Mind Games Shana Silver
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 27th, 2019
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
A teen programmer at a school for geniuses must join forces with a boy she can’t remember to stop a hacker from deleting their memories in Shana Silver’s action-packed YA debut, Mind Games.
Arden sells memories. Whether it’s becoming homecoming queen or studying for that all important test, Arden can hack into a classmate’s memories and upload the experience for you just as if you’d lived it yourself. Business is great, right up until the day Arden whites out, losing fifteen minutes of her life and all her memories of the boy across the school yard. The boy her friends assure her she’s had a crush on for years.
Arden realizes that her own memories have been hacked, but they haven’t just been stolen and shared… they’ve been removed. And she’s not the only one: her mysterious crush, Sebastian, has lost ALL of his memories. But how can they find someone who has the power to make them forget everything they’ve learned?
~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Rachel Shane (writing as Shana Silver)~
1) What gave you the inspiration for the storyline?
When I was in high school, my dad and I used to have lengthy
discussions about sci-fi topics and future technology. We’ve continued to have
these conversations over the years and one time we discussed what the world
would be like if people could store their memories. I couldn’t stop thinking
about that and kept turning it over in my mind. What would happen if you stored
your memories…and they were then deleted? What would happen if someone
else accessed your memories without your permission? What if you could share
memories the way you can share images and files today? As I started thinking
about it more, the characters and plot started to become clear.
2) Are there any hidden (or not so hidden) themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?
I think the biggest theme in the book is how do you define
who you are. There’s reference in the book to the Ancient Greek Ship of
Theseus. This was a ship in which every piece of wood was then replaced with a
new piece of wood over the years. Is it still the same ship because it looks
the same and behaves the same or is it new since everything that was part of it
originally is now replaced? If you lose certain memories and parts of your
personality, are you still the same person? Or is personality an ever-evolving
trait? I had a lot of fun exploring that in the book.
3) Are any of the characters based on real people you know?
As cool as it would be to have friends that can invent
cutting edge technology, the characters are all fictional.
4) Who has influenced you most as a writer?
When I was in high school, I first discovered Margaret Atwood
during an assignment to write a paper on THE HANDMAID’S TALE. I was blown away
by her voice, her characters, and her story. It was the first book I’d read
that kept me up late turning pages and I knew right then and there that I
wanted to do the same thing one day. I’ve seen read every book she’s written
and she remains my favorite writer. Chuck Palahniuk is a close second.
5) If you could have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?
Rose Hathaway from the VAMPIRE ACADEMY by Richelle Mead
series because she’s feisty yet vulnerable and she’s a great, loyal friend. Wes
from THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen because I fell in love with him
when I read the book and his quiet nature balances out Rose’s outgoing antics.
Lastly, I’d round out the group with Tella from the CARAVAL series by Stephanie
Garber because she never does what anyone expects. We’d play a murder mystery
game, naturally, and I’d serve gastronomic cuisines straight out of the MIND
GAMES cafeteria.
6) Do you feel that you can ever have too many books?
Physically, yes, especially if space is limited, but
thankfully you can store endless books inside your mind just by remembering
your favorite parts. Maybe one day we’ll be able to relive those memories and
experience reading favorite books all over again.
Author Bio:Rachel Shane (writing as Shana Silver) studied creative writing at Syracuse University. She’s been a computer animator, an e-book creator for a major publisher, and now works as a Project Manager in digital and TV advertising where she enjoys telling people what to do. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, young daughter, and the characters she dreams up.
Thanks for hosting today! :)
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