"Love and Other Unknown Variables" by Shannon Lee Alexander

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Love and Other Unknown Variables

by Shannon Lee Alexander

Love and Other Unknown Variables is currently on tour with YA Bound BookTours. The tour stops here today for my review and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck.

The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop - until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy.

By the time he learns she's ill - and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness - Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).

Praise for the Book

"A quirky and heartbreaking coming-of-age novel. Fans of The Fault In Our Stars will fall in love with Charlie and Charlotte's story!" ~ International bestselling author Julie Cross

"Heartbreaking and real, Love and Other Unknown Variables will have readers experiencing the soaring heights of first-time love with whip-smart characters reminiscent of a John Green novel." ~ Swoony Boys Podcast

"It took me 1.00749 seconds to fall in love with this book. Love and Other Unknown Variables shines with the light of a thousand stars, and Sharon Lee Alexander's smart and emotive storytelling creates a chemical reaction called: Love At First Sentence." ~ Regina at Mel, Erin, & Regina Read-A-Lot

"(Humor + Snark) x (Love + Strength) / Tears = a book that I couldn't put down. Not once in my life did I ever think I would stay up all night reading a book that involved math, but it happened. Shannon L. Alexander has written a story that will stay with me for a very long time." ~ Flutters and Flails

"Brilliantly poetic and touching, this book ripped the heart out of my chest, stomped on it, and then fluffed it back up and stuffed it back inside me." ~ TiffyFit's Reading Corner

Some of My Favorite Lines

"I've been staring at this blank page for forty-seven minutes. It is infinite with possibilities."

"Her existence touches both my past and my future at one point - infinity."

"Geeks are popular these days. At least, popular culture says geeks are popular. If nerds are hip, then it shouldn't be hard for me to meet a girl. Results from my personal experimentation in this realm would suggest pop culture is stupid."

"... for once I'm thankful that the width of 1 James = 2 Charlies + 1 Greta. His large frame blocks us from the girl's glare."

"I'm locked in place, like when an electric shock seizes all the muscles in your body so that the only thing that can save you - letting go of the electrical source - is the only thing you can't do."

"The constant tide of teachers means that little learning goes on in the English classroom. It's a simple equation. No teacher = no English. No English = more time for things that matter. Like math."

"There are some things in life that cannot be explained with logic. They cannot be understood through dissection. They are what they are - good, bad, or epically crappy. Sometimes they are all those things at once."

"I haven't seen her this upset since the Harry Potter series came to an end."

"When she laughed, something inside my chest shifted. I don't know what it means, but if fells like I've got more room inside myself."

"I couldn't understand what was happening, so I did some research to figure out what was short-circuiting Greta. Turns out, other scientists had the same questions and conducted studies to understand what makes us act like assholes when we fall in love. The answer is chemistry - brain chemistry."

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

Charlie's life is about to change forever. On the first day of his senior year at the "nerd" (math and science) high school, Charlie touches the eternity tattoo on the neck of a girl in the donut shop. Meet Charlotte, a sophomore at the "normal" high school, who soon becomes the best and only friend of Charlie's bookworm younger sister, Becca. As a result, Charlotte is constantly hanging around Charlie's house, and Charlie starts messing up at school because he can't stop thinking about her. Meanwhile, Charlie's friends, James and Greta, are continuing the tradition of trying to get rid of their new English teacher, who just happens to be Charlotte's big sister, Ms. Finch. Charlie is reluctant to join in until Charlotte begs him to help them out. Why is Charlotte so keen to keep her sister distracted? What secret is Charlotte keeping from Charlie?

Readers are bound to fall for Charlie, a math genius who makes equations and experiments out of everything. He is a great narrator, and the author does an amazing job of getting inside the head of a nerdy teenage boy. The author's use of Charlie's mathematical and scientific metaphors and similes is very clever, as are her literary references through Ms. Finch. The supporting characters, especially Becca, James, Greta, and Mrs Dunwitty, are also extremely well-drawn, with unique personalities.

The story is so engaging, I forgot to take notes. The writing is beautiful and so full of raw emotion, you can tell the author has suffered a loss of her own. This book is so good that I ordered the hardback version as soon as I finished reading my review copy.

