Interview with J.S Doktorski

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

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1. How and why have you started to write? Were there something or someone that gave you an impulse?


Growing up, I loved to read. I still do. A trip to the library or a book store was one of my favorite things to do. As a kid, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and all of Judy Blume’s book were a huge inspiration to me. I dreamed of telling stories like that one day.




2. Tell me something about your book How My Summer Went Up In Flames.


How My Summer Went UP In Flames is the story of seventeen-year-old Rosie, who makes some pretty bad choices after a breakup with her cheating boyfriend – choices that land her on the receiving end of a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation! (She accidentally set her boyfriend’s car on fire.) At the start of the book, she’s heartbroken—and furious. So, to put some distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. The farther away from home she gets, the more she learns about life, love, and herself, and she realizes that sometimes the best revenge is moving on.




3. While you’re writing, have you discovered a character that you where developing feelings of love for? And was there a character that gave you headaches?



Great question!! All of the characters I write about feel like close friends to me. As a writer, I always find I wind up getting a crush on the leading guy in the story. I think it’s a good thing. I want my readers to fall for him and I know I’m on the right track if I already have. And yes, some characters give me headaches. Usually they’re the same characters who give the protagonist headaches.




4. How have you done your research for this novel?

In How My Summer Went Up In Flames the characters take a cross-country trip across the United States. They start off in New Jersey and make it to California. I’ve been to almost every place referenced in the book, but there were a few places I haven’t been to yet. So yes, I researched those locations to make sure the details were accurate so it would feel real to the reader.



5. Is there a book that inspired your writings?

There are SO many books that have inspired me. Like I mentioned above, books by Judy Blume and S.E. Hinton. Classics like Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, and the works of Charles Dickens and Hemingway. All of Stephen King’s novels and in particular his non-fiction book about writing called, On Writing, which continues to be a huge inspiration. I re-read it all the time. I also love authors who make me laugh out loud like Meg Cabot, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner, and Janet Evanovich.


6. In the end, would you like say some words to your fans from Romania

I would like to say “thank you”!!! I love that I have fans in Romania. Thank you for being interested in my books. I’m so honored. And if you’re looking for more information, check out my website www.jendoktorski.com