1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:04,000 Ero, How are you fantastic? How are you doing today? Leah? 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,440 I'm living the dream. You have the best name. It's just one of 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:09,800 those radio names, you know, sitting around the house one day going wow, 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,080 what can I do to attract listeners? But man, it totally bit 5 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:15,880 me. And with the other direction though, because everybody goes your name Earl 6 00:00:16,359 --> 00:00:21,920 Errol, What are you right? Hey? You're writing a book here, 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,839 and you've released a book that really is so important to today's why A readers, 8 00:00:25,839 --> 00:00:29,800 And the reason why is because it's about self empowerment. It's about looking 9 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,159 at yourself in the mirror and saying I like you, Yeah, yeah, 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,880 absolutely, And that's so hard to do when you're a young person and the 11 00:00:38,039 --> 00:00:41,200 entire world is telling you all the things that you're not or what you should 12 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,159 be. How did you step into this storyline? Because you know how books 13 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,679 are when when you I mean, my last book came to me while I 14 00:00:47,719 --> 00:00:51,799 was walking through a mall. What about this one? You know what? 15 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,079 It came to me while I was trapped in my childhood bedroom at my parents' 16 00:00:56,119 --> 00:01:00,079 house during quarantine. I wanted to escape that little, tiny room so badly. 17 00:01:00,479 --> 00:01:04,920 And the thing that I thought about like, what is most fantastical, 18 00:01:06,159 --> 00:01:10,640 what is most exciting? Why not write a book about a superhero? Yeah? 19 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:12,719 Yeah, and you love superheroes anyway, and so when you combine it 20 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:19,040 with writing my God, then that turns you into the story maker, right 21 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,159 right. It's it's hitting all the beats, it's writing my wheelhouse. So 22 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:23,879 it was perfect. Did it come out easily or was it one of those 23 00:01:23,879 --> 00:01:26,920 things we had to weigh out the you know, the paragraphs and make sure 24 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:30,319 that this met with this one. And you know, because you know, 25 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,879 when when it comes to laying out the storyline, I mean, it can 26 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:37,640 come at you in so many different ways. Right, This was the easiest 27 00:01:37,719 --> 00:01:41,120 book I've ever written. Sometimes, Erro, you know how it is. 28 00:01:41,159 --> 00:01:46,599 Sometimes you struggle, you're in the you're in the creative mode and you're going 29 00:01:46,719 --> 00:01:49,319 through it. But this book came to me so naturally, and it was 30 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,000 the most fun I've ever had writing. What made you bring up an earthquake? 31 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,480 Of all things? The earthquake is a game changer in this it really 32 00:01:57,599 --> 00:02:00,719 is. You know. So I'm from Indiana, all flat land. We 33 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:07,079 don't have a lot of earthquakes in Indiana obviously, and so in true superhero 34 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:12,520 fashion. If something that unusual happens, you know that there's going to be 35 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,919 something supernatural happening on the other end. Did you have to go and do 36 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:19,919 some research on earthquakes to find out what it was like? Because I mean, 37 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,039 you know, it's one of those things where you can't imagine unless you 38 00:02:23,039 --> 00:02:25,039 you know, watch it a lot of movies or documentaries about earthquake quakes, 39 00:02:25,039 --> 00:02:30,000 but you still didn't experience it, you know, personally. You know what, 40 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,319 I didn't have to do a lot of research. We have one earthquake 41 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:38,000 in my lifetime in Indiana and it woke me up out of my sleep when 42 00:02:38,039 --> 00:02:42,400 I was in like ninth grade, and so I know how jarring that can 43 00:02:42,479 --> 00:02:49,280 feel and how unusual. And you know that type of disorientation is prime prime 44 00:02:49,439 --> 00:02:53,960 superhero making. What is it about the relationship between Abby and Ellie? What 45 00:02:53,319 --> 00:02:55,919 is the connection there? And is it it? Did it really happen in 46 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,599 your life and you just basically put it on the page. I've had a 47 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:07,280 lot of really really close important friendships over the course of my life, and 48 00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:13,520 I think sometimes you can grow up together and who you become as you grow 49 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,479 is sometimes at odds with each other. So I really wanted to write a 50 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:21,560 friendship where they have such deep love and care for each other but obviously are 51 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:24,039 going through really different things and have to figure out how to navigate that together. 