1. Cora, Violet and Jordyn are young girls with a turbulent friendship. Why do you think Cora keeps trying to remain friends with two people who don’t seem to have her best interests in mind? What role do you think Cora plays in the friendship difficulties?
2. Childhood friendships can leave deep impressions, both good and bad. What childhood friendship impacted your life the most? Why?
3. Parents sometimes go to extreme lengths to protect their children. To what extent would you go to safeguard someone you love? Where would you draw the line?
4. Social media has become such an integral part of day-to-day life, even with children. What responsibility do social media like Facebook, Snapchat and others have in protecting youth? How about schools or government? And parents?
5. Several sorts of families are represented in the novel: Jordyn is being raised by her grandparents, Cora comes from a two-parent home and Violet is being raised by a single mother. How do you think the dynamics of each family played into the events of the novel?
6. Who would you describe as the antagonist or antagonists in Before She Was Found? Why?
7. How would Before She Was Found have been different if it had taken place in a different time or place?
8. What is the significance of the title? How does it relate to each of the main characters?
9. If you could ask the author one question, what would it be? Why?

A Conversation With The Author

A Conversation with the Author

What was the inspiration behind Before She Was Found?

Just like many of my novels, the idea for Before She Was Found was inspired by news headlines: a fictional online entity and real life collided with heartbreaking results. Not far from where I live, the account of two young girls who were obsessed with a character called Slender Man, who originated as an online meme, hit the news. Over the years, Slender Man, a tall, spidery figure with a blank face, has been the subject of short stories, videos, artwork and video games. The girls, believing Slender Man would hurt them and their families, lured a classmate into a wooded area and attacked her. The attack not only had a devastating impact on the victim and her family, but on the perpetrators, their families and the entire community.

The novel was also inspired by the many accounts of those who have misused social media by pretending to be someone else, bullying and encouraging others to hurt themselves. Through my writing I wanted to explore how social media, the lack of mental health services and family dynamics can impact actions and decisions that have life-altering costs to all involved.

Before She Was Found is written in several different voices and styles. What were some of the challenges you faced in writing this way, and how did you overcome them?