About the book:From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a mom and stepdad who would stop at nothing to keep her siblings and her happy.
But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a relationship that crossed the line. Now that Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling.
In this unforgettable powerhouse of a novel, Mindi Scott offers an absorbing, layered glimpse into the life of an everygirl living a nightmare that no one would suspect.
And I'm not the only one who loves this novel. Here's what others have to say...
★ “What makes this more than another ‘problem’ novel is the author’s steadfast refusal to deal in stereotypes and easy answers. –Kirkus Reviews, Starred Reviewd
“Harrowing, sad, funny, and romantic. I couldn’t put it down.” –Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss
“Intensely
emotional and beautifully crafted, I savored every word.” –Amanda Grace, author of In Too Deep
“An honest
and realistic portrayal of what it is to live with secrets and shame.” –Jo Knowles, author of Lessons From a Dead Girl
Mindi also stopped by for a short interview...
Welcome, Mindi! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?
The story of a girl who can’t tell the truth. (I tried hard to do it in seven or less, but it didn’t work out!)
Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
I really love the love interest, Reece. He’s kind of insecure and dorky, but he’s such a good person with the best of intentions. He’s a combination of the boyfriend I had when I was fifteen, my husband, an acquaintance, and fiction. Mostly fiction, of course.
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Read! Especially book in the genre you’re writing! When I used to take writing classes, it was always so easy to spot the non-readers in the group.
What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I wrote stories for writing classes, but the writing I enjoyed most was my journals. I now have lots of entries that I’ve typed up from those journals on my website: http://mindiscott.com/index.php/read-my-old-diaries/
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
About the author:
Mindi Scott is the author of Live Through This and Freefall. She lives near Seattle,
Washington, with her drummer husband. Please visit her online at
mindiscott.com.
LIVE THROUGH THIS sounds great! Looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteTotally with you on the advice to READ! (Also, I loved VERA DIETZ!) Thanks for the great interview, Mindi and Denise. :)
Thanks, Shari. I hope you get your hands on a copy and enjoy it! Actually, "enjoy it" may not be the proper term. I hope it impacts you!
DeleteThanks so much, Shari! And I like the way Denise phrased that. "Enjoy" does feel awkward, so I'm always looking for better ways to phrase it. :-)
DeleteAnd thank YOU, Denise, for having me at your blog!