My Summer Roommate
By Bridie Hall
YA Contemporary Romance
@39k
By Bridie Hall
YA Contemporary Romance
@39k
Chloe needs a place to crash for the summer before college. When Chris offers, she moves in with him. It’s just for two months, no biggie. But soon she realizes she may have made a mistake. He's too perfect—a former snowboarder, laid-back and kind to boot. And he’s smitten with her. But she’s got trust issues and a relationship feels daunting. When he keeps trying to win her over, the temptation becomes overwhelming.
Just as she gives in and decides it’s not worth fighting their emotions anymore, Chris reveals he’s made a stupid mistake which might ruin Chloe’s trust in him and tear them apart.
Buy Links: Evernight Teen Amazon Smashwords
ARe Bookstrand
Excerpt:
“Remember Chris? He was in History with us this year,” I say over my shoulder to Isabelle, as I lead the way into the deli. Isabelle’s expression is confused, but I know she remembers Chris. We’ve talked about him before. A lot of girls from class were all ‘gaga’ over him because he was hot and a snowboarder––or a shredder, as he called himself. Except for Isabelle, who’s had love troubles with Harper and Jamie, two brothers from Atlanta. Harper won. I like him well enough. I even had a crush on him way back when.
“That cute guy with iPod earphones practically glued to his ears?” she asks, recognition lighting up her face.
“Yes. I’m going to crash with Chris for the next two months,” I say quickly, hoping that Isabelle won’t react too strongly to the news.
“What do you mean?”
I drop into a chair.
“Aren’t you going to stay with me?”
Isabelle said I should come live with her. But Harper hangs out at her place constantly, because their relationship is still in the head-over-heels stage, too.
“I don’t want to be in the way. You and Harper need some alone time, Izzy.”
The waitress takes our orders and then rushes back with a small bowl of peanuts.
“My dad’s there, too, and he’s not in the way,” Isabelle says, taking a peanut and munching it absent-mindedly.
“Because he’s holed up in his study all day long.”
I smile and keep the tone light, but the thought of everyone around me starting their new lives, with their new, happy relationships, makes me feel lonely. Deserted. Even though I’m not looking for a relationship.
“It’s just for the two months until I go to college.”
“You wouldn’t be in the way, Chloe. You could never be in the way.”
“Okay, okay, I admit it. Watching you two being all crazy about each other would just make me envious.”
“Oh.”
Izzy’s my best friend, which means I know her well enough to have predicted such a response. Fact is, I broke up with Adam a few weeks ago. For the second time, but this time it’s for real. Of course Isabelle thinks I’m broken-hearted about it. I am sad, but not too much. I’ve never really thought our relationship would last. He was just a pretty boy, selfish and immature. I wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship, anyhow. I’m too young for that. Or maybe I’m too selfish and immature, too.
“Yeah.” I sigh. I feel a bit guilty for not being entirely honest with Isabelle, but the waitress bringing our drinks distracts me so I forget it quickly enough. Besides, I’m doing it to give her some space. Well, her, and Harper.
“So ... You’re just moving in with this Chris? I didn’t know you were tight.”
“We’re not. I mean, I saw him at Adam’s birthday party. We started talking and he was sort of cool. We stayed in touch.”
“And he just asked you to come live with him?” She looks incredulous, a bit worried, perhaps.
“I told Mark—Jamie’s friend? The lacrosse team captain?—about my situation, and apparently he told Chris. He called me last week and said I could crash with him for the two months, no prob. He’s got enough space now that his roommate went back home for the summer.”
“Hm.” Isabelle looks thoughtful as she sips her drink.
“How are things with you and Harper?” I say to change the topic, because I don’t like her frowning. I grin when I see Izzy’s cheeks warm up. “That cozy, huh?”
“We’re … great.”
“Uh-huh.” I’m amused by Isabelle’s short answer. She has always been very private and reserved. I wonder how that works with Harper, but my thoughts quickly veer into the gutter territory. Good thing Izzy can’t read my mind.
“Okay, okay,” Isabelle says, holding up her hands in surrender. “He’s wonderful. He’s so much fun, and experienced and …”
I wiggle my eyebrows just to taunt her and it has an immediate effect. Isabelle turns scarlet and starts to protest.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant in a general sort of way, like … he can teach me about life and such.”
“Sure.” I can’t help my lips stretching into a wide grin. This is better relaxation even than yoga.
“Well, he’s experienced … like that, too.” Isabelle stumbles over the words, but it is obvious that she is more than happy about it.
