Book Questions: P A R T T W O.

Good morning! My book comes out in F I V E  DAYS.  There are no words to adequately describe the way I am currently feeling.  If you follow me on instagram, then you saw that my book is on Barnes and Noble's website.  Then, this morning, I checked my phone and saw this:

That's my book on iBooks.  

No. Words.  

Here are the rest of your questions!  Thank you so much for actually caring enough to ask questions like this!

Where did you start and what inspires you to write?
I started with the very last page.  No idea why, that's just how it happened.  And as for what inspires me, is it too cheesy to say everything?  I'm gonna go with everything.  However, if I'm feeling out of inspiration to write, reading a good book always inspires me.

How did you choose a designer and ultimately settle on the cover?
Tekeme Studios is the company that my publisher works with, so that's how the designer was chosen.  as far as the cover, I spent a lot of time in the library and in bookstores browsing the YA section.  I wanted a cover that fit my story, and that would fit in if I placed it on a shelf next to popular YA novels.

Side note:  I thought for sure the cover was going to have to be revised several times, but he got exactly what I wanted the very first time.

What led you down the path to your publisher?
I got this book and researched every single publisher, which led to discovering other companies.  I started sending out queries in June of 2013 and heard from my Publisher in January of 2014.  The first time I talked on the phone with her, she talked to me for 45 minutes and answered all of my questions. It felt very very personal, which I hadn't yet felt when it come to a publisher/agent.  I could tell she was invested in my story and would also be personally invested in me.  I prayed about it a lot and at the end of the day, trusted my gut and jumped on board.

I truly cannot say enough good things about my experience with Nyree.  If you're interested in exploring the world of indie authors, do yourself a favor and check them out.

What's the hardest part about trying to get published?
The fact that once you submit your work, everything is out of your control.  You can't control when someone checks their email, if they'll ever actually read your query, or if they'll even respond to you after reading your query.

Who do you look up to as a writer?
Chances are, if you are a writer, I look up to you.  But as far as specific writers go, I really look up to Rachel Hauk because she mentors lots of writers, even unpublished writers, and I think that's amazing.  I look up to John Grisham because he hasn't changed the way he writes or the content he writes, regardless of how famous he's become.  I look up to Sarah Dessen immensely because she is a wife and mom in a small town, and is simultaneously the greatest YA author there ever was.  She tweeted something the other day along the lines of "Red carpet in LA last night, movie night on the couch with hubby tonight.  Equally as special."  And I just think that's amazing.

What are five books that have changed your life?
The Christy Miller Series.  Dreamland.  The Book Thief.  Avalon High.  Talk before Sleep.  I wouldn't necessarily classify these as my favorite books, but more so the fact that I read them during significant times in my life or they changed the way I write.  Ask me again in a few weeks and I may give you a completely different list.

Is your book based on a true story?
No.  But there are a lot of true-story details hidden in there, as far as names and places and even events. It's like a little hidden hello for people who know me.

What has been the most nerve-wracking part of the entire process?
Hands down, last Monday night.  I had to approve the final PDF to print, and talk about pressure.  I read it until I felt like my eyes may actually be on fire.  It was nerve-wracking for two reasons.  One, because I hope I didn't miss any errors, but I'm human, so we'll see.  And two, because this is a story I've been working on for close to four years.  These characters are people I have thought of every day.  I've had new ideas, changed details, added backstory, over and over for four years.  It was crazy knowing that when I approved the final PDF, that time was over.  I could never add another detail to my characters.  That's such a weird feeling.

Where should I start?
Just start writing!  Go to Barnes and Noble and browse the novel-writing section.  Get a book that inspires you, I recommend this one!  And then just start writing.  And then keep writing.  And then finish writing, even when you don't want to.

Is anyone else an aspiring author?  What inspires you to write?

g o  s h o p p i n g:

Book Questions: P A R T O N E.

I hate excessively long blog posts, so I'm splitting this one into two...even though part one is already pretty long.  Bear with me!

Technically 3 years, but I didn't spend three years writing a book.  The week before I moved away to college, I had this idea pop in my head that I thought would make a really good book ending, so I wrote it down.  After that, I pretty much wrote a few pages here and there whenever I had time.  When I was overwhelmed with all the technical writing that comes along with college, I would take a break and write a few pages of my book.  I wrote more over school breaks, and I got serious about finishing in January of 2013, right after we got back from our honeymoon.

Seven months!

No.  First of all, because if I hear about or see a book I want to read, I don't first think, "Wait, it was independently published?  Guess I won't be reading that one." Secondly, I don't think that independent publishing has the stigma that it used to.  Author's aren't choosing it as a last resort, they're choosing it because it fits their needs the best.  I actually received a few offers of representation by traditional literary agents, but I still chose to independently publish.  Why?  Because I knew it was the right thing for me.  

George Weis from Tekeme Studios!

This is an excellent question.  I guess I'm afraid of the fact that as of next Monday, it will be "open season" on my book.  Anyone at all can read it.  They can say anything they want to about it, and that scares me.  This is something I have truly poured myself into over the past three years, and to know there are going to be mean things said about it is terrifying.  I'm a very private person, and only a handful of people have read this story, so it's intimidating to know strangers might hate my book!  On the opposite side of that, I'm elated for the day that I get to hear of someone reading my book and enjoying it. 

Oh, and I'm afraid of the first error that I know I will find once it's printed.  It happens. 

I'm not sure!  I haven't seen a report yet since it's still in the pre-order phase.

"Do you want to know what not living is, Avery?  It's spending all of your time and energy trying to solve things that can't be solved, and even if they could, it wouldn't help or have the outcome that we want. . .Why did your mom die?  Why are you here?  What's the meaning of life?  And will we ever really know?  No, probably not.  And so we have nights like last night.  We sit and watch the stars and bear our hearts to each other, because that's what we can do."

Check back on Thursday for more quotes! 

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them here!  I'll be back tomorrow to answer the rest of them!