Xpresso Book Tours Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway: Let Me Go (L.L. Akers)

Click here for Tour Page and Schedule!!

Let Me Go by L.L. Akers
(Let Me Go #1)
Publication date: July 5th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

A scarlet dragonfly tattoo—meant to be a beautiful, family mark of freedom, but instead becomes a prophetic brand for those who wear it, to forever be suffering. Wounded and broken, they find themselves flittering back into the cycle of abuse that relentlessly clings to their family, a reality they can never seem to escape.
One mother and her daughters, bound by blood—torn apart by abuse. They begin their lives intertwined but are forced to fight for their survivals separately, struggling to hide their fear and undeserved shame from each other and the world. One of these women finds herself trapped—alone—and she battles to survive the terrifying darkness. With long hours of nothing to do but wait in fear, she grapples through her obscure dreams and memories of the past, sorting which memory belongs to whom: physically harmed, mentally damaged, raped, sexually abused, an unwanted pregnancy… and even the vivid memory of a dangerous dance with death in a last attempt to escape the shambles and horrors of a seemingly unchangeable situation.
Twin sisters, Gabriella and Olivia, dive blindly—and much too early—into adulthood. They are soon followed by their younger sister, Emma, all running from a not-so-idyllic past; chasing the happiness they believe they will find, by abandoning their childhoods to be “grown-up” and start their own lives.
Deeply evocative, Let Me Go is a coming-of-age story: the struggles of one mother and her daughters trying to survive life—marred by abuse and misplaced blame—and their need to reach peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

 Goodreads * Amazon * B & N

L.L. Akers is originally from the Midwest where she grew up climbing trees, haystacks, and haylofts—escaping into other worlds with a good book. She enjoyed playing cow-pattie hopscotch and outrun-the-bull with her siblings.
She now lives in the South, the silly wife of a serious man, and mother of: one very gifted and fetching male-tween, a chubby beagle that looks astonishingly like a mini-cow, a deranged terrier as well as five Koi fish, a herd of tiny but boastful lizards, and dozens of obnoxiously loud serenading frogs.
After a career in human resources, she now pursues life as a recluse writer; hanging out at home in her PJ’s with her iPad, Burt’s Bees lip balm and her posse of creatures. Regardless of her self-isolation, she can still be lured outside for brief moments by the scent of freshly mowed grass and a bowl full of cherries.
Let Me Go is her first novel, and book 1 of the Let Me Go Series – each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhangers.

Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

1. What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

I’m no stranger to abuse, thus, I lurk at several FB support sites andread many motivating posts from survivors; they inspired me.

2. Who is your favorite character in the book?

Jake! He’s a hot, southern boy who likes to get dirty (no really… he’s a mechanic), and oh so sweet!

3. Which came first, the title or the novel?

The Title. The words ‘let me go’ are common words in the vocabulary of a victim, even if they’re afraid to say them aloud.

4. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

The scene in which Gabby, an unwed teenager, says goodbye to the baby boy she is giving up for adoption; she writes him a very short fairy tale and takes only one opportunity to hold him close to her heart. I cried buckets writing it. That scene is based on my own life, and I’ve been reaching out for that baby boy since he turned 18. Finally in October 2013 I turned to Facebook. I had my arms around my baby boy six short weeks later in November; he’s now 26, and I’ll never let him go again.

5. Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

Not to mix genres! It’s hard to put Let Me go in one genre; it’s packed full of suspense, but it’s also a coming­of­age story that definitely falls into the New Adult genre as well.

6. What do you like most about the cover of the book?

My cover artist created the perfect cover for this book. If you read it, you’ll understand why the models are looking broodingly toward the dragonflies.

7. What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2014?

The next Let Me Go novel, Captured Again!

8. What was your favorite book in 2013?

Envy, by Sandra Brown; I was envious of the brilliance of her plot.

9. What’s up next for you?

Pedaling as fast as I can to continue telling Emma, Gabby and Olivia’s stories. They’re aging faster than I can write!

10. Is there anything that you would like to add?

If you read this far in the interview… thank you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway