Featured Author & Giveaway: E. Summers

Elizabeth Summers lives in the Chicago area with her husband and writes in whatever time she can carve out from family, work, and other obligations. She loves to read and travel and watches a few too many TV shows and movies. Beneath Angel’s Wings is her first YA novel and she hopes to continue the series in the coming years.

Connect with Elizabeth on Twitter @esummersbooks or visit her website: http://www.esummersbooks.blogspot.com.

Q&A with Author E Summers:

1. If you could swap places with one of your fictional characters for 24 hours, who would you choose to be? Why? And what would you do that day?
   
   I’d love to swap places with Javier, because in addition to being very talented he also has a beautiful, generous spirit, and I adore all his friends and family. As far as what I’d like to do, I think I’d like to swap places with him on a day he’s performing. I have no acting skills at all and I suffer from horrible stage fright, so I’d love to, just for a day, be the talented performer who’s not at all afraid of the spotlight.


2. In what way is your story unique compared to other books in this genre?
   
   I think my story is unusual in that it does not necessarily follow a predictable path. But I’m somewhat dismayed to say that its true uniqueness may come from the diversity of racial/ethnic backgrounds of the characters. I recently read a blog post by Malinda Lo in which she pointed out the small number of YA books about LGBTQ characters who are of color. That article made me very sad. Although the main character in Beneath Angel’s Wings, Adam, is Caucasian, the book also features LGBTQ characters from the African American and Mexican American communities. But while the diversity of characters may make the book somewhat unique, my hope, of course, is that this is a very temporary status.


3. What did you like to read when you were a teenager?
   
   I’ve always been a voracious reader, and that was especially the case when I was a teenager. I read everything, from classics, to historical novels, thrillers, mysteries, science fiction and romances. Probably the only genre I was never too enamored with was horror, though I have since become a big fan of zombie books. As a teen, some my favorite non YA authors were Margaret Atwood, Sue Grafton, Isaac Asimov, Kurt Vonnegut and Robin Cook. I was a teen before many of the most popular teen series were written, but some of my favorite YA authors were L.M. Montgomery, S.E. Hinton, and Norma Fox Mazer.


4. If you could travel back in time and tell the teenage you one thing, what would it be?
   
   Don’t stop writing! I know that doesn’t sound very profound, but I was a pretty level headed teenager so I don’t feel like I need to give my younger self any other life-altering advice. I wish, though, that I had not given up creative writing for nearly twenty years after graduating high school. I can only imagine the number of stories I would have had ready for publication had I simply insisted on carving out a little time to write each day, instead of abandoning it altogether. Now that my muse has been unleashed again, I feel like all the stories are there in my head, but I’ll never have enough time or be able to write fast enough to get them all out. So my advice to my teen self and to all teens out there is don’t let adult distractions and responsibilities stifle your creativity. If you love to write, make it a point to keep writing, even if it’s just a few minutes each day.


5. Are there any LGBT charities or resources that are near and dear to you that you would like to give a shout out to?
   
   I made a personal commitment to contribute half of my proceeds from the sale of Beneath Angel’s Wings to LGBTQ causes, though the actual organizations may change from time to time. In the month of November, the beneficiary will be Lost –n-Found Youth, an Atlanta organization that helps homeless LGBTQ youth.


6. What would you like young readers to take away from your novels?
   
   First and foremost, I’d love for readers to feel hopeful and be inspired to reach out and help others around them who may be losing or may already have lost hope. I know it often takes a great deal of courage and sometimes sacrifice to do what’s right, even on a small scale, instead of simply looking away when faced with someone else’s pain, but the results of that outreach can be so very impactful and rewarding.
   
   Beyond that, I’d love for readers to walk away celebrating diversity in all forms, be it sexual orientation, gender identity, race or socio-economic background. Homogeneity, with its emphasis on conformity, can be stifling and soul-crushing, whereas diversity lets us all learn from one another and unleash our true potential, making the world a better, richer place.

Now Available from E Summers:

Beneath Angel's Wings Bullied and friendless, with little love or support from his parents, seventeen year-old Adam has reached his breaking point. Just as he’s about to take the irrevocable last step, he meets Angel, who helps him see another path.

Angel’s life has been a series of tragedies and barriers. He has no time to take on other people’s problems, but when he recognizes Adam’s desperation, he can’t turn away. On the spur of the moment, he becomes the younger boy’s protector and introduces him to a new group of friends who help Adam develop the strength and self-confidence to confront and overcome his fears.

The two boys from different backgrounds have little in common, yet their newfound friendship propels them both toward achieving their dreams. Angel embarks on a road to independence while Adam, for the first time, finds love. But just when things can’t get much better, Adam is faced with his worst nightmare and has to make a life-altering choice.

Warning: This book deals with serious themes that may be potentially disturbing for readers, such as attempted suicide, physical and verbal bullying, discussions of sexual practices (including safe sex,) and potentially offensive language. Some themes in this book may not be appropriate for readers under fifteen years of age.

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Beneath Angel's Wings Giveaway!

E Summers has generously donated a free copy of Beneath Angle's Wings for one lucky winner. To enter the drawing, please leave a comment below along with your email address. A winner will be chosen December 9th.