Blog Tour + Giveaway: Counting on You by Kelly Jensen

Kelly Jensen returns to the clubhouse on the Counting on You blog tour! Kelly chats about the power of Karaoke and her characters from the Counting series. Check out today's blog stop and enter in the giveaway: $15 Dreamspinner Press credit is up for grabs!

Karaoke

I’ve always found karaoke sort of cringe-worthy. Every now and then a true performer takes the mike and it’s a bit of a thrill to listen to them not render one of your favourite songs forever unlistenable. But even as the last notes of their artistry fade, your stomach is swirling because you’ll never be that good. Before you might have said, “Well, at least I wasn’t as bad as Bob.” Now you just want to slink through the back door.

Or maybe that’s just me. I’m worse than Bob. Seriously.

My first experience with public singing didn’t actually scar anyone for life. Well, no one other than me, anyway. It was at summer camp and I’m pretty sure I was talked into auditioning for the musical whatever. I wouldn’t have tried on my own. So, my turn came up and I stepped into the middle of the stage, waiting for my cue, opened my mouth and…

Nothing.

Not a sound.

I don’t think I even breathed.

Because anything that doesn’t kill you is supposed to make you stronger, the pianist played the intro again and again I opened my mouth and uttered nothing.  What I can tell you is that embarrassment rarely kills you.

My second attempt at singing actually went more poorly than the first. Yep. As a family we enjoy playing Guitar Hero. My daughter and I alternate between guitar and bass and my husband does drums and vocals. He’s really, really good at the vocals, which drives me nuts because I hate it when it sings in the car. I honestly can’t say if he has a good voice, he just has a particular voice—and when it comes to Guitar Hero, he knows how to hit the right notes.

I don’t.

I did try, though, hoping the closeness of my family would save me from the distress of performing in public. It did until someone paused “Beat It” by Michael Jackson and said, “You’re killing us.” I kinda was. Not only was I making up my own words—they weren’t scrolling like I expected them to, okay?—I was missing all the notes. I was asked never to sing again.

The weird thing is that I love to sing! I was in the school choir, and while I never tried out for a solo, I enjoyed the sound of my voice raised in chorus with everyone else’s. I didn’t do as well in church. I don’t know what it is about hymns, but unless you’re super talented, you just sound like you’re groaning.

One of my favourite scenes in Counting on You is the karaoke scene. Ever since I wrote the first novella, Counting Fence Posts, I’ve been eager to get Marc behind the microphone.  What surprised me about this scene is that Marc isn’t perfect. At this point, we all know that. It’s a fact. But I kinda thought he’d rock the karaoke thing—and he does. He does it in the way Marc does everything. He probably knows he’s got an okay voice, that he’s not going to win any awards for it, but he’s not going to deafen anyone, either. What he does have is charisma. He’s got charm. He knows that all he’s got to do is smile and rock his hips and the audience is his, regardless of how he sounds.

I really admire that about Marc and it’s the aspect of him I enjoy writing the most. He’s very different from me and it’s nice to pretend I’m more outgoing than I am when I do things like put him on stage.

The real surprise in this scene, though, is how much Henry enjoys himself. He sings, he dances, and he forgets, for a while, that he’s usually quiet, reserved and somewhat anxious. He lets go and enjoys himself. And that’s all because of Marc too. He’s just that guy, you know? The one who knows how to have fun and invites everyone else along for the ride.

Thanks for following my tour! At the end of every post, I’ll be asking a question. Leave a comment with your answer (and your email address), and complete the Rafflecopter to enter! There are two prizes, both available internationally. One winner will receive $15 (US or equivalent) to spend at the Dreamspinner Press store. A second winner will receive the entire Counting series in ebook format, gifted through the Dreamspinner Press store.

Q. Do you enjoy singing? 

Counting on You

Henry and Marc can’t seem to catch a break. They’ve had two disastrous dates—the first trapped in a car during a blizzard and the second locked in a basement—followed by nearly two months apart. Even though they work for the same firm, their relationship is held together by flying visits, phone calls, and text messages. A joint assignment in Washington D.C. might be more togetherness than they can handle, however.

Henry is still battling insecurity, and this assignment is too important to his career to mess up. Marc is committed. He’s falling for Henry and looks forward to having him permanently on his team and at his side. But the real test isn’t the assignment. When Marc finally lays his heart on the line, can he count on Henry to be there for him, in every way that matters? And can he do the same for Henry when Henry needs it the most?

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Bio

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, co-written with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly: Twitter | Facebook | Website

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct link:  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/49817a8910/?

Follow the Tour!

11/22    Dreamspinner Press Blog

11/27    We Three Queens

11/28    Love Bytes

11/28    TTC Books and More

11/29    The Novel Approach

11/29    Boy Meets Boy Reviews

11/29    Scattered Thoughts

11/30    Joyfully Jay

11/30    Bayou Book Junkie

12/1    Diverse Reader

Thanks for following my tour! At the end of every post, I’ll be asking a question. Leave a comment with your answer (and your email address), and complete the Rafflecopter to enter! There are two prizes, both available internationally. One winner will receive $15 (US or equivalent) to spend at the Dreamspinner Press store. A second winner will receive the entire Counting series in ebook format, gifted through the Dreamspinner Press store.