Don’t miss my review of THE GIRLFRIEND REQUEST (out tomorrow!) here.
Thanks so much for agreeing to be with us today, Jodie!
Thank you so much for having me!
What 5 things should readers know about you?
What a great question! This one actually made me really stop and think, lol. I would say that five things that readers should know about me are:
- I really am a sucker for romance and big romantic gestures.
- I cry during the “sweet scenes” in movies quicker than the “sad” ones. I’ve even been known to tear up over a commercial. (Shhh…don’t tell!) 😉
- I was definitely insecure in high school, which is where certain aspects of Emma’s personality in THE GIRLFRIEND REQUEST came from…although I never went so far as to catfish a best friend, thank goodness!
- I have my undergraduate degree from Penn State University in English Education and am pursuing my Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling. I’m a huge advocate for mental health awareness; I believe it is super important for teens (and adults) to realize they are not alone in their struggles.
- I don’t know if I’d be able to write without coffee—I almost consider it its own food group. Don’t tell my mom.
First, everybody cries over commercials (at least I’m pretty sure they do. If they don’t, I don’t want to know!) Second, LOL #5!
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
The inspiration for this book came in part from seeing how much time my own teenage daughter spends on social media. It is such a huge aspect of teen’s lives these days. I wanted to write a cute, fun story about a girl liking the boy next door—one of my favorite tropes—and felt this could definitely tie in well. Emma’s plan is clearly a recipe for disaster, and I am hoping that readers see that just being honest and forthright is absolutely the better way to go.
You definitely did get that message across, at least to this reader! And you’re not kidding about teenagers and social media…
How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?
I used to write poetry and short stories when I was younger, and my love of reading led to me developing a creative writing class in a high school where I used to teach. Before I wrote my first novel, I was a contracted writer for several websites and blogs.
We could start a support group for former English teachers! 😉 I didn’t have the option of creating a creative writing class at my old school, but I did have my students participate in NaNoWriMo for several years, which was a lot of fun.
What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?
I have another YA Contemporary releasing in May through Entangled Teen, THE SOCIETY. That one is about a revenge plot gone very wrong in a private high school secret society. I am currently writing a YA Contemporary/thriller which focuses more on mental health issues. I am hoping to show through this one that it isn’t just the person some might perceive as the “outsider” who might struggle with a mental health issue, it can be anyone. The working title of that one is CRUSH.
Sounds great!
If you had to “sell” your book in a single Tweet, what would you say?
Falling in love with your BFF? Bad. Creating a fake Facebook profile to get him to love you? Worse.
Perfect! 🙂
Thanks again so much for having me on your blog! You can find me online at:
Author Website: www.jodieandrefski.net
Author Blog: same as above
Author Twitter: @2000_words
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodieAndrefskiWriter
Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/2000words
Entangled Author Page: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/the-girlfriend-request/
Thank you so much for being here, Jodie! It was a pleasure to chat with you 🙂
About the author:
