I'm excited to share with you all the Book Blitz for Corner of Ocean and Bay, a Young Adult Contemporary novel by Gina Azzi. It was released on June 15th. This will end up being two posts, since there is so much I want to share with you; this one with excerpts and stuff, and then a guest post from Gine Azzi. I have a lot of exciting stuff to share with you today, so let's get started!
Synopsis:
Nessa Moore has sought
reliable stability since her father’s death. Now, she’s over it. Tired
of always being the mature adult, constantly worrying about her
alcoholic mother, stressing about being able to afford college, she
wants to have one normal, carefree, fun summer. And be more like her
best friend Jacie.
Jacie Hayes is struggling to overcome the recent breakup with her
first love. The one that ripped out her heart and left her devastated.
Frustrated and bored with her own self pity, Jacie wants nothing more
than to forget about Dylan, to go back to her old ways, her old self. To
be the fun loving, live-in-the-moment girl who gossips about boys and
sips mojitos.
Best friends since childhood, Nessa and Jacie have been through all
their ups and downs together. No matter what. Now, the summer before
their senior year of high school, they accept an invitation from Jacie’s
aunt to join her in Lockwood Quay, New Jersey, a summer beach getaway.
Determined to make this their best, most memorable, summer yet, both
girls push their own boundaries, accept new challenges, and find
themselves keeping secrets from each other.
But sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone has consequences.
And some secrets can’t be forgiven.
Purchase:
Now to the exciting stuff; I have some excerpts to share with you. I've read them, and let me just say that I really want to read this book now.
Excerpt 1:
The unique scent of the ocean, a fusion of sea salt and secrets,
blows into the open windows of Jacie’s Jeep Wrangler minutes after we pass the
sign welcoming us to Lockwood Quay, New Jersey, population 2,700. The wind
whips my hair around my face, tying it in knots, and I breathe in deep, holding
the air in my lungs, committing its deliciousness to memory.
I ride shotgun, sitting next to Jacie, as she reaches over and turns
up the volume to Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long.”
We sing the chorus in unison, Jacie’s fingers tapping the beat on the
steering wheel, as we near Aunt Beatrice’s beach house. Jacie throws her arms up, dancing to the
music, shaking her head as her long, straight blonde hair snakes down her back.
I immediately reach over and grab the steering wheel. We swerve slightly and
the man in an oncoming car blares his horn, giving us the stink eye as he
passes. Jacie giggles and waves to him. I join in her laughter as I try to
squeeze the panic from my chest, reminding myself that this is my shot at a
normal, carefree summer, my chance to have some Jacie kind of fun.
When we round the next corner Aunt Beatrice’s house unfolds before
me. The house is sprawling, ranch style, transporting me back to my childhood
when my father would rent a beach house for the summer. He always loved the
Jersey shore.
Aunt Beatrice’s house is a pale gray, almost blue, with large bay
windows and a wraparound porch. In one corner, a swing sways slightly in the
breeze and white wicker chairs beckon. The path up to the house and the wide
driveway are dotted with pale pink brick pavers; the front lawn isn’t a lawn at
all but a stretch of various sized stones, broken seashells, and sandy pebbles;
the flowers are in full bloom. Beautiful flowers are everywhere: hanging from the
window boxes, falling to the porch in various shades of pink, purple, yellow,
blue.
“Let the summer shenanigans commence,” Jacie says, shoving the gear
stick into park and opening the Jeep door. She stretches her arms overhead and
her T-shirt rides up, revealing a glimpse of the ink she had tattooed on her
lower abdomen the night before she turned seventeen, precisely nine days ago.
Her cousins even gifted her a fake ID.
“I seriously can’t believe we are going to live here!” I push my
sunglasses up on top of my head, sweeping my side bangs off my forehead.
“I know, right. It’s going to be such an awesome summer!”
Excerpt 2:
When I give myself the once over in the mirror, I notice the high
flush in my cheeks. I’m nervous, excited. The last time I had this look, Dylan
was taking me to dinner for our one-year anniversary. I was so excited for that
dinner that I changed my dress four times. Finally, my mother had convinced me
to stay in my first choice.
Is tonight a date?
At nine fifteen, I enter
The Tackle Box, relieved that I left home before Aunt B came back from her card
game. Or was it bingo? It would be tough to explain where I was going without
Nessa tagging along. The Tackle Box is dark and smoky. Small lanterns flicker every few feet. There
is a guy and girl duo on a small stage in the corner, playing guitar and
singing. The booths have high backs, allowing customers privacy while they
eat. I scan the restaurant, looking for
Dave. It’s difficult to see anyone clearly with the high, closed-off booths.
Dave must have spotted me though because I see him as he stands up and starts
waving at me.
“Hey,” I say, kissing his
cheek in greeting.
“Thought you stood me up,”
he jokes. So, this is a date.
“Never. I just had to be
fashionably late.”
He laughs. “You’re so
refreshing, Jacie.”
I think I beam at him.
Ugh, stop cheesing so hard.
When I sit across from
Dave in the booth, I notice he has already ordered drinks, a beer for him and a
mojito for me. I raise my eyebrows at him and he winks back. Well, I’ve never
been known to turn down a drink.
