Q&A with #YA Author Brinda Berry (& W*n Whisper of Memory)

First, thanks to those of you who joined in the chat over at Savvy Authors last night. It was mostly shop talk about time-management, but the chats are always interesting!

I’m thrilled to welcome author Brinda Berry to the blog today! She’s been gracious enough to subject herself to the Preternatura interview and talk about her new book, Whisper of Memory, the second book in her YA Whispering Woods series. You can also learn more about Nancy and her books by checking out her website. And read on to win a copy of Whisper of Memory or the first book in the series, The Waiting Booth.

ABOUT WHISPER OF MEMORY: Weapons training and winter formals...a deadly combination. All Mia ever wanted was to fit in at Whispering Woods High. But being a portal-finder who dates a guy from another dimension sort of makes it hard. Mia's brother disappeared over a year ago, and agents from the IIA began policing people's movements through dimensions. She'd trusted Dr. Bleeker from the local university when he'd told her the IIA were the bad guys. But even a girl with an extraordinary ability to sense things can make mistakes. Now two people are dead, and as a portal gatekeeper for the IIA, Mia needs to find Dr. Bleeker before he hurts anyone else. And her boyfriend Regulus, an Agent for the IIA, carries secrets of his own. Between learning about weaponry, finding the perfect dress for the winter formal, and catching bad guys, who has time to fit in?

Read on to meet Brinda and comment for a chance to win!

Give us the “elevator pitch” for your latest work?

Whisper of Memory is the second book in the Whispering Woods series. It’s the story of high school senior Mia Taylor who is dealing with a missing older brother, a new hunky boyfriend, a dimensional portal, snarky gamer friends, and no dress for the winter formal. Did I mention the evil science professor?

What is your favorite scene in the book?

There is a scene in Whisper of Memory where everything is falling apart for Mia. She wants to wallow in self-pity, but she doesn’t because she’s not that kind of girl. She picks herself up and goes on to fight. I love strong females in novels and film. I’m happy that Mia’s character is one of them.

What’s on your nightstand or top of your TBR pile?

My TBR pile is enormous. If it were not for ebooks, I’d look like I belonged on an edition of the television show, Hoarders. I’m currently reading Legend by Marie Lu. My next read will be The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Favorite book when you were a child:

The Boxcar Children

Your five favorite authors:

I have so many authors that I love. I’ll stick with contemporary authors for this answer. Stephen King, Charlaine Harris, Dan Brown, Maggie Stiefvater, and Stephanie Perkins. That’s my answer this week. I say this because I only discovered Stephanie Perkins in the last two weeks and inhaled both her contemporary YA books. She has this great voice. Who knows who I’ll discover next week!

Favorite book about books or writing:

On Writing by Stephen King

Thanks, Brinda! Want to win a copy of Whisper of Memory (or the first in the series)? Leave a comment—do you read YA and, if so, what do you like about it? I do enjoy reading some YA because there seems to be more thinking outside the tried-and-true plot devices. You know the rest of the drill. One entry for comment, another for blog follow, a third for a Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and a fourth for a Tweet or Retweet. Now...Go forth and comment!