Author Interview & Giveaway: Hannah Jayne


We're excited to welcome Hannah Jayne to Reading Lark today to discuss her upcoming novel, The Escape.


Andrea @ Reading Lark: What are your top three favorite mysteries? 

Hannah: Wow, that’s tough! I eat mysteries like French fries; always have, so to name my favorite-favorites is tough! But, I would definitely have to go back to the first teen thriller I read as a kid—Christopher Pike’s CHAIN LETTER. I must have read that 75 times! I am also wildly addicted (and in constant awe) of Chevy Stevens—I think I read STILL MISSING in 2 days. And April Henry is on my auto-buy list—I read THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED while on the treadmill. The whole thing! 

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Avery sounds like a strong female character. I love seeing those in YA literature. Where did you come up with the idea for her character? 

Hannah: I’m a big fan of strong women myself and I feel like that’s not always that popular in YA fiction. Often times the girl is too love struck or too busy trying to fit in to realize that girls kick butt. I’ve put Avery through some really tough stuff and although she can be pretty sensitive, I wanted to show how even in the face of tragedy—her mother’s death—there can be hope. Avery steps up to take care of her dad and intends to head up Search and Rescue when she’s old enough. Girls can do that—we rock. 

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Why did you decide to tell this from the perspective of two narrators? 

Hannah: I wanted to get close to both Avery and Fletcher since this book is so character driven. I thought the best way to do that was by giving each character equal narrative time so the reader could really get into their heads. That way, you really see what each teen is dealing with and why it’s not so black and white. 

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Would you rather be a detective, a lawyer, or a reporter? 

Hannah: As a fiction writer, I’d make a terrible reporter! I’d always have to embellish the boring stories. So, definitely not that. At one time I actually toyed with the idea of being an attorney. I worked as a law clerk for years and I’m brilliant with an argument (just ask my older brother), but again, I might err on the side of, “let me tell you a story…” I’d love to be a detective, though I’ve recently learned I’m terrible at following clues. My boyfriend just proposed and I had not even an inkling even though in hindsight, it was pretty obvious what he was planning! 

Andrea @ Reading Lark: It's a tradition to ask - What is your favorite bird? 

Hannah: I love wild birds—Blue Jays especially because they remind me of camping in the woods (yes, I am very woods-familiar!) when I was a kid.

About the Author: 

Hannah Jayne is possibly the only person living in Silicon Valley who has never worked in high tech. When she’s not writing, she’s obsessively watching HGTV or shopping at Target…also obsessively. Find out more about Hannah’s urban fantasy, young adult thrillers, and latest obsessions at hannah-jayne.com. 



Not everyone who goes into the woods comes out…

It was supposed to be a short hike, a way for Fletcher and Adam to kill time one boring afternoon. But when day turns into night and neither boy returns home, their town is thrown into turmoil.
Search teams comb through the forest. Then Avery, the police chief’s daughter, stumbles on a body. It’s Fletcher- disoriented, beaten, and covered in blood. He has no memory of the incident, and worse yet, he has no idea what happened to the still missing Adam…

As danger and suspicion grow, one thing becomes very clear. No one can escape the truth.


Excerpt from THE ESCAPE by Hannah Jayne: 

“Hello?” she called out. “This is Avery Templeton with Search Team Five. Hello?” 

The silence was complete, except for the steady thump of Avery’s heart. She took a step forward and slid on the loose earth, tumbling forward onto her hands and knees. Rocks tore skin and the knees of her jeans as she slid. When she stopped- eight, ten feet at the most- she was breathing heavily, her mind reeling. She did a quick assessment for damage. Other than the sting on her palms, nothing hurt. 

So why was there blood on her hands? 

She brought her hands towards her face and grimaced as the streaks of rust-colored blood-congealed, dirt stained-that covered her palms. 

She wasn’t bleeding. 

This wasn’t her blood. 

It was then that she heard the slow gurgle, the sparse intake of breath followed by a low, throaty whisper. “Avery, you have to help me.” 

Avery stared at the figure lying in front of her, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light. “Please.” 

The word came out in a desperate hiss, and he clasped a muddy, blood-caked hand around her wrist, his grip limp, his fingers trembling. 

She gasped. “Fletcher?”


Win a Hannah Jayne book pack from Sourcebooks Fire - US/CA residents only
Giveaway ends July 31

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