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My Escape - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
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September 14 - My Reading Addiction - Review/Giveaway/Excerpt
Title: Pulled
Author: A.L. Jackson
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
About the book: Melanie Winters and Daniel Montgomery shared a love most only dream of, a love they believed bonded them together for life. When their world is shattered by the tragic loss of their daughter, overwhelming grief and misguided guilt distorts the truth, and their relationship ends in uncertainty and unanswered questions.
For nine years, they drift through life, each unable to forget the one who holds the strings to their heart. In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side.
Now, when their lives again intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago.
But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and will they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart?
Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have.
My thoughts: I liked the idea of this book with the whole scenario of being "pulled" to another person with nothing being able to keep them apart, but I didn't quite buy into the reasons they were kept separated for nine years.
Melanie and Daniel's story was very believable, with their young love and pregnancy and loss of their daughter. Even the reason they were first separated was very logical (from a parent's standpoint) even though they could not see it at the time. However, I don't think that Daniel's family would have remained as uninvolved as they did for nine years.
Okay, with that aside, I did enjoy the book. Sometimes I was confused as to whose POV it was - Daniel's or Melanie's, but that was usually cleared up pretty quickly. Their backstory was told in flashbacks so that while you learned about them now, you were also learning how they came to be where they were today.
The whole idea of destiny is very romantic when it comes to your true love, and this also had a sense of danger thrown in with it - that force that will do whatever it takes to keep the lovers from reuniting. All in all this was a tearjerker at times and I would find myself urging both Daniel and Melanie to take that next step to get back to one another.
And now for a guest post from A.L. Jackson - and don't forget about the giveaway at the bottom!
How to Avoid the Slush Pile
Hi everyone. I’m A. L. Jackson, author of Pulled and Take This Regret, and I’m excited to share with you all today my tips on avoiding the slush pile. As an author and the co-owner of a small publishing house, I know submitting a manuscript can be one of the most nerve-racking steps we ever take as authors. We sit in front of our computers biting our nails, refreshing our email hour after hour, waiting to hear something back.
All the while, our submissions are sitting on someone’s desk waiting to be reviewed.
So how do you keep your manuscript from hitting the slush pile once someone does look it?
First, be sure you follow the publisher or agent’s submission guidelines to a tee. If you miss something or ignore instructions, your manuscript will most likely be rejected before the editor or agent even reads the first line. Be sure that you don’t come across as someone who doesn’t know how to follow instructions or someone who just doesn’t care about them. Both are red flags.
Second and most important in my opinion is ensuring your book immediately hooks the reader. The writing should be strong and raise questions that make the reader want to continue on to get those answers. Don’t start with backstory on your main character or over-describe the setting. Get right into the conflict and then weave those other details in later. Be sure the first few pages are both clear and interesting. The reader should be intrigued, but not confused, and most definitely should not be bored.
Be sure the portion you’re submitting has been carefully proofed and is formatted correctly (again check for submission guidelines to find out if a specific format is requested). Taking these small steps show you’re serious about your submission and are committed to your writing. If an editor is spending more time noticing typos or wonky formatting, it will distract from your writing.
Take the time to ensure your submission stands out from the masses. These three points above can mean the difference between opening an email with a rejection letter or one asking to see your full manuscript.
Wishing you all luck with your writing endeavors!
About the author: A.L. Jackson first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student. She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.
Years later, she shared a short story she'd been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three beautiful children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.
You can connect with her at the following places:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Pulled
Publisher/Publication Date: Sapphire Star Publishing, April 2012
ISBN: 978-1938404009
350 pages
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*
