Strong Enough by Ellen Harger
Publisher: Ellen Harger
Release Date: February 25, 2013
Synopsis: Starting over is hard.
And sometimes, you have to burn a few bridges to do it.
Whitney Brown is average--average height, weight, and personality--but she wants to be someone new. To kick-start her rebirth, she wears formal mourning, a black veil and vintage dress, to a wedding in her hometown, Woods Cross, a community that treasures family values. Is it an attack on marriage or has she just gone bonkers?
Emboldened but lacking a plan, she forces her foot in the door of a radio station in Sundown. A small metropolis of nearly 150,000, Sundown is a notch of urban flair along the Midwest's Bible Belt.
Getting in proves to be the easy part and the anonymity of being a DJ suits her well. But off air (and in person), Whitney must stand up to Sadi, an angry feminist and the bane of her college years while an old friendship with her former roommate, Leah, devolves around a guy.
It's 2002 and the Midwest radio scene is changing. Just as Whitney hits her groove, the radio station undergoes its own identity crisis. But what rocks Whitney to her core is the moment the condom breaks. Her abstinence only background leaves her embarrassed and facing a difficult choice.
Find The Book:
Meet The Author:
Ellen Harger was born at the Air Force Academy in Colorado. As a military brat, she moved often during her childhood--something she never resented and continued as an adult. The constant starting over influenced her first published novel, "Strong Enough."
At 14, her family settled in Missouri as civilians, permitting Ellen to attend one high school. She stayed in the Midwest to attend a small liberal arts college, studying creative writing and art. After 11 years, she moved to Boston. While there, she continued to study creative writing in Cambridge. Ever willing to explore new places, she moved next to the San Francisco Bay area. After 11 years away, and loving the symmetry, she returned to the Midwest to finish "Strong Enough." She has published a poem, "Guidelines," and released her novel as an e-book.
Character Interview: (Main Character Whitney Brown)
P: Do you like to read and if so what kind of books?
W: I mostly read liner notes and industry mags but when I read books, I go for mysteries. I love disappearing into a world totally unlike my own predictable routine. Don't get me wrong, I love my routine. But everyday is pretty well defined before I even get to work. I have schedules and listener demands. When I get to read for pure enjoyment, I want it to be a total escape. Plus, danger? Not really my cup of tea. I much prefer suspense to affect someone else. So much safer! LOL
P: What is it like being a DJ?
W: Mostly it's fun--I'm emmersed in music all day! What's not to love? But it can be taxing complying with data research and social trends. On air, it's the same groupings, the same cluster of musical genres. There's a lot of oversight and when accounting gets involved in, it can be as exciting as a teeth cleaning. However, I love doing research. For now, my biggest thrill is reading about a new artist or style and being the downleg of sharing something cutting edge. Like most of us, I'm influenced by others--I just get it sooner than the average listener. And I even get to pick what I think is most exciting. But someday, I hope to influence with my insight, my instinct. I'd love to be the first to share someone awesome with the world. I won't create the music but I'll promote it. I love that moment when you share something special with another human for the first time. It's like giving a gift!
P: Other than being a DJ what do you do in your free time?
W: I listen to music. LOL! I'm so sad. But seriously, music has become my life. When I'm home, I listen to CDs we'd never play on mainstream radio. And I love to go out and listen to local artists. I don't care if they band is only mediocre. They are doing something creative! See, it's an energy with locals or struggling artists. It's exciting to watch raw talent burst forth, but most have no expectation of making it big. They play music because it's alive in them and it's like breathing. I almost prefer that to the taint that success brings. But brilliant artists can be arrogant--they often deserve it and frankly, they'll lose their throne to new artists or their own self-absorption. It's an ever changing entity and I love its fickleness.
One thing I do, though, is exercise. I started it to lose weight, you know? But I quit worrying about speed and distance. I get out now to move and see my neighborhood. It's another form of escape, I suppose, because it's quiet. I guess it lets me ground myself because I often don't even take my MP3 player!
Does drinking count as an activity? That's the last thing I'll add. I really do enjoy going out with friends and having a beer. But usually, that involves dancing or live music.
**Speed Round**
4. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
5. Rain or Shine? Rain. It's nature's rhythm.
Giveaway:
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I hope you all enjoyed the character interview! I had so much fun with it. Don't forget that this tour was brought to us by Vade Mecum Book Blog Tours so be sure to check them out and come again soon :)
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