Susan Soares's Blog

Today's Sewing Saturday post is very exciting as I have a bunch of new things to show you!!

My sewing machine has been busy this past week and I completed a few projects that I'm happy to say are now up for sale in my Etsy shop!

First up is this awesome adjustable cross body bag. This Minnie Mouse themed bag would be beyond PERFECT for a day in the Disney parks!!
Minnie Mouse bag
This bag has it all!! It should be called "pockets galore" and it would make a great every day bag as well as an amazing bag to carry around the Disney parks! 
The double sided adjustable cross body strap allows you to convert this from a cross body to a shoulder bag with ease. 
The bag has a total of 2 zippered pockets and 4 slip pockets. It does it all! :) Large enough to carry a tablet, but small enough to use as your favorite organized purse! 

The next project I finished was this adorable (I have to make one for myself!) Mickey Mouse clutch/wallet.
Mickey Mouse Wallet/Clutch
This adorable wallet/clutch features 8 card slots, 2 bill slots, a large zippered compartment, and a detachable bifold compartment. A removable wristlet strap allows you to turn this into a clutch. 
Once I completed that one I had to do it again! This one isn't really Disney themed, but in a weird way it makes me think of Tangled. I think the strings remind me of her dropping her hair outside the tower window :)  Wristlet/Wallet
I hope you'll click the links under the photos to check them out in more detail on the Etsy shop! I've loved making these! I'm pretty sure I'm going to make a clutch/wallet to match the Minnie Mouse cross body bag. But now I have to get back to sewing!! New tote bag in progress today. :)
If you like something you've seen but want a custom order (colors, etc) please message me on the Etsy shop or leave a comment here. Thanks for reading! 

               


   Today I'm happy to feature author, L.E. Fred. You can view the except for the book LUCID--now on sale for just $2.99--as well as read a teaser excerpt for the new book REVERIE 



Devon Alexander is a 15 year-old teenager coping with the monotonous reality of his average life. His life receives an interesting reprieve as he has his first realistic dream of a spaceship. The strangest thing about the dream is that he seems to be the only one on board who isn’t in a dream-like trance. Before he can figure out anything about the dream or his strange shipmates, he manages to wake up. The next day, Devon catches a news story about inexplicable comas taking place all over the world. Devon’s life becomes increasingly interesting as he recognizes some of the victims from his spaceship trip.Devon and an unlikely group of other teens start devising a plan to find out who is behind the strange dreams and the comas. Their plan is not only successful but immerses them in to the fantastical world that only resides in dreams. While in the dream world, the teens learn about the power of teamwork, a new world of culture, and their hidden potential to be heroes. Suspenseful, funny at the worst times, and just a hint of teenage romance, Lucid takes a group of young adults and throws them into a fantasy world that they only thought could exist in their dreams. In a sense, they’re right.
          Excerpt:I know that most adventure/fantasy/whatever-you-would-like-to–call-these-stories start with something magical, but my story starts with something ordinary, dreams. I’m talking about the “I’m taking a test and don’t realize I’m in my underwear” kind of dreams. We have them every night, whether we remember them or not. Sometimes they leave us waking up with excitement or inspiration. Sometimes they cause us to wake with a shriek and to look around our rooms. Sometimes they leave us waking up confused or ashamed. These experiences are probably commonplace for most people, but I doubt any of you could ever say your dreams caused you to stay asleep for a long period of time.            What if your dreams made you disappear?



                 Bio:L. E. Fred is a perpetual dreamer who writes about worlds both within and without this realm. With a degree in psychology, L. E. Fred tends to get lost in the mind, the greatest adventure of all. L. E. Fred is currently traveling the world, finding more adventures to inspire new tales of dreams and beyond.
              Social media links:a.    Facebook: http://facebook.com/only.but.a.dreamb.    Blog: http://marsjaws.blogspot.comc.    Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/marsjaws


    Buy Links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lucid-L-E-Fred-ebook/dp/B00L96KPNQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403629450&sr=1-3&keywords=Lucid
BN.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lucid-l-e-fred/1119860362?ean=2940149781171
          Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/451564         Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/lucid-11         Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/56318026-lucid-by-l-e-fred         iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lucid/id893420559?mt=11
        
