Hometown: Highland Park

Latest Book: “Phantom Limbs”

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Release Date: Sept. 27, 2016

Available: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound

What’s your new book about?

Phantom Limbs is about Otis, a 16-year-old boy who has never gotten over Meg, his first love, who completely disappeared from his life three years before – shortly after the accidental death of his little brother. When he learns Meg is coming back to town, he is thrilled. But it turns out that to reconnect with the girl he can’t bear to forget, he’ll have to face a past he can’t bear to remember.

Where did the idea come from?

Otis is a swimmer, so aspects of the story came from spending a lot of time at my son’s high school swim meets. On a deeper level, writing this novel was an exploration of a wound from my own past. My mother lost a child before I was born, and like Otis’ brother in “Phantom Limbs,” he was 3 when he died. I have spent years thinking about the endless, insidious trajectory of grief because it was something that silently affected my childhood in ways I didn’t understand at the time.

What genre is your book, and why were you drawn to it?

Realistic/Contemporary Young Adult Fiction. I have always preferred realistic fiction. I seem to struggle with suspending disbelief – i.e., when teachers would read stories to the class when I was little, I was always the one waving my hand and asking, “But if they were trapped in the magic closet for three days, how did they go to the bathroom?”

Who is the intended audience?

Young Adults

Why is this story important to you?

“Phantom Limbs” is important to me because it’s the story I needed when I was a teen. I poured my heart and soul into it, striving to be honest and true to the characters and their experiences and emotions, but also to infuse their stories with healing and hope.

How long did it take you to write? What was your process?

I worked on “Phantom Limbs” for about seven years, from concept to final draft. My process apparently involved overwriting and meandering all over the place as I figured out the plot, then rewriting nearly all of it multiple times, then cutting 30 percent. This is not necessarily a method I recommend!

What did you enjoy most about writing this book? What was the hardest part?

I loved writing Dara – Otis’s ball-busting one-armed sort-of-best-friend and self-assigned swim coach – even though she broke my heart. I think the hardest part was probably getting my arms around Meg’s story, partly because it was so traumatic and partly because she was missing from my main character’s life for so long, and it took some work to fill in what those years were like for her.

How are you publishing this book and why (traditional/indie/self-publishing)?

I have been blessed with the opportunity to publish traditionally, with all the upsides and benefits of a good publisher behind me.

What is your education/background?

I have a bachelor’s in psychology from Knox College.

How/why did you decide to write a book?

It’s the one thing I always wanted to do.

Who are your favorite authors?

Some of my favorite authors include Carson McCullers, Nicole Krauss, Colum McCann, Kent Haruf and Jandy Nelson.

Have you written anything else?

Yes. I have two more YA novels coming out with Candlewick. “Relative Strangers” will come out in spring 2018, and “Starworld,” co-authored with “Of Fire and Stars” author Audrey Coulthurst, is slated for fall 2018.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a fourth YA novel at the moment.

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Website:paulagarner.com Blog:n/a Facebook:n/a Twitter:https://twitter.com/paulajgarner Amazon Author Page:https://www.amazon.com/Paula- Garner/e/B01IGOEBC4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1? qid=1474036647&sr=8-1 Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/987915 5.Paula_Garner