A Way Back to You
What would you do if you were given a second chance?
Annabelle, whom nearly everyone calls Anne, has been stuck in the past for two years. Numbed by grief over her husband's unexpected death and overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising their three young children alone, Anne agrees to let a friend take the kids for the weekend while she tries to get some much-needed rest at her parent's home.
But when Anne wakes up the next morning, she is suddenly sixteen again. And it just happens to be the worst day she spent as a teenager.
High school the second time around brings unforeseen changes and frustrations, but remembering that her future husband, Mitch, has just returned from a mission and is living on the other side of town gives Anne hope. Getting Mitch's attention (for the second time) is more complicated than she could have imagined, but Anne discovers she is stronger than she believed possible—and there just might be a future for her after all.
Author Emily Gray Clawson
Emily Gray Clawson describes herself as an author, mother, and youth mentor. Born and raised in Utah, she is passionate about her faith and great books and will share her love of both with anyone who will listen. Emily began writing at the age of seven, creating homemade picture books that she peddled from door to door. She self-published her first novel, Things Hope For, and is collaborating with Jennifer Graves on a book entitled A Sister’s Witness: The Powell Family Tragedy. With her husband, Richard, Emily founded two youth leadership programs, Handmaidens of Virtue and Mastering Knighthood. Trained in vocal performance in college, she has enjoyed including aspects of her training in this book. Emily and Richard are the parents of four children and live in Taylorsville, Utah.
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1. What gave you the inspiration to write this book? I was laying in bed one lazy winter morning, thinking about High School. I had a crush on the same boy for years and years. I started thinking, "What would I do differently if I had it to do all over again? How would I treat the people in my life?" That is where the idea started. It morphed from there into something totally unrelated to my life but the spark of that first crush still remains in the pages.
2. Who is your favorite character in the book? Probably Sam. He’s THAT guy. You know him. The one that you were madly in love with only he never gave you the time of day? Yeah. Him. Only Sam is the version of that guy who changes, notices the awesome girl in front of him and does everything he can to secure her happiness. Who doesn’t want that?
3. Which came first, the title or the novel? The novel. The original, working title was Annie, Again. I like A Way Back To You much better. J
4. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why? There’s a scene where Annie and Sam kiss for the first time but then Annie has to break both their hearts. It was hard to get across the burden she felt as a mom while still keeping us in the moment with the romance. It took a lot of work but in the end it’s my favorite part of the story.
5. Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now? Wow, there are so many. I guess the biggest thing is that you have to learn to do that thing you hate whether it’s revising or descriptions or making your character arcs stronger. You have to face it, work on it and master it. You can’t write around it and have your book be all that in can be. I’m still learning this but I’m closer than before.
6. What do you like most about the cover of the book? I love the wistful, melancholy feel of it. The way it combines the photo of the family with the clock. It gives you that sense of longing that Annie experiences throughout the book.
7. What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2013?
8. What was your favorite book in 2012What’s up next for you?
I have ADHOS: Attention Deficit—Oooo, Shiny! So I skip around a lot. I always have multiple books in process at a time. I work on one until I get to that ugly "I hate this book!" part and then skip to another. I do this juggling act and then find I've finished three books all at the same time. That being said I do have a fun Women's Fiction in process. I can't say too much about it, only that I absolutely LOVE the main character. She's witty and sarcastic and vulnerable and all sorts of things that make me love her. I also am in the process of plotting a romantic YA speculative. We'll see what adventures await me there.
9. Is there anything that you would like to add?
It's exciting and scary to know that my book is out there, being read and (hopefully) enjoyed. There is no point in being a writer without readers. I'm grateful for the positive responses I've seen so far.
I'd love to hear from any youth (or anyone) who is aspiring to be a writer. I've had others who have encouraged me along the way. I'd love to return the favor. Come visit my website and contact me!
This interview was fun to do. Thanks for sharing A Way Back To You with your readers!
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