Hi guys, we have Mia Kerick stopping by today on the first day of her blog tour for Love Spell, we managed to pin Mia down to answer a couple of questions for you, we have a great excerpt, there’s a fantastic giveaway and we have Cat’s review for you to enjoy, so check out the post and click that Rafflecopter link

Love Spell

Mia Kerick

Strutting his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug orange tuxedo as this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon feels so very right to Chance César, and yet he knows it should feel so very wrong.

As far back as he can remember, Chance has been “caught between genders.” (It’s quite a touchy subject; so don’t ask him about it.)  However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness—he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as “girl-boy.”

But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make “Jazz” Donahue his man.

An article in an online women’s magazine, Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You (with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.

Excerpt

Hi Mia, I’m Pixie and I’d just like to thank you for stopping by today. I’m just gonna ask a couple of questions and I’ll be very gentle 🙂

Hi Pixie!! Thank you so much for welcoming me to be a guest on your MM Good Book reviews!!! I am excited to be here to promote my new YA Contemporary Romance with lots of humor, Love Spell.

What is for you the perfect book hero?

Ever since I was a teen, I loved reading about the selfless, totally devoted tortured hero. It became easier to find these books when I could search for “tortured hero” online. Back when I read M/F romance, I only liked historical romances with tortured heroes- yes, I have always been very picky in regard to the leading men in my romance. But, interestingly, there are a surprisingly large number of tortured MC’s. Gorgeous, selfless, devoted, AND tortured—who knew? Once I found M/M romance, I started to enjoy, and maybe even prefer, contemporary romance. But still—I love those tortured souls!! Uh huh, I do!! LOL. In Twilight, incidentally, I fell in love with Edward Cullen. He is tortured in just the way I like.

I have, however, expanded my tastes in literary heroes, especially as I have begun to write YA romance. You will find in Love Spell a very different kind of hero. Is he tortured? Yeah, I’d say he is. Chance César has a big quandary and is rather consumed with either hiding from it or figuring it out. (He hasn’t yet decided which is the best way to go.) But he isn’t at all the silent, strong, brooding loner who I used to love. Chance is quirky, honest, a little bit fearless, and a lot snarky. I hope you get to know him.

When you start a book, do you already have the whole story in your head or is it built progressively ?

I have a general story in my head and a pretty good idea of the two main characters when I start writing. I then write about three chapters, and I sort out the way they speak, their attitudes, their way of interacting, and then I stop for a while. I call this “letting my ideas percolate”. Before I dive back into writing, I develop a general and very messy outline, which is really just a list filled with ideas in relative chronological order. (No Roman numerals involved.) And after the percolation is finished, I get back to the job of writing. However, my best laid (or, messily laid) plans are subject to change if the characters seem to be taking the story in a different direction.

Currently, I am in a secondary percolation period of a YA Gay romance that deals with a very serious contemporary issue for teens. I really am not ready to divulge the specific topic or title. But I had to put it aside to promote Love Spell. During this percolation, I watched an old movie, fell in love with a character, asked myself WHY? Why does this character come alive for me? How did the creator of this character hook me in? When I answered these questions, I automatically applied what I learned to the story I’ve been working on and I think it is going to enhance the story greatly.

What inspired you to write Love Spell?

We all want to see characters like ourselves in books—with the same types of personal problems, fears, and dilemmas that we face every day. Reading books with characters that resemble us in some significant way is comforting, and lets us know that we aren’t alone in what feels like an epic battle to survive the teenage years. LGBTQ kids are at a disadvantage here as they don’t have an equal opportunity to find themselves in books, since the books on the shelves at the library and the local bookstore and even online don’t feature enough characters of diversity. This is discouraging to the kids who are most in need of models to provide them with hope. LGBTQ teens need to be able to easily find reasons for hope and sources of inspiration in the books they read. Studies show that LGBTQ teens have higher rates of depression and more suicide attempts than students without gender or sexuality acceptance issues. Kids who are struggling with their gender identity need books like Love Spell. They need to read about Chance César—a gender fluid seventeen-year-old boy who quite often feels like a girl. They need to see him as awkward at times, and strong at other times, but always engaging and real. They need to see him make mistakes and fix them. They need to see him negotiate the circumstances of his life as a teen with a non-traditional gender identity. And so my inspiration in writing Love Spell was these kids—they deserve a chance to read about someone like themselves.

