Winner of Don't Breathe A Word is...

.....(drumroll please).....

 

CONGRATULATIONS

 

Aanchal

 

 

You will be receiving an email from me shortly for more info.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway! *many hugs*

~Jessica

Author Holly Cupala tells us more about Don't Breathe A Word + GIVEAWAY!

After reading the awesome book Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala (my review was posted just a minute before this, check it out!), I had to get in touch with her to see if she could tell us more about it. She was most kind in answering a few questions for me. She is also sharing some original illustrations done by her friend Realm Lovejoy for the DBAW book trailer. Not only that, but she also offered a free book to give away to one of my followers! Talk about wonderful bonuses. ^_^

So, please join me in welcoming the lovely and gracious Holly Cupala to Thoughts At One In The Morning!

~*~

T@1AM: There is a lot to Don't Breathe a Word: a main character with asthma and a bad relationship, plus the things that make up the background of and current predicament her street friends are in. What do you want these intense situations to do for the reader? 

Holly: On the surface, I want to tell a good story and make readers care about the characters and feel their emotions. At a deeper level, the characters uncover their own personal resources through the difficulties they face, and I hope readers will do the same. Also, I can’t seem to write a straightforward story! I like a lot of things to be going on at once.

T@1AM: Why did you make your protagonist asthmatic?

Holly: That was the last piece of DBAW to fall into place. In my earliest drafts, Joy was going to leave home for completely different reasons, but then Asher entered the story. I realized she left because of him and wrote that whole backstory. But then my editor asked why a girl like her (with good parents, good background, etc.) would get involved with a guy like him. The parents in my first novel, Tell Me a Secret, were so intense and horrible—I didn’t want to write another family like that. Joy’s parents were good. Too good. That’s when her asthma came to me, and how she felt so suffocated that a boyfriend like Asher would seem like an escape.

T@1AM: The characters in your novel appear very true to life. How were you able to make such realistic characters?

Holly: Thank you! I love those characters. Some of them came fully formed, like May and Santos. I had such a clear picture of who they were from the get go. Then others had to be drawn out a little at a time. Asher showed up and wouldn’t leave. Joy came layer by layer as I discovered her story. Creed—I’ve always been in love with Creed! Maybe part of making them realistic was letting them unfold and even surprise me sometimes. A lot of the time, actually.

T@1AM: Tell us about your charity, why you chose it, and how we can help.

Holly: I give ten percent of my author proceeds to World Vision’s Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls. Even though my books aren’t necessarily about sexual exploitation, they touch on women and secrets and shame, and I felt there was a connection there. I’ve been really excited to be able to be able to tie two of my passions together and give back in some way.

Thank you so much for coming by and telling us more about your book!

~*~

Aren't these pictures totally cool?

See the book trailer by visiting this link!

~*~

Holly Cupala

Holly Cupala wrote teen romance novels before she ever actually experienced teen romance. When she did, it became all about tragic poetry and slightly less tragic novels. When she isn't making art and writing, she spends time with her husband and children in Seattle, Washington. These days, her writing is less about tragedy and more about hope.

Where you can find Holly:
~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website ~

Don't Breathe A Word

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Add it to your Goodreads shelf
Buy: Barnes & Noble ~ Amazon
Two chapter sneak preview: http://www.dontbreatheaword.com/dbaw-preview.pdf

GIVEAWAY!!!

Holly has generously offered a copy of Don't Breathe A Word for you! This is a US ONLY giveaway.

Rules:
1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is open to US residents ONLY.
4. You can earn extra entries by liking this blog on Facebook, liking Holly Cupala on Facebook, following me on Twitter, and following Holly Cupala on Twitter.
4. This contest runs from August 4th to 11th.
6. Winner will be selected on August 12th and notified via blog post announcement and email.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Thank you so much for reading, following, and entering!

Review: Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala

Title: Don't Breathe A Word
Author: Holly Cupala
Source: Won
Genre: Young Adult
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

...
Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I received this book in the mail at random… I don’t think I ever figured out its origin. Regardless, I felt it was necessary for me to read this one. It appealed to me in more ways than one. The fact that our protagonist has asthma and was being suffocated by her boyfriend, and then decides to run off and live on the streets? Interesting. And it was more than just interesting.

Joy, after having enough of her current life, chooses to leave it and pursue something else. There was no guarantee that it would be a great way of life but in her eyes, it would be safer. She renames herself Triste and tries to make her way to the guy she remembers, the guy playing the guitar and singing. And she finds him; his name is Creed. He takes her in with his other street friends, May and Santos. All of them have a reason for living on the street. All of them have a story, and these stories are painful to think about.

I was in a constant concern for Triste when it came to her asthma. Speaking as someone who suffers from it too, I can relate to the panic of running out of medication. I’d be freaking out at the thought, but considering the alternative Triste has, I can understand. I’ve never been controlled by a boyfriend but I empathize with those in that situation. I want nothing more than to see all abused women (and men) to be saved. Her journey to escape the abuse had some scary moments, but she was safer, and that’s just plain sad. Triste’s relationship with Creed was pretty amazing. He was a wonderful guy, and you could tell he cared for her deeply.

Don’t Breathe A Word was pretty amazing to me. It was a serious story, with a lot to it (a lot, more than I’ve let on above). You couldn’t help but feel drawn to the characters, even when they acted out and made you want to hate them. There were a lot of moments from the past intermixed but it didn’t take away from the story and melded in nicely. Holly Cupula has written something that I recommend all young adults need to read because everyone needs to know that there is a way out. They can have hope for a better tomorrow no matter how horrible today may be.

My Rating:

Exceptional: Stay up until at least 1 AM