Being on vacation in Tennessee this week, I couldn't help but stop in at Parnassus books yesterday. When I walked in, I was thrilled to learn that Abbi Glines was going to be at the store, so I stuck around to meet her. The evening started with Ms. Glines talking about her latest novel, As She Fades, followed by an audience Q & A.
As She Fades is the first book Glines has written that is not set to be part of an on-going series. Glines said that she got the idea for the novel after hearing a story from her brother about a person he knew who was in a coma, and what happened to him. Glines said that, after hearing the story, the ideas for the book came to her quickly and, once she got the idea for the plot twist, she was very excited to write it all down.
As She Fades draws you into the story right away, and during the Q & A, I asked Glines how she is able to write stories that hook readers so quickly. She replied, "I write about what I'm interested in. I like to read, but I am an impatient reader. If a book doesn't grab me in the first chapter, I don't want to keep reading it. I'm busy. I don't have time to keep reading books that can't hold my interest, so I want to make sure my readers want to keep reading."
"I write for myself, so I try to keep myself interested {in the story}. If I get writer's block, I know it's because I'm not interested in the story any more. If I'm not interested in it, nobody else will be either. So, I delete, delete, delete what I wrote, all the way back to the where it was the last time I was really interested in the story, and then write again from there. When I get writer's block, that's when I know the book has a problem", she added.
Glines, a prolific author, shared that she is currently writing a new paranormal themed book, set for release this October, as well as a book with a Christmas theme coming out in December. She said she will not be doing a book tour this year, but she wanted to come to Parnassus because As She Fades is set in Nashville. Her only other appearance this year will be in May, at YALL West in Santa Monica. The evening ended with a meet & greet and book signing.
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Labels: Author Appearances
