Debut 2020 Author Interview: Chloe Gong!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun this year as well! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2020 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!

At the end of 2019, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Chloe Gong and her novel THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Chloe on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Chloe Gong is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, studying English and International Relations. During her breaks, shes either at home in New Zealand or visiting her many relatives in Shanghai. Chloe has been known to mysteriously appear by chanting Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's best plays and doesnt deserve its slander in pop culture into a mirror three times. 

Keep up with Chloe: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Chloe: Surreal! Absolutely surreal! But mostly I’m grateful, because being a debut author means I have the chance to share this story with the world, and there’s nothing I love more than telling stories.

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Chloe: The best part is seeing the world of the book come to life. I love it when I start with the faintest seeds of an idea, and then the more I work on it, the more it turns into a concept, and then the concept into a story, and once the story is finished, it becomes this self-contained world where the characters are moving and interacting even once I step back from the page. Growing up, all my favorite books were the ones where the characters felt so real and I could think about them even outside the book’s plot, and when I write, that’s the sort of feeling I want to invoke in my readers. The hardest part is probably the flip side of the best part: it’s actually getting the work done so the book breathes life! You’d think that sitting down and just putting hands onto a keyboard wouldn’t be that hard, and yet, it remains an ever constant struggle.

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the inspiration for THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS?

Chloe: It sort of just hit me out of the blue one day. I was thinking about how interesting blood feud stories are, especially if there's a romance present, and how tense it would be for two characters caught on utterly opposites sides. That steamrolled into a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and then that steamrolled into a need to retell the original so there was a new setting, new culture, new characters, and voila!

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Chloe: My favorite is always a toss up between Juliette Cai, or Alisa Montagova. Juliette because she’s the main character and her sense of humor is entirely mine, so all the dry jokes coming out of her mouth are pulled directly from what I’m prone to saying. But Alisa is also really fun because she’s the youngest of the main cast, and there’s something liberating about writing a character who just runs around from one corner of the city to another without needing to keep control of the main plot like Juliette. For most difficult, I’m just going to take the cheater’s way out and say all of them. The main cast is big enough that there are constantly so many moving parts, and keeping track of every character is a constant effort on my part!

The Book Bratz: How much research was required to write a book focused in the 1920s?

Chloe: I did a lot of research when it came to the concrete details, but because I’m so familiar with Shanghai already, I imagine I didn’t do as much research as I might have if I didn’t already have an idea of the vibe and atmosphere! When it came to the old-timey descriptions, such as the alleyways, the waterfronts, and culture, I pulled from my own knowledge and stories that I’ve grown up hearing from my relatives. When it came to the true history, such as certain events that were unfolding in 1926, I spent hours in the stacks of my school library flipping through books from the time.

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS?

Chloe: I want readers to enjoy the story, then send me their beating hearts in an envelope after this book tears it out. Just kidding! I only want readers to have a good time while reading. And maybe fight colonialism. “Have fun and fight colonialism,” = the motto of reading THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS?

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Chloe: THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS will have a sequel! After that, I may have some ideas about returning to the world, but my lips are zipped for now...

Title: These Violent Delights

Author: Chloe Gong

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: November 17th, 2020

Summary: The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Thank you so much to Chloe for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS and can't wait for it to be out in the world on November 17th! 

2020 Debut Author Interview: Mara Fitzgerald!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun this year as well! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2020 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!

At the end of 2019, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Mara Fitzgerald and her novel BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL , and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Mara on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Mara Fitzgerald writes YA fantasy about unlikable female characters who ruin everything. She is a biologist by day and spends entirely too much time looking at insects under a microscope. She was born near Disney World and now lives near Graceland, which is almost as good.

Keep up with Mara: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / Pinterest

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Mara: Thank you and happy to be here! Being a debut author feels like one long hallucination. It’s still hard to believe that the words I created while holed up in my living room, typing frantically like a gremlin, have come together to form a Real Book.

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Mara: I love the element of discovery and surprise. I’m what we in the biz call a “pantser,” which means that when I begin writing, I don’t have much—just a premise and some vague characters—and I move forward by the seat of my pants. I rely heavily on my writer’s intuition. I go in the wrong direction a lot. But oh, when I figure out how to go in the right direction! That’s magic. The hardest part is the existential despair. Writing a book is creating something out of nothing, and for most people, we spend years getting essentially zero external rewards. We all have to find the reasons that it’s worth it.

