Howdy, reader friends! Last time Sara Jane Jacobs visited us here on the blog, she shared a sweet Season of Hope excerpt and giveaway with us. Today, she is back with q&a’s and a new giveaway!
About the Book
Season of Hope by Sara Jane Jacobs
When Amanda Jarvis prays that a special friend will move into the vacant house near her isolated mountain home, she isn’t upset when God sends a boy instead of a girl. But Amanda’s not the only one receiving unexpected answers to her prayers. After fleeing with his mother from an abusive father, Tyler Armstrong finds much-needed love and acceptance with Amanda’s family over the next ten years.
As high school graduation nears, Tyler is shocked when one carefree afternoon with Amanda churns up an inner turmoil he would have never imagined; he’s crushing on his best friend. And for the first time in his life he’s hiding a secret from Amanda. Convinced the timing is all wrong, Tyler pushes his feelings aside as he and Amanda prepare for the future. He will soon begin training to pursue his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL, while Amanda makes plans to spend the summer in Manhattan with her aunt and then return home to the community college.
When Amanda’s summer job catapults her into a modeling career, she readily accepts the much-needed distraction. Tyler’s impending deployment is turning her world upside down. Along with the fact that she’s falling for her best friend. And, for the first time in her relationship with Tyler, she’s hiding a secret, too.
Phoebe Garrison, Amanda’s controlling aunt, is thrilled when she is given the power to act on behalf of her underage niece. Bored with her Fortune 500 advertising agency, becoming Amanda’s manager is just what she’s been looking for to rekindle her aspirations. But as Tyler becomes aware of Phoebe’s obsession to push Amanda into supermodel status, tensions rise. As the three of them become entangled in a mass of concealed ambition and desire, each will make decisions that will send ripples of turbulence across their futures.
about the author
Welcome back, Sara Jane! Please, tell us about yourself.
Sara Jane Jacobs: I began writing as a hobby while raising my two children. In 2015, I dusted off my stories and my dreams to see if I could turn my hobby into a career.
My first story, Season of Hope, was inspired by summer vacations which always included a trip to Franklin, North Carolina, to visit family and explore The Smoky Mountains.
When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with family. I love most any activity that involves being outdoors, especially camping, hiking and spontaneous excursions to splash in the ocean.
I currently live along the Emerald Coast of Florida with my cat Selah and her delightful offspring, Colby, Jack and Tuesday.
Q&A
What is the first book that made you cry?
My first thought was that I have never read a book that made me cry and then I remembered reading Tessa Emily Hall’s, “Unwritten Melody.” I didn’t need a tissue but it definitely moved me to almost need one. Haha, it’s not that I’m not a sensitive person (I mean the most non-cuddly of roadkill upsets me).
There are two things that bring on the tears in fiction and it’s usually in a movie. First, seeing someone else cry and second, the right music. Bring those two together and there will be serious sobbing.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
So far, it just seems to be working out that there will be connections although that wasn’t something I had planned on doing. Season of Hope is the first book in a series.
My first love in this imaginary world was acting, and so my first attempt at writing was a screenplay for a TV series. That will be my next project after I finish book three in the Seasons Series. It looks like that will be a series as well.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Go for it! I started writing in the early 90s and didn’t let anyone read my writing until 2004. And then it was my mom (haha, and your mom loves your stuff no matter what, right?) I did send it to an editor after that but then I shelved it for another eleven years.
I finally released it into the hands of a friend who owned a bookstore. She read all the time so I felt like if she thought it could make it in the publishing world then I would take a chance and put it out there. She did, I did, and it did!
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I like these types of questions because it gets me thinking about aspects of writing that I don’t normally think about. I just write the story that’s inside of me. It almost feels like I don’t really have a choice. It always starts with a thought which can be brought on by a song or something someone said.
I was at a yard sale one time, and I heard a mother say something to her son as he was about to walk to a neighbor’s house with his younger sister. And just the way that she said it made me grab a paper and pen to write it down. There was this subtle intensity coming from the depths of a mother’s soul.
Haha, I know that sounds dramatic but it created this black and white picture in my mind along with the echo of her words which I can still hear. It’s like a flashback scene in a movie. There’s a story in there!
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Streiker’s Bride by Robin Hardy. The allegory has your mind switching back and forth the whole time. It’s one that you can read over and over. I’m not much of a book reviewer but as I was reading the second book again a few years ago I had to blog about it (this question inspired me to repost that blog!). Your mind is just switching back and forth within the allegory. I can’t even tell you. You just have to read it.
tour giveaway
Enter to win the Season of Hope giveaway! One person will win the following items…
A copy of the DVD, Sabrina (featured in the book)
Costa Rican Tarrazu Dark Roast Coffee (a character’s favorite French Roast)
An eBook of Season of Hope
Enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
This blog tour was coordinated by A Latte of Literature Blog Tour Services.
Find out more…
Say hi to Sara Jane and let’s chat about the first books that made us cry and under-appreciated novels!
Faithfully Bookish 
Thanks for the interview! Can’t recall what books made me cry or which books I think are under-appreciated….but I did cry during the movie Beauty and the Beast (Disney animated version) and all the little kids around me were whispering very loudly why a grown-up was crying…..quite memorable.
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I’ve been known to shed a few tears for fictional characters on screen or in a book!
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Loved reading about Season of Hope. Thanks for the interview and the chance to win a great giveaway.
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It’s a nice prize pack, isn’t it?!!!
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I can’t remember the first book that made me cry, but it was possibly CHARLOTTE’S WEB. 🙂 I have a daughter who just graduated HS. SEASON OF HOPE sounds like a book she would love.
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Yes, I completely agree!
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Thank you again, Beth, for sharing Season of Hope with your readers! It’s always a pleasure for me to be a part of Faithfully Bookish!
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I’m happy to have you!
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