My next selection is a novel that is being called Romeo and Juliet but with crime families. It sounds dangerous, sexy and a lot of fun.
Just check out this Goodreads synopsis and you'll be eagerly anticipating this release as well. Oh, and the other good thing? It's the beginning of a series!
Blood Will Spill, Hearts Will Break: With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago.This seems tailor made for those who love intense, romantic reads. The families seem to play a big part in the story which will be interesting as typically parents don't have a big role in young adult novels.
For Sophie, it feels like another slow, hot summer in Cedar Hill, waitressing at her family’s diner and hanging out with her best friend Millie. But then someone moves into the long-abandoned mansion up the block--a family of five Italian brothers, each one hotter than the last. Unable to resist caramel-eyed Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling for him -- and willfully ignoring the warning signs. Why are Nic's knuckles cut and bruised? Why does he carry an engraved switchblade? And why does his arrogant and infuriating older brother, Luca, refuse to let her see him? As the boys' dark secrets begin to come to light, Sophie is confronted with stinging truths about her own family, too. Suddenly, she's torn between two warring dynasties: the one she’s related to and the one she's now in love with. She'll have to choose between loyalty and passione. When she does, blood will spill, hearts will break. Because in this twisted underworld, dishonor can be the difference between life and death.
I got Catherine to make some ice cream, spill a few secrets, and share her revision must haves in this Q and A she was gracious enough to answer.
1 Describe Vendetta in Twitter format (140 characters or less).
Vendetta is a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story featuring a girl caught between two warring underworld families in Chicago.
2 If someone were to make an ice cream flavour for your book, what might be included?
I think it would have to be an Italian ice-cream flavour, like stracciatella (a mixture of vanilla and chocolate), because Vendetta is about five Italian boys who move into a lazy suburban neighbourhood, and turn things completely upside down! It would have to drizzled with honey too, because that's an important theme in the book... And trust me, honey has never been so sinister!
3 Can you share a secret about your book (either it's world, it's characters, or something that helped inspire the story)?
Vendetta began as a single image that popped into my head one night when I was falling asleep. As I was closing my eyes, I saw five dark figurs - all boys, who were close in age, and doused in shadow. They were standing almost militarily, side by side. Behind them was a crumbling white mansion with its own story to tell. I realised I was looking at them through the eyes of someone else - a girl, who had no idea they where they came from or what they wanted!
I couldn't sleep after that. I sprung out of bed and started writing furiously, and Vendetta is the result!
4 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?
I would love to travel to Renaissance Italy so I could witness first-hand all of the incredible creativity during that time period... I could do some casual fangirling over Michelangelo and Da Vinci, and maybe have a chat with Machiavelli... I think it would be pretty cool.
I absolutely love period dramas so I'd also like to travel to 18th century England, but only if I could be a part of the aristocracy and wear the beautiful dresses!
5 What three things do you need while revising?
Coffee (x 10000000), a really good music playlist, and an extremely comfortable pair of sweatpants.
6 If possible, please share the first line of Vendetta (only answer if not too spoilery).
Vendetta opens with the following quote:
‘Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.’
- Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness
And here's the first line of the first chapter:
"I didn't see it at first, sitting between the cash register and a stack of order pads."
I am curious about the role honey plays in the novel (especially because it's described as sinister). It makes me think this novel may just end up being brutal (which I am VERY excited about).
Be sure to check back later on during the event for a chance to win a copy of Vendetta (or any of my featured titles).
You can follow Catherine Doyle on Twitter, visit her official website, and learn more about the book from the publisher website.
Do you like stories inspired by classic tales? Let me know in the comments.
That does sound good!
ReplyDelete