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Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Garvin.

Jeff is an author, musician, and podcaster and his debut novel, Symptoms of Being Human has received a ton of accolades. It is an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection, Lambda Literary Award Finalist, and has garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly.\\xa0

Before becoming a novelist, Jeff acted on TV and toured as the lead singer of a rock band. He has a BFA in Film from Chapman University and lives in Southern California.

Now, I have been looking forward to this episode since last July, when Jeff and I met at a ThrillerFest cocktail party. We connected right away and when Jeff told me about his new novel The Lightness of Hands I knew I just had to have him on the show. This book grapples with some heavy topics, but one in particular that really hits home for me: mental health.

I am so thrilled to be recording this interview (finally! After 8 months!) and to introduce Jeff and his moving (sometimes gut-wrenching) YA novels to my word nerd listeners.

In this episode Jeff and I discuss:

• How real life experiences inspired Lightness of Hands
• Living with Bipolar II
• Breaking the stigma around mental illness
• Starting a book with a question you can\\u2019t answer
• Writing a character that is hyper-attuned to her inner life
• The power of mindfulness meditation
• The hero\\u2019s journey, applied to writing and life

Plus, his #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: www.diymfa.com/301