*Please note, this post contains affiliate links.
One of my favorite podcasts is The Hope Prose Podcast with Tara K. Ross and Rebekah Black, a show dedicated to hope-filled YA and MG books. Tara is a YA author herself, and her debut novel Fade to White is definitely infused with its own generous helping of hope.
Here’s the blurb for Fade to White (Amazon Affiliate Link):
“Thea Fenton’s life looks picture-perfect, but inside, she is disintegrating. Wracked by anxiety no one seems to understand or care about, she resorts to self-harm to deflect the pain inside.
When a local teen commits suicide, Thea’s anxiety sky-rockets. Unexplainable things happen, leaving her feeling trapped within her own chaotic mind. The lines between reality and another world start to blur, and her previously mundane issues seem more daunting and insurmountable than ever.
Then she meets Khi, a mysterious new boy from the coffee shop who seems to know her better than she knows herself—and doesn’t think she’s crazy. His quiet confidence and unfounded familiarity draw her into an unconventional friendship.
Khi journeys with her through grief, fear, and confusion to arrive at compassion for the one person Thea never thought she could love.”
In the interview below, Tara talks about how her experiences inspire her writing, how stories can help us see the world in a new way, and her hope that readers would know they are loved.
Read on to learn more about Tara and her writing!
What inspired you to begin your writing journey?
Tara: “I do not have your typical story of falling in love with reading at four years old when I read The Chronicles of Narnia or having crafted my first novella at the tender age of ten. I was a late reader, a reluctant writer, and only once I finished six years of heavy science, psychology, and linguistics did I breathe long enough to realize I do so love words, and I do so love to write and maybe I should write something beyond assessment reports and progress notes. And so, at the gritty age of 30, I decided to explore my creative side, and do so wish I’d tried it out a little earlier on.”
What inspired your most recent story?
Tara: “Fade to White was inspired through my own experience as an uber-anxious teen in high school. It also encompasses the sentiments of over ten years of stories I’ve listened to through volunteering with youth at my church and through our local drop-in center. My next story, currently on submission, furthers these stories and adds in my own experiences with a concussion and needing to limit screen time!”
Why do stories matter?
Tara: “I honestly feel that stories are what make us and change us. It is the truly memorable stories that stick with us long after ‘the end’ and inspire us to view the world in a slightly, or not-so-slightly different way. That matters.”
What is a message you’re particularly passionate about sharing with your readers?
Tara: “I have this prayer tin with a sloth painted on the cover and fuchsia pom-pom ribbon around the lid that says in beautiful font, ‘You are loved.’ (It’s really much more attractive than I am describing it.) Every night before falling asleep, I look at this little container full of bits of conversations with God and I am reminded of the lid’s important truth—‘I am loved.’ This has inadvertently become my greatest passion with writing—to remind readers that they are not alone, that there is hope and that they are loved.”
What is one of your greatest dreams or goals for the future?
Tara: “There are the tangible goals, like finding a home for my next book and landing a new dream agent. I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t share these bits of conversation that come up with God, but there is also a more altruistic goal at the heart of this. I have two little girls who are ‘super feelers.’ I adore them and hold them so close to my heart while writing for teens. I know that time passes quickly and sooner than I might think they will be teens themselves. It would be my purest joy for them to read my novels one day and for them to recognize not only a bit of their mom, but a bit of themselves and for them to pause at the end and say ‘thank you.’”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tara K. Ross lives with her husband, two daughters, and rescued fur-baby in a field of cookie-cutter homes near Toronto, Canada. She works as a school speech-language pathologist and mentors with local youth programs. When Tara is not writing or reading all things young adult fiction, you can find her rock climbing the Ontario escarpment, planning her family’s next jungle trek or podcasting/blogging. Fade to White is her debut novel.
You can follow her on Instagram @tara.k.ross, connect with her through her website and newsletter at http://www.tarakross.com.
The links below are affiliate links for Amazon, which help support me in creating more posts like this one!
