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Thursday, May 17, 2018

Blog Tour- THE HARPER EFFECT by Taryn Bashford An Interview & Giveaway!


Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for THE HARPER EFFECT by Taryn Bashford! 

I have an interview with Taryn to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!


Haven't heard of THE HARPER EFFECT? Check it out!



Title: THE HARPER EFFECT
Author: Taryn Bashford
Pub. Date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: Sky Pony Press 
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 408
Find it: AmazonB&NTBDGoodreads
Sixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court--until her coach dropped her for being "mentally weak." Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob--who also happens to be her sister's very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.

But when Harper is taken on by a new coach who wants her to train with Colt, a cold, defensive, brooding young tennis phenom, she hits the court all the harder, if only to prove Colt wrong. But as the two learn to become a team, Harper gets glimpses of the vulnerable boy beneath the surface, the boy who was deeply scarred by his family's dark and scandalous past. The boy she could easily find herself falling for.

As she walks a fine line between Colt's secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must decide between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning. Is the cost of winning the game worth losing everything?

A sizzling tennis romance perfect for the summer months, The Harper Effect, will be a grand slam for fans of Kasie West, Miranda Kinneally and Simone Ekeles.

Now on to the interview!

Hey Taryn! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! THE HARPER EFFECT sounds AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it! 

And it’s a pleasure to be having this chat with you. Thank you so much for having me. I’m a lot excited.

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about the THE HARPER EFFECT and the characters?

Sure thing. The Harper Effect is set in the world of professional tennis, but you don’t have to love tennis or even understand it to read it, anymore than you had to love karate to watch The Karate Kid. It’s a coming of age story in which a girl learns to win from a boy who has lost everything. Harper is an unusual teen in that she’s been tutored since starting high school and has travelled on the junior circuit for years, but when she turns professional, the pressure turns up and her world starts to implode. She turns to her sister’s ex-boyfriend for comfort, a choice that’s going to start a family war, and she escapes into training with new tennis partner, Colt, whose mysterious past intrigues her. The truth of his situation and his past is what helps her grow up and begin to make better choices, but before that happens, they both risk everything, including their families. I hope that the story helps teens to navigate through the usual teen issues of sibling rivalry, making good choices, relationships with parents, first kiss, first big mistake that has consequences you need to fix, but more than that, I hope that the book inspires people to set goals and follow their dreams, just as Harper has to do.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on the companion novel to The Harper Effect. It’s Jacob’s story, and it starts after Harper’s story is over, so it’s not a series and doesn’t need to be read in any order. It’s set in the world of music, of course. And Jacob is going to be an elite teen in that world, just as Harper is in her world of tennis. I love to explore teens who go above and beyond the norm, and also I love to shine a spotlight on the background scenes of these career choices.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

No, not any one person. I did once find myself sitting opposite Amelie Mauresmo eating pizza in Wimbledon. My brother is a professional tennis coach and coached her when she was 16. I was struck by how ‘normal’ Amelie was, and it made me think about how elite teens are not super people, born with super powers, but just normal kids who have a talent and have chosen to go after a dream and never give up. I like the idea that this means everyone can find their fit in life and then achieve what they set out to do. No super powers required!

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

My favorite character to write was Milo because he made me giggle with his funny sayings, his quotes, the devious training sessions he devised for Colt and Harper, but at the same time he is wise and caring. I think he might be my ideal father figure 😉 I didn’t have a least favorite character even though Kim is the villain and is a pretty awful person, she was fun to write.

What is your favorite passage/scene in THE HARPER EFFECT?

Probably when Aria has found out how Harper has betrayed her, and Harper goes to find Aria in the Purple Woods, to explain herself. It’s the culmination of their ‘war’ and it leads to Harper growing up thanks to the consequences of her choices. 
A squall stirs the dead leaves and petals into a whirling
soup of debris around us. My hair billows. ‘Please listen to
me.’ But the air is fat with hate.
Aria opens the cooler box and throws a pot at me. Then
another and another. They hit my crossed forearms. She
wants to claw my face off. ‘I suspected. I asked you straight
up. I believed you because I didn’t think you could do that
to me

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

Mostly my research centered around training for tennis players, especially doubles players. The code calling, the rope exercise and the mirroring, are all real strategies used in the world of professional tennis. I also attended games to absorb the atmosphere and imagine how it felt to be the one on the court with thousands of eyes on you. My brother, being a professional player and coach himself, was also helpful in filling in any gaps in my knowledge.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

Well, in 2018 it’s still currently Rhys from A Court of Thorns and Roses.

What inspired you to write this book?

I first wrote The Harper Effect when I was 14 and my brother was entering the world of professional tennis. I was also a serious athlete at the time, training for the 400m track event in the Olympics. So I guess sport was (and still is) a big part of my life. I was also always fascinated by teens who surpassed the norm in any field so I studied elite teen artists, writers, singers and sports people just as a hobby. It was after meeting Amelie Mauresmo that all these elements came together sport, elite teens, and showing how elite teens still must deal with the normal teen issues in life. They may be elite in one area of their lives, but they still need to become decent and well-adjusted adults to exist in this crazy world of ours.

Lightning Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

My TBR pile is almost toppling over. I’m dying to read Stephanie Perkin’s There’s Someone Inside Your House.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Ravenclaw.

Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook Im a bit wordy for Twitter. Can you tell? I have a new teen and mum of teens blog called Why Mom Runs on Facebook, which I enjoy writing.

Favorite Superhero?

Superman he works in editorial and he can fly!

Favorite TV show?

Anne of Green Gables

Sweet or Salty?

Salty

Any Phobias?

Snot

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Adele I Cant Make You Love Me

2018 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

A Star is Born its a re-make of the 1937 classic and is so inspiring. I love anything that inspires people to dream big.

Thanks so much Taryn for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read THE HARPER EFFECT! Thank you for making this so much fun. I loved your questions.








About Taryn:
Taryn lives the typical writer’s life alongside supportive husband, teen children, and characters from her latest book insisting they help make dinner. This can be disconcerting as Jacob is always sticking his fingers in the cheese sauce and Harper can’t cook.

Taryn’s been an English Literature Honours student, an advertising sales rep and a CEO of an internet company, but writing is her first love. The Harper Effect is her debut novel.



Giveaway Details:


1 winner will win a finished copy of THE HARPER EFFECT & A Tote Bag, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Tour Schedule:


Week One:
5/7/2018- Sophie Reads YAReview
5/7/2018- YA Books CentralInterview

5/8/2018- To Be ReadReview
5/8/2018- Margie's Must ReadsGuest Post

5/9/2018- Portrait of a BookReview
5/9/2018- Book Sniffers AnonymousExcerpt

5/10/2018- Bri's Book NookReview
5/10/2018- Twirling Book PrincessExcerpt

5/11/2018- FirstbookloveReview
5/11/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

Week Two:
5/14/2018- taylortalksbooksReview
5/14/2018- BookHounds YAInterview

5/15/2018- Books of a Shy GirlReview
5/15/2018- Confessions of a YA ReaderExcerpt

5/16/2018- Lattes & PaperbacksReview
5/16/2018- Wishful EndingsExcerpt

5/17/2018- Two Chicks on BooksInterview
5/17/2018- Paulette's PapersExcerpt

5/18/2018- Books A-Brewin'- Excerpt

1 comment:

  1. Hellooo and thank you so much for having me on your blog tour. It's been awesome!

    ReplyDelete

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