»First, can you tell us a little about yourself and your novel?
I'm 29, British, and one of those weird redheads who actually tans(!). TWISTED SUMMER is about an eighteen-year-old bisexual girl (who already has a girlfriend); she goes off to stay with her mum's estranged stepbrother and though she's meant to be there for punishment, ends up falling for him. And that's where things get messy.
»Describe your novel in less than 140 words.
One reviewer called it "dark but fun, cute but twisted." I think that sums it up nicely.
»What was the writing process like for Twisted Summer?
Twisted Summer was originally two novellas, both of which I wrote over a year ago. I'd wanted to publish them for a while, but was a bit nervous about the whole almost-incest angle. I also wanted to keep it, though. The longer I waited, the more I noticed the gap in the market for a New Adult novel that was a bit different. So I edited the two novellas together, added some new scenes, deleted some others...if the book feels like two arcs instead of one, this is probably why.
»How long did it take for you to write Twisted Summer?
A lot less time than normal! Baha. I was on contest deadlines for each novella, so they both took about four days apiece. I edited them together as the novel for about a week, maybe two weeks. My last two novels took a year each to write, so that's quite a difference. Don't ask me why...
»How do you deal with writer's block?
I take regular writing breaks. I have to charge myself up with new experiences for new material. I don't find that I get blocked per se, but I do know I'll write rubbish if I have no new inspiration. I never want to be that author releasing the same basic storyline over and over, so taking breaks is important to me, even if it means writing fewer books.
»Which of the characters in Twisted Summer was hardest to write? Easiest for you to connect to?
Danni's mother was hard to write because I wanted to keep some mystery about her. The book is from Danni's perspective and she's eighteen; while her sympathy for her mum grows, she never really understands her, and I wanted to keep that as I thought it was realistic.
»If Twisted Summer was made into a movie, who would you choose to play Danni and Gabe?
This is actually being talked about :) I've never been the kind of writer who mentally "casts" people. Hmm. I think Mila Kunis would make an appropriately indignant Danni, though, and if Ben Barnes wants to get highlights(!), he'd make a rather awesome Gabe.
»How do you envision a perfect summer to be?
"Picnic" usually sums it up. I like sunshine, cocktails and baked goods in a basket, and lots of good company. Somewhere green and pretty is preferable.
»Finally, would you be willing to share a short excerpt with us?
Huzzah:
He stepped forward. He was in my space, closer than he should be, undergrowth crunching beneath his hiking shoes. There was a gush of pear-scented breath over my neck before he raised his finger to blot a bead of sweat from my cheekbone. It dragged, hot and damp. Ah, ah.
I don’t know quite how it happened. That finger drew up to his mouth and he tasted, savored, blinked. When he opened his eyes, I stared right into them, and his pupils swelled inside their silver-gray skins until they brimmed against dark blond lashes. His lips fell from a great height and it just seemed like the thing to do, to catch them with my own…then he was easing my head back by my ponytail, deepening the kiss. He crushed me against him and he was so, so hard against my belly that I yelped on his tongue—his bold, curious tongue.
The Last Academy
