Blog Tour 1st September – 5th September
Day 1 Features Izzy Moffit
Book: Izzy Moffit’s Road to Wonderland
Author: Victoria L. James
Genre: New Adult
Synopsis:
Making it to seventeen in one piece isn’t usually a concern for your average teenager, but if there’s one thing Isabella Moffit has never been, it’s average. Dragged through life by parents who couldn’t care less and surrounded by violence on a daily basis, Izzy reaches that epic birthday milestone in her life with only one person to thank for getting her there: her best friend and soul sister, Paris Hemsworth.
Vowing to stand side by side through thick and thin since they were four years old, the two of them have made it this far and are confident that now is their time to tackle the world head on, one shaky, naive little footstep at a time.
Except they have no idea what awaits them both on the other side of adulthood, and before either one of them can strap on their hard hat, they’re taking so many knocks and bruises that Izzy’s childhood suddenly seems like a stroll in the park.
Dodging as many bullets as they can along the way, Izzy tries to hold on to Paris’ hand for as long as possible without either one of them slipping away. But no-one ever told them how rough their journey would be. No-one told them that friends and family would change or leave along the way. And no-one told them that for every good intention they have, there’s a thousand people out there with bad ones, waiting to rip them apart.
Follow Izzy’s journey in part one of the Road to Wonderland series - a coming of age novel with a difference, where you’ll face tears, tantrums, laughter and heartbreak, but above all else, hope. Hope that no matter what life throws your way, it’s all part of setting you on the right path to your very own Wonderland and that, more often than not, everything happens for a reason
Author Bio:
Victoria L James is a teenage girl stuck in a thirty-something year-olds body. Living somewhere 'oop north' in England, she has had a strong passion for words and stories going as far back as she can remember, which she credits to her grandmother and her love of reading anything that was on sale and cheap from the local market stall. Never once did she think she would release a novel, though. At best, she thought her love of language and her ability to create stories in her mind would provide her with a 'get out of jail free' card whenever she messed up and her parents were mad at her during her teenage years... and when even that didn't work out, she thought she was pretty much done for.
When an opportunity presented itself for her to take a back seat from paid working life for a few years, she knew straight away that she had to try and write about a few of these worlds she'd come up with along the way, and quieten all the voices in her head without racking up a heavy psychiatry bill for the pleasure.
Wearing her heart on her sleeve and trying to lighten her friends’ and family’s lives with naff, and more often than not, badly timed, nineties jokes, she has yet to learn the art of knowing when to shut up. Which is another reason writing became a passion of hers. With pen and paper, there are no limits.
A firm believer in never quitting, with a ridiculous obsession for all things Rocky, she hopes that one day she writes a story that will inspire at least one person out there to keep on going if they're struggling. Other than that, she's just a regular old converse wearing, corona sipping, English version of Chandler Bing, who loves and adores her family more than life itself. Oh, and she also has two cats. Every writer has to mention their cats, right?
Social Links:
Twitter: @Victoria_LJames
The Road to Wonderland Series
Available as ebooks and paperbacks
The Road to Wonderland Series:
Ethan Walker interviews Izzy Moffit
Wandering into the room and sliding my suit jacket from my shoulders, I loosen my tie and roll up my sleeves before dropping into a strategically placed leather chair. Picking up and sipping on the beer that someone had the kindness to provide as I wait for Izzy Moffit to show up, I stare at the door impatiently.
I haven’t seen her perfectly pert arse for a while so I knock the pillow into the middle of her chair with my outstretched foot, hoping she will bend over to move it. I’ve been thinking up questions for almost twelve hours, most of them highly inappropriate, the others simply passable. As a woman of wit and sarcasm I know she’s going to give as good as she gets, but that’s all part of her charm.
The very thing that gets me–
Turning at the sound of the door, I smile at my beautiful blondie as she approaches with her shoulders back, her chin held high and a radiant smile on her full lips. She’s stunning as always, her fair hair falling around her shoulders and mint coloured converse that adorn her feet are two things that are exclusive to her alone.
Ethan: Izzy, it’s very good to see you again. You look beautiful. Thank you for joining me.
Watching as she spins to pick the pillow up, I smirk and tilt my head to the side to admire her arse for a second, right before I realize she’s staring at me under her arm. Caught red handed, I pull the short list of questions from my shirt pocket.
