Amy Rose Capetta

Today’s featured guest is the deliriously talented Amy Rose Capetta! 

Amy Rose’s debut novel, Entangled, came out last year to nonstop accolades. A starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and praise, praise & more praise: ‘Raucous, fun, and futuristic’ (Booklist), ‘A rad sci-fi story that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen’ (MTV’s Hollywood Crush), ‘A rollicking space adventure perfect for fans of the cult-classic TV show Firefly‘ (The Bulletin). All because of Amy Rose’s story about tough-girl Cade and her quest to find the boy she’s entangled with at a subatomic level.

The sequel to Cade’s story, Unmade, is scheduled to come out early next year–and the ARCs are already out! So, what’s keeping Amy Rose Capetta busy? Here she is with What Was on Amy Rose’s . . .

T-Shirt: The NerdBait logo! YA author Cori McCarthy (who also happens to be my next door neighbor) made t-shirts for the fake band we share with our friend Anna. It somehow evolved into a vlog series, and, as of last week, a tumblr. Basically, we talk about things we love and have a ridiculous time.

We also took the huge step from fake band to semi-fake band, at an open mic at the best dive bar our little Michigan town has to offer. There is a tiny dog that comes onstage with some of the acts, the beer is served in jelly jars, and Breaded Pickle Spears have been the special since the first time we went. Obviously, I love it.

Catalogue of Biggest Rebellions: I would say shaved head, but that feels less like a rebellion and more like follicular laziness. Biggest wild act would have to be moving to California when I was eighteen and didn’t know a single person within a thousand miles.

Catalogue of Biggest Nerdisms: Chronologically? Seven: taped my fingers together for three days so I would be able to give the Vulcan salute. Ten: taught myself to write in hieroglyphics by copying out passages of Paradise Lost. Twelve: wrote my first “novel” and made my long-suffering best friend read it. High school: Shakespeare troupe. Flouncy dresses. Iambs everywhere. College: actually went to class. (This was Santa Cruz, so we had the triple distraction of redwood forests, gorgeous beach, and the best burritos ever.) Now: I give myself homework! I always want to be learning something new. Right now it’s Italian lessons on Duolingo.

Bookshelves: Everything that matters about being human, condensed into handy rectangular form! (Okay, well, my bookshelves aspire to this.) Last book finished was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.  Recent loves include: Strange, Sweet Song by Adi Rule, Hope is a Ferris Wheel by Robin Herrera, and a collection of told-out-loud stories from The Moth. My long-term read is Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino, and I started Empress of the World by Sara Ryan last night. It’s lovely so far.

Dessert Plate: Nutella. How did I ever forget how good this stuff is?

Must-Dos: Finish my falling-down-the-stairs draft. (That’s what I’m calling it; it is not even good enough to be called messy.) Lots of editing projects. (I love working with other writers!) Also, as soon as it’s nice outside? Archery. I’ve been waiting all winter to shoot an arrow at something.

Mind: The awesomeness of the We Need Diverse Books campaign. I’ve been following it closely and happily. It makes me hopeful for a future when we have such a wild variety of books that we’ll be able to dissolve some labels, and the ideas of books that are “for someone” or not. Books about POC are for everyone! Books with disabled protagonists and LGBT characters are for everyone.

Speaking of LGBT characters…There is a story on my mind, one that I get to start writing very, very soon. It has some of my absolute favorite things packed into it. All I can say right now is that it’s contemporary, and a fantasy, and a mystery, and a love story. Rather epic love. I’m looking forward to that.

To keep up to date with Amy Rose Capetta, follow her at www.amyrosecapetta.com, on her and Cori McCarthy’s NerdBait Vlog, on Tumblr at nerdbaitguide.tumblr.com, and on Twitter at @AmyRoseCapetta. If you haven’t read Entangled, you can order it by clicking below.

If you want to make sure you’ll be able to get a copy of Unmade, you can pre-order it here: 

And be sure to stop by again on May 20 for the always witty, always amusing Shawn Stout, author of the Penelope Crumb series.