Meet Trisha Larson Harmon, author of Somewhere Between Dandelions, a young adult paranormal romance, which I absolutely loved. Harmon skillfully captures those first-love butterflies, while also allowing the characters to work through genuine, heartbreaking problems. This is my review on Amazon.
We found each other on TikTok (#BookTok), and discovered we have several things in common. We're both indie authors of YA books, our debut novels came out within a few months of each other, we both started TikTok around the same time, and--here's the kicker--our books both took 15 years to complete. That's pretty rare!
After commenting back and forth on each other's posts, I read her book, loved it, and reached out to ask if she'd like to be interviewed for my blog/newsletter, and she agreed. We met over Zoom and compared industry notes. (Though the interview itself was done in writing.) She's so on top of it--getting her book into bookstores, researching affordable marketing options, and posting 3 TikTok videos per day. This woman is unstoppable and truly an inspiration! Without further ado, here's my interview with Trisha Larson Harmon.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your author journey. Did you always want to be an author?
One day in 5th grade we were given a writing assignment. I wrote about my cat, Lovey, who had recently died. Everyone in the class read each other’s work and voted on their favorites. Those with the most votes had to read their essay at the front of the class. I was a shy kid, but I loved that my words had the power to make others feel something. From then on, I wanted to be a writer. I wrote often, including poetry, fan fiction, and novels. I couldn’t imagine doing anything other than writing as my career, so I picked Creative Writing as my major. I received my BA from UC Riverside in Creative Writing with a Poetry Emphasis.
After graduating, I had no clue what job to get, so I obtained an MFA from CSU Long Beach in Creative Writing with a Poetry Emphasis. After graduating, I had yet to write a great American Novel, so I accepted a promotion to be a manager at Barnes & Noble, where I worked for nine years. Real life and my twenties got in the way of writing, and I wrote off and on. Years passed, I got married, had two kids, and got divorced. The creative bug always nudged me, and I often felt guilty for not writing. In 2020 when the pandemic hit and the world shut down, I reevaluated my goals and took the extra time I was given to finish the book that became Somewhere Between Dandelions.
What was the first book you fell in love with or a book that changed your life?
I don’t recall a particular favorite that I legit fell l in love with but Christopher Pike novels and Sweet Valley High were some go-tos. I remember liking the novel, Darcy’s Song by Cynthia Voight. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen stand out in my memory. I loved the magical elements they had and knew I wanted to add “magic” to my novels too.
I’ve read non-fiction books that have changed my life, for example, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle andThe Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. These books and others like them expanded my thinking and shifted my mindset dramatically.
Give us the famed “elevator pitch” for your book, Somewhere Between Dandelions.
Claire gets a second chance at love when she discovers she can see Finn’s ghost. Finn’s reason for staying changes everything.
What was the inspiration behind your book?
Way back in 2008/2009, I went to bed one night thinking about a person from my past. The question I asked before I fell asleep was “What if he had chosen me instead of her?” When I woke up, the idea for my book was right there—Finn would choose Claire, but then he would die, however, she would be able to see his ghost.
What inspired your title? Did it have any other titles over the years?
My first title was Somewhere in Between. When I discovered another book with a similar storyline also shared a similar title, I decided to change it. For a while, the working title was Betting on Wishes. I had always loved my original title and after much pondering over various titles came up with Somewhere Between Dandelions.
What is something, even a small thing, that is plucked directly out of your real life and placed into your book? (I have lots of little ones in mine.)
We do write what we know! Like Claire, I grew up in a small town and worked at a pizza place. Claire’s mother is an alcoholic and I had alcoholism in my family, which led to things often going unspoken, as they do in Claire’s family. I pulled an exact line a boy once said to me when I was 15 and placed those words in Finn’s mouth! There is a scene in the book where Claire and Finn go on a hike (leaving out some detail here to prevent spoilers) and that hike was based on a hike I went on with a friend.
This is a multi-faceted question, asked in the spirit of camaraderie because I, too, took 15 years to publish my book, from the first idea to the release date. How did the story evolve over that time? How different would the book be if you’d released it years ago? Who or what kept you going?
I think things always happen at the time they are meant to. I don’t beat myself up over the time it took me from idea (2008/2009) to publication (2024). There was a whole lot of life happening between those years.
My daughter was one when I got the idea for my book. I handwrote it in my car before work. I then bought a laptop and typed it up. I had friends and family read it and offer feedback. Then I suppose I just got busy with working and being a mom. I had my son and ended up getting divorced when my son was almost 3. I was then a single mom, working full time, and finding time to write was hard and not something I had the mental capacity for. I would tinker with my novel every so often, but ultimately didn’t have the time or energy to work on it much. The idea and characters always stuck with me, and I knew one day I would return to it, or my future self would be extremely unhappy with me.
When the pandemic hit, working from home full-time with older kids was life changing. I needed to find a way to use the extra time wisely. One thing I know about myself is that I’m a person who strives to meet deadlines, especially when I know someone expects something from me, so I hired a writing coach to hold me accountable. I scraped most of what I had—the bones of the book had always been there, but the meat around it changed. The additional personal experiences in my life added to the story, as well. It wouldn’t have had the depth it does now if I had published the earlier versions.
Once it was complete I attempted to get an agent and sent around 40 query emails before growing tired of the research and from either not hearing back or getting form rejections. After several months of doing nothing, I was like, what the heck, this book is worthy of being in the world, and I decided to self-publish.
What kept me going…I often think of my future self and how I will feel on my deathbed based on the choices I make now. Before I finished and published Somewhere Between Dandelions, my old gray-haired self was kicking herself for not writing when she had the chance. Now, that old near-death woman is content with what we accomplished. Additionally, I wanted to be an example for my kids and show them the importance of taking chances and following their dreams. Finally, I did it for Claire and Finn, whose stories needed to be told.
What are some tools or resources you swear by as an author?
My writing coach! The resources her program offered included feedback and several rounds of editing. Her insight and accountability were vital. I used my Word Hippo app when I struggled with word choice! (Haha) My laptop was a big deal too, as I could write wherever, but my own space which was a desk in my room, was also important.
I must say, you’re brilliant on TikTok. How do you use social media as an author? What other resources do you use to advertise your book?
Thank you for that! I’m trying so hard and would love one of my book content videos to go viral! When I began thinking about marketing, I knew I had to get on TikTok because of BookTok, which I had heard of but knew nothing about! I create content about my book and the process of self-publishing to build followers and find readers. I also post on Facebook and Instagram, but those aren’t giving me the same reach. I also began supporting other indie authors by buying and posting about their books on TikTok. I have found the people I'm meeting, such as yourself, to be very kind and generous. I feel like I’ve found my tribe! I currently post 3 times a day, which feels like a lot and I’m not sure how long I can keep it up, but TikTok seems to be the place where the majority of my new readers are coming from.
I have also paid for a Kirkus Review, Readers’ Favorite Reviews, and a Reedsy review. While I love that I have received favorable reviews from all of them, I’m not sure if having them is adding to my readership. Though, I have used quotes from the reviews to advertise my book, perhaps that makes a difference.
I’m also trying sponsored ads on Amazon, but honestly, it’s not intuitive to set up, and every time I look at it, I am uber-confused! I haven’t seen any sales from it yet.
I recently signed up for NetGalley. This is a platform where you upload your book for reviewers, book buyers, and librarians to read for free for a 6 month period. I hope to see my book added to libraries and independent bookstores, as well as, see reviewers posting a review on their social media platforms and Goodreads. Fingers crossed this turns out to be a good resource!
Inside scoop: what’s something quirky about you?
I call myself a heart finder. I see heart shapes in clouds, apple cores, egg yolks, leaves, potato chips, etc. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point! The cool thing about this is receiving pictures from friends and family who see hearts in things around them and think of me.
Me too! (Although my friends and family probably don't know this.) Here are some I've found--including a potato chip. :)
What’s next for you in your creative fulfillment/author journey?
I set a goal to reach 1,000 readers in the year 2024. This includes sales of my paperback, eBook, and audiobook. I’m also planning to drop my book into some free libraries and count those as a “sale,”—though the reach of that could be endless! Additionally, I will count the number of people reading my book on NetGalley, as it’s more about readers than sales—though of course sales are nice too!
I have big dreams for Somewhere Between Dandelions. I’m working on manifesting great things, like Reese Witherspoon and Oprah reading it! I can see it being made into a movie or a limited TV Series.
Up next for writing is a sequel of sorts to Somewhere Between Dandelions. Up until I published it, I didn’t plan on writing a sequel, but the idea for one came to me. I have taken notes but haven’t officially begun to write yet. I like to say it’s downloading or being written in my head. It will be about the afterlife and I’m excited for what is to come!
I’m so happy that we have connected. You were one of the first people I saw on TikTok and I know we were meant to be friends!
Same with me! I think we're both so grateful for the awesome TikTok/BookTok community and how supportive it's been. I'm looking forward to reading anything you write in the future!
Pick up a copy of Somewhere Between Dandelions from Amazon (and other bookstores) and become immersed in the world of Claire and Finn.
Visit Trisha's website, where you can find links to all her major social media channels as well as her newsletter.
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