Sia Book Promo
Author Bio
Josh Grayson was born in Mexico,
raised in Massachusetts, and now lives in Martinsville, Virginia. It was his
move to the South that stirred his imagination and gave him the courage to
start writing. During his free time, Josh enjoys reading, jogging, swimming,
and watching YouTube videos.
Josh currently works as a medical
driver, shuttling people all over Virginia and North Carolina. He has also
worked as a machinist, film sales rep, administrative assistant, and
telemarketer (he apologizes if he called you).
Sia is his debut YA novel.
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Book Description
When seventeen-year-old Sia wakes up on a park
bench, she has no idea who or where she is. Yet after a week of being homeless,
she’s reunited with her family. At school, she’s powerful and popular. At home,
she’s wealthy beyond her dreams. But she quickly realizes her perfect life is a
lie. Her family is falling apart and her friends are snobby, cruel and plastic.
Worse yet, she discovers she was the cruelest one. Mortified by her past, she
embarks on a journey of redemption and falls for Kyle, the “geek” she once
tormented. Yet all the time she wonders if, when her memories return, she’ll
become the bully she was before…and if she’ll lose Kyle.
Reviews for SIA
(1)“A compelling read
full of intrigue, romance, and lots of surprises. I couldn’t wait to see what
happened next!” - Jennifer Read Hawthorne, #1 New York Times bestselling
author
(2)“An original and captivating story with a
beautiful message.” –Lola’s book Reviews
(3)“There have
been very few books that made me think they made to someday become a movie
(i.e. Warm Bodies, The Host). And I guess Sia
can join the club, because this book, I say, is perfect for it. I felt like I
was reading a script for a movie, the plot is fantastic and the characters are
great, there's a little of humor as well as tragic situations.” -Bookish Randomness
(4)“Sia completely blew me away. Within the
first few pages I was hooked and the book refused to let me go until I reached
the end.” – Obsession is a Book
(5) “Sia would be an excellent
novel for the Disney Company to adapt for film. Hers is a story of cruelty and
kindness, pain and redemption and ultimately of making the world in which you
live a better place. A good example for any teen who might choose to read this
exciting work of fiction.” –Rabid
Readers
(6) “Well I finished this book
amazingly fast. This whole book will leave you amused, intrigued, in awe, and
most importantly in love with the whole story line until the very last word.
I'll have to go with 5 stars for this book.” -
Lovely Reads
(7) “Beautifully written…this one will
have you reflecting on your current and past actions. Although a fiction, Sia inspires.” –A Starry-eyed Heart Review
(8)
I started this book and finished it in one day. It's the type of story that
makes a person feel good inside…a story filled with hope.” –Musings of a Reader Geek
(9) “A beautiful
story about forgetting the past and living in the present to make a better
future. Sia is a heroine we can all relate to and aspire to become. I really enjoyed it, and I had a smile almost the whole time reading
this. Because if a mean-girl like Sia can change her ways and overcome
her meanness, can't we all? If you've got an afternoon, go read this one. It'll make you
happy.”
-Manda-Rae Reads a Lot
(10) “A heartwarming,
sometimes tear jerking story that reignites one’s faith in humanity. An
excellent debut!” – Alexia Purdy, Bestselling
author
Q&A
If you could fly anywhere
in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely
want to go?
Italy, simply because it’s
always ranked as having the best food in the world. Its beaches are nice too.
I’ve Googled it.
What is your favorite
genre to read/write?
Young adult (YA), because
those stories carry universal themes we can all relate to, a peek into the
lives of characters who are more intriguing, real, and raw.
What is one silly fact
about you?
I can mimic Enrique
Iglesias’s voice pretty well. I sang “Hero” at a friend’s birthday party once
and received an enthusiastic response. Some applauded, others laughed. Overall,
though, I felt good about my performance.
What got you started
on your writing journey?
My move from Massachusetts
(where I’d lived most of my life) to Virginia. The first year here was
difficult. I was alone, depressed, and in completely new surroundings. But it
was here in the South that I began seeing all these stories in my head, and
that my “writing gene” got activated. So it seems the old saying is true,
everything does happens for a reason.
Why do you choose to write
clean/sweet romance?
I don’t choose, per se. I
just write whatever I see in my head. And so far, all the romantic parts have
been sweet and clean, which is fine with me.
What other things do you
have planned with your writing for the rest of the year 2013?
I’m working on another YA
novel that Sia fans should enjoy as well. If things go according to
plan, I’ll publish that in the summer of 2014.
