5 Questions with Author Mara Jacobs
Q1. Let’s talk a little about the Freshman
Roommates Trilogy. What was your inspiration for this series of books? Has it
drawn on your own college experiences/friendships?
A. I’d wanted to try writing a New Adult for a while now. I
just love the angst of post/late teens. And by having them be freshman in
college, you get that, but also a little coming of age as well. And I love best
girlfriends, it seemed natural to make them roommates and have their
friendship develop as the books went on.
I did take the situation of Lily teaching swimming lessons
directly from my own experience. My first year at Michigan
State
Q2. The first book, In Too Deep, is about Lily. The second is about Jane.
Correct to assume the third is about Syd? Is it still freshman year for
the girls in the subsequent books? Any hints about the plots or teasers for the
next two titles?
A. Yes, Syd gets the third book. Jane’s book takes place
just a few weeks after In Too Deep finishes. And as of now, Syd’s story takes
place almost concurrently as Jane’s story. So yes, all three roommates will
have their stories told during their freshman year.
One teaser for Jane…the book starts out with her standing in
her half sister’s wedding—the “deal” she made for Lily’s and Lucas’s
sake.
3. How much of a role will Lucas and Lily have in the
follow-up books? Will we get to see how their relationship is fairing?
A. Jane’s story is a little different because a good
chunk of it will take place off campus. But Lily’s there, and we’ll see both
she and Lucas a little bit.
Q4. Lucas and Lily are both such well developed characters.
They showed how there is so much more to people than the stereotypes they are
often given. What would you say are Lucas’s greatest strengths and
greatest weaknesses?
A. First, thank you for thinking they are well
developed! I think Lucas’s greatest strength is his sense of
responsibility. It took him a while to find it (which is part of growing up),
but the way he watches out for his kid brother Andy I think shows how much he’s
grown and is being responsible.
His weakness? Well, he did have a drug problem, but he
turned that around. His weakness is probably his blind loyalty to Stick and his
mother, which ended up getting him in trouble. He saw a way to help Stick and
get back at the man who hurt his mother and he took it—even though he knew it
was a stupid thing to do.
Q5. Same question regarding Lily’s strengths and weaknesses,
and how do you think Lily would sum up her freshman year? What has she taken
away from her college experience thus far?
A. I like Lily’s integrity. I think it comes through most
when she knows she could see Lucas in secret even though she made the deal with
her father not to. And Jane even semi-encourages her to, but she just can’t. Or
won’t. That’s a defining moment for Lily. She didn’t know she had that kind of
strength.
Her weakness is that she doesn’t – or didn’t – trust
herself. She’s kind of passive too, because she’s never had to be more
aggressive. She toughens up at the end, but Lily will always be the kind of
person who lets things (and people) come to her versus going out and taking it.
(like Jane—and Syd—would) I think Lily would say she “found herself” her freshman
year. Maybe even more so than she “found Lucas.” (though she’d think that was
pretty good too!) She also knows she needs to study more!
Thank you Mara for taking the time to talk to us about the
new series. Looking forward to reading the next two books!
Book #2 In Too Fast can be added to your Goodreads list now!
Mara Jacobs is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Worth series. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in advertising, Mara spent several years working at daily newspapers in advertising sales and production. This certainly prepared her for the world of deadlines! She writes mysteries with romance, thrillers with romance, and romances with…well, you get it. Forever a Yooper (someone who hails from Michigan's glorious Upper Peninsula), Mara now splits her time between the Copper Country, Las Vegas, and East Lansing, where she is better able to root on her beloved Spartans.
You can find out more about Mara’s books at www.marajacobs.com
No comments:
Post a Comment