         ISBN: 978-1-62135-304-1
 Q&A Answered Questions:
a.    Q: What inspired the creation of Lucid?A: I started writing Lucid after experiencing my first lucid dream. It’s a very out-of-body and surreal experience. We’re used to dreaming every night, but being able to control your actions and fate in the dream world is almost a magical thing. After figuring out how to wake up (yes, you have to oftentimes find your way out of the dreams,) I started pondering the idea of a dream world actually existing, and before I knew it, I had Devon and the plot for Lucid.
b.    Q: You write from the P.O.V. of a 15 year-old boy. Is there anyone who shaped Devon’s character as the protagonist.A: A wonderful counselor-in-training that I worked with actually inspired Devon’s character. Real-life Devon, who shall be nameless, was one of those campers that turned into a CIT when he outgrew the camp’s age groups. I never went to summer camp as a child, so working at one was a very interesting experience. I got to witness real-life Devon change from being a happy-go-lucky camper to a miserable CIT. As for Devon’s personality, that was shaped by my own sense of humor. I wrote Lucid through Devon’s eyes, and my own commentary sort of slipped through. It fit his sarcastic nature, though, and rereading some parts still makes me laugh.
c.    Q: What about the villains? How did they come to be?A: Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by mythological monsters. There seems to be a common thread of villainous snakes and lions. A chimera combines these two deadly creatures, along with a goat, into one evil creature. I liked the idea of having three diverse villains; the more you get to know a villain, the scarier they can become for the reader and the heroes. As I wrote, Serpentine, Gruff, and Leona, seemed to appear out of nowhere to fit the evil villain’s roles. The Nightmares were a little trickier. I thought long and hard about how they should be portrayed, and I eventually started combining features of animals and creatures that people feared the most into one character. That’s why they have shark teeth and devil horns.
d.    Q: Lucid is your first novel. Are you currently working on anything else?A: Since Devon and his friends’ story didn’t want to finish at the end of Lucid, I’m currently working on the sequel. The story will continue our heroes’ adventure, but you’ll get to hear from other characters in it. It will also have much more of a fantasy element with an even crazier cast of characters. Aside from Lucid, I’m working on two more stories, both in the YA fiction genre.
e.    Q: What inspired you to write YA fiction?A: I’m a teacher, so I love working with young adults and teens. I’ve seen the power of books transform kids’ ways of thinking about the world and boost confidence. Never underestimate the power of reading. I know it played an important role in shaping my future, and I hope to reach out to as many young adults to inspire them to find their inner heroes and go change the world for the better.

   Favorite 5s:
a.    5 favorite YA books/series1.    Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling2.    Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan3.    Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld4.    Deltora Quest by Emily Rodda5.    A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
b.    5 fun facts about the Lucid crew.1.    Devon’s favorite thing about the Dream World is the pink grass. 2.    Kyle is deathly afraid of insects. Devon hinted that his older brother screams like a small child when they find roaches in their houses.3.    Mitch, despite his love for water sports, is afraid of open water. He saw JAWS one too many times to trust the murky deep.4.    Viv fights with Elis frequently, but she is secretly jealous of his sword skills.
5.    Iven researched the history of human music (with the help of Sophia.) His favorite tunes come from 15th century Gregorian chants and 1980s pop.


