Getting to Know Gabi Justice

Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Gabi Justice!

Gabi Justice lives in Florida with her husband and children. You’d be hard-pressed to find a tennis court in the state that she hasn’t visited, having three competitive junior players in the family. She is the mom to three dogs and one stray cat. She spent most of her adult life writing editorial copy for local magazines after graduating from the University of South Florida. Florida provides the settings for her coming-of-age stories that highlight bullying, misjudgment, acceptance, and teen anxiety. Her main characters are goal-oriented teenage girls with a drive that can be fierce and dangerous.

Tell us about your book!

DOG GIRL is the story of a teenage girl, Kendall, that lives and works at her family’s dog rescue center. She’s slowly conquering her severe social anxiety. When a video of her harrowing rescue of a pit bull from the path of an on-coming train goes viral, all her mental health progress threatens to unravel. With the help of a motley group of dogs and friends, Kendall manages to not only survive high school but something far more dangerous.

“Dog Girl is a fun read. It covers lots of topics, including bullying, grief, social anxiety, the power of social media (both good and bad), and the evils of animal abuse (though this topic is handled with reader sensitivity in mind). There is romance and well as page-turning suspense.” —Goodreads Reviewer

Here’s the blurb:

A video of Kendall’s harrowing rescue of a pit bull from the path of an oncoming train goes viral. Suddenly, everyone wants a piece of Kendall, making her social anxiety worse. But this is an opportunity to put the rescue in the spotlight and secure the donations needed to save it.Delray Dog Rescue doesn’t just rescue dogs, it’s a second chance for felons, like her dad. Losing the rescue means losing Kendall’s home, her sanctuary, the dogs she loves, her identity and her dad, all over again. But money’s tight, and soon, Kendall must decide between keeping a roof over her head and saving the rescue.

Ryan, the new volunteer, soon becomes her best friend and worst enemy. His good looks and charm rattle her social awkwardness and threaten to dissolve all of her mental health progress. However, he also proves to be a needed asset once she discovers the wicked truth lurking in her small town.
The pit bull’s rescue uncovered a sinister underworld, and now it’s not only the dogs lives that are in danger. Death threats and vandalism try to stop Kendall and Ryan, but they’ll stop at nothing to save the rescued canines.

DOG GIRL is the story of a teen girl who wants to save the world, and ends up saving herself in the process.

Buy Dog Girl!

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Now for the fun stuff!

What’s your favorite genre? Do you read what you write?

Fantasy is my favorite genre. I love high fantasy, gothic fantasy, urban fantasy, historical fantasy, and all the rest. Yes, I do write in this genre. Currently, I’m revising a high fantasy which my agent will put on submission once it’s ready. I self-published a paranormal trilogy which is currently off-market but will return soon. My self-published books are under another name, Janelle Gabay.

I also enjoy reading YA contemporary and have written two books in this genre. Dog Girl, which is available everywhere, published via Swoon Romance, and a manuscript currently on submission through my agent, Sharon Belcastro. My love for YA contemporary grew from raising teenage children. I wanted to write for them and the books I read in this genre were excellent. I began to read more and more YA and fell in love with the coming-on-age theme. My children are growing up fast. Only one is still a teenager, but I still read YA.

It’s the coming of age aspect of YA books that I love as well.

What’s your favorite part about writing?

I love it all, but I’d have to say the characters. It’s especially thrilling when a character suddenly veers off course. The organic, unexpected growth of a character never ceases to amaze me. Or when it’s time to kill off a character. I know it sounds morbid but imagine a villain’s laugh and evil hands rubbing together and that’s most writers sitting in their chairs writing or typing away. It hurts but you just know it will be an amazing twist in the story.

Ha! I know a lot of writers who would agree with you about killing off characters! I’ve only killed two main characters, and they were both really sad, but someday I’ll knock off a villain.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Life getting in the way. I try to write everyday but of course life happens and sometimes I must go a few days without writing. Returning to my work-in-progress after that break can be very difficult.

I agree one hundred percent. I try to sit my butt in my writing chair every day at the same time, even if I’m not actively writing, so I don’t fall out of the habit.

What’s an activity unrelated to writing that you love?

I love going to hockey games. Go Bolts! I also line dance with my mom. We recently went to a line dancing convention together. She is way better than I am.

I think you and I would have fun together. 😉

Who’s your biggest cheerleader?

My daughter. All of my family, truly, but my daughter pays the closest attention and cheers me on every day. Also, my critique group that I met at a SCBWI conference in NYC. They push me and encourage me all the time.

That’s very sweet! And I love that you met your critique group at the conference. I went to that several years ago and still keep in touch with writers I met there.

Now I’d like to play a fun little game called This or That. As a writer, I find that a lot of interviews ask the same questions, so I always appreciate sharing something new about myself. I’m super excited about these questions—and I hope you enjoy them!

Introvert or extrovert? EXTROVERT

Morning or night person? MORNING

Coffee or tea? COFFEE

Sweet or salty? BOTH – Salted dark chocolate is the best

Eternal summer or four seasons? FOUR SEASONS

Mountains or beach? MOUNTAINS – probably because I’m surrounded by the beach all the time.

Dogs or cats? BOTH

Over 5’5” or under? UNDER

Left or right-handed? RIGHT-HANDED

Hoodie or yoga pants? YOGA PANTS

I’m keeping your answers as all-caps because I feel a LOT of energy coming off you! And I love it!

Gabi, thank you much for spending this time with me and my readers. I’ve enjoyed this so much! Readers, you can find Gabi at these links—and be sure to check out Dog Girl!

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