Breakable + A Tammara Webber Interview & Giveaway

5 Questions with Author Tammara Webber

KindleObsessed: I usually start out my interview with a few fun loving questions. Unfortunately for you…it’s nearly midnight and I’m cranky. (Aka: I’m coming out guns blazing.) So, big question first. The fad (if it can even be called that) in NA right now is companion sequels, but from what I’ve read (from you…on Goodreads) “Breakable” ISN’T a sequel, but a prequel. Is that correct? And what influenced your decision to go backwards instead of forwards? (Or even linear as the case tends to be.)  

Tammara: Companion sequel? I haven’t heard of that, except in a couple of YA books (Where She Went could be called a companion sequel to If I Stay, for example). In NA – thus far, I’ve only seen sequels and companion books (male POV of same story). Breakable is a combination prequel and companion book. I did not want to write a sequel – which would have required new conflict between the MCs. I wanted to write Lucas’s story – his past (prequel) and the story of Easy from his perspective. (It took me a year to get this idea from conception to publication – mostly because I’d promised my Between the Lines readers a fourth, final book in that series, which was written last spring and published last summer.)

KindleObsessed: Truth…I am a total character whore. I’ve said over and over again that if I can’t emotionally connect to the characters in a novel, there isn’t a chance in hell of it getting a positive review from me. But I’ve always wondered…in books that are centered around catastrophically emotional events, do the authors find themselves wanting to SAVE their characters? For me it’s a natural human instinct. See the problem. Fix the problem. Done. But for an author…I imagine that it would be a challenge to simply let the story unfold, not force the situation into a more utopic one. (Damn..that was wordy.)

Tammara: I place my characters into a situation, and they find their own way. Or not. (I’m not sure what other authors do, so I can only speak for myself here.)

KindleObsessed: You have made a solid home for yourself in the NA genre (congrats!) but for all intents and purposes, NA is still a baby, (in the wide world of literature.) Tell me, where do you see it going in the next five years? Will in continue to grow and flourish as it is, or do you see it leveling off a tad?

Tamarra: Almost five years ago, I began to write a YA story (Between the Lines) with main characters who were 17-20 years old. Unfortunately, that kept me from getting an agent when I queried it. Eventually, I self-pubbed it (May 2011, labeled “Mature YA”) – and it sold. When I published my fourth book – Easy (May 2012 – also labeled “Mature YA”), it sold even better. I got an agent and a publisher, just as NA became a somewhat recognized thing. I predict NA will either branch out to include other genre types, or it will be completely absorbed into Contemporary Romance.

KindleObsessed: Ok, now the fun ones. (Cause after 3 questions I’m already tired of overanalyzing.) Do you get nervous at book signings? The last one I attended (with you) there was a huge camera in your face. (For a nationally televised interview.) My hands were shaking for you! Is it as nerve wracking as it seems or are you one of those obnoxiously perfect people who laugh in the face of fear?

Tamarra: I’m a complete introvert. I dislike cameras and hate public speaking, but I’m fine with one-on-one interactions. Most signings are one person at a time, bringing me a book I wrote to be signed. There is just nothing better than that. Yes, I’m nervous, but I love talking to readers, and I’m so grateful to them for buying my books and taking the time to come see me when I show up somewhere near them that it overrides the nervousness after a little while.

KindleObsessed: And last, but certainly not least… QUICK! Tell us 5 things we don’t know about you. For example (God, I can’t believe I’m about to say this) I am terrified of the old lady from The Wizard of Oz. (Not the witch…she’s got game. I’m talking the creep old lady who takes flight like ET.) Ready…set…go!

Tamarra: (1) The underneath layer of my hair is purple. (2) My oldest son is an actor and audiobook narrator, and he’s been the voice of Travis Maddox (A Beautiful Wedding) and Ridge Lawson (Maybe Someday) and Landon Lucas Maxfield (Breakable). (3) I haven’t bought a new car in ten years. (4) I love coffee and tea, but I don’t drink sodas. (5) I met my husband when I was 16. He was my boyfriend’s best friend.

