Tour Schedule @ Lola's Blog Tours
Welcome to my tour stop for Synchrony by Cindy Ray Hale! (You can see my review here.) Cindy is talking about the love triangle in the Destiny series that rather escalates in this second book, Synchrony below, but first about the book:
(Destiny #2)
by Cindy Ray Hale
by Cindy Ray Hale
YA Contemporary
Paperback, 384 Pages
April 8, 2014
Paperback, 384 Pages
Summary
When her parents discover she’s been sneaking out with Isaac Robinson, the forbidden Baptist boy, Mormon girl Destiny Clark decides it’s time to keep their relationship quiet. As their relationship moves to shakier ground, Destiny discovers that Isaac has a terrible secret, and she is left completely shattered.
The moment Destiny feels all hope is lost, Preston Nelson, her longtime church friend and Isaac's bitter rival, arrives like a beacon of light. It isn't long before two separate disasters strike for Preston and Destiny's best friend, Hannah. As Destiny helps them through their issues, she discovers that sometimes the best way to forget about your own problems is to help a friend in need.
Just as her heart begins to mend and her friendship with Preston begins to heat up, Isaac walks back into her life, threatening to rekindle the feelings she’d hoped to bury forever. Will Destiny and Preston find the synchrony they so desperately need, or will she find a way to forgive Isaac and return to his outstretched arms?
Contemporary YA Romance
November 5th 2013
Summary
Destiny Clark, a young Mormon girl living in Tennessee, is wildly infatuated with Isaac Robinson, the headmaster's son at her Baptist high school. When they're cast together in the school's production of Les Misérables, Destiny is horrified to find that she has to be publicly humiliated by acting out her true feelings of rejection onstage.
As their rehearsals begin, Destiny realizes the unimaginable: Isaac has developed deep feelings for her despite their religious differences and the fact that he has a girlfriend.
But will they be able to find their place amongst the backbiters of their ultra-conservative world?
Weaving around Destiny and Isaac's alternating viewpoints, Destiny is the first book in a series inspired by the characters of Les Misérables and explores heartbreak, self-discovery, intolerance, and love.
You can see my review of Destiny here.
The Love Triangle
I love, love, love hearing from my readers. They all seem to have something to say about the guys I write about. There seem to be three separate groupings of people. Team Isaac, Team Preston, and the confused bunch who can't decide who they like. If you haven't heard about this, you should definitely check it out. The competition between Team Isaac and Team Preston is pretty fierce.
Meet Isaac and Preston to see what it's all about.
Isaac Robinson
Celebrity look alike:
Devin Bell, model and baseball player
Harmony cover model
Isaac is the headmaster's son, a senior, and the student body president at his Baptist high school. He's on the football team and is one of the top singers in Primus. He works for his aunt and uncle's Christian music company and dreams of signing a recording contract with them. Isaac and Destiny fall for each other when they sing in their school's production of Les Miserables.
Religion: Southern Baptist
Age at the start of the series: 17
School: A senior at Bethel Baptist Academy
Hobbies/interests: singing, composing music, playing guitar, playing/watching football
Drives: A black Ford F150 truck
Destiny is attracted to his charismatic personality, his smooth-as-silk singing voice, and the idea that might be willing to sacrifice so much up to be with her.
First Destiny and Isaac kiss:
Isaac reached up and slid the rubber band from my hair, allowing my hair to fall loosely around my shoulders.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. He traced a line down my jaw with his thumb. I raised my eyes to his. They were so dark, so full of promise, so forbidden. I wanted him to kiss me so badly my body trembled with anticipation. I lowered my gaze to his lips and decided in that moment to stop fighting. It was no use. I couldn’t do it anymore.
As though my focus on his mouth had encouraged him, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, softly at first, and then with such fervor, such passion. I responded immediately, kissing him back as though my life depended on it. It was more potent, more perfect, than any of my dreams. They didn’t even come close. His hands wrapped around the back of my neck, his fingers in my hair. He slid his arms down my back and wrapped them around my waist. We kissed until my knees went weak and I could hardly stand.
I pulled away, gasping for breath, but Isaac pushed me against the trunk of a giant oak tree and leaned in for more. He kissed me hungrily, like a starving man, desperate and wild.
Preston’s voice called through the woods. “Destiny? Isaac? Where are you guys?”
Isaac and I parted, but our eyes stayed glued to each other.
Preston Nelson
Celebrity look alike:
Christian Lopez, musician
(This one's kind of a given since he's on the cover of Synchrony. He's an awesome, genuine guy!)
