Switchback By Danika Stone
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: May 28th 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
An epic YA adventure story about two friends lost in the Canadian wilderness from Danika Stone, the author of All the Feels.
Vale loves to hike, but kind of hates her classmates. Ash is okay with his classmates, but kind of hates the outdoors. So, needless to say they are both fairly certain that the overnight nature hike with their PE class is going to be a hellish experience. But when they get separated from the group during a storm, they have worse things to worry about than bullies and blisters.
Lost in the Canadian wilderness with limited supplies, caught in dangerous weather conditions, and surrounded by deadly wildlife, it’s going to take every bit of strength, skill, and luck they can muster to survive.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41711283-switchback?ac=1&from_search=true
Guest Post
“Top Ten Best Moments While Writing Switchback”
10) I know that some readers will cringe when I say this, but I absolutely LOVED writing the bear scene. (You will know which scene I mean when you read it.) My father was very nearly killed by a grizzly when he was in his early twenties, and his story of that fateful day left a strong impression on me. Writing that scene was a great moment as a writer.
9) Another great moment was when I received a bunch of funny emails from my alpha and beta readers as they went through the first draft. (Especially my friend Jill’s comments about the bear scene.) The excitement and panic were palpable. I loved that!
8) My editor’s comment about Ashton Hamid: “I love Ash, and that’s saying a lot since he does so many dumb things.” When I read that, I knew I had a character that everyone would enjoy rooting for!
7) I loved the moment when I read the book aloud to my three boys and got to the high-tension, dangerous parts. To have all three of them listening, silent and wide-eyed as I read something I’d invented, was absolutely priceless. They loved the book!
6) A top moment personally was when I was told that Switchback would be my first hardcover. I was (and am!) overwhelmed by seeing my writing in hardback.
5) I was really proud when I received the replies from the two rounds of aro-ace sensitivity readers. While I knew I wanted Vale to be aro-ace, I definitely wanted to make sure that was treated respectfully and correctly portrayed. Receiving both letters from the sensitivity readers was a huge feeling of accomplishment for me. I am so happy with their reactions!
4) Another best moment for me was when I hid an easter egg from my Waterton mystery series (Edge of Wild, The Dark Divide, and Fall of Night) into the world of Switchback. Yes! There’s a crossover there!
3) A highlight that kept me writing late into the night were the descriptions of nature and of camping. I loved trying to recall all the details of what it felt and sounded like when I was deep in the woods. Rereading those passages left me feeling the same peace I felt when I camped.
2) As cheesy as it sounds, another amazing moment was receiving Sarvenaz Tash’s five-star review and her blurb:
“Switchback kept me on the edge of my seat and reading well into the night. It’s a harrowing tale of survival, a vivid ode to the beautiful but unforgiving Canadian wilderness, and a gorgeous story of friendship all rolled into one. You’ll want to hunker down with a good, warm blanket as you embark on this thrilling, unputdownable ride.”
Sarvenaz Tash, author of The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love and Virtually Yours
1) Top moment, hands down… hearing the words: “Yes, we’re going to publish Switchback.” Honestly? Nothing else compares.
Praise for Danika Stone:
“An enjoyable, fast-paced read.” — School Library Journal on Internet Famous
“The book is a dream. I loved absolutely everything about it. … From the chapter headers to every mention of nerd culture, All the Feels is a blast!” —Seeking Book Boyfriends on All the Feels
Author Bio:Danika Stone is an author, artist, and educator who discovered a passion for writing fiction while in the throes of her Masters thesis. A self-declared bibliophile, Danika now writes novels for both teens: INTERNET FAMOUS (Macmillan, 2017) and ALL THE FEELS (Macmillan, 2016); and adults THE DARK DIVIDE (Stonehouse, 2018) and EDGE OF WILD (Stonehouse, 2016).
Ms. Stone’s work has received both recognition and literary praise. In 2017, Chapters included EDGE OF WILD in “Our Favourite Canadian Fiction”, and INTERNET FAMOUS was nominated for the R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature (2018) as well as selected as one of Fierce Reads’ “9 Perfect Summertime Reads” (2017). EDGE OF WILD (previously entitled TATHAGATA) was a quarter-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel of the Year Award (2013), a finalist in the Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize (2015), and took second place in the Publish or Perish contest (2015). ALL THE FEELS was selected for Swoon Reads’ fourth list (2015) and was nominated for YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers (2016), and for CYBILS’ Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards (2016).
Ms. Stone’s books have been reviewed by VOYA, Teen Reads, and School Library Journal. Danika has also featured in the BN Teen Blog, Clash, Quillable, Fierce Reads, Lethbridge Living Magazine, CJSR’s Word, and on CBC’s Daybreak.
When not writing, Danika can be found hiking in the Rockies, planning grand adventures, and spending far too much time online. She lives with her husband, three sons, and a houseful of imaginary characters in a windy corner of Alberta, Canada.
Ms. Stone is represented by Morty Mint of Mint Literary Agency.
Author links:
https://www.danikastone.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6574168.Danika_Stone
https://www.facebook.com/danikastoneauthor/
https://twitter.com/danika_stone
- Print copy of Switchback
- Link here.
Raven C. Eckman 