A Dream Within A Dream: Select Few Blog Tour: Guest Post, Excerpt + Giveaway

Select Few (The Select #2)
Author: Marit Weisenberg
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen
Hardcover: 384 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781580898294
ISBN-13: 978-158089829

Description:
After rejecting the cult-like influence of her father's family, Julia moves into a fancy hotel in downtown Austin. But she finds herself alone except for her boyfriend, John--and her fears. Once again she's suppressing her abilities, afraid her family will come for John when they find out he's been developing abilities of his own in her presence. The FBI is also keeping a close eye on Julia hoping she can lead them to her father, Novak, as he's wanted for questioning in his former assistant's death.

With tensions high, Julia and John agree to go separate ways for the summer, paving the way for Julia to reunite with Angus, fellow outcast. Together they set out on a road trip to California to find Julia's mom and a way into Novak's secret underground world. Along the way Julia will learn the Puri perhaps aren't the only humans evolving into something different. . . and that maybe she's the leader her people have needed all along.

Praise for SELECT FEW:

“...mixing mystery with science fiction with a heaping dose of romance." ―Kirkus Reviews

"...a page-turning adventure." ―School Library Connection

You can purchase Select Few at the following Retailers:

Your journey to publication

I was always happiest when I was reading or making up stories. I remember entertaining myself on road trips by staring out the window and coming up with story ideas in my head. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to be a writer. My friend, Sophy, and I co-wrote a romance novel, passing it back and forth in Latin class! It took a really long time to actually get there though. For years, I worked in TV and film

development, reading scripts and helping writers with their stories. So I surrounded myself with writers and stories but it took me years to get up the courage to actually try writing myself. At a certain point, I knew it was now or never. On the recommendation of a creative writing professor, I read Twyla Tharp’s book The Creative Habit which basically says you need to form the habit of showing up day after day to write, dance, paint, etc. I decided to start waking up at 5am and write while the house was quiet. It took a few months but then I was actually writing every day.

Things really changed when I took a class called “Write your Novel or Memoir.” The class gave me the permission I needed to call myself a writer and when I turned in a draft of the project I’d been working on for years, my teacher, author Amanda Eyre Ward, gave me such valuable feedback. Then she gave me practical advice on next steps and how to query agents.

There was nothing like the moment when I had my first offer from an agent. I remember calling my husband. I was crying and it was like I’d been climbing a mountain for so long and finally reached the top. It also felt like I’d won the lottery. Finding out that my series had sold felt exactly the same way.

It’s really sweet how proud my two daughters are. A few friends said that they wished I could have seen my daughters’ faces at my book launch.

My husband wins the award for being an on-demand editor. I bug him incessantly about whether plot makes sense or a sentence sounds funky. He is so patient and smart. Thank God I married an English major.

My mom has been the most supportive. Writing has its ups and downs. Publishing has its ups and downs. My mom has been such a great listener. Writing is a solo journey and I really appreciate that she just lets me talk when I need to.

“Do you worry about getting kidnapped?” August asked.

“No. Besides, it wouldn’t be worth it for any kidnapper. There isn’t anyone left to pay my ransom,” I joked. It was a little too dark of a thing to say. For a second, August was taken aback. But what was the point of hinting around about it? Everyone at this party knew I was the daughter of a world-famous fugitive.

“Are you glad you stayed behind?” August asked.

No one had asked me that in the six months since my family—an entire group of sixty people—had disappeared off the face of the earth.

“Yes,” I finally said. It was the truth. But it had been more difficult than I had thought it would be.

Copyright © 2018 by Marit Wiesenberg

Photo Content from Marit Weisenberg

Marit Weisenberg received her BA in English from Bowdoin College and her Master’s Degree from UCLA's school of Theater, Film and Television. She has worked in film and television development at Warner Brothers, Universal, and Disney. She lives in Austin with her husband and two daughters.

Marit’s debut YA novel was Select, and she worked on the first draft of the book over the course of eighteen months during Amanda Eyre Ward’s class ‘Write a Novel in a Year.’ As of now, there are two books in The Select series.

Author Links:

WEBSITE: http://maritweisenberg.com/

TWITTER: @MaritWeisenberg
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16437131.Marit_Weisenberg
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