This duology is one of my young adult favorites. I'm glad I get to share excerpts, insight into the how the characters were named, and a giveaway with you!
Effortless With You series by Lizzy Charles
Published by: Swoon Romance
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/127806-effortless-with-you
Interested in Lizzy Charles' novels Effortless With You and Perfectly Messy? They are available on Amazon, Nook, iBooks, and most ebook readers. Prefer a book you can actually hold in your hand and smell? Both novels are available in print via Amazon and available to order through many local bookstores if you ask. :)
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/series/127806-effortless-with-you
Interested in Lizzy Charles' novels Effortless With You and Perfectly Messy? They are available on Amazon, Nook, iBooks, and most ebook readers. Prefer a book you can actually hold in your hand and smell? Both novels are available in print via Amazon and available to order through many local bookstores if you ask. :)
School is out and Lucy is ready for the perfect summer: lazy days at the pool, invitations to the most exclusive parties, and romantic dates with her hot new boyfriend. That is, until she lands in trouble one too many times and her parents issue the ultimate punishment: a summer job. Suddenly, the summer can’t end fast enough.
To make matters worse, the job is painting houses with Justin, the most popular, egotistical guy in school. Spending all summer with Justin might be other girls’ dreams, but definitely not Lucy’s. After all, Justin is cocky, annoying, and a jerk. So what if he’s the most beautiful jerk Lucy’s ever seen? Or that his grin makes her forget she’s mad at the world? Or that maybe, just maybe, there’s more to Justin than Lucy realizes. Only one thing is certain: it won’t be the summer she wanted, but it might be exactly the one she needs
Purchase book 1:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Effortless-You-Lizzy-Charles-ebook/dp/B00EHZVW1U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416964575&sr=8-1&keywords=Effortless+with+You
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/effortless-with-you-lizzy-charles/1116424406?ean=2940148707820
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/effortless-with-you
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/effortless-with-you-lizzy-charles/1116424406?ean=2940148707820
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/effortless-with-you
Excerpt:
I really
can wait. I have nowhere to go until the party.
I close
my eyes and tilt my head back, enjoying the cooler evening sun on my face and
praying it will calm my frizz. I hold my cell, waiting for it to vibrate with his
response. As the minutes pass, I toy with the idea that maybe he forgot …
But he
planned this. He wouldn’t do that.
A light
laugh interrupts me. My eyes jolt open and I gasp. I hate how easily I startle.
“Sorry,
Lady,” says a deep, smooth voice behind me. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You
just look so funny all dressed up but relaxing in the sun.”
“Oh,
it’s okay.” Great. I pull at the bottom of my white tank. I look funny.
He
clears his throat, waiting for me to do the social thing. Interact.
Not in
the mood. Not now. The dent in my phone demands study. If I turn the phone
upside down, the dent looks like a cow. I shift, making sure my back faces the
voice. Maybe the guy’ll take a hint? My bench creaks with newly added weight.
Nope.
“So?” he
says.
I force
myself to glance up. My throat closes. Marissa would freak.
Justin
stares back with that fake smile. “Who are you waiting for?”
“My
boyfriend, Zach Filman.” Confidence, yes.
Justin
nods. “Oh, Zach.” He looks at his watch and snickers. “I bet he’s late, huh?”
His eyebrow flicks up with his smile.
“No. I’m
a bit early.”
“You’re lying.” He moves closer to me.
Shaking
my head, I focus on the lined pavement. The lines aren’t parallel at all. I
really suck at lying, but the most popular guy in school doesn’t need to know
my boyfriend’s late.
“Well,
then,” he continues. “I’ll just wait here with you. You don’t mind.”
I do.
He taps
his finger on the bench’s armrest. “Shouldn’t be long now.” His voice is thick
with sarcasm which he pairs with his flashy, stupid smile. Justin may be
gorgeous, but he is super annoying. He clears his throat. “Might as well get to
know one another. I’m Justin Marshall.”
No
kidding.
“I’m
Lucy.” He doesn’t need to know my last name.
“Well,
Lucy.” He pulls out his phone. “It’s six fifty-two. When’re you going on that
date?”