Preston is best friends with Destiny's older brother, and she sees him almost every day. He's an Eagle Scout and started a lawn care company to save up for the two year church mission he plans on taking after high school. He spends a lot of time caring for his five younger siblings since his mom is often sick. He loves to tease Destiny, and he's there for her when
Religion: Mormon
School: A junior at Acorn Creek High School
Age at the start of the series: 16
hobbies/interests: painting, poetry, paintball, camping, hiking, playing Mario Kart
Drives: An old white pickup
Destiny is attracted to the way he sacrifices for his family, his strong work ethic, his love for the woods, his passion for poetry and art, his loyalty, and his caring heart.
First Destiny and Preston kiss:
I howled as she shoved snow down the back of my shirt, and we rolled several times down the slope as I struggled to get free. But her arms were locked around my neck. And then, somehow, she was pinned under me. Every vein in my body was on fire as I gazed into her crystal clear blue eyes. She released her arms from her vicelike hold on my neck. Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted slightly as though she’d just realized how close our faces were.
I had no idea what possessed me to do it, or when all reason had suddenly flown from my mind. But as I leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, all I could think about was how beautiful and pure she’d looked lying there in the snow with her hair splayed all around her in wild waves of perfection.
Honestly, if I’d stopped to think about what I was about to do, I never would have been able to go through with it. I mean, come on, how many years had I imagined what it would be like to kiss Destiny Clark? But that had always been pure fantasy. Especially after her nasty breakup. If I’d taken the time to consider kissing her, I would’ve convinced myself that the last thing she’d wanted was a kiss.
As my lips met hers, Destiny froze under me, shocked. At first, I thought she was going to push me off or slap me in the face, but after a moment, her body relaxed beneath me and, miracle of miracles, she wrapped her arms around my torso and pulled me in even closer. Her cold nose brushed mine, and her breath was warm on my mouth as she exhaled. Her lips were amazingly soft as she moved them over mine, and she tasted like…vanilla frosted cupcakes.
I’d never experienced anything so heavenly. It didn’t matter that there was melted snow dripping down my back or that I couldn’t feel my toes anymore. I finally had her arms around me, and she had just kissed me back. My legs could be broken at this point, and it wouldn’t matter.
So what are you? Team Isaac or Team Preston?
Devin Bell, model and baseball player
Harmony cover model
Religion: Southern Baptist
Age at the start of the series: 17
School: A senior at Bethel Baptist Academy
Hobbies/interests: singing, composing music, playing guitar, playing/watching football
Drives: A black Ford F150 truck
Destiny is attracted to his charismatic personality, his smooth-as-silk singing voice, and the idea that might be willing to sacrifice so much up to be with her.
First Destiny and Isaac kiss:
Isaac reached up and slid the rubber band from my hair, allowing my hair to fall loosely around my shoulders.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. He traced a line down my jaw with his thumb. I raised my eyes to his. They were so dark, so full of promise, so forbidden. I wanted him to kiss me so badly my body trembled with anticipation. I lowered my gaze to his lips and decided in that moment to stop fighting. It was no use. I couldn’t do it anymore.
As though my focus on his mouth had encouraged him, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, softly at first, and then with such fervor, such passion. I responded immediately, kissing him back as though my life depended on it. It was more potent, more perfect, than any of my dreams. They didn’t even come close. His hands wrapped around the back of my neck, his fingers in my hair. He slid his arms down my back and wrapped them around my waist. We kissed until my knees went weak and I could hardly stand.
I pulled away, gasping for breath, but Isaac pushed me against the trunk of a giant oak tree and leaned in for more. He kissed me hungrily, like a starving man, desperate and wild.
Preston’s voice called through the woods. “Destiny? Isaac? Where are you guys?”
Isaac and I parted, but our eyes stayed glued to each other.
Preston Nelson
Celebrity look alike:
Christian Lopez, musician
(This one's kind of a given since he's on the cover of Synchrony. He's an awesome, genuine guy!)
Religion: Mormon
School: A junior at Acorn Creek High School
Age at the start of the series: 16
hobbies/interests: painting, poetry, paintball, camping, hiking, playing Mario Kart
Drives: An old white pickup
Destiny is attracted to the way he sacrifices for his family, his strong work ethic, his love for the woods, his passion for poetry and art, his loyalty, and his caring heart.
First Destiny and Preston kiss:
I howled as she shoved snow down the back of my shirt, and we rolled several times down the slope as I struggled to get free. But her arms were locked around my neck. And then, somehow, she was pinned under me. Every vein in my body was on fire as I gazed into her crystal clear blue eyes. She released her arms from her vicelike hold on my neck. Her eyes grew wide and her lips parted slightly as though she’d just realized how close our faces were.
