1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Imagine if “New Girl” had been written by Sally Rooney: all the fun shenanigans of a girl living with three boys, but a much darker, more psychological tale with a fair bit of spice.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I decided on New York because that was where I began recovery from my eating disorders, which is a huge part of the main character’s story. Then, I chose Budapest as the second location because I wanted us to see the MMC, Adrian, in his home country.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Definitely! Though it might feel a bit liking hanging out with myself, given how similar our psychological profiles are… which maybe would feel strange?
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Compassionate, troubled, resilient.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
How much time do you have? I wrote this while in recovery, which means that my main character and I were having realizations about our bodies, diets, and mental health at exactly the same time. More than anything, I think I internalized the value of self-compassion and cutting one’s self a break.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I usually bang out a full first draft before going back in to do edits. That often means the first draft is crap, but I truly enjoy the process of editing. I like going in and turning the mess into something beautiful.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Ohhh, my horizons have expanded so much since I finally got into recovery! I’m finally able to eat all the foods I loved as a kid. Honestly, chicken nuggets are probably my favorite.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
My fiance and I recently moved to Chicago, where we found a lovely two-bedroom apartment that sits practically on top of the El train. I write in the guest bedroom, where I put in a desk covered in all my favorite things: candles, flowers, books, an art print, and an extra monitor so I don’t have to squint at my laptop screen. Also: a comfy chair. Comfy chairs are crucial.
10–Who is an author you admire?
Sally Rooney! I wish I could sit down and have a beer with her. She’s my idol.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
Normal People, again from Sally Rooney. It was the first time I read a character (Marianne) that reflected my own mental health and self-esteem issues back to myself, and it was done in such a gorgeous, compassionate way. It felt like seeing my soul outside my body.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I will never forget it. I was at my parents’ house in the suburbs. My fiancé (then boyfriend) sat in an armchair while I paced anxiously around the living room, waiting for my agent to call me. He has a video of me just going in circles around my parents’ green couch. When she finally called and I heard that Berkley wanted to acquire the book, I started to jump up and down and scream. So did my mom. Lol.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
Books that make me cry and books that make me swoon. If they can do both, even better.
14–What’s your favorite movie?
The movie Star Trek with Chris Pine will always hold a special place in my heart. It was one of the first times I fell in love with storytelling and with fantasy/sci-fi.
15–What is your favorite season?
Fall. I’m in heaven right now. October in Chicago is AMAZING.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
With the people I love most, my favorite food, and a glass or two of wine.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
In 2018, one of my friends recommended the comedy podcast Seek Treatment, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. The hosts, Catherine Cohen and Pat Regan, are not only hilarious but also incredibly open about their mental health. Laughter is my favorite medicine, and listening to their conversations makes me feel so much less alone.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Depends on the night, but I’d say Italian or Thai.
19–What do you do when you have free time?
Usually sit around and be anxious. Kidding (sort of), my favorite downtime activities are reading, playing with my dog, annoying my fiance, and going to the occasional adult gymnastics class. I was a gymnast growing up and I still love to flip to this day.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
Next year, I’m releasing a book called How to Hide in Plain Sight, about a girl with a type of OCD that most people don’t even know exists. She’s been avoiding her family for three years, but an extravagant wedding on a private island brings her back into their orbit—and the orbit of her former best friend, who she might still be in love with.
GUY’S GIRL by Emma Noyes
The boy who couldn’t love and the girl who wouldn’t.
Ginny Murphy is a total guy’s girl. She’s always found friendships with boys easier to form and keep drama-free – as long as they don’t fall for her, and she doesn’t fall for them. She and her best guy friends have stuck to that. But then she meets Adrian Silvas, the only one who’s ever made her crave more, and Ginny begins to question her own rules.
Piece by piece, Ginny and Adrian begin to fall into something intoxicating, something dangerous. Ginny threatens to destroy the belief Adrian’s held ever since witnessing his own mother’s heartbreak: that love isn’t worth the risk. For Ginny, the stakes could be even higher. Letting Adrian get close could mean exposing a secret she’s long protected: her disordered eating.
Ginny isn’t looking to be saved by someone. But maybe she and Adrian can help each other – if they don’t destroy each other first.
Heartfelt and evocative, Guy’s Girl is a powerful story about true love, self-love, and growing up.
Thriller Psychological | Coming of Age [Berkley, On Sale: October 24, 2023, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593639009 / eISBN: 9780593639016]
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About Emma Noyes
Emma Noyes told her mother she wanted to be an author when she was six. She grew up in a suburb outside Chicago and attended Harvard University, where she studied history & literature. She started her career at a beer company, but left because she wanted to write about mermaids and witches—eventually publishing her first YA fantasy series, The Sunken City. She now lives in Chicago with her Swedish fiancé and miniature Pomeranian. GUY’S GIRL is her adult debut.
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