My upcoming release is a story about true love against all odds and in spite of the devastating effects of bullying. This book is very special to me as it mirrors many of the experiences I endured in school. So much so that I asked fellow author, Cody Kennedy, who had many of the same experiences, to write a foreword for the book. It is my great pleasure to announce The Red Sheet with a foreword by Cody Kennedy!
One October morning, high school junior Bryan Dennison wakes up a different person—helpful, generous, and chivalrous—a person whose new admirable qualities he doesn’t recognize. Stranger still is the urge to tie a red sheet around his neck like a cape.
Bryan soon realizes this compulsion to wear a red cape is accompanied by more unusual behavior. He can’t hold back from retrieving kittens from tall trees, helping little old ladies cross busy streets, and defending innocence anywhere he finds it.
Shockingly, at school, he realizes he used to be a bully. He’s attracted to the former victim of his bullying, Scott Beckett, though he has no memory of Scott from before “the change.” Where he’d been lazy in academics, overly aggressive in sports, and socially insecure, he’s a new person. And although he can recall behaving egotistically, he cannot remember his motivations.
Everyone, from his mother to his teachers to his “super-jock” former pals, is shocked by his dramatic transformation. However, Scott Beckett is not impressed by Bryan’s new-found virtue. And convincing Scott he’s genuinely changed and improved, hopefully gaining Scott’s trust and maybe even his love, becomes Bryan’s obsession.
Looking forward to this one!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great story, Brandilyn! Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
DeleteThank you, Brandilyn! I'm very excited about it as well. It has similar soul-searching qualities as my other novels, and deals with a very serious topic, but the speaker's voice is quirky and some rather funny things happen to the main character as he learns to be a better person.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting perspective Mia! I love the idea of this boy having a compulsive change for the better. If only it could happen in real life! When is the release date?
ReplyDeleteKerryP
Hi Kerry! The release date is February 20th. I agree that it is a different premise, although "superhero" themed books are not uncommon in YA. In this one a rather mystical change occurs in Bryan, a popular athletic bully, and he is as lost as everybody else about what has happened to him. Thanks for your comment!!
DeleteOh I like the premise. That urge to tie a red sheet around his neck sounds mysterious and intriguing and interesting. Can't wait to read this one!
ReplyDeleteHi Matt!! Bryan first attributes the profound change he wakes up with to an underage hangover, but soon becomes rather obsessed with figuring out why it has occurred. Along with his intense curiosity about why and how he has changed so much, comes strange compulsions (to help little old ladies cross busy streets), willingness to "put himself out there" where he could be ridiculed at school, and then there is what he feels for Scott, the major target of the bullies. It is funny and tragic- I don't know how I managed. AND!!! Foreword by the awesome CODY KENNEDY that I am really proud of.
DeleteWOW. The more you talk about this, the more excited I am to grab this one! And an endorsement and Foreword by the awesome Cody is just icing on the cake! :)
DeleteI know- the Cody part is almost as good as the book to me. It is a heartfelt Foreword. Yes, Cody is my frosting!!! And everybody knows the frosting is the best part of the cake!! He helped me in different spots in the text and... I'm thankful, that is all.
ReplyDeleteMia, you warm my heart. It was an honor and a privilege to write the Foreword for you and your wonderful story. I can't laud the book enough. It's certain to meet with acclaim and be one to stay with readers long after they turn the last page.
ReplyDeleteI am the privileged and the honored one here!! Admit it, Cody!
DeleteLOL Thank you again for asking, Mia. You can argue with me all you like, but the pleasure and privilege was all mine. <3
DeleteHi Mia (and Cody).
ReplyDeleteThis book looks really interesting. Can't wait to read it!!
Hi Brad!! You have to get in the right frame of mind to read it because as Cody pointed out in the foreword there is a mystical side to it. But I am so glad it caught your interest, Brad, and I really think if you read it you will laugh, and I don't know about cry, but you might get mad! Thank you for commenting!! (Loving 2 Boys in Love- it gives me inspiration!)
DeleteThis sounds very interesting and I look forward to checking it out! Will mark my calendar for Feb. 20!
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea, bethtrue!! I'm gonna mark it in my calendar!! But I guarantee that on February 19th at night I'll have a whole flock (herd, gang???) of butterflies living in my stomach!! Thanks for the interest!! Please let me know how you like it!!
DeleteExcited to read this, Mia! The premise is so intriguing. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Johanna! A lot has been done with the Superman theme, but I think my take on it is original! Please let me know how you like it!!
DeleteSounds wonderful. The theme makes me curious which is usually what gets me to read a book. :)
ReplyDeleteDamian, when I wrote this book, I told myself I was going to remove all of my filters. I wasn't going to let myself think of the rules of how books are supposed to be- I was just going to write whatever I thought my character would have thought or said. And I will tell you, it turned out a bit unconventional, but I think that when you read you will see the fun I had while writing and the emotions I invested in the telling of a slightly strange story in a slightly strange voice. As I wrote, each day was an adventure (and I made/asked nicely for my teenagers to sit down and listen to each chapter one-by-one to get their honest reactions). When I had them, my toughest critics, listening carefully, commenting, and asking me when I was going to write more, I knew I had something. I truly hope you enjoy reading this novel as much as I enjoyed writing it!! And the FROSTING on the cake was that when I asked Cody to write the foreword he agree, and he wrote a heartfelt foreword that compliments my book in ways I hadn't imagined. The whole package, for me, is perfect.Thank you for your interest.
DeleteWill definitely be grabbing a copy when it comes out! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Karen!! Thank you so much!! I would really love to see The Red Sheet gain a wider audience than some of my others. Books with gay characters need to be available to everybody!! So, I appreciate your support!
ReplyDeleteLooks really good, Mia! I can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteHi Sandy! Thanks for checking out my new book. I am really excited about it too. I like to try to make the readers think about life and love in a different way, and really put them into the story. That is why I usually write in the first person- so you can live the story with the main character who is speaking. And like the main character you have to wonder what everybody else is thinking. I truly hope you enjoy The Red Sheet. I'd love to hear from you again!
DeleteCan't wait to read this Mia! And Cody's foreword. What a great combo! <3
ReplyDeleteMary, the foreword really does compliment the story beautifully. In it, Cody highlights the dehumanizing effects of bullying, as well as how careful self-examination, leading to the willingness to change, can bring even those who have bullied others to self-forgiveness. In short, I appreciate Cody's foreword as it prepares you for the first scene of the novel that is, in my opinion, quite jarring to read. Thanks for your interest, Mary!!
DeleteI will definitely be getting this when it's out. Sounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nancy! I am extremely happy that you feel that way! :) It is in some ways a fun read and in some ways a very serious one. Kind of an odd combination of both and it is tied together with the the main character's urge to wear a red sheet as a cape!!
Delete