Limelight Literature: BLOG TOUR: THE COLOR PROJECT BY SIERRA ABRAMS

Goodreads Book Description:

Bernice Aurora Wescott has one thing she doesn't want anyone to know: her name. That is, until Bee meets Levi, the local golden boy who runs a charity organization called The Color Project.

Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name; his persistence is one of the many reasons why Bee falls for him. But while Levi is everything she never knew she needed, giving up her name would feel like a stamp on forever. And that terrifies her.

When unexpected news of an illness in the family drains Bee's summer of everything bright, she is pushed to the breaking point. Losing herself in The Color Project—a world of weddings, funerals, cancer patients, and hopeful families that the charity funds—is no longer enough. Bee must hold up the weight of her family, but to do that, she needs Levi. She’ll have to give up her name and let him in completely or lose the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

For fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson, THE COLOR PROJECT is a story about the three great loves of life—family, friendship, and romance—and the bonds that withstand tragedy.

Release Date: July 18th 2017

Publisher: Gatekeeper Press

Links to buy the book:

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In honour of Sierra’s beautiful book, I had the opportunity to ask her to provide a guest post for my blog about The Color Project

What inspired the idea for The Color Project? Creating this beautiful business that is constantly helping people in any way they can. What inspired the name for it?

The Color Project, and the charity inside it, was inspired mostly by my life and the people directly around me. Everyone in the story, the lead characters and the side characters, were created from the unique things I saw in my friends, my family, my teachers, my community. The charity itself came into existence by mixing a few different things—namely, my love for all kinds of art, and the beautiful church and school communities I grew up in.

In the first stages of brainstorming, almost a year before I started writing, The Color Project was owned by a wealthy fashion designer who used her incredibly successful clothing line to help the less fortunate. Levi was a volunteer, along with a few other characters who are volunteers in the final story. I can’t believe this, looking back on it. It sounds like a lovely idea, and one I’d love to introduce in a later book, but it wasn’t right for this story.

Levi, however. Levi was right for this story. And when he was suddenly the love interest, and suddenly taking charge of the charity right before my very eyes, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him: everything he stood for, everything he wanted from life, everything he saw in Bee. I saw the way he drew her out and that was how he, and The Color Project, stuck.

From there, it kind of morphed. Before it was a lonely venture; but now, because I had Levi, it became about the entire community. Which is where I drew from my experiences growing up in very tight communities. I was so used to seeing my parents take meals to people who’d been sick, or just had babies, or lost a loved one. I was used to seeing families take in entire families during the fire seasons in San Diego. When my dad was sick, one family paid our rent for six months through his recovery. Another family gave us $15,000 for a new car when ours broke down. The wealthy families and the poor families alike did what they could to help whenever anyone was in need.

That, I believe, is at the heart of The Color Project, and the story I wanted to write. Levi is special, sure, but anyone can be a Levi in their own right. I believe that with absolute certainty. It’s all about doing what you can, whenever you can. Whether it’s donating money, or paying for a homeless man’s water supply for a few days, or making lasagna for a sick friend, we can all do something.

And that’s how The Color Project came into existence. I hope it steals your hearts as much as it’s stolen mine.

Thank you, Jem, for having me on the blog. And thank you lovely people for stopping by! Comment below and tell me all about the inspiring people/communities/charities in your life!

XOXO,

Sierra

Sierra’s links:

BLOG TOUR:

Monday June 19

In The Morning at 8:00 AM EST - Interview - Brittany´sBookRambles

In The Afternoon at 1:00 PM EST - Review - ReadsandThoughts

Tuesday June 20