Ginger Scott's Blog - Posts Tagged "ginger-scott"

You can download "Waiting on the Sidelines" free from Amazon May 3 and 4 as part of a great giveaway promo. Just check it out on Amazon during the giveaway time and download away!

I've alluded to this a few times on Twitter and Facebook, but I now feel pretty comfortable sharing the news a little more boldly--I am writing a follow up to Reed and Nolan's story.

I can't express the joy I feel seeing how many of you have embraced Waiting on the Sidelines. I am so proud of my little book that could (that's my pet name for it) and have hoped that it would do well enough to justify me telling more of my characters' story. I have heard from many of you who said you miss Reed and Nolan and Sarah and Sienna. And Buck! Well, I missed them, too. So much that when I started writing the rest of their story it was almost like I was at a reunion (the good kind that you actually want to go to).

I am hoping to release part two in the late fall, perhaps this time with a little more of the marketing flair that I've learned along the way (cover reveals, blog tours, previews, etc.). And I hope you all will join me as we continue this amazing ride. I promise to work my ass off trying to tell stories that make you feel. I'll do it as long as you'll let me. What an amazing privilege.

I have had a few readers ask some great questions about what's going on inside that jock head of Reed Johnson, and tonight I had an idea. Reed actually did a great character interview over on SubClubBooks, and I thought I should probably share it here, too!

The link has been updated, so I will post the interview below (NOTE: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!):


Hi Reed, welcome to THESUBCLUBbooks. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.


Reed, tell us what went through your mind the first day of class when you realized whom you were talking to (the girl from the gym) when Nolan told you her name?
Honestly, I felt like a real dick. I panicked a bit because I thought she might call me out on the shit we said behind her back. But when she didn’t bring it up, I relaxed a little, figured she didn’t hear us. Then she told me the story behind her name, and the entire time she was talking I was thinking about how wrong Tatum was about her and how cool she was to hang out with and talk to.

The day you and Nolan were doing your science project at your house and Sean commented that he found Nolan cute; your response was “Hmm, you think so?” Can you tell us what you really thought about that comment, and the why to your response?
Yeah, that kinda surprised me a little, too. When he said that I felt a little possessive, sorta like I saw her first. I thought about it later that night when everyone left, and the more I thought about Sean asking her out, the more it pissed me off. But then Tatum called and said she wanted to see my house…and check out my bedroom…so, yeah…I sorta forgot about Noles for a while after that. I’m not proud of it now, but I was a teenager and the shit Tatum was willing to do was redic!

It is clear that your relationship with Tatum was mostly physical but did you ever love her?
I thought I did at first. But I was 15 and getting blowjobs in the middle of desert parties. Every dude in our school was jealous of me, wanted to be me. I had it all. Everyone loved me and girls would go on and on about what a cute couple Tatum and I were. I don’t know…it sounds really lame now, but it just felt like that’s what I was supposed to do, who I was supposed to be with. When my brother was in high school, he dated college chicks—lots of them! I guess I didn’t really know any different, and the attention felt really good. I get it now, though. I know that wasn’t love. Hell, I didn’t even really know her. I couldn’t tell you what music she liked or how she treated her grandparents or what her favorite family vacation was…I didn’t care.

Was it really only when you danced with Nolan that you realized you liked her more than a friend?
Looking back, no. I knew wayyyy before then. I think I knew it the second she kissed Sean. I saw her through the bus window. I never told her that…huh, I guess she’ll know now. I was pretty pissed off that week they first started going out. I was kind of a prick to Sean, too, when he would talk about her. I always played it off like I was stressed about the football scouts or irritated with Tatum, but truth was I didn’t like hearing about him making out with Nolan.

When Nolan confronted you at the pool and spilled her heart out that she had secretly been in love with you over two years while you were dating the person that bullied her. What did you feel and think about her declaration?
Honestly, I just wanted to grab her and kiss her right then. I just wanted to fix everything, but I had no idea how. It’s sort of a shitty excuse, but I never really had good relationship role models. My parents fought just as much divorced as they did when they were married, but they weren’t big confrontational arguments. My mom would make little digs about my dad’s clothes or how he spent too much time hanging out with former football players and mechanics. She was always trying to make him into some society guy, but that’s just not who he is. And when she’d start picking at him, he’d just leave. Sometimes for a day or two. So when Nolan laid into me—totally deserved, by the way—I just sort of froze. Honestly, her courage just made me love her more.

