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Ontario Teen Book Fest Blog Tour: Author Spotlight on Robin Reul

Hi, guys! I'm back for the last day of the OTBF Blog Tour! I'm so glad I got to participate in the tour this year because I love Teen Book Fest. Thanks to the lovely Sara Santana for having me on board! 

This year's OTBF is on Saturday March 25th at Colony High School (3850 E. Riverside Drive, Ontario, CA 91761)  from 9 am to 5 pm. It is a completely free and unticketed event that is a full day of fun to hang out with authors and make new friends! The event is also sponsored by Once Upon a Time Bookstore. They will have books available for purchase at the event. There will also be t-shirts and posters available for purchase as well. 

This year's blog tour follows all 21 of the participating OTBF authors, and I'll be spotlighting two of them. My interview with Jeff Garvin went live earlier this week, and you can check that out here. Today's author spotlight is on Robin Reul, another 2016 debut author.  Be sure to follow the rest of the blog tour, including today's stops and all previous stops, for other interviews; the schedule - with blog links - will be included at the bottom of the post. Now it's time to get to know Robin Reul! 

About Robin Reul: 

Robin Reul has been writing since she was in early elementary school, when she used to make her own book club flyers for her classmates and then pen them original stories. Though she grew up on movie sets and after graduating Boston University she worked for many years in the film and television industry both as an actress and in motion picture development, she ultimately decided to focus her attention on writing young adult novels. She likes to write the same kinds of stories she loved as a teen: the ones that give her with butterflies in her stomach and are filled with quirky, memorable characters who stay with the reader long after the story ends. When she’s not writing, Robin can be found singlehandedly driving up the profit margin of her local Starbucks and indulging her love of baked goods, particularly those in the key of pumpkin. She lives in Los Angeles suburbia with her husband, son and daughter.  

Robin's Website | Twitter

About My Kind of Crazy: 

Despite the best of intentions, seventeen-year old, wisecracking Hank Kirby can’t quite seem to catch a break. It’s not that he means to screw things up all the time, it just happens. A lot. Case in point: his attempt to ask out the girl he likes literally goes up in flames when he spells “Prom” in sparklers on her lawn…and nearly burns down her house. 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Peyton Breedlove, a brooding loner and budding pyromaniac, witnesses the whole thing. Much to Hank’s dismay, Peyton takes an interest in him—and his “work.” The two are thrust into an unusual friendship, but their boundaries are tested when Hank learns that Peyton is hiding some dark secrets, secrets that may change everything he thought he knew about Peyton.  

Goodreads | Amazon 


A Conversation with Robin Reul (my questions will be bolded and Robin's answers will be in normal type): 

1.    Describe My Kind of Crazy in seven words or less.

Failed fiery promposal leads to unusual friendship

2.    My Kind of Crazy is your debut novel. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Yes, I have wanted to be a writer since I was three years old. By the time I was thirteen I’d written seven novels and had the good fortune of meeting with an Executive Editor at Putnam about one of them. However, it wasn’t until much later in my life that I would have the time and the focus to be able to pursue writing full-time.

3.    Where did your inspiration come from?

When I was a teenager, I felt like I was always on the outside of things and was dealing with a lot of stuff. I had a friend who saw that I was struggling and she reached out to me and was there for me. She never tried to minimize what I was feeling or fix me - she just listened. She was killed by a drunk driver when we were both seventeen, and I’ve carried the story of that friendship connection and the layers of loss and grief and the stories we tell ourselves to get by in my heart but never knew quite how to tell it. Then one day while I was working on an entirely different project, the complete first chapter of the book showed up in my head and I switched gears and wrote it. And by the end of Chapter Two I knew I’d found the story’s voice through Hank and Peyton.

4.    Which of your characters do you believe is the most like yourself?

There are aspects of myself in both Hank and Peyton but if I had to pick one I would say Hank. We both tend to hide behind humor and undervalue ourselves more than we should. We both believe that there is good in this world and that it often lies in unexpected places and sources. We’ve both known what it feels like to be broken and to discover that we are stronger than we realized.

5.    Which scene in My Kind of Crazy would you Iike to see translated on screen?

Without question the opening scene where Hank’s promposal goes south quickly. From the setting up of the sparklers to the escalating situation with the fire as things go awry lends itself to so much fun imagery and humor.

