Summer Blog Tour- The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

For sixteen years, Daisy has been good. A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly. A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad. She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal. Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy? Should she side with her parents or protect her brother? How can she know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?

Check out my review of The Sound of Letting Go here.

Author Stasia Ward Kehoe heads to sunny Southern California to visit two awesome YA authors, GRETCHEN McNEIL and CAROL TANZMAN.

After spending a happy summer week at NOVELNOVICE.COM, discussing the writing process, my over-expressive eyebrows and other vital topics, I’m thrilled to be taking THE SOUND OF LETTING GO Summer Blog Tour (click that, you know, ‘cuz there are giveaways) on a virtual summer road trip with some awesome writer pals.

Today, I’m here at Book Chic with two amazing Cali-Gals (er, women): Gretchen McNeil, author of TEN and the upcoming GET EVEN, and DANCERGIRL author Carol Tanzman

SWK: Where should we set up our fantasy beach chairs?

GRETCHEN: Laguna Beach

CAROL: Malibu Beach!

SWK: Hmmm. I’m sensing a pattern here. Will it continue? What are we drinking you Pacific beach beauties?

GRETCHEN: Champagne

CAROL: Other than the sight of all the cute guys surfing? Mango-strawberry smoothies.

SWK: Nope. No pattern on the beverage front. Anyone else wondering what would happen if you spiked a mango-strawberry smoothie with some nice California sparkling wine…? But I digress. What’s stealing the sunshine from your summer, writer-lasses?

GRETCHEN: Worrying about the next book contract I don't have yet.

CAROL: Wrestling with my secret work-in-progress (hint: a supernatural mystery).

SWK: Boy, book contracts and plot problems. Ugh! When you’re fighting those summer blues, what helps put joy back into your summer?

GRETCHEN: Clearance sales at ModCloth and Unique Vintage.

(SWK: Might I say that Gretchen has the most awesome taste in clothes and I want her to take me shopping right now!)

CAROL: Going back to the scene of the crime, so to speak. In a few weeks, I'll be visiting friends and family in Brooklyn, NY, which is the setting for both of my YA thrillers dancergirl and Circle of Silence. Here’s a picture I took in Brooklyn while researching my last novel.

(SWK (editorializing yet again): I LOVE NEW YORK!!!!)

Enter Gretchen’s amazing GET EVEN preorder giveaway HERE. (Giveaway deets: Pre-order your copy of GET EVEN from participating bookstores between now and September 15th and you'll get a signed, special edition booklet* with the first two chapters of GET DIRTY plus bonus material - FREE!)

Curious about Carol’s new thriller? Check out her website: www.caroltanzman.com

Stasia Ward Kehoe grew up dreaming of becoming a professional ballerina but she didn't grow quite enough (she is 5'4") or have sufficiently good knees (they are peppered with surgery scars) to achieve this goal. Instead, she went to Georgetown University from which she received a semi-unintentional BA in English. After working at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Random House Publishing in New York, City, and receiving her MA in Performance Studies from New York University, she married a dude who looks just like Clark Kent (the hot geek who turns into Superman), had four awesome sons, and moved to the Pacific Northwest where she now lives.

She then started writing with a vengeance, publishing her first young adult novel, AUDITION, in 2011. She advises not being too specific in your long-term goals however, if you decide to write a book, sit on your backside and don't get up until you have (a) died of starvation or (b) written the words "the end." THE SOUND OF LETTING GO is her second novel and her short-term plan is to write another so, as you read this bio, she's likely got her fingers glued to a keyboard.

Stasia also enjoys artichokes, chocolate (but, come on, who doesn't?), parentheticals (obviously) and turning on her car to an explosion of pop music because the last person to drive it was one of her teenagers--especially if the song is about heartache and healing and has a good dance beat.

You can find Stasia at her website, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

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