This week YA Author Maria Ingrande Mora took over our Twitter as a part of our weekly Thursday Twitter Takeover. Maria Ingrande Mora is the author of The Immeasurable Depth Of You (See YEM’s write up of Maria Ingrande Mora here.) See highlights from the takeover below.
Hi everyone! I'm Maria Ingrande Mora, author of FRAGILE REMEDY and THE IMMEASURABLE DEPTH OF YOU. I'm excited to spend the next couple of hours with you. #YAauthorTakeover
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover THE IMMEASURABLE DEPTH OF YOU is a First for me. My first contemporary! It's the story of Brynn, a 15yo who is sent to live on her estranged dad's houseboat in Florida — with no internet — after she makes a concerning post online. https://t.co/8BF23w86jC
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover More on DEPTH later, but I'd love to talk about some firsts on my publishing journey. The first folks who fostered a love of writing in me were teachers, all the way back to elementary school. I have so much love for educators. Do you have a favorite teacher?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover I tried writing a "novel" in fourth grade. Mostly during math class. This may have contributed to struggling in math class. It was about a girl with magical eyes and a magical owl. I still have some handwritten pages of it. Can you recall any early projects?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover At the time I had some favorite book series, like The Boxcar Children and in middle school the Dragonriders of Pern books. The Pern books were my first time reading a longer fantasy series, and I was hooked.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover At the time I had some favorite book series, like The Boxcar Children and in middle school the Dragonriders of Pern books. The Pern books were my first time reading a longer fantasy series, and I was hooked.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover I definitely attribute the Pern books to my obsession with cats. I wanted a fire lizard of my very own and they're the next best thing. Do you have any favorite fantasy animals?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover By high school, English was definitely my favorite subject, but I was also REALLY into musicals. I even took French because I loved Les Miserables. I was always either listening to music or reading across a lot of genres.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover I went to the University of Florida and studied English. SO many firsts there. I discovered queer literature and read Weetzie Bat over and over. I did my concentration in poetry. College is when I really developed the skill of giving and receiving feedback.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover It really wasn't until I started reading YA consistently (at that point, in my 20s) that I started to believe I could write a book. Like pretty much everyone, I was so captivated by the Hunger Games in particular. Do you have a favorite YA from the 2000s?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover Several years ago, I entered Pitch Wars and was incredible fortunate to be selected and mentored by the brilliant Linsey Miller. That was a major sliding doors moment in my life, and a huge first when it came to having meaningful revision guidance.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover Shortly after Pitch Wars, I connected with my incredible agent, Erica Bauman. She has been a huge champion of my career. I had a hilarious first with her — my first time getting my cartilage pierced with my agent cheering me on. Haha.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover My first YA book, FRAGILE REMEDY, is a queer fantasy about a boy trying to survive in a quarantined city. I'm told folks who are into whump enjoy it.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 9, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover So let's spend the next hour talking about THE IMMEASURABLE DEPTH OF YOU! It was originally called BRYNN'S TIDE as a draft. I began writing it as a series of emails to my best friend.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover DEPTH takes place in Tampa Bay, where I grew up. Specifically, much of the book takes place near a wetlands preserve called Weedon Island. It's a very prehistoric sort of place with incredible wildlife and birds.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover For Brynn, who is from Ohio, the entire landscape is both beautiful and really terrifying. Brynn has severe anxiety and intrusive thoughts about death. Unfortunately, Florida has a lot of deadly things, especially to a girl with a very active imagination.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover Many of Brynn's experiences with mental health mirror my own. Because of that, writing this book was a vulnerable experience. But it was very important to me to normalize having severe anxiety — and struggling at times with it.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover In Florida, Brynn feels terribly isolated. Her friends are exclusively online, and she misses her fandom pals. Do you have online friends who mean a lot to you?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover It tough for Brynn to connect with her dad after not seeing him for years, but they both try their best despite the awkwardness. I wanted both of Brynn's parents to be strong influences on her life while giving her space to make mistakes and grow.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover Let's talk about romance in this book! It is NOT a romance. Brynn is bisexual and has crushes, but the core relationship at the heart of this story is friendship. Can you relate to friendship being important to you in your teens?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover While paddleboarding, Brynn meets a girl named Skylar who is confident, pretty, and a little mean. Her challenges push Brynn to step outside of her comfort zone. Can you relate to being a little braver out of spite?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover For DEPTH, I have gotten to experience my first starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist. This means the world to me! https://t.co/ffwWsKHCem
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover Let's talk about the cover real quick. The illustration is by the incredible JAW Cooper, an illustrator I have admired for years. They gave us such incredible concepts to choose from, but Brynn looking at Skylar in the water really stood out to me as perfect.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover You'll notice that DEPTH has an author's note at the beginning. It was important to me to give readers a heads up on the content and themes of the book. This story is heavy, and I don't want anyone to be surprised by content they're not in the right mood for.
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover Almost wrapping up! I'd love to hear recs from you. What are you reading right now?
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
#YAauthorTakeover Thank you so much for spending the evening with me! THE IMMEASURABLE DEPTH OF YOU is available in hardcover, ebook and audiobook April 4!
— all about firsts (@YoungEntmag) March 10, 2023
