Author Spotlight: Jessica Warman of Beautiful Lies

We are so SO excited to have Jessica Warman on the blog today.  I had so many questions after reading Beautiful Lies and she was awesome enough to take the time to answer them and I have to say her answers rock!!  Take a look!

1.I will admit I was scared senseless while reading Beautiful Lies, how did you come up with this terrifying tale?

First of all, thank you!  I’m so happy that I was able to scare you – that was definitely my goal!  As to how I came up with it, that depends on what aspect of the book you’re talking about.  I knew I wanted to write something scary, so I figured it was best to choose something that scares me.  I really love the idea of setting a story in a somewhat idyllic neighborhood, and then sort of turning it on its ear to reveal the seamy elements that are hidden in plain sight.  I’m not scared of monsters like vampires or zombies – to me, those aren’t nearly as interesting, because they’re not real.  What really frightens me are the monsters all around us in everyday life.  I’m afraid I’ll give too much away if I say more, so I’ll just say that was my jumping-off point, and leave it at that.  J

2.I never knew what to believe throughout this story, was it hard keeping everything straight while writing it?
Not really.  That is, it wasn’t any harder than it is to keep everything straight than it is during any other writing process.  The twists and turns were actually easier to remember, because they’re unusual.  It’s always the mundane stuff that gets lost over the course of writing an entire novel.  I can easily keep track of the interesting and unusual story elements – but I’ll have a much more difficult time remembering, say, what color I made the living room carpet.

3.I won't say what happens at the end, but I am curious if you knew from the beginning where your characters would end up. 
I did, yes, but this hasn’t been true for every book I’ve written.  I will say that having a clear ending in mind makes the writing process much easier.  While it can be wonderful to be surprised by my characters, it’s far less stressful to feel like I’m the one in control of their destinies!

4.Which character do you connect with more Rachel or Alice?
Alice, for sure.  I’ve always had a wild streak.  Fortunately, it has mellowed quite a bit with age, but I was a lunatic in high school. 

5. Do you have any other projects in the works for the future?
Absolutely!  I have a couple of projects in mind right now, one of which I’m very, very excited about.  I think I’ve definitely found my writing niche in thrillers… whatever I do next will definitely be dark and (hopefully) unnerving!

Thank you so much for answering all my questions!  Jessica you are beyond awesome and you can definitely sign my up for your next book!!! 

Find Jessica:

Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

Believe me you need to check out Beautiful Lies!  Check it out below...

Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman
Publisher:Walker Children's
Release date: August 7, 2012
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Rachel and Alice are an extremely rare kind of identical twins-so identical that even their aunt and uncle, whom they've lived with since their parents passed away, can't tell them apart. But the sisters are connected in a way that goes well beyond their surfaces: when one experiences pain, the other exhibits the exact same signs of distress. So when one twin mysteriously disappears, the other immediately knows something is wrong-especially when she starts experiencing serious physical traumas, despite the fact that nobody has touched her. As the search commences to find her sister, the twin left behind must rely on their intense bond to uncover the truth. But is there anyone around her she can trust, when everyone could be a suspect? And ultimately, can she even trust herself? Master storyteller Jessica Warman will keep readers guessing when everything they see-and everything they are told-suddenly becomes unreliable in this page-turning literary thriller. 

My Thoughts:

First off excuse me for a minute *shudders*  okay nope not done *full body shudders*
I umm...well...just let me say....OMG I have no words for this book!!  I don't even know how to begin this review because I am still in shock and my heart is in pieces.  There are only a few books that have managed to take my breath away and this one is right at the top of that list.  I honestly couldn't breathe throughout this book and I am still struggling to even after finishing it several days ago.  Bare with me while I try to create some form of a review for you.

Alice and Rachel are identical twins and like all twins they share a special bond except their bond goes much deeper than most.  I won't spoil it and tell you how deep their bond is because I think that reveal is awesome.  I will say that what you think you know is not even the beginning.  The story is basically about one sister being kidnapped and the other trying to save her. That is all you get, yup that's it.  If I say anything more then it will spoil everything and I don't even know how to tell a piece of the story without ruining it and going on and on.  Believe me this story is so so much more and you won't want to miss it.

The author did an amazing job with both Alice and Rachel.  I was totally swept into their lives and I never knew what was real and what wasn't.  I am really becoming a fan of the creepy and Beautiful Lies had some very spooky moments.  I would have loved to have seen more back story or really a prequel would be fantastic starring Rachel and Alice's mom.  There is still so much that I want to know and I am just not ready to let these characters go.  I totally felt that the sister looking for redemption got it and I am so proud of her for doing what needed to be done. This isn't an easy story to get through by any means but it is so worth it.

This story has to have some of the best twists I have ever read and there are definitely plenty of them in there.  It sorta felt like a mind spin after awhile but in a good way.  I just cant seem to get over how everything played out!  Talk about your total shockers!!  This is my first book by Jessica Warman and I can definitely tell you it won't be my last!!  Amazing book!

5 snowflakes