Welcome everyone!! We are very excited to be on the Down London Road Blog Tour and as you all know, we just love Samantha Young and ALL of her books.
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. I’d love
to visit 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 was
really inspired by Jo. She was a character who intrigued me and even worried me
a little in On Dublin Street.
I just knew she’d be a challenge and if I developed her well she would be the
backbone of the story. She surprised me so much. I absolutely love her.
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, but mostly I’m concentrating at
present on giving my readers more contemporary romance since that definitely
seems to be what the majority of my readers want to see from me. Plus, I’m
loving writing in this genre.
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 is going.
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
series! Woohoo! And I might just have something else up my sleeve for readers
but I’ll explain all soon…
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 is lush.
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 it’s the first time a
reader had me crying my eyes out. It moved me so much. To say it humbled me is
an understatement. That right there is why I love being a writer.
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.
Johanna Walker is used to taking
charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose
control....
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.
I cannot say how much I was looking forward to reading Down London Road. On Dublin Street topped my favorites last year and I just knew that this series was going to blow me away over and over. And believe me...I am not disappointed. Down London Road is just as fabulous as On Dublin Street. Does it top it? Nah....It comes close, but truthfully, the comparisons and likeness of these books really can't be measured.
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.
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.
Shelly is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on candy corn, go out to eat at new restaurants, buy paperbacks at little bookstores, site see in the new areas they travel to, listen to music everywhere and also LOVES to read.
Her own books happen by accident and she revels in the writing and imagination process. She doesn't go anywhere without her notepad for fear of an idea creeping up and not being able to write it down immediately, even in the middle of the night, where her best ideas are born.
