Debbie Schrack is the multiple award-winning author of Saving Sophie and Over The Fence—contemporary young adult fiction books centered on complex real-world themes and issues including love, loss, forgiveness, domestic violence, and more.
A multi-faceted talent, Debbie’s work has been recognized by numerous international literary awards including an Outstanding Creator Award, Paris Book Award, Oklahoma Romance Writers Guild Heart Award, New York Book Award Runner-Up and the SCBWI Haunted States of America Contest for the state of Virginia.
A former teacher, Debbie lives in Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
When she’s not conjuring dark and twisty plots or hanging out with her family, you can find her riding her horse or pouring over travel brochures, ready to check another box off of her bucket list of travel adventures.
This one-on-one interview shares Debbie Schrack’s background and experience in writing Saving Sophie.
Tell us about Saving Sophie.
Set in the fictional town of Blue Mountain Lake, Saving Sophie follows seventeen-year-old, Gabe Hunter, who knows he has a purpose in life. He has always strived to be the “best of the best,” but lately nothing has gone his way.
Gabe’s half-brother Josh has just gone to prison for a drunk driving accident that killed four members of a family and left a sixteen-year-old girl named Sophie an orphan. When Gabe reluctantly agrees to do math tutoring for his senior service project, he discovers that the girl he will be tutoring is also named Sophie.
But in a town of eighty thousand people, what are the odds it’s the same person? Astronomical, Gabe figures. Gabe soon discovers, though, that it is the same Sophie.
A former National Merit Scholar finalist, Sophie had a severe brain injury in the accident. She has seizures, amnesia, and can barely read or write. When he meets her, Gabe realizes what his purpose in life must be—to help Sophie and make amends for his brother. His plan is to spend the rest of the school year tutoring Sophie, then say goodbye and go quietly off to college without ever telling her that his brother was the one who killed her family. What Gabe doesn’t count on is falling in love.
What inspired you to write Saving Sophie?
In today’s society, teenagers are faced with a myriad of challenges and opportunities. In the book, readers will journey alongside Gabe, as he faces hurdles with school academics, peer pressure, family obligations, hatred for his brother and an aching attraction to Sophie.
My goal was to write a heartfelt novel about two teenagers falling in love, while also pushing the boundaries of forgiveness. I wanted to present a realistic, yet dramatic work of fiction that young adult readers could understand and relate to, while ultimately answering the question, “Can anything be forgiven?”
How did your background and experience influence your writing?
My books are loosely based on real life experiences and events.
As a former teacher, I worked extensively with learning disabled teenagers and I used experiences from my profession to create this sympathetic and emotional story. For example, the character of Sophie is a composite of many of the struggling learners I previously worked with.
I chose to write in the young adult fiction genre because the worldview of teenagers is so dramatic and angsty. By incorporating important themes and life lessons in my work, I feel I can impart valuable knowledge in an exciting, entertaining way.
What is one message you would like readers to remember?
Forgiveness is so important in a loving relationship, but most of all, you have to learn how to forgive yourself.
Purchasing the Book
Saving Sophie has received positive reviews from well-known literary organizations, authors, and reviewers around the world. Erin Stewart, author of The Words We Keep and Scars Like Wings writes, “Sincere and engaging, Saving Sophie is an unapologetically authentic story of finding forgiveness—for the ones we love as much as for ourselves.” In addition, reviewer John Rogers Clark IV writes, “Sweet, messy, and extremely believable…it’s a terrific story and deserves consideration by all school and public libraries.”
Unputdownable, emotionally moving and relatable, Saving Sophie is available for sale on Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Nook and the Google Play store. Readers are encouraged to purchase their copy today: https://www.debbieschrackbooks.com
Connect with Debbie Schrack
https://www.debbieschrackbooks.com
https://twitter.com/debbie_schrack
https://www.facebook.com/debbie.schrack.7/
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