What’s on my iPod: “Just a Kiss Goodnight” by Lady Antebellum
What I’m reading: The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
The last person I followed on Twitter: @nytimes

1. Happy Launch Week to Jennifer Gooch Hummer – Contest in GIRL UNMOORED’S HONOR! 

HAPPY LAUNCH WEEK TO JENNIFER GOOCH HUMMER! We at BookSparksPR are so excited for Jennifer’s new book and are completely in love with the novel, its characters and the overall touching story. Jennifer is hosting a contest open to all – you can win a Kindle Fire, Jennifer’s favorite books and more! Find out more details on her blog here and see below:

Totally Awesome Contest For My Readers!

Here’s the Totally Awesome Deal

Now through April 6th, when you comment about Girl Unmoored on my blog you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing to win a tote bag stuffed with gifts that blend the hottest 2012 e-reader with totally rad ’80s memorabilia and more! And if you purchase the book (print or e-book) and forward your receipt confirmation tocontests@sparkpointstudio.com, your name will be entered to win 10 TIMES! That’s 11 chances to win the following awesome prizes:

–       A Kindle Fire, just in time for spring break lounging!

–       DVDs of Best Of 80s movies to celebrate the year of Girl Unmoored, 1985

–       Copies of my Top 5 YA books: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie; She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb; Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty; and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

–       A gift card to 1-800 Flowers in honor of Apron’s summer job at Mike and Chad’s flower shop, Scent Appeal

The winner will be notified and announced the week of April 23rd. Bonus Fortuna!

Here’s where you leave your comments for the Totally Awesome Contest

2. So, what is GIRL UNMOORED? 

Want to know a little bit more about Jennifer Gooch Hummer’s upcoming novel that is already capturing the attention of book lovers and media across the nation? Well, this should give you an idea:

Apron Bramhall has come unmoored. It’s 1985 and her mom has passed away, her evil stepmother is pregnant, and her best friend has traded her in for a newer model. Fortunately, she’s about to be saved by Jesus. Not that Jesus—the actor who plays him in Jesus Christ, Superstar. Apron is desperate to avoid the look-alike Mike (no one should look that much like Jesus unless they can perform a miracle or two), but suddenly he’s everywhere. Until one day, she’s stuck in church with him—of all places. And then something happens; Apron’s broken teenage heart blinks on for the first time since she’s been adrift.

Mike and his grumpy boyfriend, Chad, offer her a summer job in their flower store, Apron’s world seems to calm. But when she uncovers Chad’s secret, coming of age becomes almost too much bear. She’s forced to see things the adults around her fail to—like what love really means and who is paying too much for it.

Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You, comments, “Love, loss, and the coming of age of one remarkable girl blaze through this haunting debut like a shooting star you’d wish upon. It’s tough and tender, funny and smart, and it frankly took my breath away. I loved it.”

Girl Unmoored is set to be published March 2012.

3. GIRL UNMOORED review on YA’s the Word 

Speaking of Girl Unmoored buzz here is one of the many great reviews the new novel is receiving on YA’s the Word. Read the whole review here and the highlight below:

You know, I always get excited when Netgalley approves one of my requests, and sometimes I’m disappointed by the read…but not this time! I so enjoyed Girl Unmoored, and my expectations  were only moderate,  cause the write up sounds kinda funny, sorta interesting, though it turns out this is anything but a kinda-sorta book.

Girl Unmoored is a coming of age story, with a main character younger than the teens I usually read about, yet this contemporary heroine has such pluck that she makes true the saying “age ain’t nothing but a number”. Thanks to the author, these characters formed in my mind as though I might be able to reach out and touch them…but actually they reached out and touched me. These people are flawed, some are likeable and some not so much.

Apron’s often absent father, her bullying step-mum, her ‘friend’, or the fabulous duo of Mike and Chad, all of them will evoke some feeling in you – and that’s what I call a satisfying reading experience.

4. GIRL UNMOORED on Cupcake’s Book Cupboard

Not only is Jennifer‘s latest creating a ton of buzz, but it’s great buzz. We couldn’t be more excited for this delightful, talented and wonderful client. You can read the whole review on Cupcake’s Book Cupboard here and an excerpt below:

Apron befriends Mike, whom she first encountered when he played the titular role inJesus Christ, Superstar. Mike and his partner, Chad, run a florist shop, and as Apron’s friendship with them grows, she begins working for them occasionally. This being the mid-80s, Mike and Chad’s relationship is not embraced by the locals, and Chad is ill. I’ll let you figure out from what.
There are some heartbreaking scenes, but some that make you laugh out loud as well. To whit:

When I got to Scent Appeal, the door was open but the lights were off. Usually this meant Mike had gone out to get more flowers or something for Chad. Mike said today would be a busy one. We’d probably have to stay open late because people would be running in at the last minute to buy flowers for their Fourth of July parties, and if that happened, don’t worry, he’d drive me home. Mike had even bought a bag of tiny American flags, which I stuck into all the vases yesterday even though Chad said he’d rather have his fingernails peeled off than celebrate Reagan’s crusty right-winged America. The real Boss was mad at Reagan, too, for singing “Born in the USA” without permission. The story was on the cover of my dad’s newspaper. Even when Bruce Springsteen looks mad, he’s still a fox.

Apron’s voice rings true to a girl between 7th and 8th grade, and her sadness, frustration and isolation do as well. Aside from her name – it’s not even an interesting gimmick – she’s utterly captivating. I wanted to hug her.

5. GIRL UNMOORED on I’d Rather be at the Beach

GIRL UNMOORED really does deserve all these wonderful reviews. Here is one last more and we hope you all take part in Jennifer’s contest! Here is a highlight from the review on I’d Rather be at the Beach:

Sometimes you just luck out and find a new author that blows you away. That’s what Jennifer Gooch Hummer has done with Girl Unmoored! I felt just about every emotion a person can have while reading this book. It was funny, sad, and at times, even a little weird. But I loved every minute I spent reading it and will undoubtedly read it again.

Apron was a great character, as were Mike and Chad. I loved them all. I even liked “M” at different times throughout the book.  In fact, all the characters were really well written, and all of them reminded me of someone I’ve known at one time or another. Apron though, was my favorite. She was a teenager who sometimes thought and acted like a child, but then the next thing you know she’s acting with real courage and grit. My favorite thing about her was that she really paid attention to what was going on in her life. The author made her into someone you could really relate to and feel for. And I did.

I would definitely recommend this book, and I’m anxiously awaiting the authors next book!

 

A little more about Jennifer Gooch Hummer

Jennifer Gooch Hummer has worked as a script analyst for various talent agencies and major film studios. Her short stories have been published in Miranda Magazine, Our Stories and Glimmertain. She has continued graduate studies in the Writer’s Program at UCLA, where she was nominated for the Kirkwood Prize in fiction. Currently, Jennifer lives in Southern California and Maine with her husband and their three daughters. Girl Unmoored is her first novel.