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the inspiration for BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL?

Mara: A dream. Should I come up with something cooler to say? It’s too late—I’ve admitted it in too many places. I had been struggling to get a story off the ground, but it wasn’t really coming together, and then I woke up with a totally new idea in my head—an idea about two characters who were looking for something. Then, I started to develop the idea in my usual way, by asking questions—what were they looking for? Why was it missing? I’d also been listening to the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack not long before. I feel like it’s partially responsible for the amount of blood in the book.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Mara: My main character, Emanuela, is a terrible person, and that was both fun and challenging to write. It was almost cathartic to portray someone so unapologetically selfish. Her nemesis—and maybe, just maybe, eventual love interest—Verene, was also challenging because of the particular way I wanted her to serve as a foil to Emanuela. I didn’t want her to be the complete opposite, nor did I want her to be exactly the same. Figuring out how to execute and walk that line was also fun, but it took a lot of engineering. And by that I mean my editors deserve all the credit.

The Book Bratz: This story involves omens, secrets, and even a touch of magic. How did you go about keeping all of this information in order while plotting?

Mara: I didn’t. The beauty of writing is that once I figure out everything I need to tell the reader, I can go back and make it look like I intended to do it smoothly all along. You know the thing where you left an argument with someone thirty minutes ago, but you’re still coming up with new things you should have said? In writing, you can just go back and say them!

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL?

Mara: I’ve always wanted to write the type of book people will read in one sitting. I love the idea of being an “airport” novel or a “train trip” novel—a book that makes that little moment in your life more fun. But the book isn’t about straight white men.

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Mara: I’m currently working on a sequel to BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL, which should release a year after the first book. All I can tell you about it is that it’s even weirder than the original! 

Title: Beyond the Ruby Veil

Author: Mara Fitzgerald

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: October 13th, 2020

Summary: Emanuela Ragno always gets what she wants. With her daring mind and socialite schemes, she refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be. In her most ambitious move yet, she's about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn't care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn't want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she'll have it all. But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In the city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has given themselves up for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She's kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years. When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back...and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make their water and no idea how to get more. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the secrets of the watercrea's magic and find a way to save their people-no matter what it takes. 

Thank you so much to Mara for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL and can't wait for it to be out in the world on October 13th! 

2020 Debut Author Interview: Rebecca Coffindaffer!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun this year as well! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2020 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!

At the end of 2019, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Rebecca Coffindaffer and her novel CROWNCHASERS, and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Rebecca on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Rebecca Coffindaffer grew up on Star Wars, Star Trek, fantastical movies and even more fantastical books. She waited a long time for her secret elemental powers to develop, and in the interim, she started writing stories about girls and magic and spaceships. These days she lives in Kansas with her family, surrounded by a lot of books and a lot of tabletop games and one big fuzzy dog. 

Keep up with Rebecca: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Rebecca: Thank you! It's such a strange feeling! You're so excited to finally achieve this dream you've been working toward, but publishing takes time, so there's so much waiting, especially at the beginning, where it still doesn't feel real exactly. These last few months have been a lot busier -- more excitement to see it all coming together, more nerves because it's starting to go out into the world and be reviewed. Especially with all the stuff 2020 has brought to the table, so to speak, it's been a day-by-day navigation of emotions.

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Rebecca: I am not a big fan of drafting, especially the first draft because it never comes out exactly right. I'm a big plotter, so I like the phase when I'm just scribbling down all my world-building and story ideas and trying to fit them together like a puzzle into a larger outline and goal. 

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the inspiration for CROWNCHASERS?

Rebecca: I tend to approach a book from one of two directions -- either I think up the MC first and then develop the world around them or I think up the world first and then try to discover what story I want to tell inside it. CROWNCHASERS was definitely a character-first story -- Alyssa Farshot's voice and attitude, this kind of Han-Solo-meets-Kara-Thrace persona, that was the real driving force behind it.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the hardest?

Rebecca: I don't generally default to first person, and I have to say that Alyssa's character naturally fit first person and was SO MUCH FUN to write. I could write her voice forever. I think writing some of the other crownchasers was more difficult -- giving them space to have nuance and their own arcs that are in constant development even when they're not on the page.

The Book Bratz: What made you choose to delve into writing a YA space opera? Was planning it difficult, since it's so complex?

