Here's little on My Sweet Saga to get you warmed up for the Interview!
"At nearly 30 years old, Brandon is barely able to make it through life, much less enjoy it. He is weeks away from what should be one of the happiest days of his life, his wedding day to his fiancée, Clarissa, but his attention is distracted when his estranged, erratic and oddly eccentric father suddenly reappears with a bizarre demand: to accompany him to Stockholm, Sweden, where they will meet a man who he claims will change their lives. Desperate for even a brief escape from his reality, Brandon reluctantly goes with his father, ready for a disaster. But his life changes completely the moment his eyes meet the mysterious Swedish man's daughter, Saga. On a cobblestone street in the middle of Stockholm, Brandon reawakens to life, though struggles to navigate the messy love triangle with Saga and his fiancée, which includes multiple arrests, hospital stays, terrorist bombs, acts of heroism and foolishness, family secrets and even a bit of public nudity." ~Goodreads
Brett Sills : I'm a born and raised New Yorker, who now resides in Los Angeles, that spends his days trying not to get nauseous from all the ups and downs of his writing career. I'm a pretty laid back guy who generally fails in his many attempts to try to keep things simple, but I have definitely learned to love the hustle of the everyday!
My Sweet Saga is probably the most important thing in the world to me. It's my love letter to Sweden, to one of the best weeks of my life, to mystery, and to possibility. You just have to get past the crude jokes and swear words to see it.
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| Statue in Stockholm (yours truly) |
Brett : The thing I enjoyed most was the opportunity to visit Stockholm again, even if only through my imagination and memory. I know that sounds a little demented, but I was going through a tough period in my life and used the book as a crutch and a way to slip into a fantasy that I preferred to my own reality. Without giving anything away, I think the last scene was one of the most enjoyable to write because it gave me a sense, personally, that a chapter of my life was closing, but an exciting one was also beginning.
Niina : On Facebook you describe your book as Lad-Lit... Haha! what is Lad-Lit?
Brett : Haha, you know, I hadn't heard the term either until after I wrote the book. A publisher tagged it as that while explaining why they wouldn't be able to sell it. Apparently lad-lit is like chick-lit for guys, and generally features a first person, slightly selfish, omega-male narrator. Who knew it had an entire sub-genre!
Niina : Hah, hadn't heard of that either! Now my readers are mainly paranormal romance or young adult readers, how would you do in writing in either genre? Have you thought of straying from Lad-Lit/Comedy?
Brett : I think your readers might hate any attempt I make at paranormal romance, but I do have an idea for a dystopian young adult book. I was totally inspired by The Hunger Games and think I have a story like that in me. It would be a completely different tone from My Sweet Saga, and I think it would be good to try something new.
Niina : Which character in your book became your favorite?
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| Old Town Stockholm (yours truly) |
Niina : What about your lead character makes you go, "oh don't do that!"?
Brett : Haha a lot of him. I think, at least at the beginning, Brandon's life is everything I fear mine will become. I hope I never get pushed around to the point where I'm completely apathetic!
Niina : Were any of the characters/events based on real life characters/events?
Brett : Pretty much all of them were inspired by people in my life. The entire story was actually inspired by a random trip to Stockholm that was intended to distract me from a rough period of my life. On the way there, I met a girl who would become the inspiration for Saga and, though I never saw her again, I wondered what may have happened had I spent an entire day with her in Stockholm.
Niina : Now little about how you write... What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Brett : I take frequent breaks where I just toss an American football to myself. It helps my thought process, and I do miss it when I'm writing in a public space. Do you think people would care if I tossed a football to myself in the middle of a café? Hmmm, maybe I should try...
Niina : Yeah, you can just say "I'm an author, it's all fine, we are eccentric." ;) Now, what is the biggest "no-no" when it comes to writing for you?
Brett : To separate myself from a first draft of a story for any time longer than a week. If I do that, it kills my momentum and I never pick it up again.
Niina : How do you write, chapter here and there or follow from beginning to an end?
Brett : With this novel, I just started at the beginning and wrote it linear. I didn't have the whole story planned out when I began, so it developed as I went along. Though when it comes to screenwriting, I always go into the writing process with the entire story mapped out, so sometimes I'll skip around then.
Niina : What's the worst advice for writers you've received?
Brett : To not take non-constructive writing criticism personally. There's nothing more personal than writing and the minute you don't see it as such, it becomes boring.
Niina : And now before we say goodbye here's some Quick Fire Questions:
Coffee or tea? Nothing can replace coffee! NOTHING
Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Milk.
Cake or donuts? Cake. Cheesecake. You're making me hungry.
Rocks or flowers? I like flowers surrounded by rocks.
Night or day? Good question. If I'm active, day. If I'm relaxing, night.
Brunettes or Blonds? I like em both
Romance or erotica? Romance.
Women: Opinionated or wallflowers? Opinionated and talkative!
Beer or Wine? I actually don't drink.
Delivered pizza or Restaurant? Restaurant. Going out to eat is probably my favorite activity.
Movies: Romantic comedy or Horror? Romcom.
Halloween or Midsummer? We don't celebrate Midsummer in the states! Though I was in Sweden for this past midsummer... but still, I like Halloween.
Times New Roman or Courtier? Can I say Arial?
Crayons or markers? Hmm Crayons
Pens or pencils? Pens for sure
Books or e-books? Still like the books.
Kids or pets? Pets for now. Ask me again in a few years.
Niina : Thanks for visiting the For The Love of Reading, Brett!
Brett : Thanks for having me, Niina. This was fun!
About the Author:
Brett Sills is a multi-optioned screenwriter, freelance ad writer with his first feature film scheduled to shoot this winter in Ontario, Canada.
Brett Sills is a multi-optioned screenwriter, freelance ad writer with his first feature film scheduled to shoot this winter in Ontario, Canada.
He earned a degree in English from Reed College in 2001, and has been trying to use it to the best of his abilities ever since.
My Sweet Saga is his first novel.
