It wasn’t quite a broken heart, but a heart full of longing that spurred this book. 

Harker Jones – 19 October 2023

The Back Flap

In the lull between the conservative ’50s and the turbulent ’60s, Kyle Ryan Quinn, an introspective, sentimental boy, leads a golden life. He’s rich, beautiful and smart, and he summers every year on the same island with the same group of friends. When he meets Jack Averill, a quiet, bookish boy, his fateful 18th summer on the island, Kyle attempts to integrate him into his tight-knit yet troubled circle. Amid mounting familial, sexual and peer pressures, they make heartbreaking decisions that will steal their innocence, destroy lives and consume them forever.

About the book

What is the book about?

Until September is about a boy who falls in love with another boy for the first time the summer between high school and university back in 1966, setting in motion a series of consequences that threatens their future and that of their friends and families. It’s a love story, dealing with real issues of the time, though I tried to steer away from homophobia as the main topic. I just think that’s been dealt with so often—and for good reason, because it was and continues to be a problem—but I didn’t want that to drive the story.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing the book while I worked for a computer software firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I was the receptionist and it was a small company so there wasn’t a whole lot for me to do, but they needed someone there when they needed someone there, so there I sat. And to pass the time, I wrote, as writers do.

How long did it take you to write it?

I don’t know how long it took me to write the first draft, but I refined it over the course of a few years. Not obsessively, of course. I’d go away and live life and come back and then go away and live more life and come back. It helped because each time I came back, I came back with a fresh perspective, because I’d had different experiences and wasn’t the same person.

Where did you get the idea from?

It wasn’t quite a broken heart, but a heart full of longing that spurred this book. It was post-college while I was in Ann Arbor and I had an unrequited crush on this boy I recognized from school and who worked at the Coach store in the Briarwood mall. I wrote him a letter and sent it off in the mail and he called me and was very sweet, but, of course, he had a boyfriend. I found a copy of the letter recently and was pleasantly surprised that it was quite eloquent and didn’t have a single error! That said, he had nothing to do with the actual story. I just took those feelings and channeled them into a story that was worlds away from him.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I don’t recall struggling with anything in particular, though I did rework the ending. It’s not dramatically different, but it’s much stronger as it is now. There’s punctuation with the ending I went with that gives it much more power than it had originally.

What came easily?

I remember going to this bar, the Nectarine Ballroom, in Ann Arbor one Friday night. I was nicely buzzed and I hit the dancefloor where I liked to groove to the music and marinate in my book, think about it, find inspiration, let the muses sing. Well, that Friday night I was at the Nectarine for maybe 20 minutes before the entire prologue downloaded into my head. We didn’t have smartphones then so I had to leave so I could get it all down before any of it got lost! So I went home and typed it all down and it hasn’t changed more than a couple of words since!

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

All of the characters are fictitious. I mean, authors draw on their lives and the people in them for their work, so all of the characters are me in some form, and friends and family likely inform some of them, but it is all unconscious!

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?

Scott Fitzgerald was a big influence on me. He pulled back the curtain on the privileged to show us that, though it may look otherwise from the outside, their lives are not perfect. I mean, they don’t have to worry about rent or health insurance, so they’re still several steps ahead of most of us, but at least they’re miserable, too! Seriously, though, to teenage me, living on a dirt road in Michigan, it was fascinating to read about the troubled world of those we envy. And I think that directly influenced Until September.

Do you have a target reader?

Until September is for an adult audience, though teenagers could absolutely read it and get something out of it, too. It’s not like I wasn’t reading adult novels when I was a teen myself. Those seeking a romance novel, though, will be disappointed, as this isn’t fluffy or safe. It’s not fantasy. Which isn’t to say romance readers might not like it, it’s just not a romance. Obviously it will skew LGBT, but I don’t think that just because the two lead characters are gay males that the audience can’t extend beyond that demographic. We read about people different from us all the time!

About Writing

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

I don’t really have a writing process. I just do it. I think it’s fun so that helps! (The editing and rewriting are fun, too!) The hardest part is just getting my ass in the chair. Once I’m there, I’m good to go for hours!

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

Honestly, inspiration strikes and I’m just off and running. So I don’t outline, but I do take notes as the story unfolds. My mind is always churning and taking notice of the world around me—inspiration is everywhere. And, of course, when I get to the second draft, I know exactly what I want and where I’m going, so I can then cut and streamline!

