Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway- Blocked by Jennifer Lane

Hi, guys! I am excited to be part of the Blocked blog tour hosted (click to see the entire tour schedule) by AToMR. I have previously read and really liked author Jennifer Lane's Young Adult novel, Streamline. So obviously, I was really looking forward to her New Adult contemporary novel, Blocked. As part of the blog tour, I have an excerpt and there's also some more great stuff for you guys to check out. I want to apologise since I was supposed to read the book and I am reading it, but I couldn't finish it on time. I will be publishing my review once I get done with it anyway, so keep and eye out for that. So without much ado, let's get on to see what's in store for you now. 

New Adult Contemporary/Sports Romance

Released October 21, 2014

BOOK SUMMARY:

College freshman Lucia Ramirez has a secret crush on Dane Monroe. He’s a tall drink of water — blond, brash, and one hell of a volleyball player. Hijole. Lucia hopes her volleyball scholarship to his school will make him notice her.

Too bad what’s noticeable is Dane’s obvious hatred for Lucia. Her family’s politics contradict everything he stands for. And politics are front and center in both their families. Dane’s mother is about to face Lucia’s father in the race for US President.

When Secret Service throws them together, Dane can’t deny his frustrating attraction to Lucia’s athletic curves and sweet faith in the world. Amid the intense pressure of college athletics and presidential politics, can opposites not just attract, but overcome overwhelming odds to be together? Or do their differences block their match from the start?

For more information, check out the book page on Amazon and Goodreads. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Get psyched for romance with psychologist/author (psycho author) Jennifer Lane! By day she witnesses growth in her psychotherapy clients, and by night she wrangles misbehaving fictional characters as she writes sports romance and romantic suspense with a psychological twist. She can’t decide which is more fun.

A swimmer and volleyball player in college, Jen wove some of her own experiences into Streamline—a military mystery about swimmers. And readers can dip their toes into Jen’s world of swimming romance by sampling her free New Adult novella Swim Recruit.

College volleyball romance Blocked is Jen’s newest release, launching 10-21-14. Peek inside big-time college sports and even bigger national politics when the offspring of two presidential candidates find out whether opposites really do attract, or their match is blocked from the start.

Stories of redemption interest Jen the most, especially the healing power of love. She is also the author of The Conduct Series, a romantic suspense trilogy that includes With Good Behavior, Bad Behavior, and On Best Behavior. Ultimately, whether writing or reading, Jen loves stories that make her laugh and cry.

In her spare time she enjoys exercising, attending book club, hanging out with her plus-size, “I’m not fat, I’m big-boned” Izzie cat, and visiting her sisters and their families in Chicago and Hilton Head.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

GUEST POST: 

Writing Blocked

Lucia opened the door. "They say not to discuss politics and religion on the first date."

 “Well, then.” 

I gave her a huge smile. “We’re screwed.” 

 ~*~ 

 Has a political opinion on social media ever made your blood boil? Have you struggled to tolerate friends’ opposing political views? There’s a bitter political divide in many countries, including the US, and those polarized philosophies inspired the story of Blocked. 

 Heroine Lucia Ramirez and hero Dane Monroe view the world in opposite ways but are thrown together as their parents compete for the US presidency. Underhanded national politics are hardly the place for a trusting relationship to begin, but can love bridge the gap of mistrust and hatred? 

The theme of forbidden love intrigues me. Lucia’s conservative father, the Republican nominee for US President, would be horrified to learn of his daughter’s crush on his liberal opponent’s son Dane. Dane and his mother, the Democratic nominee for US President, believe that harsh conservative ideals thwart the American dream. 

One lesson from my psychology career is that perception is reality. Democrats see the world quite differently from Republicans, and both groups are hell-bent on proving they’re right. Dane wants equality for all. Lucia stands for individual responsibility. Which philosophy is better? Which will persevere in the next election? 

Sometimes, political discussion becomes heated. It gets ugly. In contrast, I tried my hardest to present each viewpoint fairly in this story. Readers and editors from both sides of the aisle critiqued the manuscript, and one reason I self-published the novel was to preserve a delicate balance of political views between Dane and Lucia. 

Despite their political differences, Lucia and Dane share one thing in common: volleyball. Both are scholarship volleyball players at a top university, vying to earn a spot on the US national team one day. In addition to swimming, I played volleyball at a small college, and my love for this sport bleeds onto the pages. To smash a perfectly set volleyball down the opponent’s throat? There’s nothing more satisfying. And the closeness of a team is one of life’s special pleasures, experienced by Lucia and Dane. 

 I hope you enjoy the political and sport elements in Blocked.

Well, I for one, am enjoying the book and hope to finish it as soon as I possinly can. I can't wait to see how it ends! Thank you for the post, Jennifer, by the way. 

GIVEAWAY:

This is the most exciting part of blog tours- giveaways! There are quite a few prizes to be won in this giveaway, thanks to Jennifer, who has hosted this generous giveaway. Here's what you can win:

(1) $15 Amazon Gift Card

(1) eBook of BLOCKED

(1) BLOCKED cover cookie

(1) BLOCKED bookmark

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If the form doesn't load or show up, go here to enter. 

So go ahead and enter, and I wish you all the very best. May the odds be ever in your favour. 

I hope you enjoyed the post just as much as I enjoyed putting it up for you. I also hope that you are now looking forward to reading Blocked and checking out more of Jennier's books. I'd like to thank the author and the AToMR for the opportunity to be part of this fabulous tour. Thank you, readers, for stopping by! Have a fantastic day/ afternoon/ evening/ night- depending on where you live! Happy reading!