Starting Tomorrow received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Nikki Lampe Nalchajian.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Starting Tomorrow, Published December 8, 2020
What’s the book’s first line?
New Year’s Resolution: Stop doing things that are bad for me.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Sixteen-year-old Mackenzie, on a mission to be skinny, starts a journal to track her eating and chronicle her whirlwind life. It’s a temporary fix and she soon finds herself sucked back into a familiar pattern of self-destruction. Mack knows she needs help but is terrified to tell anyone about her dieting secret. After a close call, she begins to open up and discovers that her friends and family are struggling with their own well-kept secrets. Mack, her family, and friends navigate the challenges of being a modern teen…girlfriends, boyfriends, coming out, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, alcohol, self-image. Together they discover the healing power of honesty.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I struggled with bulimia in high school but hesitated to write a story about disordered eating because I thought I needed to have the answer to curing it. In my personal healing journey, I have discovered every person holds their unique answer inside. The path to mental wellness is guided by discovery, acceptance, and love. I hope this book encourages readers to share their struggles. I hope it entertains and offers ideas and perspectives on discovering our self-worth.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Read this book to enjoy yourself, see yourself, or see someone else with new eyes.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Mackenzie Stewart is strong and vulnerable, loving and selfish, confused and insightful. Like most of us, she’s full of contradictions. She reminds me of Bridgett Jones if she had been a present-day teen.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I think I decided to become an author at birth.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
Yes.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I manage accounting, HR, and tech for the sponsorship company my husband and I own.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I work on my writing on average four hours per day.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part of being an indie is being in control of what, when, and how I publish. The hardest part is there is no one else to blame, but that’s also another good part.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Get your work out there. You are the only one who gets to decide if your work is a success. And if you published it, that’s a huge success. Half the learning is done in the writing, the other half in the publishing. The entire journey is about discovering ourselves, so just get it out there!
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Yes, I would consider a traditional publishing offer if I thought we would work as a team and I could reach more people.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I am motivated by connecting with people and seeing them share and grow. Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone discover how wonderful they are.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
I admire all writers who are brave enough to share their words. Some of the published authors I admire are Joy Harjo, Charles Dickens, Toni Morrison, Caroyln See, Tom Robbins, J.R.R. Tolkien, Isabel Allende, Anodea Judith, Louise Hay, Robert Heinlein, Stephen King, Judy Blume…and me!
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Wishing to write a book that was already written feels like wishing to be someone other than who I am. I am grateful for the books that have transformed my life, but I wish only to write my own story. That said, these books are a huge part of who I am today: Oneness by Rasha, Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Lamont the Lonely Monster by Dean Walley, You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero, IT by Stephen King, The Witching Hour by Anne Rice, Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Radical Forgiveness by Collin Tipping, and Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See.