Today is a good day.
Reason 1) It is is my darling baby girls 1st birthday (happy birthday Pixie baby!).
Reason 2) It's our turn on the blog tour for one of my favourite authors, Penelope Douglas.
Reason 3) I was lucky enough to be granted time for a little tête-à-tête with the Fall Away gang! (See below for our Q&A.)
Falling Away is a fantastic addition to the Fall Away series (see our Falling Away review)
In case you have been living under a rock here is a quick reminder of the series.
Excited?
Now lets meet the gang for our exclusive (ish) Q & A session with the Fall Away characters!!
Hi everyone!
Thank you for sitting down with me today.
Lets start with you Jax.
You know K.C through Tate but what was it about her that made you want to be more than friends?
Jax: Her softness. It was an immediate attraction the first night I met her, and I wanted to touch her right away. At first, I was fascinated with how put together she seemed. She was clean and pretty and soft, and I wanted things like that in my life. But the more I got to know and observe her, the more disappointed I got. She never took chances. Never missed a step. After a while, I started to resent her a little, because I thought she looked down on me or thought I wasn’t good enough. That’s when I decided I’d had it. I was going push into her space and see if she let me back her into a wall or if she’d dig her heels in and stand her ground. That’s when Falling away starts.
Not to leave the leading lady out! K.C. are you hoping that telling your story in Falling Away will change readers’ opinions of you?
K.C: It took me a long time to realize that other peoples’ opinions shouldn’t matter. I simply wanted a chance to tell my story. I hope they see me in a better light than they did before, but at the end of the day, I have my friends, I have Jax, and most importantly, I’m happy with myself.
K.C: It took me a long time to realize that other peoples’ opinions shouldn’t matter. I simply wanted a chance to tell my story. I hope they see me in a better light than they did before, but at the end of the day, I have my friends, I have Jax, and most importantly, I’m happy with myself.
You've had a tough time of it with the people who were supposed to love and protect you. Has it been hard to forgive?
K.C: I don’t know if I’ve forgiven anyone really. With Liam, I’m simply glad he’s out of my life. With my father, I understand that he couldn’t control what he was doing, and I wish he was still here. But with my mother, I still don’t understand or think I can forgive. Maybe not for a while. Or maybe not forever. All I know is that when I saw her fall apart in my room, I wasn’t scared of her anymore. I’m happy, and I feel safe now. She needs help, and I could walk away and abandon her. She deserves it, after all. But I don’t want to do that. She can’t hurt me anymore, and I still want to understand things. I want answers, and I want to confront her and have it out when she’s better. I’m not ready walk away yet.
Now a question for both of you. Have you found 'the one'?
Jax: Hell, yes.
KC: Yes. I’ve never been this happy.
Another one for you Jax and I'm sure a lot of ladies will want to know the answer to this. Will you grow your hair back?
Jax: Juliet wants me, too, but I’m kind of enjoying something new. We’ll see.
I have a few more questions for all of you.
Madoc, You strike me as a man who takes care of his personal appearance so I have to ask, Manscaping... yay or nay?
One for the lovely Mrs Fallon Caruthers. I loved your father in Falling Away, he was very funny when he described your husband. How does he get on with Madoc really?
Fallon: Oh, I wouldn’t say they get on, really. My father trusts Madoc, but they have completely different temperaments. My father is more like Jared. Kind of subdued. But I think my dad likes my husband, he’s just taking time to open up to him still.
Fallon: Oh, I wouldn’t say they get on, really. My father trusts Madoc, but they have completely different temperaments. My father is more like Jared. Kind of subdued. But I think my dad likes my husband, he’s just taking time to open up to him still.
Madoc: Red!
Tate: White
Jared: What the hell are you guys talking about?
Juliet: I’m a lightweight. I can’t drink.
Jax: I don’t drink.
Fallon: Whiskey. I’m Irish.
You're a man after my own heart Madoc!
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
You're a man after my own heart Madoc!
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
Tate: In med school
Fallon: Pregnant, if Madoc has his way.
Juliet: Hopefully adventuring with Jax in the wilds.
Jax: Hopefully adventuring with Juliet in a tent.
Madoc: As long as I’m happy, I don’t care.
Jared: …
Last one I promise. Any plans for kids in the future?
Jared: …
Tate: Hmmm….
Madoc: *clears throat
Jax: *smiles
Fallon: *snort
Juliet: Oh, my God, you guys! Stop looking at me!
Thanks everyone!
(Big thank you to Penelope Douglas xx)
Thanks everyone!
(Big thank you to Penelope Douglas xx)
Synopsis:
Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid. K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away....
K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.
Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As the bond between them grows, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…
K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.
Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As the bond between them grows, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…
Falling Away - Chapter 6 Excerpt
As he made his way back through town, the only sound we could hear was the water on the streets being kicked up under the tires. He’d silenced the radio, we weren’t talking . . . and I felt as if he’d switched off.
Everything had felt alive when he kissed me. His heart under my palm. His breath in my mouth. His hands roaming over my skin as if they were trying to memorize every inch of me.
Now he was a bullet. Going from point A to point B without hesitation.
