So we all know that girl in high school who got arrested for shoplifting. Now imagine her doing that perp walk in small religious town. That’s the world GCC member Wendy Toliver has created in her new novel LIFTED, which debuted this month through Simon Pulse.
As always, here’s a little bit about her book to get you hooked:
Being Bad Never Felt So Good.
Poppy Browne had never stolen anything in her life before moving to Pleasant Acres, Texas and meeting Mary Jane and Whitney. But when Poppy walks out of the mall with her two new friends and her first pair of stolen jeans, she’s hooked.
Before long, Poppy is lifting whenever she gets the urge—it’s never about the merchandise, it’s always about the thrill. But when her secret gets out, the girls in Poppy’s clique turn on one another. As she watches her life collapse around her, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie … and how far she’ll go to protect herself.
And to give you an even better idea, watch Wendy’s amazing new book trailer:
Here’s what Wendy had to say:
Q: In AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS, Mariana discovers a hidden family secret. Are you a good secret keeper?
Wendy: I am an excellent secret keeper, especially when it’s a whopper and always when I’m asked not to tell. For example, one of my friends has a tattoo but only me, another girlfriend, and her husband know about it.
Um, well, not anymore… 🙂
Q: What is the favorite place you ever traveled to, and what was the coolest thing you saw/did there?
Wendy: I loved going to Costa Rica with my husband a couple of years ago. We traveled all over and got to see a wide variety of beautiful scenery and met the nicest people. We stayed in this awesome rainforest full of waterfalls and amazing plants and animals. I loved the tree frogs (so cute) and the tres leches cake (mmm!).
Q: I often tell the story of how a psychic once predicted that I would go on to write children’s books. Have you ever visited a psychic?
Wendy: I’d love to visit one someday. I’ve only visited ones at parties that say very generic things that would apply to anyone.
Q: My character Mariana spends her summer in Puerto Rico connecting with her father’s heritage. Have you ever researched your family tree?
Wendy: Like many Americans, I am a mutt, coming from all sorts of places and people. I am related to Davy Crockett and I think Christy Turlington (the model). I haven’t spent much time researching my family but my dad has. Once my family got to America, a bunch settled in Georgia and Texas. My dad and brother went to Georgia to look at graves, but I’ve only seen those that are in East Texas, namely Kilgore and Longview. This is the general area where LIFTED takes place, though there isn’t really a “Pleasant Acres” in East Texas.
Q: Where were you when you found out that your book was going to be published?
Wendy: When I found out that Lifted would be published, I was at home so I could squeal and take notes and what-not. When I got the news of my first publishing deal (The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren), however, I was driving and had to pull over. My agent was so cute about that: “Pull over right now!” It was a quick conversation, though, because I was running late (as usual) and didn’t want my young son to be getting off the bus and having no one home to let him in. Of course, it’s such an exciting phone call and I’m just so thankful I’ve had three so far!
Thank you, Wendy! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!
Diana, thanks for the awesome interview! 🙂