Friday Five -- Lynne Kelly

Lynne Kelly is a Class of 2k12 sibling, an active member of the Apocalypsies, an unstoppable Twitter-phile, an advocate of writers, published and pre-published everywhere.  And a darn good writer herself.  Her middle grade novel, CHAINED, came out in May and it stunned me with its vivid setting and fully-realized characters.  Not only that, but she's also just a lovely all-round person.  I'm delighted to introduce her to you.


THE FIVE:

1.  What do you love most about your main character?

That he does the right thing, even when he's afraid.

2.  What would your super power be?

Invisibility. Then I could listen to other people's conversations without looking creepy. Come to think of it, that answer is probably creepy.

3.  What single thing would improve the quality of your life?

I suppose “winning lottery ticket” would be too easy. But I did just discover the Post-It Note desk, which would make life much better.  And it would be in my own writing office, of course. 

4.  What song would you have played at your funeral?

I'd love for my funeral to turn out like the “All You Need Is Love” wedding scene from Love Actually.

5.  If you knew you would be stranded on a desert island, which book, piece of music, and snack food would you take with you?

Hmm, is it cheating to say a giant 7-volume book that includes the whole Harry Potter series? If so, then I guess I'd have to pick Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and then lie in the sand and replay the rest of the series in my head. For music I'd take “Under Pressure,” because it's one of the best songs ever and I never get tired of hearing it, and for snack food I'd take chocolate-covered strawberries, 'cause they're chocolate, of course, with the added bonus of scurvy protection.

ABOUT CHAINED:

After ten-year-old Hastin’s family borrows money to pay for his sister’s hospital bill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and punished until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape.

You can order CHAINED here!

ABOUT LYNNE:

You can find Lynne on her website.

On Facebook.

And on Twitter.  You definitely want to follow her on Twitter.