Today I have the amazing debut author, Carrie Arcos, on the blog for an interview!  Carrie Arcos’ debut novel, Out Of Reach, will be out from Simon & Schuster on October 16!

How do you find someone who doesn’t want to be found? A girl searches for her missing addict brother while confronting her own secrets in this darkly lyrical novel.

Rachel has always idolized her older brother Micah. He struggles with addiction, but she tells herself that he’s in control. And she almost believes it. Until the night that Micah doesn’t come home.

Rachel’s terrified—and she can’t help but feel responsible. She should have listened when Micah tried to confide in her. And she only feels more guilt when she receives an anonymous note telling her that Micah is nearby and in danger.

With nothing more to go on than hope and a slim lead, Rachel and Micah’s best friend, Tyler, begin the search. Along the way, Rachel will be forced to confront her own dark secrets, her growing attraction to Tyler…and the possibility that Micah may never come home.

Tell us a little about yourself and your books!

I live in Los Angeles with my husband and three kids. I’m originally from Albany, New York though, which probably explains some of my sass. I’m kind of a food snob, but since I live in LA, I’m surrounded by them and that kind of makes it okay. I love movies, science fiction, Vietnamese coffee and good conversations with friends.

I’ve been writing for a number of years and have taught high school and currently teach college English. I also used to coach Cross Country and Track and Field.

OUT OF REACH is my debut YA novel. I’m so thankful my agent, Kerry Sparks, took a chance on it, because here we are!

What made you decide to write YA?

I tried to write what I thought I was supposed to for years. You know, short stories for literary magazines and the like. But the truth was I didn’t even like short stories. I never read them. I read novels. And I loved YA novels because I love teens. Teaching high school was awesome and I wanted to write books that spoke their truth. So I thought, why not? And that was the beginning of me realizing what I wanted to write and who I wanted to write for.

What do you find to be the hardest part of writing?

The time. I have young kids and I teach part time. So I have to be very disciplined about carving the time to write. But I love it. If I go for too long of a stretch without writing, I get very cranky.

What do you think makes Out Of Reach unique from other YA contemporaries?

OUT OF REACH focuses on a pair of siblings, which sets it apart through that relationship. It looks at meth addiction through the lens of a sister and not the addict. I think this is a unique take on drug addiction because most books out there focus on the downward spiral of the addict. OUT OF REACH is more of a look at who’s left behind.

What are some YA books in your reading pile? Any you’d highly recommend?

Recently I read Gary Schmidt’s OKAY FOR NOW. I loved that book. Wow. It’s probably more MG, but it’s so wonderful.

I also thought STARTERS by another debut author, Lissa Price was a fun read. It’s got this really great, but creep premise and the ending come s out of nowhere, but will totally leave you wanting to read the sequel.

Can you tell us anything about what you are currently working on?

I finished a kind of magical realism novel about a girl who goes to Baja during the summer to wait for her great grandmother to die. Kind of harsh sounding, maybe, but her great grandmother is always on the verge of dying. While there she meets and boy and is caught up in an ancient mystery set in 1931.

I’m also working on a story about a boy who is dealing with grief because of the death of his mother as well as his feelings for his best friend Hanna, who also happens to live across the street.

Thanks for the interview, Carrie! I can’t wait to read Out Of Reach!

Readers, you can find out more about Carrie and Out of Reach on Twitter, Goodreads, and Carrie’s website!