About the Author: Megan Lally
What would you like readers to know about you?
Hi, I'm Megan Lally, author of the YA thriller That's Not My Name. I have two more books on contract with Sourcebooks Fire, both YA thrillers, that should be out in early 2025 and 2026. I've been writing YA for almost 15 years now, and I'm so excited to have my first book out in the world (it came out in December!) and for it to find so many incredible readers. It recently hit both the USA Today and NYT bestseller lists and I could not be more thrilled!
I live in the Pacific Northwest with my family, my favorite color is glitter, and I spend as much time as I can at the beach. (The ocean is my happy place.)
What music do you listen to (if any) when you write?
I have some pretty extensive playlists. Typically it's a lot of music that feels like it has the vibe of the project I'm working on but lately they've been getting more atmospheric too. The book I'm working on now has big car chase/stuck in the woods vibes, so half the music is uptempo and fast paced and then there'll be a random track of "the woods at night" or something and it's just crickets and trees creaking. Haha! Whatever brings the right image and vibes to my brain, makes it into the playlist. They're also crazy long, this latest one has over a hundred songs.
What books or authors inspired you to become a writer?
Way way back when I first started writing it was during the Twilight craze. I don't think I knew that YA was a thing before then so I 100% credit me starting to write YA with Twilight and Stephenie Meyer. She was the gateway to me reading so many amazing books. Once I eventually found my way into the YA horror/thriller space, I was greatly inspired by Courtney Summers, Karen McManus, and Maureen Johnson. They're true powerhouse writers and reading their books taught me so much about what I want to be as an author myself.
About the Book: That's Not My Name
What is your book about for those who haven’t read it?
That's Not My Name is about a teenage girl who wakes up in a ditch with no memory of who she is or how she got there, who's then claimed at the police station by her father and brought home to his fishing cabin in the woods. But as she begins to regain her memories, her father's version of her life doesn't really match up with what she remembers.
Sixty miles away, Drew's girlfriend has been missing for weeks, and he was the last person to see her alive. When it becomes clear the sheriff is more interested in arresting Drew for murder than actually looking for Lola, he sets off to find her himself with his only allies: his cousin Max, and Autumn, Lola's best friend. But every clue they find brings them closer to that cabin in the woods... and once they go in, they might never come back out.
What has been your inspiration for writing it?
This book began as the mental image of a teenage girl in a ditch. I was probably cleaning my house at the time? And I kept thinking about her and how she got there, and the what if's began. "What if you woke up in the woods and didn't know who you were?" "What if you didn't know who to trust?" "What would you do if you couldn't remember who was dangerous and who wasn't?" and her story evolved from there. I loved the idea of discovering who she was along with her, and exploring the vulnerability of a teenager with no memories.
What was your favorite scene or part of your book to write?
I have to say Drew's POV was the most fun. Particularly because of the challenges that come with writing a character who doesn't know who she is? Drew was much more clear, and he's very sarcastic and cutting and full of emotion. I had the best time watching him and his Scooby Gang stumble their way through events that no teenager should have to navigate and see how he comes out the other side. There's a scene in his bedroom with Autumn and Max that is so funny to me, and that's probably one of my favorite scenes in the entire book because it's just a bunch of kids ragging on each other while they figure out what to do. It's so much fun.
Where can your book be purchased?
That's Not My Name can be purchased anywhere books are sold, (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, etc) but the best place you could ever buy a copy of my books is at your local indie bookstore. I also occasionally go out to Beach Books in Seaside Oregon to sign copies, so you can contact them and see if they have any in stock if you'd like a signed one!
It's also available in ebook, and audiobook as well. :-)
To the Future Writer:
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write a book?
Try not to be discouraged by the no's. There's going to be a lot of them because this industry is difficult to break into, and there's a lot of personal taste involved. The only way to make it happen is to keep writing and keep READING and learning, despite the no's. The people who don't make it happen are the ones that stop trying. It's taken me fifteen years to get here and it's worth every single no I weathered along the way.
I would also say that everyone's path is different. Everyone struggles with different things. You may write two books and find your way through, or if could take 10+ to figure out how YOU write a book. It takes however long it takes for you to find your voice, and your niche. What makes your books special. Give it that time, and celebrate other people's wins as much as possible and you'll be in great shape.
What’s next for you? Any events, upcoming pubs, etc.
Yes! So I actually just got back from Winter Institute in Cincinnati and I'm home for a bit now that my book tour is over, but I'll be in Texas for the Texas Library Association conference in April and then I'm diving headfirst into all the prep for my second thriller. We have a title that's still a secret, and a cover that's still a secret, but I hope to be able to share more information about it in the next couple months!
Where can we find you:
Twitter, Instagram, & TikTok- @Megan_Lally_
Website- www.meganlallywrites.com
What’s on your TBR list?
I'm a big mood reader so I have no idea what order I'll get to these in, but I'm currently reading A Good Girl's Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson, and after that, I'm hoping to tackle:
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada
Looking For Smoke by K. A. Cobell
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
and What The Woods Took by Courtney Gould