Authors ARE Rockstars Tour: Interview with Sarah Ockler + Giveaway!

Authors Are Rockstars
I am so excited to be part of the 2nd Annual Authors Are Rockstars Tour.  I’m especially excited to be hosting a local author, Sarah Ockler.  Sarah is an all-around awesome person (if you ever get the chance to meet her, don’t pass it up.)  She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met and of course her books are amazing.  I’ve read all but one (going to remedy that soon) but I have to say, I’ve loved them all.  Check out my interview with her and then enter to win a signed copy of her latest book, The Book of Broken Hearts.

What are some authors that inspire you and that you consider rockstars? 

Too many to count! But I’ll give you my current top 3 obsessions: Maggie Stiefvater, whose RAVEN BOYS, DREAM THEIVES, and SCORPIO RACES make me want to be a better writer. Jessi Kirby, who writes smart, down-to-earth heroines with just the right mix of swoon and sass. Deb Caletti, who makes everyday moments in her stories special and extraordinary.

What is your favorite part of being a writer? 

Another tough question for which only a top 3 list will do: the uniform (PJs, fuzzy socks, bedhead, accessorized with a bottomless cup of coffee). Connecting with YA readers of all ages. Telling stories (a.k.a. giving voice to the voices in my head).

book cover of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Your debut novel, Twenty Boy Summer, came out 4 years ago. How have things changed for you, as an author, since then?

In some ways, my writing life is completely different. When my debut hit the shelves, I was a brand new author, still transitioning from full time work and still getting used to sharing my stories with such a broad audience (meaning, more than just my #1 fan, a.k.a. Mom!). I was still learning how to manage my day – what it truly meant to be a working writer (hint: um… it’s a lot of actual work). Some of those things I’m still figuring out four years later! And it’s a difficult transition to go from writing just for the pure love of writing to writing for a commercial audience, with reader and publisher expectations, insecurities about reviews, knowing that making a living depends on people buying your books. I lost a little bit of that initial naïve joy I brought to the page when I was just writing for myself. But it’s all part of the process, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of it!

In other ways, my writing life hasn’t changed at all. I’m still me, still writing stories and daydreaming, still road tripping for inspiration, still staying up past my bedtime to read and write, and still eating things I probably shouldn’t under the guise of creative fuel. 😉

Out of all your books, which one was the hardest to write? Which one was the easiest?

Each book had it’s own challenges and simplicities. Twenty Boy Summer and The Book of Broken Hearts were really emotional to write – the first dealing with the death of a young person and the main

book cover of Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

character’s first love, and the second with the slow decline of a parent to early onset Alzheimer’s.

Fixing Delilah was tough because it forced me to reflect on my own issues with family and past family secrets. Bittersweet was challenging because I was writing it right after Twenty Boy Summer hit the shelves, so there was a lot of doubt and fear about whether I could actually succeed as an author – I still felt so untested and clueless!

But they were all fun to write, too. I loved the ocean setting in Twenty Boy Summer, the love story in Fixing Delilah, inventing cupcakes for Bittersweet (um… so was watching hockey boys on YouTube for “research purposes.” The Book of Broken Hearts allowed me to revisit my middle school obsession with Grease 2 and cute motorcycle boys. And my latest, #scandal, was so funny and fun to write – I mean, there’s a unicorn-costumed horse named Prince Freckles, a conspiracy theory club called (e)VIL, and vibrator jokes. How can it not be fun to write that stuff? 😉

Which one of your books do you consider your favorite? Which character do you consider your favorite? 

There’s no way I can pick a favorite book or character! Like the ups and downs of the writing process, each one has its own unique place in my heart. I guess you could say they’re all my favorites for different reasons. Twenty Boy Summer was my first, and will always have that special honor. Fixing Delilah has Patrick, my favorite book boy. I love Hudson’s determination in Bittersweet, despite her mistakes and missteps. In The Book of Broken Hearts, Jude is spunky and loyal, and I love her relationship with her dad and with Emilio. In #scandal, it’s just a fun book all around, and I loved writing Lucy’s character growth in the face of adversity. I think if they weren’t all my favorites in some way, I wouldn’t have been able to write them. Lots of ideas float through my mind, but many of them don’t make it to the page, because they don’t have enough “favorite potential.”

book cover of Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?

