Building Character with Devon Abrams from Best Friends...Forever?

Hooray, it’s finally Friday. This week we have a Building Character interview with Devon Abrams from Best Friends…Forever? by Krysten Lindsay Hager. Thanks for joining us today on Strands of Thoughts, Devon. Let’s start by you telling us a little about yourself.

I’m Devon Abrams, an eighth grader at Hillcrest Academy and one of Landry Albright’s best friends. I have been best friends with two other girls (India and Peyton) since we were in the fourth grade, but Landry just joined our group this year after her other friends kind of dumped her when she was chosen to move on in the American Ingénue modeling competition without them. I was chosen for the competition, too, but…well, I didn’t make it past the next round and Landry did. I’m happy for her, but it does hurt not to get chosen. It was a little hard to get past it and then recently Landry told me India had gone to a basketball game with my crush behind my back. India and I have been friends forever and she told me Landry was just trying to cause drama. I didn’t think Landry would do that, but then again, I didn’t think India would go behind my back either. Middle school can be really confusing. You never know who your real friends are sometimes.

As hard as navigating middle school can be, it’s important you stay true to yourself. Don’t let ugly things like that change you. Have you learned anything while trying to figure this out?

I guess I’ve learned to trust my instincts about people. Sometimes you hear that a friend did something to you and went behind your back, but you don’t want to believe that she did it, so you believe her when you confront her and she twists the truth. No one wants to think their best friend could go out with the guy she knows you have a crush on, but…it happens. Landry tried to tell me what was going on with Doug and India, but I didn’t want to see it. I’ve known India forever and couldn’t believe she’d do that to me.

I’m sorry, Devon. Tell us more about your best friends.

Like I said, I’ve been best friends with India Allen and Peyton Urich for years and now Landry Albright has joined our group, too. A few months ago, Landry and I got best friend bracelets and India was NOT happy about that. I didn’t think India was still mad about that, but maybe that explains why she went out with my crush and then tried to blame Landry for spreading gossip.

Jealousy can make people do some mean things. What’s your strongest personality trait?

I’m a loyal friend. Even after all Landry, India, Peyton, and I have been through, they still know when it’s all said and done that I’ve got their backs. Even though things got weird with me not trusting Landry, once we made up, I made sure she knew I was on her side when that rumor came up about her ex, Vladi, dumping her for the super popular Yasmin McCarty. We all rallied around Landry to try to help her. And I always stick up from my friends no matter. I really hate when Landry’s friends Tori and Ericka make those passive aggressive remarks to her. With friends like that...

Is there anything about you that people always give you a hard time about? How do you feel about it?

I know people think I’m quick to get mad, but it’s only because I’m sensitive and it’s a defensive thing, you know? I get my feelings hurt so easily and sometimes I think that if people know how I’ll react to stuff then maybe they’ll think twice about hurting my feelings. It doesn’t really seem to work for me, but it’s hard to know who you can trust sometimes.

Okay, let’s finish up on a lighter note. What are your three favorite leisure activities?

I love hanging out with my friends. It’s fun to go to the mall, go to basketball games at the high school (and then out for ice cream afterward), and sometimes it’s just fun to do a movie night with my friends—especially at Peyton’s house. I love action movies with my favorite actor, Blake Alderson. My friends tease me because he’s older, but I have loved him forever. I’ve seen all his movies.

Thanks for visiting with us, Devon. Good luck with your friends and with your brand new book! Readers, here is more information about Devon’s book, Best Friends…Forever?  

Landry Albright hopes the new year will start off in an amazing way—instead she has to deal with more frenemy issues, boy drama, and having most of her best friends make the cheerleading squad without her. Suddenly, it seems like all anyone can talk about is starting high school next year—something she finds terrifying.

Landry gets her first boyfriend, but then gets dumped just as things come to a head with her friends Devon, India, and Ashanti. She feels lost and left out, but finds good advice about dealing with frenemies from what she considers an unlikely source. Landry faces having to speak up for what’s right, tell the truth (even when it hurts), and how to get past the fear of failure as she gets another shot at competing in the American Ingénue modeling competition.

Pick up your own copy at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Friends-Forever-Landrys-Colors-Series-ebook/dp/B00UIP1N5S/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=1FF8C9WMYVSR93EA7FCJ

And here’s the 411 on Devon’s author:

Krysten Lindsay Hager is the author of the Landry’s True Colors Series, a clean reads young adult series. Krysten writes about  friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, and crushes in both True Colors and Best Friends…Forever?

Krysten is an Amazon international bestselling author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Connect with Krysten:

Website: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/krystenlindsay
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25145859-best-friends-forever


Comments

  1. Beverly Stowe McClureApril 3, 2015 at 5:12 AM

    Those middle school years can be tough. Good luck to Devon.
    Great interview. I enjoyed meeting the girls. Their problems sound familiar. Congratulations, Krysten.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kai Strand, AuthorApril 3, 2015 at 6:42 AM

      Tough years to navigate, for sure. Thanks for visiting, Beverly. Happy Friday!

      Delete
    2. Krysten Lindsay HagerApril 3, 2015 at 3:04 PM

      Thanks, Beverly! They are tough years and really shape us so much.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Susan Kaye Quinn, Author of Open Minds, Presents:

Image
Finding Time to Write the Sequel by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) Even before I decided to self-publish my new paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) , I knew it would be a trilogy. But once I had made the decision to publish, the need to get busy on the sequel(s) kicked into high gear. Except that I was also publishing a book. Most writers find it difficult to balance writing with all the other demands in life. Even people who are lucky enough to write full time (which I am, since I write while my kids are at school), there’s still a tug between writing time and all the other things that need to be done. Once you’re published, this all changes, and not for the better. Now, not only do you need to write and get the kids to school and get the laundry done, but you also need to market your book, which can mean everything from actually getting it published (edits, covers, websites, blogs)...
Read more

Robot Writing - What It Is & How to Avoid It

Image
Many beginner writers fall into the habit of what I like to refer to as “robot writing.” It’s when you basically write your scenes like a grocery list. Ex: Marcy stood and walked across the room. Then she picked up the candle stick to inspect it. She blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Marcy dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. I call it robot writing because when I'm reading it I tend to fall into a robotic pattern and start to sound like the robot from the old Lost In Space series. "Danger. Danger. Will Robinson." You may as well put numbers in front of each sentence: First Marcy stood and walked across the room. Second she picked up the candlestick to inspect it. Third she blinked when she noticed the spot of dried blood. Fourth she dropped the candlestick and ran from the room. Don’t get me wrong, robot writing is absolutely acceptable in your first draft, no matter your writing experience. Your first p...
Read more

Don't Be Closed Minded. Read a Banned Book. #Giveaway

Image
On this list , compiled by the ALA, of the top 100 challenged books of the decades 1990-1999 and 2000-2009, I've read: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Adventure of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Blubber Crank The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time The Dead Zone The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things Fat Kid Rules the World The Giver Harry Potter (series) The Hunger Games (series) The Kite Runner The Lovely Bones Olive's Ocean Speak Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes That Was Then, This Is Now Thirteen Reasons Why Twilight (series) A Wrinkle In Time I would recommend any of them, but especially the titles I've linked. The thing with me and banned books is that I don't get it. The banning thing. Why would you ever feel the right to keep a book out of the hands of other readers? Why would you feel you have the authority to say what some can and cannot read? Do you have the right to voice your o...
Read more