Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Last Chance Summer by Shannon Klare @liveandlove10xo @XpressoTours


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.

    If you could spend the day with one of the characters from Last Chance Summer who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.

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.





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1 comments:

Giselle said...

Thanks for being on the tour! :)