a young adult romantic comedy novella
By Victoria Anders
Alt 19 Publications paperback, also available as an eBook
On sale: February 5, 2021
ISBN: 9781087941233 (print)
Price: $9.99 (paperback), $0.99 (eBook)
3 nights, 2 days, and 1 massive music fest . . .
I’ve been content sweating under the covers, hiding from life all summer. That’s what happens when you suffer from a broken heart.
After being away most of the break, my best friend returns and tries to draw me out of my funk. She can try all she wants, but I’m not leaving my bed until school starts.
But then she dangles tickets to The Last Hurrah. Broken heart or not, this weekend-long music festival is not to be missed.
I expect the music and ambience to be awesome. What I don’t expect is for my heart to forget it’s been crushed when I meet the cute and quirky Link. We team up on a scavenger hunt for tickets to a super-secret show from our mutually favorite band: Black Moon.
Suddenly, the dark clouds resembling a shattered heart are breaking up.
Until we cross paths with my crowd-hating ex during the middle of our quest. I’m abruptly torn between my feelings of the past and my new attraction for Link.
Will I lose focus on the finish line of the scavenger hunt by folding into the reason I hid all summer long?
The Last Hurrah could turn out to be more than just a music festival. It could be the biggest turning point of my life.
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This is a super sweet and quick read story that packs a punch in a perfectly sized novella. The characters are as fun as the cover promises and relatable as they are flawed and healing. The weekend is a blast. What teen doesn’t want to spend a weekend of freedom listening to bands that will forever shape their memories as they look back fondly on their teen years?
Lincoln and Everly are great for each other, I loved how well they work together. I love how they fit into this super fun world that Victoria has created. The Last Hurrah is emotional, sweet, and funny. A super fun read.
Open Spotify
CHAPTER 1
Somebody Else, The 1975
Having a broken heart sucks.
Having your first one sucks even more.
Seeing your ex with someone else is the ultimate suck.
Our love has gone cold. You’re intertwining your soul with somebody else.
CHAPTER 2
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Al Green
Yeah, I had to go old old school here! But, as the lyrics say,
Please held me mend my broken heart and let me live again.
Hello! The Last Hurrah tickets. That’s how Everly will start to live again!
CHAPTER 3
Steal My Sunshine, Len
You should never let anyone steal your sunshine.
Because you never want to say,
So I missed a million miles of fun
Missing miles is no F-U-N.
CHAPTER 4
This chapter is a two-songer. It just has to be.
Seeing Wynn at a place Everly never would’ve imagined hurts.
But by the end, a light gets brighter
SONG 1
When Doves Cry, Prince
How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that’s so cold?
SONG 2
You and Me, Bowling for Soup
We have nothin’ to lose.
When you need to heal, take the steps forward
because you have nothing to lose but the pain.
CHAPTER 5 & 6
Ho Hey, The Lumineers
This song could be the theme of the entire book
and works perfectly for both Everly and Link.
I been livin’ a lonely life…
I don’t think you’re right for him…
I belong with you, you belong with me
CHAPTER 7
Kiss Me, Sixpence None the Richer
This song could be on the playlist for every single one of my books.
It never gets old.
Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Wynn = the broken tree house
CHAPTER 8
Head Over Feet, Alanis Morissette
This is Everly’s ode to Link.
But really, credit should go to Everly for seeing a different path.
You’ve already won me over in spite of me
Don’t be alarmed if I fall head over feet
CHAPTER 9
Another two-songer. Because two themes needed anthems.
It really could’ve been a three-songer.
Honorable mention goes to Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn.
SONG 1
Cry Me a River, Justin Timberlake
Wynn, you can suck it.
The bridges were burned. Now it’s your turn, to cry
SONG 2
Love Song, Lana Del Rey
Find that someone that accepts you for YOU.
And allows you to be YOU.
I’m a fucking mess but I…
It all comes down to make the sound of our love song
Epilogue
Pocketful of Sunshine, Natasha Bedingfield
Yes, this song may be annoying at times.
But then you watch Easy A for the 100th time
and you realize this song is truly a gem.
Everly is Link’s pocketful of sunshine, taking him away to better days.
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Victoria Anders is a born and raised Atlanta chick. This Georgia peach now lives in the land of sunshine and barely a winter, just north of Tampa, Florida with her husband. Her daughter, currently a Pharmacy student at the University of Georgia, is out of the house but not off the payroll (will she ever be?).
