Title: NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE
Author: Amy K. Nichols
Pub. Date: December 9, 2014
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young
Readers
Pages: 304
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Amazon /Barnes & Noble /Goodreads
In a parallel universe, the classic bad boy falls for the class science geek.One minute Danny was running from the cops, and the next, he jolted awake in an unfamiliar body--his own, but different. Somehow, he's crossed into a parallel universe. Now his friends are his enemies, his parents are long dead, and studious Eevee is not the mysterious femme fatale he once kissed back home. Then again, this Eevee--a girl who'd rather land an internship at NASA than a date to the prom--may be his only hope of getting home.Eevee tells herself she's only helping him in the name of quantum physics, but there's something undeniably fascinating about this boy from another dimension . . . a boy who makes her question who she is, and who she might be in another place and time.And, coming soon, Duplexity, Part II: While You Were Gone flips this story on its head and tells the tale of the alternate Danny and the alternate Eevee, living in Danny's parallel world.
Praise for Now That You're Here:
"The perfect blend of sci-fi and swoons, Now That You're Here is like no other book I've read. Riveting, romantic and utterly original, it kept me up late!" --Amie Kaufman, author of These Broken Stars
"Dynamic, dizzying, and downright daring, Now That You're Here kept me guessing until the end, and ready for the next." --Shannon Messenger, author of Let the Sky Fall
"Nichols infuses the story with a smattering of science fiction and science fact, while making a welcome departure from the stereotype of the book-smart outcast trying to fit in. These geeks own their intelligence like a badge of honor, using science to help a friend and explore strange new worlds. Riveting in its own right, the story sets the stage for a mirror-image sequel, which will follow the other Danny and Eevee." -- Publishers Weekly, STARRED
"While the world-jumping is fantastical, the personalities and characters (fully individual, without reaching trying-too-hard levels of quirkiness) ring true.... A debut with great characters and huge nerd appeal." -- Kirkus Reviews
Check out the book trailer!
Now on to the post!
The Music that Influenced
NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE
Music
plays a huge part in my writing process. I always write with my headphones on,
listening to a song chosen to fit whatever I’m writing. As I was writing NOW
THAT YOU’RE HERE, I built a playlist of songs that fit the tone and feeling of
the chapters and scenes. Every time I sat down to write, I’d find the song that
fit the part of the story I was writing, and I’d listen to it on repeat until I
was finished with that scene or chapter.
That
might sound strange, listening to the same song on repeat, but I’ve found after
a couple of times through, my conscious mind starts to ignore the music (and
words, if there are any), and the song begins to function on a subconscious
level. It’s like it disappears into the background, but the feeling of the song
informs and influences what I’m writing.
The
songs vary from rock to quirky love ballads. And certain songs emerged as sort
of “theme songs” for the characters and even the worlds. The theme song for the
universe Danny comes from is “The Beginning of the End” by Nine Inch Nails. The
song for Eevee’s world, where Danny jumps to, is “The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire.
The theme song of the their relationship is either “One Headlight” by The
Wallflowers or “Satellite” by Guster.
I
remember driving in the car one day and I heard “Stay” by Rihanna for the first
time. I listened to the words in awe. It was like she’d written Danny’s and
Eevee’s story. That’s easily the theme song for the book.
Danny’s
theme song is definitely “Starlight” by Muse. He’s a traveler, far from home.
Eevee’s character was harder to pin down, and so was her theme song. She’s
thoughtful and methodical, and the song “Walking Man” by Zoe Keating fits her
well.
As
the story progresses and they run into trouble, I chose songs with a greater
amount of tension, both musically and lyrically. “We Used to Wait” by Arcade
Fire. “Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups. “Bleeding” by Sixpence None the
Richer. That became Eevee’s song when she thinks all is lost. And I fear that you’ve gone away, but you
must be somewhere near… Danny’s became “Work” by Jars of Clay. I have no fear of drowning, it’s the
breathing that’s taking all this work. Do you know what I mean when I say I
don’t want to be alone? Such great lyrics. And that’s totally Danny when he
finds himself facing the unknown.
It’s
funny: even now when I hear these songs—long after the book has been written—my
mind jumps right back to the chapter or scene, and my writing brain gets
twitchy.
You
can listen to all of the songs mentioned here and more on the Spotify playlist I
created for NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, and I
hope you have as much fun reading NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE as I did writing it.
Thanks for listening and reading!
About Amy:
Amy K. Nichols lives on the edge of the Phoenix desert with her
husband and children. In the evenings, she enjoys sitting outside, counting
bats and naming stars. Sometimes she names the bats. NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE is
her first novel. Visit her online at amyknichols.com.
Giveaway
Details:
10 winners will receive a hardcover of NOW THAT YOU’RE HERE and
swag. US and Canada Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Check out the Tour Schedule for more awesome posts!
Week One:
12/1/2014- Reading YA Rocks- Guest Post
12/2/2014- Fiction
Fare- Review
12/3/2014- Xpresso Reads- Interview
12/4/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
12/5/2014- Please Feed the Bookworm- Review
Week Two:
12/8/2014- Page
Turners Blog- Interview
12/9/2014- Once
Upon a Twilight- Review
12/10/2014- The Cover Contessa- Interview
12/11/2014- The Best Books Ever- Review
12/12/2014- Me, My Shelf and I- Guest Post
I love that music influences you and inspires you. Music can be powerful and change lives. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy, for the great post and the chance to win your book! :)
ReplyDeleteThe cover is gorgeous!! Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteAmazing songs! Love Muse!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds awesome! Def want to read this!
ReplyDeleteMary G Loki
While composing a tune, pieces gets moved around a lot. Sometimes what you think was originally a verse ends up becoming the chorus.
ReplyDeleteblues artists
I'm surprised I hadn't heard of this book before. But not I'm intrigued :) Thank you for sharing a new book!
ReplyDelete