Blog Tour- Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
"Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she'd like to forget completely. But when Callie's mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie's real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility."- summary from Amazon

This was such a good book. I absolutely loved Doller's debut and this was a fantastic follow-up. The book doesn't take too long before getting into Callie's new life. Reading Callie's journey was wonderful and compelling; I really felt for her, having to deal with everything. Doller does a great job too with dialogue and the various interactions between characters. There's an awkwardness there in the beginning between everyone that then slowly goes away as the characters get to know each other better.

The romance is handled really well, considering Callie's past and it's not too big of a plot point. I feel like the emphasis is more on Callie finding and understanding herself without her mother and with this new family now, which is refreshing.

Overall, another fantastic book from Doller and I cannot wait to read more from her!

and here's an interview with Trish:

1) How did you get the idea for Where the Stars Still Shine?

I was visiting Tarpon Springs, Florida, a small community on the Gulf of Mexico that has a significant Greek-American population. As I walked through the tourist area with all its restaurants, gift shops, and sponge diving tours, I couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be dropped into the middle of this as an outsider. Then I started thinking about what sort of character I would write into a town like Tarpon Springs and Callie started taking shape. I knew she’d lived there once, but I wasn’t sure where she’d gone and that’s when the abduction piece fell into place.


2) What are you currently working on? Can you tell us anything about it?

I’m currently finishing up my third novel for Bloomsbury, which is tentatively titled Arcadia Falls. The name will definitely be changed since there’s another book with the same title coming soon. But, anyway, it’s a psychological thriller about a small town Florida girl named Arcadia (a.k.a. Cadie) who has been burdened with responsibility ever since her mom died. On a rare night off from home, work, and family, she goes to a campfire party where she meets a couple of good-looking guys who are road-tripping through Florida. Cadie impulsively agrees to join them on part of their trip, but when things go tragically wrong, her only goal is to make it home alive.


3) What's your favorite Jelly Belly jelly bean flavor(s)? Or, if you don't like those, your favorite snack to have while writing or as a reward for writing?

I don’t eat them often, but when I do, I love putting grape and peanut butter together to make PB&J. My favorite writing snack, though, is honey mustard & onion pretzel pieces.


4) What book(s) are you reading now, or are about to start? Any upcoming books you're looking forward to?

I’m about to start The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson, and I’m really looking forward to that. And the upcoming books I’m most excited about are Amy Spalding’s Ink is Thicker than Water and Carrie Mesrobian’s Sex & Violence. I’ve read and blurbed both of them and I can’t wait for everyone else to be able to love them!


FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.