I am thrilled to announce the kick off of the blog tour for my debut YA Christian fiction novel, PURPLE MOON (which releases Sept. 24 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas). You will not want to miss this! I will be stopping at 28 different blogs and sharing excerpts from my book, behind the scenes secrets, themes that are covered in PURPLE MOON, answering Q & As, and much more. There will also be contests to enter for your chance to win prizes, such as an autographed print/ebook version of my book, $20 gift card, Starbucks instant mocha (because who doesn't love coffee?!), etc. Also--by the end of the tour, three people will be chosen to win a the "Purple Moon" Prize Pack (see below!).
For those of you who are new to my blog, here is the back-cover-copy for PURPLE MOON:
Selena's life isn't
turning out to be the fairy tale she imagined as a kid. That hope seemed to vanish long ago when her dad kicked her
and her mom out of the house. This summer might finally hold the chance of a
new beginning for Selena ... but having to live with her snobby cousin in Lake
Lure, NC while waiting for her mom to get out of rehab wasn't how Selena was
planning on spending her summer. She soon begins to wonder why she committed to
give up her "bad habits" for this.
Things don't seem too bad, though. Especially when Selena gains the attention
of the cute neighbor next door. But when her best friend back home in Brooklyn
desperately needs her, a secret that's been hidden from Selena for years is
revealed, and when she becomes a target for one of her cousin's nasty pranks,
she finds herself having to face the scars from her past and the memories that
come along with them. Will she follow her mom's example in running away, or
trust that God still has a fairy tale life written just for her?
The Story Behind the Story
I first came up
with the story idea for Purple Moon
when I was fifteen. Since I'm more of a character-driven novelist, the protagonist Selena, naturally came to my mind first. I pictured a teenage girl who is technically a "good girl" but has made mistakes and constantly deals with issues that many teens have to face. Selena's life is not what she imagined it would be as a kid, when all she could picture was a fairy tale. As a teenager and living with her alcoholic mother in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn, NY, Selena no longer feels as if she has a purpose in life.
The emotional and spiritual arc of PURPLE MOON was greatly influenced by the song “By Your
Side” by Tenth Avenue North, as well as the skit that many churches have
performed to the song “Everything” by Lifehouse (which you can find on YouTube).
I wanted PURPLE MOON to be a story about healing and forgiveness, but also one that
would entertain teenagers. In summary, I wanted to write a clean book about a girl who I--and other teenagers--could relate to, as well as the kind of story that I would personally like to read myself.
Although I wanted PURPLE MOON to be a clean story, I wanted it to be genuine and
not shy away from real issues that teenagers face today. I also tried to stay
away from coming across as preachy yet without watering down the spiritual
element.
After writing
the first version of PURPLE MOON when
I was fifteen, I realized that it was not the story I wanted to write. I kept
the main elements of that story, including protagonist, and started over in a
brand new setting and plot. The first draft for Purple Moon was complete when I was
sixteen. It was also then when I attended my first writing conference and met
my soon-to-be publisher, Eddie Jones from Lighthouse Publishing of the
Carolinas.
As I continued learning more about the writing craft over the next couple of years, I kept wanting to go back and change/rewrites part of the story. However, when I was eighteen, I was finally satisfied with PURPLE MOON and decided to send it off to my editor.
I’ve had a blast creating Selena’s story, and I can only hope that this isn’t the end for
her, but that one day I can have a sequel published for PURPLE MOON.
Needless
to say, writing Selena's story has
definitely been a journey. I can only hope that you will see the purpose behind PURPLE MOON and fall in love with the
story the way that I have fallen in love with writing it. But most of all, I
pray that you will come to experience the love, healing, and forgiveness that
God has to offer—the chance to start brand new.
Fact
or Fiction?:
Guess this fact or fiction, and be sure to stop by
the next blog tour stop to see if you guessed correctly! (You’ll also receive
one extra entry for the “Purple Moon” Prize Pack if you send me your guess.)
"Purple Moon" Prize Pack:
Two people will receive the below prizes--however, I will also be giving away one more prize pack (as well as two signed copies of my book) at my virtual launch party on Sept. 24th. RSVP by clicking here!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
“Purple
Moon” Blog Tour Stops:
Don’t forget to stop by the blog tour’s next stop to increase
your chances of winning the PURPLE MOON Prize Pack!
Wednesday,
September 18th: Purple Moon Blog Tour Launch: The Story Behind
the Story: Christ is Write
Thursday,
September 19th: 5 Facts about Purple Moon: Kim Vandel
Friday,
September 20th: Character Sketches + Character Cast Contest: Who YA Reading?
Monday,
September 23rd: Behind the Scenes: Why I Chose Lake Lure: Words to Dreams
Friday, September 27th: Purple
Moon Playlist: Ashley Carr
Monday,
September 30th: Purple Moon Excerpt: Wooden Swings: Heather Brice
Friday,
October 4th: Is It Okay To Be An Introvert?: Alex Inks It
Monday,
October 14th: Behind the Scenes: Lake Lure Academy of the
Arts: Worthy 2 Read
Wednesday,
October 16th: Purple Moon Excerpt: Meatless Turkey Sandwich: Diane Estrella
Thursday, October 24th: How
Much of My Personal Life Did I Put Into “Purple Moon”?: Read For Your Future
Friday,
October 25th: Fairy tales & Happy Endings + Contest
Winners!: Inspiring Daring