I’m so excited to share the release of a new YA skating novel, Every Reason We Shouldn’t, by Sara Fujimura. The daughter of famous Olympians, Olivia Kennedy is trying to enjoy life as a normal teen after her own Olympic dreams have ended. Speed skater Jonah Choi’s arrival at her family’s struggling rink upends all that. He’s driven, talented, and gorgeous - but will the rivalry that develops between them bring them closer or drive them apart?
Check out the cover below, isn’t it fun?
Check out the cover below, isn’t it fun?
There aren’t a ton of novels featuring speed skaters and I’ve been in love with the novelty of that since Sara first pitched her book idea to me. Her roller derby additions bring an extra element of fun to this book as well. In addition to loving the story and characters, this novel holds a special place in my heart because I had the opportunity to advise Sara on the skating scenes.
As an author, one of the parts I love about story creation is collaborating. People tend to think of novel writing as a solitary endeavor - but there’s a reason that authors often need a few pages for acknowledgements. When I was writing The Boy Next Door, many of my writer friends served as beta readers. My synchro teammates helped me hash out subplots over team breakfasts, a fellow skating club mate learned some pair moves with me, and a judge friend helped with technicalities. It really does take a village to write a book.
When Sara reached out to me to look over the skating scenes, I was thrilled to be part of her book’s village. Since Every Reason We Shouldn’t is about both a figure skater and a speed skater, one of my synchro teammates who also speedskates connected us to the West Michigan Speedskating Club. With four minds working together, we were able to come up with a super signature move for Olivia and Jonah. Hint: think about how speed skaters look as they skate around the end curves...
I know a lot of my skating village friends are currently mourning the loss of their competitive seasons with the coronavirus pandemic closing many US rinks. If you’re stuck at home, this book is like a fresh breath of icy rink air. Bonus: it’s also available through Audible so you can listen and do off-ice workouts at the same time.
As an author, one of the parts I love about story creation is collaborating. People tend to think of novel writing as a solitary endeavor - but there’s a reason that authors often need a few pages for acknowledgements. When I was writing The Boy Next Door, many of my writer friends served as beta readers. My synchro teammates helped me hash out subplots over team breakfasts, a fellow skating club mate learned some pair moves with me, and a judge friend helped with technicalities. It really does take a village to write a book.
When Sara reached out to me to look over the skating scenes, I was thrilled to be part of her book’s village. Since Every Reason We Shouldn’t is about both a figure skater and a speed skater, one of my synchro teammates who also speedskates connected us to the West Michigan Speedskating Club. With four minds working together, we were able to come up with a super signature move for Olivia and Jonah. Hint: think about how speed skaters look as they skate around the end curves...
I know a lot of my skating village friends are currently mourning the loss of their competitive seasons with the coronavirus pandemic closing many US rinks. If you’re stuck at home, this book is like a fresh breath of icy rink air. Bonus: it’s also available through Audible so you can listen and do off-ice workouts at the same time.
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