Welcome to the Blog Tour for Into the Spotlight by Leslea Wahl, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Into the Spotlight
Series: Finding Faith
Author: Leslea Wahl
Publisher: Vinspire Publishing
Release Date: October 25, 2022
Genre: Christian YA, adventure, mystery, romance
The devastation of a ruined summer.
The gift of a second chance.
Can Josie learn the lessons she needs to discover her true self?
After a humiliating event and overwhelming peer pressure, 16-year-old Josie flees her home to spend the summer with her aunt on a South Carolina Island. Her fresh start turns into the summer of her dreams as friendships grow, romance blossoms, and a series of thefts surround her with excitement.
However, when tragedy strikes someone close to her, Josie realizes there are more important things than her reputation. As she sets out to solve the mystery she has become entangled in, she not only realizes the importance of relying on her faith but along the way also discovers who God wants her to be.
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | Goodreads | Barnes & Noble
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leslea Wahl is an award-winning author of adventurous teen mysteries. She not only writes for teens but is also an avid reviewer of Christian fiction. Her journey to become an author came through a search for value-based fiction for her own children. Leslea now strives to be an advocate for other families battling against society’s secular messages through her faith-based writing and reviews.
Connect with Leslea by visiting lesleawahl.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Q: What was the inspiration behind
Into the Spotlight?
Leslea: When I was writing my first teen novel, The Perfect Blindside, I wanted to make my teen characters authentic, so I began observing my children and their friends, taking note of their mannerisms, dialogue, etc. It got me thinking, what if an author interfered too much in her child’s life? That is the beginning premise of the story. Josie’s mother’s writing has inadvertently caused all kinds of problems for Josie, releasing a series of cruel jokes and bullying. To get escape the situation, Josie spends the summer at her aunt’s home on a South Carolina island. There she meets all kinds of interesting people and becomes involved in a mystery plaguing the small community.
Q: How long did it take you to write this story?
Leslea: This story was originally published under a different title—An Unexpected Role. This fall, I moved it to a new publisher, who gave it a new title and cover. The original story took 5 ½ years from the time I came up with the idea for the story to when it was initially published.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?
Leslea: Choosing a favorite quote is tough because Josie is such a fun character. She is very dramatic, which makes for some really great scenes. This quote describing herself tells you all you need to know.
“I’ll give you the condensed version—I leap before I look, and chaos ensues.”
Q: What do you hope readers take away from
Into the Spotlight?
Leslea: The underlying message of this book is about discovering who God wants you to be. We all struggle with that question, but teens especially can get so caught up in their world, trying to fit it, that they lose sight of what makes them unique and special.
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?
Leslea: I like to include my pets in each of my books. My labradoodle Kahlua is featured in
Into the Spotlight. Also, there is a scene featuring a certain sea creature that is based on an event that happened to my family during one of our vacations. While I’ve fortunately never caused any issues for my children, I do like to sometimes include some little tidbits from our lives.
Q: What are you reading now?
Leslea: I became an author after searching for fun, adventurous books with good messages for my own kids. I not only try to write these kinds of books, but I have also begun reviewing faith-based books so other families can find edifying fiction. I write reviews for four different online sites and post them on my website as well. Every other month, I send out my News, Clues, and Reviews update with book recommendations for the whole family. Because of all that, and the two book clubs I belong to, I read a lot of books. One book I’m currently reading is titled
Heaven’s Relief by Ruth Apollonio.
Q: How many bookcases are in your home?
Leslea: What a fun question! I won’t bother counting the ones in my husband’s office or the kids’ rooms. But there are six large bookshelves in the room my family has begun calling the book warehouse. I am part of a wonderful group of authors, CatholicTeenBooks.com, and I house quite a few of those authors’ books as well as my own. But my favorite room in my house might be my study, where my husband built me bookshelves that cover an entire wall to display my books and some of my favorite items.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Leslea: I love to travel with my family and spend time in the mountains.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Into the Spotlight, bookmark, bible verse magnet, and designer soap!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 4, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 11, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
