It's All About the Book with Melissa Frost and Coming Home @evernightteen #giveaway

It’s All About the Book…

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Coming Home

Andi has never felt like she belonged. As a foster care child, she never stays long in any one place. She never connects with anyone. That is until sexy, blue eyed Devon walks into her life.

Devon claims to have known her birth parents. He says he knows her, that the two of them used to be best friends. He’s even got a photograph to prove it. He shows up offering her everything she ever could want – a friend, a connection to her family, answers.

The only problem is Devon’s friendship comes attached with a few complications. There’s the fact that he’s a werewolf, something unbelievable in itself. Then there’s the territorial clan out to start a war with Devon’s pack. What started as a simple journey to learn about herself turns into a dangerous road trip that could get her killed. If she can survive, Andi just might get the answers that have been plaguing her, and she might just fall in love with her new furry pal along the way.

What is this book’s genre?  Is this the genre you usually write in?  Are there any genre’s you haven’t written that you’d like to try?

This book is a young adult paranormal. The young adult books I normally write are sports (hockey) related, so this was a bit different from the usual. I had a lot of fun writing it, though. As for genres I haven’t written, I enjoy spreading my wings, so I wouldn’t mind taking a stab at any genre I have yet to write.

What inspired you to write this book?

I’m sure the idea of adoption and the “system” were in my head because my husband and I were looking to take in a child whose circumstances were less unfortunate than ours. We attended many parenting classes and learned a great deal about the foster care system. That new knowledge served to be the base and start of this story. And I just had this vision of the first scene with Devon — him standing all cool and sexy in the snow as he stood on the sidewalk waiting for her. The rest just fell into place.

  

How did you pick its title?  Did it come first or did you have to write the story first?

I usually struggle with titles, but this one came to me right away. As soon as I had the idea to write about a girl in the foster care system and her re-connection to her old life, the title was right there. It felt perfect.

  

How did you create your characters?  Did you use any real life people in their making?

As the idea for the story came to me, Andi slowly developed herself. I didn’t base any of the characters off of anyone I knew. Andi came together gradually, but Devon’s character immediately came to me. I wanted to create a cool, confident, and self-aware character, and he just flowed so easily.

 Who is your favorite character of this book and why?

If you couldn’t tell already, Devon is my favorite character. I fell in love with his confidence in who he was and what he wanted out of life. He was a strong character as well as being a lot of fun.

What is your favorite part of this book?  Can you share an excerpt from that part?

I love the scene where Devon finally convinces Andi that he’s a werewolf. It’s such a powerful moment in the book, the moment things finally fall into place for Andi.

How To Convince A Girl You’re a Werewolf

“I’m still not convinced.” She informed him of this in a tone that stated quite clearly she thought him to be a liar. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

At her skepticism, Devon gave a grin that could only be described as devilish. Climbing to his feet, he yanked the zipper down on his coat and shrugged out of it. He tossed the coat into the snow before lifting his shirt over his head.

As if they had a mind of their own, her eyes drank in the sight of his bare chest. He was amazingly sculpted, his arm muscles bunching with every movement. His abs, which appeared rock solid, mirrored the action. He even had an interesting scar along his left shoulder that only seemed to add to his sex appeal. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, willing her body to settle down. She didn’t usually get so affected by boys.

When his hands went to his belt buckle and began unfastening it, she gave a squeak of objection. “What are you doing? Stop taking your clothes off!”

He grinned over at her. “You wanted to see a werewolf, didn’t you? I’m just obliging.”

“But … but…”

He stripped out of his jeans with ease. “Werewolves aren’t freaked out by nudity, Andi. If you remembered even the slightest bit about your history, you would know that.”

As his briefs came down, her eyes lifted hurriedly to the sky. She gazed at the clouds as if they were the most intriguing thing in the entire world. Which was a complete farce. Standing before her was the first naked boy she’d ever been in the presence of. She desperately wanted to sneak a peek, yet she was too freaked out by the idea to even lower her gaze a fraction of an inch.

“Sheesh, you’re such a human,” Devon said in complaint. “You’re such a prude that you’re about to miss all the fun.”

