Interview with Jenn Marie Thorne, Author of The Wrong Side of Right

One March release I've been anticipating since 2014 is The Wrong Side of Right. I even featured it in the first Fifteen 2015 Reads post, although then it was known as Spin. I feel very fortunate that Jenn Marie Thorne agreed to an interview to celebrate her upcoming debut novel.

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. 

Jenn Marie Thorne graduated from NYU-Tisch with a BFA in drama and quickly realized she was having more fun writing plays, short films, and superhero webisodes than actually performing in them. Then, when a flurry of political scandals hit the news, Jenn wondered what the kids at the center of the media's attention must be going through, and so began The Wrong Side of Right, her debut novel. Jen lives and writes in beautiful Gulfport, Florida, alongside her husband, two sons, and hound dog Molly.

Now for the interview!

Emma: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer, and how has that affected you since?

Jenn: The process of realizing I was a writer was slower for me than for most people. I've always written, since I was a little girl, but for years I stubbornly clung to the idea that I was an actress. I finally realized that I preferred building my own worlds and words to acting out someone else's and I haven't looked back since.

Emma: If you could write any book, already written or not, what would it be?

Jenn: I'd love to give some arcane answer, but the only correct one is the Harry Potter series. Because not only would I have created something wonderful and so universally beloved that it became a freaking theme park, but I would live in a castle. 

Emma: Share a couple fun facts about THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT, please!

Jenn: I've lived in a few of the settings of the book, including Charleston, Los Angeles and New York. I made Kate a Los Angeleno because it's my favorite. Lily, the girl who keeps a magazine photo of the President's son, Andy Lawrence, in her locker, is modeled after a high school friend of mine who had a massive crush on Prince William. (That shows you exactly how old I am!)

Emma: What's your favorite thing about THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT's protagonist, Kate Quinn?

Jenn: I love how smart and analytical she is - and how thoughtful she is in considering everyone's needs and feelings before her own. But of course, that's her Achilles heel, too, so I love how by the end of the book, she's become someone unafraid to speak her mind when it matters.

Emma: Anything exciting on the horizon for you, writing-wise?

Jenn: I'm working on a companion novel that's pretty different from THE WRONG SIDE OF RIGHT but has some fun crossover and cameos. And I'm starting to flesh out a couple other projects, including a high fantasy and another sort of high-concept contemporary.

Emma: What are you reading right now?

Jenn: I'm between books. I just finished Moriah McStay's EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU, which I absolutely adored. (It comes out the same day as my book, so be sure to pick that one up too!) About to start QUEEN OF THE TEARLING.

Emma: What are three YA titles you want to recommend?

Jenn: Apart from the above…oh man, there are so many. Lee Kelly's debut, CITY OF SAVAGES is one of my favorite recent reads--totally addictive and terrifying and emotionally resonant. THE SCORPIO RACES is one of my all-time favorites--so fleshed out a fantasy that thinking about it feels like a fond memory from my own life. And a sort of classic YA that I recommend to anyone who will listen is I CAPTURE THE CASTLE. It's set in the 1930s, but to me it perfectly encapsulates what YA contemporary can do. If you read it, you'll get what I'm talking about.

Emma: And finally, my standard question: what's your favorite fairytale and why?

Jenn: My fave since childhood has always been EAST OF THE SUN AND WEST OF THE MOON, because it's basically ten fairytales in one, so you get a lot of bang for your buck. Plus, it's the rare fairytale in which the princess goes to rescue the prince, which is pretty cool.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jenn! The Wrong Side of Right is out Tuesday, so make sure to add it to your TBR list and preorder it now!

You can find Jenn and her book at these links:

Jenn's website: http://jennmariethorne.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/juniperjenny

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JennMarieThorne

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jennmariethorne/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22504702-the-wrong-side-of-right

Read Between the Lynes: http://www.readbetweenthelynes.com/book/9780803740570

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wrong-side-of-right-jenn-marie-thorne/1119671451?ean=9780803740570

Thank You to My Followers Giveaway

So earlier this week, I officially reached 200 blog followers across Bloglovin', MailChimp, and Google Friend Connect. 

