Discover. . .: It's a Strawberry Summer with Charlotte Copper

Monday, July 27, 2015

It's a Strawberry Summer with Charlotte Copper

MUSE MONDAY

Please help me welcome Charlotte Copper to Muse Monday. Although Charlotte has two paranormal-romance novellas already published, this is her first journey into Young Adult. With three daughters – now 18, 19 & 21 – she has read her share of YA books and loves the idea of strong, confident young heroines

First of all Brenda, I want to thank you for hosting me. I love following your blog and your adventures on Tortuga Thursdays.

Today I want to talk about where I got my idea. STRAWBERRY SUMMER is completely different from my previous stories, not just because it is Young Adult Contemporary versus my usual Adult Paranormal-Romance, but because it is close to home. Literally!

My usual ideas come from television, movies or even another book, where I find a character or a situation and think “what if?”, and then it morphs into something entirely different that no one would ever recognize it for its origin. The idea for STRAWBERRY SUMMER, however, comes from a real time and place.

I live in Stouffville, Ontario…just north-east of Toronto…and every July long weekend I volunteer, selling drink tickets, at our annual Strawberry Festival. They close Main Street Stouffville and there are rides and vendors, beer tents and bands, and of course fireworks for Canada’s birthday on July 1^st. And like STRAWBERRY SUMMER, they also have a movie night and a dunk tank.

Although my duties mean the people I work with are all over 18 (we must have our Smart Serve to be involved with alcohol), there are dozens of high school aged kids also volunteering. Some are doing it to fulfill their volunteer hours required to graduate, but many come back year after year because it is a fun place to spend a few days each summer giving back to the community.

Although the character and events are all fictional, and Stouffville itself is never mentioned, our annual Strawberry Festival and a few of kids at The Daughter’s school, fueled the idea for STRAWBERRY SUMMER.

BLURB:

What could be better than working the dunk tank on a hot summer day with your best friend? How about catching the eye of the cute new boy?

Olivia is volunteering at this year’s Strawberry Festival when she meets tall, buff and curly, Aidan. If the two are to stand a chance, they must look past their scars and overcome a few misunderstandings.

EXCERPT:

The three of them just got settled as the movie’s opening music began to play.

Olivia sat on the blanket, Aidan on one side and Cindy on the other. Her friend sat yoga style, folded up like a denim pretzel, while Olivia reclined, legs out, and leaned back on her arms, aware of Aidan’s body next to hers. Stretched out in similar fashion, his leg and broad shoulders occasionally brushing against her. Especially when he laughed.

She liked it when he laughed, and had trouble concentrating on some parts of the movie. Luckily, she’d seen it before.

“So, you weren’t a little jealous earlier, were you? When you thought I’d been kissing Dakota?” The bright festival lights reflected mischievously in his eyes.

“Uh…” Yes. “No,” answered Olivia, the heat of the truth rushed to her cheeks. She slurped the last remains of her pop. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” he said as the final credits rolled on the giant temporary screen. “Just hoping, I guess.”