Sara Marks...Modern Persuasion

I'm delighted to have Sara Marks back for a visit. Sara first visited when her book, Modern Persuasion was released. She is here today with Phi Alpha Pi, a P&P modern story. She is sharing an excerpt and a wonderful giveaway.  Thank you, Sara, for stopping by today and best wishes with your new release!

I'd like to thank Lola from Lola's Blog Tours for organizing this blog tour and for inviting me to participate. The blog tour runs from May 14th through May 28th. Click the following link to the blog tour schedule.

Phi Alpha Pi (21st Century Austen #2)

by Sara Marks

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age category: New Adult, Adult

Release Date: May 28, 2018

Blurb:

Phi Alpha Pi is the oldest and largest sorority on campus and new president Lizbeth has a busy senior year ahead of her. She’s determined to keep her sorority in good standing on campus after a year on academic probation. She’s trying to manage the new sorority house manager, Mrs. C, who has her own ideas about how to support the sorority sisters. All while trying to find balance with her own academic goals to complete an honors thesis, graduate, and decide her future plans. 

The last thing Lizbeth expects is her anger when Wil, a new member of the Alpha Pi fraternity, pushes every one of her buttons. Lizbeth finds Wil, a new transfer to the university with his best friend, to be rude, snobby, and judgmental. Even though she tries to avoid him, he seems to be everywhere, scowling with displeasure when he sees her.  That is, until his Thanksgiving proclamation of love.  That causes Lizbeth to reconsider how she sees the world.

You can find Phi Alpha Pi on Goodreads

You can buy Phi Alpha Pi here:

- Amazon

- B&N

- Kobo

Excerpt:

As one of the largest and oldest sororities on campus, there was usually someone in the Phi Alpha Pi two-story Greek revival style mansion. Members were eating, studying, or simply enjoying each other’s company. Today there were twenty women moving into their rooms and unpacking for the start of the school year. Lizbeth, as chapter president, had been one of the first sisters to arrive, but still hadn’t unpacked. She and the other officers were too busy helping their sisters move in. Lizbeth had already put out a small, literal fire from a fallen candle. Then she put out figurative fires of roommate mix-ups and fights about who got which bed. Now Lizbeth sat alone in her room, exhausted and anxious to get out of the house, if only for a few hours.

Lizbeth had never been this involved in the sorority. She had agreed to the position, for her senior year, to help keep the sorority off academic probation for low grades. This had been a looming threat in the past. Lizbeth had helped by teaching the sorority sisters ways to get organized, creating study schedules, and helping create an atmosphere that turned studying into social events. She was glad her best friend Jane, who was Membership VP, was helping with the move in. There were sisters that Lizbeth didn’t know and relationships she didn’t understand. Jane was good at soothing hurt feelings and mediating fights. She had to run a membership meeting later in the day. Rush Week, the week before classes started so potential new members could attend all events, launched tomorrow.

"Lizbeth, did you see the shirts she got the board members?" Marie said, entering her room.

Marie, the sorority treasurer, was holding a hot pink T-shirt up to her body. At twenty years old, she was petite and wore her black hair long with bangs that nearly covered her eyes. When she pulled them back she revealed bright hazel eyes and a nose just a bit too big for her face. Marie was Lizbeth’s “little sister,” a bond between sorority sisters that often lasted the rest of their lives. As their resident gadget geek, she always had the latest technology toy. She had the first Fitbit, the first GoPro, was also the first to adopt new social media, and had happily taken over the sorority's web presence.

Lizbeth had seen the shirt Marie was holding in the gift basket their housemother had given each officer as they moved in. Mrs. C, as they were instructed to call her, was brand new this year and a bit over-eager. She had welcomed each of the officers with a huge hug and said basket, which had also included tons of candy, candles, and school supplies. She gave each sister a candle as she moved in. It was one of these very candles that Lizbeth had put out when it fell and burned the carpet. Their previous housemother had never been this excited to see them.

"Yes, I saw it," Lizbeth said with a sigh.

"Lizbeth, it says, 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'"

"Well, she is up on her Austen,” Lizbeth said with a shrug.

Lizbeth sat down on her bed and let herself fall back on the bare mattress.

Marie put her hands on her hips and sighed before responding.

"You know that's not the point. Some of us aren't here to find rich husbands."

"I believe it was the goal for many sisters in her day. She is new and excited. She will learn some of us aren't like this anymore."

"She asked me to wear it tonight."

"No, you’ll wear an official sorority shirt; it’s tradition."

Marie huffed irritably.

