INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY
A Way Back Into Love
(Love Series Book 1)
(Love Series Book 1)
by Veronica Thatcher
A Way Back Into Love by Veronica Thatcher is currently on tour with Promo Star Services. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes, uncertain. People, irrational. But love ... well, that makes everything complicated. And when you are caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and complex affairs, someone is bound to get burned.
Emily Stevens is a spunky, spirited college girl whose life gets turned upside-down when she realizes she's in love with her best friend of fifteen years, Derek Thorpe. As Emily prepares to confess her feelings to Derek, something happens one night which changes her life forever. Five years later, Emily finds herself in Boston, alone and heartbroken. Will she ever be able to forget the past? And what will she find when she returns home ... to the man she left behind?
Book Video
Excerpt
Derek let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. "Em…I mean that…It’s just this person you have become. The Emily I used to know didn’t hit on random guys at the bar."
Emily crossed her arms over her chest and gave Derek a glare. "Five years is a long time, Derek. Maybe I have changed," she said, "And besides, why do you care so much?"
Derek glared back at her as he replied harshly, "Oh, so you have changed so much over the last five years that now you throw yourself at random men like a…” he trailed off, not finishing his sentence.
Emily’s mouth fell open and her eyes widened as she let Derek’s words set in. She couldn’t believe her own ears for a minute. Had Derek really accused her of being a slut? She couldn’t believe it – it all felt like a nightmare.
"What did you just say to me?" Emily whispered, her voice sounding foreign to her own ears. "What did you just say to me?" Emily asked in a louder voice this time.
Derek didn’t say a word as he continued to look at Emily coldly.
Emily took a step towards Derek and narrowed her eyes. Poking Derek’s chest with the index finger of her right hand, she said in a soft yet acerbic voice, "You don’t get to call me a whore. You’ve no right to judge me. Do you hear me? You’ve no fucking right to judge me." The anger, the jealousy and the heartache combined with the alcohol she had consumed gave Emily a newly acquired courage. She felt more emboldened than she had felt in her entire life, and so, she didn’t hold back in letting out her pent-up exasperation. "You broke me," Emily continued, her words slurring slightly, "You broke me, but I am all glued up together now. And I make no apologies for how I chose to repair what you broke. You don’t get to call me a whore." Emily finished her diatribe, her breaths coming in short pants as a result of her outburst.
Derek looked into her eyes, the anger and bitterness in his eyes now replaced by confusion. "I broke you? What do you mean?" he asked in a bewildered voice, his eyebrows shooting up.
Emily stepped back from him and shook her head. "Oh, you know damn well what I mean. You know what, Derek? I’m done having this conversation with you. I’m so done with this conversation and I’m so done with you," Emily spat out angrily before brushing past him.
"Emily, wait," Derek said, catching her by her arm. "Where are you going?"
Emily spun around and gave him a bitter look before looking down at his hand gripping her arm. "Leave my arm," she said in a low yet threatening voice, "And why do you care where I’m going? It’s none of your business."
Derek didn’t leave her arm in spite of her warning and said, "Em, you’ve had too many drinks. You can’t drive in this condition. I’ll drop you home."
Emily jerked her arm free from his grasp and replied in a bitter voice, "Thank you, but no. I’m perfectly capable of getting myself home on my own. I don’t need you to drop me home. Do you get it, Derek Thorpe? I DON’T NEED YOU!" Emily yelled the last words, causing a few people to look their way.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"What a lovely ending to a wonderful book!!! But I didn’t want it to end!!! I want more dammit! Veronica Thatcher is a lovely author who moves you with her words! Go check A Way Back Into Love, you won’t regret it!!!" ~ Margaret Williams
"Soulmates always find their way to each other, no matter the distance or time apart. Emily Stevens and Derek Thorpe will take you into their story and travel their journey with them. A journey with pain, tears, and a lot of love. The story was good, at some point, Emily and Derek will make you want to shake them up and have them open their eyes. At others they will melt your heart." ~ Bookaholic and More Blog
"For me five stars just wasn't enough to but it was the most I had to give this novel. I feel in love with it from Chapter one. [...] This was a great story of two best friends and their journey not only back to each other but into love." ~ My timeout book blog
"Oh my that was an interesting read. Veronica you sure know how to keep the reader interested. You had me wondering this and that and in order to find out I had to read no matter what kept happening. Roller-coaster with a bunch of loops is how I'd explain this story. [...] A must read because you will want to know what happened that fateful night between Emily and Derek. Oh my." ~ Candy76
"Veronica hit it out of the ballpark with this being her debut book. If you want a great love story that will leave you breathless, then you have found your read! Only one word is needed to describe Veronica's writing style, breathless." ~ Alicia Freeman
Interview With the Author
Veronica Thatcher joins me today to discuss her new book, A Way Back Into Love.
For what age group do you recommend your book?
The 16-30 age demographic. Basically, new adults.
What sparked the idea for this book?
It’s kind of cliché, but a TV show did.
So, which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
The character’s story always comes first. When I started my first book, I had an entirely different plot in mind. But, as I wrote the chapters, I felt like what I had in mind for the novel would be a huge injustice to the characters. So, I reworked the whole idea. It was a huge change that completely shifted the storyline, but I don’t regret it a bit.
What was the hardest part to write in this book?
The big reveal. The emotions had to be spot-on, and I worked very hard to write it.
How do you hope this book affects its readers?
I hope this book shows readers that true love always finds a way, no matter what the circumstances are. Many unexpected things will come in your way, but you’ll always find a way back into love.
How long did it take you to write this book?
One and a half years. It’s a fairly long book, and I’m an awfully slow writer. (sheepish grin)
What is your writing routine?
I don’t have a fixed writing routine. I write when I feel the creative juices flowing. And when I start, I don’t stop till I have finished putting all my ideas on paper.
How did you get your book published?
I self-published my book via a self-publishing press called Notion Press. I paid for the services and they took care of all the editing, cover designing, marketing, etc., for me.
What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Write what you want to write, not what readers want to read. And write with a lot of love and passion. If you do these two things, readers are bound to enjoy your book.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I like to paint, listen to music, read.
What does your family think of your writing?
My family is really proud of me, but they have not read my book yet. Not that they don’t support me, because without their unwavering support, I would have never made it this far, but they don’t have a lot of time to read books.
Please tell us a bit about your childhood.
My childhood was ... bittersweet. My parents loved each other a lot, but they quarrelled a lot too. My mother was a victim of domestic abuse. My grandma and dad both committed suicide. I’ve had a rough past, but things are better now. I had a dysfunctional family, but one thing that was never lacking in my family was unconditional love.
Did you like reading when you were a child?
Yes. I have been reading for as long as I can remember.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
It wasn’t until very recently. I have always been a writer in essence. I used to write essays, short stories, magazine articles, and journals in my pre-teen and teen age. But, I realized that I want to pursue writing as a career about a year ago.
Did your childhood experiences influence your writing?
Yes. I’ve watched a lot transpire between my parents. That has influenced my writing greatly. You will never find a character with a perfect life in my book. I believe everyone has a past and some flaws, and they shape the person into who they are.
Which writers have influenced you the most?
Ah, this list is too long! But, in a nutshell, Jules Verne, J. K. Rowling, Deb Rotuno, Erich Segal, Chetan Bhagat.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Yes, I’ve been blessed with very responsive readers. They always encourage me to work harder and strive to improve. Most of them love my writing, but the few who don’t often point out my fallacies which helps me become a better writer.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
Rollercoaster romances. There will be drama, there will be spice, there will be drool-worthy men and fluff, but what you can expect is a story full of raw emotions. Well, as raw as I can write them.
Sounds good. Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Veronica. Best of luck with your future projects.
About the Author
Veronica Thatcher is an exciting new contemporary romance author. Ever since she was very young, she’s dreamed of becoming a doctor when she grew up. While still forging ahead with that, majoring in pre-med in college, she unwittingly stumbled upon a new dream - becoming a published author. Some may call her an introvert or a wallflower, but she has always found she could express herself better in written, rather than spoken, words. However, never in her wildest dreams had she envisioned she would pursue writing as a prospective career, not just a hobby. Her love for writing goes hand-in-hand with her love for a good romance novel - whether it be a feel-good, sweet romance or a dark, suspenseful one.
When she’s not studying, reading, or writing, she is usually found blasting her favourite songs, sometimes singing and dancing along to them. She dabbles in a number of activities, including painting, karate, singing, and dancing. She is a huge chocoholic – probably the biggest – and she is an ice-cream junkie too. She considers herself technologically handicapped forever and has no shame in admitting that. She also deems chocolates her boyfriend, Patrick Dempsey the love of her life, and Friends her life!
Her first book, A Way Back Into Love, was released in February 2017, and she hopes readers will enjoy it as much as she enjoyed writing it.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win one of two $5 Amazon gift cards OR one of two ebook copies of A Way Back Into Love by Veronica Thatcher.
Links
