Cover Reveal: START HERE by Trish Doller

I am SO excited to be sharing the cover reveal for Trish Doller's next YA novel, START HERE. This story is everything I love: adventure, heartache, discovery, and the rich beauty of Trish's gorgeous words. No one tells a story like her! The cover for this novel captures all of those details so brilliantly. See the gorgeous cover below and find out more about this book with a playlist, a list of inspirations + a moodboard from Trish Doller, and an excerpt from the story. Then, make sure you add the novel to your goodreads.

About the book: Willa and Taylor were supposed to spend the summer after high school sailing from Ohio to Key West with their best friend, Finley. But when Finley dies just before graduation, the two girls are left with a twenty-five-foot sailboat, a list of clues leading them to destinations along the way, and a friendship that’s hanging by a thread.

Now, Willa and Taylor have two months and two thousand miles to discover how life works without Finley—and to decide if their own friendship is even worth saving.

From acclaimed author Trish Doller comes a poignant tale of forgiveness, grief, and the brilliant discoveries we make within ourselves when we least expect it.

add to GOODREADS

Click HERE to listen to the playlist for Start Here

1. One day I was listening to Frank Turner on Spotify and Long Live the Queen came on. For those of you not inclined to click links, it's a song about a dying friend and the key lines are: "You'll live to dance another day. It's just now you'll have to dance for the two of us." Frank Turner has the ability to wring my emotions dry with his lyrics and I decided I wanted to write a book to capture the way Long Live the Queen makes me feel. I just had no idea what it would be about.

2. I was working on a different project about sailing when I did a google image search for the Bahamas. One of the results lead me to a sailing blog called katieandjessieonaboat.com. Katie and Jessie are friends who decided to travel America's Great Loop together on a 27-foot sailboat. (The Great Loop is a circular route that begins and ends in the Great Lakes, following several different waterway systems, including the Erie Canal and the Intracoastal Waterway.) I started reading their blog and by the end of the afternoon, I'd read the entire thing...and I had a setting.

3. At the same time, for some who-knows-why reason, I was thinking about friendship trios and how there is always one person who is the "glue" friend. When I was in high school, I was in a trio with Girl A and Girl B. You can call me Girl C. When we hung out, it was either AB, AC, or ABC. BC was never a thing, even though we were friends. And when I examined my other friendship trios throughout life, it was almost always the same scenario. I spoke with other women and they all said they had similar experiences.

So Frank, Katie, Jessie, Girl A, Girl B, and I all came together in a single day...and a story was born that I'm ridiculously excited about.

CLICK HERE FOR THE GORGEOUS MOODBOARD

The car is out of sight when Willa gathers up her bedding and heads down the dock. The wood thumps beneath her tennis shoes, calling back memories—the crackle of sails, the scent of sunscreen, and the wet footprints their bare feet would make on the sun-warmed dock boards. She glances back, half expecting Finley to come running, her hair streaming behind her like a brown ribbon.

“Let’s go!” She would shout, if she were here. “The world is waiting for us!”

Willa would give anything, everything, to hear her best friend’s voice again. Just a couple of days ago, she was riding her bike down Meigs Street when she passed a teenage guy with a monster Afro pulling a little red wagon down the sidewalk. In the wagon was a bird cage with a brown-and-white rabbit inside. The whole scene was so sweet and absurd, that she automatically hit Finley’s speed dial to tell her about it. The recorded voice—this number is no longer in service—reminded her again that Finley was gone. The pain is lodged in Willa’s chest like a pebble in a shoe, and no matter how much she tries to shake it out, it won’t go away.

While you wait for START HERE, be sure to check out Trish Doller's previous novels:

Something Like Normal  ||  Where the Stars Still Shine  ||  The Devil You Know  ||  In a Perfect World

Connect with Trish Doller:  twitter  ||  instagram  || website

Celebrating 7 Years of GReads with Trish Doller

All month long I'm celebrating my 7th year of book blogging with the help of my bookish friends. To learn more about the event, please visit my introduction post I've linked just below. There, you can also enter to win a book by one of the fabulous authors who will be joining me this month to celebrate, as well.

*~* Click Here for Intro Post & GIVEAWAY *~*

I could not celebrate 7 years of book blogging without including one of my most favorite people: Trish Doller. I first "met" Trish as her debut novel SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL was coming out into the world in 2012. I knew immediately this woman's work was something to keep on my radar. Through the years Trish and I have become good friends, and it's all thanks to books. We've shared a lot of conversations about what we're reading, what we're listening to, and what we're feeling. She is someone I am so grateful to this community for. If it weren't for our mutual friend Carla in the UK, I'm not sure if our paths would have crossed. I will always be a champion of her words, always. Please welcome Trish Doller to the blog...

When people ask me how long I’ve been writing, I usually tell them that I started as soon as I learned how. My mother still has one of my kindergarten stories—written on primary handwriting paper with a thick blue pencil—about a leprechaun in search of gold. But I’ve been a reader just as long as I’ve been a writer. Longer, if you ask my mother, who claims I learned to read when I was three years old.

One of my earliest memories is an evening when she was reading to me before bed. We were working our way through an old chapter book called “B is for Betsy” and I adored it. After my mother finished that night’s chapter, I begged her to read just a little bit more. She said, “If you want to read more, you’re going to have to read it yourself.” So I did.

That book was the key that unlocked a hunger for reading. I finished the rest of the Betsy series. I revisited the Little Golden books that my mother had read to me. I went to the library once a week and I’d spend the next seven days rounding up wild ponies on Chincoteague Island. Crossing the prairie in a covered wagon. Traveling down the Mississippi with a turtle named Minn. Getting lost in the Alaskan tundra. Falling in love with a boy named Johnny Tremaine.

These stories grew inside me, inspiring me to put my own words on paper. My first attempts were basically fanfiction, trying to insert myself as the main character of my favorite stories, but my hand usually got tired of copying whole pages. As I got older, I wrote short story romances, usually spending more time on character creation and world-building than actual writing. Older still, I tried my hand at historical romance, but by then I had children and barely had time to write, let alone finish anything.

It wasn’t until I took a job as a bookseller that it all came back. I was walking past the YA section and the cover of Maureen Johnson’s “13 Little Blue Envelopes” caught my eye. I read it in one sitting and as I turned the last page, I thought maybe I could write a book like that. I thought that the ideas living in my head might finally find a home in YA. So I started writing again.

It’s been ten years since I completed my first manuscript (which didn’t get published, by the way) but I wouldn’t be here now, if I hadn’t first fallen in love with reading. Thanks, Mom.

Follow Trish Doller on twitter

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Find her latest updates on her website

Sweet Summertime Reads with Trish Doller + GIVEAWAY

Oh hi there. How's your summer so far? Just getting started? Well, I have an amazing author on the blog today to chat up her latest release that I think will go PERFECT with your summer to-be-read pile. Please join me in welcoming YA author Trish Doller to the blog!

She's been a friend of mine for quite a few years now and I've had the pleasure of reading her work. She's the type of storyteller that grips you from that first page and refuses to let go... even long after you've finished the book.

Her latest book, IN A PERFECT WORLD, is no exception to that fact. It's set in Egypt, where a young American girl is relocated with her family the summer before her senior year. Immediately I know what you're thinking: Hello culture shock! And yes, there was plenty of that. But there is also a beauty in the unknown through the eyes of a young teen who is not only figuring out her new life's plan, but doing so in such a rich, diverse country filled with culture and new experiences. Add this one to your summer reading list (if you haven't already) & get to know more about Trish & the book below.

About the book: Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

---

I’m super thrilled to be a part of Ginger’s Sweet Summertime Reads and I'm excited to share a few songs from the playlist that inspired me as I wrote IN A PERFECT WORLD. You'll definitely find the making of a bittersweet summer romance in these tracks.