How bad was it for you seeing Nolan and Tyler together?
Oh, man. That was the worst. I never liked that guy. He reminded me of my brother, all image and shit. He was fake nice, but I knew all he wanted to do was get into her pants. But she seemed so happy, and I had done nothing but make her miserable. Oh, her friends weren’t shy about letting me know what an asshole I was. I tried to ignore her for a while, get over her. But Tyler kept showing up at shit, and every time I saw him touch her I just wanted to punch him.

What are your feelings on your mom’s dislike towards Nolan? Will you ever defend Nolan and confront her (your mom) on how she treats Nolan?
I know I’m going to have to. I thought my mom would just get over it, warm to Noles. She’s impossible not to love, so I don’t get it. My mom just has this idea in her head, like she always wanted to marry me off to some other family name or something, like kings and queens or something. Like I said, that’s why she and my pops don’t mix well. He’s grass stains and beer and she’s white linen and expensive wine. But she’s going to have to get over Nolan eventually, because I don’t plan on ever letting her go.

Is Nolan your first and only love?
Huh? I guess so. I thought I was in love with Tatum, and I had a crush on Jaden Kessler in kindergarten, but yeah…Noles is the only girl I ever loved.

Why did you let Calley and Tatum sign your cast and visit you while you recovered at your mom’s house, if you knew how it would make Nolan feel? Did you do that on purpose?
Put that on the long list of dumb shit I did that I wish I could take back. Tatum was relentless. When I got settled at my mom’s, she showed up the first day. I made excuses to get her to leave the first few times, but my mom really liked her, so she always let her in. I think she was hoping we’d rekindle some sort of romance. When she came with Calley once, Calley was actually the first one to sign my cast. You haven’t met Calley, but she’s sort of one of those chicks that just does whatever she wants. She grabbed a pen and started doodling crap on my cast before I could say anything. Then Tatum got all whiney about how she wanted to sign it, so I let her. I didn’t really think it was a big deal, but I can see how it would be to Nolan…or at least now I can. I was pretty depressed for a while after the accident. I did a lot of dumb stuff.

After the accident you totally shut down, but you especially made Nolan’s life a hell by your cold attitude towards her. Did you avoid her so she would end things with you? Why?
I was scared. I had this perfect life planned out and when I thought I might not ever get to play football again, it scared the shit out of me. That’s all I was, all I knew. I felt worthless. And here Nolan was, just loving me anyway. I felt guilty, like I was letting her down. And then she started talking about trading her dreams in for mine. I didn’t want to be the reason she didn’t go to ASU, like she always wanted, or why she didn’t work with kids, which she was so totally meant to do. I think somewhere in my screwed up head I wanted to try to get her to break up with me, because I knew I couldn’t do it. I was too selfish.

Did you then, and do you now regret the way you treated Nolan after the accident?
Yes. Seeing her cry is the single most painful thing I’ve ever experienced. I said some things that I don’t think I’ll ever make right. But I’m never going to stop trying.

Do you think you have redeemed yourself on how bad you treated Nolan? And do you think you have taken her love for you for granted more times than once?
I was a stupid teenager, and if I could go back and smack myself a few times, I would. But that’s not how life works. I got lucky. I took Nolan for granted plenty of times. And somehow, she still showed up when I needed her, gave me her heart and trusted me not to break it. I can’t fix the past, but I sure as hell can earn the future.

Between the accident and all those months the two of you had been apart (because of you poor attitude) Did you ever stop loving Nolan?
No. Never. Not once.

SUDDEN DEATH QUESTIONS:

What song that describes your feelings for Nolan?
It’s funny, but it’s actually one of Nolan’s favorites—it’s called “Stars” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. It just feels like us, like I can’t breathe without knowing she’s ok.

