Zibby Mag

Book jacket biographies don’t tell us nearly enough about the authors we love. That’s why Zibby Mag launched the Author Snapshot, giving readers an inside look at the lives and work of our favorite writers.

This week we are featuring Noelle Crooks, whose debut novel Under the Influence comes out August 8!

How do you feel about publishing your first book, and what are you most looking forward to after pub day?

The first word that comes to mind is surreal. To think that the book I was writing at 3 a.m. hunched over my old Macbook Air has now turned into a real-life book—it’s just very surreal. It’s been three years from idea to bookshelf, and it’s been filled with so many “pinch-me-moments.” I feel incredibly grateful to have had such an overwhelming response so far, and I am looking forward to connecting with more readers and hearing their takeaways.

Can you elaborate on why you chose to explore the price that comes with “having it all?”

In today’s digital age, I have found that it’s really easy to buy into the idea that “having it all” looks like the curated Instagram grid, a perfect manicure, this season’s trendiest workbag, and not to mention a Ken-like husband who comes from the right family and has the right stable job that helps pay for your incredible European vacation. This story was meant to poke holes in that because, in reality, “having it all” can mean very different things for different people. In Under the Influence, each character had a different idea of what “having it all” looked like. Beyond that, so many people are focused on the optics of “having it all” for social media’s sake. I wanted Under the Influence to be a friendly reminder that we are all so much more than the 2D versions of ourselves that show up on our social media.

Where did the idea of this story originate?

I knew I wanted to write a workplace-centric novel, and what I’ve seen in both my professional career and those of friends and family is that no matter the industry, there are all types of toxic work environments. With that in mind, I blended different experiences of my own and from friends, family, acquaintances, and also stories you maybe overhear during happy hour, stories you read online about social media, toxic work environments, and influencers. It’s a sad reality, but unfortunately, most people have encountered a “bad boss” in their careers. We all know or have been a Harper, Oliver, or Bella.

What was the most exciting part of the writing process?

As a debut author, every step of the writing process felt really exciting for me. I think the most “jump-up-and-down-excitement” part was right after I got my book deal. Being so fresh to publishing, it felt extremely validating to know that this story was something that actually had legs and that real professionals in the industry were excited about it.

Can you share more about your passion in supporting youth literacy, specifically within marginalized schools?

As a child, my late father and I would go to the library almost every other day. Books were always a huge part of my life and felt like the ultimate escape. It felt like any troubles I had in my life were able to take a backseat because when I read, I could take on the adventures of being a princess, dragon or ninja, or track down a mystery. I’m so passionate that every child should get to have that opportunity to forget their troubles and get lost in a book. As a country, we are strides away from creating an educational system that is truly built for equality and fairness. There are so many communities that are facing unequal distributions of funds, academic resources, textbooks, the list goes on. My passion for youth literacy is rooted in my belief that classrooms should be a place where children from all walks of life—racial disparities, socioeconomic status, and those who think and learn differently—get the same opportunities to succeed.

What do you hope readers will take away from Harper and Charlotte’s journey?

On the surface level, it’s a fun women’s fiction novel that’s the perfect summer read, great to bring with you on your travels or talk about with your friends over happy hour. But I do feel that there are some really big themes and different conversations to be explored, and I hope that one of the main takeaways is that nothing is always as it seems, especially when it comes to social media and influencer culture. The main takeaway from my protagonist, Harper, is not to be afraid to stand up for yourself. In life, it’s easy to get caught up in things or to stray from who you are, but I would love if readers remembered the essence of Harper—it’s not just about finding your voice, it’s about using your voice.

Now that you have one book under your belt, are you working on anything else you can share?

I would love for Under the Influence to be turned into a film or TV series! In terms of the book, I do feel like there’s more story to be told, so if given the opportunity, I’d love to continue telling their journey.