Her story Love Like Sky caught the attention of Disney-Hyperion senior editor Laura Schreiber, who offered her a two-book deal and uses words like “sparking humor” and “heartfelt honesty” to describe Youngblood’s writing and her characters.
The young adult/middle-grades book Love Like Sky will be released this fall. With Disney-Hyperion’s support, Youngblood is expanding her short story about a blended family and infinite family love.
“When I first started reading Love Like Sky on a January morning, I knew almost instantly these were characters that would become as dear to me as my own family,” said Disney’s Schreiber. “Leslie’s ability to convey the joy, melancholy, and messiness of family and love moved me deeply.”
Love Like Sky
What is your novel Love like Sky about?
Love Like Sky is about blended families. The parents remarry and have two little girls who are trying to make sense of it all.
How did you come up with the title?
Love Like Sky is about how you love people. It’s how you ultimately love someone. You love them like sky and what is the end to sky? It’s never ending. When you love someone like sky, that is an infinite love.
The protagonist tries to explain the fact that the little one is scared, that the daddy doesn’t love them anymore. When you’re in a blended family and a parent remarries, things change. The kids wonder, “Do they love us, do they love them more?” Parents may be trying so hard to win the affection of the stepchildren that they may put their biological kids on the backburner. So that’s what it means, that infinite love that parents have for their kids and the love siblings have for each other.
I was writing Love Like Sky while grieving a brother that was murdered. So, not knowing how to deal with grief, I just needed to write about love, about an endless love and that’s what came. That’s what “Love like Sky” means to me — how I love my brother, how I love all my siblings. It’s just a way to not only honor his memory, but really for all the kids out there that are struggling, that yearn for that type of love. I hope this novel touches them.
Do you have advice for blended families?
I’m a product of a blended family. My parents have been married almost 31 years. A blended family is all I really know. Even though the book is of importance, it’s not autobiographical. What I would advise is just what they do in Love Like Sky — be honest with the children and do the best you can to keeping them grounded. Try to do as they do in the novel; they really make an attempt to get along.
When I initially started Love like Sky, I realized it could not be too cotton candy and butterflies. I just wanted to write a good positive story. I wanted everyone to get along, but we know that’s not realistic fiction. So I really had to go back in and say, “Leslie, you know it’s messy.” I had to bring that into the story.
Why do you think Disney was interested?
The big thing about Love Like Sky being picked up by Disney is that it doesn’t have any magical realism. It’s strictly what I call realistic fiction. No witches or warlocks. The important thing that this family has is their own magic. They continually support each other and try to cheer each other up.
I had two publishing houses bid for the book. Laura (Schreiber’s) vision was closely tied to my own and Laura’s excitement for the book exuded from her. Who cannot go with that?
Why did you choose Rochester to relocate?
I was raised here since I was five. I went to West Irondequoit High School. My mom and dad lived in the 19th Ward forever. So it was about coming back to Rochester.
Were you following your dreams?
I was following my dreams and coming back to Rochester rooted me. The sense of family was here and high school friends were here, but my brother’s spirit is here. I really thought I couldn’t live here. He was murdered and buried here. The memories I thought would be too painful, but I feel his spirit here and it’s encouraging as opposed to being sad. I wish he was here, but who would of thought that coming back home would be a grounding experience?
I just know right now for at least the next several years I see myself in Rochester. You have to follow your passion; you have to follow your dreams wherever it takes you. I’m so thankful that my family supports me here in Rochester.
So what’s is next for you after the novels?
Wow, that’s the easiest question for me to answer. After this, all I’m going to worry about is writing more. I don’t do it for the money. It’s wonderful that Love like Sky has this deal, but I truly love what I do.
It’s an old cliché, but if you love what you do, then you’ll never work a day in your life. I honestly feel that way. I am my happiest when I’m at my computer typing. That itself is a blessing.
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