The Best Reader + While He Was Away

Summer Lovin' Blog Tour: The Summer of No Regrets & While He Was Away

Looking for a good YA summer romance?

Sourcebooks has two fabulous summer lovin' books coming out. The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond and While He Was Away by Karen Schreck are both released May 1st. Today I have a guest post from Katherine on why we crave fame.
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Why We Crave Fame
“Celebrity-in-Hiding.” When I first started writing THE SUMMER OF NO REGRETS, I didn’t want to admit how much that idea intrigued me. I’m a lot like my main character, Brigitta—all about finding the meaning of life, not fantasizing over whether the guy next door is a movie star. When I bought a National Enquirer, I explained to the grocery store clerk that it was for research— that I was writing a book (“Yes,” I told her modestly, “I am an author.”) I certainly didn’t normally read that sort of thing. Of course not. Well, okay, maybe the headlines. Occasionally.

But as I read through stacks of People and Star and Us (which is a lot like eating sugar cubes all day long), and more stacks of celebrity biographies, I started to wonder what the deal is about fame. Why does it fascinate us? Why do we love the idea of either being famous or being connected to somebody famous?

I think it’s because we’ve got some interesting ideas about “being known.” If I’m “known,” people know who I am, right? Lots of people. Those people will say I’m talented and beautiful and they’ll treat me with special respect. If I’m known, I get to wear amazing clothes and ride in limousines. People will do what I want just because I’m known. If I only eat the green M&M’s, someone will pick those out of the five-pound bag and put them into a crystal dish for me. If I’m known, I am important—more important than that boss who fired me, or the teacher who gave me a C and said “You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” or the security guard who threw me out of a mall in Seattle for plugging my cellphone into a floor outlet (true story!)

But is that really what being known is? Getting special treatment and being better than somebody else? Who really knows me when I’m known like that? What I crave, what I really crave, is to have a few people who will look into my eyes and know me—know how I wrinkle my nose when I laugh, and what my favorite show is, and why I’m afraid of guns. It’s what we all want, I think—people who will listen to us when we’re scared, and scream with us on the roller coaster, and trust us with their hurts. We want to know we matter. We want to have a few people we don’t have to hide ourselves from.

So is Brigitta’s next-door-neighbor a secret superstar? We can talk about that later. I need to go to the grocery store and read some headlines.

The Summer of No Regrets by Katherine Grace Bond
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012)
Paperback: 290 pages
The day Brigitta accidentally flings herself into the lap of a guy she's never met, her friend Natalie is convinced he's Trent Yves, egotistical heartthrob-in-hiding. When the boy, who calls himself Luke, is nearly eaten by a cougar, Brigitta finds herself saving his life, being swept into his spectacular embrace and wondering if she wants Natalie's fantasy to be true.

As the two spend the summer together raising orphaned cougar cubs, Brigitta still can't be sure of his true identity. But then again, since her grandparents' death, her father's sudden urge to give away all their possessions and become a shaman, and her own awkward transition from girlhood into a young woman, she isn't sure of anything. What is the truth? More importantly, can she accept it?

While He Was Away by Karen Schreck Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012) Paperback: 249 pages This is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say."The right thing."

He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next.

All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.

When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing.

She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

Prize:

  • 1 winner will receive a copy of The Summer of No Regrets and While He Was Away.
Rules:
  • You must be at least 13 (or have permission) to enter.
  • Name and email must be provided.
  • Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
  • Contest is US only and ends May 9th.
  • Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
  • The form must be filled out to enter.

Find Katherine Grace Bond Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Find Karen Schreck Website | Goodreads | Twitter

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Summer Lovin' Blog Tour: The Summer of No Regrets & While He Was Away + While He Was Away