1. I read that you loved to write, even as a young child; can you share some of the first stories you wrote? It’s funny you should ask, because in my office at home (which I’m sitting in right now) I’ve framed the first story I wrote. It’s hanging on the wall above my desk. It’s called “The Boy With the Seagull.” It’s written in blue magic marker, and it’s absolutely ridiculous. I was five years old. And when I was in elementary school, I used to spend hours on my dad’s computer every summer, writing (mostly fictional) accounts of “What I Did for My Summer Vacation.” I’d make up these crazy vacations that my family had supposedly gone on, and I imagined how impressed my teachers would be by these fabulous accounts of my amazing experiences. And every year, when school started, I always expected my English teachers to ask us to write an essay on how we’d spent our vacation, — I was always so excited to be so well prepared! But nobody ever asked. Somewhere at my parents’ house, there’s a drawer full of those stories. The funny part is that all I really did during my summer vacations was sit around writing. I guess it’s all paying off now.
2. It’s so interested that you went to the Linsly School in West Virginia. I lived in West Virginia until 3 years ago. What did you think about the school and the area? Did your experience influence the stories you write now?
I had a great time at the Linsly school, and I can honestly say that I got a fabulous education there. They offered so many great creative writing and specialized literature classes. I felt very lucky. And my experiences there have absolutely influenced my writing – Breathless , my first novel, is based heavily on my years at boarding school.
3. Where the Truth Lies is the companion novel to Breathless . Can you tell us a little about the relationship between these books?
First of all, they’re both set at boarding schools. But while Breathless is set in West Virginia, and the school in the book is based on a real place, Where the Truth Lies is set at a completely fictional school in Connecticut. Aside from that, there are a couple of crossover characters: Mazzie Moon gets a few mentions, and so does Renee (who was Katie Kitrell’s roommate at Yale in Breathless).
4. In Where the Truth Lies , Emily discovers lies that turn her world upside down. Can you tell us a little more about the deceptions Emily faces in this book?
Without giving too much away, I will say that they’re huge deceptions. They basically shake the entire foundation of her life. What’s most interesting to me is that, as the story progresses, something happens to Emily that really puts those deceptions into perspective. It certainly doesn’t make them any easier for her to accept or deal with, but I think that, as she grows, she is at least able to understand the motivations behind all the lies.
5. Can you tell us what you are currently working on? Will any future books have a connection to the characters in Breathless and Where the Truth Lies ?
I just finished my third novel, which is called Between . It will be out next year. I’m SO excited about it! It’s a supernatural thriller. It’s actually been pretty successful already – it’s been sold to publishers in ten different countries! I truly cannot wait to see how teenage readers respond to the story. And I’ve just started working on my fourth novel, which will be released in 2012. It’s a murder mystery, also with a somewhat supernatural element, about identical twins who share a very dark past. To answer your other question, neither of those upcoming titles have any connection to Breathless or Where the Truth Lies .
I really appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions for me!: ) Thanks!
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