Fans of Sarah Dessen and Huntley Fitzpatrick will enjoy this smart debut young adult novel, equal parts My Life Next Door and The Princess Diaries—plus a dash of Aaron Sorkin.
Kate Quinn’s mom died last year, leaving Kate parentless and reeling. So when the unexpected shows up in her living room, Kate must confront another reality she never thought possible—or thought of at all. Kate does have a father. He’s a powerful politician. And he’s running for U.S. President. Suddenly, Kate’s moving in with a family she never knew she had, joining a campaign in support of a man she hardly knows, and falling for a rebellious boy who may not have the purest motives. This is Kate’s new life. But who is Kate? When what she truly believes flies in the face of the campaign’s talking points, she must decide. Does she turn to the family she barely knows, the boy she knows but doesn’t necessarily trust, or face a third, even scarier option?
Set against a backdrop of politics, family, and first love, this is a story of personal responsibility, complicated romance, and trying to discover who you are even as everyone tells you who you should be.
Today I'm very excited to bring to you a very special guest, Jenn Marie Thorne. Here on The Lovely Books, we are so happy to have her because we get to hear more about this debut author who took the community by a storm. Also we'll get to know her better as well. Sounds like a win/win to me! We'll have one lucky reader have a chance to snag a print copy of The Wrong Side of Right! Without further ado...
1. Hey Jenn, I want to thank you again for agreeing to come on to the blog! How are you on this fine day? (Easy enough question, right?)
I am very well, and thank you for asking!
2. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I grew up all over the place, splitting time between divorced parents in different states (and sometimes different countries), then moved to New York to study drama at NYU. Over time, my acting bug morphed into a writing bug, so I started writing web shorts and plays and screenplays and then short stories and novels. My debut, The Wrong Side of Right came out in March from Dial and my next, The Inside of Out will be released in July of next year. These days, I live in Florida with my husband, my two little boys, and my awesome hound dog Molly.
3. Where did you come up with the idea to write The Wrong Side of Right?
The initial idea came out of the year following the 2008 elections, when there seemed to be a flurry of political sex scandals all happening around the same time. The way the press talked around the kids - the “love children” - that resulted from these affairs really struck me. It made me wonder what it would be like to be a teenager facing the glare of national scandal for the first time. And then I got the idea of a fish out of water in the center of a political campaign and the book came together from there.
4. When did you first know that being a writer was what you wanted to do?
It took me a while! I was doggedly determined to be a musical theatre actress for a long time, despite the fact that I cannot dance at all and no amount of lessons will ever get me past the “movement” part of an audition. I’ve always written, but I saw it as a fun side-hobby...until I realized I enjoyed it far, far more than I’d ever enjoyed performing. Once I had that lightbulb moment, I started buckling down and working on novels - and I haven’t looked back.
5. Did you always see yourself writing young adult fiction?
I definitely set out to write either young adult or genre fiction - or, ideally, both. There’s a playfulness and a freedom in YA that you don’t see in many other markets. And there’s a hyper-focus on storytelling that I really respond to.
6. What sets your story apart from the rest?
I can only think of a small handful of YA novels set in the world of politics, which is surprising, really. It’s so ripe for drama - the tightrope political teens are forced to walk with the whole country watching, while they’re trying to figure out who they are, what they believe and what they’ll risk for their own chance at happiness.
7. Can you tell us what books you plan to write in the future?
My next book, The Inside of Out is set in the world of local and social media politics. It centers around a well-meaning but completely wrong-headed ally who hijacks her school’s LGBTQ alliance and starts a national movement - centered around herself - after her best friend comes out. I’m also working on a high fantasy trilogy and a few contemporaries.
8. Is there anything you have to have while working on a story? Such as needing to Dr. Pepper, eating a pickle, etc.
I’m pretty flexible in terms of my physical surroundings - and I often forget to eat when I’m the swing of drafting. But one thing I absolutely need is a strong outline. I’m adrift without one. I’m a plotter all the way. Can’t pants to save my life.
9. Favorite book? Movie?
This is a cruel question. :) My answers change every day, but right now: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and Singing in the Rain.
10. What's it like in the life of an author? More specifically, you!
Lots of Twitter. Kidding! (Not kidding at all.) It really depends on where I am in a project. Today is returning emails about copy edits, outlining a new book idea, putting together a presentation for a middle school English class, and playing with my boys.
11. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Get started! Don’t waste time, like I did, mulling over whether you’re a “real writer,” whatever that means. Just write. When you finish something, send it to people you trust for feedback. While you’re waiting for feedback, start working on something new. Act like it’s your job. Eventually it will be your job and you’ll have already put in valuable time learning how to work.There you have it, folks! Make sure you pick up Jenn's book and come back here and let us all know what you thought of it. Here are the author's links if you plan on stalking her ;)
Twitter- https://twitter.com/juniperjenny
Website- http://jennmariethorne.com/
Giveaway Rules:
Sorry guys, this is US only! Winner will have 48 hours to get back to me with their info.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGot to see Jenn at the Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading a few months ago and have been eager to get my hands on this one!
ReplyDeleteAs for romances, I tend to veer towards slow burns or the kind where the pairing doesn't realize for a while how much the other means to them. Always love reading those a-ha moments.