Author Danielle Parker is back with her sophomore novel. I recently spoke with her about Love On Paper.
Tell me about your latest book.
Love On Paper is about two aspiring writers, Macy and Caleb, who end up as critique partners at a super prestigious writing intensive. This wouldn’t be a problem if their parents, who are also both writers, didn’t happen to hate one another. Yep, their families have beef. Together though, Macy and Caleb learn to work through their own issues around their writing, solve a mystery, and maaaybe fall in love!
Why did you decide to write it?
When I was brainstorming what I wanted my sophomore novel to encompass, I wanted fun, mystery, and of course, a lot of romance. I kept returning to an author who left little clues or nods for her readers, like easter eggs you’d see in video games or a Taylor Swift album. From there, the retreat and aspiring teen writers were born. I became very excited with the idea of a romance writer somehow helping her readers fall in love, on and off the page. However, when it came time to sit down and write, I struggled a lot! I think it was the second book jitters. So, the only fair thing to do was to have characters who were learning to embrace all the ups and downs of the writing process with me. I am happy to report that we finished together.
Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
Oh! This is tough-tough! While I looove Macy and Caleb, I think my favorite would have to be Fern, Macy’s roommate. Fern is obsessed with plants, wears outrageous clothes (with plants on them of course), and is unafraid of living life loudly. Where Macy is often unsure of her life and her talents, Fern might be unsure, but writes and lives courageously anyways. Fern is confident in a way that I admire and aspire to be. Fern will also tell it like it is and read you when necessary. Out of love of course, which again, I appreciate. I’m lucky to have great best friends, so when I craft my bestie characters, I think of the people in my life and give my all to make these characters really, really loveable.
What was the hardest part about writing the story?
Without giving too much away, I’m really proud of a scene where Macy is able to process a lot of her family history and trauma through…you guessed it, writing! Writing can be so cathartic, and seeing Macy, a struggling writer, finally tap into her natural power and abilities was really warming for me. I cried as I typed out the last words of the scene, as I usually do. I wrote a lot of this book while pregnant with my second son, so I thought about motherhood and families and how they affect us at various stages in life constantly while writing and revising. Not only am I proud of finishing this scene, but I’m honestly impressed I finished editing postpartum because that was HARD.
If you were to write a book about your life, what would be the title and why?
Funny enough, my debut novel, You Bet Your Heart, has a lot of younger Danielle woven in there. Whoopsies, haha. I didn’t quite realize I was writing through some of my trauma and pain until the story was done. In You Bet Your Heart, a teen works through her perfectionist tendencies while grieving. Both of these were big topics for me growing up.
What would you tell your 16-year-old self?
Eat more vegetables! Haha. I would say eat more vegetables and be kind to yourself at every stage. You’re doing your best, and I promise you’ll get to where you need to be. You will never let yourself down. So, chin up and stand tall, always.
What is something readers would be surprised to know about you?
I used to be a pretty decent water polo player! Crazy, right? I played water polo in high school and a smidge in college. I love being in the water and swimming. In my opinion, water polo is one of the most difficult sports (and highly underrated!). I’m not sure how I endured those games because I know I couldn’t last a minute now!
Tell me about a book that changed your life and why.
Like many others, I am a big Toni Morrison Fan—capital F. The first time I read The Bluest Eye, I was beside myself. Shocked at the intensity of the story, the power of the prose, the depth of the characters. Then as a high school English teacher I was able to teach the novel, and each time I taught the novel, I found something new about the story, uncovering another layer that I didn’t know existed. With each read, the story expanded, and I fell more and more in love with it and storytelling. I learned about myself, I learned about trauma and healing. This book inspired me to write but also to look deeply at myself.
What’s next for you?
Excellent question. Without saying too much, I’ve been toying around with a ghost story. Think fun, cute, quirky ghosts, like Casper. I’ve been tinkering with an adult romance, but I haven’t gotten too far yet.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
I just want to give thanks to all the readers, librarians, book sellers, book people who do the good work of getting novels into the hands of young people. If you’ve read or helped spread the word about either of my books, You Bet Your Heart or Love On Paper, thank you so much. I absolutely love that I’m able to write stories, and I don’t take this opportunity for granted. So, thank you, thank you all very much for allowing me to be here.
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To learn more about author Danielle Parker, visit her website or connect on social media.
Website: danielleparkerbooks.com