Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: Some Kind of Normal by Juliana Stone

On tour with Sourcebooks.

This is the second book from this author in the YA genre. Both have fun voices and engaging stories. Check out the excerpt and giveaway below...

Some Kind of Normal
by Juliana Stone
YA Contemporary Romance
Hardcover, 304 Pages
May 5th 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire

Summary

What is normal? For Trevor, normal was playing fast guitar licks, catching game-winning passes, and partying all night. Until a car accident leaves him with no band, no teammates, and no chance of graduating. It’s kind of hard to ace your finals when you’ve been in a coma. The last thing he needs is stuck-up Everly Jenkins as his new tutor, those beautiful blue eyes catching every flaw.

For Everly, normal was a perfect family around the dinner table, playing piano at Sunday service, and sunning by the pool. Until she discovers her whole life is a lie. Now the perfect pastor’s daughter is hiding a life-changing secret, one that is slowly tearing her family apart. And spending the summer with notorious flirt Trevor Lewis means her darkest secret could be exposed.

This achingly beautiful story about two damaged teens struggling through pain and loss to redefine who they are, to their family, to themselves, and to each other is sure to melt your heart.

     

Praise for Juliana Stone

“Just what readers need.” –School Library Journal

“A contemporary romance with a conscience…Stone writes it with confidence and style.” –Kirkus

“The classic miscommunication, the emotional pushing and pulling, the ‘will she?’ and ‘won’t he?’ of the destined-to-be-in-love. Readers of Miranda Kenneally, Jenny Han, and Susane Colasanti will enjoy Stone.” –VOYA

“A story of family, first love, and forgiveness. I couldn’t stop reading. I loved it!” –Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan

Excerpt

“You got any?” he asked.
“Any what?”
“Tattoos?”
“Me?” I had to laugh at that. Wow. Before last year that would have been grounds for major punishment. Heck, up until my senior year, I hadn’t been allowed to wear lip gloss. Now I wasn’t so sure that my mom would even notice, and since I avoided my dad whenever I could…
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “My skin is untouched.”
His eyes widened a bit, and I felt heat creep up my neck. Great. Now I was blushing again.
“Untouched,” he said with that lopsided smile that made my stomach dip. “I like that.”
“You do?”
“Yep. A clean slate. There’s something almost poetic about that, you know? Tragic too. How many people get a do--over?”
Trevor reached for my hand, and though my first instinct was to snatch it back, his long fingers enveloped mine before I had the chance. He turned my hand over so that my palm faced up and then traced the little blue lines that ran down my wrist.
I can’t lie. It felt weird and good, and my heart took off once more, so fast that I was surprised he couldn’t hear it.
“This is…kind of…like ink,” he said, his words a little slow as if he was thinking hard. “But it’s alive.”
He glanced up again, and all I could do was nod before my eyes dropped to his hand. Mine was still there, small and pale next to his large palm and tanned skin. I saw the thin blue veins that ran down my wrist, the ones that carried blood from my heart, electrifying my cells and feeding my body.
His thumb rested just beneath my pulse, and I swallowed thickly. Crap, he was going to feel how fast it was, and that would be embarrassing.
“Your fingers are rough.” I blushed harder and thought that there was no way I could sound any more like an idiot. Not even if I was trying.
“Yeah,” he answered. “It’s from playing guitar. I practice a lot so my calluses are nice and strong.”
“I used to play piano.”
Wow. Good comeback. I guess it was better than a clarinet or trombone, but really. Dork much?
…Had he always looked this intense?
“What?” he asked. He smiled again and I thought that on a scale of one to ten, his smile was a total eleven. “You’re into the classics. That’s cool. Didn’t picture that.”
“Really. What exactly did you picture?” Shoot. Did I really want to hear this?
“I don’t know. PBS and that Jane Austen?”
Okay. First off, I was impressed that he knew who Jane Austen was, and secondly…he knew who Jane Austen was!
I dropped my eyes, because I was pretty sure that my cheeks were as red as the roses planted just outside the library. Trevor Lewis wasn’t anything like what I thought he’d be. He wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t arrogant. He wasn’t slow or weird.
He seemed pretty normal to me.
You know, for a guy with tattoos and blue hair.

About the Author


USA Today bestselling author Juliana Stone fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she split her time between baseball, books, and music—three passions that carried over into adulthood. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult and adult contemporary romance, and does so from her home in Canada.

