Author Interview with Lauren Mansy + Giveaway!

Posted October 19, 2019 by Austine in Interview

The weekend is here and we’re celebrating here on NovelKnight with an author interview! Lauren Mansy, debut author of The Memory Thief, stopped by to talk a bit more about herself and her book.

About Lauren Mansy

Lauren lives in the Chicago area, where she's spent years working with youth, from young children to high schoolers. When she’s not writing, Lauren is usually with her family or exploring the city to find the best deep dish pizza. The Memory Thief, which was inspired by Lauren's own journey with her mother, is her first novel.

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Interview

Walk us through a day in the life of Lauren Mansy.

I love to write in the mornings, so I’ll fill my favorite mug with my Hazelnut coffee and settle in for as long as possible to put words on the page. I work alongside my parents in our family business, so I’ll help them out with whatever they need, then we usually grab lunch together. My afternoons are spent running errands, then I’ll take a long walk in the late afternoon – one of my favorite parts of the day! I often do my best brainstorming while being active, so I really look forward to this. I’ll catch up on my favorite tv shows or watch a movie in the evening, and read before going to bed. I’m such a creature of habit, so this is definitely a typical day for me!

Lots of aspiring authors out there. Any advice for them?

One piece of advice that has always stuck with me is to be brave. Be brave when you’re writing and be brave when you’re trying to get published. I love hearing “the stories behind the story”, and I think it can be encouraging to remember that even while we’re writing fictional stories, our own life stories are also being written. My path to publication has been filled with ups and downs, struggles with doubt coupled with thankfulness for unexpected encouragement. And now, when I look back, I see how all those tiny moments have formed a wonderful journey that I never expected to travel. I’m very grateful for that!

I know asking someone’s all-time favorite book is a loaded question so what’s your current favorite read?

Fall always puts me in the mood for the classics! I’m currently diving into Anne of Green Gables, and one of my favorite Anne quotes is “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” I couldn’t agree more — I’m also glad to live in a world where there’s Anne of Green Gables 🙂

A famous movie producer wants to make your books into movies and they want you to cast your characters. Which actors/actresses make the cut?

Such a great question! I love movies, tv shows, plays, and musicals, and I have such a huge amount of respect for those who are able to visually bring stories to life. Whenever I’m drafting, the characters always embody their personalities, which results in a feeling for me rather than an actual face. So while I don’t have any specific actors in mind, I’d say that my dream cast would be filled with individuals whose passion for storytelling really shines through – a trait so many actors share that I find to be very inspiring. I’d be delighted to see The Memory Thief brought to life in this way!

This morning you woke up with the ability to time travel to only one time period. Where (or more accurately “when”) would you go?

Ooo, how fun! I’ve always dreamed of going back to the 1920’s, and now that I’ve watched the entire series of Downton Abbey multiple times, that’s pretty much solidified it for me.

Best ice cream flavor ever?

French Silk! It’s a combination of mocha, vanilla, and chocolate chips, and I’m smiling just thinking about it…

What is one piece of advice you would tell everyone?

Try your best to live in the moment 🙂

About the Book

by Lauren Mansy
Published on October 1, 2019 by Blink
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 320
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

In the city of Craewick, memories reign. The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city’s asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a “criminal's" memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.

To prove her allegiance to the Shadows and rescue her mother, Etta must steal a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. So she sets out on a journey in which she faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past in order to set things right in her world.

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About Austine

I'm a 20-something research proposal developer with a background in the life sciences and education. Reviewer of books since 2011, amateur photographer by day, and aspiring author by night. I believe animals (and books) are better than people.