Author Interview & Blog Tour with Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz was released this week and we are thrilled to bring you an interview for our stop on the blog tour!

 

I Do Not Trust You

by Laura J. Burns, Melinda Metz
Published by: Wednesday Books
on September 11, 2018
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
Pages: 320
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Memphis "M" Engle is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she's awesome.

Ashwin Sood is a little too posh for her tastes, a member of an ancient cult (which she’s pretty sure counts for more than one strike against him), and has just informed Memphis that her father who she thought was dead isn’t and needs her help.

From the catacombs of Paris to lost temples in the sacred forests, together they crisscross the globe, searching for the pieces of the one thing that might save her father. But the closer they come to saving him—and the more they fall for one another—the closer they get to destroying the world.

Interview with Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Tell us about M & Ashwin. What would they pack for lunch on a typical day?

Well, Ash would pack something incredibly bland. He’s British, so maybe a cucumber sandwich on white bread with the crusts cut off. And M would bring something amazing and delicious like lemper ayam (shredded spicy chicken and sticky rice) packed wrapped in a banana leaf.

 

How is your experience writing together different from writing solo?

It’s much easier! We both do write solo, of course, but it’s more fun to work together, and it’s a LOT simpler. With a partner, you have someone to bounce ideas off. It’s hard to plan out an entire plot on your own–if you get stumped, there’s nobody to help. With a partner, a plot twist that stymies one of us might be easily solved by the other. Coming up with character traits and backstories, as well–we have two perspectives, two people’s experiences to work from. And, of course, it’s just more fun to talk things through with a friend than it is to sit by yourself staring at the computer!

When we’re finished plotting and outlining, we split the book in two and we each write one half. That part has to be done by ourselves at our computers, alas, but we keep in touch while writing, flagging any questions or problems that arise during the process. When that’s done, we take turns going through and editing it. By the time we’re done, we usually can’t remember who wrote what.

 

If you could write one character from another series into I Do Not Trust You, who would it be and why?

Buffy, because everything is better with Buffy. Also, Squirrel Girl, because she’d be a great sidekick for M, and you never know when a herd of squirrels will come in handy.

 

About the Authors

LAURA J. BURNS and MELINDA METZ have written many books for teens and middle-grade readers, including Sanctuary Bay, Crave, and Sacrifice, as well as the Edgar-nominated mystery series Wright and Wong. They have also written for the TV shows ROSWELL, 1-800-MISSING, and THE DEAD ZONE. Laura lives in New York and Melinda lives in North Carolina, but really they mostly live on email, where they do most of their work together.