Celebrating Debutantes 2016: Bookishly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira (Author Interview + Giveaway)

Hi guys! This is my last post for #CelebratingDebutantes2016 for the month of February. Maricar and I have been running the event for two weeks now. This will continue until March 31st. So if you've missed a post or have just stumbled upon this little madness, go here to find out the details and links.

Today, I'm featuring Isabel Bandeira and her debut, Bookishly Ever After. Issy is giving away a signed copy of Bookishly Ever After, so stick around for it. :)

Could you tell us a bit about your writing style?

I'm a plantser--I plot and outline, but I also let the story go where it needs to go. I have a day job, so I write whenever I can, from early morning writing sessions to dictating scenes into my phone during my long morning commute.

What or who inspired you to write Bookishly Ever After?

Every year I participated in a "no kiss" New Year's bloghop, and one year I wrote a short little scene about a bookish girl channeling her favorite heroines while trying to impress a boy she liked...oh, and all of this while trying to cross this eeeevil rope bridge at a camp and failing miserably (I will not confirm nor deny if I had to cross a bridge similar to that horrid thing when I was at camp). Afterwards, those characters just kept popping into my head until I decided I had to write their story.

How different was the original version of Bookishly Ever After from the final version?

Not very different. Scenes got tighter and relationships were better established, but the story, overall, stayed the same. Most of the book "excerpts" changed a few times to better fit with the story, though, which means I practically wrote three other books in the process of writing Bookishly.

Based on Goodreads, this book has lots of good quotes. If you could only pick a single quote to call a favorite from Bookishly Ever After, what would it be? And why is it your favorite?

It may have to be Phoebe's rant about perfect vision in dystopian novels. It was fun to let her loose on something that had been bugging *me* for a long time!

I also loved a lot of what Grace tells Phoebe throughout the book, especially when she points out that Phoebe has a big heart. Phoebe may not always know what to say or how to act, but she sees the best in others and cares fiercely for the people in her life, and I love Grace's practical way of pointing that out to her.

Could you imagine yourself writing a novel in another genre?

Yes. My first finished manuscript was a contemporary fantasy and I had a lot of fun writing the paranormal "books" for Bookishly Ever After. I'd love to one day polish up the original manuscript and to play with a few paranormal stories. Plus, I absolutely love Star Trek, so sci-fi isn't totally off the table. You'll probably never see a thriller or horror from me, though--they're not quite up my glitter-filled alley, even if I do enjoy reading one once in a while!

Thank you, Issy!

About the Author:

Isabel Bandeira grew up surrounded by trees and lakes in Southern New Jersey, right on the edge of the Pine Barrens. Her summers were always spent in Portugal, where the cathedrals, castles, and ancient tombs only fed her fairy tale obsession. Between all those influences and her serious glitter addiction, it wasn’t a surprise when she started writing stories of her own.

In her free time between writing and her day job as a Mechanical Engineer who designs and develops medical devices, she reads, dances, figure skates, and knits.

Isabel lives in New Jersey with her little black cat, too many books, and a closetful of vintage hats. She is represented by Carrie Howland of Donadio and Olson, Inc. BOOKISHLY EVER AFTER is her debut novel.

Find Isabel: Website | Pinterest | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

Book Description:

Paperback, 378 pages
Published January 19th 2016 by Spencer Hill Contemporary

In a perfect world, sixteen-year-old Phoebe Martins’ life would be a book. Preferably a YA novel with magic and a hot paranormal love interest. Unfortunately, her life probably wouldn’t even qualify for a quiet contemporary.

But when Phoebe finds out that Dev, the hottest guy in the clarinet section, might actually have a crush on her, she turns to her favorite books for advice. Phoebe overhauls her personality to become as awesome as her favorite heroines and win Dev’s heart. But if her plan fails, can she go back to her happy world of fictional boys after falling for the real thing?

Giveaway

Thank you to Issy for this giveaway!
What's up for grabs: Signed Copy of Bookishly Ever After
Scope: US


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Treat yourself to a complete #CelebratingDebutantes2016 experience. Click the image below for the full schedule and links to the posts!