Behind the Book: Out of my League by Sarah Sutton

Thank you for agreeing to a Behind the Book interview about your novel Out Of My League. I was so lucky to be one of you ARC readers and became a fan.

Blurb: Out Of My League

Out Of My League is the second book you published. Was it easier launching book two?

Yes and no. I wasn’t as nervous for this book (though I was still pretty anxious about it!) mostly because the process wasn’t so unknown anymore. However, there were a few glitches with this book in the publication process that were difficult to figure out. It was a give and take, for sure!

This romance is a ‘pretend boyfriend’ romance. Have you ever fake dated?

I haven’t, which is probably a good thing! I most likely would’ve ruined the fake relationship on day one.

Out Of My League is centred around a highschool baseball team. Were you into sports at highschool?

Ooh, not at all. I’m the stereotypical character who always manages to get hit in the face by a basketball or something. Sports and I did not click, but that did open so much more time to work on my writing!

I love your YouTube channel. For my readers can you share a little what it’s about?

Thank you! I started a YouTube channel back in April, and I’m sharing all of the things I learned about the self-publishing process and my experiences with it, as well as talking about writing. With Camp NaNoWriMo coming up, my writing vlogs are coming back, and I’m so excited!

Have you got any tips for budding Author Tubers or Book Tubers?

Make the content that you love. Numbers may not grow fast at first, but if you’re loving the content you’re making, that’s all that matters.

I’m guessing you are a romance fan. What’s you favourite romance novel?

Ooh, this is a hard one! I really, really loved Kasie West’s The Fill-In Boyfriend, which, funnily enough, is another fake relationship romance! P.S. I Like You, also by Kasie, was also very sweet!

Please share a snippet of your story, Out Of My League?

Walsh stood on the other side of the door with his blond eyebrows high up on his forehead. “Nice to see you, too?”
“What are you doing here?” I was ten kinds of disoriented, staring at his figure standing against the fading sky. Did I conjure him from my thoughts? “Why aren’t you at the bay? Aren’t the fireworks starting soon?”
“I didn’t go,” he told me, slipping his hands into the pockets of his shorts.
“What? What do you mean you didn’t go? Where have you been for the past few hours, then?”
Walsh reached a hand out to me, palm up. “I can show you.”
As enticing as his words were, I hesitated, glancing at the picture on the wall as if somehow my parents could see me through it. “I can’t leave the house.”
“Your house,” he said, eyes vivid with energy, “or your yard?”
Uh. “What?”
Walsh grabbed my hand and led me out onto my front porch, then down the two steps. “Close your eyes,” he commanded, his other hand coming around to my other shoulder to guide me. “I promise I won’t let you trip over anything.”
“Walsh—”
“Shh. Just say ‘yes, Walsh’ and close your eyes.”
I gritted my teeth but relented, swaying as my vision filled with black. “I hate surprises.”
Walsh pressed firmer against my side, his chest touching my shoulder, a smile in his voice. “I think you’ll like this one.”
Grass crunched beneath my bare toes as he moved me along, but I remained a good sport and kept my eyes sealed. Though it was silly, my heart started to beat faster, the anticipation making me nervous. His hands that curved over my shoulders were gentle, the pressure steady, his body close enough behind me that I could practically feel his proximity.
“Relax,” Walsh said, guiding me to a halt. “Your shoulders are so tense. I’m not about to kill you and stuff you in my trunk.”
“Your trunk’s huge. You seriously think you’d have to stuff me into it?”
Walsh was close enough that I could feel him chuckle.
“Can I open my eyes now?”
Walsh hesitated for a moment before he let go entirely. “Yes.”

Where can we go to discover more and buy Out Of My League?

Out of My League is available on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo books! I’ll leave a universal link for easy access to any platform! https://books2read.com/u/b55yOw

Redfae Bookshop is my Affiliate Bookshop.org shop link.

[kofi]

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YouTube: I’m Her Biggest Fan

So in my first YouTube video I declare myself as author J.D.Groom‘s biggest fan. I’ve got the book, the mug, the coaster, the candle…

In my debut YouTube video, I share the fabulous Sorceress of Truth merchandise I got my hands on. We’ll have a closer look at the book, and I’ll discuss why this author means so much to me.

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Making his YouTube dream come true…

My favourite redheads from cult TV

I’ve been busy lately, not that I have much to show for it. And, I realised it’s been a while since I shared a What To Watch list.

