ABOUT FOREVER JULIA
Title: Forever Julia
Publication date: May 1, 2015
Publisher: Great Plains Publications
Author: Jodi Carmichael
Six months ago, Julia's life
was perfect. Then her dad died. Now she lives with her grieving mother and sick
grandmother in a puny apartment above their bookstore. After a dark bout of
depression, Julia is fragile, and mourns both her father and her old life. But
she has one thing to be happy about: Jeremy, the most popular boy at school,
has chosen her. Jeremy's love for Julia is passionate, even obsessive. As she
grows closer to Jeremy, Julia pushes her disapproving friends and family away.
But Jeremy only becomes more controlling and Julia has to decide what lines
cannot be crossed.
ABOUT JODI CARMICHAEL:
JODI CARMICHAEL lives in Winnipeg where she can often be
found dancing in the living room with her two wildly imaginative daughters, her
patient and supportive husband, and a scruffy Border Terrier named Zoe. Jodi’s
previous book for young readers, Spaghetti Is NOT A Finger Food, won numerous
awards and has been a multi-week Bestseller.
Visit Jodi Carmichael at www.jodicarmichael.com.
Connect with the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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***Author Interview***
Do you have a specific writing
style?
I
write by the seat of my pants – a Pantser – but I like to think I am in
recovery and am attempting plotting to stay away from massive rewrites. I love
to write dialogue and it flows through me fast in the first draft and then I
fill in the scenes with setting, senses, emotions, character movement, etc.
How did you come up with the
title?
Well,
it started as Who Needs Romeo; A Tale of a Modern Day Juliet, but that become
ridiculous after the rewriting began. Forever Julia comes from an important
scene between Julia and her boyfriend Jeremy and really is the heart of the
story. Julia needs to decide who she is and who she belongs to; forever.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Yes,
that love is not abusive. That abuse and control can disguise themselves as
love and infatuation and it even a smart girl like Julia can be fooled. And
finally, even if you get yourself into a relationship that goes dark, it is
never too late to get out.
How much of the book is realistic?
All
of it. Julia could be any girl, in any city, at any high school. She is
attempting to balance school, work, home life, her friendships, and her first
relationship with a boy. When Jeremy
becomes too possessive and ultimately physically abusive she is confused and
doubts her inner voice, at first. Lots of girls experience this, and they need
to know to trust their gut and if they wonder, “Is this what love is supposed
to be like?” then they need to seriously consider getting out or at least
talking to a friend, parent, or trusted adult.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Sadly,
I have known too many girls and women who have been in abusive relationships
and what seems to be the same for each of them as how slowly the abuse sneaks
in. The abuser is sly, takes his time, and then when they are fully in love,
then the control, isolation, verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
begins.
What books have most influenced your
life most?
There
are so many to pick from!
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I loved Anne
Shirley and wanted to be as brave and feisty as she was. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving has stayed with me because
it was so beautifully written and Owen Meany had such a compassionate heart. I
just read All the Light we Cannon See
by Anthony Doerr and it reads like poetry. It is a masterpiece. I am a John
Green fan and I loved A Fault in our
Stars because of the near perfect dialogue. He is a master of character
voice. Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This
may be my current top pick. “Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough
to be kind. One should be kinder than needed.” Those are words to live your life by and I think
of them almost daily.
What book are you reading now?
I
have two on the go; The Sweetness at the
Bottom of the Pie; A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley and All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.
What are your current projects?
I
am in the midst of writing a middle grade novel; Ford and Ellie: Family of Spies. It is loosely based on the mystery of my
Grandfather's still sealed World War II records. Few facts are known about his
RCAF years, but family legends of spying with William Stephenson, covert flight
plans, and code breaking abound. In my novel, Ford and Ellie, two 12-year-old
cousins solve the mystery while retracing their Great-Grandfather's SOE
footsteps. Set in Paris, it is a current day James Bond meets Spy Kids.
Name one entity that you feel supported
you outside of family members.
My
writing group; The Anita Factor – 8 of the best writers and creative minds I
know! We’ve been meeting every second Thursday at McNally Robinson Booksellers
to share our writing, receive feedback, and encourage each other to stay the
plan and not give up for over 4 years now.
Do you see writing as a career?