Be Be Your Love - Rachael Yamagata


https://open.spotify.com/track/4HJpiZzOYIdf002T4PfMSS


“Everybody's talking how I can't be your love

But I want want wanna be your love

Want to be your love, for real”

---

Sideways - Citizen Cope


https://open.spotify.com/track/6ZixnWzzH1YxqBg9kLOPDy


“These feelings won’t go away

They’ve been knockin’ me sideways

I keep thinking in a moment that

Time will take them away”

---

Love Like This (Acoustic) - Kodaline


https://open.spotify.com/track/1VfJeju8B6qP4ZFsYuVW9U


“We're running around like love is what we found

And nothing else could matter in our life

But wait, but wait, but wait

The sun’ll stop shining soon

And you'll be dark in my life

It's as simple as a change in your heart


A love like this won’t last forever.

I know that a love like this won’t last forever”

But I don’t mind. I don’t mind at all.”


Anyone who’s read my other books knows that I don’t really do happily ever after, so when I reached the end of this book I had to make a choice. Bittersweet? Or hopeful? No spoilers.


Bonus tracks:

Bit So3’ayar - Meshwar

https://www.reverbnation.com/meshwar/song/11161502-meshwar-band-reggae-for-peace-hq

While I was researching fun things to do in Cairo (that are not the pyramids), I stumbled on an Egyptian reggae band called Meshwar and was completely smitten. The band and this song make a cameo appearance in the book. Even if you don’t understand the words (I don’t), the melody is both familiar and infectious. Enjoy!

Boshret Kheir - Hussein Al Jasmi

https://youtu.be/QUBvVTNRp4Q

Google translates the title to “good skin” which makes sense because it’s about all the different people who call Egypt home. I discovered it when I while I was seeking "inspiration" from a plate of falafel at my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant (Kebab Village) where they play videos on their TVs. There’s no direct connection to the book, but this song makes my heart really happy. (Good luck making it all the way through without chair dancing. I can’t.)

---

Check out these beautiful mood boards that also inspired Trish Doller to write IN A PERFECT WORLD. To see more of her inspirations, click here.

Thank you SO MUCH, Trish, for stopping by to chat up your book, and share some of the tunes & images that inspired this amazing story. For my readers, want to add this one to your summer reading pile sooner rather than later?! Enter to win the book below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

+ Open to US residents only

+ No giveaway accounts allowed

+ Ends 6/19/17

You're Invited: Twitter Chat with Trish Doller & Miranda Kenneally

Don't have plans this evening? Then you're invited to come chat with us on twitter!  As part of my Sweet Summertime Reads feature, I am hosting a twitter chat with YA authors Trish Doller and Miranda Kenneally. Both of these lovely ladies have books being published this summer & we want to chat about them!

I've had the pleasure of reading both of their latest works early on and have been gushing about their stories ever since. I hope you'll stop by, grab a tasty beverage, and chat us up tonight!

We'll begin at 8pm CST, using hashtag #SSRChat. Please follow us on twitter:

@GReadsBooks
@TrishDoller
@MirandaKennealy


More about their books:

Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But when she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic try out, so she feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to lose to win?

Coming Soon: Sweet Summertime Reads 2017!

Next week I'll be kicking off another season of Sweet Summertime Reads here at GReads! I'm really excited about the upcoming authors who will be participating this year. Here's a sneak peek of those who will be involved:

I'll be chatting them up on their newest releases, plus future projects in the works. There will be opportunities to win these books, plus other cool prizes.  I'm also excited to be featuring two of my favorite bloggers: Andi & Estelle, with their own summertime goodies.  Be sure to come back & visit all summer long, so that you don't miss out on these awesome posts I have planned.

Summer is almost here!!! Are you ready??!!

Save the Date: In a Perfect World by Trish Doller

Save the Date is a fabulous feature created by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner. The idea behind this feature is to get the word out early for books we've read before the pub date, but our full review won't be posted until later, closer to its publication.

