September 28, 2015

Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway: This Book Will Change Your Life by Amanda Weaver!



This Book Will Change Your Life by Amanda Weaver
Genre: New Adult
Publication: September 28th, 2015 by Entangled Publishing


College is where Hannah Gregory plans to follow in her dad’s footsteps as a chemistry prodigy–except she bombs her first test. And now her future isn’t so certain. Worse, she’s not sure she wants it anymore. Salvation comes from an unlikely place—a used bookstore and the sexy Ben Fisher, the passionate college senior who works there. 
 
Ben is trapped in a life mapped out for him. Trapped in a future career as a lawyer to make his father happy. Trapped pursuing a girl he doesn't even like because she fits into a world he doesn’t want but can’t escape. But then he meets the beautiful and quirky Hannah. And for the first time, he knows what it means to truly want something.
 
So he gives in to being her friend. Then to wanting her. Then to kissing her. But freedom comes with a cost, and it isn’t long before their carefully planned lives begin to fall apart...

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About the Author

Amanda has loved romance novels since she read that very first Kathleen E. Woodiwiss novel at fifteen. After a long detour into a career as a costume designer in theatre, she’s found her way back to romance, this time as a writer.

A native Floridian, Amanda transplanted to New York City many years ago and now considers Brooklyn home, along with her husband, daughter, two cats, and nowhere near enough space.


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Interview
1.        When did you realize that you wanted to become a writer? What was the very first thing you ever wrote?  I remember writing a story about the Easter Bunny in crayon on the pages of my mother’s address book when I was about four. Oops. And somehow she still encouraged me to write, bless her.  I wrote constantly as a child, mostly about horses. I wrote all the way through high school and into college. Then I made the mistake of taking a creative writing class in college. I was so freaked out and intimidated after the first class that I dropped it and quit writing altogether. I didn’t start again until six years ago.

2.       How did you come up with the idea of This Book Will Change Your Life? My books tend to name themselves, usually very early on in the first draft. This one did it before, while I was still outlining. And then the title worked itself into the first chapter perfectly, as a line of dialogue. I had to keep it!

3.      What's your favorite thing to do when you're not writing? Drink wine. Lol. That sounds bad, but it’s true. I have no free time and very few vices. I don’t smoke, I had to give up coffee, I have insomnia so I don’t sleep much. Wine is all I have left!

4.      Describe yourself in 3 words. Disciplined, organized, efficient. God, I sound really boring.

5.      What was your inspiration for the book? I told this story in the acknowledgments in the book. I was on a business trip to a college town that will remain anonymous. As I explored the charming downtown area, I wandered into this great used bookstore. While I was browsing, this guy came in to start his shift. Early 20’s, wearing glasses, talking to his co-worker about what he was reading. I was on twitter on my phone and I described the scene. A couple of my friends said “This sounds like the start of a book!” I agreed, and started writing it on my flight home. There’s a picture of that actual bookstore on my Pinterest board. I won’t say which one.

6.      How much of the characters are based on your traits or someone you know personally? Well, I already confessed that Ben was based on that guy in the bookstore, although he definitely took on a life of his own as I started writing, as they always do. Hannah’s not based on me, but I had a lot of the same struggles as her during my first year of college, trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life and having second thoughts about what I was majoring in. I think a lot of people do. That sort of self-doubt is pretty universal.

7.       How many times were you turned down for a book offer before you finally got published? Oh wow. Hundreds? I queried three novels (including this one) to dozens and dozens of agents before Entangled acquired TBWCYL. I’ve developed a very thick skin about rejections.

8.      Do you think they regret turning you down now? It’s so subjective. They know what they’re looking for and you’ve either written that book or you haven’t. I feel like TBWCYL found the perfect home where it is.

9.      What are you working on now? I’m deep into edits on a three book historical romance series. The first, A Duchess in Name, will be published in January. And when I finish those, I’ve started another book in the TBWCYL universe, also set at Arlington State, and featuring characters we met in the first book.

10.   What scene was your favorite to write? The opening scene, with Hannah and Ben meeting in the bookstore came so quickly, and it’s essentially unchanged from the first draft. Writing Ben and Hannah’s meeting was so easy, it hardly felt like work.

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Giveaway

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