IF ONLY WE Blog Tour: Interview with Jessica Sankiewicz

Today I get to interview Jessica Sankiewicz. She's a book blogger (like me!), an author, and a really cool gal. I know this because when I sent her all my questions, she answered them in record time. So sit back and read on. And once you're done with all the reading, be sure to enter the GIVEAWAY below. Oh, and also buy Jessica's book! 

Title: If Only We
Author: Jessica Sankiewicz
Release Date: October 15th, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Smashwords

They say all it takes is one wrong move and you lose the game. One false step and you’re trapped. One slip-up in your choice of words and you ruin a friendship forever. That is what they say. They say I lost.

I do not believe them.

At the end of the summer after graduation, Adrienne wonders what happened to cause her life to be in ruins. She isn’t getting along with her mom, her stepsister isn’t talking to her, and, to top it off, the boy she’s been in love with doesn’t want anything to do with her. She believes the turning point was a choice she made at graduation. When she wakes up the next day, she has been transported back three months to that moment, the one where everything started to fall apart.

Adrienne realizes she has been given a second chance—and this time she doesn’t want to mess anything up. Reliving the entire summer, though, turns out to be a lot harder than she thought. As the same days and weeks go by, she starts to see how simple decisions can make a huge impact on the world around her. Despite knowing some of what lies ahead, there are some things she didn’t anticipate. She thought she knew what mistake led her to where she ended up the first time. She was wrong.

And by the time summer is over, she discovers what was really at stake.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Now onto the interview. Because we all know that's what you care about.

Queen Ella Bee: For those readers who don't know what IF ONLY WE is about, can you summarize it in 6 words (or less)?

Jessica Sankiewicz: A second chance to do better.

QEB: So you're a blogger turned writer. What's it like to be on the other side of it all? And do you think you're going to stop blogging now that you're an author?

JS: It has helped me know how to approach bloggers in the right way--being respectful of their policies especially. I've had a lot of review requests that are for books I'm not remotely interested in, and often when I'm not open to requests. Knowing how annoying it is, I made sure to read review policies before I emailed. As far as blogging goes, I'll always blog about books. It might not be as frequent as it was when I began, but I will keep reviewing whatever I read.

QEB: When you're not reading or writing, what are your favorite things to do?

JS: TV on DVD marathons. I get on certain kicks and watch a whole disc of a certain show, or a whole season. I used to spend more time doing crafty things like crocheting and painting but working full time makes it a little difficult to get to.

QEB: If you could pick one character from IF ONLY WE to step out of the book and become a real, live, breathing person, who would it be?

JS: Ahhh... I would love to have Lyndsay. She's full of life and very fun to be around. Plus, she'd put up with me, so that's a bonus.

QEB: Do you have any writing habits or rituals? Things you MUST have or do when you sit down to write?

JS: Not really! I have to have something to drink and snack on, and often some sort of background music. Otherwise, nothing too out of the ordinary.

QEB: The cover of IF ONLY WE is so dreamy and wonderful. Is it what you always pictured it would look like?

JS: I wasn't sure what I wanted for If Only We. I used to browse through photos online constantly, trying to put in the right keywords to find the perfect picture. The picture I chose was actually one I wanted to use for another story idea. The more I looked at it and thought about it, nothing else seemed to fit quite like this one did. I liked the simplicity, the romantic and hopeful feel of it. So it turned out better than I thought it would!

QEB: Who are your favorite YA authors? And, perhaps more importantly, which authors influenced your plotting and writing in IF ONLY WE?

JS: Kirsten Hubbard, Gayle Forman, Kody Keplinger, Jennifer Echols, Megan McCafferty... I'm not sure who influenced the most, I think it was a combination of all of the best ones. There's a lot going on in If Only We, a whole range of emotions, so its hard to pinpoint. But I know that a lot of my plotting and writing wouldn't be what it is without the help of all the great books I've read over the years.

QEB: Thank you, Jessica, for coming on the blog today and answering all my questions! And remember, dear readers: There's a giveaway below for you to enter, but you can also purchase an e-copy of IF ONLY WE for just under a dollar. You can find any and all of the links you need above!

ABOUT JESSICA SANKIEWICZ:

Jessica is the 28-year-old author of IF ONLY WE, a YA contemporary. You can often find her either reading or marathon watching TV on DVD, her favorites being Castle and Veronica Mars. She frequently mismatches her clothes and giggles uncontrollably. She knows almost every Billy Joel song by heart. She collects books and toys, and she has an intense love of cats and lemurs. Currently in the midst of her quarter-life-crisis, she is still takin' names and getting very close to reaching an epiphany.

Goodreads | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So? What are you waiting for? Go spend that dollar and get that book! Or at least enter this awesome giveaway. And be sure to leave a little love for Jessica in the comments below!