My thanks to Stephanie Worlton for stopping by The Character Connection with a guest post during the blog tour for her book, Hope's Journey. Guest Post
Sydney Steele is very much inspired by my own personality, and I will admit that I have a tender spot for her, but I’m not sure she’s my favorite character in Hope’s Journey. Maybe it’s because she’s too much like me. Maybe it’s because I know her too well. I admire her sassy spirit and her head-strong ways, but writing her was almost too easy. Alex Hastings, however, intrigues me.I didn’t get far into my manuscript before I knew that I couldn’t tell this story solely from Sydney’s point of view. There are always two sides to a story and in the case of teen-pregnancy the boy often plays the role of the villain. I didn’t want this to be another one of “those” stories. I wanted it to be authentic and fair, and that’s how I knew I had to tell Alex’s side too.
Having never been a boy myself, getting into the head of a teen-aged one was admittedly a challenge. I had to do a lot of homework to figure out who he was and what kind of things were swimming around in that skull of his. I spent a lot of time observing and even interviewing to try to get a grasp on Alex. I wanted him to be the boy next door: a good kid, a kind person, a real boy. I had a vision of what he looked like and how he interplayed with other people, the task was to figure out what and how he perceived things. And I learned that yes indeed, male and female brains process stuff differently. Surprise!
What I like about Alex most is his integrity. He’s so concerned about making the right choice – for himself, for Sydney, for the baby - that he doesn’t just jump into things. I suppose there are those who would say he’s a coward or even a jerk, but I don’t see him that way. I think it took a lot of courage and wisdom to step away from the situation the way he did. He knew he was going to lose friends and, even more so, he knew he stood the chance of losing Sydney forever, but he also knew that marriage wasn’t something to take lightly.
What I dislike about Alex’s character is probably the same trait that women dislike about men in general – his unwillingness to communicate! He had so many valid thoughts and feelings but he kept them all to himself. Sharing just a tid-bit of his process with Sydney could’ve made things a lot easier for her.
About the BookHope's Journey
Book Details:
Publisher: Bonneville/Cedar Fort, Inc.
Published: July 2011
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Price: $17.99
Price: $17.99
Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com
Blurb:
A couple since their sophomore year, Sydney and Alex are looking forward to graduation and a bright future together. Sydney is a straight-A student trying to decide between college scholarships, and Alex is a quiet jock preparing to serve an LDS mission. Both active members of their faith, their hopes and dreams painfully fade when they learn that Sydney is pregnant. The very foundations of their faith are shaken, as is their relationship. Separately, they venture through confusion, self-doubt, and failure as they learn the value of forgiveness and try to piece their broken lives back together.
Blurb:
A couple since their sophomore year, Sydney and Alex are looking forward to graduation and a bright future together. Sydney is a straight-A student trying to decide between college scholarships, and Alex is a quiet jock preparing to serve an LDS mission. Both active members of their faith, their hopes and dreams painfully fade when they learn that Sydney is pregnant. The very foundations of their faith are shaken, as is their relationship. Separately, they venture through confusion, self-doubt, and failure as they learn the value of forgiveness and try to piece their broken lives back together.
About the AuthorStephanie Worlton
Stephanie Connelley Worlton pursued a degree in Architecture before turning her creative energy towards other forms of artistic expression including writing. Through her many associations with youth, Stephanie felt prompted to channel her own experience as a teenage mother into a work that might open the eyes of understanding, break down stereotypes, cause youth to reevaluate their relationships, and ultimately provide hope for those in the trenches of an unplanned pregnancy. Aside from the busy schedule she keeps as a wife and mother of four, Stephanie enjoys interior design, gardening, carpentry, painting, and being involved with the youth of our rising generation.
Connect With Stephanie:
Blog
Web Site
Facebook
Connect With Stephanie:
Blog
Web Site
As part of Hope's Journey's blog tour, we will be giving away an autographed copy of Hope's Journey to one lucky winner. To enter, simply visit the author’s blog (stephanieworlton.blogspot.com) and leave a comment on the BLOG TOUR page. Plus, for a few bonus entries, “like” Hope's Journey on Facebook or become a follower of Stephanie’s blog. It's that easy!
Tour Participants:
Oct 25 - Misty Moncur - author of Daughter of Helaman
Oct 26 - Murdock and pink nail polish - Mandi Tucker Slack - author of The Alias
Oct 28 - The Stubby Pencil
Nov 2 - A Book a Day
Nov 4 - Fire and Ice
Nov 7 - A Casual Readers Blog
Nov 8 - Reviews by Molly
No comments:
Post a Comment