BLOG TOUR: Then, Now, Forever by Teodora Kostova

I am SUUUUUPER excited to bring you all the playlist for this FANTASTIC...AMAZING book THEN, NOW, FOREVER by Teodora Kostova.  

Music is such a pivotal role in my own life and it means so much when you see an author share that same love through their writing. 

Being able to see the connections and emotions flow from music to written word is mystical and enchanting. It really brings so much more to you when you can connect that way.

I also need to say right now...Teodora has excellent taste in music *wink, wink* I, too, am a HUGE, HUGE 30 Seconds to Mars fan and can really truly appreciate and RELATE to everything in her playlist...

So, take a look...tell me what you think..

Plus...ENTER THE GIVEAWAY at the end....

ENJOY!!

~Kat

Music is an essential part of my writing process. I can’t write in silence – it’s just weird. My taste in music is very eclectic – I can listen to almost anything. When I was writing Then, Now, Forever I had a wide range of artists and genres playing all the time. And when I say all the time, I mean all. the. time. My laptop was on for 16 hours a day, constantly playing music even when I wasn’t in the room. Walking back inside and finding one of my favourite songs playing always put me in the mood to write.

Even though I must have listened to hundreds of different songs while writing the book, the ones I chose for the official playlist are the ones I had on a loop while I was writing certain scenes. It’s amazing how someone, hundreds of miles away, a long time ago, has written a song and when you hear it, right at this moment, it means something very personal to you. Or, in my case, for my characters.

The theme song of Then, Now, Forever is Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors. It was like JT wrote it for Beppe and Gia. Every single line of the song resonates with my characters and their story.

Another song that reminds me of Gia and Beppe, especially of their relationship as teenagers, is Adam Lambert’s Never Close Our Eyes.

Beppe’s song has to be The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars. That was the song that I had on a loop for hours. It was the song that inspired Beppe’s character while I was still writing In a Heartbeat and concentrating on Max and Stella. It was the song that inspired Beppe and Gia’s whole relationship.

It is the song that defines the whole book.

I listen to 30 Seconds to Mars all the time, writing or not. Their music has definitely influenced my writing and the stories I tell. For Then, Now, Forever I listened to their new album Faith, Love, Lust + Dreams constantly.  While I was writing the book, I went to Italy for 4 days and saw 30 Seconds to Mars live. It was one of the most amazing concerts I’ve ever been to and logically it inspired me to write a whole chapter where Beppe and Gia, along with Max and Stella, go to a 30 Seconds to Mars show. It wasn’t planned before I actually went myself, but the experience was definitely worth writing about.

Another band which I adore is Three Days Grace. Usually, I prefer alternative to classic rock, but Three Days Grace’s sound is very old-school and very inspiring. They are one of the not too many bands that sound better live than in the studio.

Over and Over is a song I had playing throughout the book, as well as Gone Forever, Pain, Home and Wake Up.

Beppe has a tattoo with a quote from Rise Against’s song Rumours Of My Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated, so it had to make the playlist too.

Stupid Girl by Framing Hanley was on repeat when Gia was about to do something stupid, which was quite often.

Hurricane by 30 Seconds to Mars is an old favourite of mine. It asks an eternal question: “Would you kill to save a life?” It also paints a beautiful picture of a dysfunctional, yet perfect relationship – or at least that’s how I see it.

I listen to a lot of Green Day. A lot. When September Ends is a beautiful song, I’ll never get tired of it. It makes me all melancholy and dreamy, and puts me in the right mindset to write an angsty scene.

Songs:

1. The Kill – 30 Seconds to Mars

2. Hurricane – 30 Seconds to Mars

3. Over and Over – Three Days Grace

4. Stupid Girl – Framing Hanley

5. Closer to the edge – 30 Seconds to Mars

6. Mirrors – Justin Timberlake

7. Do or Die – 30 Seconds to Mars

8. Up in the air – 30 Seconds to Mars

9. If I had you – Adam Lambert

10. What do you want from me –  Adam Lambert

11. Californication – Red Hot Chilli Peppers

12. Gone forever – Three Days Grace

13. Never close our eyes – Adam Lambert

14. Pain – Three Days Grace

15. Home – Three Days Grace

16. Wake up – Three Days Grace

17. What goes around comes around – Justin Timberlake

18. Wait for me – Kings of Leon

19. Oh Love – Green Day

20. Let yourself go – Green day

21. When September Ends – Green day
22. Take me – Papa Roach
23. Getting away with murder – Papa Roach
24.  Was it a dream – 30 Seconds to Mars

Song quotes edits made by Teodora's very talented friend Amber at grownupfangirl.com

THEN

"Gia had let Beppe into her life so easily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She’d held him when he’d hurt so badly he’d thought he might die; she’d talked him down when he’d been so angry he’d considered doing something he’d regret for the rest of his life.
Gia had saved his life.
At least once he needed to be strong for her.
This right now, this moment, was theirs. It belonged to them, not to abusive or dead fathers, not to guilt, regret or sorrow, not to the past or the future."But will their love survive when tragedy separates them?
“I have to go, Gia. I’m tired and I feel empty. I know you need me, but I have nothing left to give you. I need to heal.”
“I miss you so much it’s hard to breathe.”

