by Keelan Storm!
February 15-19, 2021
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Fate-Coming-Age-Romance-ebook/dp/B08T8JZX4B/
(International)
Character
Interviews:
Jet:
1)
Three
things to describe yourself…
Patient,
Laid Back, Observant
2)
What
do you like to do in your free-time?
My
best friends all live in my neighborhood, so hanging out with Tucker and the
twins is always at the top of the list. Parties are great, too. I do the sports
thing like a lot of guys. Football team. Captain of the wrestling team. But
surfing beats either of those any day.
I’m
also really into cars. My dad’s a mechanic, and he’s been teaching me
everything he knows for a long as I can remember. It’s not just a skill for me,
it’s a passion. My biggest passion, though, would have to be my girlfriend,
Annie. She’s like no girl I’ve ever met… my perfect match.
3)
When
did you first know you were in love with Annie?
If
you ask anyone else, they’d say it was probably sometime during junior high
because that’s when we started dating, but in reality? I’m that sucker that
fell in love with the girl next door the first time I laid eyes on her. We were
only four years old, so my concept of love was way different back then, but the
moment I saw her, I knew she was something special. The hardest part was
waiting for her to see me the same way.
Annie:
1)
Three
things to describe yourself…
Impatient,
outgoing, athletic, protective, loyal, awesome, smart… Okay, so that’s more
than three, but they’re all true. Ask me to start a list, and I’ll just keep
going.
2)
What
are some of your interests and goals?
I
love pretty much anything outdoors…surfing, swimming, jet skis. I live near the
beach, so the water thing is kind of a theme. But running beats all of it.
There’s nothing better than the wind in your face and the ground beneath your
feet with your favorite music blaring in your ears… Seriously the best.
Sports
aside, I love to party, but school’s really important, too. I’m shooting for
class Valedictorian, and I’m involved in all kinds of activities. Track and
student counsel being the most important. That and putting Tucker in his place
when he screws up could probably be listed as a hobby. But that’s just part of
being a good friend.
I
don’t have a lot of girly interests. That’s really more my twin Izzy’s
department, but I do like a good chick flick or rom com, and I’m not one to
turn down a good mani-pedi. Not only are they good for time with my sister, but
gross feet are just…gross.
3)
You
mentioned awesome girlfriend as a goal. Can you tell us about you and Jet?
Oh,
my God, Jet…that boy is seriously my other half. He’s literally the calm to my
storm. I go off the rails, and he brings me down. He centers me. I can’t ever
imagine not being in love with him. Doesn’t hurt that he’s hot either.
Isabel
(Izzy):
1)
Three
things to describe yourself…
The
honest answer? Or the one everyone wants that keeps things from getting
awkward? Kidding. I don’t have to take it there. I’d say the three main things
to describe myself would be that I’m a good friend and sister, that I’m
comfortable spending time alone…really, sometimes I prefer it, and while I’m
pretty introverted, I have no problem standing up for myself if needed.
Also…all things purple and glitter, lol.
2)
Do
you have any interests or goals you’d like to share?
Interests…I
love kids. I’ve been babysitting for a few years now. And as much as I like
peace and quiet, I’m obsessed with
dancing. Like, life would be empty and weird without it.
Life
would be empty and weird without my friends, too. Annie really is the best
sister. We’re different in so many ways, but she’s my best friend. I don’t know
what I’d do without her. Just like I don’t know what she’d do without Jet. Any
time I miss stepping up to the plate, he’s there for her. They’re the real
deal.
Sometimes,
I wonder if I get a little jealous of what they have, but no. It’s not like
that. I mean, I’d love to have that with someone one day. That all-encompassing
love that you never have to doubt. Finding that person that just being in their
presence makes breathing easier. That would
have been pretty helpful this past year when my dad died.
Ugh.
Sorry, I don’t know why I’m complaining. I had so much support. Especially from
Tucker. He was a lifesaver sometimes. People don’t always give him enough
credit. He might be girl-obsessed, but he can be deep when he wants, and he’s
better at reading people than you’d think. At least with me, he is.
3)
Tucker…I’m
glad you brought him up. With Annie and Jet dating, that probably leaves the
two of you paired up at times. Is there anything more there than meets the eye?
Anything
more? Like as in feelings? Ha! I’m sorry, I’m really trying not to laugh.