Rebecca: I have such a longtime love of scifi, from Star Wars to Star Trek when I was little, to Battlestar: Galactica and The Expanse. Give me all the dramatic stories about humanity and love and politics all set on spaceships hurtling between planets. I'm in. And honestly, aside from having a very long list of planet names to keep track of, I don't mind the complexity. Figuring out new worlds and keeping all the connections straight is right up my alley. 

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from CROWNCHASERS?

Rebecca: I think I mostly want readers to enjoy the ride. I want them to feel like they're onboard a spaceship with Alyssa and just getting swept up in her sense of fun and adventure. In my wildest dreams, I hope it drives a bunch more readers to explore YA scifi because I think it's such a fantastic genre to escape into.

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of CROWNCHASERS in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Rebecca: CROWNCHASERS is the first in a duology, so the sequel will be coming out Fall 2021. It'll focus on all the repercussions of Alyssa's decisions in the first book and how that affects the throne and the future of the empire. It's currently in the revision stage with my editor at HarperTeen. After that...well, I have lots of other ideas and projects, a lot of them stepping into that blended gray area of science fantasy, which is another favorite space of mine to play in. They're all in story infancy stage, though, so hopefully I can share more about them when they're fully formed.

Title: Crownchasers

Author: Rebecca Coffindaffer

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: September 29th, 2020

Summary: Alyssa Farshot has spent her whole life trying to outrun her family legacy. Her mother sacrificed everything to bring peace to the quadrant, and her uncle has successfully ruled as emperor for decades. But the last thing Alyssa wants is to follow in their footsteps as the next in line for the throne. Why would she choose to be trapped in a palace when she could be having wild adventures exploring a thousand-and-one planets in her own ship? But when Alyssa’s uncle becomes gravely ill, his dying wish surprises the entire galaxy. Instead of naming her as his successor, he calls for a crownchase, the first in seven centuries. Representatives from each of the empire’s prime families—including Alyssa—are thrown into a race to find the royal seal, which has been hidden somewhere in the empire. The first to find the seal wins the throne. Alyssa’s experience as an explorer makes her the favorite to win the crown she never wanted. And though she doesn’t want to be empress, her duty to her uncle compels her to participate in this one last epic adventure. But when the chase turns deadly, it’s clear that more than just the fate of the empire is at stake. Alyssa is on her most important quest yet—and only time will tell if she’ll survive it.

Thank you so much to Rebecca for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about CROWNCHASEERS and can't wait for it to be out in the world on September 29th! 

2020 Debut Author Interview: Kylie Schachte!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun this year as well! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2020 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!

At the end of 2019, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Kylie Schachte and her novel YOU'RE NEXT, and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Kylie on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Kylie Schachte is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied such wide-ranging topics as comparative neuroscience and the cultural history of the United Status through literature and film. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their very clumsy cat, Matilda. Yes, she is named after the Roald Dahl character. Telekinetic powers unconfirmed. 

Keep up with Kylie: Website / Twitter / Instagram 

The Book Bratz: How does it feel that YOU'RE NEXT is debuting this year?

Kylie: It’s honestly so surreal. I keep saying “And once I have a cover/get reviews/see it in people’s hands/etc, etc it’ll feel real”...and we’re still not there yet! And now with a global pandemic going on, there’s a whole extra layer of strangeness on top. But I always pictured this book as a fast, fun summer read, and I know there are readers out there who need that kind of escape more than ever--that means a lot to me. 

The Book Bratz: What are some of your favorite thrillers and/or murder mysteries? 

Kylie: I actually wasn’t much of a mystery reader before writing YOU’RE NEXT, so when I started drafting I did a deep dive in the genre for research, which was a lot of fun. When it comes to the classics, I love the hardboiled stories like Raymond Chandler...Flora definitely takes a lot of cues from those grouchy old dudes. In YA, some of my favorites are TROUBLE IS A FRIEND OF MINE by Stephanie Tromley, SADIE by Courtney Summers, and FOUL IS FAIR by Hannah Capin. THROWAWAY GIRLS by Andrea Contos is a fellow debut that I’m really looking forward to later this year, as well! 

The Book Bratz: What inspired you to write Flora's story? 

