Not in the Script Blog Tour: Interview with the Author, Amy Finnegan

Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan is the third book in the If Only series from Bloomsbury. If y'all saw my review a couple weeks ago, this was a book I thoroughly enjoyed. It was such an honor to be asked to do a post for the blog tour, so thank you to Bloomsbury!

Description of NOT IN THE SCRIPT:

The best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script.

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

Goodreads

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Author Bio: 

Amy Finnegan writes her own stories because she enjoys falling in love over and over again, and thinks everyone deserves a happy ending. She likes to travel the world—usually to locations where her favorite books take place—and owes her unquenchable thirst for reading to Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling. Her debut novel, NOT IN THE SCRIPT, came about after hearing several years of behind-the-scenes stories from her industry veteran brother. She’s also been lucky enough to visit dozens of film sets and sit in on major productions such as Parks and Recreationand Parenthood. You can follow Amy on Twitter: @ajfinnegan, Instagram: StrangerThanFictionWriter, Facebook: Amy Finnegan, Author. Or Visit her at AmyFinnegan.com.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Amy, so read below to see what she had to say!

Emma: When did you know you wanted to be an author?

Amy: Most authors I know started writing when they were very young—usually at least by their middle school years—but I didn’t start working on my first novel until I was thirty! I was in my twenties when I really began to love reading, and it wasn’t long before I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about the books I liked. And then I noticed that my mind was actually inventing stories . . . and soon, I was having conversations with people who didn’t exist. So when that happened, I knew I had to choose between two options: either see a doctor or write a novel. 

But my wildest, fondest dream when I was a child was to be a secretary. I am at least living the typing part of that epic fantasy.

Emma: Do you have a favorite place you like to write and perhaps a favorite writing snack/beverage?

Amy: I don’t work well with distractions. Windows are my productivity nemesis, so when we recently built a new house, I designed my office with four solid walls and a door with a frosted window. The door still provides some natural light, but I can’t see out, and no one can see in. It’s perfect!

As for my writing snacks. I do have a few favorites: a NUTrition nut mix by Planters, strawberry Twizzlers, and . . . oh, I’m ashamed to admit this, but I’ve pretty much been living with a Diet Pepsi drip line attached to me for the past year. But I add LOTS of limes, which are packed with Vitamin C! ;)

Emma: Emma is such a great name. ;) Why did you choose it for your protagonist?

Amy: I’m so glad you asked, Emma! I actually do have a story behind my protagonist’s name: When I was expecting my third daughter, my husband and I couldn’t decide between Ella and Emma. We ultimately decided on Ella, but Emma didn’t disappear quietly. When I love a name, I find a way to use it!

Emma: Was anything cut from NOT IN THE SCRIPT that you wish could’ve been left in?

Amy: My first draft of NOT IN THE SCRIPT was about fifty pages longer than what is now the published version. It included a fun Halloween scene that I loved, where Jake and Emma sneak out in costumes and enjoy their first date in public without the risk of being discovered together. There was also an epilogue that takes place at Emma’s first fundraising event for her foundation, which happens two months after the current last chapter of the novel. This epilogue would have caught readers up on the lives of the actors. After all, despite what happens at the end of NOT IN THE SCRIPT, the cast of Coyote Hills still has to work together, and the show isn’t called a drama for nothing!

However, my Bloomsbury editor never saw the manuscript at its first-draft length. Before I submitted it to her, I revised and sculpted the story based on what scenes were really necessary. But the manuscript was still over 100,000 words, which is crazy-long for a YA contemporary novel (they’re usually around 75,000 words), so I was convinced that my editor would want me to cut a lot more, but she didn’t. We tightened up some lines, but content wise, we only added to the story.

Emma: What’s your favorite fairytale?

Amy: I always love a good Cinderella story. That girl knows how to keep a guy guessing! 

Emma: Can you share anything about what you’re writing next?

Amy: I have solid foundations for seven manuscripts right now, and bits and pieces for several others. One of these is a novel I actually finished before I started writing NOT IN THE SCRIPT, but the story still isn’t quite where I want it to be. Not even my editor has seen it yet, because I want it to be a lot stronger before she does. But here’s a hint about the story: I’m about to take my fourth trip to the UK where I’ve been doing some incredibly fun, historical research! So, if you’ve already read NOT IN THE SCRIPT, just imagine Jake in a tailcoat and you’ll get the picture.

Emma: Thanks so much for the interview, Amy!

Fall 2014 Classes

So I've shown you my dorm room and the campus, introduced you to my roommate, and mentioned my classes and other things on several occasions. But I bet y'all are wondering what classes I'm specifically taking. Maybe you also want to know more about them?

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have...

Understanding Old Testament

This semester (and next for that matter), I'm taking a lot of foundational courses, and this is one of them. Although I highly enjoy the New Testament, I love the history and heroes of the Old Testament. Plus, my professor is totally open to questions and discussion.

Theory of Wellness (only on Wednesdays)

This is a required 1-credit course. It's basic fitness and what-not, and I can't say I like it. I'm not an athletic person and I don't like sports. But once it's out of the way, at least I'll get to take a semi-fun physical education course (leaning towards archery or beginning horseback riding).

Intro to Literature

This class easily has my favorite professor. He taught the creative writing class I sat in on when I visited in April 2013. That class is largely why I chose to come here. I don't like studying lit in general (I hate analyzing writing), but he's made the class bearable at least. Plus, my classmates are pretty awesome, and it's a class about books, so...

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have...

Intro to Business

This is one of my electives, and I'm taking it since I want to work in the publishing industry. I feel already like I understand the business world better. Plus, there have been some good discussions in class.

Concepts of Math and Technology

The foundational math class I chose to take. Absolutely hate it, but it's math, so what else is new? My ACT score got me out of remedial, but I wish it would've gotten me out of this class as well.

Engaging Liberal Arts (on Tuesdays once a month)

This is a required first semester class, and I have it with my entire orientation group. We're reading a book all semester and discussing it and writing a couple papers.

So that's it for my classes. None are particularly exciting. Hopefully, I'll get some of those my sophomore year. As for next semester's classes...well, you'll just have to wait and see.

Review: Chasing Power

Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst
Grade: D
Release date: October 14, 2014
This e-galley was provided by Bloomsbury and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Kayla was born with the ability to move things with her mind—things like credit cards and buttons on cash registers—and she has become a master shoplifter. She steals to build up enough money for her and her mom to be able to flee if her dad finds them again . . . which would mean grave danger for them both. 

When she’s caught stealing by a boy named Daniel—a boy with the ability to teleport—he needs her help and is willing to blackmail her to get it. Together, they embark on a quest to find and steal an ancient incantation, written on three indestructible stones and hidden millennia ago, all to rescue Daniel’s kidnapped mother. But Kayla has no idea that this rescue mission will lead back to her own family—and to betrayals that she may not be able to forgive . . . or survive.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I'm not really sure what I expected when I started reading Chasing Power. But let me tell you, that cover is 100% inaccurate. It's nice for the title and all, but there is nothing about electricity or light bulbs in this book. Also, overall, the book was filled with too much mysticism and magic along those lines for my taste. There was a legit voodoo queen, and I was not okay with that.
The plot moved very quickly, which was great. There was a big twist I wasn't expecting. Selena was a supportive friend. Kayla had a great sense of humor, and she genuinely cared about her mom. However, her mom was extremely overprotective (although, given the circumstances, I could see why), and I didn't like that Kayla referred to her by her first name.
Also, the romance moved way too fast, and like I said, I couldn't stand the mysticism. If I had known about it before, I likely wouldn't have picked up Chasing Power.

The Verdict: I felt pretty meh about this book by the end of it. I could see fans of The 39 Clues enjoying it, though.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Rewind & Review #23

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

Basically, books.
In other news, it was midterms week this week. I only had two exams (one of which was just a regular test), so I wasn't as busy as some of my friends, but I still felt like I was often running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I also feel very cultural because... on Wednesday night, my friends and I went to see an episode of our university's sitcom taped, and on Friday night an illusionist had a show in our auditorium that we went to.
No book haul video this week. Sorry, everyone! I have too much homework this weekend to film one.

