* * * * *
I’m that teenaged girl who has MS. You haven’t met me, but
you’ve seen me around. You probably know my sister. We’re twins, and she’s the
pretty one. Maybe you’ve heard about my reputation, how much I like to hook up
at parties—how easy it is to get me in bed, get what you want, and forget about
me after.
Forget what you think you know. I’m leaving that girl
behind.
College is all about new beginnings. So from now on—I’m just
Cass. And the rest…it isn’t written yet. And no one else gets to write my story
for me.
--------
“Tyson Preeter doesn’t do can’t.”
That’s exactly what I want people to think when they see me.
I am strong, invincible, confident, intelligent—arrogant. I’m the man who
always finds a way around, over and through—until there’s nothing left. Since
losing my ability to walk six years ago, I’ve relearned life. I don’t need
sympathy. I don’t want charity. And I don’t do love.
It’s better this way, saves my disappointments for me, and
me alone, and it saves my strength for everything I want.
But Cass Owens is about to wreck everything. She’s about to
steal all of my strength away from me, because she needs it more. She’s about
to break all of my rules, and break down all of my walls. She’s about to own
me…completely.
And I’m about to let her.
Ever since I read that sneak peek that was included at
the end of This Is Falling, I’ve been itching to get my hands on You And
Everything After. Ty and Cass’s brief but memorable encounter at Sally's diner had me
so excited for more of them. It
was just too much to ask to be patient. Theirs appeared
to be an unlikely match though it was apparent they were seriously in to each
other. This is their story and it’s
every bit as wonderful as This Is Falling.
We were already well aware of Ty’s disability and his "no-relationships,
no-attachments" philosophy. Cass’s revelation that she suffers from MS was
surprising as never let on about it previously. Cass is
desperate to break out of the bubble wrap her parents have encased her in
because of it. At college, no one knows about her condition, more
importantly, they know nothing about her sordid high school past. It’s a chance
to start anew though she still has those moments of doubt that can’t be erased so easily. Ty initially sees a sexy and vivacious young woman whose sassiness matches
his own wit. Call it kismet or coincidence, he becomes her personal trainer and
from there their relationship gets deeper. He believes in her and encourages her
to pursue her dream of playing soccer again. Unfortunately, pursuing this dream
also means facing old rumors that have resurfaced.
As Cass learns to battle her problems, Ty has to
also face his own past - that being his ex-girlfriend Kelly who still has a hold over him. Realizing that Cass is the first girl since Kelly that he has fallen for is
unnerving but he’s not stupid. He knows how happy he is with her and wants her
to be just as happy. In This Is Falling, Ty comes off as a jerk … a lot. He has those moments here too and he fesses up to them. Only this
time, you get to see where it’s coming from and how his jerk demeanor is not only
his defense against attachments but also a way to keep others from feeling sorry for him.
One of the joys of reading You and Everything After is
seeing the camaraderie between the Preeter brothers again but from Ty’s point of view
this time. They have the typical sibling relationship and he clearly loves Nate.
It’s amazing how he can be his brother’s biggest supporter of pursing his
baseball dream even when his own died after his accident. The other dynamic of
interest is that between Cass and her twin sister Paige. She longs for some independence and space but
also for Paige to have her back no matter what. This has been a divide between them since high school. Ty’s belief
in her is the very thing she has been missing from her family. She doesn’t need coddling, she needs people in her corner. And that's exactly where Ty is with his firm resilience and no bull attitude.
“Yeah, I heard you. You have MS. I can’t feel my legs. La di
f***in’ da. Are we training or what?” His expression hasn’t changed once, and
the armor I just started to build up around my heart is already cracking.
Ginger Scott has fast become one of my favourite writers. I simply love how she describes these very personal, life-altering experiences, getting to the heart of matters without making
it feel like an afterschool special. These people, with their innermost vulnerable pieces that are slowly put back together, eventually become their own champions by the end. And speaking of the end, Scott's done it again by giving us another sneak peek, this time into Paige's story. So now I get to "patiently" wait for book number 3, The Girl I Was Before. In the meantime, please catch up with the Falling series, the Preeter boys, and these fascinating, strong women who love them!
~ Bel
I knew I'd wanted to interview Ginger for a while now but coming up with questions is always hard since there's just so much I'd want to know. Thankfully, Ginger was gracious enough to discuss her work and give us an insight into her writing process.
Let’s start with the inspiration for the Falling
series. How did that come about? And did you have an idea that you’d have
three books-worth to share?
