• Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the purple team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).
• Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.
• Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 5th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Today, I am hosting Sarah Tomp. Sarah lives in San Diego where she loves walking her dog on the beach and in the canyons. She’s the author of THE EASY PART OF IMPOSSIBLE and MY BEST EVERYTHING. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She works in public schools and teaches creative writing classes for the University of California Extension.

Learn more at sarahtomp.com and follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Ria Williams was an elite diver on track for the Olympics. As someone who struggled in school, largely due to her ADHD, diving was the one place she shone. But while her parents were focused on the trophies, no one noticed how Coach Benny’s strict rules and punishments controlled every aspect of her life. The harder he was on her, the sharper her focus. The bigger the bruise, the better the dive.

After a freak injury forces Ria off the diving team, she rekindles a friendship with Cotton, a guy she used to know back in elementary school. He introduces her to his passion—making maps of local caves. During their underground explorations she’s able to open up about what Benny would do to her; and through Cotton’s eyes, she sees it for what it was: abuse.

When Coach Benny offers her a second chance with a life-changing diving opportunity, the thought of being back under his control seems impossible to bear, but so does walking away. How do you separate the impossible from possible when the one thing you love is so tangled up in the thing you fear most?

Thanks for hosting me, Abigail!

I’m excited to share this inspiration board for The Easy Part of Impossible!

I love seeing other authors’ beautiful inspiration galleries online. But I personally love the old-school cutting and pasting from magazines that I used to do for my high school scrapbooks. When I am in the midst of writing, finding the right image and/or the right line, completely out of context makes me feel like I’m on track.

This contemporary novel is a story about a lost girl and a boy who makes maps.

Ria has dedicated years of her life to diving—a sport that requires and up-close and personal relationship with Fear. Especially since her coach is volatile and unpredictable. When she’s suddenly forced to quit, she rekindles a friendship with her childhood friend, Cotton. He takes her spelunking—exploring underground caves.

Ria, who’s prone to making impulsive decisions based on gut-reactions; and Cotton, who has all the facts, but uses a face-expression chart to measure emotions, manage to balance each other out. She starts to think that maybe love isn’t always about falling. Sometimes it’s a climb in the dark.

At least until her coach offers her a life-changing opportunity…

Here you’ll see images from Ria’s world: pools, diving, rocky cliffs, muddy caves and more. The text lines refer to dealing with scars, pain, and facing fear, all with the goal of getting stronger and tougher.

If you love maps and diagrams as much as I do, check out  for making a Heart Map. I’d love to see finished ones! Please share them with me @swtomp on Twitter or Instagram.

THE EASY PART OF IMPOSSIBLE  will be released on April 21. It’s available for pre-order now!

Good luck on the Hunt!