6.    Sort your characters into Hogwarts houses.

Hank is definitely a Hufflepuff – loyal, hard-working, modest about his accomplishments, friendly. I would say Peyton is a Slytherin – she’s all about self-preservation, cunning, resourcefulness. Nick seems like a Gryffindor to me – courageous, daring, chivalrous. And lastly, I would say Monica is probably a Ravenclaw – she’s pure wit, wisdom, creativity and individuality.

7.    What, if anything, can you tell us about your upcoming books or current writing projects?

I have another book tentatively slated to come out Spring 2018 with Sourcebooks but I’m not at liberty to say much about it at this point other than it will be another contemporary YA stand alone with humor and heart that takes place over the course of one night with a ticking clock in the background about two semi-strangers who decide to not leave their destinies entirely up to destiny.

8.   Finally, this won't be your first year at OTBF. What is the aspect of the event that you most enjoyed last year, and what are you excited about this year?

Honestly, last year’s OTBF was my favorite event of last year, and not just because it was my first one ever and my book debuted there three weeks before it went on sale, which was really exciting. Courtney Saldana and her team that puts on the OTBF are the best. It’s a really well-coordinated event and the love and thought put into it shows, both for the authors and the attendees. Everyone is enthusiastic and excited to be there, and the panels are so interesting and fun. Last year, I was a moderator but this year I’m excited and honored to be on two panels alongside some of my favorite authors.

Thanks so much for being on the blog, Robin! I hope you have a great time at #OntarioTBF! And I hope all you fellow SoCal readers can make it to the event! 

Blog Tour Schedule

March 15th:
Spotlight on Romina Russell - The Consummate Reader
Spotlight on E. Katherine Kottaras - Book You Very Much 

March 16th:
Spotlight on Catherine Linka - What A Nerd Girl Says
Spotlight on BT Gottfred - My Fangirl Chronicles 

March 17th:
Spotlight on Elana K Arnold - Read Now Sleep Later
Spotlight on Sara Elizabeth Santana - Starkiller Readers

March 18th:
Spotlight on Gretchen McNeil - Adventures of a Book Junkie
Spotlight on Charlotte Huang - A Traveling Book 

March 19th:
Spotlight on KM Walton - Recently Acquired Obsessions
Spotlight on Jeff Garvin - Reading Over Sleeping 

March 20th:
Spotlight on Jessica Brody - A Reader's Antidote
Spotlight on Aditi Khorana - Read Now Sleep Later

March 21st:
Spotlight on Ann Stampler - Movies, Shows and Books
Spotlight on Nicole Maggi - My Fangirl Chronicles

March 22nd:
Spotlight on Julie Buxbaum - A Traveling Book
Spotlight on Cindy Pon - Book You Very Much 

March 23rd:
Spotlight on Martina Boone - Movies, Shows and Books
Spotlight on Mary Weber - What A Nerd Girl Says

March 24th:
Spotlight on Jessica Love - Nite Lite Books
Spotlight on Lilliam Rivera - Starkiller Reads
Spotlight on Robin Reul - Reading Over Sleeping

Ontario Teen Book Fest Blog Tour: Author Spotlight on Jeff Garvin

Hey, all! Long time no see. Sorry I've been MIA - life has been crazy lately. But I'm back for spring break, and I'm so excited to announce that I'm a blogger for this year's Ontario Teen Book Fest Blog Tour! I've been attending this event for the past two years, and though I can't attend this year, I'm glad to participate in this way. 

This year's OTBF is on Saturday March 25th at Colony High School (3850 E. Riverside Drive, Ontario, CA 91761)  from 9 am to 5 pm. It is a completely free and unticketed event that is a full day of fun to hang out with authors and make new friends! The event is also sponsored by Once Upon a Time Bookstore. They will have books available for purchase at the event. There will also be t-shirts and posters available for purchase as well. 

This year's blog tour follows all 21 of the participating OTBF authors, and I'll be spotlighting two of them. Today's author spotlight is on Jeff Garvin, a 2016 debut author whose book I adored. Be sure to follow the rest of the blog tour, including previous stops, for other interviews; the schedule will be included at the bottom of the post. Now it's time to get to know Jeff Garvin!

About Jeff Garvin:

Jeff Garvin grew up in Orange County, California, the son of a banker and a magician. He started acting in high school, and enjoyed a fifteen-year career including guest-starring roles in network television series ranging from The Wonder Years to Roseanne to Caroline and the City, as well as several independent features.

