If you're looking for a read to keep you on the edge of your seat, then check out Love Me Please by Chris Bedell. Today he's sharing with us thoughts on how he created his fictional world as well as an excerpt. Be sure to follow the tour for more! Best of luck in the giveaway!
Colton should be like every other seventeen-year-old, hanging out with friends, procrastinating on homework, and dreaming about which colleges he should apply to, but Colton’s focus when he gets home every day is on how violent his alcoholic mother will be. Will he be her ashtray again or worse?
Tripp has the perfect life – handsome, from a wealthy family, and is the football player everyone wants to date. Tripp just wants to date one person – Colton, but he can’t seem to break through that tough exterior and get Colton to trust him.
A friend’s party opens the door for both to potentially get what they want, but it’s that same party ends with Colton’s best friend dead. Caught between wanting to finally find happiness with Tripp and discovering what happened to Declan, Colton discovers that he isn’t the only one who’s kept secrets. How well did he really know Declan and can he trust Tripp enough to let himself believe he’s worthy of being loved?
Read an excerpt:
The door creaked. A guy with spiked hair stood by the bedroom’s entrance.
“Sorry. Thought this was the bathroom.” Tripp tugged at the sides of his varsity jacket.
“No worries,” I mumbled.
Tripp furrowed an eyebrow. “Everything okay?”
“I’m fine.” I grabbed my Margarita, then chugged the rest of it. The tequila’s distinct taste burned my throat while I licked my lips, savoring the sweet and lime flavors. I squashed my cup, letting it fall onto the ground.
Tripp’s jaw twitched. “You don’t seem fine.”
“The bathroom is down the hall.” I shuffled towards the bed before sitting on it.
The door clinked after Tripp locked it. He joined me on the bed.
Tripp chuckled. “Something happen?”
I looked away. “It’s a long story.”
“I’m a good listener.”
“Thanks.”
Tripp placed his hands on his lap. “We lost the football game, and I’m still in a good mood. So, I’m sure your problem can’t be that bad.”
Most people might have been pissed at Tripp for making an assumption if they were me. But I wasn’t. Tripp was taking an interest in my life, and that was more than could be said for most people.
Tripp met my gaze. “I promise I won’t judge.”
“I believe you.”
“This is the most we’ve ever talked.”
“So?”
“I just meant you never speak up in class.”
“I don’t have anything important to say,” I said.
He winked. “You’re wrong.”
“Huh?”
“The quiet ones are the most insightful people.” He patted my shoulder.
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Crafting the fictional world of LOVE, ME PLEASE was interesting. While the book is a YA Contemporary novel with a Thriller/Mystery element, as opposed to something that’s strictly character driven, literary fiction, I still wanted to craft a book that had dimensions and layers to it.
Characters is one important element to the story. Too few characters and the story might not be interesting enough. But if you have too many characters, the story might feel overly convoluted. The main character is Colton. Colton’s mother is both homophobic and a physically abusive drunk. But Colton’s gonna need escapes from this abusive home life. One escape was his best friend, Declan (the popular kid). Declan’s death is what kicks off the novel/murder mystery in the book. Tripp is another escape for Colton—he’s Colton’s love interest. And there’s also Colton’s former childhood best friend (Gina) who he’s grown apart from. But Colton does cross paths again with Gina fairly early on in the novel. There are also characters who are important to the mystery—characters I can’t really discuss because that’d be spoilers.
Setting is also important. School, Colton’s home, and his outlet (Tripp’s home) are some important settings. But I wanted to give the book a unique setting. So, I created VERONICA’S (a coffee shop/diner type setting). Every town usually has a spot people flock to. Creating a hangout spot therefore gives the novel depth.
The mystery itself is another important aspect to crafting the fictional world of LOVE ME, PLEASE. I can’t spell out all of the mystery because that’d spoil the book. But I can say that the mystery starts out as kinda this slow burn. But then Colton eventually circles back to Declan’s death. And one thing after another starts unraveling.
Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little about me crafting the fictional world of LOVE ME, PLEASE. Because while fiction doesn’t have to be realistic, the little details (like characters, setting, plot, clues for the mystery, etc.) are what will bring a story to life.
Chris Bedell's previous publishing credits include Thought Catalog, Entropy Magazine, Chicago Literati, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, among others. His 2019 books include his NA Thriller BURNING BRIDGES (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Paranormal Romance DEATHLY DESIRES (Deep Hearts YA), and YA Thriller COUSIN DEAREST (BLKDOG Publishing). In addition to his YA Thriller BETWEEN LOVE AND MURDER, his 2020 books include his YA Contemporary I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN (Deep Hearts YA), YA Thriller THE FABULIST (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Thriller I KNOW WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED (BLKDOG Publishing), and YA SciFi DYING BEFORE LIVING (Deep Hearts YA). Besides his YA Thriller LOVE HIM/HATE HIM, Chris’s 2021 books include his YA Fantasy CROSSING DESIRES (Spectrum Books) and rerelease of his YA Fantasy IN THE NAME OF MAGIC from JMS Books. Furthermore, Chris graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.
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@CJohnBedellAuthor's Amazon page:
https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Bedell/e/B086JMTWRY/
Chris Bedell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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