Welcome to my stop on the Get Happy blog tour! Today I have an author interview to share with you and don't forget to enter to win a SIGNED finished copy of the book!
Get Happy
Author: Mary Amato
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Description:
In this poignant,
realistic, contemporary YA by a state master list star, perfect for fans
of Sarah Dessen and Gayle Forman, a young songwriter builds a
substitute family with her friends in place of the broken family she
grew up with.
A hip high school girl who loves music, writes songs, and is desperate for a ukelele, learns to her shock that her father did not abandon her years ago and has been trying to keep in touch. She begins to investigate him, only to discover that he has a new life with a new family, including the perfect stepdaughter, a girl who Minerva despises.
A hip high school girl who loves music, writes songs, and is desperate for a ukelele, learns to her shock that her father did not abandon her years ago and has been trying to keep in touch. She begins to investigate him, only to discover that he has a new life with a new family, including the perfect stepdaughter, a girl who Minerva despises.
What inspired you to write Get Happy?
I got a uke for my birthday and it made me so
happy. I started being haunted by the idea of a girl who wants a uke for
her birthday and thinks that it will be the key to her happiness. The
novel evolved to be about much more than that.
Did you do research?
I did research on seahorses via the web. However
I never trust ONLY the web, so after I was done writing the parts about
seahorses, I asked a seahorse expert to check my facts.
Was a character in Get Happy based on anyone you know?
I had a great friend in high school (still a
great friend) who provided me with lots of inspiration for Finnegan.
That said, there’s a lot about Fin that comes from my imagination. I
never stay too close to home because characters need
to be free to become who they need to be.
Any Advice for would-be writers?
Always carry a little notebook with you because fantastic ideas don’t usually spring to mind when you’re sitting at your desk.
What’s next?
I had a
professor who once said: “Never, ever work on two projects at once.”
That was one of his rules that didn’t make sense to me. I like working
on two books at once, but here is the caveat: the projects
have to be very different in tone and scope. So, I’m working on a new
funny book for ages 7-10 and a serious YA.
Thanks for stopping by and chatting with us Mary!
Mary Amato is an award-winning children's book author, songwriter,
musician, puppeteer, and poet. She writes for children of all ages, and
is beginning to focus on YA. Her first YA novel was
Guitar Notes. Mary lives with her family outside Washington, DC,
where she also performs regularly, singing and playing her own songs.
Mary is a popular speaker and runs numerous workshops for teachers and
students, including many on all aspects of creative
writing, even songwriting. The author lives in Silver Spring, MD.
You can visit her online at www.maryamato.com or http://www.thrumsociety.com/.
Giveaway: Thanks to the great people at EgmontUSA, I have (1) signed hardcover copy of Get Happy for a lucky reader! Open to US/CAN only!
Check out the rest of the tour:
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
A Dream Within A Dream - Q&A and giveaway
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Larkin’s Book Bloggers - Q&A and giveaway
Friday, October 24, 2014
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Pinky’s Favorite Reads - Q&A and giveaway
Monday, October 27, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Book Briefs - Q&A and giveaway
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Reading Nook Reviews - Q&A and giveaway
Saturday, November 01, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
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