Today we are interviewing Quevina Scarver, author of the YA/romance novel Between the Lines.
Tell us a bit about yourself.I am 25 and recently graduated from College. I have a degree in writing and soon I will be returning for a degree in Business :). I have been writing since I was about 19 and have explored a few different avenues and ideas. After spending years reading and writing and learning new things, I found that I still have the mindset of a teenager and find it very easy to come up with ideas and dialogue for the YA genre.
Describe the plot of your new YA/romance book, Between the Lines, in a few sentences.
Describing storylines is probably the hardest thing for me. This story is essentially a modern day love story. It is a bit more relatable because it deals with a teenage girl struggling with her feelings for an older guy. She spends time questioning herself and trying to deny and push away her feel her feelings, which I believe a lot of young girls/women have a problem with.
Who do you think would most appreciate Between the Lines?
I think this book will be really appreciated by people who consider themselves the “hopeless romantic” kind of person. I know that I am that person 100% and I wrote this book with that mindset. It will also be appreciated by anyone who enjoys strong characters and can relate to a sort of forbidden love.
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| YA/Romance author Quevina Scarver |
Honestly, I was just getting over reading a book and I thought to myself, why haven’t I written a love story? I’ve read many books where the love interest is the secondary storyline, but not enough where it was first. Of course there are stories out there like that, but I wanted to make one of my own. Once I decided that I wanted to write a love story I started to pull the details together little by little with some research. The fact that is YA is just like in my blood, there was no other way I could write it.
Tell us a bit about the protagonists, Ailbe and Isla.
The story takes place from Isla’s point of view and she is 18 when the story takes place, but it does go back to when she is 16 at times. Isla I see as a strong character because she isn’t afraid to say what is on her mind and while it may get her in trouble, she is ready for the consequences. Just like many of us, she struggles with reality. Sometimes her feelings get the best of her, but she is someone that learns from her mistakes. The ongoing battle she faces is being confused about if Ailbe does indeed feel something for her, or if she should just keep her mouth shut and let their friendship run its course. Also, just like any other 18 year old she is just trying to find her way through life and figure out what the best decision are.
Alibi is the love interest from Ireland. Why Ireland?
Honestly have no idea, it fascinated me at the time. But Ailbe 20, while the story takes place and he is kind of beyond his years. He is very intelligent and extremely passive and patient. Basically he is the guy of your dreams. Throughout the book you see he has a very different way of dealing with Isla than the rest of family. He seems to understand how to speak to her and is very in tune with her mind and emotions. Of course while displaying this everlasting understanding of Isla, he has never expressed an interest in her aside from seeing her as a little sister.
How do you think you've evolved as a writer since when you first started?
I think I have evolved a lot since I started writing a few years back. I must credit a lot of it to school. As much of pain as it was, I really did learn of new things that I would have never bothered to learn. When I look back at my older writing and I see what I have now, I see a big difference. I have learned how to tell my stories better. Of course I am still evolving and will continue to for many years, I definitely see a difference and I know that each time I write, I learning how to do it better as I go.
Are there any aspects of your writing that you've been practicing?
I would like to work more on my world building because I really like sci-fi, but I don’t think my writing is truly there to be able to create new worlds. It seems my imagine is very limited when it comes to making up my own things. I found this out when I first tried writing. I had a sci-fi romance story, but my problem was I was unable to develop another world in a unique way and this is something I need to work on.
Character building is also something that I try to work on, but I really do it in my stories. There is alway space to improve and I want to improve how i develop my characters and dialogue a little bit better.
How do you feel about the increasing popularity of ebooks?
I think the popularity is very good for Indie writers such as myself. A lot of people seem to believe that because of ebooks that the print book is dying, but it truly isn’t. I have met many that truly enjoy the feel of having a book in their hands. I on the other hand love both. I love the accessibility of the ebooks from anywhere I am, but I also love having a collection of physical books, or being at home and just picking one up and reading.
What are your goals as a writer for the next ten years?
Over the next 10 years I want to really just write as many books as possible. I want to be known. I have a lot of ideas that I think people would love, I just need them to notice me first.
Have you ever had writer's block?
So many times! There are times where I won’t write for months because my mind isn’t there. It is simply annoying and sometimes a downer.
What do you have in mind for your next project?
I have another book that I have written but not edited or anything yet that I plan to release some time this year. It is called “If She Weren’t There” I plan to make it series of possibly 3 books, depending on how my first release goes. “If She Weren’t There” is about a girl, Daniela, being abused by her mother. Her and her mother just moved to a new state and while she isn’t looking for friends, she accidentally finds people who are caring. Once she accepts their friendship it becomes a battle of whether or she should tell the truth or keep it to herself as she always had.
Is there anything else you'd like potential readers to know about your book?
They will love it :)
An excerpt from Between the Lines:
I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I laughed hysterically at myself. My face was covered in paint and blood from my hands. Why this was funny? It was funny because if I couldn't laugh right now then I was afraid I would cry. I may not have spoken words, but I poured my heart out to my canvas and now my heart was aching from not being closed up in a little box. Through my laughter tears flowed and blood dried up on my hands and I stood there belted over in laughter.
“Are you okay?” I heard a voice through the door. It was Ailbe. Of course it would be him, Grayson slept with headphones on most of the time.
“Yes.” I said through the door, but it had come out shaky from the crying. I had stopped laughing but I hadn’t stopped crying.
“Can I come in?”
“I said I was fine.” I tried to snap, but it came out strained.
“Then open the door and let me see for myself.” I unlocked the door and he stepped back.
“You don’t look fine.
Tears dripped down my face and my clothes were a mess and my hair was all over the place. “Well I am.”
He looked at my bleeding hand. “You’re bleeding.”
“I know. Glass is stuck in my hand.” Now that he was looking at me I didn't feel weak, I was able to stop crying and my voice was strong again.
He stepped forward and reached for my hand and I pulled it away. “Let me look at it.” Hesitantly I gave him my hand. “How did you get glass in your hand?”
“Does it matter? Why did you come over here?” I said drily.
“Well I heard someone laughing at three in the morning, so I was concerned.”
I didn't realize it was so late; I had been down in the basement since about eleven when I got home. Grayson and I didn't stay there talking to Andrew until then, but I wanted to drive around a little while and just think in silence.
“Well I’m fine.”
He picked a tiny piece of glass out of my hand. “No you’re not. Have you seen yourself? You have blood and paint all over your face. Your hand probably has hundreds of pieces of glass stuck in it. You are not okay.”
“Please don't act like it matters to you.”More Information
Buy the book on Amazon
Visit Quevina Scarver's website
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