Romance Novel Giveaways - Freebies and Giveaways of All Things Romance Romance Novel Giveaways: The Day of the Wave by Becky Wicks ♥ Book Tour & GIVEAWAY ♥ (Contemporary Romance)

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Day of the Wave by Becky Wicks ♥ Book Tour & GIVEAWAY ♥ (Contemporary Romance)


Torn apart by the tragedy. Thrown back together ten years later by destiny... Isla and Ben were just sixteen when the Boxing Day tsunami ripped through their beach resort in Thailand. Just days after forming a life-changing bond, both were missing and presumed dead.

Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.


Can you tell us any fun facts/behind the scenes type of information about either the book itself or the writing process of the book?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me on the blog. Interesting question as a lot of people have asked me how I came to write The Day Of The Wave. The idea really came to me last November (2014) on a family holiday to Sri Lanka and I thought, hmmmm, there could be something in this.

The 10-year anniversary of the tsunami was coming up fast and I could see the devastating effects of it still, in a lot of places. All the locals seemed to have a story to tell about where they were when it happened or how it affected them. Some tuk tuks were washed away with family members and local businesses perished. I started getting scenes flashing into my head and lots of nightmares about a tsunami striking again while I was there and I couldn't stop wondering what it must have been like to experience that in some way. It was terrifying!

I wanted to write a fictional story that would encompass some of the survivor accounts I was hearing, but I knew that Thailand would be a better place to set it than Sri Lanka, seeing as there was a lot more devastation there, and more stories in the news from which to start my research.

I researched everything I could for about three weeks and then the book just flowed out of me in five weeks. I really wanted to do the survivors justice, and the souls who perished too, by writing something as true to life as possible, so I really hope I've succeeded.


The karaoke guy catches me on the way to the bar, and again on my way back with the fresh bucket. 'I've seen you two trying to keep it on the down-low,' he says, beaming. He's huge, hot and sweaty and sounds like he's from Essex. His beer belly is bloating out under the ubiquitous Chang T-shirt. He's boozed up outside and in. 'I'm putting you down for Endless Love - the Mariah Carey version, yeah?'

'Um, no,' I say. 'Don't do that, buddy.'

'Ah, come on, we need a duet!'

I tell him no again, go put the bucket back down on the table. Izzy's smiling lopsidedly. 'Is he going to make us sing?'

'I hope not!'

She's buzzed already, I can see it in her eyes. She's luminous in pinks and greens and sparkles from the lights and the glitter ball. Three girls are dancing, holding a bucket each, wearing nothing but bikinis and sarongs. I'm guessing they've been in here since the rain started, straight off the beach.

'You know,' Izzy says, contemplatively, watching them twirling each other round in an epileptic's nightmare, 'if you're in London while I'm there I'm going to take you to this deli near my office. They have the best hot cross buns, you need to try them.'

'Hot cross buns?' I say, drawn to her mouth again.

'Usually they're an Easter thing in Britain,' she says, 'but this place has them all the time, we go there most days. It's near Covent Garden. You'd love it. You'd love London. I can't believe you haven't been.'

She talks and I lose myself in her voice, the way I did when I first met her. I don't know what the hell hot cross buns are, but she makes them sound like something I could feast on and live inside and be happy with for the rest of my life. I can see her coming back more every day; the confident her, the vibrant her, the adventurous her. I imagine walking round London with her, holding her hand, riding one of those big red buses and taking photos of Big Ben. I'd be little Ben next to Big Ben; that's what she'd say. I smile. I've zoned out. Damn, this rum is strong.

We're halfway through the second bucket when our names are called - or rather, 'Girl in green dress, guy in green shirt! Get up here!' We look at each other, only just realizing our colors match.

'I can't sing,' Izzy says now. Her tongue is pink from the juice.

'Can't because you're full of rum?' I laugh.

'Can't because I really can't!'

She tries to cover her face and bury her head in her arms but everyone's cheering for us now, stomping on the floor, clapping their hands. The three girls are wolf-whistling and one of them has taken off her sarong so she's literally standing on the dance floor in her bikini, doing some kind of weird hippy welcome dance as she beckons us forwards with her hands.

'OK, OK, come on,' I say, holding my hand out to Izzy. She groans dramatically as she lets me pull her up but we're both grinning like drunken idiots three seconds later when we get to the mics. The music's already started. It's a slow one but it doesn't stop the buzz in the room.

My love, there's only you in my life. The only thing that's right.

My first love, you're every breath that I take, you're every step I make.

The rum's rolling round in my brain but I can see it's getting to Izzy, more than me. She can protest all she wants but she's animated now, like she hasn't had this much fun in forever. Maybe she hasn't. She reaches for my hand. I twirl her around obligingly, like we're doing a slow dance. She gets caught for a second in the mic wire and I help her untangle herself as she cracks up, still singing, while the room whistles and whoops and dances.

'Another drink?' a guy from the bar asks us. Obviously he thinks we're too sober.

I pause. 'I don't think so...'

'Yes please, we'll have one more,' Izzy cuts in. 'And maybe one more after that.'

'Are you trying to get me drunk now?' I say.

'It was your idea!' She sticks out her pink tongue, spins again next to me in a kaleidoscope of color and in my mind I'm pulling her in and kissing her sugary lips. In my mind I'm carrying her right out of this bar and right back to that bed.

Two hearts. Two hearts that beat as one. Our lives have just begun...

My love, my love, my love, my endless love.

No. What good would ever come from me starting something? Nothing good at all. But Izzy is another tsunami. She's sweeping me up, faster and faster now and I'm not entirely sure how long I can fight.

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Becky Wicks is mostly powered by coffee. She had three travel memoirs published by HarperCollins before going the indie route. Her first book in the Starstruck Series, 'Before He Was Famous' recently reached #1 in Amazon's Coming of Age and New Adult & College categories. The second in the series, 'Before He Was Gone', and the third, 'Before He Was A Secret' are both out now along with 'The Day Of The Wave' - a romance based around the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

Becky blogs most days at beckywicks.com and always welcomes distractions on Twitter: @bex_wicks (especially if you have cat photos)


        


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21 comments :

  1. What a cover! Great excerpt~thank you so much for sharing!

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  2. Interesting concept. Thanks for the excerpt

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  3. I liked the excerpt!

    --Trix

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  4. Thanks for sharing the fun facts, I enjoyed reading your post :)

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  5. Thanks for the excerpt and fun facts :) If you had to live one place in the world and couldn't travel, where would that be?

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  6. Sounds intriguing and entertaining, will have to read soon. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  7. Enjoying following this tour, thank you!

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  8. This looks like a fascinating read! I added it to my TBR for sure. Thank you! :)

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  9. This looks like a fascinating read! I added it to my TBR for sure. Thank you! :)

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  10. Congrats on your release & Thx for the giveaway!

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  11. this looks intense, I enjoyed the fun facts

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  12. I enjoyed the excerpt! Thank you for the post and the giveaway!

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  13. I just loved the excerpt and the fun facts. I would love to read this book. TY

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