Welcome, Jennifer and thank you for joining me today on The Bibliophagist. It is an honor to have you here. I know many are anxious to hear what you have to say so let’s get started. I hear that your newest novel, Hot Dog Girl, releases one month from today! That is so exciting. Can you tell us a little about your upcoming novel? What makes it stand out from the crowd?

Hot Dog Girl is a queer rom-com that follows Elouise Parker as she attempts to have the most epic summer of her life while stuck working as a hot dog at a crumbling amusement park. It’s got diving pirates, a princess, cupcakes, fantastic friendships, fake dating, real dating, sooooo many schemes that inevitably go awry, and an amusement park setting that makes for a fun backdrop to it all.

Elouise is what you get when you let the “quirky best friend” star in her very own book, and I think that’s one of the things that make it special.

I love this because when I was younger, I was that “quirky best friend.” It is not often we see that person as the main character of a story. This is special in its own way and I know it will be well loved.

This book is full of amazing cuteness and relatable characters and events. Where did your inspiration for Hot Dog Girl come from? What sparked the idea?

The first sparks of inspiration for Hot Dog Girl came when I was riding a gondola at an amusement park a few years ago. I watched the park workers going about their business as I drifted by. One was dressed in a princess costume and started having a dance off with some kids. I knew right then that I wanted to write a story about teens working in an amusement park—but I also knew I didn’t want the main character to be a princess. I spent the rest of the ride trying to decide what the most ridiculous costume I could force a character into would be. By the time I left, I knew they were going to be dressed as a hot dog.

I love how the most mundane events can spark such great stories. I think everyone knows the hot dog costume is one of the most ridiculous costumes, you for sure picked a great one! There is an entirely new world between teens working at their summer jobs at the amusement park. It is something many know about and will make such a great story.

Which character was the most fun to write about? Why? Are there any characters who represent real people you’ve known?

I think Elouise was the most fun to write, just because she is so quirky and entertaining. I really love the energy that she brings to the page, whether she’s having a heartfelt moment with her dad or scheming with her friends. I loved writing Seeley as well—I think her thoughtfulness and kindness brings so much balance to the story.

While there’s a little bit of me in every character, I didn’t really base them on any other real people. I definitely did pull some of Elouise’s reactions from the ways real people have made me feel though. For instance, some of her feelings toward Jessa, the park princess, are inspired by the way I felt sitting on the sidelines in high school watching the super popular kids live their lives.

The best characters are those that have something relatable about them. It makes them just a bit more real and those are the ones that stick with us readers when we close the book.

The big setting here seems to be Magic Castle Playland, a theme park. What is your favorite memory from a theme park during the summer? What is your favorite theme park ride? Favorite theme park snack?

Considering I was at an amusement park when I got the inspiration for Hot Dog Girl, I’d have to say that is my favorite park memory. I wish I could go back in time to that day and thank the girl in the princess costume for choosing that exact moment to host a dance off.

I’m actually pretty terrified of theme park rides, even though I absolutely LOVE visiting parks themselves. I love the atmosphere but am totally freaked out by the idea of anything that flips me upside down or goes really fast. I have been on exactly one roller coaster in my entire life, and it was because I was trying to impress a date—never again. I should probably not admit this in public, but my favorite theme park ride is when they have those nice, slow, gondolas that go over the park. Like Elouise, I find them relaxing and a good place to think. I could ride them all day.

My favorite snack… this one is tough. It’s probably a tie between popcorn and fried dough with powdered sugar. I could never choose.

Those are the two go to snacks for both my boys. I love fried dough. When I was younger one of my fondest memories is going to the fair with my mom and getting what they used to call “elephant ears.” These were huge circles of fried dough smothered in confectioner’s sugar. That is what I most looked forward to every time we went to a fair or amusement park. Neither of my boys are fond of cotton candy and I’m completely alright with that, nothing but sugar anyway.

Publishing is difficult but also rewarding. What has been the most memorable or rewarding part of your publishing journey?

The most rewarding part has definitely been seeing my writing evolve throughout the revision process. I recently looked at an early draft of Hot Dog Girl, back before I even had an agent, and it’s incredible to see how far it has come. I have an amazing team behind me that’s always pushing me to do my best work, and it’s really helped me grow as both a writer and a person. I’m so appreciative of their support!

A solid support system is a crucial part of every aspect of life but more so here, writing. It takes many fresh eyes and new ideas to make a book the best it can be. Authors are so thankful for those who help work behind the book and those people are so amazing.

Hot Dog Girl is a Young Adult Contemporary novel, and super fun might I add. Although it might be an easy read, is there an underlying theme or message you would like readers to take away?

Elouise is a little lost throughout the book, and as a result she makes some not so great choices. She has an absentee parent, and her feelings about that really impact the way she approaches relationships— both platonic and romantic. While I try to keep it lighthearted, Hot Dog Girl does deal with themes of love and loss, as well as finding one’s place in the world.

This is really important. Life is hard enough being a teenager and trying to navigate this chaotic world we call home. Add into it teenage drama and everything else we deal with at that age and sometimes it seems unbearable. We need books like this, ones that make us feel not so alone.

Now, we are all excited about the release of this new novel, but we want to know more. What can fans expect next from you? Will there be more publications in the future?

Yes! I have a currently untitled novel that will be coming out in 2020 from Putnam. It’s another contemporary YA novel, this time set in the comic book industry, and follows two kids navigating a complicated romance across the comic racks. This one is a little different from Hot Dog Girl in that it’s told in dual point of view, so we get to hear both sides of the story this time.

That is so exciting! I love books with a dual POV because I really get to know both sides of the story. I love comics and am looking forward to this and so are your fans.

If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would you say?

Please prioritize self-care. One thing I’ve noticed that I (and many of my writer friends) do is that we push and push to get everything done until we approach total burn out. When I first started writing, I was juggling an intense day job, many family obligations, freelance writing, and working on my novels every spare second—so I developed some unhealthy work habits. I wasn’t getting enough sleep or eating right, and I definitely wasn’t checking in with myself. I really bought into that suffering artist thing, and thought I was thriving in the grind. Turns out, I wasn’t.

I’ve been making a real effort to prioritize my mental and physical health, even now when I’m juggling multiple deadlines and have a book about to debut. Something as simple as going for a quick walk can make such a difference… and I’ve realized that when I feel better, I write better. I wish I had been doing this all along!

That is some of the best advice I’ve heard. We are all pushing ourselves to the limit. I think everyone could benefit from that walk now and then, even to just get away from the stressful, social media filled lives we live today. Take the time to “smell the flowers” as they say. Making time for yourself is the last thing anyone wants to do but it really is the most important. We cannot stretch ourselves too thin because then none of the tasks get the full attention they need.

Hot Dog Girl