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Title(s): Pepped Up & All Pepped Up
Author: Ali Dean
Tour Dates: August 11-15, 2014
ABOUT PEPPED UP:
Pepper Jones is ready for an epic cross country season. She wants to qualify for Nationals, and she’s
willing to do anything it takes to make it happen. She can handle long miles and hill sprints, but boys?
That’s an entirely different challenge.
Pepper’s never considered revealing her deeper feelings for her longtime friend, Jace Wilder. After all,
he’s got the personal magnetism and good looks to hook just about any girl in town -- and he has.
Their friendship stands apart from high school social circles, and they’re both just fine with that (or at least they pretend to be).
That is, until running star Ryan Harding moves to town.
When it comes to running, Pepper’s goals are clear.
But when it comes to Jace and Ryan, it’s nowhere near as simple.
ABOUT ALL PEPPED UP:
Pepper Jones knew that being Jace Wilder’s girlfriend wouldn’t be simple.
But she didn’t predict just how many complications would arise from his past. Jealous girls?
That she expected. Family secrets? Not so much.
At least Pepper can always hit the trails to clear her head… except when it comes to racing.
The high expectations from her phenomenal cross country season haunt her, and she can’t seem to get
psyched up for track season.
Pepper’s junior year at Brockton Public is full of challenges on and off the track, but she’s not afraid to face them.
EXCERPT FROM PEPPED UP:
Zoe offers me a ride home, but Ryan jumps in, saying I’m
on his way. I watch him discreetly for a moment in the car. His forehead is
damp with sweat from dancing, and his blue eyes look soft and sleepy from the
long day. When he glances at me, and smiles, showing off those adorable
dimples, he looks so happy. And it all seems so simple with him.
He likes me. I like him.
If it wasn’t for Jace, there would be no question at all
what direction things should go with Ryan and me. And what’s stopping me now?
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/AllPeppedUp and http://bit.ly/PeppedUp
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ali Dean lives in Colorado with her husband, twin babies,
and golden retriever. In addition to reading and writing, she loves the
outdoors- everything from marathon training and biking to snowboarding and
skiing.
Interview:
Interview:
Where are you from?
Vermont. It’s a wonderful state with great people. But the weather in Colorado sure is a lot better.
Tell us your latest news?
I just had twins! A boy and a girl. They are my first babies (not including our golden retriever), and I love being a mom.
When and why did you begin writing?
I always liked creative writing in school, but I didn’t do much of it until a couple of years ago. I am a lawyer, so I’ve always written a lot. Legal writing doesn’t permit much creativity. I started reading a lot more fiction when I was studying for the bar exam – it was a nice escape from studying. Then I started reading every day on the bus on the way to work, and I got pretty addicted. Once I discovered indie/self-published authors, I realized that writing a book myself might be a real possibility. I didn’t necessarily have to find a publisher or quite my legal job. So I started writing stories, and I loved it!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Probably not until a couple of months after I self-published Pepped Up. Until people started reading it and liking it, I wasn’t convinced I was really a writer, at least not in the “author” sense.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I started several different books before I got going with Pepped Up. I think I stuck with that story over the others because I’m a runner just like Pepper (although not as fast as her!) and I could really relate to her on a deeper level than the other characters I’d created.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I think I’m still exploring different styles. I’m not really sure what mine is yet!
How did you come up with the title?
I wanted something upbeat, catchy, and original. Too many romance books have sappy titles! I won’t call out any in particular but there are three or four words I see over and over again in romance titles and it’s kind of starting to drive me nuts. But I get it. Titling books is HARD! For the second one, I was just going to call it Pepped Up 2 because I’m planning on writing a bunch more in this series, and wanted it to be easy for readers to know which one comes next, but I asked my fans on facebook for ideas, and several people thought of All Pepped Up. Their second choice was Pepped up and Ready, so that will be the title for the third book.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
There are lots of messages. Pepper experiences all kinds of stuff that teenagers face in high school, and that many adults can relate to as well – emotional ups and down with boys, competitions, social circles, etc. Through it all, she stays true to herself, loyal to her friends, and doesn’t lose sight of her goals. Although she might not always make the right choice and she isn’t perfect, I think she’s got a good moral compass. She’s a good role model who many of us can relate to.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
None of it was written consciously about personal experience. Of course, it is based on a town in Colorado I am familiar with, and I’ve had lots of experiences as an athlete and in running competitions.
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Bible. Okay, so it’s a little different from the genre I write, but the more I read the Bible, the more I see how much the stories resemble life experiences, and follow similar story lines to bestselling fiction books. Yet it’s God inspired words. Pretty fascinating.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I really don’t have a writing mentor, but I think I could use one at this early stage in my career. As a young lawyer, I have lots of legal mentors, but I think I need to reach out more if I want to find a mentor with my writing. If anyone knows how to go about doing that, let me know!