Until his flat tone finally filled the car. “Come home with me.” It wasn’t a question, and I couldn’t hear a trace of emotion.
I turned to him, stunned. “Are you serious?” I asked. “I don’t think I’d be enough for you.”
“Don’t do that,” he shot back. “Don’t ruin what happened between us. You were fire in my hands, and I want you to remember it, K.C.”
I could feel his eyes on me as I clasped the strap of Tate’s messenger bag sitting on the floor.
“Clothed, naked, I don’t care . . . ” He trailed off, sounding almost sad. “As long as your lips are on me again.”
I shifted in the seat, trying to buy myself time. What I wanted and what I should do were two different things. I’d fought that battle with Liam, my mother, and hell, the list went on. It was true when I told Jax that I wanted to be a mess. But I didn’t want to get hurt.
“Thanks for the lesson,” I said. “And the ride. But I’m not like you, Jax. I don’t just ignore the rules and take what I want.”
“You don’t know me.” His tone turned defensive. “You know nothing about me.”
“And what do you know about me?” I threw back. “Other than you wanted me to spread my legs in high school? You want to have fun with me and nothing more, Jax. Find someone else.”
He jerked the steering wheel to the right, and I grabbed the door handle to keep from vaulting over to his side of the car as he sped up into his driveway.
My heart jumped into my throat, and I shot out my hand, grabbing the dash when he skidded to a quick halt in front of his garage.
“Jax, Jesus!” I scolded.
He shut off the car, yanked the parking brake up, and turned to look at me, leaning his forearm on the steering wheel. “You think I don’t know you?” he challenged.
I pursed my lips. “Other than that I’m gutless and helpless, no.”
He shook his head. “You want to travel. To unusual and dangerous places. You hid a binder full of National Geographic pages in your locker in high school because you didn’t want your mom to see all the pictures you’d torn out to keep track of the places you wanted to visit.”
My jaw dropped slightly, and I widened my eyes. What?
He continued. “You didn’t eat lunch for an entire month senior year, because you saw Stu Levi not eating and found out his single mom was out of work and couldn’t afford to put money on his lunch card. So you put your own money on it. Anonymously.”
How did . . . ?
“You love dark chocolate,” he kept going, “Ricky Gervais, and any movie with singing and dancing.” His voice filled the car, and my heartbeat was in my ears. “Except The Wizard of Oz, because the witch freaks you out, right? And you’ve collected almost an entire set of vintage Nancy Drew books. You had the most badges in your troop in Girl Scouts, and you had to quit swimming when you were fourteen because your mom said that your shoulders were getting too muscular and you wouldn’t look feminine. You loved swimming,” he added.
I wrapped my arms around my stomach, the air turning cold. Tate and Liam didn’t even know all that.
“I didn’t drool all over you in high school, K.C. I listened to you. I paid attention to you. What the hell do you know about me?”
And he swung the car door open, climbed out, and slammed it shut, not waiting for an answer.
I sat there, watching him walk into his house and close the door.
Then the tears spilled over, and as much as I wanted to prove him wrong, I couldn’t go after him. He didn’t know that I’d watched him, too. He didn’t know that I’d paid attention as well.
I always saw him.
“Music centers you,” I whispered to an empty car, staring at his front door. “You listened to your iPod between classes and while you sat on the bleachers before school every morning.” I smiled, letting more tears run down my cheeks and thinking back to him and his black hoodies, looking so dark. “You love popcorn. Almost every kind and flavor but especially with Tabasco sauce,” I said, remembering the times he would come into the theater where I worked. “You hold the door open for women—students, teachers, and even old ladies coming out of Baskin-Robbins. You love movies about natural disasters, but they have to have some comedy in them. Your favorite one is Armageddon.” I swallowed and thought about how little I’d ever seen Jax truly smile. “And while you love computers, it’s not your passion,” I concluded. “You love being outdoors. You love having space.” My whole face hurt, the last words barely audible. “And you deserve someone who makes you happy. I’m just not that person.”
Buy Links - FALLING AWAY:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KWG5TVMAmazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OPZ0IHG
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-away-penelope-douglas/1119671367
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/falling-away-1
Buy Links - FALL AWAY Series:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/13odefi
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CgvGWE
B&N: http://bit.ly/1wYfsgn
Kobo: http://bit.ly/13PkiCX
iTunes: http://bit.ly/1CgwbQq
Author Bio:
Penelope Douglas is a writer in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to "just get the degree!" She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, The Originals, and she shops at Target almost daily.
Author Social links:
Website: http://www.penelopedouglasauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PenelopeDouglasAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PenDouglas
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/penelopedouglas/
Tsū: https://www.tsu.co/PenDouglas
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7139136.Penelope_Douglas
giveaway INFORMATION
Penelope is offering up the following prizes. The giveaways are international and ends at 11:59 PM CST 01/27/2015.
- (2) Swag Pack with a signed set of the Fall Away series + other swags (Intl)
- (2) $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Cards (Intl)
- (1) ARC of AFLAME to be gifted April 1, 2015 (Intl)
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