***
Release
Date: 01/2015
Summary
from Goodreads:
Seven shots
Five siblings
Two boys
One heartbeat …
***
Stacey
is good at pretending.
She
pretends that the boy she's in love with doesn't exist.
She
pretends that she's happy to live and die in this small town.
She
pretends that her life is carefree while her best friend's life crumbles before
her very eyes.
But
Stacey's got a secret ...
And
it's going to ruin everything,
Excerpt #1
I
wake to the sound of a drill-saw attempting to channel through a concrete pylon
right next to my head.
“Why?” I grunt. Only it sounds more like
“uggghhh”, even to my ears. Apparently being woken by drill-saw seriously
impedes my ability to form words. I reach my hand out and slam something in
front of me, presumably the drill-saw, most likely a clock radio. Regardless,
the action makes the noise stop, thank hell.
Ugh. While the blast of noise has stopped,
there’s still a ringing in my head of dizzy-making proportions. Not to mention
that my tongue tastes like I’ve been eating road-kill. Yuck.
I squint one eye open and then scrunch my
lid shut immediately as protection from the harsh yellow light coming in
through the window framed by black-flowered curtains. What fresh hell is this?
Who has opened my—
Shit.
I don’t have black-flowered curtains.
I inch open my lid at snail’s pace, this
time preparing myself for the assault of light from the left of the room. Yep.
Black floral curtains still there.
I open my eyes wider and take in more of
the room in front of me. Aside from the window, there’s a black bedside table
with a digital clock on the top of it, right next to a red lamp. The floor is
covered in a shaggy-looking cream carpet, a black skirt and red lacy bra lying
on top of it.
Oh,
no. Please, please no …
I slowly raise the white sheet from my
body. Yep, exactly as I’d suspected.
My
black skirt and red bra.
This, of course, leaves only one question.
But do I really want to look? Can I?
I rack my brain, trying to put together the
pieces of the night before. There was the party at Joe’s. I’d gone there with
Kate, because Dave and the band were playing. Michael. I saw Michael. Tequila. Lots of tequila.
I glanced down at my hand. Seven little
lipstick lines mar its surface. One for each shot. At least I can remember
that.
But how the hell did I get here? And, more
importantly, where is here?
Excerpt #2:
The
warm sun beats down on my face. I open my eyes, fighting the stickiness that
falling asleep while wearing mascara brings. I run my tongue along my teeth,
the gross feeling of furry and—
Oh God.
Last night.
Michael.
I inch my leg behind me, hoping to feel his
warmth. Maybe we can make this work, somehow. Michael seems to think we can.
One inch: warm bed sheets.
Two inches: the bed cools.
Three inches: nothing.
I flip over. His side of the bed is empty,
the quilt pulled up, and the sheets tucked in, as if he had never even been
there in the first place.
On his pillow lies a note, man-scrawl
scratched across its surface in blue hotel-room pen.
I’ll
keep your secrets.
I
just won’t be one.
Ouch.
Excerpt
#3:
“You okay?” He gives this gentle smile, and
God, as if my heart doesn’t break.
“Mmhmm.” I nod and smile.
“Virus?” he asks.
“Mmm.” Yes,
the kind of virus you get when sperm implants itself in your egg. “I’m just
really tired. I think I’m going to go home.”
I take one step forward then another,
Michael by my side the whole time, his hands hovering, ready to catch me if I
fall.
Ready
to catch me if I fall. I
hate to like the sound of that.
We reach my car and I open the door and
slide behind the wheel. On the plus side, at least I hadn’t had to fake any more
of that booze drinking, meaning I can now drive home suspicion free.
“Are you okay to drive?” Michael asks. The
moon plays havoc with his cheekbones. It carves them into lust.
“Fine.” I nod. “Just tired.”
“Ha! You’re acting like my mum did when she
was pregnant with my sister,” Michael scoffs. “She’d throw up, cry, be tired …”
Sometimes in life, the world gets so quiet
you can hear a pin drop.
Now is one of those times.
