Some teenage girls work at the mall to earn extra cash, others learn to run a con. But if you choose the latter, make sure you don’t fall for your own lies. At least, that’s the case in GCC member Eileen Cook’s new YA novel, THE ALMOST TRUTH. It sounds like a great read and is out this month through Simon Pulse.
As always, here’s a little bit about her books to get you hooked:
From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head.
Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.
But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever.
With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn’t prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose….
Here’s what Eileen had to say:
Q: In ADIOS TO ALL THE DRAMA, Mariana is a bridesmaid in her cousin’s wedding. How many times have you been a bridesmaid and what’s the worst dress you ever wore?
Eileen: I am one of those people who other people like to have in their wedding. I think this is because I can be counted on to have a safety pin or other emergency item in my purse and can usually make someone laugh. I’ve been a bridesmaid over a dozen times. I wore one dress that was a super bright shade of green. I looked like the Jolly Green Giant’s girlfriend.
Q: I’ve used some of my personal background in each of my novels. Did you take any snippets from your real life when writing your latest book? Base any characters on real people?
Eileen: I don’t have any characters that are based on real people (including myself), but I steal shamelessly from overheard conversations. There are also a lot of traits, such as Brendan’s snarky sense of humor that I take from friends and family.
Q: Let’s talk publishing. What was harder for you, finding an agent or an editor? Why?
Eileen: Is there any part of publishing that’s easy? I did a lot of research into agents and had a bit of luck too, so connecting with my agent, Rachel Coyne, wasn’t too difficult. She did a great job selling the book, but it felt like it took forever.
Q: Where did the idea for you latest novel come from?
Eileen: Most often book ideas come to me as a collection of unrelated things. A bit of an idea here, another piece there, until it sticks together as one idea. This process can take months or years. This is one of the few books where I can remember the exact second I had the idea. I was on the ferry and saw a missing child poster. At the bottom there was an age-enhanced photo so you could see what the person might look like now. I had the thought “How weird would it be if I looked like the age enhanced photo?” In that instant the idea of the book dropped into my head. I ran back to my seat and wrote it down as fast as I could. I spent another week thinking over some different details, but I started writing almost right away.
Q: Where were you when you found out that your latest novel was going to be published? Tell us the story.
Eileen: I was driving to meet a group of fellow authors who live in Vancouver. My agent called and told me she had news and that I should pull over. As soon as I parked she told me that my editor was making a two-book offer deal. It was perfect because I was able to go into the restaurant and celebrate.
Thank you, Eileen! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!
