BLOG TOUR: Ugly Beautiful People by C.J. Bedell (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q&A with Author)
BLOG TOUR
Book Title: Ugly Beautiful People
Author: CJ Bedell
Publisher: Next Chapter Publishing
Cover Artist: Lordan June Pinote
Release Date: August 31, 2023
Genres: Adult LGBTQ Thriller (3 out of 5 point of view characters are bisexual)
Themes: Coming out, Self-acceptance, finding yourself, death, grief, loss
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 59 000 words/249 pages
The book stands alone, but it is intended to be the first book in a trilogy.
It ends on a small cliffhanger. Most of the plot points that happen in Book 1 are wrapped up, though.
Buy Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | B & N | Kobo
Welcome to Crescent Hills where beauty only runs so deep. Scandal lurks just below the surface behind the McMansions, designer clothes, and fancy cars. And a death will bring the lies, secrets, and betrayals to a boil.
Blurb
Welcome to Crescent Hills, where beauty only runs so deep. Scandal lurks below the surface behind the McMansions, designer clothes, and fancy cars. When the town is shaken by the disappearance of journalist Ivy Fields, whispers of betrayal and intrigue begin to unravel the threads binding its elite residents.
Audrey, haunted by her own past, is determined to unveil the truth behind Ivy’s disappearance, hoping to find closure she never received. Amidst this, Marcia grapples with the confines of her seemingly perfect marriage, leading her down a dangerous path. At the same time, a young Ben navigates the complexities of love, friendship, and societal expectations. Meanwhile, Cassandra’s life gets disrupted by a ghost from her past.
As Crescent Hills residents confront their own dilemmas, the shadow of Ivy’s disappearance looms large. For behind every beautiful façade, there are secrets yearning to be exposed, and as they say, the past always finds a way to catch up.
Excerpt
Birds screeched when Audrey opened her eyes. She yawned, then stretched. Her back hairs stuck up. Audrey might’ve been lying on the seating of the pontoon boat, but black no longer veiled the sky. Instead, sunlight beamed from the cloudless sky.
Audrey scanned the boat. Ivy was gone.
Dread filled Audrey’s insides—she couldn’t think of one logical explanation as to why Ivy would no longer be on the boat. Audrey did the only thing she could and leaned up against the edge of the boat and peered into the water. No sign of Ivy.
Something vibrated from her jean’s right pocket and she whipped out her iPhone. Sawyer was calling her. “Hello?” Audrey asked.
“I wanted to see how you were doing this morning.” Sawyer chuckled. “And don’t worry. I’m not mad you decided to have a fun night with Ivy. Just glad Ivy texted me about you staying over at her place. Most people wouldn’t be so courteous.”
“I’m still on the boat,” Audrey blurted. “And Ivy is nowhere to be found.”
“Come again?”
“We never went back to shore and had dinner.”
“How much did you drink last night?”
“Just one gin and tonic.”
A folded piece of paper on the driver’s seat of the boat caught Audrey’s attention, and she rushed over to it. “I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go,” she said. “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
Audrey pressed END before shoving her iPhone back into her pocket. Then, she unfolded the note and read it.
Dear Audrey,
I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but I’ve been very unhappy
with my life for a long time, and I’ve decided to end my life.
I know my suicide will probably come as a shock to you. However,
please always think of me fondly.
Love,
Ivy
Audrey crumbled the note and it fell onto the floor of the boat. After that, she screamed. Tragedies were supposed to be something that she watched on the news, not witnessed first- hand. But no explanation was necessary about how cruel life was and the universe often had a twisted sense of humor.
Tears welled in Audrey’s eyes. Nothing could’ve prepared her for this moment, because she wanted to cry. And cry. And cry. Ivy couldn’t be dead; she was only thirty-seven. So, she still had a little more than half her life left.
Ivy was in trouble and Audrey hadn’t seen the signs. So,
Audrey’d never forgive herself for Ivy’s suicide. Audrey had failed Ivy, and she couldn’t fathom how she’d continue with life.
Audrey’s throat tightened. Perhaps Ivy’s death was only meant to resemble a suicide and was really murder. There was a reason people always touted the saying about life being stranger than fiction. Audrey shook her head. Yeah, that had to have been it. Ivy couldn’t have been desperate enough to commit suicide.
