Welcome to the Blog Tour for Into the Spotlight by Leslea Wahl, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Leslea on the blog today sharing some behind-the-scenes facts about the book!
INTO THE SPOTLIGHT by Leslea Wahl
SERIES: Finding Faith #1
GENRE: Christian YA Adventure/Romance Fiction
PUBLISHER: Vinspire Publishing
RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2022
PAGES: 226
The devastation of a ruined summer.
The gift of a second chance.
Can Josie learn the lessons she needs ito discover her true self?
After a humiliating event and overwhelming peer pressure, 16-year-old Josie flees her home to spend the summer with her aunt on a South Carolina Island. Her fresh start turns into the summer of her dreams as friendships grow, romance blossoms, and a series of thefts surround her with excitement.
However, when tragedy strikes someone close to her, Josie realizes there are more important things than her reputation. As she sets out to solve the mystery she has become entangled in, she not only realizes the importance of relying on her faith but along the way also discovers who God wants her to be.
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behind the scenes facts about the book
by Leslea Wahl, author of Into the Spotlight
Into the Spotlight is actually a re-release. Its original title was An Unexpected Role. I moved it to Vinspire Publishing, the publisher of my book Where You Lead. They gave it a new title and cover.
The inspiration for this novel came while I was writing my first teen novel, The Perfect Blindside. I wanted to make my teen characters authentic, so I began observing my children and their friends, taking note of their mannerisms, dialogue, etc. It got me thinking, what if an author interfered too much in her child’s life? That is the beginning premise of the story. Josie’s mother’s writing has inadvertently caused all kinds of problems for Josie, releasing a series of cruel jokes and bullying. To escape the situation, Josie spends the summer at her aunt’s home on a South Carolina island. There she meets all kinds of interesting people and becomes involved in a mystery that’s plaguing the small community.
While I’ve fortunately never caused any issues for my children, I do like to sometime include some little tidbits from our lives. In the book, there is a scene featuring a certain sea creature that is based on an event that happened to my family during one of our vacations.
I like to include my pets in each of my books. My labradoodle Kahlua is featured in Into the Spotlight as Josie’s Aunt Lily’s dog.
Josie is from Minnesota as a tribute to beautiful Rochester, MN, where we lived for several years.
One of the characters in this book is related to a character in my novel, The Perfect Blindside. As I was waiting for my first novel to be published and was working on my second novel, which became Into the Spotlight (formerly An Unexpected Role), my husband suggested that I should somehow link the two stories. Not sure what I would ever do with this connection, I included two tiny hints in the new book. Since then, I’ve written several short stories combining these characters, which can now be found in my all for One series.
Into the Spotlight is now the first book in my new Finding Faith series. Each of the stories in this collection will feature a different main character. The second book, Charting the Course, features Josie’s best friend, Liz. This story, which is set on a cruise ship, will be released in June.
I have several songs that make me think of this story and my main characters. Some of these include: My Lighthouse by Rend Collective, My Fight Song by Rachel Platten, You Say by Lauren Daigle, Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias, Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts, and I Will Wait by Mumford and Sons.
The main character, Josie, is a theater enthusiast. Most of the plays and musicals she references were ones either my kids or I were in. Josie has her own board on my Pinterest page—Josie’s Favorite Musicals.
Since Josie is very dramatic and tends to jump right in without thinking things through, writing about her is quite fun. I wouldn’t want this to get out since I don’t want my other characters to feel bad, but Josie possibly may be my favorite.
Leslea Wahl is an award-winning author of adventurous teen mysteries. She not only writes for teens but is also an avid reviewer of Christian fiction. Her journey to become an author came through a search for value-based fiction for her own children. Leslea now strives to be an advocate for other families battling against society’s secular messages through her faith-based writing and reviews.
Connect with Leslea by visiting lesleawahl.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Into the Spotlight, bookmark, bible verse magnet, and designer soap!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 4, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 11, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
This giveaway is hosted by JustRead Tours, not RimSP
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
What about you? What makes you want to read Into the Spotlight by Leslea Wahl?
Sounds like a book I will like.
Captivating and lovely story.
Absolutely gorgeous cover
Sounds good. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
Nice cover. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
fun list