Author Interview: Sherry Gammon (and Giveaway)

Today, I'd like to welcome Sherry Gammon, the author of Unlovable to my blog.

A bit about Sherry (as found on Goodreads): Sherry has been writing for several years. Her work has been in several newspapers, and an educational magazine. She and her husband, along with their children and a couple of crazy dogs, call Upstate New York home. 

How did you come up with the idea of Unlovable?

Unlovable was first written as a fantasy story, with shape-shifters and Changelings. Me and my awesome instincts … NOT … decided that the fantasy novel was dying off so I converted Unlovable into a contemporary novel.

Which character from Unlovable are you most like?

None really. Each main character has some of me in them. I found that if I gave the characters some of my traits, I could relate to them better and “get inside their head” easier. Poor Maggie got my hair!!!

You get to go on a date with either Seth, Cole or Booker. Who do you pick and why? 
Booker! I love tall, dark, and handsome (my Hubby is all of these) and I LOVE funny! Plus I love his protective/vulnerable side.

If there's one thing that you hope readers take away from Unlovable, what would it be? 
NEVER EVER give up. Life is hard at times, but you will never be given more than you can handle, although some days it feels like it. Just hang on, or make the changes that will make it better.

I know the next book in the series (Unbelievable) is going to involve Cole, but can you tell us a little more about what to expect from it?

Cole gets pulled into the Dreser world in a big way when Delilah, the Dreser brother’s sister, comes into town to get revenge for the family. Cole also finds love in a very unexpected woman. Booker's over-protective nature goes into overdrive…and there just may be a wedding!

A huge thank you to Sherry for taking the time to answer my questions! 

Sherry can be found on: [her website] [Twitter] [Facebook] [Goodreads]

Unlovable can be bought from: [Amazon] [Barnes and Noble] [The Book Depository] 

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For those of you interested in reading Unlovable, Sherry has generously offered to give away a paperback copy to US readers and an e-copy for international readers.

So, read the rules below and then fill out the US FORM if you have a US mailing address and the INTERNATIONAL FORM if you live anywhere else. 

1. You do not have to be a follower to enter.
2. You must be over the age of  13.
3. This giveaway will end on Friday, January 27 at 11:59 PM.
4. Make sure your entries are tallied correctly (or else you won't win).

Review: Unlovable by Sherry Gammon

From Goodreads: Port Fare, New York, has fallen into the clutches of true evil. The Dreser brothers have arrived with a scheme to increase drug sales in the area by whatever means possible. Seth Prescott is part of MET (Mobile Enforcement Teams) a branch of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). He's been assigned to work undercover at Port Fare High, and things aren't going very well, until senior Maggie Brown enters the equation. He's harbored a secret crush on her from day one, and now that she is in the center of the case, he's trying to stay clear and objective while walking the line between business and unrequited love. Maggie is truly the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes, but is she an addict, or is there another reason for her appearance? She struggles with her feelings for Seth, fearing he is just another person who will eventually let her down, as everyone in her life has done thus far. Maggie has spent her life caring for her alcoholic mother. A task that has left her heavily burdened and alone. Before long, her mother's health takes a turn for the worst, sending Maggie's life into a tale-spin. While Seth works relentlessly to inject fear into the dealers and flush them out into the open, Maggie fights to stay alive as the hunt turns deadly. 

 

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Unlovable by Sherry Gammon was a book that started off slowly. But, I soon found myself captivated by the story because although the plot is kind of a little too perfect, Unlovable has characters that are easy to care about and is well-written.

The main character, Maggie, has grown up in relative poverty with an alcoholic and verbally abusive mother. Despite this, Maggie remains a generous and caring person. She even continues to care for her mother in the hopes that her mother will reward her with some attention and affection! Still, Mrs. Brown’s horrible words do have an effect on Maggie, making her believe that she is unworthy of being loved when she catches the interest of Seth.

There are also some occasional chapters from the perspective of Seth and the villains in the story. Bill was bad, but he was nothing compared to his brother whose behaviour suggests that he has antisocial personality disorder. Normally, I don’t find villains very terrifying but Alan scared me because there are actually people like him out and about in the world. Hopefully, we never have to encounter them!

My favourite part of Unlovable was the romance. I thought it was realistically portrayed and found it sweet how Seth got Maggie to open up and let him into her life. Unlike Maggie, you know that Seth is an undercover cop and so as you’re waiting for things to blow up in his face, you can only hope that Maggie’s trust in Seth and their love is strong enough to withstand the doubts and obstacles.

The first in a trilogy, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Gammon’s Unlovable was. What’s nice for older YA readers is that Seth is twenty-one so it doesn’t feel as inappropriate to crush on him (not that age would stop me anyway) :) Even better, the next two books in the series are told from Seth’s friends’ POVs; and I know Cole and Booker are older than him. The two were well-developed secondary characters in Unlovable so I’m looking forward to reading their stories in Unbelievable and Unbearable.

Unlovable was released in January 2011 by Wordpainting Unlimited Inc.  

Comments About the Cover: I think the cover is very pretty; and I like how the colours, the background and the pose of the girl all help to contribute to a feeling of loneliness, which goes nicely with the title.

This ebook was received from the author in exchange for an honest review.