Here are my favourite redheads from popular TV Series.

Jessica from True Blood

At first I found this show difficult to watch because of the strong accents and I wasn’t prepared for all the sex. But, the show grew on me and Jessica was such an awesome character.

She starts off as a sweet religious girl, forced into the vampire world. As she adapts to her new life, and power, this good girl discovers her bad side…

Cheryl from Riverdale

This show is based on the Archie comics. The series starts with Cheryl and her twin brother dressed in white, going out onto the lake in a boat. But tragedy awaits the siblings when a soggy Cheryl makes it to shore but her brother is dead.

During the show Cheryl has many more iconic moments, like walking out of her home she’s set on fire and helping her friends armed with a crossbow.

Lydia from Teen Wolf

Lydia is popular, beautiful and intelligent. Who wouldn’t want to be her? Usually these characters are made to be a bitch but Lydia got a great story arc.

This redhead is a banshee and the storyline was great. Popular, beautiful, intelligent and now powerful too – what’s not to love?

Sanza from Game of Thrones

Sanza’s character went through a lot of challenges. She was forced to marry awful men as a lady – she was raped and physically and emotionally abused.

Don’t worry, by the end she is reunited with her siblings and they raise up against their enemies. Sanza now had power and realises she doesn’t need a man.

Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Willow started out as Buffy’s geeky friend. She was the sidekick. As the series progressed, Willow decided she needed a way to fight demons too and learnt witch craft.

Willow’s magic kept getting stronger and when her girlfriend is shot, she becomes the most powerful witch ever! It’s awesome! If only she could have tapped into her potential without such a great loss.

Claerie from Shadow Hunters

Clary thinks she’s an ordinary girl. She’s into her art and draws symbols in her pictures. She has no idea she’s destined to become a Shadow Hunter.

The Shadow Hunter’s are kind of like the police of the underworld (a bit like Buffy). The other characters in the series really compliment Clary and I love the werewolf, vampires and faeries.

Good Girls

Beth and her friends are just regular women trying to get through life and raise their kids. But, unfair things are screwing with their lives.

The girls take drastic action to fix their desperate financial woes… and rob a store. This act gets them wrapped up with a dangerous gang. Now they’re in deep with noway out and trying to keep their criminal records squeaky clean.

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Behind the Book: What Are Friends For? By Sarah Sutton

Thank you for agreeing to a Behind the Book interview about your novel What Are Friends For?

Blurb: What Are Friends For?

This is your first published novel but what’s the first story you remember writing?

If we want to go wayyyyy back, I remember that the first story that I ever wrote was a Gingerbread Man spin-off. We’d just finished the book in my first grade class, but I wanted to read more of the Gingerbread Man’s adventures, so I went home and wrote it!

Why did you decide to self publish?

I tried the querying route, but I quickly found that it wasn’t for me. I spent over a year going back and forth between one publishing company, editing my book, before they ultimately passed on the project. To say I was devastated would be an understatement! I didn’t want to wait any longer, so I decided that I would be self-publishing.

This novel is a Friends to Lovers Romance – I fell in love with my best friend and married him. Have you ever crushed on a friend?

Oh, I love that so much! And I actually haven’t, not anything major anyway. I absolutely love the idea, though—a friendship turning into something romantic is soooo adorable to me!

Can you name any books similar to yours?

Kasie West’s book On the Fence was really similar, and very adorable!

Tell me about a typical day in the life of author Sarah Sutton?

I’m such a homebody. Especially lately. Usually I’ll do professional related things in the morning—like finish some client work, manage the business side of things. I’ll take a nap about mid-day so I can stay up late and write my heart out! Sometimes I won’t go to bed until four in the morning, which makes for a rough wake-up the next day!

Do you have a book boyfriend crush – who is he?

Ooh, ever since I read Clockwork Angel, I have been so in love with William Herondale. Total babe!

Please share a snippet of your story, What Are Friends For?