NOW"Beppe was still Gia’s closest friend. But they’d never be anything more than that again. Remembering what it felt like to have the person you love most in the world be torn away from you still hurt. Gia was determined never to be put into that position again."

There was never lack of love, but can Beppe win Gia’s trust again?FOREVER

“When I was broken you gave me pieces of yourself and made me whole again.”

Many nights she woke up so shaken by the need to feel Beppe close to her that her every nerve ending tingled with pain. She craved his touch like a drug addict in withdrawal. Gia would reach frantically for her phone and dial Beppe’s number with trembling hands. The ringing always seemed to go on forever while she waited for Beppe to pick up.

“Gia? Is everything OK?” She'd hear his sleepy voice and that was all it would take to make her break down. “Baby, you’re scaring me. Please say something.”

“I miss you so much it hurts to breathe.”

“Amore...” Beppe would suck in a tortured breath and Gia was sure he was crying as well.

They didn't need to say anything else and Gia was never sure how she’d fallen back to sleep, but when she woke up the next morning she always had the phone clutched firmly in her hand.

Beppe invited Gia to visit every time they spoke, yet every time she refused. If it was so hard to hang up the phone and severe the connection she had with his voice, how could she leave when she actually saw him, touched him, kissed him? It would be impossible and she knew it – she’d already let him go once, there was no way she could ever do it again.

 Hi, my name is Teodora and I live in London with my husband Ted and my son Jason. I've been writing ever since I can remember, but it became my full time job in 2010 when I decided that everything else I've tried bores me to death and I have to do what I've always wanted to do, but never had to guts to fully embrace. I've been a journalist, an editor, a personal assistant and an interior designer among another things, but as soon as the novelty of the new, exciting job wears off, I always go back to writing. Being twitchy, impatient, loud and hasty are not qualities that help a writer, because I have to sit alone, preferably still, and write for most of the day, but I absolutely love it. It's the only time that I'm truly at peace and the only thing I can do for more than ten minutes at a time - my son has a bigger attention span than me.

When I'm procrastinating, I like to go to the gym, cook Italian meals (and eat them), read, listen to rock music, watch indie movies and True Blood re-runs. Or, in the worst case scenario, get beaten at every Wii game by a six year old.

  Teodora on Facebook

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 In a Heartbeat Blog

 Teodora on Goodreads

Teodora's Blog

 In a Heartbeat on Goodreads

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Absolutely LOVED!!!! 

Gia and Beppe's story is epic!!!

Well, let me begin by saying that Teodora's first novel, In a Heartbeat, blew me away. I was so captivated by her writing style and the story was PHENOMENAL. So, how will book 2 compare to that? When I first met Beppe in IAH, I wasn't sure I would enjoy a whole story about him.

*chuckles*

Well, guess what?? Never underestimate a brilliant talented writer. Teodora stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the ballpark. 

Her amazing attention to details, her well developed characters, and the absolute genius in her plotline has you falling head over heels in Then, Now, Forever. From the prologue (and let me say, this prologue reaches in to your heart and squeezes it, making sure you are truly feeling for these characters) to the very last pages in the epilogue, each chapter leading further and further in to the lives of Gia and Beppe, you are enthralled. 

After this book, I really feel like Max, Stella, Gia, Beppe, and Lisa (plus a new fella that has popped up on the block) are my family. When they hurt, I hurt. When someone does them wrong...you know the motto...mess with one of the family, you deal with the WHOLE FAMILY!!!

Then, Now, Forever gave everything to us. I had no idea where it was going or if things were going to work. Between the heartache and struggles all I could hope for was that HEA. Did I get it?? HA!! Like I am going to give that away....I will tell you a little more about our wonderful couple. Gia and Beppe are a people that feel, love so strongly. But, many times their feelings are worn on their sleeves and when this happens, things are interpreted wrongly and the world crumbles.

Soooo, by the end of this book, what were my thoughts of Beppe? Had they changed??? Yeah...most definitely...my perception of Beppe had changed. The old saying of "Don't judge a book by its cover", well I should have listened to that. I will have to let you see how amazing he is by reading the book....

Full of passion and humor, Then, Now, Forever is a suspenseful tale that will FOREVER be a part of my favorites list!!!

A definite MUST READ!!!

AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!
One winner will get ecopies of 
IN A HEARTBEAT & THEN, NOW, FOREVER
PLUS....
This awesome....AWESOME....SWAG!!!!
(A Bracelet & Necklace with quotes from the book)

a Rafflecopter giveaway