Review

Over the past year I have been rather adamant (with myself) about not reading companion novels. Some might say that it seems a disservice to cut myself off from an entire line of literature just because of one distinguishable word in it’s synopsis…companion. BUT, like most of my previous irrational hang-ups I have my reasons. With the exception of a few (I’d be more than happy to list these for you later if you want) I have found myself to be a uncharacteristically harsher critic (if that’s even possible) when it comes to this specific type of work. Why? Because 80-90% of the time I feel as though I am reading the exact same thing I just read. Yes, they might be written from another characters point of view, but the story itself doesn’t fall all that far from the tree.  And, as far as I’m concerned, I have way to many books on my TBR to read the same story twice. (Feel free to insert harsh opinions here.)

So why, if I feel so strongly, did I agree to read Tammara Webber’s “Breakable?” A book that is ultimately touted to be “Lucas’ side of Easy?”

One word.

Prequel.

I don’t know if you’ve ever had the time to actually look up the word “prequel” in the dictionary, but it’s pretty clear in it’s definition:

“A story or movie containing events that precede those of an existing work.” (Thank you Webster’s.)

Except, I didn’t actually see those words when I was reading it, instead I saw: A brilliant opportunity for a talented author to expand their brilliant story in a DIFFERENT direction. 

So I gave it a chance.

Here’s the thing (and I’ll try to word this so that I don’t come off sounding like a complete idiot) I loved “Breakable” because it was the same story WITHOUT actually being…the same story. Instead of reading an (almost) verbatim companion novel, I got to learn some fairly crucial background information about Lucas. Why his grandfather was so important to him. Why he loves the Hellers so much. Where the tension comes from between his father and himself. Why the word “rape” (even said in passing) sends him into a blind rage.

These are the building blocks of Lucas. They make him who he is, influence his everyday decisions. And while yes, we got to hear an abbreviated version of his life in “Easy” they didn’t (thinking back on it now) do his background any justice. (Which is fine, it wasn’t HIS story. It was Jacqueline’s.) The combination of these elements made the story seem fresh and new, not the carbon copy I often find myself having to force my way through.

I’m not naive though, I read “Easy” for the first time almost two years ago, and I know that the separation between timelines is sure to create a fairly significant gap in my memory. The chances of me experiencing these “fresh and new” feelings might (in fact) stem (somewhat) from my lack of short-term knowledge of the story itself, but…I don’t thinks so.

Why?

Because “Easy” didn’t offer passages like the one below.  Snippets of “behind the scenes Lucas” that illustrate the inception of his care for Jacqueline.

In short, “Breakable” introduced me to all of the character of “Easy” again, only this time…through an entirely different viewfinder.

Also important to note: “Breakable” is comprised of equal parts (as Lucas would say) before and after. And they were done so in a particularly interesting way. By breaking up Lucas’ name.

If you have read “Easy” then you know the mystery plot that surrounds Lucas’ identity. In “Breakable” Webber uses that to her advantage. In order to establish a difference between the past and the present she uses his childhood name (Landon) and his adult name (Lucas) to distinguish timelines. It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal until you reach there very end of the novel where there is no more before and after, only a now.

So why not give it 5 stars if I loved it so much? Because it’s just not logical. I loved it, I really did. I sat down last Saturday morning and nocked out all 360 pages in just a few hours. But at the end of the day I still liked “Easy” better, and it DID get 5 stars. Wouldn’t it seem a little disingenuous if I offered up it’s brother at the same rank?

I’ll put it to you this way, Tammara Webber is a talented author. “Breakable” was definitely a prequel (not just a companion.) Two things that make this book worth your time and money.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Our past does not DEFINE our future, but it does help mold it.

Add it to your Goodreads shelf / Amazon wishlist

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