The author:
Denise lives just outside Vancouver, Canada. When she’ s not writing, she can often be found homeschooling her son or dancing with her Polynesian dance troupe. LOSING FAITH is her first novel.
The book:When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.
As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.
VOYA calls LOSING FAITH "Strong in its characterization…satisfying…a thoughtful read.”
Check out her book trailer:
The interview:
What inspired you to write Losing Faith?
At first, I just knew I wanted to write a sister story. From there, I figured out that one of the sisters had a secret, and the secret would only be discovered after she died. I lost a close friend of mine when I was sixteen, and I've always felt there was a lot to explore with a teen experiencing such a big and devastating event
Are you afraid of heights like your main character, Brie?
Yes! Though not to the degree she is. At one point I had trained myself to almost get past that fear, but I'm afraid I haven't forced myself past my fear in a long time now, so it's back in full force!
Have you ever had a premonition? What happened?
Actually, just before I lost my friend when I was sixteen (who inspired Losing Faith), I had a strong feeling that something was wrong. Nothing happened as a result of the premonition, except perhaps I had emotionally prepared myself a little.
If you could hang out with any literary character, who would you choose and why?
I'd hang out with Wes from Sarah Dessen's THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER. Why? Um, because he's hot. And sweet. And introspective. I like those things in a guy!
Do you have any special writing rituals or totems to connect with your muse?
I don't know if this connects me with my muse, but I generally drink green tea and eat sugar snap peas when I write. I love to have something crunchy around when I'm in deep thought.
What's your favorite quote?
Fear ends where faith begins.
What are you working on now?
I'm working on another YA novel called Appetite For Beauty. It's about a cheeky and forthright girl who discovers a dangerous, self-destructive side in her sister, and has to decide between helping her sister and a powerful and unfamiliar desire to become appealing to a mysterious boy.
What kind of chocolate best describes you?
I think one of those layered bars would describe me. White, milk, dark - layers of all mixed together.
The Freebie:
For your chance to win a copy of LOSING FAITH, leave a comment below, telling us anything that includes the word FAITH in it (PG-13, please.) Because this book will be coming from the publisher, we must limit this drawing to US residents only. Winner will be drawn Wednesday, October 27.
