Giveaway…Take 2!

Let’s try this again!  With Memorial Day weekend just a week away, I’m lining up books for my summer reading list.  I’d love for The Other Side of Later to be on yours!  To win an ebook copy, just subscribe to my blog by entering your email on the sidebar of this page, follow me, @DK_Hamilton, on Twitter, and retweet one of my tweets that promotes this giveaway.

The contest ends at 11:59 pm Tuesday, May 19th, and I’ll announce the winner here and on Twitter the evening of Wednesday, May 20th.

Good luck!

Chick Lit Rocks

As I started on this writing journey, I found I could often hear certain songs playing as I wrote particular scenes. To be honest, I didn’t know if it was a common thing for writers or if I was just a little crazy!  However, as I’ve begun to connect with fellow authors, I found, much to my delight, I’m not alone.  Book playlists are a real thing!

I’m so excited to share my playlist for The Other Side of Later.  While a couple of the songs are geared towards a particular scene, most of them just inspired me and really added to the development of the plot.  The Other Side of Later is the story of Julia Merina, who learns just shy of 25, she learns the hard way that life rarely goes according to plan. After the turbulent years of her early 20s, Julia resolved to never trust a man again. That is until Drew Parkington, an old classmate, suddenly comes back into her life. Julia is forced to examine her life and decide if she can let go of the past and learn to trust again.

Fearless – Taylor Swift

Iris – Goo Goo Dolls

Didn’t I – James Wesley

19 You + Me – Dan + Shay

Run – Matt Nathanson (featuring Sugarland)

Fall – Clay Walker

The Other Side of Later is available on Amazon.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Like I’ve mentioned before, so much of me and my life growing up is a part of The Other Side of Later. The appreciation Julia has for her mom, Nancy, is no different than what I have for my own. This short excerpt from Chapter 3 is the truth of how lucky I was (and still am) to have the most selfless and loving mom. I couldn’t think of a better day than today to share it.

“Growing up, my mom was always around. Field hockey games, Sunday School, after school pick-up, help with homework, dropping my friends and I off at the movies – it didn’t matter the occasion; there was never a question of whether or not she would be there. She always was. And not that I ever doubted it would change, but with each day that passed, I appreciated it more and more…I understood how much she had to juggle and balance to do it. At 28, I didn’t need her to drive me around town or teach me long division, but there were days I needed her in ways I never would have imagined, and like always, she was there without me even having to ask.”

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms, grandmoms, godmothers, aunts, and friends. While your work is never done and you’re always on call, I hope you get to enjoy a few moments today with the ones you love most!

The Other Side of Later is available on Amazon.

Giveaway!

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is sit on the beach with a great book, and with summer right around the corner, I am starting to line up my summer reading list.  I’d love for The Other Side of Later to be on yours!  To win an ebook copy, just subscribe to my blog by entering your email on the sidebar of this page, follow me, @DK_Hamilton, on Twitter, and retweet one of my tweets that promotes this giveaway.

The contest ends at 11:59 pm Sunday, May 10th, and I’ll announce the winner here and on Twitter the evening of Monday, May 11th.

Have a great day!

A run down memory lane…

One of my favorite passages to write in The Other Side of Later was the running scene in Chapter 3. Julia runs through Sea Grass on a familiar route, and as she tries to ease the tension of her workday, she relishes in the memories she finds along the path. Like Julia, each time I lace up my sneakers and go for a run up and down the same streets I have since high school, I feel comfort. There’s a normalcy that keeps me grounded.

Change is a part of life. And in this crazy world, where change is constant, it’s nice to know some things stay the same.

I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Chapter 3 of The Other Side of Later.

My sneakers ran on automatic pilot down a familiar path on Oak Street towards Veterans Park. After college, Aaron and I settled in my small hometown, whose Jersey Shore charm is undeniable while its name — Sea Grass— is unoriginal at best. Years ago, before the town became a suburb of Atlantic City, a majority of the area along the bay was covered with sea grass. As the story goes, fishermen, who used the area for crabbing, would refer to the track of land as Sea Grass. Through the years, as more people settled in the vicinity, the name stuck. While the name may have seemed generic and like any other small shore town, there were memories down every street and around every corner. Oak, the main street through town, appropriately name for the tall oaks that lined both sides, hosted the annual Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades. Each summer the bay front properties line with shops and restaurants were invaded by tourists or shoebies as us permanent Jersey Shore residents called them. This was home to me.

The late August humidity was oppressive. The air felt heavy. It was like a snowsuit clung to my legs with every stride. As I reached the bike path surrounding the park, the sun disappeared behind clouds rolling in from the west. The shade was a welcome change and helped take my mind off of the heat so I could enjoy the peacefulness of the park.

I felt the built up tension from work gradually disappear as I hit my stride. I was about halfway around the loop when I felt a large drop of rain hit my forehead. I closed my eyes for a moment and hoped that I imagined it. As three more large drops hit my face and arms, I knew it wasn’t my imagination so I quickened my pace in an effort to beat the worst of the storm. I was over a mile away from my house so as the rumble of thunder got louder, I realized it would be a losing battle. Within seconds, I was in the middle of a complete downpour. Multiple lightning strikes illuminated the darkened sky so I sprinted towards the gazebo in the center of the park.

Please check out The Other Side of Later on Amazon!