#Giveaway Interview ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen McManus @writerkmc @DelacortePress 6.19

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus
ISBN: 1524714682
Published by Delacorte Press on May 30th 2017
Pages: 368
Goodreads

About the Book:
Title: ONE OF US IS LYING
Author: Karen McManus
Pub. Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, B&N. TBD, iBooks, Audible, Goodreads

 

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, & One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

 

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.

Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.

Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.

Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.

And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

 

About Karen:

As a kid I used to write books when I was supposed to be playing outside, and not much has changed. I’m a marketing and communications professional who also writes Young Adult contemporary and fantasy fiction in Cambridge, MA.

When not writing or working I love to travel, and along with my nine-year-old son I’ve ridden horses in Colombia and bicycles through Paris. A member of SCBWI, I hold a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Which I have never, ever used professionally.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

 

1. Oh my gosh, your book baby is out in the world! What has the journey to being published been like for you?

I’m a late bloomer when it comes to publishing. I was one of those kids who wrote constantly and told everyone I was going to be an author. But when I got to high school, I struggled with more complicated plots, and eventually, I decided I didn’t have what it takes. If there’s one thing I could tell aspiring authors, it would be: DON’T DO THAT. Don’t self-reject. Let someone else tell you no.

I didn’t try to write again for many years, and when I did it was like the floodgates opened and stories poured out. They weren’t good, at first. This time it wasn’t self-rejection, but plenty of actual industry rejection. I’d made author friends by this point, though, and they helped me figure out how to improve. One of Us Is Lying is the third book I wrote.

2, Since One of Us is Lying is set in detention, do you have any detention stories from your youth?

Just one. I was very Bronwyn-like in high school and almost always followed the rules. But on my very last day of high school, we had gym class, and it was hot, and I thought: why should I play tennis? I’m just going to sit down and talk to my friends. It’s not like anyone’s going to do anything about it. And the gym teacher gave us detention.

3. What kind of research goes into writing a mystery/thriller like One of Us is Lying?

There were a few areas where I needed subject matter expertise: medical, educational, and legal/law enforcement. So I spent time talking to nurses, teachers, police officers, and lawyers. They told me helpful things like, “Yeah, he’d get disbarred for that.” I also did secondary research for topics important to character development, like the scouting process for high school baseball players.

4. Each of the characters has a distinct personality and set of secrets. How did you keep everyone unique and separate as you were writing?

I had separate music playlists for every character, and I used them to help switch my perspective. I also tried to give each character pet expressions and thought/speech patterns that were specific to them. Cooper has a southern accent that comes out hard when he’s stressed. Addy cares a lot about what other people think. Nate has a sarcastic, almost cynical take on everything. And Bronwyn sees hidden angles and shades of gray.

5. Who are your biggest author influences?

I started writing YA because of Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games—when I read those books I immediately connected with the voice and characters, and they inspired me to try writing again. I love Becky Albertalli’s witty, authentic dialogue, and Courtney Summers’ complicated, relatable means girls. And I’m in awe of Kara Thomas’ ability to write well-paced, superbly plotted thrillers.

 

Giveaway Details:

 

3 winners will receive a finished copy of ONE OF US IS LYING, US Only.

 

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Tour Schedule:

 

Week One:
5/29/2017- YA Books Central– Interview
5/30/2017- YA Book Madness– Review
5/31/2017- Novel Novice– Guest Post
6/1/2017- Literary Meanderings– Review
6/2/2017- BookHounds YA– Interview

Week Two:
6/5/2017- Storybook Slayers– Review
6/6/2017- Book Princess Reviews– Review
6/7/2017- The Cover Contessa– Interview
6/8/2017- Book Briefs– Review
6/9/2017- Pretty Deadly Reviews– Guest Post
Week Three:
6/12/2017- Eli to the nth– Review
6/13/2017- YA and Wine– Interview
6/14/2017- Smada’s Book Smack– Review
6/15/2017- The O.W.L.– Guest Post
6/16/2017- Zach’s YA Reviews– Review

 

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