This is my stop during the blog tour for A Shot of Bourbon by A.C. Land. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 29 March till 11 April, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.
A Shot of Bourbon (The Bourbon Series #1)By A.C. Land
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: BookFish Books
Blurb:
In the little highway town of Bourbon, Missouri, deadly secrets lurk behind Southern charm.
Seventeen year old Charli Valentine didn’t expect to spend the last few weeks of summer break nursing a broken heart, icing a black eye, and watching her ex kiss another girl. Since being a good girl has gotten her nothing but heartache, Charli decides to give rebellion a try. She pigs out, drinks, and hangs with Luke Parker, the son of the infamous Bourbon Butcher.
But there’s more to Luke than meets the eye. His tough exterior and terrible dialect hide a good person despite his bad boy reputation. No matter how hard he tries to fight it, Luke is drawn to Charli’s innocence and finds her clumsiness too charming to resist. Though they’re from opposite sides of the tracks, neither can resist the magnetism drawing them together.
When Charli discovers a box in her mother’s closet, she pieces together the truth about Bourbon’s past and uncovers a deadly secret about her family. And once Luke learns of it, he vows to protect Charli no matter the cost.
You can find A Shot of Bourbon on Goodreads
You can buy A Shot of Bourbon here:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Kobo
About the Author:Author of the Bourbon Series, A.C. Land has been a lover of stories since she first read about Peter Pan giving Wendy an acorn and teaching her to fly. A.C. always dreamed of telling big stories about small towns.
Residing on a cattle farm in Missouri, A.C. loves playing with her rambunctious Jack Russell, Riley, making decorative cakes, taking pictures, drinking pumpkin spice coffee, and hanging out with her nephews.
You can find and contact A.C. Land here:
- Website
Interview
Where are you from?
I’m actually from Bourbon, Missouri. The name of my town was too good not to use. I’ve always loved Bourbon and I’ve never had much of an interest to leave. I love everything from the smell of honeysuckle in the spring, to the taste of the first tomato in July, to running my toes through thick grass in May.
But we’re a farming community, so the economy has been hit hard in the past few years. And, honestly, the opportunities haven’t ever here like they are in a city. A lot of the people I grew up with had an itch to flee this place and that’s exactly what they did.
I set out to write a story about a place that people wouldn’t want to run away from. The Bourbon in A Shot of Bourbon is prosperous; it’s exciting; it’s imaginary.
Tell us your latest news?
Book news? I’m not sure I have any recent book news. Or, at least, not any that I’m ready to share. ;)
But just for fun, my nephew (whom I’m very close to) won districts at wrestling last weekend and he’s headed to state. By the time you read this he could be a nine-year-old Missouri state wrestling champion. Woo-hoo!!
When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve always had a wild imagination. I was 22 when I started writing stories down on paper, but my friends and family will tell you that I’ve been telling stories my whole life. I was active in drama and speech club in high school and I consider that my way of venting out my creative juices as opposed to writing them down.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve considered myself a writer since I very first finished a novel. That, to me, was the ultimate proof that I could do this. Every time I finish a new one it’s an insane sense of accomplishment.
And, of course, it’s wonderful to have nabbed a publisher, but the writing was really what made me feel like I’d arrived.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Oh, this is a good one. I’ve been asked this and always talk about a car crash I was in, but there are several defining moments I can remember, so I’m going to talk about another here.
I ran into a girl I grew up with we got to talking. She was in college and I can’t remember exactly what her major was (writing, maybe?) and I immediately said ‘oh journalism?’ (When you’re from a small town you don’t go to college unless you know for a fact you’ll have a job when you get out of college.)
She told me no, that she was going to be a writer. Then she looked me square in the eye and said she couldn’t believe I’d never thought of myself as a writer because I used to be so creative. (You know, when we played Barbie’s. Ha!) We talked, but I never told her how much her compliment meant, and I never told her that I’d always wanted to write a book, but never thought I could.
So, if you’re reading this, Thanks Trista.