Elijah was still picking at his fingernails, trying to scrub away the last speck of glitter. It was good that he wasn’t looking at me—he didn’t notice my staring. “You know, Sav agreed to do the double date thing. I texted Jer and he was thinking tomorrow could be a good day. We could all just come over and do some arts and crafts together.”
I was a bottle of mixed emotions; every time someone shook me, a new one surfaced. “This is news to me.”
“I thought Jeremy would’ve called you.”
A part of me really, really wanted to start gushing about Jeremy, but for the wrong reasons. But making Elijah jealous would be impossible. And my soul felt too weary to even try. “I’m sure he’ll mention it tomorrow.”
“Do I have to say again the part where we don’t keep secrets from each other?” Elijah asked, nudging his knee against mine underneath the table.
“We keep secrets,” I corrected him this time, laying my head against my folded arms. I could smell the cleaner Mom used on the wooden surface with my nose so close, and also the lingering smell of glue. “You have yours and I have mine and we don’t talk about them.”
Elijah didn’t answer, at least not right away. From the corner of my vision, through the little sliver open near the crook of my elbow, I saw him pull his chair closer to me. Our knees connected again, but this time he didn’t move his away, allowing it to rest against mine. I felt his fingers walk their way up my skin, a tickle of a touch, barely there.
“You can tell me your secrets if you want to,” he said quietly, his voice soothing and soft near my ear. “I’ll always want to keep them.”

Where can we go to discover more and buy What Are Friends For?

You can buy What Are Friends For? on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo—here’s a universal link to where all that can be found! https://books2read.com/u/mgGO1v

Redfae Bookshop is my Affiliate Bookshop.org shop link.

[kofi]

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Making his YouTube dream come true…

My son has repeatedly asked to be a YouTuber. For job day at school they suggest roles to dress up as but Noah insisted on going as a YouTuber. It wasn’t on the approved jobs list.

They are the celebrity gods of his generation. Noah loves watching gamers on YouTube. It looks so much fun, you can’t blame him for seeing it as a dream job…

Squashing Dreams

I’ve warned him, it’s not easy. That most YouTubers don’t make a living from it and just do it for fun. I’ve tried to deter him.

Worst of all, I realised I sound a lot like a dream crusher. I’m still haunted by all those people that told me not to write books. They told me I wouldn’t make it. It’s a poor mans dream, the struggling artist…

But, I couldn’t let go.

And, I don’t want to raise my kids to not try because it isn’t easy. If making videos brings him joy, what does it matter? As his mum, it’s my job to support him in his growth, not to put him down.

Homeschool

When the UK went into lockdown and we were faced with figuring out how to homeschool overnight, I tried to include Noah. I explained core subjects, we must do every week and ‘projects’.

Projects have included making rainbows for the NHS, caring for others, letter writing, making slime, writing a competition story, etc.

Project: YouTuber

The project Noah really wanted was “Become a YouTuber.” I told him mummy had no clue what to do, what software we need, or where to even start. We would literally be learning and figuring it out together.

I tried to stall him with:

  • Online safety project
  • Graphic design (research & design a logo).
  • Research YouTubers.
  • Storyboard favourite shows.
  • Mind map content ideas.
  • Storyboard his proposed show.
  • Script an intro….
He passed every challenge until all that was left was “Record a Show”.

Pre-Recording Prep

Mummy wasn’t confident about making a gaming video, screen recording was a step too far. So, we compromised on BookTube which I was more confident about as I watch these. Noah chose his book, Pests by Emer Stamp.

Noah’s storyboard pointed out the importance of reminding viewers to subscribe, like and “hit that bell”. He also chose an outfit that didn’t identify him and a clutter free space to record (yay – bedroom tidied).

Recording

We did it! Here is how…

iPad

We used an old iPad to record Noah talking. We used the tips on making a video from the Toppsta site, and their review ideas.

B612 App

We had a few bloopers; Some where mummy took a photo instead of a video, and some where Noah got camera shy, tongue tied or too excited! We used these to create an intro using B612 App.

iMovie App

The B612 Intro was much louder than the rest of the video. We adjusted the clip’s volume in iMovie. We used it to cut and move content around.

FilmR App

We used the FilmR app to add text and fun GIPHY. Then we saved it and uploaded it to YouTube.

YouTube Studio App

We used the YouTube Studio app to create Noah’s channel. We were a little lost and scared as it was all getting a bit real by this point. We changed his profile image and named the channel.

YouTube app

I did this part for Noah. I added a video description and included the blurb for the book he was discussing. Then we uploaded to YouTube.

RapidTags website

I had to research how to tag YouTube videos. I tried hashtags, speech marks… then accidentally hit return.

I research tag generators and found RapidTags site gave the best suggestions.

Here is Noah’s first show for Starboy TV:

Don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit that bell!

Although, I don’t think Noah will be making anymore videos in the near future. He’s decided he prefers watching other YouTubers.

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