By: Marc Klein
ISBN: 9781549135798
Publisher: Little Brown Young Readers\Paramount+
Publication Date: 02/11/2022
Narrated by: Christie Moreau
Format: Book/Movie
Paperback, e-book, audio
My Rating: 5 Stars
FEB FEATURED AUTHOR Q&A
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an otherworldly romance sure to make your heart swell.
Streaming on Paramount+ on February 11th, 2022, THE IN BETWEEN written by Marc Klein (Little Brown) is a heartfelt story that follows a girl entranced by her first love, until it all comes to a tragic end that might lead her into the afterlife itself, starring Joey King (The Kissing Booth) and Kyle Allen (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things).
This heartbreaking story—perfect for fans of If I Stay and Five Feet Apart—follows a girl swept up in the magic of her first love, until it all comes to a tragic end that might lead her into the afterlife itself. Soon to be a motion picture on Paramount+ starring Joey King!
After bouncing around in foster homes for most of her childhood, seventeen-year-old Tessa Jacobs doesn’t believe she deserves love—not from her adoptive parents, and certainly not from anyone at school.
But everything changes when she has a chance encounter with Skylar, a senior from a neighboring town who’s a true romantic. Their budding relationship quickly leads to the kind of passion you only see in the movies. As her heart begins to open, Tessa starts to believe she might be deserving of love after all.
When tragedy strikes, Tessa wakes up alone in a hospital room with no memory of how she got there. And then she learns the horrifying news: Skylar is dead. As Tessa searches for answers, Skylar’s spirit reaches out to her from the other side. Desperate to see him one last time, Tessa must race against the clock to uncover the shocking truth of their relationship—a truth that might just lead to the afterlife itself.
Book Available Now.
Streaming now Paramount +
Paperback, e-book, audiobook, and audio CD formats
Love never dies. After surviving a tragic car accident that took the life of her boyfriend, a teenage girl believes he is attempting to reconnect with her from the after world. Joey King and Kyle Allen star in the supernatural romance, The In Between, streaming exclusively on Paramount+ February 11, 2022!
About the Author
Marc Klein is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and author, whose tales of love and loss have charmed audiences the world over. Klein resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Karin and his dog, Alvy.
Connect with Marc ~
Website: marckleinauthor.com
Twitter: @marcsklein
Instagram: @marcsklein
Q&A Elevator Ride with
screenwriter, director, producer,
and author, Marc Klein
"Behind the Book" | #AuthorElevatorSeries
Exceptional Authors. Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS | INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW
Welcome, Marc!
We are honored to have you with us today, and thank you for joining us. I loved the book and cannot wait for our readers to learn more about your “book to movie” streaming on Paramount+ Feb 11th —THE IN BETWEEN, and more about yourself. Let us dive in!
Q. Describe THE IN BETWEEN in three words or less?
MK: Love never dies!
Q. SETTING: Tell us more about the book setting and why you selected it?
MK: I’m not exactly sure what motivated me to write a book about teenagers, but right from the beginning, I knew I’d need to find a way to get into my high school mindset. So I made the decision to set the book in the town where I grew up – Margate, New Jersey. That made it so much easier for me to imagine the world of my characters. Tessa’s house was the house I grew up in. The beach where Skylar is a lifeguard is the one where my best friend worked. Tessa’s summer job was my summer job. I guess you could call it “method writing.”
Q. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: What excellent character development! Your favorite character to write and/or your most challenging?
MK: Tessa was undoubtedly my favorite character. In the beginning, I gave her a lot of my own personal interests, but over time, her character started talking back to me. She began leading me in different directions and creating her own identity. And that’s when the book really took off. The funniest part of being a writer is when your characters become their own people. In a very short time, I found myself truly admiring Tessa. She displays great emotional courage in opening up to Skylar.
Q. ADAPTATION: How excited are you about the upcoming movie? Do tell us more about the cast of stars for THE IN BETWEEN and more about your exciting journey (manuscript, movie deal, screenplay, and novel).
MK: Joey King was my creative partner from the get-go. Tessa was written and crafted for her. When it came to casting, we agreed the most important element was finding a Skylar whom she had romantic chemistry with. We all saw Kyle Allen's audition tape and flipped out for him. He has so much heart -- and you can see the intelligence and sensitivity in his eyes, all the things we needed for Skylar. We immediately tried to put him and Joey together for what's called a "chemistry read," but because of Covid, the two of them couldn’t be in the same room. So we basically had to trust our instincts that they would work as a couple. On paper, they're two beautiful people, but there have been many movies that didn't work because the stars didn't seem to connect. So it was undoubtedly a risk. Thankfully, Joey and Kyle were instant best friends. Their onscreen chemistry was just an extension of their offscreen chemistry. We all sighed relief. We knew the movie would work.
