Today we have the author of BETWEEN which Kristen Lipper-Martin (author of Tabula Rasa), described as "a mash-up of Harry Potter and the Mortal Instruments with a dash of Kiersten White cheekiness..." Let us all welcome, Megan Whitmer!
About Writing:
While you were in the process of writing this book, have you ever doubt yourself or second guess the reason why you are writing this story? If yes, how did you overcome those obstacles?
Yes, absolutely. I rewrote Between several times, trying to figure out exactly how to make the plot work. I didn’t outline the book before I started, and there were several times when I wrote myself into corners and I had no idea how to make anything come together. After I got a book deal and we decided to make Between the first book of a trilogy, I had to do even more major rewriting. The book completely fell apart several times, and I was ready to quit. Two things kept me going: first, I really love my characters. Charlie and Seth are so fun to write, and I could write banter between them for days. Secondly, my critique partner, Josh, simply refused to let me quit. He’d constantly ask me how the book was going, and when I told him I didn’t want to do it anymore, he’d tell me how good it was and how much he loved it. Writing can be a pretty lonely endeavor, so it’s always helpful to have someone on your team.
About Getting Published:
As an aspiring author, hearing about how authors got published is always fascinating and inspiring for me. So can you tell us your journey to publication? And what was the first thing you did or said after you got the news about the book deal?
I slowly queried agents with Between for about four months (just one or two queries at a time), and entered several different contests. I heard about WriteOnCon and decided I would post my query letter and opening pages there for critique (and with the hope that an agent might spot it in the forums). That led to several full requests, including one from the editors at Spencer Hill Press.
I knew absolutely nothing about small presses at the time, so I reached out to my friends who had more experience with the publishing world to find out what they thought, and all the feedback said that Spencer Hill was a great press to work with. I sent them the full and waited.
About a month later, I got a rejection from them. It was a really detailed rejection outlining exactly what didn’t work for them, which I really appreciated because I was in the middle of (yet another) revision. I sent an email back to thank them for taking the time to give me such specific feedback, and they invited me to resubmit Between after I completed revisions. That resubmission led to an offer of publication. (Please note: If I’d been rude about their initial rejection, Between wouldn't be in bookstores right now. Don’t burn your bridges, guys.)
About Being an Author:
Tell us what it's like to be a published author? What was your most favorite moment in this whole experience, aside from seeing and holding a physical copy of your book?
Being a published author is pretty surreal. It’s still crazy to me that people who don’t know me are reading my book. Picking my most favorite moment is so hard! It constantly changes as each new thing happens. Today, it’s that my Papaw told me he read the first chapter last night. He would never, ever read young adult fantasy, you know? But he read it and enjoyed it, and that’s the best thing ever. Tomorrow, I’ll probably have a brand new answer for this question. I’m just constantly excited and thrilled that I get to do this!
About the Book:
Just like superheroes, I think it's safe to say that books also have an origin story before they became what they are right now. It might start out as a thought, an experience, a dialogue you heard, a conversation with a friend, or an idea that has been plaguing your brain for quite sometime. So tell us, what's your book's origin story? And what made you decide to write it?
Oh yeah—the idea behind Between was in my head for years before I realized it could be book material. I’ve always been fascinated by the way some legends persist over time, even when there’s not really any evidence to prove them (i.e., fairies, Bigfoot, mermaids). At the same time, I know that there are questions I’m never going to know the answer to—conspiracy theory things, you know? Like, what’s in Area 51? Or what really went down the night Marilyn Monroe died? Over time, my brain twisted these things together, and I started thinking of legends as conspiracy theories. Maybe there was a reason that some legends don’t die. Maybe there’s a group of people who know that things like Bigfoot and mermaids exists, and it’s their job to keep us from knowing because we’d all freak out. Ta-da! That’s the Fellowship.
About the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Megan Whitmer lives in Kentucky with her family. She loves all things Southern, and has a soft spot for football, kissing scenes, and things that sparkle. In addition to writing YA novels, she’s also a contributing blogger for YAmisfits.com, allthewritenotes.com, and herkentucky.com. When she’s not writing, Megan spends her time looking for funny t-shirts and wishing someone would pay her to tweet.
Title: Between
Genre/s: YA Paranormal Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
Summary:
When a supernatural freak of nature forces her family to separate, seventeen-year-old Charlie Page must turn to her frustrating (yet gorgeous) neighbor, Seth, to help reunite them. Seth whisks Charlie to Ellauria—a magical world filled with the creatures of myths and legends—and tells her of the Fellowship, the group charged with protecting mystical beings from human discovery. (All except Bigfoot: that attention whore is a total lost cause.) But when Charlie learns that she's under the Fellowship's protection herself, well, "stressed" is an understatement.Ellauria should be the safest place for Charlie while the Fellowship works to find her family, but things in the mystical realm aren’t what they seem.Magic is failing, creatures are dying, and the Fellowship insists Charlie holds the key to saving everyone. With her family still missing and the danger in Ellauria growing, Charlie doesn't know who she can trust. She's dealing with a power she never asked for, falling for a guy she can't have, and being forced to choose between her destiny and her heart. And if she chooses wrong, she could destroy magic forever.Charlie may be in over her head.
