Today I'm part of a blog tour for Date with a Rockstar by Sarah Gagnon which comes out . Below you'll find the interview I did with her and also info about her book, which I'm looking forward to reading soon. Thank you to Spencer Hill Press for making me part of this tour and Sarah for taking time to answer my questions.
Here is her book and her interview:
Published: June 23rd 2015 by Spencer Hill Press
Number of Pages: 320 Pages (Paperback)
Series: No
Only one girl will win the cash prize...and a chance at love with Jeremy Bane.
Monet isn’t just another lust-struck teenager trying to win the heart of Rock God Jeremy Bane--she needs the prize money from his new reality show to cure her illness.
Monet has Fluxem, a contagious disease that's spread through saliva. It's completely curable if you have enough money, which she and her single mother don't. Now that she's on the show, Monet has to work harder to keep her Fluxem hidden. She only has to keep the secret long enough to woo Jeremy Bane so he picks her as the winner. She doesn't even care about the love part; the prize alone will change her life.
But the real Jeremy Bane is nothing like she imagined. Monet finds herself fighting against feelings that make her want to give in to her attraction and Jeremy's attempts for a kiss. The further she goes in the competition, the more impossible it becomes to resist him--and when the producers turn the tables and start digging up dirt on the contestants, Monet fears her secret will be revealed before she's ready and ruin everything.
The only way to win Jeremy's heart is to tell him the truth, but confessing her disease could cost her the competition, the prize money, and him. (goodreads.com)
Interview with Sarah Gagnon
1 – Describe Date with a Rockstar in a twitter pitch.
Desperate teen girl competes on a reality dating show to win the money to cure her disease, but falls for the gorgeous rockstar.
2 – What lead to the idea of Date with a Rockstar?
The initial idea was from a dream. In the dream I was on a bus making out with this famous guy. There were cameras in the background, but we’d try to get away and he was talking privately to me, like he really cared and I was special. Lots more making-out and then…time jump. I’m walking through an aisle of guests on a reality TV show and they’re booing me—shaking their heads and generally disgusted. The guy I was making out with and believed we had a real connection, makes eye contact with me and shakes his head. I can’t understand what he’s trying to tell me. Then the audience is telling him who to pick and he doesn’t choose me. I woke up with this crushing feeling of rejection, and that’s where the idea started.
The next day I was watching a live concert online and the musician was surrounded by computers and pushing buttons. I remember thinking this is what music will look like in the future.
The day after that, I started writing Date With a Rockstar. That was the title before I even wrote a single word.
3 – Was there a scene in the book you specifically remember writing because it stuck out to you, either in a positive or negative way?
There’s a particularly romantic scene in a hydro garden with the growlights like warm little suns surrounding Monet and Jeremy. I love the idea of being warm under the sun, but somehow more private than you ever could be outdoors. After being followed around by cameras, I pictured that as a perfect escape for Monet.
4 – How did you come up with the concept of a main character with a disease transferred through salvia participating in a bachelor-type contest?
I really liked the idea of having a disease that physically marked a person, but wasn’t terminal. Originally, I wanted it to be more of a question of vanity, but Fluxem changed a lot during the edits. For the reality show, I wanted to give her a good reason to participate.
5 – How long did it take you from first idea until publishing deal? And how many queries did it take until you found 'the one'?
When I wrote this book, I spent two months on a solid draft. Then I started querying agents. That took awhile, and I did more revisions based on feedback. I have a tendency to not want my characters to suffer, since I love them. So the first revisions were about making Monet’s situation worse. After that I got my first offer of representation.
I signed with Nicole Resciniti 4 months after finishing the book. It took about 10 months after that to receive an offer from Spencer Hill Press.
Specific numbers: This was the 4th book I’ve queried. I had a grand total of 354 rejections before I got an agent. That said, I wasn’t very choosy in the beginning. I think I just loved the query lotto. Many authors are more focused in their searches and have fewer rejections.
6 – How do you feel about the fact that in a couple of months, thousands upon thousands of people will be able to read your book?
I sure hope it’s that many! It feels great to interact with readers, and I so hope people will enjoy reading my book as much as I’ve enjoyed reading thousands of others.
7 – Did you listen to specific bands or albums while writing Date with a Rockstar or do you rather prefer writing in silence?
I have small children and I usually write to the sound of children’s shows. No music at all, which is funny considering the subject matter. When I listen to music, I think too much about the specific songs and meaning behind the lyrics.
8 – What do you think about the final cover?
That I’m glad they replaced his head, lol.
9 – Music genre: Indie or Metal?
Indie.
10 – If you were forced to participate in The Hunger Games, as female from District 12, what would be your strategy? Fight or flight?
I would totally hide. I’m not that coordinated and I’m bad with loud, sudden noises. I don’t think I could fire a gun, or pull back the string on a bow. If I couldn’t hide, I’d be picked off immediately.
About the Author
She has a BFA in photography and a minor in writing from the University of Southern Maine. She's the mother of two tiny, feral children and two ill-behaved dogs. For fun she’s taken up construction and interior design. Her first project: moving into a dilapidated farmhouse with her computer-genius husband.
Find Sarah: Website, Twitter, Facebook
Buy Date with a Rockstar: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, The Book Depository or Kobo
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