Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2023, are given six questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Alisha Emrich and can offer your support. Go here for past Debut You features.
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Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.
If I had to describe myself in five words, I would say creative, intuitive, quirky, intelligent, and humorous.
To expound on humorous, I feel like I’ve always had a knack for making people laugh. If I’m speaking with someone on the phone and they’re down about something, I know for sure that before they get off the call, I’ll have made them laugh. Laughter truly is the best medicine.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
NerdCrush was an idea I had for a while, but I didn’t start making concrete plans (like giving my protagonist a name) until 2019. That was also when I enrolled in Southern New Hampshire University’s online MFA program, so NerdCrush turned into my thesis project. All in all, I’d say it took me from 2019 until 2021 to write a draft that was polished enough to be sent out to agents. Once I graduated from the program in February 2021, I began querying and got an offer from an agent the following month. My agent got me a book deal in May 2021.
Belief in oneself is important; besides you, who has been your cheerleader(s) throughout this process?
My family has always been my biggest source of support. My parents, older sister, husband, and daughter were my biggest cheerleaders during this journey.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
I know that the audience I’m writing for consists of people who are just figuring out who they are and who they want to be. They’re experiencing some of the most intense and memorable times in their lives. I really hope they see some of those experiences reflected in the characters I write and can relate to and find comfort in the situations my characters face and overcome.
Tell us about your book.
NerdCrush is about Ramona Lambert, a shy, artistic sixteen-year-old who loves to cosplay, dreams of attending art school, and has a huge crush on a guy she feels is unattainable. Her originally created character, Rel, gives her the courage to approach him, and while they hit it off, things become tricky when Ramona develops a friendship with Caleb in real life. She eventually has to decide if she’ll be brave enough to step out of Rel’s shadow and trust that Caleb will like her for who she really is. It’s a book full of nerdiness, humor, and love.
YOU did it, congratulations! Your story is going to be read by children or teens, educators, parents, librarians, book bloggers, etc. How do you feel, and are there any other projects in the works—that you can discuss?
I feel elated. Being an author has been a dream of mine since I was in the third grade, and sometimes it still doesn’t feel real that I now get to live out that dream. I am so very grateful and happy to be able to share the stories that I write with readers everywhere. And yes! I am currently working on a new novel, but I can’t say too much about it yet.
Nerdcrush
Alisha Emrich | Running Press Kids | February 7, 2023 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop
Alisha Emrich had always wanted to be a writer since the third grade when she won a poetry contest for a considerably bad, if amusing, poem about her baby doll. Her writing skills have improved since then. She has always loved stories of all kinds, especially ones where the nerdy girl gets the cute guy. She holds a BA in English from Armstrong Atlantic University, an MA in English, and an MA in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University, where she has just completed her MFA in Young Adult fiction. Alisha lives in Richmond Hill, Georgia, with her family, where she is at work on her next novel.
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