Publication
Date: Sept 15, 2015
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Genre: YA, Contemporary
The
last thing sixteen-year-old Emily Slovkowski wants is to move away from her
home at the Jersey shore, gorgeous surfer boyfriend Zach, and her entire
identity. But that’s kind of how Witness Protection works, and Em must prepare
herself for an epic do-over as she starts a new life in the Midwest.
Even
as she pines for sandy beaches and the night life of the shore, the newly-named
Ember O’Malley finds herself making new friends, taking photos for the high
school newspaper, and thinking an awful lot about the paper’s editor, an oddly
cute cowboy named Charles.
When
Em stumbles upon a shady beneath-the-bleachers exchange between one of the
school’s football coaches and a student, she refuses to get involved. The last
thing she needs is to be witness to another crime or call attention to herself.
Besides, she finally has some real friends – well, real except for the fact
that they don’t know a single thing about her – and she prefers to keep it that
way until the trial.
But
as her day in court approaches, Em begins piecing together what she saw that
day beneath the bleachers. And, as her own past secrets start to catch up with
her, Em needs to figure out who she really is – Em or Em.
Excerpt
Charles
leaned toward her. “Come on, tell me. What kind of photographer do you want to
be?”
Ember
pulled the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands. She drew up her knees
and hugged them into her chest. She’d never talked about this to anyone. What
if it sounded stupid? “I want to be a portrait photographer, but not the kind
that takes pictures in the studio; the kind that takes pictures of people out
in the real world, being who they are and doing the things they love to do.”
She
glanced at him. He didn’t look as though he thought she was stupid. He looked… interested.
“You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, I want to
tell stories about people. True stories. Stories of who they are deep down.” Like
that picture of Trina. The one that proved she wasn’t too old or too cool to
love the thrill of the wind tugging a kite up, up, up into the sky. “I want to
take pictures that push past people’s images and uncovers something real.”
Charles
whistled. “Now that’s a dream.”
“Sorry.
It’s silly, right?”
“No,
not at all.” Charles leaned in even closer, his face just a few inches from
hers. His voice was barely a whisper. “I didn’t mean it’s an impossible dream.
I meant it’s the kind of dream worth dreaming.”
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ABOUT
LINDA BUDZKINSKI
Linda
Acorn Budzinski decided in the second grade that she wanted to be a “Paperback
Writer,” just like in the Beatles song. She majored in journalism in college
and now works in marketing and communications. She spent 18 years at a trade
association in the funeral service industry, where she discovered that funeral
directors are some of the bravest and most compassionate people on earth. Linda
lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Joe, and their chihuahua,
Demitria. She has two step-daughters, Eris and Sarah. THE FUNERAL SINGER is her
debut novel. She is represented by Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger Inc.
THE
FUNERAL SINGER is Linda Budzinski's first novel.
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with the Author
Giveaway
One (1) winner will receive a digital copy of Em and Em
by Linda
Budzkinski and a $10 Amazon GC (INT)
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