Blog Tour + #Giveaway: SELECT FEW by Marit Weisenberg @MaritWeisenberg @JeanBookNerd

Monday, October 29, 2018

Blog Tour + #Giveaway: SELECT FEW by Marit Weisenberg @MaritWeisenberg @JeanBookNerd

Series: The Select (Book 2)

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen (October 9, 2018)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9781580898294

ISBN-13: 978-1580898294

Praise for SELECT FEW

“...mixing mystery with science fiction with a heaping dose of romance." ―Kirkus Reviews

"...a page-turning adventure." ―School Library Connection

After rejecting the cult-like influence of her father's family, Julia moves into a fancy hotel in downtown Austin. But she finds herself alone except for her boyfriend, John--and her fears. Once again she's suppressing her abilities, afraid her family will come for John when they find out he's been developing abilities of his own in her presence. The FBI is also keeping a close eye on Julia hoping she can lead them to her father, Novak, as he's wanted for questioning in his former assistant's death.

With tensions high, Julia and John agree to go separate ways for the summer, paving the way for Julia to reunite with Angus, fellow outcast. Together they set out on a road trip to California to find Julia's mom and a way into Novak's secret underground world. Along the way Julia will learn the Puri perhaps aren't the only humans evolving into something different. . . and that maybe she's the leader her people have needed all along.

You can purchase Select Few at the following Retailers:

Deleted Scene from SELECT FEW

(Deleted from Chapter Fourteen)

I dialed and waited, realizing I was nervous. Come on, pick up.

John picked up on what felt like the last ring.

“Hey! It’s me.” I said.

John cleared his throat. “What time is it?”

“I woke you up. I’m sorry.”

“Wait. Can you hold on a second?” he asked.

I waited while I heard noises of shifting and drawers opening. Then a heavy door being opened and closed. He was in a hotel hallway.

“Okay, now I can talk.”

“How’d the tournament go?”

“Fine.”

“What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean?”

“I hear it in your voice.”

“Tell me how you are. What have you been doing? Do you like Palo Alto?”

“I’m fine. I’ve been in my hotel room mostly.” I hated lying. “Tell me what’s going on?”

“Nothing. Playing tennis, dinners at restaurant chains, same old same old.”

“Are you enjoying it?”

“Not really. If you were here, I’d like showing off for you.”

“I love when you do that,” I said, smiling. “Do you have any groupies?” Why was I always so jealous when it came to him? It was almost a joke between us because he knew it.

“Not at all.”

“That’s hard to believe.”

“Seriously. Alex is the one who gets all the attention. The ladies love Alex.”

“How’s he playing?” I asked.

“Good but not as good as me,” John said immodestly.

“I’m sorry,” I said suddenly, dispensing with the small talk.

“It’s been only a few days and—

“I know. It feels terrible.”

“Exactly. I’ve missed girlfriends before--”

“Thanks a lot.”

“You didn’t let me finish. I’ve missed girlfriends before but this feels like a whole other realm of different. Like it’s unnatural that we’re apart.”

I tilted my head to the side and said, “In the culture I came from, people select one another at about our age. They fall deeply in love and that never seems to change. They stay together for life. It’s different than out here.”

“So you’re saying that’s how we’re supposed to be?”

“It would make sense,” I said, feeling surprisingly shy. “The way we met—love at first sight. Our inability to stay away from each other.”

“It’s good to hear you admit that. I thought I was the only one.”

I had a flash of my sister that first day we saw John, how she’d continuously craned her neck to look at him when we never, ever gave outsiders the time of day. For the first time, I wondered if John and Liv would have connected that day—just like Novak predicted—if I hadn’t broken the rules and exposed us in public. It had created chaos. Maybe I had inadvertently changed the course of how things were meant to go, just like Novak warned us would happen if we broke rules.

I hated that thought. The way I felt about John that day at Barton Springs, I had to believe he was always meant for me, not my sister.

I realized I’d left him hanging. “You are not the only one, you know that. If I ever seem hesitant, it’s only because I wanted to keep you out of the line of sight—of the FBI, the paparazzi, anyone watching me. Not to mention, I want your parents to like me. I hope you know, I wanted you with me at the W, every second.”

“You didn’t ever tell me that.”

I laughed, “It wasn’t obvious?”

“No. You can be reserved.”

“Always?”

“No, not always.” John said, I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Probably because I’m always worried.”

“No, don’t worry,” John sounded like he hated the idea of me being sad. “You deserve to be happy.”

Did I? What had I ever done to deserve anything? I’d been a silent witness while Novak took advantage of people and ruined families. I hadn’t even been disturbed by it for most of my life. Now that he really knew me, I wasn’t sure what John saw in me. Why had he never gotten very scared? If for one second the Fords knew what my presence in John’s life had caused…

“I miss you,” I said, wanting to feel close to him but feeling so selfish.

“What are you wearing?” he laughed.

I looked down and my filthy, dusty clothes. “Nothing exciting.”

“You’re supposed to lie then.”

I started laughing. “I really, really miss you.” I wished I could tell him everything about what I’d seen in the past two days, the Pueblo, the train and this valley. I felt like I was on an adventure and Texas was years ago. Instead he thought I was in California and I’d never be able to tell him.

“I’ll be there soon,” he said softly.

Maybe two months was relatively soon but it stretched out like a dreadful eternity.

I wanted so much more than I could get over the phone. I just wanted him.

I heard a door open in the hallway and Alex ask in the background what John was doing. Annoyed, John told his brother to go back to bed.

“You better go,” I said. It was too hard for me tonight to want to be close to him and lie at the same time. “Good luck tomorrow.” I kept my voice light.

“I’ll call you tomorrow night,” he said, his tone suddenly neutral again, the more private and personal part of our conversation interrupted. It left me wanting more. I held myself back from saying ‘I love you,’ not wanting to sound as vulnerable as I suddenly felt.

“Bye,” I whispered.

We deleted this phone call between John and Julia during her road trip with Angus in Chapter Fourteen. In the final version, Julia calls John but wakes him up and they agree to talk later. The original was meant to express their longing for each other and the challenges of staying connected when you have a long-distance relationship. It never worked! It was just a lot of talking and slowed down the story. Some bits of the conversation made it into later conversations. I do like Julia explaining how, in her culture, people pick one another young and stay together for life.

EXCERPT

Three broken hairbrushes. A shattered terra-cotta rabbit’s head. Really, Julia? Broken shit everywhere. When you asked me to open that drawer to read the Stanford packet, I thought you wanted me to see that you were using your abilities. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?

I love you. I notice everything.

Photo Content from Marit Weisenberg

Marit Weisenberg received her BA in English from Bowdoin College and her Master’s Degree from UCLA's school of Theater, Film and Television. She has worked in film and television development at Warner Brothers, Universal, and Disney. She lives in Austin with her husband and two daughters.

Marit’s debut YA novel was Select, and she worked on the first draft of the book over the course of eighteen months during Amanda Eyre Ward’s class ‘Write a Novel in a Year.’ As of now, there are two books in The Select series.

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