Last Girls is a twisting, YA Thriller about sisterhood, survival, and family secrets. Three sisters being raised as doomsday preppers in the Pacific Northwest face a different kind of threat when one sister’s actions draw the unwanted attention to the secret compound where they live. As the group leader’s erratic behaviour and actions increase, they have to decide if it’s better to run or take their chances against the very people sworn to protect them. 

That’s such a tough call. Honey is the oldest of the three Juniper sisters, and the POV character for all three sisters, but Birdie and Blue come with their own strengths and worthiness. If I have to pick just one, I’d say Birdie (the middle sister) is my favorite. I don’t think she’d be the choice of most readers. Maybe that’s why I love her. She is, in my own opinion, the most misunderstood. Headstrong, independent, and impulsive, Birdie rarely shows her more sensitive site. But when she does, it’s visceral. Throughout the story Birdie is the one that suffers the most, and I felt so her emotions viscerally while writing her into the scenes she shares with her sisters. 

I’d love to say I had this unforgettable ah-ha moment. The truth is, I was curious about the lives of doomsday preppers. Not the variety that are sensationalized on television, but the ones who homestead and try to live mostly off the grid. It was a combination of that and an episode of Criminal Minds titled Amplification that dealt with a jilted scientist creating a pathogen to use as a biological weapon. My research spread into military history until I had the makings of my own thriller. Being the youngest of parents’ three daughters, I’ve always wanted to write a book about three sisters. I love a good power trio. 

My favorite question. Mother, by Pink Floyd. The book opens with a quote from this song. You can find my public, author-curated LAST GIRLS playlist on Spotify.

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Tazo makes a heavenly Juniper Mint Honey tea. Sipping that in front of campfire would be amazing while reading Last Girls. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish LAST GIRLS? 

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

The hardest part for me is creating a viable villain or villains. The main characters usually come to me easily and I just have to massage them into existence. Once I have an idea of who the story is about, I jump into creating the villain because their motivation is what will drive the character’s actions and reactions. I have to know why they feel compelled to do the things they’re going to do, what their lives were like, who or what happened that made them the way they are. That advice was given to by Lois Duncan (I Know What You Did Last Summer) when she read an early copy of Dive Smack, my debut. She told me she always starts with the villain and to have more information on them than I needed, stuff that will never even make it into the book as long I knew them as well as I knew my protagonist. She then proceeded to email me a bunch of questions to help me flesh out the villain (Dr. Maddox) in my debut. 

What’s next for you?

I’m currently outlining an adult Greek Mythology story, which is a revision and reimagining of the first YA book I ever wrote. It also contains a power trio, and you won’t be surprised to hear that I’ve spent a long time developing the villain. As a first-generation Greek-American, this story is very near and dear to my heart and I can’t wait until the day I can share it with readers.

The Juniper sisters in LAST GIRLS don't go anywhere without a backpack (what they call an EDC: Every Day Carry) and they take great pride in their artwork. Honey paints, Birdie draws comics, and Blue uses embroidery to fancy up her clothes (when she's not spending time with her beloved falcon, Achilles). To honor the sisters' talents, I'll be sending one lucky winner some artistic inspiration by offering up a fabulous pre-order Grand Prize. But don't worry, everyone who orders will receive a gift with purchase. And, as a bonus, I'm including a 2nd prize that holds a special place in my author heart.

ALL PREORDERS WILL RECEIVE: Last Girls 5x7 Glossy Art Print & Signed Bookplate (see above)

ALL PREORDERS WILL BE ENTERED FOR A CHANCE TO WIN THE GRAND AND FIRST PRIZE.

*Open to U.S.A. Residents Only

*Sweepstakes run and fulfilled by the author

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WAR AND SPEECH is the story of Sydney, who decides to join the top-rated Speech and Debate team in the country in order to destroy it from the inside out. 

Sydney is funny, brutally honest, and has a mouth that gets her in a lot of trouble. She has a strong bullshit detector and a keen sense of fairness. Her father is in prison for tax evasion, and her life has cratered big time – she now lives in a tiny apartment with her mom and her new boyfriend, and just about everything she counted on has disappeared. She can be a bit bitter. 

Lakshmi is probably my favorite character in the book. She’s a basketball star, and in any other school would be popular. Unfortunately, she attends a school for the arts where no one cares about sports, and her teammates recite spoken word poetry during the games. 

Lakshmi is fierce and strong and values her time. She doesn’t have time for nonsense and moves through the world like she owns the place. Sydney says she wants to be Lakshmi when she grows up. Me too. 

I wanted to write a book about Speech and Debate, since it’s a really fun activity that hasn’t been seen a lot in YA books. I also wanted to do a plucky underdog story where the underdog’s goal is destruction, rather than winning. 

I actually took a lot of inspiration from the Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, and Eight movies. It’s a motley group of conspirators trying to do the impossible and managing to pull it off. 

This question is so hard! When I’m writing, I usually try to only listen to music that seems like it’s in my character’s voice. And then I listen to that artist continuously for the writing process. For this book, I listened to Sharon Van Etten and Courtney Barnett. I think Courtney really gets at Sydney’s irascible, raw voice. Her song “Help Your Self” is a great encapsulation of Sydney’s personal philosophy. 

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

Is it cliché to say Beanie Feldstein? I think Beanie Feldstein would make a brilliant Sydney. She’s smart, she’s funny, and she’s ready to do something outrageous. I might also cast Tom Holland (although he’s maybe a little too good-looking) as Elijah, who becomes Sydney’s love interest. 

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Um… this is a YA book, so I probably can’t say a shot of whiskey or something. I mean I could, but I might be sending the wrong signal to my readers. 

I think, ultimately, this is a really fun caper-style book. So it would go really well with some carefully plotted crimes and/or shenanigans. I’m gonna go with a smoothie and light crime. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish WAR AND SPEECH?

My first novel, THE SEVEN TORMENTS OF AMY AND CRAIG (A LOVE STORY) is a bit more of a rom-com than a caper, but it’s also hilarious and heart-wrenching. Another kindred writing soul would be Katie Henry, who writes viciously funny and thoughtful books. Check out LET’S CALL IT A DOOMSDAY and HERETICS ANONYMOUS. 

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

Also, what people are wearing. I have no idea what people wear. Ever. 

What’s next for you?

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Incendiary is a fantasy novel about a girl with the power to steal memories, who returns to the place of her childhood prison in order to find a weapon created to destroy her people. It’s got romance, political intrigue, and a heroine who will stop at nothing to get her revenge. 

Probably my protagonist, Ren because redemption is one of my favorite themes to explore! Ren’s POV is the toughest one I’ve ever tried to tackle. She has suffered so much and she spends most of her young adulthood feeling guilt over things she couldn’t control as a kid. She was a weapon and she’s still a weapon. In the context of Puerto Leones, this fantasy kingdom, what does it mean when her whole being is suspect? When her own people distrust her? How long must she atone for? Should a child have to atone for the things they did, while under manipulation? It’s all so difficult to answer. Ren’s mind is so dark, and a lot of my other books have so much comic-relief, so this was definitely a challenge for me! But I loved the girl Ren is and the one that she chooses to become.

Lost River by Murder by Death, mostly because it’s one of the songs I listened on repeat while I drafted it.

I’m the worst at fancasting! But I’ll give it a shot. 

Renata: Emeraude Tobia 

Castian: Dominic Sherwood-ish

Dez: Luke Pasqualino-ish

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish INCENDIARY?

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

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