Review: DRIVE by Stephanie Fournet
I have loved everything I’ve read from Stephanie Fournet, and DRIVE did not disa[...]
Please give a warm welcome to Cassie Shine, she’s stopping by today for an interview as part of her HARP’S SONG Blog Tour (organized by JenHalliganPR). Check out the book, her Q&A, and then enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below!
Harp’s Song
by Cassie Shine
In just a few months Harp Evans will be officially coming of age and graduating from high school. She will be free from the mother that never wanted her, the house that never felt like home, and the disappointment of the last seventeen years. What she doesn’t know is that her mother has been holding onto a secret that has the potential to derail her dreams and destroy her already faulty sense of self.
A self-proclaimed recluse, Harp spends most of her time practicing the cello, in the hopes of earning a full scholarship that will grant her freedom, but will also send her away from her best friend Connor Williams, who is becoming more than just a friend.
As revelations are made, will Harp still feel the same way about leaving everyone that cares about her behind? Or will she continue to pursue the life she’s been dreaming of, for as long as she can remember?
Q&A with Cassie Shine
In the length of a tweet (140 characters), tell us about your book.
How do u overcome the hand you’ve been dealt? Harp relies on music & her best friend, but is that enough? #HarpsSong #YA
Are you working on something new? Can you tell us what’s coming next?
I am working on a young adult project that explores how a young man, a senior in high school, battles with his grief after watching his dad struggle with a debilitating disease.
If you were stranded on a desert island what are 3 things you’d want to have with you?
1. How to Survive while Stranded on a Desert Island for Dummies (book)
2. A pocket knife
3. My hardback, collector’s edition of Gone with the Wind
Is there a song you could list as the theme song for your book or any of your characters?
I fell in love with Home by Gabrielle Aplin. The melody and the lyrics just grabbed my heart and made think of Harp.
“Home”
I’m a phoenix in the water
A fish that’s learnt to fly
And I’ve always been a daughter
But feathers are meant for the sky
So I’m wishing, wishing further
For the excitement to arrive
It’s just I’d rather be causing the chaos
Than laying at the sharp end of this knife
With every small disaster
I’ll let the waters still
Take me away to some place real
‘Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone
Is where you go when you’re alone
Is where you go to rest your bones
It’s not just where you lay your head
It’s not just where you make your bed
As long as we’re together, does it matter where we go?
Home home home home
So when I’m ready to be bolder,
And my cuts have healed with time
Comfort will rest on my shoulder
And I’ll bury my future behind
I’ll always keep you with me
You’ll be always on my mind
But there’s a shining in the shadows
I’ll never know unless I try
With every small disaster
I’ll let the waters still
Take me away to some place real
What do you listen to while you write? Or do you prefer silence?
I listen to music constantly. I can’t handle writing in silence. I need the bass to push me along and the lyrics to inspire me. Sometimes I will spend the entire day writing with one song on repeat because I connect with it so much and it helps set a mood for what I’m writing at that time.
Do you have any hobbies? Writing doesn’t count!
I love to bake, and if I do say so myself-I’m pretty darn good. My neighbor and I are always trying out new recipes and then exchanging the finished product with each other. Some of my favorite things to bake are banana walnut bread, lemon meringue pie, flourless chocolate cake … and pretty much any cookie because I love cookies!
What drew you to writing this genre?
I enjoy Young Adult books … a lot. I don’t know if that’s because I’m a teeny bopper at heart or if it’s because I feel like that there is so much at stake when you are young and experiencing things for the first time. The world today is complicated. Everyone has his or her story, and I thought by making Harp’s Song a YA book, I might be able to help those who feel lost or are going through similar experiences as her. But, if someone reads this who is not experiencing the same things, then maybe it will help him or her gain perspective and empathy for what others might be facing.
What book do you love that doesn’t get a lot of hype?
God-Shaped Hole by Tiffanie DeBartolo
I wish so much that I’d had this book when I was younger-when I always felt like something was missing and that no one else understood me. This is a beautifully and creatively written story about soul mates, and about finding the balance-the yin and yang-in yourself, in love, and in life so that the vacancy feels less consuming. It’s almost hard to describe why I love this book, but I can promise you that reading it is an experience.
Do your friends or enemies ever find themselves in your books?
Yes and yes. I am a firm believer that everyone you encounter has an impact on you. This is what I wrote in my acknowledgements in Harp’s Voice:
To all the people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, some of them good friends at one point in time, others acquaintances, and others foe. You’ve been in my path for a reason. Whether for a minute, a day, a week, a month, a year or more—you all had something to teach me. Sometimes, through your actions, you were there to show me who I did not want to be. Other times, you were there to make me laugh, or help me learn how to live during rough times. Thanks to all of you for teaching me a lot of stuff. I’m a better person for knowing you, and I carry your lessons with me every day.
Were you a reader as a child? Did you have a favorite book?
I was an avid reader as a child and teen. The first series I completed was The Little House on the Prairie and I never looked back. I read Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Gone with the Wind … a lot of books with strong females and I like to think that rubbed off! It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I think I have to go with the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I would read one and hop right to the next devouring the drama and the characters.
About Cassie Shine
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | Goodreads
Cassie Shine released her debut young adult novel, Harp’s Song in November 2013, finally finishing the short story she started in her college creative writing class … many, many moons ago. She has always been an avid reader and lover of music (yes, she was in the high school marching band). While she has a weak spot for all things teeny bopper, especially boy bands, she also loves classical, country, rock and well, pretty much everything.
After living in St. Louis for more than ten years, she and her husband packed up a U-Haul and headed west. They currently live in Orange County, CA with their furry kids Finnegan and Molly.
Many thanks to Cassie Shine for stopping by and answering my questions. Readers, enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below!
Giveaway
Enter to win a signed copy of HARP’S SONG with $25 Amazon gift card! (US/CA only) or an ebook version (international).
***Any contestant that uses dummy or contest only accounts to enter will be disqualified.***
Tour Schedule
Monday, April 7th – My Stars Book Blog (Review)
Tuesday, April 8th – Cuzinlogic (Interview) & Savings in Seconds (Review)
Wednesday, April 9th – Once Upon a YA Book (Top 10 Lists)
Thursday, April 10th – Girl Meets Books (Guest Post) & Imaginative Minds (Review)
Friday, April 11th – Swipe the Pages (Review & Dream Cast)
Monday, April 14th – The Real Bookshelves of Room 918 (Review)
Tuesday, April 15th – A Book and a Latte (Interview) & Actin’ Up With Books (Review)
Wednesday, April 16th – Sleepless in Chicago (Review)
Thursday, April 17th – Mythical Books (Guest Post) & Deal Sharing Aunt (Guest Post)
Friday, April 18th – My Daily Romance (Review)
Monday, April 21st – Plain Talk Book Marketing (Guest Post)
Tuesday, April 22nd – Book Bliss (Guest Post) & Books Books Books (Review)
Wednesday, April 23rd – Inside the Pages of a Book (Interview)
Thursday, April 24th – Fictionally Obsessed (Post/Excerpt) & Forever Obsession (Review)
Friday, April 25h – Through the Booking Glass (Review)
It just makes me so sad to think of children in real life feeling like this. So so sad.
Melinda Dartmann recently posted..Fic Fare: Cuddlebloghoppery: Best Series Blog Hop
Twitter: jeneaw0716
says:
Thanks for sharing the interview. The book sounds emotional and something I will be picking up.
Sounds good! I too can listen to the same song on repeat all day – I actually find repeating songs are better, new songs are distracting.
What a great book (and LOVELY cover)! This sounds really interesting and I can’t wait to read it and to know what happens to Harp! Love the interview and thank you for your giveaway. 🙂 I’m crossing my fingers!! ♥
This sounds really good!! And what a LOVELY cover! ♥ Love your interview and thank you for the giveaway. 🙂 Can’t wait to read it soon! I’m crossing my fingers!
This looks like a good book thanks for hosting
Autumn recently posted..Dear Nobody Week 4 (Street Team Post)
You won’t believe it, but there are even certain audio
book publishers that won’t allow their audio books to be copied to CD.
The many benefits of audiobooks are being “discovered. With audiobooks you can enjoy TV sit-coms and comedy shows, perhaps ones you know very well or shows you didn’t experience the first time round but have heard people raving about.
audiobook review recently posted..audiobook review