Blog Tour: Twisted by N.L. Greene, guest post, spotlight and giveaway!
Twisted By: N.L. Greene Genre: NA Contemporary Romance Release Date: September 13th, 2013 Blurb Growing up isn’t always easy. But for most...
https://danielle-claude.blogspot.com/2013/10/blog-tour-twisted-by-nl-greene-guest.html
Twisted
By: N.L. Greene
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 13th, 2013
Blurb
Growing up isn’t always easy. But for most teenage girls, they can rely on their best friend to help them get through the process. A BFF is something that is truly treasured and completely irreplaceable. You share all of your secrets, and are loyal and honest with each other, even when you’re acting just a little bit crazy. You have each other’s backs no matter what and you form a bond that is virtually unbreakable.
At least that’s what normal teenage girls experience.
Nat and Mel have been bestie’s since childhood and Nat has followed her blindly ever since. But as Nat’s friendship with Mel begins to lead her down the wrong path, she starts to question the sincerity of their relationship. Nat starts to see Mel’s manipulative, deceitful ways become more focused on her. Will Natalie hold on tight to the friendship she’s had her entire life, no matter what it cost her? Or will she let her heart lead her to a relationship that’s not so twisted.
Excerpt
Mel had been badgering me about my virginity. She had lost hers over the summer to some random guy she’d met at a party she’d gone to with Ash. One that I hadn’t been allowed to go to. She kept telling me that it wasn’t a big deal, and that I needed to lose it quick. I was going to be seventeen in a few weeks, and no guy was going to want to date a seventeen year old virgin. I started to freak out. I wanted a boyfriend, and I wanted those feelings that came along with having one. I wanted a guy to tell me I was amazing and beautiful. I wanted him to hold my hand, hug me, kiss me, and look at me like he couldn’t stand to be away from me. I wanted to be cherished and loved. Validated.
I didn’t know why I craved that confirmation so much. My parents may have been strict, but I always knew they loved me unconditionally so I wasn’t lacking in that department. But after feeling the way I’d felt when Miguel had been with me, even if it was just for a little while, I knew I was missing something marvelous and I wanted it.
My birthday that year fell on a weekend again, and Mel insisted we celebrate by going to a party where I would have the ‘perfect opportunity’ to take care of ‘my little problem.’ I hated it when she referred to it that way, but I’d given up arguing about it a long time ago.
We were at lunch when Mel turned to me with her brilliant idea. “So, this weekend is your birthday…” She trailed off with a waggle of her eyebrows that I knew meant she was up to no good.
“Oh geez, what are you up to?” I asked with mock horror.
“Oh really? And does this lucky guy know that he’s going to be your next boyfriend?” I honestly couldn’t help but giggle at her. She was so outrageous sometimes.
“No he doesn’t, but he will soon enough,” she said smugly, and I didn’t doubt her. Mel usually got what she wanted.
“So how did we find out about this guy and the party?” I started to clean my lunch up, knowing the bell was about to ring.
Mel did the same. “He goes here, actually. He’s a senior and on the football team. We have art class together, and he invited me to the party. And because you’re my girl, you are invited as well,” she said arrogantly. I wasn’t offended though, because I knew it was true. Mel was the popular one of the two of us, and I was always invited by default.
“Name please,” I said as I dumped my trash and we walked out of the cafeteria. Thank God we didn’t have to sit in that horrible gym anymore for lunch!
“Sean,” she stated simply, and waited.
“Oh!” I squealed and jumped up and down. “I totally know who you’re talking about! He’s the quarterback and he’s one of the hottest guys in school!”
“Yes, I know.” She lifted her chin haughtily, but then glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and started to giggle. “He’s totally mine! I cannot wait until this weekend! Your parents are going to let you go, right?”
“Ugh! I hope so. I’ll start working on them today. I’ll do some extra chores and all that stuff so they’ll let me sleep at your house this weekend. You goin’ to your dad’s or your mom’s?”
