Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Guest Post by Holly Schindler + Giveaway (International)


Hi everyone! Yesterday, I posted my Playing Hurt Review. Honestly, I didn’t expect Playing Hurt to turn out the way it did! It was unexpected, intense and strong. As part of the Philippine Playing Hurt Blog Tour, Holly will be talking about her characters’ pain, fears and healing. Stick around for a chance to win a finished copy of Playing Hurt!
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In PLAYING HURT, I’ve got two characters who have both been hurt in different ways: Chelsea’s been hurt physically, in a horrific fall on the basketball court.  And Clint’s been hurt on an emotional level. 

I think that the worst scars, though, are the mental ones.  Both Chelsea and Clint are scared.  Why wouldn’t they be?  They’ve both endured the kind of hurt that completely changed the course of their lives.  Mentally, once you’ve endured hurt, you have this hesitation—you hang back, you don’t take risks, you guard yourself. 

That’s the toughest thing to get rid of—fear.  Sometimes, though, the best way to stop being afraid is to find someone else to be scared WITH—sometimes, that’s the best way to build up courage again.  And that’s why Chelsea and Clint connect so strongly.

Really, then, PLAYING HURT is every bit as much about getting over fear as it is about getting past the pain of losing the thing that makes you tick—the thing you love more than anything else in life…
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Thank you for sharing, Holly! 
If you like the sound of Playing Hurt, you can try Holly’s debut, A Blue So Dark! Her book received amazing reviews from bloggers and critics!

Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura’s dad left them. Convinced that “creative” equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.

Giveaway: Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler

Star basketball player Chelsea “Nitro” Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone’s admiration in her hometown.  But everything changed senior year, when she took a horrible fall during a game. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.

As a graduation present, Chelsea’s dad springs for a three-week summer “boot camp” program at a northern Minnesota lake resort.  There, she’s immediately drawn to her trainer, Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player who’s haunted by his own traumatic past.  As they grow close, Chelsea is torn between her feelings for Clint and her loyalty to her devoted boyfriend back home.  Will an unexpected romance just end up causing Chelsea and Clint more pain—or finally heal their heartbreak?

Rules:

Be a follower.
Comment (extra entry) and leave your email address!
Open internationally!

*for every comment you leave on any of the posts included in the tour, you get an entry!



22 comments:

  1. I follow your blog, thank you for the giveaway!

    annabell_lee_dk (at) yahoo.com

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  2. Double post? double chance of winning? :D lovely!

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  3. This short piece about mental vs. physical pain and fear makes me want to read the novel even more, because what she wrote is so true.

    Carina

    P.s.: Thank you for another chance to win this!
    I'm a follower. :)
    fictionaldistraction (at) live (dot) de

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  4. Awesome book, would love to win it! Thanks for the giveaway :)

    vaneric16[at]hotmail[dot]com

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  5. Thanks for the chance! The books sounds great!It has been on my books-I-want-to-red-and-have-to-buy-asap pile for nearly 2 weeks now - I think!
    :-P

    funnywool[at]live[dot]com

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  6. Follower. Thanks for the guest post and another chance to win!

    cc932005 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I follow you on GFC! Thanks for the chance of winning this book!!

    danaan at gmx dot at

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  8. I'd love to read this!

    ham1299(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. This book looks really good, thanks for the giveaway.
    gfc follower

    thegirlonfire27 at gmail dot com

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  10. great giveaway!!!
    GFC follower
    vidishamun@gmail.com

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  11. this book sounds really good! I'd love to be entered =)

    yavampire(at)hotmail.com

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  12. Please enter me! Here's to hoping i win :) *crosses fingers* thanks so much for hosting!

    Diana
    lovelygetaway@gmail.com

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  13. This sounds so good. I'd love to read it. Thanks for the giveaway!
    GFC name:Erinberry

    erinberry12 at charter dot net

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  14. I follow you and thanks for the giveavay!

    dinkyka(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. I haven't read any of Holly's books yet, but I hope to change that soon! So thank you for the chance to win :)

    pisisbook[at]hotmail[dot]fr

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  16. Can't wait to read this! Thanks for the great giveaway and a chance at winning :)

    GFC follower Tiffany Drew

    jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net

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  17. Thank you for another chance to win this book. Did I say that I love the cover? No? So I am sayin' it now :D

    Syki
    sykorova.p@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm a follower. Thanks for the great giveaway.
    I commented on the tour post.
    apk1princess(at)live(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for the giveaway!
    -Danna
    adannabanana at hotmail dot com

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  20. Brilliant guest post from Holly! The more I'm reading about this book and what draws them together - that fear - the more I can't wait to read it. I love this, "Sometimes, though, the best way to stop being afraid is to find someone else to be scared WITH—sometimes, that’s the best way to build up courage again. And that’s why Chelsea and Clint connect so strongly."

    hanging.by.a.moment_@hotmail.com

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  21. These sound amazing! I'm a follower. :-)

    whatinabox at gmail dot com

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  22. I've pinning away for this book! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Badass Bookie ( GFC follower)

    callmeghostgirl@yahoo.com.au

    ReplyDelete