Blog Tour with Guest Post: Between These Lines by Jennifer Murgia + Giveaway

 

 

I'm excited to not only having been part of promoting the release of Jennifer Murgia's newest book, Between These Lines, but also that I'm able to participate in the blog tour and spread the word even more.  Part of a new publishing group, Playlist Fiction, Between These Lines was released on April 1st, in ebook format.

 

Synopsis:

 

I never told anyone how I felt about her. Not even Evie—not in so many words. And now, I’ll never get the chance to.

When a class assignment brings quiet Chase Mitman and the stunning Evie Cunningham together, a mutual attraction ignites. There’s only one problem—Evie already has a boyfriend—one who practically OWNS Whitley Prep, and her.
Knowing their relationship comes at a price, Chase’s life collides with Evie’s, and after entrusting her with a tragic secret, the last thing he’d ever expect is to learn she keeps a few of her own.
An innocent prank turns ugly. An anonymous note changes everything. And lives at Whitley Prep will never be the same.

From YA author Jennifer Murgia (Angel Star, Lemniscate, The Bliss), comes an emotional story focusing on the social agenda of students at a preparatory high school and the impact it has on their lives. BETWEEN THESE LINES offers a haunting reminder that sometimes the person you think you know the most is the one you know the least—and sometimes, that person is yourself.
Fans of Simone Elkeles and Tammara Webber will appreciate Murgia, who understands that first love is heady and complicated and full of surprises.

 

 

 

Guest Post by Jennifer Murgia

 

Making Excuses Only Hurts Yourself

I think teens today are strong, I really do. They seem different than
when I was their age. Older. Wiser. Perhaps it’s because they’re faced
with harsher issues and are exposed to uncensored things more so than I
ever was. And gah . . . I’m going to sound an adult here. You know when
you look back and remember how it used to be, what things cost, how
simple things like walking to the bus stop on your own or being four
blocks away without a cell phone seemed normal? I miss those days and
the freedom that went with it, but the world is constantly changing,
constantly forcing us to grow up faster and be ready for things that we
hardly ever see coming. It’s an evolution of people that begs for
adjusting to our habitats and teens are doing just that –adjusting. We
may see them as trying to be older than they need to be, but I’m glad
they’re moving forward with the world. As much as I wish they’d keep
their innocence, they need to be strong enough to face what life brings
them these days.

One thing hasn’t changed, though, and sadly, I wonder if it ever will:
Teens hurting one another, forcing the other to move at a pace they
aren’t ready, verbally and sometimes physically hurting each other . . .
this hasn’t changed. And in a world where everything is at our
fingertips – digital social media that allows you to see and read and
KNOW what everyone is going through, why then does pain stay hidden?
It hasn’t changed that we feel we can’t speak out against someone who’s
hurt us or wronged us. Because the victim feels it’s embarrassing.
Because you fear you’ll be in trouble if your parents know. It’s fear
that your friends will see it as news and spread it. So you keep it
inside and hope it goes away.

But it doesn’t and won’t until you speak out – against bullying, against
date rape, against hazing. Because the ones who do the harm will

continue to do it, they’ve already learned they can get away with it.

They’ll assume you won’t speak out against them, especially if you know
them, but what does that do to you? Keeping it inside only hurts you more.
You owe it to yourself to protect yourself, to be honest with yourself
and say no when it’s not right, to fight back with words and fists if
you have to. And to not be afraid.

 

Fear is something that will never change without your voice to stop it.

There are so many who you can turn to – parents, a good friend, a
guidance councilor, or an online forum that provides an anonymous
approach to speaking with others. There are countless places and people
to turn to so you don’t feel alone – even reading about characters in a
book who’ve faced similar issues. Like Evie in BETWEEN THESE LINES or
Claire in IT’S COMPLICATED. There are voices who can help you get
through what feels suffocating and impossible but it takes one voice to
start the chain that can give you power to heal . . . yours.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon Kindle

 

Kobo

 

Giveaway

 

 

 

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