What book are you reading now?
Written in my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon (actually I’m listening to it on audio- I love all the accents!)
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Krista and Becca Ritchie (they are twins who write together). When I first read the description of the first book in their series, I really didn’t think I’d like it. It just sounded silly. But for some reason I read the free sample anyway and WOW. The characters are awesome and the writing is really witty. It has a lot more substance than other books in the new adult romance genre. Very creative and compelling.
What are your current projects?
I’m working on a book I started awhile ago and then put on hold when I got going with the Pepper Jones series. The book will be a stand alone – called “Wait and See”- but will be written with the intention of having follow up books with stories about related characters. I know people are eager for the next Pepper Jones book, and it will come, but I think you’ll really like reading about Darby Sawyer – the heroine in Wait and See – in the meantime! She’s bada*s.
What would you like my readers to know?
Pepper Jones is the kind of girl you want to root for. I hope you find the series as fun and compelling to read as it is to write!
Vermont. It’s a wonderful state with great people. But the weather in Colorado sure is a lot better.
Tell us your latest news?
I just had twins! A boy and a girl. They are my first babies (not including our golden retriever), and I love being a mom.
When and why did you begin writing?
I always liked creative writing in school, but I didn’t do much of it until a couple of years ago. I am a lawyer, so I’ve always written a lot. Legal writing doesn’t permit much creativity. I started reading a lot more fiction when I was studying for the bar exam – it was a nice escape from studying. Then I started reading every day on the bus on the way to work, and I got pretty addicted. Once I discovered indie/self-published authors, I realized that writing a book myself might be a real possibility. I didn’t necessarily have to find a publisher or quite my legal job. So I started writing stories, and I loved it!
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Probably not until a couple of months after I self-published Pepped Up. Until people started reading it and liking it, I wasn’t convinced I was really a writer, at least not in the “author” sense.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I started several different books before I got going with Pepped Up. I think I stuck with that story over the others because I’m a runner just like Pepper (although not as fast as her!) and I could really relate to her on a deeper level than the other characters I’d created.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I think I’m still exploring different styles. I’m not really sure what mine is yet!
How did you come up with the title?
I wanted something upbeat, catchy, and original. Too many romance books have sappy titles! I won’t call out any in particular but there are three or four words I see over and over again in romance titles and it’s kind of starting to drive me nuts. But I get it. Titling books is HARD! For the second one, I was just going to call it Pepped Up 2 because I’m planning on writing a bunch more in this series, and wanted it to be easy for readers to know which one comes next, but I asked my fans on facebook for ideas, and several people thought of All Pepped Up. Their second choice was Pepped up and Ready, so that will be the title for the third book.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
There are lots of messages. Pepper experiences all kinds of stuff that teenagers face in high school, and that many adults can relate to as well – emotional ups and down with boys, competitions, social circles, etc. Through it all, she stays true to herself, loyal to her friends, and doesn’t lose sight of her goals. Although she might not always make the right choice and she isn’t perfect, I think she’s got a good moral compass. She’s a good role model who many of us can relate to.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
None of it was written consciously about personal experience. Of course, it is based on a town in Colorado I am familiar with, and I’ve had lots of experiences as an athlete and in running competitions.
What books have most influenced your life most?
The Bible. Okay, so it’s a little different from the genre I write, but the more I read the Bible, the more I see how much the stories resemble life experiences, and follow similar story lines to bestselling fiction books. Yet it’s God inspired words. Pretty fascinating.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I really don’t have a writing mentor, but I think I could use one at this early stage in my career. As a young lawyer, I have lots of legal mentors, but I think I need to reach out more if I want to find a mentor with my writing. If anyone knows how to go about doing that, let me know!
What book are you reading now?
Written in my Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon (actually I’m listening to it on audio- I love all the accents!)
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Krista and Becca Ritchie (they are twins who write together). When I first read the description of the first book in their series, I really didn’t think I’d like it. It just sounded silly. But for some reason I read the free sample anyway and WOW. The characters are awesome and the writing is really witty. It has a lot more substance than other books in the new adult romance genre. Very creative and compelling.
What are your current projects?
I’m working on a book I started awhile ago and then put on hold when I got going with the Pepper Jones series. The book will be a stand alone – called “Wait and See”- but will be written with the intention of having follow up books with stories about related characters. I know people are eager for the next Pepper Jones book, and it will come, but I think you’ll really like reading about Darby Sawyer – the heroine in Wait and See – in the meantime! She’s bada*s.
What would you like my readers to know?
Pepper Jones is the kind of girl you want to root for. I hope you find the series as fun and compelling to read as it is to write!
WHERE TO FIND HER:
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