Monday, December 29, 2014

Blog Tour: Interview, Trailer for Through Infinity & Cover reveal,Excerpt, and Giveaway for Thanks For the Memories by Libby Austin















I participated in a blog tour for this book earlier this year.  You can read my review here. I was stoked when Libby asked me to participate in this tour.  I got to ask her some questions and I have lots of new material to share with you!




When your past vanishes, what happens to your future? 

Candice and Jason Woodruff had everything going for them: a strong marriage, the family they’d dreamed of, and successful businesses. When they made their wedding vows, they promised to love each other through infinity and beyond…but Candice doesn’t remember making that vow. Candice doesn’t remember the last eighteen years. 

After a medical emergency, Candice awakens to find herself a married mother of four. She’s surrounded by a loving family of strangers, but Candice struggles to claim an identity while learning to be a wife and mother. 
Candice is no longer the same woman Jason fell in love with all those years ago. Can they learn to love each other in this new reality? 

Through Infinity is one woman’s journey as she rediscovers the love of her husband and children. But will that new found love be strong enough to carry them through infinity and beyond… 


through infinity Goodreads links

through infinity buy links
Amazon 




My review:


Interview


1 1. What inspired you to write this story?

My son inspired the story. My husband had been working out of town for several weeks. He came home to surprise the kids for a weekend. My son ran up to his dad and said, “Hi, Dad! Do you remember me?” Of course my husband said yes, but it made me think about what would happen if you didn’t remember your children, from there through infinity was written.

2 2.  Was there any particular character that was harder to write than the others?

Candice was the hardest character to write. I’m a very internal person, and I don’t like sharing my innermost thoughts. I definitely struggled with that facet of Candice’s character, which is why I don’t think she is as likable as Jason, who is constantly showing how he feels.

3 3. Did you plan out the story or did you fly by the seat of your pants?

It was a little of both. There was definitely a set beginning and an ending when I started. Everything in the middle was kind written as I went.

4 4.  Was there anything in particular you had to have in order to have the best writing experience?

Quiet, no interruptions, and massive amounts of Dr. Pepper.

5 5.      When you were having a hard time writing, what did you do to unwind?

I like looking at stock photos reading, and relaxing in a warm bath.

6 6.      How did you celebrate completing the book?

I don’t think I have celebrated. Once it was written the hard work began.

7 7.      How many revisions did you do before you were satisfied?

There are at least twenty different versions on my laptop.

8 8.  How many books do you foresee Candy and Jason having?

They will have two and a half books. The free Christmas novella that is being published during the blog tour. It will be released as a free ebook after the blog tour. &beyond… will be the events of through infinity from Jason’s POV. There was a lot that happened with him that Candice wasn’t aware of during through infinity. That was a conscious decision on my part. I wanted the reader to be just as clueless about the life Candice shared with Jason. I hoped it would allow the reader to sympathize with Candice.

9 9. What was the last book you read?

The Weight of Destiny by Nyrae Dawn. It was amazing. I’m currently reading Awakenings by Olivia Hayes.

1 10. What are you looking forward most to this holiday season?

Sharing traditions with my kids. They’re just getting old enough to understand what’s going on and to get excited.
 Thanks Libby!


Trailer


through infinity book trailer from Libby Austin on Vimeo.



And now the cover for the novella, Thanks for the Memories....

Cover Reveal


Jason knew Candice's biggest Christmas wish was to remember the past eighteen years. As Thanksgiving approached, Candice retreated further within herself. Jason enlist the help of their family and friends to grant Candice's wish. Each wrote their cherished memories and sealed them in containers. The morning after Thanksgiving Candice awakened to find fifty numbered tins. When Christmas day arrived, will Candice be able to tell everyone thanks for the memories?

I also have the first part of the novella to share with you.  