REVERIE TEASER EXCERPT 
Before mankind could speak or think, he could dream. The world was black then, dark shapes moving like monsters in even darker shadows. The earliest of humans were afraid of the world. Everything was a threat; each nightfall brought the unknown, which was scarier than the tangible terrors of the day. Early humans only had one goal and that was to survive. There was no time for anything other than sleeping, eating, and taking care of the other humans so that they could all live to see another day. The dreaming was not necessary for physical survival, but it sparked the beginning of humans` ascent to higher thinking. These early dreams brought refuge from the troubles of the real world. They brought about wondrous places and magical scenes humans would never experience in their own reality. Within that world, the humans met new beings, similar to themselves yet somehow more whole and more magical. Since the humans met, or created as some later humans tend to argue, these beings so like them in the dream world, the humans named them Dreamers. This word itself was not a part of human speech, but it later shaped the modern languages of today. The Dreamers were never wary of humans, accepting them as their equals from another world without question. Together, the Dreamers and humans expanded the dream world, making it as vast and far much more interesting than the waking world. The humans were proud of their creations. Alongside the Dreamers, humans were able to create for pleasure instead of necessity. From those pleasures, dark thoughts began to emerge. The humans, oblivious to everything but building their own pleasures, did not realize the darkness from their own hearts began to rest within and change the hearts of the Dreamers. By the time the oblivious humans caught on, there were now two distinct races born from the dream world: the Dreamers, which were their friends, partners, and equals; and the Nightmares, which were their tormentors, enemies, and corrupters. For some time, the Dreamers and humans continued working together, their creations resembling less like whimsical architecture and more like protective fortresses as they struggled to fend off thee encroaching Nightmares. The humans began to question why they retreated from their world, with its dangers, to a world that had even more threatening beings? Some humans, those who still saw the dream world as their own personal playgrounds, decided that the Nightmares were not going to be the enemies of their dreams. Instead, these humans decided that the Nightmares were just like Dreamers, only more capable of creating the pleasures other humans and Dreamers deemed taboo. These humans, in the dead of the night in the Dream world, slipped from their fellow human and Dreamer allies and joined the league of darkness. Thus the Lucids, the humans who build to destroy, were born. From then on, Lucids and Nightmares have become the Dreamers enemies. Oftentimes, the Lucid humans infiltrate the Dreamers` strongholds by use of trickery and kind words, but it will always end in destruction and darkness.  Lucid humans are just as dangerous as Nightmares and more deceptive, making them even deadlier. They will infiltrate the Dreamers` great city of Miragean, promising to help build up our lovely land, only to tear it down from the inside out. They are the true enemy of the Dreamers and must never be trusted.

Today is the day! The big reveal of the cover of my new book Holding My Breath!!

Here it is!

I love the way it came out. The release date for Holding My Breath will be Tuesday September 29th! Mark you calendars! 
Thank you all for your support!Here are the links to where you can find me online for my social media, my books, and my sewing projects for sale. 
Links:
Instagram: @shewritesbooks and @shesewsbagsYoutube: username: shewritesbooksTwitter: @shewritesbooks1and @shesewsbagsGoodreads: Susan Soares
Amazon author page: Susan SoaresBarnes and Noble author page: Susan Soares
Etsy shop for bags: SheSewsBags
 JThanks for reading!!! Have a great day! Comment below your thoughts on the cover :) 

Hi all!!

So if you read my last post you'll know that I'm working on getting back into my blog! I'm also changing some of the content so it's not strictly writing related.

The following is what I "hope" to have be my posting schedule:

Writing Wednesday
Feature Friday (featuring other authors)
Sewing Saturday
Disneybounding Monday

That's a pretty aggressive schedule for me so we'll see what happens!

I am here today to do my first Sewing Saturday post!

This week my sewing project was this awesome BayBohoBag:
This was a pretty fun bag to sew. The pattern is from Little Moo Designs. 
This isn't normally my style of bag, but I had a friend ask if I could sew her a sling/boho bag so I went on the hunt to find a pattern and this one showed up on my Facebook feed from one of the (many) FB sewing groups I've joined.*Note that if you join multiple sewing groups on FB you are going to want to buy a ton of patterns and a ton of fabric! It's totally dangerous but totally fun! 
This bag can be cross body or a shoulder bag. It's quite big and roomy and has a large zipper pocket on the outside and two slip pockets on the inside. If I make it again I'd add another zip pocket on the inside since its so large and roomy and don't you just hate loosing stuff on the inside of a big bag? It becomes like a black hole in there! I also love sewing zippered pouches to organize my bags. 
I'm debating making more of this style for my Etsy shop. I could make one in a cool Disney print fabric. (I did add a charm inspired by Tangled onto this bag because how could I not add some sort of Disney element?!)
Also if you love this style bag and are interested in having my make a custom one for you please leave me a comment or message me on the Etsy shop. You can pick your fabric colors and I'll custom make it  for you. :) I don't plan on having a ton of stock in the shop, but I do plan on taking custom orders. :)
This whole sewing venture has been SO fun and I look forward to making so many different bags! The problem is I don't need 50 bags haha! So request away so I can make one for you!!
Thanks for reading! Follow me here and on all my social media sites!
Links:
Instagram: @shewritesbooks and @shesewsbagsYoutube: username: shewritesbooksTwitter: @shewritesbooks1and @shesewsbagsGoodreads: Susan Soares
Amazon author page: Susan SoaresBarnes and Noble author page: Susan Soares
Etsy shop for bags: SheSewsBags
That’s a lot of links! JThanks for reading!!!

