While on vacation in California, sixteen-year-old best girlfriends Anna and Frankie conspire to find a boy for Anna’s first summer romance, but Anna harbors a painful secret that threatens their lighthearted plan and their friendship.
TWENTY BOY SUMMER is a debut YA novel that explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.
About Sarah Ockler:
Sarah Ockler wrote and illustrated her first book at age six—an adaptation of Steven Spielberg's E.T. Still recovering from her own adolescence, Sarah now writes for young adults. After several years of wandering between New York City and Denver, she and her husband Alex now live in Upstate New York with lots of books and an ever-expanding collection of sea glass. Twenty Boy Summer is Sarah's first novel. Visit her online at www.sarahockler.com.
The Interview:
What's been one of the most exciting moments in your journey to publication?
There have been some amazing exciting moments on this journey, like finding an agent and seeing the cover for the first time and getting reader emails, but the one thing that stands out as most exciting is the thing that officially kicked off my career as an author... gGetting "the call" from the 212 area code (New York City) that Twenty Boy Summer had sold to Little, Brown!
Is there anything you can't write without?
I have my rituals and preferences, like incense and classical music and my 3-legged lucky writing pig Chancho, but I *can* write without them if I had to. I try to be flexible, because inspiration often strikes at really inconvenient times! All I really need is a pen and something to write on!
When stuck on a story which do you choose: write make-out scene or explode something?
I choose to... write an explosive make-out scene! So far, I haven't blown anything up in my books, but I'm open to the idea, especially if there's making out after. We'll see. ;-) In my opinion, any kind of fireworks are good for stories!
Can you share a favorite line you've written either in this book or a WIP?
From Twenty Boy Summer: "Summer seems to arrive with us, as though the entire place has been asleep since last September, awakening only as taxis and rental cars line up to deposit us along the beach -- families with toddlers, college kids on break, retirees seeking to warm themselves under the California sun, and our own motley crew. Together we break upon the pier like a tidal wave as she rubs her winter-sleepy eyes, stretches, and turns on the coffee for us."
Finally: pro fast zombie or anti fast zombies?
Pro. I don't hold on to most of the traditional "rules" for zombies and I love when writers or artists take a fresh, new approach. So, bring on the Gabrielles! ;-)
I asked Sarah to share a recap post of her road to publication if she had one and the link is here.
Thanks Sarah! And now on to Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard:
Fifteen year old Callie just wants to impress the popular girls when she buys a pair of Prada heels on her class trip to London. She didn’t plan on tripping, conking her head, and waking up in 1815! Now she’s wearing corsets with her designer pumps, eating bizarre soups, and breaking up engagements. If only the nineteen year old Duke of Harksbury wasn’t so bloody annoying, she might have a little fun in Austen-Era England...
About Mandy Hubbard:
Mandy Hubbard grew up on a dairy farm outside Seattle, where she refused to wear high heels until homecoming—and hated them so much she didn’t wear another pair for five years. A cowgirl at heart, she enjoys riding horses and quads and singing horribly to the latest country tune. She’s currently living happily ever after with her husband (who, sadly, is not a Duke) and her daughter (who is most definitely a princess). Prada and Prejudice is her first novel.
The Interview:
What's been one of the most exciting moments in your journey to publication?
Holding my ARCs. It was So exciting to see the way the entire thing comes together as a package... and to read it as a book and not a word document!
Is there anything you can't write without?
I can, but prefer not to write without Diet Coke. MMM.
When stuck on a story which do you choose: write make-out scene or explode something?
Make out scenes.
Can you share a favorite line you've written either in this book or a WIP?
The first line of SHATTERED, a literary tale I'm still toying with, is "I lie in pieces on the floor." Something about that still yanks me right into the story.
Finally: pro fast zombie or anti fast zombies?
Anti! I dont want any zombies outrunning me.
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