Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Everly Scott loves Italian food, yummy candles, and love stories. She recently made the switch from teaching college writing to hogging all of the writing time for herself. Sugar & Other Luxuries is her debut romantic comedy. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out on Twitter, Instagram, and her website, or learning how to powerlift, kind of.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Sugar & Other Luxuries is a romantic comedy that tells the story of a twenty-something struggling with self-love while looking for true love. It was inspired by the stories of all of the women I know and love who have had a difficult time loving themselves and their bodies in a city (and society) that expects perfection at any cost. I was tired of the rise of the notion that the only way to be a strong female character was to have no flaws, and feel like superwoman every second of the day. I wanted to tell a story about a woman who had struggles similar to the ones I heard when sitting around a dinner table with my best friends. I wanted a story that was reflected the challenges of the social media, selfie stick, photo editing, app-obsessed culture we live in. I wanted to create a character who struggled to live in that world, because let’s be honest: the set up doesn’t work well for everyone. Especially women in their twenties who simply don’t fit into any of the expected molds. I had to give them a voice. Not everything is perfect. We aren’t always going to love everything about ourselves all the time even if we want to. And sometimes that has to be okay.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write at night with candles. Maybe it’s cheesy, maybe it helps me get in the zone, maybe it’s a little of both.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many authors have influenced me. From Aimee Bender, Junot Diaz, Denis Johnson, and Toni Morrison to Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella, and Colleen Hoover to the amazing Shonda Rhimes and the many TV writers who create the fictional worlds I’m obsessed with on the small screen- I have a wide range of taste in storytelling and in writing in general (I’ve been known to have a massive collection of non-fiction works as well – shout out to Cheryl Strayed!). I think the main thing I love is when a story pulls me into the mind of another person and I get to see the world through their eyes. It’s one of the best feelings in the world to me.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a couple of different projects – one vastly different from anything I’ve ever written before. I’m waiting to see which of the projects begins to take over my mind so much that it completely pushes the others out. There will be steamy, romantic, hilarious moments in all of the projects, so… there’s that! 🙂
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still working to figure this out. I’ve been very active on Instagram. For some reason, that aspect of social media is the most appealing to me. And the community on there has been so welcoming and special to me in the past month. I’m really thankful for them. Other than that, I’ve dabbled in a little of everything. Facebook, Twitter, blog tours, Goodreads, email lists, my website… I’m covering as many bases as I can until I find the one that helps me connect with readers in the most productive way.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m not sure that I’m in the place to provide any advice to new authors, being that I’m brand new myself. But if anyone out there cared to know what I’ve learned so far on my own journey… The biggest thing I’ve come to know is that I can only write what I feel called to write. If the story comes to me, and I try to move it away from itself in order to turn it into what I think readers will want, I’ve already lost. My main goal is to tell the story and let the tiny trails of hope in the narrative find the readers their meant to inspire. That was my long winded way of saying, just do the work you’re called to do.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
All you can do is your best work. Because at the end of the day that is all that matters. The criticisms, the analysis, the opportunities, the failures… they don’t matter. They will come and go. People will change their minds. People will disagree. If you can honestly say you did your best work with the information and abilities you possessed in that moment, then you are on the right path I think!
What are you reading now?
Right now, I’m rereading Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More novels! More blog posts! Perhaps a Youtube channel… The opportunities are endless and I’m so excited to share my stories with anyone who will listen.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Aimee Bender’s The Girl in the Flammable Skirt; Toni Morrison’s Sula; Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed; Cheryl Strayed’s Wild
Author Websites and Profiles
Everly Scott Website
Everly Scott Amazon Profile
Everly Scott’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account