TAKE 5: Anne Greenwood Brown and DEEP BETRAYAL

It’s here! The second book in WU contributor Anne Greenwood Brown‘s bestselling YA series, DEEP BETRAYAL (Delacorte), released March 12, and it has all the elements that made her first book LIES BENEATH so compelling: conflicted characters, high stakes, nail-biting tension, and a paranormal slant. From the flap:

It’s been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she’s counting. And when Calder does return, it’s not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret.Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears a new predator has come into the lake. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn’t know what to believe—only that whoever’s responsible is sure to strike again. . . .

We are thrilled to be able to bring you a Take 5 mini interview with Anne to have her share more about her novel.

Q: What’s the premise of your new book?

LIES BENEATH (the first book in the trilogy) was an evolution story about a merman who became a man, but DEEP BETRAYAL is a murder mystery at heart. On a thematic level, it explores the many ways in which we are betrayed by love: Calder’s desire to connect to a father figure steals him away from Lily; Pavati’s inability to fulfill her promise to Jack betrays his expectations for a happily ever after; and a paranormal version of a mid-life crisis steals Lily’s father away from the family.

Q: What would you like people to know about the story itself?

I’d like people to know that this series is not about Disney-esque mermaids. It’s not just a “girl” book. To give you an idea, this past summer, Barnes & Noble had it end-capped under the heading: Dark Teen Fiction. But you don’t have to be a teen to enjoy these books, either. In fact, some of my favorite emails have come from men in their 70s who’ve said something along the lines of, “I don’t think I’m supposed to like this, but…”  Forget what you think you know about mermaids. This is something different.

And for all you poetry fans, it may interest you to know that the series was inspired by Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poems “The Merman,” “The Mermaid,” and “The Lady of Shalott.”

Q: What do your characters have to overcome in this story? What challenge do you set before them?

In DEEP BETRAYAL, dead bodies are piling up on the shores of Lake Superior. Calder suspects his mermaid sisters are behind it, while Lily fears a danger even closer to home. To stop the killing, Calder and Lily must delve into myth, and folklore, before ultimately facing the bitter truth.

Q: What unique challenges did this book pose for you, if any?

LIES BENEATH was told from Calder’s point of view, the male point of view. I worked very hard to get the teen boy voice right–especially since I was writing about mermaids (which automatically makes you think it’s about a girl). Once I got in Calder’s head, and remained in Calder’s head, his voice came naturally.

The unexpected challenge came when I started DEEP BETRAYAL and had to switch to the female point of view. I was completely unprepared for the difficulty I would have writing as my own gender again. I cried a lot. Then after about a month of that, I finally heard Lily’s voice in my head and (thank God) I could move on.

Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect of having written this book?

The most rewarding thing was being able use all the lessons I learned while writing LIES BENEATH. There’s an efficiency and confidence that comes with practice, learning what works (and what doesn’t), and simply knowing that I can finish! I’m also grateful for all the support from book bloggers, other authors, librarians, teachers, and the WU community. I’ve met so many wonderful people on this journey.

Follow Anne on twitter @AnneGBrown or on her Facebook page. DEEP BETRAYAL is available now!

Writer Unboxed

Writer Unboxed began as a collaboration between Kathleen Bolton and Therese Walsh in 2006. Since then, the site has grown to include ~50 regular contributors and a variety of guests on rotation throughout a given year.

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