Favorite feeling?
Anticipation

What would you change from the past? (if you could)
The time I said something that made Nolan feel like she wasn’t good enough.

Nolan is…..?
Everything

Kissing or cuddling?
Kissing. Definitely kissing.

Favorite image?
Nole’s smile, the one she gets when she’s busting my balls. No, wait! The one she gets when she first realizes I’m there.

Nolan or football?
Nolan. Every time.

I shared this over the weekend on my author Facebook page. It's a little tidbit from "Waiting on the Sidelines" that happens to be one of my personal favorites. You see, I'm a big fan of anticipation. I love those moments right before, and I am a sucker for the almost. While writing "Waiting on the Sidelines," there were a few chapters that I would think about all day and just get giddy with excitement over knowing that I would get to dive in at night and move my characters through something special.

A moment.

Well, for me, this is one of those moments. The kind you wish you could write for your own life, how you wished it happened...and if it did for you? Hell, I'm jealous. I plan on sharing a few other 'favorite parts' over the next few days in my countdown to my cover release for "Going Long." And soon, I'll be sharing something big from "Going Long" -- before it's big launch in October.

So, for those of you who've read "Waiting" I'd love to know if this was one of your favorite parts, too. And if not, please let me know one that is. I'd love to dig it up and share it with others on Facebook. Thank you all for reading! You're dream-makers, just so you know :-)

Excerpt from "Waiting on the Sidelines"

Reed just stared down at me, shifting back and forth from eye to eye because we were so close. The music and screaming from other swimmers in the background started to fade out. It was the same sort of feeling I got when I was about to pass out, but I knew my head felt fine. Reed leaned his head forward, pressing his forehead to mine, closing his eyes for a bit. He just sort of spun us, ever-so slowly in a circle, with our lips breaths apart. My lips were tingling, almost numb, but not from the cold water. I bit my bottom lip to try to stop the twitching and keep myself from shaking. I felt Reed shift, getting an even stronger grip on me, somehow holding me closer, which didn’t seem possible.

I was frozen, the tip of my nose touching Reed’s, as we swayed slowly in the water to some sappy pop song about standing in the rain. I knew the song, it was one of my favorites. But ask me the words right now, and I’d only be able to spit out gibberish. I bit my lip again, licking it a little from this unbelievable, beautiful suspense. And then Reed’s lips were touching mine. Not hard, but so incredibly softly. It was barely a kiss, but it was still the best one I’d ever have. He tilted his head up, just barely, taking my top lip between both of his and leaving them there for a few seconds, sucking me in faintly so I felt the tips of his teeth.

When he pulled back, he leaned his face to look at me, still cradling me in his arms. I opened my eyes slowly and couldn’t hide my smile. I wanted to cry, the type of cry from a release when you’ve waited so long for something. He just reached up and brushed water from my face with his thumb and stared at me until finally breaking our silence. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” he smiled gently.

“You have no idea…” I paused. “Well, there’s just so much you have no idea about, Reed.”

Drum roll, please...

I can't believe the time is almost here. I'm tremendously proud of 'Waiting on the Sidelines,' and I'm so touched that so many of you have bonded with Reed and Nolan's story.

Writing 'Going Long' was like coming home...I missed these characters, and I wanted to spend more time with them. I'm excited to share their next chapter with you. In fact, that's exactly what I'm doing today: Below you'll find the first 2 pages of 'Going Long.' The story is told from both Reed and Nolan's points of view. It just so happens that both of my teasers are from Reed's perspective -- I've heard from many readers who wanted to get inside "that boy's head," so I figured there wouldn't be any complaints:-)

SPOILER: Fair warning -- if you haven't read the first book yet, you may want to wait before reading this teaser. It doesn't give everything away, but it might be more than some care to know or read. I hope you enjoy! And...I promise the next thing you see, come October, will be the entire book available.

Thank you all for reading! You are precious to me.

--------


Reed:

The first time I thought about marrying Nolan Lennox, she had just saved my father’s life. The thought was fleeting, and it scared the hell out of me. I was only 17.

Nolan and my dad were the only two people to have ever seen me cry. I mean snot-dripping-from-your-nose, gasping-for-breath, body-shaking cry. And I was a child when I cried in front of my dad—not so much a child when I let it all out in Nolan’s arms while my dad lay under some surgeon’s knife, his heart cut open and failing.

It was something about the way Nolan knew what to do, the way she took care of my dad when he had a heart attack—the way she took care of me. The moments were brief, bit-flashes of time, but they also filled my mind with visions of forever. I recognized it right away, but chose to ignore it for a while. It happened again when I thought some asshole had raped her, and all I wanted to do was go to jail for having beat the shit out of him. And it happened the first time I kissed her, I mean really kissed her.

I stopped ignoring it, though, when I drove through the desert from Tucson to her dorm room at ASU, 110 miles away. The sun was setting, and I had just read her name in the newspaper story about the accident that broke us apart our senior year in high school—her words so sad, full of regret and guilt. I let her go because I didn’t think I was good for her, didn’t want her to give up her dreams for mine. I didn’t want to carry that weight on my shoulders, I guess. But she blamed herself anyway. And I just had to fix it, had to hold her. And when it hit me that I never wanted to stop holding her, I hit the gas hard and made it to her building just as dusk was setting in.

The guy working the front desk of her building recognized me and let me in, but not before ribbing me about playing for the wrong school and letting me know that ASU’s line was going to flatten my ass more than a few times. I let him heckle me for a bit, before he reached for my hand and shook it—almost like he was star struck, and I was his bro. I was going to have to get used to this kind of attention.

He gave me Nolan’s room number, and I charged up the steps three stairs at a time. When I got to her door, I pounded on it manically. The hallways were quiet, her neighbors gone, and most of the doors were closed and dark underneath. A short, mousy girl opened a door down the hall, and I walked over slowly, smiling so she wouldn’t freak out. She told me everyone had gone to some dance on campus. I just thanked her and told her I’d wait so she didn’t wonder why I was hanging out in the hall.

I must have dozed off after a few hours, my head buried in the music pumping in my ears, my hat shielding my eyes from the florescent lights of her hallway. I jumped when she kicked my feet apart, but when I saw her face, I remembered why I’d come all this way.
Being in her room felt so right, everything so familiar, even though it wasn’t a place I’d ever been. It was full of her. When I saw the pictures of her and me on her wall, my pulse sped up a bit. And when I saw that damn hat I’d given her—my lame attempt to let her know I still loved her—I knew I still had a shot.

I’ve never been more careful choosing my words than I was for that brief conversation I had with Nolan that night. And I probably should have led with begging for forgiveness from the start, but instead I wanted to make sure she knew that everything was because of me, not her. I wanted the blame, all of it.

And with that one small word from her breath, yes, I knew I was done. The sensation of her lips on mine was an addiction. The miles on my Jeep read 93,728, and all but 3,000 of those miles were treaded by my many drives from Tucson up to Phoenix, just to see the girl who rules my world. I knew she was worried when I first came to surprise her at her dorm room two years ago and begged her to give me one more chance. But I made a promise to her then, and I had every intention of keeping it.

I wanted her to know that she could count on me being there to greet her as soon as her classes were done on Thursday afternoons. I didn’t give a shit that it meant I had to turn around and drive the same miles back to campus for light practices on Fridays and games on Saturdays—sometimes making several trips each week just to see her. And when games were done, I spent my nights with her, holding her close, and letting her call all the shots.
My freshman year, I took a lot of shit from the guys on the football team, who all expected me to head to the bars with them every night and rule the parties on fraternity row. But I wouldn’t go unless Nolan was with me. Sometimes she would, and I spent most of those nights making sure strangers didn’t try to ply her with liquor or hit on her.

She finally convinced me to go alone once, about halfway through our freshman season. She was stuck at ASU, working late on a midterm psychology paper, and couldn’t make it for our game against Stanford. We were serious underdogs, but managed to pull out a win, and there was no getting around celebrating. The entire UofA campus was teeming with energy, and it was the first time in months I let myself get a little loaded. I drunk-dialed her that night—several times, so I was told. I was so sure I said something stupid, but she assured me I was nothing but sweet and romantic. I’m pretty sure I embarrassed myself, but she didn’t tease.

