Story Secrets: BORDERLINE by Allan Stratton + Giveaway!

Out of the blue, Allan Stratton, one of my favorite authors (known for CHANDA'S SECRETS, which we have featured on readergirlz twice as a postergirlz pick, and others!), emailed me to say, "Hey, we have the same editor!" I was floored and flustered and very pleased, first because I've always admired his writing, and second, because it confirmed my opinion that my editor is brilliant and wonderful. :)

Then I found out Allan had a book coming out in March, so I asked him to share some story secrets about BORDERLINE, coming out this week! (Read more Story Secrets from YA authors here)

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BORDERLINE is a coming-of-age mystery/suspense/thriller. The hero is Sammy Sabiri, a funny, gutsy, Muslim American. Sammy has problems with a bully at the private boy’s school where he’s been stuck by his over-controlling father. But these problems are nothing compared to what happens when the FBI and Homeland Security swoop in and arrest his dad, claiming he’s part of an international terrorist plot. Aided by his best friends Andy and Marty, Sammy risks everything in his struggle to discover the truth about his dad and save his family. It’s a roller coaster ride in which nothing is ever what it seems.


First, tell us BORDERLINE's story behind the story.
Three life experiences almost certainly fueled BORDERLINE:

My mom left my dad when I was a baby. Growing up, I was soon aware that the father I knew was very different from the father my half-brother knew, and even more different than the father my half-sister knew. As a teenager I thought, “If I can’t really know my dad, how can I know anyone? How can anyone know anyone?”

The second experience happened to me when I was eight. I was hiding under the picnic table and eavesdropping on a conversation Dad was having with my grandparents about capital punishment. I remember breaking into a cold sweat, overcome with the certainty that one day I’d be executed for a crime I didn't commit...

Read the rest for a chance to win BORDERLINE here!