A Q&A with author Katy Upperman for How the Light Gets In (Interview & #Giveaway) @The_FFBC


Welcome to my tour stop! Check out an interview with the author and the tour giveaway below...

How the Light Gets In
By Katy Upperman
YA Contemporary
Hardcover & ebook, 336 Pages
August 6th 2019 by Swoon Reads

Summary

Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become.

When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.

But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?

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Interview

Would you tell us a little more about the main characters from HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN?

Of course! Callie, the story’s protagonist, has been struggling with the loss of her sister, Chloe, for just about a year. She feels like she’s stuck in her grief, unable to move forward because while the circumstances of Chloe’s death are muddied, Callie feels responsible. Callie loves her family deeply and at her core, she’s a fighter with a huge heart. Chloe, in life, was indomitable, athletic, and sarcastic. While she looked up to her big sister, she was starting to find her own footing before tragedy struck. Tucker, the local boy who eventually becomes Callie’s love interest, is compassionate and friendly, but also very private. Even while he’s working to unearth Callie’s secrets, he’s keeping his own.

What would Callie say her favorite thing about her sister, Chloe, was?

Her determination. Callie is more of a people pleaser while Chloe was a go-getter who never let naysayers deter her from chasing her goals. Callie admires her sister for a lot of reasons, but her fierce resolve is the trait that she appreciates most.

What one piece of advice would Callie give about grieving?

There’s a line in the book where Callie is thinking about grief and recovery, and how she feels like she keeps taking two steps forward, followed by a giant backward leap. She’s discouraged, and she’s wondering if that’s how it’s supposed to be and, yeah, I think heartache caused by profound loss is exactly that way for a lot of people. I remember learning about the stages of grief as a kid, and how they seemed to be this simple, smooth progression, and that’s so misleading. There’s no right or wrong way to grieve. There’s no rule that says once you progress to a new stage you won’t backtrack, or that you won’t spend an inordinate amount of time in one stage before finally moving on. In my experience, fixating on how I’m grieving—on whether I’m doing it right—has only prolonged the process. So, I’d tell Callie: It’s okay to just be in your feelings; you’re doing fine, and this will get better.

What is your favorite thing about the book’s cover?

I probably shouldn’t pick favorites, but I think How the Light Gets In’s cover is the most beautiful of all my books’ covers; there’s nothing about it I don’t like! I love its overall darkness combined with the pop of light in the middle. I love that the sisters take center stage, I love the little flowers, and I love the gorgeous title font. Sometimes I find myself just staring at it!

What part or aspect of this story do you love the most?

The romance—I adore Callie and Tucker together! They have a lot in common—interests, circumstances, and personality traits—and I think they’re just really good for each other. My favorite sorts of romances are the ones where the couple supports and challenges each other equally, and Callie and Tucker totally do that. They also have good chemistry, if I do say so myself! J

Do you have any specific snacks you eat or music you listen to when you write?

I almost always drink coffee while I write. I like flavoured blends, especially if they involve coconut. My favorite writing snack is Jelly Bellies. There’s not a flavor I don’t like, and I can blow through a whole bag if the words are flowing. 🙂

What are you working on next?

I have a couple of projects in the works, both contemporary YA romances that have me very inspired. I can’t imagine writing anything other than contemporary YA romance, so I hope to be able to publish more books that are similar to Kissing Max Holden, The Impossibility of Us, and How the Light Gets In. Also, one of my favorite writer friends and I are in the earliest stages of planning something collaborative, which has been so much fun so far!

About the Author


Katy’s debut novel, Kissing Max Holden, was published August 1, 2017, and her sophomore effort, The Impossibility of Us, released July 31, 2018. Her third novel, How the Light Gets In, will be out August 6, 2019. All three books are with Swoon Reads/Macmillan. She’s represented by Victoria Marini of the Irene Goodman Agency.


Tour Schedule
Tour-Wide Giveaway

Win (1) copy of HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN by Katy Upperman and some swag (INT)
Ends August 26, 2019

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Have you read any of this author's books? What did you think of the interview?

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