Book Details:
Twinkle by Patricia Leavy Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 161 pages Genre: Women's Fiction ~ Tour dates: Jan 25 to Feb 19, 2021 Publisher: Brill/Sense ~ Release date: December 1, 2020 Content Rating: Rated R. A few sex scenes (not explicit) and discussion of sexual assault in the protagonist's childhood Book Description: Twinkle follows Tess Lee and Jack Miller after two years of marriage. Tess is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. As they both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them true happiness. However, when an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend, who calls her Butterfly; the female president of the United States, who Tess visits regularly to discuss politics and bake cookies; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau, who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend, who never fails to lend a calming presence. Twinkle is a novel about the nature of doubt, the struggle to feel worthy of love, the relationship of the small part to the greater whole, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – can help us move from trauma to healing and redemption. Written as unfolding action, Twinkle is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. Buy the Book:Amazon 
Book Details:
Shooting Stars by Patricia Leavy Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 137 pages Genre: Women's Fiction ~ Tour dates: Jan 25 to Feb 19, 2021 Publisher: Brill/Sense - Rele~ase date: June 15, 2020 Content Rating: Rated R. A few sex scenes (not explicit) and discussion of sexual assault in the protagonist's childhood Book Description: Tess Lee is a novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself. The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on an epic love story that asks the questions: What happens when people truly see each other? Can unconditional love change the way we see ourselves? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend who mysteriously calls her Butterfly; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend who never fails to lighten the mood. Shooting Stars is a novel about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – heals us. Written as unfolding action, Shooting Stars is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. Buy the Book: Amazon ~ B&N Add toGoodreads
What I’ve Learned from my Protagonist, Tess Lee. Writing fiction is a process of discovery. You learn so much—about your characters, the world, and yourself. My novels center on female protagonists, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In some ways they have become my guides. As I’ve watched their struggles and triumphs, felt their pain and joy, I’ve learned about others and myself. It would be fair to say that over the years my characters have been among my greatest teachers. Out of all my characters, I’ve learned the most from Tess Lee, her beloved Jack Miller, and their incredible friends. Tess is my masterpiece, not because of what anyone else may or may not think of her, but because of the once-in-a-lifetime joy I’ve had writing her story over a series of novels, and all she’s given me. Tess is a wildly successful, world-famous novelist and philanthropist. Despite her extraordinary success, she struggles to overcome the pain of childhood abuse and the loss of her family. Tess sees and cares about everyone, perhaps except herself. While she’s had a beautiful friendship with Omar, for over twenty years, since they met orientation day of college, she’s been unable to find lasting romantic love and truly give herself to someone until she meets Jack. Jack is a federal agent who has worked undercover in counter-terrorism and suffered the death of his four-year old daughter, Jack has also experienced enormous darkness in his life, and until Tess, he’s been unable to love. These are two people that have suffered great loss, grief, and loneliness. They’ve lived in the dark. Yet, they never hurt each other. Rather, Tess and Jack are able to love each other in extraordinary ways, modeling what love looks like in action. They show us how to “do” love—how to treat those near to us with gentle grace. They show us how to move through trauma, without widening the circle of pain. Tess believes that there is only darkness and light and love is the bridge between them, and she enacts this love in innumerable ways. Most notably, she uses her writing to address human suffering, offer a sense of hope, and ultimately transform darkness into light. I’ve especially loved writing excerpts from Tess’s novels, which really get at the heart of the character and what she is putting out into the world. Twinkle, the second novel which was just released, explores love and doubt (and each book can be read as a standalone). It includes the following excerpt from one of Tess’s books: “She looked up at the night sky, bursting with stars. One twinkling star caught her eye. It drew her gaze as if it were the light at the end of the proverbial dark tunnel. The twinkle pulsed like her heartbeat. Mesmerized, she blocked out all the others and watched her lone star twinkle. Was it a lifeline, an anchor, or a distraction? She wondered: If she could lasso that one star and pull it to her, would the entire sky crumple like a piece of paper? Would it give her a paper cut that would then be all she felt? Overwhelmed, she squeezed her eyelids shut and opened them again. This time, she saw all the stars lighting up the sky. She inhaled deeply, oxygen filling her lungs. Breathe, she told herself, just breathe.” From Tess I’ve learned so much: compassion and empathy; the importance of being someone who gives without expecting anything in return; and, how to deal with toxic males that lurk in the shadows. I’ve also learned what love in action looks like and feels like—how we should treat those we hold dear, what grace looks like. Perhaps the most important thing I’ve learned is simply this: Breathe. Just breathe. 
Meet the Author:
Patricia Leavy, Ph.D., is a bestselling author. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chair of Sociology and Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College in Massachusetts. She has published over thirty books, earning commercial and critical success in both fiction and nonfiction, and her work has been translated into many languages. She is also series creator and editor for ten book series with Oxford University Press, Guilford Press, and Brill/Sense, including the ground-breaking Social Fictions series. Patricia has received dozens of accolades for her books. Recently, her novel Film won the 2020 American Fiction Award for Inspirational Fiction, her 3-novel set Candy Floss Collection won the 2020 American Fiction Award for Anthologies, and her novel Spark won the 2019 American Fiction Award for Inspirational Fiction and the 2019 Living Now Book Award for Adventure Fiction. She has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2016 Mogul, a global women’s empowerment network, named her an “Influencer.” In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” She has residences in Maine and Massachusetts where she lives with her husband, daughter (when she’s not away at college), and her dog. Patricia loves writing, reading, watching films, and traveling. connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram 
Giveaway Details:
Win signed copies of TWINKLE and SHOOTING STARS (1 winner) (USA only) (ends Feb 26) To Enter, Complete the Rafflecopter Below. 
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