Blog Tour: Excerpt + Author Interview + Giveaway - SCARED OF FOREVER (Scared, #2) by Jacqueline Abrahams
Title: Scared of Forever (Scared, #2)
Author: Jacqueline Abrahams
Release Date: December 14, 2014
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Synopsis
Five months after moving to New York City, Emily is engaged to Blake Carson, future doctor and the man who she believes to be the love of her life. Until she starts to realize that the foundation upon which she’s building her future is based on a series of Blake’s self-serving lies.
Blake can’t let her go. He can’t continue to deceive Emily, either. But Blake’s biggest problem is that he has to maintain the life he has become accustomed to, at any cost. And that means keeping his overbearing mother happy, and keeping Emily ignorant.
Tyler Carson left New York City two years ago, happy to leave behind all of the Carson family drama. Until he comes home and meets Emily. Falling in love with his brother’s fiancée was easy. Protecting her from his family was necessary. Leaving her was almost impossible, knowing that he was breaking her heart, and his own.
Finding solace in her friendship with Tyler, Emily is forced to face the reality that Blake is not the man she thought he was. But neither is Tyler, the friend who gave her the clarity she needed, and then left her alone to pick up the shattered pieces of her life. Heartbroken and deserted, Emily has had enough of the Carson brothers.
But sometimes, love is not that which sends us soaring, but that which keeps us grounded. Can Emily ever bring herself to love another Carson completely?
Secrets, lies and lust-filled nights, all in the name of the screwed-up pursuit of happily ever after, Scared of Forever is the second novel in the Scared Series, which features characters from Scared of Beautiful, but can be read as a standalone.
Purchase the series!
Excerpt - Tyler
I almost lost every ounce of composure I had when Emily walked out of the room in that dress. She was perfect. Angelic. Her hair piled up on her head in a messy bun, a face fresh with hardly any makeup, no shoes. The delicate silk wraps itself around her body, clinging to her like a second skin. There was never a more perfect picture. Truthfully, she had me the moment she laid her gorgeous and startled brown eyes on me for the first time at the apartment. I was so fucked. The way her hair fell softly down her back. The way she smiled, so innocently; too innocently to be a part of my messed up family. And I did say a prayer of thanks to whoever designed her body. It was the stuff dreams are made of, namely mine these last few nights. And yes, I had placed myself strategically throughout her daily life so we could run into each other a few times. I couldn’t get enough of her smile, her laugh, or the way her eyes and mouth rounded out when I said something that shocked her. And the way, after that kiss on the beach the other day, she had brought her fingers gently to her lips every so often. I hoped that I was responsible for the memory.
I almost lost every ounce of composure I had when Emily walked out of the room in that dress. She was perfect. Angelic. Her hair piled up on her head in a messy bun, a face fresh with hardly any makeup, no shoes. The delicate silk wraps itself around her body, clinging to her like a second skin. There was never a more perfect picture. Truthfully, she had me the moment she laid her gorgeous and startled brown eyes on me for the first time at the apartment. I was so fucked. The way her hair fell softly down her back. The way she smiled, so innocently; too innocently to be a part of my messed up family. And I did say a prayer of thanks to whoever designed her body. It was the stuff dreams are made of, namely mine these last few nights. And yes, I had placed myself strategically throughout her daily life so we could run into each other a few times. I couldn’t get enough of her smile, her laugh, or the way her eyes and mouth rounded out when I said something that shocked her. And the way, after that kiss on the beach the other day, she had brought her fingers gently to her lips every so often. I hoped that I was responsible for the memory.
TEASERS
Author Interview
Where can we find your book?
The digital format s are only available via Amazon and free on Kindle Unlimited. The print version is available at some online bookstores, such as the Book Depository.
How much does it cost?
The full length novel ebooks are $2.99. and novellas are $0.99. The print version varies depending on the distributor, but between $20 and $25 is fairly standard from what I’ve seen.
Tell us a little about your book.
Scared of Forever is based on the premise of the star crossed lovers. It’s essentially Emily’s story of finding love, losing love and then finding it again, not necessarily in that order. Everyone has that someone that makes everyone else seem inferior,. Conversely, everyone has that one other person that educates us as to what we don’t want.
Do you have any upcoming projects?
Scared of Exposure, which is the third full length book in the series is Chayse and Mirelle’s story and will be released in 2015. Then Scared of Losing Hope, the fourth full length novel will follow. I also have a few short stories, novellas and drafts on the go which I return to between the Scared novels. I really want to finish the NA Paranormal that I’m working on, though.
What has your journey as a writer been like?
Awesome! When you can look at your novels on a bookshelf or virtual bookshelf and say that you did it, it’s an awesome feeling. It’s an unexpected journey, in that you never know what’s coming next. Your next review could be great, or it could be horrible. Your next book could be the one that breaks into the bestseller lists, or it could tank. It’s a chance you take, so it’s terrifying and unpredictable and awesome!
Why did you choose to self-publish?
I don’t like to readily admit it, but especially in a saturated genre like romance, there really is no other option. Self-publishing, whilst restrictive in some ways, namely from a financial perspective, is an amazing option for a first novel.
Would you do it again?
Definitely. I wouldn’t choose any other way to release Scared of Beautiful. The learning curve is steep, and some days you really do just want to give up, but it is an amazing learning curve nonetheless. I guess I’m just one of those people who is a little OCD, and a bit of a perfectionist. I like to know how to do things like promotions, editing and formatting. As a self-published author, you gain experience in all of those areas because you have no other choice!
Please share some advice to help future authors...
You will read the first draft of your first novel and you will think that it sucks balls. Really, you will. Then you’ll have it edited, and you’ll love it again. Then you’ll do rereads and rewrites and hate it. But you have to keep at it. You have to ignore your own self-doubts, tell the nagging voice in your head to STFU and keep it pushing. And you have to prepare yourself for the inevitable: that there are some people who won’t like it. That doesn’t reflect negatively on them, or on you. It is what it is. It’s an opinion, learn from it and move on. And read the blog posts and articles from those who came before you. Read about their mistakes, take heed of their advice. The seasoned veterans are your best source of information.
Do you have a favorite character and why?
Emily from Scared of Forever, hands down. I loved writing her. She’s naïve, a little scared. Confused at times, strong. But more importantly she has a little bit of all of us in her, I think. Learning to demand the love that she deserved was endearing to me.
Who is your favorite author and why?
How do I choose? That’s a hard one. I love Jessica Shirvington, because as a YA author she writes amazing storylines. Abbi Glines, because never have I ever met a better bad boy than Rush, my first NA crush. Addison Moore, because I just love her writing. It’s descriptive and very quirky. She’s got a very unique style of writing.
What one person has impacted your life the most?
I have three. My two daughters and myself. My daughters motivate me to keep going, keep chasing a dream. They are the best cheer squad ever. I say myself because the only person that can shape your own future is you. The choice to fail or succeed is always only ever your own.
What drives you to write?
The story. Once the idea forms and I start writing, I tend to let it lead me. Being an organic writer, I’m driven to write to finish, because, like my readers, I also want to know what happens in the end!
How do you plan to promote your book?
Scared of Forever has a release blitz and blog tour coming up, for which I am super excited! I’m still getting the hang of being a ‘social media presence’. Keeping up a twitter and Facebook schedule as well as a blog and a life is hard work, but I’m working on it.
Is there anything unique about yourself that you would like your readers to know?
I find it impossible to read or write without background noise. The TV has to be on, or Pandora on my iPad. Something. I physically cannot write a single word in silence. Also, I can’t read if I’m in the middle of writing a novel. It’s like I have readers block or something. Also, when writing I carry on full conversations with my characters and often reprimand them for their stupidity.
How did you create your characters?
I knew their personalities. I knew how I wanted to present them, what their relationship dynamics would be. Then I went on to Google and found faces to match. Then I did a character profile. You name it, I described it. Quirks, looks, isms, sexual
quirks. I described the hell out of them until they became familiar, until they were personified.
What was the process you used to write your manuscript?
Wholly organic. Me, the word processor and my desk. Oh, and copious amount of coffee. I just write. I don’t set myself a time frame or word count. If it gets to 3 am and there’s more story to tell, then I keep writing. If all I can manage for that day is a thousand words, then it is what it is. Forcing myself to write never yields good results.
What time of day do you write best?
I write during the day when the kids are at school, or in the evening when they are asleep. But my best writing happens in the wee hours of the morning, when I just can’t stop.
How do you juggle life around your writing?
It’s difficult, and there are many sacrifices to be made. Sleep is the first thing to go. And it’s really easy to neglect your body and health when you are driven by passion. Writing is a labour of love, but there is the actual labour that must be done to ensure that the bills are paid. I work shift work, so that I can juggle everything. I give up my weekends and sleep, but my priorities are family, paid work and writing, in that order. Housework has been relegated to the bottom of the pile of things to do sadly.
What struggles have you overcome as a writer?
Self-doubt is the biggest thing for me. I had to repeat to myself that hitting publish is an achievement, and remind myself that being a bestselling author wasn’t my goal. It’s the dream, yes, but it wasn’t the original reason I started. Also, brave facing my first negative reviews and honest critiques from friends. I had mentally prepared myself, but you can never truly be prepared for someone saying what they didn’t like, as opposed to what they did like.
What criticisms have helped you grow as a writer?
I learnt very quickly, after excitedly (and probably prematurely) hitting publish on Scared of Beautiful when it wasn’t ready, that beta readers are priceless. They have been the best critics thus far. I love the reviews that say, “I didn’t connect with the characters because…” or “I felt that this was not addressed well enough…” They give me a base for improvement.
About the Author
Jacqueline Abrahams is the author alter ego for an ordinary mum to three children (two human and one canine) and wife to one husband. Born in South Africa, she now calls Sydney, Australia her home.
A collector all things books and bookish, she in an avid reader and has a tiny obsession with filling bookshelves. When she's not preoccupied wearing her aspiring author or mummy hat, she is working her way towards completing a degree in Primary and Secondary Teaching (with an English major of course!)
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