Why I Loathe Sterling Lane by Ingrid Paulson
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Per her 537 rules, Harper Campbell keeps her life
tidy—academically and socially. But the moment Sterling Lane transfers into her
tiny boarding school, her twin brother gets swept up in Sterling’s pranks and
schemes and nearly gets expelled. Harper knows it’s Sterling’s fault, and to
protect her brother, she vows to take him down. As she exposes his endless
school violations, he keeps striking back, framing her for his own infractions.
Worst of all, he’s charmed the administration into thinking he’s harmless, and
only Harper sees him for the troublemaker he absolutely is.
As she breaks rule after precious rule in her battle of wits
against Sterling and tension between them hits a boiling point, she’s horrified
to discover that perhaps the two of them aren’t so different. And maybe she
doesn't entirely hate him after all. Teaming up with Sterling to save her
brother might be the only way to keep from breaking the most important
rule—protecting Cole.
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*What would you be doing right now if you were not an author?
International
espionage. Or possibly star in a Disney show.
See, I’m definitely an author as my imagination is always unchecked.
*5 years ago: what were you doing?
I have a
very fun app called shoebox that lets me look back to this day 5 years ago and
see any photos I took. Five years ago I was visiting my Dad, who lives on the
other side of the country. I kind of adore this question for prompting me to
look back through the photos of that trip!
*Do you have a certain writing ritual?
I don’t have a specific ritual, since I usually grab whatever time I can shake
loose. But I do love to chew gum while I write. The funny thing is, my husband
absolutely cannot stand gum. To him, it’s like nails down a chalkboard,
particularly when I love to blow bubbles and snap and pop them. So I have
little stashes of gum hidden all over and when he comes into a room when I’m
writing, I dispose of the evidence immediately.
*What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
The toughest criticism was also the one that made the biggest change in how I
write. I didn’t know how to revise. I didn’t know how to make deep cuts,
including favorite scenes that really weren’t needed or stretches of dialogue
that I just didn’t want to tighten. My
first manuscript garnered some pretty harsh feedback that it just wasn’t ready.
Accepting that feedback was a bitter pill to swallow as I thought it was
brilliant. Every. Last. Word of it. And now that I look back at it, I’m
mortified that I sent it out. I still
have a propensity to indulge my characters in gratuitous scenes, and cutting
them is never easy. But it’s getting easier!
*Ever fangirled over another author? Who was it?
I met Holly Black at a writing conference years ago and she was so cool. I was
such a tongue-tied weirdo. I said all the wrong things. She was incredibly
gracious and kind, but she was one of the writers who first set me down the YA
path. There was no way I could function around her! I also embarrassed myself
in front of the amazing Sarah Dessen, because I can gush about THE TRUTH ABOUT
FOREVER…well…forever.
*Is there
an author you'd like to meet?
Too many
to count! I love going to book signings and readings and want to meet as many
authors as I can.
*Biggest writing pet peeve?
I have a lot of trouble writing endings. Many times I get three quarters of the
way through and want to write “and then exciting stuff happened and they all
lived happily ever after!” Tying the
threads of a manuscript back together and maintaining a normal pace (versus
sprinting to the finish) can be quite challenging.
* Do you read other's reviews of your books?
I do. I know you’re not supposed to, but reviewers are smart readers and if I
want to continue improving as a writer, I want all the honest feedback I am so
grateful to every reviewer who takes the time to think through what I’ve
written and provide that insight.
Fav Color: blue
Fictional Character you'd like to spend the day with: Sherlock Holmes. I was
just thinking the other day that I wished I had his powers of observation.
Fav food: sushi, although lately poke has eclipsed it!
Fav song and/or singer:Lately, Taylor Swift. For after-dinner dance parties in
the kitchen with my kids.
Guilty pleasure: chocolate. It’s not just gum I hide strategically around the
house!
Ingrid Paulson does not, in fact, loathe anyone. Although
the snarky sense of humor and verbal barbs in Why I Loathe Sterling Lane might
suggest otherwise (and shock those who think they know her best).
Ingrid lives in San Francisco with her husband and children
and enjoys long-distance running, eavesdropping, and watching science
documentaries. She has always loved books and writing short stories, but was
surprised one day to discover the story she was working on wasn’t so short any
more. Valkyrie Rising, a paranormal girl power story was Ingrid’s first novel.
Expect another humorous contemporary romance to join the list soon.
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This sounds adorable! I love a good enemies-to-lovers story.
ReplyDeleteI pulled a prank once when I worked at a grocery store deli. I got bored one day and put oregano in a plastic bag, then threw it out into the store. Someone actually thought it was drugs! What wasn't funny was when that customer called the drug task force and they swept the store, nearly costing me my job! Oops 😣🙈