Sword & Silk is pleased to welcome Dorothy Deene.
Her novel, The Gravity of Lies, is a gritty YA contemporary comparable to Hollywood meets How to Make Friends with the Dark.
A girl’s quest to find her father and a secret that changes everything.
Blurb:
Sixteen-year-old Skye has got to believe there’s more to life than surviving day-to-day with her dysfunctional mother. And she’s tired of working in the entertainment industry that clearly doesn’t see her as anything more than a prop. But soon none of that will matter because Skye plans to find her father, and when she does, she’ll finally have the life she envisions.
Drawn out of isolation when she meets the engaging, Sebastian, Skye finds herself sneaking out to see him. But getting to know Sebastian is cut short when she and her mother get cast on a reality show. That’s the last thing Skye wants to do is be on a show with her mother, but it’s the only way to get the money she needs to find her father. While filming at a Hollywood mansion with four other teens and their parents, not only does Skye unexpectedly make friends with the cast, but she gets the astonishing news that her father has been found!
But when her mother sabotages her chance to meet the man claiming to be her father, Skye, Sebastian and her new friends set out on a road trip to meet him. While their friendships deepen along their journey, Skye finally meets her father for the first time but it only begins an unraveling of her mother’s deception and lies. Unsure of who she is anymore and with nowhere to go, Skye must now begin to trust her heart and that where she belongs might just be found in an unexpected place.
Bio:
Dorothy Deene has worked a number of years for the SCV Gazette where she wrote a weekly column. She also worked as an assistant director for Meridian Theatre in Los Angeles. Her and her daughter were on a talent based reality show that centered around a group of talented teens and their parents and of which inspired her to write her debut, The Gravity of Lies.
An Introductory Interview with Dorothy
Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi, I’m Dorothy Deene and I write young adult contemporary stories that center around the complexity of teens navigating the often-complicated world of growing-up. Obsessed with reading YA as a teenager, I used my allowance and baby-sitting money to buy books at the nearby bookstore and I would lock myself in my room for an entire weekend reading book after book. I first began writing poetry, but after reading S.E. Hinton's, The Outsiders, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I ended up spending many years in the entertainment industry, writing and producing fund-raising plays and taking my singer/actress daughter to events within the industry where we ended up on a reality show for teens and their parents. I also worked a number of years at the local paper where I wrote a weekly column.
I live in Santa Clarita, California with my husband, son, daughter (when she comes home from college), our princess dog, and two noisy birds.
Where did the inspiration for your book come from?
The inspiration for my book came while spending time in the entertainment industry with my daughter and getting to know the inner workings of the industry itself and the personal struggles of the young people in it.
What is your writing process? Plotter or Panster? Are you a morning or evening writer? What is your tried and true method for getting words on the page?
My writing process is more so a Panster. I get up, have coffee, and start writing. I usually have an idea of what I want to write beforehand. Mornings are my best hours to write. When I’ve compiled multiple chapters, I then print out the pages and much like a puzzle, I put the pieces of the story together.
Authors often impart pieces of themselves into their stories. Which character best reflects you? Do you share any personality traits with your protagonist?
Yes, my protagonist, Skye reflects my stubbornness, determination, and unique way of looking at things.
What drew you to the YA genre as an author?
I was drawn to writing YA while raising two teens and watching my kids and their friends navigate their often-complex lives.
If you could give your teenage self one piece of advice what would it be?
Like in my story, the advice I have always given myself is…NEVER GIVE UP.