Book Launch Interview: Mia Garcia & THE RESOLUTIONS!

Hi, there! Today I'm super excited to share an interview with one of my favorite authors, Mia Garcia!

M. García was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to New York where she studied creative writing at The New School, worked in publishing, and lived under a pile of to-be-read books. She is the author of Even If the Sky Falls and the upcoming The Resolutions from Katherine Tegen books (an imprint of Harper Collins) coming November 13, 2018.

That's right. The Resolutions is out TODAY. Here's a bit more about this amazing book:

A heart-expanding novel about four Latinx teens who make New Year’s resolutions for one another—and the whirlwind of a year that follows. Fans of Erika L. Sánchez and Emery Lord will fall for this story of friendship, identity, and the struggle of finding yourself when all you want is to start over.

From hiking trips to four-person birthday parties to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable. But now with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been growing apart. And so, as always, Jess makes a plan.

Reinstating their usual tradition of making resolutions together on New Year’s Eve, Jess adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them to one another—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, find your calling outside your mom’s Puerto Rican restaurant, finally learn Spanish, and say yes to everything.

But as the year unfolds, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora each test the bonds that hold them together. And amid first loves, heartbreaks, and life-changing decisions, beginning again is never as simple as it seems.

In honor of Mia's book birthday, I sent her some questions and did my best not to exclusively discuss food (it was very hard not to!). Here's what Mia had to say:

 

1) Let's talk writing. How would you describe your drafting process for The Resolutions? How did it differ from your (AMAZING) debut, Even If The Sky Falls?    

This is an excellent question because Even If the Sky Falls felt like such a plot driven story – not that emotions didn’t play a large role in it – but because of the 24-hour time constraint I had to keep the action going and make sure you were always aware of the storm that was approaching moments away.

With The Resolutions we follow four characters over a whole year, which meant I had more time to work with feelings and linger on small moments.  It also meant that with four characters that time was limited.

I forgot where I was going with this…Ah yes. Both novels were started under-contract so I had a strict deadline for both. Both were written in under 4 months and each editorial round took around 6 weeks to complete. But (going back to my earlier statement) because Even If the Sky Falls was a much more plot driven story, there was a clear skeletal structure that I could grasp onto while I was editing. It took me several revisions to find that structure in The Resolutions because each character had their own beat and each beat had to come together with the other to form a symphony or at least a runaway pop hit. 

2) The Resolutions centers around a group of friends who pick New Year's resolutions for each other (confession: I wouldn't trust my friends with that, lol). What came first during your brainstorming process for this particular story, the characters or the premise? 

I hear you – I’m not sure if I’d trust my friends with that either, though I have a feeling I know exactly what they’d pick.

The Resolutions was a collaboration between my editor Alex Arnold and myself. We both have a love of book friendships. In fact, I think the way she described this book when it was announced was “friendship = life’s blood” which is totally true. We brainstormed each character’s resolutions, which gave us the skeleton for the story. But it wasn’t until I figured out their relationship and voices (and particularly their repartee) that things really came together. My favorite scenes to write were the text exchanges and the moments where they were being silly and supporting each other.

3) One of the reasons why I love The Resolutions so much is the FOOD. You have no idea how stoked I am to see Puerto Rican cuisine so often in this story. If you could eat only one Puerto Rican dish for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

Amparo! How could you do this to me? ONE dish!?! Can I have a savory and sweet dish? I’m going to pretend you said yes.

I’m a sucker for a good bistec and habichuelas – particularly because I can never find recao over here so it never tastes right when I make it. For dessert I am very judgmental of flan/tres leches because I’m partial to my mami’s. OMG I almost forgot mallorcas – like – how could I?

Clearly I can’t answer this question…

4) If you were a character in The Resolutions, what's a resolution you'd like for your friends to pick for you? It can be one that's not featured in the book!

Ohh, that’s interesting, because I put a little of myself in each of my four main characters so in a way it feels like I’m in the novel already, but…Amparo this is hard!! OK, I think they would encourage me to have a little more patience with the dating process, but to be honest it feels like another job and I don’t need another job!

5) Which fictional character from any other story would you pick a resolution for and what would that resolution be? 

I would tell Minerva McGonagall to take a sabbatical – she needs it.

Thank you so much to Mia for letting me pick her brain! Make sure to get your copy of The Resolutions at the links below: 

IndieBound / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Books A Million

Also, you can follow Mia here:

Website / Twitter / Instagram / Tumblr / Pinterest

Interview: Leigh Ann Kopans, Author of ONE!!!

Today is an exciting day, folks. Why?

Because Leigh Ann Kopans.

She released her debut YA novel, ONE, on Tuesday. I've been dying to read this baby for a while, and now that it's out, I can breathe fresh air once more. *jumps up and down*

Here's le summary:

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

Amazeballs, right??? So. In honor of ONE's release, I'm sharing with y'all an interview with its awesome author! Here's a little bit more about Leigh Ann:

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. After earning degrees in Sociology and Hebrew, she went on to become a rabbi at The Ohio State University. Surrounded by college students, she found her niche writing science fiction and romance for teens.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio, which sadly lacks superheroes but does have the best football and fabulous ice cream.

And here is le interview:

1) Confession: I LOVE superheroes. Because obviously. I know you're a Marvel fan (as am I, but I can never forsake my beloved Batman), so if you could invite any superhero to dinner, be it from graphic novels or TV shows or movies, who would it be? What would you love to talk about with her/him?

I LOVE SUPERHEROES TOO!!!! Eeeeee!

So, my favorite superheroes are Jean Grey and the Wasp (which is why the main characters of ONE get their last names from them), BUT if I could have anyone over to dinner it would be Mystique, who’s a shape shifter. First of all, JLaw. (Duh.) And second of all, I’d love to talk to her about all the different people she’d been and how she was the same and different each time – how she felt, and how she was treated. And I’d like to know what it feels like, and how it affected her, to be able to change her appearance whenever, and to whatever, she wanted.

2) Speaking of superheroes, ONE is the story of Merrin, a girl who sort of has a superpower, but not really. Which came first: Merrin or the sort-of-superhero premise? Was the brainstorming process fast-paced or a slow burn?

The sort-of-superhero premise had been around for YEARS, ever since I was a little girl watching X-men cartoons on Saturday mornings.  Those shows focused on the people who had seriously awesome powers, and I wondered what it would be like for someone who had one component of a power, but not enough to make them do anything truly impressive. Especially because there was such a heavy theme of social stratification in shows like X-men, I wondered where half-superpowered people would fall, and whether they would fit in anywhere.

I actually wrote chapter 8 of the book first – the scene where Merrin and Elias discover how their Ones affect each other. The rest of the book sort of unfurled pretty quickly from there, with few snags.

3) Whether it's the ability to full-on fly or an internship at the Hub, Merrin is quite the pro at longing for things that are a bit out of reach. But even when things do start happening for her, Merrin has to deal with her wishes not being as awesomesauce as she imagined. Was there ever a time when writing ONE made you feel the same way? Did Merrin's voice prove to be different than how you originally set out to write it? 

Wow, that’s a great question! Yeah, I think all writers can identify with the feeling of struggling to make the words on the page communicate the pictures and characters in your head, right? I think especially because I had loved comics and superhero movies so much, I had this grandiose idea for the story I’d be able to tell. It turns out that ONE is just as much a romance as a story of a girl finding her superpowers, and both of those things have equal bearing on her character.

It’s funny that you asked about Merrin’s voice, because that was the element of the story that underwent the most changes in revisions. Merrin still lives in my head as this fundamentally angry, abrasive girl, which is fine – until she starts interacting with other people. My critique partners and editors helped me realize when Merrin’s personality was spilling over too much and ruining character and story arcs. She’s much tempered in the final version.

4) So. Elias VanDyne. *fans self* I love me some good romance in YA. Because obviously. What do you think makes a YA love interest swoonworthy? Which are some of your favorite YA love interests?

I think, for Young Adult love interests, selflessness and sweetness are two of the most swoonworthy things in a boy. Teen boys aren’t really that widely known for their emotional depth or focus on the intricacies of relationships, so when a boy shows that he’s listening to a girl, that he appreciates her for something other than what’s in her pants, and that he wants to be with her because  he genuinely enjoys being around her, that goes a long way. Making her feel all hot and blushy will take him the rest of the way, whether because of the way he looks, the words he says, or the things he does for her. The reader has to get the impression that there couldn’t possibly be a better boy on the whole planet for this girl – like if they’re not together, something will have gone seriously wrong in the world. (Not that that’s ever true, we just want readers to feel like that at that moment in the story.)