Moffy: *I’m surprised how much I enjoy seeing him giving me that look of his, but I try not to show it too much. Give Ethan Walker an inch and he will expect a mile. Straightening up, I subtly clear my throat and try to hide the small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth as I spin around and sit down as formally as I can* Thank you for having me. You look.... well prepared. *My smile breaks free as I nod to the paper in his hands* That’s unexpected given our last meeting.
It’s really hard not to smirk or flirt with this woman, and I’m going to make sure to have words with management about this predicament. Who the hell am I kidding, I’m gonna get the bastards a fruit basket.
Ethan: There’s a lot you don’t know about me yet, Izzy. *Smirks and leans forward resting my elbows on my knees.* It’s a shame you’re not the one with the questions.
Moffy: *leans forward* I don’t think I need any questions to figure you out. I’m a journalist slash writer. I had you pegged the moment I… *stops, looks up into his eyes and bites lip* Never mind. Shall we get started, Mr. Walker?
Ethan: *Raises one eyebrow.* I don’t think you know me at all, Miss Moffit, but you’re right. *Sits back and drops the paper over the arm of the chair with a challenging smile.* Let’s go ahead and get started shall we? *Crosses ankle over other knee and grips the arms of the chair.* You’re a beautiful woman, you’re kind, loyal and funny as shit, yet you’ve had several crappy relationships in your life. Do you think there’s a pattern there, or do you just have a type that’s just all wrong for you?
Moffy: *Faltering the moment he pays me a compliment, I quickly tuck my hair behind my ear and try to keep myself together. He’s right, I don’t know anything about him at all, otherwise I’d have known he would start off with the hard questions to throw me off balance. Despite him constantly being in my thoughts recently, the two of us haven’t spent much time together at all, and this interview suddenly seems more daunting than it did ten minutes ago* I… Umm. *shuffles in chair before looking up and him and sucking in a slow breath, deciding honesty is the best policy* I don’t know. I think I might be a sucker for a sob story and I tend to love people a little too hard sometimes. If I go into something, I throw myself in one hundred percent… and that can often leave me open to being used, hurt and an horrific judge of character. I like to believe that other relationships have gone wrong in the past, though, so maybe something bigger and better will come along in my future. Someone who can handle my sassier side without feeling like I’ve put his penis in a hot wash just to make it shrink. You know? *tilts head to the side and blinks*
Ethan: *Feeling like I’ve just been issued a challenge, I nod with interest, lifting a finger to scratch at my temple.* So what do you look for in a man, other than penile endurance?
Moffy: Honesty, the ability to laugh at himself as much as he laughs at anyone else, someone who can say I’m sorry when he makes a mistake… because we all make those. *pauses and stares into his eyes a little too long* Someone who will keep me on my toes, treat me right as long as I treat him right and… hazel eyes.
At this point, I’m pretty certain Izzy Moffit is flirting with me. Shifting my body a little to the left in attempt to find a more comfortable angle, I reassess my questions in my head, completely abandoning the game plan I had before walking into this room.
Ethan: All reasonable qualities. *Smiles at her again* I just want to pick up on what you said about mistakes. We’ve all made them, you’re right about that, but what would you say is your biggest one to date? And what would you do differently?
Moffy: *swallows quietly* I became something I swore I would never allow myself to be. There was a guy and he took me for a bit of a ride. He made me question who I was, what I stood for and tried to change me to become something he wanted me to be. For a short while, I let him. If I could do anything differently, there are three little words I probably wouldn’t have said as quickly as I did. But that’s all. I wouldn’t take it back. I wouldn’t be who I am today without those things happening to me. I wouldn’t have learned the lessons I have. Our mistakes make us who we are. Don’t you think?
Ethan: *My sad smile is all I can offer considering some of my bad choices in life.* I certainly wouldn’t be this version of me without some of those mistakes of mine. If you ask me, however, the guy is a grade A idiot for not holding onto you with both hands. *Shuffles in my seat wishing I hadn’t dropped the bloody questions.*
Moffy: What if he isn’t the idiot, Ethan? What if I’m just an epic bitch? *watches him with a giant grin on my face, all too aware of what he said about me and when he said it*
Ethan: *Cringing* Yeah well some people are absolute twats who speak before thinking it through, but this ain’t about me, this is about you. *winks*
Moffy: Some might say they are pricks, even. *bites back a laugh* And my apologies… sir.
Ethan: Point to you, beautiful. But if we’re going to flirt, we should at least get more comfortable. *Chuckles and tips head toward her in a challenge. She obviously has a preconceived notion about me. A well deserved one, but that’s not the point... *
Moffy: *feels cheeks begin to flame to life* I’m just here to do an interview. *grins and leans back in chair, crossing one leg over the other and raising both brows* Show me the way....
