Introducing 2011 Debut Author: Lisa Albert
- (cross posted from the Elevensies - a fine and talented group of authors who have debuts in 2011) Visit the group and friend us at: http://community.livejournal.com/2011debuts/135839.html or 2011debuts
Name: Lisa Albert
Book Title: MERCY LILY
Publisher: Flux Books
Release Date: Fall 2011
MERCY LILY Synopsis
Growing apart from childhood friends is hard enough, but when it happens right after losing her father, Lily folds into herself and focuses on taking care of the family Vet clinic and her mother.
As the veterinarian assistant on their small farm, Lily’s always been surrounded by the concepts of quality of life, natural death and euthanasia. She’s a pro at tending to her animals and the clinic and even better at caring for her mom. Even if that means snatching honeybees with tweezers, stinging Mom and watching the venom empty into her flesh.
After four years of treating her mom’s Multiple Sclerosis with the Holistic bee venom therapy, Lily’s duties of caring for animals and being her mom’s caretaker become blurred. With her mom’s health failing, she finds herself in some sort of déjà vu when childhood friends who abandoned her years ago, reenter her life.
Lily unfolds as she navigates her sophomore year. She struggles to trust and believe in renewed friendships and dreams of more with a lingering crush. Her home life unravels when mom requests the unthinkable and Lily is faced with the hardest decision of her life-and her mother's.
Website: www.LisaAlbert.com
Blog: http://lisaalbert.livejournal.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1262194614
Twitter: @LisaWrites4kids
What made you decide to be a writer?
I’ve loved to make up stories ever since I learned how to read. (and I read tons as a child and up to this day). I think it stems from playing “pretend” a lot. I wrote all through my teen years and drafted my first novel my freshman year in high school. At nineteen, I submitted slice-of-life essays to Cosmopolitan Magazine and still have my first rejection from Helen Gurley Brown. I kept a journal, wrote short stories and poetry ever since I can remember but it wasn’t until I had my children that something clicked and I knew I should be writing for kids. Rediscovering children’s literature with my own kids was like finding a pot a gold at the end of a rainbow...cliché, I know, but true.
Favorite books/authors?
Judy Blume, Shel Silverstein, Sara Zarr, Mary E. Pearson, Lisa Schroeder, Lois Lowry, Nancy Werlin, Sonya Sones, John Green, and too many more to list!
Morning person or a night owl?
Night owl unless I’m on a deadline...then I’m both!
PC or mac?
PC
What did you have for dinner today?
Going out for Italian and I’m thinking meatball sandwich and salad but that could change.
Quick! Share 11 random things about yourself.
11) I’m the youngest of eight kids.
10) I’m a former dealer of antiques and still dabble in it when I find a treasure.
9) I’m afraid of heights but have been on top of the EmpireStateBuilding twice. Once by myself and once with my family. I almost threw up when my kids were close to the edge.
8) I’m afraid of deep water but jumped off of a cliff in Jamaica. There were barracudas nearby. No kidding!
7) I like to conquer my fears. J
6) I play hide and seek with my dog. I hide, she seeks.
5) I collect heart shaped rocks.
4) I owned a car before I had my driver’s license. Shhh!
3) I love bird watching and my favorite bird is the Cedar Waxwing.
2) If I had to choose between a hot fudge sundae and cheesecake, I’d pick the sundae.
And the #1 most random thing about me is......
1) I got in big trouble in 3rd grade when I was asked what my favorite word (in Religion class) was and I blurted “BLUBBER!” even though all the other kids were saying, “love,” “angel,” “Heaven.” I had to be truthful and tell my favorite word. I mean, it WAS religion class! But, Sister Reynalda didn’t think it was funny and I had to stay after school and write “blubber” on the chalkboard 100 times. I still liked it. Ooops!
xo Lisa~