I
am a dreamer and a positive thinker, so I say yes! The reality is, you need to
redefine your idea of what career means. It is extremely difficult to make
writing your only source of income, but some remarkable few do it and do it
well. I pair writing with other jobs, which allows me to stay afloat and write.
This is pretty typical for most writers and I would think artists in general.
Do you recall how your interest in
writing originated?
I
was raised at the library, so my love of books was fostered at a very young
age. My mom read us a lot of poetry and never said no to any book we decided to
read. It was exhilarating to read my mom’s books when I was 11 and 12. My love
for writing was cemented in 7th grade when I read a novel I was
writing to my classmates, and they were riveted.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Sure!
This is a scene at the Paris airport early in Ford and Ellie: Family of Spies.
Ford
hurried to Ellie. She was speaking to the man at the tourism booth. Her arms
were full of maps and pamphlets. She spoke better French than Ford did, and she
wasn’t even in French Immersion School. Heck, she wasn’t even Canadian! Ford
tried hard not to be jealous of her, but it wasn’t always easy having a genius
for a cousin. Ellie got their great-grandfather’s Einstein smart brain. Ford,
on the other hand didn’t get any of E.H. Crawford’s infamous brilliance. He
only inherited his great-grandfather’s last name as his first and Ford knew
without a doubt, that he was merely average. Ford was middle of the road at
sports, comme ci comme ca at school,
and only so-so when it came to video games. He joked that he was perfect at
being mediocre. But it was more of a lame Uncle Jim sort of joke that laugh out
loud funny. Ford said it to ease the sting of being the only un-uber smart
member of their family. It fooled everyone, except Ellie. Ford could tell she
tried hard not to rub her brilliance in his face, but she never acted dumb.
That would be worse. Way worse. It would be too close to pity.
“Ellie,”
Ford said and tapped her on her shoulder.
“Ford!”
she said, her voice bubbled forth. She threw everything to the floor and
bear-hugged him. Thankfully she wasn’t as strong as Uncle Jim. Her thick hair flew around his
shoulders like a shawl. The best thing about Ellie, in Ford’s opinion, was you
always knew what she was feeling. Happy, sad, furious – she let you know.
She
pulled away and hooted with her fist pumped high.
“Now,
our vacation can begin!” she said.
“You are
crazy!” Ford said.
Ellie
punched him in the arm. “Hey!”
“Not
like the rest of our family crazy,” he said, remembering the security guard’s
comment. “A good crazy. You know - bon
fou!”
“Bon fou,” she said and laughed, her
light-brown doe eyes shone. “I have decided to take that as a compliment. Bon fou pour deux.” She pointed at the
two of them.
“How much stuff did you pack?” Ford asked, as
they picked up the papers that lay scattered around Ellie’s suitcases. He’d
crammed everything he needed for the summer into one suitcase and his backpack
only contained his laptop, phone, and passport.
“A lady
can never be too prepared.”
“When
did you become a lady?’
She
thumped him again, this time on his thigh and her knuckles dug deep.
“Charlie
horse!” he cried. “What the...”
Ford
swatted at her shoulder. She jumped out of his reach, laughing.
“Sucka’,”
she drawled. “Don’t be messing with this bon fou American!”
She
raced away, darting like a cat, through the crowd. Her hair, like a cape,
whooshed after her.
“Pardon et moi,” the man at the booth
said, as Ford slung his back pack over his shoulder.
“Qui?” Ford said.
“Ce sera euro onze.” He pointed to the
display case and the prices of the various maps.
“11 euro
- what? I mean quoi – just - never
mind,” Ford said, handing the man a 20 euro note. Leave it to Ellie to stick
him with the bill for her maps.
“La fille n’est
pas si fou, eh?” He said,
and snickered as he passed the change to Ford.
“That’s
for sure. She’s way too smart to be crazy,” Ford said and laughed. This holiday
was going to be the best one yet.
Ford
scooped up the one pamphlet she’d forgotten. The words, “Tourism France”
splashed across a montage of photos of cafes, museums, and art galleries in
Paris. An old black and white picture of a café caught his attention. Most of
the restaurant was hidden under the white scrawled “France” but there was
something familiar about the place. A fleeting moment of déjà vu passed through
Ford, as he ran his finger over the snap shot. He felt as if he’d been there
before, but that was impossible. He’d never been to France before.
