About the Author
Elizabeth Briggs is a full-time geek who writes books for
teens and adults. She plays the guitar, mentors at-risk teens, and volunteers
with a dog rescue group. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a pack
of small, fluffy dogs.
Tell
us a little about your writer's journey so far:
I
signed with my agent Kate Testerman of KT Literary in 2012 after about 6 months
of querying my YA sci-fi novel. We immediately went on submission with that
book and thus began a year of close calls that ultimately ended in that book
being shelved. I even revised it for an editor at one of the Big 5, but
unfortunately that book never found the right home.
Next
I wrote another YA sci-fi, which my agent is pitching now, along with a New
Adult romance called MORE THAN MUSIC that I decided to self-publish. It just
came out a few weeks ago and has been getting great reviews, which I’m really
happy about!
I
feel your pain on the submission journey, but let’s talk about the fun stuff--a
new book baby which sounds absolutely amazing. So, let's hear your Twitter
Pitch! (140 characters or less.)
A
geeky guitarist joins a rock band to compete on a reality TV show but must
decide if following her dream is worth losing her heart.
What
inspired you to write this book? How is it a book only you could write?
I
went to high school for a short time with Adam Levine and the other guys in Maroon
5, back when they were called Kara’s Flowers. They played at our school dances
and I sat behind them in class and was completely in love with them. Of course,
they had no idea I existed! Many years later I saw Adam Levine on The Voice,
and had the idea of a geeky girl joining an up-and-coming rock band at her
school and going on a show like The Voice, and the book grew from that. I also
play guitar and go to lots of rock concerts, plus I’m a total geek who goes to
Comic-Con every year, so all of this combined makes MORE THAN MUSIC a book only
I could write!
Okay,
I’m going to have to grill you offline because oh-em-gee high school Adam
Levine? I have to know all about this. It definitely sounds like you had the
perfect inspiration for this book. What's your favorite thing about writing?
I
get to be lots of different people in situations I would never be in myself,
and then I get to pretend I’m a god and control their lives, all without being
committed to a mental institution. Mwhahaha!
What's
your least favorite thing?
The
waiting, from querying, to submission, to after the book deal. That’s one
reason I decided to self-publish my latest book. It has a lot of pop culture
references in it and I wanted it to come out now instead of two years from now
or more.
That
makes perfect sense. And I know for me, that’s something that makes self-pub or
even small press so appealing, less waiting! Now it's time to brag a
little--What do you love most about your book?
I
love the different interactions between the characters, and how Maddie comes
out of her shell and finds her place in the world with the help of the other
members of the band. The entire series will be about the different characters
following their dreams, and that’s something I can definitely relate to myself.
It’s
awesome that you’ve got such a rich cast of characters that each is worthy of
his own story. For book one, who was your favorite character to write? Why?
My
favorite character to write was Jared Cross because he’s a mix between tattooed
bad boy and geeky love interest. He’s the lead singer in a rock band and
something of a player, but he also wears nerdy t-shirts with villains like Loki
and Magneto. Plus, he can also play just about any instrument, which I wish I
could do myself!
What
has surprised you most about publishing post-agent?
The
thing that surprised me the most is realizing that great books often don’t
sell. Sometimes it’s bad luck or bad timing or the market, and there’s nothing
you can do except try again or find another path to reach readers.
That’s
been a tough lesson for me, too. Publishing is about so much more than writing,
right? Okay, now a little about you. (And yes, I stole these questions from In
the Actor's Studio with James Lipton.)
What
is your favorite word?
Rawr!
LOL!
Love it! What is your least favorite word?
Diet
Oooh
good one. What turns you on?
Boys
with tattoos and stubble. Geeky guys with glasses. British accents.
I’m
pretty sure the only thing Adam Levine is missing is the accent. What turns you
off?
Controlling
alpha males with stalkery or abusive behavior.
What
sound or noise do you love?
A
perfectly executed guitar riff.
What
sound or noise do you hate?
That
high pitch drilling at the dentist’s office.
*cringes*
Word. What profession, other than your own, would you most like to attempt?
I’d
love to be the person who makes movie trailers. I’m assuming there’s a job like
that, anyway.
If
Heaven exists, what would you like to hear G-d say when you arrive at the
pearly gates?
“Grab
some pizza and a drink and join the party.”
Finally,
what's the one question you've always wanted to answer in an interview? (And of
course, you have to answer it!)
I’m
surprised no one has asked me what my favorite scene is in MORE THAN MUSIC.
It’s definitely the scene where they go to the grocery store and play a game
together as a band. I had such a good time writing that scene and it always makes
me smile when I read it again.
Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, Elizabeth! I cannot wait to read this book, you guys. Buy links and Goodreads are below. Check it out! And finges crossed that your YA Sci-Fi sells like hotcakes!
About MORE THAN MUSIC (Chasing The Dream #1)
Music major Maddie Taylor just finished her junior year of
college and has a summer internship lined up with the LA Philharmonic, yet
every night she practices guitar and secretly dreams of a louder life. But
geeky girls like her don't get to be rock stars. That is, until tattooed singer
Jared Cross catches her playing guitar and invites her to join his band on The
Sound, a reality TV show competition.
Once on the show, Maddie discovers there's more to Jared
than his flirty smile and bad boy reputation - and that he's just as big a geek
as she is. With each performance their attraction becomes impossible to ignore,
but when the show pressures them to stay single they're forced to keep their
relationship secret.
As the competition heats up, Jared will do whatever it takes
for his band to win, and Maddie must decide if following her dream is worth
losing her heart.
It does sound awesome!
ReplyDeleteI seriously cannot wait. I have an Amazon giftcard headed my way this week and it is already partially spent!
DeleteThanks Dannie, this was a fun interview!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! I am stoked to read your words this weekend!
DeleteHa ha, the guy on the cover even kind of looks like Adam Levine. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Love getting to know you better, Elizabeth!
LOL right? We were talking about that on Twitter earlier! *pets pretend Adam again*
Delete