6:12 Photography is excited about partnering with author C. Tuttle to provide the cover image for her debut novel A Storm Within, releasing this May. The cover image features Sean Alexander with Silver Model Management, glaring at the reader with an intensity in his eyes. Hairstyling and makeup artistry for the cover image was provided by makeup artist Missy Young.
6:12: What can readers expect from your upcoming release, A Storm Within?
C. Tuttle: A Storm Within is a fantastic story that has romance, suspense, heartache and a great message about the bonds of friendship and the hard work put in to keep friendships alive. This book helps shed light on many issues from the pressures of being a student to the radical love interests/practices of ‘modern teenagers’. Basic issues are touched on, of course, but for the most part I tried to dive into issues most won’t, I wanted to let the reader know it’s OK to be different. There’s a lot going on in the storyline but after all it is book one in the series. And did I forget to mention a slight preternatural aspect to it?
6:12: Can you give us some insight in your main character, Aubrie? What should we know about him?
C. Tuttle: Aubrie Marshall is a complex character, to say the least. He’s seventeen and in his senior year of high school, need I say more? No really, he’s a lovable character and has a great sense of humor. He’s crazy and goofy at best but has fine honed the skill of being serious when he needs to be. He’s a down to earth kid who loves sports and just relaxing with his friends. He’s a typical teenager just trying to get by but also learning things don’t always go as smoothly as planned. The curve balls thrown at Aubrie almost seem unfair and it broke my heart to write them in but it truly put him to the test proving he really is stronger than he thought he was.
A few things you should know about Aubrie is he’s passionate, dedicated, and loyal. He’s the kind of kid that everyone sees as ‘the boy next door’ and can relate to but they still stand in awe of him because he’s accomplished so much already and they all know great things will happen in his life.
6:12: Can you tell us how Sean came to be the face of your cover? Does he help bring the character of Aubrie to life?
C. Tuttle: Ahhh… Sean. Well, his face just happened to grace my newsfeed one day. The moment I saw him looking back at me I knew he was Aubrie. His face looking as youthful as it did helped but it was more the image as a whole. He was wearing a baby blue beanie and his hair was strategically placed on his shoulders (the long hair was a massive plus), his smile was more of a slight pull of lips and serious looking, it was his eyes that sealed the deal. Oh, I forgot to mention he looked amazing in the gray shirt, that boy definitely lifts! Seriously though, the charisma and tone of his image captivated me instantly! He managed to pull off a broody yet slight “come hither” look with a hint of playfulness tying it all together. He managed to capture so much about Aubrie in that image…. without trying too hard I’m sure. I had to see more of his images to get a better idea but I already knew he would be on my cover based on that one image, which ended up on the back cover.
6:12: Can you tell us how Sean came to be the face of your cover? Does he help bring the character of Aubrie to life?
C. Tuttle: Ahhh… Sean. Well, his face just happened to grace my newsfeed one day. The moment I saw him looking back at me I knew he was Aubrie. His face looking as youthful as it did helped but it was more the image as a whole. He was wearing a baby blue beanie and his hair was strategically placed on his shoulders (the long hair was a massive plus), his smile was more of a slight pull of lips and serious looking, it was his eyes that sealed the deal. Oh, I forgot to mention he looked amazing in the gray shirt, that boy definitely lifts! Seriously though, the charisma and tone of his image captivated me instantly! He managed to pull off a broody yet slight “come hither” look with a hint of playfulness tying it all together. He managed to capture so much about Aubrie in that image…. without trying too hard I’m sure. I had to see more of his images to get a better idea but I already knew he would be on my cover based on that one image, which ended up on the back cover.
I ended up friend requesting him on Facebook and (totally embarrassing to admit) looked through his pictures. He had some really nice images from when he had really short hair and all I could think was “Wow, I hope this kid realizes he’s the character in my head to a T! He’s Aubrie!” I could easily put Sean and Aubrie’s life parallel and see the similarities. Both seemed to like to have fun, do crazy things, and just generally love life.
The more pictures I saw I realized his personality matched Aubrie’s very closely. I got him on other social media and that’s when things really took off.
There was one image that really sealed the deal… it’s a simple shot too! Sean was standing on diving board with a pool underneath him, he wasn’t wearing anything special just a pair of track pants, sneakers and a long sleeve shirt but the look on his face, his body language and the fact he left his hair down to blow around… yeah that simple picture said so much about him and I knew the two were merging before my eyes. I quite easily pictured Aubrie standing there.
I finally sent him a message and took the chance of him ignoring me but held out hope he wouldn’t. Alas, he answered me and seemed very friendly in his answer back. I got the chance to send a few messages to him one day about the book and writing in general, that’s when I knew I made the right choice. He was so down to earth and inquisitive of the whole process it made me laugh a time or two. His personality truly matched what I saw in him that day I saw that first image.
To this day I see his posts and chuckle because I can see Aubrie doing some of the same things.
So, yeah… he really does give life to Aubrie in many different ways.
Now that I revealed that tidbit he better not change, Aubrie would be a lost soul even more so!
Wow! That was long but hard to condense it all in a few sentences. Sean will be the face of Aubrie for the whole series and I HAD to be sure he was the right fit.
6:12: In one statement, what did you want this cover to portray about Aubrie or the story?
