Wednesday, August 27, 2014

I HEART YA 2014: Top Ten Favorite Love Story YA Couples + Swoon Worthy Character Interview by Author Marie Landry


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marie has always been a daydreamer; since early childhood she's had a passion for words and a desire to create imaginary worlds, so it only seemed natural for her to become a writer. She resides in Ontario, Canada, and most days you can find her writing, reading, blogging about writing and reading, listening to U2, watching copious amounts of TV on DVD, or having grand adventures with her nephews and niece. She's a hopeless romantic, an unapologetic eavesdropper (occupational hazard), an equally unapologetic squeeing fangirl, and a lover of swoonworthy book and TV characters.



Where to Stalk Marie!

Top Ten Favorite YA Love Stories
Anne and Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables. These two have a classic, hilarious love-to-hate relationship. From the moment Gilbert calls Anne ‘Carrots’ and tugs her pigtails, you knew these two were destined to be together.
Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter. I’ll admit to occasionally shipping Harry and Hermione early on, but toward the end of the series, Ron and Hermione were definitely my OTP. They’re so different but they’re perfect for each other.
Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss. The anticipation of whether these two would ever actually get together is one of the best parts about this book. I love that they were friends first before becoming something more. They got to know each other really well, and when they finally did get together, it was that much more special because you believed in their feelings for each other.
Echo and Noah from Pushing the Limits. Two tortured souls with a ton of baggage, helping each other through difficult times in their life. So swoony. So romantic. So beautiful.
Sam and Jase from My Life Next Door. Their love story is so sweet, but there’s also something incredibly sexy about it. You get the innocence of first/young love, but also this great heat and chemistry between them.
Perry and Aria from the Under the Never Sky trilogy. I love these two so much, and I’m glad we got to see their love story unfold over three books. They were funny and sweet and sexy, and just plain perfect.  
Amy and Roger from Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. Falling in love during an epic cross-country road trip? Yes please! I loved watching Amy and Roger’s relationship slowly blossom from acquaintances to friends to something more.  
Tess and Toby from The Boys of Summer. Another case of sweet and sexy. I related to Tess really easily, and felt like I was falling in love with Toby right alongside her. We get to see their love story continue through the rest of the series, and I always get really excited whenever they’re in a scene because I love them so much.
Cricket and Zach from Nantucket Blue and Nantucket Red. These two remind me in a way of Sam and Jase from My Life Next Door - there’s something almost innocent about their love, and yet it’s sexy too. They have a lot of obstacles through the course of these two books, and the way they deal with things makes me love them even more.

Anna and Bennett from Time Between Us and Time After Time. Separated by time and distance, and seemingly impossible obstacles. Such a beautiful, heartwarming love story. 
SWOON WORTHY CHARACTER INTERVIEW
EZRA RHODES (ANGEL ISLAND SERIES)

