Hi bookworms and welcome to an author interview! Today I'm chatting with Bethany Mangle, author of Conditions of a Heart! This book is filled with beautiful moments, engaging characters, and humour that will make you smile. You can read my review here for more of my thoughts. Conditions of a Heart comes out February 20th and you can preorder your copy here! Synopsis: Brynn Kwan is desperate for her high school persona to be real. That Brynn is head of the yearbook committee, the favorite for prom queen, and definitely not crumbling from a secret disability that’s rapidly wearing her down. If no one knows the truth about her condition, Brynn doesn’t have to worry about the pitying looks or accusations of being a faker that already destroyed her childhood friendships. She’s even willing to let go of her four-year relationship with her first love, Oliver, rather than reveal that a necessary surgery was the reason she ignored his existence for the entire summer. But after Brynn tries to break up a fight at a pep rally and winds up barred from all her clubs and senior prom, she has nothing left to prop up her illusion of being just like everyone else. During a week-long suspension from school, she realizes that she doesn’t quite recognize the face in the mirror—and it’s not because of her black eye from the fight. With a healthy sister who simply doesn’t understand and a confused ex-boyfriend who won’t just take a hint and go away like a normal human being, Brynn begins to wonder if it’s possible to reinvent her world by being the person she thought no one wanted: herself. Hello Bethany! Welcome to Page by Paige Books! I am so excited to chat with you today. To get things started I’d love to get to know you a bit more. Could you share 3 fun facts about yourself? It’s funny how it’s so difficult to think of even three random facts about myself off the top of my head. I’ve started stacking books on a half-wall to save space in my apartment, which causes an avalanche any time I want to get a book. I have a French bulldog named Potato. I am always missing at least one key on my laptop keyboard. Congratulations on the upcoming publication of Conditions of a Heart! Would you say that your writing process has changed since writing your debut? If so, in what ways? Thank you! I think my writing process has changed for the better since writing my debut. I try to pay more attention to structure from the beginning. That makes it easier to understand where I’m going and what I want to accomplish by including a particular scene. My writing process is really disorganized in general, but I’m working on it. I loved exploring the developing relationships that Brynn had with her sister, her parents, her friends, and Oliver, her ex-boyfriend. The characters were so dynamic and intriguing to read about. What advice would you give to writers working on creating and writing about these different types of relationships? I always recommend thinking about real-life relationships. I don’t base my characters on any single person in particular. Instead, I try to remember that all relationships are complicated and more nuanced than just good or bad. I also keep in mind that everything is being filtered through the lens of my main character. They’re going to misinterpret things or make decisions that I wouldn’t necessarily agree with. I have to see their relationships as separate from myself. I saved so many great quotes while reading Conditions of a Heart. Do you have any favourite quotes or scenes from the book that you could share? One of my favorite parts is when Brynn is reflecting on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend Oliver: “For too long Oliver and I were always just there, a pair that people cheered for at first and then demanded later. But sometimes all that pushing hardens you the way that diamonds are formed from the pressure, the heat, the crush of a world. And although everyone expected us to sparkle, we could cut too.” I really love this section because Brynn is talking about her relationship and the power of expectations, but that also applies to her own life as a disabled teen. She’s facing so much pressure to act a certain way and present a perfect image to the world, but it’s tearing her up at the same time to pretend that everything is fine. What would you say was the biggest challenge you encountered while writing this book? My biggest challenge while writing any book is figuring out what happens. I don’t always write in chronological order, and I’m terrible about coming up with an outline ahead of time. That means I’m often fumbling around in the middle of a draft trying to understand how to tie things up and resolve arcs in a way that makes sense. What is the main message that you want readers to take away from Conditions of a Heart? I hope it makes people more aware of how disabled people experience the world and the challenges we face. In addition to symptoms caused by our disabilities, many disabled people still struggle with being sidelined as inspirational because we’re “overcoming” obstacles that don’t need to be there in the first place. Plus, after the start of the pandemic, we now have even more to worry about since it’s unsafe for us to be in so many spaces. On your website, you mentioned that one of your favourite TV shows is The Mandalorian, which is one of my favourites as well! Which Star Wars character (from any of the movies and shows) do you relate to the most, and why? This question is so difficult because I’m obsessed with Star Wars. If I had to pick one character, I relate a lot to Ahsoka during the Clone Wars animated series when she was younger. I’m pretty stubborn, and I want to figure things out in my own way. Otherwise, if you’re trying to talk to me in the morning before I’ve had caffeine, I’m Chopper. Along with Conditions of a Heart, there are so many exciting books coming out in 2024. Are there any other releases coming out this year that you’d recommend for fans of your work? I’m fortunate enough to be reading an early copy of Sydney Langford’s The Loudest Silence. It follows the life of Casey, a 16-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a professional singer. Just before moving across the country, her life is upended by permanent hearing loss and she has to rediscover her relationship with music as a Deaf-Hard of Hearing musician. The story is based on the author’s personal experiences and reflections. Thank you so much chatting with me today about Conditions of Heart! I had a great time reading it and I’m excited to read more of your work in the future! Do you have any upcoming projects that you’re currently working on? I’ve actually decided to start working on a dystopian young adult novel with some science fiction themes. It’s totally different than anything I’ve worked on before, so even if it isn’t something I end up publishing, it’s still a fun exercise in building a fictional world and approaching characters from a different perspective. Author Information
I had so much fun chatting with Bethany about Conditions of a Heart. Don't forget to preorder your copy before it releases on February 20th! What book character would you want to be friends with in real life and why? Let me know in the comments below!
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AuthorPaige is a bookstagrammer and blogger who loves all things bookish. From fantasy to mystery she can’t get enough! She’s always ready to recommend you a book and she can talk about her favourites all day. When she’s not reading, you can find her watching Marvel movies, playing video games, and taking bookstagram photos. Visit her on Instagram and Twitter for more updates. Categories
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