Spotlight & Giveaway: Gutter Girl by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount

Posted May 11th, 2021 by in Blog, Spotlight / 45 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome NYT Bestselling Author and USA TODAY Bestselling Author Lynn Rush and USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kelly Anne Blount to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

 

Hi, Everyone! Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush here! We are so excited to be back celebrating the release of the GUTTER GIRL, the first book in the TWIN RIVER HIGH series! A massive thank you to everyone at Harlequin Junkie! We adore your blog and are so grateful to have GUTTER GIRL featured!

 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

The TWIN RIVER HIGH Series was born from a reimagining of Gossip Girl meets Sweet Valley High. The first book, GUTTER GIRL, is a YA romance novel featuring a reclusive Goth Girl surprisingly jumps into the limelight to the aid of a popular jock with a secret and finds love in the most unexpected way.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

Invisible.
All I needed to do for nine more months was fly under the radar and then I could bust out of Twin River and never look back. And with four thousand students here at Twin River High, I should be able to do that no problem. Even with my bright pink hair.

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • Kelly and Lynn still haven’t met in real life! They were going to hang out for their last release (IN THE PENALTY BOX), but covid put the brakes on that plane. We hope to meet in real life soon, but luckily Google Docs exists and we can work together halfway across the country!
  • Kelly binge watched Gossip Girl a few years ago and has read every single Sweet Valley High book. Combining the two to create the TWIN RIVER HIGH books is a dream come true!
  • GUTTER GIRL is the first book in the TWIN RIVER HIGH series!
  • Jace Rovers, one of the main characters in GUTTER GIRL, is a jock with a massive secret, one he’s willing to keep hidden at any cost!
  • McKenna Storm, the other main character in GUTTER GIRL, has one main goal for her senior year, remain invisible. That all changes when she and Jace bump into each other in the hallway.
  • Twin River is a fictional town in Wisconsin. Both Kelly and Lynn are from the midwest. They wanted to create a large city, but one with the hope and charm of the areas they grew up in (Kelly – Madison, WI) and (Lynn – Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN).
  • Twin River is named after the Y-shaped river splitting the town

 

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Jace is attracted to McKenna because of how mysterious she is. He is a writer, afterall, so he likes interesting characters. Plus, she’s really pretty and loves how she doesn’t give a crap what people think of her. He could only wish to be so bold.

McKenna has had a crush on Jace Rovers since third grade. But, when her entire life changed in sixth grade, McKenna withdrew from everything and everyone, except her best friend, Ernie. When McKenna and Jace run into each other in the hallway of Twin River High, everything changes, again. This time, the boy she’s liked forever, needs her help. Now, with only one year left until she graduates and moves away from her troubled life, McKenna has a lot of big choices to make and Jace is at the center of most of them.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Awkward, blunt, sweet, strained, and intense.
 

The First Kiss…

Is magical. Jace provides McKenna with a little romance and tenderness she totally deserves and never gets, considering her life is a little chaotic right now. I just love how sweet it is.
 

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

Hi everyone, Lynn here. I have to go with the kissing/picnic scene. I love how sweet that is. McKenna has a tough life, and Jace gives her a little bit of fun, romantic time. And that kiss. I love how insecure they are and nervous. Jace is a unique character, with the whole sports person being a romance writer, and I just love it!
SCENE: Here’s a portion of that scene: A thrill electrified my chest as I nipped at his bottom lip. His strong fingers glided through my hair as he cupped the back of my head, holding me in place, shifting the kiss from a knee-weakener to a soul-piercer.
And I knew I’d never be the same again after having kissed Jace Rovers.

 

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

A scene that would be crucial to include in the movie adaptation of GUTTER GIRL is… Chapter 16, the lawn mowing scene. I mean, Jace, pushing a lawn mower without a shirt on, all sweaty… and then the almost kiss… Oh yeah.
Here’s a Sneak Peek at That Scene:

His shorts hung low on his hips, accentuating his finely tuned six-pack. The guy seriously didn’t have an ounce of fat on him and I kinda wanted to lick him. He was probably one of those guys who ate constantly, but it only added to his muscles.
He sure didn’t strut around like he looked as awesome as he did. He was wicked talented at writing, football, and had a body to die for, yet he wasn’t all full of himself.
Talk about refreshing.

 

Readers should read this book …

Readers should read GUTTER GIRL because it’s a hilarious, sweet, young adult romance book that covers tough topics and reminds people about the importance of not judging a book by it’s cover.

 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

From Kelly: Yes! We have the first three Twin River High books coming out this month (May 2021) as well as CROSSING THE LINE, which is the spin-off sequel to IN THE PENALTY BOX! There are so many amazing characters and we can’t wait to share their stories with you!

From Lynn: Kelly and I are super stoked to have more books coming out together, both through Entangled Publishing and Crazy Maple Studio. Personally, I also have a solo project coming out with Crazy Maple Studio (KISS APP), called Limitless, which should be releasing this summer.

 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: For you guys, reading this Harlequin Junkie post, we have a specific giveaway just for you! A $10 Amazon gift card! All you have to do is answer one of the questions in a comment below.

Details: Giveaway is open internationally, as long as you can receive an Amazon gift card. Participants must be 13 years of age or older, with parent permission if under the age of 18 years of age.
 
