04/02/09
Author Tales: Abby McDonald
Posted In: Author Interview
Abby McDonald is the author for this Thursday’s Author Tales. Abby is the author of Sophomore Switch, which was released March 10, 2009. You can learn more about Sophomore Switch at the book’s website!
Can you tell us a little bit more about Sophomore Switch?
The book follows two college sophomores who trade places for a semester abroad. Emily is a type-A Oxford student (trying to escape a bad breakup), and Tasha is a Californian party girl (fleeing the scandal from ‘the hot-tub incident’), so you can imagine what kind of trouble it causes when they arrive in each other’s worlds!
What kind of real life experiences from your stay in Oxford did you relay in Sophomore Switch?
Well, it was a lot of fun building the world that I experienced there:all the amazing old buildings, cobbled streets, and dusty libraries.Oxford can be a magical place (especially the buildings they used for the Harry Potter movie!), but I also used some of the less-fun elements: the class and privilege issues, the incredible academic pressure, and the archaic traditions that made Tasha feel like such an outsider. My time there had both highs and lows, and I think that comes across in Tasha’s experiences.
How is writing a novel different from journalism? How is it the same? Which do you like better?
Hmmm, one of the differences is time: my deadlines in journalism have always been one, two weeks at most, whereas I can (thankfully) take months over my books. Also when I’m writing an article, I use my own ‘voice’ and arguments, but in my YA, I’m taking on a character’s voice in first person, so I think much more about their way of thinking/speaking, and all their quirks.
I enjoy both ways of doing things for different reasons: with my journalism, (which I don’t have so much time for anymore!) I’m conveying my own opinions, talking about a specific topic… almost trying to convince the reader I’m right. For fiction, the challenge is creating a version of reality that will completely captivate my reader. I love the creativity of that, and how much fun it is to invent these characters.
What is a typical writing day for you?
Ack. There really is no typical day! Because I’m on two different contracts (I also write adult novels), there’s always something new to handle: I could be doing copy-edits on one book, outlining for another, or writing those dreaded first drafts. Plus, now that I have one book on shelves, and another coming in Fall, there’s all kinds of promo activities in the mix too. But, I will say that I like to work in blocks of time: I’ll do 2 or 3 solid hours of writing in the morning, and then use the afternoon for research, or promo stuff, or even a nap 
Then, I’ll often do another few hours later at night,sometimes until midnight or 1am. Of course, when I have a deadline,all bets are off.
What was your road to publication like?
Long, and bumpy! I started out writing adult novels, kind of chick-lit stuff. I finished my first book when I was 19, and got an agent, but it never went further than that. After graduating, I decided to try my hand at YA as well, and started an Oxford-based idea. That didn’t sell, but it planted the seeds for Sophomore Switch… But this was the book that was meant to work out, because once I had the proposal for Sophomore Switch together, everything happened unbelievably fast:I had agent offers within the week, signed with Rosemary (Stimola),and then she turned around and sold it to Candlewick over the weekend!So, on the one hand, Sophomore Switch’s road to publication was done in 3 weeks, but it was about 5 years in the making, from when I first seriously started writing.
Who are some of your favorite YA authors?
I’m reading YA pretty much exclusively right now I love E Lockhart,Polly Shulman, Siobhan Vivian, Maureen Johnson… Oh, and Michele Jaffe: I read her ‘Bad Kitty’ on a long train ride and kept laughing out loud!
Did you consciously choose to write for Young Adults?
Yes! I had some friends who were writing YA, and they suggested I give it a try while my adult stuff was still hitting a brick wall. The YA market in the US is amazing, much more diverse that what I’d seen in the UK, and it was a lot of fun reading around and realizing how much potential there was.
Who are some of the musical artists you’ve interviewed? Who was your favorite?
I’ve interviewed a bunch of people: Marilyn Manson, Sheryl Crow,Maroon 5, LeAnn Rimes, as well as less well-known indie and Britishacts. Maroon 5 were my first big job– we hung out backstage drinking champagne in the middle of the afternoon, and I felt so wide-eyed and star-struck! That faded pretty soon: you get kind of jaded after awhile. My favorites would have to be the Kings of Leon. We talked about John Hughes movies and country music the whole time, and they were lovely, really cool guys.
Are you working on any novels now? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
I’m busy writing the follow-up to Sophomore Switch, called BOYS, BEARS& A SERIOUS PAIR OF HIKING BOOTS. It’s not a sequel! The book is about Jenna, a ‘Green Teen’ environmentalist who jumps at the chance to spend the summer in the wilds of Western Canada. But, she finds that life in Stillwater BC (population, 622 and once grouchy moose) isn’t anything like she expected, and she winds up using an old survival manual to keep her social life alive.
What do you want readers to take away from Sophomore Switch? Is there a lesson to be learned?
I guess the main thing that the characters learn is that it’s good to shake things up sometimes, to give yourself a chance to try different things and be a different person. Also, there are some feminist themes running through the book, to do with social and media pressures around sex and hook-up culture, and I’d love for my readers to go away thinking about feminism as something relevant and important in their lives.
Thanks Abby! Abby was nice enough to donate a copy of Sophomore Switch for a giveaway! If you’d like to be entered to win, leave a comment on this post. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Deadline is April 9, 2009! Good luck!
Related posts:
- Author Tales: Sasha Watson
- Author Tales: Jillian Cantor
- Author Tales: Jordanna Fraiberg
- Author Tales: Cherry Cheva
- Author Tales: Jen Calonita
50 Comments
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Maroon 5 – yowza! What a cool interview – thanks!
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Ooh. This sounds exciting! I’m a California girl who spent time in Oxford in college and I’d love to read about it! Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
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Being a Journalist has always been one of my dream jobs. I’d probably always be stressed out by the deadlines, though.
I’d love to be included in this giveaway.
Jenna
jennapomme@yahoo.com -
Sounds awesome
Please enter me.pepsivanilla14(at)hotmail(dot)com
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I really liked her interview. I do like that she is pretty much reading just YA right now. I am doing that too; although occasionally I will read an adult book or a younger kids book-if it appeals to me.
~Meredith
rosesaremyfavorite at hotmail dot com -
Wow she is so lucky to have met all those artists! I would LOVE to meet Maroon 5!
michelle.kuool(at)yahoo(dot)com
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She’s so lucky to have met them!
I just put this book on my wish list today…irony
cullenwan2b@yahoo.com -
I love the idea of this book. I think it would be so cool to swap with another college student, just to see how different their lives are (= && we have to be opposites for the full effect!
mishtakes AT gmail DOT com
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Hehe, Abby sounds really awesome. I’m still looking forward to reading this book!
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I really want to read this – please enter me.
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Maureen Johnson is one of my favorite authors too. =D
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Great interview! It’s always interesting to see which authors are favorites. THanks for the giveaway!
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I have a journalism degree but I am more in the PR side of it. Although if i was getting to interview Maroon 5 I would jump back to the writing side in a heartbeat!
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This book looks great! This is the first I’ve heard of it, and can’t wait to get my hands on it!
p.s. so jealous about the Maroon 5 interview. Chace Crawford and Adam Levine are the top two men on my “To-Meet” list!
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Wow, I’d have been starstruck at Maroon 5 too!
I’d like to read this one. It sounds really good!
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This book sounds like it’s really fun! And hooray for the feminist themes!
paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com
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Ahhhh! I’m so excited! This book sounds really awesome. Thanks for the interview and the giveaway!
greenc70 [at] gmail [dot] com
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Wow, sounds like Abby’s had quite the life, and I bet it makes for good inspiration!
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I like the sequels title ^_^
Great interview!
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It sounds like a fun and interesting book, Abby. Congratulations!
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I would love to enter!!
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I’d love to enter also! Thanks
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Sounds like a great book – would love to win it!
sara
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nice interview and thanks for the giveaway
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sounds great- please include me
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Great interview.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com -
Oh wow, now I really want to give Sophomore Switch a chance! It sounds like a really fun book and like something I could care about even after I’ve read the last pages. Great interview and thanks for the giveaway
.twilight_freak_emma(at)yahoo(dot)com
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would love to read this one – count me in please
msboatgal at aol.com
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I would be honored to win this book> Thanks for the interview and giveaway!
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Sounds great!
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This book looks amazing – I just got a copy of it this past week at TLA and the lady at the Candlewick booth raved about it.
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Would love to read this.
rsgrandinetti(at)yahoo(dot)com
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i so know what you went through reading “Bad Kitty” in public!!
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Sophomore Switch looks awesome! I really want to read it.
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Love a chance to win!
Amber
sammyjones57(at)hotmail(dot)com -
Please count me in!
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
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Whether it’s a sequel or not, I love the title of that next book-and the sound of the plot
-Lucile
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Please enter me as well! Great interview!
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I would love to enter. Thanks for the giveaway.
Sue
okibi_insanity[at]yahoo[dot]com -
Please include me! I always like the idea of switching lives. Who wouldn’t like to try that? Great interview too. Thanks for all of your contests!
5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net
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I would love to read this.
Thanks
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I would love to read this too!
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OMG i was just on the books website reading about it and now The Story Siren is giving it in!!! Great interview!!
I’d really like to read it
please enter me in to win -
Sounds awesome. The interview makes it all that much more appealing now, it’s great to see the person behind the story,so thank you for that. Will add it to my extensive reading list ^_^.
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