Funny, touching, and simply brilliant.

About the Author

Shannon Lee Alexander is a wife, mother (of two kids and one yellow terrier named Harriet Potter). She is passionate about coffee, books, and cancer research. Math makes her break out in a sweat. Love and Other Unknown Variables is her debut novel. She currently lives in Indianapolis with her family.

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"Goodbye to You" by A. J. Matthews

NEW RELEASE and GIVEAWAY

Goodbye to You

by A. J. Matthews

Goodbye to You is currently on tour with YA Bound Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a spotlight and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Europe? Nope. Mexico? Nope. Key West?

Not me. This summer, I'm playing nursemaid to my sister. Yeah, I know. Relatively good looking twenty-two-year-olds don't spend the summer bedside in the cancer ward, but that's the plan - until my sister threatens me with bodily harm unless I get on the plane.

That's when I met him. He likes me. Really likes me. But more than that, he loves my boobs - like can't get enough. I have no idea how to tell him that they'll be gone soon. Courtesy of a preventative double mastectomy. Yep. That's what testing positive for the breast cancer gene mutation will do to a girl.

But don't feel sorry for me. I'm enjoying him, holding on until the last possible minute, while I muster up the strength to tell him, and watch him walk away.

Featured Review

By RMS

I love finding a new (or just new to me) author that knocks it out of the park!

Plot: fresh idea, believable angst, appropriate reactions to secrets and insecurities. Nothing over the top. Heartbreaking, hopeful, but not dark.

Characters: Thea was heartbreaking. I can't fathom at any age, let alone in college, testing positive for a cancer gene mutation and having to make a decision to remove body parts that are so synonymous for "femininity". She was courageous, loved her family, loved her "boobs", insecure about her "after" body, reluctant to get involved in a relationship at this stage due to the impending surgery. Shay was also heartbreaking. His family carried the scars of genetic markers that passed along mental illness. His angst was just as believable as he worried that nobody would love him for fear of mental illness striking him at any time or passing it along to his children. My favorite types of heroes are those who are loving, persistent, respectful, emotionally available, and no cheating. Shay was all of these. These two together were magic from the start. Yes, they have their ups and downs, but everything fit in context of the impending secret surgery (Thea was keeping it a secret from friends and family). At the beginning, Shay describes himself as awkward, shy and not fond of crowds. The author could have ramped that part of Shay's personality up some as he didn't come across to me much that way.....a little bit, yes, but after reading that at the beginning I was expecting that to factor into the relationship which it really didn't.

Language: The author has a way of manipulating words for maximum imagery without being overly flowery. The dialogue (and internal musings) were natural and fit the characters ages/situations. This was definitely a show, not tell, book as the emotions bled through the language. I felt everything and cried quite a few times. One suggestion for the author (maybe more of a personal peeve) would be to find alternatives for the word "crotch", especially during sensual scenes. That is one jarring word in my opinion ... ugly in sound and ugly in thought. Just ugh! There are better words to use that are more appealing to the mind. Just my two cents ...

Overall, Goodbye to You was a huge hit for me! I definitely recommend this book. Personally, I will be adding A. J. Matthews to my "check for new books from this author" list. It really was that good!

From the Author

I wrote my first book at six. A retelling of The Three Little Pigs, illustrated by my grandmother, the book was never picked up and was self-published instead, glued to cardboard with a cover fashioned from wallpaper scraps.

Today, I write stories featuring nice guys (or nice guys in-the-making) in between my other jobs writing research reports for a commercial real estate company, refereeing two young daughters, navigating the teen waters with a too-cute-for-his-own-good son, spoiling a neurotic cat, and making my darling, patient husband shake his head. I'm also an autism mom, chocolate enthusiast, sports-watcher, nacho-eater, and beer-drinker.

A Maryland native, I live in North Carolina now, but dreams of the beach fuel my fantasies, and my characters can often be found strolling in the sand or sailing along a coast.

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"Love's True Second Chance" by Jeff Dawson

Love's True Second Chance

by Jeff Dawson

Description

Did you ever wonder what happened to your first love? Did you find yourself thinking back to those carefree days of high school, when the only thing which really mattered was rushing to school so you could see and hold that someone special? I know I did. For thirty years, I always wondered how her life turned out. Was she happy? Was she married? Had life been good to her? All of those questions were answered in January of 2009 when we reunited.