But there’s more. We have a month-long giveaway going on right now, too. So be sure to check that out here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/16f82bb046/? And be sure to check it often, because we’ll be adding new ways to earn entries often! Note: Winner’s will be contacted directly by authors Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Have you watched Gossip Girl? If so, who was your favorite character? Have you read any of the Sweet Valley High books? Were you an Elizabeth or a Jessica?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Gutter Girl (Twin River High #1):

Invisible.
All I needed to do for nine more months was fly under
the radar and then I could bust out of Twin River and never look back. And with four thousand students here at Twin River High, I should be able to do that no problem. Even with my bright pink hair.
I took two steps to the left and one to the right, narrowly avoiding Gretchen Mead and her trio of popular girls strutting down the hallway. They were one of the many reasons I couldn’t wait to get out of here.
None of them acknowledged me. That would bother most people, but not me. Unless I was with my best friend, Ernie aka E, I preferred to be in the shadows.
Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Star football player Jace Rovers has a secret. And not just any secret—a shocking secret… He writes romance. The kind with swords. And dresses. And kissing.

Nobody knows. Not the other kids at Twin River High. Not his overbearing parents. And certainly not the millions of fans who’ve read his book on the writing platform Scribbles. And that’s the way he plans to keep it.

Except suddenly one of the other football players grabs his notebook in jest and starts reading a kissing scene out loud…and Jace knows he’s busted.

But then McKenna Storm, resident goth girl who avoids the spotlight like a virus, snatches up the notebook and tells everyone she’s the author. And lucky for Jace, she later agrees to continue the ruse…for a price.

Heck, he’d give her anything not to reveal his secret. But when they start to fall for each other, he knows he’ll have to keep the biggest secret of all—his darkest character is based on her…
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

KELLY ANNE BLOUNT is a USA Today bestselling author who loves writing addictive young adult novels. She has five young adult romance novels published with Entangled Publishing, which include four co-written novels with Lynn Rush.
Kelly’s YA twisted psychological thriller, CAPTURED (19 million reads on Wattpad), has been optioned and is in development with Sony Pictures Television and Komixx Entertainment (The Kissing Booth).
In addition to writing addictive YA stories, she contributes text style stories to Hooked, Chapters, and Tap, where her stories have been “tapped” over 50 million times. She’s also a writer and reviewer for SpoilerTV. When she’s not writing, Kelly loves spending time with her sweet husband and their adorable little girl, cuddling with their fur babies, hanging with her friends, and hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Find Kelly on social media @KellyAnneBlount and be sure to sign up to my newsletter (https://bit.ly/KellyAnneBlountNewsletter) for exclusive content, giveaways, and more!
~~
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, LYNN RUSH, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner, living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattlesnakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, she can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop over a scorpion. When she’s not running, writing, or reading, she and her Ironman husband are watching movies that fuel her undying love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. Find her on social media: @LynnRushWrites
Website | Facebook | Twitter | | Instagram |

 
 
 

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45 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Gutter Girl by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount”

  1. Mary Preston

    I have not watched Gossip Girl or read any of the Sweet Valley High books.

  2. Nicole (Nicky) Ortiz

    Serena was my favorite on Gossip Girl
    Elizabeth
    Thanks for the chance!

  3. Diana Tidlund

    Sweet valley books came long after I grew up
    Gossip girl was also something that came later, I grew up during the little house on the prairie era. Watched The Munsters and bewitched

  5. Diana Hardt

    I never watched Gossip Girl and I never read any of the Sweet Valley High books.

  6. laurieg72

    I read the Sweet Valley series with my daughter, Lara, who is now 38 and lives in Sun Prairie, WI close to you Kelly! We both graduated from UW-Madison. Go Badgers!

    I liked Elizabeth as I could relate to her. She was kind, compassionate, practical, an all a round nice,good girl.

    I’m looking forward to reading your Twin Rivers series.

    I grew up in Two Rivers, WI a small city of 12K right on the Lake Michigan shoreline. TR is split between two rivers, the West Twin and the East Twin. They both flow into Lake Michigan.

    http://www.two-rivers.org/

  7. Pamela Conway

    I never watched Gossip Girl. I think I read Sweet Valley High but it was a long time ago.

  11. Nina T

    I loved Chuck and Blair but if I had to choose I’d say Dan is probably the most okay character in the show.

  13. Amy R

    Have you watched Gossip Girl? No
    Have you read any of the Sweet Valley High books? Yes a very long time ago

  15. Kim

    I’ve never watched Gossip Girl. I’ve also never read the Sweet Valley High books. When I was younger, I wanted to. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t understand the importance of reading.

  29. Janie McGaugh

    I’ve never watched Gossip Girl or read any Sweet Valley High books.

  30. Colleen C.

    Never watched Gossip Girl… I think I read a Sweet Valley High book many many years ago, but I do not recall it.

  33. Anna Nguyen

    i have watched gossip girl and i love Blair. she is unapologetically herself. i have also watched and read the valley girl tv series and books. i am more of an Elizabeth. more of a quiet introvert

  34. Ellen C.

    Sorry, never saw Gossip Girl, and never read any of the Sweet Valley series.

  37. Anita H.

    While I’ve only watched a few episodes of Gossip Girl, I’ve read every single Sweet Valley High book. Loved this series so much, I devoured the books from the library! I can totally relate to Elizabeth rather than Jessica

  39. Jennifer Shiflett

    I’ve never watched Gossip Girl, but Elizabeth was my favorite in SVH books.

  41. Jennifer Rote

    I have never watched Gossip Girl, nor have I read any of the Sweet Valley High books.