Three Themes from Intermission by Serena Chase {guest post + giveaway!}

Is that not one of the best dedications? I think we all, whether young or old, need to be reminded that sometimes what doesn't make sense, isn't logical or reasonable, and maybe is only a gut feeling of rightness, is actually OKAY. That it matters. That it's not ridiculous to dream big! Yet at the same time, to realize that in the Dreaming Big, failure may happen and that's okay too. It may hurt, but it won't hinder, unless we let it. So pick yourselves up, dust yourself off, and keep dreaming! :)

The ever lovely Serena Chase is here today to chat about her new book Intermission (which is out tomorrow, 11/15). Thank you so much for stopping by, Serena!

About the Book

We are starlight on snow. The reflection of something already beautiful—absorbed, reflected, and remade into something...more.

And this kiss...

This kiss is everything I've needed to say...and longed to hear.

Sixteen-year-old Faith Prescott eagerly awaits the day she will exchange her small Iowa hometown for the bright lights of Broadway, but her success-driven parents want her to pursue a more practical career, labeling "artsy"people—including their daughter—as foolish dreamers worthy of little more than disdain.

When Faith meets nineteen-year-old Noah Spencer she discovers someone who understands her musical theatre dreams...because he shares them.

Faith's mother despises everything about Noah—his age, his upbringing...even his religious beliefs—and she grasps at every opportunity to belittle his plans to study theatre and pursue a stage career. When those criticisms shift further toward hostility, resulting in unjust suspicions and baseless accusations, an increasingly fearful stage is set for Faith at home, where severe restrictions and harsh penalties are put in place to remove Noah from her life.

But Faith has never connected with anyone like she has with Noah, and no matter how tight a stranglehold her mother enforces to keep them apart, Faith will not give him up. Behind the curtain, Faith's love for Noah continues to grow...as does her determination to hold on to her dreams—and him—no matter how high the cost.

Intermission is a heart-wrenching contemporary YA romance set against a backdrop of musical theatre and family drama. With coming-of-age themes that honestly explore gray areas of moral dilemmas, this novel traces the path of one talented teen girl as she crosses painful thresholds of first love, faith, and betrayal to take the necessary steps toward adulthood, independence, and the dreams that set her heart on fire.

Amazon :: Goodreads

From the Author

Three Themes from Intermission

by Serena Chase

There are multiple themes woven through my new novel, some subtle, some... not so subtle. Here are three that are fairly clear within the book:

1. It’s important to chase your dreams.
No matter how unrealistic or impractical your dreams and goals might seem to others, no matter how difficult the road appears toward that dream, if it sets your heart on fire... and that ember keeps burning within you... that dream is worth pursuing. Sometimes, the chase toward your original dream could even lead to a new and bigger—or better—dream than what you originally imagined for your life.

2. Material success is overrated.
Success should never be defined by a number on a paycheck. It is something to be realized within a life well lived. Yes, you need to find a way to have food, shelter... the basics of life. But your “job” isn’t the only place you can find the success your heart desires. The best kind of success is the kind that is regularly regenerated within an active, content spirit; one that values wide-eyed wonder above salaries and promotions and other measurable accolades.

3. Real love is worth the fight.
Kissing is great and romantic gestures are awesome, but love—real love—is costly. Beyond the warm and fuzzy feelings, beyond the heart-pounding rushes of attraction, it is a purer, truer form of love, born of intellectual and spiritual connection that makes the fight to keep it worth the cost.

What is a dream you’ve chased... or are chasing?

Is it sometimes difficult to speak that dream aloud due to fear of ridicule?

About the Author

SERENA CHASE is the author of the critically-acclaimed Eyes of E'veria series and a regular contributor to USA Today's Happy Ever After blog. A lifelong performer who sometimes speaks in show tunes, Serena lives in Iowa with her husband Dave, teen daughters Delaney and Ellerie, and a 100-pound white Goldendoodle named Albus, who is the biggest star of her Instagram account. Connect with Serena Chase by visiting her website and signing up for her newsletter, "like" her official Facebook page to stay up-to-date on new release news, and enjoy her sometimes poignant, but more often chuckle-inducing random observations of life on Twitter.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway