Interview with Sherri Smith + #DebBallGiveaway of FOLLOW ME DOWN

Today on the Debutante Ball, I’m excited to welcome a fellow Tor/Forge novelist, Sherri Smith, whose book, FOLLOW ME DOWN, is a rare find: a gutsy, visceral, and beautifully crafted psychological thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the ending. Here’s what it’s all about:

Mia Haas has built her life far from the North Dakota town where she grew up, but when she receives word that her twin brother is missing, she is forced to return home. Back to the people she left behind, the person she used to be, and the secrets she thought she’d buried.

Once hailed as the golden boy of their town, and now a popular high school teacher, Lucas Haas disappears the same day the body of one of his students is pulled from the river. Trying to wrap her head around the rumors of Lucas’s affair with the teen, and unable to reconcile the media’s portrayal of Lucas as a murderer with her own memories of him, Mia is desperate to find another suspect.

All the while, she wonders: If he’s innocent, why did he run?

As Mia reevaluates their difficult, shared history and launches her own investigation into the grisly murder, she uncovers secrets that could exonerate Lucas—or seal his fate. In a small town where everyone’s lives are intertwined, Mia must confront her own demons if she wants to get out alive.

FOLLOW ME DOWN just released a few days ago, March 21st, and it sounds killer. Kate Moretti, New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year, seems to agree, claiming the novel is a, “Whip smart exploration of how well we know anyone in our lives, even a twin brother. The plot was engrossing, Mia was compelling, and the small town made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. You’ll flip the pages long into the night to find out what happened to Lucas, but you’ll never guess the explosive ending!”

I’m happy to say, we’ve got a hardcover to giveaway! To enter to win a copy, simply retweet on twitter:


Or share our post from Facebook. We will select and contact the very lucky winner on Friday, March 31st at noon (US Only).

Now, on to the interview!

Talk about one thing that’s making you happy right now.

I have a four-year-old daughter and seven-month-old son, and so while the days are long and all that, they always manage to do something to make me laugh and feel genuine awe. These ample nuggets of happiness definitely make it all worth it.

Jenni: I love this, and as someone with a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son, I can totally relate! As “they” say, “the days are long but the years are short.”

If you were a drink (preferably alcoholic), what would you be and why?

I would be something cheap, unpretentious, but with a high alcoholic content. Not the most palatable but it would get the job done. Bud Light Platinum most likely. Room temperature. It’s just how I roll.

Jenni: As other “they” say, “you do you.” In college, I used to pop a straw into my beer. Only way I used to roll 🙂

What three things would you want with you if stranded on a desert island?

A detailed book on survival (because I am practical like that,) Frank’s hot sauce (how else can one be expected to survive on insects?) and hmm….a fully stocked TIKI bar because, you might as well enjoy the deserted island.  

Jenni: If I’m ever stuck on an island, I hope it’s with you. It sounds like you have excellent survival skills.

Do you have any phobias?

Being stranded without a fully stocked tiki bar.

Jenni: HA!

What’s your next big thing?

I am currently writing another suspense novel. I don’t want to say too much about it at this point other than it takes place at a wellness retreat, involves psychotropic tea and murder.

Jenni: Tease.

Thanks so much for joining us, Sherri! And congratulations on your very recent book birthday for FOLLOW ME DOWN, which, ahem, released March 21st from Tor/Forge!

When not writing, Sherri Smith spends time with her family and two rescue dogs, and restores vintage furniture that would otherwise be destined for the dump. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, where the long, cold winters nurture her dark side. For more information about Sherri and FOLLOW ME DOWN, please visit www.sherri-smith.com. You can also catch Sherri on Twitter and Facebook!

 

 

 

Author: Jenni L. Walsh

Jenni L. Walsh spent her early years ​chasing around cats, dogs, and chickens in Philadelphia's countryside, before dividing time between a soccer field and a classroom at Villanova University. She put her marketing degree to good use as an advertising copywriter, zip-code hopping with her husband to DC, NYC, NJ, and not surprisingly, back to Philly. There, Jenni's passion for words continued, adding author to her resume. She now balances her laptop with a kid on each hip, and a four-legged child at her feet. BECOMING BONNIE (Tor Forge/Macmillan, 5/9/2017) is her debut novel that tells the untold story of how church-going Bonnelyn Parker becomes half of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde duo during the 1920s. SIDE BY SIDE, telling Bonnie and Clyde's crime spree story, will be released in the summer of 2018. Please learn more about Jenni's books at jennilwalsh.com.