hello everyone - I'M SO EXCITED TODAY !! why?? because I get to chat with the amazing Abbie Emmons about her newly released debut AND share it all with you all!!
I first "met" Abbie some two years ago - back in the day when she had long hair, was still using Blogger, and had a slightly more *woodsy* theme with blues and greens, as well the trademark yellow and splashes of pink XD IT'S BEEN SUCH A PLEASURE to get to know her over time and watch her grow, start new ventures, and LEARN FROM HER WONDERFUL EXAMPLE. I honestly couldn't be MORE PROUD of her and her novel, and to see how well it's doing out in the great wild. Here's a bit more about it before we move on :
When 16-year-old poetry blogger Tessa Dickinson is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days, she feels like her whole world has been turned upside-down.
Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile…and no legs.
Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition — no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can’t see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it’s the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.
Tessa spurns Weston’s “obnoxious optimism”, convinced that he has no idea what she’s going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him — and Weston can’t imagine life without her. But he still hasn’t told her the truth, and when Tessa’s sight returns he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa’s world…or overcome his fear of being seen.
100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT
by Abbie Emmons
When 16-year-old poetry blogger Tessa Dickinson is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days, she feels like her whole world has been turned upside-down.Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile…and no legs.
Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition — no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can’t see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it’s the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.
Tessa spurns Weston’s “obnoxious optimism”, convinced that he has no idea what she’s going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him — and Weston can’t imagine life without her. But he still hasn’t told her the truth, and when Tessa’s sight returns he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa’s world…or overcome his fear of being seen.
So, before I get carried away with more reminiscing, LET'S START WITH OUR LITTLE INTERVIEW.
*welcome Abbie as she steps in and cue applause*
hi there Abbie - so happy to have you answering some questions about your book 100 Days. let's talk about you first : who are you and what are some unique things you are remembered by?
Hey Lisa!! I’m super pumped to be on your blog today, talking about all things writing! Okay, formal introductions to the world: I’m a writer (obviously), musician, YouTuber, blogger, traveler, big dreamer, and professional-waffle eater. I hope I’m remember by being sunshiney and kind, and by my passion for stories.
yes, you're such a multi-talented person *high five* now, if your life was a book, could you describe it to us in comp titles? (note: you may skip this if it's too hard - no one that I have interviewed has ever been able to answer this so far)
Oooh, this is a really interesting question! Unfortunately I’ll have to be another one of the people who can’t answer this one. xD I’ve been sitting here thinking about it for a while and I can’t think of anything! Ugh!
no worries!! it's a tough question.
about your book : can you describe it in five aesthetic phrases?
about your book : can you describe it in five aesthetic phrases?
Sunlight streaming through windows and white curtains. Jars of colorful flowers all over your room. Late night conversations over the phone with soft laughter and whispered words of love. Afternoon car rides with the windows down and happy music on the radio. Long, supportive, beautiful hugs from the people who love you and assure you that it’s gonna be alright, just wait, just breathe, just stay strong.
and, can you describe five of your main characters in five words each?
Tesa: infj. poet. quiet. dreamer. sunbeam.
Weston: enfp. comedian. optimist. always smiling.
Rudy: isfj. loyal. heart of gold.
Grandma: estj. honest. nurturing. tough love.
Grandpa: infp. dreamer. believer in miracles.
how did the idea for 100 Days come to you? was it a slow build up or was it a flash of inspiration? and what came first - the title, the characters, the premise, a snippet of dialogue, a random scene?
The premise came first – all of a sudden, like a lightbulb turning on. I was thinking about my own lifestyle and how much I use my sense of sight for everything I do: blogging, writing, making videos, reading, everything -- and then I thought how different all that would be if, for some reason, I suddenly went blind. I thought about this for a few hours, and then suddenly the idea struck me: blogger girl loses her eyesight, meets a boy with no legs (unbeknownst to her) and he helps her overcome her struggles. That was all I had at the start, but it was enough to totally steal my heart and make me want to drop everything and write the book IMMEDIATELY.
wow, I love the origin story of 100DOS so much!! and pardon me if this sounds rude, but why should people read your book? (< this is where you do your best self promo)
Because it is sunlight captured inside the pages of a book. I wrote it to shine a light in the dark places. I wrote it because I feel that the world needs more YA books with themes of hope and courage and empowerment and kindness and grace. I really believe 100 Days of Sunlight will inspire you and make you feel like there’s nothing you can’t do.
