Last Chance Summer
Shannon Klare
Publication date: May 26th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
In Shannon Klare’s fun and sexy YA novel Last Chance Summer, a teen is shipped off to work as a counselor at a summer camp―only to butt heads with her co-counselor.
Alex is a sheriff’s daughter with a less than pristine reputation. When she’s caught drinking at a party by her dad’s deputy, she’s in deep trouble. With an already incriminating incident in her past, Alex’s parents ship her off to her aunt’s summer camp to work as a counselor.
What’s worse than spending your summer deep in the mosquito-infested woods of Texas?
Being paired with an obnoxious co-counselor who wants nothing to do with you.
Alex is determined to make the best of her summer, even if it means putting up with Grant, who has secrets of his own that he’s determined to protect. Can Alex and Grant put their egos to the side and find the bright side of a summer that neither of them signed up for?
Interview with Shannon Klare
For those
interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where
should they start?
First,
I would do a thorough characterization of Alex. Think about her
actions and motives (whether you agree with them or not), and then
try to figure out why she makes these choices. What is
driving her character development? How does she change from beginning
to end, and as a reader how does your opinion of her change? Why do
these changes occur? I think that’s a pretty solid starting point.
How did you become
involved with the subject or theme of your book?
The
subject of this book came from an introspective look at myself, after
working at a summer camp as a teen. I briefly worked with kids from
a group home, and though mine was a brief interaction and learning
experience, as an outsider to their problems I think I was more
focused on helping them fix their situation rather than being
a sounding board and a source of support. That being said, I wanted
to center this book around accepting people where they’re at and
being there for them as they grow and develop. Changing someone
because you want to change them isn’t a solution. If they’re
comfortable where they’re at, it’s our job to be accepting and
supportive.
What were your
goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you
achieved them?
My
goal was for people to step outside their viewpoint and see Alex as a
flawed character but accept her for who she was. Alex had endured a
situation most of us would never have to endure at her age. That
molded who she was as a character and set her on a path she had to
learn to navigate on her own. I think as a reader it’s easy for us
to quickly judge her for her actions, and disagree with her attitude
or motives, but as a person she was changed by her situation. This
happens in real life as well, so I hope watching her arc throughout
the story helps people realize a flawed person isn’t a bad one.
They’re growing and learning and their actions aren’t wrong just
because we think they are. I think I did a good job at getting that
message across. I hope I did.
Anything you would like to say to
your readers and fans?
First
and foremost, thank you for you unending support! I’m so grateful
to everyone who’s been with me through the publishing process, and
I can’t wait for you to read Last Chance Summer! This book
was by far the most difficult I’ve ever written, and I hope you
love it.
What did you enjoy most about
writing this book?
I
really enjoyed writing Alex’s character. She’s so different from
any character I’ve written before, and though that made writing the
book extremely difficult, I think I grew a lot as a writer. I also
loved writing the conversations between her and Grant. They had me
laughing non-stop.
Can you tell us a little bit about
your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I
have a couple of ideas floating around in my head, a few of which I’m
still trying to plot out. My favorite at the moment is about an
undercover high school matchmaker. It’s light and fresh and funny,
and I think it’s going to be a ton of fun to write!
How long have you been writing?
I
started formally writing in 2012, so eight years now. Informally,
I’ve been writing since I was young. I would pull up WordPad on my
old school Mac and would jot down various ideas. I can’t remember
any of them, but I remember enjoying writing way back then.
Can you tell us a little bit about
the characters in Last Chance Summer?
Alex
is the spunky and rebellious daughter of a small town sheriff, who
finds herself in a life-shattering situation that sends her down a
path of self-discovery and self-forgiveness. Grant, her witty and
sometimes cocky co-counselor is sweet and funny and the perfect match
for her occasional bad attitude. They keep each other in check, and
butt heads as both try to find a middle ground and survive the
summer. These two characters are probably some of my favorites I’ve
ever written.
I
mean, I would have to choose Grant. He’s funny and knows how to go
geocaching, one of my favorite outside activities when there aren’t
snakes or spiders involved. We would probably swing by Starbucks,
grab an iced coffee, and hit the local geocaching spots.
Author Bio:
Shannon Klare is a writer, teacher, reality TV fanatic, and movie connoisseur. When she isn’t writing or daydreaming new plots, Shannon can be found frequenting Starbucks or hanging out with her family. SURVIVING ADAM MEADE is her debut novel.
1 comments:
Thanks for being on the tour! :)
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