A Blog Tour, a Break, and a BRAND new book!

I hope that you're surviving this week! I have an awesome YOU'RE ALMOST DONE IT'S NEARLY THE WEEKEND treat for you, after two quick announcements. Actually, they might not be quick, because, let's face it, I'm me and nothing is quick, but we'll see. I mean, look at this opening paragraph! It's already three sentences longer than I thought it was going to be. Now four. Now-- you know what, I'm just going to continue.

FIRST OF ALL, I want you to go over to the INCREDIBLE Rachel Pattinson's blog RIGHT THIS INSTANT and SIGN UP to be a part of her book tour, taking place this July! Rachel is a doll and deserves all the support the writing community can give her! So go read the details right now and AGAIN, sign up! (Wow, that whole paragraph is exclamation points. Except now it isn't.)

I'll wait. Waiting. Waiting. Oh my gosh, hurry up!

Okay...back to our regularly scheduled program...

SECONDLY, I'll be taking a break from blogging next week. (Wahhhh...I know, I'm crying too...I know, I know, it's okay...please, try to control yourselves. GOODNESS, it's just a week, not forever!) I will be at summer camp (a "high adventure, outdoor" summer camp-- oh goody! Just what I love--the outdoors!! Actually, I do, I'm just not very athletic and kind of a wimp. But the week is a summer camp/retreat week, so I'm looking forward to spending time with God and seeing what surprises He has in store for our relationship. Man, this is a lot to be in parenthesis. Maybe I should go back and edit so it's not in parenthesis. You know what, nope, I'm just going to leave it. Except I was taught in first grade by Sister Anger Issues that you don't have to read what's inside parenthesis. WELL, at this blog, YOU DO. SO THERE. Anyway...) I'll be gone Sunday through Friday (or maybe Saturday. See, is this a good use of parenthesis?! Yes, yes it is, thank you very much).

OKAY. Finally, let's get to the main point of this post, which is an interview with EMILY ANN PUTZKE. I recently participated in a book tour for her new release AIN'T WE GOT FUN. If you missed it, too bad. Just joking, here's my review of AWGF. But this time I'm not waiting for you to check it out, you'll have to do it on your own time.

Here's a little about Emily:

EMILY ANN PUTZKE and Gi Rowland have two big things in common: their love for God and coffee. Besides writing historical fiction, Emily enjoys being an aunty, photography, Irish dancing, spending time with family, attempting to play the guitar, reenacting, and reading. She loves polka dots, war movies, and all things vintage. Her first novella, It Took a War, was published in December of 2014. You can learn more about Emily Ann Putzke and her books at www.authoremilyannputzke.com and www.facebook.com/authoremilyannputzke.

Who is Gi, you ask? Well, you'd better read AWGF and find out!

And here's a lot about Emily:

AMS: When you were little (we're talking like five), what did you want to be when you grew up?

EP: Many things … a librarian, a cashier, a zookeeper, an artist. I started writing stories when I was about 6 or 7, so the author ambition followed shortly after. 

Quite the extensive list!

AMS: What inspired AWGF? What was the writing process like?

EP: Emily Chapman and I had been wanting to write a story together for a while. We even started a story with handwritten letters, but we both got too busy. Then in December of 2014, Emily emailed me and suggested we try a new story and post the letters on our blogs as we went. We already had picked the names and the Great Depression for a previous story, so we took those and ran with them. We sent the letters through Googledocs, which allowed us both to be able to add suggestions/edits to each other’s letters. We exchanged a ton of emails, sorting out the plot and planning the ending letters.

What a great start to an amazing novel! Google Docs is basically my absolute favorite thing about technology, so incredibly useful. 

AMS: What are the pros and cons of co-authorship?

EP: I love co-authorship because of the collaboration, camaraderie, and bouncing off each other’s ideas. Emily Chapman and I work really well together, and we had tons of fun writing AWGF. The hard part was being flexible, because sometimes our expectations and ideas differed. Also, there’s just so much to think about and coordinate that it was overwhelming at times.

That's awesome that you two were able to click over this. I loved reading AWGF because your writing voices and styles were different, but meshed well together. It does sound overwhelming, though! I'm sure it had its stressful moments.

AMS: Can you tell me about the publishing process for AWGF?

EP: The first thing we had to do after editing AWGF was get a cover and have the book formatted. We hired Rachel Rossano for both jobs, and she did such a great job! We chose to use my publishing imprint, The White Rose Press. We also had to purchase an ISBN, then upload the files to Createspace. Once the files are submitted to Createspace, we ordered proof copies to make sure everything looked ok, then approved it.

Amen to that! The cover is GORGEOUS. 

AMS: What are you working on now? What writing brilliance can we expect next from you?

EP: I’m currently knee deep in rewrites for a novel titled, Resist. It’s based on the true story of Hans and Sophie Scholl, a German brother and sister who wrote a distributed anti-Nazi leaflets during WWII.

Sounds intriguing! I love World War II stories, especially true ones.

AMS: What are your summer writing goals?

EP: I’m hoping to finish the rewriting of Resist this summer, and also write a Sleeping Beauty retelling for the Rooglewood writing contest.

Oh, awesome! I'm debating about writing a retelling too...

AMS: What is your most recent favorite book?

EP: To Kill a Mockingbird. But I’m currently reading All The Light We Cannot See and I’m thinking it might be one of my favorites … but I haven’t finished it yet so I can’t say for sure!

LOVE LOVE LOVE To Kill A Mockingbird!! I read it about five years ago, and totally fell in love with it. Actually, now you mention it, I think I'm going to have to go back and re-read it this summer.

AMS: Is there a particular piece of writing advice you follow to a T?

EP: I love this quote by C.S. Lewis: “Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.” I have that pinned above my writing desk and I find it really encouraging!

I have never heard that quote, but anything that comes from C.S. Lewis is pure gold, and that's the truth.

AMS: What is your favorite kind of ice-cream?

EP: Definitely chocolate panda paws. I’m a chocoholic.

Oooh, that was my childhood favorite!! Now I'm more of a vanilla girl.

Thanks so much to Emily for doing the interview!! I'll see the rest of you in a week, have a fabulous weekend!!! =)

Review Wednesday: Ain't We Got Fun!?

I am so so so so SO excited to be helping out with the release of AIN'T WE GOT FUN by Emily squared! Joking...by Emily Chapman and Emily Ann Putzke!

Here's what it's about (provided by Emily Ann):

It was never much of an issue for Bess: living contentedly on her family's farm, despite the Depression which loomed around them. But when her older sister Georgiana takes off to New York City to make a fortune and help Papa out, feelings of adventure and wanderlust strike Bess at home. Through their lively letter correspondence, the sisters recount to one another their adventures, surprises, and heartaches, leaving little room for depression. For in a world of such wonder, ain't we got fun?

These ladies are incredible writers. I was instantly swept up in the down to earth, old fashioned charm that is AWGF. 

The book is a series of letters between Bess and Gi, as you might be able to deduce from the blurb. Usually, I'm not a huge fan of those kinds of books. I prefer action and drama and dialogue. However, all of this was manifested in the quaint letters exchanged by the two sisters, erasing my bias against "letter books".

The characters of Bess and Gi are so unique to each other. They're clearly sisters, but also clearly very distinct people. I loved being a part of their joys and struggles. I came to feel as though I was one of them, privy to their thoughts and feelings. The character development was extraordinary. Even though Bess and Gi definitely were kept "in character" throughout the length of the book, they were clearly grown by the end. 

Additionally, I loved how dialogue was apart of the letters. The dialogue was so smooth and natural, like everything else in the letters. I also liked the tone with which the sisters spoke of their every day happenings.The struggles of the girls are typical growing up struggles that the Emilys managed to capture beautifully; things girls have struggled with for years and will continue to struggle with for years to come.

This book was so refreshing. I've never read anything quite like it, and it was a nice detour from the dystopian/love triangle/sex-and-language smattered books that seem to litter the YA bookshelves of today. AWGF is unique and engaging and very different from everything out there. So go support Emily squared and buy a copy!

Also, head on over to either of the Emily's websites and check out the awesome GIVEAWAY (who doesn't love a giveaway!?) that they're hosting!!

You can purchase Ain't We Got Fun through:
Amazon (Paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)
Createspace (Paperback)
Smashwords (ebook)

EMILY CHAPMAN, also known as Bess Rowland, is a young hobbit living in the dear old South, and she is entirely bonkers. She's a dreamer, an optimistic pessimist, and an introverted people person. Blue skies, dancing, Disney, and whipped cream make her happy, and she swears she's once been to Narnia. She's been a reader all her life, became a writer because of that, and published her first novel, Cry of Hope, in March of 2014. But without her Savior, all of this would mean nothing. It is in Him that she puts her hope.You can learn more about Emily Chapman and her books at www.emilychapmanauthor.com and www.facebook.com/emilychapmanauthor.



EMILY ANN PUTZKE and Gi Rowland have two big things in common: their love for God and coffee. Besides writing historical fiction, Emily enjoys being an aunty, photography, Irish dancing, spending time with family, attempting to play the guitar, reenacting, and reading. She loves polka dots, war movies, and all things vintage. Her first novella, It Took a War, was published in December of 2014. You can learn more about Emily Ann Putzke and her books at www.authoremilyannputzke.com and www.facebook.com/authoremilyannputzke. 

(I'm privileged to be interviewing Emily Ann next month, so stay tuned!)

(...and in case you're wondering...my BONE GAP review is coming, I promise. Writers get distracted easily and sign up for too many bloggy things.)