So, today we have a fascinating interview with Sam and then both of us have read and reviewed Down London Road. Take your time, scroll through, and of course....Enjoy!!!
TSK TSK: Now that you have written in two different types of genres,
paranormal and contemporary, which do you prefer to write in?
Sam: That’s a tough one. I
love writing paranormal because of the world-building. My imagination gets a
really good workout when I’m writing in that genre. But I love writing
contemporary because I really get to sink my teeth into characterization and
that’s my favorite part of writing.
TSK TSK: What is your favorite holiday and why?
Sam: My favorite holiday is
Christmas. I love the movies and buying gifts for people and having a day where
it’s perfectly acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast.
TSK TSK: What is your typical day like?
Sam: I answer emails and
any promo correspondence in the morning and then run my errands. Break for
lunch. Write. Break for dinner. Answer emails, social media. TV or reading
break. Write until the wee hours… then sleep.
TSK TSK: What do you do for fun?
Sam: For fun I spend time
with my friends and family, either going for lunch/dinner, or a movie, or going
for a long walk and just chatting and catching up on our busy lives. I also
read. My kindle fire is my baby.
TSK TSK: Where is one place you are dying to travel to?
Sam: The U.S. Virginia , Boston ,
the Cape, Chicago , Seattle ,
and New Orleans
TSK TSK: How did the concept for On
Dublin Street and Down London Road
come to you?
Sam: On Dublin Street was
about writing a story that emotionally I understood well—setting the book in
Edinburgh and creating a heroine that I relate to because I understand what it
means to lose someone you’re close to at a really young age. Down London Road Dublin Street
TSK TSK: Now that On Dublin
Street is a NYT bestseller, has it changed you any?
Sam: I’d say that it
definitely made me believe that if you work hard for something it can pay off.
I have a tendency to be quite hard on myself but I guess I’d say I’m a lot more
content with who I am and what I’ve achieved, and have eased up on myself a
little bit lol.
TSK TSK: Have you set any new goals to achieve?
Sam: I’d love to hit the
NYT bestseller list again with Down
London Road
TSK TSK: What is your favorite thing about Scotland ?
Sam: The scenery. It makes
me feel peaceful and at home.
TSK TSK: What book has left the biggest impression on you so far in
2013?
Sam: I haven’t had a chance
to read as much as I would like to this year, and I haven’t read a lot of new
releases. I did read Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead and I absolutely love where
the spin-off series to Vampire
Academy
TSK TSK: You're a big music lover, how much does it influence your
writing? What are you listening to right now?
Sam: Music is a huge
influence on my writing. I can’t write my notes without it and if I have
writer’s block I pop my earphones in my ears and take a walk. Music for me
plays like a soundtrack—either the music itself or the lyrics inspire scenes in
my head or conversations between characters. At the moment I’m listening to
Night Visions, the debut album from Imagine Dragons and The Arrogant by The
Rumour Said Fire.
TSK TSK: You took a trip to the Dominican Republic this past year.
What was the most amazing part of the visit or country?
Sam: Honestly, the most amazing
part of the visit was standing at the edge of an infinity pool and looking out
over that stunning blue ocean. It was incredibly peaceful and because I’ve been
so busy it was just lovely to have ten days of infinity pool and ocean.
TSK TSK: Are you hoping your YA books are picked up by a big
publisher or do you want to continue to self publish them?
Sam: Whether it’s YA or
Adult, in the end which method of publishing I choose will come down to a) is a
publisher interested? And b) What do I think is best for the book? I enjoy
traditional publishing and self-publishing, so it’s really a case of
opportunity and what makes sense at the time. The YA books I’ve self-published
already really work well in the indie world so for now they’re good where they.
TSK TSK: What's the best thing about being with NAL (Penguin)?
Sam: Working with such a
great team, most especially my editor Kerry. She really gets me and we work
really well together. I’m so immensely proud of what we’ve all achieved with Down London Road
TSK TSK: Can you tell us anything about what to look forward to in
2014?
Sam: The third book in the
On Dublin Street
TSK TSK: We love Claudia McKinney of Phatpuppy Art as much as you do.
She seems to really "get you" and your stories. Will you be able to
continue to work with her on your adult contemporary projects? *fingers crossed
'cos she's all kinds of AWESOME too*
Sam: I love Claudia! She’s
fabulous. Her artwork is just beautiful and I’m surrounded by it in my home and
in my work. Unless my contemporary romance is traditionally published (trad
publishers have their own art team), I really hope to work with Claudia on
contemporary projects in the future. Her cover art for On Dublin Street
TSK TSK: On Dublin Street
is continually being requested in other countries around the world. Is its
success still a bit surreal?
Sam: Oh definitely, yeah! I
don’t think it will ever 100% sink in lol.
TSK TSK: What is the best or most memorable comment you've received
from a fan?
Sam: I had a fan write me a
really personal email after she read On Dublin Street
And now...Let's do a round of...
Rapid Fire Five:
Song you have on repeat:
Hear
Me by Imagine Dragons
Book you're reading right now:
Re-reading the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones to catch up to
book four.
Favorite color:
Green.
Last item purchased:
A
table lamp.
Latest obsession:
Pretzels.
It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.
But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.
Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.
New York Times bestselling author Samantha
Young is a 27 year old book addict who graduated from the University of Edinburgh. She
lives in Scotland.
Paperback
Ebook
It was pretty bloody brilliant. I'd really like to say just that. That. Is. All. But you wouldn't let me get away with that, would you? Neither would Sam so I'll do my best to explain why this book was so damned good. I'm going to do that a wee bit differently than I normally do. Instead of going on and on about how much one of Sam's books affects me; emotionally, physically and spiritually, because, well... we all know I could spout that for days on end; I'm passionate, sue me. No, instead I've decided I'm just going to point out what I loved about the story hopefully without giving anything away.
Down London Road gets SCORCHING 5 FLAMES for these reasons and many more:
•The fact that this story, Jo's story, is so completely different from Jocelyn's and yet pulled me in as quickly and easily is a testament to Samantha's ability to make the ordinary people seem extraordinary. What made the story so dramatic and compelling was not only watching the characters grow beyond what they endured and settled for, but also how Sam explored the many dynamics of several distinct relationships that when combined created this unique, fascinating and entertaining family. ANIMATED, ENDEARING and REASSURING.
•Jo: She had a tough act to follow after Joss and Ellie, but Jo has her own charm. She pulled my heartstrings and drew me into her skewed perception of herself and the world around her. Self-deprecating and sacrificing, even at her weakest she has a strong voice and an iron will. NOT A DAMSEL, JUST DISTRESSED.
• How much we get to see our favorite characters from On Dublin Street. They were actually an integral part of the plotline. EXCELLENT.
• The relationship between Jo and Cole: No sibling rivalry here. They have a very special bond. I loved their banter and how protective they are of each other. HEARTWARMING.HEARTBREAKING.
• While NO ONE could ever compare to Braden Carmichael, Cameron MacCabe can hold his own. He is definitely more than meets the eye. He's the bad boy next door. PERFECTLY IMPERFECT. And apparently he has a nice ass.
• The passion: Holy hell! Sam really pushed the envelope here. What these two have is animalistic; rough, raw and intense. Real but never dark. PERFECT.
• Can't forget about the beautiful descriptions of Edinburgh. The landscapes, the architecture, the very streets that inspired these stories of true love. ROMANTIC. PROVOCATIVE.
At times painful, always powerful, thought provoking AND highly arousing, Down London Road is truly magnificent. An absolute must read for anyone who dreams of growing up and moving on, getting second chances and finding true love. In other words, the hopeless romantic. And YOU.
So, Down London Road leads us through the life of Johanna, aka Jo. We meet her in ODS and see small glimpses in to who she is, but within these pages, Jo's life is completely laid out in front of us.
She is the character that you really love to read about. She is not perfect yet she wants you to think there is nothing wrong in her life. She dates a particular standard of men and with that, a stigma is placed on what type of person she really is. And the interesting thing about that is she knows what people think and she lets them continue to think that way....regardless if it is the truth or not. But, this isn't the heart of the story. The further you dive in to this tale, the more details are revealed and we begin to see the woman that Jo really is.
She is a hard-working, determined, lady that tries so hard to keep her faux persona real. When in turn, we see the insecure, scared attributes control everything she does.
When a chance encounter with a man that is nothing like her "standard" guy gives her a dose of what people judge her for, it is then that she feels the fire inside and lets loose.
Meeting Cam forced Jo to look in the mirror and accept that she could no longer live the way she was living.
Of course, not only does Cam bring about a change in her to be the kind of woman she is proud of, he shows her the type of love and passion she was missing from her relationships.
Jo's story is one that you can't put down....can't let go of. You get wrapped up in Jo and feel everything she is going through. You could feel the hot steamy passion between her and Cam and you could feel the gut-wrenching, heart-breaking events that tore her apart. And all I could think about was...PLEASE let her have an HEA...PLEASE!! If there is anyone out there that deserves one...it is Jo...
Does Cam provide that for her? I won't tell...I can say that Cam blew me away!! He is definitely one of the most romantic guys I have read about. I completely fell head over heels for him...He melted my heart with his actions and words. But, the moment came in which he pissed me off. TOTALLY PISSED ME OFF!!
So, I was holding my breath and feeling the knots in my stomach as I was reaching the end.
Completely enthralled with this intriguing, tantalizing, life changing journey that as I came to that last page I was depressed to see it end.
Absolutely PHENOMENAL book that will be in my tops for 2013 and also on my favorites list.
We would like to say a special thanks to Erin at Penguin Group/Berkley/NAL for all that she has done.
Loved the interview and the reviews :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ellen! <3
DeleteGreat interview, and I too love DLR, Cam is hot-alious!
ReplyDeletefound you guys on Lisa Renee Jones bloggers in May page, nice to meet ya!
Lol. I love it! That he is!!! Lisa Renee Jones is AWESOME! Isn't that feature just the coolest. We sure appreciated her adding us. Thanks so much for stopping by, and nice meeting you too! ;)
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