Hello Future, Me

An Interview with Kim Ventrella on Her Next Book

 

Eleven-year-old June is a problem-solver. Some people might call her a busybody, but that’s okay. Just look at all the couples she’s helped find love! (Grateful newlyweds Marlene and Big Vic have even promised June free hot chocolate for life at their café.)

However, when June learns that her parents are getting divorced, she has to face the fact that there are some problems too big even for her. At least, that’s what the adults in her life keep saying.

But June’s convinced there’s a way to make her parents fall back in love. While brainstorming ideas on her new secondhand laptop—purchased from a mysterious store in town called The Shop of Last Resort—June gets a strange IM from someone named JuniePie28 . . . someone who claims to be an older version of June messaging her from the future.

At first, she assumes it’s a prank. But JuniePie28 knows too much about June’s life to be a fraud, and future June warns her against interfering with her parents’ marriage. But June can’t just sit around and watch her parents’ marriage dissolve, not when there’s a magical shop in town that could be the answer to all her problems! Will June prove her older self wrong and stop the divorce? Or will she have to accept that there are some things in life she can’t fix?

An Awesome Opportunity

I had the wonderful opportunity to read a preview copy of HELLO FUTURE, ME, which releases in Summer 2020. I totally enjoyed the clever, fast-paced, funny, endearing story. You can find my review (along with a few other Spooky MG authors’ reviews) on Goodreads.

I was so intrigued with Kim’s latest literary endeavor that I asked if she had time for an interview, and she graciously consented. I’m sure you’ll love learning about her and her writing process as much as I did.

 

The Answers to the Questions Everyone’s Asking

1. Hello Future, Me, explores a child dealing with her parents’ divorce. How did you come up with the idea of using the fantasy device of past and future selves to do this?

I actually wrote three completely different versions of the story before discovering The Shop of Last Resort and the magic laptop that allows June to chat with her past and future selves. Each version involved June delving back into her memories by magical means, but it wasn’t until the third version that I decided to personify those past memories in the form of past and future June.

2. Magic so far has been an important element in your stories Skeleton Tree & Bone Hollow, but in Hello Future, Me the tone of the book is lighter, more humorous. Which stories do you find harder to write? 

Once I found the right version of the story, HELLO, FUTURE ME was a total breeze to write! But like I said, it took me three versions to settle on the right mix of humor, fantasy and emotional resonance. In a way, this story was easier because June sounds a lot like me, both her inner voice and the way she speaks. In other ways it was harder, because so much of my other writing has been focused on loss and grief. Even though all of my books bring a sense of whimsy, hope and many lighter touches, it was still a challenge transitioning to a world of quirky magical hijinks, flying garden gnomes and ALL THE GLITTER, but also super rewarding.

3. I loved the Bigfoot references! What made you choose this topic as a recurring element in the story?

I want to believe! Yes, it’s the tagline from The X-Files, but it’s also my life motto. I’m a huge skeptic in real life, so when it comes to writing stories, I always like to include magical or supernatural elements. Creating the town of Tanglewood Crossing with its kitschy, adorable downtown and its obsession with bigfoot was pure wish fulfillment on my part. I would love to spend my days hanging around in the bigfoot-themed shops, sipping tea and waiting for bigfoot to walk in and order a latte.

4. This story includes a bit of tween romance. Was this a conscious choice you made in constructing the plot, or did it happen organically as you wrote the story? 

It happened organically! Calvin did not have his adorably awkward crush in the early versions. In fact, Calvin didn’t even exist in the first version, but I’m so glad I wrote him back in. I love how you see him struggling throughout the story to be honest about his feelings. And then when he finally does mail June a letter, he’s instantly mortified and begs her to never, ever, ever read it. So hilarious and heartbreaking and typical of my tween years, although Calvin is way braver than me at that age.

5. When the main character uses the magic and it keeps backfiring, she finally comes to the realization that she can’t control others. Was this an issue for you as a child—the inability to make things go the way you wanted them to?

I think that’s an issue for me always, not just as a child J Like June, I definitely embrace planning, lists and setting all the goals. If I’m not actively ticking something off a list, I feel totally off balance. I was an only child, and I spent most of my time alone, so I was very used to controlling my environment. When I got pushed out of that comfort zone, like in social situations, it was definitely a one-way trip to Awkwardsville. June is way more socially adept than I was, but I totally understand the comfort she takes in lists and visions boards. It’s nice to think that you can control your future with nothing more than a collage, a little positive thinking and a whole lot of glitter.

6. I admired the main character’s determination and her organization. From knowing you, I’d say those are two qualities you also possess. Is June modeled after you in other ways as well?

She is, especially in terms of her voice! She was so easy to write, because I was basically just channeling my inner monologue word-for-word. I was also obsessed with self-help books on positive thinking when I was a kid. I remember my mom having to buy one from the library because I’d kept it so long. So June definitely gets that from me, along with the faith that she puts in things like lists, vision boards and action plans. For me a lot of that had to do with trying to control a chaotic environment. And, also like June, the hardest thing for me has always been letting go and accepting that there are some things in life you can’t change.

 

 A Bit More About Kim

KIM VENTRELLA is the author of the middle grade novels Hello, Future Me (Summer 2020), Bone Hollow and Skeleton Tree, and she is a contributor to the upcoming anthology, Don’t Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Her works explore difficult topics with big doses of humor, whimsy and hope. Kim has held a variety of interesting jobs, including children’s librarian, scare actor, Peace Corps volunteer and French instructor, but her favorite job title is author. She lives in Oklahoma City with her dog and co-writer, Hera. Find out more at https://kimventrella.com/ or follow Kim on Twitter and Instagram.

Don’t Miss Your Chance

Make sure to add Hello Future, Me to your must-read list. Here’s the information you need to do just that:

HELLO, FUTURE ME on Goodreads or pre-order on IndieBound or Amazon