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Blog Tour – Subject to Change by Alessandra Thomas ~ Author interview, review and giveaway

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portrait of young  couple

Joey made her dad a deathbed promise that she would become a doctor, and dedicate herself to fighting the very cancer that took his life. There’s just one problem -three years into her pre-med classes, she’s struggling to stay on top of the curve, let alone prove she’s dazzling enough to earn a spot in an Ivy League medical school. In a Hail Mary move, she throws a basic Business 101 class into her semester schedule, banking on a perfect score to boost her GPA.

That is, until she’s paired for a final project with Hawk, the bartending, motorbike-riding, gorgeously bedheaded loser who falls asleep in class and communicates in one-word sentences.

Hawk does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, which sets Joey on edge – in every possible way. As they get to know each other, her urge to scream at him is curbed only by her fantasies of tearing his clothes off. Soon those fantasies become reality, and Joey realizes Hawk makes her feel more fully herself than any of the rich boys her mother and sorority sisters approve of.

But the promise to her father hangs over her head, and the harder Joey tries to succeed in her chosen career, the faster everything falls into a hopeless tailspin of bad grades, broken promises and guilt. It doesn’t help to have Hawk sitting like a devil on her shoulder, insisting she should be free to live however she wants to live – like he does.

The only thing Joey knows is that her neatly organized life is crushing her – and Hawk’s bad attitude might be the only thing that can save her.

50042-addtogoodreads 

Available from: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

The Lovely Alessandra popped in to chat to us…

Firstly we are so happy to have you here!  :)

AVA! Are you kidding? I love this blog so much! Thanks for having me.

~Congratulations on the success of Picture Perfect reaching Top 100 on Amazon, was that a surreal moment for you?

Yes, it definitely was – mostly because I always thought Picture Perfect would be a bit of a niche book. It seems like the issue of body image and weight is something that speaks to more readers than I would have thought. I’m sure the steam doesn’t hurt. :)

~Can you tell us what compelled you to write Joey’s story in Subject to Change?

A lot of people really loved Joey in Picture Perfect, because she seemed like the perfect friend. Now, I know from experience that when someone seems perfect, she’s usually not REALLY perfect – and often because she’s trying so hard to make it look like she is.

I knew a lot of people in college who had some kind of pressure from their families or their own past ambitions to pursue some career, only to find out that it just wasn’t a good fit for them. Often, that was a real struggle. So I wanted to amp that up, and add some romance in. Hence, Picture Perfect!

~Do you have a real life inspiration for Hawk because that man is HAWT! ;)

LOL, no, I really don’t, sorry. I guess he’s a bunch of different pieces put together. I wanted a guy who Joey would misunderstand, but the signs that made her think he was a loser had to be explainable in another way. So I gave him a motorbike, tattoos, and cigarette-stinky clothes, but gave them different reasons than “He’s a rebellious asshole.”

Also, the thin-but-cut type? That’s my type. ;) I just love those boys.

~Can you tell us a little about your writing process? Are you a planner with lots of notes or an open up a word doc and let it flow kinda gal?

I outline every novel according to a three-act structure, then I expand on it. If I veer too far off outline, I’ll stop drafting and re-outline.  When you self-publish, fast writing is really useful, because you need to spend a lot of time connecting with readers and bloggers. Outlining is how I keep myself speedy and sane!

~What has been the highlight of your writing journey so far?

It’s definitely been hearing from readers that Picture Perfect really resonated with them, *because* of its subject material.  When I wrote it, I wanted it to make every woman who read it feel beautiful and sexy, and I know it was largely successful from everyone who reached out and told me how much they enjoyed it. It’s wonderful motivation for getting more books out there, too!

~Will there be any more books from the Picturing Perfect gang?

You’d better believe it! There will definitely be one about Andi, called DROP EVERYTHING NOW, coming out early fall. I’m also thinking up a story for Olivia, Hawk’s baby sister.

