Interview with Miranda from Holly Cupala

I have the pleasure of hosting the amazing Holly Cupala and her amazing character Miranda on her awesome blog tour. She was luckily available to interview. I hope you enjoy a glimpse into her mind.
1. What would you like most for people to remember about Xanda?
I remember her scent, her smile, the way her eyes were like mine. How she was never afraid to be herself, even if it meant sacrifice. It’s hard to remember the bad things, even though I know they were there. She could be wild and destructive, even to herself—but she would have defended me to the death. My memory of her is like a bird flying into the sun, dazzling and dangerous and headed straight into the light.
2. What was the hardest part of dealing with rumors while you were pregnant? What advice do you have for other teens dealing with rumors and bullying?
Looking back over my friendship with Delaney, I realized I wanted to find something in her that wasn’t there. She had some of the superficial qualities of my sister—fierce confidence, charm, and delectable outrageousness. But where my sister’s covered loyalty and a dangerous selflessness, Delaney’s covered brutal insecurity and a need to conquer. She had to take someone else down to feel better about herself, and it came out through rumors and manipulation—of me and of others.
I wish I would have seen Delaney and the situation more clearly from the beginning. I hope other girls will recognize when a friendship is unhealthy and destructive, and find strength—first to take themselves out of the line of fire, and if necessary, to get help from someone they trust.
3. I grew up in the suburbs outside of Seattle. What are your favorite parts of the city?
I think my favorite parts are the places that make me remember the people I care about. Plum blossoms in April make me think of Kamran, and Capitol Hill makes me think of our first kiss. The rain makes me think of Xanda. Snow on the mountains makes me think of Lexi, and how her being here has changed everything.
4. What are your favorite things about Labyrinths? What other types of art would you also like to do?
If you asked me a year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you—that my labyrinth drawings echoed the paths I followed to understand my past, and that I hoped to find my way into the future. I wouldn’t have been able to draw faces, or as my mother said, “I’d take something beautiful and turn it into something hideous.” That was before any of us understood. Before Lexi. I learned to draw faces…and trees, and water…and birds flying out of the labyrinth and into the sun. There is freedom outside of the labyrinth, seeing the path stretch out in every direction. The question now is where I might want to go next.
5. What do you hope people remember about your story?
The thing I remember most is what Nik said to me in my darkest moment: “Life is constantly weaving together, and we can look back and see all of the threads. We don’t always know why things happen until down the road.” I don’t know why Xanda had to die, or why I got to live, or why Lexi happened. But I do know it all has meaning. Maybe someday I will have the answers, but for right now, I have hope.
I am happy to say that I will be giving away a signed copy to one lucky winner. It will be international and ends on the July 23rd. Just leave a comment with a secret that you have kept and also your email address.