About the book: Caroline Kelly is excited to be spending her summer vacation working at the local amusement park with her best friend, exploring weird Ohio with her boyfriend, and attending soccer camp with the hope she’ll be her team’s captain in the fall.

But when Caroline’s mother is hired to open an eye clinic in Cairo, Egypt, Caroline’s plans are upended. Caroline is now expected to spend her summer and her senior year in a foreign country, away from her friends, her home, and everything she’s ever known.

With this move, Caroline predicts she’ll spend her time navigating crowded streets, eating unfamiliar food, and having terrible bouts of homesickness. But what she finds instead is a culture that surprises her, a city that astounds her, and a charming, unpredictable boy who challenges everything she thought she knew about life, love, and privilege.

From critically acclaimed author Trish Doller comes an honest, hopeful, and romantic story about the barriers we tear down for the people and places we love most. [goodreads]

add to goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound 

to be published May 23, 2017 by Simon Pulse

Reading any early copy of Trish Doller's work is always a privilege and an honor. She blew me away with her debut, Something Like Normal -- only to wow me yet again with Where the Stars Still Shine and The Devil You Know. Her next novel went above and beyond my expectations, lodging itself inside my heart, in a space I didn't quite know how to fill. Our world, especially today, needs more diverse books like this one.

I was not prepared for the journey this story took me on. Trish Doller has given us a gift with this one. I love the culture of Egypt as we're witnessing it for the first time through Caroline's young eyes. Though she is miles & miles away from her homeland, she comes to realize that we all share different variations of values, customs, dreams, & ideas. I really identified with her want to experience it all, while keeping an open mind. But I also understood her frustrations of being a young girl, in a culture so different than her own. The romance in this story is full of swoons & innocence, that only Trish Doller can deliver in just the right amount of doses.

Add this one to your TBR, and in the meantime get to know her previous work if you haven't yet -- she is such an exceptional writer.

Review: The Devil You Know by Trish Doller

The Devil You Know by Trish Doller
Published: June 2, 2015 by Bloomsbury
Source: From the author

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions.

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. [goodreads]

When my friend, author Trish Doller, told me she was working on something a bit different, naturally I was intrigued.  I might be biased in saying that I love everything this woman writes since I also adore her as a person, too -- but even so, her words are powerful and poignant.  And she has a gift of story telling, one that needs to be shared and read by all.  So when she gifted me with her latest YA novel, of course I felt compelled to stop whatever I was doing and read it right then.

For Arcadia (or Cadie), life is a routine.  It's all about taking care of her family's needs before her own.  But in the back of her mind a spark of adventure lies dormant, waiting for the right opportunity to come alive.  When she's presented with a choice to tag along with two strange (but very hot, I might add) boys for the summer as they make their way across Florida's camp sites, she sees her open window.  The adult in me is shouting at her to stop and think, do you really know these boys Cadie?! Is it safe??  That's the fun in literature, you can shout all you want, but these characters have minds of their own and will venture into danger no matter what the warning signs are.  You just have to be prepared to hold on tight.

In true Doller fashion, you are submerged into the story's setting immediately.  The richness of Florida's landscape came alive on every page and I truly felt like I was there, alongside Cadie and the boys, as they ventured into the wilderness and beyond.  From the beginning I had an unsettling feeling, and as the story unfolds, that feeling only heightens.  Cadie finds herself on an adventure full of thrills and page-turning induced excitement.  I could not put this novel down until I got to the very end.

For fans of Trish Doller's previous work, you will definitely be delighted with her latest -- though the premise is something a bit different, it's also refreshing to see Doller's capacity to branch out and explore alternate avenues.  The Devil You Know should be on every reader's summer book list.

An Open Letter To Trish Doller's YA Self

I'm very excited to be featuring a few YA authors on the blog, writing their own Open Letters, through out this month.  Not aware of this fab feature?  Be sure to check out my introduction post HERE.  You can also read my Open Letter To My YA Self post HERE.  Please welcome author Trish Doller to the blog today, sharing her very own Open Letter To Her YA Self.

