The Edge Rules by Melanie Hooyenga Blog Tour with Giveaway :)
Sixteen-year
old Brianna had everything she wanted: money to ski all over the
world, underlings to do her bidding, and parents who gave her every
freedom—as long as she played by their rules. But when she’s
busted shoplifting and assigned to the Chain Gang, she ditches her
shallow ways and realizes being herself is easier than manipulating
people.
Forced
to partner with kids she’d never dream of befriending, including
Xavier, a boy who makes her pulse go into hyperdrive, Brianna vows to
be a better person. Breaking Old Brianna’s habits isn’t easy, but
her infatuation with Xavier—someone her parents would never approve
of—motivates her to keep trying.
Even
when he convinces her to trade her swanky skis for a beat-up
snowboard.
Brianna
lets go of her need to control everything and finally starts to feel
free—until her past threatens to jeopardize her first real chance
at love. She discovers balancing on the edge is as challenging in
life as it is in snowboarding, and when a new friend is in trouble,
Brianna must decide between the superficial things that used to be
her world and putting her friend’s safety before herself.
Link
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ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Multi-award
winning young adult author Melanie Hooyenga first started writing as
a teenager and finds she still relates best to that age group. She
has lived in Washington DC, Chicago, and Mexico, but has finally
settled down in her home state of Michigan. When not at her day job
as a Communications Director at a nonprofit, you can find Melanie
attempting to wrangle her Miniature Schnauzer Owen and playing every
sport imaginable with her husband Jeremy.
WEBSITE:
SOCIAL
MEDIA:
www.instagram.com/MelanieHoo
How much of the book is realistic?
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Do you see writing as a career?
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
***GUEST POST***
Is there a message in your novel
that you want readers to grasp?
The Edge Rules is about a former mean girl
learning to change her ways, and I have two messages I hope readers
take away. First, if you have a mean girl or bully in your life,
there’s probably a reason they act that way. It doesn’t excuse
their behavior, but knowing that can help to understand why they
behave the way they do. In Brianna’s case, her parents have taught
her to demand respect and fear from people, and that’s all she’s
ever known. Second, that if you ARE that mean girl, you don’t have
to stay that way. Changing isn’t easy, and the people you’ve
tormented aren’t going to throw you a ticker-tape parade for your
change of heart, but it is possible.
How much of the book is realistic?
Hopefully all of it. I write contemporary young
adult and it’s set in the real world. I want it all to be plausible
and relatable.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
The specifics aren’t based on anything that
I’ve experienced, but I definitely had a pair of mean girls who
made my senior year of high school hell. This was long enough ago
that we didn’t have a name for them—they were just catty [insert
bad noun] who decided it’d be fun to make fun of me. I went to
boarding school, so I had the added bonus of living in the same dorm
as them, sharing a bathroom, eating all my meals with them, etc.
What book are you reading now?
I just finished The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
and it’s as good as everyone says.
What are your current projects?
I’m finally starting a novel that I first
thought of almost three years ago. It’s still YA, but it’s a
psychological suspense and much darker than my previous books. I
don’t have a set end date for this one because I know it’s going
to be a lot of work, but I feel like I’m finally ready to write
this book.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
My two best friends Nadine and Sara. We text
all day, every day, and we’ve seen each other through everything
from writer’s block to family trauma. We met on a writing forum
(Absolute Write) over a decade ago and I met each of them in person
five and seven years ago. Now we plan annual trips to see each other.
Our husbands have gotten close as well! The only thing that could
make our friendship better is if we weren’t scattered across the
country (LA, Michigan, and Pennsylvania).
Do you see writing as a career?
Yes. I’m not at the point where I can write
full-time, but that’s my goal.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
There’s always room for improvement, and I
try hard not to second-guess myself once the book is published. So
far I haven’t come across anything that I’d like to change, and
hopefully I won’t!
Who designed the covers?
I did! My background is in graphic design, and
I designed covers for indie authors for several years. (I stopped
when I realized I didn’t have time for a full-time job, cover
design, and writing.) I recently won a cover contest for The Slope
Rules, the first book in the Rules Series, and it’s especially
significant for me because I’m the one who created it. I still
remember when I found the stock photo of the two characters—I
actually gasped because they look exactly how I imagined them. That
doesn’t always happen.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don’t give up. Writing is a solitary endeavor
and you have to do it because you love it. Also, find writing
friends. The internet has made it a lot easier to find like-minded
people—your writing BFF is out there. They make those frustrating
plots and uncooperative characters more bearable.
What genre do you consider your book(s)?
Contemporary YA. This series is sports romance,
but my first series had elements of magical realism plus mystery. I
like to write about the real world—creating my own universe is
beyond me!
Do you ever experience writer's block? Some
writers will hate me for saying this, but no. (Knock on wood.) I do a
lot of planning before I start writing, so if I do get stuck, I know
it’s because the scene isn’t working so I figure out how to
change it. If I’m bored or uninterested with a scene, the reader
will be too, so I stop and either skip ahead to the next scene or fix
the current one.
Do you write an outline before every book
you write?
Yes! I consider it more of a guide than an outline—some people are afraid of outlines because they think it’ll block their creativity—and it often changes as I write. For each chapter, I write 1-3 sentences that describe what happens, then I paste that blurb into the bottom of my document while I’m writing so I always know what I’m writing towards. When I get to the end of the chapter, I delete the blurb and paste the next chapter’s description.
Yes! I consider it more of a guide than an outline—some people are afraid of outlines because they think it’ll block their creativity—and it often changes as I write. For each chapter, I write 1-3 sentences that describe what happens, then I paste that blurb into the bottom of my document while I’m writing so I always know what I’m writing towards. When I get to the end of the chapter, I delete the blurb and paste the next chapter’s description.
In the second book of the series, The Trail
Rules, my character decided she didn’t like her boyfriend anymore
and I had to completely change the second half of the book. But
that’s okay! Because I had it plotted out, I only had to change a
few details and it didn’t stop me from writing.
What is your favourite theme/genre to write
about?
Strong girls who may not have it all figured
out, but they’re doing their best.
What is your favorite genre of book that you
read?
Contemporary YA, without a doubt. I’ve read
some fantasy and science fiction, but contemporary has my heart. I
keep saying I’ll read more adult books, but they linger on my
kindle, never to be read…
Thank you so much for having me. This
has been great!
Thank you Melanie for answering some questions for us today :) Good luck with your future endeavors!
Giveaway Details:
Physical Copies of the series (US). Digital copies for international winners.
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