Thursday, November 21, 2013

Running On Empty Blog Tour: Sneak Peek + Giveaway


I'm thrilled today to be a part of the promotional blog tour for Running On Empty, the contemporary young adult debut from Colette Ballard. I had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Colette a few months back when she accompanied her friend and fellow author Katie McGarry to a signing in Columbus, and she is one of the cutest people you will ever meet. I'm so looking forward to getting my hands on this book and simply couldn't be more excited for her with the digital release just days away now!

I have a sneak peek of Running On Empty to share with you all, and be sure and check out the bottom of the post for the details on a fantastic giveaway.

EXCERPT

Disappoint him? Was that his main concern? Slack-mouthed, I stared at the phone until Justice’s voice startled me from behind. “Everything okay?”
 

Hoping he hadn’t heard any of my conversation, I put on a smile and turned to face him. 

“Everything’s fine.” I twined my fingers around a chunk of hair at the base of my neck. “That was just Logan reminding me of the Seniors’ Breakfast that I’m about to miss.”
 

“You’re goin’?” He stared at me like I had a pink squirrel tattooed on my forehead.
 

I wanted nothing more than to stay here the rest of the day and share my pain with Justice—even if it was in silence. Knowing Logan would never go for that, I pushed the gaping hole in my heart aside. “I’m good now, I had a good cry.” I swatted my hand.
 

“Ya know, today’s the first time I’ve ever seen you cry.” He leaned his back against the truck, obviously missing the point that I was in a hurry. “You wouldn’t even cry that day you fell off my pony and broke your arm when you were seven.” His face grew serious. “Or when your—"
 

“Yeah, I’m stubborn that way.” I wiped my hands on my jeans, hoping like hell he didn’t finish his sentence. Now wasn’t the time for a reminder of my reaction to my mom’s death—or rather, lack of reaction.
 

In my attempt to be strong for my younger sister, I disconnected from my emotions, from things I loved—from Justice. It worked for me until Jack came home wasted one night and I unleashed six month’s worth of the seven stages of grief on him. He slapped me so hard, I didn’t cry for the next five years. Until today.

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RUNNING ON EMPTY


What does it feel like when you die—in those final moments? Do you feel the physical pain, or just the pain of your regrets? What does it feel like when you realize you can’t answer these questions because you’re not the victim?

You’re the killer.

River Daniels lives an ordinary life as a high school junior growing up in the confines of rural Texas until her boyfriend’s brutal attack leaves her both a murderer and a fugitive. When River’s closest girlfriends come to her aid, they make a hasty decision to not only help her, but leave their own troubled lives behind and join in her escape. The girls manage to elude police for months, but with every near-miss, River’s life spirals further out of control, until she finally hits rock bottom. Realizing she must stop endangering her friends and find evidence proving she acted in self-defense, the girls decide to make a risky move. River must face her ugly past and the one person she was protecting the night her world caved in, the guy she has loved for as long as she can remember.


Releases digitally on November 25th from Tulip Teen

 • • • • • • • • • • 

COLETTE BALLARD


COLETTE BALLARD grew up on a dairy farm in rural Kentucky. She survived the high school experience back in the day when Aqua Net was bought in bulk and mullets were cool. That’s also when she realized that her constant daydreaming wasn’t a curse, but a useful skill—one she used like a lethal weapon to combat her frustration in algebra class over the haunting question: What does the alphabet have to do with math anyway? Unfortunately, her ninja daydreaming skills only increased her desire to write—not her algebra grade.

After surviving the hairstyles and torturous math classes of her high school years, she wandered a bit—even moving to the farthest northwestern corner of the United States, then to the farthest southeastern corner. She finally settled in the one-red-light town she started in, where she continues to live today with her husband and three children.


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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

46 comments:

  1. That excerpt makes me want to read more! New book for my TBR! Thank you!

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    1. You're welcome, so glad you enjoyed the excerpt!

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  2. Happy for your tour. Great excerpt, want to read more!!

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  3. I haven't heard of this one, but the cover and excerpt have me curious. Thanks for sharing, Jenny!

