Good morning! Ready for another amazing read? This one is a romance with dancing dreams and a road-trip!

Here is the official book description:

“When Chloe Pierce’s mom forbids her to apply for a spot at the dance conservatory of her dreams, she devises a secret plan to drive two hundred miles to the nearest audition. But Chloe hits her first speed bump when her annoying neighbor Eli insists upon hitching a ride, threatening to tell Chloe’s mom if she leaves him and his smelly dog, Geezer, behind. So now Chloe’s chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast—two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist on repeat.”

I am so, so glad this book is almost here. Please welcome an important new voice, Kristina Forest! 

Hi Kristina, and thank you for being here. Was this your first manuscript?

I Wanna Be Where You Are wasn’t my first finished manuscript, but it is the first manuscript I queried.

How long did the writing process take you?

It took about ten months in total, including drafting and revising.

 Wait, what? I can’t believe how fast your process was! I just have to follow up on that: how did you do it? I know my readers would truly want to know. Like, one draft, one revision, 1k words a day? Or what? Super curious!

I revise as I write, so it was technically just one big drafting process. I don’t write with word count goals in mind. I just set out to get to a certain part in scenes. On average, I write about five days a week.

You make it sound like it’s no big deal. 🙂 What was the most fun moment or your favorite part of writing this story?

I really enjoyed writing the scene where Chloe and Eli visit Eli’s sister, Larissa, at her college campus. Chloe has never been to a college campus before so it’s an entirely new experience for her, and it was really fun for me to write.

Can you share an interesting fact either about ballet dancing or about long road trips that people might find surprising? How did you learn that fact — did you come across it through research or personal experience? 

I don’t think this necessarily counts as a fact, but something I’ve learned from taking road trips is that it’s always best to plan playlists ahead of time! It’s also best to pick songs with high energy to help keep you awake and focused. And if you’re road-tripping with others, make sure to include songs and genres that your fellow passengers like as well.

Which part of your book are you most proud of or excited about: can you hint at it and tease us? 

I’m excited about the entire story in general, and I’m specifically excited that young Black girls will be able to see themselves in a story with a happy ending. I can’t wait for people to read it! I’ll tease the first line of the book: Here’s something you should know about me: I’m a terrible daughter. 

Yep. You’ve got me!

Thank you so much again, Kristina for being here, and for writing this book!

Note: this story is not available for a giveaway at this time. But please be on the lookout in June and buy yourself a copy!

Thank you so much for reading, and tweeting, and sharing, and commenting! Keep it up 😉

Love to all — and see you tomorrow,

Katia

Remember, to enter the contest (and to keep entering it this week):

1. One entry: Comment on this blog, and I will enter your name once for every comment during the week of the contest.
2. Two entries: Share the link to this contest on Facebook or Twitter #YADebut2019 #MagicMirror (You can also either tag me or email me with proof at katiawrites@gmail.com.)
3. Three entries: Subscribe to this blog ( if you haven’t yet.) Or re-subscribe, if it’s been a while!
4. Four entries: Contribute a short guest blog post about a 2019 YA debut you are excited about, to be featured here!
5. Five entries: Promote this contest #YADebut2019 #MagicMirror and join in on your own blog! (If you have one).