Vernon's Verses: Letters to Nowhere by Julie Cross: Blog Tour

Author: Julie Cross

Title: Letters To Nowhere

Pages: 360

Publication Date: August 1^st 2013

Publisher: Julie Cross

Genre: Mature Young Adult Contemporary

Synopsis

Her family may be shattered, but her dreams aren't...

From the International Bestselling Author of the Tempest series

A Mature YA contemporary set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics. Grief, love and pursuing dreams are at the forefront of this emotionally powerful coming-of-age story.

Seventeen year old Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the world championship team.

Coach Bentley’s only child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare away a girl like Karen—someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a tragic past of his own, grief buried for years.

As Karen’s gymnastics career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full force.

Excerpt:

And Jordan could be this whole person lying beside me and pushing my shirt up higher, kissing my stomach and laying his cheek against it. I didn’t even know there were so many body parts that could be kissed and we were still working above the waist.

“Still planning on helping me with my paper?” I asked, in between kisses.

“Damn, I forgot. We should go soon.” He scooted away from me and lay flat on his stomach, pressing his face into the blanket. “Just give me a minute . . . or five.”

I laughed at him before sitting up. At times like this, I was more than grateful to be a girl and not have to hide the fact that I was turned on.

“What’s your technique?” I pulled my sweatshirt over my head and sat cross-legged on the blanket.

“What technique?”

“You know, like Finn on Glee. He always thinks about the mailman hitting his windshield.”

He laughed into the blanket. “First off, I don’t watch Glee so I have no idea who Finn is, and right now I’m thinking about Mrs. Garrett in her nightgown.”

“Is it working?”

He turned his head to the side and smiled at me. “It might if you would stop talking.”

I mimed zipping my lips and sat perfectly still until Jordan finally pulled himself up off the blanket. I folded it neatly and held it to my chest. “So . . . ?” I prompted him.

“So . . . what?”

I turned my back to him, heading toward the car. “Was I right? About the size difference?”

Jordan hooked an arm around my waist and lifted me off the ground. He spun around a few times. “Is it even possible for you to get dizzy anymore? All those giant swings around the bars . . .”

He set me down and tried to kiss me, but I leaned back and lifted my eyebrows.

“Fine,” he said with a sigh. “You were right, the left one is smaller.”

I kissed him before climbing into the passenger seat. “Thanks for being honest,” I said once he had gotten in the car, too.

“Now you’re not going to let me see anything, are you?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Let me know whenever you decide.”

Author Bio

I live in central Illinois with my wonderful husband and three kids currently between the ages of 7 and 12 (the kids not the husband). My writing journey began in May, 2009 with a short story in a notebook.

Within a year, I had written seven (some good some God-awful) young adult novels. Not being a college graduate and having spent the previous fifteen years teaching gymnastics and working as a YMCA Program Director for Recreational Gymnastics, professional writing wasn't in my plans. Not even close. But ever since the day I started that short story, I haven't been able to stop. It was love at first sight.

After about a year of writing, I had a three book deal with St. Martin's Press, and a film option with Summit Entertainment. Crazy, right? I know. It wasn't until August of 2011 that I quit working full time in order to be at home with my kids more and of course, write more. My young adult time travel debut novel, Tempest, released on January 17, 2012. The rest of my personal story remains unwritten.

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