Q. SCREENWRITER: You have been a phenomenally successful screenwriter for more than twenty years. What made you decide to pen a novel and this genre?
MK: I think there’s a part of every screenwriter that wants to write a novel. Movies are so intangible. They’re just images on a screen – and no one in the audience ever gets to read your prose, or see how you work with language... Also, I wanted to be able to walk into my office and see my work sitting on a shelf. I wanted to be able to hold it and touch it in a way you can’t with a film.
Q. TIMELINES: The book has dual narrative timelines (before and after) and is told through the POV of teen Tessa Jacobs. Could you share how you kept all these moving parts organized?
MK: Structuring this story was easily the most difficult thing I’ve ever taken on as a writer. I had different colored index cards for the separate timelines littering every crevasse of my office. It was essentially a narrative house of cards. So when I changed one scene, it instantly caused the other timeline to become unbalanced. There were so many points along the way when I just wanted to throw in the towel. But Tessa’s emotional journey was just too compelling for me, so I forged on.
Q. TOPICS: Name 1-3 topics or themes addressed in THE IN BETWEEN?
MK: The biggest revelation for me was when I realized I could draw parallels between trauma and ghosts. Metaphorically, I realized that – just like ghosts haunt us – so do traumas. Traumas are invisible disturbances that cause us great fear. This connection – that trauma is an emotional haunting – became a core theme of the book.
Q. ELEMENTS/RESEARCH: I was extremely impressed with the knowledge/research included in the book. (After-Death Communication -ADC, photography, medical, etc.) Would you care to share more?
MK: ADC’s are an unbelievably fascinating topic. I couldn’t get enough of reading about people’s personal interactions with their deceased loved ones. Each ADC was unique to that person – and yet – the overall takeaway for me was how common and universal these experiences are. It’s only because people fear being called a “kook” that they don’t talk about their ADC’s. The best part of shooting the movie was how many times a crew-member pulled me aside to recount their own experience with a dead relative or friend.
Q. WRITING: What draws you to this genre?
MK: When I was little kid, I used to love tv shows about the supernatural, especially IN SEARCH OF... which was narrated by Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock on the original “Star Trek” show. He would do stories on all kinds of paranormal phenomena – Bigfoot, UFO’s, ghosts. One episode in particular on NDE’s (Near Death Experiences) always stuck with me... Then, when I was a teenager, I absolutely loved the movie GHOST, starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore because it fused two of my interests – love stories and the paranormal. From that moment on, I knew that one day I wanted to write something like that.
Q. MOVIE: Finally, please tell our readers where to stream or watch THE IN BETWEEN.
MK: In North America, the film will begin streaming on February 11th on Paramount +. For those outside North America, Netflix will be streaming the project, likely sometime in April or May.
Give us Your Best Elevator Pitch for
The In Between
"Behind the Author" | #AuthorElevatorSeries
MARC: If you think that death means the end of a love story, you’re wrong. For Tessa and Skylar, it’s only the beginning.
BIRTH STATE?
New York
CURRENT STATE?
California
ZODIAC SIGN?
Virgo
FAVORITE THING ABOUT WHERE YOU RESIDE?
The weather.
FAVORITE FOOD/DRINK?
Xiao Long Bao (Chinese soup dumplings.)
FAVORITE HOBBY?
Baking naturally leavened bread.
YOUR FAVORITE LIFE LESSON QUOTE?
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” – Japanese proverb.
FAVORITE TYPE OF MUSIC?
Roots Reggae.
DESCRIBE A PERFECT DAY?
Breakfast in Provence, lunch in Manhattan, dinner in Italy.
FAVORITE SONG OR ARTIST?
David Bowie.
IF YOU WERE STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR ALONE WITH ONE CELEBRITY, AUTHOR, PRODUCER, OR CHARACTER— WHO WOULD IT BE? (Male or Female)
Jane Eyre.
FAVORITE TV SERIES? (Or Movie/Video) binge-watch, series, etc.?
MOST MEMORABLE PLACE YOU HAVE TRAVELED?
Turks and Caicos.
IF YOU WERE GRANTED 3 MONTHS OF UNINTERRUPTED WRITING TIME—WHERE WOULD IT BE?
1. A Busy Urban City
2. A Quiet Scenic Mountain Cabin surrounded by nature
3. A Coastal Seaside Cottage
4. An Exotic Tropical Island
5. A Countryside Farmhouse surrounded by animals and organic gardens.
6. A charming, quaint historic Bed and Breakfast Inn
7. A Scenic Hunting Lodge
8. A Nostalgic Lake House
9. A Writer's Retreat
10. Other
WHAT BOOK IS CURRENTLY ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND, READING LIST OR BOOK YOU WOULD RECOMMEND?
My bedside stack is currently three feet high! But I recently finished Wilkie Collins “Woman in White,” and I loved it.