I'm so grateful to all of you for following my little blog. There's no way I pictured I'd reach 200 followers (and 640-some Twitter followers) when I started this blog (way back when it was called Bookworm/Future Author). To thank y'all, I'm going to have a giveaway for one ARC from my collection. If you're the winner, I'll let you know your options and you'll choose from those (the options may include Fire & Flood, Solitaire, and When...). Here are the rules for this giveaway.

1) No cheating. I check entries, so please be honest when you fill one out. (ESPECIALLY if you subscribe via email - please confirm this subscription!)

2) You must follow the blog in some way (one of the three options listed in the Rafflecopter widget). I don't normally require this, but I want the ARC to be a thank you to a follower since this giveaway is honor of that. 

3) You must live in the US or Canada. Shipping is crazy expensive otherwise.

4. You must respond to the winner email within 48 hours; if not, I'll choose another winner.

May the odds be ever in your favor! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Black Dove, White Raven

Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
Grade: C+
Release date: March 31, 2015
This ARC was provided by On the Same Page ARC Tours.
Summary: Emilia and Teo's lives changed in a fiery, terrifying instant when a bird strike brought down the plane their stunt pilot mothers were flying. Teo's mother died immediately, but Em's survived, determined to raise Teo according to his late mother's wishes-in a place where he won't be discriminated against because of the color of his skin. But in 1930s America, a white woman raising a black adoptive son alongside a white daughter is too often seen as a threat.

Seeking a home where her children won't be held back by ethnicity or gender, Rhoda brings Em and Teo to Ethiopia, and all three fall in love with the beautiful, peaceful country. But that peace is shattered by the threat of war with Italy, and teenage Em and Teo are drawn into the conflict. Will their devotion to their country, its culture and people, and each other be their downfall or their salvation?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I have deep love for Elizabeth Wein's Rose Under Fire. It's not an easy read; heck, it's incredibly hard to read (not in comprehension level but subject matter), but I came out of it a better-informed, more deeply-feeling person. Black Dove, White Raven did not touch me like Rose Under Fire did.
I learned so much from Wein's latest. I knew, of course, that a lot of Italy's part in World War II was in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. The name Haile Selassie was familiar to me. But I learned a lot about Ethiopia, its laws, its customs, and its people from Black Dove, White Raven. It held my interest for the entire time I was reading. But I didn't close my ARC and feel the deep adoration I have for Rose Under Fire. Part of it was the narration style. Em and Teo's story is told mostly through school reports, letters to the emperor, and flight log entries. I don't feel like we got to know them as personally because there was always this formal distance. They told a lot of their back story but I wanted more of the here-and-now.
Additionally, I've never been the type of girl interested in all the mechanics of flying a plane. That's why, I'll admit, I've never read more than a few pages of Code Name Verity. There's some flying talk in Rose Under Fire but, at the heart of it, it's a story about a group of women at a concentration camp. I wanted more of the various characters and less flight talk in Black Dove, White Raven. I wanted to know more about Ethiopia and its people before and during World War II. I wish Wein would've spent less time having Em and Teo explain their past and more time on the present. They're both full characters, but I wanted to know Sinidu, Ezra, and Hana better. I wanted to understand fully why Rhoda and Papa Menotti's relationship functioned like that. I wanted to know what made Papa Menotti tick.

The Verdict: Black Dove, White Raven didn't live up to what I hoped it would be. This won't be the case for everyone, but it certainly was for me.

Buy: Read Between the Lynes  Barnes & Noble

Will I be adding this book to my library?: I think so. Eventually.

Book Lovin'

I read a lot of books that I don't review. And several of those books are ones that I thoroughly enjoy and wish I could promote. So that's what this post is all about. Those books that I really enjoyed reading in 2014 but didn't review (and didn't rave about endlessly. For example, Since You've Been Gone). These are going to be short reviews (I'm going to try and limit them to 140 characters), and therefore they won't go in my review archive. But I hope y'all will find some books you haven't read yet! Additionally, as I prepared for this post, I realized I liked so many books, I was going to have to do this in two posts. So watch for Book Lovin' Part 2 in another week or so.

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Rating: 4 stars

This isn't Disney's Alice in Wonderland...it's deliciously dark and seductive with a love triangle that's surprisingly good. Bonus: the series is now complete!

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Rating: 4.5 stars

The sequel to the genderbent retelling of Robin Hood, Scarlet. Killer of feels, strong characters, so much fun.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 4 stars

My favorite of the Grisha trilogy, mainly because of Sturmhond. Also with a fantastic setting but I wish the Darkling would fall off a cliff.

Free to Fall by Lauren Miller

Rating: 5 stars

Terrible book hangover, but lots of fun. Secret societies and cool technology w/a setting not too far into the future. Felt very realistic.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Rating: 5 stars

Holy wow. Tears. Adorable romance. Friendships. Strong family dynamics (really unusual for YA). Matson knows how to write contemporary.

Blonde Ops by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman

Rating: 4 stars

Fashion meets I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You and Also Known As. Definitely cute!

My Faire Lady by Laura Wettersten

Rating: 4 stars

Love triangle with a boy everyone will obviously root for. Fun look at Ren faires. Vaguely reminded me of The Art of Lainey.

 

The Nightmare Affair and The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett

Grade: 4 stars each

Fun mythical creatures in a boarding school with mysteries thrown in. Need that third book now!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books for Readers Who Like Taylor Swift

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

As you might expect, I'm constantly looking for ways I can fit Taylor Swift into my bookish blog posts. So of course she's going to be the focus of today's Top Ten Tuesday since it was pretty open-ended. If you love Taylor Swift and her music, you have to check out these books.

1. Wildflower by Alecia Whitaker

This is an obvious pick. It reminds me of young Taylor and when she started out in the music industry.

2. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

This is another obvious choice. (And one I actually should reread soon...)

I get some serious "Enchanted" vibes from this next book...

3. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

4. A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Awkward and adorable are definitely up Taylor's alley.

5. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

BUT. Taylor doesn't just write songs about romance. She also loves a good friendship story and some of her best songs are about friendships/having fun with your friends ("Breathe," "22," "New Romantics").

6. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Lara Jean reminds me a lot of Taylor in many ways.

7. The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Let's be real: T-Swizzle would make an excellent matchmaker.

8. Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan

Taylor knows all about love in the spotlight.

9. A Blind Spot for Boys by Justina Chen

In one of my Bookish Swiftie Recommendation posts, I paired this one with "I Knew You Were Trouble."

10. Like No Other by Una LaMarche

I think the idea of star-crossed lovers would be perfect for a Taylor fan, particularly because of "Love Story."

So who did you recommend books for on this TTT? Or what books would you recommend for Swifties? Let me know in the comments!

Rewind & Review #33

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room.

The last two weeks have consisted of some big changes. I'm not going to share anything here yet, but please keep my family in your prayers as we go through these next several months. 
I registered for a summer class, so that's one less gen ed I'll have to get done during the school year; I also plan to take a couple CLEP tests this summer for a couple lit classes in my major. I've also been looking at some study abroad summer options for next year or the year after. A cross-cultural of some sort (that lasts at least a week) is required at my university so I'll have to fulfill that sooner or later. My ultimate choice would be to travel to England and France for a couple weeks, but I may have to choose a summer study abroad program in England and then just make sure I go over to France, too. We'll see; I still have time to figure it all out.
Also, we had another snow day and delay, so I feel impossibly behind in all my classes (particularly since my art history prof assigned a heck ton of homework that's due by our next class, *sigh*).

Books I Received
Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos (via NetGalley/HMH Books for Young Readers)
Charlie, Presumed Dead by Anne Heltzel (via NetGalley/HMH Books for Young Readers)
School for Sidekicks by Kelly McCullough (via NetGalley/Feiwel & Friends)
Rook by Sharon Cameron (via Scholastic)

Books I Was Gifted/Traded for/Won

Cress by Marissa Meyer (traded with Kalli!)
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (via ARCycling/Karen)
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (from my OTSP Secret Sister!)
Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler (traded with Brittany from The Book Addict's Guide)

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord (paperback won in her Twitter giveaway!)

