varian johnson

And the winners are…

Glory be, Varian Johnson has a twin! How did I not know this before just now? Never mind that it’s mentioned on his bio page—I unearthed photographic evidence in the deep recesses of his blog archives just today:

 

How serendipitous that I’m giving away two copies of his latest novel, this being a double birthday and all. Congratulations to the lucky winners, [info]onlyemarie  and [info]pamm! 

Special thanks to Delacorte Books (hi Jessica), who provided review copies of SAVING MADDIE for our Authors’ Tent interview and this contest. Didn’t win this time? You might want to enter the giveaway contests at Reading in Color, Booknut or CrazyQuilts.

In the Author’s Tent: Varian Johnson

It’s my privilege to host Varian Johnson in the Author’s Tent today. This is the first stop on his blog tour for SAVING MADDIE, which hits the bookstores on Tuesday. Coincidentally, tomorrow is Varian’s birthday, so I’m going to celebrate both occasions by giving away two copies of his novel. 

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Joshua Wynn is a preacher’s son and a “good boy” who always does the right thing—until Maddie Smith comes back to town. Maddie is the daughter of the former associate pastor of Joshua’s church, and his childhood crush. Now Maddie is all grown up, gorgeous—and troubled. She wears provocative clothes to church, curses, drinks, and fools around with older men. Joshua’s ears burn just listening to the things she did to get kicked out of boarding school, and her own home.

As time goes on, Joshua goes against his parents and his own better instincts to keep Maddie from completely capsizing. Along the way, he begins to question his own rigid understanding of God and whether, as his mother says, a girl like Maddie is beyond redemption. Maddie leads Joshua further astray than any girl ever has . . . but is there a way to reconcile his love for her and his love for his life in the church? [from Varian’s website]

This contemporary YA novel is at once a love story and a spiritual quest. The main characters are relatable; the storyline, courageous and compelling.  I love that Varian allows Joshua and Maddie to venture into dangerous, unpredictable territory. I also appreciated the nuanced storyline, which invites readers to consider religious themes from multiple angles. 

ABOUT THE INTERVIEW

In this wide-ranging conversation, Varian talks with me about religion, cover art, stereotypes, blackberry cobbler and more. Sound good? Grab your all-access pass and go! (Leave a comment about our Q & A session, and you’ll be automatically entered in tomorrow’s drawing.)



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Saving Maddie: ARC contest

Look what I have!

Yes, I have three ARCs of SAVING MADDIE! And guess what? I’m giving them away!

I’m hosting Varian Johnson in The Author’s Tent next Monday, March 8th–the first stop on his blog tour, and the eve of SAVING MADDIE’s publication date. I’ll draw two winners from among the people who comment on that entry, but I’ve set aside one copy to give away beforehand!   

Want one? The contest rules are simple:
1) Between now and 7:00 a.m. (Pacific) tomorrow, post a congratulatory message here for Varian on the upcoming release of SAVING MADDIE, his third novel. This automatically enters you into the contest.
2) For another shot at winning, you might also want to post a similar comment on your own blog, Facebook page and/or Twitter. By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow (March 5th), I need a tally of your additional entries. (No, I’m not going to count them. We’ll do this on the honor system, ‘kay?)  

Watch this space, as I’ll announce the first ARC winner by 8:30 a.m. on Friday. And be sure to join us in the Authors’ Tent next Monday, March 8th.  

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