Kylie: I was actually watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when I got the idea! As I was watching, I thought, “I just want to write something like this: super fun, and action-packed, and a little snarky...the kind of thing I would want to read.” But around the same time that I was starting the first draft in 2014, there were all of these things happening in the news that really emphasized the failings of our criminal justice system. I was asking myself a lot of questions about who gets justice, and who gets forgotten, and what kinds of victims we decide are worthy of our sympathy. I thought a sixteen-year-old girl, someone who society sees as inherently vulnerable and “weak,” might have an interesting perspective on those questions. But that’s all pretty heavy, and I wanted to write a fun book! That became the greatest challenge of YOU’RE NEXT: trying to thread the needle between an honest emotional account of the trauma and tragedy of murder, while still getting to play around with the fun stuff, like teen fight clubs and this action-hero style protagonist. There are so many incredible YA books out there that address the criminal justice system and other serious topics head-on, but I also love when books that we might think of as more “light” or “pleasure reads” can still feel grounded in our world and its issues. I absolutely loved the movie Knives Out for this reason--it’s this super whimsical play on a classic Whodunit, but part of what makes that movie so thrilling is that, for all its zany antics, it is also imbued with these very real issues, like white privilege and our broken immigration system. I tried my hardest to walk the line between the two sides of my story--the fun and the grounded--and hopefully that comes through. 

The Book Bratz: If you were receiving sinister texts from a murderer and couldn't go to the police with them, what would you do?

Kylie: Haha well Flora and I are very different in this respect. Flora’s very action-oriented--she just wants to fight, to go, to jump and figure it out when she lands...even if that’s maybe not always the best choice. I’m more the research & strategize type, so I think I’d try to find some kind of tech-y way to figure out who was sending the texts, and make it clear I knew who they were (from a safe distance!) Maybe even get the press involved? I identify more with Cass, Flora’s best friend, and Olive, her younger sister. Thank god Flora has them around to make her do her homework (or at least think for like...5 seconds) before she runs headlong into the fray. You’ll notice she gets in the most trouble when she doesn’t listen to them.

The Book Bratz: What do you hope your readers are going to take away from YOU'RE NEXT?

Kylie: So like I said, I first got the idea for Flora while watching Buffy, and in some ways Flora is almost like a superhero. But being a hero is easy, in some respects, when you have super strength and magic powers. Flora’s just a regular person, like you or me, who saw something wrong with the world and said: if I don’t do something about this, no one will. She gets a lot wrong along the way, and makes some terrible choices. But at her heart she’s someone who wasn’t willing to look the other way when injustice happened right in front of her. That’s the part of Flora I know I want to be more like, and I hope other people feel that way too. But I’ll also say that Flora’s “superhero” identity is in a lot of ways a mask for her to hide behind. The true story of the book is about Flora learning to face her emotions and her trauma head-on. Kicking doors in and cracking skulls is fun and all, but it’s not a replacement for dealing with your feelings. I said I wrote this book because I thought a sixteen-year-old girl would make for a fundamentally different kind of detective, and what Flora ultimately finds is that truth & justice are easier to find when we approach them not from a place of vengeance, but from empathy, compassion, and courage. 

The Book Bratz: Are there any secrets you can share with us about YOU'RE NEXT? 

Kylie: Well, about that ending...let’s just say I initially wrote YOU’RE NEXT as the first in a series. Don’t worry, the mystery is fully resolved and the book stands on its own...but the story doesn’t have to be over, if you catch my drift. Hopefully if people like YOU’RE NEXT enough, I’ll get the chance to write more!

Title: You're Next

Author: Kylie Schachte

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson

Publication Date: July 7th, 2020

Summary: Flora Calhoun has a reputation for sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. After stumbling upon a classmate's body years ago, the trauma of that discovery and the police's failure to find the killer has haunted her ever since. One night, she gets a midnight text from Ava McQueen, the beautiful girl who had ignited Flora's heart last summer, then never spoke to her again. Just in time to witness Ava's death from a gunshot wound, Flora is set on a path of rage and vengeance for all the dead girls whose killer is never found. Her tunnel-visioned sleuthing leads to valuable clues about a shocking conspiracy involving her school and beyond, but also earns her sinister threats from the murderer. She has a choice---to give up the hunt for answers, or keep digging and risk her loved ones' lives. Either way, Flora will regret the consequences. Who's next on the killer's list?

Thank you so much to Kylie for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about YOU'RE NEXT and it's out in the world NOW for you to enjoy!

2020 Debut Interview: Jessica Goodman!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun this year as well! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2020 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!

At the end of 2019, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Jessica Goodman and her novel THEY WISH THEY WERE US, and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Jessica on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Jessica Goodman is the op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan magazine. They Wish They Were Us is her debut novel.

Keep up with Jessica: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Jessica: Aw, thanks Bratz! Excited doesn't begin to cover it. It's been a long road to publishing THEY WISH THEY WERE US and I'm just so pumped to finally get it into the hands of readers so I can hear what they think about these characters and this story.

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Jessica: Nothing feels as good as writing "THE END" (even though those words never actually make it into the book!). After that happens, I usually walk away from the draft for a few days—or even weeks!—before going back to start revising. Looking at a draft with fresh eyes always helps me make it better. But the hardest is tying together all the loose ends in a plot, especially in a thriller. The best thrillers keep readers guessing and make them think "how the hell will this all come together?" They also have endings where everything makes perfect sense and storylines click into place at the last second. That's what I try to do in my stories.

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the inspiration for THEY WISH THEY WERE US?

Jessica: I grew up on Long Island and was always so interested in the hyper-specific socioeconomic issues that come with living in the shadow of New York City. Plus, I've always been obsessed with prep school stories and murder mysteries. Combining them seemed like a no-brainer.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Jessica: The answer to both is Jill, my protagonist. She's torn in so many directions and feels so much pressure to succeed and be perfect. When we meet her, she's still unsure of herself and who she is in the context of the world around her. All of those characteristics felt so authentic to the teenage experience to me. But—sorry Jill!—I also made her suffer quite a bit. She has a long and winding character arc with so many ups and downs, and all of her relationships are put to the test. Jill doesn't always do what you want her to do, but I hope readers enjoy being along for the ride.

The Book Bratz: What sort of tips and tricks do you have for writers who want to write mystery stories?

Jessica: Read so many different kinds of mysteries! Adult, YA... anything! If you need some suggestions, try reading anything by Tiffany D. Jackson (MONDAY'S NOT COMING is one of my favorites of all time) or Megan Abbott (start with DARE ME!). Other mystery writers I adore include Lamar Giles, Jessica Knoll, Kara Thomas, Andrea Bartz, Megan Miranda, Karen McManus, and Gillian Flynn. Learning from the masters is never a bad idea and can help inspire you in your own writing. 

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from THEY WISH THEY WERE US?

Jessica:I hope they learn that no matter what social situation they're in, or how powerless they feel, they can always find their own strength to stand up for themselves, their friends, and what's right. 

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of THEY WISH THEY WERE US in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Jessica: I'm currently working on another standalone thriller that will come out in Summer 2021. No spoilers, but let's just say you can expect some serious twists and turns that had one early reader texting me, "OH MY GOD WHAAATTTT!" (in a good way, I promise!).

Title: They Wish They Were Us

Author: Jessica Goodman

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: August 4th, 2020

Summary: In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems. Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on. Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it. But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.

Thank you so much to Jessica for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about THEY WISH THEY WERE US and can't wait for it to be out in the world on August 4th -- we're ready to be kept up late with scary thrills!

2020 Debut Author Interview: Syed M. Masood!

In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun this year as well! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2020 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!

At the end of 2019, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Syed M. Masood and his novel MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE, and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Sheena on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

Syed grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and currently lives in Sacramento, California. There have been plenty of stops in between though. He's a first generation immigrant, twice over. He's been a citizen of three different countries and lived in nine cities. He is, as Goethe, said, “nothing but a wanderer […] on this earth.”

Keep up with Syed: Website / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?

Syed:I feel like I should give a cheerful, upbeat answer to this one. But honestly, with the pandemic still ongoing, I think all experiences are a little touched by sadness, by grief for those who have suffered and who continue to suffer. So, let’s just say that the bright flame of optimism, hope and excitement with which my debut year started has flickered at bit. But it has not gone out! I’m so glad that MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE is a comedy, which will hopefully provide some relief from the grim news around us to those who read it. I believe it will bring readers joy, and that brings me joy.

The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?

