Ryleigh Andrews Books discussion

Do you have questions for Ryleigh Andrews? Ask away! She'll be here Friday at 1 PM EST To answer!

Are we going to see more of the gang in other books about them? Like Luke & Allie (because I love me some Luke)!

Besides post-it explosion what is your "method" for sorting your ideas? Do you write it all out or type as you go?

What do you do when you're in a writing slump?

Which of your characters are you most like?

What was the hardest scene for you to write? Which was the easiest?

Who would you want to write the story of your life?

What is your favorite thing about being a writer (besides meeting awesome people)?

How did you choose the different settings for the series? They were all over the place!

What were some of your favorite books growing up?

Which character was the hardest to write? Who was the easiest?

What was the one scene in each book that tore you up the most? (There were a lot of emotional moments for me).

How hard was it to write the multiple POV's (I loved getting inside Ethan, Luke & Allie's head)?

Ashley wrote: "Are we going to see more of the gang in other books about them? Like Luke & Allie (because I love me some Luke)!"

Ashley, my plan is to have a book per band member.
So ...

* Marty
* Todd
* Clark
* Marc (not in the band but a big character in Mia and the band members lives)
* Luke and Allie (i'm unsure on this one yet and how I will do it).

Mia (and Ethan) will be in all of these books.

Ashley wrote: "Besides post-it explosion what is your "method" for sorting your ideas? Do you write it all out or type as you go?"

LOL!!! Post-its are a BIG part of my writing process. So our notebooks. I normally have one notebook I always carry around with me. It's where I stash ideas while I'm out and about ... It's FILLED with post-its as well (because I never leave home without them). If i get enough to an idea, it gets its own notebook and I'll set things up on my computer for them ... for research. ;)

Ashley wrote: "What do you do when you're in a writing slump?"

I wander around aimlessly, trying to figure out what the eff to do. Then I'll probably be on Pinterest or Tumblr. Then I'll go back to the story, feel hopeless, and move on to Tumblr or Pinterest again. Then I'll organize shit. I'll normally start listening to new music as well. And while I'm vegging out, something happens—a spark! And then people better get outta my way so I can write.

Ashley wrote: "Which of your characters are you most like?"

I get this question a lot ... I would say I'm a mix of Mia, Ethan, Allie, with a side of Luke. And if you did percentages, I would say I identify more with Ethan and Allie. Funny, huh?

What was your inspiration behind this series?

What was your inspiration behind this series?

Ashley wrote: "What was the hardest scene for you to write? Which was the easiest?"

The hardest scenes to write ...

1) Mia finding out about Tom's death
2) end of Bring Me You
3) Ethan leaving after the overdose

The easiest scenes to write ...

1) the ending of Never Over You
2) Any scene with Mia and Luke
3) In Bring Me You when Mia was snowed in New York.

Ashley wrote: "Who would you want to write the story of your life?"

Damn, Ashley ... Um...Joss Whedon? LOL!!! No, I'd say Mia Asher or CD Reiss, especially if all my love interests look like Michael Fassbender. Oooh, maybe they could collaborate! HOLY HELL!!! THAT WOULD BE EPIC!

Kaitlyn wrote: "What was your inspiration behind this series?"

Lack of communication is my inspiration behind this series. Totally serious. Communication in a relationship is HARD! Even for couples that have been together FOREVER! You can love someone so damn much but be unable to effectively communicate that to him or her. That's what I've explored throughout the series

Ashley wrote: "What is your favorite thing about being a writer (besides meeting awesome people)?"

You took my answer LOL! That seriously is one of the BEST things about being a writer ... they don't tell you about that when you start out.

But the other thing is being able to create different worlds with characters and play out those what if's.

Ashley wrote: "How did you choose the different settings for the series? They were all over the place!"


* Mia's from Michigan because of me and I love my college.
* Band is from Chicago because that's my hometown.
* Ethan plays for Indianapolis because it was close but still far enough away. He's from Savannah because it's one of my favorite places on the earth.
* St. Paul because I had just went to a Prince concert when I wrote that scene.
* Malibu because...Malibu
* Other locations came from lots of research of tours and where artists went. Then I just wrote my favorites.

Ryleigh wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Who would you want to write the story of your life?"

Damn, Ashley ... Um...Joss Whedon? LOL!!! No, I'd say Mia Asher or CD Reiss, especially if all my love interests look like Mic..."


