When I worked with high school students who had been removed for disciplinary reasons, I always worried about what would happen if the student were innocent—if the system had failed and punished an innocent person.

Brenda Vicars – 19 February 2015

The Back Flap

Fifteen-year-old Polarity Weeks just wants to live a normal life, but with a mother diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, that’s rarely easy. Her life gets exponentially more disastrous when her sixth-period history classmates start ogling a nude picture of her on the Internet. Polarity would never have struck such a shameless pose, but the photo is definitely of her, and she’s at a complete loss to explain its existence.

Child Protective Services yanks her from her home, suspecting her parents. The kids at school mock her, assuming she took it herself. And Ethan, the boy she was really starting to like, backpedals and joins the taunting chorus. Surrounded by disbelief and derision on all sides, Polarity desperately seeks the truth among her friends. Only then does she learn that everyone has dark secrets, and no one’s life is anywhere near normal.

About the book

What is the book about?

Polarity in Motion is about a high school girl whose nude picture hits the Internet.  She has no idea how the picture was made—she never would have posed for it.  Her struggle is made worse by the fact that almost no one believes hers.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing it about four years ago.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took about a year and a half to write it.

Where did you get the idea from?

When I worked with high school students who had been removed for disciplinary reasons, I always worried about what would happen if the student were innocent—if the system had failed and punished an innocent person.  We hear all the time about cases of adults who are wrongly imprisoned for various reasons.  I wondered if the same thing could happen to high school students.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I love the character of Ethan, and to me he became a living, breathing person.  But I worried about how I, as a white woman, could portray a black high school boy.

What came easily?

Polarity’s mother! I had done so much research on borderline personality disorders and had read so many case studies that she sprang to life and wrote herself.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

They are as entirely fictitious.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I love so many but here’s a few with their influence:

Flannery O’Connor taught me how a writer can expand the reader’s insight.

Maya Angelou taught me how impactful the simple truth is.

Justina Chen taught me how powerful young adult fiction is.

Do you have a target reader?

High school students and parents.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I love to get feedback as I write.  I have some great friends who are willing to read segments and critique.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I’m not big on outlining—and definitely not extensively.  I know in general terms how a book will begin and end.  The middle evolves as I write.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit and re-edit as I go.  I find that if I’m not ready to write the next section, I can go back to the previous section and edit.  By the time I finish editing the previous section, I’m often ready to flow right into the next part.

Did you hire a professional editor?

My publisher, Red Adept, did the editing.  The editors, Alyssa Hall (content) and Misti Wolanski (line), were awesome!!!!

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Sometimes I listen to music before I write.  I generally seek out what I think my characters might listen to.  But during the actual writing, I don’t listen to music.  (But now that you’ve asked this, I think I’m going to give it a try!)

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I did.  And I immediately got an excellent agent, Charlotte Sheedy.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Charlotte Sheedy represented my book for a year and then said none of the publishers she associates with were interested in it.  She recommended that I self-publish.  She said, “Just get it out there.”  I considered self-publishing, but then I heard some awesome feedback about Red Adept Publishing and decided to submit to them—even though most of their books are paranormal, science fiction, or women’s fiction. I was delighted when they accepted Polarity in Motion.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Street Light Graphics, in association with Red Adept Publishing, did the cover.  They rock!

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Winging it!

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Start building your links on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  And find blogs that post about literature similar to yours.  I waited until publication to really focus on these things.  Now I’m playing catch up!

For the writing process, find a group—can be very small, even just two—of fellow writers to exchange pages with, discuss ideas with.  I wouldn’t be published without the support, motivation, criticism, and advice I receive from a few writer friends.

About You

Where did you grow up?

All over Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Haiti.  My dad was in construction and we followed the work—I honestly don’t know how many different places I lived.

Where do you live now?

Near Austin, Texas

What would you like readers to know about you?

I love honest feedback from readers—what you liked, what you hated, what puzzled you, what you wish you’d seen more of in Polarity in Motion. I hope readers will post reviews or leave feedback on my website.

What are you working on now?

Polarity in Motion. By the time I finished Polarity in Motion, Polarity and Ethan had matured beyond the book.  They are older now, and their needs are deeper.  Their willingness to take risks is greater. They stepped out of the first book and almost immediately led me into the next one.

End of Interview:

For more from Brenda, visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or like her page on Facebook.

Get your copy of Polarity in Motion from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), or Barnes & Noble.

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