Polarity in Motion, by Brenda Vicars
I’m thrilled to have Young Adult Contemporary author, Brenda Vicars, join us today to discuss her novel, Polarity in Motion, from Red Adept Publishing. Brenda’s background as an educator brings a deep and compassionate understanding of the young adult characters she writes about. Join me in welcoming Brenda Vicars! And don’t forget to enter the fabulous contest at the bottom!
Silverberry: Tell us a little about yourself.
Vicars: I have three happy, healthy children. I love books—everything from classics to trash. I’ve been a teacher and public school administrator, and working with young people keeps me motivated. I don’t have a pet of my own, but I love to baby sit for dogs of friends and family. Right now I have Bella (black and white Boston terrier) and Fozie (blonde poodle mix) for a month.
Silverberry: What inspired you to write POLARITY IN MOTION?
Vicars: The playing field is not even for all teens, and I’ve always been in awe at how some kids overcome obstacles that would bring most adults to their knees. The resiliency of young people inspired my novel.
Silverberry: What does your heroine, Polarity, yearn for?
Vicars: For her whole life she’s yearned to escape the roller coaster of emotions that her mother’s borderline personality disorder triggers. But her greatest yearning is for a relationship with Ethan, the one guy who believes her when she says she’s innocent of posting her nude picture on the Internet—until he does an about face on her.
Silverberry: What’s the novel about and who would enjoy it?
Vicars: The novel is about two young adults navigating a hostile world and their first love. Although POLARITY IN MOTION is classified as young adult, readers on Amazon and Goodreads have posted that it is also enjoyable to adults.
Silverberry: What do you think makes for great fiction?
Vicars: Great characters!
Silverberry: Who are some of your biggest influences as a writer?
Vicars: I love Justina Chen’s young adult contemporary novels and Diana Gabaldan’s OUTLANDER series. Stephen King’s ON WRITING is a huge influence. And Flannery O’Connor’s deceptively simple stories cause my perceptions of the world to twist and turn.
Silverberry: How do you approach crafting a novel?
Vicars: The basic concept and lead characters emerge in my imagination simultaneously, and I immediately have a sense of the shape of the story. The details and minor characters develop as I write. I don’t do much outlining, but I do edit and re-edit as I go.
Silverberry: What’s ahead for you?!
Vicars: POLARITY IN LOVE! By the time I completed POLARITY IN MOTION, Ethan and Polarity had matured and their feelings for each other had grown more complex. They are taking deeper risks in the next book.
Silverberry: Thanks so much for stopping by, Brenda! Readers can find a synopsis of Polarity in Motion and purchase links below!
Synopsis of Polarity in Motion:
Fifteen-year-old Polarity Weeks just wants to live a normal life, but with a mother diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, that’s rarely easy. Her life gets exponentially more disastrous when her sixth-period history classmates start ogling a nude picture of her on the Internet. Polarity would never have struck such a shameless pose, but the photo is definitely of her, and she’s at a complete loss to explain its existence.
Child Protective Services yanks her from her home, suspecting her parents. The kids at school mock her, assuming she took it herself. And Ethan, the boy she was really starting to like, backpedals and joins the taunting chorus. Surrounded by disbelief and derision on all sides, Polarity desperately seeks the truth among her friends. Only then does she learn that everyone has dark secrets, and no one’s life is anywhere near normal.
About Brenda Vicars:
Brenda Vicars has worked in Texas public education for many years. Her jobs have included teaching, serving as a principal, and directing student support programs. For three years, she also taught college English to prison inmates.
She entered education because she felt called to teach, but her students taught her the biggest lesson: the playing field is not even for all kids. Through her work, she became increasingly compelled to bring their unheard voices to the page. The heartbeat of her fiction emanates from the courage and resiliency of her students.
Brenda’s hobbies include reading, making things out of re-purposed wood, pulling weeds in the garden, and going to Zumba classes.
Purchase Polarity in Motion:
Follow Brenda Vicars:
Author Page with Red Adept Publishing
Enter the Contest here! —>
Brenda Vicars, Author of POLARITY IN MOTION
