BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Lies I Live By

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Lauren Sabel to talk about Lies I Live By (31 May 2016, Katherine Tegen Books, 432 pages), a Young Adult Thriller.

”...appealing characters merge seamlessly into a strong plot that captures readers early on and doesn’t let go until the very last chapter.” -Kirkus Reviews

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to Lauren Sabel; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter.

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Lies I Live By, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"While writing LIES I LIVE BY, I mostly listened to these three albums:

Au Revoir Simone – Verses of Comfort, Assurance, and Salvation

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More"

What was the inspiration for Lies I Live By?

"I’ve always been fascinated by the US government’s remote viewing program in the 1960’s-1980’s. Many other governments also had psychic spying programs, including the Russians and the Chinese, but that story felt too big to tell, so I started with Callie, the 17 year old American girl living in San Francisco. (If I get to write a sequel, psychic viewers from other countries will play a much bigger role.)

I also just fell in love with my main character Callie. Once I heard her voice, she became my inspiration."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Callie was so compelling to write partly because she is another version of me. Not her psychic powers, of course, but her cynicism, and many of her reactions to the world around her.

Plus, I have always had a terrifying fear of being able to see the future, so that part of Callie scares me to my bones. I mean, what if I saw something terrible happening to someone I love? What would I do? How would I live with that knowledge?"

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Lies I Live By - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The artist is an incredibly talented Brooklyn-based artist named Josh Cochran. He’s done work for everyone including MTV, The New York Times, and American Express. My publisher Katherine Tegen Books chose him to do the cover, I feel lucky that he agreed to take on my book.

I have an interview with him on my blog, and an original piece of artwork by him there as well."

Why should we read Lies I Live By and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I’ve heard that LIES I LIVE BY is a page-turner. It’s the kind of book that, according to Kirkus Reviews at least, “captures readers early on and doesn’t let go until the very last chapter.”

I also think that Callie Sinclair, the psychic spy, is a unique character. She’s conflicted by what she sees in her mind and what she feels in her heart, and she never knows which of these two things should guide her in her personal life."

Can you tell us something quirky about Lies I Live By, its story and characters?

"Callie’s mother Allison Sinclair, is named (and partially created) after my sister Allie. My older sister is brilliant in a scientific type way, got her MD, PHD, and MA in seven years, and shines in the academic and professional world. But sometimes she’s too heady to interact on an emotional level, and that’s one part of her I drew on when creating Callie’s mother."

Who would you recommend Lies I Live By to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"My 11 year old nephew recently told me that my book is “inappropriate” – which I found both hysterically funny and insightful. Younger readers should be aware that there is a lot of sexual innuendo, although not much sexual behavior. So I would recommend this book to 14 year olds and above."

If you could / wished to turn Lies I Live By into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Like everyone else in the world, I adore Emma Watson. She seems smart, internally driven, and her beauty is a bit whimsical while still being striking. I also adore actress Krysten Ritter.

For Charlie, I would choose River Phoenix, if he were still alive (and a teenager)."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I’m a huge YA fan both in reading and writing because I’m fascinated by the lives of teenagers. The teenage experience is full of the wildest emotions one will ever have in their entire lives.

As a teen, I remember flitting from deliriously happy to rock-bottom sad to growling jealousy. I desired things and people like I’ve never felt since, and although the teen years were the hardest years of my life so fear, they were also the most fascinating."

What is your writing process?

"Sit down and daydream. Take notes."

What is in store next?

"I’m hoping to write a sequel to LIES I LIVE BY, as there is so much more to say!

I’m also working on a multi-narrator book that takes place in one of the most dreadful places on earth: a high school."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?