I snort in my tea, spilling it all over the table. “Good for you.”
Isabelle’s face radiates with happiness, different than when she was with Jamie, Harper’s younger brother. I’ve always known Harper was the right one for her, but Isabelle didn’t believe me until she spent one long day with him on the way home from Atlanta. That road trip made her see that Harper wasn’t just an arrogant jerk that taunted her at every opportunity he got. I saw right through him the first time I saw him with Isabelle, long before they ended up together. I could tell he’d fallen for her and that he wasn’t the bad person everyone thought.
I’m pretty good at that, reading people and their deepest secrets. I think that’s because I have experience guarding my own heart against selfish bastards, so I know all the tricks in existence. I’ve even invented some.
“You sure you’re going to be okay with Chris?” Izzy asks.
“It’s just two months. He’s a cool guy. Honestly. I wouldn’t accept his offer if I wasn’t sure I could handle it.”
Author Bio:
Bridie Hall sold her first story at fourteen. Since then, she has written dozens more, translated books, studied writing, and started writing novels. Her days revolve around stories and words, her sleepless nights involve plotting and inventing fascinating new characters. The only activity that takes up more of her time than writing, is reading.
Website: http://bridiehallauthor.com
YA Author Interview Questionnaire
Hi and welcome!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
First, thanks for hosting me on your blog.
What to tell you about myself? I wrote my first ‘novel’ when I was ten and it was a twenty-page (illustrated!) fanfiction piece based on Tequila Sunrise, only I didn’t know what fanfiction was back then. Later on, I dabbled in fanfiction some more, I wrote my Master’s thesis on Harry Potter, and then I wrote my first young adult novel. My Summer Roommate is my second YA story.
When did you start writing and were you always interested in being a published author?
I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing or making up stories. At first, I was doing it just for fun. Like I said, I wrote a lot of fanfiction. It was only later, when my job led me to books and the publishing business that I began to think about publishing my work.
What do you think is or has been the hardest part of getting published?
The hardest part is getting noticed. There are so many great writers out there and the agents and publishers are bombarded with thousands of queries. I think it’s not enough just to be good, you also need a little bit of luck. Or call it being in the right place at the right time.
What inspires you to write?
I’d say it’s not so much about what inspires me to write, it’s more about me being compelled to tell stories. There’s always a story or two brewing in the back of my mind, and they won’t go away until I give in and write them down. I don’t know if I could live without writing. I certainly wouldn’t remain sane for long.
Do you plot out your stories or just wing it?
Mostly, I wing it. I start with a general idea of where I want the story to go, but that’s about it. I like to have the freedom to change direction and I like the idea of letting my characters do the talking. It’s a bit like going on an adventurous journey – you never know what awaits you around the next corner.
What drew you to writing YA? Would you or have you tried any different genre?
I’ve written other genres, but YA has always been my first love. It’s what I like to read, too, so it makes sense to write it because I’m most familiar with this genre.
Do you have a favorite scene in this book? If so, could you share an excerpt with us?
My favorite scene is the scene after Chloe and Chris return from a party and Chris’s injured knee is giving him grief. It’s a scene that I think paints a very clear picture of the two of them as individuals and of their budding romance. Here’s an excerpt (told from Chloe’s point of view):
Risking that I might sound an idiot, I ask, “Are you asking me out? On a date?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Just hesitant,” I say. “I’m not looking for a relationship, Chris. I don’t want you to think that I am.”
Quite unexpectedly, he laughs. “How serious and grown up she sounds.”
I swat his arm. “Jerk. I am serious, because I don’t want you to expect something that’s not going to happen.”
“Why’s that?”
“Why’s what?”
“Why is it not going to happen?”
“’Cause,” I say, as if it should be obvious. Because really, it should be, right? In exactly six weeks, I’ll be moving to Atlanta. I don’t know where Chris is heading to college because I haven’t managed to ask him yet. Isn’t that enough of a reason in itself? You can’t have a relationship with someone when you don’t even know where they’ll be in two months time.
“’Cause? That’s your argument? For a future psychologist, that’s a lame-ass explanation.”
He’s enjoying this. Way too much.
“’Cause I only date terrible people. Bad, bad boys. You’re too nice for me,” I say, joking.
He makes a face, not buying it for one second.
“You want a reason? Here’s a good one—I don’t want anything to happen between us.”
“Why not?”
“I have my very personal reasons which I am not inclined to share with you at this moment.”