Excerpt


Thanksgiving
The ‘official’ start of the holiday season and I felt like singing ‘You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch’ at the thought of the days to come. Every time someone mentioned one of our Christmas traditions, I inwardly cringed. I wanted to be excited, but once again, I felt like I was letting my family down because I didn’t remember ‘our’ traditions. Oh, I knew there were traditions that I carried on from my childhood, but what about the ones that began with the family I’d helped create? It shouldn’t be a big deal to ask what kinds of things we did, but I remembered how much I looked forward to the special things my parents did when I was a kid. Guilt filled me that I couldn’t remember a single Christmas with Jason and our children and wouldn’t be able to fulfill their expectations. While I had so much to be thankful for, I found myself dwelling on the loss.
“Oh well, suck it up, buttercup,” I chastised myself. It was time to leave the tranquility of my little sanctuary at the top of my closet for what was sure to be bedlam—my entire family and then some would be gathering together to celebrate Thanksgiving. It was time to put those flash cards to use again. UGH…
***
Hours later I was worn out from smiling, chatting, and eating. Thanksgiving dinner was fun and entertaining. Because there were so many of us, we rented out the local community center. Dinner was organized chaos. At one point during the blessing, I leaned over and asked Jason how many times Pappy would say ‘Amen’ before we actually got to eat. For the record, he said it five times. Pappy had become even more longwinded than he had been from my memory, and I thought he had rambled back then. The best part of the day was hearing our kids say, ‘We are most grateful for our mom and dad.”
Jason had already brought down all of our Christmas decorations from storage. This whole weekend would be dedicated to decorating the house. Relief filled me that I hadn’t completely flipped my lid over the past eighteen years and decided I liked Black Friday shopping. I shudder to think, but I finally understood Jason’s dig about my Amazon addiction. The specials were already popping up on my phone.
By the time we arrived home, it was close to the time to start his bedtime routine. I started to tell him to go get his stuff ready for his bath when Jason interrupted me. “Hold up, Duck, we gotta show Mommy her surprise.”
I quirked my eyebrow at him and asked, “What surprise?”
“It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if we told you, now would it?” Jason laughed as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders to direct me into the living room.
On the coffee table there were a bunch of metal canisters of all different sizes. Each was decorated and numbered. Since they weren’t in order, I couldn’t tell how many there were, but there were a lot.
Jason sat us down on the couch and handed me a parchment scroll tied with a ribbon. I glanced up at him as if to ask ‘what’s this’.
“Just open it,” he said with a nod of his head to gesture to the scroll.
My curiosity won out. I untied the ribbon, unrolled the scroll, and began reading. It was decorated with drawings from different skill levels, which made it obvious whom they were drawn by.
Dear Candice,
Your children sent me a letter telling me you’ve been worrying about what to do this Christmas. I know how much you’ve always enjoyed Christmas and carrying on your family’s traditions.
This year your family wants to do something special for you. They’ve decided to share their favorite memories and family traditions with you. Each canister contains a memory or tradition, and they’ve been numbered in the order they must be opened.
Enjoy your present, and remember, no peeking. I’ll be watching.
Merry Christmas
Santa
I was speechless and unsure of what to do, so in a shaky voice I said, “Y’all really wrote Santa for me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Yes, Mommy.”
“Uh huh.”
Wiping a tear from my eye, I tried to keep myself from losing it. “Jou aren’ suppose ta weak, Mommy,” Dawson told me.
I laughed at his innocence. “I know, buddy, but I’m just so happy I can’t keep it in.” Dawson looked over at Jason for guidance. Jason gave him a subtle nod and Dawson dropped it.
“Come on, Momma, open your first present,” Sybany said, bouncing in her excitement. It did my heart good to see her coming out of her shell more and more. She vibrated with energy.
“Okay, okay,” I said laughingly. “Which one do I open first?”
“Ugh, the one with the one on it,” Xavier pointed out the obvious.
I scanned the table until I found the canister labeled ‘1’ and reached for it. Holding it up to my ear, I jiggled it.
“Owwww, jou aren’t suppose ta shake da presents, Mommy,” Dawson admonished me.
“Sorry, buddy,” I apologized. “I just wanted to make the surprise last a little longer.” Prying the lid off of the canister, I tipped it over and a thin oval stick fell out. I stared at it because I had no clue what it was.
“Here, let’s plug it in,” Damaris instructed. Relieved to not have to ask, I handed it to her. She walked over to the TV and stuck the thing in the side while Xavier pushed buttons on the remotes.
‘The Christmas Carole Tradition’ popped up on the screen, then it was filled with a toddler aged Bryson singing a very off-key rendition of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, which was followed by eighteen years’ worth of my nephews, nieces, and kids performing synchronized dances.
“Wow! I can’t believe y’all do that every year,” I commented. “What are you doing this year?”
“We were wanting on you to make the final decision, but we—well, everybody but Bryson, he doesn’t do it since he got kicked out of the kid gift pool when he went to college, Janelle said she would—we thought ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ would be fun to do again,” Damaris explained.
“Waiting on me,” I asked.
“Yeah, you always help us make up the moves, ‘cause you don’t mind looking funny,” Xavier piped up.
I wasn’t sure looking funny was a compliment, especially since I have two left feet, but I decided to take as one anyway. “Okay then, ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ it is.”





To read more and find the schedule for the free novella, keep track of the tour here: 

http://www.libbyaustin.com/through-infinity-blog-tour--thanks-for-the-memories-exceprt-schedule.html

Author Bio
One day some words came to mind, so I wrote them down. Soon the words became sentences, which formed paragraphs, which, in turn, formed chapters. Before long, those words had become a book.
When I'm not reading or writing, I'm a wife, mother, and business owner. I've lived on the Gulf, East, and West Coasts, but as a born and raised Southern girl, my favorite will always be the Gulf Coast. There's just no place like home...

Author Contact Links
Libby’s Webpage - www.libbyaustin.com

Giveaway

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2 comments:

  1. Thank you for participating in the through infinity blog tour & posting the thanks for the memories excerpt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're very welcome Libby! Thank you for letting me participate. :)

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