Hi everyone!! So my blog has been lacking love lately. I'm going to do my best to get back on track!

I have a lot of exciting things coming up!

First is the release of my 4th book coming this September. It's a YA realistic fantasy that has a mermaid element to it!! Mermaids rock! :) That book will be called Holding My Breath and will release mid-September!

Also, I've started a brand new venture. Sewing bags!! I've really gotten into it and am having so much fun making new totes, purses, cross body bags. It's been going so well that I've been taking custom orders from friends and family and now have opened up an Etsy shop! Most of the bags I'm posting in the shop are Disneybounding themed bags. Here is a sample:

 Jasmine themed:

Snow White themed
I hope you'll check them out! I'm also open to custom requests!

So with this blog I'm planning on focusing on writing, bags, and Disney bounding! So be prepared for that! This should help to give me a lot more things to post about!

I'll also be doing focuses on other authors, other sewers, and others who love Disney and love Disneybounding. If you'd like to schedule a feature please leave me a comment!

Thanks for sticking with me and I look forward sharing with you!!

Amazon link

JUST A FEW INCHESby Tara St. Pierre



Book summary (from the back cover):
All Carrie Roberts wants is to be a little bit smaller.

To fit into the perfect dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance. To look beautiful for her boyfriend, the school’s star basketball player. To keep his jealous ex-girlfriend, a rival cheerleader, away from him. And to be noticed by her classmates.

Exercise and dieting don’t work, but an advertisement for weight loss pills promises a quicker solution to her problem. As time runs out, she takes more than the recommended dose until she’s just a few inches slimmer. Heads turn when she arrives at the dance, and the wonderful night with her boyfriend is beyond what she dreamed it would be.

Days later, Carrie discovers that her body is changing in ways that should be impossible. While her doctor searches for a cure, she desperately turns to her friends and family for support. Everyone is noticing her now whether she likes it or not, and even the media is intrigued by her incredible story. Getting everything she once wanted has created new problems—problems that are growing more terrifying every day.

Because Carrie Roberts is shrinking.

- - - - - 
 
“Just a Few Inches” is a Young Adult Novel that deals with issues of body image, self-esteem, and teenage relationships. It is intended for readers age 13 and up.
EXCERPT-
I slowly turned to Trish, who normally stood at a height about halfway between me and Lauren, but it was clear that she was slightly taller than me.
We stared at one another in awkward silence. I wasn’t sure what to say, and I could tell they weren’t sure either. We all knew for a fact that I was supposed to be taller than both of them, and I doubted that both of them sprouted up a few inches over the weekend. But if they hadn’t grown, then the only other explanation was that I must have gotten shorter. Before I could dwell on that unlikely possibility, Janelle appeared in the doorway and hollered at us to get out to the gym.
I tried keeping my mind on the game instead of worrying, but every time I bounced, a bra strap would slide off, constantly reminding me that something strange had happened to my body.
It was worse during our half-time routine. Towards the end, the squad split up into groups, each holding someone up in the air and letting her fall back into our arms. I was part of a group of five girls helping to lift Trish. My job was to cup my hands underneath Trish’s right foot while she was raised into the air. Two of the other girls held her calves in place, a third spotted from behind, and Janelle had her left foot since she and I were supposed to be the same height. I found myself having to stretch my legs and arms more than I should have needed to keep Trish’s feet even.
When Todd found me after the game, I clung to him, and he innocently said, “Stand up straight so I can rest my chin on your head.”
“I am standing up straight,” I mumbled.
Then came an awkward moment where we both looked at my legs and feet to verify my claim. I was definitely shorter than I had been the week before. Todd simply stared at me, not knowing what to say.
Lauren witnessed the incident, and we gave the details to Trish in my car, after I adjusted the driver’s seat forward one click. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel while the other wiped away tears collecting in my eyes, I asked, “What’s happening to me?”
From the back seat, Lauren put her hand on my shoulder. “Don’t panic. There’s got to be a logical reason why you’ve gotten shorter.”
“People don’t get shorter!”
“It might be some weird side effect of those pills. You did take a lot of them.”
Her voice had a told-you-so tone to it, but she was right. How could I have been so stupid, so careless, so desperate? “What should I do?”
Sitting in the passenger seat, Trish turned to me and flailed her arms as she spoke. “If you stopped taking them, the effect will reverse itself. That’s how it works with my mom. She always puts the weight back on no matter what diet she tries.”
In my rearview mirror, I could see Lauren roll her eyes before asking, “You still have the pills, right? First thing you’ve got to do is tell your mother—”
The car swerved as I exclaimed, “No way! I can’t tell her! She’ll freak out when she finds out what I did.”
“She’s going to figure it out. She knows how tall you’re supposed to be. Look how quickly Todd noticed.”
“There are ways to make you look taller,” said Trish. “All it takes is the right pair of shoes until this wears off.”
There was an uncomfortable silence. I was pretty sure Lauren and Trish were wondering the same thing I was wondering: what if it didn’t wear off?******
Purchase and Social media links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XX8HGUSBarnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-a-few-inches-tara-st-pierre/1121971906Apple iTunes Bookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/just-a-few-inches/id997071232
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25636813-just-a-few-inchesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTaraStPierreTwitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorTaraStP

Author Spotlight- Monica Goulet



Blurb-
SHORT BLURBAfter a series of break-ins at Kelsey’s new house, she discovers the culprit is Jay, the boy who used to live there. But Jay isn’t the delinquent Kelsey expects, and when he asks for her help to carry out a dangerous plan to save someone close to him, Kelsey is torn between her growing loyalty to Jay and throwing away the new future she worked so hard to build.
BACK COVER COPY16-year-old Kelsey thinks her new house far away from Tulsa is the perfect place to escape her past—until she meets Jay, the boy who used to live there.After a series of mysterious break-ins at the house, Kelsey discovers the culprit is Jay, but before she can confront him, Jay inadvertently sets in motion a series of events that leave Kelsey and her family devastated and wind Jay up in juvie.Desperate to fix things, Kelsey confronts him only to discover Jay’s not the delinquent she expects, but a boy with a past more messed up than hers. Against her better judgment, the two of them form an unlikely friendship she keeps secret from everyone.Then Jay asks for a favor she didn’t see coming – one that leaves Kelsey torn between her growing loyalty to Jay and throwing away the new future she worked so hard to build.
Excerpt-
CHAPTER ONE
For the first time in almost a year, I feel safe. My sandals slap against the uneven sidewalk, and I wave back at the old man driving by in a green pick-up truck. His toothless grin should scare the crap out of me, but something about this place makes it okay. I’ll even forgive its lack of a real downtown. I went in search of one of those quaint main streets with specialty coffee shops and expensive clothing stores, and all I found were a bunch of empty buildings for lease and a no-name pizza place. So much for small town charm.I turn the corner to my house and skid to a halt. The edge of my sandal catches in a crack, and I lurch forward, scraping my palms against the cement. There’s a leg dangling out my bedroom window as if it’s not attached to a body. It reminds me of a cricket I caught when I was eight. I’d accidentally ripped its leg off trying to make it dance. I shudder and pick myself up, my palms burning. I glance at the driveway. Mom and Dad’s cars aren’t there. The person in the window struggles to squeeze his way out. Blue jeans and a ratty running shoe. Painter, maybe? Repair person? But there’s no work van in sight.The rest of the body lowers from the window. I suck in a breath and duck behind a parked car just as he jumps. Five, four, three, two, one. I pop my head up just enough to see over the hood.He’s crouched on the ground, so I creep up a little higher and let out a breath. He’s tying his shoe? What kind of thief would stop to tie his shoe, let alone come out empty handed? Anger rises in my chest and I clench my fists. What does this guy think he’s doing? I pop up from behind the car without thinking. “You could have used the door, you know!”My mouth snaps shut as soon as the words are out. What am I doing? For all I know this guy could have a gun or something. I almost duck behind the car again when he looks up, but he turns away again just as quickly as if I never said a thing. He just finishes tying his shoe and shakes his head to get the hair out of his eyes.I finally catch a glimpse of his face. He’s young – my age maybe. Too young to be someone my parents hired. He heads toward the street, and I glance up at the open window again.Something doesn’t seem right.“Hey!” I yell. “Wait!” Against my better judgment, I start after him, but he still doesn’t turn around. My hand closes around the cell phone in my pocket. The police. I should call the police. I fumble with my phone, and it clatters onto the sidewalk.The guy looks back.