Andi scowled, but her gaze was still lifted skyward so she had no idea if he saw her or not. As she stood awkwardly gazing at the clouds, she realized how absolutely absurd this situation was. She was standing in the entrance to a public park. With a naked boy. In the snow.

“This is so—” Her protests broke off as an odd popping sound filled the air. She couldn’t quite place it, but it felt so familiar. It was a noise she’d heard before, but she couldn’t remember where.

Her eyes lowered to Devon’s bare shoulders to find them shifting and cracking. His flesh moved in such an unnatural way, she nearly cried out in alarm. Her own hand pressing to her lips was the only thing that stopped the sound from escaping.

She watched with morbid fascination as Devon’s body repositioned and changed itself into something new. Before her very eyes, his entire being altered, and he transformed into the shape of a wolf. It took no more than a minute or two, but the time seemed to stretch on forever.

She witnessed soft puffs of cream fur appear that seemed to burst right out of his skin. His fingers elongated, the nails growing out into sharp claws. The urge to run lasted a mere second before she was stepping forward in fascination.

Her fingers outstretched toward the furry muzzle that had once been Devon’s nose. She wasn’t frightened by him in the least. How could she be? He was the wolf! The one she’d seen outside the school staring into her classroom window.

She knew instantly he’d been there for her, watching over her as he awaited their reunion. She bet he had seen it playing out quite differently. Closing her eyes, she allowed her fingers to brush over the soft fur between his ears.

The sensation of it shook her to the core. Her body remembered it, recalled it like it was yesterday. Werewolf fur. She wasn’t sure if it was his fur in particular that felt so much like home, or if it was werewolf fur in general. Either way, it startled her just how much she longed to be near him in that moment.

Her eyes snapped open, and she stumbled back, unsteady on her feet. This was far too much to absorb in one afternoon. Her mind was racing, and she didn’t even know where to begin. As a result, she simply plopped down into the snow, stunned.

What was the hardest part of this book to write? Can you share an excerpt from that part?

The final showdown at the end of the book with the opposing werewolves was hardest for me to write. I enjoyed the scene tremendously, but action is always hardest to portray. It usually takes me a couple rounds of edits to get it to sound how I want it.

They’d been walking steadily along the path, but Andi suddenly stopped. The vulnerability in his eyes was downright adorable, but she wanted to alleviate his concern. She wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how weird things got.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she gazed up at him. “It doesn’t bother me. Honestly. I’ve never had a family or anyone who cared about me in the least. I think this will be nice. And I like the thought of smelling like you. I like having you under my skin.” She stood on tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. “They’re not going to scare me away. I promise. You’re stuck with me.”

He kissed her, his mouth firm against her own. The kiss was almost desperate, as if he couldn’t believe his luck at her easy acceptance. When he pulled back, he slipped his hand into hers and continued on their path down the trail. “I like having you under my skin as well. It’s like nothing I’ve ever—”

A sharp bang rang through the morning air, and Devon was suddenly stumbling away from her. It took Andi’s brain a moment to comprehend that he’d been shot. One minute he was walking beside her. The next he was prone on the ground.

Did you have any special rhythm or quirks while writing this?

I had myself on a stricter deadline than I usually do with most stories. My son was in preschool, so I would drop him off at the school and sit in the parking lot and write.

Is this a stand-alone book or is it part of a series?  If so, we want to hear about it and what’s next in the series.  If not a series, what comes next to be released?

This was a stand-alone book. As for what’s next for me? I just finished up the fourth book in my Dating Tutor series. Sasha’s Story will hopefully be available later this year.

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COMING HOME

Melissa Frost

20K, Evernight Teen Publishing

Paranormal/Shifters/Romance

As a foster care child, Andi never stays long in one place. She doesn't have a chance to connect with anyone—until sexy, blue-eyed Devon walks into her life.

Devon claims to have known her birth parents. He’s even got a photograph to prove it. He shows up offering her everything she could ever want—a friend, a connection to her family, and answers.

