FFBC: Welcome to the club, What's Broken Between Us by Alexis Bass

What's Broken Between Us
by Alexis Bass
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: December 29th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction

Synopsis:

Alexis Bass’s heartbreakingly beautiful second novel is a tale of love, loss, and learning to forgive.

Look to the left, look to the right. We’re all going to die. But someone has to do it first. So who’s it going to be?

Tragedy struck Amanda Tart’s town a year and a half ago when a sophomore girl was killed in a car accident on graduation night.

Amanda’s brother, Jonathan, was behind the wheel and too drunk to drive. He’s spent the past year in prison and has cut off all ties. But now Jonathan is coming home. Just as Amanda’s trying to figure out what that means for her family and herself, she’s paired up for a school project with Henry Crane—a former crush, and brother of Jonathan’s ex-girlfriend, who survived the crash with horrible injuries.

Everyone is still incredibly damaged by the events of that night. Can Amanda and Henry finally begin to heal what’s broken and find some peace?

Hello Alexis! Welcome Back! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours again!

Could you tell our Book Addicts about What’s Broken Between Us? 

What’s Broken Between Us follows Amanda Tart during her senior year, when her brother gets out of jail for killing one of her classmates in a drunk driving accident, forcing her to confront her feeling about a romantic relationship that fell apart because of the accident. 

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

A million things inspired this story, but definitely the concept of how someone is perceived after they’ve done or said something on national television was pretty inspiring. 

What is your favorite quote from the book?

I really like the last line in the book. :)

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

There’s no way to describe this scene without spoiling things, but there was one really uncomfortable scene that I enjoyed writing because there were so many ways it could’ve played out. Hint: It takes places in an auditorium toward the end. 

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song – Which one would you pick? 

Ooo, that’s a hard question. Maybe: Hey Brother by Avicii

What authors are auto-buys for you? 

Courtney Summers, Jandy Nelson and Donna Tartt

Has there been a fan moment that stands out to you? 

Every fan moment stands out for me because talking with readers is always THE BEST part about being an author. <3 

Favorite book of 2015 thus far?

Really hard question! I’ll have to say a few: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven; The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker, The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert, and Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian. 

And lastly – What is your current read? 

I am currently reading a book coming out in 2016 called Wink Poppy Midnight. It’s by April G. Tucholke and I am LOVING it so far. 

Thank you so much for everything, Alexis!

Thanks for having me! 

Follow the What's Broken Between Us Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Alexis Bass grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with Dylan McKay, her gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES is her first novel.

Win a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FFBC: Welcome to the club, Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass

Love and Other Theories
by Alexis Bass
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: December 31st 2014

Synopsis:

If you want more, you have to give less.

That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.

So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.

How can I possibly choose ONE?! Okay, I’ll cut myself off at five: Cracked Up To Be, Before I Fall, The Adults, Love and Other Perishable Items, and Why We Broke Up.

Friends has yet to get old for me. :) 

My Best Friend’s Wedding

It changes constantly, but it’s probably something by Lana Del Ray. 

Chocolate-chip cookies. 

Will Herondale.

“You see, in my view a writer is a writer not because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, because everything she does is golden. In my view a writer is a writer because even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of promise, you keep writing anyway." ― Junot Díaz

The Vampire Diaries, Donna Tartt, and (recently) Serial podcast.

I would love to meet Toni Morrison. 

Thank you for loving books and making reading your addiction!! 

My query was recently reposted on my agent’s website and I noticed I called Love & Other Theories a novel about letting go—that’s very accurate, and I don’t use that enough when describing the book. Love & Other Theories is about a group of friends who have developed a system for avoiding heartbreak that falls apart their senior year. It’s about friendship, loyalty, first love and first lust. 

Haha, I’m not sure I did any research for this book…

Aubrey and Nathan are a lot alike, in that they’re both: smart, determined, funny, caring, and attractive (to each other ;)). 

Aubrey’s rules were specially crafted for Aubrey and her friends, based on their experience in high school, and their fears of suffering heartbreak, being humiliated by rejection, and being left behind. It’s never a great idea to restrict your life by rules based on fear, so I would have to say, nope, these rules are not recommended. :)

The spin-the-bottle scene was fun to write (even though it’s a little intense in the book). I like the way that scene mirrored a lot of the problems Aubrey and her friends were having in the book—they were doing things they weren’t comfortable with, and doing things that hurt each other, but trying to brush if off as ‘just a game.’

I can’t even imagine Love & Other Theories as a film (not that it wouldn’t be REALLY cool). But it’s very hard for me to think of actors that match how I picture the characters. I’ve also been getting reader feedback and noticing that everyone pictures these characters different physically.

“The Love (Will Be Your Downfall)” by Ellie Goulding or, “How To Be a Heartbreaker” by Marina and The Diamonds

When I first finished Love & Other Theories, I was a little confused about what to do with this story about protecting your heart. I was afraid it was too extreme, and might not be very relatable, so I started talking about my concerns with other writers. They offered to take a look and give me feedback, and urged me to keep working on it (revising and editing). From their editorial notes and their notes of encouragement, I was able to get my manuscript ready to show an agent (and, later, an editor!). 

WHAT’S BROKEN BETWEEN US will be my second stand-alone YA contemporary novel with HarperTeen. More details to come soon. :)

Follow the Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Alexis Bass grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with Dylan McKay, her gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES is her first novel.

Win (1) book of your choice written by Wendy Higgins OR Kristin Halbrook OR Amanda Maciel OR Julie Murphy OR Daisy Whitney (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win a $30 Barnes & Noble gift card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway