Author Interview: Elly Swartz and Same Page Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Elly Swartz here to share about her new MG contemporary realistic fiction, Same Page. I interviewed Elly when she was a debut author in 2016 with her first book release, Finding Perfect. Elly is an award-winning author and has released Smart Cookie, Give and Take, Dear Student, and Hidden Truths in addition to Same Page. Her new book is incredibly timely, and I’ve already added it to my TBR list.

Here's a blurb from Goodreads:

From the beloved author of Hidden Truths comes a novel about take-charge sixth grader Bess Stein, who brings together friends and a group of rockstar librarians called the Book Warriors to fight a book ban happening at her middle school.

Bess Stein is more than ready to be 6th grade class president. She's got tons of ideas—including a book vending machine—and her new friend June is beside her as vice-president. Together, they're unstoppable.

But when the books the girls want included in the vending machine come under fire, Bess is stunned. How can one person believe they have the right to decide what other people can read? It turns out that June's mom is leading the fight, and now everything's a mess.

Bess misses June—but she wants to make sure kids who might like these books get the chance to read them, even if it means she and June can't be friends. With such different opinions, will they ever be on the same page?

Hi Elly! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how your life as an author has been going since your interview with me when you were a debut author.

    Hi, Natalie, and huge thanks for inviting me back on your blog. To catch up with any new followers, I’m an author, a mom, and a new grandmom! You can call me GG!
    My path to publication was long and windy. It took 15 years and hundreds of rejections before I got my first yes. My debut, as you shared, was Finding Perfect – a story about a girl with undiagnosed OCD and her journey to understanding and embracing that we are all imperfect and beautiful. Since then, I have published 5 more books. Honestly, I still can’t believe it!  All of my stories have characters with mental health challenges or are neurodiverse, because kids have mental health challenges and are neurodiverse. My goal is always that my books reflect and honor those who read them. Their flaws, their strengths, their lives, and their hearts.
    I was honored when Dear Student, about a girl with social anxiety who becomes the secret voice of her middle school advice column, won the PA State Award for middle school. And when Hidden Truths was called “realistic fiction at its best,” by SLJ and named one of Kirkus’s Best Books of 2023.
    Truly my journey from Finding Perfect to Same Page has been incredibly rewarding. I have met amazing readers, teachers, and librarians. How grateful I am!

2. Congrats on being a grandma! I can’t wait to be one too. Where did you get the idea for Same Page?

    Same Page was inspired by current events – book bans are happening all over the country. According to PEN America, in the 2023-24 school year, there have been over 10,000 book bans – a number that is more than two times higher than just last school year. https://pen.org/memo-on-school-book-bans-2023-2024-school-year/  
I wanted to share what this moment felt like from a kid’s perspective. To have the right to read the book of your choosing, the right to explore your past, and the right to honor and understand your life through story be taken away.
    Bess Stein is that kid. She shares how it feels to lose the right to choose books that reflect your life and the lives and histories of those around her. And what kids can do and are doing to make a difference. To fight back. To be the change they want to see.
    This story, at its heart, is about allyship – what happens to one, should impact the hearts and minds of all. As one of the Book Warrior librarians in Same Page says, “Together we are strong vines.”
    So proud of the Book Warriors on the page and in real life!

Your Writing Process

3. What was your plotting process for Same Page, and how has the process changed over the years as you’ve written more books?

    My plotting process for Same Page began like all of my stories – with character and heart. In this case,

Bess Stein. I needed to understand what mattered to her before I could write a word of her story. Turns out, Bess is a justice seeker with an unwavering commitment to being the change she seeks and for speaking out on behalf of others. She has a strong sense of right and wrong.
    This is honorable. And important. But at times, it also causes her not see what is right in front of her – a hurting friend. June has secrets. And challenges that compel silence in the face of injustice.
    It is when both June and Bess truly begin to listen to each other that they can understand and empathize with the hurt their words and silence have caused. It is when they are able to unite and speak out for change.
    The process of writing Same Page differed in that I hope I am getting better at plot. I finally have a more comprehensive understanding of story beats and the layers that come with honoring and respecting my reader’s lives. It is their lives that fill the pages of the story. The nuances of shifting friendships, the drips of meanness whispered in the halls, the slivers of kindness from a hand squeeze. It is the small moments that they carry. The small moments that define the big moments in their lives and Bess’s story.
    
4. Your stories deal with important issues, like mental health and OCD. Same Page deals with book banning, which is such a relevant issue these days. How do you weave these issues into the story without sounding preaching? What tips do you have for other authors?

    I love this question, Natalie. When I first began writing, not sounding didactic was something I had to work on. So I’m grateful that the stories I tell now feel authentic. And that is what I would share with authors. Write what matters to you. Write what tugs on your heart. Because when you write from that place of true authenticity, vulnerability and passion weave in, and preachiness dissipates.

5. That’s great advice. Bess sounds like an incredible character who has to stand up for what she believes, even if it hurts her relationship with June. Share a bit about how she developed as a character. Was she pretty much developed when you came up with the idea for this book or did she surprise you as you wrote her story?

    I am always surprised by my characters. And Bess was no different. I knew she was strong and a take-charge person, but her tenderness and giant heart surprised me. She feels things very intensely. Her sense of justice is palpable. Her passion contagious. When she loves, she loves big. And when she hurts, she hurts deeply. Not just for herself, but for others, too. In that way, we are a lot alike. Empathetic and hopeful that the world and those in it, will be respectful, loving, kind, and give grace to themselves and those around them who need it most.

