Today we are chatting with Jeff Bishop, author of A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy
Read on for more about him, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet Jeff Bishop
Jeffrey Bishop is a debut author, an inside boy, and not to be trusted. According to his exes, he is the “Expert in Healthy Relationships.” (Do not vet that). Jeff uses humor to mask his fear of vulnerability. He lives in Chicago.
About the Book: A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy
You’ve Reached Sam meets John Hughes in a funny and heartfelt debut about a boy’s delirious summertime quest with his ex-girlfriend.
The summer after senior year should have been a time for Cam to party and hang out with his friends. It should also have been a time for him to win back the love of his life, Allison Tandy, who’d dumped him so brutally the year before.
But it quickly becomes clear that this summer is going to be worse than a failure for Cam. It’s going to be a tragedy.
Ally is left comatose after a terrible car crash, then Cam tears his ACL in a basketball accident. The operation leaves him in agony, confined to his couch and ruminating over the fact that his ex may not survive.
But when (after taking his medication) Cam starts seeing Ally, he starts to think: 1. He may be headed for a complete mental breakdown and 2. This summer might just be interesting afterall.
Brimming with honesty and humor, A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy interrogates how much control we really have over matters of love—and life.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I got dumped lol.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Ally, no question.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel. My brilliant Pitch Wars mentor Alicia Clancy was the one who came up with A HEAVY DOSE OF ALLISON TANDY.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
The Band-Aid scene. For all its absurdity, it’s the best encapsulation of the core feeling the book is trying to articulate; that dating after a bad breakup sucks and it can be really, really hard getting your ex out of your head.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
How to write a plot. Turns out, kind of important. (Who woulda thought?)
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
It’s impossible to pick just one, I think German hit a home run with it. The capsule-balloon was a stroke of genius. Obviously, Ally is right on the money; she’s supposed to look like a contemporary Molly Ringwald mixing with a little Maya Hawke, from Stranger Things. I asked German to use the album art for Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap as the color palette, which I think turned out great. Then on the back, the TEAM CAM water tower is a nod to the SAVE FERRIS water tower in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
Live, Laugh, Kidnap is a riot, Gabby Noone is funny as hell. Getting Over Max Cooper by Marcelle Karp was excellent too.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
About to eat this hot dog. Then maybe a nap.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
I got a lot of notes on Cam’s little sister, Maizy. Some people thought she sounded too young, some too old. I have four older siblings and one younger (but only by a year and a half) so writing a kid sister a full decade younger than the MC certainly came with challenges.
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
(1) That breakups suck for everyone involved, (2) it’s okay if it takes you longer than you’d like to move on, and (3) even if it’s tough to see it in the moment, try to afford your ex more grace than comes naturally.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I can eat an entire roll of Starburst very fast.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
Unhoused LA does tremendous work aiding the unhoused community in Los Angeles. You can buy supplies directly from their Wishlist at tinyurl.com/UnhousedLA.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
Don’t be afraid to take notes. ALLISON TANDY is infinitely better because of the feedback and input of other people. Also write everything down. The saying “if it’s important, you’ll remember it” is BS. I am in a constant state of forgetting things I came up with and although my Notes app looks terrible, I don’t know where I’d be without it.
Book’s Title: A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy
Author: Jeff Bishop
Release Date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers / G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 1984812947
ISBN-13: 9781984812940
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Age Range: 14 and up
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
One winner will receive a copy of A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy (Jeff Bishop) ~US ONLY
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
Looks really good I love the cover and title!
I LOVE the cover, and the book itself sounds fantastic and I cannot wait to read it! Thanks so much for the chance!
The book sounds really good and I LOVE the cover!
I love the cover and the synopsis sounds emotional.
This is a really eye-catching cover with fun colors, and sounds like a great read!
I can’t wait for this book to come out! It sounds amazing!!
You had me a John Hughes