Today we are very excited to share a special interview with author Carlyn Greenwald (Time Out)!
Read on to learn more about her, her book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Carlyn Greenwald
Carlyn Greenwald writes romantic and thrilling page-turners for teens and adults. A film school graduate and former Hollywood lackey, she now works in publishing. She resides in Los Angeles, mourning the loss of ArcLight Cinemas and soaking in the sun with her dogs. Carlyn is also the author of Sizzle Reel, an unputdownable, queer, adult rom-com about life and love in Hollywood. Find her online on Twitter @CarlynGreenwald and Instagram @Carlyn_Gee.
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About the Book: Time Out
Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights in this keenly felt coming-of-age story about a teen hometown hero who must find out who he is outside of basketball when his coming out as gay costs him his popularity and place on the team.
In his small Georgia town, Barclay Elliot is basically a legend. Here basketball is all that matters, and no one has a bigger spotlight than Barclay. Until he decides to use the biggest pep rally in the town’s history to come out to his school. And things change. Quickly.
Barclay is faced with hostility he never expected. Suddenly he is at odds with his own team, and he doesn’t even have his grandfather to turn to the way he used to. But who is Barclay if he doesn’t have basketball?
His best friend, Amy, thinks she knows. She drags him to her voting rights group, believing Barclay can find a bigger purpose. And he does, but he also finds Christopher. Aggravating, fearless, undeniably handsome Christopher. He and Barclay have never been each other’s biggest fans, but as Barclay starts to explore parts of himself he’s been hiding away, they find they might have much more in common than they originally thought.
As sparks turn into something more, though, Barclay has to decide if he’s ready to confront the privilege and popularity that have shielded him his entire life. Can he take a real shot at the love he was fighting for in the first place?
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write Time Out?
So this project actually had a different inception. I was approached by S&S for a project with Sean and Todd. They presented me with the concept and we worked together to bring Barclay’s story to life. I was really drawn to the idea of Barclay being able to find love and hope amid the challenges in his life as a gay teenager trying to own his identity as he tries to uncover exactly what that means.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in Time Out?
I love Amy! There’s something about characters who don’t really give a shit and forge forward with their goals and passions. I especially admired the way that she had such high ambitions and the drive to achieve them at such a young age. On top of that, I love her goth aesthetic, her obsession with alternative music, and the way that despite her and Barclay’s stark differences, she and him are still such good friends. Her snark was absolutely the most fun to write.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel! TIME OUT was actually our second title idea and I absolutely adore it. We love a pun and it looks so great on the cover.
YABC: What scene in Time Out are you most proud of, and why?
There really are so many, but there’s this one scene toward the end where Barclay and his mom have a real heart to heart that jumpstarts Barclay toward the end of his arc as he gets his act together. The angle we approached the scene changed throughout the revising process, but I think it’s just such a heavy, honest, important conversation that a lot of teen readers will be able to relate to and really start to get Barclay a little more. I’m also very proud of the first kiss scene in the book. They’re just so fun to write and it came out very swoony.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
As weird as this is to say, it’s the knowledge that my own radar for projects I’m passionate about to projects that have a chance in what is ultimately the business of publishing will get sharper and less of my books I spent years on will end up on the cutting room floor after hundreds of rejections. I truly have gone through so many books of mine that I loved, but just didn’t quite have what publishing wanted. I started to believe that I just didn’t write what other people wanted to read and it was really disheartening for a few years. But I kept writing and kept learning and it’s made all the difference.
Of course you can never control what will hit and what won’t, but instincts for best pacing in a story, when the plot is getting too convoluted, what the market generally looks like has only refined. Now, making a story high concept makes me almost as excited as the concept and characters themselves.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2023?
I’m sorry, I can’t resist hyping my fellow debuts. OUT OF CHARACTER by Jenna Miller, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS by M.K. Lobb, ALWAYS THE ALMOST by Edward Underhill, and BIANCA TORRE IS AFRAID OF EVERYTHING by Justine Pucella Winans are high on my TBR.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
I recently read PLUS ONE by Kelsey Rodkey, which is out June 2023. It’s just so funny, such great banter and romance, and a wonderfully flawed heroine at its center. Kelsey keeps knocking it out of the park.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Working on my next YA and Adult titles right now. My next Adult is going to be a sapphic romcom and the YA may be a thriller and I’m absolutely stoked for both.
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
Oh man, I’d have to say the scenes where Barclay is dealing with his grief, particularly when he talks about it with Christopher. I absolutely love my grandparents and seeing them grow older, I know I’ll one day have to deal with what Barclay goes through throughout the book. Developing his love and grief was so palpable for me.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing Time Out?
Hmm, I don’t think any of them were too difficult, but Christopher and making sure he had his own arc that wasn’t just supporting Barclay definitely took some time to get right. It can get so tricky to nail a love interest as both someone that the main character inevitably sees through a rose colored lens while also showing that they’re their own person who’d have their own story going if it were through their POV. But I’m really happy where Christopher ended up.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from Time Out?
That you deserve happiness in whatever form that speaks to you.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
People would often say my novel output volume is a super power, so I’ll say that.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I’m really passionate about this organization called A Sense of Home. The mission is to provide young adults who age out of the foster care system with furniture and decor for their first apartments. It’s an organization that directly impacts individual people’s and families’ lives, which I always believe is so important for these organizations. They create some really lovely, homey spaces and I adore the way it’s even catered to the person’s tastes and family situation (many are young parents and will also provide all the furniture that babies and toddlers need).
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
So much is outside of your control, so make sure you are still finding joy in what you’re writing. Plus, it is important to read within the genre you want to write in. You don’t need to be an expert or to read every single book, but having a general knowledge will do wonders to up your craft and establish what place you want to have within the market and your larger community.
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
Just that I hope teen readers enjoy the book! It brought me such joy to write and I hope others feel that too.
Title: Time Out
Author: Carlyn Greenwald
ISBN-13: 9781534492622
ISBN-10: 1534492623
On-sale date: Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Ages: 12 and up, Grades 7 and up
~ Giveaway Details ~
Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Time Out (Carlyn Greenwald) ~US Only! (No P.O. Boxes)
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
This seems so good
This is a cute cover and sounds like an important and timely story.
My MS students would love this book.
It seems like an interesting story, and the cover looks really cute!
The cover is cute and matches this exciting novel.
The cover is so cute!