Books I Received

 

This Side of Home by Renee Watson (via Bloomsbury)
I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios (via NetGalley/Henry Holt BFYR)

Books I Won

 

The Vow by Jessica Martinez (Thank you to Kayla from A Wonderland of Reading!)
Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle (Thank you to Little, Brown for Young Readers!)

Books I Bought

 

A Hard Day's Night by Elizabeth Eulberg (free e-book)
This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (free e-book)

Books I Read

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson (reread)
A Hard Day's Night by Elizabeth Eulberg (4 stars)
The Vow by Jessica Martinez (4 stars)
Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson (reread)
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (reread)
I'm Glad I Did by Cynthia Weil
This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (4 stars)
Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (4 stars)
Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (5 stars)

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 9/29-10/4)

• Review: Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan (4 stars)
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Were Hard for Me to Read
• Released Books I *Need* to Read
• Review: The Fairy-Tale Matchmaker by E.D. Baker (2.5 stars)
• When Life Plans Change

   (From 10/5-10/11)

• DNF Review: Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander
• My Review Process
• From the Bookshelf to the Kitchen: the Darkling's Brownies
• Review: My True Love Gave to Me by various authors (3 stars)
• Random Friday: Favorite Childhood TV Shows

Upcoming Blog Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• Review: Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst
• Fall 2014 Classes
• Not in the Script Blog Tour
• A Bookish Swiftie's Recommendations
• So You Like... #6
• Surviving Dystopian Worlds
• TTT: New Series I Want to Start
• Review: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
• Random Friday: Favorite Disney Characters
• You Might Be a Book Blogger

Random Friday: Favorite Childhood TV Shows

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

I'm excited to share some of my favorite TV shows from my childhood with y'all!

Blue's Clues was my life.  I can still vaguely remember the planet song (and Pluto was included!), and I remember when Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper had Paprika and her little brother. Wasn't his name Cinnamon?

Out of the Box!  This show was so much fun, and I still remember the farewell song.

And does anyone else remember Little Bear?

This was a great show to nap to - not because it was boring but because the music was so soothing.

I don't have a lot of memories of watching Gullah Gullah Island.  All I know is it was a fun show, and my mom likes to mention it every now and then.  Of course, when I listened to the theme song on Tumblr, all the happy feelings came rushing back.

Did anyone else watch Little Bill?

And what about The Big Comfy Couch? 

 I actually had a Molly doll of my own! (And in reminiscing about childhood favorites back in July, I discovered that my friend Jordan watched The Big Comfy Couch, too, and had a Molly doll, as well!)

Great googly moogly! (Please tell me someone recognized that before seeing the picture below.)

And finally, this show didn't start airing until I was in 3rd or 4th grade, but it was so much fun!  I watched every season.

Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman! I remember wishing I could be on the show and actually checking out stuff for auditions, but since you'd have to live in Boston for several months, it wasn't ever possible. :(

So what shows did you watch when you were a kid?  What were your favorites?

Review: My True Love Gave to Me

My True Love Gave to Me by various authors
Grade: B-
Release date: October 14, 2014
This e-galley was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I'm not usually a fan of short story anthologies. But when I heard Ally Carter was a part of this one, I knew I had to read it. I had previously read books by six of the authors (Stephanie, Ally, Gayle, Jenny, Rainbow, and Kiersten, if you were wondering), and I knew of Holly, David, and Laini. 
I'm not sure if My True Love Gave to Me is a book I'd reread a lot (probably just around Christmas), but it has a lot of cute. Several of the stories could've used a bit more meat to them, while others could've been shorter. A good majority of the stories used foul language and some were a bit inappropriate in other aspects (drugs, drinking, partying, and romantic content). My average rating was 3.25 stars, so now I'll go story-by-story and get into further detail.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell

Absolutely adorable. I gave it 4/5 stars.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link

This was one of the stories that had the most inappropriate content. It was also pretty weird. I only gave it 2/5 stars.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena

Wasn't a huge fan, but this story felt pretty original, so I gave it 3 stars.

