I am really so very excited to welcome Brynn Stein to the blog to talk about her new release, Ray of Sunlight. I’m excited because Brynn has given us all a real gift here today – a ‘missing scene’ from Ray of Sunlight in honour of today being a  pretty special one. She *wrote an extra scene*!!! And I get to host it here. Whoop!  Lots of geeky and incoherent joy!

Over to Brynn to tell us more.

 

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today, Anna. I thought I’d do something different today, in honor of ‘pi day’. Especially since it’s the pi day of the century. CJ would have loved it. So, here’s a missing scene from Ray of Sunlight. (The book, therefore this scene, is written from Russ’s POV. Pete is Russ’s step-brother and Barbara is the head nurse on the Oncology Ward.)

I entered CJ’s room, not knowing what to expect. His treatments had been kicking his butt lately and he just had one yesterday, but this was CJ we were talking about, so of course he was sitting up in the chair next to his bed. What really surprised me, however was the table in front of him. It was weighed down with what looked like a million pies.

“CJ,” I said, gesturing toward the pastries, “please tell me you’re not going to eat all those.”

He giggled. Actually giggled. “I’m probably not going to eat any of them. You’re going to help me take them around to the kids for ‘pi day’.”

“What’s ‘Pie Day’? Is this a national holiday I didn’t know about?” I was being sarcastic, but I really had never heard of a holiday set aside for pies.

“Not pie day,” he rolled his eyes. “Pi day.”

I scoffed. “Oh, well, I’m glad we cleared that up.” I sat down on the opposite side of the table. “CJ, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Pi, Russ,” I’m sure he could see that I was going to interrupt him so he hurried on to finish. “As in the mathematical symbol. You know, the number you get if you divide the circumference of a circle by its diameter.”

“Ooookay,” I drew out, still confused. “And why is today pi day?”

“It’s March 14^th.” He acted like that should explain everything. Sometimes I thought he gave me a lot more credit for intelligence than he should.

“Ooookay,” I repeated. “And why is today pi day?”

“3.14, Russ.” He laughed. “Are you messing with me are you really this obtuse today?”

“Thought we were talking about circles. What does obtuse have to do with circles?” He hit me, so I gave him the answer he was looking for. “Okay. I was being obtuse and now I get it. March 14^th. 3.14. Pi.” But I couldn’t help but mess with him either. “Why are we celebrating?”

It was actually Pete who answered as he entered the room. “Because we’re geeks?”

CJ laughed and I vowed to deliver as many pies as he wanted, wherever he wanted−around the world if that’s what he asked−just to keep that beautiful smile right where it belonged on that gorgeous face.

Pete had brought in a wheeled cart and all three of us started putting the pies on it.

“Where’d you even get all these?” I finally thought to wonder.

“Barbara got all the nurses to bring in some. These are just for the kids on this ward.” CJ beamed again. “The nurses on the other two wards will have their pies ready when we get there.”

“CJ.” I was a little worried about him overdoing it so soon after a treatment. “Do you really think you should try to get around to all three wards in one day?”

He gave me a look that told me he too was beginning to wonder if maybe he hadn’t overestimated my intelligence. “It’s gotta be today, Russ. It won’t be pi day tomorrow.”

I extracted a promise from CJ that he’d let me push him in a wheelchair if it got to be too much for him, but even as he agreed, I knew he’d never admit to it being too much.

Pete pushed the cart and CJ fell into step beside me as we left the room.

“And next year, Russ. Next year is the pi day of the century!”

“Why is next year so special?”

CJ filled me in on how in 2015 it would be possible to take pi out to more decimal places by adding the year and the time, and he was so excited, I tried to be excited too. I really did. But I doubted very seriously that he would be there next year. The way he was going downhill so fast lately, we were just hoping he made it to his eighteenth birthday in July.

I slipped my arm around him, partly to help support him, but mostly because I just wanted to hold him. For as long as I could.

 

Comment below for a chance to win.

