Women’s Fiction Book Tour & Giveaway: The Glass Heart Girl by Michelle Diana Lowe 10/12/14 – 10/19/14

Virtual Book Tour Dates: 10/12/14 – 10/19/14

Genres: Women’s Fiction

Blurb:

On the surface Alena has a wonderful life – she’s a bubbly, vivacious 20 year old woman enjoying university with bestie, Becca, her quirky Californian housemate and Phillip, her amazing boyfriend. But beneath all that happiness there is pain, a despairing sorrow and a heart cut so deep that it might never heal.   She is a wounded woman, psychologically trapped between two worlds – a realm of darkness and desolation and a life of love, hope and freedom. The man, who controlled, manipulated and mistreated her as a child, is a malignant shadow – a dangerous spectre lurking in the backdrop, who is hell-bent on destroying and consuming her. But now she must find the strength to fight for liberation. Banish the demons forever and embrace true love, before she is devoured by the spirits of yesterday.    This is a powerful and riveting story of one young woman’s courage, bravery and determination to overcome a distressing and traumatic childhood and welcome a new life with the man she truly loves.

Buy Links:

Please note: All who want to pre-order need to register first on BNBS – www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk . Once they register, they can make their order. When readers pre-order the book, they can opt to become supporters, by ticking (checking) the relevant box on the pre-order page. If they do this, they will then be listed as a supporter – their name is added to the supporter list, which is visible to all who go on the page. Britain’s Next Bestseller

The Glass Heart Girl

Raising Awareness of Gender Violence

What is The Glass Heart Girl about?
The Glass Heart Girl is a powerful women’s fiction novel. It is one of the only fiction books which explore the subject of gendered violence, using younger characters in their very early 20s. Telling the moving story of Alena Pavlis, who was a victim of gender-based violence, but is now on the road to recovery; this book really helps to raise awareness of this problem in our society, and could educate people on the subject, whilst teaching them how to be more supportive and non-judgmental of those who have experienced this trauma. The book also aims to bring these women’s experiences into the spotlight, to reduce stigmatisation and marginalisation that gender-based and sexual violence victims can face in their communities and in the wider society. 

Where is the book available for sale?
The book is on the verge of landing a publishing deal. I've been signed by a publisher called BNBS, Britain's Next Bestseller. If 250 people pre-order my book by November 28th 2014, I win the publishing deal and my book will be available in bookstores and on Amazon.

It is so important that this book is published, particularly since it has a strong STOP THE VIOLENCE against women and girls message, which it sends out to the world.

Please support this book and pre-order The Glass Heart Girl: https://britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/book/index/TheGlassHeartGirl

Understanding The Glass Heart Girl

Delving into the world of The Glass Heart Girl characters

ALENA PAVLIS

(The Protagonist)Age: 20

Height: 5 ft 8
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Green
Place of Birth: London, England

Nationality: British
Ethnicity: Greek
Relationship Status: In a relationship with Phillip Gregson
Best Friend(s): Becca and Emma

Place of Study: The University of Leicester, United Kingdom
Subject(s) of study: Psychology

Favourite hangout: The Botanic Gardens, where she lives at the university.

Home Town: Her original hometown is Brent Cross, North London. But her family had to move to Sutton, Surrey, after being shunned and ostracised by the community, following the harrowing adolescent experiences that Alena had.

Important fact(s) about this character: She is a victim of gender-based violence, who is trying to recover and rebuild her life. But letting go of the past is not as easy as it sounds.

More about Alena's character:

Alena Pavlis is a beautiful but broken 20 year old woman, a somewhat introverted female, who is a gender violence survivour. A young woman, previously attacked by a high school teacher at the age of fifteen, and left for dead in the road… She could have died that fateful night, if it wasn’t for a kind young man who saved her life. Now in her early twenties, Alena is trying to forget the terrible events of her past and move on. Though getting the ghosts out of her head and life forever, is proving very challenging, because she is haunted by what happened to her by Brent Cross Train Station half a decade ago. No matter how hard she tries, Alena is unable to move forward and let go of the pain. The psychological scars of the abuse she suffered are evident throughout the novel. But also, her desire and determination to banish her demons is so touching and inspiring. She won’t give up, even when it seems all hope is lost.

