Summer Reading Challenge: Summer TBR Wipeout 2017 – Intro Post

 

I seem to have an endless list of books that I say I’m dying to read but never quite seem to ever get around to actually reading them.  I’m really trying to push myself to finally get some of those lingering books off my TBR, so I was thrilled to come across this challenge, which is hosted by The Candid Cover.  I feel like this challenge is exactly what I need to focus my attention on cleaning out the backlog of books.  I had originally thought about purging, but I do truly still want to read all of these books so that’s not going to cut it.  Below is the very ambitious list of books that I would love to knock off my TBR this summer.  It will probably end up being more like early fall before I get to them all, but even getting half of these read would be a major accomplishment for me at this point!

THE BOOKS

 

      
                        
   

Are you looking to finally knock some backlisted books off your TBR this summer?  Maybe you should consider taking the Summer TBR Wipeout Challenge too.

Q & A with Tiffany McDaniel, author of The Summer That Melted Everything

Photo Credit: Jennifer McDaniel

“Tiffany McDaniel is an Ohio native whose writing is inspired by the rolling hills and buckeye woods of the land she knows. Also a poet and artist, she is the winner of The Guardian’s 2016 “Not-the-Booker Prize” for her debut novel, The Summer that Melted Everything. The novel was also a Goodreads Choice Award double nominee in both fiction and debut categories, is a current nominee for the Lillian Smith Book Award, and has recently been announced as a finalist for the Ohioana Literary Award and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award for Outstanding Debut.”  (from www.tiffanymcdaniel.com)

The Summer That Melted Everything is being released on paperback today and to mark the occasion, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ask Tiffany some questions about the novel, about her career as a writer, and about what she has in the works next.  Here’s what she had to say:

 

1. What made you decide you wanted to write for a living?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. Writing is the first thing I remember  doing without being told to do so. I had that innate desire to write down what was in my head. I’ve always known I wanted to live with story. I think for most of us writers, we don’t decide to write. We *need* to write. We can only hope we are fortunate enough to be able to make a career out of it.

 

2. What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author so far?

I would say publication itself. Many of us authors don’t feel as if we’ve made it until we are published. For me, it was an eleven-year journey to publication, full of lots of rejection and perseverance, so it was an uphill battle. At the end of that battle, it was nice to see a book of mine finally on the shelf.

 

3.  Who are some of the authors that inspire you?

I came late to reading the authors who I consider to be among my favorites now. I’ve always written more than I’ve read. For some authors, they read more than they write. Some of my favorite authors are Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, and Donna Tartt. There is also the poet James Wright, who is from my land of Ohio. I can’t say these authors have inspired me, because by the time I came upon them I already had a few novels written, but they are authors who I rank among my favorites thus far and authors I recommend everyone to check out.

 

4. What are some of the best books that you’ve read recently?

I’m making my way through Ruth Franklin’s bio of Shirley Jackson, A Rather Haunted Life. So far this bio has proved an interesting read about Jackson. One of my favorite novels of Jackson’s is, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I think this bio and her novel really complement each other.

 

5. How did you come up with the idea for The Summer That Melted Everything?

The novel started first as a title. It was one of those hot Ohio summers that I felt like I was melting to the ground. Out of true heat, the title was born. I usually start writing a new novel with two things: the title and the first line. These two things lead the entire rest of the story.  Because I don’t outline or plan the story beforehand, the plot and characters evolve with each new word and page that I write.

 

6.  If The Summer That Melted Everything was being made into a major motion picture, who would you pick to star in it?

I do hope the novel is one day translated to the screen, and I hope to be the writer behind the adaptation. I have thought of the actors who would play the characters. For the younger characters, I think the actors will be newcomers to the scene. I’m still thinking of who would be nice to play the other older characters. I suppose no one can ever truly replace the way the characters are in one’s mind, but for older Fielding in particular, I think Anthony Hopkins would do a wonderful job taking on that role.

 

7.  What is the main message you hope readers take away from your book?

In this novel, we see the tragic consequences of hate, so I’d say one of the biggest messages of the novel is to just love each other a little more.

 

8. What do you do in your free time when you aren’t writing?

I love plants and nature, so I really enjoy gardening. Also, baking and spending time with all the animals in my life. I also love art and I dapple in everything from charcoal to watercolors. It’s important to always keep the creative wheel spinning. Art really lets me do that.

 

9. Are you currently working on a new novel?

I’ve returned to that very first novel I wrote when I was eighteen. It’s titled, The Chaos We’ve Come From.  I have eight completed novels, and just like in all of them, in The Chaos We’ve Come From, the fictional town of Breathed, Ohio will be the setting. Ohio is a land that has shaped me as an author. The Chaos We’ve Come From in particular is inspired by my mother’s coming-of-age in southern Ohio, in those foothills of the Appalachians, from the 1950s to the death of her father in the early 1970s. It feels like a good time to return to these characters and to this story.

