Hello Bookworms, I had the utmost pleasure of being able to interview Alex Light for today’s post! The author of The Upside of Falling(she also lives in Toronto – Canadians unite🥰) Alex spoke about her unique journey of writing on Wattpad to publishing her first book! Keep reading to get inside information on Alex’s writing process, what music she listens to while writing, and my favourite part – her beloved cookie recipe(I cannot WAIT to make them💙).
Erin : In terms of your book, The Upside of Falling, how did you get your inspiration?
Alex : Back in 2016, I had this very strange dream that was, essentially, about me needing a fake date for a wedding I was attending. I remember that even days later, I couldn’t seem to forget it. That’s when I got the general idea for TUOF and started writing it from there!
Erin : What was the highlight of writing this book?
Alex : The highlight of writing TUOF were all the little moments, like meeting my amazing editor for the first time, and seeing the first draft of the cover art (which I love so much!). The feeling of relief and accomplishment after submitting the final draft, and, of course, the moment of seeing it in book stores for the first time!
Erin : What is the significance of the title?
Alex : In TUOF, Becca has a very negative view of love. She’s extremely pessimistic, whereas Brett is the opposite. The title simply is an ode to how Becca has spent her entire life fearing falling in love until she met Brett, who managed to show her the upsides to it. The title really just embodies her outlook on love and how it begins to change throughout the book.
Erin : Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?
Alex : Yes, all the time! I tend to listen to slow, love songs when I write. I listened to a lot of Adele while writing TUOF, specifically her song When We Were Young (probably my most played). Some other songs I listened to are: Collide by Howie Day, All Too Well by Taylor Swift, Lights Down Low by MAX, and You and Me by Lifehouse.
Erin : Could you explain the process of finding your agent, seeing your book and finding a publisher? How was the transition of writing for Wattpad to then publishing?
Alex : 5. Being an author that originated on Wattpad, my publishing journey was a bit different than most, actually. I didn’t seek out an agent or a publisher. Instead, the incredible team at Wattpad had a partnership with HarperCollins, and sent them the manuscript for TUOF. From there, HarperCollins decided they wanted to publish it and offered me a book deal! To be honest, I didn’t play much of a role in the entire process. I have the people at Wattpad to thank for that!
Erin : Are you working on any projects at the moment, or do you have any plans for future books?
Alex : All I can say is: Yes! That’s all for now, hehe.
Erin : Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?
Alex : Yes, yours! 🙂 (this is Erin, and I just want to say thank you so much Alex you are too sweet!)
Erin : Favourite book when you were a kid?
Alex : When I was a teen (and still now), my favourite book was All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. But the book that originally got me obsessed with reading was Thrill Ride by Rachel Hawthorne.
Erin : And here’s a final fun question, can you share a link to a recipe you love?
Alex : My favourite cookie recipe! (Tip: swap out the mini eggs for whatever you like!) https://www.chatelaine.com/recipe/desserts/mini-egg-cookies/
Alex Light began writing as a teenager in the online communities of Episode Interactive and Wattpad. She has written dozens of love stories, accumulating over 100 million reads online. With a BA in English Literature, she has the perfect excuse to read too many books, when she isn’t busy writing her own. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her dog, two cats, and a never-ending love for winter. The Upside of Falling is her first published novel.
Visit her online at http://www.wattpad.com/user/alexlightstories
Summary: It’s been years since seventeen-year-old Becca Hart believed in true love. But when her former best friend teases her for not having a boyfriend, Becca impulsively pretends she’s been secretly seeing someone.
Brett Wells has it all. Being captain of the football team and one of the most popular guys in school, he should have no problem finding someone to date, but he’s always been more focused on his future than who to bring to prom. When he overhears Becca’s lie, Brett decides to step in and be her mystery guy. It’s the perfect solution: he gets people off his back for not dating and she can keep up the ruse.
Acting like the perfect couple isn’t easy though, especially when you barely know the other person. But with Becca still picking up the pieces from when her world was blown apart years ago and Brett just barely holding his together now, they begin to realize they have more in common than they ever could have imagined. When the line between real and pretend begins to blur, they are forced to answer the question: is this fake romance the realest thing in either of their lives?
Reading On A Star 
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