{Interview & Giveaway} Lisa Ludeke, author of Smashed

*trumpets blairing* I now introduce to you, Lisa Ludeke, author of Smashed! Please give a warm round of applause!! *applause* We have some really deep and interesting Q&A along with an awesome giveaway! Stay tuned and keep scrolling for the fun! :D

~The Author:

Lisa Luedeke grew up in rural Maine and fell in love with writing in high school. At the University of New Hampshire, she took as many fiction writing courses as she could, published in the school’s literary magazine, but didn’t begin to write her first novel until nearly a decade later. In between, she taught high school and spent thirteen years editing professional books for English Teachers at Heinemann. Her first novel, Smashed, published with Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry Books August 2012 and will be out in paperback this summer. She is hard at work on her second, which is set in the same small Maine town, but with an entirely different cast of characters. She lives in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire with her husband and young daughter, where they ski, swim, hike and hang out at their local bookstore, The Toadstool.

Visit her at:  ~Website~Facebook~Goodreads~@LisaLuedeke~

~The Interview:

1. Why did you choose field hockey as Katie's sport?  This is an easy one. I was an athletic kid, and as soon organized sports were available to me, I jumped right in. Field hockey was my absolute favorite. I played in high school and for two years in college, then I coached a high school team for three years. Since Katie was going to be a top athlete, and I planned to write about it in detail, it was an easy pick; I already knew the game very, very well. Plus, it gave me a great excuse to start going to games again! In particular, I went to Maine and New Hampshire State tournaments to make sure I had her level of play right. I also talked to Division I coaches about recruiting practices and rules. I loved all of it!  The truth is, it didn’t matter what sport she played. I just wanted there to be one place in her life where Katie was at her absolute best, where she felt strong and competent, in control and free.  2. Would you keep up the lie like Katie did if it meant a full ride scholarship?  This is such a hard question, because if you’re poor and have only one way out and into an education, like Katie, it would be so tempting. If you’ve ever been scared or stuck with seemingly no way out, you can identify with her. But the truth about me is that I was (and am) a horrible liar! I was also more like Cassie—the kid who believed that if you told the truth everything would work out. I also don’t think I could have kept the secret from everyone—I’d likely have told at least one very close friend. It’s just my personality. I never could have pulled it off. I might have tried, for awhile, but then I’d have buckled.  3. How important are friends like Matt and Cassie in tough times?  Oh, absolutely critical in my experience. I had a tough upbringing and I relied on my friends like family. Those old friends are still among the most important people in my life. Katie let her lies separate from her friends and everything just got worse. I think the worst thing you can do in tough times is to isolate yourself from the people who love and care about you the most. At the same time, depending on the situation, you might need adult help as well as true friends. In Katie’s case, her own parents weren’t there for her, but I bet Matt’s parents would have been, or Cassie’s, if she’d reached out. Coach Riley would have helped her, too.  4. When is too far? (Life, lies, betrayals, hurt, etc)  Katie is a great example of “too far.” Everything went to the extreme in her life, from her drinking, to her lying, which was a betrayal of herself and everyone who cared about her. Her parents’ behavior and neglect was “too far” and Alec’s behavior is not acceptable under any circumstance.  5. Lies are constant. Children tell them, Tweens, teens, adults...Katie tells her fair share. In some cases just telling the truth really could have saved her. When do you think is it most important to tell the truth?  When is it most important? If someone is threatening you and demanding you keep a secret that’s hurting you, it’s absolutely critical to find a trustworthy person and tell the truth. If you’re a kid or a teenager, and an adult or peer is trying to keep you silent, you need get away from that person and tell an adult you can trust.  If you’ve made a big mistake, like Katie did, and lie about it, it’s inevitably either going to spiral out of control or take a tremendous toll on you over time if you keep it a secret. A big lie has the power to destroy, even if it stays a secret. Guilt, fear of revelation—it will catch up with you.  6. If you could tell your teenage self one thing what would it be and why?  I’d say, “Don’t worry, you’re going to be just fine. You’re going to be a very happy adult one day, I promise.” Why this? There were times that I struggled with depression. I’d tell myself that because what I needed to know as a teenager was that there was that I wouldn’t feel like that forever: hope and happiness were coming. I’d like to say that to kids out there who are struggling, too. I know it’s very hard to believe when you’re in that space, but I’d say it anyway: You are going to be okay. Don’t give up.  7. Do you think there is a right time to lie? Where it's reasonable and necessary?  My writer’s imagination can come up with instances: A psychopath breaks into your house and you say to him, “No one else is here!” giving your family time to escape. That’s an easy one, right?  In ordinary life, the question is complex…to save a friend from hurt feelings? Sometimes it might make sense; other times, it might make a situation worse. I think it’s profoundly situational. This would make a great group discussion question!

~The Book(s):

Smashed Release Date: August 21, 2012 by, Margaret K McElderry Books ~My Review~ Buy: *Signed ~Indie Bound~Amazon~

A field hockey star grapples with addiction in this riveting debut that will appeal to fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak.  Stay out of trouble for one more year, and Katie Martin can leave her small town loneliness behind forever. She is a field hockey star on the fast track to a college scholarship, but her relationship with alcohol has always been a little questionable. Then trouble finds her. Alec is the most popular guy in school, and also the biggest bully—with his sights set firmly on Katie. When Alec turns on the charm, Katie thinks she must have been wrong about him.  Except that she wasn’t. On a rain-soaked, alcohol-drenched night, one impulsive decision leaves Katie indebted to Alec in the worst possible way. This debut novel is a fast-paced and compelling story of addiction, heartbreak, and redemption.{Goodreads}

~The Giveaway:

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Good Luck!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Jaiden