6. How long did it take you to write Same Page before you got your publishing contract? What are the ways you’ve been able to finish this book and your prior ones at a faster pace than you may have before you were published?
    
The path to this book was unique. My editor and I had spoken about the book ban idea for this story. Months later, after finishing my draft of Hidden Truths, I sent a synopsis of Same Page to my agent. We sent it to my editor just to be sure she was still interested. We were not sending it to her to buy as it was just a synopsis – no pages had been written. The next day we received an offer. By the week’s end, we had a contract.
     The pace at which I was able to write this story was a testament, I believe, to knowing, in my heart, all of this story. Feeling it. Believing in it. Even before I wrote the first word.

Your Journey to Publication

7. Wow! That’s an amazing submission story. Many authors struggle to get two or more books published. This is your sixth book in less than ten years. How have you been able to continue to sell your stories? Do you have any tips for the rest of us?
    

I think it’s important to share the whole story. While I have 6 books published in 9 years, it took me 15 years and 5 books to get my first one published. It was a long and winding road that required the support and love of my family, and many Twizzlers to keep going in the face of so much rejection. I want those working toward publication or anything, to know that rejection doesn’t define you. You and you alone have the power to define your self-worth. Hold onto that and keep going. You’ve got this!
    As for now, I feel lucky and grateful. I work hard and write what matters to me. I want all kids to feel seen, heard, and respected. I want all kids’ lives to feel honored. And I think that’s what my readers want, too. Truly, I think that’s what we all want. Love. Respect. Understanding.
    My tip remains the same – write what is important to you. Because it is only then that you can share authentically what your head and heart want to say. And it is only then that you can connect with your readers in a way that makes them feel all the feels. And don’t we all want a story that allows us to explore, discover, and feel?
    I know I do.

8. Has working with your editors and your agent changed over the years? If so, how?
    
I have an amazing working relationship with both my agent, Andrea Cascardi of Transatlantic, and my editor, Wendy Loggia of Delacorte Press/ RHCB. I feel lucky. They are both smart, talented women who I have learned so much from.
It is less that my process has changed over the years, and more that the cornerstones of those relationships – respect, guidance, collaboration, and communication – have enabled us to move from strictly author/agent and author/editor to author/friends. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Promoting Your Book

9. How are you planning to promote Same Page? Have your marketing plans changed as you’ve published more books?
    
Much of the promotion stems from the hard work of the RHCB family. Thank you! For me, my part is to write a great book (it’s great, right? 😊) Next, connect with readers wherever I can – online, at school, at book events.
    For most of my Same Page events, I hope to be in conversation with librarians – after all, they are at the heart of this story. They are the original Book Warriors! So during my Same Page launch, I will be in conversation with all-star Liz Blye, a Book Warrior librarian from NY. We will be at Wellesley Books on 1/12/25 at 2. And on pub day, I will be at Morse Pond Elementary school with the amazing 4th and 5th graders and their incredible librarian Liz Abbott in conjunction with Eight Cousins Books in Falmouth, MA. And on February 16, I will be at An Unlikely Story with the wonderful Kate McCue Day, librarian at Maria Weston Chapman Middle School in Weymouth Ma.
    For all my other appearances, check out my site at: https://ellyswartz.com/appearances Join me! And if you want me to visit your school or bookstore or book club, reach out! I love connecting!

10. That’s great that you are connecting with librarians so much for your book release. I noticed that you’ve done quite a few interviews for all your books. How do you set up these interviews and decide on which blogs to be featured on?
    
Some of those interviews come from my publicist at RHCB, some from people I have met along my journey, and some just reach out. I love connecting, so if you want to chat with me, let’s do it! Shoot me an email at elly@ellyswartz.com. I would love to talk with you about Same Page or writing or being a new grandma or my pups or all of it! 

11. What are you working on now?
    
I have a chapter book series that I am working on and diving into a new middle grade novel. Love this part. Where everything is possible.
    Stay tuned!

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

Buy links for Same Page
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727437/same-page-by-elly-swartz/
https://bookshop.org/p/books/same-page-elly-swartz/21477907?ean=9780593705605

Buy links for signed copies of Same Page
https://www.eightcousins.com/item/ZoOPMvNQhqYm5t6kmc28AA
https://www.wellesleybooks.com/book/9780593705605

Social media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellyswartzbooks/?hl=en
Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/ellyswartzbooks.bsky.social
Twitter: https://x.com/notifications
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elly.pitaskyswartz

My site

https://ellyswartz.com/

Giveaway Details

Elly’s publisher is generously offering a hardback of Same Page for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by February 22nd. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Elly on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Sunday, February 16th I’m participating in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop

Monday, February 17th I have an agent spotlight interview with Jim Averbeck

Monday, February 24th I have an agent spotlight interview with Reiko Davis and a query critique giveaway

Saturday, March 1st I’m participating in the Lady Luck Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, March 5th I have a guest post by debut author Angie Dickinson and a giveaway of her YA Truth Cursed

Monday, March 10th I have an interview with author Angie Millington and a giveaway of her MG Once for Yes

Sunday, March 16th I’m participating in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop

Monday, March 17th I have an interview with debut author Carol Baldwin and a giveaway of her upper MG/YA Half Truths

I hope to see you on Sunday!