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Every odd Tuesday (because Tuesdays aren't odd enough), I feature a different young adult fiction author YOU should know - from best-sellers to debuts. And what better way to do this than asking them TWO fun questions. Short, sweet, and sassy - just the way I like interviews.
Happy to feature one of my Bloomsbury Spark sisters today on the blog. Theresa DaLayne's Spark title, THE EDGE OF YOU is set to launch on September 25th and it's one I'm super keen to read. Check out Theresa's answers to my questions AND a bonus excerpt from THE EDGE OF YOU and you'll soon see why. Don't forget to follow the official blog tour!
Absolutely. Watch out for the scene where Maya is new
to the island, lying in her bed and trying to sleep. Unfortunately at eleven
o’clock at night, the sun is still shining bright through her windows. In fact,
when I lived there, our neighbors liked to walk their dogs and even mow their
lawns close to midnight. No, I’m not kidding.
Happy to feature one of my Bloomsbury Spark sisters today on the blog. Theresa DaLayne's Spark title, THE EDGE OF YOU is set to launch on September 25th and it's one I'm super keen to read. Check out Theresa's answers to my questions AND a bonus excerpt from THE EDGE OF YOU and you'll soon see why. Don't forget to follow the official blog tour!
1. Can you share the inspiration for THE EDGE OF YOU?
The main inspiration came from the location—Kodiak,
Alaska. I lived there for seven years, and truly believe without my time spent
on that island, I never would have experienced life in the woods. When I say
that I think back to the nights gathered around a bon fire on the beach, hiking
in Abercrombie Park, racing between trees from one side of town to the other.
In cities, kids hang out at malls and skate parks. In Kodiak, the woods is
where the night life goes down. So yeah, I’d say the inspiration came from
Kodiak Island itself.
2. I've been to Anchorage, Alaska in the summer. I
think they had 22 hours of daylight when we were there. Did the setting
"show up" with this story?
I also take readers to a few local spots, like White
Sand Beach, which is a local party site. Maya and Jake are there, listening to
a local strum her guitar and sing Alutiiq folk music around a bonfire. That
Alutiiq character plays a small part, but is actually based off of someone I
know, who still lives on the island.
One place I would have liked to bring readers to is a
spot the locals call “Sometimes Island.” It’s a peninsula during low tide and
an island during high tide. If I ever write another book based on Kodiak, I’ll
definitely fit it in!
Thanks so much for having me, Judith! As a treat,
here’s an excerpt from the bonfire scene on White Sand Beach. :) Oh! And for
those who buy THE EDGE OF YOU and read the “red pants” scene right after the
bonfire, that actually happened to
me. Just sayin. ;)
As
they grew closer to the fire, it became clear how many people were there.
Twenty, maybe thirty, just hanging out with bottles in their hands and smiles
on their faces.
Jake
paused and examined the open twelve pack resting in the sand. He squeezed
Maya’s hand. “You sure you’re okay with this?”
It
didn’t take any explanation for her to know what he was talking about. She
nodded.
A
guy with a dark jacket and baseball cap spotted them first. “Hey, Jake’s here!”
Jake immediately recognized Ian’s voice, a crewmember from another boat. He
fished with Jake his first season in Kodiak. Ian took a few clumsy steps
forward and slapped Jake on the back. “What’s up, man? I heard you were back,
but I haven’t seen you around.”
“Just
working, as usual.”
Ian
nodded, then checked out Maya. “Who’s the hottie?”
Jake
had never been the jealous type, but the comment made his body temperature
spike. He stepped forward, remembering Ian was just about the nicest guy he’d
ever met. “This is my girlfriend, Maya.”
Maya’s
head shot up, her smile widening.
He
hoped she would react that way.
Ian
waved them forward. “Sweet. Then come on. You guys are just in time. Lori just brought
out her guitar.”
Maya
wrapped her arm around Jake’s and leaned into him. “Who’s Lori?”
“She’s
a musician with a really good voice. Sings Alutiiq folk music. They’re an
Alaskan Native American tribe.” He pulled her forward. “Come on. You’ll like
it.”
As
soon as they arrived near the campfire, the group hushed, and Jake spotted Lori
sitting on a piece of driftwood, strumming absentmindedly on her guitar. He
stepped behind Maya to allow the heat from the fire to ease her shivering. Her
hands were like ice, but she seemed content, listening to Lori’s soft voice carry
through the air.
Jake
wrapped his arms around Maya from behind and hugged her close to his chest,
resting his chin on her shoulder. It had been so long since he held someone. He
missed the warmth of a woman’s body. But life had thrown him so many
curveballs; he’d spent most of his teen years either working or worrying, which
gave him hardly any time for relationships.
Maya
swayed with the gentle strumming of notes and the hushed, soothing tone of
Lori’s voice. The entire song was in Alutiiq, and even though he didn’t
understand a word of it, it was obvious Maya felt the melody. Like she
must have felt her art.
He
wished he had something like that. Something that breathed life back into him.
Maya
smiled. He felt it—her cheek rose and pressed against his. Jake pulled her
closer against his chest, burying his nose in her hair and resting his lips
against the curve of her neck.
Maybe
he had already found what made him feel alive. Maybe he didn’t need to keep
looking because maybe, just maybe, she was already in his arms.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22512074-the-edge-of-you