Also by Juliana Stone

Boys Like You
by Juliana Stone
YA Contemporary
May 6th 2014 by Sourcebooks                  

Summary

One mistake. And everything changes.

For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart –leaving her empty and broken. There’s a hole in her heart that nothing can fill –that no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her Grandma isn’t going to change that…

Nathan Everets knows heartache first-hand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it’s his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn’t going to change that…

Captivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt – looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.

       Indigo Chapters

Tour-Wide Giveaway

50 comments

  1. The story sounds like something I'd absolutely LOVE. Plus, I haven't read enough YA contemporary lately. But the content warnings are certainly a turn off. If only clean mainstream fiction weren't so hard to find. Thanks for the review!

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  2. Very cool covers! I like the design elements. Great excerpt as well- it makes me want to read the book!

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  3. I like the covers as well. I think I am going to have to get these books, they sound right up my alley :)

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  4. Yes to both of these! I love Jessica Day George!

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  5. I am really looking forward to this book. I loved the excerpt and can't wait to read the rest!

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  6. My husband, a retired Marine has PTSD.

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  7. Connie Saunders4/25/15, 3:23 PM

    I can't wait to see the friendship be renewed and the love deepen.

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  8. Me too, Dena! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  9. We almost didn't share it and I just couldn't let that go. It does make you want to read it, like, now. ;)

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  10. Thanks for sharing, Megan!

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  11. I'll have to look The Poppy Factor up. It is terrible. I was happy to see Becky tackle this tough subject and make it redeeming and hopeful.

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  12. Thanks for commenting, Angie!

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  13. That is just tough! Thanks, Lori!

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  14. She's fabulous, so I hope you get a chance to.

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  15. I would have to second that. ;)

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  16. That's rough. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Phew. Yes, thankfully. That was a tough era and war.

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  18. I thought the excerpt was fabulous as well. It about kills me that I have to wait to read this one until closer to my scheduled review. Too many books between now and then to tackle.

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  19. I believe you can use it for either site, but if you win, we can double check that. Thanks for asking.

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  20. Isn't it, Mary?? Just pulls you right in. :)

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  21. I LOVED Meant to Be Mine. I'm looking forward to this one as well.

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  22. Oh my goodness!!! Sometimes I want my kids to never grow up and just be safe at home for forever! Glad he's safe, at least.

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  23. Doesn't it??!!! These characters both seem pretty complex and I think it'll be a really sweet ending.

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  24. I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. What a great thing!

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  25. Thanks for sharing! And I'm with you on reading the rest.

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  26. Me too, Connie. Thanks for commenting!

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  27. It does pull you in. I really felt for Trevor and really Everly too. It can be tough in high school, especially when there are issues like these two have.

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  28. Definitely check out my review here: http://www.wishfulendings.com/2015/04/review-some-kind-of-normal-by-juliana.html.

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  29. That's how I feel. If it would have been cleaner this easily would have been a five for me.

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  30. It definitely sounds unique AND it's a series! I'm all in. :)

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  31. Me too! Future read-along maybe for Jessica's?

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  32. The covers for both of these are fabulous! I hope we both love them!

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  33. Thanks, Stina. I'll be over...

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  34. i won amazon.com gift card and when i redeemed it for the first time the girl at amazon said it automaticaly went onto my amazon.com account so the amazon gift card and amazon.com gift card can only be used on amazon,com and amazon.ca cards on amazon,ca
    Subject: Re: Comment on Wishful Endings: Blog Tour Excerpt & Giveaway: A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

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  35. Glad we have similar tastes. :)

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  36. I think it sounds really good, so I'm glad you agree. ;)

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  37. Ronald Gagnon4/26/15, 12:35 AM

    Thank you so much for this quick, heartfelt and knowledgeable response..I will forward it to him so that you can believe there ARE OTHERS out there that do care.
    May the sun shine brightly upon you wherever you are!

    Ron

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  38. Sounds fun! Let me see if I can get my hands on a copy... :)

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  39. I have known a couple of people with PTSD but I didn't know know them!

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  40. Thanks for commenting, Sierra!

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  41. I think a lot of people do care. It's just that we tend not to talk about it. Thanks, Ronald!

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  42. I don't have one either, so I'll have to do the same. I just think it would be fun. We can definitely do the last Finishing School book too. That was fun and it's a great series!

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  43. `Love the excerpt! I dont know anyone with PTSD

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