52 00:03:24,159 --> 00:03:27,639 Yeah, because that's so important right now, because a lot of young 53 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,479 adults, you know, a friend to them is somebody they met on TikTok 54 00:03:30,599 --> 00:03:34,439 or it's not even Facebook. For young adults right now, they don't go 55 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:37,800 to Facebook. But the thing is is that social media is their friend, 56 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,759 and it's like, man, you need some FaceTime right right? You know? 57 00:03:40,919 --> 00:03:45,400 I think so I was raised on the Internet. I came up on 58 00:03:45,599 --> 00:03:49,960 in the MySpace era, and so a lot of the relationships that I built 59 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,759 in my formative years were relationships with people who I never got to see, 60 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:59,599 and so I know how important those connections can be for young people. But 61 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,639 I all so know how crucial it is to have friends in your community right 62 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,319 by your side who you can see every day and rely on. You bring 63 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:10,919 up my Space. I just did a huge interview last week about my space 64 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,719 because it's still going. But did you know that it was designed one for 65 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,120 young adults? And your writing books for young adults? Look at that full 66 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:21,439 circle there right right? It comes right back together. I didn't know that, 67 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:26,519 but I'm not surprised at all. What is it about the young adult? 68 00:04:26,759 --> 00:04:30,680 Is it because their imaginations are still wide open and they're not jarred closed 69 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:34,079 by boss is always telling you what to say. Oh, that's a huge 70 00:04:34,199 --> 00:04:38,279 part of it. And the other part of it is that there is such 71 00:04:38,319 --> 00:04:42,920 a bigness to every experience you have as a young person because it's the first 72 00:04:42,959 --> 00:04:46,000 time you're navigating it, and it's really exciting to be able to write through 73 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:51,600 those huge emotions and be able to put myself right back in that headspace, 74 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:58,079 keeping humor alive inside your sentences. That takes a lot of focus and a 75 00:04:58,079 --> 00:05:00,040 lot of balance. When did you know that it was okay that, yeah, 76 00:05:00,079 --> 00:05:02,959 this is gonna be a good line. Oh yeah, I'm feeling it. 77 00:05:04,959 --> 00:05:10,160 You know. Sometimes I don't know that it's a hot bar. Sometimes 78 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,920 I don't know that it's like a really great line until I hear somebody else 79 00:05:13,959 --> 00:05:15,920 read it back to me and I'm like, whoa, who did that? 80 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:21,360 Me? Oh, she's on it. So sometimes it comes really naturally and 81 00:05:21,399 --> 00:05:26,519 it feels good the second it comes out, and sometimes it takes weeks and 82 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,560 weeks of revision. Before I can see it. I'm glad you said revision, 83 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,319 because that's what scares a lot of people into, you know, putting 84 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,560 their books in boxes underneath their bed or in the attic, because it's like 85 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:40,800 that revision. People fear it is a growing place. And how did you 86 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,639 move through that moment when you it's like, you know, I need to 87 00:05:43,639 --> 00:05:46,360 take these words out. It doesn't fit anymore. I'm not feeling it. 88 00:05:46,519 --> 00:05:50,800 Yeah, I'm really fortunate that I have a team of editors that I trust, 89 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:55,319 and I've always had trustworthy editors, so I know that they're not going 90 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,560 to steer me wrong. So I can bring them work that maybe is not 91 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,079 fully formed yet, or an idea that I know I want to unpack a 92 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,560 little more, but I'm not sure how to get there, and they are 93 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:08,720 able to put me on track to where I need to go or push me 94 00:06:08,759 --> 00:06:11,959 in the right direction. And so a lot of that is having people around 95 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,639 me whose feedback I can rely on, and knowing that at the end of 96 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,439 the day, the story can't get better until it gets written, and so 97 00:06:18,759 --> 00:06:21,759 sometimes you just have to write the bad thing before you can get to the 98 00:06:21,759 --> 00:06:26,319 good stuff. Ella Ingle doesn't have a cat doesn't have a dog. She's 99 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:31,839 got a pet fish. Wow, what are you guys doing in Middle America? 