Blog Tour- ZENN DIAGRAM by Wendy Brant An Interview & Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for ZENN DIAGRAM by Wendy Brant! I have an interview with Wendy to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!

Haven't heard of ZENN DIAGRAM? Check it out!

Title: ZENN DIAGRAM

Author: Wendy Brant

Pub. Date: April 4, 2017

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Pages: 328

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

Eva Walker is a seventeen-year-old math genius. And if that doesn’t do wonders for her popularity, there’s another thing that makes it even worse: when she touches another person or anything that belongs to them — from clothes to textbooks to cell phones — she sees a vision of their emotions. She can read a person’s fears and anxieties, their secrets and loves … and what they have yet to learn about calculus. This is helpful for her work as a math tutor, but it means she can never get close to people. Eva avoids touching anyone and everyone. People think it’s because she’s a clean freak — with the emphasis on freak — but it’s all she can do to protect herself from other people’s issues.

Then one day a new student walks into Eva’s life. His jacket gives off so much emotional trauma that she falls to the floor. Eva is instantly drawn to Zenn, a handsome and soulful artist who also has a troubled home life, and her feelings only grow when she realizes that she can touch Zenn’s skin without having visions. But when she discovers the history that links them, the truth threatens to tear the two apart.

Now on to the interview!

Hi Wendy! First I want to say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! ZENN DIAGRAM was absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to read it! And am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about ZENN DIAGRAM and the characters? 

ZENN DIAGRAM is the story of Eva Walker, a math nerd with the gift/curse of being able to sense people’s struggles through touch. Knowing everyone’s burdens is a bit much to take, so she has isolated herself from others, physically and emotionally. Until she meets hard-working, artistic Zenn Bennett, who she presumes, based on touching his jacket, has a lot going on. Despite her tendency to keep her distance, Zenn is irresistible and they grow closer until a secret threatens to tear them apart.

Is this a standalone or a series? And if it’s a series do you have a title for book 2 yet? And if it’s a standalone what are you working on next? 

At this point it’s a standalone, though I suppose that could change if there were massive interest in a sequel (hint hint)! Until then, I’m working on two different projects: the dystopian story that I actually wrote before ZENN DIAGRAM, and a new contemporary about a tech-savvy blogger and a tech-challenged farm boy who get stranded together during an ice storm, and how the experience changes both of them.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life? 

Actually, not all that much, though Charlotte is modelled physically after my daughter (tall, thin, short hair, beautiful). My daughter even had a “Chillin’ with my Gnomies” T-shirt when she was younger. But my daughter plays the bass, not the cello.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite? 

My favorite is probably Eva, because when you write in first person, that is the character you get to know and understand the most. My least favorite was probably Josh? I didn’t want him to be a total stereotypical jock, and I struggled a bit with how to develop his character to make him ultimately likable and believable.

What is your favorite passage/scene in ZENN DIAGRAM? 

Oh, gosh… hmmmmm… I guess my favorite scene to write was the manicure scene. I enjoy flirty banter, and the quiet intimacy of that scene always gives me butterflies.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?  

I had to research ALL of the math stuff. I was ok at math in school, but I never even took Calculus and I don’t remember ANYthing.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend? 

Probably Peeta from THE HUNGER GAMES. He was loyal, sweet, self-deprecating and, while he was madly in love with Katniss, he wasn’t not too stalker-y or intense. While a lot of women like that Christian Grey/Edward Cullen style of romance, I find it a bit of a turn off.

What inspired you to write YA? 

When my daughter started wanting to read YA (in late elementary school), I realized I should probably screen the books for her a bit (you know – for sexy times and swear words). One of the books I screened (and ultimately let her read because I loved it so much) was THE HUNGER GAMES That book got me thinking about writing YA, because I loved that you can tackle such complicated subjects and actually have an impact on the kids who read it. Grown ups aren’t as malleable. Ironically, my editor (Kate Egan) was the editor for THE HUNGER GAMES series! So that was amazing. I was totally star struck.