I had no idea what possessed me to do it, or when all reason had suddenly flown from my mind. But as I leaned forward and kissed her tenderly, all I could think about was how beautiful and pure she’d looked lying there in the snow with her hair splayed all around her in wild waves of perfection.
Honestly, if I’d stopped to think about what I was about to do, I never would have been able to go through with it. I mean, come on, how many years had I imagined what it would be like to kiss Destiny Clark? But that had always been pure fantasy. Especially after her nasty breakup. If I’d taken the time to consider kissing her, I would’ve convinced myself that the last thing she’d wanted was a kiss.
As my lips met hers, Destiny froze under me, shocked. At first, I thought she was going to push me off or slap me in the face, but after a moment, her body relaxed beneath me and, miracle of miracles, she wrapped her arms around my torso and pulled me in even closer. Her cold nose brushed mine, and her breath was warm on my mouth as she exhaled. Her lips were amazingly soft as she moved them over mine, and she tasted like…vanilla frosted cupcakes.
I’d never experienced anything so heavenly. It didn’t matter that there was melted snow dripping down my back or that I couldn’t feel my toes anymore. I finally had her arms around me, and she had just kissed me back. My legs could be broken at this point, and it wouldn’t matter.
So what are you? Team Isaac or Team Preston?
Book Trailer
About the Author
Cindy Ray Hale lives in a little slice of wooded heaven near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and children. She spends way too much time following up-and-coming musicians on YouTube and dreams of joining their ranks one day. She’s a bit of a health food nut and can’t live without her daily green smoothies. She tries to stay sane as she juggles writing with four kids, staying active on social media, and keeping up her book blog at http://cinnamoncindy.blogspot.com/. In addition to writing and self-publishing two Young Adult Contemporary novels, she has also written articles for "New Era" magazine and The American Preppers Network.
Tour-Wide Giveaway
-$25 Amazon Gift Card (INTL), and a Destiny Swag Pack which includes: a signed copy of Destiny, a signed copy of Synchrony, a Destiny bookmark, a Destiny magnet, a Destiny keychain, and a Synchrony keychain.
- An ecopy of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris and a swag pack
- A Camp Boyfriend swag pack by JK Rock
- An ecopy of Definitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia London.
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This sounds like a really cute read!
ReplyDeleteI finally have an illustrator spotlight to share! I featured two illustrators, actually. http://www.batchofbooks.com/2014/05/friday-favorites-16-illustrator.html
ReplyDeleteI read If I Stay by Gayle Forman a couple years ago and it stayed with me.
ReplyDeletethanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteTalk about a hard one...my favorite YA Contemporary book would be The Lichgate Series by S.M. Boyce....
ReplyDeleteI don't have a favorite. There are too many good books!
ReplyDeletedont have a fav
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to read these !!!!
ReplyDeleteThese sounds so cute, and I cannot wait to read them :)
ReplyDeleteI love the cover, and the book sounds great as well :)
ReplyDeleteOh my! It's to hard to pick. However I just started reading The Eight Day by Dianne Salerni and it is an outstanding read.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover, it is absolutely beautiful. And the story sounds just a as good.
ReplyDeleteThis was fun! I loved the celebrity look-a-likes!
ReplyDeleteNice cover! It sounds like an exciting book!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an awesome story. I don't really come in contact with a lot of romantic suspense novels, so thanks for your review!
ReplyDeleteI hope you like them when you do.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely some drama, but they were enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThat was a series that stayed with me too. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteI've seen that series around quite a bit. I need to try it out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to see what the author was going to share about her characters after I've already read the books.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to look it up.
ReplyDeleteThey're actually who was used for the models on the covers of the books. Kind of fun, eh?!
ReplyDeleteI agree. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like something different, which is nice.
ReplyDeleteHopefully it will turn out being so. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so behind in comments, but I'll be over tonight. I've really missed these!!!
ReplyDeleteThis was nice and romantic with a little suspense and a great ending! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a book that I would like. I love the romance part of it. Thanks for sharing. You read so many books and so fast!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read!Awesome characters :)
ReplyDeleteKind of crazy, I know. :) I've really raised my reading by listening to books a lot while I do other things (like right now I'm listening to one while I respond to comments). I just have a huge ARC pile from NetGalley and Edelweiss and I'd like to get through at least all the ones I've gotten this year. The ones I missed last year will have to wait.
ReplyDeleteIt was a really fun and good read. I really liked the chemistry between the two MC's. I hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it.
ReplyDelete