Whilst attending the University of Leicester, she meets her soul mate, the gorgeous and undeniably wonderful, Phillip Gregson. Nevertheless, her terrible past is still haunting her; she finds it difficult to have a normal, healthy relationship with Phillip, in spite of the fact she is deeply in love with him, and wants to be able to bring the relationship to completion. The dark fears Alena has are consuming her – and these anxieties and apprehensions have led to her developing both genophobia and agoraphobia. Still, there is a fighter in this young woman, and she will keep working on getting better and having a regular life, where abuse no longer defines who she is.

The book shows Alena’s monumental journey to recovery as she begins to let go of the spirits of yesterday and embrace love and a new life with Phillip and her bestie, Becca.

The support network around her is the key to her recovery. Not only is her boyfriend about to support and bolster her, as the relationship faces its trails and challenges. But Becca, her best friend, who she has a deep and strong connection with, is about to guide and succour her, slowly coaxing Alena out of her incapacitating and claustrophobic shell. Alena can confide in Becca more than she can Phillip, as she feels safe and comfortable and able to open up to another female close to her heart

The celebrity who should play this character if this book ever becomes a movie:

Elizabeth Gillies

BECCA RICHARDSON-SMITH

Age: 20

Height: 5 ft 11

Hair Colour: Blonde

Eye Colour: Blue

Place of Birth: California, USA

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Relationship Status: Single, but open to casual relationships!

Best Friend(s): Alena

Place of Study: UC Berkeley, California.

 But she’s undertaking a study abroad year at the University of Leicester.

Subject(s) of study: Psychology

Favourite hangout: Po Na Na, a vibrant club in Leicestershire.

Home Town: Sunnydale San Francisco

Important fact(s) about this character: She is a former winner of the Miss Teenage California Pageant, who holds a dark and distressing secret.

More about Becca's character:

Becca is a quirky, outgoing Californian girl, who has a loudmouth, yet a warm and kind heart. She meets Alena at the University of Leicester and moves into Ridley House, the residence halls where both Alena and Phillip are living.

This former beauty queen seems to have everything – she’s blonde, stunning, long-legged, wealthy and intelligent. But what she didn’t have before she met Alena, was real friends. Her father re-married an opulent businesswoman, and daddy’s shiny plastic could buy any companion she wanted. Becca named the price, and the Valley Girls came flocking, claiming to be the best friends she ever had. Yet true friendship, like what she has with Alena, is pure and organic, and it cannot be bought, but rather grown and nurtured over time.

Becca significantly helps Alena through her turbulent years at the university, yet she feels threatened by the relationship Alena has with Phillip. This lonely young woman studying in a foreign country, miles away from home, wants Alena, her bestie, all to herself, which is sometimes depicted as childish, selfish or/and possessive behaviour in the novel. The less desirable aspects of Becca’s character are prevalent for a reason, and it all relates back to her past, and a desperate need to be loved.

What will come as a shock to readers towards the end of the novel, is that Becca's life is far from perfect – in fact, she harbours a ‘black swan’ secret, which almost destroyed her teenage years. A secret, that might also have the power to separate two forever friends who seem joined at the hip, and unable to live without one another. Anyway, Becca is doing a study year abroad, so at some stage she and Alena will be parted. Can their friendship stand the test of time?

Celebrity who should play this character if this book ever becomes a movie:

Hayden Panettiere

PHILLIP GREGSON

Age: 20

Height: 6 ft

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Brown

Place of Birth: London, England

Ethnicity: Barbadian

Relationship Status: In a relationship with Alena Pavlis.

Best Friend(s): Tyron and Donald


Place of Study: The University of Leicester, United Kingdom

Subject(s) of study: Psychology and Sports Science

Favourite hangout: The Botanic Gardens, where he and Alena often have romantic walks. Equally, he likes to go out clubbing at Po Na Na with the boys.