HAHAHAHA game on...I think we need to make this happen!

Ashley wrote: "What were some of your favorite books growing up?"

I have a lot of phases ...

I used to love Madeline and Curious George.
Then I moved on to the Little House on the Prairie books.
Then I made a weird and strange leap to Stephen King and Anne Rice and hopped on over to Historical Romance where I read and fell in love with The Thorn Birds and Gone With The Wind (BIG ASS BOOKS FTW!!!)
Then I found Nora Roberts and leaped (and stayed) in the Contemporary Romance genre.

Ashley wrote: "Which character was the hardest to write? Who was the easiest?"

Mia and Ethan were pretty easy to write. I know them so well. We can throw Luke into this category as well.

I am having difficulty with Allie ... and Clark.

Ryleigh wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Which character was the hardest to write? Who was the easiest?"

Mia and Ethan were pretty easy to write. I know them so well. We can throw Luke into this category as well.

I am ha..."

Oh but Allie has some strange in her background! At least that is what I was picking up in NOY.

Ashley wrote: "What was the one scene in each book that tore you up the most? (There were a lot of emotional moments for me)."

I answer this I want you to reply with yours, okay? And I'm going to try to answer this WITHOUT spoilers.

Bring Me You:
* the ending
* Mia finding out about Kristen
* stranded in New York City
* Skype call when they discussed their future (she was in Amsterdam)
* Skype call when they argued while she was in Australia.
* Shower scene when she realized Ethan wasn't going to NY.
* Ethan finding her with Todd

Still Into You:
* the first five chapters
* the text/phone/skype conversation after they broke up.
* Mia breaking up with Tom
* Mia after the overdose in the hospital and at her house.
* Mia getting the call about Tom.
* Mia in the ocean
* Mia talking to the therapist
* Ethan finding out about Josh
* Mia and Todd reuniting
* Mia and Ethan reuniting
* Mia finally telling Ethan about her past.

Never Over You:
* Mia seeing her father again
* the wedding
* anything relating to the birth scene
* Mia's visitor during her "dream" during her birth
* first time having sex after the birth
* What happens to Mia after hiring Cambry
* Christmas Eve after that incident
* One year anniversary of that incident
* When Mia comes home and her kids are sick and Ethan is not around.
* Accidental Skype call at end of part 2.
* beginning of part 3.
* Text and conversation on their anniversary.
* Fight at her birthday party
* Ending.

Ashley wrote: "Ryleigh wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Which character was the hardest to write? Who was the easiest?"

Mia and Ethan were pretty easy to write. I know them so well. We can throw Luke into this category as..."

Ashley, Allie does have a lot of strange in her story. She's lived a hard life ... maybe even more than Mia and that's why I'm having a hard time with it. Do I want to do it? That's what I keep going back to ... and i haven't answered that yet

Ashley wrote: "Ryleigh wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Who would you want to write the story of your life?"

Damn, Ashley ... Um...Joss Whedon? LOL!!! No, I'd say Mia Asher or CD Reiss, especially if all my love interes..."

totes needs to happen!

Ashley wrote: "How hard was it to write the multiple POV's (I loved getting inside Ethan, Luke & Allie's head)?"

I prefer a multiple POV book. For one, it helps me know the character a hell of a lot more. I do a lot of research about those characters before I really "start writing".

I like the multiple POV's because sometimes a certain scene is MORE powerful coming from someone other than the main character or who it's happening to or vice versa. It allows me to make sure certain characters aren't getting too annoying (though sometimes I want that, if that makes sense LOL).

Ryleigh wrote: "Ashley wrote: "What was the one scene in each book that tore you up the most? (There were a lot of emotional moments for me)."

I answer this I want you to reply with yours, okay? And I'm going to ..."

BMY
- Definitely the NY snowstorm and the crazy that it caused. I'll tell ya more....

SIY
- The dress scene with Allie- something about that really broke my heart

NOY (so basically the whole book for you was hard to write? LOL)
- Seeing Ethan and his reaction to what happened when the boys were born. Gutted me.

Ashley wrote: "Ryleigh wrote: "Ashley wrote: "What was the one scene in each book that tore you up the most? (There were a lot of emotional moments for me)."

I answer this I want you to reply with yours, okay? A..."

Yeah ... NOY gutted me. As did SIY. I forgot about the dress scene. That did me in when Mia fell to the ground and her realization. I was a sobbing mess writing that.