#ThursdayThoughts with E.A. West

Good Morning Friends,

Last month my friend and fellow Pelican Book Group author, EA West shared something she treasures with us. Today she'll share thoughts about the story behind the story of her brand new YA Christian Fiction Novel, Crash Course.

Take it away EA!

My latest young adult novel, Crash Course, involves freestyle motocross and a girl who loves to ride dirt bikes. The funny part is that I’ve never ridden a dirt bike in my life and I don’t personally know anyone who does. My hobbies include reading, knitting, and crochet. So, how did someone like me end up writing this book? Simple. I love watching freestyle motocross on TV.

Of course, watching a few competitions isn’t nearly enough to write a book. I did research in addition to my weekends watching the Dew Tour, the X Games, and a few supercross races. I spent a lot of time reading articles and blog posts on freestyle motocross and dirt bikes in general. Forum posts enabled me to create realistic dialogue for my characters. YouTube became my new best friend. It’s amazing how much you can learn by watching videos that dissect each trick and show the techniques to be a successful motocross rider.

Here’s a fun fact for you. The character Brady Scott was inspired by the real freestyle motocross rider Travis Pastrana, who was fifteen years old the first time I saw him in a competition. The fact that someone so young could do such amazing things on a dirt bike stuck with me, and the idea for including a teenage freestyle motocross rider in a novel blossomed. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but the research is what brings realism to the story.

You are SO right, EA, research IS what brings realism to any story. Thank you so much for sharing.

E.A. West, award-winning author of sweet and inspirational romance, is a lifelong lover of books and storytelling. In high school, she picked up her pen in a creative writing class and hasn’t laid it down yet. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, knitting, and crocheting. She lives in Indiana with her family and a small zoo of pets.

You can find, follow and Like EA at the following locations:

Website: http://eawest.mcphitty.com
Blog: http://thewestcorner.wordpress.com
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/EAWestAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/eawest
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/authoreawest
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/eawest

Crash Course can be found at Amazon, B&N, iTunes & Kobo.

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll drop by often to check out Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT