Friday, July 21, 2017

Candace Ganger Author Interview


Photo Credit: Merinda Buchanan Photography

CANDACE GANGER is a young adult author, contributing writer for Hello Giggles, and obsessive marathoner. Aside from having past lives as a singer, nanotechnology website editor, and world’s worst vacuum sales rep, she’s also ghostwritten hundreds of projects for companies, best-selling fiction and award-winning nonfiction authors alike. Candace—aka—Candyland—has a severe Milky Way latter addiction + eats way too many donuts/doughnuts but all things in excess, amiright? FYI: She’s TOTALLY awkward in person (#sorrynotsorry). She lives in Ohio with her family.

        


Age Range: 12 - 18 years
Grade Level: 8 - 12
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 25, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250116228
ISBN-13: 978-1250116222

Praise for THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH

"Ganger alternates between Bash’s and Birdie’s perspectives, and readers will be anxious for Birdie to realize Bash’s true identity, and for Bash to come forward to someone—anyone—with the truth. Bash’s friendship with the troubled Kyle, who does nothing but treat him poorly, is puzzling, fascinating, and yet painfully true to life. Hand to fans of Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places (2015)." Booklist

"One of 2017's Biggest Debuts... Obsession-worthy." Bustle

“Chemistry geeks will get a kick out of this nerdy story about how love and loss can go hand in hand…Readers will cheer for Birdie as she struggles to get out of her own way, and readers’ hearts will break for Bash as he struggles to cope with his mom’s terminal cancer. Unknowingly connected by both love and tragedy, these two unlikely opposites will collide like molecules with sufficient kinetic energy and, together, create something greater than the sum of their individual parts.” Romantic Times

"Smart, raw, often biting in its reflections of the haves and have-nots, this debut will appeal to fans of John Green’s An Abundance of Katherines. Birdie and Bash are part of a cast of characters so vividly drawn, you’ll find yourself not only wanting to (re)study chemistry but learning what you get in life isn’t always what you deserve - sometimes it’s more. Candace Ganger’s breathtaking debut is a must-have for every shelf." 
Patty Blount, award-winning author of Some Boys

"THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH is part love story, part page-turner, and part intricate character study. Ganger writes her characters with great care, and the beautifully structured story is filled with giant truths and tiny, perfect details. Falling for this book was quick, thrilling and, yes, inevitable." ―Corey Ann Haydu, author of OCD Love Story and The Careful Undressing of Love

"Smart, emotionally rich, and beautifully written, THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH is an unforgettable, heartfelt novel―realistic YA at its best.” ―Jamie Kain, author of Instructions for the End of the World and The Good Sister

"A smart, complex story with textured characters that lift off the page. Candace Ganger has a rare talent for weaving together two compulsively readable voices." ―Jessica Taylor, author of Wandering Wild and A Map for Wrecked Girls

"Smart, intense, heartbreaking…this debut novel is a must read." ―Kim Turrisi, author of Just a Normal Tuesday



What was your first introduction to literature?

School, when I fought it! I did the Book It program because I wanted the free pizzas. It wasn’t until I got a little older that I started to actually read the books and appreciate the stories in them.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
Everyone, and everything. I use life to inspire me in any way possible. My kids say funny things, so I’ll use that. And I’m pretty weird and awkward, so I largely draw on my own thoughts and actions (or things I wish I could do or say).

Did you learn anything from writing THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH and what was it?
I learned a lot about The Collision Theory and how certain things shouldn’t interact (like people). Throughout the whole process of getting this story told, I also learned how resilient I am. I had plenty of chances to quit, but decided if I did, my cats wouldn’t be nearly as proud of me.

For those who are unfamiliar with Birdie, how would you introduce her?
Birdie’s a girl who uses her brain, instead of her heart. She won’t make a decision without really thinking it through, and even then, she’ll carry the guilt of falling outside of everyone’s expectations. She hates to fail, to be vulnerable, but at her core, she’s dying to let go of the control, so she can live at least a little.

