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Thanks for stopping by It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
YA is such a universal genre and takes place in a pivotal time in life. You don’t have to be a teen to read YA, adults can read it too and may be having similar experiences in their lives as well. It’s a time when a lot of changes happen, and it’s where a lot of people need validation the most. My goal with my books is to write stories of people who are pushed to the edges of society, those that don’t have a lot of good representation. I want to make these people feel seen.
What research or world-building is required?
The Secrets that Kill Us takes place in modern-day, in a generic made-up city. Most of the world-building came from my own experiences, from the school to the MC’s home. I have pictures of these places in my head and when describing them simply navigate through the spaces in my mind. I’m a very visually-centered person, so I try to create vivid descriptions for people to see what I’m seeing.
Name one thing you learned from your hero.
Liz taught me that sometimes, you have to let go and trust people. You can’t always be completely independent, you can’t always do everything on your own. And that’s okay. Sometimes you need to lean on close friends to get through tough times, and it’ll bring you closer.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits, or superstitions?
I cannot write without my instrumental writing playlist playing in the background, which consists majorly of the music from Undertale. You’ll catch me jamming out to a song about a village of dogs while writing the most serious scenes.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a complete pantser. I used to plot when I was younger, but then I never progressed past outlines. Now I just sit down and write, I hardly plan anything. I have a vague notion of what happens when, but it’s not usually written anywhere and if it is it’s written nonsensically on some sticky note somewhere. I write everything in order, that’s the only sense of plotting that takes place in my head nowadays.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
A stack of books and my journaling supplies. It’s my TBR pile, the books I’m currently reading, and a couple journals with a pencil case holding a ridiculous amount of washi tape (I have a bit of a problem, there’s a drawer full of it in my studio as well).
Anything exciting from you? What?
My debut, The Secrets that Kill Us, was out April 5th! I’ve been so excited for its release. This is a story I’ve put a lot of love and care into, and it’s amazing for it to be out into the world.
Do you have a question for our readers?
What makes you really fall in love with a book? You know, the kind of book-love where you can’t put it down, and end up reading the whole thing in an incredibly short period of time for your reading pace. Is it the characters, the action, the story?
At sixteen, Liz had already trudged through hell and back. Having bounced from one foster home to another most of her life, she finally finds herself in a stable home. But stability poses its own challenges after a life of unsteady fooling, and Liz grapples to find a way to be still. Her past still plagues her in this new world. Everything feels wrong, she is at odds with her own body and mind, and struggling to survive.
Liz finds an unlikely friend in Alex, a girl who may not share Liz’s troubled past but strives to understand, even though it means becoming a pariah at school. With Alex’s help, Liz searches for the strength to confront her demons, and the two see each other through addictions, transitions, and the dangerous consequences of coping.
Unable to let herself trust and love, even in this new space with new support, Liz’s trauma begins to drag her under. Some secrets kill, and some truths fight to stay hidden. Unearthing them all will require Liz to trust others despite a lifetime of learning just how dangerous that is.
Read an Excerpt
High school wasn’t much different than middle school, other than things being less sticky and more dingy. I’d made it through freshman year by the skin of my teeth, and now the daunting task of sophomore year stood before me, halfway accomplished. The guys were a lot more obnoxious, graduating from senseless teasing to aggression in order to fulfill their newfound need for overbearing toxic masculinity. I rolled my eyes as I walked past a group of guys pushing each other around, proving my point. At least I wasn’t the new kid this time. I’d somehow managed to keep up with the class and graduate. I'd made it through a year and a half of high school without being held back. It was still a constant struggle. When I got to my locker I squinted at the paper I’d been given for the code, bringing it closer to my face. Contacts weren’t cutting it, I really needed to wear my glasses. But damn, did I hate them. After a few different attempts I managed to get the right numbers and threw the books I didn’t need in. They made a loud slam as they hit the back of the locker.
About the Author:
Website: https://t.co/UEEMwVpdtV
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/nixblackwood
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-that-Kill-Us-ebook/dp/B09RZZ4MSY/
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a good read and the cover is wonderful
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interview.
ReplyDelete