The time it was about Damage Done

By now, I think everyone knows that I love mindfuckery.  I downloaded this book on a whim and the promising premise and quickly became obsessed.  If you haven’t seen my review on GR, I’ll let you know that I had three different theories and none of them were right.

After I lost my mind all over Amanda, she still agreed to do an interview! Before we get to her answers, let’s check out the book, shall we?

22 minutes separate Julia Vann’s before and after.

Before: Julia had a twin brother, a boyfriend, and a best friend.

After: She has a new identity, a new hometown, and memories of those twenty-two minutes that refuse to come into focus. At least, that’s what she tells the police.

Now that she’s Lucy Black, she’s able to begin again. She’s even getting used to the empty bedroom where her brother should be. And her fresh start has attracted the attention of one of the hottest guys in school, a boy who will do anything to protect her. But when someone much more dangerous also takes notice, Lucy’s forced to confront the dark secrets she thought were safely left behind.

One thing is clear: The damage done can never be erased. It’s only just beginning. . . .

Sounds good, right? {IT’S AMAAAAAZING}

1. Where did the idea for Damage Done come from?

I was reading an article about a suicide bombing, and it mentioned the siblings of the bomber. I found myself wondering what it would be like to be so close to someone who had done such a horrible thing, and what it would feel like to balance your sadness over their death with the guilt and horror you’d feel over what they did. Julia/Lucy grew from there.

2. Why do you love Lucy and why should we root for her?

It’s hard to answer this question without spoilers! You should root for her because she’s resilient – she’s managed to rebuild her life and pick herself up and gain some semblance of a normal life after losing everything and everyone she cared about. It’s hard and scary to reinvent yourself the way she does.

3. What was the strangest thing you googled while researching?

I had to do a lot of Googling about California – the book’s set there, in both the north and the south, but I’ve never been farther west in the US than Pennsylvania.

4. Without spoilers, were there any scenes that had to be cut that you wish could have stayed?

I don’t really wish anything I cut got to stay – anything I cut was done with the intention of making the book stronger and tighter. I did have to cut a character in a very early draft who I quite liked. She’ll just have to show up in another book where hopefully she’ll be more relevant!

5. Describe Damage Done in 5 words.

Liar can’t escape her past.

Speed {ish} round:

1. You get the call/email/letter than says you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next 5 minutes.

My agent called me at work in the late afternoon and told me we had an offer. I dissolved into tears and did not do any more actual work that day.

2. What three things would you take with you to a desert island?

The Internet. My laptop (I’m assuming this desert island has electricity). Some good kitchen tools to make all that tropical fruit and fish appealing.

3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What it is?

When I lived in Paris my junior year of college, I didn’t have an e-reader and English books were amazingly expensive, so I was only able to buy two all semester. One of those was Jeffrey Eugenides’ MIDDLESEX and I read it over and over and over. I already know it stands up to reread after reread, so I guess I’ll go with that one.

4. Who are your favorite swoony boys/girls?

I have a weird historical crush on Alexander Hamilton. Damn that Aaron Burr.

5. What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

I work in publishing, and I thought that having the insider knowledge would make the process feel easier and less personal. It didn’t! It’s made some aspects easier, but I’m still wrestling with the same crippling self-doubt and stress I would be if I wasn’t already familiar with the process.

6. You wake up and find that you are Bella in Twilight. You know how it plays out, what do you do differently? {Huge thanks to Bookish Broads for letting me use this question}

I have somehow never read nor watched TWILIGHT (nothing against it, I’m just not a big romance fan so it personally wasn’t for me).

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Amanda Panitch grew up next to an amusement park in New Jersey and went to college next to the White House in Washington, DC. 

Amanda now resides in New York City where she works in book publishing by day, writes by night, and lives under constant threat of being crushed beneath giant stacks of books.

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Huge thanks to Amanda for taking the time! Make sure you’re checking out her blog, following her on Twitter, and adding all of her books to your Goodreads TBR shelf.

Now. Dying to get your greedy hands on a copy? I’ve got one up for grabs.  Book will be coming from TBD, contest is international, and additional giveaway rules are here.

**Good Luck!!**

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