Blurb:
Be smart.
Keep your head down.
And look out for number one.
These are the rules Jay has lived by for the
past two years. The rules of surviving life on the streets. But when Em comes
bursting into his life, in all of her disastrous glory, the rules go right out
the window.
Survive.
Flee what’s been left behind
And never look back.
Em’s plan was simple. Though, it was easier said
than done. The city streets are dangerous and unforgiving to a new arrival.
Especially, a seventeen year old girl who’s never known anything but life in
the suburbs. Sometimes, however, what’s lurking behind those white picket
fences can be more frightening than any dark alley.
Both of them made the same decision when life got
overwhelming—to run from their demons. Brought together by fate or
circumstance, Em and Jay find the kind of love neither of them ever expected.
But when those demons come back to haunt them and their love is on the line,
which instincts will they choose to follow this time . . .
Fight or Flight?
*Warning: This story includes mature language and themes, and
is intended for mature audiences.*
I’m a fan of Jamie Canosa, so
when I heard she’d written a new book, I pretty much squealed like a little
girl. Fight or Flight by the brilliant Canosa was a revelation. Who
would've thought a romance between a pair of homeless teens would be so great?
Jay happens to be at the train station the day runaway Em
steps into the city. When he watches her make rookie mistakes, his protective
instinct kicks in and he takes her under his wing. He doesn’t plan to keep her
around, but as he gets to know her and her story, he begins to see her in a
different light.
Jay was very realistically written as a young man who’s been
living on the streets and hasn’t allowed himself to grow close to others around
him. He definitely understands the “each man for himself” motto. I loved that
Em changed that for him.
Em was completely lost in the big city as any teen girl
who’s been sheltered her whole life would be. Every time she tries to “help”
she ends up causing Jay further grief. She’s definitely different from Canosa’s
usual heroine, but while she might not have been as outwardly tough as I’ve
come to expect from Canosa, she has a quiet strength that grows as her story
goes on.
Canosa's skillful writing had me wanting to reach into the
pages and pull Em and Jay out to protect them and give them a blanket or
sandwich or even just a hug. Touching and heartwarming, I found myself unable
to put the book down, and when I did I couldn't stop thinking about Em and Jay.
You won't want to miss this romantic adventure!
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jamie Canosa. Here you go:
CCB: How did you come up with the idea of writing a love story starring homeless
teens?
JC: To
understand this, first there are a couple of things you have to understand
about me. First of all, I’m a lucky girl. I know this and I like to remind
myself of the fact as often as possible. Second is, I’m always cold. Like
ALWAYS. From about October to May I feel like a solid block of ice every year.
So,
one night I crawl into bed and burrow under the blankets trying to get warm and
all I can think is how lucky I am to have those blankets, and heat, and a roof
over my head, and how much worse it must be for people who don’t have any of
that. My brain being my brain and knowing that it was late and I needed to get
some sleep, would not let go of that thought. I started thinking about these
teens who were cold and alone with nowhere to go. The bridge scene was the
first scene I wrote for Fight or Flight
and I wrote it right there in bed under my blankets that night. The rest just
sort of filled itself in after that when I started asking questions like why
they were there and what other hardships they would face.
CCB: How do you write: outline or seat of your pants, and why?
JC: If
you couldn’t guess from my last answer, I’m a seat of your pants kind of
writer. I write whatever comes into my head, wherever it comes. Even in bed. In
fact, a LOT of my ideas come while I’m in bed trying to sleep. My brain is just
awesome like that. I very rarely use an outline. I generally start with an idea
and write from beginning to end, fitting in those random scenes I think up here
and there. My books tend to look like organized chaos—an elaborate jigsaw
puzzle—until it all sort of comes together.
CCB: Why
did you choose to self-publish over going with traditional publishing?
JC: Self-publishing
allows me a lot of freedom. Everything from cover art to final revisions/edits
are my choice. This allows the book to be entirely mine.
CCB: When you are writing,
where are you, and what do you have with you?
JC: I generally write in my
living room. My workspace consists of a futon and a tray table. I’m hardcore
like that. Besides having my cell and my nook always within arm’s length, I
usually have at least one child—usually more—climbing on me like a human jungle
gym. Oh, and the dog. She’s never far away, either.
CCB: State a random
fact about yourself that could surprise your readers.
JC: I have an irrational and
somewhat intense fear of the phone. No joke. I’m so not kidding about this.
There are very, very few people I will talk to on the phone. And, if I
absolutely must make a call for some reason, I have to hide away in a room with
no one around and I come ridiculously close to having a panic attack every
time. My cell really exists as a mobile internet device and for texting
purposes. I don’t even have a house phone. And, anyone who knows me knows not
to bother to call. I probably won’t answer and I almost never check my
messages. Even calling my voicemail stresses me out.
CCB: What are you working
on now?
JC: I currently have three projects in the works. The third
installment of my paranormal romance novella mini-series, Heart and Soul, is coming out next month. The sequel to my YA
dystopian novel, Dissidence, is
scheduled for release in June. And, I’m working on a spin-off novel to Fight or Flight that follows Al back
home, which I hope to release sometime this summer.
CCB: Just for fun: What are
your pet peeves?
JC: People
talking to me when I’m trying to read. Hate that! I mean, I’m in another world
right this second where very serious things are going down and you do not
exist, so please leave me the heck alone.
That, and when the hubs feels the need to shout at the TV like it can actually
hear him. Seriously, guys, what is that all about?
Author Bio:
Jamie Canosa is a full time
author of YA literature, which she absolutely loves. When she’s not writing or
spending time with her family, she can usually be found with her nose in a
book. She currently resides in Upstate NY with her husband, and their three
crazy kids . . . plus the dog, the bird, and the rabbit.
Her debut novel, Dissidence,
was published in 2012 along with several novellas, including the first in her Heart
and Soul series, ‘Temptation’.
Author
Links:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