Tucker is hot, yes, okay, freaking gorgeous, and flirty, and pretty much the
guy every girl around can’t keep their hands off of. God bless whatever girl
eventually ties him down, but no. I have no interest in being another one of
his fan-girls. He’s my best friend and someone I know that I can always turn
to, but that’s all.
Even
if that ever wasn’t the case, I have no interest in dating someone who can’t
make a commitment, and Tucker’s too in love with playing the field.
Tucker:
1)
Three
things to describe yourself…
Athletic,
friendly, determined
2)
Any
interests or goals you’d like to tell us about?
Interests…
Girls. Girls. And I repeat, girls.
Okay,
I’m not really that shallow. Getting attention from girls is great, but I swear
there’s more to me. For example, I have no problem dropping a sure thing if a
friend needs me. And I’d never let one distract me from my main goal. Letting a
girl distract me, that is, not my friends.
Basketball’s
my main goal, by the way. I’ve been captain of my high school team since
sophomore year, and the college deal is already pretty much a set thing. Next
step, keep working hard to go pro.
Training,
parties, and hanging out at the beach are my main go-to’s for free-time. Not
much to share other than that; I’m a pretty straightforward guy. My friends know
I’ve got their backs, and girls know I just want them on theirs. All girls
except the two that live across the street, at least. Jet’s my best friend, so
Annie got stuck on a ‘don’t even think about it’ list years ago. And Izzy?
She’s just…too good for anyone we know.
3)
What
do you mean by that? About Izzy being too good for anyone. Does that include
you?
Uh.
Yeah, that includes me. Izzy’s
a-whole-nother level of girl. Not that I see her that way or anything. I mean, yeah, she’s gorgeous and incredible,
but she’s been through so much, being her friend is more important than
anything else. She’s always had my back when I mess up, and I’ve got hers. That
comment just meant that it’s hard for me to imagine a guy that’s actually good
enough for her. She deserves the best. Someone who can really make her happy.
Keelan lives in Texas with her husband and two children, and when she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, taking midnight drives, pretty much anything teal, and inhaling unhealthy amounts of iced coffee.
Author Links:
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Author Website: www.keelanstorm.com
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Author Interview
1)
So
tell me, how did the idea for the series come about, and how has it developed
between book one and two?
I
got the idea for the series several years ago when I was first married. I was
struggling with insomnia one night, and I remember glaring at my husband who
was snoring away on the other side of the bed, and my brain started wandering
as I prayed for sleep. At some point, an idea of for the characters popped in
my head.
I
remember thinking, “Oh, hey, what if there were these twins, and they were best
friends with these two guys. Oh, it would be awesome if they had all grown up
together, even as neighbors. Maybe one of the twins dates one of the guys. The
other one can start to date the other
guy…” and on my thoughts went. I got excited about the idea and was worried
that I’d forget about it after finally falling asleep, so it was around four in
the morning, and I pulled out a notepad and pen and started jotting all of it
down.
At
the time, I wasn’t aware that it was going to be a series. I wasn’t even aware
that it was going to be a whole book. I just knew that I was in love with the
idea and wanted to see where it went. So, I started writing and just let the
ideas flow. When I finished writing the first book, I was so in love with my
characters that I didn’t want to let their story end yet. Hence, book two…
Book
two gave me a chance to explore more about Jet and Annie, since book one is so
focused on Isabel and Tucker. A new main character is actually entered into
book two as well to enhance this couple’s, and the group’s, story. Jet was
actually very underdeveloped in my first draft of book one. Writing book two
allowed me to go back and add more substance to his character. It’s where I
really learned who he was.
2)
Is
there anything unique about your series?
Actually,
when I first wrote the books, I had no idea I was doing anything differently
than the norm. I was just writing the story the characters told me to. But yes,
the series is unique in that its written as a four point-of-view romance. (Six
point-of-view romance in later books.)
The
series is in a way structured like a TV show in book form, much like a teen
soap opera. It’s been described as packed with drama and emotionally heartfelt
moments. It really is about teens finding their way through life as they grow
into adults.
3)
How
many books will be in this series?
This
is a difficult question. My original plan (once I realized I was going to make
it a series) was to write four books. Yet, I’ve learned that with the way I
write, more and more ideas develop as I go. I’m actually writing book four at
the moment, and one of the main ARCS of the story is something I had never
considered doing with the characters. Sometimes, the characters just decide
they don’t like what I originally had planned and do their own thing.