I was careful not to drink too much now. That was another vow I made when I left home for college and signed to play for the Wildcats. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a college guy, and I can chug with the best of them. But I try not to let it get stupid, and usually Noles is there to keep me in line or tell me when it’s time to go home.

I wasn’t going to be my brother; I wouldn’t be the asshole. Being the asshole was the easy way out. And I was fine with things not being easy. Jason was quickly becoming a business big-shot with our father’s company. He was good at business, sales and working a room full of important people into doing exactly what he wanted. People always wanted Jason to like them, even as adults. It stunned me that they couldn’t see through his bullshit, but I guess, deep down, most of us want to be liked by the in crowd, even if the guy at the head of the table was a massive dick.

Now that Nolan and I were juniors, it was harder to sync our schedules. Nolan’s schedule was pretty full. She was taking 21 hours to make sure she could graduate in four years with her specialty. And I was seriously considering entering the draft after this season. Our Rose Bowl win, and number four finish last year, put me in a pretty good position to be a top pick, and we were already ranked pretty high heading into this season. I didn’t want to lose my chance to do this for a living. I loved the game, almost as much as I loved Nolan. But that’s what made it all so damned hard. I knew I could end up on the other end of the country, and the thought of spending a year away from her tore up my insides.

We talked about it a few times, but Nolan always shut down. She was a planner, and when I brought up the possibility of her transferring, or doing her student teaching somewhere else, she just nodded and said she’d think about it. But it was the kind of nod that I knew meant she really wouldn’t, and was instead hoping the possibility would just go away.

I didn’t have to make my decision yet. But come December, I needed to have a pretty good idea of where I was headed. I had four months to work on her, but the whole thing was just making my stomach sick. And the fucking ring in my pocket was just making my stress shoot through the roof.

I wasn’t going to ask her today. I probably wouldn’t ask her this year. But I knew I’d ask her, and I just wanted to be ready. I had most of the day off and stopped by the house to talk to dad on my way up to see Nolan. He loved her like a daughter already, and when I brought up the idea of one day making her a permanent part of the family, he hugged me so hard that my feet left the ground. I didn’t expect him to give me Grandma’s ring; I just wanted his help picking something out. So when he disappeared upstairs, and came back down with the antique box, I knew I was making the right decision.

I shoved the stress back down in my body and reminded myself to stay in control the second I saw my girl round the corner of her building—just like she did every Thursday afternoon. She was looking for me, her heavy bag slumping down her shoulder and her hair knotted up on top of her head. Damn she was beautiful. And I was so lucky.

I've been trying to start a new post for a few days now, but my mind seems to be wandering in all different directions. So...I give in. There's not a clear theme to this one, just a bunch of collective thoughts, fun stuffs and more about this journey I've been on.

Firstly, why is my mind wandering? Well...I promised to continue to document my indie author process and experience, and part of that is dividing yourself into a million little pieces so you can do a million little missions. I've been marketing like crazy--meeting some amazing bloggers, beta readers, reviewers and just good ole fashioned great people who love to read YA/NA romance. Before I forget to say thank you: "Thank You!" to those of you who have been so amazingly wonderful to work with, who have given up some of your reading pie to take a slice of Waiting on the Sidelines and Going Long (which releases officially Oct. 1) and who have shared your thoughts (so very kind thoughts) on the book with me and your friends. You've been the gas to keep my indie author road trip plugging along.

As for the missions? There are many. I've been advertising, sending personal emails, reaching out to bloggers, holding my breath, taking the bumps along with the praise, and then waiting. Mostly, the waiting has been the exciting part. Going Long goes live very soon (I can hardly wait). Some of you may notice it showing up early...I hate being late, so I tend to aim for early.

Now, imagine a great transition here so I can start an entirely new subject (I warned you, I'm all over the place). I thought it would be fun to throw a few fun tidbits in here about WoTS and Going Long. Let's start with football. I'm a HUGE fan. A fan of all sports, really, but I know my football. When I was about 12, I was watching the Niners play the Cowboys, and I made comment to my brother about Montana not getting enough time in the pocket, and he just smiled and told me that someday I was going to make some guy very happy. My husband would agree--I'm very helpful in picking his fantasy team (may I point out mine is doing pretty damn well, too). Anyhow, back to my point, I take my football seriously. You'll notice that the match-ups in Going Long and any reference to the BCS play-off system and rankings are pretty darn accurate (the Big Ten plays the Pac 12 in the Rose Bowl). But, given that I'm a Sun Devil and bleed maroon and gold, making the Wildcats a top-ranked team was really tough to do. We have a joke in our house that the only way the Wildcats could have a great football team is in fiction. (It's funny if you're a Sun Devil, trust me.)

Lastly, let me leave you with a little tease. I'm writing again (my favorite part of this whole thing). It's an entirely new story -- a new-adult romance full of lots of heartbreak, hope and swoon. So far, I'm pretty in love with the new guy. But I'll always have a soft spot for the old one -- Reed. I'd love to hear from his other fans out there, so please feel free to 'friend me' here or drop me a line on email. I love hearing from you. And thank you for reading. You have given me so much, and I love you all.

I'll keep this short, sweet and to-the-point: Going Long is live and well...everywhere!!! I'm so excited to share it with you all, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the journey for Nolan and Reed.

I love these two with all my heart, and I'm deeply touched that so many of you do, too. A special 'thank you' to my beta readers, early bloggers and reviewers for helping spread the word. I can't thank you all enough. I promise to get back to my newest project soon, once the excitement settles a little. I also promise to share more about it later. A tease or two may be in order ;-)

Happy reading!

xxoo ~ Ginger

So, I'm writing again. Well, not right now, exactly. Right now I'm blogging and watching baseball, cursing over the fact that my Diamondbacks traded Stephen Drew to the Boston Red Sox (he's tearing it up at Shortstop, by the way).

But in a few more innings, I'll be back with the iPod and MacBook, writing again. And it feels sooooo good. I'm falling in love with a new set of characters. I can't say much yet, but I will share that my male came to me early, somewhere near the end of writing Waiting on the Sidelines. I can tell you that he's pensive, worthy and sexy as hell. He also has a lot of crap to work through (I mean, it's romance...you have to have conflict and tension--and I LOVE really good tension). But he's also got one of those melt-you-on-the-spot, feel-it-in-your-knees, warm and chewy centers. I happen to love those, too.

I can't wait to share more with you all...and I promise to as I get a little deeper in the process. But for now, I want to give a little shout out to all the good guys out there. I feel lucky because I happen to be married to one. And I happen to be the daughter of one. And the sister of one. Real men who do right by their women and who put their families first and themselves dead last.

Maybe its my upcoming anniversary. Maybe it's the new book I'm working on. Maybe it's the high school football I've been taking in reminding me of my love for my first born character, Reed Johnson. But I'm just feeling a little appreciative tonight for all the good guys out there. Don't get me wrong, I like it when they're bad on the outside. But the inside stuff--man, that's where it counts.

OK, enough of that mushy stuff. I'll be in touch--I've got six more outs to get through so I can get back to writing about Mr. C. ;-)

Go Red Sox!

Waiting on the Sidelines will always be my baby. I love that book with all my heart, so I feel a little bit like I'm sending it off to the prom in this post. The book is getting a little cover refresh. Nothing too crazy, but I think it gets a little more of the mood in the mix. I'm working on getting it updated on the Goodreads entry (thank you, Librarian status friends!). But in the meantime, here's a little taste. You can also find the new cover on Amazon, Smashwords, and very soon on B&N, Apple, Sony, Kobo and more (seems it takes a little time to ingest).



I hope you all like it as much as I do! I'm busy working on my new project, but should be at a place where I can reveal the title soon...and then maybe just a little tease. Thank you all for reading...I'm honored!