Interview: Megan Whitmer

Between


Tell us a bit about yourself and your background in writing.

Hi Megan! Thanks so much for having me on your blog! Writing is one of those things I’ve always enjoyed doing. I love words. I have journals from high school filled with pages and pages of emo poetry, and folders filled with silly little stories I wrote as a kid. I’ve written just about anything people would pay me to write, including articles about
 telecommunications and scientific research articles, but creative writing is my passion.


Tell us a bit about your upcoming novel, Between.

The general backdrop for Between has been in my head for years—I’ve always wondered why there are certain legends that have persisted over the years. Like, why do people still insist that they’ve seen Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster (or fairies or mermaids), even when it’s largely believed that these creatures don’t exist? It made me wonder, because I have a wild imagination, if there was some type of secret organization (think Men In Black, but for legendary creatures instead of aliens) that was in charge of making us think that these fantasy creatures don’t exist, even if they actually do. When I finally decided I want to try and write a book, that’s what I started with. Then I began to think about a girl, Charlie, who found out about the group (called the Fellowship) after she has an encounter with one of these fantasy creatures, and goes on to learn that she’s actually under the group’s protection herself. It was a lot of fun figuring out why Charlie would be protected by the Fellowship and what it meant for her and her family’s future.

Describe your main protangnist Charlie in less than 140 characters

She’s an artist, and looks for beauty everywhere. She’s hilarious but stubborn, and extremely loyal to causes she believes in.

I love the cover of between, did you have much say in the cover design and what are your thoughts on the cover?

Thank you! I had absolutely no ideas for my cover. I really loved the design of Leigh Ann Kopans’s book, One, so I asked my editor to contact that cover designer. We sent her information about the book and a few chapters to read, and this is basically the first design she sent back (although the girl on the original cover was different, and my editor and I both agreed she wasn’t right for Charlie so we had to find a different model). Spencer Hill Press is great about letting their author be really involved with their covers. I love mine.

 Why should we pick up Between when it releases in July?

Obviously everyone has different tastes, but Between was a very fun book to write, and I’m hoping that translates into a very fun experience for the reader as well. It’s character-driven rather than plot-driven, which may be a bit different for a fantasy novel, but I’m so in love with my characters that I had to get out of their way and let them take over. Charlie is so funny and snarky, and the way she and super serious Seth deal with each other always made me laugh. Then there’s Keiran, the beautiful boy with a big secret; Lulu, the country music-loving pixie; and Alexander, the Fellowship founder who always wants the best for the Fellowship, regardless of the cost. They have big personalities and I loved getting to know them. I hope readers do, too!


2 comments

  1. That is a pretty cover and the book sounds interesting.

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  2. I love this book. I have read it like 10 times

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