Spending time outdoors with Holly Brown....plus a book giveaway

Photo by Yanina Gotsulsky

We're pleased to introduce you to Holly Brown, debut author of Don't Try to Find Me, which comes out tomorrow! Holly Brown lives with her husband and toddler daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she's a practicing marriage and family therapist. Her blog, "Bonding Time," is featured on PsychCentral.

Holly is here today to talk about what she does in the summer. Thanks to HarperCollins (William Morrow), we have THREE copies of her novel for some lucky US readers!

Visit Holly on Facebook.

Synopsis:
Don't try to find me.

Though the message on the kitchen whiteboard is in fourteen-year-old Marley's handwriting, her mother, Rachel, knows there has to be some other explanation. Marley would never run away.

I'll be okay.

Marley's quiet. Innocent. Sheltered. Growing up in Northern California with all the privilege Rachel never had, what does Marley know about taking care of herself? About being okay?
Rachel might not know her daughter at all. But she does know that she needs to find Marley before someone else does. Someone dangerous.

I'll be better.

The police have limited resources devoted to runaways. If Rachel and her husband, Paul, want their daughter back, they'll have to find her themselves. Paul turns to Facebook and Twitter and launches FindMarley.com.

But Marley isn't the only one with something to hide. Paul's social media campaign generates national attention, and the public scrutiny could expose Rachel's darkest secrets. When she blows a television interview, the dirty speculation begins.

I love you.

The blogosphere is convinced Rachel is hiding something. It's not what they think; Rachel would never hurt Marley. Not intentionally, anyway. But when it's discovered that Rachel lied to the police, the devoted mother becomes the prime suspect in Marley's disappearance.
Is Marley out there, somewhere, watching it all happen . . . or is the truth something far worse? (Courtesy of HarperCollins).

Annual summertime tradition:
Watching a ton of tennis. I love the Wimbledon/U.S. Open bookends, and have since I was a kid. (I wish I could say playing tennis but I'm kind of a klutz!) I do get in a fair amount of summer hiking, though. The SF Bay Area is an amazing playground.

Did you have a summer job when you were in high school or college? If so, what was it?
I had a bunch of summer jobs, all of them customer service. That wasn't really my forte, but it's what was available to high school kids in Northeast Philadelphia. I dreamed of working for Tower Records but wound up at the CVS next door, which was still a step-up from my stint at Dunkin Donuts. Ah, it's been a glamorous life.

Favorite carnival ride:
I love a good Ferris Wheel, especially on a starry night.

Have you been to the Renaissance Faire? If so, what was your favorite thing about it?
No, I never have! So I'll look forward to reading everyone else's answer to this and getting an education.

Did you go to camp as a kid? Day or overnight? Favorite memory from camp?
Day camp. As I mentioned above, I've never been very athletic. But for some reason, I was a newcomb champ. (Newcomb is basically volleyball but where you catch and throw.) I remember winning the big game for my bunk against a rival camp one time. No one hoisted me on their shoulders or anything but it was still a grand moment.

Favorite outdoor activity in the summer:
I love farmers markets that are right along the water (there's one like that in Oakland, and one in San Francisco.) Wandering and shopping and eating and sitting and taking in the sights--I'm sighing with contentment right now, just thinking about it.

Thanks to Holly for chatting with us and HarperCollins for sharing her book with our readers!

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


US only. Giveaway ends July 13th at midnight EST.

Liz and Lisa also have a copy to give away. (US/Canada. Ends 7/10.)