Love Me, Love Me Not
S.M. Koz
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 19th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Family, abandonment, and forbidden romance are at the core of SM Koz’s powerful and emotionally charged novel about a teen who falls for her foster brother.
When Hailey Brown is removed from her home and put into foster care, all she wants is a safe, comfortable place where she can finish school and move on with her life. It’s not easy adjusting to a new school and a new life, but Mr. and Mrs. Campbell and their teenage son, Brad, welcome Hailey with open arms.
As Hailey begins to adjust to her new life, she and Brad grow closer. For the first time, Hailey feels like she might have a real shot at a future. Soon, however, Hailey realizes her relationship with Brad has crossed the line from friendship into something more. But being with Brad would mean giving up the perfect life that Hailey has waited so long to have.
Can Hailey and Brad resist the feelings that are developing between them—or will they risk it all to be together?
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, SM Koz delivers a powerful debut about the ups and downs of being a foster child.
Author Interview:
- When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I’ve always loved reading, from when I was a toddler and my parents would read to me to when I was in elementary school and I’d read Bobbsey Twins under my covers with a flashlight to staying up all night as an adult to finish The Hunger Games. However, I never considered writing a book until I was in my late twenties and had some free time during grad school. I thought I should give it a shot, but only wrote two chapters before deciding it was too difficult. Ten years later, I got serious and wrote a full-length novel, though no one will ever see that one because it’s horrible 😊 Over the next six years, I wrote a lot, read about writing, joined critique groups, and queried hundreds of agents. It was a long road, but totally worth it to see my book on the shelf of a local bookstore!
- How long does it take you to write a book? It depends on the genre. With YA contemporary romance, my first draft generally takes about 4-6 weeks. I’ve also written a sci-fi novel and that took much longer due to the complexity of the story and the world building. My first draft of that one took about 6 months, but I ended up tweaking it for another 2.5 years before I got a story I was happy with!
- Where did the idea for Love Me, Love Me Not come from? What was the inspiration? My husband and I are foster parents, and we’ve met some incredible children and adolescents since we’ve been doing it. Hearing their stories and seeing what they’ve gone through is heartbreaking, and I wanted to give others a glimpse into this world. With how busy we all are, it can be easy to get caught up in our own lives and our own challenges. We often forget others are struggling as much, if not more, than us.
- Describe Love Me, Love Me Not using seven words. Forgiveness. Trust. Strength. Hope. Love. Friendship. Change.
- What is your work schedule like when you're writing? I work as a freelance medical writer in addition to writing novels. Before kids, I was able to do my medical writing during the day and then novel writing at night. With kids, I’m way too exhausted at the end of the day, so I’ve started taking about a month off of my “real” job in order to write fiction. It works well for me because knowing I have limited time for my book motivates me to stay focused. I’ll generally write all day, from 7 am until 5 pm, Monday through Friday during these one-month blocks. My husband is also great and will occasionally occupy the kids for a few hours on the weekend if I absolutely need to get in more pages.
- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I’d say it’s that I need silence to write. I know a lot of authors listen to music or write in a coffee shop in order to get the creative juices flowing, but I need a silent house to focus.
- What do you like to do when you're not writing? My hobbies are gardening, reading (of course!), photography, traveling, and cake decorating. I’m also currently training for my first marathon which I hope to complete at Disney World next January. I figure if I have any chance of running 26 miles, I need to have really good scenery to keep me distracted. Hopefully Mickey and Goofy and Cinderella’s castle will do the trick!
- What do you think makes a good story? For me, the most important parts of a story are interesting, relatable characters with a fast-moving plot. I get bored easily (in books and in life), so I need the story to constantly provide me with hooks to keep me going.
- Have any other authors inspired your work or influenced your writing? I look to Nicholas Sparks for creating heartfelt romance, Janet Evanovich for adding in a bit of humor, and John Green for strong characterization. Stephenie Meyer was my inspiration to keep trying to get published during those long six years. I loved that she was a full-time mom with no previous novel writing experience, but she typed up the story in her heart and it resonated with millions.
Author Bio:
SM KOZ is a medical writer from North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, two sons, and numerous pets. She has a BS in Biology from Duke University and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, photographing nature and her family, gardening, travelling, and attempting, usually unsuccessfully, to decorate birthday cakes. Love Me, Love Me Not is her first traditionally published novel.
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