If you had the chance, you could've seen me squealing over a Book I recently read. But you couldn't have, as I was battling tooth and nail with my network. I couldn't share my love for the book. Or else I would be shouting out how every human being must read this cutesy work.
So despite me being a socially awkward person, I reached out our Author and shared my experience with her. OMG! She was so sweet and replied me. Let me share the picture.
Even though she replied me, my pure little soul was not satisfied. It craved for more. So I emailed her about how I loved the book and whether she would be able to have an interview with me. Goodness, gracious! She accepted my request. Guess what? My soul was happily dancing. So here, I'll share her answers with you guys.
ABOUT AUTHOR(Taken from her website): Sandy's first book, A Little Something Different was published by Swoon Reads in August 2014, followed by a second, Signs Point to Yes, in October 2015.
She grew up in a family that encouraged reading but she never actually meant to become an author. Failing expository Writing her first year of college only solidified the idea that writing probably wouldn't make a great career choice.
She went on to get a BA in Communication and a Master of Library and Information Science, both from Rutgers University.
Eventually she got over her writing failure and discovered that she kind of loved to write.
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Interview between Jan and Sandy Hall. Hereby, Jan will be referred as J and Sandy as S. So without further ado, let's get started.
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J: When and how did you get the idea for Been Here All Along?
S: This idea actually came from my editor. She asked me if I could write a book based on a super cute fan made video set to You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift.
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J: What kind of challenges will debut authors face and your advice for them?
S: I think one of the biggest challenges I faced when I first started writing was realizing that I wasn’t the only writer that had problems. I guess I assumed that writing was really easy for other writers, especially writers who’d been publishing for a long time, but that just isn’t true. Certain aspects of writing a novel get easier, but in general it’s the same uphill battle for each book.
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J: From the beginning to the end, I was moved by the freaking adorable moments. Which scene do you think screams cute?
S: My favorite scene is when Kyle and Gideon are walking home from the party and they hold hands.
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S: My first book, A Little Something Different, was inspired by a bunch of different things over many years. Before I was an author, I was a young adult librarian and a lot of teens would come into the library looking for books that took place in college, but they were really few and far between. Those questions probably inspired the story the most.
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J: Lord Of The Rings fandom would be so happy to read this book. I guess you too are a fan of LOTR. I have neither watched the movies nor read the books(Walk of Shame), so how will you convince me to read the books IMMEDIATELY?
S: I’m so ashamed but I’ve never actually read the books! I’ve seen the movies and I LOVE THEM. You should definitely watch the movies! There’s a lot of action and a lot of friendship and even some funny moments. They’re just great stories. I should definitely read the books someday.
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J: Which book would you recommend everyone to read and why?
S: I have a lot of favorite books, especially because I spent so many years working as a librarian. It’s hard to narrow it down. But I would highly recommend Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli to anyone who loved Been Here All Along.
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J: Kyle or Gideon? And which character was hard to write?
S: Gideon was harder to write because he was more reserved. But I honestly love them both equally though.
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J: Three words about your next work
S: AH! This is so hard! Especially because my next book hasn’t technically been announced yet. Let’s go with “senior year shenanigans.”
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J: Any words for the aspiring writers like me?
S: Just keep writing! Eventually you’ll find a plot and characters that really click. You’ll sit down to write it and before you know it, you’ll have a whole book. Don’t give up!
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J: What has become of Ezra? (I shouldn’t ask this, but I can’t stop myself)
S: I love Ezra SO MUCH. I actually wrote a whole book about him that will likely never get published. But I just needed to see what became of him after the end of Been Here All Along. I like to think that he went to college and is working hard on a degree in something that he’s really passionate about.
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That's all peeps. I really had a wonderful time with her. Thank you so much for spending your valuable time with me. Even though when you're busy with your deadline.
SHOUT OUT: Go and read this book!