"Are we paying for this stuff? She hasn't handed me receipts, but I’m worried she will."

"Let me know if she does. I think this is her gift to us. She made these herself. I mean, the font is comic sans."

Marie left the room and Lizbeth heard her door bang. All the bedrooms were on the second floor of the house, but the two officer bedrooms were adjacent, so they could all work together. Lizbeth lay back on her bed wishing she wasn't living this close to Marie and her roommate Lydia. She closed her eyes for a few moments, hoping to catch a quick nap.

"I think we have everyone settled and don't need to worry about anything until the meeting starts."

Lizbeth opened her eyes to see Jane come into their room. The only good thing about having to live at the sorority house, as far as Lizbeth was concerned, was rooming with Jane. She had only joined Phi Alpha Pi so she and Jane could be together their freshman year. Last year, when the sorority had just come off an academic probation for low grades, Jane and a few graduates had begged Lizzie to run for president. The year had been difficult for some of the sisters, but Lizbeth had emerged as a leader. There was only one other candidate for president: Lydia. Lydia was the de-facto leader of the un-academic sisters and the worst of the lot. In the end, Lydia had taken on the Programming VP role, something she was very good at. Lydia had already planned so many mixers that Lizbeth had forced her to cancel some.

"Is it true there is a party tonight after the meeting?" Lizbeth asked Jane.

"Yes, Lydia planned with the guys at Alpha Pi. They have a few new brothers who transferred from another school and they want to make them feel welcome before Rush Week starts. Do you remember Caroline? Her older brother Charlie is one of those members," Jane added.

Lizbeth nodded, vaguely recalling the woman who had transferred to the university and wanted to get involved at this chapter of Phi Alpha Pi.

"Mrs. C is all abuzz about them because they are so rich."

"Exactly. She thinks Caroline's brother could be a boyfriend for one of us. It is so sweet of her to want to help us."

Lizbeth wished that Jane was being sarcastic, but she knew otherwise. Jane was the kindest person in the world. Jane liked almost everyone, so Lizbeth knew there was something wrong with you if you were the rare person Jane didn’t like (and vice versa).

"You’re too sweet," Lizbeth said.

"Lizbeth, she's recently widowed. Her children are all off living their own lives. She wants to take care of someone and we need someone looking out for us."

Lizbeth rolled her eyes.

"I understand, and I feel horrible for her. I mean, you saw the shirts. God forbid we learn to take care of ourselves rather than hunt for rich men to marry."

"Some members actually want to meet their future husband. Let her get used to us and learn what we need. I’m sure she’ll calm down. If not, well... you’ll certainly be a good balance for her. That is one of the strengths we value in you."

Lizbeth tossed a stuffed bear at her best friend before getting up and organizing her half of the room.

*****

Check out the first book in this series! Modern Persuasion

"Tension builds as they each learn about the current version of the person they once loved and resolve the ramifications of their choices."

Links:

- Goodreads

- Amazon

- B&N

- Kobo

About the Author:

Born in Boston, MA and raised in Miami, FL, Sara Marks has two masters degrees and plans to never stop getting over educated.  She likes the idea of having all the academic regalia she can ever possess and winning with the most degrees in her family.  By day she's an academic librarian.  In what little free time she has, she also knits and plays with her dog Cedric Doggory.

You can find and contact Sara Marks here:

- Website: http://saramarks.net

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saramarks01/

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sara_marks

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_marks01/

- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15507164.Sara_Marks

- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sara-Marks/e/B071YDN66M/

- Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/cuCrNf

Giveaways

There are two tour wide giveaways during the blog tour of Phi Alpha Pi! There is a US Only Giveaway for a prize pack and an international giveaway for 14 e-copies and a print copy of Phi Alpha Pi!

US Only Giveaway

One winner will win a Prize Pack containing:

- Mrs. C's homemade officers shirt in Comic Sans (you pick XL or XXL)

- A Phi Alpha Pi sorority sticker, candle, and bracelet (some of the items mentioned in the story).

- An illustration by cover designer Risa Rodil

- A rooster dishtowel (so you can make cock jokes with Lizbeth and Wil)

- Autographed printed copies of Modern Persuasion, A Little More Modern Persuasion, and Phi Alpha Pi (not pictured)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open for all Giveaway

These are the prizes you can win:

- 14 winners will each win an e-copy of Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks

- 1 winner will win a print copy of Phi Alpha Pi by Sara Marks

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sara Marks, I hope your blog tour is going great and that you are having a good time. Thank you again, for letting me be a part of it.