Lightening Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read? 

I just finished THE HATE U GIVE (like the rest of the world!), which was amazing. The next book on my list is AFTERMATH by Clara Kenzie. Clara and I met at a YA author panel and her book sounds intriguing.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in? 

I’ve taken multiple quizzes and I’ve been sorted into either Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. I feel like I could go either way – I value intelligence and wit, but also dedication, patience, and fair play. I know for sure I would not be Slytherin or Gryffindor. I am not particularly brave or cunning.

Twitter or Facebook? 

I’m old school and still like Facebook, but Twitter (and Instagram for that matter) are growing on me.

Favorite Superhero? 

Elastigirl! She captures exactly what it means to be a mom – bending over backwards, stretching, literally being the parachute for your kids at times. (I don’t really know my superheroes very well. Shame on me.)

Favorite TV show? 

Oh, gosh! I’ve had many over the years. Right now it would have to be This Is Us. Breaks me wide open every week. But the show I was perhaps the most obsessed with for several years was The Office. I was a serious Jim-and-Pam shipper. Also, I’ll watch a How I Met Your Mother rerun any day.

Sweet or Salty? 

Sweet all the way. I may or may not (but definitely do) have a serious sugar addiction.

Any Phobias? 

I never thought I was afraid of heights but I can barely watch videos of people walking on top of sky scrapers. And I have a small phobia of spiders. OH! And these weird camel crickets (we call them jumpy bugs) that sometimes appear in our dungeon basement.

Song you can’t get enough of right now? 

Just because I can’t help myself lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of NPR and not nearly enough music. But one song that I will listen to any time it’s on is “Mess is Mine” by Vance Joy. And I’m a pretty dedicated Mumford & Sons fan.

2017 Movie you’re most looking forward to? 

I miss movies! I hardly ever see them anymore! It’s not a fall movie, but I’m looking forward to seeing Before I Fall. The book haunted me for days after I finished it. And I want to see Beauty and the Beast, of course!

Thanks so much Wendy for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read ZENN DIAGRAM!

Thank you for hosting me!!! Such a fun interview!

❤ Wendy

About Wendy:

So my name alone should give you a clue that I graduated from high school when bangs were big and clothes were baggy. I went to Northwestern University and majored in journalism even though I had no desire to be a journalist. I've been married to a great guy for a whole drinking-aged person's life. I've got two amazing and yet very different (and very tall) teenage kids. I like crappy food, pinning inspirational quotes on Pinterest, have a tendency to start paragraphs with "anyway", and I wish I were funnier. I would love to be one of those really, REALLY funny bloggers (like Insane in the Mom-Brain) that makes you pee yourself a little bit. I am only moderately funny. I admit that. It's one of my great sadnesses in life.

​I started writing fiction when I was 10, but tried to be practical with the whole journalism thing. Didn't take. Shortly after college, the fiction-writing desire reared its non-practical head and I've been writing ever since.

Anyway, I'm probably just like you. We'd probably be friends if we met in real life. (Well, let's be honest. It's likely that only my friends are actually reading this blog, so we probably ARE friends in real life.) But whether we are friends in real life, or just virtual friends through cyberspace, I hope you will enjoy your time here.

Check out my debut YA novel, ZENN DIAGRAM (KCP Loft 4/4/17), available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Target!

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Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a hardcover of ZENN DIAGRAM, US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

3/27/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

3/28/2017- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

3/29/2017- BookHounds YA- Guest Post

3/30/2017- Just Commonly- Review

3/31/2017- Happily Ever Chapter- Excerpt

Week Two:

4/3/2017- Eli to the nth- Review

4/4/2017- Literary Dust- Interview

4/5/2017- Book Briefs- Review

4/6/2017- Pretty Deadly Reviews- Guest Post

4/7/2017- Savings in Seconds- Review