Hi Jennifer! Thank you so much for joining us today! For our followers who haven't yet picked up your book, how would you describe it in 5 words or less?
Girls meets boy on plane. (That’s three fewer words than the title!)
What inspired you to write Hadley's story? I'm sure there's a few of us Mundie Moms who have fantasized about meeting our true love in an airport.
I wanted to play around with the idea of fate and explore the way even the smallest things can change everything. For some reason, this is always especially on my mind at airports. Whether you miss your flight, or you switch to an earlier one, or your plane is simply be delayed, there are so many different ways the equation of your day can be altered. And since so many love stories already depend on timing and chance, it seemed like a great way to illustrate this.
What's something that surprised you about both Hadley and Oliver's characters? Didthey turn out the way you envisioned them when you first started drafting them?
I think the biggest surprise was how naturally their relationship developed. Originally, I had envisioned the book as taking place over a long weekend. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to tell a love story realistically in just twenty-four hours. But as soon as they were on the plane, everything between them began to unfold in a very organic way, and everything sort of took on a new momentum from there.
We adore YA books with romance, snark and of course a London setting, which your book has. What inspired you to set part of your story in London?
When I started writing this novel, I’d just recently returned from a year abroad in Scotland. I had two friends who were living in London at the time, and I used to go down and visit them fairly often. I love the city, and I was so enamored with the UK – I still am! – and since I knew the flight would be overnight, it seemed natural that they’d be headed in that direction.
What's the best advice you've received from a fellow author?
My pal Justin Cronin (author of The Passage) once told me, “You have to write the book you want to write.” It sounds deceptively simple, but it’s great advice. You should always tell the story you’re passionate about, not the one that you think might appeal to a bigger audience or a wider market. There’s an authenticity to books that come from the heart, and I think you can tell the difference when that passion isn’t there, and the story feels a bit more manufactured. Always write the book you want to write – not the one you think you should.
Do you believe in love at first sight or have you ever experienced it?
I’ve never experienced it myself, and to be honest, I never even thought about it muchbefore I wrote this book. But I do believe it can happen. (Though I haven’t figured out the exact statistical probability yet!)
Which fictional character would you like to sit next to on a trans-atlantic flight?
Can I pick Oliver?
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight was just so awesome! Love this interview!
ReplyDeleteFara @ Tumbling In Books
Thank you! I adore this book!
DeleteI need to read this book ASAP! I hear so many great things about it. Great interview!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cari! It's such an awesome read! I think you'll love it!
DeleteWhat a wonderful interview. I loved this book! It's one of my favorites I have read this year. And the writing is just so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Her writing is fabulous. I'm so glad you loved the book as well.
DeleteIts the best romantic read since Anna and the French Kiss
ReplyDeleteI've got this one as an audio book, just waiting to be listened to. I can't wait. Great interview. I loved reading it.
ReplyDelete