If you could send your book to an author you love for their feedback, whom would you send it to and why?
Oh goodness, just ONE? Okay, I would probably choose R.J. Palacio because I absolutely adore the book Wonder. The author wrote this story with such emotion and love and respect and tenderness. It is everything I look for in a book, all wrapped up in a bundle of feels. I would swoon and happy dance and cry really hard if R.J. Palacio read my book and liked it. :’’)
what was your purpose when you started writing 100 Days, and what did it teach you?
My purpose was to write a story that shines a light in the dark places. I hope that when people read 100 Days they will feel uplifted, empowered, seen, worthy, happy, brave, and strong enough to get back up whenever life knocks them down. Writing this book taught me all this and more.
what things from your personal life managed to sneak their way into the book?
My obnoxious optimism, for starters! Also, Tessa and I are very similar, so a lot of my personality snuck into her character: being a writer, blogger, introvert, waffle-eater, and staying inside a lot because that’s where the Wi-Fi is strong. Also, the fictional town of Rockford NY is a lot like my hometown.
and lastly, we all know (I think) that you are a passionate indie. what surprised you about the indie publishing process?
How much work and time and energy is involved! Like I knew going into it that it was going to be a lot of work, but I tend to underestimate how much time goes into everything. *nervous laughter* There have been lots of surprises in the indie publishing process – some pleasant, others not so much, but all have been great opportunities to learn and grow and gain experience. :)
Thank you so much for interviewing me today, Lisa! It was so awesome to chat with you about all things writing.
and thank you for stopping by, Abbie!! it was so great to learn more about your creative process!!
(more) ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abbie Emmons has been writing stories ever since she could hold a pencil. What started out as an intrinsic love for storytelling has turned into her lifelong passion. There’s nothing she likes better than writing (and reading) stories that are both heartrending and humorous, with a touch of cute romance and a poignant streak of truth running through them.
Abbie is also a YouTuber, singer/songwriter, blogger, traveler, filmmaker, big dreamer, and professional waffle-eater. When she’s not writing or dreaming up new stories, you can find her road-tripping to national parks or binge-watching BBC Masterpiece dramas in her cozy Vermont home with a cup of tea and her fluffy white lap dog, Pearl.
If you want to see Abbie in her element (ranting about stories) check out her YouTube channel.
FOLLOW HER
YOUTUBE // HEADQUARTERS // BLOG // INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK
NOBODY LEAVE YET!! I know it looks like the party is over, but IT ISN'T XD I have a giveaway in store for you!! Abbie has kindly offered to provide ebook copies of 100 Days of Sunlight to three lucky winners - so if you HAVEN'T YET been able to snag the book, now's your chance.
GIVEAWAY
AND THIS IS IT FOR NOW!! (if you want to keep up with the blog tour, see here.) I hope you all enjoyed learning more about Abbie and her book, and I really hope you have a chance to read it for yourselves. If you ALREADY HAVE, let me know what you thought about it! Also, wish Abbie happy release month + congrats on her novel in the comments!!
While you're doing that I'll just be here waiting for my copy of the book to arrive .............
brb, lisa
AHHHHHHHH 100 Days of Sunlight is SO SO SO GOOD I LOVE IT!!!!! I just finished reading it on Friday. This interview was really fun to read, Lisa! Great job <3 <3 <3
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for being a part of this, Lisa!! This post turned out so lovely. You're the best! :D
ReplyDeletexx Abbie
YAS!!! I CAN'T wait to read 100DOS!!!!!!
ReplyDelete(And ONE of these days I'll actually win a giveaway.. xDDD)
I usually don’t enter physical copy giveaways, but I did a double-take when I saw this was an ebook, and then I was like, no way am I NOT entering! X’D This interview was really fun to read, Lisa!
ReplyDeleteI would love to read this book! And your interview was so fun :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed 100DOS!! My favorite part of it was the aesthetic: it was so cheery and happy and that was so fun! It also made me cry ;)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the interview!
Hanne || losingthebusyness.wordpress.com
Awesome interview!! I'm so excited to read 100 Days of Sunlight!
ReplyDelete