Author Interview: Emma Scott
When I finished The Butterfly Project. It really left an impact on me as a reader. I sat there not sure what to do next. What is something you want your readers to take away from The Butterfly Project?
I almost didn’t write this book. Next up was a book about a photo-journalist and terrorism, and suspense and war…But I felt the world was suffering from too much division and strife already, and my heart wasn’t in it to write about hate and terror, even against a backdrop of a love story. So I went the other way. What I really wanted readers to take away from this was that kindness and forgiveness are so much more enriching and healthier to the human experience than holding on to pain. That even bringing a meal to a stranger now and then can have a big impact. Or believing in someone. Or giving a second chance.
What are some of the things about Zelda and Beckett that you loved?
I loved that Beckett is a nice guy yet still a man. I like writing about nice people. I have a hard time writing the alpha asshole (though I love reading them) but I think a guy can be a ‘guy’ and still have a good heart. Beckett has a heart of gold. And Zelda is my homegirl. As a comic book lover, she was particularly fun to write and I love that she’s funny and tough but vulnerable too; she’s a smartass without being “spunky” or abrasive.
I really loved the glimpses in the Graphic Novel that Zelda and Beckett were working on. Who did those? and the painting at the end.
An artist named Christopher Stewart created the graphic novel panels for me. We worked together to bring the concept to life and then he worked his magic. I love how they turned out. The painting at the end was actually a stock photo I purchased and then altered with a program that makes photos look like drawings. I added the tinted colors to match the balloon colors Zelda mentioned, and voila.
I'm really curious, I've read two other bookS
that you've written Full Tilt & All In. You have this way of making these characters feel so real. It just captivates me throughout the whole story, how do you do this?!
Thank you for saying so! I don’t know that I do anything in particular except try to give them what I call moments. (this was especially apparent in Full Tilt) It’s where the two main characters have little things they say to each other or little gestures that they do throughout the course of the book that threads through it, to ground them in reality. It’s hard to explain. For instance, in FT, Kacey loves 80’s movies. So once I knew that about her, When Harry Met Sally became an obvious choice as a classic 80’s romance. Then, in the beginning of the book, Kacey watches it on Jonah’s couch, and at the end, Jonah watches it on the same couch and they have that “moment” about it. That’s kind of long-winded, but that’s the best way I can explain it.
Out of all the characters that you've written and the stories that you've told, which one is your absolute favorite?
Oh jeez, that one is tough. I would say Jonah is my favorite character. He’s just special to me in so many ways. And Full Tilt is probably my favorite story though that’s a harder choice. All of my stories are special to me for the message I was trying to convey and the characters who helped tell it. But Jonah and Full Tilt really express what I try to do in every romance novel—which is prove my motto, Love always wins.
Do you have anything that you're working on, that you would like to share?
I am working on Forever Right Now, which is Darlene’s story, from the Butterfly Project. I had no plans to write about her but then I heard a song called Down by Marian Hill and suddenly a plot burst forth in my mind. And I’m really excited about it.
Also, where can I find signed copies? I need this for my bookshelf :)
You give me your mailing address. :)
THANK YOU EMMA! FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. PLEASE READ MORE BELOW FOR MORE INFO AND WHERE YOU CAN GET HER BOOKS.. RIGHT NOW! - LISSA
ALL EMMA'S BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON KINDLEUNLIMITED!
ABOUT EMMA:
Emma Scott is a writer, marathon runner, and caffeine addict, who lives and writes in the California Bay Area. She has two smart, feisty little girls, a super-supportive husband, and is a demonstrated fan of the Oxford comma. She is also an unabashed Star Wars geek and comic book enthusiast who fell into romance novels when a writing contest prompt turned a 1000-word romantic story into a full-blown novel. She also writes epic fantasy that suffers an epic word count.
She hopes you enjoy her work, encourages readers to leave feedback, and thinks it's amusing to write about herself in the third person. And if she has a driving force that fuels her work, it's that love always wins. xoxo
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