For aspiring authors, I’ll share three pieces of the most basic yet important advice there is:

1. WRITE. Don’t give up, don’t stop putting your stories to the page, don’t stop studying and practicing your craft. If you get rejected, and you lose faith in a project, write something else (and possibly go back to the original project and rewrite it). Write, write, write.

2. READ. I’m shocked at how many aspiring authors tell me they don’t read. Writing is not something you just decide to do… and then wait for the reward. It’s like any craft. Just because you can envision your dream house doesn’t mean you can build it from scratch without years of training from those who’ve gone before you. Writers write, and writers read. Read voraciously, in your genre and outside of it. Read for pleasure, then read to study. Reading must be part of your training—you can learn just as much (or more) from regular reading than you can from taking a writing workshop. You must make time for it.

3. PRIORITIZE IT. This might sound harsh, but I needed to hear it once too (oh, who am I kidding. I still need to hear it!): We all have the same number of hours in the day, and most of us aren’t basking in endless hours of idle time. It’s up to you to prioritize and make time for writing, otherwise it’s never going to happen. When I wrote Twenty Boy Summer, I was working 70 hour weeks and attending a full time MBA program. I wrote on my lunch hour at work (which I insisted on taking). I wrote at night, sacrificing sleep. I stopped watching television. I didn’t go out with friends as much. Eventually, I had to make the decision between writing and my graduate degree… I chose writing. It was all a tradeoff. If you have young children who require your attention during the day, for example, you have to stay up late or get up early. Yes, you’ll be tired. Yes, it will be hard. But guess what? If you don’t find a way to make writing your priority, it won’t be. Funny, that!

Your latest novel, The Book of Broken Hearts, was just recently released. Can you tell us

book cover of The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

anything about what you’re working on now?

Aside from the aforementioned vibrator jokes? Why would you need to know anything else? 😉
#scandal is about a formerly under-the-radar gamer girl dealing with the aftermath of a sexting scandal that mysteriously explodes on her own Facebook profile the day after prom. It’s written in the vein of movies like Easy A and Mean Girls – tackling a serious issue (in this case, cyberbullying) with a combination of realistic emotional challenges and a big dose of humor. Readers can find the full synopsis (and add it to your to-read list!) here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17415348-scandal

Short answer:

Bad Boys or Good Boys?

Bad boys with good hearts.

Happily ever after or happily never after? 
 
Happily ever after with some realistic losses and nevers. Hey—you can’t have everything!

Series or standalone?

Both.

Love triangles or soulmates? 

Soulmates!

Write at night or write during the day? 

Embrace your inner vampire! I love writing at night, when the moon is high and the rest of the neighborhood’s asleep.

Write in silence or write with music?

Draft with music to get in the mood, polish with silence.

Print, audio or eBooks? 

I’ll take them any which way!

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About Sarah Ockler:

Sarah Ockler is the bestselling author of several books for teens: The Book of Broken Hearts, Bittersweet, Twenty Boy Summer, Fixing Delilah, and the upcoming #scandal. Her books have received numerous accolades, including ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults, Girls’ Life Top 100 Must Reads, Indie Next List, Amazon Top Movers and Shakers, and nominations for YALSA Teens’ Top Ten and NPR’s Top 100 Teen Books.

She’s a champion cupcake eater, coffee drinker, night person, and bookworm. When she’s not writing or reading at home in Colorado, Sarah enjoys hugging trees and road-tripping through the country with her husband, Alex. In addition to her website at sarahockler.com, fans can find her on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.