I open my mouth to speak, but it takes too
long for the thoughts to travel from my brain to my lips. Michael’s eyes
balloon up, as if someone is inflating them with the world’s slowest air pump.
I drop my car keys, and they flitter to the base of my car.
“You’re freaking pregnant?” Time speeds up again for the second time tonight. Now
the hurt, anger, and sadness are flashing across his face all at once.
“Yes.” My voice is a mouse.
“What the hell? To who?” Michael runs his
hands through his hair, paces back and forth the length of my car. “Why?”
“Well, when a penis and a vagina—”
“Shut the hell up, Stacey.” Michael
pounces. He’s all up in my face and I gasp for breath. His words are harsh, but
his eyes … they’re glassy. Too glassy.
Excerpt four:
I
run. I run faster than I've ever run before. Branches scratch my arms, roots
trip my feet, and tears streak my cheeks and blur my vision, until I'm this
stumbling, crying, beaten-up mess. How have I become this?
The surface if the ground changes, and somewhere
deep inside me, I register that I'm running on road. Bitumen, grass, dirt …
What does it matter? All I know is that I need to make it to the station before
Michael gets on that train.
My clammy arms stick to my ribs as I try
and pick up my pace, but I pump all the more faster. I can do this. I got this.
I’ve got sixty seconds left to avoid making
the biggest mistake of my life.
I don't see the car. I don't hear the horn,
nor the screeching of tyres.
All I see is white. Then an image of my
baby, of what I’d imagine it looks like now.
Then Michael.
Then black.
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Author Interview #1:
Where did you come up with the
inspiration for Eleven Weeks?
The idea for Eleven Weeks was sort of twofold, I guess. First, I’d decided I wanted to do a novella to make the Crazy in Love series a three-book experience. My good friend and writerly co-conspirator Stacey Nash (also an author, of a whole heap of talent) suggested I write about Stacey and Michael.
The idea for Eleven Weeks was sort of twofold, I guess. First, I’d decided I wanted to do a novella to make the Crazy in Love series a three-book experience. My good friend and writerly co-conspirator Stacey Nash (also an author, of a whole heap of talent) suggested I write about Stacey and Michael.
At
first, I was hesitant. A few people had noted that they found the character of
Stacey (the best friend of my protagonist, Kate, in The Problem With Crazy) to be a little unlikeable, but then it gave
me the best plan ever. I could use this to show why at times she was a little
distant or hostile. This could be Stacey’s redemption!
I
believe a lot of things happen to make us the way we are, and hopefully this
gives people some insight as to why Stacey wasn’t always there for Kate in book
one of the series.
Who is your writing hero?
If I
could be any author, it would be hands down Colleen Hoover. I adore her work,
and I love her style – for me, writing is all about producing books that make
people feel, and that’s what her
titles always do to me, by the bucket-load! I don’t want to be the next Proust
or Malouf – I just want to offer people escapism and connect with them
emotionally. If I can come even halfway close to that, I’ll be stoked.
What’s next for the Crazy in Love series?
Well,
book three, The Problem With Heartache,
is out February 26, and will see Kate do a little bit of a road trip as she
travels to America with a massive rock ‘n’ roll band. It’s a dual POV book,
which was a really fun challenge for me, as I’ve never written from a masculine
perspective before. It was super fun.
Fast five:
Beer or wine: Wine.
MC or paranormal: Oh, tough one! Most likely MC, but I do
love me some good paranormal reads!
Indie or traditional: I’m hybrid published, so I’d say both!
Chocolate or candy: Chocolate … but right now I’m on a health
kick, so please don’t tempt me!
Rock or pop: Bit of both please. There’s no reason I
can’t have a side of Taylor Swift with my alternate music!
Author Interview #2:
What inspires you to write?
Usually,
a deadline! A big, scary one that’s always way too close for my liking! Aside
from that, everything inspires me to write, from music, to film, to books, to
real-life stories. In fact, I’d say real life inspires me the most, hands down,
out of anything. I guess that’s why I write contemporary romance – I often find
myself getting so emotionally involved and touched or hurt by stories in our
everyday society that just reach into your very core. Why make up a world when
so much fascinating and sometimes horrifying stuff is happening right here?
