Damn, are y'all feeling as emotional about all this as I am? I can't begin to describe how attached I've gotten to these people over the course of two books and like four total years of my life. Saying goodbye to them now, even hopeful that they're off to do wonderful things, makes me so sad.
With that let me jump right to it to answer the most glaring question: is this really the end?
The answer is yes. For now. Of course I have ideas for what another story involving them might look like, and I definitely left some breadcrumbs in there that I could follow later if I wanted, but at this time I have no plans to proceed with another sequel. I'm excited to start a new project, and honestly, I've put these poor guys through enough for right now. I'm very contented with where their story has ended, but, who knows, maybe they'll still pop up in someone else's story... (hint, hint)
Below you'll find some pretty on-the-nose headings where we can openly discuss things that pertained to the story itself, about the characters who told that story, and of course the Q&A. Let me know what you want to talk about!
Story:
1) You were all curious about what the original story looked like vs the restart that I decided to do, but I'll tell you that there wasn't a lot that was different. In the original Brent would have been forced to leave college after failing his exams--even after discovering his learning disability--as just another means to highlight this overall theme of failure and self-doubt. Ultimately I struggled to bring him back from this, which I think is a lot of where I started to lose touch with him. Marcus also had a role to play in this story as well, but I decided Brent already had enough factors playing against him that I didn't need to add on to it. Mostly the rest was all little things that turned out to be easy enough to adjust, and I'm very happy with the changes.
2) I got a lot of questions about this in the early days, when I first unveiled the cover, about why I chose pink for the color scheme. The literal answer is because we're combating toxic masculinity. NAHSLS paints Brent pretty well as this tough guy with a soft, chewy center, and TAOBAFU helped to combat this narrative by giving Brent his own voice in expressing what being a man looked like and meant for him. It wasn't the most pressing theme, I know, but why would I pass up the opportunity to be a wise ass? But also I think it's cute, and somehow fits Brent very, very well.
Characters:
1) Brent
Our main man. I wonder if I'll catch some heat for this, or who might agree, but even only halfway into this book I realized I love Brent more than Jonah. Jonah was very easy to write, it was textbook for me almost: the concept of this repressed kid who struggled to find his power, thinking that he didn't have the strength to stand up, only to find out he was strong along. But Brent, my sweet boy, was such a challenge to write. This is someone who turned out to be the complete opposite, and while they wanted to literally achieve the same thing--to find their strength and to define who they are--he's someone who thought that he already had that strength, only to discover that he wasn't so strong after all. He's a damaged and broken child who comes from a damaged and broken home, and so it makes sense that he holds all of his worth in what he can achieve and what people think of him. But we work to take everything he relies on away from him, and what's left is a fragile ego with no real foundation. I felt Brent's fear. I felt his suffering, in a way that felt more real to me than Jonah's.
2) Maddy
GOTCHA! Another hot take, but I think I'm ready to admit that Maddy...is my favorite character. I know! It's crazy, Lilah was my greatest love from NAHSLS, and I thought that would continue this time around (and she is a close second) but at the end of the day there's something so special about Maddy. There were plenty of you that still sympathized with her in the first book, but also so many who didn't particularly care about her being cheated on, or even justified it by saying she only wanted Brent for status. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, Jonah's rationality led us all to that conclusion, but like him, none of us could really know what she was thinking or feeling. I knew right away when I decided to tell Brent's story that she had to be a part of it. I loved getting to explore what happened to her after she was cheated on, not just the heartbreak that it can cause, but the lasting damage. She's my tragic heroine, even after the breakup she agrees to tutor him--having had many years to process--and has to somehow learn to forgive someone who isn't really sorry (as Brent doesn't really show much remorse or realization to his part until the end of the book). She's powerful, resilient, and was so fun to write. I giggled inappropriately to myself way too may times while writing her character, and in a story about trying to escape feeling like a fuck up, I couldn't have envisioned a better foil to Brent's character.
Q&A:
Y'all got any questions?
1) Alright, we got our first question! Thanks to obsesifmakinist who wonders:
Q: Will you start a new story soon?
A: Indeed I shall! I always like to take a break between books to find my head and catch my breath, but that process doesn't usually last all that long. I've already been well into outlines for a few different stories, and while I've yet to decide which one I'll write, I've got some really great choices between a dystopian thriller, a horror novel, and two young adult pieces--one that deals with trauma, and the other with addiction. I'm very excited to show you guys what I come up with next!
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The Art of Being a F*ck Up
Romance[[SEQUEL]] "Not Another High School Love Story" MUST be read first ▪️ *SYNOPSIS* After suffering a serious injury on the field and being forced to put his days of playing college football behind him, Brent Fox has his own story to tell. With the hel...
