Sarah Mandell will be awarding 5 of her handmade laser etched wooden pendants that she is launching as a new collection in conjunction with the release of the book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe
by Sarah Mandell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: YA
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INTERVIEW:
1. What or who
inspired you to start writing?
I caught the reading bug in my mid-twenties, but I was
having a hard time satisfying my need for peculiar characters and bittersweet
endings. There’s an awful lot of books out there that I enjoyed reading at the
time, but can’t distinguish between now because they’re all so similar. I
realize certain plotline formulas work well, and successful writers do in fact
know what they’re doing, but I wanted to try my hand at something just a little
different, so I started writing in 2008. I embraced my offbeat side, and came
up with a collection of characters and plot that’s a little strange and a
little sweet. My writing is a balance of unexpected humor, real-life
grittiness, and a healthy dose of awkward romance that I haven’t been able to
find in the YA market.
2. What elements are
necessary components for this genre?
It’s important that the character(s) in a YA story,
especially a story like mine that’s considered “coming-of-age”, to experience
something life changing, something that helps shape them into an adult.
New-found independence is a major theme in my new book Two Brothers, One
Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe, and all of the characters experience this in
different ways. The majority of the story takes place over a few weeks, but
during those few weeks, each character becomes far more mature than when the
story began.
3. How did you come
up with your idea for your novel?
I was so struck by inspiration for writing Two Brothers, One
Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe, I wrote the entire book in just 9 days. I have
never experienced anything like that before! The whole thing came to me at
once, and I remember a handful of specific influences that helped me develop
elements of the story.
-
Rosie the elephant from one of my favorite
books, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen:
I love how the animal has a role to play, and that she was a character
who had a distinct personality, and even a temper, without turning the entire
story into an animal story. I tried to accomplish that kind of character with
Millie the giraffe.
-
The relationship between the brothers in the
movie The Brothers Bloom, written and directed by Rian Johnson. The brothers in
the movie love each other tremendously, that much is clear, but there’s this
tension between them throughout the movie that’s intriguing, and I wanted an
imperfect relationship like that for my own characters, Daniel and Dylan
McElroy. The movie also has some unique humor, and some absurdity that works
incredibly well, and I tried to introduce elements like that in my book.
-
Lastly, the TV series Weeds, created by Jenji
Kohan, inspired me. There’s something really appealing to me about a mostly-wholesome
character who will do whatever it takes to get by and support their family,
even if it’s dangerous or illegal.
4. What expertise did
you bring to your writing?
When I began writing this book, I had absolutely no
expertise when it came to giraffes. I did lots of online research, as you might
expect, but I still had a lot of questions. I felt like I needed to understand
their behavior in a non-fiction way before I could add in any whimsical details
of my own. I began visiting Autumn and Walter, two Masai giraffes at our local
zoo, about once a month. I observed
them, enjoyed them, and followed along closely when Autumn had her first calf
in 2012. Still, I had lots more questions, so I set up a behind the scenes tour
of the giraffe exhibit and met one on one with the zoo keeper, and that was
just what I needed. Many of the giraffe details in the story are 100%
fictional, and would never ever happen in real life – I used a lot of creative
license when it came to Millie, but I was sure to have the facts first!
5. As far as your
writing goes, what are your future plans?
I felt so blue when I finished writing Two Brothers, One
Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe, like I had parted ways forever with a lifelong
friend. The characters meant so much to me, and their story tugged on my
heartstrings for years while the editing took place, so even though I hadn’t
planned on this story being a series, I have started writing the prequel. I
think readers would enjoy finding out what the characters were up to in the 6
months prior to their meeting (which takes place in chapter one of my new
book). I mostly wrote the prequel for myself, to help develop backstory by
actually writing the backstory, but I think others might enjoy the chance to
spend a little more time with the ever-arguing McElroy brothers, the
self-sufficient farmer’s daughter, and the soap-eating giraffe.
6. If you could be
one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
Josephine Larsen: she’s one tough young lady, she’s
independent and self-sufficient, but she’s in no way perfect. I wish I had her
stubborn drive to succeed! Jo is one of the main characters, she’s the redhead
who’s basically running a farm at age 17, and she has big big dreams for her
future. She never gives up, she’s not afraid of backbreaking work, and she’s
not sorry for going after what she wants.
7. Can you give us a
sneak peek into this book?
This is one of my favorite scenes
from chapter one of Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe, when the
brothers stop to rest for the night at an abandoned-looking barn following a
long drive with a stolen giraffe in the back of a trailer.
Daniel
stretched his arms over his head and cracked his neck, silently taking in the
brightness of the pinhole stars. He nodded towards the lever that opened the
back of the trailer. “Now what are we supposed to do, ask her to come out and
hope she understands English?”
Dylan
smiled, pleased as can be. He handed the bag of food to his older brother and
said, “I’ll open the door. You can bait her off the truck.”
With
their roles designated, Dylan reached for the lever. The back door of the
trailer flew open with a loud crash. Daniel winced at the noise. They were
supposed to be doing this quietly. He peeked around the barn to see the
farmhouse, in case a light had come on in response to the bump in the night,
but there was nothing. He returned to his spot by the trailer and squinted his
eyes, looking into the rectangular cavern. There seemed to be no sign of life
in there either, which was odd, considering all the signs of life thumping
around in that very same trailer pretty much nonstop since Chicago.
“Crap.
Did we kill her?” Dylan asked, his tone wavering just enough to give away the
tightening in his throat. “Millie?” His voice echoed in the metal room lined
with hay, but no sound could be heard in response.
Daniel
stepped forward and held out one of the salads, just like he was supposed to,
while balancing the bag with the sandwiches in his other arm. Sure enough, the
smell of food inspired movement. The boys smiled at each other in relief.
Millie was still alive back there, concealed by darkness, and perhaps she was
hungry enough to follow her dinner down the ramp, off the truck, and into the
barn. Surely they could lure her like a kitten. How they got her into this huge
trailer was something no words could describe, but how they planned to get her
out wasn’t likely to be any easier.
A
long blackish purple tongue emerged from the dark and licked the salad, pulling
out a piece of iceberg lettuce to chew. Daniel, no longer pissed at his brother
for thinking up these stupid adventures, was now in awe of the creature before
him. Her crooked bottom teeth chomped the lettuce against the flat roof of her
mouth, just inches from his hand. Next, she inspected the paper bag that held
the sandwiches, curious by what was probably her first up-close sniff of fried
food, and Daniel let her, thinking nothing of it. She stuck her whole pointy
face in the bag, coming out with Daniel’s chicken sandwich. It was still
wrapped in wax paper, but she didn’t seem to mind. Her jaw slowly opened and
closed, rolling in circular motions like a cow, as she savored a meal not
intended for her. She ate the paper too.
8. What is the best
and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)
Self publish: that’s the best advice I’ve received.
I had a good experience with publishing my first novel Celia
on the Run (2011, Untreed Reads), but for my second novel, I really wanted to
be able to offer both an ebook and a printed edition. I felt I could reach more
readers this way, so I changed publishers. I won’t get into the nitty gritty
here about who did (or didn’t do) what, or name any names, but boy, nothing
good happened after I signed the book contract in 2012.
Years and years went by, and I was as patient as possible,
but it became clear to me after 4 frustrating years that I had made a mistake.
In January of 2016, I finally decided to terminate my contract, pay for all the
legal stuff, and get my book back so that I could self-publish. A good friend
of mine, who also happens to be an indie author, has self-published a half a
dozen books in the time I waited for my second book to be published, and she’s
really flourished all on her own. She didn’t need a traditional publisher to
prove herself, and her genuine encouragement and advice has been invaluable to
me. Her name is Shannon McCrimmon, and she’s got another book coming out June 1
so be sure to check her out!
The worst advice I’ve gotten so far was from one of the
first publishers who rejected my book. They said the plot was “more than a
little odd” and therefore wouldn’t fit in with YA. Ah, but you see I didn’t
want to fit in. I wanted to stand out!
9. Do you outline
your books or just start writing?
I sure do, I’m a big fan of outlines! I mostly do this so
that I can be certain that the first three chapters leave the reader with a bit
of a cliffhanger. If you’ve read my debut novel Celia on the Run, or latest
book, Two Brothers, One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe, you know that you simply
can’t stop reading after chapter 3. I also outline my books before starting
because I want to be sure there’s enough stuff going on in every chapter, so I
can break things up or combine if needed. It’s important to get the pacing right
and outlining is a great tool for this.
10. How do you
maintain your creativity?
Try new things. It’s really that simple. You will be
terrible at things you thought you’d be good at, and vice versa. I’m always
trying new things when it comes to the art and jewelry side of my life, and the
same is true for my writing. I have dreamt up stories that are nothing like my
two published books, and it was really just to see if I could handle different
genres. It’s okay to experiment (and fail). I’ve written a variety of
unpublished short stories, dystopian sci fi, and paranormal romance, but I’m
pretty sure I’ll be sticking with contemporary YA from here on out!
11. Who is your
favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?
I’m an animal lover with an offbeat sense of humor, so I’m
going to have to say Millie the giraffe. She’s a sixteen foot nuisance, but
she’s loveable. The old girl was misunderstood and mistreated in her former
homes, so when the McElroy brother’s steal / saver her, things get interesting.
