10 Things About ‘When We Blinked’
We’ve reached the two-and-a-half-week mark until launch day for When We Blinked, and I could not be more excited!!!!! Things are about to culminate in me finally sharing this work with, oh, every single person I know and also the entire world! I can see the finish line and I’m overwhelmingly g-i-d-d-y get to her into your hands come Tuesday, March 16, friends! Keep your eyes out for the official announcement as she goes live onto Amazon, available via e-book and paperback.
So, what would I like you to know about my debut novel, this first book of mine to hit earth? If I could share 10 things about my book with you, what would they be? I suppose this is what I would tell you! It is my honor and privilege to share this piece of my (fictional) truth with y’all so very soon!!!
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
—Toni Morrison
1. I GO THERE.
I wrote this book before the pandemic, but it means even more to me now. Because I don’t shy away from the harder sides of truth that every single one of us faces. Can we do away with taboos, maybe especially as Christian believers? Can we talk about what’s tough and what’s real? I go there, full on, with my book’s cherished cast of characters. Marriage, modern dating, intimacy, infertility, mental health, alcoholism, pornography, parenting… Buckle up, friends! We are going to dive so deep—and then we’re going to talk about it. To say I can’t wait is an understatement.
2. I BLEND GENRES.
I read… a lot. And I mean it when I say there simply aren’t many, if any, books quite like the one I have written. The book industry likes things nice, neat, and tidily organizable by pre-existing genres. But you know what? This simply wasn’t the book in my heart—nor is it always the kind of book I am hoping to read. When We Blinked is a women’s fiction novel with strong elements of romance and also self-discovery, BUT ALSO, every other chapter is written from the hero (male) perspective and I go just as deep (if not deeper) into my main man Connor’s psyche and heart. Oh, and I absolutely interweave faith elements into the story. Book soup anyone?! See Toni Morrison’s quote. I wrote the book I wanted to read.
3. MOST OF IT IS BASED IN OC!
New York, London, Seattle—we’ve seen and read plenty of rom-coms set in the obvious, major cities. Well, I may be biased as an OC native and current resident, but I personally think it makes the ultimate setting for a modern-day romance! I had the time of my life using my homeland as the stage for my story. From Balboa Island and the Back Bay to popular restaurants and nearby L.A., Orange County provided just the sparkly backdrop I needed to tell this story!
4. I WROTE WHAT I KNOW.
This is a literary adage as old as time: Write what you know. Before starting my novel, I also read the same advice—often—that your first book should be the one that’s right there, at the top of your mind, at the tips of your fingers, ready to pour itself out. That you should see yourself on every page. When We Blinked is that book for me. I wrote the whole thing in three months. I wrote what I know that I know that I know—and the result is thus a book of my truth.
5. I ALSO DID LOTS OF RESEARCH.
Because I wanted my book to be backed by all kinds of facts, even in its fantasy world, I gathered all the information I possibly could to enhance my story and message. Pornography? Gimme the stats. Therapy sessions? Tell me what a real LMFT would say in her office. How are hotels owned and managed? What about the business of dating apps? I dug as much and as often as I possibly needed to flesh out the guts of this work and hang it onto key information.
6. I WANT MEN TO READ IT.
So incredibly much: I want men to read this book! In fact, I pray they devour it! I had no idea how writing a male character—from the first-person, no less—would feel and play out and become. In the end, Connor and Graham won my whole heart. And I want men to meet them, terribly. I will tell you that the men who have read the novel so far have loved it, and cried, and identified intensely with the men’s issues. Husbands, fathers, and brothers out there: Please know this book is for you as much as it is for women.
7. I SAW THE WHOLE STORY IN MY HEAD, LIKE A MOVIE, BEFORE I WROTE ONE SINGLE WORD.
Specifically, the ending, on a loop, in my head. I saw the grand finale as if in a snow globe. Every time I sat down to write, I had a glass-clear picture of exactly what I was writing toward. In the writing world, authors are often self-proclaimed “pantsers” or “planners.” Do you fly by the seat of your pants and let the writing take you wherever it leads? Or do you plan every chapter, outline, and know exactly where you are going? I don’t know if it will always be this way, but for When We Blinked, I planned out the plot to the letter. I outlined every single one of the 25 chapters and then knocked them out, Bird by Bird. (Boy, that book changed my life!)
8. I HID TONS OF EASTER EGGS!
There are so many characters to name and vignettes to paint in a novel! One of my favorite parts of the process was naming characters after my friends, nodding to local establishments, referencing so much pop culture, and dropping lots (okay: LOTTTTTTS) of references to my personal life, tastes, and loves. Distant readers might never know, but close friends totally will, and I think that’s pretty special! Happy hunting, you guys!!!
9. I MISS MY CHARACTERS.
It’s true what they say! In the months of writing the book, I really would have to grab my phone and start tapping into iPhone notes when my characters would suddenly need to say something pivotal to each other, while I was, say, out running errands. Writing a novel is really a whimsical thing. And I miss my imaginary friends! I think about them all the time! I’ve been doing a lot of brainstorming about a possible sequel and can’t wait to see what could come of that!
10. IT IS A COVID-FREE BOOK.
Like I said above, I wrote this book before the Covid-19 pandemic shook the world upside down. I typed the last words and hit “send” on my queries on March 3, 2020. I chose that date because 3 is my lucky number. 3/3… in the year of vision?! How cool! How totally meant to be! Um… yeah. Things were about to go down. Anyway! When I decided to move forward with self-publishing—in November 2020—I made the decision to keep the book exactly how it was, prior to brand-new history, and not acknowledge coronavirus. The book has no masks, no Zooms, no grocery store lines, no distance learning, no shortages of TP, no Tik-Tok. Enjoy When We Blinked as a getaway, a break, a vacation from the real world, friends! This book is a total fantasy and I want you to enjoy it as such!
That’s all I’ve got for now, folks and friends.
18 days!!!!!
I can’t wait!!!!!!
Based in Orange County, California, Stephanie Mack is a longtime writer, wife to one, and mom of three little girls. She has been blogging at MOMentary Insanity® since 2014. Her work has also been featured on Scary Mommy, Faithit, Coffee + Crumbs, and more. She holds a Master of Professional Writing degree from USC. When We Blinked is her debut novel.
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In 2024, one specific piece of writing advice has persisted in reaching my ears. Through the Booked Solid podcast, landing my dream agent, and my ever-trustworthy author friends, the message echoes: Get out of the slush pile.