The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing on September 1st, 2014Format: eARC
Goodreads
Losing weight over the summer gains Serena some popularity, but it also means discovering first-hand the pains of being a fifteen-year-old girl in a world that both sexualizes and shames young women. After narrowly avoiding exploitation in a shortlived relationship, Serena aligns with a new friend who was the victim of an explicit image that was shared at school. When Serena finds herself in a relationship with a new guy, she is surprised to find a different set of expectations. But have her previous experiences damaged her too much to make it work? As Serena struggles to find who she is as opposed to who she is expected to be, she begins sighting Devin – her older brother who disappeared months earlier.
{Guest Review}
Reviewed by Holley H.
The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing, was a very well written story about 15 year old Serena. She not only loses 29 pounds but also her brother and in a way her parents. This book paints a very accurate picture of he way things are in high school when it comes to dating, body type, athletics, sex, sexuality and even friendships. We all know the pressures girls are under and Serena finds herself with a lot of these pressures. After her oldest brother becomes famous people want to talk to her, she ends up losing 29 pounds because of the stress her drug addicted middle brother is causing, then she finds herself pressured to do things sexually she really isn’t ready or willing to do. This is all typical of high school anywhere.
Thetis happen and she finds herself with new friends and possibly a new guy in her life and let add in the fact that she thinks she saw her missing brother on Toronto. I am surprised this poor girl stayed sane through this book. Even though she was being pressured and felt like her parents didn’t care she still managed to keep going and not let too much get to her.
Gage’s character was also well written. I think meeting Gage is what helped Serena the most. He was a guy that was more put together than most because of things that happened in his past. He had to grow up fast and had to keep Serena from falling into the habits she was used to with her ex boyfriend. His insight made Serena think and realize that he was right about some things.
I really enjoyed this book. Anyone can easily relate to any and all characters in this book. Anyone in high school should read this book. It may just help them out and put some perspective on life.
{Top 10 Tips for debut authors}
When Random House bought my first book, I know It’s Over, I had no idea what an editor’s revision letter would look like or how to read copy-editing symbols. Pretty much everything about the process was unfamiliar. While I’m not a stranger to publishing anymore I can honestly say, the process can vary greatly from book to book, editor to editor and publisher to publisher. So even if you’re not new to publishing, there are probably going to be times that you feel as though you are!
With that in mind, here are some things to keep in mind, whether you’ve just sold your first book (by the way, congratulations!) or are going down the publishing road again:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the process. If you have an agent they’ll be the primary person to contact but if not, most editors (although supremely busy!) are very helpful and supportive people. Just don’t besiege them with emails.
2. Here’s the one you hear time and time again because it’s sage advice—if you’re not already working on a second book, start! Your first novel is just the beginning of your career and you want something just as good, if not better, to follow it. If readers enjoyed your debut book they’re going to want to hear you have something else in the pipeline.
3. With all the things on your to do list, don’t forget to celebrate. Maybe you’ve always dreamt of having a launch party or maybe you’re more the quiet, celebratory dinner for two type. Do whatever will make you happiest to mark this very cool occasion!
4. A lot of book publicity has moved online so it’s a very good idea to have some kind of online presence. But there are so many different social networks that it’s easy to spread yourself too thin, and you need to protect that precious writing time! So don’t try to be everywhere. Pick the network(s) you enjoy participating in the most and concentrate on those. Even then, don’t hesitate to scale back on social networking when you need to.
5. Shout about what you love. No matter how fond I am of my own books I always find it much easier to talk up other people’s books (and movies and TV shows etc.) I love, which probably isn’t a bad thing. One of the best things about social networking is being able to rave about the stuff you love and spread enthusiasm for work outside your own. Enthusiasm is infectious!
6. I mentioned protecting the writing time, but you also need to guard your downtime for your own peace of mind. Unless you’re on a strict deadline leave time for other people and interests. I know it sounds obvious but it’s so easy to get obsessed with adding to your word count and the feeling that you need to post on Facebook or Twitter, when in reality a lot of times you’d feel better having gone for a bike ride or meeting up with a friend.
7. Try to resist the urge to check things like Amazon rank and Goodreads reviews. Don’t put a Google alert on your name if you can help it. Worrying about such things eats up too much energy and is usually just an unhelpful distraction. Sure, maybe spotting a great Amazon rank for your book might momentarily give you a thrill but what happens when the rank drops or when a crappy review appears on Goodreads? You’re much better off just concentrating on things you can control, like your writing!
8. Connect with other authors, either online or off. Because no one’s going to understand the ups and downs of this crazy business like other writers will. Other writers will be both your most energetic cheerleaders and shoulders to cry on. You’ll be the same for them. You’re probably already well aware of this. What in the world would writers do without other writers? I don’t even want to think about it!
9. Every author has their own journey so try not to compare your career with other writers’. There will always be someone getting more positive attention than you are, and jealousy won’t help change that. Appreciate the good stuff that happens in your own career.
10. Ask your publisher (politely, of course!) what they’re willing to do for your book. Sometimes it helps to make the first move and approach them with any specifics you have in mind. They might be open to sending you to a conference, paying for a blog tour or distributing book marks that you had made.
Bonus TIP! As Kramer likes to say, Serenity now! Manage your expectations. It’d be fantastic if your book became the next Hunger Games but you’ll make things easier on yourself if you realize your life probably won’t change overnight when your first book is published. Now get going on your next book!
{Purchase}
–Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Sweetest-Thing-You-Sing/dp/1770864113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405621934&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Sweetest+Thing+You+Can+Sing
–B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sweetest-thing-you-can-sing-ck-kelly-martin/1119684532?ean=9781770864115
{AUTHOR BIO}
C.K. KELLY MARTIN’s bestselling debut novel, I Know It’s Over, was published in 2008. It was followed by One Lonely Degree, The Lighter Side of Life and Death, My Beating Teenage Heart and the sci-fi thriller, Yesterday. A graduate of the Film Studies program at York University, Martin loves good books, movies, music, web design, and Ireland. She currently resides in Oakville, Ontario.
{Author Links}
http://www.ckkellymartin.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3015727.C_K_Kelly_Martin
https://www.facebook.com/ckkellymartin
https://twitter.com/CKKellyMartin
{Giveaway}
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Google+
Book Lit Love