HARP’S VOICE (Harp’s Song #2) by
Cassie Shine | Release Date: June 24, 2014
Single-minded
to the point of near seclusion, Harp Evans’ only goal was to move away from her abusive mother, and start a new life at college. Now
a freshman at a prestigious university, Harp continues to struggle letting
people in, including her ex-boyfriend—Connor Williams—who has always stood by
her, especially after her mother exposed a devastating secret about
Harp’s origin.
While Harp figures out how to
navigate her relationships, especially with her mom, Anne,
she will have to exorcize her own demons and face challenges with
uncompromising courage, including reuniting her broken family—the family that
was shattered by the acts of one man.
After almost twenty years, is
it possible for people to change their minds and open their hearts? More
importantly, is Harp strong enough to pull them all back together?
One lucky winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card
and signed copy of HARP’S VOICE (US
only). Three winners will receive a
$10 gift card to Amazon or Book Depository (international).
***Any contestant that uses dummy or contest only
accounts to enter will be disqualified.***
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Writing
about a teen’s self-journey
Someone
asked me once why I like to write Young Adult and my answer was immediate: I am
a 14-year-old girl trapped inside the body of a 35-year-old.
Not
really, but kinda … sorta … ok, yeah maybe just a little!
There
are a few reasons why I’m drawn to write and read Young Adult-I love first
loves … sigh, I love how when you are fifteen everything feels like the end of
the world, and I love feeling a character’s growth in such a formative time in
their lives. But ultimately, I think what I love most is remembering the
feelings that surfaced from deep within me when I was a teenager reading YA,
and how reading about what other teens were going through made me feel …
normal-like I wasn’t alone in the universe or crazy!
When
I decided to take the bull by the horns and finally finish that short story I
started in college (a long, long time ago), it was a no-brainer for me to
switch the POV to Harp’s. Harp is a 17-year-old girl in her senior year of high
school when we first meet her in Harp’s Song. By the time her story ends in
Harp’s Voice, she is a 19-year-old embarking on her sophomore year of college.
Those
are some crazy formative years with a lot changes and a lot of drama. Unlike
other teens, though Harp’s life has been anything but “normal”-living with an
abusive mother and then there’s her best friend, Connor, who becomes more than
her best friend (see I love first loves)!
I
was drawn to write the story from her point of view because I think books can
teach us all a lot of things, but ultimately, I think they help us see other
perspectives that we wouldn’t have normally seen. My hope is that writing about
Harp’s self-journey will help other teens find solace and strength in what they
may be going through. But, I also hope that her story creates awareness and
empathy in readers. I believe empathy makes us better people-more compassionate
and ultimately stronger and more self-aware of our actions.
Cassie Shine released her debut
young adult novel, Harp's Song in November 2013, finally finishing the short
story she started in her college creative writing class … many, many moons
ago. She has always been an avid reader and lover of music (yes, she was in the
high school marching band). While she has a weak spot for all things
teenybopper, especially boy bands, she also loves classical, country, rock and
well, pretty much everything.
After living in St. Louis for
more than ten years, she and her husband packed up a U-Haul and headed west.
They currently live in Orange County, CA with their furry kids Finnegan and
Molly.
First loves is what draws me to Young Adult too! :)
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