Blog Tour: If You Only Knew by Prerna Pickett (Interview + Giveaway!)

Happy Friday and welcome to my stop on the If You Only Knew blog tour!! I am so excited to be a part of this tour, and I’m even more excited for you to discover Prerna’s favorite scenes from her book, what inspired her to write this story, and some fun facts about Corey and Tessa that didn’t make it into the book! Plus, follow the rest of the tour and enter to win a print copy of If You Only Knew!

A boy recently released from jail and the daughter of a prosecutor fall for each other against the odds in this YA novel.
Corey has just been released from jail, and all he wants is a new beginning. But when his former gang comes knocking, Corey agrees to vandalize the home of Kent Hopper, the prosecutor who put him away.
To erase the guilt she carries from getting away with a crime, Tessa spends most of her nights riding her motorcycle. When she catches Corey destroying her father’s car, she doesn’t see a criminal: She sees a way to finally right her own wrongs. So instead of turning Corey over to the police, she convinces her father to give Corey a second chance.
As Tessa and Corey spend more time with each other, it becomes difficult to ignore the pull between them. But they’re both keeping secrets, and when those secrets come to light, they’ll each have to face their demons in order to have a future together.

Do you have a favorite scene, quote, or moment from If You Only Knew?

There’s this one scene, in the kitchen, that I really love. Actually, there are two kitchen scenes. With lots of tension and almost kisses. My favorite. 

If Corey and Tessa were to hang out with characters from other YA books, who would they be and why?

Every YA contemporary novel I’ve written takes place in the same universe so, yes, Corey and Tessa would definitely hang out with other YA characters. Mine to be exact. In my head they all end up at the same gas station in the middle of nowhere while road tripping and end up becoming friends.

What would you do if you spent the day with Tessa and Corey? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?

I would definitely ask Tessa to teach me to ride her motorcycle. I’d most likely end up hurting myself because I’m a bit of a klutz, but Tessa would have my back because she’s a good teacher. I would then watch Corey paint a graffiti mural somewhere around town, and maybe make a very messy mural of my own. We’d definitely go to Alex’s family’s Chinese restaurant and meet up with Alex and Paige. We’d end the night watching old movies at Tessa’s with Alex, Paige, and Tim.

What inspired you to write If You Only Knew?

I had a dream. Yes. I know. But it’s true! In the dream there was a boy being held down by an older man, and a girl trying to keep the older man from hurting the boy. I had to know what was happening and why. So I wrote it down! That’s the scene that inspired If You Only Knew and it’s in the final version.

What was your favorite piece of research you ended up not using?

I did a lot of research on card games such as poker for a particular edit of If You Only Knew that ended up being cut. Lots of YouTube videos were watched haha. I also watched a few videos on how to drive a motorcycle, which will most likely not be needed because I’m not that much of a daredevil. I am strictly interested in hiking mountains with very steep terrain. 

What are some things we might not know about your characters?

Corey loves to cook. He likes how it brings people together. He especially loves to cook Indian food. Tessa isn’t much of a cook, but she definitely loves animals. She plans on becoming a veterinarian.