Polaris is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han

The same writing style that I enjoyed in To All the Boys I've Loved Before. I was a bit confused at the beginning of this one, but it wasn't too hard to figure things out. Very cute, but felt a bit too short and incomplete. Jenny's story gets 3.5 stars.

It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins

So. Crazy. Cute. Definitely deserving of 5 stars.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan

Too much language, and by this point, I was getting tired of broken families in so many of the stories. It only got 2 stars from me.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black

Well that was...interesting. 2.75 stars, I think.

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman

Really cute, but too much language for my tastes. I liked the setting and how the romance developed. 3.5 stars.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire

Meh. 2/5 stars.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White

The perfect Christmas story. Definitely deserves 5 stars.

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter

I loved the surprise twist. Of course, with it being Ally, I was kind of expecting the main character to be something else (not saying, just so I don't spoil anything). But I love anything she writes, so 4/5 stars.

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Didn't feel Christmas-y enough. Ended up skimming most of it. 2/5 stars.

The Verdict: Depending on if a few of your favorite authors wrote for this anthology, I think this could be an enjoyable read. Perfect for Christmastime or even Christmas in July.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

From the Bookshelf to the Kitchen: the Darkling's Brownies

I was originally planning to make the Darkling's chocolate mousse, from a Grisha trilogy cookbook I found online. Unfortunately it didn't turn out like I hoped, so this post happened instead.

The Darkling's Brownies are actually my recipe for brownies in mugs, but they're inspired by the same idea for the Darkling's chocolate mousse - rich, dark, powerful, just like him. Who is the Darkling, you may be asking? Why, he's a prominent character in the Grisha trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising) by Leigh Bardugo. This trilogy is so good - definitely one of the best YA fantasy out there.

Goodreads  Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

I've been making brownies in mugs for quite some time now. They are so amazingly good, and the best part is, you don't have to make a whole pan. You can just make one for yourself or a couple more if you have friends over. I mixed up a ton of baggies of the dry ingredients ahead of time and just brought a bottle of grapeseed oil to school so Elise and I could have brownies in mugs whenever we like with less hassle.

Brownie in a Mug

1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

2 T. cocoa powder (I use Hershey's special dark, which makes for a super chocolaty and rich brownie.)

pinch of salt

2 T. oil (I use grapeseed.)

3 T. water

Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add oil and water, and mix well. Pour into mug. Cook in microwave for about 1 minute, 40 seconds (time will vary, depending on microwave's power levels). It will be very hot! Let cool for a few minutes, then serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

And here's the result!

Have a recipe/book suggestions for From the Bookshelf to the Kitchen? Email it to MDBCnumber1fan [at] gmail [dot] com.

My Review Process

It's pretty easy to know what my review policy is. I have a tab at the top for this very reason. I've also mentioned on a few occasions how I review books, but I don't think I've ever gone into great detail. So for those of you who are curious, I'm about to share my reviewing process.

It starts with the book. I keep a list in my iPad of when galleys release so I know approximately when I should read them and in what order. Sometimes I'll break the reading order if there's one I really want to read and I don't have another to read imminently. So say it's time for me to read Killer Instinct. I walked over to the storage ottoman where I'm keeping my ARCs, plucked it out, and started reading. Or say it was time to start Chasing Power. I'd open my Kindle app and then open the e-galley. For any given galley, I always give myself the freedom to DNF it. There's no point in continuing to read a book I'm not enjoying at all. (Except in the case of The Jewel; I was a bit of a masochist when it came to that book.)

While reading an e-galley, I highlight and make a note about anything I want to include in the review. I also try to update my Goodreads status often while reading e-galleys or physical ARCs. When I started college, I realized it would take me much longer to read any given book. Therefore, I'd need to start taking notes when I read physical ARCs, too. So sometimes I use sticky notes and sometimes I'll take notes in my iPad.

