Monday, November 30, 2015

Book Spotlight & Giveaway~ Something like a Love Song


Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a chance at one of the following prizes: Grand Prize: $25.00 Interlude Press Gift Card. First Prize: 5 e-copies of 'Something Like a Love Song'. The contest closes on December 9th. The book tour is sponsored by Pride Promotions.

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Becca Burton, author of Something Like a Love Song. Hi Becca, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.


Thank you for having me. Something Like a Love Song is my first novel, a story about two long time boyfriends who find themselves facing a life changing tragedy and have to find the courage and love for each other to fight through.

While this is my first novel, I have posted many stories online, and have been writing ever since I learned how. I currently work as a nurse in a Neonatal ICU, and medicine has been a big interest in my life, and always seems to find a way into my writing. I am passionate about diverse, LGBTQ fiction, and am very excited to contribute to this genre. 


What book do you wish you could have written?

Am I allowed to say Harry Potter? Actually, while I’m sure it’s nice to be as renowned (and wealthy) as J.K. Rowling is now, I’m not sure I would like the amount of pressure that comes with such success! I think that I can say pretty truthfully, that I’m just happy to have written the book that I have, and instead of wishing I could have written something else, I use other books I admire and love as inspiration or motivation to become a better writer.


How important are names to you (in your books)? Do you choose names based on liking the way it sounds or meaning? How do you choose your names?

I chose names both ways. Sometimes I just hear a name that I really like and that won’t leave my head, and I have the name before I have the character. Sometimes, like with Dylan, I search forever for a name to fit the character, and then I find one that just seems to click. Sometimes when I’m looking for names, I’ll read through baby name books or websites, or read lists of interesting or trending names. There are some really amazing, unique names out there, and I love to read the meanings behind them!


Were you already a great writer? Have you always enjoyed writing?

 I don’t know that I would say I’m a “great” writer. I have always loved to write, and I know that I’ve gotten where I am today because of lots and lots of practice writing so many stories that will never see the light of day. While there are times that writing can be a lot of work, or when I’m stuck on something and I wonder why I ever decided to do this to myself, when it comes down to it, writing is a part of me and I can’t imagine my life without it!

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing ever since I was little and first made books out of construction paper and yarn! Even when I was little I was obsessed with creating stories and writing them down, and while they weren’t always the best of stories, I kept at it for so long, that eventually I couldn’t stop. There have been periods of my life where I have taken a break from writing, either willingly or unwillingly, but I always seem to find my way back to it eventually!


What hobbies do you enjoy?

I enjoy spending long afternoons or nights reading books. I love to read, and often do that when I’m not writing. I’ve taken up knitting in the past few years, and while I’m really not good at it, it’s been a fun hobby to try and learn! I enjoy doing yoga and going hiking when the weather is nice. I wish I could say I had some sort of cool hobby like fencing or base jumping, but really I mostly just read and play with my cats! 

Now let's check out Something Like a Love Song by Becca Burton....


Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: C.B. Messer
Release Date: November 19, 2015

Blurb:

One tragic night left Landon and Dylan’s dreams of happily ever after in apparent ruin. Forced to overcome physical and emotional trauma, the young lovers turn to a network of family and friends as they attempt to rebuild their lives. But can their one constant—their love—survive the changes both undergo on the road to recovery?

Pages or Words: 308 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt:
Landon's bed is in the center of the room, and Dylan’s heart begins to pound in his chest as he takes a step forward, hesitates. Landon looks so small, tucked into the middle of the bed, and everything about the scene is unnatural and wrong. His head is wrapped with thick bandages, for which Dylan is grateful—he isn't sure he could handle that. Just the thought of what's happening to Landon, to his fiancé, is enough to make his throat constrict, his chest tighten.
A ventilator tube parts Landon's lips, and his chest rises and falls in equal, rhythmic whirrs. IVs line his arms; the wires snake from under his hospital gown. His freckles stand out starkly against the unnatural pale hue of his skin, except where the deep purple of a bruise creeps from under the bandages and swells down to his left cheekbone. It seems impossible that only hours ago they were laughing in the park, holding hands and eating ice cream from the small corner stand; it’s like some distant memory, a fading dream. But the ache deep in Dylan’s chest, the way his stomach is knotting itself, the too-clean smell of the hospital burning his nose, Landon's face, battered and bruised—Dylan can't look away—all this is too real to be a dream, no matter how badly Dylan wants to just wake up, wants all this to go away and everything to be okay.
"You can touch him, if you want," Brittany says, her voice soft. "We need to make sure to reduce extra stimulation, to allow his brain time to recover, but it's okay to hold his hand."
Dylan looks up at her. Her smile is kind and understanding. Then he turns back to Landon and takes a small step forward. Landon's hand is right there, resting above the covers, and Dylan doesn't know why he's so nervous; he's held Landon's hand more times than he could begin to count. But, surrounded by machines and tubes, Landon has never looked so utterly fragile, as if he could shatter at the lightest touch.
"It's okay," Brittany says from behind him, and Dylan squeezes his eyes shut, tears pricking behind his eyelids. "You won't hurt him."
Landon's skin is cold; his hand is unnaturally still. Even in sleep Landon's hand would always find Dylan's, their fingers would curl together like a reflex.
Not now.
"I'm so sorry," Dylan whispers, holding on a little tighter. "I'm so..."
His voice catches, the words bottling up in his throat, unable to escape. Landon's chest rises, falls, in, out.
In, out.
"You're so hurt, and it's my fault," Dylan manages, his voice barely audible above the machines keeping Landon alive. "It's all my fault and I'm..." He exhales slowly. "I'm so sorry."
He swipes his thumb across Landon's knuckles, over the dips and grooves, and vaguely notes that Brittany has left them alone. He sinks down into the small chair beside the bed, not letting go of Landon's hand.
"You need to fight, okay? I need you here, with me, and I can't..." There's nothing left inside him except an empty, hollow feeling and the knowledge that Landon can't hear him. Landon’s engagement ring is in a dish on a table beside the bed, along with his watch, and Dylan fishes them out and tucks them into his pocket.

Buy the book:

Tour Dates & Stops:


Meet the author:
Becca Burton penned her first Nancy Drew fan fiction at the age of nine and has been an avid writer ever since. Currently working as a Neonatal Intensive Care nurse, Becca is a recent Oregon transplant from the Midwest. Becca has a weakness for coffee, the smell of old books, rainy days and her cat, Luna. Something Like a Love Song is her first novel.


Where to find the author:

Twitter: @missbeccaburton

GIVEAWAY: Grand Prize: $25.00 Interlude Press Gift Card. First Prize: 5 e-copies of 'Something Like a Love Song'



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1 comment:

Becca Burton said...

Becca here - Thank you so much for the feature and the interview!

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