Books I Bought

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody
The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

Books I Read

Whatever Lifes Throws at You by Julie Cross (2 stars)
Fool Me Twice by Mandy Hubbard (3 stars)
99 Days by Katie Cotugno
Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley (3 stars)
5 to 1 by Holly Bodger
Colonial Madness by Jo Whittemore (3 stars)
Wrong About the Guy by Claire LaZebnik
Lost in London by Cindy Callaghan (3 stars)
The Queen's Daughter by Susan Coventry (DNF)
The Friendship Riddle by Megan Frazer Blakemore (DNF)
A Matter of Heart by Amy Fellner Dominy
Soulprint by Megan Miranda (3.5 stars)
Legend by Marie Lu

Blog Posts You Might've Missed

   (From 2/23-2/28)

• Review: Down from the Mountain by Elizabeth Fixmer (3 stars)
• Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Heroines
• So You Like... #11
• Review: The Forgotten Sisters by Shannon Hale (4.5 stars)
• Random Friday: Love Triangles and Insta-Love

   (From 3/1-3/7)

• Review: Seed by Lisa Heathfield (2 stars)
• Top Ten Tuesday: All-Time Favorites Since 2010
• Interview with Moriah McStay, Author of Everything That Makes You
• Random Friday: Spring 2015 Reads

Upcoming Posts in the Next Few Weeks (subject to change)

• Top Ten Tuesday: Books for Readers Who Like Taylor Swift
• Book Lovin'
• Review: Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein
• Interview with Jenn Marie Thorne, Author of The Wrong Side of Right
• Rewind to 2014: Books I Acquired
• Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
• Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR List
• Taylor Swift and Poetic Devices
• Preordering Books

Random Friday: Spring 2015 Reads

Want to participate in Random Fridays? Just do the following: 

• Include the above image in your post and link back to my post.
• Blog about this week's topic.
• Add the link to your Random Friday at the bottom of this post.

I usually try to limit myself to ten books with my upcoming reads, but there are SO MANY books coming this spring that there was no way that was happening this time. Also, I've included none of the books I have as ARCs and e-galleys so there are many other great spring reads that y'all should check out.

1. The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows

2. Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

3. The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne

  

4. Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed

5. The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

6. Black Dove, White Raven by Elizabeth Wein

  

7. Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke by Anne Blankman

8. Sophomore Year Is Greek to Me by Meredith Zeitlin

9. The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

  

10. Rook by Sharon Cameron

11. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

12. Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold by Katie Finn

  

13. Swept Away by Michelle Dalton

14. The Heir by Kiera Cass

15. Nil Unlocked by Lynne Matson

  

16. Three Day Summer by Sarvenaz Tash

17. Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt

19. I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest

Interview with Moriah McStay, Author of Everything That Makes You

It's been a long time since I've done an author interview, so I thought it was about time I did one. 

One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore. 

And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?

Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck.

Moriah McStay was kind enough to agree to an interview. First, a little bit about her!

I grew up in Memphis, TN, so I love music and friend pickles in the deepest part of my soul. My hair has been every style and color imaginable (except for pink, though I still may try that one.)

I went to college in Chicago. My freshman year, I had to get written permission from all my professors to take final exams early, as I was needed home to be a Princess in the Cotton Carnival. There were about thirty of us princesses, and we all wore the same pink, floor-length, pleated taffeta gown. At all the parties, we looked like a school of giant, land-based shrimp.

I had picked Northwestern for its Creative Writing program. I’m still unclear where I veered off-course, and how I ended up with a BA in economics. It took me two graduate degrees and seven jobs before I came back around to writing. After a few years of churning out some downright awful novels, I finally got the hang of it. Now that I write full-time, the noisy characters in my head are much easier to control.

I love Mr. Darcy, guacamole, Hob Nobs, indie music, consignment stores, Harry Potter, and love stories. I’m really not a fan of shopping, heights or spicy food. I suck at reading directions; however, I’m an excellent parallel parker. Like, excellent.

I live in Memphis with my husband and three daughters. To date, none have expressed interest in being a Princess in Cotton Carnival, though one has had blue hair.

Let's get into the interview.

