Not A Drop To DrinkAuthor: Mindy McGinnis
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Synopsis:
Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.
Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….
With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.
Interview
What are your three favorite things about writing Not a Drop to Drink?
Writing the supporting characters of Stebbs and Lucy was definitely the best part- they were easy to write. Second would have to be the fact that I didn’t do much research – I didn’t have to. Most of the setting, and quite a bit of the lifestyle (not including shooting people) is familiar to me. The third favorite thing would just have to be how inspired it was, the story just flowed along without much effort on my part.
What are your three least favorite things?
I really don’t have any, this story really was a breeze to write. I know there are some shocking and hard to digest events in the book, but even writing the hard stuff was still enjoyable. If I’m crying while I’m writing it, I know it’s working.
If Not a Drop to Drink had a theme song what would it be?
A musician friend of mine actually wrote a song for the book, so that’s the answer! http://www.pitchdark.com/blog/listen-to-the-not-a-drop-to-drink-song/
What inspired you to write Not a Drop to Drink?
I watched a documentary called Blue Gold, which is about a projected shortage of potable water on our planet due to overpopulation. It was a horrible thought - we all need water to survive, and it's something we can't make. I went to bed very grateful for the small pond in my backyard, and that night I dreamt I was teaching a young girl how to operate a rifle so that she could help me protect the pond. I woke up and thought, "Hey... I wrote a book in my head just now."
What was the last book you finished and loved?
There’s a tie between my two favorite books of 2013 – ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE by Kate Karyus Quinn and CHARM & STRANGE by Staphanie Kuehn. They’re both highly intelligent and well written, with fantastic plots.
About The Author
I am so excited for this book!! I am actually super excited to hear that Mindy loved Another Little Piece as well because it is on my TBR roll <3
ReplyDeleteI really like the cover design. The words that most jumped out to me in the book's blurb were "evocative, spare language," which is fitting for a "journey in a barren world."
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