The only problem is Devon’s friendship comes with a few complications attached. There’s the fact that he’s a werewolf, and then there’s the territorial clan out to start a war with Devon’s pack. What started as a simple journey to learn about herself turns into a dangerous road trip that could get her killed.

If she can survive, Andi just might get the answers that have been plaguing her, and she might just fall in love with her new furry pal along the way. 

Buy Links:   Bookstrand   All Romance eBooks    Evernight Teen     Amazon

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Excerpt:

“I’m still not convinced.” She informed him of this in a tone that stated quite clearly she thought him to be a liar. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

At her skepticism, Devon gave a grin that could only be described as devilish. Climbing to his feet, he yanked the zipper down on his coat and shrugged out of it. He tossed the coat into the snow before lifting his shirt over his head.

As if they had a mind of their own, her eyes drank in the sight of his bare chest. He was amazingly sculpted, his arm muscles bunching with every movement. His abs, which appeared rock solid, mirrored the action. He even had an interesting scar along his left shoulder that only seemed to add to his sex appeal. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, willing her body to settle down. She didn’t usually get so affected by boys.

When his hands went to his belt buckle and began unfastening it, she gave a squeak of objection. “What are you doing? Stop taking your clothes off!”

He grinned over at her. “You wanted to see a werewolf, didn’t you? I’m just obliging.”

“But … but …”

He stripped out of his jeans with ease. “Werewolves aren’t freaked out by nudity, Andi. If you remembered even the slightest bit about your history, you would know that.”

As his briefs came down, her eyes lifted hurriedly to the sky. She gazed at the clouds as if they were the most intriguing thing in the entire world. Which was a complete farce. Standing before her was the first naked boy she’d ever been in the presence of. She desperately wanted to sneak a peek, yet she was too freaked out by the idea to even lower her gaze a fraction of an inch.

“Sheesh, you’re such a human,” Devon said in complaint. “You’re such a prude that you’re about to miss all the fun.”

Andi scowled, but her gaze was still lifted skyward so she had no idea if he saw her or not. As she stood awkwardly gazing at the clouds, she realized how absolutely absurd this situation was. She was standing in the entrance to a public park. With a naked boy. In the snow.

“This is so—” Her protests broke off as an odd popping sound filled the air. She couldn’t quite place it, but it felt so familiar. It was a noise she’d heard before, but she couldn’t remember where.

Her eyes lowered to Devon’s bare shoulders to find them shifting and cracking. His flesh moved in such an unnatural way, she nearly cried out in alarm. Her own hand pressing to her lips was the only thing that stopped the sound from escaping.

She watched with morbid fascination as Devon’s body repositioned and changed itself into something new. Before her very eyes, his entire being altered, and he transformed into the shape of a wolf. It took no more than a minute or two, but the time seemed to stretch on forever.

She witnessed soft puffs of cream fur appear that seemed to burst right out of his skin. His fingers elongated, the nails growing out into sharp claws. The urge to run lasted a mere second before she was stepping forward in fascination.

Her fingers outstretched toward the furry muzzle that had once been Devon’s nose. She wasn’t frightened by him in the least. How could she be? He was the wolf! The one she’d seen outside the school staring into her classroom window.

She knew instantly he’d been there for her, watching over her as he awaited their reunion. She bet he had seen it playing out quite differently. Closing her eyes, she allowed her fingers to brush over the soft fur between his ears.

The sensation of it shook her to the core. Her body remembered it, recalled it like it was yesterday. Werewolf fur. She wasn’t sure if it was his fur in particular that felt so much like home, or if it was werewolf fur in general. Either way, it startled her just how much she longed to be near him in that moment.

Her eyes snapped open, and she stumbled back, unsteady on her feet. This was far too much to absorb in one afternoon. Her mind was racing, and she didn’t even know where to begin. As a result, she simply plopped down into the snow, stunned.

About the Author:

Melissa Frost grew up loving young adult novels and continues to immerse herself in the current authors on the market.

In the fifth grade, she won a writing competition to work with children’s author Colleen O'Shaughnessy Mckenna, and it inspired her to write stories of her own. She never looked back.

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