Interview + Giveaway: Robin Benway + Emmy and Oliver

I'm so pleased today to welcome author Robin Benway to the blog to answer a few questions about her newest release, Emmy & Oliver. Those of you who read this blog with any frequency know I'm a sucker for all things romance, and one of my very favorite types of romances is one where the couple starts out as best friends, so as soon as I read the synopsis (even though the focus clearly isn't on the romance, but my one-track mind zeroed right in on it anyway) for Emmy & Oliver I knew it was something I had to read. Be sure and check below the interview for a chance to win exciting upcoming HarperTeen titles, and don't forget to follow the tour for more Emmy & Oliver awesomeness!

In Emmy & Oliver, Oliver has to face the brutal realization that his father wasn’t the man he thought he was. Once he learned he’d be returning home after ten years away, what’s one question Oliver would say he was most dreading having to answer?

Oliver wouldn’t want to answer any questions about his dad. Like, at all. He’s so protective of his dad, even though he did this terrible thing, because he grew up with him and loved him. They were best friends, and in his mind, Oliver is still trying to figure out how he feels about everything. He can barely talk to himself about his dad, much less anyone else. The pain and betrayal he feels is so overwhelming that he can’t put it into words.

If Emmy could have gotten a message to Oliver at any point in the time they were apart, what would she have wanted him to know?

I think she would have told him how much his mom missed him, and how she spent all of her time looking for her son. Emmy grows up next door to Oliver’s mom, so she can see the pain she’s in, and it’s so hard to witness.

If you ever found yourself with feelings for a close friend, would you be the type to say something and try to shift the relationship to something more, or would you be the type to suffer in silence and hope the other person made the first move?

HAHAHAHA I wouldn’t have said A WORD. That secret would go with me to the grave. Not that I think that that’s the best plan, but especially as a teenager, I was shy and would have never made the first move, especially with a friend. I’m pretty good at suffering in silence.

If Emmy and Oliver were sitting in front of you and you had the chance to tell them how their story affected you, what would the first words out of your mouth be?

I would tell them how brave they were, and then I would thank them for letting me tell their story. And then we would go to the beach together.

Thanks so much for answering my questions Robin!

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EMMY & OLIVER

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

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ROBIN BENWAY

I'm the author of "Audrey, Wait!", "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June", and the AKA series. My new book "Emmy & Oliver" will be released on June 23, 2015. I live in Los Angeles with my extremely stubborn shih tzu, Hudson. I've gotten a lot better at cooking. I still love coffee. We should be friends.

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GIVEAWAY

One lucky winner will receive:

Galley of WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER by Rae Carson

Galley of WHAT WE SAW by Aaron Hartzler

Giveaway is open to US addresses only. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WEEK ONE:

6/22 - The Midnight Garden (Guest Post)

6/23 - Mundie Moms (Review)

6/24 - Reading Teen (Guest Post - Letter from Oliver to Emmy)

6/25 - Addicted 2 Novels (Review)

6/26 - Andi's ABC's (ABC Post)

WEEK TWO:

6/29 - Stuck In Books (Review)

6/30 - Swoony Boys Podcast (Character Interview)

7/1 - Step Into Fiction (Review)

7/2 - Supernatural Snark (Q&A)

7/3 - Fiction Fare (Review)