Emma: I'm sure you've been asked this a lot, but what was the original inspiration behind Everything That Makes You?

Moriah: When I was little, I was in an accident that left me blind in one eye. You can’t notice much now, but at the time it felt significant. People could tell. I got lots of questions, couldn’t play sports, had to wear big glasses. Later on—in high school and college—I began to wonder which parts of my personality that accident shaped. If it never happened, who would I be? I thought a book looking at one particular event and its impact would be an interesting project.

Emma: What's one thing you'd like to share about one of the characters that you may not have been able to share in the book?

Moriah: In an earlier draft, the prologue was MUCH longer, and it included the entire accident. We edited it way down, and in the current version, it’s only specifically mentioned a few brief times. Fiona’s brother Ryan says about it: “I remember going to the snack bar. It was empty—just us. The guy at the popcorn cart, he looked like a grandfather, kept trying to pat our heads whenever we ran past him.”

As I was just beginning the story—trying to figure out where I was going with it all—I wrote the scene from several different points of view, including the old man at the popcorn cart (which topples over and burns Fiona’s face.) I saw him as the sweet retiree, missing his grown kids who lived hours and hours away. He kept trying to play with Fiona and Ryan out of nostalgic sadness. It still gets me choked up thinking about him.

Emma: What's your favorite part of the Everything That Makes You cover?
Moriah: At first, I wasn’t sure about another cover with a girl on it, but Erin Fitzsimmons did such a great job. Her hand lettering is absolutely my favorite part. Fiona is a songwriter and has tons of moleskine notebooks. Erin ripped out a moleskine page and hand lettered some of Fiona’s lyrics directly on it. It’s just stunning.

Emma: How did you react when you got the news that your book was going to be published?

Moriah: I was on vacation for Spring Break, and the beach town had horrible phone reception. My agent Steven Chudney sent a cryptic email—he wanted to talk about revisions—and I replied back we should handle it all over email, because of the spotty connections. He emailed back “Just call me! You’re ruining the surprise!” So my husband and I drove into town, sat at a literal Tiki Bar, and I called Steven while looking out onto a very blue ocean. It was just a perfect moment. We got back home and told our daughters and had an awesome Celebration Shrimp Boil.

Emma: What's next for you, writing-wise?

Moriah: I’m revising my second book right now. I’m working with my editor Jill Davis again, and Katherine Tegen Books/Harper Collins will publish it. I’d tell you the title and pub date if I knew it…it keeps changing. The novel will be a standalone like ETMY, but another contemporary YA.

Emma: What are three YA books you recommend?

Moriah: I can only pick three?!?! One of my favorites is WILD AWAKE by Hilary Smith. The voice and writing are just outstanding. THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater is excellent. I also highly recommend both of Jandy Nelson’s — THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE and I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN. (That was four, but only three writers so partial credit.)

Emma: And finally, my standard question, what's your favorite fairytale and why?

Moriah: When I was a kid, it was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I’m not sure why—I’m the youngest of three, and I think I found some satisfaction that it was the littlest bear that figured everything out. These days, my favorite movie of all time is The Princess Bride, which kind of counts as a fairy tale, right? The writing and characters are fantastic.

Emma: Thanks so much, Moriah!

You can find Moriah McStay and her book at the following links:

Moriah's website: http://moriahmcstay.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/moriahmcstay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Moriah-McStay/496836250379424

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21795576-everything-that-makes-you?ac=1

Read Between the Lynes: http://www.readbetweenthelynes.com/book/9780062295484

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everything-that-makes-you-moriah-mcstay/1119856724?ean=9780062295484

Top Ten Tuesday: All-Time Favorites Since 2010

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I am cheating so much with this one. I have several series counting as one unit, and I'm going by when I read the book (so if I read it in 2010 or after, it counts) and not when it was published. Additionally, I went over 10 books. Oops?

1. The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick (but Pies & Prejudice in particular)

2. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

3. Heist Society by Ally Carter

4. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

6. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

7. Pivot Point by Kasie West

8. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

9. Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

10. Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

11. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

12. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

13. Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

14. Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson

15. All Four Stars by Tara Dairman

16. Smart Girls Get What You Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

17. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord