Happy Thursday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for THE PEOPLE WE CHOOSE! I’m so excited because today I have an interview with Katelyn Detweiler to share with you! This book is truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about it!
The People We Choose by Katelyn Detweiler Published on May 4, 2021 by Margaret Ferguson Books
Genres: Contemporary, YA
Pages: 304
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When Calliope Silversmith meets her new neighbor Max, their chemistry is instantaneous, but the revelation of her biological father's identity throws her whole life into disarray.
Calliope Silversmith has always had just two friends in her small Pennsylvania town, Ginger and Noah, and she's fine with that. She's never wanted anything more than her best friends, her moms, their house in the woods, and their family-run yoga studio--except maybe knowing who her sperm donor is. Her curiosity has been building for years, and she can finally find out this summer when she turns eighteen.
But when Max and his family move into the sad old house across the woods from Calliope, she realizes it's nice to get to know someone new, so nice that she decides to break her no dating rule. The stability of her longtime trio wavers as she and Max start to spend more and more time together.
When Calliope finally finds out who her sperm donor is, she learns a truth more shocking and unfathomable than she could have ever dreamed: her donor is Max's father. How is this even possible? As she and Max struggle to redefine their friendship, Calliope realizes that she can turn a horrific situation into something positive by recognizing and accepting that family is both the one we are born into and the one we choose to make.
Congratulations on your new book! What was your inspiration for The People We Choose?
Oh, thank you so much! This idea has been simmering quietly along the edges of my mind for years, as I puzzled through the best, most appropriate way to tell it. But my hope for this story has always been to explore the concept of “family” and the ways that love and genetics are tied together—or not tied together. Who we love, why we love them, and the differences between romantic love, friendship love, and family love—where they intersect, and where they very much divide.
What are you hoping readers take away from your story?
Family isn’t always about the group of people we’re assigned to at random based on birth and shared DNA—it’s the family we choose for ourselves as we live and grow and discover who we really want to be. It’s about finding our people, and the deep sense of connection that has nothing to do with shared blood.
What was your favorite part of writing The People We Choose?
Discovering characters as I go is always a favorite, but I also had the best time building the setting. My main character Calliope Silversmith’s small PA town is very of the place where I grew up, including the old house she shares with her moms in the heart of the woods. Writing a story that takes place there, a wild green space in the throes of summer—the sounds of nature, the smells, the feel, all of it—was so magical and transportive. I felt like I was living in a permanent summer world from my childhood while I was writing and revising.
What is something your publishing journey has taught you?
From working on both sides of the industry—as author and literary agent—the biggest lesson is: PATIENCE. Really. So much of it. Endless amounts. That’s part of the fun of it all, too, though. You never know when good news might land in your inbox and change your day/week/year/life!
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Read! As much as possible, as widely as possible—all different voices, cultures, styles, genres. Know your audience, and what you want your story to add to the larger conversation. It’s also important, though, to write what you love and what excites you personally, because your story should first and foremost be for you and the joy that the process brings. Publishing has many highs and lows, and if you set out to write solely for fame and fortune, you’re likely to burn out before the real journey even begins.
About Katelyn Detweiler
Katelyn Detweiler was born and raised in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania, living in a centuries-old farmhouse surrounded by fields and woods. She spent the vast majority of childhood with her nose in a book or creating make-believe worlds with friends, daydreaming about how she could turn those interests into an actual paying career. After graduating from Penn State University with a B.A. in English Literature, emphasis in Creative Writing and Women’s Studies, she packed her bags and made the move to New York City, determined to break into the world of publishing. She worked for two years in the marketing department of Macmillan Children’s Group before moving in 2010 to the agency side of the business at Jill Grinberg Literary, where she is currently a literary agent representing books for all ages and across all genres.
Katelyn lives in a cozy Brooklyn apartment with her husband Danny and her son Alfie, surrounded by stacks of books and records and diapers. When she’s not reading or writing or taking care of a tiny human, Katelyn enjoys yoga, fancy beverages, and road trips. She frequently treks back to her hometown in Pennsylvania, a lovely green escape from life in the city, and her favorite place to write.
What do you think about The People We Choose? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
Congrats to Katelyn on her book. It sounds fantastic. And I so agree with her that families can be those we choose for ourselves. Can’t wait to read her book. Natalie @ Literary Rambles