Today, I’m honored to partner with FFBC Tours for the How The Light Gets In Book Tour. In this post, I asked Katy Upperman a few questions I was dying to know about this book and her writing process. This book was released on August 6,
Learn more below on this wonderful young adult novel. You’ll also find inside information on a giveaway you won’t want to miss along with a few teasers. Now, let me (re)introduce you to the author and let’s hear what she has to say about her newest book.
Katy Upperman, Author of How The Light Gets In – Interview
What did inspire your book?
I get inspired by things that make me curious. When I first started to
I also found inspiration in documentaries about the paranormal, movies like The Sixth Sense
How much do you know about your characters when you start writing?
As much as possible! I don’t start writing until I have a good grasp on who my main character is, what she wants, why she wants it, what she’ll lose if she doesn’t get it, and what’s standing in her way.
I also try to pin down her strengths and flaws, and how those traits play into her character arch. Additionally, I like to flesh out the love interest so that I have a solid understanding of why these two characters would be drawn to each other, how they’ll help each other, and how they’ll challenge each other.
What book/author influenced you growing up?
Judy Blume, first and foremost. I’ve been reading her books for the better part of my life and I think she’s the greatest. I was also a big series reader, and devoured Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club books and Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High books. So, Ann, Francine, and their many ghost writers influenced me as well. J
For you, what is the hardest part of writing a book?
Plotting and stakes. Making things tough on my characters doesn’t come naturally to me; I mostly just want them to have interesting conversations and kiss a lot – ha!
But, that would make for a pretty slow book so I work really hard to be sure things are happening and, more importantly, my main character is making choices that move the story forward. It also takes me a long time (and many false starts, usually) to figure out what my main character intrinsically wants, and what the consequences will be if she fails to get it.
What advice would you give a new writer?
Read as much as you can, both in the category/genre you write, and widely. Pay attention to your strong reactions, both positive and negative. Identify what the author did to invoke that reaction in you.
Was it a fantastic twist? A super satisfying character arch? A line of beautiful dialogue? Studying and absorbing the practiced, polished writing in published books will do wonders for your own writing.
Which character do you relate the most with?
I relate the most to Callie. In an effort to make her more relatable—to make her more than her grief—I gave her a passion I share: swimming. I also love Callie for her fierce loyalty, her curiosity, and her huge heart. She loves her family so much, and she quickly comes to adore Tucker.
I’m really proud of the journey she takes throughout the story.
What is your favorite place to write?
I’m such a homebody! Ideally, I like to write on my couch or in my bed. I like it to be very quiet. I like to be warm, wearing cozy clothes. I like to have a candle burning, and hot coffee in a big mug nearby. I also love when my cats snuggle up next to me while I’m working.
Under those conditions, I do my best.
Thank you so much, Katy, for taking the time to answer these questions and Congratulations!
Synopsis
Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become.
When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.
But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?
- Author: Katy Upperman
- Publisher: Swoon Reads
- Release Date: August 6, 2019
- Book Length: 336 pages
- Genre: Young Adult – Contemporary
About the Author
Katy’s debut novel, Kissing Max Holden, was published August 1, 2017, and her sophomore effort, The Impossibility of Us, released July 31, 2018. Her third novel, How the Light Gets In, will be out August 6, 2019.
All three books are with Swoon Reads/Macmillan. She’s represented by Victoria Marini of the Irene Goodman Agency
International Giveaway
Prize: Win (1) copy of HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Katy Upperman and some swag – International Giveaway
Starts: August 12th 2019 – Finishes: August 26th 2019
a Rafflecopter giveaway