Mundie Moms

Friday, July 16, 2010

Blog Tour With Tricia Rayburn, Author of Siren




















We're very excited to be apart of the Siren Blog Tour. Here's a little about Siren.

Siren by Tricia Rayburn, was published by EgmontUSA and released on July 13th, 2010.
Synopsis (from EgmontUSA): Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.

Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

Recently we were able to ask Tricia a few questions about Siren.

Siren mythology seems to be a growing trend, certainly this summer has had it's share of siren/mermaid stories. Yours is unique because it unfolds like a traditional mystery plot. Was there an inspiration behind a) the choice of mythology and b) the use of a mystery?

Siren was inspired by my somewhat recent fear of creatures of the deep. Despite having grown up near the beach and spending many happy summer days swimming in the Long Island Sound, I now won’t venture past my knees in any natural body of water. I’m too afraid of jellyfish, crabs, sharks, you name it! This fear made me think about what else might be lurking beneath the surface, and the idea grew from there. And given the seductive yet spooky nature of sirens, the story HAD to be a mystery!

The setting was truly perfect for the story. We have to admit to loving a seaside town and it sets up the story so well with locals as well as seasonal visitors playing a part in the setting. What made you choose Winter Harbor, ME?

I love seaside towns too…I think that’s another reason why I was so drawn to this subject! And in many ways, Siren’s setting guides the plot. I knew I wanted the story to take place along Maine’s dramatic coast, and I chose Winter Harbor (which is a real town) upon learning that it earned its name because the harbor never freezes, not even in the middle of winter. This feature made it a perfect home base for water-loving ladies!

We loved the juxtaposition of the siblings. On one side, Simon and Caleb and on the other, the girls, Justine and Vanessa. What was the inspiration to use siblings as the main characters?

It seemed like an ideal arrangement. Justine was Vanessa’s sister AND her best friend, and Simon and Caleb were the cute boys next door. As a teenager, what better summer scenario could there be than hanging out on a lake with your best friend and two sweet, adorable guys? Also, I really wanted the characters to grow up together; just as it can in real life, this makes their eventual evolution from friends to more-than-friends particularly interesting.

Is there a real life inspiration for any of the characters? They were so vividly written that we felt like we had met them somewhere in my own life.

Vanessa’s many fears are based on some of my own, so in that way, she was inspired by me. And growing up, I tended to have crushes on cute, sensitive, smart boys—especially if they wore glasses! So Simon was inspired by some of my teenage infatuations.

What has been your favorite summer read?

The past two summers have been dominated by Hunger Games and Catching Fire, and I’m sure Mockingjay will take the prize this summer!

Thank you Tricia for taking the time to answer our questions. If you'd like to know more about Siren, please visit Tricia's site here http://triciarayburn.blogspot.com/.

If you haven't picked Siren up yet, we recommend doing so. Siren is a great book to have to read while spending a lazy summer afternoon at the beach or the pool.

Thoughtful Thursday Giveaway Winner!

Thank you so much to everyone who has sent us links and brought our attention to some amazing organizations. We'll be spotlighting them for our Thoughtful Thursday posts, and you'll find the last two Thoughtful Thursday's have been from the list our followers have set us.

Our winner will receive:
* a signed The Body Finder poster by Kimberly Derting
* a signed Linger bookmark by Maggie Stiefvater
* a signed 13 To Life postcard by Shannon Delany
* a signed Shadowed Summer bookmark by Saundra Mitchell

CONGRATULATIONS to Chelsea! Our winner has been contacted via email and has 48 hours to reply back to us. If at that time we don't hear back from her, a new winner will be drawn.

I wish we had enough goodies to send to everyone. We really appreciate everyone's comments and all the organizations you've brought to our attention.

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