“Don’t... waste those words on me.”
He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”
“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”
College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.
Below I have an interview with the author and my review of the book!!!
What
was your favorite part about writing this book?
I think my favorite part was definitely discovering
who Quinn was along the way, watching her grow from a flat idea of a girl to
someone who has captured of the hearts of so many readers.
Who
was your favorite character to write about?
While I loved discovering Quinn’s story, Torrin was
by far my favorite character. He became such a bright light for Quinn that I
couldn’t help but fall for him.
Did
you listen to music while writing STRIPPED? If so, what music?
I’m not
usually the type to listen to sappy music, but some of these are
heart-wrenchers! And they remind me so much of Quinn and
Torrin.
Stay—Rhianna ft. Mikki Ekko
I’m Not Yours Anymore—Angus and Julia Stone
Two is Better Than One—Boys Like Girls
This Years Love—David Gray
The
Church of What’s Happening Now- Sia
Heartbeats—Jose Gonzales
Almost Lover—A Fine Frenzy
I’m Movin’ On—Rascal Flatts
Trust—Eric James and the New Century
I Never Told You—Colby Caillat
Won’t You Come Again—Susie Suh
Face Down—Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Hazy—Rosi Golan
Enchanted—Taylor Swift
Your Love—Emma Burgess
The Living—Natalie Merchant
Lifeline—Brooke Fraser
Unbroken—Missy Higgins
It’s You—Shayna Zaid
Lay Your Head Down—Peter Bradley Adams
Ghosts That We Knew—Mumford and Sons
What
was your writing process like?
When I wrote STRIPPED three years ago, I had the
idea of a college girl doing something extreme to pay for her education. About
halfway through the draft—after a bit of market research—I discovered
college-aged protagonists were sort of a no-no in the industry. Against my gut
feelings of THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK, I changed Quinn to a high school senior.
Once the draft was done, I hated it. Quinn was not supposed to be in high
school and the YA voice just wasn’t working for me in this story. So I set it
aside for two years and worked on a few other projects. About six months ago I
decided to pick the draft back up and rewrite it the way I had intended. About
that same time, the New Adult category was starting to emerge and several books
were popping up on the Best-Selling lists which gave me a little more
encouragement to go with my gut.
What
did you base your characters on?
I didn’t really base my characters on anything in
particular, but I did with the nude modeling aspect of the book. For me, the idea of nude modeling came
from a current event article that popped up when I logged in to my email: a
story about college girls modeling nude for art classes to earn extra money. At
the time I was drafting another story, but was really intrigued by the story so
I saved the article.
And then a funny thing happened. In the recesses of
my mind, an idea started to take shape. A girl who needed money…a girl who was
so desperate for money that she’d go as far as modeling nude to get it…a girl,
haunted by the sudden death of her sister and a family scandal, who would be
forced to strip bare just to keep from living in the wake of her dead sister…
Thus, STRIPPED was born
REVIEW: Guys, this book was awesome!!! This was my first New Adult book and it was wonderful!!! I loved the concept and the way that the plot unfolded. Can I just say that I totally called who Torrin really was!! It was full of plot twists and real concepts. I loved this book and yes, I did sob horribly and loudly. GO READ IT!!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brooklyn__skye
BUY STRIPPED ON AMAZON FOR $.99
Peace, Love and Fangirl,
Alex
Wonderful interview. Glad you liked it. Thanks for participating :)
ReplyDeleteHi girl!
ReplyDeleteWe share the same day for Stripped!
Lovely interview. Love the songs and now I have two or three new songs in my spotify account ;)
And great review!!
Your Unofficial friends! ;)