What part of Bash did you enjoy writing the most?
I really enjoyed writing any scene where Birdie & Bash interacted. I love their relationship, that remains undefined for a bit, because you feel the chemistry and how they’re fighting it.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I’d absolutely introduce Wild Kyle to And I Darken’s Lada! They’d be killer together. Literally.

Which character have you enjoyed getting to know while writing INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH?
It’s hard to choose, but I’m very protective of Bash. At first glance, you’ll want to judge him but when you get to know him, you’ll understand his choices a little more. He’s so many pieces of me, and so many I wish to be, and wish I weren’t, I’m appreciative to be able to tell his story.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I’ve been lucky to have quite a few, mostly because I’ve been doing this for a really long time (too long!). If I name names, I’ll forget someone and then I’d feel terrible.

How many books have you written?
Total? I have no idea. Too many to count. I’ve been writing books (and other things) for over a decade!

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be?
You hear it all the time because it’s true: DON’T GIVE UP. EVER. SEROIOUSLY.

Who was your first boyfriend?
I’ve blogged about my first bf because he felt me up then dragged me to confession. True story. He shall remain nameless and a distant memory I’ll only (fictionally) write about in books, though I’m sure everyone I know remembers this/him/us.

Tell me about your first kiss.
I was late to the kissing/boyfriend game, compared to my friends. It was my freshman year, by the orchestra room (I played violin), on Valentine’s Day. He gave me earrings and I gave him a kiss. It was nothing like I thought it would be and actually, for a long time, I lied about having boyfriends because everyone else had them and I didn’t. It’s as sad as it sounds.

What's the most memorable summer job you've ever had?
I was a cashier at a grocery store and I hated every second of it. Then, a telemarketer. I hated that, too. At one point, I researched starting a no-kill animal shelter. I was driven—just not with school.


Where did you go on your first airplane ride?

To LA. My mom was obsessed with (and still is) real life crime dramas. We had to drive by the places of the OJ trial/Nicole Brown Simpson murder situation. If it sounds strange, try growing up in my house. I did meet Jake from California Dreams (am I old, or does anyone remember him?), so that was cool, I guess.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
I actually love that my teen years happened at the brink of the Internet (before the world got so obsessed with technology), so I’ll say the 90s—all the way!

What is your greatest adventure?

The one I’m on right now.


Candace Ganger captures all the bumps in the road and simmering chemistry of those early days of first love in her young adult debut novel THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH (St. Martin’s Griffin; July 25, 2017). Ganger, a contributing writer for HelloGiggles, starts her writing career in her full of feels young adult novel set around a skating rink with two characters you can’t help but root for. She explores this tender time during occasions of family tragedy, and whether young love can pull apart or become an anchor in the face of impossible circumstances.

Sebastian Alvaréz is just trying to hold the pieces together: to not flunk out, to keep his sort-of-best friend Wild Kyle from doing something really bad, and to see his beloved Ma through chemo. But when he meets Birdie Paxton, a near-Valedictorian who doesn’t realize she’s smoking hot in her science pun T-shirt, at a party, an undeniable attraction sparks. And suddenly he’s not worried about anything. But before they are able to exchange numbers, they are pulled apart. A horrifying tragedy soon links Birdie and Bash together—but neither knows it. When they finally reconnect, and are starting to fall—hard—the events of the tragedy unfold, changing both their lives in ways they can never undo.

Loosely based on real life tragic circumstances, Ganger says, "I'd been wrestling with a family tragedy for years, wondering how I could write about this unfathomable event in a way that might help my family heal but nothing ever really felt right”. When Birdie and Bash came alive on the page that Ganger says “this was my way of re-writing their history with a little bit of hope”. Told in alternating perspectives, THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH is a beautiful, complex, and ultimately hopeful teen novel that will move you to the very last page.

You can purchase The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash at the following Retailers:
        

And now, The Giveaways.
Thank you CANDACE GANGER for making this giveaway possible.
1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger.
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2 comments:

  1. I love characters you can't help but root for!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You have a lovely blog!

    Would you mind checking out my book reviews blog at https://elsbookreviews.blogspot.ca/ and possibly give it a follow? Super excited to read your posts!

    - El

    ReplyDelete