New Adult Book Club discussion

This week, we have Kate Dunbar joining us after the launch of her first book Used.

Leave your questions for the newly minted New Adult author below!

First, Congratulation on your debut!!
What prompted you to write and publish? Did you always dream of being an author? Who are some of your influences?

Best of luck!!

Used sounds really good! Do you have a favorite author who writes the same type of books?

When the next book?

Antonella wrote: "First, Congratulation on your debut!!
What prompted you to write and publish? Did you always dream of being an author? Who are some of your influences?

Best of luck!!"

Hi Antonella!
Thank you so much! I've wanted to be a published author since the 5th grade. I decided to write USED specifically because I was going through a lot of healing of my own, and I realized that I never really saw myself (as a survivor) on the page. And then I had this Ah-Ha moment that life is made of highs and lows and good and bad and joy and pain, etc. etc. all happening at the same time. I think we often like to compartmentalize it more so we can miss one or the other at times. It became really important to me to write the story of Sabra, a survivor who saves herself, alongside the joy and turbulent emotions of falling and love while healing. As for my influences, Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK (really all of her books), Lois Lowry (GATHERING BLUE and THE GIVER), K.A. Tucker (TEN TINY BREATHS, and Courtney Cole (IF YOU STAY) have all influenced me. They all tackle hard topics in an accessible way, and that is what I wanted to do with USED. I specifically worked on having a balance of light and dark throughout, and I wanted to give you enough of the past to let your mind take you the rest of the way without being too graphic and sensationalizing abuse. Thank you for your questions!

Jennifer wrote: "Used sounds really good! Do you have a favorite author who writes the same type of books?"

Hi Jennifer!
Great Question!
I love Laurie Halse Anderson and Lois Lowry. They write YA, but they push the boundaries in their titles and aren't afraid to tackle hard topics while still making it accessible for readers in fiction. I love that their books make you think and feel, and I wanted that same thing for USED. I also love K.A. Tucker (TEN TINY BREATHS) and Courtney Cole (IF YOU STAY). Samantha Young is another author who I love--both her YA and her Adult titles. Oh! And Molly McAdams's TO THE STARS. That book was ah-mazing! Laura Kaye is another one that never holds back in her writing, and I love it. As for dark and twisty, I really love Tarryn Fisher, Paula Hawkins, and Darby Kane.

Yoneidis wrote: "When the next book?"

Hi Yoneidis!
I am currently working on a prequel novella for Trevor and Sabra called PURSUED. I'm hoping to have that out in May if not earlier. And then, I am working on Micah's book, FOUND, as well. My goal is to have that finished and out in early fall. It takes a dark and twisty path much like USED did as well. Micah has secrets of her own. :)
And when I need to take breaks from the dark and twisty, I'm working on a light and fun royal romance called THE ROYAL HOUSE right now. Sometimes I need to breath between the harder scenes so I try to have something lighter to work on during those times. I'll release THE ROYAL HOUSE when it's finished, but I don't have that on a strict timeline like I do the other two.
Thank you for your question!

What are some of the challenges you face when writing a new book and how do you overcome them?

first of all, congratulations on your new release! I wish you all the best!
as for the question, being Used a debut, what was your biggest struggle with writing and publishing this book?

Sun Goddess Moon Witch wrote: "What are some of the challenges you face when writing a new book and how do you overcome them?"

That's a great question!
One of the biggest challenges I face is overcoming the whispers in my own head that say I can't possibly do it again. LOL And then once I get past that lie, I have to beat back the one that says the next book won't be as good as the last one. For me, it's never the actual act of writing that is the challenge. It's getting to the point of sitting down to write. I hope that makes sense!

MiDouradoP wrote: "first of all, congratulations on your new release! I wish you all the best!
as for the question, being Used a debut, what was your biggest struggle with writing and publishing this book?"

Thank you so much for your kind words!
My biggest struggle with writing and publishing this book was that I had to come to a place where I was okay with others reading it because there is so much of my own story sprinkled throughout it. USED is a much more personal book than any I'd worked on before. However, I knew it was the right book for me to write and publish. I just had to get out of my own way to do it correctly and do Sabra's story justice.

If you could be any book character for a day, who would you choose and why?

J. wrote: "If you could be any book character for a day, who would you choose and why?"

Oh! This is a fun question! I would be Alice in Wonderland, I think. I've always been fascinated with her story and the idea of experiencing all the fantastical things (good and bad) is very tempting to me!

I am a New Adult author who is struggling to break into the market.
I have received consistently positive reviews on my work/series and characters etc etc, but I feel like I'm falling by the wayside.

What would you say are the biggest learning curves or hints you could give to new indie authors?

If you would like, you can PM me for a chat :)

Which character of yours spoke to you the most during writing his/hers story?

Faith wrote: "I am a New Adult author who is struggling to break into the market.
I have received consistently positive reviews on my work/series and characters etc etc, but I feel like I'm falling by the waysid..."

Hi Faith!
It's hard to get started and then keep going no matter where you are in your career, I think! Because I've been in the business on the business side of things, I think my biggest piece of advice would be to keep going and not give up, but to make sure you have a plan that is strategic and makes sense for the goals you want to accomplish. If you've never sat down and thought about what your goals are, then I would encourage you to do that so you have a destination. Once you have the destination, you can put the road map in place for how to get there. And keep writing and publishing. All the marketing and PR is fantastic, but one of the biggest things you can do to help you is write the next book and publish it.

Irma wrote: "Which character of yours spoke to you the most during writing his/hers story?"

Hi Irma!
Great question. I think the answer would be Sabra since the entire book is from her POV, but Trevor really gave me a lot to work with as I was writing as well. There were times I would have to force him to shut up or we would have had the world's longest book on our hands! Micah was surprisingly quiet until it was her turn to show up on the page and then she would just spill out. I'm super excited to write her book next because she's started talking more and more to me!

KP wrote: "Irma wrote: "Which character of yours spoke to you the most during writing his/hers story?"

Hi Irma!
Great question. I think the answer would be Sabra since the entire book is from her POV, but T..."

Awesome, KP. I'm loving this. Thank you.