DESCRIBE ONE THING ON YOUR DESK, CURRENTLY?
O’Keeffe’s Lip Repair.
YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM? (Or would you prefer none of them)?
Instagram.
A FAVORITE CHARACTER FROM YOUR BOOK or MOVIE (s)?
Grandpa Mike. He was based on my late grandfather, who was the most interesting, eccentric, memorable man I’ve ever known.
YOU WOULDN'T BE CAUGHT DEAD, WHERE?
Camping.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HORROR MOVIE (OR LOVE STORY)?
“Love in the Time of Cholera” as a book. “The Way We Were” as a movie.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Iconoclastic artists in any field.
DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS OR LESS?
Talks too much.
YOUR GO-TO RECIPE FOR A NIGHT IN?
Scarpetta’s spaghetti with tomato basil sauce.
NAME A TRAIT YOU INHERITED FROM YOUR DAD OR MOM? (Good or bad)
Talk too much!
WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT? (Excluding computer, tablet, phone)
My Blu Ray player.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE TO COOK OR A FAVORITE RECIPE?
Country bread.
THE BEST THING ABOUT A PANDEMIC? (OR WORST)
I read War and Peace!
THE BEST PART OF YOUR DAY?
Morning coffee with my wife and dog.
WHAT ARE YOU LOVING RIGHT NOW?
Leather bound books from Easton Press.
YOUR FAVORITE SANDWICH?
Pastrami from Langer’s Deli.
A FAVORITE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE?
THE LAST BOOK YOU RAVED ABOUT?
IF YOU WERE IN WITNESS PROTECTION, WHAT WOULD YOUR ALIAS BE?
I.M. Fletcher.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOUR READERS MAY NOT KNOW.
I grew up being deathly afraid of dogs. I detested everything about them. Now, my dog Alvy is my absolute best friend whom I cannot live without. He has taught me so much about life.
BEST (OR WORST) PART ABOUT BEING A DEBUT AUTHOR?
I sometimes get tagged on Instagram by people who’ve read and loved the book. It’s so incredibly satisfying.
WISH STATE OR COUNTRY? (Where you would love to live)
Provence, France.
WHAT ARE EARLIER JOBS YOU HAD BEFORE BECOMING AN AUTHOR?
Years ago, before I moved to LA, I made money by doing telemarketing for medical supplies, specifically latex rubber gloves.
COULD YOU RECOMMEND ANY BOOKS THAT YOU HAVE READ RECENTLY AND LOVED?
The four “My Brilliant Friend” books by Elena Ferrante.
PIE OR CAKE?
Cake.
WINE, MIXED DRINK, BEER OR OTHER?
Wine.
FIRST JOB?
Movie theater usher.
PET PEEVE?
Selfies.
FAVORITE SPORT?
Baseball.
FAVORITE AUTHOR?
AT WHAT AGE DID YOU CONSIDER BECOMING A WRITER?
11
IF YOU COULD WRITE ANOTHER GENRE IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT ONE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Gothic romance.
FAVORITE CHILDHOOD BOOK?
IF YOU COULD RE-LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A DIFFERENT TIME, WHAT TIME PERIOD OR DECADE?
1960’s and 1970’s.
IF YOUR FOOD IS BAD AT A RESTAURANT, DO YOU SAY SOMETHING?
Rarely.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU LOOK AT YOUR PHONE EVERY DAY?
Too often.
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
South Park.
WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY?
A herd mentality.
HAVE YOU EVER CRIED AT A MOVIE?
More times than I can count.
A FAVORITE PODCAST?
The Paranormal Podcast.
ONE THING YOU HAVE MISSED MOST DURING A PANDEMIC?
Dinners out with friends.
THE GENRE YOU READ THE MOST?
Romance. And the Russian classics.
AN AUTHOR (s) WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU?
Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
AN ITEM ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?
Space travel.
SOMETHING YOU WILL NEVER TRY AGAIN?
Cryotherapy.
A WRITING IDOL?
Ayn Rand.
IF YOU WERE NOT A WRITER, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL CAREER?
I might have been a good surgeon.
BOOKS YOU LOVED AS A KID THAT MADE YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?
The Illustrated Man and Tom Sawyer.
IF YOU WERE GRANTED ONE WISH, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
The elimination of social media.
Thank you, Marc!
This has been much fun and very intriguing. These are fantastic, and thanks for your time and for sharing more about yourself and the book/movie. I, too, am a fellow Virgo and totally in agreement about selfies and social media! Much gratitude for the wealth of book recommendations and bookstores.
READERS, be sure, and check out the book and the movie. Praise, trailer, and my review below. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts.
Praise
"This story and Marc had such a big impact on me. Somehow my heart breaks and swells all at the same time while reading this. A powerful telling of love and loss.”
