THE SECRETS OF ATTRACTION is a companion novel to THE PROMISE OF AMAZING, and we’re delighted to have Robin Constantine here to tell us more about it.
Robin, what was your inspiration for writing THE SECRETS OF ATTRACTION?
I remember telling members of my critique group that I’d love to write a series of books surrounding the same cast but fleshing out their individual stories – at the time I didn’t realize companion novels existed, so when my editor approached me about writing a book from Madison’s perspective I jumped at the chance. Madison is BFFs with the MC from my first book and she’s such a different character. She’s confident from the start and speaks her mind – it was fun to knock her off center and watch what happened.
What’s your writing ritual like? Do you listen to music? Work at home or at a coffee shop or the library, etc?
I make a point to write every day. Some days that can mean 2,000 words, other days it can mean 200. It’s also different at different stages. I loathe first drafts, so that is always the toughest for me – I have to reward myself for words. I’m so grumpy at that stage. I’m happiest revising – I love that moment when everything is in place and you can play around with your characters. My best work happens at home. I’ve written in other places but I’m most comfortable in my own space, with my creature comforts nearby. I need coffee, something crunchy when I’m working through a plot point (I’m addicted to Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop!) and I’ve recently started listening to classical music for concentration too. It helps!
What advice would you most like to pass along to other writers?
Protect your joy of writing. Fiercely. There are so many things you can’t control – trends, reviews, if someone is accepting unsolicited work or not – but you do have control over your words, your craft, the time you spend learning and playing. Having your work published is a dream, but it’s also a job – so on those days when you can’t count on the muse to show up and you have to soldier through, it helps to find something you love in the process.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Secrets of Attraction
by Robin Constantine
Hardcover
Balzer + Bray
Released 4/28/2015
Set in the same world as The Promise of Amazing, this smart, surprising, and (of course) romantic follow-up to Robin Constantine’s debut novel follows two New Jersey teens as they become friends and fall in love.
Madison Parker is on fast-forward. Working toward a scholarship for a summer art program, she already has her future figured out. But when a visit from a family friend turns her life upside down, everything she thought she knew becomes blurred. All she wants is to stand still for a moment.
Jesse McMann is stuck on repeat. Reeling from a breakup that shattered his heart and his band, Jesse divides his time between working as a barista and trying to find the inspiration to write music again. All he wants to do is move forward.
The night Maddie strolls into Jesse’s coffee shop after yoga class, the last thing on his mind is hooking up, but her smile and witty comebacks are hard to ignore. The spark between them is undeniable, but once-a-week flirting is hardly the stuff of epic romance.
Kismet arrives in the unlikely form of Grayson Barrett. When Jesse discovers that Gray’s girlfriend is also Maddie’s best friend, he invites Gray to join his band as their new drummer, hoping this connection will give him more time around Maddie. Slowly but surely, Jesse and Maddie forge a friendship, but do they have what it takes to make their relationship truly sync?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
