Meet The Authors Showcase Edition #1 (1 of 3)

A showcase with @CAITLIN, author of four clubs

1 what inspired the idea of your story?

Four of Clubs was mostly inspired by my love of ragtag groups! I wanted to write about a group of teens who normally wouldn't interact coming together for a common goal, so I branched out from that initial idea. I was watching a lot of heist movies at the time and asked myself how I could incorporate that into a high school setting. There's a very popular theme in YA stories of powerful, anonymously run groups/gossip sites, so I decided to take a stab at that trope, since it's always been one of my favorites!

 2 what was something you struggled with for your story ?

The dares were probably the most difficult thing to come up with! I needed them to have high stakes, but also be realistic and easy enough for the characters to pull off. The dares are also sent out as poems, which always took some fiddling with to make sure they rhymed and had rhythm while still being clear with their instructions.

 3 what has been the overall response to your story from your readers?

I'm a romantic at heart, so I'd have to say the romantic subplots were my favorite parts to write! I also loved writing Roy's dialogue, since he's such a goofy and outspoken character.

 4 what did you enjoy writing most of your story?

Most of the comments I get fall into one of three categories: yelling at Daniel, swooning over Roy, or asking about a sequel-- and all of them make me so happy to read! The response has been better than I ever imagined, and I love the fact that readers really seem to resonate with the group dynamic.

 5 is your story a stand alone novel or a piece of a series?

Currently it's a standalone. I plan to write a sequel in the future, and even have some ideas for a third book and a prequel

6 what would you like your readers to take away from your story?

 Hopefully readers leave with the knowledge that sometimes it pays off to step out of your comfort zone, and that it's important to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. Also, I hope when readers finish the book, they feel like they've had fun! 

 7 what's a piece of advice you would provide to another writer, when it comes to focusing on their story?

For me, having an outline is monumentally helpful! It helps me fend off writers block and keep track of how my characters grow and change in relation to the plot

 8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself?

I actually have something sort of embarrassing in common with Jade-- to emphasize her "invisibility" at school, it's mentioned that someone she'd been in class with all year came up to her and asked if she was a new student. I didn't have to think hard for this idea, because it was something that happened to me when I was in high school. It was definitely an insight into how unnoticed I was at the time, and I knew it would be the sort of thing that would happen to a quiet character like Jade, too. So, Jade and I definitely share our shyness, while Maddie and I share our stubbornness!

 9 what's something you believe would draw in new readers? 

I think the strongest thing about Four of Clubs is how much fun it is! It's a very lighthearted and fast-paced story. I would say it's perfect for anyone who needs a good pick-me-up.

10 do you have any future projects?

Yes! I'm currently getting ready to post the first chapter of my newest work, The Art of Being Alone (Together). It's actually somewhat similar to Four of Clubs, since the main character gets caught up in the middle of a prank war at summer camp and has to do a lot of scheming and sneaking around. Again, it's another fun story that I'm hoping will leave readers smiling and laughing.