Back-in-School, Back-in-Time with Kristina McMorris (w/ Giveaway!)

From August 27th through September 10th, various authors will be stopping by my blog here at Crazy-for-Books and over at my friend Lori’s site at Lori’s Reading Corner to share a guest post highlighting their best (and sometimes worst!) first-day-of-school experiences. Along with the post, the authors have graciously agreed to give away at least one copy of their latest releases! On some days an author will write a post for both blogs featuring both a best and worst first day of school experience. On other days, we will each feature a different author with different giveaways, so be sure to check out both of our blogs every day! We will also be sure to link to each other’s blog every day so you don’t forget!

The participating authors have provided us with at least one copy of their books to give away. When an author is posting on both blogs, the giveaway entry form will be the same for the contest. You may enter on one blog, or you can double your chances and enter on both blogs. Check the bottom of this post for full list of the authors that will be sharing their school experiences during our Back To School, Back in Time feature!

*****

The Worst First Day of School
by Kristina McMorris

When my parents announced we were moving just before my junior year in high school, contrary to the norm I wasn’t disappointed. I was thrilled. Not because I didn’t enjoy my previous school, but because I had watched enough After School Specials to know that being the “new kid” nearly guaranteed celebrity-level popularity. You know the kind; where classmates are fighting over who gets to sit next to you in the cafeteria, right before they invite you to all the coolest parties.

Above all, during a period of life when it is virtually impossible to do so, this was a golden opportunity to reinvent myself. I could be whoever I wanted. My life was a clean slate. To better  understand the appeal, I should probably mention that for most of my life I had grown up in the public eye. In addition to working as a weekly TV host since age nine, my entrepreneurial parents were well known in the community. While I can certainly look back and appreciate these assets as an adult, I found myself in a constant battle to disprove any negative presumptions from other kids. Blending, of course, was everything. So, when news of the move arrived, I seized the chance.

Aware that the new school was ruled by a powerhouse football team, I decided to try out for the fall cheerleading squad over the summer. I was delighted when I made the cut, and had a great time at our summer training camp. All was going so well.

Until…

A week before the start of the term, the local paper published a full-page story about a real estate development my father had spearheaded in their community—and, oh by the way, his daughter was transferring to their high school. Ugh. Although my family was fortunate to live very comfortably, the article made us out to be the Rockefellers.

If that wasn’t bad enough…my sad, tin can of a first car died around the same time. To tide me over until I could purchase a new one, my parents lent me theirs, which happened to be, yes, a BMW. Now, while the make of the car might sound terribly impressive, the actual used, outdated, boxy model with constant mechanical problems was, um, not.

Regardless, I spent my first day of junior year amid whispers and scrutinizing glances; after all, I was the Rockefeller girl with the BMW. Needless to say, no one was fighting to sit beside me at lunch. Thankfully, time passed, the whispers faded, and to this day, I find great comfort in knowing I never, ever have to repeat those challenging high school days again.

*****

About the Author

Kristina McMorris is the recipient of nearly twenty national literary awards. A host of weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, she penned her debut novel, Letters from Home (Kensington Books, Avon/HarperCollins UK), based on inspiration from her grandparents’ wartime courtship. This critically praised book was declared a must-read by Woman’s Day magazine and achieved additional acclaim as a Reader’s Digest Select Editions feature, a Doubleday/Literary Guild selection,

and a 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Historical Fiction. Her second novel, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, has received equally glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, among many others. Named one of Portland’s “40 Under 40″ by The Business Journal, Kristina lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest.

For more, visit http://www.KristinaMcMorris.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristina-McMorris/206963412668555
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/#!/KrisMcmorris
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4384611.Kristina_McMorris

*****

Giveaway

We have TWO paperback copies of BRIDGE OF SCARLET LEAVES to give away to readers in the USA!

About the Book

Bridge of Scarlet Leaves
by Kristina McMorris
Publication Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Kensington

Los Angeles, 1941. Violinist Maddie Kern’s life seemed destined to unfold with the predictable elegance of a Bach concerto. Then she fell in love with Lane Moritomo. Her brother’s best friend, Lane is the handsome, ambitious son of Japanese immigrants. Maddie was prepared for disapproval from their families, but when Pearl Harbor is bombed the day after she and Lane elope, the full force of their decision becomes apparent. In the eyes of a fearful nation, Lane is no longer just an outsider, but an enemy.

When her husband is interned at a war relocation camp, Maddie follows, sacrificing her Juilliard ambitions. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.

Skillfully capturing one of the most controversial episodes in recent American history, Kristina McMorris draws readers into a novel filled with triumphs and heartbreaking loss–an authentic, moving testament to love, forgiveness, and the enduring music of the human spirit.

The Rules:
1. One entry per person.
2. The giveaway will end September 23rd at 11:59pm EST.
3. The two winners will be contacted once the giveaway concludes and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification email from Contestmachine. Failure to respond in the allotted time will result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of another winner.
4. Books will be mailed directly from the author/publisher. Please allow 4-6 weeks for prize delivery.
5. Neither Crazy-for-Books, Lori’s Reading Corner, nor any participating author or publisher is responsible for lost or misdirected prize shipments. It is the winner’s responsibility to submit accurate mailing information within the allotted 48 hour time frame.

How to Enter:
Enter your name and e-mail address in the form below! Then head on over to Lori’s Reading Corner to read Kristina’s BEST first day of school post and enter for another chance to win Bridge of Scarlet Leaves!

*****
Participating Authors:
August 27 – Carla Stewart
August 28 – Spencer Quinn and Kaye George
August 29 – Krista Davis and Matthew Dicks
August 30 – Sheryn MacMunn
August 31 – Jane Myers Perrine, Charles Martin
September 3 – Denise Swanson
September 4 – Christa Black
September 5 – Joanna Campbell Slan, Josie Brown
September 6 – Reyna Grande, Nancy M. Griffis
September 7 – Cathy Lamb, D.E. Johnson
September 8 – Cleo Coyle
September 9 – Kristina McMorris
September 10 – J.T. Ellison

*****