For those who wonder if love is worth a second chance, even if it ends in tragedy, the answer is an emphatic, YES! If I wouldn't have given "us" one more chance, I would have missed out on the most wonderful seven months of love two people could ever share.

Get a copy today and find out how deeply one can truly love.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

THE END

July 20th, 2009 7:00am I held her hand and kissed her face with the arrival of a sunny beautiful morning, hoping for a miracle. The shift change for nurses and doctors was in full swing. Staff checking in, charts being reviewed, doctors and nurses exchanging information; vital signs being verified. Debbie’s breathing is very labored as it had been for the last twenty four hours. I never knew if each breath would be her last. The cancer was running its course through her beautiful body at a terrible pace. An aide came in to change the sheets and clean her up. She asked if I would like her to wash Debbie's hair. I pondered the thought for a minute looking at the love of my live and replied in a hushed, choked tone, “She would like that. How long will it take you to change her bed and wash her hair?” She said about fifteen minutes. I stepped out of the room and called her friend Cathey to get an estimated time of arrival. She assured me she would be at the hospital within thirty minutes.

Debbie was in good hands with the aide.  I decided to get a little air, purchase a coke and have a cigarette. I went to the store with one thought running through my mind, Is there anything else I can do for her?  Had I done everything I could for the “love of my life”?  Would God sit by her side and let her live out her life on earth or whisper in her ear, take her hand, and guide her to heaven?  I had no control over what was happening to her.

Cathey arrived at the hospital room at 8:50am. She had been detained by her hubby who was in the process of coming home from Alaska after a three-month tour with the railroad. She called looking for me. I told her I was downstairs having a smoke but would be up in a few minutes. She said Deb was doing fine. My gut told me different.

Something had changed. There was something in the air that wasn’t right. I hurried back into the hospital. The elevator took an eternity to reach the third floor. I rushed down the hallway with a sense of urgency and hesitancy. I entered the room; Cathey was standing to the left of the bed. She asked how I was. I never responded. The labored breathing had stopped. “Cathey, how long has she been like this?” She heard the concern in my voice and saw the look of worry on my face. She moved closer to the bed, put her fingers on Debbie's right wrist and checked for a pulse. She wanted to believe she felt one. I laid my hand on her warm chest; it wasn’t moving. The pain in her face was starting to subside. I believe Cathey said she was going to get a nurse. All I could do was rub her chest and stroke her hair. Tears were starting to fall from my eyes. The nurse came in and slowly moved me to check for any sign of life. Without a word she exited the room looking for the doctor on call. He entered the room with the nurse. They both checked for signs of life.

The doctor slowly turned, looked me in the eye, placed his hand on my right shoulder and said the words with as much compassion as possible, “I’m very sorry. She's gone.” It wasn’t until this moment did I start to understand the depth of our love. My heart didn’t break; it literally shattered into a million pieces. I turned towards Cathey and collapsed into her arms, crying uncontrollably.

A thirty-year love abruptly ended.

Review

By Hippie Cowgirl

Jeff Dawson wrote a very moving account of how he fell in love, fell out of love, found it again then lost it forever. The unique aspect of this book is that the reader gets the male perspective on love. He takes us back to high school to establish the background. For those of us who are 50ish, it's a walk down memory lane because of so many shared experiences of that time period. Then the story moves chronologically with respect to his love of a lifetime. You will laugh, cry, get angry and sometimes take sides with the characters. Also, many of us will see ourselves in other sections of the book and ultimately we have to ask ourselves if we could have held up as well under such adversity. I've read it several times and will read it again!

Interview With the Author

Hi Jeff, thanks for joining me today to discuss your book Love’s True Second Chance.

Which writers have influenced you the most? None that come to mind. I spent my years immersed in non-fiction works surrounding WWII.

What age group do you recommend your book for? This book is for 16 to 80 year olds.

What sparked the idea for this book? Debbie's daughters. After she passed I asked them if I could write our love story. They agreed it would be wonderful tribute.

That's a great thing to do, Jeff. What was the hardest part to write in this book? All of it. I don’t know how many times I cried as I recalled all the memories we shared.

