BREATHING

What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels and working at the library. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

This debut novel has it all—an endearing, funny, hopelessly romantic main character, lots of down-home Southern charm, and a sunny, salty beach setting that will transport you to the Carolina coast


I LOVED this book. It's so rich with romance and ambiance. Jackson is one of my favorite YA characters ever! How did you come up with the idea for BREATHING book and how long did it take you to write it?

BREATHING began as a character talking in my head. I just let her do her thing and out came a book. I was working on a couple of things at the time and wrote this story over a period of about a year.

Writing for teens must bring back alot of memories... tell us about something traumatizing and/or embarrassing that happened to you when you were a teen?

My 11th grade English teacher yelled at me in front of the whole class to quit daydreaming about my long-distance boyfriend. I'm not sure how she knew about him, other than the 8x10 photos on my notebook.

What would be the worst thing that could happen to Savannah?

Jackson dying.

TOTALLY! If someone close to you wanted to write a book, like a child or a loved one, what would you tell them?

I would be excited for them. I'd tell them to have fun and never give up.

What do you think Savannah will do for a living when she's "grown up"?

I think Savannah will follow her dreams, but you'll have to read the book to find out what those are :)

Cheryl Renée Herbsman lives in Northern California with her husband and two children, but she grew up in North Carolina and often spent summer vacations at the Carolina coast. Like Savannah, she fell in love as a teenager, and like Savannah and Jackson, she and her boyfriend carried on a long-distance relationship. They are now celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTO OF CHERYL AND HER HUSBAND IN THE BOOK. IT WILL TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY!!!