Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder
"Rae’s always dreamed of dating a guy like Nathan. He’s nothing like her abusive stepfather—in other words, he’s sweet. But the closer they get, the more Nathan wants of her time, of her love, of her…and the less she wants to give.
As Rae’s affection for Nathan turns to fear, she leans on her friend Leo for support. With Leo, she feels lighter, happier. And possessive Nathan becomes jealous. He’s not about to let her go. And with danger following her every move, Rae must fight for the life and love she deserves if she’s going to survive."- summary from Amazon
I love Lisa Schroeder's books; they're filled with wonderful, lyrical verse. This book is different though, as it's told in prose with the occasional poem by the main character Rae breaking up the chapters. Schroeder does a great job with the prose and really makes the story compelling. I had such problems putting this book down. Luckily, there came a time where I was alone in my house for a couple hours, so I read about 200 pages to the end straight through.
What I really liked about this book though was that Rae wasn't always a victim when it came to Nathan. She stood up for herself when he got to be too much rather than make excuses for his abuse. It was nice to read a character like that. But she is realistic and does fall for it sometimes, but she realizes her error later. It can be hard to pull away from people with that kind of hold over you sometimes. It was great to see a strong character.
The climax was crazy and came out of nowhere. I was a bit surprised because I thought it would go one way and it went the other. Those last few pages had me tearing up, and I don't do that often (though I seem to be doing it more and more lately...), so that's a good sign. I was really invested in this story.
Schroeder's first foray into prose is a resounding success. There is some poetry included between chapters, which is nice to see. But seriously, check out this book and Lisa's other books too. She's such a wonderful writer. Ignore the cover if that's not your thing; the book is about so much more than the romance that happens.
Authors, if you're looking for a great blog tour site, go with
Mod Podge Blog Tours, who put together this awesome blog tour as well as several others.
and here's an interview with Lisa:
1) How did you get the idea for Falling for You?
I wanted to try and do something challenging and a little bit different. I thought it would be interesting to meet a character on the first page where you know something has happened to her, but you don't know what. That's basically how it started.
As is usually the case when I start writing a book, I also had a couple of story elements I wanted to include in the book along with the main premise - a flower shop and some mysterious notes.
It is definitely a different kind of book for me, as it wasn't something that would work well in verse.
2) You've now written both middle-grade and young adult. Is there any difference in writing the two?
On the one hand, both kinds of novels require plotting, pacing, good characterization and all of the other things that go into writing a book. On the other hand, they are different in a lot of ways.
Of course the voice has to be realistic to the main character, and that means sounding like a 12-year-old compared to sounding like a 16-year-old, and they aren't the same!
When I'm writing MG, it's much more about kids making mistakes and learning from them, I think. Also, friendships are so important at that age. My best friend and I did everything together when I was 10, 11, 12, and we were so hungry for independence. We loved setting up lemonade stands and making money so we could go shopping, for example. I have really strong memories of those years, so when I'm writing MG, I tap into those memories.
Sometimes people ask me if I know what a book is going to be when I start writing - YA or MG - and I absolutely know from the get-go. My process for each book varies, so that part doesn't depend on whether it's YA or MG. Sometimes I plot a lot, sometimes I don't, it just depends on what I need to make my daily word count goal.
3) You've got a cat and a dog. Any funny anecdotes you can share about them?
Aw man, I have the best pets. They are cute and cuddly and they don't ruin the furniture or the carpet, which is a huge plus!
The cat spends most of her time on my oldest son's bed, unless it's sunny outside, in which case she uses the doggy door and makes herself at home on one of the patio chairs. But one funny thing is that almost every evening, I have cereal as a snack (in our house, no one eats cereal for breakfast) and when she hears that cereal box, she comes running. She sits near me, waiting until so she can have a couple of sips of milk out of the bowl when I'm finished. It's kind of amazing to me that she is all the way upstairs, in a room, but she hears that cereal, and there she is.
4) What book(s) are you reading now, or are about to start?
I've been so busy, I haven't read much lately, but on deck are DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor, LIVE THROUGH THIS by Mindi Scott and LOVELY, DARK, and DEEP by Amy McNamara. I did read TIME BETWEEN US by Tamara Ireland Stone a while back, and I really enjoyed it. I also loved National Book Award Finalist OUT OF REACH by Carrie Arcos.
5) What are you working on now? Can you tell us anything about it?
I'm working on a new YA that is written from two POVS, one of which is told in verse and the other in prose. I don't like to say much when I'm drafting, because for me it's a fragile place and I have to be careful so nothing stops me from just finishing the first draft. But at its heart, it's about two teens who feel very different from everyone and desperately want to find a place in the world where they feel like they belong.
Thanks so much for hosting a spot on my tour, James!
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FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.
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