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Monday, October 22, 2018

Interview with Amy Giles, author of That Night + Giveaway



Hey guys! Today I have the pleasure of having Amy Giles on Brittany's Book Rambles, sharing our interview about her new book from HarperTeen, That Night! I hope you guys enjoy it, and that this post adds another to you're never-ending TBR ^_^


That Night by Amy Giles 
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub. Date: October 23rd, 2018
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository
An evocative story by acclaimed author Amy Giles about tragedy, love, and learning to heal.

The year since a mass shooting shook their Queens neighborhood has played out differently for Jess and Lucas, both of whom were affected by that night in eerily similar and deeply personal ways.

As Jess struggles to take care of her depressed mother and Lucas takes up boxing under the ever-watchful eye of his overprotective parents, their paths converge. They slowly become friends and then something more, learning to heal and move forward together.

But what does it mean to love after an unspeakable tragedy?

Amy Giles is a copywriter, having written everything from cereal commercials to animated webisodes to print ads to commercial fishing catalogs. Her true love is writing for and about teens. She lives on an Island that is Long with her husband, two daughters, and rescue dog.
Connect with Amy: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook


What inspired you to write this story?

The issue of gun violence is too prevalent in our society. Every time a news crew packs up their gear and leaves the site of the most recent tragedy, it marks the end of the story. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the people who lived through that kind of trauma. I wanted to write the story no one was talking about: how do the survivors pick up the pieces and heal after a senseless tragedy shatters a community?

Was there anything different in your writing process when you approached writing That Night compared to when you were writing Now is Everything? If so, what?

What’s interesting is that I wrote That Night before Now Is Everything. It was the book that got me an agent. But for many reasons, Now Is Everything went out first. As far as the writing process went, Now Is Everything poured out of me; I wrote the first draft in three months. That Night was entirely different; it went through many rounds of revisions before I felt I had captured the story I really wanted to tell.

What are the hardest type of scenes for you to write?

This is probably going to be such an unpopular answer but the kissing scenes! It cracks me up just admitting this to anyone. I always feel like I’m intruding on something private between two people. And yet, I love reading kissing scenes! I love experiencing that budding romance between two people.

What is the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done for fun?

I am not much of a risk taker. Adrenaline and I don’t get along (hello, anxiety, my old friend). So dangerous is going to have to be dialed back to “Amy levels” for this answer: I once traveled to Greece by myself when I was twenty-five and thought that was the most adventurous thing I’d ever done, even though a) I’m Greek and speak the language (though not well) and b) spent at least 75% of the trip with family and family friends. So maybe that 25% where I went off exploring on my own was the most daring thing I’ve ever done (though not necessarily dangerous).

What are some of your biggest pet peeves?

People who get a sick pleasure out of upsetting or hurting other people. Backhanded compliments, petty nastiness, the comments section of any online article. We all make mistakes, and a sincere apology can go a long way in many situations, but if someone is intentionally malicious, it’s a deal breaker.

How much of your real life experiences do you incorporate into your writing? For example, do you base characters on real people? Do you use names of former bullies and kill them off in your books? ;D

Ha! I haven’t killed off any former bullies, at least not yet (see answer above!). I try to put little Easter eggs in here and there that only my friends would know. In Now Is Everything, I wrote my friend Kate as Señora Moore. We now only refer to her as Señora Moore.

Which authors and books have influenced you the most?

I read a lot of YA books because I enjoy them and so I don’t forget who my audience is when I’m writing. There are too many list, but an example of the books I love are Robin Roe’s A List of Cages, Kathleen Glasgow’s A Girl in Pieces, and anything by Amber Smith. That’s only the tip of the iceberg though—there are so many authors whose books I love and respect. I will also read anything by Meg Wolitzer.

What would you like your readers to take away from your book after reading it?

That humans, especially teens, are resilient. Even if the road forward is unpaved and challenging, you can move on from tragedy. But you don’t have to do it alone. Seek help and accept help from others.


Thank you so much, Amy, for joining us on the blog today! 


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14 comments:

  1. This book sounds painful, emotional, and unfortunately so current, but at the same time, a must read for everyone.

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  2. This was a lovely interview! I've been reading a lot of books that are relevant to what's happening in the world right now. I think they're important to read, and they usually offer a very unique perspective. Thanks for sharing!

    Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?

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  3. I'm intrigued, mostly because of that awful issue prevalent in our society, and I agree with Danielle.
    Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed your interview with the author :)

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  4. This sounds like a book that people need to read right about now!

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  5. Great interview. I'm a big fan of books that tackle relevant and timely issues, and this book sounds like it's a powerful and emotional read.

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  6. didn't realize this book is about such a hard subject , applaud the author for tackling something like this.

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  7. Ooh I hadn't heard of this one but I am seriously intrigued now and going to look it up on Goodreads!! I also struggle to write kissing scenes too 😂and I absolutely agree with the author's pet peeves there.

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  8. Eee, stunning blog tour post Brittany :D I had not seen this book before now, ack, but you have made me curious about it. Loved the interview. <3 It is not my genre, ack, but it looks so very cute :D

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  9. Such a lovely interview Brittany! I can't wait to read this book! :)

    Megan @ http://www.booksbirds.com/

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