Giveaway: April & Oliver

April & Oliver,the first novel from Tess Callahan is a story of secrets, yearnings and consequences.The book opens with a vivid scene about a character who is not actually a participant in the book, but is constantly on the mind of those we meet.

Buddy has been lost for some time, his wipers whisking the thick Maine snow, when he spots a missed turn in his rear view and brakes. The car fishtails, rocketing into a spin. The faster it pivots, the slower time moves. Buddy is the fixed point, the world careening around him.
With the death of Buddy, childhood soul mates and step-cousins, April and Oliver are reunited after ten years pursuing completely different lives on opposite coasts. From early childhood through high school, the two have been inseparable, followed on their adventures by April's younger brother Buddy. Upon graduation Buddy attends college in Los Angeles, while April stays in New York tending bar and becoming Buddy's legal guardian after their father dies. Along with a smart, beautiful fiancee, Oliver has gained an education and a broader view of the world, while April has been spinning her wheels in the same neighborhood checking in on her brother and grandmother, and experiencing a series of abusive boyfriends. Seeing each other again brings back feelings to both April and Oliver that were never discussed in the past, and confuse them still even as adults. As April's self-destructive behavior escalates into a downward spiral, Oliver attempts to be Sir Galahad and rescue her from herself, all the while planning a wedding and keeping information from his supportive fiancee, Bernadette.From realistically gritty sction scenes, to thoughtful, emotional moments, April and Oliver can make the reader reconsider big life choices as well as the small everyday decisions that end up making big changes. I found the writing style of an observer giving different points of view in the present tense interesting, as I don't come across that very often. Descriptions are made real with interesting metaphors and observations of the characters as well as the narrator. Neither a tear-jerker nor a laugh-fest, April & Oliver is thoughtful and well-written, slowly revealing characters' motivations, desires, and regrets. I also really liked the cover art, finding it both mysterious and familiar, just like the book. I look forward to seeing (and reading) the ideas that Tess Callahan has to share with the world in the future.

To "meet" Tess Callahan, not only can you visit her website and blog, or even better, visit the BlogTalk radio interview and hear her thoughts and inspirations about writing.

Five lucky readers will each receive their own copy of April & Oliver, which is scheduled for release tomorrow, July 1st. Just leave a comment stating that you'd like to win and random.org will select the winners on Friday, July 10.