100 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:38,560 You know, I think I think they may have beta fish on the 101 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,399 East and West coast as well. I'm not sure, but I do think 102 00:06:41,399 --> 00:06:44,600 they moved. Yeah, beat a fish is the one that never moves. 103 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,319 You just sit there looking at it going hello, hello, right right, 104 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:51,279 And they can live for so long. That's the thing. I needed a 105 00:06:51,319 --> 00:06:55,800 fish that was going to be able to get us, get us from the 106 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,279 beginning of the book to be into the book. So now we're talking about 107 00:06:59,439 --> 00:07:02,399 the book, Ellie Ingle Saves Herself. I want to say world, but 108 00:07:02,439 --> 00:07:04,839 it's crossed out. I love the way that you crossed it out because and 109 00:07:05,079 --> 00:07:09,519 that's so important because a lot of people will scratch things out or put white 110 00:07:09,519 --> 00:07:12,399 out on it, or even just take it off on their phone. First 111 00:07:12,439 --> 00:07:15,000 thoughts are always important thoughts. So to come back with herself on it is 112 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,519 so important to me as a writer, because you gave me your first thought, 113 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:24,079 the world, and then you changed it to herself right right. Well, 114 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:27,279 you know, I think part of this too is that the expectation is 115 00:07:27,639 --> 00:07:30,560 in order to be a hero, in order to be great, you have 116 00:07:30,759 --> 00:07:33,879 to save everyone, and I don't think that's the case. I think that 117 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:39,079 ordinary acts of heroism, the nurses that work every day, our teachers, 118 00:07:39,079 --> 00:07:43,360 are librarians. I think those are even more impressive acts of heroism. And 119 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:48,600 sometimes that is just about being able to save yourself or the really really close 120 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:53,120 knit community around you. So what's next. You've got to be working on 121 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:58,399 something right now, because creative minds don't ever turn off. Oh yeah, 122 00:07:58,439 --> 00:08:03,120 So next year we have Bree Boyd is a Legend, which is the sequel 123 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,879 to Elie Ingle, and it takes one of the side characters from this story 124 00:08:05,959 --> 00:08:09,360 and makes her a hero in her own right. So you like to putting 125 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,519 your you know, a little series together here, aren't you? I am? 126 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:18,240 I am. It's it's it's a real adventure to be able to stick 127 00:08:18,279 --> 00:08:24,360 with characters for longer than one book. So it's we're growing together. So 128 00:08:24,439 --> 00:08:26,519 because you know, for many writers when they do write one book, when 129 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,399 when they finish it up and then relinquish it to the to the reader, 130 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,320 it's it's almost like we go through a morning because it's like, oh my 131 00:08:33,399 --> 00:08:35,240 god, they're gone. I can't I can't write about them anymore. Everybody 132 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:39,000 else has got them right right. Well, you know, I started in 133 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:45,080 my Ya novels. My first two books exist in the same universe, so 134 00:08:45,159 --> 00:08:48,600 some of the characters from the first book make like little background appearances in the 135 00:08:48,639 --> 00:08:52,279 second book. And I I've found that that sort of helps motivate me through 136 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:56,279 my stories, is to make them all part of the same, same, 137 00:08:56,399 --> 00:08:58,600 larger story. So um, I've had a little bit of practice, But 138 00:08:58,639 --> 00:09:01,840 this is a rootball game. You got to come back to this show anytime 139 00:09:01,879 --> 00:09:05,039 in the future. The door is always going to be open for you. 140 00:09:05,159 --> 00:09:07,759 Leah. Oh, thank you so much. I'm taking you up on that 141 00:09:07,799 --> 00:09:11,120 offer. Will you be brilliant today? Okay, I will thank you so much.