#BookTour: Love Me, Love Me Not by S M Koz @xpressotours #authorinterview #contemporary #romance #youngadult

I am happy to help kick off the blog tour for Love Me, Love Me Not by S M Koz. I got a chance to interview S M see what she has to say. I like this cover. 

Love Me, Love Me Not
S.M. Koz
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 19th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Family, abandonment, and forbidden romance are at the core of SM Koz’s powerful and emotionally charged novel about a teen who falls for her foster brother.

When Hailey Brown is removed from her home and put into foster care, all she wants is a safe, comfortable place where she can finish school and move on with her life. It’s not easy adjusting to a new school and a new life, but Mr. and Mrs. Campbell and their teenage son, Brad, welcome Hailey with open arms.

As Hailey begins to adjust to her new life, she and Brad grow closer. For the first time, Hailey feels like she might have a real shot at a future. Soon, however, Hailey realizes her relationship with Brad has crossed the line from friendship into something more. But being with Brad would mean giving up the perfect life that Hailey has waited so long to have.

Can Hailey and Brad resist the feelings that are developing between them—or will they risk it all to be together?

Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, SM Koz delivers a powerful debut about the ups and downs of being a foster child.

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💻 Interview 💻

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions today.

S: Being a medical writer, how did it aid you (if any) in writing Love Me, Love Me Not?

 

S M:     Hmmm …. This is an interesting question. On the surface, you wouldn’t think there would be much carryover since the content is very different—medical diseases and products vs fictional story—but I do think one has helped me with the other. Interestingly, it’s novel writing that has helped my medical writing. We use a lot of fictional scenarios in the medical training I create, so I’ve been able to use what I’ve learned about characterization and voice to create engaging and compelling scenarios. Numerous clients have commented on how much they like my scenarios. I always have to bite my tongue, so I don’t say, “If you like this, check out my novels! SM Koz on Amazon!”

S: Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

S M:     I’m not sure. Obviously, a book without strong emotions would be horrible; however, I wonder if some people could fake it? If you know you’re lacking in that area, I imagine you could probably, eventually, learn to compensate for your deficiency, especially if you read a lot and continually take pointers from what you read. That being said, I do believe it would be very difficult and probably only work on more plot-driven books vs. character-driven. And there’s always the risk the reader would see right through it if the emotions weren’t authentic.

S: Did you experience writer’s block while writing this novel? If so, how did you overcome it?

S M:     My first draft came pretty easily, however, during edits, there were a couple times when I was stumped as I tried to take the story in the direction my editor and I had agreed on.  Whenever I have writer’s block, my first instinct is to go to my friend Sara who is also an author. She’s always willing to help me brainstorm potential solutions. I can’t even imagine how much harder writing would be without her!

S: What did you edit out of Love Me, Love Me not?

S M:     A lot! Once I started working with my editor, we completely revamped the last third of the book and made significant changes to the middle third. While I’m pleased with where we ended up, I do miss some of those scenes, especially when Hailey went on a cruise with the Campbells and she and Brad got some quality alone time 😊

S: What is the first book that made you cry?

S M:     I’m not positive since I’ve always been a big reader and am quick to cry, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was probably Where the Red Fern Grows, which was quite embarrassing since we read it in school! Any book that has an animal death will without a doubt make me cry.

 

 

Author Bio:

SM KOZ is a medical writer from North Carolina, where she lives with her husband, two sons, and numerous pets. She has a BS in Biology from Duke University and a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, photographing nature and her family, gardening, travelling, and attempting, usually unsuccessfully, to decorate birthday cakes. Love Me, Love Me Not is her first traditionally published novel.

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