Guys, I'm insanely excited today because I get to participate in an incredible promotional tour for Daisy Whitney's stellar new young adult contemporary novel, When You Were Here, which releases tomorrow, June 4, from Little, Brown. In case you missed it, check out my review of this awesome book here.

This was such an exceptional read for me and, as someone who has notoriously suffered from a general aversion to the contemporary genre, I think it's safe to say it means something when a book really makes me feel something. So, without further ado, please enjoy Daisy Whitney's awesome interview about the character of Holland, a complex, tricky and, ultimately, heart-winning character.

Q: Holland, though a secondary character, plays an extremely important role in Danny's emotional healing. How did you balance Danny's healing process with that of Holland's?

Her healing process comes in what’s unseen and what she’s gone through over the last year before the story starts. When we meet her, she’s already begun to heal and that’s why she’s able to reach out to Danny many times, even though he’s not ready for her for a long time. But they both need to restitch themselves from the past wounds if they have a chance of being together.

Q: When writing Holland's character, did you know immediately that you wanted her to be a driving force behind Danny's journey to find peace, or did that sort come about along the way?

I always intended When You Were Here as a story about the kind of once-in-a-lifetime love you can find when you’re a teenager, so yes, Holland was always part of the plan, and even though her character changed in revisions, my endgame for her was always the same. (Readers can find out what that endgame is!)

Q: Holland could easily have become a jaded shell of a character after the circumstances she has to endure. How did you manage to keep her relatable, sympathetic and every bit as worthwhile as the protagonist, Danny?

It wasn’t always easy! She was a bit of a flippant, flirty, cold-fish-hot-fish in the first draft! But by diving into the backstory of when they were first together and showing more of those scenes, I was able to get at the heart of her character and why she fell in love with Danny. But since Danny doesn’t always see what’s in front of him, she needs to try harder to connect with him and she does that by going to his house, by offering to cover for him if he wants to skip graduation, by bringing him Chinese takeout, by trying to tell him why she broke up with him (though he cuts her off), and by continuing to reach out while he is in Tokyo.

Q: Holland is actually a very brave and selfless character, but we don't immediately see these traits. What was the meaning behind leading us to believe one thing, then revealing more and more later?

Because that’s how Danny experiences her. Because the truth of why she left is explosive and has been hidden from him intentionally.

Q: Is Holland's persona based on someone in real life, or was she simply the perfect counterpart for our broken protagonist?

Holland started with an idea, an archetype - the girl next door that the boy is madly in love with. She was molded and sharpened from that clay, but at heart, she is the girl who has always cared for Danny ever since they were kids, and the girl who still cares for him.

And, for your viewing pleasure, here is a never-before-seen video of Daisy in Japan!


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Last, but certainly not least, the generous folks at Little, Brown and Daisy Whitney have offered up five finished copies of When You Were Here for my lucky readers. This awesome giveaway is open to all residents of the US (no PO Boxes, please!) Simply fill out the Rafflecopter to enter! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: When You Were Here
Author: Daisy Whitney (Twitter)
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publish Date: June 4, 2013
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 257
Source: Publisher

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see. Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

Danny is adrift. He just lost his mother, his life is spinning into a world that is darker, harder to emotionally process and, frankly, he's completely overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done. When a letter arrives from his mother's treatment facility in Tokyo, it's his chance to step away from it all, process what has happened and maybe, just maybe find out how to cope with his mother's death and how to take the first steps in moving on. But first, he needs to set forth on a journey of self-discovery.

When I look for contemporary fiction to read, I look for something that will actually tug at my heartstrings and make me feel something. There is something to be said for a book that can coax you to the brink of tears, and then ever-so-carefully walk you back off that ledge and help heal you through its pages. I've read some of Daisy Whitney's work before, and I have to say that When You Were Here is a standout among not only her titles, but many books on the shelves today. Intricately weaving the arduous process of grieving with an incredible journey of self-discovery, When You Were Here not only tugs at your heartstrings, but will help you heal and find a sense of peace.

So often in YA books, we're presented with a male narrator whose voice is far less than authentic, disingenuous and, frankly, a mere shade of what we might consider a teenage boy to truly sound and act like. When You Were Here, however, gives us an eighteen-year-old boy in Danny, and we can sense the authenticity of his voice from the start. Rather than simply telling us how he feels in the wake of extraordinary loss, we watch as he expresses his pain through his actions and interactions with others, breathing life into what could have been a very shallow and lifeless story. Throughout the story, we're presented secondary characters such as Kana, who helped care for his mother's apartment during her treatment. I was so worried we'd be offered a cloying and false relationship for instant gratification and momentary comfort, but instead we're offered a powerful character who offers Danny friendship when he needs it most. One of the most powerful elements for me, however, was the introduction of Holland, Danny's ex, and how her storyline was ultimately ingrained within his own. We learn that appearances and pretenses can be deceiving, and there is much more to her story and, because of this, Danny's story, as well. Through it all, When You Were Here breaks us down to our barest emotions, then helps us slowly and gently piece ourselves and our emotions back together with great humility, which is an incredibly powerful thing to do.

I know that I'm writing a dissertation here, but When You Were Here was such a beautifully-crafted book that I could sing its praises all day. With a true and genuine voice and endless heart, this book is pure magic. I give it a 5 out of 5, and I recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction. I do want to advice readers of tasteful sexual situations, so this might be for an upper YA audience.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

I can't believe it's almost that time of year again! On December 30, 2009, started my a little blog called i swim for oceans because nobody wanted to hear me babble about books anymore. In just over one month, I will be celebrating my second blogoversary! Can you believe it?!

In that time, I've learned to write better reviews, interact with publishers and authors, met some incredible bloggers and even had the opportunity to go to BookExpo America in NYC (and can't wait to go again!) In honour of this though, I'm celebrating all of YOU! Thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for making this SO much fun, and thank you for being a part of the blogosphere!

The Details:

There will be four (4) winners. Each winner will win two books. The first name drawn will choose their books. The second winner drawn will choose two books. The third winner chosen will two books. The fourth winner will win the final two books. Want to see what's up for grabs? (Bear in mind that they are all ARCs for which I have duplicates, so they are untouched.)

The Rules:

You do NOT have to be a follower to enter but, as always, it is greatly appreciated! This giveaway is open internationally, and it will end promptly at 12 AM EST on December 21, 2011.

Click HERE to enter!

Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.
Taken from GoodReads.

The Mockingbirds is the story of teenage musician, Alex, who attends the prestigious and progressive Themis Academy. The boarding school is run on a sort of honor code with a hierarchy, giving the older students more privileges and allowing them more free time. However, when the free time backfires and Alex is date-raped, she has to decide whether to be the victim, or whether she wants justice. If she decides on the latter, she'll have to enlist the help of the Mockingbirds to bring her rapist to justice.

I've been dying to read The Mockingbirds for a while now, and I was so excited to get my paws on it and crack it open. In some ways, I was extremely pleased with it, but in other ways, I'm a bit on the fence. First, I must say that Daisy Whitney has an exceptional writing voice. Clear, concise, and fluid, she perfectly captures the conversational tone of the story, allowing the reader to move at a quick and steady pace. Furthermore, she has taken some very delicate subject matter (and a topic that many would shy away from) and made it into a story that's poignant, believable, and relevant.

I'll start with what I really enjoyed about The Mockingbirds. The story starts in the aftermath of the actual event, letting is quickly get into Alex's head. I was really pleased that the story got going right off, but I had a bit of a problem with the backstory muddled into the mix of the first three chapters, almost as if to just get it in there. I felt that pulled me out of the story, and that sucks. Once the story got going again for me though (around page 80), the pacing was steady and nice. My next issue was not so much with the book as it was with the punishment Alex's rapist received. In my own humble opinion, I don't think that it was harsh enough, and I was truly hoping that The Mockingbirds would impart a much more vengeful sort of justice, but colour me crazy.

In the end though, I think that The Mockingbirds is a brilliant story. Well-written, delicately balanced, and only a few flaws (in my opinion) scattered throughout, I think it's a story that needs to be read. I give The Mockingbirds a 3.5 out of 5, and I would recommend it to an upper YA audience due to sexual content and language, as well as adults, and fans of contemporary fiction.

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Alright, now for the three winners of the FOUR ARCs, generously provided by Hachette Book Group, random.org has chosen:

Ivy Hawthorn, Jan von Harz, and Deepali

Congratulations, ladies! You have 48 hours to send me an email to my address on my contact page, and I'll get your info off to the publisher. To those who didn't win this time - never fear! I'll be holding another international giveaway soon - a big one!

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Here are the rules: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The vein in my forehead beats so hard I'm afraid everyone can hear it. I'm convinced it's going to burst, explode in a shower of blood in class, and everyone will turn around and say, "For a good time, call Alex."
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

And now, for my Tuesday Teaser...For those of you who don't know, I do my Tuesday Teasers differently (and yes, I add this disclaimer every time). Each week, I feature two sentences (or more) of something I've written, leave it up all day, then remove it around 11 PM. You're welcome to comment on it, love it, hate it, or simply read it at your leisure...if you'd like, of course. This week's teaser is from my current WIP, RACE.

The air is clearer up here, and I can see the moon for the first time since, well, ever. Even though the night is inky, the air is biting, and the pain stacks up from my skin to my core, I've never been happier to be invisible.