Interview with Elizabeth Norris

Title: Unraveling
Unraveling #1
Author: Elizabeth Norris
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Pages: 445
Buy Here: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Book Depository

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she’s opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, Janelle knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her reincarnation, and Ben’s possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI-agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s right in front of her: Everything that’s happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben’s sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl’s fight to save herself, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

Click the cover above to add this book to your Goodreads TBR list.

Kayla: Where did the idea for Unraveling come from?

Liz: It came in parts. I had the idea for the characters and the love story first. I was in a long distance relationship at the time and feeling really emotional about the ups and downs that came with it. It got me thinking about how tragic it is for two people to fall in love even though they belong to different worlds. The plot was something that I brainstormed and developed based on my love for science fiction and thrillers. 

Kayla: How does it feel to have your first novel releasing so soon?

Liz: The release of my first novel was crazy and surreal. There's no other way to describe it. I was in the middle of finishing up edits on the sequel, some friends and I all grabbed champagne and drinks at Flute Bar in the city, and then for the next few days I popped in random bookstores to oogle Unraveling.

Kayla: What do you expect from your release day?

Liz: I didn't really know what to expect, and I'm glad I went into it without any real expectations because then it was just fun. My mom bought several copies and called to tell me about it and that was probably a highlight.

Kayla: Have you had a lot of feedback from Unraveling? If so, what kind?

Liz: I've had a lot of wonderful feedback about Unraveling. In the beginning I was a little obsessive about checking goodreads to see what people were thinking--I was just so excited that people were reading something I wrote. And I've been blown away by all the people who've emailed or sent me their reviews on twitter. I'm just so glad that I wrote a book that made people feel something.

Kayla: What was the process of getting published like for you, and how long did it take?

Liz: I suppose it took about fifteen years. It was 15 years ago that I finished my first novel and though "I want to be published." A few years later, when I finished writing a fantasy trilogy, I went to a writing conference to meet agents and got really discouraged about how much I didn't know or understand about the industry and I sort of gave up--not writing, but the idea of getting published. Instead, I just wrote whenever I felt like it and when I finished a manuscript I saved it in the "final" folder on my computer and moved on to a new story. Thankfully as I was writing Unraveling, a friend of mind convinced me to change my thinking and try again, now that I'd learned more about the publishing industry, and I'm glad he did. 

Kayla: What is your favorite debut novel/author this year?

Liz: There are so many amazing books that have come out this year. Right now my favorites are Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood,Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and All These Lives by Sarah Wylie. They're all super different, but I got weepy reading each one.

Kayla: What are you most looking forward to this year?

Liz: Right now I'm looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises and completing the draft of my third novel by the end of the year.

Want to check out some awesome reviews of Unraveling. There are some awesome bloggers who have already read and reviewed Unraveling, here some of them are:
Good Choice Reading (Damaris)
Good Choice Reading (Amanda)
Dark Faerie Tales

Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter.
She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together.

Her first novel, UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray, April 2012), is the story of one girl’s fight to save her family, her world, and the one boy she never saw coming.

Catch up with Elizabeth Here: Goodreads|Facebook|Twitter|Website