“A teen time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.”
CLOCKWISE is launching electronically this week and it’s only 2.99 on Amazon , £2.17 on Amazon.co.uk! To celebrate, Elle Strauss is giving away five debut books by authors that you can meet on her blog tour which is happening now.
LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden
THE CLEARING by Anne Riley
THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorkle
PERILOUS by Tamara Hart Heiner
THE HATING GAME by Talli Roland
How to win? Sign up for Elle’s newsletter to enter. For extra entries just comment on any blog in the tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on the more chances you have to win.
Five books, five days, five winners!
What inspired you to write this story?
Truth be told, it started with a dream (I know, so many books do!). I’d dreamed that my cat Tiger could talk and it was very emotional when I woke up because he’d said that he loved me (Oh so sappy!). Since I was already interested in the dynamics of time travel I outlined a story where the cat could talk only when it went back in time with the protag. Obviously, that version of the story didn’t take, but it did sprout the first draft of CLOCKWISE. I gave Tiger a cameo just to thank him.
What was your publication process like, from initial idea to sale?
This is a bit of a convoluted story. CLOCKWISE was the manuscript that got me my first agent. She sent it out on submissions but unfortunately no bites. At the time, time travel wasn’t ‘trending’ and some editors didn’t think it could sell in the YA genre. When she left the agency I was repped by a colleague of hers. She also loved CLOCKWISE and sent it out for round two. This time time travel was trending (yay) but, apparently only dark and edgy time travel. Light and fun was seen as “not competitive enough” (side note: trends and the like are very subjective). When I suggested to my agent that I was thinking of publishing CLOCKWISE on my own, she totally cheered me on. So, I did. It’s been quite a learning curve to put the publisher hat on top of my writer hat, but very exciting too. I’m so happy that CLOCKWISE is finally out there!
What books have shaped you as a reader and writer, from childhood to the present?
Actually, I wasn’t a super big reader growing up. My family didn’t read that much and sadly, books weren’t a priority. I do remember reading and loving the Reddy Fox series by Thornton W. Burgess. From there I graduated to Nancy Drew which inspired my love for mysteries. Now I mostly read YA, everything from Sarah Dessen to Mary E. Peterson, to Veronica Roth.
What is one thing people misunderstand about historical fiction?
I think we are liable to forget that people are people everywhere; no matter what time frame they happened to live in. We all have the same kinds of struggles and flaws, rewards and joys.
Are you working on anything new?
Yes, I’m always working on something new! I have two YA books coming out in 2012, a historical drama that takes place during wartime Germany and a contemporary Merfolk (very different, I know!) I’ve just finished a YA Science Fiction that is currently undergoing revisions.
Thanks so much for having me, Caroline!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Elle. I read an early version on of CLOCKWISE and can say its loads of fun.
Thanks for the great interview Caroline and Elle. Elle, thanks for sharing the journey CLOCKWISE took to publication. That’s awesome your agent is supporting your e-publishing. It’s sad some don’t support this decision.
Your book sounds awesome. Good luck with your debut.
Love the Tiger story Elle. Don’t wish for just one minute our pets could really talk.
As I’m following the tour I’m finding out more and more about CLOCKWISE and it sounds GREAT!!
Thanks for hosting Elle, Caroline. Lucky you to be able to read an early draft. Those are so much fun to watch grow over time.
That’s a great interview! I loved seeing how the book came about!
The fact that a good book can’t get a foot in the door because it’s not “trending” is so disheartening. A good story is a good story, no matter what the trends are. I’m glad there are so many options for authors to get their books out there!
I’m so glad you survived the “trending.” Our lives seem so manipulated by marketing. I’m always looking for the different, not the same.
Great to learn more about your journey, Elle. Are the two books coming out in 2012 also self-pubbed?
Gotta ‘love’ the trend restrictions in today’s publishing world. I think that’s why so many authors are self-pubbing now. I prefer a fun read than an edgy one.
Thanks for hosting me Caroline! And to answer Kathryn’s question, those books will also be self-pubbed. At least I think so 🙂
This book sounds so cute and fun! Thanks both for the great interview.