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

Being an editor by trade, I certainly find myself tweaking and adjusting the text as I go, but I mostly hold off until the second draft.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I did not hire an editor. I’m an editor myself, which doesn’t mean I’m going to be flawless at editing my own work, but I think because I labored on the book over the course of a number of years, my skills sharpened as I built my career and I could then apply them to Until September. I haven’t been called out on typos or inconsistencies so I think I’m in fairly good shape. I do hesitate to read any of the published text, though, because I’m afraid I’ll see an error!

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

I mostly listen to pop music when I’m writing. And by pop music, I mean country, rap, ballads, rock, just about anything that comes bite size, you know, four or so minutes. I use YouTube as my radio, so I create monthly playlists with 40–50 songs. I’m pretty easy when it comes to music, so I’m usually working on a playlist six months in advance, because they fill up so fast! Also, because I listen to so many genres, I’m exposed to a lot more music than people who listen to only a couple. That said, when I really need to focus, I turn on film scores. They’re dramatic and really set a scene. Favorites are The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hours, Requiem for a Dream, and Lolita (the Adrian Lyne version with music composed by Ennio Morricone).

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I sent my book off to a handful of agents but it takes so long to hear back and they often/usually don’t want you to submit to more than one of them at a time, so it’s like, if it’s going to take you eight months to get back to me with a “no,” then, no, I’m not sitting on my ass waiting for you. If you can guarantee an answer in a week, sure, I’ll wait to hear back before submitting to someone else. I get that they’re busy, but so are we, and tick-tock, life is short.

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

The waiting game with agents is what prompted me to self-publish and I’m thrilled with the result. I’ve sold more than 1,700 copies, gotten some rave reviews and fantastic coverage in the press, placed in some contests, and even gotten fan letters. If I’d waited to find an agent, I’d likely still be waiting to hear back … from one I submitted to in 2016.

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

I contracted a graphic designer off of Fiverr. She was fantastic. She was so fast and listened to my notes and understood what I intended by those notes, and the cover is exactly what I wanted. It absolutely relays the tone of the book.

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

Ha! Totally winging it. I wish I’d thought/known to research contests beforehand and also to set up an advertising campaign. I got my sea legs with both, though, and have learned a lot. It’s fairly easy to run a campaign on KDP and there are so many other options out there. You just have to figure out which ones work best for you.

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

Research contests and marketing plans! Many contests want books BEFORE they’re published and many will accept projects only if they’ve been published in the previous year. Make sure your book is in good shape in terms of the text. Not just the story you’re telling but spelling and punctuation. A good editor is critical. As is a good cover. So many self-published books scream “AMATEUR” simply because the cover is so poor. It doesn’t cost much to get a professional cover and it’s worth the investment. It takes a lot of time, effort and energy to make a book a success (whatever you deem success to be), so you have to be in it for the long haul.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up at a lake outside Manchester, Michigan. Manchester is so small it does not, to this day, have a traffic light. The major intersection in town is a 4-way stop. It was a lovely way to grow up, though I didn’t appreciate it enough at the time!

Where do you live now?

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for the past 20 years. I always knew when I was growing up at that lake in Michigan that this was where I was supposed to be. It felt familiar the first time I drove in. And it’s been home ever since. Of all the places I’ve been in the world (which is a fair amount but nowhere near as many as it’s going to be when all is said and done!), LA is by far my favorite!

What would you like readers to know about you?

Like everyone I have a lot of facets and interests, so my projects are varied. When I get letters about Until September wondering what I’m working on next, I think, “Well, I wrote a slasher movie.… And a children’s book.… And a sassy satire about the entertainment industry.” They’re vastly different from the dark love story Until September is, but they’re all part of me!

What are you working on now?

I’m focused on screenwriting almost exclusively at this point. I’ve had two very successful short thrillers that have won some awards and placed in some contests. I’ve finished nine feature scripts (five of which are pretty good!) and am in the process of pitching them to managers. I’ve also written three children’s books and am seeking representation or a publishing house for those. And I’ve been dabbling in poetry (six have been accepted for publication already!) and songwriting (just the lyrics—I know what my strengths are and they do not include music composition). Also, my first book, which I wrote when I was 17, a slasher-whodunit, I turned it into a feature script that is getting lots of positive reaction, so I’m thinking of turning the screenplay into a novel. When I adapted it into a script from the original text, it took on a life of its own, the characters becoming so much richer, so I think it will make an even better novel now than it did when I first wrote it!

End of Interview:

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Get your copy of Until September from Amazon US or Amazon UK.