Today we’re excited to chat with Elisa Ludwig, author
of Coin Heist!
Below you’ll find more about Elisa,
her book, plus a giveaway!
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
ELISA LUDWIG: I’m most proud of the heist scene. There’s a lot going on, what with the prom and the running back and forth to the Mint, plus the technical challenge of trying to make what is essentially hacking feel active and exciting. It took a few tries to get it right, but it was fun every time.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
ELISA LUDWIG: It’s finding that balance between stubborn persistence and openness to criticism. So much of writing is sticking with it, whether that’s getting a scene right (see above), trying to get published, dealing with inevitable rejection or quashing doubt. At the same time, there are lessons in every phase of the process, so I never want to miss out on learning and improving if someone’s giving me good advice.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
ELISA LUDWIG: I love that the design is suggestive and intriguing without spelling too much out.
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
ELISA LUDWIG: The party scene with Dakota and Benny was pretty emotional and felt very high stakes because just as this tender connection between them is starting to form, she’s faced with the decision to stay true to herself or to betray Benny just to fit in. It felt like a very real scenario in high school life and I just wanted to hug both of them and let them know it would all be cool in a few short years when they could get out of their tiny social bubble. Unfortunately, as the author, you can’t hug your characters. You have to keep stabbing them.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
ELISA LUDWIG:With COIN HEIST it wasn’t one particular character that gave me trouble but just trying to keep all four POVs and their respective motivations in the foreground as the heist gets plotted, foiled and plotted again. It was a lot of balls in the proverbial air.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
ELISA LUDWIG: Revising by far. For me, that’s where all the creativity and excitement come in. The first draft can feel almost like dictation to get the ideas that are already living in my head on paper. I find that when I go in for subsequent drafts, the process becomes a lot more spontaneous and invigorating.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
ELISA LUDWIG: I’m really good at compartmentalizing information. My day job is freelance writing and I work with all kinds of organizations and write and research a wacky array of topics. To do that and write books at the same time requires the ability to constantly open and close different thought streams. So, yeah—my superpower probably won’t save lives but it does keep me sane!
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
ELISA LUDWIG: I’m really fond of Girls Write Now and other organizations that mentor and encourage kids to write.
Meet Coin Heist!
The last place you’d expect to find a team of criminals is at a prestigious Philadelphia prep school. But on a class trip to the U.S. Mint – which prints a million new coins every 30 minutes – an overlooked security flaw becomes far too tempting for a small group of students to ignore.
United by dire circumstances, these unlikely allies – the nerd, the slacker, the athlete, and the perfect student – band together to attempt the impossible: rob the U.S. Mint. This diverse crew is forced to confront their true beliefs about each other and themselves as they do the wrong thing for the right reasons.
Elisa Ludwig’s COIN HEIST is a fun, suspenseful and compelling thriller, told from the revolving perspectives of four teens, each with their own motive for committing a crime that will change all of their lives –
if they can pull it off.
Coin Heist
By: Elisa Ludwig
Release Date: November 15, 2016
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
I love the cover and the colors used. The synopsis sounds hilarious
The cover and synopsis are so intelligently done!
The Coin Heist sounds good and I think the cover is great. Thank You
Cover is good! The story seems like a fast and fun read!
I don’t understand the cover but maybe after reading the book I wil. The synopsis is exciting.
The cover is cool and the story very interesting. I wonder if they get away with the heist.
The cover is cool! I’d like to read the book – it sounds fun and suspenseful.