“Cheers,” I say, raising
my glass to him.
“Bottoms up.”
Excerpt 3:
Strong hands close on my hips from behind and I immediately
recognize Z’s touch, his smell envelops me as he pulls closer. The hard muscles
of his thighs alleviate the pressure on my legs as his forearms close around my
middle, holding me up, pressing me into him. His chin dips down, nestling in
the curve of my neck. He presses a soft kiss to the top of my shoulder.
“Nessa,” he whispers, closing the space between our mouths. He stops
an inch from my lips. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
I nod, barely, before his lips gently press over mine. Z kisses me slowly, sweetly, reverently. He
pulls back slightly and looks into my eyes, shaking his head imperceptibly. His
hands work their way up my shirt, gripping the sides of my ribcage and he jerks
me closer, slanting his head; his mouth crashes over mine, and I’m pulled under
like a riptide.
Excerpt 4:
My feet arch and I rise up on my tippy toes. My hands grasp the
collar of his polo shirt, pulling his face closer. I brush my lips against his
gently. He doesn’t respond. I try again, flicking my tongue out to catch his
bottom lip. My hands slide to the back of his neck, brushing against the edge
of his collar, where his hair curls over slightly. I pour my soul into the
kiss: my beating heart, my frustration of sneaking around, my anger over the
traitor tears, my admiration for him, my everything.
Just as I start to pull away, his arms wrap around me, grasping me
closer. His left hand clasps my head, just behind my ear. He angles his mouth
over mine and kisses me harder, deeper.
And I forget to breathe.
Excerpt 5:
I am so lost in my own thoughts that I almost don’t hear it, the
tiny giggle. It escapes again and I immediately recognize Jacie’s laugh. Her flushed face shines in the pale moonlight
streaming through the skylight as a bedroom door opens.
“Jace?”
Her eyes flash up to meet mine, her merriment poorly concealed. Her topknot has slipped. Dave comes into view
behind her. Jacie smiles at me sheepishly. I stare at her and Dave, wide-eyed.
Something in my stomach sinks. I feel hollow.
Guest Post from Gina Azzi
How the Writing Process Surprised Me
How the Writing Process Surprised Me
Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to guest post on your blog! My name is Gina Azzi and I recently self-published my first novel, Corner of Ocean and Bay. The novel highlights the friendship of Nessa and Jacie during the summer before their senior year of high school. Primarily focusing on teen topics such as underage drinking, family issues, and first loves, the novel explores how Nessa and Jacie navigate these challenges and the impact certain situations have on their friendship.
Now that I’ve self-published, many people have asked me various questions about the process: How did I do it? How long did it take? What steps were involved?
The truth is, when I first began writing Corner of Ocean and Bay, I didn’t even realize I was going to write a book. The entire concept started as a two-page assignment for a writing course I was taking at The Writer’s Studio in New York. Then, I developed the two-pages into a short story for a writing class I was taking online at Gotham’s Writer’s Workshop – about two years later. Afterwards, I sat on it for months and months. Little by little, I added more two-page ideas and suddenly, I had a whole first chapter! It wasn’t until that moment that I realized I wanted to turn what started off as an assignment into a full length Young Adult novel.
But then what?
I was stuck.
I pondered for weeks about Nessa, the main protagonist. I agonized over her social interactions, her character development, her relationship with Z. And then, I realized that Jacie, Nessa’s best friend, was just as equally an interesting character. One who had just as much to say as Nessa did. Suddenly, I began writing scenes from Jacie’s point of view. I realized the story was more balanced if both characters were contributing their individual thoughts, personal dilemmas, and histories to the plot. After this realization, the writing flowed and I fell in love with Nessa and Jacie’s friendship – the kind that you only ever share with your best, truest friend.
At this point, I realized that the core of the story, the underlying theme of all the drama and changes and relationships that occur in Corner of Ocean and Bay, is friendship.
I didn’t have this fantastic epiphany until page 200.
Sometimes, you outline. You have incredible ideas. You have great plans.
Sometimes, the writing takes over and your characters teach you more than you can ever instill in them.
I’m grateful that Nessa and Jacie reminded me of the importance of friendship, how amazing it is to let yourself be silly with someone who appreciates the wild in you just as much as you do. Someone who really, truly, gets you.
I’m grateful for how much I learned through writing Corner of Ocean and Bay.
And I think that the learning part – the discovery, the realizations, the bond I experienced with the characters – is really how I wrote the book and how the process all came together!
AUTHOR BIO:
Gina Azzi spent all of her childhood summers at the beach in New Jersey - it was magical! Gina is a passionate reader, frequent globetrotter, and coffee enthusiast. She currently resides in Dubai with her husband, Tony.
Gina loves meeting new people and would love to hear from you! Get in touch with her at:
Email: ginaazziauthor@gmail.com
Twitter: @gina_azzi
Gina loves meeting new people and would love to hear from you! Get in touch with her at:
Email: ginaazziauthor@gmail.com
Twitter: @gina_azzi
Author links:
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