Author Interview / CG Coppola

Autumn Sommers wants to forget what happened on the bus. It's been three years, but avoiding Alex Wolf has become standard, especially since everyone knows about his sketchbook—and the drawings of her inside. The incident followed them from junior-high and now, in their sophomore year, the two have been paired on a project.

Autumn just wants to get through it. She needs to maintain her grades to keep her terrible Aunt Milly from moving back in, but working with Alex might be impossible since they have to pretend to be a couple for their assignment. Forced to put their past on hold, the two focus on their fictitious relationship until the lines between real and fake get blurred, and they discover there might be some truth to the façade. But things have changed since seventh grade. Alex has a secret, and it could mean the end of their new friendship…and more.

After everything they’ve been through, Autumn isn’t sure she can go back to the way it was. With their project—and her heart—on the line, she’ll need to prepare for whatever happens, even if it means a return to silence with the boy she wants the most.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

If you could work with any other author, who would it be and why?

Oh, geez. I think I’ll say Rainbow Rowell, but I’m not sure if it’s because I think we’d collaborate well (we totally would) or because I’d be *literally* fangirling over her, and that does not make for great production. Seriously though, she writes beautiful love stories and since that’s what I love to do, I think we could come up with some awesome stuff.

What would be a typical working day for you? When and where do you write?

During the week, it’s in the evening after the boyfriend and dog have been fed. I retire to my office and work for an hour, sometimes two. On the weekends, it’s first thing in the morning. I write best at the start and end of each day. The DREAM schedule would be writing (and lots of coffee) in the morning, marketing/networking in the middle of the day, and after spending some family time, back to the writing cave at night. One day I’ll get there. One day 😉

 

What is the hardest part of the writing for you?

Gah—probably the second draft. I’m sure a lot of people say editing, but taking a look at the first draft—which is shit, let’s be honest—and transforming it into some semblance of what the final product will be can be daunting. The first go-round is exciting and fun, but the second is when you get serious and really make important decisions. I don’t know. It’s never been my favorite part.

When and why did you first start writing?

Waaaaayyy back in the day. Elementary school. Creating stories was the best, especially when you outgrow your dolls, because you can give life to something else. I wrote a lot of fantasy with evil lords and magic crystals and the such. Ah, the good old days.

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

It was actually a scene I had in my head. I’d been toying with a scenario about a high-school girl who discovers the quiet skater-boy has been keeping a sketchbook of her, and I decided to write the scene. There was no plan to let anyone read it, so I indulged myself and paired them together, just to see what happened. I kept going until I realized I was writing a series, but it wasn’t until I heard Kodaline’s “All I Want” that I understood the depth of my story. The boy with the sketchbook becomes a current-day famous musician known for his songs about the girl who got away.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

YES. Don’t give up. Ever. It feels like the easiest thing to do—to just assume you’re not good enough or that your story is never going to be told the way you want it to. You are and it will. Writing, as I have learned, is a journey and not a destination. Always believe in yourself and know that every other successful author has at one time felt like giving up. And look where they are now.