Dear Patti (because that's what you go by at the moment),

You know yourself better than you think. Don't let other people's expectations get in the way of what you know you need.

That college that none of your friends are attending? Go there.
That college major that's lurking in a quiet corner of your heart that you're afraid to talk about because you're afraid of what your family might think? Major in it.
That boy you like who likes you back but both of you are afraid to talk about it? Talk about it.
That body you think is too big? Embrace it, because one day you're going to realize how amazing it was.

But even if you chose none of those things and your life goes in directions you wish it hadn't, just keep going. Because your life is going to be spectacular anyway.

Love,
Trish (because it suits both of us a lot better)

P.S. Read these books: Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff; All the Rage by Courtney Summers (in fact, read all of her books); and 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (because maybe this whole writing thing we do might get off to an earlier start).

Trish Doller's website | twitter | tumblr | goodreads

______________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY, click the image to enter:

A WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE Preorder Giveaway!

WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller is a beautifully written book that I want every person I know (and don't know) to read!  So to help make that happen, I am hosting a preorder giveaway!  This contest is open INTERNATIONALLY, just as long as Book Depository ships to you.  The giveaway will end on September 19th, so that gives me plenty of time to place the preorder & make sure the item is sent to the winner as soon as pub day hits (September 24th).

About the book from Goodreads: Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines.

Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

Read my review here: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The fine print:

+ Open International (Book Depository must deliver to you)

+ Giveaway ends on 9/19/13 @ 12am EST

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
Published: September 24, 2013 by Bloomsbury
Source: Early copy

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true. [goodreads]

I had the honor of reading a very early copy of this story (thank you Trish!), so I'll start by saying my review may be a bit biased since Trish is a friend of mine.  However, even if I did not have the friendship I do with Trish, I know for a fact I would still love this woman's writing.  Knowing the person behind these beautiful words is just an added bonus.

The story begins on the road with Callie, where she's been with her mother for as long as she can remember.  The pair never took root anywhere, constantly on the move, running from something that Callie never knew about.  In an early turn of events, Callie is taken from her mother and placed back in her father's home in Florida.  Her new surroundings are foreign to her, and even though her father wants nothing more than to reintroduce the life that was once stolen from her, Callie still puts up a shield to protect herself.

In this new life comes a large Greek family, a new best friend, and the potential for a heartbreaking new love.  While attempting to adjust to her new life, she is also battling the acceptance of what she lost.  Should she be angry with her mother for keeping her away from this world her whole life?  Or should she be running after her mom, fleeing the first minute she feels anxious?  I really admired Callie's character because she harbors a lot of things a young girl should never have to witness, yet you see this bright light in her eyes that is full of hope and promise.

This story has different layers to it, and one of those layers that I could peel back again and again revolves around a boy named Alex.  He has issues of his own, and perhaps that is what draws Callie to him first.  But there's also a maturity to him that I found to be refreshing in a Young Adult novel.  The pair of them lean on one another, supporting the other, realizing that life can be messy and the results are not always perfect.  It was his imperfections that molded into Callie's beauty, which created such an unforgettable duo that felt beyond fictional to me.

I know this story will resonate with contemporary fans, but I have high hopes that it will engage a wide range of readers as well.  Trish Doller creates exceptional characters, with such great attention to detail in her settings, that it becomes a world you're a part of and want to revisit time and time again.

Thank you Trish, for sharing Callie and Alex and everyone else in this story with me.  It truly was a pleasure to see this story take form and breathe its own breath of life.

Sweet Summertime Reads: 10 Fun Facts about Florida with Trish Doller

Oh hi there! For this week's Sweet Summertime Reads edition, I am excited to have author Trish Doller on the blog.  She lives in the sunshine state of Florida, and also writes about stories set in Florida.  I thought it would be fun to pick her brain about the locale since it's a popular destination spot for summer travelers.