Author Bio-
Monica Goulet writes and lives in Oshawa, Ontario with her husband. She graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and Professional Writing. In her other life, she’s an instructional designer and a mother-to-be who likes ice cream, running, and losing herself in a good story.

Buy links-AmazonBarnes & NobleIndigoSmashwords
Social Media links-Website: www.MonicaGoulet.comTwitter: @MonicaGouletFacebook: www.facebook.com/MonicaGouletBooks
Thank you, Monica!
If you'd like to be a guest on Feature Friday please email me at susansoaresbooks@gmail.com. I'd appreciate a blog post for a blog post.Happy Friday!

Hi all!

I wanted to let you all know something super exciting. I'm doing a blog tour all this week!
Please stop by all the blogs each day and check out my interviews, Q&A's, information, and enter to win the giveaway! I'll be stopping by each blog 2x a day so feel free to ask any questions and I'll respond later that day. :)
Thanks so much!
September 15: Rogue's Angels
September 15: It's Raining Books
September 16: Beyond My Writing Space
September 17: Angela Myron
September 17: Underneath the Covers
September 18: Welcome to My World of Dreams
September 18: Long and Short Reviews
September 19: 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, and Sissy, Too!September 19:  http://www.booksinthehall.blogspot.com
Thanks! Please share this post!

Well I woke up to something pretty awesome this morning. The book trailer for Heart on a String is featured on the USA Today.com site!!! Yes my jaw hit the floor. Here's the link
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2014/08/27/recommended-book-video-quarles-soares-scott/14716089/?hootPostID=0c6f551712afdde39c1c298479c66b0e
so you can check it out! And be sure to check out the book!

Happy Friday everyone!!! :)

Today's spotlight is on author Mary Cope!


Blurb:
Transformation, empowerment, love and music come together in the book, Beautiful One. Elizabeth Ryan is a beautiful, shy, naïve high school senior. Having never dated she meets the boy of her dreams, Aidan Mitchell. Despite his history of womanizing Liz is drawn to him. Soon Liz becomes the envy of all the girls on campus, when they become a couple and her dream boyfriend sweeps her off her feet and into the dating world that is all too new and strange for her. When other guys start to take notice of Liz, Aidan is troubled with fits of jealousy.Elizabeth then meets the ruggedly handsome, Spencer Hayes and they quickly bond over their passion for music. Liz begins to struggle with the feelings that spark between them. In the end Elizabeth finds herself torn between helping Aidan overcome his jealousy and anger and giving into what her heart truly wants. 
Bio:Mary Cope is a freelance writer of romance. Her book, Beautiful One, is the first in a planned trilogy. She is currently writing, Beautiful Mess and Beautiful Life will follow.  Mary enjoys spending time with her family, baking gourmet cookies, listening to music and taking long walks with her yellow Labrador, Maggie.
Website:http://marycopeauthor.com
Twitter:https://twitter.com/MaryCope_Author
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Cope/260006794162636
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22468387-beautiful-one
Buy Links:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-One-Mary-Cope-ebook/dp/B00KWAZZ7G/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1402412672&sr=8-7&keywords=mary+cope
Barnes & Nobel:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beautiful-one-mary-cope/1119705617?ean=2940149273836
iBooks:
https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=888077636 
Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MaryCope2 
Kobo:http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/beautiful-one-1

