Month: October 2016

Sunrise Junkie
Sally Henson
October 31, 2016

I have a confession . . . I am a sunrise junkie.

I am a sunset junkie too! (more on that next week)

Okay, maybe I’m a fair-weathered sunrise junkie-NO cold weather, but a junkie nonetheless. I have several beautiful sunrises to share with you this week.

Regan Stone, the seventeen year old main character in Summer’s End, is usually up and jogging while the sun is rising, but she’s usually not in the right temperament to enjoy it. Sunset is more her speed at this time in her life. These photos definitely represent the Midwest landscape, and the rural Illinois town where Regan lives.

Tune in to my Facebook and Twitter page this week to see more sunrise masterpieces. Please share your masterpieces with us.

You can also find me on Pinterest and Instagram

Posts
Sally Henson
October 11, 2016

SUMMER’S END AVAILABLE TODAY!

Small town gossip fuels a teenage girl’s drive to follow her dream while navigating through the perilous waters of friendship, family, and handsome distractions.

Small town gossip. If you live in a small town, or ever have, you know what I’m talking about. There’s always a couple in every generation who seem to dedicate themselves to being the queen of gossip. Yes, occasionally there is a king, but usually it’s a queen. And if you have ever been their subject, you know how Regan feels. We all react in different ways, but I think Regan handles it pretty good most of the time.

Mostly, Regan has her future to focus on. The gossip drives her desire to leave small town life behind. She has a plan, it’s not perfect, but she thinks she has the bases covered. Her small group of four friends have a plan for their future, too. Sometimes . . . plans change. Family has a strong influence on future plans-whether it’s fair or not.

I hope you enjoy Summer’s End. Let me know who your favorite character is. Tell me your favorite parts. Share Regan’s story with your friends, and help me get the word out.

Please leave a review on Amazon, or the retailer where you purchased Summer’s End. I greatly appreciate it.

If you are new to this site, WELCOME. Please click the green button at the top to receive updates–I promise I won’t blast you with a bunch of annoying emails. Sift through my posts where I have poems written by some of the characters and some about life in general.

You can also follow me on Twitter @SallyWriter_YA or my Facebook page SallyHensonWriter.

We Launch Tomorrow
Sally Henson
October 10, 2016

SUMMER’S END LAUNCHES TOMORROW!

Here is your last sneak-peek and it’s a good one.

Chapter 18 . . .

“Regan, I know you think I’m good at telling you what
I’m thinking and how I feel about you, but….” I reach my
free hand to his arm and squeeze, holding on tight, leaning
my head against him as we continue to stroll. “I’m scared
of what tomorrow brings. Worried I might fail, that I won’t
be able to handle the classes and all the people . . . afraid
of being away from home, from you, from what I know
and love….” We stop and he turns toward me. “I don’t want
tonight to end,” he chokes out.
Softly I agree, “Tonight’s been the best night of my life.”
My voice is a little rough too, and I’m tearing up. I slide
my arms up and around his shoulders. “I don’t want you to
leave.”

I greatly appreciate your help in this launch process. As always, please let your friends know about Summer’s End and share on your favorite social sites. Book two is already in the works as we continue to follow Regan’s life.

If you are new to this site, click the green button at the top to receive updates-I promise I won’t share it with anyone else.

You can also follow me on Twitter @SallyWriter_YA or my Facebook page SallyHensonWriter

ONLY 2 DAYS
Sally Henson
October 9, 2016

COUNTDOWN TO LAUNCH

Pre-order for Summer’s End now — release in 2 days!

Check out what we have today from chapter 17 . . .

 

Tobi’s standing, waving us over out at the horse barn. We
pull up and park as she walks over, and I get out meeting
her, “Good, you didn’t forget your boots,” she says with a
grin.
“You look rugged and ready.” I tease, but she looks so
pretty with her long blonde hair down under her summer
cowboy hat. She’s sporting a pair of Wranglers and a
turquoise T-shirt.
We walk through the barn, and I can see she has the
horses saddled under the shade tree on the other side. “I
packed some water bottles in the saddlebags,” she says as we
continue out the door. I see the back end of a fourth horse.
A big, beautiful buckskin is saddled, too. My eyes follow the
lines of the buckskin to the being that has a hold of the reins.
“Guys, this is Rex”
“Rex?” I ask. She never mentioned someone else riding
today.

Two more days, y’all! I’m so excited to be sharing this with you. If you like the snip-its released throughout our countdown, please share them with your friends and post them on your favorite social media sites. Monday we’ll share a piece from the final chapter of Summer’s End.

ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT
Sally Henson
October 8, 2016

ONLY 3 DAYS TO THE RELEASE OF SUMMER’S END!

Three more days to the live release of Summer’s End Did you enjoy yesterday’s quote? Take a bite of this snip-it from Chapter 15 . . .

 

We get down the road a ways passed Lake Nellie, “You
can sit over here,” indicating beside him, “and stretch out.
We’re out of town, its dark, no one will see.” He’s driving
much more slowly on the way home.
I’m contemplating whether this is a good idea or not.
My earlier thought of him leaving pops in my mind again.
I warn him, “I probably stink.” I unbuckle and move over,
kind of resting against his side with my back, leaning my
head on his shoulder. My hair is in a ponytail on top my head.
He moves my hair aside, kind of wrapping his arm
around me and inhales, “You smell like caramel.” I can’t see
his face but I can tell he is smiling and picture it in my mind.
“Right.” We are contentedly quiet for a couple miles.

It’s not too late to pre-order Summer’s End. Tomorrow we celebrate one day closer to our release date by sharing more of Regan Stone. If you like what you’ve read so far, please share with your friends and help me get the word out about the new release, Summer’s End.

DAY 4
Sally Henson
October 7, 2016

WE ARE LIVE IN 4 DAYS!

Six more days to the live release of Summer’s End. Here’s today’s peep into Chapter 13 . . .

Regan is thinking about her first choice in colleges.

Eckerd is
my new first choice. I’m kind of excited about this place. It’s
located in St. Petersburg, FL, right on the beach of the Gulf
of Mexico near Tampa. It has a tropical climate—a must
have, in my opinion. They have a hands-on curriculum and
a fleet of vessels at their disposal. Even some of the faculty
takes on summer and winter research in the Caribbean and
offer students positions as assistants. How amazing would
that be? It’s a private school so I’d assumed the tuition would
be outrageous. Surprisingly, their tuition is not really any
higher than public universities for non-residents.

Thanks for sharing this on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or your favorite social media. . . . and tune in tomorrow for more excerpts from Summer’s End.

DAY 5
Sally Henson
October 6, 2016

WE ARE LIVE IN 5 DAYS!

Summer’s End releases October 11, 2016.

Get your sneak-peek into chapter 11 . . .

I hear a scoff, a chortle that makes my ears bleed. My
solemn frame of mind gives way to a flare of anger. I lean
forward, peering to my right to put the face to the voice.
Unbelievable. Youth group is one of the few places I thought
I wouldn’t have to deal with this viper. She narrows her eyes
when she sees me and berates, “Is it safe to drink your own
urine, Regan?” I can almost see the venom dripping over her
lips and down her chin, burning holes in the wood floor, as
the smoldering smoke floats toward the ceiling. The stench
that fills the room’s atmosphere is a combination of burnt
wood and hostility.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more of Regan’s story in Summer’s End. And as always, feel free to share on your favorite social media site.

DAY 6
Sally Henson
October 5, 2016

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES

We go live in 6 days!

Six more days to the live release of Summer’s End. Did you enjoy yesterday’s quote? Here’s today’s excerpt from Chapter 9 . . .

This is but a moment, though. How could I stay here in
this cage? No expanding my horizons, just getting older and
drowning in gossip. What about my dream—the science,
the ocean? Am I going to let a few perfect moments overshadow
years of oppressive banter and gossip, if I stay? I’ll
never get away from here if I don’t do it as soon as I can.
We turn off the main road, and Lane clicks off the radio.

“You’re awful quiet. What are you thinking about?”

I watch his expression. “I was just absorbing the sights
and smells of summer’s end,” I answer, with a contrite smile, “And fighting a war.”

If you want to know more about Regan, pre-ordering Summer’s End is a great option. Stay tuned tomorrow for more of Regan’s story. And as always, you are welcome to share on your favorite social media sites.

DAY 7 — COUNTDOWN TO RELEASE
Sally Henson
October 4, 2016

Our Countdown Continues

We go live in 7 days!

Seven more days to the live release of Summer’s End. Did you enjoy yesterday’s quote? Take a bite of this snip-it from Chapter 7 . . .

Susanna lost her scholarship, her chance to get out of this
town, and the one thing she’ll never get back—her virginity.
She didn’t even go to community college that first year after
high school, because she had to work to pay for her and her
baby. Her parents told her, if she wanted to play house like
an adult, she could work like one, too. Jesse didn’t stay with
her. He went off to college and got his degree. He’s paying
child support now and sees their little girl every other week.
Susanna, on the other hand, is still trying to get through
college.

Feel free to share on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. . . . and tune in tomorrow for more excerpts from Summer’s End.

DAY 8 — COUNTDOWN TO RELEASE
Sally Henson
October 3, 2016

DAY 8 — on our countdown to October 11, 2016, aka, Release Date for Summer’s End.

Today’s excerpt from Summer’s End . . .

“You’re scaring the fish away with all that racket and floundering around.”
“Argh!” I sit up. “I’m sorry. I can’t get comfortable.” I’m almost at my limit with fatigue.
Lane reels in his line and lays his fishing pole down on
the bank. He walks to the bench, studying my twisted and tangled clothes and hair on the way. I’m glad I changed out of that dress. He picks up the quilt and strides over to help
me up. He spreads out the quilt and rolls the towel up, “Your
pillow,” he says, handing it to me.
Arms hanging, crazy hair falling down my back, droopy
eyes, I stand watching him—dumfounded at this brilliant
simplicity. “Thanks.” A smile flits across his face, framing
the beauty hiding behind the sunglasses. I snuggle into the
quilt and allow the cicadas to lull me to sleep.

Feel free to share this on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. . . . and tune in tomorrow for more excerpts from Summer’s End.