“For
real?” The heat from the sun must’ve fried my brain-to-mouth filter.
He claps
his hands together, leaning back, enjoying my outburst. “Well, I’m bored.
Jennifer doesn’t get off for another twenty minutes. I need a little fun.”
“Well, in that case, I’m pleased to entertain
you.” Sarcasm rolls thick off my tongue.
“Wonderful.”
His hands fold behind his head and his muscles twitch. But I’m steady, not a
flinch and not even close to his regularly received swoon.
“So, where’re
you love birds going?” he continues.
“Romano’s.”
“Right,
Italian food. How romantic. Very original, Zach.”
Blood
rushes to my face. I don’t care if it is the typical place. This is my first
fancy, romantic date and it’s going to be perfect. I glare back, replying with
silence.
“Okay,
okay.” He throws his hands up. “It’s a good place. Great food, actually.”
I ignore
him, glancing back at my phone. An hour late. Maybe he got in an accident?
“Can I
ask you two questions?” Justin prods.
“No.” My filter’s gone now. He’s beyond
irritating. Just because everyone worships him doesn’t mean he gets to know
everyone’s business. Of course, he ignores my answer.
“First,
why are you being picked up for a date here?”
I answer
without thinking. “Zach thinks my mom’s weird.” My tongue thickens, making it
hard to speak. Crap, shouldn’t have said that.
“Oh?
Should that matter if he’s dating you? I mean, shouldn’t he want to get to know
her if he’s dating you?”
He looks
at me with a soft expression, like the ones people use on injured puppies on
those Emergency Vet shows.
I press my lips together. He doesn’t know my
mom. This time he accepts my silence.
“Secondly, don’t you think you
deserve someone who respects you enough to either show up on time or at least
call and let you know why he’s late?”
Whoa, who is he to give me
relationship advice?
“You’ve
got to be kidding, right?”
“No. I’m dead serious. You deserve
better.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“No, but I know Zach.”
“So do
I. He’s my boyfriend.” I refuse to look at him, instead watching a group of
ants pour out of a crack in the pavement. “You know you’re a real jerk, right?”
I add.
Justin lets out a long whistle.
“Wow. I haven’t been called a jerk since I was, like, eight?”
I don’t care how hot he is. Why Marissa
wants him blows my mind.
He pulls out his phone. “Let me show
you something.” He dials and flashes me his outgoing call: Zach F.
No. This is not happening.
I launch at his phone but he’s too quick. He
jumps off the bench and I eat pavement.
“It doesn’t
matter. He isn’t going to answ—” I say as I scramble up off the ground.
“Hello?” a familiar voice booms.
Speaker phone. Crap.
“Hey Zach! It’s Justin.”
“Hey Man. What’s up?” My gut
relaxes. Zach’s okay.
“Not much. Just waiting to pick up
Jennifer.” Justin paces, circling the bench and me.
“Right on, man!” Zach is always so
positive. His attitude is contagious. I can’t help but smile when I’m around
him.
“What are you up to?”
“Disc golf with Tater.”
My chest
squeezes. How can Zach be playing a game with his cousin Tater? An
I-Told-You-So expression sits in triumph on Justin’s face.
Stupid
face.
“Sweet. Awesome day for a game.”
“I know, huh?”
Justin
drags his shoe through some sand.
“Will I see you at the party
tonight?”
“Hell, yeah!”
Maybe he didn’t forget? He knows
we’re going to the party together. He must have gotten the times mixed up.
Assumed he had time to play disc first.
“Sweet. I’ll see you there. Got to
run, Jen’s done. We’ve got a great date night planned before the party and all
…”
No Justin, don’t do this. I want to die.
“Oh shit, dude. I was supposed to
pick up that Lucy chick for a date too.” Zach laughs.
Three skipped heartbeats.
Zach forgot.
He
forgot about me.
My nose
begins to itch. Tears are inevitable. But I won’t cry in front of Justin. I
focus on my cuticles, trying to hold off tears while Zach’s voice continues to
boom from the phone. Justin finishes circling the bench, now standing next to
me. So I can hear everything Zach says.
“Eh, she’ll understand. It’s a gorgeous
day. I mean, who can remember a date when disc golf calls?”
“Well, good luck with that.” Justin taps my
shoulder. I want to break his fingers.
“Right on, man.” Beep.
My eyes are heavy, probably now red
and puffy too. I take a deep breath, trying to hold off the emotional impact of
the moment. Justin’s moved in front of me, waiting for my reaction. He’s so
rude. I glare daggers into his green eyes. Hate him.
My phone
finally vibrates.
Zach: hey sorry work’s crazy. Meet u
at party L8R.
My gut twists inside out. Zach lied.
He forgot about me and lied. Why did he ask me out if he didn’t like me? I grab
my bag. I need to get away from Justin before I break down.
“Let me
guess,” Justin says, “he lied?”
Prying
ass.
A
ruthless fire burns inside me, made especially for him.
“Can I
ask you something?” I don’t wait for an answer. “Why are you so unbearably
rude?”
“Listen,” he begins, “you deserved to know.”
“No.
That wasn’t your place. Do you think you’re like a god or something? ‘You
deserved to know.’ Total bull. Don’t
I deserve to be treated with respect?” I pause for effect. His eyes widen and
he opens his mouth to speak, but he doesn’t have a word to deliver. “Right. You
dish out Hallmark wisdom but don’t follow it yourself. Don’t be a hypocrite.”
The tears are rolling down my cheeks
but I don’t care anymore. Now I want him to see it. Staring into his green
eyes, I search to see if he understands what he’s done. But his eyes are blank.
Not even a hint of remorse. The pool gate jingles and Jennifer steps out. I
quickly distance myself from the bench and start the walk of rejection back
home.
I don’t look back. I never want to
see Justin Marshall again.
Synopsis book 2 - Perfectly Messy:
Popularity isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Justin Marshall knows this better than most. For the captain of the basketball team, small business owner, and son of Minnesota’s next governor, life can get pretty overwhelming. But Justin can handle anything as long as he has Lucy, the girl who fell for the man he’s trying to be.
But for Justin and Lucy, finding time together proves challenging. Stolen kisses and whispered promises just aren’t enough. That is, until scandalous photos of the couple are leaked to a press intent on creating a juicy scandal during Justin’s dad’s gubernatorial campaign. And when Lucy becomes fair play for the tabloids and gossip pages, Justin does the only thing he can to protect her: he breaks her heart.
For Lucy, junior year is everything she hoped it would be: new friends, second chances, and a boyfriend she can’t stop kissing. That is, until the boy she’s pretty sure she loves chooses the life his family wants for him, over her.
Now it’s up to Lucy to teach him what it really means to have everything. Because for Justin, being who everyone needs him to be just might cost him the one person he can’t live without
Purchase book 2:
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/perfectly-messy
Html for Guest Post for Effortless With You Blitz
What’s in a Name? (Naming characters)
Naming my characters is very important to me. I put a lot of time and effort into it. I’m around the “naming” process all the time as a neonatal intensive care nurse. One of my favorite moments is when a parent whispers their child’s name to them for the first time. Or helping them choose their names as they look at their little baby through the isolette. The moment the name is settled, it’s magical. I can honestly feel a shift in the air.
The little life that I cradle in my hands just became a Robert Henry. How cool is that? The same thing happens when characters of a novel are named. Here are the five steps I generally take when naming a character:
2. Hit up baby naming lists and blogs. Look at what’s popular now and up to ten years prior. This is important to me as I absolutely want to connect with my audience, which are readers ages 13+ (we are all young adults at heart, aren’t we.
3. Run said names against your own name prejudices you picked up from your schooling years. Noah is always a name I try to seriously consider for a main love interest but I can’t make the leap--- not after playing cello in front of the most boogery Noah on earth for eight years. That’s right. EIGHT YEARS OF BOOGERS. Yuck.
4. Take the name and run it by people that are dear to you. This is key when I choose my guy names. I’ll tell my friends, “okay, this guy is supposed to be that frat-boy you hate.” Together we’ll play with my top names, perhaps tweak spelling and do whatever it takes to find a way to portray just that.