I
know ultimately where the books are headed, though. I know the end game of the
series. It’s just a matter of what journey will the characters lead me through
as I get there.
I’ve got one version that will wrap
things up in six books and another in my head that will wrap things up in nine
books. For me, it truly is a “Let’s see where this goes.”
If
anything, I’ve learned as a writer that if I over-plan, my writing suffers. My characters and their story need
room to develop as I go.
4)
What
do you have in store for your characters, if you can tell me that is?
I
don’t want to give too much away. I’ve had a lot of feedback from readers that
a lot of what I put into the pages is unpredictable. There’s some events that
you expect or you know will ultimately happen, but I work in a lot of twists
and turns along the way that surprise people in how they get there. I don’t
want to lose that surprise element,
but I’ll offer a couple of things:
a) We
follow these characters through their senior year of high school, a couple of
years of college, and the last book will be moving into their early adult years
post-college.
b) Each
main character will have at least one serious thing happen to them along the
way. Some events will be more severe than others, but ultimately, this series
is a coming-of-age journey for a group of close teenage friends, showing how
they stick together in various and numerous life trials, including but not
limited to: love, loss, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and more.
c) Throughout
the series, we’ll see three different weddings as book one starts with four
main characters and we build to six main characters by book three.
d) The
main antagonist of the series, Wesley… there is so much more involved with this
character than readers will even know to anticipate. So much happens behind the
scenes with him, so much is hidden in the pages… readers will be blown away
when things are revealed in the final books.
5)
Do
you have any future writing projects you can tell me about?
My
current plans for future writing is to create a spin-off series of my
characters. I have one that could focus on their younger siblings that’s
growing in my head. There’s another idea for a series involving the main
characters’ children years later. I’ve even considered a few standalones for
some supporting characters, such as the twins’ mom Bridgette, their friend
Hector, Isabel’s dance partner Leo, and a few others.
6)
Did
you find writing any particular scenes difficult, and if so, which ones and
why?
In
book one I don’t recall finding any scenes difficult to write. Book one truly
was an exploration for me. Seeing where things went. I finished writing book
three this past August, and there was a chapter or two I put off writing for a
couple of weeks because it’s a ‘not so great’ scene for Tucker. I was mad that
he was going to do something, but it was necessary for his character
development, and he does learn from it, but it was hard for me to get it down
on the page. I even had to delete my first few attempts until I got it right.
7)
Is
there any character in your series you feel you relate most to, and if so, why?
In
my head, I relate most to Isabel. She’s mostly very introverted, and the way
that she thinks and deals with things is very similar to myself. (Though we do
have different interests.) Her overall personality makes it very easy to write
her character for me.
8)
Do
you have a favorite couple or a favorite character, and if so, why?
I
can’t say I can name an ultimate favorite character or couple. It kind of
depends on what’s happening in the stories at the time. Sometimes, I love
Isabel and Tucker and can’t wait to write more of them. Sometimes, they drive
me crazy with what they’re going through, (though it’s necessary) and I love
exploring Annie and Jet’s story instead. In book three, we start to see a bond
grow between a couple of newer main characters, and I had an immense amount of
fun writing and exploring their scenes and potential relationship.
9)
Do
you have any rituals or routines for when you write?
I’ve
always been a ‘need silence to focus and work’ kind of person. Because of this,
I typically have to wait until my kids are in bed in the evenings to get the
chance to write. That or the occasional evening when they are spending time at
their grandmother’s house. Sometimes, I even get lucky and my husband will take
the kids outside to play or even take them to the park to give me a few extra
hours on the weekends.
10) What do you do when you get writer’s
block?
Oh,
writer’s block, my one true foe, lol. Because I can’t overly plan without
writing myself into a corner, I do occasionally have writer’s block. Sometimes,
it’s a matter of I have to make sure what I’m considering works with the major
goal points throughout the series. Sometimes, I get stuck just trying to figure
out what is the best way to start or end a scene. (Starting a new scene or
chapter can be the worst.)
When
this happens, I have a few go-to’s. I’ll often take a drive down a back country
road, let the radio play and my mind wander until inspiration strikes. My hubby
is also typically a good ear for running ideas by if I have a couple of ideas I
can’t decide between. (By this point in my series, he knows my characters as
well as I do, lol. Poor guy.) My sister is always a quick and helpful phone
call away when I need her as well.
Tour Created by YA Bound Book Tours
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