Not Every Girl
Release Date:
04/27/15
Clean Reads
275 pages
Summary from
Goodreads:
Olivia
Davenport’s plan is destined to fail.
She is going through with it anyway, of course. After all, it is the chance of a lifetime. The unreasonable rules of others should not stand in her way.
In her small kingdom of Stewartsland, Olivia trains with the squires and harbors a secret dream. She longs to become a knight under the command of the Master-of–Arms, who just happens to be her father. He has indulged her passion so far, but they both know a simple fact – girls may not attain knighthood. Dismayed by the constant discouragement of her ambitions, she makes an impetuous decision to disguise herself as a boy in order to sneak on a mission. The consequences are not at all what she anticipated.
When her deception is revealed, she is sent home in disgrace; however, an unexpected turn of events puts her at the center of a dangerous plot against the King. The ensuing adventure finds her grappling with mercenaries and outlaws, yet these pale in comparison to her newly awakened emotions. She finds not only her life at risk, but also her heart, when the aloof Prince Liam begins to affect her in ways she never thought possible. In the end, it is her courage and unique spirit which must guide her through the challenges she encounters both physical and emotional.
She is going through with it anyway, of course. After all, it is the chance of a lifetime. The unreasonable rules of others should not stand in her way.
In her small kingdom of Stewartsland, Olivia trains with the squires and harbors a secret dream. She longs to become a knight under the command of the Master-of–Arms, who just happens to be her father. He has indulged her passion so far, but they both know a simple fact – girls may not attain knighthood. Dismayed by the constant discouragement of her ambitions, she makes an impetuous decision to disguise herself as a boy in order to sneak on a mission. The consequences are not at all what she anticipated.
When her deception is revealed, she is sent home in disgrace; however, an unexpected turn of events puts her at the center of a dangerous plot against the King. The ensuing adventure finds her grappling with mercenaries and outlaws, yet these pale in comparison to her newly awakened emotions. She finds not only her life at risk, but also her heart, when the aloof Prince Liam begins to affect her in ways she never thought possible. In the end, it is her courage and unique spirit which must guide her through the challenges she encounters both physical and emotional.
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About the Author
Reading was always a big part
of my life. Creating my own stories developed out of this love. Finally, I
decided to try my hand at writing a novel and that was when Not Every Girl was
conceived.
I live in New Jersey with my
husband, two sons and an extremely spoiled cat. When I am not running around
with my family or writing, I can be found curled up with a good book and said
cat. It is my belief that a good book, a loyal pet and anything made of
chocolate can brighten just about any day.
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Links:
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Info to come.
Book Tour Organized by:
Author
Interview with Jane McGarry
1. Where did
you get the idea for Not Every Girl?
Stories about knights, castles and adventure were always favorites
of mine, so that was the jumping off point. First, I had the idea of this
strong female protagonist and what her experience would be in a world full of
men. I wanted her to be strong, but have enough self-doubt to resonate with
readers as authentic. Of course, both character and plot evolved in different
ways as I wrote, and not always in the manner I expected. But, the end result
is more or less what I originally imagined.
2. What
inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always love to read. When I was young, I might imagine a
story had a different ending or plot twist. Eventually, I started creating my
own stories, but always thought the idea of publishing a book was just a dream.
Over the years, I read voraciously and found that I enjoyed the young adult
genre. The idea for Not Every Girl
developed and I finally decided the time had come to give the “dream” a shot.
3. Of the
writing process, what do you enjoy most?
I love the limitless
possibilities to create stories and worlds. The excitement when you start a new
project and all the elements are half-formed waiting to be hammered out into
something that does the idea in your brain justice. (Of course, that’s when the
hard stuff starts!)
4. What is your
top writing tip for new writers?
I am asked this a lot and my answer is simple—write. There will never be a perfect time, life will
always try to get in the way. But, if
you write something—anything—you can always go back and edit it. You can’t edit
a blank page. If you just manage to get
a small bit down every day, over time it will add up to something substantial.
5. What are you
working on right now?
Right now I am working on the sequel to Not Every Girl. Now that she has proved herself in battle, Olivia
has some new troubles to work through with Liam. It is exciting to be able to
continue their story and I look forward to sharing it with everyone.
I
dust off and grab my bags, intending to fetch the horses. Only one short step
later I hear an angry voice yell, "Peter! Where are you?"
It
is Sir Michael. He is not happy. Freezing in my tracks, I spin around to him,
as does nearly everyone else.
"Get
over here, lad," he yells in my direction, "this stupid lace has
broken."
In
an instant, I am at his side. Indeed, the end of the leather lace that secures
the left side of his jerkin has snapped off. His supply sack sits nearby. I
rummage through it, hunting for a replacement cord. Surely, Puck packed an
extra lace or something that can be used as a reasonable substitute.
Uh-oh!
Dread
drifts in, envelops me in its icy claws. My stomach becomes lead. Puck had
spoken about replacing the laces of Sir Michael's jerkin in the armory the
other night. Obviously, he had planned to do it before the journey, but he did
not get the chance—because I had interrupted him with dinner and…
My
heart races, sweat beads on my brow. I am paralyzed with fear until a boot toe
jabs my side. "Look alive, boy!" Sir Michael orders. Mechanically, I
resume groping through the bag hoping to find something—anything—that I can
improvise with. There is nothing.
"What
I don't understand is why these laces were not replaced prior to this trip. They clearly needed to be," he snaps.
Unsure
what else to do, I mumble an apology.
Bad
move.
Sir
Michael takes this as insolence and yanks me up by the armpit. Spinning me
around to face him, he roars, "I am speaking to you, Peter, and therefore
require your undivided attention. Do you understand?"
I
stand there mutely, aware that his yelling has drawn the attention of everyone.
Certainly, they all try to act as if they are not listening, but I am sure
every ear is perked up in this direction. Before I can think of a way out of
this situation…
"And
take off that blasted helmet so you can look me straight in the eyes when I am
talking to you!" In one fell swoop, he reaches out and knocks my helmet to
the ground. "Surely I have taught you more respect than…"
His
words abruptly cease.
Under
different circumstances, his expression would be quite comical. He has stopped
yelling in midsentence, his mouth agape, eyes wide and disbelieving. His face
resembles those painted masks some gypsy vendors sell at our city's festivals.
Lydia has one; she always tries to scare Grace with it. Since no response from
me seems to be required, I stare at the ground and wait for all the pieces to
fall into place for him. To my surprise, he draws his sword and points the tip
right at my throat. For some reason, at this stressful moment, my brain manages
to register that this is the second time in three days I have had a sword to my
throat. Not such a good track record. His next words surprise me even more.
"Who
are you?" He scowls. "Speak
quickly!"
"Olivia,"
I say in a strangulated whisper. It dawns on me that Sir Michael does not have
the first clue who I am. For all he knows, I mean them harm, particularly the
King, whom he is sworn to protect with his life.
"Who?"
The point pushes painfully into my neck.
"Olivia?"
This
time the voice isn't mine. It is my father's. He rushed over at the sound of
the commotion and now stands with much the same expression Sir Michael had a
moment ago.
"How…?
What are you…? Explain yourself, young lady!"
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