Home Town: Brent Cross, North London

Important fact(s) about this character: He was sent to a Juvenile Detention Centre aged 15, for stealing cars with a group of nimrod friends. But now he is a reformed guy, who is thankful to God for a second chance, and will do everything to hold onto the woman he loves.

More about Phillip's character:

Phillip is a tall, muscular guy – a dashing and sexy hero, who makes young women feel faint and weak at the knees. From the moment he set eyes on Alena Pavlis by the drinks stand, at the University’s Freshers' Fair, he fell deeply in love with her. It really was love at first sight for the pair. After flirting for a while and sharing a series of hot autumn kisses, Phillip discovers that Alena is the girl from the Brent Cross headlines five years prior, who almost lost her life following an awful act of violence carried out by her high school teacher.

Despite knowing her past, and feeling the effect of her trauma and psychological illnesses on their relationship, Phillip sticks by Alena and is a tower of strength, a sturdy pillar that she can lean on and rely on for support and comfort.

Not being able to have an intimate relationship with the woman he loves, would see most men looking to sow their oats elsewhere or simply cut their losses and move on. But Phillip is not like that at all. He is the most honourable guy that you will ever meet. Throughout Alena’s long periods of anxiety and battling phobias, Phillip stays, because he believes deep without his heart, that he and Alena are meant to be together. Phillip also has compassion, as he knows what it is like to be trapped by the past.

As a teen, he went to Juvy for 18 months for stealing his neighbours’ cars with a group of ‘friends’, something his parents still hold  against him even now, more than five years later. So, he understands, and has empathy towards Alena's plight. He is there for the long haul and he will be faithful to his woman, no matter what, and he looks forward to enjoying the happier times, when she is able to triumph over those terrible traumas.

Celebrity who should play this character if this book ever becomes a

movie:

Corbin Bleu

Further information about what The Glass Heart Girl wants to achieve:

The Glass Heart Girl aims to raise awareness of gender violence and shows the importance of a good support network, to help a woman’s process of healing and recovering from this trauma. My novel is also part of #TheGlassHeartGirlCampaign, which I launched on Twitter, to promote the end of sexual violence against women and girls. This movement also calls for more fiction and non-fiction books on the topic to be published, young people to be better educated in schools about the subject, and more tailored services to support victims of gendered and sexual violence.

Remember, you can help this book win a publishing deal by pre-ordering no later than November 28th 2014 from BNBS: https://britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/index.php/book/index/TheGlassHeartGirl

Chapter 3

The Heartthrob

A tall, dark, handsome guy breezes into my dorm room, his long brown cardigan swooping across the scope of the generous space. I’m sitting on my bed, eyes closed, heart open, feeling the coolness of his sexy ambience rushing onto my face. It feels refreshing, delightful, satisfying. Slowly, I ease my eyes open halfway, and my glance moves to the doorway, where the presence of an ebony shadow stands proudly, absorbing the light from the corridor. It makes me feel weak in the knees, like a damsel in distress whose superhero has come to rescue her from the tedium of uni life: studying, essays, exams and heavy assignments. My face brightens, and I welcome the distraction.

Quickly, my eyes fully open; my heart races. I know who this sexy 20-year-old guy is. I am so happy he has come. I cannot breathe for a few moments, and I push my hands firmly into the bed, leaving a dent, my imprint of love, in the malleable covers. I lift my body up vertically with these sturdy hands, and swing my bottom, back and forth, using the strength of my body weight to keep me balanced. I stare deep into his eyes, rendering him speechless at the sight of my light acrobatic performance. I’m excited! He knows it. He can see my enthusiasm shining through my eyes.

