Book Blitz: Excerpt & Author Interview + Giveaway - Crashing Prom by Milda Harris
Book Details:
Crashing Prom by Milda Harris
Publication date: November 7th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Synopsis
Avery Rylee never went to her high school prom. It is one of her biggest life regrets. Now, at the age of twenty-four, Avery has many more regrets. She is stuck in a rut with her career and she has just been dumped by her fiance. After a night of cheap wine and hitting rock bottom, all Avery wants to do is lie in bed at home with a gallon of ice cream, but her three best friends have other ideas. They have planned a cross country road trip to a prom to help Avery start over. Step one is an Ex-Bachelorette Party in Vegas to help Avery try and forget her ex-fiance. Instead of forgetting him, though Avery finds herself the star of her own web series. As a result, she goes on a filmed hunt across America to find a prom dress, a hot date, and a pair of amazing shoes. Will Avery be able to heal her heartbreak, survive internet reality show fame, and have the perfect prom?
EXCERPT
"Avery." I looked up to see Lucas whispering my name.
"What?" I asked feeling more than a little disconcerted that Lucas was trying to talk to me during my date.
"Excuse us for a second, Cameron," Lucas motioned me toward him.
I glanced at Cameron. He shrugged and pulled his phone out of his pocket. I walked a couple of steps over to where Lucas was sitting.
"What?" I asked again. I was really surprised that Lucas was interrupting our date. Wasn't that against the rules?
Lucas stood up. He was right next to me. He leaned toward me. I froze. What was going on? He put his lips close to my right ear.
I could feel his breath on my ear as he spoke. "Spice it up."
It took me a second to register his words. "What?"
Lucas breathed into my ear again. "Tess wants you to spice things up."
"Tess?" I felt confused.
Lucas shoved his cellphone screen at my face. It read: Sexy! Get Avery to come on to him! The alien talk is good for a laugh, but there's chemistry there!
I glanced at Tess. She smiled. Chemistry? What chemistry? I'd expect a text like that from Vivi, but from Tess it was a surprise. I glanced at Vivi. She gave me a thumbs up. I wouldn't be surprised if Vivi had talked Tess into texting that message to Lucas.
"Seriously?" I frowned and leaned in to whisper back into Lucas' ear. I could smell his aftershave. I glanced at the curve of his jaw and down to his neck. "No."
Lucas grinned, shrugged, and then typed something into his phone. I glanced at Tess. She consulted with Mia and Vivi. A moment later there was a response. Lucas showed me: We need something NOT boring to happen...and so do you.
"It's up to you," Lucas whispered into my ear as I was reading Tess' text.
Goosebumps ran up my arms. I whispered back. "He's dressed as an alien."
"Yes, he is," Lucas smiled.
"We just started talking," I said. "It would be ridiculous for me to..."
"Yeah," Lucas said.
"This is reality TV," I said. "Not fiction."
Lucas shrugged. "Reality is what you make it."
"I'm going to go talk to Tess," I said.
I turned to walk toward Tess. Lucas grabbed my arm. I turned to look back at him and noticed that Eli had stopped recording Cameron and was recording us.
"Eli," I frowned at him.
Eli ignored me. The camera was still pointed at Lucas and me. I rolled my eyes and glanced at Lucas.
"He's got to capture everything," Lucas said.
Prom Stories and the Idea Behind Crashing Prom
I know I’m not the only girl who loves prom stories. That’s obvious by the fact that prom stories show up all over the place in TV, movies, and books. There’s just something magical about that high school dance. Even the guys I’ve talked to about prom have a story about it. I find that interesting. Most guys I know now could care less about things like dances. Still, if you ask them about their prom some of them have really strong thoughts about it, especially if their date hooked up with another guy. Eek! Drama!
Prom is usually one of the go to places for things to happen in YA books. That is why I wanted to write a NA book with prom at its center. It’s a little different and to me that sounded interesting.
So, I started to think about my own experiences and my prom story. I went to my prom with a friend. It was just okay. I actually remember talking to my friend in the bathroom about it and how prom had been overhyped. She agreed with me, which surprised me. She was there with her ex-boyfriend, who she totally kept making out with, so in some ways her night was actually going way better than mine even though she didn’t think it was the perfect magical night either. In the end my date and I did have fun, but it was just alright. I really wish I could have gone with a guy I was head over heels for. Then it would have been amazing. I wanted that prom moment. Heck, I’d still like it. I think everyone planning for their prom wants that outcome.
So, to me, it seems like you’d want the same things from your prom, no matter what your age. You’d want the dress, the shoes, the limo, and the totally amazing hot date. I even googled more prom stories just to see other opinions and experiences. There’s fake proms for adults thrown in Los Angeles. You literally pretend you’re going to prom. I also found some news articles about a retirement home having a prom. See? You’re really never too old for prom!
So, I decided. Crashing Prom was going to be about how my main character, Avery Rylee, got to her prom and all of the fun things that go with it, even though she was twenty-four and well past prom age. It’s a prom story, but it’s about the journey to the prom. Maybe that’s why prom is so huge in our minds. It is the last dance of high school. It’s the end of an era, a celebration of it really, since it’s usually just weeks before graduation. Our high school experience was the journey to it. It’s all about getting there and, of course, having the best night ever!
Interview with Milda Harris, author of Crashing Prom
What inspired your book, Crashing Prom?
The idea for Crashing Prom came out of wanting to write a prom story. I didn't want to write a typical prom story, though, set in high school. So, I thought: what if you missed your prom, always regretted it, and decided to go back to prom as an adult... And that's the story I went with!
Tell me in one sentence why someone should read the book.
You should read Crashing Prom because it's a fun, romcom read and it will brighten your day!
Do you see yourself in the main character, Avery Rylee?
A little part of me is in all of my characters. Avery is dealing with a major breakup and I've definitely dealt with my share of those. That part of the book was definitely inspired by my own life. I also broke up with a fiancé. It was an awful experience, but luckily I had a cousin in San Diego and I fled there to escape for a weekend. I had the best weekend there too despite the major trauma happening in my life at the time. I swear that I've never crashed a prom, though.
Do you have a prom story from your prom?
I have a couple, but here's the one that popped right into my mind. I remember dancing with my date. We went as friends and there was nothing romantic between us. As we were dancing, though, I looked over my date's shoulder and saw the guy I liked. Our eyes met and our gazes locked. There was a moment of possibility in that look and I've never forgotten it. Then the spell was broken and that was it. Lol! I still think about that moment, though.
When you're not writing, what are you reading?
I read a ton of YA, NA, and anything chick lit. The last books I read are: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk and Easy by Tammara Webber. I'm reading On Dublin Street by Samantha Young next or maybe Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
What are you working on now?
I'm working on the latest book in my Funeral Crashing series called Adventures in Homicide and Heartbreak. Yes, that's another crashing story. It's a totally separate series, though. It's about a teenage girl who crashes funerals and solves mysteries with the hottest boy in school. The first book in the series is called Adventures in Funeral Crashing (it's a perma-free e-book btw!). Yes, I obviously have an obsession with crashing events! I admit it!
AUTHOR BIO:
MILDA HARRIS has a dog named after a piece of candy (Licorice), was once hit by a tree (seriously), and wears hot pink sunglasses (why not?). She is the young adult author of Doppelganger, Adventures in Funeral Crashing, Adventures of a Graveyard Girl, The New Girl Who Found A Dead Body, and Connected: A Paranormal Romance. She also works in production on television shows like Austin & Ally, Hannah Montana, and That's So Raven.
Author links:
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)
$25 Amazon gift card
A signed copy of Crashing Prom
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