Synopsis
When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless, she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home, she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic. Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.
Author bio
Josh Grayson was born in Mexico, raised in Massachusetts, and now lives in Martinsville, Virginia. It was his move to the South that stirred his imagination and gave him the courage to start writing. During his free time, Josh enjoys reading, jogging, swimming, and watching YouTube videos.
Josh currently works as a medical driver, shuttling people all over Virginia and North Carolina. He has also worked as a machinist, film sales rep, administrative assistant, and telemarketer (he apologizes if he called you).
Sia is his debut YA novel.
Giveaway
ebook of Sia (open international)
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Reviews for SIA
(1)“A compelling read full of intrigue, romance, and lots of surprises. I
couldn’t wait to see what happened next!” - Jennifer Read Hawthorne, #1 New
York Times bestselling author
(2)“An
original and captivating story with a beautiful message.” –Lola’s book Reviews
(3)“There
have been very few books that made me think they made to someday become a movie
(i.e. Warm Bodies, The Host). And I guess Sia
can join the club, because this book, I say, is perfect for it. I felt like I
was reading a script for a movie, the plot is fantastic and the characters are
great, there's a little of humor as well as tragic situations.” -Bookish
Randomness
(4)“Sia completely blew me away. Within the
first few pages I was hooked and the book refused to let me go until I reached
the end.” – Obsession is a Book
(5) “Sia
would be an excellent novel for the Disney Company to adapt for film. Hers is a
story of cruelty and kindness, pain and redemption and ultimately of making the
world in which you live a better place. A good example for any teen who might
choose to read this exciting work of fiction.” –Rabid Readers
(6)
“Well I finished this book amazingly fast. This whole book will leave you
amused, intrigued, in awe, and most importantly in love with the whole story
line until the very last word. I'll have to go with 5 stars for this book.”
- Lovely Reads
(7)
“Beautifully written…this one will have you reflecting on
your current and past actions. Although a fiction, Sia inspires.” –A
Starry-eyed Heart Review
(8) I started this book and finished it
in one day. It's the type of story that makes a person feel good inside…a story
filled with hope.” –Musings of a Reader
Geek
(9)
“A beautiful story about forgetting the past and
living in the present to make a better future. Sia is a heroine we can
all relate to and aspire to become. I
really enjoyed it, and I had a smile almost the whole time reading this.
Because if a mean-girl like Sia can change her ways and overcome her
meanness, can't we all? If you've got an afternoon, go read this one.
It'll make you happy.” -Manda-Rae Reads a Lot
(10) “A heartwarming, sometimes tear jerking story that
reignites one’s faith in humanity. An excellent debut!” – Alexia Purdy, Bestselling author
Q&A
If you
could fly anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would
you most likely want to go?
Italy,
simply because it’s always ranked as having the best food in the world. Its
beaches are nice too. I’ve Googled it.
What is
your favorite genre to read/write?
Young
adult (YA), because those stories carry universal themes we can all relate to,
a peek into the lives of characters who are more intriguing, real, and raw.
What is
one silly fact about you?
I can
mimic Enrique Iglesias’s voice pretty well. I sang “Hero” at a friend’s
birthday party once and received an enthusiastic response. Some applauded,
others laughed. Overall, though, I felt good about my performance.
What
got you started on your writing journey?
My move
from Massachusetts (where I’d lived most of my life) to Virginia. The first
year here was difficult. I was alone, depressed, and in completely new
surroundings. But it was here in the South that I began seeing all these
stories in my head, and that my “writing gene” got activated. So it seems the
old saying is true, everything does happens for a reason.
Why do
you choose to write clean/sweet romance?
I don’t
choose, per se. I just write whatever I see in my head. And so far, all the
romantic parts have been sweet and clean, which is fine with me.
What
other things do you have planned with your writing for the rest of the year
2013?
I’m
working on another YA novel that Sia fans should enjoy as well. If
things go according to plan, I’ll publish that in the summer of 2014.
What is
the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
Being able
to partake in the wildest adventures imaginable, all without ever leaving your
house.
Do you
have a favorite comment or question from a reader?
One
reviewer said, “It, without a doubt, inspired me to find ways to help others in
need. I’m looking into charity work.” I loved hearing that, because that’s
exactly what I wanted Sia to do: to motivate others to become their best
self, to make positive changes in the world, wherever they are.
Where
do your ideas come from?
I find
muses everywhere! In books, magazines, poems, movies, YouTube videos, and so
much more. I always try to be receptive. You never know what might trigger your
next story.
What
inspired you to write Sia?
Initially?
Oprah. (laughs). I saw an interview she did on a man with fugue amnesia that
impacted me. Fugue amnesia occurs when someone, usually in response to
excessive stress, takes off on some unexpected travel. And during the travels,
that person assumes either a partial or complete new identity. I found it both
fascinating and frightening to think that stress alone can cause the human
brain to demand a reset like that. I often wonder why I haven’t gotten fugue
amnesia yet!
Is it
true you wrote the screenplay adaption as well?
Yes! I
wrote it as soon as the book was finished. I’m about to hire a seasoned
Hollywood screenwriter to polish it. When it is up to industry standards, we’ll
submit it to film companies and cross our fingers. I think Sia would
translate wonderfully to film.
If you
could sum your main character into five words, what would they be? Determined.
Compassionate. Humble. Kind. Brave.
Use
no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book?
Because
I believe it will leave you touched, encouraged, and—of course—entertained.
Excerpt
By the time we return
to the bakery, it’s ten o’clock. We stand outside the door talking for a while. I glance at my
wristwatch. “I have to head home,” I say reluctantly.
“Let me drive you,”
Kyle offers.“You have a car?”
He offers a little
shrug. “Not exactly. Wait here.” He disappears into the store, leaving me to
wait on a bench outside. A few moments later he returns via a side alley,
astride a small, beat-up motorcycle. Exhaust rattles against the alley's brick
walls. Kyle grins at me and holds out a white helmet. “Climb on!” he shouts
over the noise.
I look at the bike,
hesitating.
Kyle laughs. “What?
You’ll take on the psychos of LA at night, but you’re afraid of a little bike
ride?”
Determined not to
appear weak, I garner my courage and climb on behind him. He tugs his sweater
over his head and hands it to me.
“It’ll be cool once we
get going,” he warns. “You should wear this.”
“But what about you?”
He shrugs. “I’m used to
it.”
There's already a chill
in the air, and I have no doubt the bike ride will be freezing. As much as I
want to refuse, I decide the sweater is a necessity. “Okay, thanks.” I pull his
sweater on and can't resist inhaling as it slides over my head. I think of
Amber complaining about him, but again my nose is graced with that doughy,
cinnamony sweet smell, and I don’t see how she could insult him. I hug my soft,
woolly arms around my body, feeling absurdly pleased. Being with Kyle is making
me happy. I start to wonder if he feels the same way about being with me. Could
he? After everything I've done in the past? Probably not. I mean, really, we
have nothing in common. Until a few hours ago he couldn't stand me. There's no point in getting interested in
him that way, I tell myself.
“Do you know where I
live?” I ask.
He rolls his eyes.
“Everyone knows where you live, Sia. Helmet.”
I slide it over my
head.
Kyle looks back. Once
he sees that it’s on right, he gives me a thumbs up. “Hold on,” he suggests.
Battling an insane rush
of shyness, I lean against him and wrap my arms around his waist. He’s lean, I
discover, but not as skinny as I'd originally presumed. Muscular, not weak.
When he pulls into the street I squeeze my eyes shut, expecting a crash at
every turn. But after a while I relax and start to enjoy the ride. And though I
know I have no right, I secretly relish the strong, solid feel of his body
within my arms. By the time we get close to my house, I wish we could just keep
on driving.
Extra
Title: Sia
Author: Josh Grayson
Publication date: November 20th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Links:
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About the authorJamie Blair spent most of her teen years choreographing moves for her dance team routines, kissing boys on the couch after her mom went to bed, and pondering the mood enhancement qualities of Lemon Heads when consumed with Diet Coke. Writing under Kelli Maine, she’s the USA Today bestselling author of Taken. Leap of Faith is her debut New Adult novel.