—Joey King, star and producer of The In Between
"The plot is well paced and the dialogue... is true to form for modern teens. Fans of films such as Ghost will be thrilled by the protagonists' pre-and post-date death romance.
—School Library Journal
“A radiant, swoon-worthy ghost story, combined with an empowering story of a young woman finding her creative voice. I absolutely loved this book.”
―Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, author of Trinkets and screenwriter of 10 Things I Hate About You and Legally Blonde
“An original take on the personal nature of grief and a strong choice where YA romances are popular.”
―SLJ
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an otherworldly romance sure to make your heart swell.
Streaming on Paramount+ on February 11th, 2022, THE IN BETWEEN written by Marc Klein (Little Brown) is a heartfelt story that follows a girl entranced by her first love, until it all comes to a tragic end that might lead her into the afterlife itself, starring Joey King (The Kissing Booth) and Kyle Allen (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things).
Joey King Interviews
My Review
"Beautifully rendered —emotional, heartfelt, thought-provoking, and inspiring."
Marc Klein acclaimed screenwriter, producer, and author's debut novel— THE IN BETWEEN is an emotional and heartfelt story of love and loss and is perfect for fans of movies: If I Stay, Five Feet Apart, and Ghost.
Even though this is a Young Adult book, all ages are assured to relate. An impressive debut, the character development is superb with characters you care about and linger long after the book ends.
My favorite was Skylar's grandpa Mike (a wise man)—I loved this man! Both Tessa and Skylar came alive on the pages, and you find an instant connection with both. Meticulously researched with dual timelines, a 5 Stars read! I adored the book and looking forward to the movie.
Fans of contemporary authors Colleen Hoover and Nicholas Sparks will enjoy.
Soon to be a motion picture starring Joey King. Celebrate Valentine's Day with a paranormal romance, streaming on Paramount+ February 11th, 2022.
THE IN BETWEEN —written by Marc Klein (Little Brown), a heartfelt story follows two seventeen-year-old teens. Tessa and her first love, Skylar. Until all comes to a tragic end that might lead her into the afterlife, starring Joey King (The Kissing Booth) and Kyle Allen (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things).
Tessa is a complex, enigmatic character. She grew up in foster homes and never feels like she belongs. She puts up her walls and does not like to get too close based on her past. You connect with her immediately.
She is kind of a loner and loves photography (she is quite good). She loves her vintage camera and does not care about digital and even develops her own and loves black and white. Color is her favorite color (as is mine).
One day, Tessa lands in an old movie theatre to watch a film that is in French (one she does not speak). A good-looking (hot) guy about her age, Skylar, comes in and sits next to her and translates for her. He is smart, funny, and intelligent.
They have an immediate connection. She learns much from him. He grew up differently than her, a jock, but is quite intriguing and like no one she has ever met before. They fall in love.
What is not to love about first loves? They are emotional and scary, exhilarating and exciting.
There is an accident that leaves Tessa in the hospital. She died and came back to life with heart damage. She is devastated. She learns Skylar did not make it.
She meets a cancer patient in the hospital, and she tells her about "the in between" and after-death communication (you will find yourself googling with a lot of different types).
Tessa, at first does not understand, but strange things start occurring. She wants to know more. Is Skylar trying to communicate or reach out to her? Is there a message?
Klein brilliantly uses dual timelines to explore both storylines (before and after) about how our deceased loved ones reach out to us via ADCs (after-death communications). How do the dead mourn the living?
I was immediately hooked and intrigued. The "before chapters" occur before the accident that kills Skylar and showcases Tessa and Skylar's summer romance. There are two storylines, the love story, and the ghost story.
The "after chapters" occur after the car crash when Tessa thinks Skylar may be reaching out to her from the other side. The author blends the two with a cohesive style that keeps your turning the pages.
Even though I am not a massive fan of the paranormal or romance novels; however, I enjoyed the book immensely. Beautifully rendered, the lyrical prose is heartfelt and has much depth and emotion that goes beyond the couple's romance to the insights of love, their parents, grandparents, and how our past can often define us.
The author writes impressively with ADC, photography, medical, and writing from a teen's point of view.
"In the end, I have learned that we cannot shun our deepest selves. Our ghosts make us who we are and who we hope to be. And like the bittersweet memories of first love, we carry these hauntings inside us, tethered irrevocably to our hearts...."
"In life... in death... and everywhere in between."
I highly recommend reading the book before the movie. I look forward to more novels by this talented author and cannot wait for the motion picture.
INTERVIEW: Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview on Feb 11 with Marc, where we go behind the scenes of the book, movie, and this exciting author, screenwriter, and producer. It is one of my favorite interviews. EPIC!
I purchased the e-book and the audiobook narrated by Christie Moreau for a highly entertaining and award-winning performance.
@Judith D Collins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
