Monday, November 25, 2013

The Sound of Shooting Stars Blog Tour



Welcome to The Sound of Shooting Stars Blog Tour. Today I'm very delighted to have Heather Allen on my blog.

Hi, Heather. Congratulations for the release of your book. Can you tell us a little about it?
The Sound of Shooting Stars tells the story of Jamie Grey, a seventeen year old foster kid who has given up on having a home of his own. He ends up in Palm Beach among the wealthy living with another seventeen year old, Beckett Chase, and her parents. Beckett has her own issues, self-confidence insecurities, vanity, selfish tendencies and the usual teen drama. Events out of their control throw them together but they fight against the pull toward each other which just causes more twists and turns in their situation. I don’t want to spoil anything but for some reason I think before their story started they might have been written in the stars!

That sounds awesome. How difficult was it to complete this book? What were the challenges you faced during the development of the story?
This one actually was the easiest to write among the five I’ve released. It only took my two months to write but I think the process was different than the others. Usually I am able to send it out to my betas during the process but this time I halted the chapters going out because I had to work out the twists just right. They didn’t get to read it until it was finished! I think the development of Jamie and Beckett were smoothest in the process. I knew I wanted the thick tension when they were around each other. The secondary characters, Dani, Trina, and Brett were a little more difficult. I always like to see the best in people so to write a character that is really bad, is hard for me. I had the same difficulty in the Just Breathe Trilogy. I always want my villains to be redeemed in the end! LOL!

You called this book a mature young adult. Your previous books were also YA. What attracted you to this genre?
The number one reason I write YA is because I just love this genre. I love to read it and write it. My other reason though is because I’ve been a teacher for 16 years. I think it’s important for my students, if they pick up my books, I want them to be more appropriate. Although this one is geared a little older than the others, it is still cleaner than other genres out there. I do however write under a pen name in other genres, just to be on the safe side.

What's your plan for the next book? Or if you have already, what will it be about?
Currently I am working on a Casey book (my secret identity). After that though, my next Heather Allen project will be a 4 book paranormal series. It’s still in the planning stages but the title and synopsis for the first will soon be released!

Thank you so much for visiting our blog, Heather. Good luck with your book.

Thank you so much for hosting me! I hope you love Jamie and Beckett’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Heather will also share with us what she loves about the heroes and heroines in her books. Please check it out.

Ahhh, the heroes…Well what is a hero? Superman, Spiderman, or for many of us Stan Lee who invented many of the heroes we idolize. For me though I think every story has a hero. Many are meek and quiet but just as powerful as those that are in your face. Ever and James, brother and sister mer-people in the Just Breathe Trilogy are pretty straight forward heroes. They are thrust into a new world with the fate of it’s people in their hands. Typical save the world, dilemma! But Ever doesn’t start out that way, many describe her as whiny and wish-washy in her decision making process. I’d be pretty whiplashy too if I had her choices to make. She comes out of it a hero in her own right. She’s able to save the love of her life and her new identity. Aren’t we all striving for that in our own self- actualization? James, her brother is a pretty big brat but what sixteen year old isn’t? Okay, don’t answer that. James matures into a hero though. He learns that he plays a bigger role in the world and does a good job saving the day.
 But for Stars, Jamie is the hero. No unbelievable abilities like Ever and James, just the ability to see the good in people which I think in the end is a huge super power! After everything he’s been through in his life, he isn’t bitter or angry. I think fate had a big part in the saving of Jamie. I’m a strong believer in the saying, “things happen for a reason”. Jamie’s life would have been very different if not for circumstances, hence most events in our lives, good or bad. But Jamie as a hero, yes, he is definitely my kind of hero. His even mannered personality helps him see past the extra stuff that Beckett drags with her. He has the ability to save Beckett from herself and isn’t that the best hero there is? 





Title: The Sound of Shooting Stars
Author:  Heather Allen
Genre:  Contemporary YA
Publication Date:  11 November 2013
Event organized by:  Into the Night Reviews


Synopsis:
Jamie Grey grew up tossed around between foster homes. At an early age he shut the world out, deciding he wouldn’t care. Whatever life had to throw at him, he would look the other way. Now his senior year is about to start and he’s been forced into yet another new home. This will be the last time, he assures himself. When an unexpected curveball comes his way in the form of a certain stubborn seventeen year old girl, Jamie soon finds out that life doesn’t always work out the way you plan it.

Beckett Chase has been entitled her entire life. Living in the plush landscape of Palm Beach, Florida, she’s never wanted for anything. She’s always taken what and who she wants with no remorse. When she sets her sights on Jamie Grey and she’s met with rejection, her descent from the top begins.

With a twist of events causing Jamie and Beckett’s worlds to collide, will they be able to put aside their differences or will fate intervene offering an entirely different option?


Playlist
Link to Spotify Playlist:  The Sound of Shooting Stars           





Author bio and social networking links:


Heather Allen is the author of The Just Breathe Trilogy, and newly released- The Sound of Shooting Stars. Heather finally realized her dream of becoming an author only recently with her mermaid trilogy. She savors every moment on this new journey and the wonderful friends she has met along the way. She has many more books planned. More ideas pop up than she has time to write about.

Heather currently resides in the scorching hot state of Florida with her husband and three children. She holds degrees in education from The University of Central Florida and Nova Southeastern University. She is a hopeless romantic who loves to read just about anything, coffee and Jelly Belly jellybeans. When she isn’t teaching, writing or reading, Heather can be found at the beach or out on the water boating.


Twitter:         https://twitter.com/kelconcar

Blog:              http://heatherallen127.blogspot.com/


Purchase Links:


Amazon:                 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GMPH6E0/
Smashwords:          http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/378126

The Sound of Shooting Stars will be on sale for 99c for the duration of the blog tour - if you could please promote that in your post. 
 
Giveaway

Heather is offering an amazing Giveaway in conjunction with the blog tour!  Prizes include ebooks & paperbacks by Tiffany King, Carol Kunz, Rachel Wade, Misty Provencher, Heather Dencker, Heather Allen and Heather Gunter as well as tickets to Indie Girl Con in February 2014 and a gift card. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Link:

 

No comments:

Post a Comment