While studying at Chapman University, Jeff won awards for classical guitar and visual storytelling before graduating with a BFA in Film. As the front man of his rock band, 7k, Garvin released three albums and toured the United States. When the band dissolved in 2011, Jeff, who had always written short stories and lyrics, found his passion in full-length fiction.

His debut novel, SYMPTOMS OF BEING HUMAN, tells the story of Riley, a 16-year-old gender fluid teen who starts an anonymous blog to deal with hostility from classmates and tension at home. But when the blog goes viral, a storm of media attention threatens Riley’s anonymity. Coming February 2, 2016 from Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins.

Jeff lives in Southern California with his music teacher wife, their menagerie, and a respectable collection of books and guitars. 
Jeff's Website | Twitter 

About Symptoms of Being Human: 

The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?

Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is…Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything. 
Goodreads | Amazon

A Conversation with Jeff Garvin (my questions will be bolded, and Jeff's answers will be in regular type):

1.    You were very actively involved in the music scene before you were published. What made you want to make the switch to writing books instead of songs? And how does writing music compare to writing novels?

I loved being in a band, but touring kept me away from home for months at a time, and I missed my wife. So I decided to reinvent myself. I went back to my first diary and found the list of things I’d wanted to be when I grew up: Singer (did that,) Actor (did that,) Astronaut—I Googled it and decided there was too much math involved—and Novelist. I realized I could write a book without any equipment and without driving anywhere. The idea was very appealing. I roped a friend into doing NaNoWriMo with me, and I’ve never looked back.

For me, writing songs was more difficult than writing books. Song structure is less forgiving. You have to create a complete ride in three and half minutes, and while people might read ten pages of a book before they decide to stop or read on, you have about seven seconds to get people to fall in love with a song.

2.    Describe Symptoms of Being Human in seven words or less.

Secretly gender fluid teen blogger faces exposure

3.    Do you usually write to music? If so, what was on your playlist for Symptoms, and, if not, what would you put on a playlist about the book?

These days, I mostly write to a recording of a rainstorm. Sometimes I listen to ambient music like Moby, Boards of Canada, Random Rab, etc.

So much great music influenced the writing of Symptoms of Being Human; there’s a playlist of all the songs mentioned (or implied) in the book here.

4.    Riley is a genderfluid rockstar of an individual (and probably one of my favorite characters in YA ever). Where did you draw your inspiration to write about them from and what was your research process like?

Thanks so much for saying so! I’d describe Riley as the person I wish I’d been in high school. I think most of my main characters are parts of me, inflated with extra courage and disfigured by deeper flaws.

The inspiration to write Riley came from a court case in my county—a transgender student was suing the school district for the right to use the girls’ restroom at her high school. The response of some of my peers surprised me. One person actually said “Ew, it’s probably just some pervy boy who wants to see boobs.” I was flabbergasted by her reaction. To me, that transgender student was one of the bravest people I’d ever heard of.

I kept waking up thinking about that student. When I sat down to write, Riley’s first blog post came out: The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl? I thought it would be a challenge to write a character whose birth-assigned gender even I didn’t know. Fifty pages in, my writing group encouraged me to continue. Somehow, I got through the whole book. Along the way, I fell in love with Riley. I don’t know what it says on Riley’s birth certificate, and I don’t care. Hopefully, readers won’t either.

For research, I read as many scholarly articles as I could find—unfortunately, during the time I wrote the book, there was very little academic writing published about gender fluidity. Mostly I read about transgender demographic info and hate crime statistics. I did my most valuable research online, reading and watching first-person accounts by non-binary people struggling with gender dysphoria and lack of acceptance by their communities.

5.    What Hogwarts houses would your characters be sorted into and why?

Riley is obviously a Gryffindor because of their courage.
Bec is probably a Slytherin because she’s crafty and socially flexible.
Solo would likely be in Hufflepuff. He gets along with everybody.

6.    What, if anything, can you tell us about your future writing projects?

I’m working on another contemporary YA novel for Balzer + Bray. It’s not a Symptoms sequel, but there are threads between the two. It should be out sometime in 2018.

7.    And finally, you’re an Ontario TBF newbie. What are you most looking forward to about the event?

My favorite part of festivals is meeting readers. And since I’m a local, I hope to meet some folks who grew up in the area I wrote about in Symptoms and hear their stories.

