{Interview} Author Miranda Kenneally's Sport-astic Interview

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Check out my reviews of CATCHING JORDAN, 
STEALING PARKER, and THINGS I CAN'T FORGET!

Take a peek at an old interview from 2011 and see how much things have changed for Miranda (not to mention the look of this blog)!

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An interview with 

Miranda Kenneally

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Visit Miranda on her website, Twitter, and Facebook!

Were you athletic growing up? What sports did you love/play?

I loved playing sports, but I wasn't particularly great at them. I played softball, soccer, and I loved to swim. I still swim a few times a week.

Have you played all of the sports you feature, or do you do a lot of research when writing?

Before writing CATCHING JORDAN, I knew next to nothing about football. I did a ton of research and had a lot of help from my husband. I also know nothing about horse racing! (RACING SAVANNAH - Dec. 2013). I know all about softball and baseball, so that made STEALING PARKER easier to write. I also know a lot about camping and games, so that came in handy when writing THINGS I CAN'T FORGET.

Were you a fan of camping growing up? What are your favorite memories?

Yes! I loved camping. My favorite memories mostly involve cooking interesting things over a campfire, canoeing, and making friendship bracelets.

What made you decide to feature athletic girls so prominently in your novels?

Playing sports and being active was important to me when I was growing up, so it just sort of came naturally when I started writing YA novels.

What's in the pipeline for you next? What new sports or activities are you planning to feature?

RACING SAVANNAH, which is about a girl horse jockey, is coming out on December 3, 2013. I'm very excited for it. It's a lot like CATCHING JORDAN and the main character, Savannah, is very strong and spunky. After that, I have a novel about a girl training to run a marathon in honor of her boyfriend who died coming out in July 2014.

One thing I really enjoy about your books is their depth. Your characters experience so many things in life, which shape them in various ways. What have been your hardest (and easiest) writing moments so far?

The easiest so far has been writing Jordan Woods just hanging out with her guy friends. The hardest has been writing a closeminded judgmental character (Kate from THINGS I CAN'T FORGET). I try to have a very unique girl in all of my books, so maybe different readers can relate to one girl in particular.

What other books would you recommend to readers looking for more athletic female characters?

RAW BLUE by Kirsty Eager is an awesome book about a girl surfer. It's amazing. I really like THE EX GAMES by Jennifer Echols, about a girl snowboarder. BRUISED by Sarah Skilton is an intense book about a black belt in Tae Kwon Do who freezes up during a robbery and doesn't use her martial arts skills when they matter most.

Thank you so much, Miranda!
I loved seeing the way your life seeped into your writing,
and I'm excited to read RACING SAVANNAH later this year (horses!!) and check out next summer's mystery book, because that one sentence summary already intrigues me!

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O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title:  THINGS I CAN'T FORGET
Author: Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Received:  For Review

SUMMARY:

Companion to CATCHING JORDAN and STEALING PARKER. 

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different… 

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt--with her. 

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy… 

Read an excerpt here. 

Note: Mature themes, sexual situations, religious discussions