Expected publication: May 19th 2015 by Disney-Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Ten years ago, God gave Braden a sign, a promise that his family wouldn’t fall apart the way he feared.
But Braden got it wrong: his older brother, Trey, has been estranged from the family for almost as long, and his father, the only parent Braden has ever known, has been accused of murder. The arrest of Braden’s father, a well-known Christian radio host, has sparked national media attention. His fate lies in his son’s hands; Braden is the key witness in the upcoming trial.
Braden has always measured himself through baseball. He is the star pitcher in his small town of Ornette, and his ninety-four-mile-per-hour pitch al- ready has minor league scouts buzzing in his junior year. Now the rules of the sport that has always been Braden’s saving grace are blurred in ways he never realized, and the prospect of playing against Alex Reyes, the nephew of the police officer his father is accused of killing, is haunting his every pitch.
Braden faces an impossible choice, one that will define him for the rest of his life, in this brutally honest debut novel about family, faith, and the ultimate test of conviction.
Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel came first, and was originally titled CITY ON A HILL. After a lot of back and forth, my editors, agent and I finally landed on a title that we felt more poignantly reflected the heart of the story (since it's a book about strongly-held beliefs and about an impossible moral crisis).
Like Braden, have you encountered an impossible choice? On writing or beyond author world?
I think this is something familiar to most teens, and most humans--when something you've always needed to believe is true turns out not to have been true, you're left in a world that suddenly feels uncertain. Sometimes it happens with beliefs, or with people you thought you knew, but it can be shattering.
Did God gave you a sign on writing Conviction?
I did work through aspects of faith that are important to me--forgiveness, doubt, loving people who are difficult and painful to love--as I was writing the book.
The song Sunshine Blues by Bahamas, perfectly captures the main character, Braden: subtle, aching and restrained.
I’m a fiction writer who believes deeply in the power of stories to illuminate a shared humanity and give voice to complex, broken people. I am passionate about social justice, the San Francisco Giants, and organizing things by color. I studied writing at the University of California—San Diego and at San Francisco State, and enjoy serving on the NaNoWriMo Associate Board and leading creative writing workshops for teens. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my family in an apartment teeming with books. Add me on Goodreads: Kelly Gilbert / Follow me on Twitter: @KellyLoyGilbertI think this book is for me. I really feel alone even though I have friends around everyday. Thank you so much Miss Kelly for your lovely share! We hope to ask more about your book when it's around. :)
Don't forget to add Conviction on Goodreads. Kelly would love to see you there!
By the way, how is your December so far? I hope you all are having fun with my blog event because I am psyched!
Can't wait to read Conviction!
ReplyDeleteMe too! :)
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