Title: Wesley James Ruined My Life
Author: Jennifer Honeybourn
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 18, 2017
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Sixteen-year-old Quinn Hardwick’s having a rough summer. Her beloved grandmother has been put into a home, her dad’s gambling addiction has flared back up and now her worst enemy is back in town: Wesley James, former childhood friend—until he ruined her life, that is.
So when Wesley is hired to work with her at Tudor Tymes, a medieval England themed restaurant, the last thing Quinn’s going to do is forgive and forget. She’s determined to remove him from her life and even the score all at once—by getting him fired.
But getting rid of Wesley isn’t as easy as she’d hoped. When Quinn finds herself falling for him, she has to decide what she wants more: to get even, or to just get over it.
I grew up reading Judy Blume, so her books had a major influence on me. There’s so much to being a teenager — heightened feelings, the intensity of first love, friendships — and even though I’m writing fiction, it’s almost nostalgic for me, revisiting those feelings.
When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process(outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
My favorite part of the creative process is definitely the beginning, when I have a new idea. Naming characters and figuring out their story, all the stuff that swirling around in my head before I sit down to actually write, is where I have the most fun.
When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
I read a lot, across all genres, but I’m most drawn to Contemporary YA, especially books with real humor and heart. I like stories with happy endings and characters that I can root for. Just a few of the books I’ve read this past year that I really loved: It’s Not Me, It’s You (Stephanie Kate Storhm); Alex Approximately (Jenn Bennett); Optimists Die First (Susin Nielson); and The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You (Lily Anderson).
If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
Great question! I would pick Meg Cabot because Meg Cabot. She is so creative and prolific and her books are fun, and so I imagine she’d be fun to work with. I especially loved The Princess Diaries, I’ve re-read that series a couple of times.
Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you "later in life"?
I’ve pretty much always wanted to be a writer. I’ve been writing, off and on, since I was in the second grade, but it wasn’t really until 2012 that I really got serious about writing YA. I spent a lot of years trying to write literary fiction, before I finally realized that genre wasn’t where my heart was. Once I figured out that I should be writing the stories I love — which seems so obvious now — I found my voice.
Jennifer Honeybourn works in corporate communications in Vancouver, British Columbia. She’s a fan of British accents, Broadway musicals, and epic, happily-ever-after love stories. If she could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, she’d have high tea with Walt Disney, JK Rowling, and her nana. She lives with her husband, daughter and cat in a house filled with books. Wesley James Ruined My Life is her first novel.
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