Interview with Phil Stamper | Author of The Gravity Between Us

June 29, 2020

As part of my tour stop for The Gravity of Us with Pride Book Tours I did an interview with Author Phil Stamper!

Carry on reading to learn more about the author of this fantastic book

What was the first book you ever wrote and how old were you when you wrote it?

I didn’t start writing books until late 2012, when I was 24. I’d always been a big reader, but I never had dreams of being an author growing up. I studied music in college, so that had been my main creative outlet. I worked in non-profit public relations after college, and I loved that I got to write and tell stories for a living... but what I was writing (press releases) got boring after a while. At the time, I had been reading dozens of YA dystopian novels, so I decided to write my own, and I immediately fell in love with writing YA.

Ultimately, it took almost eight years and four manuscripts until my debut came out. So it was a long journey, but it was definitely worth it in the end!

What was your favourite scene to write in “The Gravity of Us” and why?

It’s so hard to pick one! That said, I think my favorite scene is during the first astronaut party in Clear Lake, when Cal and his family step into a perfect recreation of the 60s astronaut parties. In the madness of the party, he’s able to sneak out back with Leon and a bottle of champagne, and they have a sweet, but deep conversation. It’s such a quiet, peaceful moment, and I loved giving them the space to get to know each other better without any cameras or pressure on them.

Would you be likely to write any more books based around the space race, or do you have other inspirations for your next book?

No more space race books for me at this time, but I do have more queer YA contemporaries in the works! My sophomore novel,As Far As You'll Take Me, is about 17-year-old Marty Pierce, who leaves an unsupportive living environment in Kentucky and moves to London to pursue his dream of being a professional musician. Along the way, he finds friends who become his new family, tries to figure out how to have a relationship with his friends and family back home, struggles to manage his overwhelming anxiety, and even falls in love… with the wrong boy. It comes out in early 2021, and I just announced two more books coming out in ’22 and ’23, so I have a lot on the way!

You can add The Gravity of Us on Goodreads here

Here are some links to buy the book: Book Depository Amazon