MISSING PIECES Finds Best Novel Slot for 2015

The Critical Blast Best of Awards added some new categories this year, among them Best Novel. And the first novel to win that category beat out (albeit narrowly) such books as WRITTEN IN THE STARS (Aisha Saeed) and ZEROES (Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, Deborah Biancotti).

MISSING PIECES is a New Adult marketed speculative fiction novel that draws on ROMEO & JULIET themes and the expectations of families. When two best friends from childhood discover their feelings are stronger than mere friendship, they find themselves in potential of violating the laws of their land. In a world where every milestone of a relationship is dictated as to when it will occur, the two protagonists are saddled with having been betrothed to others since they were six years old. Now they must decide whether to break the laws of their nation and face banishment, or break a higher law by ignoring their feelings and doing what is expected of them.

" I wanted to write about forbidden love," Tate tells Critical Blast. "I had this scene in my head about a young woman about to get married to a man she didn't love. Her best friend, whom she has loved for years, who shows up and tries to stop her, but she knows she has to go through with it. The rest of the story came from that scene."

Readers of Critical Blast selected MISSING PIECES from a number of nominees, and also submitted their own write-in candidates. In the end, MISSING PIECES obtained 27% of all votes cast.