Candace, what scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?
The first tragedy scene was tough, but also (without giving anything away), all the scenes with Bash and his Ma. He and I are very similar in that we’re easily closed off to most, but completely vulnerable to a select few. Those two have such a special relationship, and I felt what he felt. I really enjoyed writing a scene in the skating rink basement, however risqué parts of it are, as well as the final scene (which was originally MUCH different).
What do you hope readers will take away from THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH?
No matter what happens in life, hold onto the hope that things can get better. Sarge says “as long as we have hope, we have life.” I think that’s one of the truest things I’ve ever written.
What are you working on now?
Up next is another YA contemporary called Fallen Loved Ones Awaiting Transfer (FLOAT), about a girl navigating a yearly birthday tradition of seeking out red balloons that challenge her to face her fears. This awkward, anxiety/OCD-ridden bad-ass (she loves the contradiction) hasn’t ever finished all 6 challenges before, but then again, she never really had to. Now that her hero is gone, and the one who started these challenges—her Marine father who’s just been killed in combat—there’s no other path she can take.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash
by Candace Ganger
Hardcover
St. Martin’s Griffin
Released 7/25/2017
Birdie never meant to be at the party. Bash should have been long gone. But when they meet, a collision course is set off they may never recover from.
Sebastian Alvaréz is just trying to hold the pieces together: to not flunk out, to keep his sort-of-best friend Wild Kyle from doing something really bad, and to see his beloved Ma through chemo. But when he meets Birdie Paxton, a near-Valedictorian who doesn’t realize she’s smoking hot in her science pun T-shirt, at a party, an undeniable attraction sparks. And suddenly he’s not worried about anything. But before they are able to exchange numbers, they are pulled apart. A horrifying tragedy soon links Birdie and Bash together—but neither knows it. When they finally reconnect, and are starting to fall—hard—the events of the tragedy unfold, changing both their lives in ways they can never undo. Told in alternating perspectives, The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger is a beautiful, complex, and ultimately hopeful teen novel that will move you to the very last page.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Candace Ganger is a feisty author with a passion for Tweeting cat memes. Candace is also a ghost-writer for award-winning nonfiction and best-selling fiction authors and contributing writer for Teen Vogue, Romper, Hello Giggles, Bustle, TWLOHA, XO Jane, and more. She’s worked previously as assistant editor for phys.org and her various creative endeavors (literally hundreds) are sprinkled all over the globe. When she’s not writing for other people’s fame or stress baking, you can find her training for marathons in cemeteries or taming her two weird kids (not to be confused with her two weird cats) while consuming way too many Milky Way lattes. You can follow her obsessive cat picture posting shenanigans via @candylandgang on Twitter!
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Have you had a chance to read THE INEVITABLE COLLISION OF BIRDIE & BASH yet? Did you feel what your characters feel? Do you remember to hold onto hope while writing? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy reading,
Emily, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, Erin, Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, and Lori Ann