5) Every manuscript begs to be written in different ways. What part about writing ONE differed from your previous manuscripts? Was it harder/easier? How did ONE help you grow as a writer?

ONE was easier than the manuscript I’d written before that, my first one, because the characters were really fully formed in my mind – their motivations, their personalities, the way they looked, everything. I’m really a character-driven writer, and ONE was where I really learned that.

About halfway through the second revision of ONE, I discovered the Save the Cat beat sheet, used it for revisions, and it changed my life. Now I do a beat sheet at the beginning of every manuscript, before I even think about writing a word. From there, I make an outline. That’s right – ONE, in a way, changed me from a pantser to a plotter.

That said, I’ll never forget the magical feeling of having that first scene I wrote in ONE pour from my fingers. I’ve got to figure out a way of getting back to writing passionately, out of order, without making me feel like I’m cheating on the outline.

6) I'm a serious sucker for food. Nutella and Twizzlers rule my world. Is there anything you munch on while writing/revising? 

Coffee and chocolate while drafting, and I’m afraid I’m horrible about munchies when revising. I think that revising is such an anxiety-filled process for me, full of worry over whether I’m changing the right things in the right way, and all that staring at the screen and puzzling with idle hands makes me want to eat endlessly. These days, I’m doing that with mostly popcorn, which I tell myself is healthier than other options.

7) Are you working on other projects at the moment? If so, TELL ME EVERYTHING, WOMAN. 

Yes! I already have my February 2014 book finished, which is a YA romance. I’m in the very early stages of  a spinoff for that one, which I’m planning to publish next summer – that will be a New Adult romance, likely. I’m also in the middle of editing Chrome, which is my futuristic sci-fi retelling of the Exodus from Egypt, and I’m in the early stages of rewriting my first ever manuscript, a time travel romance, as a New Adult novel.

(I love that you were so interested. It made me blush.)

Amparo, I’ve admired you and your work for a long time. It was truly an honor to be interviewed on your blog today – thank you so much for inviting me.

Thank YOU for being so freakin' great (as both author and blogger extraordinaire) and answering my questions, Leigh Ann! *bows down* Want to get a copy of ONE?? Find it here:

Amazon Kindle
Paperback (from Amazon)
Special Edition Paperback with comics (from Amazon)
Barnes and Noble Nook
iBookstore
Signed (from Leigh Ann's site)
Createspace

Praise for One

"One balances a fully imagined, super world with deep, well-crafted characters and took me on a heart pounding, heartbreakingly authentic journey I hated to see end."

~Trisha Leigh, author of The Last Year series

“Exciting, edgy, romantic and beautifully written, ONE is a book from an incredible new writing talent that will leave you longing for more!”

     ~Emma Pass, author of Acid (Random House 2013) and the upcoming The Fearless (Random House 2014)

"I opened One and didn't put it down. On the surface it's a fast-paced superhero story combined with all the wonderful and terrible aspects of teenage life, but beneath that is the story of a girl who only wants to be more than she is. It's a fun adventure cloaking a simple but powerful truth of the human condition."

~Francesca Zappia, author of the upcoming Ask Again Later (Greenwillow/HarperCollins 2014)

Interview: Elana Johnson, Author Of POSSESSION And SURRENDER!

*originally posted on September 29, 2011 @ Reel YA*

I'd like to welcome YA author/blogger extraordinaire Elana Johnson to Reel YA! Elana's the author of the YA dystopian, POSSESSION, which is in stores now. The companion novel, SURRENDER, was released this past June by Simon and Schuster. 

Without further ado, here's Elana's quick interview:

Favorite movie genre

I can only have one?! I love movies. Probably romantic comedies the best.

Favorite teen movie

I'm not sure what a teen movie is... Movies with teenagers? How about 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU? I like that one. Oh, and A CINDERELLA STORY with Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. Especially Chad Michael Murray... 

(Oh, Chad Michael Murray... *stares*)

If Violet Schoenfeld could direct her own movie, which genre would she choose and why?

