State of Emergency Release Day + Interview with the Author

It's January 18th and do you know what it means?

It's the Release Day of the newest post-apocalypse/survival book by Summer Lane, State of Emergency! (You can find my review here.)

 Now, just scroll down and enjoy my interview with the author. ;)

1 1)    How long have you been working as a writer?

I started working as a writer during my Senior Year of High School. I wrote excruciatingly boring articles for different websites about things like tire rims and eyeglass lenses. It was actually very hard work, very technical, and freelance writing turned out to be a full-time job for me.

2 2)    Why have you become a writer?

When I was about 13, I realized how much I loved stories. All stories – whether they were in a song or in a picture book. I’d been writing stories since I was a little girl, but I never really wrote seriously. Right before I started High School, I started writing to have fun, to escape, and to teach myself the craft of writing so that by the time I graduated from High School, I could have a career in it. Writing was my sole focus for five years, and after I graduated from high school, I started working jobs where I could write all day until I fell asleep at the computer.

3)    Where did the idea for writing State of Emergency come from?

I wanted to tell a story about survival. Survival stories have always fascinated me, and I had had the character of Cassidy Hart in my head for a long time. I started writing the opening scene during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) purely for fun. I had no intention of anybody ever seeing the book or reading it except for myself. I was so wrong about that! The story ended up being something that just created itself, and I had to know how it ended. 

4)    Were any of your characters based on someone you know?

Yes! Cassidy’s dad is based off my own father, who was (and still is) in law enforcement. Cassidy is halfway based on myself, to be honest. To make writing real, you have to write what you know, so I asked myself this question: “If I, a totally average, run-of-the-mill college age girl had to survive in post-apocalyptic North America, how would I react?” And there I had Cassidy – but of course, an author takes that foundation for a character and plays with it, exaggerates it, and changes it. At the end of the process I had this redheaded kid with a sarcastic way of looking at things – but who was a lot tougher than she appeared.

5)  What actors would you say look the closest to what you pictured Chris and Cassidy to look like?

I’ve always said that Chris Hemsworth would be a perfect Chris, which is funny, because they have the same first name. My Chris is about the same height (minus the Australian accent!), and he always plays the tough guy very convincingly. Plus, he’s usually got the long hair thing down pretty good. As for Cassidy, she’s harder to cast. I think Mandy Moore, when she was a redhead, is pretty close, or Emma Stone. 

Yum. I totally pictured Chris as Chris. LOL.

6)  The cover for State of Emergency is pretty shocking. What made you choose such a powerful scene?

I wanted the cover to tell a story. When you look at it, you know that you’re looking at what used to be a great city. Something bad happened, and you might be wondering what went down, and why. The city represents Los Angeles, since that’s where Cassidy begins her story, and the abandoned car on the cover is actually a big part of the story.

I wanted the cover to make people think.

7)  To what kind of reader would you recommend your book?

I wanted to write a book that everybody, at every age, could enjoy. I wanted romance (for people like me, who love that kind of stuff), and adventure (for everybody), and a little bit of scariness to keep you entertained. The reason I say it’s a YA/NA crossover is because my main character is an adult (she’s 19), but she’s still learning how to grow up, which is hard enough in a normal world. Try growing up during a state of emergency. It’s YA because younger readers can enjoy it just as much as the ones who are older. There’s plenty of every element for everybody.

So, what do you think, guys? Do you have any questions for Summer? Does State of Emergency sound like a book you'd like to read?