From Amanda Searcy, author of The Truth Beneath the Lies, which
the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, Karen M.
McManus, called “smart, suspenseful, and unpredictable,” comes a new YA psychological
thriller, WATCH YOU BURN (Delacorte Press | On sale October 23, 2018 | Ages
14 & up). Readers who like dark, twisty mysteries will be mesmerized by
this story about
a girl who must keep her arsonist ways hidden—or watch her life go up in
flames.
Jenny
doesn’t want to move in with her dad at the creepy, possibly haunted motel he’s
renovating. But the cops are on to her, and the only way she can protect
herself is by moving as far away from her hometown as possible and staying out
of trouble.
But
even after she moves, Jenny gets the itch. The itch to light a match and then
watch it burn. It’s something she hasn’t been able to stop since an accident
years ago.
Now,
in a new town, Jenny has the strange feeling that someone is watching her every
move. And when a string of acquaintances are found murdered, she begins to
worry that someone is out to get her. Will her secret be exposed? Or is the
burning truth deep inside her a greater danger?
With
a surprise ending and slow-burning romance, WATCH YOU BURN will leave you on the edge of your seat as Jenny
desperately tries to keep her dangerous habit hidden at all costs.
Praise for The Truth Beneath the Lies by Amanda
Searcy
« “An intricately
plotted thriller that’s both gritty and engrossing.” ─Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“This thrilling,
fast-paced, and complex story will leave the reader questioning the truth until
the very end.” ─Booklist
“A smart,
suspenseful, and unpredictable thriller that will keep readers turning pages
until every last lie is revealed.”
─Karen M. McManus, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying
Today we welcome Amanda for an interview!
1. Did you always know you wanted
to be a writer or did you want to be something else?
I wanted to be everything else
growing up (from an astronaut to an archeologist). Writing always felt too much
like school to me (and I’m terrible at spelling and grammar). Then as an adult,
I realized writing is storytelling, and it had very little to do with getting
all the commas in the right places.
2. How long does it take you to
write a book from start to finish?
I can write a first draft in about
four months. Then it takes a couple more months of polishing to get it to the
point where I’m comfortable with anyone reading it. (Turning it into a
publishable book then takes many, many more months after that.)
3. Do you have a schedule of when
you write?
Yes. I’m a morning person and have
a day job, so I write really early in the morning in my pajamas (but after I
make my coffee and feed the cat!).
4. How are you able to balance
other aspects of your life with your writing?
I do it by keeping a very
disciplined schedule. I go to bed/get up at the same time every day, so I make
sure I get my writing time in. My brain is trained now to switch immediately
into writing mode at the appointed time, so I get a lot done. And then I turn
it off. I still think about my story throughout the day, but I rarely do any
writing outside of my morning writing slot.
5. What elements do you think make
a great story line?
Really engaging characters with interesting
backstories and a plot that keeps you turning pages and makes you sad when you
have to put it down. I also really enjoy interesting plot structures.
6. What was the hardest thing about
writing a book?
Showing up day after day. Some days
everything is going great and it feels amazing to be creating, other days it
feels like pulling teeth and no part of you wants to do it. But you have to
keep showing up. You can give in a little to not wanting to do it, but in my
experience, the longer you let it go, the harder it is to start again.
7. How many books have you written
so far? Do you have a favorite?
I have written 6 books (2
published, 4 unpublished). I love them all, but I do have one that is my very
favorite: the first (unpublished) YA book I wrote. It’s really the book of my
heart, and I’ve been hesitant to get it out of the drawer and dust it off,
because I fear going through the editing/publishing process with it would be
too hard on my heart.
8. What kinds of things do you like
to do outside of writing?
I’m obsessed with the Great British
Baking show, so lately I’ve been practicing making bread (which has turned out
well) and pastry (which has not).
9. What kinds of advice would you
give to someone who wants to start writing?
Read for pleasure—and truly for
pleasure. Read whatever you get lost in and don’t stop to analyze every bit of
it. When you are engaged in the story, your brain is sucking up all the
important stuff like structure and character development. It will help you
intuitively add those things to your own story.
10. If you could travel anywhere in
the world to visit a place so you could use it as a background for a book,
where would it be?
I would love to go to Paris.
Although, if I were to set a book there, my characters would probably just wander around eating pastries!
Amanda
Searcy is the author of The Truth Beneath the Lies. She received her MA in the Theory and
Practice of Human Rights from the University of Essex in England. She is now
active in SCBWI and is a two-time winner in the SouthWest Writers annual
contest. She works as a collection development supervisor for the Albuquerque
public library system and specializes in the acquisition of young adult
materials. Visit her website or follow her on Twitter and Instagram at
@Aesearcy.
WATCH YOU BURN by Amanda Searcy
Delacorte
Press ⎸On
sale October 23, 2018 ⎸Ages
14 and up
Hardcover:
978-1-5247-0093-5 ⎸$17.99/
$23.99 Can. ⎸352
pages
Ebook:
978-1-5247-0095-9 ⎸$10.99
