Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Jenna Voris!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Jenna Voris
Jenna Voris writes books about ambitious girls and galaxy traversing adventures. She was born and raised in Indiana—where she learned to love roundabouts and the art of college basketball—and now calls Washington D.C. home. When she’s not writing, she can be found perfecting her road trip playlists and desperately trying to keep her houseplants alive. Every Time You Hear That Song is her sophomore novel, after her debut Made of Stars.
About the Book: Every Time You Hear That Song
Dumplin’ meets Daisy Jones & the Six in this split-POV love song to country idols, romantic road trips, and queer love.
Seventeen-year-old aspiring journalist Darren Purchase has been a lifelong fan of country music legend Decklee Cassel, who’s as famous for her classic hits as she is for her partnership with songwriter Mickenlee Hooper. The same Mickenlee who mysteriously backed out of the limelight at the height of their careers, never to be heard from again. Now Decklee’s televised funeral marks the unveiling of her long-awaited time capsule. But when it’s revealed to be empty, a trail of scavenger-hunt clues unfolds, leading to a whopping cash prize for whoever finds the real capsule. Darren knows there’s a story there—and she’s going to be the one to break it. Even if it means a spontaneous road trip with her coworker Kendall.
Flashback to 1963, when a young runaway Decklee has her sights set on fame and glory. As she claws her way to the top over the years that follow, it’s Mickenlee’s lyrics that help rocket her to stardom. But as their relationship evolves beyond the professional, it threatens everything Decklee has worked for. What else will she sacrifice to hold on to her dreams?
Told in alternating perspectives, Every Time You Hear That Song is a queer coming-of-age story celebrating country music, complicated women, and living authentically. There’s more to Decklee’s story than Darren ever could have guessed, but the real story she has to tell is her own.
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Every Time You Hear That Song was initially inspired by one of my friends telling me about Dolly Parton’s dream box. Basically, Dolly wrote this new song, locked it in a time capsule, and it’s not going to be opened until her 100th birthday in 2046. I think that’s so fun and dramatic, but naturally I was like “omg what if everyone’s waited all this time, but then when someone goes to open it, the box is empty?” and everything sort of spiraled from there.
YABC: What research did you do to write this book?
A lot! My notes for this project were basically its own separate document. I spent a lot of time studying Dolly Parton’s career since she was rising to fame around the same time Decklee would have been and I had this ever-growing collection of old newspaper articles sitting on my computer. Most of that info didn’t even end up in the book, but it was so important to my own personal understanding of the world. And one of my best friends is from Nashville, so I also shamelessly interrogated her mom about her experience attending Vanderbilt in the 70s.
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
Reading books in my genre/age category is always so helpful. My number one piece of advice for anyone trying to get published is to read widely in the genre they want to write. I’ve never taken an official writing class, so everything I’ve learned about craft came from studying writers I admire.
YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?
Any scene where two characters just get to hang out and vibe—aka the scenes that usually end up getting cut because they don’t serve a real plot purpose. I just love writing silly little dialogue with absolutely no stakes whatsoever!
YABC: What is your favorite writing space?
I’m physically incapable of sitting in one space for an extended period of time, so my favorite writing space changes from day to day. Sometimes, I’ll explore local coffee shops or pop into my public library. Other days, I’ll drag a blanket outside and pretend to be a cottage core girl having a picnic. It truly depends on whatever has the best vibes that day.
YABC: How do you plan to celebrate the launch of your book?
I actually get to do several different in-person events to celebrate the launch of this book! On April 2nd, I’ll be at The Bookshop in Nashville, Tennessee with Brian D. Kennedy and Jenna Miller to talk about all things books and country music. I’m so excited about this one, especially because so much of Every Time You Hear That Song takes place in Nashville. It feels very full circle.
YABC: What fandom would you write for if you had time?
I would drop everything to write a YA novelization of those animated Barbie movies from the early 2000s. Barbie in the Nutcracker? Barbie Princess and the Pauper? Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus? Tell me those wouldn’t go hard! You can’t!
YABC: What’s up next for you?
My next YA, Say A Little Prayer, comes out next spring from Penguin Teen! It’s about a teen girl who’s forced to attend church camp and decides to commit all seven deadly sins as retribution, all while secretly falling for her best friend.
Title: Every Time You Hear That Song
Author: Jenna Voris
Release Date: April 2, 2024
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers / Penguin Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0593623398
ISBN-13: 9780593623398
Genre: Young Adult Fiction – Romance – Contemporary
Age Range: 12+
*Giveaway Details*
Three (3) winners will receive a copy of Every Time you Hear That Song (Jenna Voris) ~ US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway!*
My MG students would love this.
The cover is romantic and this sounds exciting!
This cover and book sounds/look incredible!
I’ve been looking forward to this book!