She’s a dog lover, a Diet Dr. Pepper lover (although she’s trying to cut it out), and sometimes sports the pink hair.
As a book designer by day and a writer by night, she lives almost 24-7 in the book world. Her absolute most favorite book is Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall.
She loves stories about teens learning who they are as they fumble through life. So, that’s what she writes! All her books serve as stand alones (except Noah’s book) and delve into the inner workings of a teenage mind. She brings you nothing but contemporary, realistic stories about kids growing up and discovering who they are. Oh and yeah, there’s always a little bit of love thrown in from every angle.
As a teen, she worked at an amusement park which molded her into who she is today. Her and her friends started the Group B club. She doesn’t remember exactly why they started though—something like they weren’t Group A and they weren’t Group C, so they must be Group B. Her nickname was TCCG (tall cool cover girl—which does not even come close to who she was other than the tall part). Her favorite class was yearbook staff. And she absolutely hated English, even though she loved to write.
https://linktr.ee/victoriaanders
Want to be a part of her crew? Join the Facebook group Vivid Voices with Victoria.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vividvoiceswithvictoria
Have another question? Feel free to email it to Victoria at victoriaandersauthor@gmail.com
Have you always wanted to be an author?
Nope. I don’t remember when the bug hit me. I’ve been putting together stories in my head forever. In high school, my English teachers never liked me (no clue why as I was really quiet). It wasn’t until college where I had the best English professor that I really started to enjoy writing. In high school though, I did foresee my editing abilities when I did peer reviews. No one ever wanted me to peer review their paper. LOL.
Is writing your full-time profession?
Nope, but I am in the book world. I’ve been a book cover designer and interior formatter for over 10 years now. I started with a small publisher and service provider then started my own business in 2020. Today, I assist other indie authors with cover design and formatting through my company Alt 19 Creative.
What are some things you like to do unrelated to books or writing?
Oh boy! Not much. Play Candy Crush? LOL. Organizing and decorating my new house? Although I wish I could snap my fingers and it would all be done.
Okay. On a serious note, I love listening to music, getting exercise, and food (more eating than cooking). I live an hour away from Orlando and love to take short trips to Disney. I also love dogs. In October of 2019, my tri-pawd Dale passed away. In October of 2020, my beloved Roxy left us. Come spring, we will be blessed with two mini horses. Well, they’re not really horses but dogs the size of mini-horses. We are getting two Great Bernese puppies (cross breed of a Great Pyrenese and a Bernese Mountain Dog). What in the world are we doing????
What are your daily writing habits like?
Non-existent? Ha ha. Some days better than others. It’s been hard to concentrate with COVID, losing my pup, moving into my new house, and dealing with the hubs working from home. Can we say too many distractions?
This year, I’m trying to implement daily writing. I haven’t been good at sticking with it yet. But there is always the rest of the year!
Are you a plotter or pantser?
I always thought I was a pantser. But I’m really a plotter in a pantser disguise.
What’s something you could eat every day and not get sick of it?
Red hots (the cinnamon candy), burgers, fries, and pizza. Oh, and chocolate meringue pie. YUM.
How do you work on more than one book at a time?
Unsuccessfully. But I’m trying to learn to be successful with it. Right now, I have three going on as they all will be publishing this spring.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Somewhere tropical. I want to stay in a bungalow over the water. Somewhere with awesome scuba diving.
What music do you listen to while writing?
Usually concentration music I find on YouTube. Helps me stay focused.
Favorites time…
Movie: Say Anything and Dream for an Insomniac
TV Show: The Big Bang Theory
Song: So Alive by Love and Rockets
Book: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Color: PINK!
Animal: Dog
What can we look forward to in the future?
Lots more angst filled books about teens, especially in the My Life series.
100% of the profits from the first 90 days of release for The Last Hurrah will be donated to The NIVA Emergency Relief Fund. NIVA is the national independent venue association of over 3,000 venues in 50 states and Washington D.C. that banded together to ask the U.S. government for targeted legislation to help them survive during COVID.
They were the first to close. They will be the last to open. They are 100% shut down for an indefinite period of time. They have ZERO revenue. They are small businesses in danger.
To learn more, visit saveourstages.com
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