TELL ME WHEN BLOG HOP

Today I’m thrilled to be a part of Stina Lindenblatt’s TELL ME WHEN Blog Hop. Stina is a fantastic follower and become a good friend. So I’m beyond thrilled to help celebrate her book debut. You can stop by Stina’s blog HERE to see her post and all the other blogs participating in this blog hop.

Because her book deals with a college freshman struggling with being stalked and kidnapped in her senior year of high school, Stina is asking us to discuss something about stalking. And she’s donating $1.00 for each blog participant to a woman’s emergency shelter. She’s doing this because a common form of stalking comes from an abusive relationship whether the woman is still in the relationship or after it’s ended.

Thankfully I don’t have a personal experience of stalking to share. But I do know the fear of it. I had to work to help put myself through college and then I worked to totally pay for law school on my own. I was a waitress because I could make good money working evenings at an upscale restaurant. I couldn’t afford a car, so I walked home 3-5 nights a week between 11:30 to 12:30 at night. I was petrified of someone stalking me or just seeing me out there alone and sexually assaulting me.

Now I have a daughter who’s a junior in high school and will be going away to college soon. And I have that same fear for her of walking alone at night and being the victim of some attacker. Or having a guy stalk her at a bar or party and spike her drink. All I can do is to teach her to be smart (she is). And encourage her not to walk alone at night and have a buddy at any parties or at a bar. I also now make a point not to let her walk alone in the dark. Many of the girls walk to the bus in the dark in the morning. I could let her do it too. But I don’t because I’m her buddy for now. And I hope she’ll remember that I did not let her walk alone in the dark when she’s out on her own.

It’s so sad we have to worry about stalking and other crimes against women. I guess we all just have to do our part to try not to be victims of this, to create a world where these things don’t happen, and to support any girls, women, or guys (because I think guys can be victims too) who we know that are victims of these terrible crimes.

Here’s a blurb of TELL ME WHEN from Goodreads:

Amber Scott should be enjoying life as a college freshman. She should be pursuing her dream of

becoming a veterinarian. She should be working hard to make sense of her precalculus math class.

She shouldn’t be waking up her college roommate with screaming nightmares. She shouldn’t be flashing back, reliving the three weeks of hell she barely survived last year. And she definitely shouldn’t be spending time with sexy player Marcus Reid.

But engineering student Marcus is the only one keeping Amber from failing her math course, so she grudgingly lets him into her life. She never expects the king of hookups will share his painful past. Or that she’ll tell him her secrets in return, opening up and trusting him in a way she thought she’d never be able to again.

When their fragile future together is threatened by a stalker Amber thought was locked away for good, Marcus is determined to protect her. And Amber is determined to protect Marcus…even if that means pushing him away.

What about you? Do you have any experiences about stalking to share?

Here's what's coming up:

On Monday when I interview debut author Rosamund Hodge with a ARC giveaway of CRUEL BEAUTY, her YA dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

And next Wednesday I interview Stina and give away a copy of TELL ME WHEN. I loved Amber and Marcus, the two main characters. They really made the book fantastic for me. And Stina has a awesome road to agent and book deal story you won’t want to miss.


And don’t forget Casey’s Tip Tuesday and Agent Spotlights!

Hope to see you on Monday1