Interview with "The Boyfriend Thief" Author!

Book title: The Boyfriend Thief
Author: Shana Norris
Short Blurb: Avery has her life planned out: this summer she'll work with a humanitarian program in Costa Rica, next year she'll graduate at the top of her class. The only problem: getting the rest of the money she needs for the trip before the deadline. Hannah, her biggest competition for valedictorian, makes an offer: If Avery can make Zac break up with Hannah, a check for five hundred dollars is hers. But within Zac's chaotic world of midnight slushie runs and spontaneous dance parties, Avery's total order is quickly falling apart while Hannah seems poised to get everything she wants. Just how much is Avery willing to give up for the perfect, planned life?
Book link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Boyfriend-Thief-ebook/dp/B0058WCBOI/

When did you know you wanted to be an author? I've been making up stories ever since I was a little kid, but it wasn't until I was around age 11 that I realized authors were just normal people who loved to write like I did. So from that point on, I decided that I wanted to become an author one day.

Why do you Indie publish? I love being able to get something new out to readers on my own schedule and connect with new readers online.

What inspired you to write your book? The Boyfriend Thief is one of those "book of my heart" stories. I had worked on it for years, and it started from my need to explore feelings of isolation and having to grow up really fast. I moved away from my parents during my senior year of high school, 700 miles away, and a lot of the feelings of loneliness that Avery has in the book came from my own experiences. I also wanted to write about the complexities of relationships within family and friends, and what draws people to each other or pushes them apart.

What are three things you want people to know about you or your book?
#1: I really did work at a locksmith shop for a while, just like Zac does in the book.
#2: I have never dressed up as a giant hot dog (thank goodness!).
#3: Avery's best friend Molly was originally a character in my first published book, Something to Blog About, although she was eventually cut out of it. Then she went through a big makeover when she reappeared in this book.

What advice do you have for parents to encourage their kids to read more? Find books on subjects that your kids already enjoy. A lot of times a kid might say they hate to read just because their only experience with reading is the things they have to read for school, which don't always interest them. If your kid likes aliens, find books about aliens. If they like horses, find series about kids who ride horses. Start with shorter books on things they already like, and then let them gradually move on from there at their own pace.

Join us for the 2nd annual Kindle INDIEpendence Day giveaway!



Grand Prize: 1 Kindle Fire
1st place: 1 Kindle with special offers
2nd place: a choice of 20 free ebooks from the 29 participating authors
3rd place:  a choice of 15 free ebooks from the participating authors


There are tons of ways to enter including tweeting about the contest, following the authors on facebook or Twitter, blogging about the contest and even purchasing the participating books. Just fill out the rafflecopter form below!This is also a blog hop. Be sure to visit the other blogs on the list and learn more about Indie authors of YA and MG novels. You can add your blog and get extra entry points as well!








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Ahh yes, the glory of summer break!

     

     

     

   

     Cherry cola floats, late night movie marathons, wearing socks in the pool, and other summer break musings. Once the excitement of the first day of school wears off we wait anxiously for winter break, only to have most of the days taken up by shopping and relative visits. Then it’s back to school where we have to drag our feet through the sludge of testing and finals, as we wait anxiously for that spring break release bell. But spring break is only a teaser. You just start getting into the habit of staying up late to watch everything you missed during the school year because it was on too late, and boom you have to head back to school for the final quarter. The big daddy of breaks looms ahead and as the weather warms and bathing suit racks reappear in stores you can feel it, summer break is near.

     Instead of clearing the dinner dishes so you can sit down and do homework, you find yourself sitting outside with friends, watching the sun go down, and sipping cherry cola floats through one of those convenient bendy straws. Instead of spending an hour before bed trying to pick out your school outfit, (something that won’t make you feel fat or stand out like you were trying too hard) you throw on ripped shorts, your most comfy t-shirt and settle down to a classic horror movie marathon, and if you’re real lucky a cute guy is sitting there with you to comfort you during the terrifying parts. And instead of breaking in a new pair of school shoes, that looked awesome online, but feel much less awesome on your feet after a long day, you slip on some socks and jump into the pool for the tenth time. --Oh and the socks are to avoid bloody toes from spending too much time in the pool, a clever little idea my sister and I came up with when we were ten and our toes had spent too much time in the water. Ahh yes, the glory of summer break . . . it’s what we teachers live for.