us, and people move in the lighted rooms. The sky is close and cold. 

Finally, Orly announces, “Okay, girls, the weather’s too cold for this Georgia pecan,” and goes back inside. 

Soph wants to stay outside, and I do too, with her, the girl from another world. We decide to walk around to the back of the lodge and visit the original snowsisters. 

It’s the kind of cold that makes your feet squeak when you walk, and we can see our breath as we go. My fingers stiffen inside my fleece gloves. I shove them in my pockets to warm them up. I can feel the cold all down my legs where my jeans got wet from lying down. 

“New Hampshire is really beautiful,” Soph says, stopping on the shoveled path and looking up. “You never see this many stars in the city. Too bad I’ll never get into Minerva now.” 

I look up, too. It’s nice, being out here, just the two of us. I decide to ask her something, since we’re alone.

Out February 15, 2018!

Not Your Villain is one of my most anticipated releases. Luckly I already read this and it was so much more that I was expecting. This series is out of this world and so so fun to read. I want a thousand books in this universe and I hope we get more! Today marks the start of the blog tour for Not Your Villain the sequel and book two in the Sidekick Squad series by CB Lee. I hope you enjoy!

Synopsis:

Bells Broussard thought he had it made when his superpowers manifested early. Being a shapeshifter is awesome. He can change his hair whenever he wants and, if putting on a binder for the day is too much, he’s got it covered. But that was before he became the country’s most wanted villain. 

After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes’ League of Heroes, Bells and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance. Meanwhile, power-hungry former hero Captain Orion is on the loose with a dangerous serum that renders meta-humans powerless, and a new militarized robotic threat emerges. 

Sometimes, to do a hero’s job, you need to be a villain.

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I was lucky enough to get and early copy of this fabulous book. I immediately start it because it has been one of my most anticipated books this year. I wanted to know what happened next after NYS ended and I wanted to know Bells and see everything from his point of view. Let me tell you this was far the best 2017 book. You all don't have to miss it!

CB Lee tells stories so beautifully. The characters make the story beautifully tbh. And Sidekick Squad series has some of the most amazing characters I've ever met. I literally love every single one and I want to adopt them all. In NYV, we get Bells as a main character. We met him in NYS briefly, we knew something was going on and how it ended, we knew about Bells and Emma, we knew some little things. But definitely not everything.

Not Your Villain picks up way earlier than NYS. Bells is going to this training facility to become a hero, but no one knows except his family. Not Jess, not Emma. He is thrusted into this roll of being Chameleon the hero and what being a hero means to him. But then everything goes wrong (as we saw in Not Your Sidekick) and sadly Bells is now a villain. He is searched by the world. 

This book has action, lots more than the previous one. It has friendship to the max. We see more and more of the squad now because it has formed into the Sidekick Squad and we see a team, a fabulous team who kicks butt. #SidekickSquadFan We see all the old characters, all the ones we love and care for, but we also meet new fun ones. It's such a ride, yall. This book is worth reading, I recommend it 10/10, I talk about it a lot in my Twitter accout and there is a reason why. THIS. It's because it's simply one of the best books I've read in a while. 

“Ten weeks?” Emma’s hologram is positively indignant, and her heart-shaped face is scrunched up in horror. Bells can’t see anything other than her face in the projection above his wrist, but he knows her arms are probably crossed and she’s about to—yep, there she goes. A little furrow pops up between her eyebrows, as it does whenever she’s annoyed. “Bells, that’s almost the whole summer!” The hologram flickers in and out as Emma moves. She shakes her head; her curls bounce.

“I know. I know. I just—it was a last-minute thing. I mean, I was on the waitlist and then someone dropped out, and it’s a really cool opportunity, with a scholarship and everything! I’ve never been in the North; it’ll be so cool!” Bells grins, hoping his excitement will be infectious.

“I know it will be cool and I’m happy that you got into this art program, but I wish you would have told me! Ten whole weeks without my best friend! What will I do?”

She’s pouting, and Bells sighs. The effect of the Emma Robledo pout can be devastating. He touches the holo, and it blips, distorting the image. Emma does the same, and the tiny blue pixels of her fingers reach for his.

A pang of longing courses through him. He’s going to miss her terribly. It’s awful lying to his friends about where he’s been these past few summers. Last year, he told them it was a soccer camp. The year before that, he said he was visiting his cousins in the California region.

“Well, you have volleyball practice and aren’t you learning to drive? I mean, you haven’t stopped talking about it since your moms agreed to teach you, and they were gonna get you your own car, right? And Jess—”

“Jess! Have you told Jess?” Emma shrieks.

Bells barely has time to shake his head before Emma rolls her eyes and flicks at her wrist, and then he hears another comm link connect. Jess’ face blooms out of shimmering blue light.

Jess waves, and her ponytail bobs. “Hey! Are we still on for movie night?”

“No,” Emma says. “Bells is leaving us for ten weeks!”

“What? Why? When?” Jess frowns. Her hologram glitches and flickers, and the sound fizzes in and out. The reception in the Tran household is always shoddy for some reason.

He starts over. “I got accepted to that summer art program in Aerial City. You know, very prestigious, dorm rooms, classes every day, field trips to museums...”

“What program? I didn’t even know you applied to one!” Jess raises her eyebrows.

“Uh... I didn’t know if I would get in.”

That much is true, but there’s no art program. The fictional summer camp does sound cool, but not as cool as what he’s actually going to do, which is learn how to be a hero.

Book Tour Rafflecopter Giveaway: 

Grand Prize $25 IP Gift Card + Multi-format eBook of Not Your Villain // Five winners receive the multi-format eBook

C.B. Lee is a bisexual writer based in California. She is a first-generation Asian American and holds a BA in sociology and environmental science, which occasionally comes in handy in her chosen career, but not usually. Lee enjoys reading, hiking, rock climbing and other outdoor pursuits. 

Not Your Sidekick (2016) was named a finalist for both the Lambda Literary Awards and the Bisexual Book Awards. Lee’s first novel, Seven Tears at High Tide (2015), was also a Bisexual Book Awards finalist. She is a Lambda Literary Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellow.