Welcome to Reading with ABC's stop for the Made of Stars Blog Tour. This tour is sponsored by Rockstar Book Tours and you can find more information here.
Title: Made of Stars by Kelley York
Published: October 1st, 2013 by Entangled Teen
Genre: Contemporary thriller
Age group: Young Adult
Blurb:
When eighteen-year-old Hunter Jackson and his half sister, Ashlin, return to their dad’s for the first winter in years, they expect everything to be just like the warmer months they’d spent there as kids. And it is—at first. But Chance, the charismatic and adventurous boy who made their summers epic, is harboring deep secrets. Secrets that are quickly spiraling into something else entirely.
The reason they've never met Chance’s parents or seen his home is becoming clearer. And what the siblings used to think of as Chance's quirks—the outrageous stories, his clinginess, his dangerous impulsiveness—are now warning signs that something is seriously off.
Then Chance's mom turns up with a bullet to the head, and all eyes shift to Chance and his dad. Hunter and Ashlin know Chance is innocent...they just have to prove it. But how can they protect the boy they both love when they can’t trust a word Chance says?
Guest Post
Why Friendship is Important in YA
I often find myself thinking, “It would be nice if more books I read had a main focus of a relationship that was not a romance.” Now, don’t get me wrong. I do love romance in my books, but the romantic aspect of a story is not my favorite part when I’m writing. In the case of Made of Stars, my favorite parts were those involving Ashlin and Hunter, and developing their close friendship. In Suicide Watch it was Adam, Vince, and Casper’s interactions because their dynamic was what the story was all about.
I wish so many books didn’t brush off the other relationships in a teen’s life. Family, friends. Friendships are important. How you treat your friends says a lot about you as a person. Like if you’re comfortable being yourself around them. If they know your deepest, darkest secrets. If they can see you first thing in the morning with your hair a mess, no makeup, morning breath and all, and still want to sleep over again next weekend. Friends will give you the advice you may not want to hear but need to hear, and friends will be the ones there when you don’t take that advice and come running back to them in tears.
Friendships will, more often than not, last you a hell of a lot longer than a high school romance. My best guy friend I met in high school and we lost contact for years, but when we found each other again, it was like no time had passed at all. Even 15 years later, my sister’s best friends are still those she met in school. Even the friends I’ve had falling outs with are still strong in my memory, because they, too, defined the kind of person I turned out to be.
These relationships you build with people who watch you grow and who grow with you are just as defining as the romances you find yourself in. I think it’s important for those of us writers to portray that in our works, to show that there are other connections just as deep and meaningful. Whether you’re writing a romance story or not, make sure not to neglect these other aspects of a person’s life. Far too often, you see an MC who neglects their current relationships because the romance in their life becomes this all-encompassing thing and everything else ceases to matter. Not only is this not healthy and not something actual teens should aspire to, but it bothers me on a personal level. (Maybe I spent too many years being the friend in high school who was only needed when Friend A or Friend B wasn’t wrapped up in their boyfriends.)
Whether you’re reading or writing YA, just remember that romance isn’t all there is.
About the Author
Once upon a time, Kelley York was born in central California. And it's there she she still resides with her lovely wife, step-daughter, and an abundance of cats, while fantasizing about moving to England or Ireland. She has a fascination with bells and animals, is a lover of video games, Doctor Who, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she’s a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or at least write about them.
Kelley is a sucker for dark fiction. She loves writing twisted characters, tragic happenings, and bittersweet endings that leave you wondering and crying. Character development takes center stage in her books because the bounds of a person's character and the workings of their mind are limitless.
Her first book, HUSHED, was released by Entangled Publishing in December 2011. Her second and third books, HOLLOWED and SUICIDE WATCH, were released in 2012, and her next Entangled book, MADE OF STARS, is slated for October 1st, 2013. She is currently seeking representation.
Kelley is a sucker for dark fiction. She loves writing twisted characters, tragic happenings, and bittersweet endings that leave you wondering and crying. Character development takes center stage in her books because the bounds of a person's character and the workings of their mind are limitless.
Her first book, HUSHED, was released by Entangled Publishing in December 2011. Her second and third books, HOLLOWED and SUICIDE WATCH, were released in 2012, and her next Entangled book, MADE OF STARS, is slated for October 1st, 2013. She is currently seeking representation.
Giveaway
1 signed copy of Made of Stars and some bookmarks US Only
1 eBook Package of Hushed, Suicide Watch, and Hollowed International
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check Out these stops:
10/7/2013- My Daily Romance- Review
10/8/2013- Reading with ABC- Guest Post
10/9/2013- Sarah Elizabeth's Bookshelf- Review
10/10/2013- Mom With A Kindle- Interview
10/11/2013- Such A Novel Idea- Guest Post
This is the first I've really heard of this book, but it sounds really good! I'm definitely going to have to read it!!
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