I am completely stimulated by this luscious visitor, and I can see his eyes nearly bursting with fervour. He wants to touch me, I can tell. But he is much too far away to do more than enjoy my body from a distance. He licks his lips, staring readily at my breasts, nature’s kind gift to men. I move into his line of vision like an ocean’s soft, iridescent current, and moisten my thin, red lips, desperate for him to come closer. Slowly, teasingly, he ambles towards me, his custom-made jeans with diamond studs at the sides hanging loosely down, sagging at the bottom. The waistband of his blue Calvin Klein boxer shorts is clearly visible, more than adamantly insisting on his sexual prowess. CONTINUE READING THIS CHAPTER...

Chapter 3

The Heartthrob

A tall, dark, handsome guy breezes into my dorm room, his long brown cardigan swooping across the scope of the generous space. I’m sitting on my bed, eyes closed, heart open, feeling the coolness of his sexy ambience rushing onto my face. It feels refreshing, delightful, satisfying. Slowly, I ease my eyes open halfway, and my glance moves to the doorway, where the presence of an ebony shadow stands proudly, absorbing the light from the corridor. It makes me feel weak in the knees, like a damsel in distress whose superhero has come to rescue her from the tedium of uni life: studying, essays, exams and heavy assignments. My face brightens, and I welcome the distraction.

Quickly, my eyes fully open; my heart races. I know who this sexy 20-year-old guy is. I am so happy he has come. I cannot breathe for a few moments, and I push my hands firmly into the bed, leaving a dent, my imprint of love, in the malleable covers. I lift my body up vertically with these sturdy hands, and swing my bottom, back and forth, using the strength of my body weight to keep me balanced. I stare deep into his eyes, rendering him speechless at the sight of my light acrobatic performance. I’m excited! He knows it. He can see my enthusiasm shining through my eyes.

I am completely stimulated by this luscious visitor, and I can see his eyes nearly bursting with fervour. He wants to touch me, I can tell. But he is much too far away to do more than enjoy my body from a distance. He licks his lips, staring readily at my breasts, nature’s kind gift to men. I move into his line of vision like an ocean’s soft, iridescent current, and moisten my thin, red lips, desperate for him to come closer. Slowly, teasingly, he ambles towards me, his custom-made jeans with diamond studs at the sides hanging loosely down, sagging at the bottom. The waistband of his blue Calvin Klein boxer shorts is clearly visible, more than adamantly insisting on his sexual prowess. CONTINUE READING THIS CHAPTER... - See more at: https://britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/index.php/book/index/TheGlassHeartGirl#sthash.KenmwFID.dpuf

Trailer for The Glass Heart Girl –

http://youtu.be/ufJC5_0Mrb0

The soundtrack for The Glass Heart Girl Trailer is ‘Love On Fire’ by Résia, a beautiful and talented up-and-coming New York artist. See the sensational video for ‘Love On Fire’ here:

http://youtu.be/oXpkRryMQEQ

About The Author

My name is Michelle Diana Lowe. I started writing stories from the age of six and published my first book professionally in January 2014. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature with Philosophy from Roehampton University, and a recognised UK qualification in Information, Advice and Guidance. With this IAG qualification, I am able to support clients, particularly women, by referring and signposting them to counselling, Family Support services and other relevant services and agencies.  In my job as a Children’s Centre Administrator, I often support, advise and give guidance to vulnerable women, including victims of gendered and domestic violence, which inspired my first full length novel, The Glass Heart Girl.

I originally published The Glass Heart Girl as an indie author. But less than 2 months later, I was discovered by UK publisher, Britain’s Next Bestseller. This publisher supports my mission of STOP THE VIOLENCE against women and girls, and backs the powerful messages my book is giving society about protecting females.

Not only is my mission to stop this violence. It is also a call to educate people, increase services for victims and to end the stigma and humiliation that is often pinned as a mark of shame, to survivours of gendered and sexual violence.

Connect With The Author:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Giveaway:
Enter to win one of five autographed posters of The Glass Heart Girl! Open internationally. The giveaway will run 10/12/14 – 10/19/14.

To enter, simply leave a blog comment on the tour post, and please make sure to include a valid email address!

Winners will be randomly selected and contacted by the author after the tour is over for delivery.

To increase your chances of winning, simply follow the tour and comment at each stop.