What is the most rewarding
thing about being a writer?
Being able to partake in the
wildest adventures imaginable, all without ever leaving your house.
Do you have a favorite
comment or question from a reader?
One reviewer said, “It,
without a doubt, inspired me to find ways to help others in need. I’m looking
into charity work.” I loved hearing that, because that’s exactly what I wanted Sia
to do: to motivate others to become their best self, to make positive changes
in the world, wherever they are.
Where do your ideas
come from?
I find muses everywhere! In
books, magazines, poems, movies, YouTube videos, and so much more. I always try
to be receptive. You never know what might trigger your next story.
What inspired you to write
Sia?
Initially? Oprah. (laughs). I
saw an interview she did on a man with fugue amnesia that impacted me. Fugue
amnesia occurs when someone, usually in response to excessive stress, takes off
on some unexpected travel. And during the travels, that person assumes either a
partial or complete new identity. I found it both fascinating and frightening
to think that stress alone can cause the human brain to demand a reset like
that. I often wonder why I haven’t gotten fugue amnesia yet!
Is it true you wrote the
screenplay adaption as well?
Yes! I wrote it as soon as
the book was finished. I’m about to hire a seasoned Hollywood screenwriter to
polish it. When it is up to industry standards, we’ll submit it to film
companies and cross our fingers. I think Sia would translate wonderfully
to film.
If you could sum your main
character into five words, what would they be? Determined. Compassionate. Humble. Kind.
Brave.
Use no more than two
sentences. Why should we read your book?
Because I believe
it will leave you touched, encouraged, and—of course—entertained.
Excerpt from SIA
While I wait for my driver, I sit on a step
outside the school. I watch the kids go by. No one stops to say hello to me,
and I'm starting to understand why. Then I see Kyle trudging out of the school,
shaking his thick brown hair back from his brow. I decide to go talk to him.
But he changes direction when he sees me approaching.
“Wait! Kyle? Is that your name? Kyle?”
He stops, but doesn't turn around.
Undaunted, I run up from behind. “Listen, I just
wanted to apologize for Duke in the cafeteria today.”
“Why? Can’t he take care of that himself?”
“I guess he can, but I don’t think manners are
his strong point.”
Kyle squints at me, trying to read my
expression, so I keep my eyes wide open. If he's looking for dishonesty or
cruelty, I'm determined he won't find any there.
“I don’t get it,” he says skeptically. “Why
would you apologize to me?”
I shrug. “Because it was wrong of him to be like
that.”
“If you're gonna apologize on behalf of Duke,
you should apologize to Ben, not me.”
“Um…okay, I will.”
After a moment of quiet, Kyle says, “Okay.
Thanks.” He sniffs and looks at the ground, obviously uncomfortable. “As long
as we’re apologizing, I guess I owe you one, too.” He runs his fingers through
his hair. “I’m sorry about yelling at you at the soup kitchen. That was
you, right?”
I nod.
“So I guess it was my yelling that made you run
into the street, wasn’t it?”
I nod again.
“Well, I’m really sorry. About all that. I had
no idea.”
“Of course you didn't. Don’t worry about it.” I
look down the street, past Kyle, but I can't see John and the car yet. I glance
down at my nails, still torn and ratty from living homeless. “What were you
doing there, anyway?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I volunteer there sometimes.”
“Oh.”
“My parents own a bakery nearby. I work there
almost every afternoon. When we have day-old bread and stuff, I take it over to
them.”
“You…Oh!” I suddenly recall the slice of bread
I'd enjoyed just before Kyle yelled at me that day. Soft, homemade, and
unforgetable. It brings a smile to my face. “Well, I know from personal experience
that they really appreciate that. It’s very generous of you and your family.”
“It’s the least we can do.” He hesitates. “So
you’d been eating there?”
“Yup. All week. With my friend Carol.”
“Carol? That older lady? I know her. She’s
sweet. Helps a lot of the kids out. I guess she’s kind of a teacher for lost
souls, huh?”
“You could say that,” I agree, remembering my
wise friend fondly.
A dark car pulls up to the curb.
I smile with apology. “Sorry, but I have to go.
That’s John, here to pick me up. So are we okay?”
“We?”
“Yeah. You and me.”
After a second, he returns my smile and holds
out a hand. “Sure.”
I step closer so I can shake it, and while I'm
there I purposefully inhale the smell Amber had so detested. She's right. He
smells like bread. Banana bread, I think. And cinnamon. Not unpleasant at all.
Sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for sharing, Heather! WRITE ON!
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