The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club: have

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Interview with Sonia Hartl for Have a Little Faith in Me

Have a Little Faith in Me

by Sonia Hartl
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: September 3rd 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, Religion, Realistic Fiction

Synopsis:

"Saved!" meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that takes a meaningful look at consent and what it means to give it.

When CeCe’s born-again ex-boyfriend dumps her after they have sex, she follows him to Jesus camp in order to win him back. Problem: She knows nothing about Jesus. But her best friend Paul does. He accompanies CeCe to camp, and the plan—God’s or CeCe’s—goes immediately awry when her ex shows up with a new girlfriend, a True Believer at that.

Scrambling to save face, CeCe ropes Paul into faking a relationship. But as deceptions stack up, she questions whether her ex is really the nice guy he seemed. And what about her strange new feelings for Paul—is this love, lust, or an illusion born of heartbreak? To figure it out, she’ll have to confront the reasons she chased her ex to camp in the first place, including the truth about the night she lost her virginity.

Can you briefly describe HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME and the characters?

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME is about a girl named CeCe who comes up with a plan to win back her born-again ex by pretending to be a Christian. With the help of her BFF, Paul, she enrols in a Christian summer camp, despite knowing nothing about it. When her ex shows up to camp with a new girlfriend, CeCe ropes Paul into faking a relationship to save face, and ends up confronting all the reasons why she chased her ex to camp in the first place.

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

I would have to say my favorite character is my main character, CeCe. She has a lot of heart, and makes a lot of mistakes, but she’s also incredibly vulnerable and open to viewing herself through an honest lens. She confronts a lot of things I wish I’d been brave enough to tackle as a teen, and she has one of the most rewarding character arcs I’ve ever written.

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

I tend to spend most Decembers elbow deep in cake and Hallmark movies, and one thing that always stuck out to me in these ‘wholesome’ Hallmark movies was how much girl-hate they have going on. The ex is always the evil roadblock on the path to ‘true love’, and I really wanted to flip that outdated notion on its head. I wanted to write a story where girls are supportive of each other, where they can share their fears and their hopes with each other without judgement, where they can lean on each other when things get hard. Girls who are like the ones I know in real life. This story became my love letter to female friendship.

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

Is it too on-the-nose to pick HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME by John Hiatt? I’m going to pick it anyway, the lyrics fit well with the romance.

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

I’ve always pictured CeCe to look a bit like Joey King and I think Noah Centineo would be the perfect Paul.

Summer is still here and we love to go out and enjoy the sun. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME is very much a beach read, and since it’s set at a summer camp, next to a bonfire would also be ideal. To be enjoyed with a tall glass of homemade lemonade.

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME?

FIRSTS by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han

CHERRY by Lindsey Rosin

HERETICS ANOYMOUS by Katie Henry

ALWAYS NEVER YOURS by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley

TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW by Rachel Lynn Solomon

STARRY EYES by Jenn Bennett

HOT DOG GIRL by Jennifer Dugan

What’s next for you?

My next book, still untitled, will be coming out in Fall 2020 with Page Street! It’s about a YouTuber named Macy Evans who is doxed after the woman sitting behind her at a baseball game tweets about her supposed romance with a boy she stumbled into, vaulting her into a whirlwind fake relationship and driving a wedge between her and the quiet, small-town boy she really likes.

Sonia Hartl is a YA author who calls Michigan home, even though she’s lived in several different states. Her debut novel, HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN ME is forthcoming from Page Street Publishing. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s enjoying pub trivia, marathoning Disney movies, or taking a walk outside in the fall. She’s a member of SCBWI and the communications director for Pitch Wars. She has been published in The Writers Post Journal and Boston Literary Magazine. She lives in Grand Rapids with her husband and two daughters.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Cover Reveal: Red Lines by T.A. Foster

Today is the cover reveal for RED LINES, an adult romance by T.A. Foster. This title will be released on February 6th, 2015. Check out the excerpt and teasers below! As an added bonus, we are also revealing the cover for another of T.A.'s standalone romances, FINDING HAVEN. Buy links for that book are below.

Red Lines

by T.A. Foster

Release Date: February 6th 2015

Genre: Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Love on remote Perry Island was one thing, but with the flash of a camera everything has changed. Movie star Evan Carlson has just landed the role of a lifetime, playing the infamous Dexter Red. Fans can't get enough of the sexiest, most-talked-about guy to ever hit paperback pages. Haven is in Austin working on her songwriting career, and Evan's faith and commitment are put to the test. No matter which way he turns, Hollywood keeps getting in the way. Does realizing their career dreams mean losing their relationship? Can they survive the headlines and media frenzy surrounding Evan's new role? When it comes to love, some lines are meant to be blurred.

Blurred Lines

by T.A. Foster

He kissed her on the cheek. “So, speaking of Red Lines, how would you feel if I took the role?”

“As in, you want to be the next Dexter Red?” Sure, they had talked about it in passing, but Evan didn’t seem interested. She was still surprised he read the book on the flight home.

“I don’t know. I met with the new agent today, great guy by the way, and he says I’m at an all-or-nothing crossroads. I either need to retire or do this movie. There’s no gray area. I’m thinking about doing the movie. I can’t say I’m ready to completely give up acting.”

“I can’t imagine you retiring right now. That seems extreme. You’re only twenty-eight. Do people your age retire?”

“I don’t know of anyone. But the movie? How would you feel about me being in the movie?” He asked it quietly, and Haven knew he was worried.

She sat on the couch. “If you want to do it, I don’t see how it has much to do with me.”

“Darlin’, it has everything to do with you.” He paused. “Emmy’s signed up to play Karina. I’d be in it with her, so I can understand if that would make you uncomfortable. I talked to her today, though, and she’s completely onboard. She knows about you. She knows this would be all business. I made that completely clear.”

It was hard to focus. Evan had just asked her to play Red Lines sex games and now was asking permission to star in the hottest movie to ever hit the big screen with his ex. What in the hell was she supposed to say? This was coming at her from two completely different angles.

“I trust you, Evan, and I know it’s a movie. It’s not like you’re actually sleeping with her.” The last part came out more like a whisper. She realized she knew nothing about moviemaking.

“Definitely not.” He wrapped an arm around her. “But, just say the word and I won’t do it. It has to work for both of us.”

Her lips were still swollen from his kisses, and she could smell his soapy-scented cologne on her shoulder. He was all around her, part of her, in her head, her heart, her body. If this was what he wanted, she wasn’t going to stand in his way.

“Do it. I think you should do it.”

“Really? You sure?”

“Yes. Absolutely sure. You’ll be an amazing Dexter Red.”

“And you’re up for helping me prepare for the role?” He winked. “Because I was wondering if we could start rehearsals right now.” He placed his glass on the table and took hers next.

The palms of his hands ran along her thighs until he had wriggled her skirt up to her hips again.

Haven smiled. “Yes, we can start right now.”

“Wait.” He paused. “You wanted to ask me about something from your meeting?” He crawled forward.

“Rehearsals,” she whispered. “Let’s start with rehearsals.”

She leaned against the arm of the couch as Evan’s hand slid between her thighs. If she had to play this part to help him prepare for the biggest role of his life, she wasn’t going to say no.

T.A. Foster is a Southern girl whose heart and spirit are connected to the beach. She grew up catching rays and chasing waves along the North Carolina Outer Banks and now resides in the state with her adventurous pilot husband, two children and two canine kiddos.

Her long love affair with books started at an early age, and as soon as she was able, she transformed imaginative stories into words on paper.

T.A. has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University. When she’s not chasing her two-legged and four-legged children or trying to escape for date night, you can find her reading, writing or planning her next beach trip.