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GIVEAWAY!
Sarah is offering one signed copy of The Book of Broken Hearts to a lucky US resident!  Enter using the Rafflecopter form below!
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52 comments

  1. I’m so excited that you have Sarah today. She is one of my favorites. I’ve read all her books and love them all. She has this way of writing that pulls you in and tugs at your heart and making you laugh at the same time. Every book of hers has a unique storyline, I recently just finished The Book of Broken Hearts and I remember thinking to myself: I would have never guessed she would write a steamy latino book, but she did and that is why I consider her AWESOME! It was so cool to see her insight about each book in this interview. Thanks for visit Sarah!!! 🙂

  2. I’m glad I’m not the only one that had a bit of an obsession with Grease 2. Mine was a little earlier than middle school, but I probably watched that movie 100 times one summer when HBO had it on repeat. I just love the books of hers that I have read, and I look forward to reading them all.

  3. I haven’t read any of Ockler’s books, but *Scandal* sounds good.

    I’m kinda curious whether any influence for *Twenty Boy Summer* was taken from Janet Quin-Harkin’s *Ten Boy Summer*. Since I enjoyed the latter listed, I probably need to read Ockler’s.

  4. This was a really great interview!! And I’m not just saying that to get my comment in…. there was just a real sense of genuine “niceness” that came across from Sarah, certainly backing up your mention that she is a very sweet person! I love hearing from authors who know what they are doing and absolutely love it 🙂 I agree with her advice that an aspiring author must READ READ READ!! I think you can really tell when you are reading a work from someone who hasn’t taken that advice! (Usually these are in the indie/self-pub world because, honestly, agents and publishers can tell too.) I had such fun reading this and learning more about Sarah. I havent yet read any of her books — but don’t throw rotten tomatoes, I promise I’ll remedy that!! I’ve heard nothing but good things about Sarah and her books, and I’m looking forward to diving in. Thanks for introducing me to her! 🙂

  5. I loved her response to the advice to aspiring authors. Such an awesome interview. Thanks to you and Sarah for sharing. And of course the amazing giveaway.

  6. I adore her! I’ve just read The Book of Broken Hearts, and now I just want to read all of her other books. I just absolutely loved TBoBH. To bad I don’t live in the US 🙂

  7. I actually haven’t read any of Ockler’s works yet – YA contemporary has never been my favorite genre, but I’m starting to come around to it. I’m definitely most excited to read The Book of Broken Hearts, primarily because it tackles Hispanic culture and families. I appreciated reading Ockler’s writing advice – it’s true most people will give that sort of advice, but it’s definitely worth repetition. And that’s awesome and brave of her to have given up an MBA to write a book – but it seems to have worked out just fine!

  8. All of her books sounds AMAZING. I’ve been wanting to read Twenty Boy Summer since it was banned in that 1 school district and now I really want to read Book of Broken Hearts since my grandpa had Alzheimer’s. Easy A is one of my favorite movies, so I definitely have to read #scandal too!

    Sara at The Page Sage

  9. I love to read books about parents dealing with medical issues and how the children react to that. I have a medical issue that my kids must deal with everyday so I can relate to these stories.

  10. “Bad boys with good hearts.” THIS! Completely this.

    I love how she made a point of saying “HEY! You have to make time for writing.” It’s so easy to lose your passion in the rest of your obligations. It doesn’t make things easier to see accomplished people say it’s hard, but it makes you feel a hell of a lot less alone.

  11. Twenty Boy Summer is still on my to be read list. I really want to read it as I have read great great reviews about the book, on both Goodreads and on Book-blogs I follow.

  12. I’ve only read Twenty Boy Summer, but I’ve been meaning to read her other books for a while now — especially Bittersweet.

    This interview really made me excited to check out her other books, especially The Book of Broken Hearts!

  13. I feel the same way about Happily Ever After; there has to be some sort of friction to make the love worth it!

    Thanks for featuring Sarah! I love her books!

  14. Her new book #scandal sounds really awesome. I loved Easy A and I trust that she can do a great job writing that type of book. All of her books are on my TBR list, but I have only read Bittersweet and I loved it! Great interview.

  15. I LOVE Sarah Ockler! She is one of my favorite authors – she writes about real people who suck you into their stories and they’re always brimming with emotion and issues and you can’t help but root for them.

    LOVE how each book required a different part of her heart and soul to write, and that she had to approach all of them with a different mindset.