After I've DNFed or finished the book, I might write the review right away. Doing it that way means I'll forget less. But I also like to wait at least a day, to give me time to mull over my thoughts. Since I schedule my reviews weeks in advance, I always have the opportunity to go back and edit something in, too. Then y'all will see it on the day it goes up.

And that's how I review a book! I hope this was an interesting post for y'all. I'd love to hear about your review processes, or if you have any questions, let's discuss in the comments!

DNF Review: Love and Other Unknown Variables

Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander
Grade: DNF
This e-galley was provided by Entangled: Teen and NetGalley in exchange for an honnest review.
Summary: Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck. 

The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop—until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy. 

By the time he learns she's ill—and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness—Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).

When did I stop reading?: 30% into my e-galley
The Short Review: Charlie was a bit of a creep, and the book moved super slowly.

The Long Review: From practically the first page, I was not a fan of the main character, Charlie. He tries to touch Charlotte's neck the first time he meets her, and he just gets creepier from there. Not to forget, he blames Charlotte for the fact that he's infatuated with her. Blame yourself, dude, and exercise some self-control. The book moved very slowly and I felt like nothing monumental was happening. Plus, there's a big spoiler in the synopsis that hadn't been revealed in the book when I stopped reading. It didn't help that the formatting in my e-galley was very wonky, so there were giant inexplicable gaps between some paragraphs and all chapters, and I kept getting distracted when I'd have to turn 3-5 e-galley pages to continue the story.

The Verdict: Not really worth your time. There are better contemporary love stories out there.

When Life Plans Change

I've kind of always prided myself on the fact that I've known for years what I want to do with my life. But I forgot that what I want isn't always what God wants, or it isn't always the most thought-out plan, or external circumstances could change.

I chose Asbury because it felt right. And it still does. I debated majoring in something other than creative writing, something that would give me a firmer base in the world. But I know creative writing is my passion. Through writer's block and busy schedules, it's what I've constantly returned to. So my major is firmly creative writing (unless God does something radical). But let's talk about my minor.

When I first started considering Asbury, and then on through the application process, and into registration and what-not, I decided my minor should be journalism & digital storytelling. At the time, it seemed to have a lot of courses that would be relevant to my desire to work in the publishing industry. Recently, though, as I was considering my classes for spring semester (long story why I was doing that so early this year), I realized the minor requirements seemed different. They seemed more journalism-focused and photo and video journalism were required. I don't want to be a journalist at all. So I started questioning whether or not I wanted that to be my minor.

I briefly considered a minor in business until I saw accounting was a required course. I thought about political science. Then I saw the history minor. It literally only requires six 3-credit courses in the 200-level or above. And I found six that sound absolutely amazing to this history geek. (In case you're wondering, the classes are: Survey of Non-Western Cultures, U.S. in the 1960s, History of American Foreign Relations, History of the American South to 1865, Origins of France, and History of Modern Germany.)

I felt like I was going through a midlife crisis that night, as crazy as that sounds. I found a lot of support with my blogger friends, though, and my mom was fairly understanding. She was understandably concerned that I was dropping a minor that would help me in my chosen profession for one that likely wouldn't help much. But as I've reasoned, one of the classes I take could spark an idea for the next bestselling YA historical fiction novel. The world always needs more YA historical fiction. I worried about the practical side of things, too. But a really good, wonderful blogger friend told me that your minor won't make or break you.

I'm still praying and deciding if this is the direction God wants me to go. I'm still a first semester freshman, so this change won't ruin my life. Also, all the courses for history that I'd want to take are 300-level, so I shouldn't take them until at least my sophomore year. Also, my mom is encouraging me to take basic principles of marketing and one of the courses from my previous choice of minor, both of which we think would be beneficial to working in the publishing industry. So we'll just have to wait and see. At least my choice of major is pretty firm. I think changing that would make me go crazy.