Syed: The best part of the writing process is the end. That sounds flippant, I guess, but I really mean it. The last fifty pages are the most fun I have with a book. I write in a pretty chaotic way. I don’t have outlines, I don’t plan out anything, I just pick a scenario and start typing and hope a story will reveal itself. So, the beginning is pretty tough—this, by the way, is the answer to the second part of your question. I end up throwing out a lot of words. In terms of volume, I probably tossed out a novella while writing MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE. By the last fifty pages though, things have all come together, and I’m dying to keep writing, so that everything can be pulled together, and I can see how what I’ve written connects. “My fingers emit sparks of fire with expectation of my future labours,” as William Blake wrote. This is the time in the process where I won’t sleep, I’ll often write though an entire day and entire night, consuming reckless amounts of coffee and pushing to reach the end. It’s exhausting and it is amazing and I love it and I am very tired.

The Book Bratz: Where did you get the inspiration for MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE?

Syed: I feel like this kind of question is easier for people who actually plan out their books and actually plot them! I will say that I’ve written three books now (two are coming out in 2020, the third in 2021) and with all of them there has been a poem or song that has been vital to unlocking the secret of the text for me. It’s a song I’ll listen to again and again while drafting, while driving, whatever. For MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE, it was a piece by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, who was a brilliant Pakistani poet. It’s called “Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat Mere Mehboob Na Maang.” There is a musical version from Coke Studio on YouTube with English subtitles, if anyone wants to check it out. However, it loosely translates to “Beloved, don’t ask me to love you now like I loved you once.” It’s about how when you are young and unaware of the world’s realities, you can love absolutely and with innocent joy, but as your understanding of the world becomes more complex and you become concerned with the pains and ills of society and history, there is less joy in romance, and it is less all-consuming. So, a shout out to Faiz, one of the greatest poets the world has ever seen, and one you may never hear of again, unfortunately, because of the way the literary canon is constructed in the West.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?

Syed: I think I was lucky, in that my favorite character to write was Danyal Jilani. It’s rare, I think, to get to write a protagonist with that little cynicism about him, with a heart as generous as he has, who naturally tends to be kind, in the way that Danyal does. One of his greatest flaws is his genuine failure to see how brilliant he is, even if he isn’t brilliant at all by any academic standard. Writing him was a special experience. Most difficult to write, I think, was Alan Rhodes. He actually has a small role, but I find those characters are always challenging. You want to try to do every character justice, to make them all well-rounded, but characters like Rhodes—a classmate who looks down on Danyal because Rhodes knows he’s Danyal’s intellectual superior—can be difficult to write because they don’t get a lot of time on the page, so it becomes a struggle to capture their voice and do them justice.

The Book Bratz: What were some rom-coms that inspired you and encouraged you to write this book?

Syed: I love rom-coms, but I wasn’t inspired by any particular one. There were other inspirations. I’ve talked elsewhere about Ray Romano and how his work influenced me and my vision of what art is and what it’s purpose is. But books I was reading when MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE came together were Nic Stone’s DEAR MARTIN and PAPER TOWNS by John Greene. Those definitely had an impact on me.

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE?

Syed: I hope they enjoy themselves. That’s the first goal, always.  But also, obviously, the book asks some serious questions. The books dwells upon the question of who gets to write history and why and asks if that is fair. It questions who gets to be forgiven and why they get to be forgiven. These, I think, are important questions and I hope readers give them some thought.

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?

Syed: OMy next book, THE BAD MUSLIM DISCOUNT, coming November 2020, is adult fiction, not YA. The title is based loosely on the setting of the book. A large part of the book is an apartment complex owned by this Pakistani uncle. As the landlord, he makes moral judgements and gives out discounts on rent to people he determines to be “good” Muslims. However, he misjudges how religious the main character is and ends up giving this “bad” Muslim a “good” Muslim discount. It’s another comedy, but it isn’t a rom-com. My next YA book, coming in 2021, which I’m working on now, is another rom-com. It isn’t set in the world of MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE, and I don’t have any plans to return to that world yet. I also don’t have a lot to share about that project right now—it doesn’t even have a title—but I will say that it’s about physics and dancing. Hopefully, readers will have fun with it when it comes out. 

Title: More Than Just a Pretty Face

Author: Syed M. Masood

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: August 4, 2020

Summary: Danyal Jilani doesn't lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he's funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn't approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal's longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect. When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man--a school-wide academic championship--it's the perfect opportunity to show everyone he's smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her...the more he learns from her...the more he cooks for her...the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.

Thank you so much to Syed for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE and can't wait for it to be out in the world on August 4th!