It all started with an ASU baseball game. I was sitting
in the grass, near the bullpen, on the third base side, and the players were
stretching. I started watching this college girl in front of me,
sitting on a blanket by herself. She was staring at one of the players, and he
kept looking at her. It was all just very flirtatious, but there was
something so precious about it. It sparked this idea of these two characters,
and I pulled out my ticket stub and scribbled it full of notes. I had the
character names and basic story outlined and stuffed in my purse by the
ceremonial first pitch. I knew it would be three books by the time I got
my cast of characters down. Ty's character was so rich, and I needed
to explore him more. And then Paige was so different from the other two
girls, and that just felt like it needed to be shown as well. When I
realized what I had in this series, I got super excited!
Your characters face some heavy issues – autism (How We
Deal With Gravity), post-traumatic stress (This Is Falling), MS and
disability (You And Everything After).
What was it like getting inside their minds to write their stories?
I like to pull at the threads of things that sometimes
slip by unnoticed. Writing the autism story was deeply personal and
important to me, and it was a story I had been wanting to pen for quite some
time. I have a fairly deep understanding of autism given my experience with it
through family and friends as well as my volunteer work with an
organization here in Arizona. For me, getting inside the heads of Gravity's characters
was both an honor and a risk--something I wanted to get exactly
right.
I drew from my reporting experience a great deal in
writing This Is Falling. I've covered scenes similar, eerily similar, to the one that
played out in Falling, and in many ways, Falling let me tell a side of
that story I don't think gets shown often--the lingering effects and
how a tragedy like the one in the book touches so many lives.
Getting inside the minds of Ty and Cass was my biggest
challenge yet. I wanted to tell their stories right, honorably and accurately. I was extremely blessed
to have guidance
from two close friends affected by MS and paralysis, and
I took their advice on every single note they made. I was intimidated
by Ty and Cass, and I think that's a good thing. It kept them honest.
How much of your personal experiences factor in to your
writing?
I think my personal experience is always woven into the
fabric of my stories in some way, though probably with far less drama.
I have an ongoing promise with myself to write feelings accurately,
even when it might be uncomfortable. I like to make people react as they would in real life, and sometimes, that means admitting how I may react
or how someone has treated me at one point in my life. It's all part of
falling in love, feeling new feelings, growing up. I think if I didn't tap
into my personal experiences I'd be missing out on some of the ingredients
for realism.
In You and Everything After, Ty mentions how
superstitions and rituals are important in sports. Do you have any rituals or routines
that help you write?
I do! I have a lot of go-to music; The National tends to
play often. I also have a very nerdy outlining method that would
probably look like organized chaos to anyone else (alright, maybe organized
isn't an entirely accurate term). I also get in a serious groove when I'm
about six or seven chapters from the end, and I will have power nights--all
in a row--where I sit in bed, laptop in front of me, husband hiding under
covers trying to drown out typing, while I literally am so obsessed with
seeing where the story goes that I forgo sleep. I even know how it's going
to end! It's all crazy.
Now for a bit of fun… the BiblioJunkies motto is “books,
boys, pie”. So …
What was your favourite book in school?
I have to answer this three ways: Junior High, the book
"Forever" by Judy Blume. High School: "Gatsby." And in college:
"Friday Night Lights."
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| Photo: Details.com |
If you could cast Nate and Ty Preeter, who would they be?
It's funny, I tend to agree with a lot of readers on this
one, and I like the idea of Liam Hemsworth in both roles. Would that be
weird?
Finally, can you attribute a dessert to each of the
following characters: Rowe, Nate, Cass, Ty? What’s your favourite dessert?
Rowe is a chocolate chip cookie, sweet and all-american,
but in need of milk.
Nate (while also the milk) is a s'mores! Oh my god is he
so a s'mores!
Cass is a lemon torte, sweet and sour, and sort of ready
to fight.
Ty is fudge. Pushy, decadent, rich, filling, taunting and
impossible to resist!
My ultimate dessert is the perfect slice of wedding cake.
It's my favorite food in the world. Moist white cake, multiple layers of
butter cream, a hint of raspberry or lemon or both, and the width of a
tire. And now I want a piece!
Wow! I love that that one tiny observation at the baseball game led to these two phenomenal stories in the Falling series! Thank you Ginger for taking the time to answer my questions. And congratulations once again on You and Everything After! Check the links below to learn more about Ginger and her books.
Connect with Ginger:
Buy links:
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