Hide your valuables. YA author Wendy Toliver is about to introduce readers to a character who can rob you blind just for sport. Meet Poppy Browne in LIFTED, the newly-released third book in Wendy’s inspiring repertoire. It’s the story of a girl who takes on a most risky bonding ritual with her new clique of friends. Praised for its “compelling” and “haunting morality tale,” LIFTED deserves a spot on your summer reading list.

About LIFTED:
Being Bad Never Felt So Good.
Poppy Browne had never stolen anything in her life before moving to Pleasant Acres, Texas and meeting Mary Jane and Whitney. But when Poppy walks out of the mall with her two new friends and her first pair of stolen jeans, she’s hooked.
Before long, Poppy is lifting whenever she gets the urge—it’s never about the merchandise, it’s always about the thrill. But when her secret gets out, the girls in Poppy’s clique turn on one another. As she watches her life collapse around her, Poppy must decide where her loyalties lie … and how far she’ll go to protect herself.

Lifted[1] 

Poppy Browne isn’t the only good girl with a bad habit. In our recent exchange, I learned that Wendy has trouble resisting the occasional can of carbonated delight. Read on for more about Wendy…

DR: What’s your favorite stage of your work process: researching, writing or editing? Why?
WT: Definitely writing. I love just sitting down and letting it flow out of me. I like researching also, though, especially when it gives me new and exciting ideas for my story.

DR: How do you get over a major bout of writer’s block?
WT: I exercise. I try to exercise often anyhow, but yoga in particular gets my creative juices flowing.

DR: What bad habit are you desperately trying to break out of?
WT: Two words: Diet Coke.

DR: What’s the craziest or coolest thing you’ve done in the name of research?
WT: Well, my agent said I wasn’t allowed to actually shoplift in the name of research (for Lifted) but I did talk to a bunch of cops at a party to get some info on teen shoplifting.

DR: Think back to your sophomore year in high school. What were you like at age 15?
WT: I remember wearing my hair in different styles as much as possible—never the same ‘do two days in a row. I was athletic and musical and involved in my church youth group. I was boy crazy but they wanted nothing to do with me. I was almost never alone, always with a girl friend or four. I couldn’t wait to get my license and was thinking about getting a “real” job.

DR: In PERFECT SHOT, London steps out of her sporty comfort zone to participate in a modeling contest. When was the last time you ventured far out of your comfort zone? WT: Last summer we bought a wakeboarding boat. Though I’ve been on boats before and even driven one from time to time, I’ve never had much experience. Now I’m the one who backs the boat off the trailer and drives it back onto the trailer. This summer I’ll need to learn how to back the trailer down the ramp. I’m so excited to get everything down pat!

DR: What’s your favorite spot to cozy up with a book?
WT: My bed, propped up by pillows and covered in blankets.

DR: These days, everyone and their pet pooch is a multi-hyphenate.What talents or professional titles would you include your multi-hyphenate profile ?
WT: Author/SAHM (stay-at-home-mom)

Always a pleasure, Wendy. Congrats. Can’t wait to read LIFTED!