The Author: Born in Texas, raised in Colorado, and now living in Utah, Wendy Toliver has successfully eliminated “y’all” from her vocabulary. However, she still managed to marry a pickup man. They have three young sons and an assortment of furry, scaly, and slimy pets. She is the author of three novels for teens: The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren, Miss Match, and Lifted.
You can find Wendy online on her website, on facebook, on myspace, and follow her on twitter.
The Book:
Being Bad Never Felt So Good.
Poppy Browne had never stolen anything in her life before moving to Pleasant Acres, Texas and meeting Mary Jane and Whitney. But when Poppy walks out of the mall with her two new friends and her first pair of stolen jeans, she’s hooked.
The Interview:
What inspired you to write (name of your book)?
I was watching a show on TV about how shoplifting is a huge problem, especially with teens, and thought it would make an interesting topic for a book. Most people have either shoplifted themselves, have been tempted to try it, or know someone who as, so I think it's something we can all relate to.
Have you ever shoplifted?
Ah, I knew that question would come up eventually! I don’t really remember this because I was only 4 or 5, but according to my mom, we were at a department store in Texas (where we lived) and I wanted to get my dad a leather wallet for Father’s Day. Only Mom had something else in mind: a “World’s Greatest Dad” t-shirt. So I slipped the wallet into my britches and proceeded to follow Mom out to the car. Of course, she noticed that there was a suspicious rectangle on my body and made me march back into the store to hand the wallet back to the saleslady. The saleslady didn’t know what to do with me so she called security. It was a pretty big ordeal I guess. (Poor Mom!)
If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose?
I’d love to hang out with Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
Are you superstitious?
Back when I used to do some acting (before I became an author), I’d listen to Prince’s “Kiss” before going in for my audition. I like to do a little car dancing to get out the jitters. It’s not a very popular song to hear on the radio these days but believe it or not, after a few times of doing this and landing the parts, it actually came on the radio as I was pulling into the studio's parking lot! I landed that part, too!
What songs would make the playlist for Lifted?
“Just Dance” by Lady Gaga, anything by Evanescense, “Call Out” by Kaskade (featuring Mindy Gledhill), “The Fear” by Lily Allen, and, of course, "Got Caught Stealin'" by Jane's Addiction.
What's one thing most people don't know about you?
The last couple of years, I’ve started coaching boys’ soccer and basketball in our community and I love it!
If Lifted were made into a movie, who would you like to see in the role of Poppy?
I’d love Poppy to be played by AnnaSophia Robb. I loved her in “The Bridge to Terabithia” and think she’d be perfect. (She also goes to my old high school I understand!) As for David Hillcrest, I think Logan Lerman (Percy in “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief”) would be great. He’s the perfect mixture of cute and hot.
What kind of chocolate best describes you?
Almond Joy. Chocolaty and nutty and happy.
The Freebie:
To be entered to win a signed copy of LIFTED, leave a comment below, telling us if you have ever shoplifted... even by accident. (I'll confess that I have. Not on purpose, though. I'll tell you about it when the winner is drawn on Wednesday, June 23.)