Excerpt from Beautiful One
Chapter One
    The faint sounds of a guitar drifted through the walls of my bathroom as I savored the last of the hot water before it became lukewarm. Stepping away from the spray, I turned the shower knob and watched the droplets trickle down the drain. Inhaling a deep breath my mind focused on one thing. Aidan Mitchell.     Hearing Mason’s band practicing meant he would be here. I was ninety-nine percent sure Aidan wouldn’t blow off their practice. He knew how serious my brother was about the band, but he also had been avoiding me for days.     The past week had been awful. I was determined to talk to him. All I wanted was a few answers. My emotions had run the gamut from confusion, frustration, regret, and sadness… sadness consumed me most of all, at night usually, and I was exhausted from it. But at this moment all I felt was anger. Anger was good. It was certainly better than pain.     As I rushed down the hallway, the floorboards creaked beneath my feet and the walls began to vibrate with the beat of Derek pounding on the drums. When I entered my room the music was deafening, but today I didn’t mind. I untwisted the blue-and-white-polka-dot towel from my head and tossed it to the floor.     The deep conditioner I used helped my fingers glide through my long damp curls. If I was going to confront Aidan, I wanted to look my best. No Frizzy Lizzie for me. That nickname, coupled with my big butt, had tormented me, growing up in a beach town surrounded by beautiful people. I had longed to look like a typical California girl: tall, blond, perfect. But, with dark hair and bordering on five feet three inches, that was never going to be me.     After I blow-dried and flat-ironed my hair, I took off my purple robe and draped it over my desk chair. I slipped on a pair of jeans… yes, slipped them on. I didn’t have to tug, pull, or jiggle my butt to get in my pants anymore. When I easily pushed the button through the top of my jeans, it still made me smile. I couldn’t even count how many times I had to lie on my bed and suck in my stomach so I could zip up a pair of pants. Every time I slipped them on, I never took it for granted. I had worked my butt off… literally. I put on my bra and a green sweater before I pulled on my boots.     I rushed downstairs to the door that led to the garage. Thinking about confronting Aidan and having to stare into those piercing blue eyes started to intimidate me. But this was my chance. I knew he was a few feet behind the door, and I needed to deal with him. Before I completely lost my nerve, I inhaled a deep breath and exhaled then pushed open the door.     The stream of sunlight coming in through the open garage door blinded me for a moment. With squinted eyes, I made a beeline to the old brown sofa in the corner. My heart was beating so fast it almost seemed in tempo with Derek pounding the drums. I scooted over our yellow Labrador, Maggie, and wedged myself between her and the arm of the couch. Finally, I looked up to focus my attention on Aidan.     He didn’t show.     I sunk my head back into the cushions, exhaling a deep, long sigh, trying to rid the tension from my body. The guys were practicing their newest song. Indie-Alternative was their style, and they called themselves Random Plan. I glanced at Mason and could tell he was angry. I mouthed the word “Aidan?” Mason just shook his head.     “Derek!” The tone in my brother’s voice made me sit up straight. “Derek!” Mason snapped again.     Finally Derek stopped and silenced his cymbals.     “What?” He lifted the front of his black t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead, exposing his six-pack. His brown eyes bored into Mason’s. “Hey! Just ‘cuz you’re ticked off at the pretty boy, don’t take it out on me.”     Derek reached back and grabbed a water from an old bookcase that held a few water bottles, electrical cords, an old CD player, and a collection of CDs. “Hey, Kyle, ya want one?”     Kyle nodded and Derek tossed one across the garage to where he stood behind the keyboard.     “Mason?”     “Yeah, I’ll take one… Sorry, Derek.”     Derek gave Mason a head nod and tossed him a bottle. He took a sip while Derek chugged his down.     “Okay, start again.” Mason commanded.     Derek picked up his sticks and began tapping.     I leaned my head back, closed my eyes and listened to the music. Funny, I’d come into the garage so fearless it almost made me laugh. Who would have thought the once-overweight Elizabeth Ryan would stand up to the likes of Aidan Mitchell? I smiled to myself, allowing my mind to drift back to the time when I’d found it hard to even look at him.

Thank you to Mary for being part of our feature this week!If you're a YA author and would like to be featured on the blog please contact me! susansoaresbooks@gmail.comI'd appreciate a blog post for a blog post. Thank you for reading.