Schertz Author Releases Book for Middle School Demographic By: Jaime Cline
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my Bearce interweaves magic into all of her books and her latest one is no different. Escaping into a fantasy world might even be more enticing for people especially during these unprecedented times. “Magic can open up doors for me to explore some more difficult topics for my younger readers,” said Bearce, who lives in Schertz. In her latest novel, “Paris on Repeat”, 14-year-old Eve Hollis finally gets up the courage to tell her crush how she feels on a school trip to Paris. Imagine awkwardly telling your crush how you feel about them in the City of Love--only to have that go horribly wrong. Now imagine having to keep reliving that embarrassing moment over and over again in a Ground Hog Day type situation? Eve has to figure out how to get out of the magical time loop disaster of a day and back to real life—and quick! Amy’s writing process starts with a lot of “What If ” questions and “Paris on Repeat” sparked to life after a conversation with her daughter, Keira. They were chatting about the famous “love locks”—padlocks that are inscribed with the names of lovers
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Schertz Magazine
September 2020
who then attach them to the bridges arching across the Seine River in Paris as an expression of their undying love. “She asked me, ‘What happens if one breaks? What happens if one of the lockets breaks?’ and that made me question, ‘What if ?’ and the idea for “Paris on Repeat” was born”. Bearce shares that normal conversations such as that one can be the uncovering of a story idea. The conversation will help her imagine a scene in her head and those provide the framework for her novels. “Every big city has something magical to it and Paris is no different. I loved visiting it and knew I wanted to base a story there.” Bearce tailors her books for the 13-15-year-old market—the middle school years. Her books bridge the gap between the middle grade and YA fiction—a genre that tends to be missing in today’s publishing world. Writing for that age group, she hopes to empower her readers to be more confident and comfortable navigating their new world of friendships, crushes, and figuring out who they are.