Hiiii!! First off, a huge THANK YOU to Apryl for putting this whole Blogfest together! I couldn’t be more excited to talk about my debut YA contemporary romance, THE GHOST OF YOU.
What is the book about?
Emmy has everything she’s ever wanted: a hot boyfriend she adores, great friends, a promising future, and even a well-connected family. But one night rips it all away.
A car accident shatters her world, claiming the lives of her twin brother and her best friend. In the wake of the accident, her friends drift away, her family falls apart, and her boyfriend cheats.
The grief is more than she can handle, so she finds escape at the bottom of a bottle of painkillers. Taking the pills makes her brother alive again, if only in her head. Seeing and talking to her brother as if he were still alive is the only thing that keeps her going. Until Logan King moves to town.
Logan sees past the mask of pristine popularity she wears in public and he’s the only one who can tell she hasn’t moved on. His uncanny ability to read her forces her to open up and she starts to fall for him, no matter how unwilling she is to admit it. But Emmy isn’t the only one keeping secrets and when a close brush with death sparks events that bring everything to light, Emmy will have to decide what’s more important: learning how to forgive and move on, or holding onto the pills and the ghost of her past.
A car accident shatters her world, claiming the lives of her twin brother and her best friend. In the wake of the accident, her friends drift away, her family falls apart, and her boyfriend cheats.
The grief is more than she can handle, so she finds escape at the bottom of a bottle of painkillers. Taking the pills makes her brother alive again, if only in her head. Seeing and talking to her brother as if he were still alive is the only thing that keeps her going. Until Logan King moves to town.
Logan sees past the mask of pristine popularity she wears in public and he’s the only one who can tell she hasn’t moved on. His uncanny ability to read her forces her to open up and she starts to fall for him, no matter how unwilling she is to admit it. But Emmy isn’t the only one keeping secrets and when a close brush with death sparks events that bring everything to light, Emmy will have to decide what’s more important: learning how to forgive and move on, or holding onto the pills and the ghost of her past.
Where did you come up with the idea for THE GHOST OF YOU?
When I was away at college my brother’s car was totaled by some idiots drag racing. My friend happened to be nearby and witnessed it happen. I just remember him calling me and saying, “Amanda, don’t freak out, but I just saw your brother get into an accident.” It was like my whole world shattered into a million pieces until I found out he was okay. He only walked away with a concussion and some broken ribs. If you could see the pictures of his Jeep, you’d know it’s a miracle he walked away in the condition he did. I just remember thinking how much it would have changed me if I had lost him, how I would have probably lost my mind for a while. Then Emmy’s voice popped into my head and the rest is history.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
I’d say the hardest part was trying to convey the raw, emotional intensity of it all. After long bouts of writing, it was hard to get my head back into normal, happy reality. I found myself wallowing in Emmy’s pain of losing her brother as if it were my own. Watching Disney movies helped.
Did you have a playlist of songs you liked to listen to while you were writing TGOY?
Oh yeah. I love to listen to music to get into the right mindset for certain scenes so my playlists differ from project to project. For this book, I listened to a lot of songs but these are a few of the ones I had on repeat often:
To Love-Habits (which was practically made for this book it’s so perfect!)
Jimmy Eat World-Pain
The Civil Wars-Poison and Wine
Imagine Dragons-Hear Me
Imagine Dragons-Bleeding Out
Dashboard Confessional-Breathe
Temper Trap-Sweet Disposition
Birdy-Skinny Love
Tom Odell-Heal
Are there any authors or works that have influenced the book?
I wouldn’t say there is any one book in particular but I’m a huge admirer of Gayle Forman, John Green, Kasie West, and Miranda Kenneally. They’re all incredibly talented writers who do a great job of making emotions leap off the page and into the heart of the reader.
Will there be a sequel to TGOY?
Yes and no. There will be another book set in the same world but following different characters. You’ll see Emmy, Logan, and some of others but it’s time to tell someone else’s tale.
Amanda Burckhard grew up exploring bat caves and hunting for dinosaur bones in the Black Hills of South Dakota. When she wasn’t crossing paths with mountain lions, she was making up stories and devouring books at the library. Although, she still does that.
Amanda loves to travel and cross out things on her adrenaline packed bucket list. Some of the things she's been able to cross out include see an active volcano erupt, ride a gondola in Venice, and pet a tiger.
She currently lives in South Dakota where she works with microbes by day and words by night. Some of her obsessions include super hero movies, hot chocolate, sushi, her dog, and Game of Thrones.
I find the connection between twins fascinating. My series also has a lot to do with this. I guess great minds think alike. :)
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