Interview with Candice Montgomery for By Any Means Necessary

By Any Means Necessary

by Candice Montgomery
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: October 8th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBT

Synopsis:

An honest reflection on cultural identify, class, and gentrification. Fans of Nic Stone and Elizabeth Acevedo will eagerly anticipate Torrey.

On the day Torrey officially becomes a college freshman, he gets a call that might force him to drop out before he’s even made it through orientation: the bee farm his beloved uncle Miles left him after his tragic death is being foreclosed on.

Torrey would love nothing more than to leave behind the family and neighborhood that’s bleeding him dry. But he still feels compelled to care for the project of his uncle’s heart. As the farm heads for auction, Torrey precariously balances choosing a major and texting Gabriel—the first boy he ever kissed—with the fight to stop his uncle’s legacy from being demolished. But as notice letters pile up and lawyers appear at his dorm, dividing himself between family and future becomes impossible unless he sacrifices a part of himself.

Can you briefly describe your novel BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY and the characters in it?

Yeah! BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY is a story about newly minted college freshman, Torrey McKenzie. While the story begins with Torrey’s first moments on his new college campus, back home he owns a bee farm, gifted to him by his late uncle. He learns that very day that his apiary is being foreclosed on. He has tough decisions to make. Drop everything and go home to fix this problem or stay and choose himself. Choose his new college, new friends and new potential boyfriend.

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

Y’know, I very unexpectedly fell in love with Desh, who is Torrey’s college roommate. He’s just weird and quirky and he doesn’t give a single shit about anyone else’s opinions. He’s the king of memes and he talks shit while he’s dead asleep. He loves hard. And he supports Torrey hard.

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

This story came to me while I was on a writing retreat at a farm in southern Oregon. I found inspiration for it one morning when I was sitting outside watching fat little bumblebees dance from softly swaying sprigs of lavender.

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Sebastian Kole’s “Love’s On The Way.”

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters? 

I loveee fancast prompts like this!

Torrey: Broderick Hunter

Gabriel: Giaro Giarratana

Emery: Nyla Lueeth

Desh: Abe Kim

Aunt Lisa: Zoë Kravitz

Fall is here and we love to go find our perfect spot and enjoy a good book. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Ohh! Hot black tea, either orange or raspberry flavor with a little vanilla. And best place to read would totally be something like a grassy lawn on a quiet, college campus.

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY?

Absolutely! Camryn Garrett’s FULL DISCLOSURE, Dahlia Adler’s JUST VISITING, Dana L. Davis’ TIFFANY SLY LIVES HERE NOW, Brandy Colbert’s THE EVOLUTION OF BIRDIE RANDOLF, and if somehowwww it hasn’t happened already, you gotta pick up EMERGENCY CONTACT by Mark H.K. Choi.

What’s next for you?

Currently I’m in the middle of writing my next YA project, a southern gothic thing that I’ve commonly described as “spec fic YA romance in the vein of hoodoo meets Nicholas Sparks for Black teens.” It sounds like a lot—I can assure you, it is. But then again, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY felt that way, too. And here we are, guys! Here we are.

Candice “Cam” Montgomery is an LA transplant now living in the woods of Seattle, where she writes Young Adult novels. Her debut novel, HOME AND AWAY can be found online and in stores now, and her sophomore novel, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY will be released October of 2019. By day, Cam writes about Black teens across all their intersections. By night, she bartends at a tiny place nestled inside one of Washington’s greenest trees. She is an avid Studio Ghibli fan and will make you watch at least one episode of Sailor Moon and listen to one Beyoncé record before she’ll call you “friend.”

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Blog Tour: Any Way You Slice It by Kristine Carlson Asselin

Any Way You Slice It
by Kristine Carlson Asselin
Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark
Release Date: April 21st 2015

Rate: Enjoyed it (4 stars)

Synopsis:

Penelope Spaulding just can't catch a break. Between long hours at the family restaurant, homework, and her parents' plans for her future, it's hard to find a spare moment to breathe. But when she laces up her skates and steps on the ice, everything slips away...

Racing around the rink allows her to blow off steam after yet another fight with her dad about going to culinary school. So when Jake Gomes, the bad boy who lives down the street, dares her to join the Rink Rats, the local misfit hockey team, she surprises herself and joins in silent defiance of her father and his expectations.

The more she plays, the easier it is to keep lying, and soon Pen finds it impossible to come clean. She’s sneaking out to practice—and loving every minute of it. It doesn’t take long for her to fall in love with hockey…and Jake’s not half bad either. But she knows it can’t last. As soon as her dad finds out, she’ll be benched. For good.

She’s absolutely not going to tell her parents until she’s sure it will be worth the inevitable fight. Not only is she skipping shifts at Slice Pizza while a foodie reality show is on the horizon, but her lies are starting to take their toll on her game. It’s only a matter of time before everything falls apart.

With the team counting on her and with her relationship with Jake on the line, will she have to sacrifice the thing she wants most for the people she loves? Or can she step up and take her best shot?

Any Way You Slice It is what I would call a sweet and cute YA read. Definitely something all YA romance fans would love to read out there.

The synopsis of this book pretty much sums up what the book's about without giving much away. The story is about Penelope, who seems to have reach a breaking point were everything starts to be too much, but she finds a way out through hockey. The only problem is that her dad has forbidden her to play that sport. And what's the point of falling in love with the bad boy that introduces it to this sport if it won't last? If her dad finds out, everything will go away. Having a double life is never easy and Penelope will soon find out.

I adored the cuteness in this story. It is one of those stories were a teenager tries to find herself by doing what she likes, but fearing not having the approval of her parents. Add to a forbidden activity a kind of forbidden love? Seriously it was simply too sweet and romantic.

I think this book gives an insight of deciding for yourself: either you choose to please others or step up and do what you want to do. 

With a beautiful writing and a good plot, Kristine did an amazing job were hockey, Pizza and teenage romance comes together in a perfect combination. Definitely something I would recommend!

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Kristine Carlson Asselin lives in Massachusetts and writes Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. Her debut YA novel ANY WAY YOU SLICE IT will be available from Bloomsbury Spark in April 2015. She is also the author of fourteen children’s books for the elementary school library market. Kris volunteer’s with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, and loves Harry Potter, Doctor Who, classic rock from the 70’s and 80’s, and anything with a time travel theme. She is a proud member of SCBWI-New England, the Fall Fourteeners (a group blog of YA debut authors), Sporty Girl Books blog, and #MGLitChat. Kris does query package critiques under the alter-ego @QueryGodMother and loves doing school visits for kids all over New England.

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Cover Reveal: At Any Turn (Gaming the System #2) by Brenna Aubrey

At Any Turn (Gaming the System #2)

by Brenna Aubrey

Publisher: Silver Griffon Associates 

Release Date: April 30th 2014

Synopsis:

So You Want to Be a Hero?

Millionaire CEO Adam Drake, overcame a tortured past to build his own gaming empire. He’s in complete control of his life. With his new found love for brilliant geek girl blogger, Mia Strong, the last piece of his life is in place. He's at the top of his game. 

Your Princess Is in Another Castle.

Until suddenly, she withdraws from him, leaving him in the dark. Something tells him she needs help. But she's too stubborn or scared to ask for it, and the more he tries to take control, the further he pushes her away. He can’t solve this problem by writing a check or a few lines of code.

He’ll have to dig deep and put himself at risk…or risk losing her forever.

This New Adult contemporary romance is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content and adult situations.

Brenna Aubrey is an author of New Adult contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, released December, 2013.

She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. A mommy to two little kids and teacher to many more older kids, she juggles schedules to find time to pursue her love of storycrafting. 

She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, two birds and some fish.

Brenna’s short story “The Love Letter” was the Grand Prize winner of the Jane Austen Made Me Do It Short Story Contest. As such, it was included in the anthology of the same name (Ballantine, 2011).

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