Tag: interview

June SST // Outrun the Moon + Interview with Stacey Lee

| Claudia Victoria

9780399175411_OutrunTheMoon_BOM.inddAuthor: Stacey Lee
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary, Historical Fiction
Pages: 400
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Goodreads • Amazon

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

heya peeps! it’s me. (of course.)

so, the last time i was here, i did an interview with the ever-wonderful erin l. schnieder. now, i’m here with the amazing stacey lee, writer of beautiful stories with vivid characters.

(also, i WILL have a proper post up. soon. someday. next week. soooon.)

 

What was the strangest thing you had to research for this book?

Whether there were koala bears in the Golden Gate Park in 1906. There apparently were koala bears at some point (as well as bison, zebra, and peacocks), but they don’t make it into the story

What made you pick the title for it? You come up with really pretty titles, so I’m curious on how you pick them!

For this one, I read a lot of poetry! I read Coleridge, Blake, Shakespeare, London. London got me thinking about the sky, and the idea that while the earth shakes, the sky remains still. The title eventually followed!

Do you listen to music when you write?

No. I find it too distracting because I’ll want to listen to the words. Occasionally, I’ll turn on classical.

Last line you wrote?

(This line isn’t from OTM, is that okay?)

Girls hung out the windows, and sour mash blew in your face every time the door opened.

What job would you have, if you had never wanted to be an author?

Ooh, I would love to work with sea otters. or on some wildlife refuge.

How does any of your past experiences shape the story of your novels?

I think authors can’t help having their books reflect some aspect of their experience. For me, the theme of family influence on choices seems to come up a lot!

Most helpful thing you’ve learned about the publishing industry?

Just because a publisher puts major dollars behind a book does not mean a book is good, add vice versa. Marketing dollars spent is not a reflection of quality.

Favourite quote (of all time)?

Oscar Wilde said, ‘Some cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go.’ Strive to be the former.

Team Iron Man… or Team Cap?

I’m behind on my pop culture, one of the many things I miss now that I maintain a full time writing schedule. One day, I aim to catch up.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stacey Lee is a fourth generation Californian with roots in San Francisco Chinatown. Born in Southern California, she graduated from UCLA then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. She has lots of experience with earthquakes, having skinned her knees more times than she wants to remember diving under tables. One day she hopes to own a hypoallergenic horse and live by the sea. See what she’s up to on Twitter & Instagram: @staceyleeauthor.

Let me just say one thing, before y’all trample me to get to the three (!!!) glorious giveaways?

Her covers.

Are gorgeous.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May SST // Summer of Sloane // Interview With Erin Schneider!

| Claudia Victoria

SummerOfSloaneAuthor: Erin L. Schneider
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Series: N/A
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 304
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Goodreads • Amazon

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

Hey guys! Today, I’ll be posting an interview with Erin Schneider, the author of Summer of Sloane for the May SST tour. if y’all don’t know what the sst tour is, go check out the lovely founder of this street team, nori, over here!

 

So I’ve done some (stalking) poking around, and I found that you’ve attended college in Honolulu! That’s so cool, since Summer of Sloane is set in Honolulu as well! How did your experiences there shape the setting of your story?


ELS: My mom’s side of the family is Native Hawaiian and I’ve been traveling back and forth to the Islands my entire life — so when it came time to pick a college, well, what better place than Hawai’i right? And somehow I always knew I’d write and set a book there, so when I started SLOANE, Honolulu just felt like the right home for it. Besides, writing about a place I’m so familiar with is definitely much easier than guessing at a place I’ve never been!

 

Do you remember the first story you’ve ever written? What was it about?


ELS: I wrote a lengthy story about Giraffe and his bed friend, Monkey. I remember being so enthralled in this story that I tried to convince my mom to let me get a pet giraffe — who could live in our fireplace / chimney. And if that wasn’t going to work, then at the very least, she should let me have a monkey. To this day, while I know a giraffe probably wouldn’t make the best pet, I’d still like a monkey.

 

Who were the authors that you always found yourself looking up to?


ELS: Definitely Roald Dahl — to this day, he’s still one of my all time favorite authors! And of course, J.K. Rowling…I’m not quite sure another author of her caliber will ever come along, at least in my lifetime.

 

What would you do if you had hit writer’s block when writing Summer of Sloane?


ELS: I don’t know what it is, but I always have my worst bout of writer’s block every Fall. It never fails, I swear. Come September – October, I will sit and stare at my laptop for HOURS. So finally after the fourth year of having the same problem, I realized I just needed to stop writing during that time and instead, I focus on the months that I usually have my best writing moments — which is spring, usually from April – June. Not sure if it’s because of the end of the school year and the weather changing, but that’s when I do my best writing.

 

Summarize your entire book in a single photo.

ELS: This quote was actually one of the first lines I wrote for SLOANE and somehow I just knew it was going to be what I centered most of the story around:

SoS

Name a book that had the biggest impact on you in the last year?


ELS: Hands down, THE LOOSE ENDS LIST by Carrie Firestone. It’s been a long time since I sobbed uncontrollably while reading a book, but this one had me completely undone. It deals with cancer and losing people that mean the world to you, which is something I can personally relate to.

 

What sparked the idea of you becoming an author?

ELS: I’ve always wanted to write for as long as I can remember…ever since I read my first Roald Dahl book. To this day, it’s because of him, the far away make-believe worlds I created were ever put into words on paper.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erin L. Schneider is native to the Pacific Northwest, attended college in Honolulu – and although Hawaiian – should never be allowed on a surfboard. With more than twenty years in corporate merchandising, she’s now a full-time writer living in Seattle with her husband, Neal; their baby boy, Kellan; a rowdy German shepherd named Ronin; and two crazy cats, Ono and Poke. She’s a member of both the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and SCBWI, and is also co-founder of the YA Buccaneers.

SUMMER OF SLOANE is her debut novel, out May 3, 2016 from Disney-Hyperion. Visit Erin online at Erin L Schneider or on Twitter: @ErinLSchneider1.

Erin is represented by literary agent Lisa Grubka of Fletcher & Company.

Summer of Sloane looks like the PERFECT read. Surfing + Hawaii = yes please! There’s also a wicked giveaway for y’all to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway