Travis Walker's charm and sex appeal had always gotten him friends and lots of girls--until his dad went to prison. Now Travis works two jobs just to pay for food and rent for himself and his sick mother. Travis's smile doesn't work with the serious girl who gives out meals at the Community Center or the tough firefighters in the teen training program he's joined. Lucky for him, he's a natural at firefighting and may have a shot at a real career. Even more amazing? He's learns he's capable of genuine friendship with someone of the opposite sex. And this particular someone makes Travis believe falling in love might be possible, even for a player like him. But the awesome new people in Travis' life think he's a regular high-school kid, not a dropout struggling to stay off the streets. As disaster--and the truth--close in, Travis must be strong enough to fight for the future he deserves.

Thanks to Reading Addiction Blog Tours for hosting this blog tour. I have Anne Pfeffer, author of Girls Love Travis Walker here today talking about expectations. Welcome!

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What to Expect When You Read Girls Love Travis Walker

Readers often tell me my books surprised them. They say there was a lot more there than they’d expected, a lot more story and emotion. I don’t set out to make my books unpredictable or unusual, but that’s how they seem to end up.

Fortunately, most people (or the ones who write letters and reviews, anyway) are happily surprised. But because I’d like you to know what you’re getting, I thought I’d try to explain this book a little and tell you what early readers are saying.

To understand Girls Love Travis Walker, think of Will Smith’s film The Pursuit of Happyness (a man struggling to keep his family off the streets), combined with a classic romance novel (boy meets, loses, and gets girl), combined with a main character like Tim Riggins (pictured below) in Friday Night Lights (off-the-charts-gorgeous bad boy with a heart of gold.)

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It is not a lighter-than-air romance, but rather an absorbing, heart-warming and, I hope, sexy read about a serious subject. My book is about first love and second chances. It will make you cry, but in a good way.

To my thrilled amazement, the book has won some awards. On June 1, 2013, the Indie Reader Discovery Awards announced Girls Love Travis Walker as its Third Place Winner in the Fiction Category, putting it among the top six books honored in that competition. www.indiereaderdiscoveryawards.com It was also named a Finalist in New Fiction in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Awards.

But what really makes me happy is that some who hesitated to read the book at first were glad when they did. According to a couple of readers, “The book touched on subjects that I never thought I would find myself reading. …[but] I found myself engrossed in Travis Walker’s story and I just could not get enough.” http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/621290112

“I loved Travis…. My heart broke for the things he went through, things I definitely wasn’t expecting.” http://amzn.to/18Oj8o4

Others noted that it changed the way they saw their lives:

“[It] is one of those rare gems that … causes you to take a long, hard look at your prejudices and preconceptions of the world around you…” http://amzn.to/11furiG

“This … sweet, tender read…. made me look at my life and reminded me that even if I don’t have everything, it is still more than what others may have.” http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/556279751

I’m glad readers are finding they can relate to the plot and the characters. In this story, Travis is not just trying to keep his home. He’s also looking to find himself. I hope you give it a try and love it!