We're celebrating Lisa McMann today. Lisa's a friend I met through the Backspace writers' hangout. She's as funny, genuine and real in person as she is online. And she's a New York Times best selling author. All the books have hit the NYT, USA Today and Amazon bestseller lists and her WAKE series is sitting pretty at #10 on the NYT series list (huge! Yay, Lisa!)
Besides admiring her writing and really liking her as a person, here's another reason why I think Lisa rocks. (Remember I said I'd tell you later?) At the risk of being really presumptuous, I asked Lisa - as she was gearing up to go on tour with GONE, no less - if she could read TRANCE and possibly give me a blurb for the cover. I have to tell you, I was really hesitant about asking her because she has sooo much going on. But Lisa was very gracious about it (as always. I've never known her to not be completely supportive and generous with her time). So here's the blurb as she wrote it:
A fast-paced, heartwrenching paranormal thriller co-starring
a sexy motorcycle-riding guy who plays piano?
This is seriously my kind of book. TRANCE is addictive.
BUT - this post isn't about TRANCE. Back to GONE!
Here's the official blurb:
Things should be great for Janie--she has graduated from high school and is spending her summer with Cabel, the guy she's totally in love with. But deep down she's panicking about how she's going to survive her future when getting sucked into other people's dreams is really starting to take its toll. Things get even more complicated when she meets her father for the very first time--and he's in a coma. As Janie uncovers his secret past, she begins to realize that the choice thought she had has more dire consequences than she ever imagined.Seriously, this book is sooo good.
AND, you're going to want to pay attention to Lisa in the coming year because her next book - a standalone called CRYER'S CROSS - sounds like it's going to be filled with shivery goodness, too. You won't want to miss it.
And, all you MG fans, watch for her MG series (2011) called THE UNWANTEDS. It's one of those fabulous concepts that, when she was telling us about it, I was like, man! I wish I'd thought of that!
In short, Lisa is brilliant.
Okay, now for the interview: Instead of the regular format, I'll share some of the questions/answers from the signing on Tuesday:
What's up with the timestamps in the books?
Although it isn't spelled out in the books, this is because when Janie is sucked into a dream, she would be very aware of the time she was "out" and as such, checking the time. (Which is exactly what Ashlyn does in TRANCE! But again, this post is not about my book...)
Why did you decide to write about dreams?
The books actually grew from a dream Lisa had one night where she was inside her husband's dream. She woke up and thought it would be an interesting concept for a story and wrote it down on the little notepad she keeps on her bedside table.
Are any of your characters based on people you know?
Captain and Sir in particular as based on people Lisa knows. She also said that there's parts of her in both Janie and Cabe and that her son was a big inspiration for Cabe.
Why did you choose that social class for Janie and Cabe?
Lisa covered this in depth on Holly Cupala's 'story secrets' a little while ago. Basically, she loves to root for the underdog so she gave them underdog challenges.
What books are you reading now/ what books to you recommend?
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE IN ROBOT by Natalie Standiford
FAT CAT by Robin Brande
JUMPING OFF SWINGS by Jo Knowles
20 BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler
THE MARK by Jen Nadol
Up for grabs this week: a signed copy of GONE! To be entered to win, leave a comment below telling me either 1.) why you love Lisa McMann or 2.) how much you want to read GONE. This contest will remain open until Wednesday, March 10.
