Jolene Perry on her new book "The Night Sky" (Guest Post)

Title: Night Sky
Author: Jolene Perry
Release Date: March 1, 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

Girl I’ve loved, girl I’m falling for. Now that they’re both in view, the problem is clear.

After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her.

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums - she's way more than distraction. Jameson's falling for her fast.

But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.

My mom was born in Southeast Alaska, where Sky's character is from. I feel like I'm saying this a lot, but it almost felt like cheating to use the Tlingit people for Sky's background because I've spent so much time in the area.

I didn't set out to write this book with a Native American character. I didn't know Sky was Native until Jameson drove up behind her, and I wanted the girl he met to be opposite of his friend, Sarah. So I made her tall, and gave her nearly black hair, and I thought - hey, what if she was just a tad exotic. I went for a run while I thought about what to do with her - this is how I solve writing stumps - and came up with Sky, who I just adore.

I love reading books about people from diverse backgrounds, and there aren't nearly enough. Also, I feel like the problem (not that it's a bad thing) with a lot of books about people from different cultures is that it becomes what the book is about. This book is not about Sky's heritage. It's about Jameson. But because Jameson falls for this girl, and her heritage is a huge part of who she is, it became a natural part of the story.

I wish I lived in Southeast Alaska - I think it's one of the most beautiful places on earth (on the rare times when the sun comes out) and I hope to write more books where the native culture I grew up around is represented.

Thanks SO much for having me on your blog today!!

~ Jolene

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Thanks for stopping by the blog today, Jolene, and for discussing the subject matter of your book a little with us! I also love reading books about people from different backgrounds and cultures, so this one sounds great! 

To learn more about The Night Sky, visit this website, where you will find book quotes, interesting facts, and a playlist. Click here to read two book excerpts.