Thanks so much for being here on Reading Over Sleeping, Jeff! I hope you have a wonderful time at OTBF! 

Blog Tour Schedule

March 15th:
Spotlight on Romina Russell - The Consummate Reader
Spotlight on E. Katherine Kottaras - Book You Very Much 

March 16th:
Spotlight on Catherine Linka - What A Nerd Girl Says
Spotlight on BT Gottfred - My Fangirl Chronicles 

March 17th:
Spotlight on Elana K Arnold - Read Now Sleep Later
Spotlight on Sara Elizabeth Santana - Starkiller Readers

March 18th:
Spotlight on Gretchen McNeil - Adventures of a Book Junkie
Spotlight on Charlotte Huang - A Traveling Book 

March 19th:
Spotlight on KM Walton - Recently Acquired Obsessions
Spotlight on Jeff Garvin - Reading Over Sleeping 

March 20th:
Spotlight on Jessica Brody - A Reader's Antidote
Spotlight on Aditi Khorana - Read Now Sleep Later

March 21st:
Spotlight on Ann Stampler - Movies, Shows and Books
Spotlight on Nicole Maggi - My Fangirl Chronicles

March 22nd:
Spotlight on Julie Buxbaum - A Traveling Book
Spotlight on Cindy Pon - Book You Very Much 

March 23rd:
Spotlight on Martina Boone - Movies, Shows and Books
Spotlight on Mary Weber - What A Nerd Girl Says

March 24th:
Spotlight on Jessica Love - Nite Lite Books
Spotlight on Lilliam Rivera - Starkiller Reads
Spotlight on Robin Reul - Reading Over Sleeping

The Awakened Blog Tour: Author Interview + Review + Giveaway

Hi, all! Today I'm SO excited to be one of the last stops on the blog tour for The Awakened, Sara E. Santana's debut, that released the first of this month! I've had the pleasure of meeting Sara and watching her road to being published, so I'm super proud of her and so glad that people finally get to read this book! My part of the tour includes a review and an interview with Sara. There's also a tour-wide giveaway, open internationally, at the end of this post. Let's get started!
About The Awakened:

Zoey Valentine is concerned with two things: surviving the multitude of self-defense classes her dad makes her take and avoiding Ash Matthews.

That is, until the Z virus hits, wiping out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave, human flesh.

The United States is in a panic and then the government decides the unthinkable: to bomb every major city overrun with the awakened.

Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined remains of the country. 

Purchase: Amazon (If you purchase a Kindle or paperback, email Sara @ sesantanawrites@gmail.com with proof of purchase for a signed bookmark!)

About Sara E. Santana:

Sara Elizabeth Santana is a young adult and new adult fiction writer. She has worked as a smoothie artist, Disneyland cast member, restaurant supervisor, nanny, photographer, pizza delivery driver and barista but writing is what she loves most. Her first story was written at age nine. She runs her own nerd girl/book review blog, What A Nerd Girl Says. Her favorite books are a tie between Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling and Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce. She lives in Southern California with her dad, five siblings and two dogs. Her debut novel is The Awakened.




The Interview:

*My questions/butt-ins will be bolded, like so, and Sara's answers will be not-bolded, like so.*

1. Describe The Awakened in seven words or less.

Okay, wow. Hmm. This is hard.

Zombies. Survival. Cute boy. Action.


2. Who are your author inspirations?

This is SO hard too! You ask all the hard questions. You should be on 60 Minutes or something. (HA! I'll consider this for the future.)

It honestly just depends on what kind of book that I’m writing. For instance, JK Rowling and Tamora Pierce are my favorite authors so they’re always a big influence for me. For The Awakened, Rick Yancey, Jessica Brody and Melissa Landers were HUGE influences. I loved their blend of science fiction and romance and survival and all of that. i think they’re great at what they do.

This summer I wrote an NA romance, and Cora Carmack, Jennifer L Armentrout and Sarina Bowen (LOVE those three!) were huge influences for that. It really just sort of depends on what I’m writing :)

3. What was your favorite scene to write in The Awakened? The most difficult?

My favorite scene? Hmm. I love writing fight scenes. This is the first book ever where I’ve had to write fight scenes and I have found that I really like it. There’s a serious challenge to bringing something so physical and visual to life with words. They were also the most difficult scenes to write too, because I had never done them before. I didn’t want to repeat myself and I wanted them to be exciting. I really hope I accomplished that.

