Blog Tour Stop including Author Q&A, Excerpt and Giveaway – The Storm Before The Calm by Cate Ashwood

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Author Name: Cate Ashwood

Book Name: The Storm Before The Calm

Release Date: June 5, 2015

Blurb:

Charlie has one passion in life: dancing. It’s his salvation when it feels like the world is swallowing him whole. When his mom secretly secures him a spot in the summer intensive at the Free Rein Dance Company in New York, he is thrilled. He knows that once the summer ends, he’ll have to return to Beacon to get a job and help support his family, but for those two months, he can spread his wings.

In New York he meets Max, a junior instructor who is everything Charlie wishes he could be. Bold and self-assured, Max radiates pride in who he is. As they spend time together, Max shows Charlie what life can be like past the walls of his closed-minded home town. But Charlie doesn’t know if he’s ready to show the world who he truly is when standing in the spotlight is the last thing he wants.

Pages or Words: 62,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

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Excerpt:

My fingers tugged at the edge of the cardboard cozy wrapped around the cup as I waited for him to speak. The silence between us felt heavy, and the awkwardness settled in around me as he stared at me, his mouth quirked in a playful expression.

“What?” I asked finally.

“Nothing,” he replied, smiling. “So I guess we should get started.”

“Sure.”

“I think maybe just one, two songs at most. The festival isn’t until the end of the summer, so we have lots of time.”

“What festival is it again?” I asked.

“OutShine,” he responded.

“What kind of festival is that?” I asked.

“It’s a big arts festival that takes place throughout the city, mostly in parks. There are exhibits and performances, and a huge celebration at the end. It was started a few years ago to raise awareness and money for gay rights.”

“Oh. Are you… I mean….”

“Gay?” Max supplied.

“Yeah.”

“Yes. Are you?”

“I… no, uh I…,” I stuttered. I was stunned by how nonchalant and completely unapologetic he’d been about his sexuality, as though admitting to me he was gay was the most ordinary thing in the whole world. A part of me wished I could do that. I could nod and say the words like it was as natural as telling him I was blond or I liked chocolate ice cream.

“It’s okay, Charlie. No big deal. You don’t have to be gay to participate. Originally, all the artists were gay, but it has grown and evolved now to include everyone, which is how it should be,” Max said, shooting me an understanding look.

I should have corrected him. I should have told him, but I’d never said the words out loud. Hell, it was hard enough for me to form that three-word sentence in my head. Even as I sat there, my brain rebelled, doing its own version of sticking its fingers in its ears and humming. So instead of being honest with him about who I was, I let him assume I was something else.

 

Sales Links:

E-book – http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6470

Paperback – http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6471

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Christina’s Review:

The Storm Before the CalmThe Storm Before the Calm by Cate Ashwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

on the outside, this seems like a sweet, simple book. but it’s not quite as simple as it seems. it made me laugh and cry and get angry and smile. there was pretty low angst, although there was some pain. the story was pretty predictable but it didn’t really take away from the story.

charlie’s situation is extremely complex. he’s an only child. he’s had to pretty much take care of himself since he was 5 years old, leading to him not really having lived outside of dance and school. he’s been harshly bullied for all 4 years of high school and had no one to talk to about it causing him to self soothe. he’s in the closet which means he’s not had a normal relationship yet. he’s a beautiful dancer, which is awesome but different in his small town. he has an unhealthy sense of responsibility for his mom. and now he’s going to be basically living on his own in new york. he is sweet and self conscious and wants nothing more than to have someone to love for his very own, to help him live and come out of his shell (and the closet).

max is absolutely the perfect guy for charlie. he’s self confident and out and proud and has lived life and wants nothing more to help charlie experience his for the first time. he’s beautiful and loving and a great balance for charlie. they are amazing together and their love story is just perfect.

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About the author:

Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot-pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, her brand new little boy, and her two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

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Author Q&A
We were lucky enough to have Cate answer a few questions for us!  Thanks Cate!  We hope you enjoy!
Q:  Where did you get the idea for ‘The Storm Before the Calm’? 
A:  It originally came from a YouTube video of Magnus Labbe pole dancing, which in turn evolved into a more traditional dancing story (although there is a little bit of pole dancing in the book). He’s incredible and so very talented. I’ve always wanted to write a story that revolved around dancing, since I was a dancer when I was growing up. It’s always been close to my heart.
Q:  Which character is your favorite – Charlie or Max?  Which was the more challenging to write?
A:  I don’t think I could choose a favourite, but Charlie is more like me than Max is. I don’t know if that made him easier to write or more difficult. I tried to give him his own personality, rather than basing him on myself, even though there are characteristics of me that exist in him. I was lucky, in that I was not subjected to the things that Charlie was, but I carry some of the same insecurities, and of course the same passion for dancing.
 
Q:  When you beta read for a friend, do you find yourself trying to re-write parts of the book? 
A:  It totally depends on the book, but for the most part, I would say no. I am incredibly lucky to beta read for a group of supremely talented authors, and I look forward to every single one. I can honestly say that I’ve been beta reading and I’ve had to go back and re-read the book because I’d gotten so swept up in it that I forgot that I was looking for errors.
 
Q:  Is your little one obsessed with any characters yet?  (like Elmo)  Is there a kid’s song you never want to hear again?
A:  Oh God yes. Actually, it is Elmo. He loves him. The second Nugget hears his voice, he gets this huge grin on his face. I’m actually incredibly grateful for Elmo, because without him, I’d have gotten a lot less done in the last month.
When it comes to kid’s songs, I have to say, the music that is written for Sesame Street is pretty good! The songs are catchy and the messages they carry are nice, although they do have a tendency to get stuck in my head. The very worst, though, are the little snippets of songs that Daniel Tiger sings. Over. And over. And over.
Q:  What is your favorite dessert? 
A:  It goes in waves, but I’d say I’m on a pretty solid cheesecake kick right now. I’ve been craving it for months! Before that, and really through my whole pregnancy was ice cream (no pickles, though). 😉

 

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cate.ashwood

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Ashwood-Author/288329491267435?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cateashwood

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cateashwood/

Other: http://www.cateashwood.com

 

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25487470-the-storm-before-the-calm

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

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Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

5-Jun

Rainbow Gold Reviews

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

 

8-Jun

Chris McHart

Hearts on Fire

Boys on the Brink Reviews

 

9-Jun

Cathy Brockman Romances

Divine Magazine

 

10-Jun

3 Chicks After Dark

Bike Book Reviews

 

11-Jun

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

 

12-Jun

Amanda C. Stone

Love Bytes

 

15-Jun

Molly Lolly

BFD Book Blog

 

16-Jun

MM Good Book Reviews

Bayou Book Junkie

 

17-Jun

Prism Book Alliance

My Fiction Nook

 

18-Jun

Inked Rainbow Reads

The Hat Party

 

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Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Storm Before the Calm’ by Cate Ashwood

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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