1. What part of Florida do you live in?

image source [Fort Myers]

I live in Fort Myers, which is in the southwest part of the state. There isn’t anything really remarkable about Fort Myers other than its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone all kept summer homes here once upon a time, so that’s kind of cool. Oh! And we’re also home to Zombiecon!

2. Which areas of Florida are your stories set in?

image source [High Springs]

Something Like Normal is set right here in Fort Myers, Where the Stars Still Shine is set in Tarpon Springs, and my 2014 book (tentatively titled Arcadia Falls) starts in High Springs and moves south through the state to Everglades National Park by way of the back roads and rivers.

3. What is something unique about the state of Florida that doesn't happen in any other state (that you know of)?

I don’t know of anything Florida has that other states don’t, but fun fact: We have more lightning strikes than any other state. We also have more miles of beaches.

4. As someone who lives there, what is something that comes to mind when you first think of Florida?

Beaches. I don’t go to the beach often--hardly ever--but even Floridians can’t ignore them.

5. Where's a favorite destination to travel to inside Florida?

 image source: Trish Doller [Islamorada]

My favorite place is the Florida Keys because even though they’re a part of Florida, they feel like a whole other world. We kept a boat in Islamorada--which is a chain of islands that make up the village--for a couple of years and we still go down to a favorite little mom-and-pop resort when we need to get away from life.

6. In Something Like Normal, which places did you use for inspiration when writing scenes in the story?

image source [Shamrock bar]

I featured a few real-life local places in the book including Clancy’s Restaurant (which isn’t too far from my house), the Shamrock bar (down on the beach), and a local veteran’s club. The real-life inspiration for Travis’s house is in a really, really upscale development on the river and the street on which Harper lives at the beach is a real street--although her house is located on a different street.

7. There's a heavy Greek culture incorporated in Where the Stars Still Shine, what was your favorite place to visit when gathering info for your story?

image source: Trish Doller [Tarpon Springs]

I don’t know if I can choose just one place from the sponge docks area as a favorite because they all kind of go together. But I do have a special fondness for the gift shop that inspired the shop in Stars. They have cool stuff and they’re right next to the sponge dive tour boat.

8. What is a favorite pastime for your family to do while living in Florida?

We like to spend time on (and in) the water whenever we can. Sailing, fishing (my husband and son, mostly, my daughter and I not so much), kayaking, and snorkeling. We’re water babies!

9. I know you're not originally from Florida, so are there any habits you've picked up since moving there?

The thing about Fort Myers is that so many people who live here moved here from other places that it’s not particularly “southern” so there aren’t really any defining mannerisms that I would have picked up. So I guess I’ve mostly retained my Ohio-ness.

10. If someone were to visit Florida, which places would you tell them to visit… Disney World and the land of theme parks, or somewhere off the beaten path?

image source [Wizarding World of Harry Potter]

Definitely the Keys, kayaking on the Peace River, and they really should check out The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando.

Thank you so much Trish for sharing a bit of Florida with us!  One of the many things I love about Trish's writing is her attention to detail in her stories.  From Travis' home in Something Like Normal, to Alex's boat in Where the Stars Still Shine, I could picture everything as if I were standing there.  I can't wait to venture through the Everglades National Park in her upcoming novel Arcadia Falls!

About the author: I've been a writer as long as I've been able to write, but I didn't make a conscious decision to "be" a writer until fairly recently. For that you should probably be thankful.

I was born in Germany, grew up in Ohio, went to college at Ohio State University, got married to someone really excellent, bounced from Maine to Michigan and back to Ohio for awhile. Now I live in Florida with my two mostly grown kids, two dogs, and a pirate. For real.

I've worked as a morning radio personality, a newspaper reporter, and spent all my summers in college working at an amusement park. There I gained valuable life skills, including counting money really fast, directing traffic, jumping off a moving train, and making cheese-on-a-stick. Also, I can still welcome you to Frontier Town. Ask me sometime.
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These days I work as a bookseller at a Very Big Bookstore. And I write. [taken from author's website]

Find Trish: twitter | tumblr | facebook | blog | goodreads