Vi would want to go as radical as possible. Maybe like a steampunk/western/fantasy? Ha! She's all about doing whatever she wants, no matter what. 

(and that's why I love her!)

What's one thing you've learned as a writer from watching teen movies?

Relationships are messy. They're messy in movies, they're messy in real life, they should be messy in books, too. 

(word)

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even thinkabout kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself. 

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Huge thank you to Elana for taking time out of her schedule to answer some Qs! Make sure you pick up your copies of POSSESSION and SURRENDER, which are available now!

Interview: Kirsten Hubbard, Author of WANDERLOVE!!

I'm BEYOND delighted to welcome one of my fave YA authors to the blog today!! Ladies and gents, I give you Kirsten Hubbard! *claps like a maniac* Kirsten is the force of nature behind contemporary YA novels Like Mandarin, and the upcoming Wanderlove (which I've reviewed here). Without further ado, here's my quick interview with Kirsten:

1) Favorite movie genre

Honestly, just like books, I love movies from almost every genre (including really good horror).

2) Favorite teen movie

I adore Clueless, but if I had to pick just one, it'd be Empire Records. I was in junior high when I saw it, a wannabe grunge kid, and I wanted to work in that record store and make out with A.J. SO BAD.

(I've yet to see this movie, BUT I've heard great things about A.J. *grins*)

3) If Bria Sandoval could direct her own movie, which genre would she choose and why?

 Bria loves fantasy, art and humor, so I could totally see her working for Pixar someday.

(*makes note to stalk Bria into Pixar someday*) 

4) What about Grace Carpenter? Which genre would she choose and why?

 Grace is a tough one. She's extremely introspective, and very much a people watcher. I could see her working as an indie filmmaker, making quiet, heavy films with an undercurrent of magic. I'm thinking Sofia Coppola.

(I would totally be her best friend. Forever)

5) What's one thing you've learned as a writer from watching teen movies?

Because movies are visual by nature, they can't just stick conversations and plot events in the same old settings; they often utilize creative, dynamic backdrops -- even when the whole film takes place in a record store, like Empire Records. I took a screenwriting class in college, and it really inspired me to do the same with my novels: to explore the power of setting, on both a large-scale and scene-by-scene level.

(*takes notes from brilliant advice*)

It all begins with a stupid question: 

Are you a Global Vagabond? 

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. 

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward. 

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back. 

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

A huge thanks to Kirsten for stopping by!! Make sure you pick up Wanderlove when it hits stores on March 13th, 2012! AND go buy your copy of Like Mandarin, which is in stores now!

Interview: Myra McEntire, Author of HOURGLASS!

Remember that time I blogged about how the film rights to Hourglass had been optioned by Twentieth Century Fox? Well, today I bring you the woman behind the time slip story--Myra McEntire! Myra was gracious enough to take time out of her uber-busy schedule and granted me an interview!

Le interview:

Favorite movie genre

SciFi Fantasy

Favorite teen movie 

Sixteen Candles - I used to be able to quote it line by line. And then I got old. 

(you are NOT old, Myra. *shakes fist*)

If Emerson Cole could direct her own movie, which genre would she choose and why? 

Horror, definitely. So she could make it funny. 

What about Michael Weaver? Which genre would he choose and why? 

Romance. Because he's swoony. 

(um... YES PLEASE).

What's one thing you've learned as a writer from watching teen movies? 

Anything goes, as long as you keep it real. 

(very true!)

One hour to rewrite the past . . . 
 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut.

Make sure you go buy your copy of Hourglass, which is in stores now! And remember to follow Myra on Twitter, and go check out her blog!

Interview Alert!! Michelle McLean, author of ESSAYS AND TERM PAPERS!!

I have a very special treat for you today, folks. My Operation Awesome buddy, Michelle McLean, is hanging out on my blog! *fist pump*

Michelle's book, HOMEWORK HELPERS: ESSAYS AND TERM PAPERS, hit stores this week. As part of her uber-epic blog tour, I decided to ask her some burning and very important questions. 

I give you ze interview:

Hey, Michelle!! So happy you agreed to my randomness :D Please sum your book up in three sentences or less.

Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers is a fun, user-friendly guidebook that walks the reader through every step of the essay writing process. Unlike other books that are so full of technical jargon they confuse more than help, this book uses straightforward language, simple steps, and fun examples to guide students through a dozen different types of essays, including the SAT essay, as well as giving info and tips on researching, proofreading, and citing sources.

Most teens hear the word "homework" and pass out. Or roll their eyes. How does your book encourage them to smile instead? 

I try to focus on the “fun” aspects of a writing assignment. You might hate your topic, but there is almost always some aspect of that topic that you might find interesting. I try to guide my readers into finding that interesting aspect so they won’t be so bored with the whole process.

Also, I break the process down into really simple steps. One thing at a time. Depending on the time frame the student has to write an essay, it could be one step a day or one step a week. Even one step an hour if they only have a short period of time. Bottom line, no one wants to focus on an assignment they don’t want to do for hours on end. I show you how to write an essay a little bit at a time. It still gets done well, and even quickly if necessary, but taking it slowly makes it much less overwhelming and painful :) Like taking medicine. Do it quick and move on with your day :)

In terms of research, did you dive into other non-fiction books that benefited students? If so, which ones were the most helpful?

I actually started with my own college papers. I went through them to see which types of essays I had and made a list. I’ve written every type of essay out there at some point in my life. I saved a lot of them, and my mother saved even more lol I did search through a lot of college websites so I could make sure I had as many of the most commonly assigned essays as I could find. I went through my papers and wrote down the components of the essays, quadruple checking these against several writing books and college writing lab sites, and went from there.

In regards to the citations chapter and the SAT chapter, I went straight to the main source – books like the MLA handbook and the SAT website. I include a resource list in my book of good sites and books to check out for more information.

What is the best thing about writing non-fiction? The worst? 

I’ve always been a total information nut. I used to read encyclopedias for fun. I love to research. And I actually enjoy writing essays and papers…researching on a topic that interests me and recording what I’ve learned. For me, writing a non-fiction book is like writing a really long paper :) One of the best things about writing it is sharing it and hearing that it’s helped someone.

The worst – it does sometimes feel more like “work.” I worry more about it. I spend more time researching than actually writing because I have to make sure every word I put down is correct. With fiction, you can write anything. Non-fiction has to be accurate.

For those in the query trenches, how did you hook your amazing agent? *gets ready to take notes*

LOL there’s really no big secret to it….I wrote a query letter, sent it out to my top picks, got some requests and rejections, sent my proposal to those who wanted to see it, and got an offer :)

And now for a couple random (yet VERY important...) questions: 

Best book (either non-fiction or fiction) you read last year: Oh, this question is always so hard. LOL. Honestly, I read so many good books last year….The Hunger Games trilogy was a favorite. For non-fiction, I like reading biographies, mostly of historical women like Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France, Lucrezia Borgia, Marie Antoinette…..it really is amazing what some of these women went through and managed to accomplish.

Favorite writing snack: Goldfish crackers :D

Which TV or movie actor would you pick to give you a shoulder massage after a long day of writing? Ooo, tough one too :D Umm, probably Alexander Skaarsgard on one shoulder and Julian McMahon on the other :D (*ahem* My name is Amparo Ortiz, and I approve this message *cough*).

Music while writing or not? LOL this actually isn’t such a simple question. Regarding non-fiction, yes, I often listen to all kinds of music while writing. For fiction, I usually listen to music before writing and often while editing but very rarely while writing. If I do, it’s classical or the movie scores channel on Pandora – nothing with lyrics and the volume is low.

Best writing advice you've ever received: Don’t give up. It’s a tough road, a tough business. Shake off the negatives and keep on going. The rewards far outweigh the pit falls.

Michelle McLean is a writer and the Chief Editorial Consultant for PixelMags, LLC. In addition to her non-fiction work, Michelle writes YA historical novels and other children’s books. If she's not editing, reading or chasing her kids, she can usually be found in a quiet corner working on her next book.

A big THANK YOU to Michelle for sharing her awesomeness with me!! You can check her and HOMEWORK HELPERS out on the following links:

Michelle's website

Michelle's blog

Operation Awesome blog

Michelle's Facebook Author Page

Twitter

HOMEWORK HELPERS on Amazon