How did the Eleven Weeks plot come about?
My
husband and I were sitting in a bar, and talking about how sometimes a simple
graphic can speak volumes – or, as the old adage goes, ‘a picture says a
thousand words’. My last book had a lot of reviews about the emotion the book
invoked in people, and how it was a very sad (but uplifting! I promise!) tale.
I wanted to see if I could try and write a happier book but still evoke a sense
of emotion using this time just a simple image. Fingers crossed it worked!
What’s next for you?
Well,
book three in the Crazy in Love
series is released February 26, which I’m really looking forward to. That will
most likely be the conclusion to the series … most likely. Or maybe there’s a fourth book in the works I’m not
really ready to talk about yet …
Aside
from that, I’m working on two new series at the moment (in all my spare time): Asher to Ashes, a New Adult Contemporary
Romance, and The Act of Dying. Both
are set for release later this year!
Beach or country: Beach. I love the ocean …
Bad boy or billionaire: Bad boy. Who can resist?
Kittens or puppies: BOTH PLEASE! Come at me, small cute things!
E-reader or print book: There was a time when I would have said
print hands down, but now, I find I do like both.
Dancing ’til dawn or chilling at a
bar: Both. I’ll
start at the bar and then BOOM! Clear me some space on the floor, ladies!
Character interview (Stacey):
All right, all the people have been
asking … how come you didn’t make a move on Michael sooner, if you’ve loved him
for all these years?
I
didn’t make a move on him sooner primarily because he had a girlfriend, and I’m
not that mean! And before that, apparently he never tried to make a move on me
because I always had a boyfriend or didn’t act particularly interested.
Cut
me some slack here, people! I didn’t want to take a chance because I thought he
mighta been the one guy really worth fighting for.
And
that would mean potentially getting hurt.
I’m not ready for that.
Let’s talk
underage drinking. This book opens after you’ve done a whole lot of that …
Excuse me, I was twenty-four hours away from
being of legal drinking age! Cut me some slack, please!
I have to admit though, I did drink a lot, and I
have been trying to drink less. The thing is, I get so mad. I went to a
relatively good school in a relatively quiet town, and I knew maybe one or two
people who didn’t do those things, but if you read about doing them in a book,
everyone’s all in an uproar. I just wanted to show you what my life was like.
And I know I am not alone in it.
What do you
look for in a guy?
Good arms, mostly.
What?
Oh, I mean, aside from that, I guess having a
sense of humour is important. And I think I’m one of the few people out there
who actually just wants someone head-over-heels nice. I’ve been with too many
‘bad boys’, and honestly? They’re not all they’re cracked up to be.
My perfect guy would also have a good sense of
humour, be kind and intelligent – but not too intelligent! Not so smart they
make me feel stupid.
And have I mentioned the arms thing yet? Because
seriously. Good arms!
What’s the
biggest thing you learnt during those eleven weeks of your life?
That it’s important to trust in yourself. You
can deal with whatever the world throws at you: I promise.
Guest Post
#1:
How I
became a writer
Like many authors, I love books. I was that kid
who’d read in the car on long holiday trips – hell, I’d read at the bus stop
when I was two minutes early on the trip to school! For as long as I can
remember I’ve loved to read, read, read!
The same could be said for writing. I wrote my
first novel at age ten, and I filled up three 520-page exercise books with my
hand-written story about a group of teenagers who were bullying my protagonist
– and then she found out they were witches!
Since then, I’ve definitely progressed.
Obviously I type primarily on a keyboard now, because who has time for
handwriting and then transcribing? I stopped writing fiction for approximately
ten years, and then returned to it about three years ago. I did NaNoWriMo, and
boy, did I learn so much. I learnt how no first draft, second draft, third
draft, hell, often no fourth draft is ever going to be good enough – you need
to work to be good at this craft.
I learnt all about beta reading, and things such
as good story and character arc, and the importance of growth. I drafted a few
stories, and one was even picked up by a publisher, which was fabulous, but I
think my big light-bulb moment came after reading a lot of NA books – think
Tamara Webber, Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines … it was like I suddenly found
direction. I wanted to make people feel things when I put pen to paper. And
that’s when I wrote The Problem With
Crazy.
It has certainly gotten easier as time has gone
on, although I’ll admit, writing a series was a little tricky for me and I
found it to be somewhat difficult, especially since Eleven Weeks takes place at the same time as The Problem With Crazy. There was a lot of fact checking going on!
Now, I wouldn’t go back for anything! While I
took some time off writing last year (to get married and change jobs) this year
I am back in action, and have written two books in the last three months.
Here’s hoping to many more over the course of the next eleven!
Guest Post
#2:
Writing
Playlist
Fact: I’m not mad on listening to music while
I’m writing. I find I get too excited, too caught up in the song, and next
thing you know, I am belting that sucker out at the top of my lungs while I
interpretive dance through the living room, with my two dogs looking at me like
I’m a crazy person.*
Having said that, before I write a certain
scene, or if I’m in a bit of a mood before I put pen to paper, I will listen to
a tune to help me get in the mood! Here are some of the songs on my playlist
while I wrote Eleven Weeks:
“Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift
“Coffee & Cigarettes” – Jimmy Eat World
“One Headlight” – The Wallflowers
“Ta Douleur” – Camille
“Talk
is Cheap” – Chet Faker
“Home”
– Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros
These songs all had the right mix of happy and
emotional to make me feel I could get words on the page, and hopefully, if you
read the book, you’ll feel what I did while listening to those songs, too!
*Dogs may be right.
Guest Post
#3:
Making a
Trailer
I have a confession to make: I freaking love
book trailers! I know that it’s weird, and I know not everyone is a fan, but
it’s like the best tease to get a sense of the book before you read.
Having said that, there are some pretty not epic
trailers out there. So when it came time to make my trailer for Eleven Weeks, I had one firm direction
in mind:
Make it
good.
Yep. As you can see I had just so many ideas and
such a good sense of where to go and what I wanted to achieve (insert sense of
sarcasm here). Because when it comes to making a trailer, I didn’t want it just
to be the book’s blurb with some music and maybe a few pictures behind it. I
wanted it to be something more. Something special!
So, I did some research, and watched a few
trailers I like, and I came to one horrible conclusion: the trailers I like
best have movement in them, not just stills. And that means spending possibly a
fair bit of money. Yes, despite the age of iPhone movies, making a trailer that
looks good and isn’t totally out of focus and low on resolution isn’t as easy
as it sounds!
Instead, I looked on some stock sites for images
I was after, and then tried to find some music that would evoke a sense of what
the book was about – not too happy, but not devastatingly sad, either. Kind of
edgy but feel good, I guess. Yeah! That’s what I was going for.
So I found what I wanted and storyboarded it
out, making it clear what I needed to make the clip work before I spent any
money on pictures, footage or songs that didn’t work out. And then, I got out
iMovie on my trusty Mac, and I made it!
It was a heap of fun to create, and I hope after
watching it you get a bit of interest to read my book, Eleven Weeks:
Buy
Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books
About the Crazy in Love series
The Crazy in Love series
consists of three titles: The Problem
With Crazy, Eleven Weeks and The Problem With Heartache.
Links to Book One
– The Problem With Crazy:
About the Author
Lauren K.
McKellar is an author and editor. Her debut novel, Finding Home, was
released through Escape Publishing on October 1, 2013, and her second release,
NA Contemporary Romance The Problem With Crazy, is self-published, and
is available now. She loves books that evoke emotion, and hope hers make you feel.
Lauren lives by
the beach in Australia with her husband and their two dogs. Most of the time,
all three of them are well behaved.
Author Links:
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Thank you SO MUCH for having me :)
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