Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce | Debut Friday

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Hey everyone! Welcome to Debut Friday!

For today’s feature, I chatted with Kristy Boyce, the author of "Hot British Boyfriend", a YA Contemporary Romance standalone that will be released on February 9, 2021.

Read ahead to see what Kristy has to say about her publishing journey, her debut novel and her best advice for aspiring debut authors!

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1. First off, congratulations on being published! How does it feel to be in the final steps of becoming a published author?

Kristy: It feels wonderful! I’ve dreamed of being a published author since I was a child and I’ve been seriously pursuing publication for a decade so I’m over the moon to be at this step.

2. From what I've heard, the publishing process was not an easy journey. What was the hardest part of the process for you and what did you learn from it?

Kristy: Probably the hardest time in the process was when I was first querying agents with an earlier version of Hot British Boyfriend and getting rejections. I believed in the book, but agents weren’t connecting. I was very close to giving up on it, but my heart told me there was still promise so I applied to PitchWars and got in. That led me to signing with my agent and selling the book. I’ve learned that you have to believe in yourself and your projects. At the same time, you can’t get too egotistic because there is always more to learn

3. Did you have any finished manuscripts before you started on "Hot British Boyfriend"?

Kristy: Yes, I had queried two manuscripts previously and had several other finished drafts that weren’t ready to be queried yet.

4. What's the one thing you wished you knew about the publishing process?

Kristy: I feel like there’s still so much I’m learning! People say this all the time, but it’s really true that publishing is a slow process. Each step takes time and it’s easy to stress or think it’s never going to happen, but it absolutely can if you keep trying!

5. Let’s talk about your debut novel! What was the main inspiration behind "Hot British Boyfriend"?

Kristy: Actually, my earliest inspiration came from a multiple-choice question I wrote for a college class I was teaching. The question was about a teen girl who studies abroad and it made me think how fun it would be to write a book set in England. I knew immediately that I wanted to set it at a fictionalized version of Harlaxton Manor because my best friend has taught study abroad students there.

6. How did the title "Hot British Boyfriend" came along?

Kristy: All credit for that goes to Nancy Werlin! I went to the Whole Novel Workshop at the Highlights Foundation and Nancy was my mentor. She pulled the phrase out of my manuscript and told me that it needed to be the title. And she was totally right!

7. Describe "Hot British Boyfriend" in 5 words in one sentence.

Kristy: Swoony travel romance about self-acceptance.

8. Alongside your debut novel, give a shout-out to some of your fellow 2021 YA debut authors and their debut novels that readers should check out!

Kristy: There are soooo many amazing books coming out in 2021 that it’s hard to list them all!! Can I cheat and say all of them?! If I have to choose then I’ll say I’m very excited about all the books coming out from my fellow 2018 PitchWars mentees. It’s so inspiring to see all of the success coming from our class. And, of course, I can’t wait for more debut YA romances such as Once Upon a Quinceanera by Monica Gomez-Hira, Made in Korea by Sarah Suk, Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant, Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, and Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June

9. As a debut author, what is your best advice to those who wants to become a published author someday?

Kristy: If you want to write YA then I’d definitely recommend joining SCBWI and becoming active in your local chapter. The vast majority of my writing community started with SCBWI, and I really believe you need to find those connections to keep going when the rejections roll in. My writing life changed as I began to make friends and share my manuscripts with them.

10. And my last question! For the readers who are still hesitating to pick up "Hot British Boyfriend", why do you think they should give it a go?

Kristy: Because everyone needs a little happiness in life--especially right now! I write books to bring people joy and I hope Hot British Boyfriend does just that. Plus, you get to travel around England and Italy with Ellie!

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Thank you so much for reading for reading today's feature!

A huge shout-out to Kristy for being a part of Debut Friday!

You can follow her on her Instagram (@kristylboyce).

And don't forget to add "Hot British Boyfriend" to your Goodreads!

You can click here to add it.