Happy Release Day to Ayden's Story

I'm so excited for the official release of WORTH THE EFFORT: AYDEN'S STORY, the novella duet to ELLA'S STORY.

Seventeen-year-old Ayden Worth shouldn’t have to seek peace of mind in the streets. But as family pressures mount, his anxieties increase, and he turns his back on comfort for a life in homeless camps and back alleys.

Then one fateful day he runs into the only person he ever wanted to know better. Ella Jones. His memories paint her as kind and undemanding, and it seems the years haven’t changed her. Her simple expectations draw him to her. Against all odds, a relationship buds and grows.

Yet, as Ayden repairs his life, Ella suggests he help others who also struggle. Will Ella turn out to be just like his dad, expecting more from him than he can give? Or will he prove that he is worth the effort?

 ***
What do I mean by novella duet? Each story is told in the main character's point of view. Ella kicked it off by explaining to us what it was like to meet a homeless kid. We found out that she hadn't even known there were homeless teenagers and it scared her - a lot.

Well, just like in a well crafted love song, there has to be a harmony of voices. So Ayden gets his chance to let his voice shine by telling us his version of things. Now we get to spend some time on the streets. We learn what touches him the most - things like kindness.

Individually, the stories are complete. Together they are more complete. They fit like a puzzle. They harmonize like a duet.
***
What are people saying about AYDEN'S STORY? Some clips from a few of the first reviews:

"These are two wonderful, uplifting stories. The telling of the same events from both sides is truly unique. This pair of books illustates the axiom: "Never give-up". Because, in the end, it is always "Worth the effort"." -Amazon Review

"I love how Kai Strand makes real characters tackle real problems without all the fluff you find in most romance novellas. She writes about them as if they were really people." Goodreads review

"Ayden himself has got to be one of my all-time favorite characters. He's so...real. He has issues and insecurities and deals with them in such a real way that makes you think that he could just walk off the pages of the book (I wish! He sounds so handsome!). I really love how this story tackles harder issues of life, even in a numbered of pages. The reader goes through so many emotions with Ayden that you can't help but feel for him the entire time." Read more of this review on The Paige-Turner Blog.

I'd be honored if you add your own review for AYDEN'S STORY.

You can purchase your copy here: WORTH THE EFFORT: AYDEN'S STORY

Help me spread the news! Click the link to share the news of AYDEN'S book launch on your Twitter page:

http://ctt.ec/ue3WQ 

Or share this post using those little share buttons below. Thanks for the help.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Susan Kaye Quinn, Author of Open Minds, Presents:

Image
Finding Time to Write the Sequel by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) Even before I decided to self-publish my new paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) , I knew it would be a trilogy. But once I had made the decision to publish, the need to get busy on the sequel(s) kicked into high gear. Except that I was also publishing a book. Most writers find it difficult to balance writing with all the other demands in life. Even people who are lucky enough to write full time (which I am, since I write while my kids are at school), there’s still a tug between writing time and all the other things that need to be done. Once you’re published, this all changes, and not for the better. Now, not only do you need to write and get the kids to school and get the laundry done, but you also need to market your book, which can mean everything from actually getting it published (edits, covers, websites, blogs)...
Read more

Robot Writing - What It Is & How to Avoid It

Image
Many beginner writers fall into the habit of what I like to refer to as “robot writing.” It’s when you basically write your scenes like a grocery list. Ex: Marcy stood and walked across the room. Then she picked up the candle stick to inspect it. She blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Marcy dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. I call it robot writing because when I'm reading it I tend to fall into a robotic pattern and start to sound like the robot from the old Lost In Space series. "Danger. Danger. Will Robinson." You may as well put numbers in front of each sentence: First Marcy stood and walked across the room. Second she picked up the candlestick to inspect it. Third she blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Fourth she dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. Don’t get me wrong, robot writing is absolutely acceptable in your first draft, no matter your writing experience. Your first p...
Read more

Don't Be Closed Minded. Read a Banned Book. #Giveaway

Image
On this list , compiled by the ALA, of the top 100 challenged books of the decades 1990-1999 and 2000-2009, I've read: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Adventure of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Blubber Crank The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time The Dead Zone The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things Fat Kid Rules the World The Giver Harry Potter (series) The Hunger Games (series) The Kite Runner The Lovely Bones Olive's Ocean Speak Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes That Was Then, This Is Now Thirteen Reasons Why Twilight (series) A Wrinkle In Time I would recommend any of them, but especially the titles I've linked. The thing with me and banned books is that I don't get it. The banning thing. Why would you ever feel the right to keep a book out of the hands of other readers? Why would you feel you have the authority to say what some can and cannot read? Do you have the right to voice your o...
Read more