The only thing Audrey was certain of was that Ivy was nowhere to be found. And that was why she’d get to the bottom of Ivy’s death. Whether someone murdered Ivy or Ivy actually committed suicide, there had to be more to the story.
Q&A with C.J. Bedell
- Tell us a little about yourself and your writing goals.
My name is Chris Bedell. I write under both “Chris Bedell” and “CJ Bedel.” For UGLY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, it’s the “CJ Bedell” name. And ultimately, I’ve had over a dozen books published by small presses.
- Congratulations on your new release. Please tell us a little bit about it. What’s your favorite aspect or part of the story? Do you have a favorite character? Who/Why?
UGLY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE is an Adult multi-POV Thriller set in the fictional wealthy town of Crescent Hills. The central premise is Audrey doesn’t believe one of her best friends (Ivy) committed suicide. Audrey is committed to finding out what happened to Ivy. And Audrey soon discovers Ivy was keeping a terrible secret…she had been in an abusive marriage for nearly the last two decades. Appearances aren’t everything, meaning things aren’t always what they seem. The Ivy situation is no exception. In addition to Audrey, you also have POV chapters from her friends Marcia and Cassandra, Marcia’s son Ben, and Ivy. Obviously, I can’t give away spoilers. But what I can say is that there’s a lot to unpack with Ivy’s story. My ultimate goal is to keep making readers turn the page until the very end. The book drops one bombshell after another.
- What was your inspiration for your latest story?
I had always been interested in soap operas and night-time dramas about rich and glamorous people. So, I wanted to do the equivalent in book form. But being beautiful and having a glamorous life aren’t everything. Those types of people can still be emotionally unhappy on the inside. Therefore, you have these beautiful living in decadence. Yet they have lots of secrets and are involved in drama.
- Are you a planner or a pantser? How much do you know about your story before you start writing? How often does your plan change? Why does this work best for you?
I’m a pantser. I generally like having eight to fifteen pages of detailed notes (which include a chapter-by-chapter scene breakdown and general book notes) when writing a book. I don’t mind if I get a slightly better idea down the line when I’m writing the book. But the outline and general notes provide the necessary structure for writing the book even if details might change.
- What was the most difficult part of writing this book? Why?
The most difficult part of writing the book was Audrey’s abusive husband Tanner. Tanner is misogynistic, homophobic, violent, abusive, toxic, and all around an unpleasant person to deal with. That is just the reality of Tanner’s character and his function for the story. Nevertheless, Tanner’s scenes were still difficult to write. Not because books can’t have villains/blatantly evil characters—they can and they should—but because of the concrete detail I had to go into to make sure it was driven home to readers that Tanner is the bad guy.
- What advice would you give to newbie writers?
Line edit, line edit, line edit. And I don’t just mean fixing typos and grammar errors (which is obviously important). I’m also talking about the writing flowing at the sentence level. Like can a fifteen-word sentence be reduced to ten words? Are you using a mixture of short, medium, and long sentences? Etc. Etc. Etc. More often than not, less is more. So, it’s important to have really tight writing—every word should matter.
- What is your favorite underappreciated novel?
The Amateurs by Sara Shepard. Sara Shepard is the author of the Pretty Little Liars series and the Lying Games series. But for some reason The Amateurs (which is the first book in a trilogy) is often overlooked. The Amateurs is a YA Thriller just like Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game. So, if you like twisty YA Thrillers—especially ones with multiple POVs—then The Amateurs might be the book for you.
- Tell us about the best vacation you’ve ever taken?
Aruba in 2019. It was my first time going to a country outside of the United States. I stayed at an all-inclusive resort, and it was just a lovely experience. When I’m on vacation, I’m more of a lazy person, which means staying by the pool and beach. So, Aruba fit that description perfectly.
- Where would you most like to go on a future vacation?
This is a fun yet tough question to answer. There are so many places I’d love to travel to. But if I had to pick…The Maldives is someplace I’d love to go on a future vacation. As you might be able to tell, I have a tropical theme going when it comes to vacations.
About the Author
Chris Bedell is the author of over a dozen novels. He also graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.
Author Links
Giveaway
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win
one of two ebook copies of Pieces of My Life.
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