BRENDA RUFENER INTERVIEW and WHERE I LIVE GIVEAWAY and IWSG POST

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Before I get to my interview today, I have my IWSG post.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of the month is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.

The co-hosts this month are: Stephen Tremp, Pat Garcia, Angela Wooldridge, Victoria Marie Lees, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!

Optional Question: What do you love about the genre you write in most often?

That's an easy one for me. I write fantasy, and I love the magic and different worlds with fairies, elves, magical creatures, etc.. If I could go into a world like Harry Potter and live, I'd love it! So at least by writing about it, I can pretend that all this magic exists. And fantasy stories tend to be plot-based, which is something I like to focus on in my writing too.

What about you? What do you love about the genre that you write in?`

Now onto my debut author interview. Today I’m excited to have debut author Brenda Rufener here to share about her YA contemporary WHERE I LIVE. I’m excited to read it because it deals with homelessness, something I feel passionate about like. This sounds like a strong story told in a realistic and sensitive manner that’s gotten good reviews.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

From debut author Brenda Rufener comes a heart-wrenching and evocative story perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, Girl in Pieces, and All the Bright Places.

Linden Rose has a big secret--she is homeless and living in the halls of her small-town high school. Her position as school blog editor, her best friends, Ham and Seung, and the promise of a future far away are what keep Linden under the radar and moving forward.

But when cool-girl Bea comes to school with a bloody lip, the damage hits too close to home. Linden begins looking at Bea's life, and soon her investigation prompts people to pay more attention. And attention is the last thing she needs.

Linden knows the only way to put a stop to the violence is to tell Bea's story and come to terms with her own painful past. Even if that means breaking her rules for survival and jeopardizing the secrets she's worked so hard to keep.

Hi Brenda! Thanks for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

So great to be here, and thank you for having me. I am a technical writer turned novelist, mother of two, and an advocate and volunteer for homeless youth. I’d been writing stories since I can remember, won a few creative writing awards as a teen, and majored in English in college. I attribute my publication journey to the experience I gained as a tech writer. It’s where I learned to manage tight deadlines, meet daily or weekly word count goals, and view writing as a career instead of a hobby.

2. I love that you started as a technical writer because I'm a contract writer. It gives me hope that I can make the leap. Where did you get the idea for WHERE I LIVE?

Linden’s character lived with me (in my mind) for a while. My family went through a stage of

housing insecurity during my early teen years and for a short time, we were essentially homeless–waiting for a rental to come up that we could afford. Money was tight and we stayed with relatives and slept on couches. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months. I remember friends wanting to come over and hang out, but I was always saying no, embarrassed by the fact that I didn’t have my own room, or home for that matter. In fact, I was sleeping on a relative’s couch, sharing the living room with the rest of my family. I didn’t have it as tough as some homeless teens, but in writing this book I was able to draw on personal experiences, pull from emotions and insecurities that I had as a teen living on the brink of homelessness.

3. Those must have been hard experiences to draw on. I know that you are a passionate advocate of homeless youth from your bio. Share a bit about this and how you drew on this when writing WHERE I LIVE.

The main character, Linden Rose, is partly inspired by a group of incredible women I spent time with in college as a volunteer for a literacy program. I worked with young women facing adverse circumstances, many of them homeless. These women were tenacious, unwilling to give up, even in the face of incredible adversity. Drawn to their persistence and positivity, I wished teen-me had known these women when I faced a similar situation. I may not have felt so alone in my experience. Where I Live is a tribute to those strong and resilient women.

4. Your book has been getting great reviews as a sensitive and realistic portrayal of Linden Rose, your main character. Share how she developed as a character. What advice do you have for others trying to write about a character that may be going through some sensitive problems, like homelessness, abuse, etc.

Much of my research on homelessness came from working with homeless teens. The personal experience I had with homelessness allowed me to draw on my own struggles and insecurities, but having worked with homeless young adults gave me a different perspective.

If you don’t have firsthand experience with a sensitive topic you are writing on, research is critical. Read nonfiction and fiction portrayals, volunteer, meet people who can help shape you as a writer by showing you their situations. Then seek readers who will help you avoid stereotypes, tired tropes, etc., and always offer to pay your sensitivity readers.

5. That sounds like such a fantastic experience to work with these teens. I don’t feature that many contemporary authors. What are keys to a good, riveting contemporary plot like yours?

For years I thought world building only applied to fantasy, but it’s just as important when writing contemporary. To me, the best novels draw the reader into the setting. Whether that’s building a fictional town and giving voice to the people who live there or creating an atmosphere that the reader gets lost in, world building is essential.

My books tend to be character-driven. I find knowing my characters, their motivations and desires, are critical to plot. Building a riveting, contemporary plot requires the writer to sit back at the scene level and ask if that character would really say or do what you’ve added to the page.

6. What was something that surprised you about working with your publisher? Why?

How it takes a village to publish a book. From your editorial team to sales and marketing, the number of hands involved in bringing a book to the shelf astounds me. When I was a kid, I thought books magically appeared on the shelves. Not exactly. I’m also amazed at the work that goes into creating the cover. The jacket changed a few times for Where I Live. We had remarkable graphic designers and amazing artists help create the perfect cover.

7. Looking back on the time from signing with your agent and your book release, what are essential marketing and building your social platform steps you did or wish you did during this time period?

Valuable advice I received early on in the publishing process was to find a social platform you enjoy. Some authors are amazing at Twitter while others share the most beautiful Instagram photos. Finding a place that feels good to you matters. Currently, I am bouncing back and forth between Twitter and Instagram and spending a bit more time on Instagram. It’s a happy place.

8. I've heard that advice too that you should focus on what you enjoy. What are you working on now?

I’m excited to share my next book, coming in 2019, Since We Last Spoke. You’ll meet Aggi and Max, two teens torn apart by unimaginable pain and guilt over the loss of their siblings. This is another book close to my heart that focuses on a love that’s desperately trying to survive, in spite of everything coming against it. I’ll be sharing more about this book in upcoming months.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Brenda. You can find Brenda at:

Twitter:  @BrendaKRufener or https://twitter.com/BrendaKRufener

Intstagram: @BrendaRufener or https://www.instagram.com/brendarufener/

Facebook: @BrendaRufenerAuthor or https://www.facebook.com/BrendaRufenerAuthor/

Website: https://www.brendarufener.com/

Brenda has generously offered an ARC of WHERE I LIVE for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through February 24th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This giveaway is international.

Here's what's coming up:

Monday, February 12th I have a guest post by debut author Linda Williams Jackson and her agent Elizabeth Bewley and a giveaway of her MG contemporary MIDNIGHT WITHOUT A MOON

Monday, February 19th I will be off for President's Day and the whole week. The play that I am producing and running Front of House for my boyfriend has it's first show on Thursday that week.

Monday, February 26th I have a guest post by debut author Kaitlin Sage Patterson and her agent Brent Taylor with a giveaway of her YA fantasy THE DIMINISHED and a query critique giveaway by Brent.

Wednesday, February 28th I have an agent spotlight interview with Carrie Pestritto and a query critique giveaway

Hope to see you on Monday!