In the fall of 2014, I was honored to get to help Jaye Robin Brown (JRo!) with the release of her beautifully written YA debut, No Place to Fall. I was a real fan of that book’s protagonist, Amber Vaughn, and of JRo’s storytelling… including her use of music, which became almost like a living, breathing character in her book. When I was contacted about hosting JRo again for a new novella based on Will, the swoon-worthy love interest from No Place to Fall, I was all in. And, of course, I had to ask her to talk about the music, which again comes alive through her story.

So, here’s JRo on the music of Will’s Story! (And make sure you get all the way down to the end of this post for an awesome GIVEAWAY.)

Five Hot and Fresh Banjo Players (Not including Will McKinney):

In Will’s Story: A No Place to Fall Novella, the reader meets Will McKinney: naughty boy, banjo player, and the love interest in No Place To Fall. Though the novella follows some of the same story line as the novel, in this story the reader gets a little more about the man behind the music and how he fell into playing the banjo. Because really, the banjo hasn’t always had the sexiest history. Most people’s minds go to the movie Deliverance and the banjo-guitar scene on the porch of that river cabin. Banjos have long been equated with a hillbilly, backwoods stereotype. So to dispel that myth, I want to introduce you to five banjo players who are lighting it on fire, playing a variety of genres.

1. Scott Avett from the Avett Brothers. https://youtu.be/O-TI1RbQHlg

2. Rhiannon Giddons from the Carolina Chocolate Drops. https://youtu.be/50lQ5IHW74c

3. Winston Marshall from Mumford and Sons. https://youtu.be/pM7m0y9d3zQ

4. Eleanor Underhill from Underhill Rose. https://youtu.be/itkV6CGou1M

5. Eric Church. https://youtu.be/nqTHjulKIfE

 

No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown {goodreads}
Published December 9th 2014 by HarperTeen

Summary: Amber Vaughn is a good girl. She sings solos at church, babysits her nephew after school, and spends every Friday night hanging out at her best friend Devon’s house. It’s only when Amber goes exploring in the woods near her home, singing camp songs with the hikers she meets on the Appalachian Trail, that she feels free—and when the bigger world feels just a little bit more in reach.

When Amber learns about an audition at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she decides that her dream—to sing on bigger stages—could also be her ticket to a new life. Devon’s older (and unavailable) brother, Will, helps Amber prepare for her one chance to try out for the hypercompetitive arts school. But the more time Will and Amber spend together, the more complicated their relationship becomes . . . and Amber starts to wonder if she’s such a good girl, after all.

Then, in an afternoon, the bottom drops out of her family’s world—and Amber is faced with an impossible choice between her promise as an artist and the people she loves. Amber always thought she knew what a good girl would do. But between “right” and “wrong,” there’s a whole world of possibilities.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Will’s Story: A No Place to Fall Novella by Jaye Robin Brown {goodreads}
Published April 5th 2016 by Epic Reads Impulse

Summary: Will McKinney is a bad boy. At least, he used to be. After nearly getting arrested for some poor decisions involving prescription drugs, Will has been trying to turn over a new leaf. Well, it’s that or suffer the wrath of his father, the judge. Will’s starting to get his life in Sevenmile, North Carolina, in order. He’s applying to colleges. He’s dating the most popular girl at school. And he recently discovered a love of playing the banjo and performing in front of a crowd. But it’s that same love of music that draws him to Amber Vaughn, his younger teenage brother’s best friend. Now Will finds himself wondering if he just might really be a bad guy because even though he’s got a girlfriend, he can’t stop thinking about Amber.

Will’s Story is a companion novella to Jaye Robin Brown’s young adult debut, No Place to Fall, and perfect for fans of her novel and newcomers alike.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

About the Author
Jaye Robin Brown, or Jro to her friends, lives and writes in the mountains north of Asheville, North Carolina. She’s in awe of magic and beauty, and is a stalwart champion for the underdog, both human and other. When she’s not writing, you can find her in the art room of the high school where she teaches, or on her small farm hanging out with her dogs, cats, and horses.

Goodreads | website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

 

Giveaway(s)

(please note that one is specifically US ONLY and the other INTL ONLY)

– US ONLY-
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

-INTL ONLY-
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js