Here’s how the giveaway will work. Visit as many sites as you want, as often as you want. Each comment will enter you to win one of the following prizes: 1^st) An autographed paperback copy of Ray of Sunlight, 2^nd) An electronic copy of Ray of Sunlight, 3^rd) Your choice of audio or electronic copy of Living Again, 4^th) An electronic copy of Through the Years, and 5^th) an electronic copy of Haunted. The takeovers for Harmony Ink’s blog and Facebook page will be part of the tour, so comments on there will count. I will draw the winners during the FB takeover and will announce them then, but will come back and announce it to all the sites too. So, you don’t have to leave your email address here if you don’t want to, just remember to check back. You’re also welcome to leave your email in the comments if you’d rather or email me at brynnstein2@gmail.com with the subject heading of “just in case”, so I can contact you if you win, if you don’t want to have to stop back by the blog sites. You don’t have to be present at the FB takeover to win.

Blog Tour Stops
3/3/2015	Bike Books Review	http://bikebookreviews.blogspot.com/
3/4/2015	Grace Duncan	http://www.grace-duncan.com/guest-author-brynn-stein-3/
3/5/2015	Susan Laine	https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/7982063-guest-post-brynn-stein
3/6/2015	Jo Ramsey	http://www.joramsey.com/blog/
3/7/2015	Alicia Nordwell	http://ciasstories.blogspot.com/2015/03/visiting-author-brynn-stein-with-ray-of.html
3/8/2015	Jana Denardo	http://jana-denardo.livejournal.com/
3/9/2015	Lex Chase	http://lexchase.com/blog/author/megs/
3/10/2015	Sean Michael	http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca/
3/11/2015	Charley Descoteaux	http://cdescoteauxwrites.com/
3/12/2015	Anne Barwell	http://anne-barwell.livejournal.com/
3/13/2015	Karenna Colcroft	http://www.karennacolcroft.com
3/14/2015	Anna Butler	https://annabutlerfiction.com/2015/03/14/brynn-stein/
3/15/2015	Nic Starr	www.becausetwomenarebetterthanone.com
3/16/2015	Shae Conner	http://shaeconnorwrites.com
3/17/2015	Jessica Davies	http://jessicaskyedavies.blogspot.com/
3/18/2015	AideeLadnier	http://www.aideeladnier.com.
3/19/2015	Emma Tett	http://emmy-j.blogspot.co.uk/
3/20/2015	Harmony Ink Blog	http://harmonyinkpress.com/
3/21/2015	Harmony Ink Facebook Page	facebook.com/harmonyinkpress

 

About Ray of Sunlight
Russ Michaels has his whole life ahead of him but no plans beyond dropping out of school as soon as he turns eighteen. He’s been in and out of juvenile detention for the last four years and thoroughly expects to end up in an adult penitentiary at some point. He hates life and everyone in it, especially this latest community service that he earned in lieu of juvie yet again.
CJ Calhoun has big plans. He wants to bring joy and happiness to sick and injured children for as long as he can by performing as a clown. The problem is, he has stage-four cancer and a horrible prognosis.

When circumstances throw these two polar opposites together, they find they have more in common than they imagined. CJ discovers Russ’s talent for art and arranges for Russ to create a mural in the hospital foyer, which leads to a tentative scholarship to the Art Institute. As life changes in ways neither of them could have expected, Russ must work harder than ever to better himself as CJ struggles with his deteriorating health.

 

BUY LINKS
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6176

http://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books/ray-of-sunlight-by-brynn-stein-261-b

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25005560-ray-of-sunlight?from_search=true

 

 

Brynn Stein
Brynn Stein has always loved to write. Fan fiction, original fiction, whatever. While Brynn wrote in numerous genres—everything from mystery, to contemporary, to supernatural—she had always tended toward strong male characters. And then she discovered “slash,” male/male romance, and all those strong male characters were finally allowed to express their love for one another. It seems that there are always at least two characters clamoring to tell Brynn their story.

Brynn lives in Virginia near her two grown daughters who encourage her writing and provide a sounding board for fledgling stories. When she isn’t writing, Brynn teaches children with special needs. In free time, when such a thing exists, she reads anything she can get her hands on, and haunts bookstores. She draws and paints, and enjoys the outdoors—especially if she can get to the beach—and is always thinking about her next story.

Please feel free to contact Brynn at any of the following:
http://brynnstein2.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/brynn.stein
brynnstein2@gmail.com