BOOK TOUR GUEST POST: Summer on the Short Bus by Bethany Crandell

Posted by Carrie

Summer on the Short Bus

by Bethany Crandell

YA Contemporary

Book Description

Cricket Montgomery has been thrown under the short bus. Shipped off to a summer camp by her father, Cricket is forced to play babysitter to a bunch of whiny kids—or so she thinks. When she realizes this camp is actually for teens with special needs, Cricket doubts she has what it takes to endure twenty-four hours, let alone two weeks.

Thanks to her dangerously cute co-counselor, Quinn, there may be a slim chance for survival. However, between the campers’ unpredictability and disregard for personal space, Cricket’s limits get pushed. She will have to decide if suffering through her own handicapped hell is worth a summer romance—and losing her sanity.

MELVIN: THE MUSE BENEATH MY FRO

By Bethany Crandell

A muse, as defined by dictionary.com, is a goddess that inspires a creative artist. I’m not sure that I’d consider myself an “artist”, at least not in the traditional sense of the word, and I’m positive I wouldn’t consider my muse a “goddess”, in any sense of the word, but together my muse and I have concocted some pretty ridiculous awesome stories over the years, and it didn’t seem fair to celebrate the launch of SUMMER ON THE SHORT BUS without giving some public recognition to the fuzzy little guy who inspires all the magic.

So, without further adieu, I’d like to introduce you to Melvin,

the
hamster who lives inside my brain.

(Yes, there is a brain under all that
hair!)

Most of Melvin’s time is spent in a steady state of this: sloppy, hung
over,

and totally content to strive for uselessness.

(The weapon is for
the protection of intellectual property, obviously).

hamster photo: Gun Hamster hamsterguncute.jpg

But once I get him under the white noise of my beloved Revlon Ionic Pro hairdryer *pauses to receive product endorsement check* like I do every morning, well…that’s when the near-comatose behavior goes out the window and Melvin

actually proves himself as a hamster of worth.

His steps are slow and steady at first–it takes a minute to work the kinks out–but soon he’s at a full sprint and that’s when the magic happens, people.

(Melvin was a stunt hamster in a former life. His sudden ejection from the wheel has nothing to do with the pints of Guinness he threw back at a St. Patty’s Day party the night before this video was taken)

hamster on wheel photo: Hamster hamster.gif

New characters take shape while old ones are revived with exciting new story lines.

Plot holes are miraculously filled and dead ends are rerouted into territory I never knew existed. It’s like he’s morphed from standard issue hamster into a rodent Jedi or something. The force is always with Melvin….

(I have no idea who Phil Steak is, but I thank him for this image)
Anyway, there’s so much activity going on in those ten minutes I spend under the dryer each morning, it’s no wonder Melvin has to gorge himself when he’s done.

(Carrying that much poundage on those teensy, tiny little toes isn’t easy, folks)

I could say that he’s awesome, talented, ambitious, inspiring, loyal…

but there really aren’t enough adjectives to accurately convey my love for this little guy.

Instead I’ll leave it with this:

MELVIN IS THE BEST MUSE

A WRITER COULD ASK FOR!

Quick side note: *whispers so Melvin can’t hear her*

Hamsters only cost like $5, so coming up with replacement parts,

*coughs* three year life span *coughs*, should you need them,

won’t be a burden on your wallet.

About the Author

I wish I had some mysterious secret to reveal about myself in hopes that you’d find me interesting…but I don’t. When it comes to me, what you see is what you get. And what you get is an irreverent, sarcastic and emotional girl who writes stories about characters with these same traits.

I live in San Diego with my husband, two kiddos, and a chocolate lab who has no regard for personal space. I’m slightly obsessed with John Hughes and the wonderful collection of films he left behind, and I’m confident that Jake Ryan will be showing up on my doorstep any day now…

I firmly believe that prayer solves problems, and that laughter is the best medicine. Along with avocados. Avocados make the world a better place.

I’m represented by Rachael Dugas of Talcott Notch Literary Agency.

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