BLOG TOUR | 'And Then We Ran' by Katy Cannon | What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

Hey guys, and happy Saturday! Today I am very excited to be on blog tour, to celebrate the publication of the WONDERFUL And Then We Ran, a YA coming-of-age road trip story filled with adventure, romance and all the feels. As soon as I heard about this book I knew that I needed to have it in my life, especially as the book is blurbed as being perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Rainbow Rowell (two of my favourite authors!) 

And Then We Ran is a beautiful story following Megan and Elliott and their adventure of a lifetime. It's a novel about following and chasing your dreams no matter what anyone else has to say. I think it's a brilliant book with a great message at it's heart, with perfect writing and unforgettable characters that won't leave your heart, even after the very last page.

Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...

A road-trip story about following your dreams and embracing the unexpected.

Megan knows what she wants out of life and she intends to get it, whatever her parents say.

Elliott has given up on all his plans for the future – but then Megan bursts into his life with a proposal that could change it forever.

Together they embark on a road trip to escape their hometown and chase their dreams. But life is a journey and not even Megan can control where theirs will lead…

A review will be shortly coming up on my blog, but in the meantime, here is Katy Cannon herself talking about her career journey, and what it feels like to be doing a job that she is truly passionate about...

Some people, it seems, know exactly what they want to do for a living from a very young age. (My husband, for instance, knew he wanted to be a scientist long before he first blew up the family garage at the age of ten.) Others don’t have a clue, and try out lots of possible jobs before they find the one that suits them best. And for some very lucky people, the perfect job finds them when they’re not looking. 

In AND THEN WE RAN, Megan knows she wants to be a photographer - and she’s willing to go to almost any lengths to escape her parents’ expectations for her and achieve her goal. Her childhood best friend, Elliott, has always wanted to study archaeology, but knows the money isn’t there for him to move to London and do the degree he wants, so he’s given up on his dream. At least, until Megan shows up with an outrageous proposal that could get them both exactly what they want.  

But of course, a job isn’t ever your whole life - or it shouldn’t be. It’s only one aspect of things. And Megan and Elliott learn a lot about the other things that matter - family, friends, love - as they take a road trip that could change both their lives forever. 

Personally, I knew I wanted to be a writer from when I was quite young, but like Elliott, I didn’t think it was an achievable goal. I mean, who really gets to make stuff up for a living? No one was ever going to pay me for that. So I figured I needed a back up plan.  

I went to university, got a degree in English Literature, then moved down to London to find work. I temped for a while, and finally got a job organising conferences. This was fantastic as it gave me the chance to travel the world, see places I’d never have visited otherwise, and meet people from all walks of life. It also meant I spent a lot of time in airports, at the back of conference rooms, or in hotels, often alone, and often jet lagged, or waiting for something. It wasn’t exactly downtime - I needed to be where I was, and couldn’t wander off and do something else - but I also wasn’t really working.  

To start with, I read a lot, of course. But then I realised what an opportunity these times were - and I started pursuing my dream again. I started writing a book.  

Once I got back into the habit, it became easier to find ways to slot my writing into my days. When I was at home, I got up an hour early and wrote before I went into the office. On weekends or evenings, I’d take an hour or two to do a little more. And when I was travelling, I took advantage of those pockets of time when all I had to entertain me was my imagination.  

The point is, even though I was working full time in a job I enjoyed, and I had friends and hobbies and family I saw often, and all the usual life stuff going on - I was also a writer, because I was writing.  

That’s basically the only criteria. Writing. 

These days, I’m a published author, I write full time, and I can officially say on forms that my occupation is: Writer. (And I always grin when I do.) It’s by far the best job in the world, and I know how fortunate I am to be doing it. Turns out, it wasn’t impossible, or unachievable after all - it just took a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of learning and an awful lot of faith. Now, I am exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. In fact, these days I get to focus on becoming a better writer, with each new book I write. 

So if you have a dream, don’t assume you can’t have it. Look for ways that you can. It might take a lot of work, it might have to be something you do on the side - as well as school, or work, not instead of - but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still leading you the way you want to go. Learn about the paths others have taken to get where you want to go, research the opportunities that could help you, find ways to get better and better at what matters to you. And most of all, don’t give up.  

Because I can tell you, the feeling of getting exactly where you were always meant to go is the best thing ever.  

Thank you so much, Katy, for appearing on my blog!

Make sure you guys check out the rest of the spots on the tour <3

Buy And Then We Ran here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1847157998

Check out Katy Cannon here: https://katycannon.com

Until next time :)