That must have been very difficult for you. How do you hope this book affects its readers? That love is worth a second chance. Never stop pursuing it, because if you do, you will miss out on the most wonderful relationship imaginable.

That's great advice. How long did it take you to write this book? I believe it took four months.

What is your writing routine? Really don’t have one. I write when the ideas start flooding in.

How did you get your book published? I self-published it through Amazon and Smashwords.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer? Stop talking about doing it and start writing. Don't worry about getting it right the first time. When it's all said and done, you will have revised it at least six times before sending it to a good editor and even then, there will be some tweaking. So, stop waffling, procrastinating and contemplating, sit down and get on with it. Readers are waiting.

More great advice, Jeff. What do you like to do when you're not writing? Spend time with my daughter, her three girls and my oldest son.

What does your family think of your writing? I have no idea. To date, I don't think any of them have read a word one. If they have, they haven't said a word to me.

Please tell us a bit about your childhood. I had a normal (?) childhood. Played sports (baseball was my favorite), got in trouble, worked on my HO train set, read, practiced my trombone, earned money cutting lawns, washing cars and finally was old enough to work at Wendy's. Made some really bad films with my friends, got in trouble - imagine that. Dated a lot of girls. Overall, just had a great time growing up.

Did you enjoy school? Absolutely. No worries. Wake up, eat, learn (?), play and eat again. Does it get any better than that?

Did you like reading when you were a child? Yes. I became an avid reader at twelve.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? After my back surgery in 2010. After spending twenty-five years in the construction industry, it was time for a change. My first work was a play I wrote in Junior High. It was along the lines of Mel Brooks', "The Producers". It was a parody on the "Last Ten Days of Hitler". Needless to say, despite the faculty enjoying the parody, they didn't think it was appropriate for public consumption.

Did your childhood experiences influence your writing? Not really.

What was your favorite book as a child? Not a favorite book, but a favorite series. Ballantine Books released a series on WWII. Each books was 160 pages each and only cost $1.00!

Who were your favorite authors as a child? Alistair MacLean.

What can we look forward to from you in the future? Two books of poetry, a sequel to Gateway: Pioche and with luck, Debbie’s daughters are going to collaborate and show our love story through their eyes. I told them, write what you want. I will not criticize it. It’s their story. I’m curious to see what they thought about our relationship.

Thanks so much for talking to me today, Jeff, and for your generous donation to our giveaway.

From the Author

I spent twenty-five years in the wonderful world of road construction. Back surgery in 2010 put the skids on that career. My body couldn't handle the rigors of twelve to sixteen hour days, six to seven days a week anymore. As I convalesced, licking my wounds, I wondered what to do next. Not being out in the sun getting baked, or dodging traffic, was going to be a hard act to follow. Seriously, what else did I know? An article in the Dallas Morning News caught my eye. It was about being a professional speaker. Hmm. That sounds interesting. Becoming mobile again, I took a seat in front of the blank monitor, pondering what to write.

Let's start with something we know: my life. The first work was titled God's Plan: A Glimpse Into One's Life. I re-titled it six months later to Why Did Everything Happen? This is a look back at the last twenty-five years and how the death of my partner, father and true love affected my life. I was amazed at the revelations. Since then, I've moved on to write in several different genres. Some say I should change my name when diverting from the path. Well, right or wrong, I'm sticking with my name. The current works range from the love story of my one true love: Debbie Beck, RIP 7-20-2009 (Love's True Second Chance), an alternate historical perspective of Vampires and WWII (Occupation), a newly released Sci-Fi time travel adventure (Gateway: Pioche), to Baseball Coaching Manuals. Granted, not every book I write is for everyone. I understand that, but I hope I'm showing readers diversity can be a good avenue.

I currently live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, spending a lot of time with my daughter, her girls and my oldest son. When I was in construction, I never had or took the time to enjoy what surrounded me: love, family and friends. My true love, Debbie and her girls reminded me what was important in life; "we work to live, not live to work".

I hope you take a chance on a book or two.

One last thought. I'm working on sequels to, Occupation and Gateway: Pioche. Other works in the pipeline are a collection of military and love poems, and a short horror flick. How's that for diversity?

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