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    1. You're welcome Keertana! Colette is just adorable which makes me want her book even more:)

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  4. Fantastic excerpt! I have never heard of this book before, but I'll be adding it to my TBR list. It has such a unique premise. Thanks for sharing this with us, Jenny!

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  5. Ooh, this one sounds really good and that excerpt just intrigues...woo-hoo! MOAR BOOKS!

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  6. Oooooh I really want this one, actually! That excerpt sounds dark and twisty. You know how I feel about dark and twisty! Thanks for putting this one on my radar...now I MUST have it :)

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    1. ME TOO! Dark and twisty just works for us:) Maybe we should be worried about that....

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  7. I'm looking forward to this book! And I really liked the intensity riveting from this excerpt!

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  8. Great excerpt and giveaway! I'm adding this book to my tbr pile.

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  9. Ooo great excerpt, I can see why you are excited about this one Jenny! thanks for posting about it, I might have missed it otherwise. :)

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    1. You're welcome! I've been keeping tabs on Colette since I met her. That sounds stalker-y, but I mean it in a I've-been-crazy-excited-to-see-what-she-would-come-out-with kind of way:) Obviously.

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  10. Oh between the synopsis and excerpt I need to know what is happening and more about these characters..wonderful, adding to my wishlist and thank you so much for the fab giveaway!

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    1. I want to know everything there is to know about them Kim! Can't wait to read:)

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  11. That excerpt certainly grabbed my attention. I want to know more! I have never heard of this book before, but I'll be adding it to my TBR list.Thanks for sharing, Jenny!

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    1. You're welcome Rummanah! So glad it piqued your interest:)

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  12. OMG. I don't really read contemporaries, but I really want to know what happens!

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  13. Sounds great - the excerpt is exciting and the blurb is awesome. I hadn't heard of this one, but I definitely want to read it now.

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  14. I hadn't heard of this yet, so thanks for sharing! It really does sound fantastic and that cover really catches the eye and make me more curious!

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  15. OOH. I like the sound of this one! It sounds like a really exciting story, plus I really like that it is about a group of girlfriends eluding the law together. Plus I'm already hooked on the mystery and curious about who is this love that she's protecting! Thanks for raising my interests in this book!

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  16. I really do like the sound of this one. It seems like it's going to be right up my alley just by reading the blurb. The excerpt definitely solidified that.
    Thanks for sharing, Jenny.

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  17. This sounds good. It also sounds like it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

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  18. Wow this sounds like an intense story! I can't imagine going on the run with your friends after such a traumatic event, but I'm definitely interested to see what happens to River. Thanks for sharing this excerpt, I hadn't heard of this until now!

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  19. This sounds like a great but intense read! I personally love them :) Enjoyed the excerpt! Now I just need the rest.

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  20. Whoa! Sounds like an intense read. Kind of like the Fugitive meets YA. I will be interested to hear more about this one!

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  21. You guys, all these nice comments make me want to cry. I'm so happy you enjoyed the excerpt and i hope you'll enjoy the book as well! Eternal thanks to adorable Jenny for hosting today's blog tour stop--and for being excited about it! *hugs*

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  22. This book looks really interesting - quite a dramatic story. I'm definitely interested in checking it out.
    Stephanie
    steph0828 at hotmail dot com

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  23. Reinforces the idea that many women in trouble with the law are there because of an abusive man. Sounds really interesting!

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  24. Thank you for the giveaway! This book is on my to-read list and I absolutely love the summary and the cover
    ~Jayne

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  25. This sounds like a wonderful read! It's on my personal "Must-Read" list! Thanks for the giveaway! :)

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  26. This sounds a little like a teenage Thelma and Louise. I hope the outcome is better than that, though! Thanks for sharing, Jenny. :)

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  27. sounds fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing :)

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  28. I would love to read this book. It sounds really good. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  29. Well, you had me hooked with the excerpt...and then I read the synopsis. This sounds amazing and unlike anything I've read. Thanks for sharing!

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  30. Can't immagine running away at that age, nor even now. Thanks for the giveaway

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