“Weird,”
he muttered, figuring he must have seen this photo or one just like it in the
hundreds of photos they’d seen on the internet when they were planning their
holiday.
He
stared at the small picture, trying to decipher the name of the café from the
awning. All that was legible was the final word, “Magots.” What did that mean in English? Maggots? Ick. No, that
couldn’t be right. Who’d eat at a maggot restaurant?
“Hey!
Slow poke! Are you coming?” Ellie called. Ford’s head popped up. He stuffed the
glossy pamphlet into the side pocket of his backpack, with good intentions to
return to the mystery of the Maggot restaurant. Surely Ellie would know what Magots meant in English.
He
didn’t realize how important a bug café would prove to be.
Do you have to travel much concerning
your book(s)?
So
far, my books have been set in Winnipeg or within Manitoba. With Ford and Ellie
it is set in Paris, and I have used Google earth as much as possible, but I
will have to take a research trip to France. That will be amazing.
Who designed the covers?
Never
me, that’s for sure! I know what I like when I see it, but design is not my
forte. My first book, Spaghetti is NOT a
Finger Food was designed by Little Pickle Press in California. Forever Julia was resigned by Relish
Design and I love it!
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Tearing
Julia down. Tearing her and Annika apart. Isolating her from those who loved
her most so she can save herself from her destructive relationship with Jeremy.
It was so hard to do that, but it needed to be done so she had a journey of
self-discovery to embark upon.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
So
much. I learned more about the insidious nature of abuse. How it sneaks in when
you aren’t looking. I also learned that writing dark themes is far more
challenging for me, but extremely rewarding.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Do
not give up. Perseverance is a key ingredient to getting published. There are
thousands of talented writers that will never have a published book because
they quit writing. Plus, during the time it takes to land your first deal, your
writing will improve – if you write regularly and work to improve your craft.
For me, my writing group was integral in that area as was getting into the
Manitoba Writers’ Guild Sheldon Oberman Mentorship Program. My mentor, Carolyn
Gray, is a master story-teller and she helped me get Forever Julia ready for submission to publishers.
What genre do you consider your
book(s)?
Contemporary
fiction
Do you ever experience writer's
block?
Arg.
Yes. It sucks. To force myself through it, I write a blog post, or a series of
blog posts. I do more writing exercises, read more books, read inspirational
writing books. Whatever it takes to get to the other side of “The Block.” I
actually wrote a blog post about writers block back in 2012. You can read it
here: http://writingandotherlifelessons.blogspot.ca/2012/09/5-ways-to-boost-writers-block.html
Do you write an outline before every
book you write?
An
outline. They would be so helpful, but sadly I am plot-challenged. I like to
think of myself as a pantser-in-recovery. I now do a quick chapter by chapter
description to ensure I have enough dramatic action for the story arc.
Have you ever hated something you wrote?
Of
course. It is part of the process and happens within first drafts. There is
this saying, “It’s okay to write a lot of garbage as long as you edit
brilliantly.” I am not sure who said it first but it is 100% true.
What is your favourite theme/genre to write about?
Most
of my story ideas start with a fascinating character and then I write what
suits their personality and the story they want to tell. My first two books
have been contemporary fiction, but the middle grade I am currently writing, Ford and Ellie, is speculative fiction.
While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?
Always.
It is the coolest feeling and it has happened with every one of my books. Each
time I am so stoked to be in their heads, thinking their thoughts, and seeing
the world from their point of view. It is the best part of being a writer for
me.
What are your expectations for the book?
Since
I am a dreamer by nature, my dreams for Forever
Julia are outrageous. I day dream of Forever
Julia being in MYRCA, being made into a MTYP play, or even a movie! But
having said that, I had a 14 year old come up to me last week to tell me how
much she loved Forever Julia and that
was worth more to me than all those big audacious dreams combined. Ultimately,
I want Julia’s story to resonate with readers and if that happens to lots of
teens, I’ll be thrilled.
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Giveaway Information: Winner will be drawn May 25, 2015
· One
(1) winner will received a physical copy of Forever Julia by Jodi Carmichael
Thanks so much for hosting a stop for my blog tour.
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