“Guess I need to buy some more
soap,” Daniel said, hands on his hips, watching Millie chew the bar of Irish
Spring. “That can’t taste too good,” he said to the creature, who rolled the
bar of soap on her tongue once more like a Starlight mint, then swallowed the
soap just to spite him. Daniel half expected her to start hiccupping bubbles.
She was such a strange animal.
12. Anything else you
might want to add?
My worlds are about to collide! For the first time ever, I
have created a small art collection that was inspired by my story. Over the
next few weeks, I’ll be sharing these on social media, through my newsletter,
and on my blog. It’s been so much fun creating these special pieces to go along
with the novel, and I have enjoyed wearing my author hat and artist hat at the
same time. If you’re interested to see the collection, you can either signup
for my newsletter at www.sarahmandell.com/newsletter
or find me on social media.
BLURB:
The McElroy
brothers find trouble easily. Dylan plunges headfirst into it, while Daniel
cleans up behind him. That’s the way it’s always been, ever since their mother
left them to be bounced around the foster system, causing trouble wherever they
went. The soon-to-be euthanized giraffe they just stole from the Northside
Animal Park may be their biggest predicament yet, in more ways than one, but
there's no undoing what's been done.
Lost in Nebraska without a plan,
clueless how to care for the ornery old beast in the back of the trailer, the
well-meaning brothers stop to rest at an abandoned-looking barn. A pretty
redhead with a snappy temperament and a shotgun discovers the boys and their
sixteen-foot stowaway. Her name is Josephine, she lives on this farm with her
father who is spoken of, but never seen, and her root cellar has more locks
than a bank vault. She’s got a way with animals and plenty of secrets, not to
mention the interest of two brothers who swore they’d never let some girl come
between them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Daniel
and Dylan McElroy snapped their eyes open only to be blinded by a billion-watt
flashlight aimed in their faces. It might as well have been the sun. They
scrambled to their feet, unable to see who or what was behind that blazing
white light. They shielded their faces, begging for mercy.
A
female voice came from behind the painful brightness. She managed to get out,
“What in the hell…” before the beam of light shifted upward, illuminating
Millie’s unimpressed face. The giraffe’s long eyelashes blinked downward,
inspecting the people below. Her nubby horns cast strange shadows on the
ceiling of the barn.
While
the beam of light from the girl’s torch shown upward still, locking Millie in
the spotlight, Daniel got a good look at the person holding it. She was a
teenager with fiery red hair all mussed up from sleep that fell well below her
shoulder blades. Her eyes were pale in color, but he couldn’t be sure if they
were blue or hazel in this severe lighting. She had delicate features, a snobby
little nose, and a pair of pink lips parted in astonishment as she gazed upward
at the out-of-place creature. This girl, a member of the Larsen family perhaps,
was a pretty thing, but she was not in good spirits being woken in the middle
of the night only to find two strange young men and a reticulated giraffe in her
family’s barn. She had a shotgun at her side, which she now raised up and aimed
at Dylan.
Daniel
cleared his throat, ready to say just the right words to save young Dylan from
certain death. Again. “We didn’t mean to cause no trouble,” Daniel explained,
palms open with vulnerability. Daniel had always been the spokesperson when
trouble found them, or more likely, when Dylan found trouble. He was the
explainer of the mischievous pair.
“Am
I hallucinating, or is that a giraffe?” the girl demanded to know.
“That?”
Daniel asked, glancing upward in hopes she was referring to something else.
“Uh. Yeah. That would be Millie. Millie the giraffe.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Sarah Mandell is a
professionally trained artist with a background in commercial interior design.
She's also the brains and busy hands behind a thriving indie craft business
called Once Again Sam in Greenville, SC. Even with an ever-expanding collection
of creative outlets, she's truly the happiest when she's writing. Two Brothers,
One Redhead, and a Stolen Giraffe is Sarah’s second novel. Her debut novel was
Celia on the Run (Untreed Reads, 2012).
Website: www.sarahmandell.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/theshyauthor
Newsletter Signup: http://www.sarahmandell.com/newsletter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Sarah Mandell
will be awarding 5 of her handmade laser etched wooden pendants that she is
launching as a new collection in conjunction with the release of the book to a
randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Welcome to the Angel's blog. I hope you have a great tour.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting! Also, here is the live link for the rafflecopter to make it easier: Enter to win a handmade laser etched wooden pendant - a Rafflecopter giveaway
ReplyDeleteInteresting interview, and the book sounds like fun! Hope your tour is successful!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the excerpt. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read. Looking forward to checking out this book.
ReplyDelete