“At a later moment perhaps, then?” He keeps looking at me with this half-smile on his face that drives me nuts because I have the impression that he’s playing with me, that he can foresee my every word and that he can prepare his response in advance. I don’t like being two steps behind. Usually, I’m the one to have everything under control. He’s unbalanced me with this.
“At no moment at all. I just don’t want it, and that should suffice, Christopher Quinn.”
“How can you be sure you won’t change your mind?”
For god’s sake, can’t he take a hint?
Maybe you’re not convincing enough? Because … you don’t want to be?
“Because I’m actively working on not changing my mind,” I say in order to drown out my evil inner voices.
“What if I’m actively working on swaying it?”
“Ugh! Stop it,” I say, but I can’t help but laugh. God, I think I like arguing with him. That’s very worrisome. Very, very worrisome.
It gets worrisomer when he leans towards me and asks very quietly and calmly, “Why?”
With his green eyes staring at me, his deep voice cutting right through to the core, and him being so close, I feel goose bumps form on my forearms but I ignore them, annoyed. He will not win. He cannot win.
But the worst thing is that his question is now resounding in my head, and I forgot what the correct answer was. Why was it, again?
“Do you really want me to spell out all the reasons?”
“One’s enough, if it’s a good one.” He grins.
“And you’re the one who decides if it’s good enough, right?”
“Of course. Because the way I see it, it would have to be pretty damn good. I like you. You like me, don’t try denying it.”
I lift my hands in a ‘wouldn’t dream of it’ fashion, because really, there is no point in denying it after I’ve flirted with him, danced with him, and laughed with him until I had tears in my eyes. I do like him.
“We have a good time together. I’ve made you lunch four times this week. We’re both single.”
“True. And the lunch almost swayed me. Almost.”
“Ahh,” he moans, letting his head fall back onto the pillows. “You’re hopeless, and I’m hopelessly falling for you.”
Do you have any other stories in the works?
I’m working on another YA novel about a girl who goes to Paris for a course in fashion design. She has a difficult relationship with her mother and she’s trying to fix it but she’s going the wrong way about it. There’s a little bit of romance in it, too.
How does your family feel about your writing?
They’re supportive because they understand it’s what I love to do, but they’re not interested in my novels as readers. None of them is a young adult, after all. ;-)
When you aren’t writing, what do you do for fun?
I love cooking (and eating, obviously), and traveling. I love to travel, I especially love to explore big cities. They seem so freeing to me.
Giveaway: $50 Amazon GC, $25 Evernight Teen GC, 5 ecopies of Letting Go
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Just as she gives in and decides it’s not worth fighting their emotions anymore, Chris reveals he’s made a stupid mistake which might ruin Chloe’s trust in him and tear them apart.
Buy Links: Evernight Teen Amazon Smashwords
ARe Bookstrand
Excerpt:
“Remember Chris? He was in History with us this year,” I say over my shoulder to Isabelle, as I lead the way into the deli. Isabelle’s expression is confused, but I know she remembers Chris. We’ve talked about him before. A lot of girls from class were all ‘gaga’ over him because he was hot and a snowboarder––or a shredder, as he called himself. Except for Isabelle, who’s had love troubles with Harper and Jamie, two brothers from Atlanta. Harper won. I like him well enough. I even had a crush on him way back when.
“That cute guy with iPod earphones practically glued to his ears?” she asks, recognition lighting up her face.
“Yes. I’m going to crash with Chris for the next two months,” I say quickly, hoping that Isabelle won’t react too strongly to the news.
“What do you mean?”
I drop into a chair.
“Aren’t you going to stay with me?”
Isabelle said I should come live with her. But Harper hangs out at her place constantly, because their relationship is still in the head-over-heels stage, too.
“I don’t want to be in the way. You and Harper need some alone time, Izzy.”
The waitress takes our orders and then rushes back with a small bowl of peanuts.
“My dad’s there, too, and he’s not in the way,” Isabelle says, taking a peanut and munching it absent-mindedly.
“Because he’s holed up in his study all day long.”
I smile and keep the tone light, but the thought of everyone around me starting their new lives, with their new, happy relationships, makes me feel lonely. Deserted. Even though I’m not looking for a relationship.
“It’s just for the two months until I go to college.”
“You wouldn’t be in the way, Chloe. You could never be in the way.”
“Okay, okay, I admit it. Watching you two being all crazy about each other would just make me envious.”
“Oh.”
Izzy’s my best friend, which means I know her well enough to have predicted such a response. Fact is, I broke up with Adam a few weeks ago. For the second time, but this time it’s for real. Of course Isabelle thinks I’m broken-hearted about it. I am sad, but not too much. I’ve never really thought our relationship would last. He was just a pretty boy, selfish and immature. I wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship, anyhow. I’m too young for that. Or maybe I’m too selfish and immature, too.
“Yeah.” I sigh. I feel a bit guilty for not being entirely honest with Isabelle, but the waitress bringing our drinks distracts me so I forget it quickly enough. Besides, I’m doing it to give her some space. Well, her, and Harper.
“So ... You’re just moving in with this Chris? I didn’t know you were tight.”
“We’re not. I mean, I saw him at Adam’s birthday party. We started talking and he was sort of cool. We stayed in touch.”
“And he just asked you to come live with him?” She looks incredulous, a bit worried, perhaps.
“I told Mark—Jamie’s friend? The lacrosse team captain?—about my situation, and apparently he told Chris. He called me last week and said I could crash with him for the two months, no prob. He’s got enough space now that his roommate went back home for the summer.”
“Hm.” Isabelle looks thoughtful as she sips her drink.
“How are things with you and Harper?” I say to change the topic, because I don’t like her frowning. I grin when I see Izzy’s cheeks warm up. “That cozy, huh?”
“We’re … great.”
“Uh-huh.” I’m amused by Isabelle’s short answer. She has always been very private and reserved. I wonder how that works with Harper, but my thoughts quickly veer into the gutter territory. Good thing Izzy can’t read my mind.
“Okay, okay,” Isabelle says, holding up her hands in surrender. “He’s wonderful. He’s so much fun, and experienced and …”
I wiggle my eyebrows just to taunt her and it has an immediate effect. Isabelle turns scarlet and starts to protest.
“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant in a general sort of way, like … he can teach me about life and such.”
“Sure.” I can’t help my lips stretching into a wide grin. This is better relaxation even than yoga.
“Well, he’s experienced … like that, too.” Isabelle stumbles over the words, but it is obvious that she is more than happy about it.
I snort in my tea, spilling it all over the table. “Good for you.”
Isabelle’s face radiates with happiness, different than when she was with Jamie, Harper’s younger brother. I’ve always known Harper was the right one for her, but Isabelle didn’t believe me until she spent one long day with him on the way home from Atlanta. That road trip made her see that Harper wasn’t just an arrogant jerk that taunted her at every opportunity he got. I saw right through him the first time I saw him with Isabelle, long before they ended up together. I could tell he’d fallen for her and that he wasn’t the bad person everyone thought.
I’m pretty good at that, reading people and their deepest secrets. I think that’s because I have experience guarding my own heart against selfish bastards, so I know all the tricks in existence. I’ve even invented some.
“You sure you’re going to be okay with Chris?” Izzy asks.
“It’s just two months. He’s a cool guy. Honestly. I wouldn’t accept his offer if I wasn’t sure I could handle it.”
Author Bio:
Bridie Hall sold her first story at fourteen. Since then, she has written dozens more, translated books, studied writing, and started writing novels. Her days revolve around stories and words, her sleepless nights involve plotting and inventing fascinating new characters. The only activity that takes up more of her time than writing, is reading.
Website: http://bridiehallauthor.com
YA Author Interview Questionnaire
Hi and welcome!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
First, thanks for hosting me on your blog.
What to tell you about myself? I wrote my first ‘novel’ when I was ten and it was a twenty-page (illustrated!) fanfiction piece based on Tequila Sunrise, only I didn’t know what fanfiction was back then. Later on, I dabbled in fanfiction some more, I wrote my Master’s thesis on Harry Potter, and then I wrote my first young adult novel. My Summer Roommate is my second YA story.
When did you start writing and were you always interested in being a published author?
I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing or making up stories. At first, I was doing it just for fun. Like I said, I wrote a lot of fanfiction. It was only later, when my job led me to books and the publishing business that I began to think about publishing my work.
What do you think is or has been the hardest part of getting published?
The hardest part is getting noticed. There are so many great writers out there and the agents and publishers are bombarded with thousands of queries. I think it’s not enough just to be good, you also need a little bit of luck. Or call it being in the right place at the right time.
What inspires you to write?
I’d say it’s not so much about what inspires me to write, it’s more about me being compelled to tell stories. There’s always a story or two brewing in the back of my mind, and they won’t go away until I give in and write them down. I don’t know if I could live without writing. I certainly wouldn’t remain sane for long.
Do you plot out your stories or just wing it?
Mostly, I wing it. I start with a general idea of where I want the story to go, but that’s about it. I like to have the freedom to change direction and I like the idea of letting my characters do the talking. It’s a bit like going on an adventurous journey – you never know what awaits you around the next corner.
What drew you to writing YA? Would you or have you tried any different genre?
I’ve written other genres, but YA has always been my first love. It’s what I like to read, too, so it makes sense to write it because I’m most familiar with this genre.
Do you have a favorite scene in this book? If so, could you share an excerpt with us?
My favorite scene is the scene after Chloe and Chris return from a party and Chris’s injured knee is giving him grief. It’s a scene that I think paints a very clear picture of the two of them as individuals and of their budding romance. Here’s an excerpt (told from Chloe’s point of view):
Risking that I might sound an idiot, I ask, “Are you asking me out? On a date?”
“You sound surprised.”
“Just hesitant,” I say. “I’m not looking for a relationship, Chris. I don’t want you to think that I am.”
Quite unexpectedly, he laughs. “How serious and grown up she sounds.”
I swat his arm. “Jerk. I am serious, because I don’t want you to expect something that’s not going to happen.”
“Why’s that?”
“Why’s what?”
“Why is it not going to happen?”
“’Cause,” I say, as if it should be obvious. Because really, it should be, right? In exactly six weeks, I’ll be moving to Atlanta. I don’t know where Chris is heading to college because I haven’t managed to ask him yet. Isn’t that enough of a reason in itself? You can’t have a relationship with someone when you don’t even know where they’ll be in two months time.
“’Cause? That’s your argument? For a future psychologist, that’s a lame-ass explanation.”
He’s enjoying this. Way too much.
“’Cause I only date terrible people. Bad, bad boys. You’re too nice for me,” I say, joking.
He makes a face, not buying it for one second.
“You want a reason? Here’s a good one—I don’t want anything to happen between us.”
“Why not?”
“I have my very personal reasons which I am not inclined to share with you at this moment.”
“At a later moment perhaps, then?” He keeps looking at me with this half-smile on his face that drives me nuts because I have the impression that he’s playing with me, that he can foresee my every word and that he can prepare his response in advance. I don’t like being two steps behind. Usually, I’m the one to have everything under control. He’s unbalanced me with this.
“At no moment at all. I just don’t want it, and that should suffice, Christopher Quinn.”
“How can you be sure you won’t change your mind?”
For god’s sake, can’t he take a hint?
Maybe you’re not convincing enough? Because … you don’t want to be?
“Because I’m actively working on not changing my mind,” I say in order to drown out my evil inner voices.
“What if I’m actively working on swaying it?”
“Ugh! Stop it,” I say, but I can’t help but laugh. God, I think I like arguing with him. That’s very worrisome. Very, very worrisome.
It gets worrisomer when he leans towards me and asks very quietly and calmly, “Why?”
With his green eyes staring at me, his deep voice cutting right through to the core, and him being so close, I feel goose bumps form on my forearms but I ignore them, annoyed. He will not win. He cannot win.
But the worst thing is that his question is now resounding in my head, and I forgot what the correct answer was. Why was it, again?
“Do you really want me to spell out all the reasons?”
“One’s enough, if it’s a good one.” He grins.
“And you’re the one who decides if it’s good enough, right?”
“Of course. Because the way I see it, it would have to be pretty damn good. I like you. You like me, don’t try denying it.”
I lift my hands in a ‘wouldn’t dream of it’ fashion, because really, there is no point in denying it after I’ve flirted with him, danced with him, and laughed with him until I had tears in my eyes. I do like him.
“We have a good time together. I’ve made you lunch four times this week. We’re both single.”
“True. And the lunch almost swayed me. Almost.”
“Ahh,” he moans, letting his head fall back onto the pillows. “You’re hopeless, and I’m hopelessly falling for you.”
Do you have any other stories in the works?
I’m working on another YA novel about a girl who goes to Paris for a course in fashion design. She has a difficult relationship with her mother and she’s trying to fix it but she’s going the wrong way about it. There’s a little bit of romance in it, too.
How does your family feel about your writing?
They’re supportive because they understand it’s what I love to do, but they’re not interested in my novels as readers. None of them is a young adult, after all. ;-)
When you aren’t writing, what do you do for fun?
I love cooking (and eating, obviously), and traveling. I love to travel, I especially love to explore big cities. They seem so freeing to me.
Giveaway: $50 Amazon GC, $25 Evernight Teen GC, 5 ecopies of Letting Go
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