Ethan: *Getting up and pulling my chair close enough to hers that our legs will now be touching, I drop into the seat and slide down. Watching her reaction as I pull my tie up over my head and drop it to the side.* That’s a bit better. Okay back to the questions. You’ve not had an easy life, you had some serious shit going on even as a kid. Not being able to change the past, what would you say you have learned from your experiences, and how did it help shape you as a person?
Moffy: *My eyes flicker to the tie at the side of us before I turn back to him and focus on the question. It’s almost impossible not to react to his legs touching mine, but I give it my best shot, all too aware that he can probably read every reaction I’m having from my face* Wow. You go deeper than I thought you wou- *stops and leaves mouth hanging open, realising just how fucking inappropriate that sounds. Quickly tries to fumble around for something else to say, all my cool now gone right along with his tie* I mean… I just… I know that sounded rude, that wasn’t what I was meaning. *swallows again, closes eyes briefly and looks back up*
The question. Right. No, I guess I haven’t had an easy life, but I think we’d all be surprised by how many other people haven’t, too. It’s easy for us all to see what we see out in the world now - the image that people want to create for themselves - but I can guarantee that behind every smile or pair of bright eyes, there’s at least one gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, that-shit-fucked-me-up-and-I’ve-never-been-the-same-since tragedy that’s happened to them. And I guess that’s what my life and my journey has taught me. Woe is me isn’t good enough. We all have moments where we falter and wish things hadn’t happened, but everyone out there has it just as crappy as we do. I’ve learned that you’ve got to keep being strong, even when you’re weak because if you stop or let people bring you down, they will. The world’s a nasty place. You’ve got to be able to fight, even if you’re not a fighter at all.
Ethan: The more you talk, the more beautiful you become. *Grins at her, knocking her leg with mine.* You’re right, everyone has a heap of shit behind them, and skeletons in the closet. It’s just the way you chose to deal with that steaming pile that sets you apart, and you just blow me away with your approach.
*Trapping her legs between mine, I run my thumb under my bottom lip in thought.* Enough of the serious downer shit for now. I have more pressing questions to ask. What colour are your knickers?
Moffy: *Inhales slowly, holding the breath high up in my chest* I don’t know. I left them in my drawer at home.
Ethan: *Surreptitiously shifts little Ethan and inappropriately stares at her crotch.* Shit. You know your way into a man’s trousers. *Rubs my five o’clock shadow and sits forward, one hand resting on the arm of my chair, so my fingers barely dust over her knee.* Do you give second chances?
Moffy: *eyeing his fingers, I answer quietly* Always.
Ethan: *Tipping my head to the side to catch her eyes with mine.* What’s your idea of a perfect date?
Moffy: *looks up carefully and smiles* A night in watching Rocky. Maybe some Corona and take out. I like chinese food. I like kissing on my sofa and I like not having to make much of an effort just to wear clothes I’m hopefully going to want to take off. I like to flirt horrendously, even if I’m shocking at it and I like it when a guy looks as though he’s with me because he wants to be… not just because he’s curious as to what colour my underwear might be. But that probably all sounds insanely boring for you,Ethan....
Ethan: *Smirking and shaking my head in disbelief.* You have absolutely no idea who I am do you, blondie? You just described my perfect night. Sure I run a club, but lounging on the couch with a woman I’m comfortable with in ratty sweats is actually closer to the person I am that the suit wearing business man. You know what they say about assumptions though… *Smirks* Just because I’m curious, about you mainly, why Rocky, and why Corona?
Moffy: Well… *blows out a slow breath and lets both hands fall to my thigh, just so they get that little bit closer to his fingers* I love Rocky because I always, always champion the underdog and I like to believe that dreams can come true, no matter how late on in life they do. As for the Corona. What can I say? It makes me horny. *shrugs and grins*
Ethan: I’ll keep that in mind. *Lets the tips of my fingers touch hers.*
Moffy: *stares at our hands, speaking softly* And why would you do that?
Ethan: You really have to ask?
Moffy: Apparently so.
Ethan: Seeing as you asked so nicely, I’m going to get to my last question of this session. Izzy Moffit, the beautiful, smart and intellectual woman that you are. You give second chances, you have amazing taste in movies, and you’re a generous spirit. My question to you is this…
*Pauses for effect*
When the hell are you going to let me have that second date?
Moffy: That depends…
Ethan: On?
**Recording lost beyond this point**
To be Continued...
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