C. Tuttle: This is a rough question! I wanted the cover to set the tone for when you opened the book and finally met the characters and you realize they’re as intense as the cover hinted they’d be.
6:12: Now that you've given us a teaser about Aubrie, I'm dying to ask if you have a sneak peek excerpt from A Storm Within that you can share about him?
C. Tuttle: Absolutely! This excerpt is a great one to show the depth of the character:
“Storms seem to calm me down and help me get a grip on my thoughts. The soothing dance across the night sky is a beautiful reminder lightning can be as breathtaking as it is deadly. Kind of like girls, they seem lovely and graceful as they dance through life then the moment comes when you corner them and demand truths you believe you’re ready to hear. That’s when they strike at you in any way they can and burn your heart to ash. Like lightning, females are deadly beauty.
Focusing my attention back to the storm raging outside my window I did my best to push the thoughts swirling around my head to the back of my mind. I just wanted to enjoy the storm and its natural beauty but the raging storm reflected my mood at the moment. Everywhere and nowhere all at once, confused on which way to go but wanting to go in all directions and never truly figuring out how to accomplish such an endeavor.”
6:12: So now that we've heard about A Storm Within, tell us a little more about you. Where's home for you, how long have you been writing and where does your passion as an author come from?
C. Tuttle: I live in Upstate New York but I’m originally from New Brunswick, Canada. I moved here when I was a teenager and ended up traveling all up and down the East coast with the military. My final destination was New York State. It’s a beautiful bit of land that has so much natural beauty it’s hard to believe there’s a huge city attached to it. I draw a lot of inspiration from the landscape and the beautiful sunsets. The storms ripping through the region last fall and this spring have seriously impacted this book, that’s for sure! Book two will actually take place in small town where I work in Central New York.
6:12: In one statement, what did you want this cover to portray about Aubrie or the story?
C. Tuttle: This is a rough question! I wanted the cover to set the tone for when you opened the book and finally met the characters and you realize they’re as intense as the cover hinted they’d be.
6:12: Now that you've given us a teaser about Aubrie, I'm dying to ask if you have a sneak peek excerpt from A Storm Within that you can share about him?
C. Tuttle: Absolutely! This excerpt is a great one to show the depth of the character:
“Storms seem to calm me down and help me get a grip on my thoughts. The soothing dance across the night sky is a beautiful reminder lightning can be as breathtaking as it is deadly. Kind of like girls, they seem lovely and graceful as they dance through life then the moment comes when you corner them and demand truths you believe you’re ready to hear. That’s when they strike at you in any way they can and burn your heart to ash. Like lightning, females are deadly beauty.
Focusing my attention back to the storm raging outside my window I did my best to push the thoughts swirling around my head to the back of my mind. I just wanted to enjoy the storm and its natural beauty but the raging storm reflected my mood at the moment. Everywhere and nowhere all at once, confused on which way to go but wanting to go in all directions and never truly figuring out how to accomplish such an endeavor.”
6:12: So now that we've heard about A Storm Within, tell us a little more about you. Where's home for you, how long have you been writing and where does your passion as an author come from?
C. Tuttle: I live in Upstate New York but I’m originally from New Brunswick, Canada. I moved here when I was a teenager and ended up traveling all up and down the East coast with the military. My final destination was New York State. It’s a beautiful bit of land that has so much natural beauty it’s hard to believe there’s a huge city attached to it. I draw a lot of inspiration from the landscape and the beautiful sunsets. The storms ripping through the region last fall and this spring have seriously impacted this book, that’s for sure! Book two will actually take place in small town where I work in Central New York.
Writing was a passion I had growing up but never put much stock into it until I was a teenager. I used to write poems and I wrote a few short stories but just saved them and they never saw the light of day again, this happened several more times as the years passed. I found myself writing notes for a story but never really committing to writing it.
My biggest dream growing up was to become a published author, whether it was self-published or not… I didn’t care. So it’s safe to say I’ve always had the passion for writing but was too scared to take it on fully and create a world of my own at a young age. Now that I’m in my thirties I’m finally willing to take that chance.
When I tell people I have voices in my head, they laugh, but I’m serious! My voices are more like people inside my head that whisper, chat away, and sometimes even yell at me to pay attention to them. I love that I can spin a story from a character that’s tapping the inside of my brain and giving me tips on them or flat out telling me how the story will go.
I guess my passion comes from my love of each character that will step forward in my mind to say hi. Does that make sense? Haha! I’m not crazy, HONEST!
6:12: What's it like to experience the publication of your first novel?
C. Tuttle: I knew it would be tough work but nothing prepared me for the experience as a whole. It’s been so nerve wracking but at the same time fun and an experience I’ll never forget. I’m so grateful to have people willing to explain the basic details for me like I’m in kindergarten. There’s much more to publishing a book than you would ever think! I surprises me at how many steps you have to take and accounts you have to open just to promote your book and sell your book. It’s definitely tough work, and I’ll be glad when it’s all over and the book is available!
6:12: When can we expect A Storm Within to be released? And where can readers and fans buy their own copy?
C. Tuttle: The book is scheduled to go live on May 30th. It will be available to buy on most digital platforms and also in paperback. The links will be available on my author page soon at www.facebook.com/ctuttleauthor.
6:12: Thank you for this incredible interview and the in depth insight into A Storm Within. I know I'm even more excited for the release now.
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