TeamNerd Reviews: What would you say makes you so swoon worthy to the ladies? What draws them to you (minus your gorgeous looks)? 
Ezra Rhodes: *fidgets* Can I direct this question to Charlotte? *laughs* I guess it’s that I have a good heart, maybe? I’m not one of those guys who pretends to be nice just to get somewhere with a girl. My mother raised me to be a gentleman, to be kind to people, respectful, and that’s how I am. I’m not a do-gooder by any means, but I do try my best to be a good person and make the people I love happy.
TeamNerd Reviews: How do you feel about having your life story on display for the world to read? Does it bother you that Marie Landry wrote a book depicting what happened to you and Charlotte?  
Ezra Rhodes: When Marie came to us and asked if she could write our story, we were both hesitant. I didn’t love the idea of people knowing my dad was an abusive alcoholic. Then I realized maybe someone would read my story and see they weren’t alone. I not only survived, I thrived. I know Charlotte felt the same way at first - she didn’t want her grief and pain and anxiety filling the pages of a book, but then she realized the same thing I did. This was a chance for us to help people, show them it’s possible to overcome tough times, be happy, fall in love, have great relationships, that sort of thing. Not only that, but Charlotte’s story was so much more than just how she dealt with the death of her mother - it shows her strength, her courage, her resilience. Plus it’s kinda cool to have our love story documented. It’s something we’ll always have.
TeamNerd Reviews: What would you say people misunderstand about you the most that drives you crazy? 
Ezra Rhodes: That I’m a ‘bad boy’. There were a couple incidents in high school that gave me that rep, but it’s not really true. I’m quiet and keep to myself, so people have dubbed me as ‘the broody bad boy’. *laughs* It’s kind of funny, really, because that’s so not me.
TeamNerd Reviews: What’s one of your most embarrassing moments you’re willing to admit publicly (keep it PG to PG-13!)? 
Ezra Rhodes: The first time my mom let me drive onto the ferry between Angel Island and Kingston, I guess I was a little too excited because I zoomed onto the ferry and ran into the car ahead of us. Turned out the girl I liked at the time was in the car with her mom, and she looked at me like I was a complete idiot. Luckily my mom knew her mom, and there wasn’t much damage to either car, but after that, every time the girl saw me, she just sort of shook her head and looked away.  
TeamNerd Reviews: What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t had the opportunity to yet? 
Ezra Rhodes: Travel. I’ve barely left the island my whole life. I want to see the world, and I hope to do that someday soon with Charlotte.
TeamNerd Reviews: If you could have your own personal theme song, which artist or band would you want to write it and what would the song be called? 
Ezra Rhodes: Definitely U2. They’re Charlotte’s favourite band, and in the year we’ve been together, it feels like they’ve been the soundtrack of our lives. As for what it would be called…U2 don’t exactly do traditional love songs, so maybe something like ‘Overcome’ - it could be about overcoming hard situations, having strength, and also that feeling of being overcome by your feelings for another person.  
TeamNerd Reviews: Let’s wrap this up with some fun questions to tease your fans with *wink*: 
Ezra Rhodes: *rubs hands together* I have fans? Actual fans? That is so surreal. And pretty damn cool. Okay, let me have it.
If you could have any superhero power which one would you want? I’ve always wanted to fly. And not just ‘leap tall buildings’, but actually fly.
Boxers, briefs or commando?  *checks* Boxers. *grins*
Favorite cuss word: Don’t tell my mom this since she hates it when I swear, but I guess I do kinda say ‘shit’ a lot.
Favorite sound: This is going to sound totally cheesy, but my favourite sound is Charlotte’s laugh. When we first met, it took her a long time to even smile, let alone laugh. Now she does it all the time, and it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.
Any tattoos? If yes, where is it and what is it of? If not, would you ever get one and what of? Charlotte, Ella, River, Sadie, and I all went to get tattoos this summer. River’s cousin is a tattoo artist, and did River’s first tattoo when for him when he was sixteen. I got a flaming phoenix on my shoulder. 

CHECK OUT THE ANGEL ISLAND SERIES

Waiting for the Storm (Angel Island Series, #1)
Check out on Goodreads!
Purchase on Barnes & Noble and Amazon!
Synopsis: After the death of her mother, the last thing seventeen-year-old Charlotte O'Dell wants to do is spend the summer on Angel Island with her family. Her younger sister hates her, and her dad is in his own little world. It's a recipe for a disastrous summer on the island, until Ezra Rhodes walks into her life. 

The boy next door makes Charlotte forget her almost paralyzing fear of really living her life. Stunted from taking care of her mother in her last months, Charlotte is drowning. With Ezra, she feels something again, and as he repairs her family's summer home, she dares to think he might actually be fixing her, too. Ezra challenges Charlotte to leave her comfort zone, and as their friendship slowly blossoms into more, Charlotte begins to come alive again.

But Ezra has secrets...secrets he isn't sharing with Charlotte. Despite her new-found happiness in Ezra's arms, Charlotte can't help but feel there's a storm on the horizon. And she isn't sure if she and Ezra can weather it unscathed.


After the Storm (Angel Island Series, #2)

Check out on Goodreads!

Purchase on Barnes & Noble and Amazon!

Synopsis: For most people, starting senior year at a new high school would be a nightmare, but for Ella O’Dell it’s the new beginning she desperately needs. Two months after her mother’s death, she’s ready to leave behind the rebellious, unhappy person she became when she found out her mom was dying. 

When Ella meets River Maracle and Sadie Fitzgerald, she begins to learn it’s okay to be herself, even if that means being different. River and Sadie aren’t ashamed of their misfit status—River grew up on a reservation, and his mother is the school counselor; Sadie stands out with her funky homemade clothes, and is a master at ignoring the whispered rumors that have plagued her since the beginning of high school. 

Ella finds a kindred spirit in Sadie, and something more in River. After almost a year of pretending to be someone she’s not, she finally embraces life and allows herself to have fun without constant guilt. But despite her budding happiness, something is off with her new life. She doesn’t want to dwell on the past, but Angel Island is a small place, and she soon realizes her demons are harder to outrun than she thought…

After the Storm is a standalone companion novel to Waiting for the Storm

Enter to win a swag pack from Marie Landry over on the I HEART YA 2014 Giveaways page!

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