BIG is Beautiful by Kelly Martin

My sweet friend Kelly Martin and I released books the same day, so she's here to tell us about hers (since I can't shut up about mine). Check it out!

I want to thank Wendy for having me on her blog today to talk about my new book, Big is Beautiful.

I seem to have a theme in two of my books: bullying. Sloan in SAINT SLOAN got bullied (and attacked) for being a Christian. Brittany in BIG gets bullied for being overweight. What I like about both of these girls is that the bullying really does affect them... BUT they are strong and get through it no matter what. Sloan turns to God. Brittany-- well, actually Brittany has a bit of a harder time coping. She can't believe anyone would like her, much less the captain of the football team who happens to be her math tutor.

Will Brittany learn to love herself no matter what? Does Matt really like her... or is he playing a part in her main tormentors plan to humiliate her once and for all? (Personally, I hope he's being genuine ;) )

BLURB:

The seven worst words ever spoken came out of Brittany Gregory's mom's mouth at breakfast, "I signed you up for math tutoring." Sure, she probably needs it (probably nothing, she'll fail without it), but the thought of having to stay in that school longer than she had to every day makes her sick. It's not the school's fault... just the few jerks inside.

Brittany's tutor is none other than Matt Taylor, senior quarterback-- all around hottie. At first, she's shy around him because, hello, Matt Taylor! But as he shows more and more unexpected kindness toward her, Brittany softens around him.

Unfortunately for Brittany, Matt's former girlfriend, the beautifully wicked Kendra Moses, has tormented Britt since eighth grade about her weight. In an unusual moment of brains, Kendra realizes Brittany's initials spell B.I.G.-- a hilarious (to the cheerleader) irony since Brittany isn't the smallest girl at school.

With the Red Ball (Valentine's Dance) approaching, Brittany has to decide if her growing feelings for Matt are real, or if he's secretly been playing a part in Kendra's game all along.

EXCERPT:

The seven worst words ever spoken came out of my mother’s mouth during breakfast. “I signed you up for math tutoring.”

I coughed, nearly choked on my biscuit, and tossed the remaining part on my plate. It took a second for words to form between my full lips, and when they did, it  was a mumbly, “I don’t need math tutoring.”

My mom glared.

I forced the remaining biscuit down and tried this again. “I don’t. My grades aren’t that bad.”

“Sure.” She took a sip of her coffee. “If it’s opposite day.”

It was my turn to glare. My mom, ever the comedian. “Why now? It’s February. Do you know how late it is to have tutoring? I’ll probably fail anyway.”

My mom’s brow rose like the sun over her mug. “Thought your grades weren’t that bad.” Apparently, she woke up on the sarcastic side of the bed this morning.

I sputtered and thought really hard on a comeback. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit my mom’s wit, nor did my adoptive father’s rub off on me. Knocked down but not defeated, I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms like the good defiant teen I wasn’t. “I’m not going.”

“Yes. You are.” No question. No break in her voice.

“No. I’m not.”

“Yes. You are.”

“No…” This was going nowhere. “Mom,” I huffed. “When will I ever need geometry?”

She sat back in her chair, matching me with her arms crossed. Only she had a smirk on her face. Mom’s smirk never meant good things were coming to the smirk-ee. “You need it right now. To pass this class so you won’t be a sophomore forever.”

“I like being a sophomore.” I pouted then squinted my eyes at my mom to see if it worked.

Nothing.

“I don’t. I’d like you to, you know, graduate.”

I shrugged and let out a short sigh. “Graduation is overrated.”

“Brittany.” Mom’s tone had changed into the voice she used when enough was enough. If that didn’t work, I expected the overly raised brow followed by the tilted head… then the lethal stare.

“I guess I might want to graduate someday.”

She smiled and her jaw relaxed. “Good to hear.”

I wasn’t finished. “But geometry? Mama, it’s a hard class. I get shapes. Remember in preschool, I got the Star Student Sticker for knowing all eight of my shapes before anyone else?”

My mom’s body twitched, but an eep of a snicker came out anyway. “That was eleven years ago, Britt. One has to move on. Grow. Learn new things.”

“Yeah, right angles. Acute… obtuse…” I knew all about obtuse angles and obese as my doctor liked to tell me. Who cared if I weighed thirty pounds more than normal? Who invented normal? A normal person?

 BUY LINKS:

AMAZON

ASTRAEA PRESS

BARNES AND NOBLE

AUTHOR BIO: Kelly Martin a southern girl who writes... a lot. She is the author of the bestsellers SAINT SLOAN and THE DECEPTION OF DEVIN MILLER. Her first novel, CROSSING THE DEEP, won the Grace Award for best Young adult novel. By day, she is a teacher. By night, she has her hair in a bun and her fingers on a keyboard. She loves God, is addicted to chocolate, and would rather write than sleep. Kelly loves a good mystery and believes in Sherlock Holmes.

You can find her at http://kellymartinbooks.blogspot.com/

She's also on twitter: https://twitter.com/martieKay

And on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelly-Martin-Author/136506059763138