~Can you tell us anything about what is next on your writing agenda? Are you currently working on anything? We need some deets to tide us over! ;)

Yes! I’m working on a top secret short story (in the Picturing Perfect series!) and Picturing Perfect #3, called DROP EVERYTHING NOW, where Andi has to leave school in her last semester to go home and care for a sick family member.

~In Picture Perfect it was all about self image and learning to love yourself and in Subject to Change it was about self discovery and finding yourself, these are great messages especially for the New Adult category, are these subjects you feel passionate about?

They absolutely are, and I think they are issues that young men and women away from home for the first two years, experiencing new freedom and responsibility, tend to struggle mightily with. I hope my books help my target audience understand that they’re not alone.

~And finally time for some this or that :)

Coffee or tea? Coffee.

Sweet or savoury? Sweet! But with salt. (Salty Caramel is my vice)

Too hot or too cold? Too cold. I hate the cold. HATE IT.

Smooches or snuggles? Smooches, but only if there’s tongue – snuggles, but only without clothes. ;)

eBook or paperback? EBOOK FOREVER.

Nate or Hawk ? ;) Oh, I don’t think it’s fair if I answer that, do you? I guess it depends on the day. ;)

Thank you Aless for chatting on Book Nerds with us! *hugs and smooches* :)

Thank YOU for inviting me over! This has been so much fun!!!!

***************

My Review…

I gave Subject to Change 3.5 out of 5 Book Nerds????????????????????????????????????????

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*

After reading Picture Perfect and meeting, as well as liking  Joey in it, I couldn’t wait to read this novel. It seemed like a good story about self-discovery, and not judging people by their first impression. I’m happy to say that I definitely got that, and much more.

            Joey was a really good character to read about. Her struggle with her major was so sad to watch, because it was obvious that she didn’t love it. However, I could also see why she kept working at it. I thought that it showed a very loyal and stubborn side to her character, and as much as I found it frustrating at times, I also found it quite endearing. I loved watching her change over the course of the novel into someone who made decisions for what she wanted out of life for herself, and not according to what someone else wanted for her.

            I really liked Hawk, as well. He was so much more than he first appeared. He seemed like a student who didn’t care about his classes or future, when really, he was so much more than that. He had a wonderful backstory, and I definitely liked him for going after what he wanted. He was very loyal to his family, but he was also someone who felt that he needed to be in control of everything. Therefore, he and Joey helped each other in many ways, since Joey taught him that he didn’t need to control everything around him, and he taught her to do what she wanted, instead of what other people told her she should do.

            The side characters in this book were great. I loved seeing Cat and Nate again. I think Cat was shown in such a wonderful light in this novel, and you really got to see how great of a friend she was to Joey. There were other side characters in the novel that I liked as well, but to say too much about them would be a spoiler. Although, I didn’t much like the doctor that Joey shadowed.

            The plot of the story was refreshing from all the other New Adult novels out there. Yes, there was the romance between Joey and Hawk, which I liked. More important to me were the themes of self-discovery. I’ve never read a book where the heroine is dissatisfied with her major, and I loved it. It was so good to read about that, since it happens all the time in college. Plus, I liked how Joey grew into a person that she wanted to be, instead of being someone who she thought she had to be.

            Overall, I think this was a good sequel to Picture Perfect. Whereas that story dealt with loving yourself, this one had to do with finding yourself. I think that both of these things are really great to read about, especially in the New Adult category. I definitely appreciate Alessandra Thomas for writing such real, relatable books. If you liked the previous book in the series, I definitely recommend you check out this one.

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Giveaway Time!!

1 signed copy and 3 ecopies of SUBJECT TO CHANGE, as well as 1 coffee mug and 2 t-shirts for 4 winners (US/Canada only) ENTER HERE

ABOUT ALESSANDRA THOMAS:Alessandra Thomas is a New Adult writer who swears she was in her twenties yesterday. Since she’s not, she spends her time looking back on her college years fondly, and writing sexy stories about guys and
girls falling in love and really living life for the first time. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and the newest New Adult release in the other.


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