Deb Joanne’s Launch Week Continues With The Inevitable Question…Can You Say Sequel??

In case you didn’t get this from Molly or Erika’s posts, let me put it plainly: SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE is awesome. It is such a fun read, and the afternoon I spent reading it (because yes, I read it in one afternoon… it’s that kind of “just one more page!” story) was one of those times I can’t believe I get to call what I do “work.” Lilah is the kind of girl I’d totally want to be friends with, as are some of her ghosts. I mean, can you think of anything better than having a legendary fashion guru at your fingertips?

I liked SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE so much that of course I couldn’t limit myself to only one question for Deb Joanne…

The storyline of Small Medium at Large is so much fun, but also complex. I’m wondering how the story was formulated: Did the whole thing come to you in a flash one day, while you were driving down the street, or in the shower or something? Or did it slowly evolve over time? And if the latter, which part came to you first? The title is so clever that I could even see someone coming up with that and building a story from there…

Also, have you given any thought to turning this into a series?? I’d love to follow Lilah’s adventures!

I actually did start out with the title that was in my head one morning when I woke up. It nagged at me for about a year until I realized I had to write the book or it would haunt (ha!) me for the rest of my life. That said, when I did write it, it was actually a YA book, complete with some jokes that were really inappropriate for a MG audience (starting off with her lightning strike coming just as she’s kissing her new brother…er…stepbrother). After a wise editor suggested I rewrite it as a MG {see more on this YA-to-MG evolution in Deb Molly’s post}, I cleaned it up and added in a lot of stuff to make the plot and jokes better for the intended age group. So, in the end, the book it is today was kind of a Frankenstein project as I knitted together scenes and characters from the original with a lot of new material. It was not an organic process at all.

As for your series question, yes, I’ve given it a lot of thought and do hope to continue with Lilah’s adventures! Of course, publishing being what it is, it’s not entirely up to me if we proceed with that, so although I’d love to, there’s no official word on that just yet. BUT, you are actually the second person to ask me that within the last 24 hours, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign! {I’m hoping so too! You’d definitely have one series devotee in me!}

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It’s officially summer reading season, and I can’t recommend a seasonal read more highly than SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE. Pick up your copy today… Or leave a comment below and be entered to win a signed copy of SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE! Today’s question: Have you ever come up with an entire story inspired by an awesome title? 

 

5 Replies to “Deb Joanne’s Launch Week Continues With The Inevitable Question…Can You Say Sequel??”

  1. A series! Yes! Rachel, I’m with you– I would LOVE to keep following Lilah’s adventures as well as those of her friends and family, ESPECIALLY those ghosts! Your fans await your answer, Joanne!

  2. Count me among the readers clamoring for a series! That’s a brilliant idea. I’m sure Lilah has plenty more stories in her, and I’d love to read them. 🙂

  3. Thank you so much, Rachel! I was at a bookstore signing stock yesterday and the people were asking me about a sequel also, so I’m hoping all the questions are a sign that there’s an appetite for it. I’d love to revisit Lilah and her grandmother. There’s so much potential for fun there.

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