5. When it comes down to it, naming characters is like naming a baby. So what does that mean? Just name them what feels right once you meet them. ☺ Sometimes you actually have to start writing your characters before their name materializes. I’ve actually changed names out a few chapters in once I realized that my Tripp was actually a Beckett, etc.
So how did this add up to finding Lucy and Justin for Effortless With You and Perfectly Messy? I named my characters the summer of 2010. I knew I wanted my female lead to be strong, a bit of a spitfire, but incredibly kind. At the time, I’d recently moved into a townhome association and was fascinated with this ninety three year old woman who lived across the courtyard named Lucy. This woman was up at dawn and went to bed past midnight. I don’t think a week went by where she wasn’t throwing a party for all the ladies on the block. Lucy was that type of person who made you feel like you were the most important person on Earth when she spoke to you. She was that amazing.
So, Lucy became my female lead. And Justin? Well … I did all the baby name searches but when it came down to it, I had a small dose of Bieber Fever (please remember that this is 2010).
So, naturally, I named the love interest in my romance Justin. Thankfully, once I started writing, my Justin strayed far away from being even close to Bieber-ish.
What are your favorite character names? Can you imagine what Twilight would be like if Edward was actually named Todd or Eustice? See, names count! Thanks so much for having me on the blog!
Guest Post
What’s in a Name?
Hi! Thank you so much for having me on the blog. I’m thrilled to be sharing insight on how I named my characters in the Effortless With You series!The little life that I cradle in my hands just became a Robert Henry. How cool is that? The same thing happens when characters of a novel are named. Here are the five steps I generally take when naming a character:
Five Steps to Naming Characters.
1. Choose the Vibe. Do you want it to be a modern name? An eclectic name? A classic name?2. Hit up baby naming lists and blogs. Look at what’s popular now and up to ten years prior. This is important to me as I absolutely want to connect with my audience, which are readers ages 13+ (we are all young adults at heart, aren’t we.
3. Run said names against your own name prejudices you picked up from your schooling years. Noah is always a name I try to seriously consider for a main love interest but I can’t make the leap--- not after playing cello in front of the most boogery Noah on earth for eight years. That’s right. EIGHT YEARS OF BOOGERS. Yuck.
4. Take the name and run it by people that are dear to you. This is key when I choose my guy names. I’ll tell my friends, “okay, this guy is supposed to be that frat-boy you hate.” Together we’ll play with my top names, perhaps tweak spelling and do whatever it takes to find a way to portray just that.
5. When it comes down to it, naming characters is like naming a baby. So what does that mean? Just name them what feels right once you meet them. ☺ Sometimes you actually have to start writing your characters before their name materializes. I’ve actually changed names out a few chapters in once I realized that my Tripp was actually a Beckett, etc.
So how did this add up to finding Lucy and Justin for Effortless With You and Perfectly Messy? I named my characters the summer of 2010. I knew I wanted my female lead to be strong, a bit of a spitfire, but incredibly kind. At the time, I’d recently moved into a townhome association and was fascinated with this ninety three year old woman who lived across the courtyard named Lucy. This woman was up at dawn and went to bed past midnight. I don’t think a week went by where she wasn’t throwing a party for all the ladies on the block. Lucy was that type of person who made you feel like you were the most important person on Earth when she spoke to you. She was that amazing.
So, Lucy became my female lead. And Justin? Well … I did all the baby name searches but when it came down to it, I had a small dose of Bieber Fever (please remember that this is 2010).
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Source Credit Pinterest and http://blogss4fun7437.blogspot.com
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AUTHOR BIO:
Lizzy Charles lives in the Twin Cities and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. When she isn’t raising her three children or caring for premature and sick babies as a neonatal intensive care nurse, she’s seeking refuge with her laptop, sparkling water, and dark chocolate. She married her high school sweetheart, a swoon-worthy musician, so it’s no surprise she’s fallen in love with writing contemporary YA romance novels.
Author links:
Giveaway
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