Young Adult Fiction
Date Published: January 31st, 2023
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
North Carolina Simon hates her name. As a fourteen-year-old girl growing up in the 1970s, she has a lot of challenges. People not only make fun of her name, but also scoff at her eccentric family. Dad’s a hoarder, Mom’s an unpredictable artist, and her older sister lives with an autism diagnosis. After a humiliating middle school event shatters her confidence as a singer, North determines to break free from the stigma surrounding her family.
As she starts high school, North tells people to call her Carol. Armed with a new name, she updates her appearance, befriends a popular boy in hopes of joining his band, distances herself from her two longtime friends, and avoids being seen with her adoring and dependent sister. Everything seems to be going according to plan until her sister suddenly disappears. Carol is forced to face reality. Should she continue to focus all her time and energy on fitting in or should she surrender to God’s calling on her life?
Finding True North is a prequel to Sticks and Stones, but each can be read as stand-alone novels.
Interview with Dianne Beck
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve written two novels (Sticks and Stones and its prequel, Finding True North, plus a devotional journal, God-Weaved. I love them all for different reasons, but Finding True North is probably my favorite.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
I have several ideas for sequels. One is a sequel to Finding True North, where we hear more of North’s story prior to meeting her in my first novel, Sticks and Stones. The other sequel is a follow-up to Sticks and Stones, where we continue the story of Emily, Ginny, and Jared.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I definitely have a connection between each book, but they can also stand alone. For example, this current release, Finding True North, is a prequel to Sticks and Stones, but reads well as a stand-alone novel.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Finding True North came to me when thinking about the main theme of my book, in which my main character, North, is trying to figure out who she is and how to be true to her real self while pursuing her dream of singing. In chapter one, North’s mom actually explains the expression “finding true north” when telling North the significance of her name.
How long did it take you to write this book?
About a year-and-a half.
What does the title mean?
When a person finds their “true north” they are following their internal compass in order to be their true selves in life. North, my main character, strives to discover her true self amidst many challenges and struggles in her life, so the title Finding True North describes North’s main purpose in the book.
What did you learn when writing the book?
I actually was reminded to be true to myself in the writing of this book, and I learned quite a bit about different birds and bird behavior in researching bird facts related to North’s sister, Aria. I pay a lot more attention to birds now!
What surprised you the most?
I spent more time planning out this book than I did with my first novel. This actually kept me going and on pace, even though I strayed a little from the original plan.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
No, but I’ve come close. It’s such a tough decision to make, as you know loss is a part of real life, and there’s power in that story and message. It’s very hard to do though because the characters are like real people when you spend so much time writing about them! Plus, I think the death has to make sense for the theme and purpose of the book, and so far that hasn’t seemed to be the case for my books. It may happen in a future novel, but I guess we’ll see!
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
One favorite thing I do is write journal entries as the character. I write about what I’m going through, about my concerns, joys, hopes, all as if I’m the character. This really helps me get into their point of view.
About the Author
Dianne Beck has spent most of her career teaching students ranging from kindergarten through adult and currently works as a high school youth director at her church. In each of these roles, she hopes to encourage students to be their own unique selves, to have confidence in who they are, and to follow their passions. Dianne’s debut young adult novel Sticks and Stones, winner of multiple awards, was inspired by her years of teaching, where she saw how an understanding ear and relevant literature could make a significant impact on students’ lives. She hopes young people and adults can find faith and strength in her stories.
Visit her author website at http://www.diannebeck.com.
Contact Links
Instagram: @beck_dianne
Purchase Links
2 comments:
I like the cover, and the story sounds like a really good one.
The book sounds very interesting. Great cover!
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