Indie Author Spotlight: Interview With Natasja Eby
I might have flaked out last week, but I'm back on track and super excited to present to you another installment of the Indie Author Spotlight Interviews. One of my favorite newer authors, Natasja Eby of Canada, is probably best known for her YA series, Knockout Girl, which is where I started my journey through her books. But enough from me, let's get on with the interview!
Winter 2021 Indie Author Interview Part 1: Natasja Eby
Me: Ooo! I look forward to seeing what you come up with when you're ready to tackle fantasy. As a fantasy author myself, a lot of worldbuilding goes into that. It's a good thing I love that part of the process. What's your favorite part of the writing process?
Natasja: My favourite part is coming up with the characters. My stories are really their stories and if they’re compelling enough, they practically write the books themselves.
Me: I guess that's why I love your characters so much and find them so easy to relate to. Let's back up in your history a little bit. What was your first writing project?
Natasja: My first “real” full-length serious book is one I wrote about 12 years ago. It centres around a group of kids who are all pretty dissimilar but bond when they decide to start a band. It’s never been published and I have to say, I’m glad! I’m re-reading it right now and it’s super cringey because I’ve grown so much as a writer. But it’s a project I plan to work with and rewrite until it’s as awesome as it was when I first wrote it.
Me: That sounds like it would be fun. I know working on different things keeps my creativity flowing. I've found out this year I'm subject to burnout, just like any other person. How long have you been writing and what keeps you going?
Natasja: The "how long" question is funny because I still have stories I wrote in school in grade 3! I used to make up a lot of stories when I was younger with my sister, who is also a writer. I keep going for the characters honestly. There were times when I thought maybe I should just give up writing, but then I feel bad if I leave any of their stories hanging.
Me: That's great! I kinda feel the same way myself, if I'm honest. Let's talk a little about the Knockout Girl series. The first of your books that I read was Knockout Girl and I confess, I was blown away by how it captured my attention. As a 40-something woman who's experienced a lot of life, reading about teens and young adults sometimes frustrates me. This book didn't do that. I think it was because I could easily relate to the characters in this story. Can you tell us a little about the main characters in this book?
Natasja: Well…you’ve got your typical popular girl - Elli. Your typical nerd - Julian. Your typical bully - Red. Your typical cute jock - Adrian. And your typical loner/cool girl - Cherry. But if there’s anything to learn from this series, it’s that “typical” is a myth and people don’t fit neatly into the molds we’ve created in our heads for them. Elli is kind to everyone when she learns to look past her own nose; Julian, while very academically inclined, learns to box in three months; Red rises to the challenge of being anything but a bully; Adrian has his own demons and being a jock is just a crutch; and Cherry longs to be loved for her she is and just projects being secure in her loner label. They’re all pretty cool kids, if I do say so myself. They just each needed the motivation to be the best person they could be.
Me: What a beautiful summary! When I read their stories, I could see that -- that there was more going on beneath the surface for these characters. It may have been the mystery of what it was for each of them which kept me reading. Was there any part of this series which was particularly difficult for you to write? If so, would you tell us a little about that?
Natasja: Let’s just say I’m not very athletic, so writing about a bunch of athletes was a unique challenge. But after those first couple of books, I got comfortable with writing about boxing. Then came Zara and the dancing, and Brooke and the skating. But okay, I could handle that. And then I suddenly had to write about boxing again for Hooked (not by choice, but the characters demanded) and let me tell you - there are only so many ways to write how someone punched someone else. But it was fun writing about all that.
Me: Oh, I can totally feel that non-athletic vibe! *wry chuckle* But I can see in the writing that you were having fun putting the story together. One of the un-fun parts which shows up in a couple of areas is the specter of alcoholism. It really spoke to me. While that's never been an issue for me personally, there've been a few people in my family and ancestry who dealt with this and it's not easy to overcome. It's also not so easy for relatives of those fighting alcoholism (or any addiction, really) to understand. If it's not intrusive to ask, what was the reason you chose that particular vice to include in this YA series?
Natasja: Full disclaimer, I have no personal connection to alcoholism. But I feel like it’s a relevant and relatable topic, one that was gentle/easy enough to incorporate in a way that wouldn’t feel too pushy. It added a layer of depth to some of the characters. I don’t want people to think that drinking is intrinsically wrong, but rather that it can be a slippery slope, as shown in a couple of the character arcs.
Me: *nods* I have to agree with you there. Another thing I liked was how you tackled the difficult topic of bullying. It's so prevelant in schools and seems to be getting worse in many areas. Was there something which encouraged you to include this topic in the series?
Natasja: Ah, well this one is a bit more personal, as I got teased/bullied quite a bit growing up. But unlike Julian, none of it was physical and it can’t always be “solved” easily. In books, we get to have the outcome we want to see. In Knockout Girl, the bullying is very simple - Julian gets pushed around a lot by Red for no apparent reason. But as you read further into the series, you’ll see that bullying can take many forms, and can have different motivators. I thought that was important to point out, too. So I guess a part of it was that I wanted to show that it does happen, but I also wanted the happy endings that I never really saw for myself. That sounds really sad, so I’ll just add that I know a lot of school-aged bullies grow out of that phase in life and I truly believe there’s usually more to it than that they were just a mean person. That was the whole point of writing a character like Red.
Me: I think that's a perfect reason. When you go through such things, it's gives you a more intimate perspective. And when you've had time to think over the past, you have the added benefit of seeing things through eyes wisened by the interim years. Another difficult thing for a lot of young people is moving to a new home. While my husband served in the military, we moved several times and while it was difficult, I think it actually helped us grow stronger as a family and as individuals. But I suppose there's always a flip side and it can be more challenging to move constantly. I think this is true for all people, but perhaps moreso for the younger crowd who are still in school. I like the way you handled this topic in Knockout Girl and how the move was so drastic, and in Outside Edge where the move was more inwardly difficult. It gave the main characters quite a challenge to overcome early on in these books. How did you come up with the idea for this?
Natasja: You know, it never occurred to me that Knockout Girl and Outside Edge shared that trait! I actually got the idea for Knockout Girl while I was in Hawaii on my honeymoon. It’s so beautiful there and the weather is so temperate, I couldn’t help but wonder - what would it be like to have to move from Hawaii to Toronto in the dead of winter? This was a huge factor in how Elli changed. She basically decided she might as well reinvent herself since everything at the time felt so different to her. It worked out well. With Outside Edge, I just really wanted to write a Christmas book, and I found out there’s this little town in Ontario called Noelville that’s about a 5-hour drive from my little town (which inspired Bridgetown) and I thought, “That’s a great place to send Adrian.” That physical distance helped him decide to become a better person, just like Elli’s move did.
Me: A move certainly does help one grow! My favorite book in the series is The B-Boy. I just love the transitions which take place in the characters' lives and watching how they grow and mature over the course of the story. Which of the books in this series is your favorite? Which one was hardest to write?
Natasja: The hardest to write was definitely Knockout Girl, if only because I wasn’t sure what I was doing at the time. I was finding my voice and trying to figure out the boxing and there are still days I’d like to go back and edit, even though I think it’s a great book. My favourite…. oh goodness, that’s a hard question. I loved writing The B-Boy and I know Red is a fan favourite. But personally? I think Standup Guy and Outside Edge are tied for the best book in the series. If only because I really loved delving into the themes they presented and I liked how the couples navigated their relationships in those ones in conjunction with what was happening to them. I don’t know if that makes sense, but either way, I love all the books and every character and coupling is special to me.
Me: It does. I can definitely understand what you mean. What overriding theme do you hope people will take away from reading this series?
Natasja: I said it already but I’ll say it again: Be. Kind. To. Each. Other. Sometimes it’s easy to do the right thing and sometimes it’s so very difficult, but the right choice is always the best choice.
Me: I think this is a great place to stop for today. Certainly, our world needs more kindness, compassion, and consideration. Come back next Wednesday to catch part two of my interview with Natasja Eby and show your support for indie authors.
Book Review: Hooked by Natasja Eby
Hooked by Natasja EbyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Excellent finish to a wonderful series!
I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this series and Hooked was a great finish. The author is great at bringing in characters from previous books without allowing them to take over the story. Another thing I like about that is the sense of connectedness, almost like small town life. It makes the story feel like home to me.
My favorite characters were definitely Darren and Sofia. I like how the author tackled the opposites attract trope, too.
On the technical side, there were only a few typos and they didn't slow me down at all.
If you like contemporary YA romance, and enjoy clean reads, definitely give this book a try!
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Book Review: Rinkside by Natasja Eby
Rinkside by Natasja EbyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This story about Elli's best friend (from Knockout Girl) was good. I loved seeing how things were going for Cherry and learning a little more about her. As a quirky character in book 1, she already had a special place in my heart. If you haven't read any of the other books in the series, it would still be ok to read this one, I think. You learn a little about the characters from the previous three books, but not much. I also believe this series is great for ages 13 and up. So if you enjoy shorter stories with characters who are interesting and growing and learning while they live life, and if you enjoy young love stories give this one a try. It's clean in a refreshing way.
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