Review: DRIVE by Stephanie Fournet
I have loved everything I’ve read from Stephanie Fournet, and DRIVE did not disa[...]
I’m thrilled to have Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott, co-authors of THE WAY BACK TO YOU, on A Book and a Latte today! They’re stopping by for a How I Write feature as part of their blog tour. Check out my Q & A with them below, and be sure to enter the giveaway!
About the Authors
Michelle Andreani is the co-author of THE WAY BACK TO YOU (my debut novel!) with Mindi Scott, forthcoming from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins. Also an occasional scatterbrain, milkshake devotee, and liker of love stories.
Mindi Scott lives near Seattle, Washington, USA with her drummer husband in a house with a non-sound-proof basement. Freefall, her first novel, was published by Simon Pulse in 2010. Her second novel, Live Through This, was published (also by Simon Pulse) in 2012. She contributed a chapter to Violent Ends, a collaborative novel written by 17 young adult authors (out in 2015), and co-wrote, along with Michelle Andreani, the 2016 novel The Way Back to You. She is represented by Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich.
Michelle LINKS: Website | Twitter | Instagram
Mindi LINKS: Website | Twitter | Instagram
Are you a planner (outline, etc.) or do you “pants” it?
Mindi: Planner, for sure! I spend months of upfront planning stories—sometimes before I write even one word for them.
Michelle: Let me preface this by saying I’m a Gemini, and sometimes I Gemini hard. So, okay, I’d definitely call myself a planner. But at the same time, over-planning can be stifling because if I know too many specifics, I get bored? See what I mean! Geminis, man.
Do you write daily or sporadically when you’re inspired?
Mindi: It’s never daily, because I work part-time two days a week. My goal is always to write all day Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I also add in partial or full days of writing on weekends, depending on how my deadlines are looking and whether I have other obligations.
Michelle: Oh gosh, if only I could say I was disciplined enough to write every day. That typically only happens when things are dire! But if I’m not actively writing, then I’m probably obsessing over what needs to be written, so the days aren’t total losses.
What inspired you to want to become a writer?
Mindi: Anne Frank was a big part of why I started writing. I believe I was around ten years old when I read her diary, and I wanted to be honest and contemplative like her. I started writing in my own diary at that time, and continued through high school.
Michelle: I wish I was one of those writers who knew at a young age! In retrospect, my subconscious was dropping hints all over the place – I’d tell myself stories to fall asleep, or invent new plotlines for shows I watched (like mental fan fiction!). But it wasn’t until high school that I got a glimmer of a clue that I enjoyed writing, and then I started writing regularly in college. Late to the party, as always!
What time of day do you find you write best? Or you enjoy more?
Mindi: I don’t seem to have a standard best time. Every day varies. I do find that I am most likely to produce a sudden burst of words late in the day, though. Just when I’m expecting to call it a night. 😉
Michelle: Same! I love writing super late at night. Probably because I’m too exhausted to care if whatever I’ve written is terrible or not (which makes my life so much easier, not kidding).
What kind of mood are you typically in when you write (happy, sad, etc.)?
Mindi: Inspired! Which eventually changes to . . . frustrated! No matter how my mood starts out on any given writing day, I’ll usually get rattled at some point; writing is never as easy as I wish it were.
Michelle: Oh wow, it totally depends, I think. I’m not sure I ever go into it the same way? But one mood that is a recipe for certain misery is being distracted. If there’s a ton of stuff tripping around my head, I won’t get anywhere!
Many thanks to you both for answering my questions!
Six months ago, Ashlyn Montiel died in a bike accident.
Her best friend Cloudy is keeping it together, at least on the outside. Cloudy’s insides are a different story: tangled, confused, heartbroken.
Kyle is falling apart, and everyone can tell. Ashlyn was his girlfriend, and when she died, a part of him went with her. Maybe the only part he cares about anymore.
As the two people who loved Ashlyn best, Cloudy and Kyle should be able to lean on each other. But after a terrible mistake last year, they’re barely speaking. So when Cloudy discovers that Ashlyn’s organs were donated after her death and the Montiel family has been in touch with three of the recipients, she does something a little bit crazy and a lot of out character: she steals the letters and convinces Kyle to go on a winter break road trip with her, from Oregon to California to Arizona to Nevada. Maybe if they see the recipients—the people whose lives were saved by Ashlyn’s death—the world will open up again. Or maybe it will be a huge mistake.
With hundreds of miles in front of them, a stowaway kitten, and a list of people who are alive because of Ashlyn, Cloudy and Kyle just may find their way to back to her…and to each other.
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository
Readers, follow the tour (schedule below) for more chances to win, and be sure to enter the giveaway! You can find more How I Write features by clicking the image at the bottom of this post.
Tour Schedule
5/10: Literary Lover – Review
5/12: In Wonderland – Review
Giveaway
More “How I Write” Q&As!
Thanks for the interview today. I love reading how other authors write. Informative post today.
I had to laugh at Michelle’s quote, “I Gemini hard.” I am a Gemini, too, and I can relate!
Dianna recently posted..5 Reasons to Visit Patriot’s Point in historic Charleston – home of the USS Yorktown
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Love these types of interviews! This book sounds great!! So fascinating to find out which are pantser and which are not.