Guest Post with Lorie Langdon ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Lorie Langdon

Lorie Langdon has longed to write her own novels since she was a wee girl reading every Judy Blume book she could get her hands on. So a few years ago, she left her thriving corporate career to satisfy the voices in her head. Now as a full-time author, she spends her days tucked into her cozy office, Havanese puppy by her side, working to translate her effusive imagination into the written word.
Lorie has been interviewed on Entertainment Weekly.com and several NPR radio programs, including Lisa Loeb’s national Kid Lit show. The DOON series has been featured on such high profile sites as USAToday.com, Hypable.com and BroadwayWorld.com.
Lorie’s first solo novel, GILT HOLLOW, a YA romantic thriller, releases September 27th 2016!

Publisher: Zondervan
Format Hardback | 352 pages
Publication date: 27 Sep 2016
Imprint: Blink
Language: English
ISBN: 10 0310751853
ISBN: 13 9780310751854

Praise for GILT HOLLOW

'Easily the most thrilling and dangerously addictive YA novel to hit bookshelves this year, readers of all ages will fiercely devour every word of this stunning literary win.” ―PopSugar

Gilt Hollow by Lorie Langdon – Willow has spent the past four years trying to forget the day her best friend was convicted of murder. But when Ashton is released from juvie, Willow is forced to confront the past, as well as her growing romantic feelings for her once best friend. Ashton seeks out Willow’s help to clear his name, but the closer they get to the truth, the more Willow begins to doubt Ashton’s innocence. Why we’re looking forward to it: We need a heart-pounding thriller to keep us occupied while we wait for The Girl On The Train to hit big screens. Lorie Langdon gives us that. It may be YA, but Gilt Hollow had us checking in our closets and behind the shower curtain before bed. ―Redbook Magazine

Gr 9 Up–Langdon draws readers into a town riddled with deadly secrets and dangerous lies lurking in every corner, from the protagonists’ possibly haunted attic to the bustling coffee shop downtown. Threatening messages appear, and suspicious events begin occurring upon the return of convicted killer Ashton Keller. But is he really the true danger to this society? Meanwhile, Ashton’s former best friend Willow is barely piecing together a normal adolescent life following Ashton’s conviction and now sudden unexpected return from juvenile detention. Torn between her longtime love and loyalty to Ashton and her interest in dating other boys, getting through high school, and keeping her family safe and happy in the wake of her father’s death, Willow finds herself right in the thick of some very dark business. Filled with detailed descriptions of the characters’ physical appearances, this novel would be great for teens who want to mix some elements of danger and mystery in with their love triangles. VERDICT For those who enjoy the romance and drama of Twilight but would rather skip the supernatural sparkling and packs of werewolves, this could be a good fit. ―Emily Grace Le May, Providence Community Library School Library Journal

THE STORY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.

When I was thirteen, I saw a movie that rocked my world. It was raw and gritty, gut-wrenchingly dark, and yet, full of hope. It was called The Outsiders. No, I didn’t read the book first. But after seeing the movie, I discovered the book at the library and devoured it in one sitting. Then, I bought my own copy and read it more times that I can count.

Was I initially drawn to the movie by the bevy of attractive young actors? I have no shame in admitting that I was. I mean, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, and Ralph Macchio?! For an eighties girl like me, there’s nothing better!

But it was the story that made me want to stay and live there for a while. The setting was realistic in a way that no other young adult literature at that time had managed to achieve. The protagonist, Ponyboy Curtis, was a dreamer trapped in a life full of tragedy, and I instantly related to him. As a young adult, I was a head-stuck-in-the-clouds girl who attended an inner-city school where fighting, segregation, and arrests were commonplace. But something inside of me knew I wouldn’t be there forever. The Outsiders made me feel understood. Like I wasn’t the only one who had experienced heartbreak, but dreamed of a better life despite, or maybe, because of it.

It wasn’t until many years later that I felt called to write my own novels. When I decided to write literature for young adults, I knew I wanted to create stories like The Outsiders that gave my readers hope. Books that they wanted to finish in one sitting. Books they would read over and over because they made them feel less alone.

The idea for Gilt Hollow came about because of a gut-wrenching news story I saw about a young teen who was convicted of killing one of his friends. I wondered if it had been an accident or if he’d had a pre-meditated motive. I thought about the people who loved him and how his crime must’ve wrecked their lives. I couldn’t get this boy out of my head. What if he was a dreamer like Ponyboy? What would spending his formative years in juvenile prison do to his optimism, his light?

Gilt Hollow is the story of two friends fighting back from tragedy and the power of second chances. I wrote it with my teen self in mind. That girl who devoured The Outsiders over and over searching for pieces of herself in its pages. As an author, if I can help my readers feel understood, then I’ve accomplished my greatest goal.

Coincidentally, I’ll be on a panel at NYC ComicCon this October and C. Thomas Howell and Ralph Macchio will be there too! Sometimes dreams come full circle.

Willow Lamott’s best friend is a murderer, and no one in the small town of Gilt Hollow will let her forget it. For four long years, she’s tried to fade into the background—but none of that matters when Ashton Keller comes striding into school, fresh out of juvie and fueled by revenge. The moment their eyes meet, Willow no longer feels invisible. Drawn to the vulnerability behind Ashton’s mask of rage, she sinks deeper into his sinister world and begins to question whether he’s a villain, a savior, or both.

Ashton thought he wanted vengeance, until Willow reminded him what he’d been missing. Now he longs to clear his name and become the person she sees in him. But the closer they get to uncovering the truth, the darker the secrets become, and Ashton fears his return to Gilt Hollow will destroy everyone he loves, especially the girl he left behind.

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