Today I’m pleased to welcome author Brenda Rufener to the blog. I hope you enjoy getting to meet Brenda and don’t forget to check out her debut novel, Where I Live.
1. What made you decide to start writing?
Hello, and thank you for having me on your site. I started writing at a young age, but the spark ignited in elementary school when my fifth-grade teacher said, “Guess what? You’re all going to write a short story!” In a terrifying turn of events, my teacher submitted our stories for a contest and I ended up winning the grand prize. Thanks, Mr. Keefer! From there, I majored in English in college, became a boring technical writer, and as they say, the rest is history.
2. In your adventures in Oregon in search of bats, caves, and Bigfoot, did you find anything that inspired your writing?
My debut young adult novel, Where I Live, is set in a fictional town in central eastern Oregon–similar to the town where I grew up. While I don’t mention the bats, caves, or Bigfoot in my novel, the High Desert Pacific Northwest landscape does find its way onto the pages.
My adventures in Oregon always involved friends. Inseparable, joined at the hip kind of friends. Friendship is a major part of Where I Live. Linden, the book’s main character, creates a makeshift family among her friends.
3. In college you double majored in English and biology, do you find that your major in English has helped your writing? What about your major in biology?
I think the single creative writing course I took helped my writing more than either of my majors. That course taught me to be brave and write from the heart. But my English degree ignited a love and appreciation of literature and poetry, and studying biology took me to Sweden where I spent a summer researching bees. I think the bees may find their way into a book someday.
4. Your debut novel, Where I Live, is about a homeless teenager who secretly lives in the halls of her high school. Is there anything else you can tell us about the story? Anything at all? 🙂
Absolutely. Here’s a little snippet from the publisher:
From debut author Brenda Rufener comes a heart-wrenching and evocative story perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, Girl in Pieces, and All the Bright Places.
Linden Rose has a big secret–she is homeless and living in the halls of her small-town high school. Her position as school blog editor, her best friends, Ham and Seung, and the promise of a future far away are what keep Linden under the radar and moving forward.
But when cool-girl Bea comes to school with a bloody lip, the damage hits too close to home. Linden begins looking at Bea’s life, and soon her investigation prompts people to pay more attention. And attention is the last thing she needs.
Linden knows the only way to put a stop to the violence is to tell Bea’s story and come to terms with her own painful past. Even if that means breaking her rules for survival and jeopardizing the secrets she’s worked so hard to keep.
5. What is it like to be pre-published? Are you nervous/excited about your upcoming release?
The pre-pub journey is a mix of excitement and panic, but working on the next book and the book after that helps keep you grounded and focused on what’s truly important–writing! Author friends, those ahead of me on the journey and those traveling alongside, have made the experience incredible. If you can, go out and get author friends! They’re simply the best.
6. If you could make everyone read one book and one book only by an author other than yourself, what book would it be and why?
An impossible question to answer, considering so many amazing books have been published! I could go the easy route and suggest Harry Potter because seriously! But in recent years, I’ve discovered Celeste Ng, and her books are now on auto-buy. I recommend her debut, Everything I Never Told You, to everyone I meet. It’s a heart-breaking journey about a family facing the unthinkable and explores everything from broken relationships to interracial marriage. Plus the book has amazing YA and adult crossover appeal, which is another reason why I’m drawn to the pages.
7. What is the best advice you would give to young writers?
Read everything you can get your hands on. Read stories different from those you write or those you think you want to write. Memoirs and poetry and the Modern Love section of the New York Times. Read all the words.
About the Author:
Brenda Rufener is a technical writer turned novelist who spent her childhood stomping through the woods of Oregon in search of bat-filled caves and Bigfoot. She successfully located one of the two and spent the rest of her time penciling short stories. A double major in English and biology, Brenda graduated from Whitman College. She lives in North Carolina with her family and is an advocate for homeless youth.
Visit her online on Twitter @BrendaKRufener, on Instagram @brendarufener, and on her website at brendarufener.com.
About the Book:
From debut author Brenda Rufener comes a heart-wrenching and evocative story perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, Girl in Pieces, and All the Bright Places.
Linden Rose has a big secret–she is homeless and living in the halls of her small-town high school. Her position as school blog editor, her best friends, Ham and Seung, and the promise of a future far away are what keep Linden under the radar and moving forward.
But when cool-girl Bea comes to school with a bloody lip, the damage hits too close to home. Linden begins looking at Bea’s life, and soon her investigation prompts people to pay more attention. And attention is the last thing she needs.
Linden knows the only way to put a stop to the violence is to tell Bea’s story and come to terms with her own painful past. Even if that means breaking her rules for survival and jeopardizing the secrets she’s worked so hard to keep.
PRAISE
“Where I Live is hard-hitting and real and filled with hope. It makes you want to find your voice, find your people, and tell your story.” – Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe
“A touching and timely look at a girl on the brink of disappearing. Rufener writes compassionately about homelessness, teen dating abuse, and the search for home.” – Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces
“Where I Live tempers the precarious existence of homelessness with the saving grace of friendship. A poignant, hopeful and unvarnished story of courage and resilience.” – Kerry Kletter, critically acclaimed author of The First Time She Drowned
“A powerful, stirring debut, Where I Live, takes us on a journey into a hidden world that exists all around us–exploring homelessness, poverty, love, and grief with insight, sensitivity, and most of all, hope.” – Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of The Way I Used to Be and The Last To Let Go
“A compelling and deeply felt debut, Where I Live is an unflinching portrayal of homelessness, abuse, and love. Linden’s story grabbed me and didn’t let me go.”- Carlie Sorosiak, author of If Birds Fly Back and Wild Blue Wonder
“Readers will empathize with Linden’s matter-of-fact attitude and bravery. VERDICT: Fans of Jennifer Niven and Nicola Yoon will enjoy this realistic debut novel, which brings to light heavy topics of homelessness and abuse.” – School Library Journal