 

10. Do you have any words of wisdom that you would like to share with aspiring writers?

Never give up. While The Summer that Melted Everything is my first published novel, it’s actually my fifth or sixth novel written. I wrote that first novel when I was eighteen, and wouldn’t get a publishing contract until I was twenty-nine for The Summer that Melted Everything. It was a long eleven-year journey to publication, full of rejection and perseverance. My writing is dark, and I was often told I was risky to publish. But if I had given up, I wouldn’t be where I am today with a book on the shelf. So to all the writers out there on the journey to publication, I say, don’t let rejection destroy you.  Let rejection empower you.

 

Thanks so much to Tiffany McDaniel for taking the time to answer all of my questions!  If you’re not familiar with The Summer That Melted Everything, here’s the synopsis from Goodreads:

 

Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.

Sal seems to appear out of nowhere – a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he’s welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he’s a runaway from a nearby farm town.

When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperature as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him. As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be. While the Bliss family wrestle with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever.

 

Sounds amazing, right?  So be sure to pick up a copy at your local bookstore!

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Sunshine Blogger Award

Thanks so much to INSPIRATION PIE for nominating me for the Sunshine Blogger Award.  I wasn’t familiar with this blogger award so it really made my day that you thought to nominate me once I learned more about it.  🙂  And if you haven’t visited Inspiration Pie, be sure to check it out.  It’s filled with wonderful reviews, lovely photographs, and much more.

 

WHAT IS THE SUNSHINE BLOGGER AWARD?

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive and inspiring, while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

 

  • Thank the person(s) who nominated you in a blog post and link back to their blog
  •  Answer the 11 questions sent by the person who nominated you
  •  Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions
  • List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post and/or on your blog

 

MY QUESTIONS FROM INSPIRATION PIE:

 

  1. What is your ideal vacation?  I love to be entertained as much as possible when I go on vacation so my ideal vacation is a city where I have nearly unlimited choices for entertainment – concerts, plays, musicals, museums, etc.  My favorite vacations thus far have been to New York City, London, Paris, and Rome.  So much to do and see!
  2. What do you love about yourself?  Oh, that’s a tough question because I am my own harshest critic.  I guess I’d have to say what I probably love most is that people feel like they can rely on me.  If I say I’m going to do something, I’ll always follow through.
  3. What do you wish you could change about yourself?  I wish I was more outgoing and less socially awkward.
  4. What book are you reading now? Final Girls by Riley Sager.  It comes out on July 11th so I’m trying to get an ARC read and reviewed before then.
  5. What keeps you blogging?  Well, books and reading are a lifelong passion of mine, so I love being able to use my blog to share my thoughts on what I’m reading.  I also love the book blogging community.  It’s fun to belong to a community that shares my passion for books.
  6. You are having a relaxing evening.  What are you doing?  It almost always involves reading. Either I’m reading something that I want to read or else I’m reading a book with my son, who loves to be read to.
  7. Do you have pets?  Yes, I have a black cat named Ninja.
  8. Favourite pizza toppings?  BBO Chicken, savory BBQ sauce (instead of the traditonal mariana pizza sauce), then top it off with bacon and onions.  I could eat the whole pizza by myself!
  9. Coffee, tea or wine or other? I’m a big coffee drinker, but I do love a nice cup of tea from time to time.  I’m also a big wine drinker and love going to wine tastings with my mom and sister.  They make for great girls’ day out activities!
  10. What is your favourite season?  I’ve always loved autumn.  I don’t know if it’s because my birthday is in October or what, but autumn has always felt magical to me.  All of the beautiful colors in nature as the leaves start changing, it’s just pure perfection to me.
  11. What is your favourite book genre?  That’s another tough question because I love to read across genres as much as possible.  I’d say my all-time favorite is probably historical fiction with YA fantasy as a close second.

 

MY QUESTIONS FOR MY NOMINEES:

 

  1. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
  2. If you were given a $50 gift card to your local bookstore, what books would you buy?
  3. What do you wish you could change about yourself?
  4. If you could meet any character from any book you’ve read, who would you want to meet and why?
  5. What made you decide to start blogging?
  6. What fictional character (books, TV, or film) is most like you?  In what ways?
  7. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?
  8. What makes you happy?
  9. If you had to describe yourself in one word, what word would you choose?
  10. Are you a dog person or a cat person?
  11. What is your all-time favorite book?

 

MY NOMINEES:

 

*I understand that not everyone chooses to be a part of the award nomination process. By nominating the following 11 blogs, I am able to show thanks and appreciation for the joy these individuals have brought to my life. If you choose to take part, that is fantastic! If not, no worries! Just keep writing…♥

  1.  Musings of a Literary Wanderer
  2. Lindsey Reads
  3. Book Reviews by Di
  4. Greg’s Book Haven
  5. POP.EDIT.LIT
  6. Geybie’s Book Blog
  7. Sydney’s Shelves
  8. mistybookspace
  9. Shooting Stars Mag
  10. The Book Satchel
  11. Rebel Mommy Book Blog