Do you have a specific writing style?
A Shot of Bourbon is written in first person past tense with split POV between Charli and Luke, the two main characters. I’m not sure if I have a specific style except to say that I’ve tried to stay true to their ages. That is, what I consider teenagers to sound like when they’re alone without their parents. It’s not watered down by any means. If you can’t tell by the cover, A Shot of Bourbon is a bit on the spicy side. Luke has a drawl to his voice and his brother, Collin, has a slight stutter.
How did you come up with the title?
I always knew that I wanted to set a novel in Bourbon. It’s just a catchy town name. The first novel I wrote was actually what I considered the second novel in a planned series. Obviously it’s all sitting in the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet now, but I named that series the Bourbon Series. Ironically, the first novel was titled ‘A Double Shot of Bourbon’ which is the name of the book that will release this fall by BookFish.
I guess I’ve had these titles in the back of my mind all along, it’s the stories and characters that have changed.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
No. Shot is purely for entertainment purposes. There are, however, negative character traits that I hope I have portrayed accurately. If someone reads my books and is then able to notice these things in someone they love. Maybe they’ll be able to help and/or do something to prevent something bad from happening, then I wouldn’t be disappointed. If that makes sense.
How much of the book is realistic?
Hopefully all of it. A lot of the plot centers around a bank robbery that never happened. I imagine it will be hard for people from the real Bourbon to picture a grand robbery accompanied by a media storm when we all know that just isn’t real.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
The events are mostly fiction. Reading back through the books after I wrote them there would be a scene that I realized had a basis in reality, but for the most part I made it all up.
I wish I could say the same for the characters. Charli is very much an exaggerated version of a very naïve me. She’s trusting, innocent, selfless, and willing to help anyone. I can’t say that’s all me, but it’s hard reading her because it makes me cringe at how exposed her heart is, right there on her sleeve.
Luke is the witty, dirty, perverse half of the group of boys who took me under their wings and let me sit at their lunch table in high school—on those days when I didn’t feel like being one of the girls. Collin, Luke’s brother, is the kind, delicate, soft-spoken half of those same boys—they’re never going to forgive me for advertising that they’re all a bunch of softies.
What books have most influenced your life most?
A Bridge to Terabithia is probably the first book I ever loved. It’s the first one that taught me that books are capable of evoking such raw emotions. I can’t remember how many times I’ve read it, but I’ll never forget it.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I don’t know how to pick just one, so I will just go with my all-time favorite (not my current favorite; not my favorite book—though it might be). J. M. Barrie taught me how to fly. I said that I loved drama and I love writing. I think Barrie is an insanely appropriate mentor for me.
What book are you reading now?
I found a copy of Elle Kennedy’s Millionaire’s Last Stand at a garage sale and just started reading it this morning. I’ve been a huge Kennedy fan since The Deal.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
It may seem like I’m trying to plug the other authors, but honestly being with BookFish Books has been like being welcomed to a family and I keep finding myself on their pages getting so excited for their books. Or, if they’ve already released, like Wendi Nunnery, Ally Maleninko, and Erin Rhew, I’m scooping up copies of their books. I’m super excited for Jessica Calla’s She Laughs in Pink. Maybe because we’ve been talking about it so much, or maybe because it’s going to freaking rock. Who knows?
What are your current projects?
I’ve been so consumed with editing that I haven’t had the chance to work on anything new for a few weeks, but the one I was working on, and plan to get back to, was a second chance NA romance.
What would you like my readers to know?
I so appreciate the support for A Shot of Bourbon. It is spicy YA (bordering on NA), so if you’re someone who doesn’t like YA because it’s too clean or because you don’t usually like high school kids, this might be something you’ll enjoy. There is romance and suspense, but there is also an unbreakable bond between two brothers who will do anything to protect each other.
Thanks again for hosting A Shot of Bourbon!
There is a blog tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of A Shot of Bourbon. One person will win an ipad mini (US Only)!
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
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