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Friday, April 11, 2014

The Summer I Wasn't Me Blog Tour {Interview & Giveaway}


I'm thrilled to have The Summer I Wasn't Me Blog Tour stopping by today, with my Interview with Jessica Verdi and a Giveaway...


The Summer I Wasn't Me
by Jessica Verdi
April 1, 2014
Sourcebooks Fire

Lexi has a secret…
Ever since her mom found out she was in love with a girl, seventeen year old Lexi’s afraid that what’s left of her family is going to fall apart for good.
You are on the road to truth. Help is on the way
The road signs leading to New Horizons summer camp promise a new life for Lexi- she swears she can change. She can learn to like boys. But denying her feeling is harder than she thinks. And when she falls head over heels for Carolyn, one of her fellow campers, Lexi will have to risk her mother’s approval for the one person who might love her no matter what.
In The Summer I Wasn’t Me, Verdi writes with raw honesty and an open heart, asking the hard questions and exploring emotional depths and difficult truths in her character that no YA author has done before.




What three words best describe The Summer I Wasn’t Me?
- Self-discovery
- Journey
- Friendship

Grab a copy of The Summer I Wasn’t Me and answer the following:
Favorite chapter?
        - Chapter 16, when Lexi and Carolyn start writing notes in the margins of The Great Gatsby.
Favorite page?
        - The last page. 339.
Hardest chapter and/or page to write?
        - Chapter 29. If you’ve read the book, you know what chapter that is.
Flip to a random page and give us a 1-2 sentence teaser:
Whoa, I think as I take in the dorm room. That’s a lot of pink.
The Summer I Wasn’t Me has some really memorable characters...did you have an absolute favorite character to write and explore? Did any of your characters end up surprising you in how they turned out?
I love my narrator, Lexi, so much. She’s conflicted and strong and giving and vulnerable. I also love Matthew, because let’s face it, he’s the voice of reason in the story. No spoilers, but Brianna definitely surprised me as the story went on.

What do you hope readers walk away with or learn from The Summer I Wasn’t Me and Lexi’s story?
I hope this book will go even a small way in helping LBGTQ teens to know that they are not alone and that they do not need to change for anyone—even if their families or churches or towns are insisting they do.
I hope Lexi’s story will help readers to know that they are perfect the way they are. And if someone is telling you otherwise (whether they’re criticizing your sexuality, your appearance, your disability, your hobbies and interests, or anything else) they’re the ones who have to take a long, hard look at themselves, and maybe start to make some new choices, not you.
I hope readers, regardless of whether they’re atheist, super religious, or anything in between, will be able to take something away from this story.
And I hope the more people know about these types of camps and “conversion” programs, the quicker we’ll be able to shut them down. California and New Jersey have already banned reparative therapy from being used on minors—great progress, but we still have a long way to go.

Fill in the blanks:
I’m really awesome at finding opportunities of the “that’s what she said” joke.
I’m really embarrassed to admit I still tie my shoes with bunny ears.
The last great book I read was the Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin. I can’t wait for book three.

If you were to create and bake a cupcake inspired by The Summer I Wasn’t Me, what would it look and taste like, and what would you call it?
It would be rainbow colors inside and out, with rainbow sprinkles and a rainbow flag stuck in the top. :) It would taste like summer, and I’d call it Peace, Love, and Equality.
Thank you so much, Jessica, for stopping by today!

Jessica Verdi lives in Brooklyn, NY, and received her MFA in Writing for Children from The New School. She loves seltzer, Tabasco sauce, TV, vegetarian soup, flip-flops, and her dog. Visit her at jessicaverdi.com and follow her on Twitter @jessverdi.

Win a finished copy of 
The Summer I Wasn't Me!
Sourcebooks Fire has offered up one book for one winner.
DETAILS
-US/CAN only
-ends 4/19
-must be 13+
-winner will be emailed and must claim prize within 48 hours
-Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes
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8 comments:

Christina Fiorelli said...

Christina R. in the rafflecopter

I LOVE Jessica's message, that she wants teens to know they are perfect the way they are. I think this applies to everyone, LGBT and straight, teen and adult. everyone!

Thank you :)

Becca F (ReadingTeen) said...

I am really looking forward to reading The Summer I wasn't me!! It sounds like a book I would really enjoy!! Thanks for the giveaway!!! :)

Mad_In_Wonderland said...

I'd love to get my hands on this book, the cover alone looks gorgeous and I can't wait to read the story contained within. Thanks for the chance to win!

Judy said...

This book looks like a good read. I am adding it to my TBR list. Thanks for the giveaway.

Anonymous said...

I think this book is great, and sends a powerful message to not only teens, but to adults as well.

Unknown said...

This book looks like a good read. I am adding it to my TBR list. Thanks for the giveaway.

Unknown said...

Jessica Verdi is an amazing author - I even sent her a message saying so after I read My Life After Now. That book was just amazing, as I'm sure this one will be as well, and I'm also really excited about the new book deal she got with Sourcebooks Fire. Seems like she enjoys writing YA with a good message about topics that need to be talked about, and thank goodness, because I LOVE those types of books. Thanks for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

(This is Darith L)

Sounds like a great contemporary read for the summer! Thank you :D