A Book Addict's Bookshelves (Old): Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 19th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

Synopsis:

Ocean’s Eleven meets the star-crossed lovers of West Side Story. Grab some popcorn and get ready for an adrenaline-filled heist!

LEXI is a rich girl who loves a good rush. Whether it’s motorcycle racing or BASE jumping off a building in downtown Los Angeles, the only times she feels alive are when she and her friends are executing one of their dares. After her father’s arrest, Lexi doesn’t think twice about going undercover at his bank to steal the evidence that might clear his name. She enlists her hacker brother and her daredevil friends to plan a clever heist.

CHRISTIAN is a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The local gang has blackmailed him and his friends into robbing banks, and he is desperate for a way out. When the boss promises that one really big job will be the last he ever has to do, Christian jumps at the chance for freedom. In fact, he’s just met a girl at the bank who might even prove useful. . . .

Two heists. One score. The only thing standing in their way is each other.

Told in alternating points of view, this caper is full of romance and fast-paced fun. Hand to fans of Perfect Chemistry, The Conspiracy of Us, and Heist Society.

When did you start writing?

I have always written on and off throughout my life, but I didn’t get serious about it until I was in my late thirties. I don’t know what prompted it exactly. I think I just discovered one day that I needed something more in my life, something that I was passionate about. I started doing some soul searching and finally allowed myself to make my creativity a priority. When I realized I really wanted to be a writer—and make it a job—it was like something inside me switched on and suddenly my passion to create stories and to get published flared up and basically consumed me! After that I threw myself into learning craft and getting educated about the publishing process.

How did you get the idea for Smash & Grab?

I read a news story about a father who convinced his teen son and daughter to rob banks with him. I was fascinated. As a parent myself, it just seemed unthinkable, but then the writer part of me took over and all I could focus on was what it would be like to rob a bank as a teen and to have a father so desperate for money, he’d do just about anything—including breaking the law. The story grew from there and became its own animal. It isn’t at all like the article, but that was the seed of the thing for sure.

Who is your favourite character in Smash & Grab?

Christian. Hands down. He is devoted to his family, smart, and tough, but tender. It was both a challenge and a joy to write from his POV. In general, I have soft spots for the boys in my books.

Do you have any works in progress?

Yes, more than one! I have another book coming out—probably sometime next year—tentatively called Orphan City. It’s a sci fi story about foster kids recruited by a charismatic benefactor to be a part of his secluded island school who end up with super powers. I also have a novel called Bait (unpublished/not under contract) about a girl used by a serial killer to lure other girls for him to kill that I’ve been working on for a while, but haven’t had time to finish and a few ideas I’ve just begun working on that I’m excited about, both of which are contemporaries.

What are your hobbies?

Sleeping. Just kidding. Sort of. Right now I don’t have a lot of time for hobbies, but I’m hoping to rectify that soon and start taking piano lessons and try paddle boarding. I do like to cook (if I don’t have to clean up), draw, read, and travel.

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AMY CHRISTINE PARKER writes full-time from her home near Tampa, Florida, where she lives with her husband, their two daughters, and one ridiculously fat cat. Visit her at amychristineparker.com and follow her on Twitter @amychristinepar.