Paper Breaths of David James: 7 Questions about BETWEEN THE STARS AND SKY

Q1) Is BETWEEN THE STARS AND SKY a Young Adult book or New Adult?

A1) Technically, it does deal with character who are 18 and over. Most would claim this is NA, but I don't. To me, BETWEEN THE STARS AND SKY is very much a YA book. The characters are not in college, but before. They're still dealing with things we deal with before college, especially in the summer. There is sex, yes, but it is not explicit. There is swearing, yes, but not a lot. It will be marketed as a YA book and so that is what it shall be.

Q2) What's it about?

A2) It's a love story that's not a love story. The story takes place in a place town during the weeks of a town festival called the Firelight Festival. Dangerous things happen. People fall in love. People don't.

Q3) That doesn't tell me much. Why?

A3) BETWEEN THE STARS AND SKY is a minimalistic story. I promise you, every detail you ever need is on the page for you. But the story itself is rooted more in what's not said than what is. And in that, there's this kind of beauty that lends itself well for discussion. Everything is there for you, but it's up to you to see it. The story is complete. It's done. There is no cliffhanger. But there is a lot to wonder about a story where a lot of the filler is taken out and you're only left with the things you truly need. With its minimalistic qualities, this story certainly isn't for everyone, but it's a story from the heart.

Q4) So it's not part of a series?

A4) Not this time. BETWEEN is a complete standalone. Jackson and Sarah have their story and this book is it. They won't have another. I keep thinking about adding a Book 2 and telling the story of Miles and Sean, but I haven't decide that yet. Stay tuned.

Q5) What was your favorite scene to write in BETWEEN?

A5) I really liked writing the funny scenes between Sarah and Jackson. A lot of the time, I'm a serious writer - I like serious moments. So it was different for me to write sarcasm and funny lines between the two main characters in this book. I really liked it.

Q6) What was the most difficult scene for you to write?

A6) The end. It was hard to get the mix of it just where I wanted it to be. And without spoilers, I wanted the ended to have no cliffhanger and be a mix of all the different emotions played out in the story. It was difficult to write how I was feeling about these characters at the end of the story.

Q7) How many gummy bears/butterflies/worms were eaten during your writing process?

A7) You don't even want to know.