Kara Thomas: You Only Get One Chance at Your Debut Novel

Kara Thomas is an unsolved mystery enthusiast who dreams of one day solving a cold case. She lives on Long Island with her husband, son, and rescue cat. She is the author of The Darkest Corners, Little Monsters, The Cheerleaders, That Weekend, and The Champions, as well as the adult thriller Out of the Ashes. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Kara Thomas

Photo by Sylvie Rosokoff

In this interview, Kara discusses choosing an already-built world to set her new YA novel, The Champions, the challenges facing YA writers today, and more.

Name: Kara Thomas
Literary agent: Sara Landis
Book title: The Champions
Publisher: Random House/Delacorte
Release date: August 27, 2024
Genre/category: Young adult mystery
Previous titles: That Weekend, The Cheerleaders, Little Monsters, The Darkest Corners, Out of the Ashes, Lost to Dune Road
Elevator pitch: A buddying reporter unravels a conspiracy involving her high school’s football team in this follow-up to The Cheerleaders.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

I was inspired by real events that took place at my old high school back in 2012. Luckily, there was no murder involved in the scandal that involved our football team! I decided to set The Champions in the same world as The Cheerleaders, my 2018 novel, because both stories shared the DNA of a small town covering up the crimes of their champion athletes.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I originally sold this novel in 2020, but it was actually supposed to be a totally different book. In 2022, I was still struggling with drafting that novel, and I realized I was writing the wrong story at the wrong time. Once I decided to start over with the story that would become The Champions, it was about two years from starting the manuscript to completion and publication.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

The market has changed so much since I published my last YA novel, That Weekend, in 2021. YA sales are down, and there were a lot of behind-the-scenes conversations about how to be creative and make The Champions stand out. The Champions is my first book being published simultaneously in paperback and hardcover as a result, and I’m interested in seeing how the split run helps the book find readers.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I was surprised by how little I actually know about high school football, despite going to a school where our team won the state championships! I had to do a lot of research to get the details right, both about the rules of the game and the culture surrounding high school sports.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope fans of The Cheerleaders will be satisfied with the fates of the main characters, and I hope readers will enjoy Hadley’s story as much as they did Monica’s and Ginny’s. I know there are some heavier themes in this book, and I hope readers will realize they’re there because unfortunately, many real-life high schoolers are finding themselves in similar situations in a toxic culture of sports-worship.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Trying to get a book published is a marathon, not a sprint. So many writers jump the gun with their first manuscript and send it out before it’s ready, and you only get one chance at your debut novel. My advice is to take your time revising your first book and get several pairs of eyes on your work before you share with literary agents—they will be waiting when it’s done!

With a growing catalog of instructional writing videos available instantly, we have writing instruction on everything from improving your craft to getting published and finding an audience. New videos are added every month!