I also love writing kissing scenes because…well kissing scenes are fun and I’m a total hopeless romantic. There’s a particular kissing scene that takes place on a kitchen counter and that was SUPER fun to write. It was actually one of the first scenes I ever wrote in the book and that was fun.

4. Do you write to music? If so, who do you have on your playlist?

I do! Or I write with Netflix on in the background, which people think is weird but I usually have something on that I’ve already watched before. I just like noise. I grew up with five younger siblings and a crowded house and that’s still what I have so I’m used to it. I like it. There’s a quote in Sarah Dessen’s Just Listen that I always thought completely wrapped it up well, “Silence is so loud.” And I’m not fond of it.

That being said! I have a playlist on my website for the songs that are sort of connected with The Awakened. I listened to a TON of Set it Off, Our Last Night and Issues while writing it and I’m listening to them again as I work on the sequel.

5. Do you find yourself putting pieces of yourself or other people you know in your characters? Is there a character in particular that stands out to you?

I think I always do it, whether intentional or not. I get ideas about stories or characters and whatnot and what they become is partly because of the circumstances and partly me. I can’t help it. Some characters are more like me than others. I wrote 3 books before The Awakened and I think they all have a little bit of me in them. Zoey has a lot of me in her and yet she’s completely different. All of my characters are influenced by someone, whether its myself or my sister or my friends or a teacher I had in seventh grade or someone who ordered a coffee from me one day. To me, anchoring them on someone in reality, even if its in the tiniest detail, makes that character more real to me.

6. What can you tell us about your future projects?

Well I’m always writing. I just finished up a new adult sports romance called Benched this past summer. Its about a girl named Evie who lives in a baseball obsessed town and how she falls in love with a baseball player, even though one broke her heart. It was fun to write, and actually, romance is what I tend to write. Right now, I’m sort of floating between The Awakened 2 (which has a title that I can’t share yet!) and Benched 2 (which legit just doesn’t have a title).

7. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

One, don’t give up. I know that sounds cheesy and repetitive but its SO true. Don’t give up. Don’t compare yourself to others. Just focus on yourself and your book. Or your next book. Or your next book. Don’t stop writing. I’m 27 years old. I’ve been writing books since I was 13. And my books when I was 13 were SO terrible. Don’t stop writing. Its not a race. Just keep trying. Its going to happen. I believe that.

The Review:

I have tons of feelings about The Awakened because WOW, what a cool book! I don't want to say too much and be spoilery though, since this is one of those books where I think people are better of going into blind. So instead of writing an actual review, I'm going to do a nice little list of things I loved, so you'll be just as surprised as I was when you read it. ;)

  • The Awakened - Sara’s take on zombies. They were different from traditional zombies because they seemed more human, which was interesting.
  • Ash and Ash’s relationship with Zoey - Ash is your stereotypical hot, cocky, sarcastic YA hero, and I wouldn't have him any other way. He's HILARIOUS. It was so entertaining to see the progression of his and Zoey’s relationship from pseudo-enemies to something more.
  • The writing - the plot flow, the quick, fun dialogue, the fight scenes - all of it was written so well.
  • Bandit - Okay, this was totally added in at the last second because Sara said Bandit was lots of people’s favorite character. He's definitely an added bonus! Dogs are the way to my heart, right after cute boys.

If you're looking for a fun paranormal read with a kick-butt heroine and a plot that'll have you on the edge of your seat, check out The Awakened! This debut is one of my favorites of the year.

The Giveaway:

This giveaway is international!  Prizes will be shipped after Christmas. The prizes include:
i. One Grand Prize Winner – Signed Copy of The Awakened, Signed Exclusive Poster, Signed Bookmark
ii. One First Place Winner – Signed Poster and Signed Bookmark
iii. Two Second Place Winners – A Kindle Edition of The Awakened and a Signed Bookmark
Enter at the Rafflecopter below!

And that's all I have for you guys today! Check out The Awakened, available online now!

Have you read The Awakened? Let me know what you think!

Debut Author Spotlight: An Interview with Liza Wiemer (+Giveaway!)

Today's author is not new to the book scene, as she's published nonfiction before, and she runs a lovely book blog, but 2015 is her YA debut year. I've heard much praise about her novel, Hello?, which releases in the fall. I'm so happy to have Ms. Liza Wiemer on the blog today! Let's give her a round of applause. (And don't forget to check out the end of the post for an exciting giveaway!)
#ShiaApproves
Before we get to the interview, let's take a look at Hello?.

Tricia: A girl struggling to find her way after her beloved grandma's death.
Emerson: A guy who lives his life to fulfill promises, real and hypothetical.
Angie: A girl with secrets she can only express through poetry.
Brenda: An actress and screenplay writer afraid to confront her past.
Brian: A potter who sets aside his life for Tricia, to the detriment of both.

Linked and transformed by one phone call, Hello? weaves together these five Wisconsin teens' stories into a compelling narrative of friendship and family, loss and love, heartbreak and healing, serendipity, and ultimately hope.

Told from all five viewpoints: narration (Tricia), narration (Emerson), free verse poetry (Angie), screenplay format (Brenda), narration and drawings (Brian) 


Now we can get started!
*PSA: My questions will be bolded, like so, and Liza's answers will be not bolded, like so.*



How would you describe Hello? in seven words or less?

One phone call transforms five teens’ lives!

Hello? is your YA debut. How was writing it different from writing your other novels? How was the process similar?

Writing non-fiction is so different. It’s critical to eliminate words like: was, were, has been, had been, that, very, and -ly words. The writing is much tighter, condensed. I also wrote for adults, so a much different audience.

For the most part, writing a novel is solitary work, but the biggest difference between writing Hello? and my other books is that I am now a part of the YA community. We’re a close-knit group of authors, bloggers, vloggers, and readers. I feel so fortunate to be a part of it and connect with amazing people on an almost daily basis.

The writing process has been nearly the same. Researching, writing, rewriting, editing, editing, editing. One huge difference is that a non-fiction adult book can be sold on a proposal and a few sample chapters. With a novel, it needs to be complete and polished!

Without being too spoilery, do you have a particular scene that you are most looking forward to people reading? Or maybe a scene you’re scared for people to read?

Oh so many! But I’ll choose one. I love the scene when Emerson is alone in Whitefish Dunes State Park. He strips down to nothing and dives into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan. It’s a powerful scene, allowing Emerson to have a private moment where he’s open and vulnerable. Yet it also strengthens him, reinforces his principles. I loved writing the description of the area. I loved his reaction to the message his sister Isabelle left for him on his cell. And I loved what Emerson was thinking about.

So Hello? is about a few different teenagers. Who was your favorite to write about?

I know a lot of authors say this, but I am deeply attached to ALL of them. For me, it was more about favorite moments with each character. Many were when a character struggled, but then figured things out, grew as a person. There may be moments when you despise a character or are annoyed by his or her actions. But then I hope the reader will have a bit of compassion or at the very least some understanding later on. Like all of us, each character has his/her own journey. Even though the novel is done, I’ve imagined how their journeys continue.

Do you write to music? If so, what did the playlist for Hello? look like? If not are there any songs that you think would fit well in the novel?

I did write with music.

Adele’s “21” CD
Keane “Perfect Symmetry” CD
Various versions of “Mad World”
Frank Sinatra songs: “New York, New York,” “Call Me” and “Strangers in the Night.”
Jay Z and Alicia Keys’s “Empire State of Mind”
Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown”
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova’s “The Swell Season,” particularly “Falling Slowly” and “When Your Mind’s Made Up”
Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer”

Recently, I discovered "Hello, You Beautiful Thing" by Jason Mraz. I love it. It’s perfect!

Can you tell us anything about future books/projects?

I have several more books in various stages of completion. There’s one in particular that I started before HELLO?, which is very near and dear to my heart. More hard work to be done, and then we’ll see what happens. :)

Awesome! Can't wait to hear more about that. Also can't wait for Hello?. Not too long now! Thanks for being here, Liza.

About Liza Wiemer:


Liza Wiemer is the author of two non-fiction adult books, short stories, and newspaper and magazine articles. A pre-school to high school educator now writing YA fiction full time, which she LOVE, LOVE, LOVES! And she's a diehard Green Bay Packers fan. She also blogs about YA books at WhoRuBlog. 
Find Liza online: Website - Twitter - Goodreads

Now since Liza is so super sweet, she's giving away a preorder of Hello? that will ship once the book is released in November. The giveaway is open to anyone, so long as The Book Depository ships to their region. Check out my giveaway policies before entering, and may the odds be ever in your favor! And don't forget to check out Hello? on November 10th!
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