The Girl in the Wall Blog Tour: character interview & giveaway

This Thursday we are featuring a YA contemporary with a mystery and thrills added to the mix. Sounds good. We host The Girl In the Wall Blog Tour, presented by Typewriter Blog Tours. We have our interview with Sera and there is a giveaway open to US residents.

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

YA contemporary*hardcover & e-book, 256 pages

Published December 18th 2012 by Merit Press (first published November 18th 2012)

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Ariel's birthday weekend looks to be the event of the season, with a private concert by rock star Hudson Winters on the grounds of her family's east coast estate, and all of Ariel's elite prep school friends in attendance. The only person who's dreading the party is Sera, Ariel's former best friend, whose father is forcing her to go. Sera has been the school pariah since she betrayed Ariel, and she now avoids Ariel and their former friends. Thrown together, Ariel and Sera can agree on one thing: this could be one very long night.

They have no idea just how right they are.

Only moments after the concert begins and the lights go down, thugs open fire on parents and schoolmates alike, in a plot against Ariel's father that quickly spins out of control. As the entire party is taken hostage, the girls are forced apart. Ariel escapes into the hidden tunnels in the family mansion, where she and Sera played as children. Only Sera, who forges an unlikely alliance with Hudson Winters, knows where her friend could be. As the industrial terrorist plot unravels and the death toll climbs, Ariel and Sera must recall the sisterhood that once sustained them as they try to save themselves and each other on the longest night of their lives.

character interview with Sera

How does it feel to deal with a father who makes you go to a party? Has your relationship with your parents been like this for a long time? 

Honestly it totally figures. Since Mr. Barrett is super rich my dad always does what he wants, whether it means going to the steak house my dad hates or forcing his daughter to be tortured at a weekend party. I’m kidding on that last part. Sort of. But I guess I get it too- Mr. Barrett has been one of my dad’s best friends for over half his life and I know how important that is. I just wish it didn’t mean me having to go to this party… 

How was growing up with Ariel like? 

Ariel is wild and fun and brave and says anything she wants- you never know what she might do next. I totally get why she’s popular. But our friendship runs deeper than that. We get each other in that way that you know what someone is thinking just by the way she quirks her lower lip and raises an eyebrow. Though I guess I should say our friendship ran deep since she dumped me nine months and four days ago, like day old garbage you can’t wait to get rid of. 

Can you tell us about your prep school? 

Super posh, super competitive but also, secretly, super fun. Until Ariel iced me out socially I woke up wanting to see my friends every day. Now? I’d rather face a firing squad than have to walk down those halls with everybody hating me. 

Tell us about Hudson Winters. Hot? Nice? Like his music? 

Wait, how much of this are you going to tell people? Because I will own up to loving his music, those lyrics that touch something deep in my soul. And I will also tell you that he comes off as a snob in interviews. But about the hot part? I’m taking the fifth on that. 

How scared were you when the shooting began? 

Remember how I said that Ariel is brave? Let’s just say I’m not. When I heard the first shot and realized what it was, fear was like a living animal crawling around in my stomach. Terrified doesn’t even begin to describe it. 

Who is your favorite strong female character in books, movies or TV? 

There are some really good ones to choose from but first on my list has to be Katsa from Graceling. She is so tough she is lethal but she fights for good and she also has a really hot boyfriend. I mean, really hot- Hudson Winters hot. Wait- is that on the record? 

Do you think you've changed from your experiences as being the outsider and from the terrorist attack? 

Yes, absolutely. I think in some ways I will always be more fearful, checking out a room before I walk in and always being aware of where the exits are. But at the same time I am stronger now, more self reliant. I also have a much deeper appreciation for little things that make me happy, like fresh flowers and good chocolate. I used to be someone who dieted and spent hours on make up but now that stuff matters less to me. I want to spend time with people I care about doing things I love, things that are meaningful and hopefully make a difference in the world. 

How important is friendship to you now? 

My friends from that night are my family now, forever. What we went through together has bound us for life and those relationships are sacred to me. 

About the author:

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Daphne Benedis-Grab is the author of two novels for teenagers, Alive and Well in Prague New York (HarperCollins 2008) and The Girl in the Wall (Merit Press, to be released December 18, 2012). Alive and Well in Prague, New York was praised by Booklist for its “strong, clear voice and heartbreaking vulnerability”and by Kirkus for its “excellent narrative voice and touching emotional connection”. It was selected as one of Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of 2008. Daphne has also ghostwritten a teen novel for Sourcebooks and reviewed children's books for Publishers Weekly. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.

Giveaway:

This giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.

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