GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY
Lilac in Winter
by Susan Pogorzelski
Lilac in Winter by Susan Pogorzelski is currently on tour with Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Lilac Sophia Carpenter is sixteen years old. She’s going to be sixteen years old for the rest of her life.
Confined to her bed as her health declines, Lilac lives her life in daydreams, imagining her love story to her former best friend, Nathan Emery. But Lilac and Nathan haven’t talked since that fateful night - the night of her sister’s wedding, when her health worsened and his life unraveled and the already-fractured pieces of their friendship became irreparable.
With the comfort of her daydreams becoming more and more elusive, Lilac must decide if reality can be greater than her own imagination when there’s little time left for living.
Excerpt
I’m supposed to be a bridesmaid—up there with Allison’s friends from college who are named Jasmine and Belle and Ariel like this is some farcical parade of Disney princesses—but there’s a seat with my name on it between my parents in the first row of pews. In a few minutes, my dad will join us and sit on the other side of me, but now I’m acting as a buffer between my mom and Rebecca. Every so often, Rebecca will glance up from her program and smile nervously at one of us, but when she catches my mother’s eye, she’ll find the names of the wedding party just as fascinating as I do.
“Where’s Mulan?” I whisper to my mom.
“What?”
“Mulan. Or Pocahontas. They’re missing the show.”
“For the love of God, Lilac, I cannot handle your nonsense today.”
Lilac. I bet I would have made a great Disney princess if I were strong enough to stand up there with them.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“Superbly written storyline filled with immense imaginative and descriptive details. This book definitely tugs at the heart strings, and captures the essence of life. I found it full of profound meaning and can personally relate to it. I highly recommend Lilac in Winter as a great read for anyone and everyone.” ~ Amazon Review
“Susan creates characters that are so real and alive and she sucks you right into her world. I cried and laughed during this book. The characters are realistic, they have flaws, they’re not perfect and shiny. Lila has a terminal illness. Her parents are divorced and her dad is remarried. Her sister got married and moved away. And her best friend Nathan is still her best friend, just not in person right now. As her body gets worse, Lila lives and loves through her dreams. Susan captures the lives of people living with a terminal illness. The person sick, and those who are caring for them. She breaks your heart, and gives you hope at the same time. The characters absolutely come alive. She had a true gift.” ~ Amazon Review
“I won this book in a giveaway and had to read it immediately and read it in one sitting. This was a really good book in getting to know who Lilac is and her story and of course Nathan. It was touching and special.” ~ Goodreads Review
“Oh my goodness. This book was beautifully written and one you just couldn't put down. I cried through it (thanks so much for the headache!) but again could not walk away from it. I just won this today and finished it today. It tells of a 16 year old girl named Lilac with a terminal illness telling her story of her relationship with her friend Nathan since they were 6 yrs old. They share a bond that even was broken for some years is strong enough to come back strong. Ms Pogorzelski sure can write a book. What a talented lady. Read it and you'll know why I say that.” ~ Goodreads Review
Guest Post by the Author
Road to Publication
I independently published my first two books, Gold in the Days of Summer and The Last Letter, when I was ill with Lyme disease. Creating my own publishing company, Brown Beagle Books, was a godsend in that it was an outlet that kept me motivated about life and fueled me forward towards wellness. While I had queried Lilac in Winter and received requested fulls and requests for revisions, my intuition told me that I wanted to continue down the independent publishing path for this third project.
Like my other books, Lilac in Winter began with a character telling me her story, but Lilac’s voice was so incredibly strong and vivid, I wrote the first draft in three weeks - which is unheard of for me. I wrote feverishly, barely stopping until it felt finished because the words themselves just kept flowing. I spent two years with these characters, putting them aside at times as I wrestled with how I wanted to share this story with the world. Finally, in the fall of 2018, it felt like time. As soon as I made the decision to switch paths and publish through my business again, everything fell perfectly into place for its production. I worked with my design team to create a cover I adore, polished the writing to ensure I was doing my characters’ story justice, and - miracle of miracles - found out that Robert Frost’s poetry had just gone into the public domain, so I was free to use his poem in my book, which to me felt pivotal. His, “I have miles to go before I sleep” were some of the first words I heard Lilac say when she introduced herself to me. Some things feel like they’re meant to be - at least on a personal level - and that’s what Lilac was for me. The writing and production unfolded so naturally; the whole process was a joy from start to finish.
My first two books were the ones I really needed to write. Lilac in Winter became the book I wanted to read. Someday, I’d love to pursue traditional publishing again, but I love the business and creating behind independent publishing and am truly thrilled with how Lilac is being presented to the world. I hope that you all enjoy the experience of reading it as much as I did writing and publishing it!
About the Author
Susan Pogorzelski is the award-winning author of Gold in the Days of Summer: A Novella. Her first full-length novel, The Last Letter, is a semi-autobiographical account of her experiences living with Chronic Lyme Disease and was an Honorable Mention in the 25th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards. When she's not writing her own stories of nostalgia and the magic of everyday life, she works as a consultant, editor, and creative coach at Brown Beagle Books and is the founder of LymeBrave Foundation, Inc. She lives in South-Central Pennsylvania with her family and two dogs.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of Lilac in Winter by Susan Pogorzelski.
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