Welcome to Day 1 of Science Geek Appreciation Week with author Kelly Oram–a fun-filled week of teasers, interviews, games, giveaways, and lots and lost of science! We’re going to kick off the week by introducing you to the stars of the Spanish Fork High Science Squad–Club President Avery Shaw and her newest recruit, Grayson Kennedy–in their debut novel The Avery Shaw Experiment.
Title: The Avery Shaw Experiment
Author: Kelly Oram
Publisher: Blufields
Pages:221
Available: Amazon, iBooks, B&N, Kobo
Summary: When Avery Shawâs heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows howâscientifically.Â
The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. Sheâs going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she canât do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.Â
Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aidenâs older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. Heâs in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her âobjective outside observer,â she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesnât need to grieve. She needs to live. And if thereâs one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, itâs living life to the fullest.
I was so out of it that Iâd slipped into the bathroom while Grayson was in the shower, and I didnât even notice until he poked his head out from behind the curtain with a surprised look on his face. âAves, babe, Iâm a little busy here.â He cocked an eyebrow and gave me a crooked smile. âUnless youâre planning to join me…?â
Just then there was a loud knock on the door, and my motherâs worried voice called out to me. I looked up at Grayson and in a moment of sheer panic didnât think twice before jumping behind the curtain with him.
âWhoa! Avery! I was only teasing!â
I could hear Grayson, but I couldnât really respond. I leaned my back against the cold tile wall and closed my eyes, letting the hot water rain down on me.
There was another knock, louder this time, and then the door opened. âAvery? That you in here, sweetie?â
I frantically shook my head, praying that Grayson would do the right thing.Â
âSorry, Kaitlin. Itâs just me.â
âOh. Sorry, Grayson. I thought maybe you were Avery.âÂ
âYeah, I get that a lot,â he teased.
âWill do.â
The door clicked shut and things got quiet. I stood there for so long that my head started to hurt and I got really dizzy. My knees buckled.
Grayson quickly caught me under the arms. âAvery, breathe,â he commanded.
I took a breath. As oxygen flooded my lungs, I realized it was probably the first breath Iâd taken in minutes. Literally.
âAves,â a low steady voice said. I felt hands on either side of my face. I opened my eyes, and Graysonâs beautiful piercing blue ones were staring down at me from just inches away, taking up my entire field of vision. âYou good now?â he asked.
I may have been breathing, but I would never be âgoodâ again. I flung my arms around him and began to release gut-wrenching sobs into his chest.Â
…
The compliment startled her. She blushed and looked at her feet as she mumbled, âI need to blow my hair dry.â
I grinned. âDonât want to have to explain to anyone how it got wet, eh?â
She turned even brighter red but then glared at me. âIÂ just donât want my hair to freeze.â
I laughed as I threw my hands up in surrender and then laughed even harder when she stalked past me into the bathroom.
I leaned against the door and watched, curiously, as she dried her hair. There was something oddly fascinating about watching Little Avery Shaw primp. Sheâd never seemed like such a real girl to me before. She wasnât so little anymore, either.
She caught me staring at her in the mirror, so I quickly said, âI thought dorks were supposed to have bad hair and horrible, frumpy fashion senses.â
âJust because I enjoy learning doesnât mean Iâm a dork,â she said, insulted.
âTwo words for you Aves: science club.âÂ
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