Bethany Mangle: Having the Right Team Is Invaluable
Bethany Mangle is the author of the Prepped, All the Right Reasons, and Conditions of a Heart. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys spoiling her dogs, playing video games, and spending time with her unbearably nerdy husband. She moves too much to put a location in her bio ever again. Visit her at BethanyMangle.com, and follow her on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
Bethany Mangle
In this post, Bethany discusses the personal connection she has with her new young adult romance novel, Conditions of a Heart, her hope for readers, and more!
Name: Bethany Mangle
Literary agent: Jennifer Wills and Nicole Resciniti at The Seymour Agency
Book title: Conditions of a Heart
Publisher: McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster
Release date: February 20, 2024
Genre/category: YA contemporary/romance
Previous titles: Prepped, All the Right Reasons
Elevator pitch: A funny and unflinchingly honest story about a teen who must come to terms with her disability and what it means for her identity, her love life, and her future.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It was amazing to see how the world changed during the start of the pandemic to make things safer and more accessible. But then society went “back to normal,” and it felt like vulnerable people were deliberately left behind. That can be a very lonely feeling, so I wanted to capture that idea through the eyes of someone who’s just growing up and still trying to find her place in the world.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I first started putting this together in the summer of 2021. The idea definitely changed and evolved over time. At first, I was hesitant about centering COVID so clearly since I knew it was a traumatic time for many people. The original version also had another timeline that flashed back to a different global tragedy to draw parallels. I ended up changing the idea during the publishing process to focus more on the present and the impact of the pandemic.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I wouldn’t call them surprises since this is my third book, but the publishing process for Conditions of a Heart only further convinced me that having the right team is invaluable. My editor always understands where I’m going even if I’ve written myself into a corner with seemingly no way out. My agent can take a rambling first idea and help me shape it into something coherent. Those are things I don’t take for granted.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
My biggest learning from this book was to recognize that I wasn’t going from a first complete draft to a finished book in one round. I needed to work in stages and keep verifying that I was on the right track.
It was a unique way to write for me since previously I’ve had a much clearer idea of the full story from the beginning. This time around, I ended up changing so much of the story that I had to really rethink the overall direction.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
For disabled readers, I hope it shows them they aren’t alone and that it’s OK to take the long route in understanding who you are. For readers who aren’t disabled, I hope my book helps them reevaluate how they view disability and challenge harmful stereotypes about what it means to live with a disability or chronic illness.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
When you’re putting so much of your own life into a story, it won’t always come as naturally as writing pure fiction. That doesn’t mean the story isn’t right or valid or worthy. It’s just a different conversation with yourself, or at least it was for me.
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