“Slave drivers,” Mel mumbled under her breath, and I rolled my eyes. There was no use defending them to her, and I’d stopped trying years ago. “My dad’s,” she said after a quick hesitation.
My stomach dropped, but I didn’t give any outward sign of my distress. Mel watched me out of the corner of her eye and I could tell she was looking for it. I’d told her that I was finally over Miguel, and if I gave the slightest any indication that I wasn’t, she would never leave me alone about how much of an ass he was, how badly he’d treated me, the hateful things he’d said to her, or how she thought he was trying to get in between us. Yes, those were all things that were discussed ad nauseum for weeks after the ‘bathroom incident’. I just didn’t want to deal with it, so I pretended that I wasn’t still totally crushing over him. I don’t know why but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to forget about him. He was seared in my brain and on my heart. Maybe Mel was right and I shouldjust hook up with a guy. Maybe it really would help me forget about Miguel for good. When she seemed satisfied with my lack of response, she continued with explaining our plans for the weekend; telling me that Ash was finally sleeping over too and that we were all going together.
“Cool. I’m so excited!” Since I hadn’t been over at Mel’s as often as before, and since now she was splitting her time between her mom and dad, I hadn’t seen Ash as much. She still drove us to and from school, but since it was her senior year she was crazy-busy. We didn’t have lunch together anymore either. I really missed her.
“Good-because there will be a ton of hot guys there, and I think you should seriously consider picking one to sleep with,” she said before she hurried off to class; leaving me standing there, staring at her retreating back like an idiot.
My writing process...
by N.L. Greene
I don’t know if I actually have a writing process. I know I don’t do the ‘normal’ thing we were taught in school when it comes to my writing. I don’t start out with an outline, building my characters and storyline, or anything like that. There is absolutely no organization involved when I start a new story.
Instead, I start with an idea that usually comes from something like a movie, another book, or a personal experience. I’ll see or hear something interesting and think to myself, what’s the rest of that story or what is that they aren’t telling us? It could stem from a side character or a small, insignificant event, anything really, but if the question is asked then I can’t help myself. I have this issue with letting things go. I want to know more about those things we weren't told or the people that seemed inconsequential. So then I’ll come up with this small kernel of an idea that means absolutely nothing but I want to find out what it could mean.
So I start to write.
I’ll decide on a character or two and get an idea of what I want them to do or where I want the story to start and a vague idea of where I think it might go. Then I’ll talk to my husband about it and he’ll just start throwing ideas at me. Usually I don’t like any of them, but they always spark another idea that I do like. Then I sit down and start writing the story. After the first few chapters, it usually takes on a life of its own, which is why I don't do an outline. I totally wouldn't stick to it and I would have wasted all that time I could have been actually writing the story.
I have an office with a desk that I sit at to write, but I can’t force the ideas or the story so I usually end up writing from anywhere but my office. I take my laptop everywhere with me, from the car pickup line, to soccer practice, to dance practice, so that I’m prepared. If an idea for a scene strikes me, I open up my laptop and write it down. The good thing is that ideas strike often and I usually write until my fingers start to hurt and I’m forced to stop. Its kinda of chaotic and always disorganized but it works well for me. I like the freedom of writing when I feel inspired instead of being forced to stick to a guideline. I feel like the story is more natural that way and flows better for the reader.
Plus, I can be surprised too when the story ends and I find out what happened.
About the Author
N.L. Greene, who is 1/2 of the author duo Riana Lucas, has decided to venture outside of the Fantasy world that she and her best friend created with Poppy and The Deadly Flowers Series to write a few books on her own. While she loves working with her best friend, writing solo has allowed her to explore interest that had solely been her own. She spends a lot of time reading her favorite authors which range all over the place and in every genre, but spends just as much time with her husband and two daughters, traveling, shopping, and playing video games. Nichole was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Florida, where she and her high school sweetheart live with their two children.
Giveaway
1x$20 Amazon Gift Card
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