How many published books do you have?

I always estimate, but since you asked so directly, I guess it’s time to count.

Let’s see…

Dreamspinner Press Adult –

Harmony Ink Press YA-

CoolDudes Publishing/YoungDudes Publishing- YA

Self-published- YA

Looks like I have thirteen published books!! Woot!!

How much of your own life and personality do you put in your work?

I think that every character who tells one of my stories has a slice of Mia Kerick included in their personality. I identify closely with many of my first person speakers, so much so that they say and do things that I would do. But there are also those narrators who I wish I could be more like. I think Love Spell’s main character and narrator, Chance César, falls into this category. I admire his courage and willingness to face his fears head on. I wish I could be as consistently humorous as him, even when the going gets tough. I admire his patience and ability to be a devoted best friend to a rather challenging teenage girl. And his never-say-die attitude inspires me. So, I put my personality and traits I wish were part of my personality in the characters I create.

If you could be a super hero what power would you want?

Invisibility. Just think of all the places I could go and the secrets I could learn if I was invisible. But… I have a major guilt complex… and I’d end up suffering over having been sneaky. And then there is the fact that I am the world’s biggest goody-two-shoes. I won’t break a rule if I can find a way around it. Maybe I’ll just go with being super strong. I could help my husband move the furniture around.

Bird or reptile?

Definitely bird

Harry Potter or Twilight?

OMG, Twilight

Slow and gentle or up against the wall?

I like a soft touch but don’t tell anybody.

If you could be any fantasy or fairy-tale creature what would it be?

This could change by tomorrow, but maybe I’d be Bella from Twilight. I have a thing for Edward Cullen.

Tell us something that people would be surprised you know how to do.

I’m apparently not uniquely talented because I am having a hard time coming up with something. I can tell you something I can’t do—I can’t cook to save my life.

If you could time travel would you visit the past or the future?

I’d like to go back in time (just for an evening) to the late sixties so that I could attend a Beatles Concert- wouldn’t that be amazing?

Thank you for answering our questions today Mia and much luck with Love Spell!

Excerpt

Not to say that I kept my phone basically right beneath my chin for the next four days, but I kept my phone basically right beneath my chin for the next four days. Yes, I was oh-so-pathetically waiting for his call, which I am aware fully explains the need for the phrase “get a life.” But Jazz hadn’t been at school on the Thursday or Friday after he had called and cancelled our playdate, and now it’s Sunday night, and I still haven’t heard from him. And although I’m frustrated that all of my elaborate plans to make him fall head over heels in love with moi have apparently tanked, I’m also growing genuinely concerned.

That’s when my cell phone, which I placed on my chest before I lay down on my now “love-spell-pink” wrapped mattress, starts singing Express Yourself.

“Yo.” I don’t check the number. It’s Emmy—who else would it be?

“Hi, Chance.” The deep voice is so not Emmy’s.

Yaaassss!!! This is what ninety-nine percent of my insides shout. One percent says quietly, “It’s about frigging time you called, asshole.”

But my voice is calm. “Jasper,” I say blandly. In my opinion, he hasn’t earned the right to be called Jazz any longer.

“Um, sorry, no. It’s Jazz.”

I try not to roll my eyes even though I know he won’t see, but it’s an epic fail. “Whatever.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch for a couple days. My mom’s been real sick. I was lookin’ after her, gettin’ her to the doctor, goin’ to the pharmacy, bringing JoJo back and forth to school, and stuff.”

Oh.

“Mom caught JoJo’s strep throat and had to go to the ER because she couldn’t even swallow.” He stops talking for a second and then clears his voice. “Alls she could do was spit into a rag whenever she needed to swallow.”

Well, that’s definitely TMI, but I get the fucker-nelly revolting picture. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault, dude.”

And then there’s silence.

“Gonna take JoJo to the library after school tomorrow. But first I gotta stop by the cable company and pay up or we’re gonna lose our TV and internet at home. They already warned us like twice.”

“Want me to pick up Yolo at school and take her to the library?” I’m so freaking pissed off at him. Why am I offering to save his ass again?

“That’s cool of you to offer, but there’s a bus she can take to the library from her school. Could ya be waiting for her at the library, in case I get held up?”

“Of course.” I’m a Class A sucker.

“You’re such a cool pal.” Ugh—so not what I’m going for.

“Thanks.”

“I’m not gonna be at lunch tomorrow seein’ as I’ll probably be collecting my makeup work. So, I’ll see ya at the library. ‘Kay?”

I don’t say kkkk cuz it’s not even slightly cool. “Sure. The libes after school, it is.”

“Thank you, bro,” Jazz offers.

One more silence, and then I say, “Later.”

I have research to do.

About Mia

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, CoolDudes Publishing, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Stop by Mia’s Blog with questions or comments, or simply share what’s on your mind. Find Mia on Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Where to find the author:

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Review

Title: Love Spell  

Author: Mia Kerick

Genre: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

Length: Novella (177pgs)

ISBN: B00XT3044W

Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing (June 1st 2015)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Cat

Blurb: Strutting his stuff on the catwalk in black patent leather pumps and a snug orange tuxedo as this year’s Miss (ter) Harvest Moon feels so very right to Chance César, and yet he knows it should feel so very wrong.

As far back as he can remember, Chance has been “caught between genders.” (It’s quite a touchy subject; so don’t ask him about it.)  However, he does not question his sexual orientation. Chance has no doubt about his gayness—he is very much out of the closet at his rural New Hampshire high school, where the other students avoid the kid they refer to as “girl-boy.”

But at the local Harvest Moon Festival, when Chance, the Pumpkin Pageant Queen, meets Jasper Donahue, the Pumpkin Carving King, sparks fly. So Chance sets out, with the help of his BFF, Emily, to make “Jazz” Donahue his man.

An article in an online women’s magazine, Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You (with a bonus love spell thrown in for good measure), becomes the basis of their strategy to capture Jazz’s heart.

Quirky, comical, definitely flamboyant, and with an inner core of poignancy, Love Spell celebrates the diversity of a gender-fluid teen.

Product Link: US: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Spell-Mia-Kerick-ebook/dp/B00XT3044W UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Spell-Mia-Kerick-ebook/dp/B00XT3044W

Review:  The story begins with Chance strutting his stuff being voted as Miss(ter) Harvest Moon. It was meant to be a prank and insult since Chance is openly, flamboyantly gay, but he loved every minute of it.. Not only is he gay, he is confused by his gender. Sometimes he feels more like a girl at others he feels very much like a boy. This makes it even harder for him to think about relationships since he isn’t sure another man would be able to understand and accept him.

At the festival, he meets Jasper (Jazz) and falls in love. He and his best friend Emily decide to find a way to get Jazz to fall in love with Chance even if it takes casting some love spells.

This book is a very charming, funny young adult story. It covers gender fluidity very well. When the book first began I was thrown a bit by the style. Chance is telling the story then it had paragraphs in parentheses where he was thinking to himself or answering himself. It was a bit confusing. However, as the story goes along this seemed to stop and it was less confusing.

There is also a lot of slang, made-up words and clichés throughout the story.  They are there I understand to make a pot and show the characters personality and voice, but for me it was a bit much. I did like the cute words and there is a dictionary in the back that explains them, but I think they were overused.

So for me the story was a very fun read. Cute and sweet. It made me smile quite a bit and I laughed out loud a few times. His name alone tells you how funny the story will be, Chance Ce’sar (Chances are)

If you like a light, humorous story, young adults, coming of age, finding oneself, friends to lovers, gender fluidity, and an overall sweet, funny romance this is for you.

Check out the other blogs on the blog tour