Heartbreakers Blog Tour: Day 5 – Laurie J. Edwards & Jeri Smith-Ready

Who can resist a heartbreaker?

Just two days left for the Heartbreakers Blog Tour - hosted by the lovely Judith Tewes.

Check out the all the previous interviews here

New to the Heartbreakers Tour? All this week I’m featuring YA/NA authors – from self-published and small press to traditional publishers, debut authors to bestsellers. Get swept away with these tales of first love, melting kisses and of course – heartbreak.

There’s a great variety to choose from so I hope you enjoy discovering these authors as much as I have. I have lots of reading ahead!

Please follow along and be sure to enter the the awesome giveaway for a FREE KINDLE + EBOOKS from the Heartbreakers Blog Tour Authors!

Rafflecopter form is at the end of this post!

Keep up to date on posts and giveaways via Twitter!

***Laurie J. Edwards: writing as Erin Johnson. Grace and the Guiltless: Wanted Book 1 (Curious Fox, 2014)

A YA fiction series set in the Wild West: WANTED (w/a Erin Johnson)

After her family is slaughtered by outlaws, sixteen-year-old Grace Milton goes on a vendetta to capture the gang who did it. But once she meets a rugged range rider, she’s torn between revenge and love.

Amazon | Author Website

Karen: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done in the name of love?

Laurie: As president of my house in college, I decided I’d make sure every single girl had a date for the spring formal – not an easy feat at a school where the ratio of females to males was 5 to 1. I started with my guy friends, making sure all of them were taking someone. Then I went around the campus asking guys I barely knew if they’d let me fix them up with a date. I still needed three more escorts, so when I saw this hot new guy in the cafeteria, I rushed over and, without even introducing myself, I asked him if he had a date for the formal. He said no, but if I was that desperate for a date, he’d take me. I tried to explain that I was looking for dates for friends, but his one raised eyebrow indicated he didn’t believe me. One month later, that hot guy and I started dating. A year after that, we were married.

My advice: If you’re looking for a date, busy yourself with finding dates for other people. You never know who you’ll meet that way.

Karen: THAT is the BEST story I’ve ever heard! Good karma comes your way when you’re selfless lol

Karen: What is your favorite way to celebrate Valentine's Day?

Laurie: A quiet candlelit dinner at home.

Karen: Thank you coming by today Laurie. I don’t think I’ve ever read a YA western before. Grace and the Guiltless sounds awesome!

***

Jeri Smith-Ready: This Side of Salvation (Simon Pulse, 2014)

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined.

Goodreads | Author Website

Karen: In This Side of Salvation, David and his family are preparing for the Rush (a version of the Rapture). What are the 4 things you would need in your Rush survival kit? Of course, I'm assuming that you're being left behind - sorry lol

Jeri: Karen, thanks so much for having me on your blog! I always love stopping by For What It’s Worth, even just to lurk to catch pics of your pets.

Besides the obvious (clean socks and underwear, potable water, etc.):

1. Cell phone (and charger—can’t forget that!)

2. A lifetime’s supply of granola bars and peanut butter

3. Laptop (and charger—I am always forgetting that!)

4. My favorite gray hoodie.

Karen: How would David and Bailey (the main character and his girlfriend from TSoS) celebrate Valentine's Day?

Jeri: Bailey’s a big science geek, so they’d probably spend the day at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. They’d kiss inside the Giant Heart exhibit (if it wasn’t full of little kids at the time):

 http://www2.fi.edu/exhibits/permanent/giant-heart.php

 http://www2.fi.edu/images/heart_home.jpg

There’d also be lots of eating. He’d find a good restaurant that catered to vegans like Bailey. 

Then, if money weren’t an object (which unfortunately it usually is for David, but let’s say he won tickets), they’d go to a Flyers game. There he could both get rid of some pent-up frustration from not being alone with Bailey all day (other than inside the Giant Heart) by yelling at the players and refs. Also, it’d be chilly, so they’d have to snuggle up for warmth.

Karen: Thanks Jeri!

I read This Side of Salvation last year and I LOVED it! Since it won’t be published until this year (April 1st) I couldn’t put it on the best of for 2013 but it will definitely be on there for 2014. And look at that cover – sigh…..it makes me all happy and calm.

Follow the tour! & don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Participating Authors:

B.A. Binns: Minority of One (All The Colors Of Love, 2014)
Tina Bustamante: As Waters Gone By (Leap Books, 2013)
Eileen Cook: The Year of Mistaken Discoveries (Simon Pulse, 2014)
D.G. Driver: Cry of the Sea (Fire & Ice Young Adult Novels, 2014)
Christine Duval: Positively Mine (Bloomsbury Spark, 2013)
Laurie J. Edwards: writing as Erin Johnson. Grace and the Guiltless: Wanted Book 1 (Curious Fox, 2014)
Janet Gurtler: 16 Things I Thought Were True (Sourcebooks Fire, 2014)
Sara Hantz: In the Blood (Entangled Teen, 2013)
Brenda Hiatt: Starstruck (Createspace, 2013)
Denise Jaden: Never Enough (Simon Pulse, 2012)
Jenny Kaczorowski: The Art of Falling (Bloomsbury Spark, 2013)
Jen McConnel: The Secret of Isobel Key (Bloomsbury Spark, 2013)
Jeri Smith-Ready: This Side of Salvation (Simon Pulse, 2014)
Judith Tewes: TBA (Bloomsbury Spark, 2014)

Participating Bloggers:

For What It's Worth
Judith Tewes
A Life Bound By Books
Ashley Poston
A Simple Love of Reading
Little Library Muse
Jennzah.dot.net