The X Factor: Confession of a Naïve
Fashion Model
by Ivan Sivec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Young Adult
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
It
takes three mistakes to be swallowed up and spat out by the fashion industry.
You trust the wrong people.
You think you know everything there is to know about life.
You abuse drugs.
The almost 18-year-old Maja is a regular high-school kid, who at the threshold of adulthood thinks she knows everything there is to know about life. As she enters the world of fashion modelling she gets completely enchanted.
However, the more her career thrives she’s less able to see the danger lurking around fashion industry. Maja starts falling in a downward spiral of drug addiction and is torn between the tempting dream of becoming a world famous model and the horrendous thought of destroying her body beyond the point of no salvation.
At a yacht party Maja gets drugged, assaulted and tossed overboard. She’s found the next day. Barely alive. Only a shade of her former self, in a gray space between life and death, she realises the fashion industry sucked everything out of her – except one thing – the will to live. Maja wants to be her old self again.
Ironically, it means losing the only thing that made her special. She has to give up on her hidden X Factor.
The X Factor:
Confession of a Naïve Fashion Model
is a psychological YA novel showing the glamorous fashion world behind its less glamorous scenes.
You trust the wrong people.
You think you know everything there is to know about life.
You abuse drugs.
The almost 18-year-old Maja is a regular high-school kid, who at the threshold of adulthood thinks she knows everything there is to know about life. As she enters the world of fashion modelling she gets completely enchanted.
However, the more her career thrives she’s less able to see the danger lurking around fashion industry. Maja starts falling in a downward spiral of drug addiction and is torn between the tempting dream of becoming a world famous model and the horrendous thought of destroying her body beyond the point of no salvation.
At a yacht party Maja gets drugged, assaulted and tossed overboard. She’s found the next day. Barely alive. Only a shade of her former self, in a gray space between life and death, she realises the fashion industry sucked everything out of her – except one thing – the will to live. Maja wants to be her old self again.
Ironically, it means losing the only thing that made her special. She has to give up on her hidden X Factor.
The X Factor:
Confession of a Naïve Fashion Model
is a psychological YA novel showing the glamorous fashion world behind its less glamorous scenes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
“Please, Klemen, stop talking about fashion agencies and
such!”
“And us?” he held her hand. He was surprised to see she was
wearing the bracelet he had given her for Valentines.
“What do you mean, have you forgotten everything?” she
smiled at him.
Reminiscence.
An element of an art work that revives memories of past
events.
The memory of Bled.
“It’s all in your, my, our hands. Don’t fake ignorance and
use Mr. Egon as an excuse!”
“Just say what you want!”
“I want things between us to stay exactly the same as they
are right now. I want us to always tell each other the honest truth, even if I
ever become as famous as… Claudia Schiffer.”
“Okay,” they shook hands. “Whoever breaks the promise shall
be damned, a hundred times!”
“A thousand times! Damned for life! Okay?”
“Are you thinking of the curse that will strike the one who
breaks the promise?” he looked at her from the side.
“Yes, exactly that one!”
“But will you be able to accept me back after all the bad
things I’ve done to you? I feel like a hustler of the worst kind.”
They were quiet for a long time, staring through the window.
Two turtledoves were sitting on a branch, showing affection
to each other.
“I’m sorry,” Klemen said, absorbed in thoughts. “I’m asking
you to forgive me if you can.”
“I’m asking you to forgive me as well. It’s all up to you,
Klemen,” Maja said softly.
He squeezed her hand strongly, as if he wanted to say that
everything was back to normal.
That they were back to where they had started before
Valentine’s Day 2004.
Now they could finally feel free, independent, free from
evil people.
They were able to find anchor in their haven because their
love was above all the filth.
And the end is always the beginning of something new.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ivan Sivec is a
writer, poet and publicist from Slovenia, Europe. People say he is ‘a man with
a hundred stories’ and he has been sharing them with his audience, both young
and mature, for over four decades now. He is listed under the top five
Slovenian bestselling authors.
In his rich and
thriving career he has written in many genres. As a poet he has written more
than 2,500 lyrics for ethnic and entertaining music for which he received
several awards. His broad prosaic ‘repertoire’ includes biographies,
historical, psychological and adventure novels, travelogues, youth book series,
picture books as well as humorous stories. To this date he published over 130
books and is considered to be one of the most popular Slovenian authors.
His particular
interest goes to psychological novels on issues teenagers face today,
especially topics like suicide, drug addiction, adoption, AIDS... He shares true stories to let the young
reader know they’re not alone.
Sivec devotes
his free time to his wife of 44 years, their two children and three
grandchildren. Since his retirement a decade ago he enjoys his days hiking the
Alpine peaks (he is especially proud to have conquered the tallest mountain in
Europe, the French Mont Blanc (4,810 m/ 15,771 ft), together with his
daughter-in-law Tina). When he is not gathering inspiration from the mountains
he is soaking in the tranquility of the Mediterranean Sea with his wife. Nature is his source of creativity. It allows
Ivan to gather his thoughts and pour them onto paper.
Official
Webpage: http://ivan.sivec.net/en/
Facebook:
facebook.com/ivan.sivec.en
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Ivan_Sivec
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/ISivec
Amazon:
http://amzn.to/1RJz7d9
Kobo:
http://bit.ly/1ZKSE29
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Ivan will be awarding a free e-copy of
the X Factor or a signed greeting card from Slovenia (international) to a
randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a free e-copy of
the X Factor or a signed greeting card from Slovenia (international) to a
randomly drawn host.
