Guest Post with Jessica Pennington - When Summer Ends

Photo Credit: Sheena Pearce

Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her novel, with her husband Josh and their son, Rory. Love Songs & Other Lies is her debut novel.

        

Hardcover: 288 pages

Publisher: Tor Teen (April 9, 2019)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1250187338

ISBN-13: 978-1250187338

Praise for WHEN SUMMER ENDS

“Bringing the small-town Michigan setting evocatively to the forefront, Pennington’s sophomore novel captures the pleasures of new love.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Praise for LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES

“A captivating read and a great pick for fans of Morgan Matson and Emery Lord!” ―RT Book Reviews

“Filled with lyrics, love, and late nights, Pennington's debut novel will appeal to romance fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti.” ―School Library Journal

“Pennington’s debut is a light road-tripping romance about redemption and the love of music.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Reading Cam & Vee's past and present romance reminds me of This is Us! This is going on my keeper shelf.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author

Love Songs & Other Lies is a music-infused romance about a pair of perfectly imperfect teenagers who will have readers rooting for their happily ever after.” ―Katy Upperman, author of Kissing Max Holden

“Boys in bands, second chance romance, and pitch-perfect chemistry. Love Songs & Other Lies hits all the right notes!” ―Gina Ciocca, author of Last Year's Mistake

“Fun and full of heart, with a hero who stole my heart!” ―Katie McGarry, author of Pushing the Limits

  

TEN THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT WHEN SUMMER ENDS by Jessica Pennington

1. It's set in the same town as my debut novel, Love Songs & Other Lies. The setting was actually the first piece of this story that fell into place. I loved writing about the Michigan beach town of Riverton in Love Songs, but with the dual timelines and half of the book taking place on a cross-country music tour, I didn't get to write nearly enough swoony scenes there. So many parts of the town were left undiscovered that I knew I needed to write an entire novel set in Riverton.

2. Speaking of Riverton, the fictional town is actually a mashup of several of my favorite Michigan beach towns, including the one I grew up in, and one I vacationed in as a kid!

3. I have the same eye disease as Aiden, and most of his scenes (including an unfortunate line-drive to the face in the opening chapters) are based on my high school experience.

4. Olivia is an aspiring writer! And in her own words, she loves to pen "kissing stories." A girl after my own heart.

5. Aside from a scene or two, almost the entire book is set outdoors. Not just because the main characters work outdoors, at a tourist-trap rental spot on the river, but because When Summer Ends is basically my love-letter to Michigan summers. As a life-long resident of the mitten state, nothing makes me happier than a reader telling me WSE made them want to vacation on Lake Michigan!

6. The opening scene is inspired by my 12-year career as a wedding planner. So if you’re curious how I really feel about brown linens, there’s a few lines where I share my true feelings.

7. One of my favorite scenes takes place while Aiden and Olivia are attending a huge city-wide art competition called ArtPrize. Not only is it a real event you can attend (every other year in Grand Rapids, Michigan) but a few of the exhibits in the book are based on actual past art installations. Be sure to google Steam Pig, it’s incredible!

8. There’s a super sneaky Love Songs & Other Lies easter egg in WSE. Even some avid Love Songs fans have missed it, so be on the lookout! 

9. Olivia always calls heads on a coin toss. Dead president heads all the way! And yes, this is totally confusing until you read the book. But since Aiden and Olivia are living summer by chance, you’ll have plenty of coin tosses to find out why.

10. When Summer Ends introduces several locations that will make cameos in my April 2020 release, Meet Me At Midnight! Because I just can't get enough of writing about Riverton in the summer! You can add Meet Me At Midnight (an enemies-to-lovers summer vacation rom-com) on Goodreads LINK

Aiden Emerson is an all-star pitcher and the all-around golden boy of Riverton. Or at least he was, before he quit the team the last day of junior year without any explanation. How could he tell people he's losing his vision at seventeen?

Straight-laced Olivia thought she had life all figured out. But when her dream internship falls apart, her estranged mother comes back into her life, and her long-time boyfriend ghosts her right before summer break, she's starting to think fate has a weird sense of humor.

Each struggling to find a new direction, Aiden and Olivia decide to live summer by chance. Every fleeting adventure and stolen kiss is as fragile as a coin flip in this heartfelt journey to love and self-discovery from the author of Love Songs & Other Lies.

You can purchase When Summer Ends at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you JESSICA PENNINGTON for making this giveaway possible.

10 Winners will receive a Copy of WHEN SUMMER ENDS by Jessica Pennington.

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