When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I wrote stories all through school, but it never occurred to me that I could write as my life's work--until I got a job as an editorial assistant at a publishing house, where I saw that writers were, in fact, real people.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Like I said, I caught the bug working at a publishing house. My first book, a romance novel, sold pretty quickly, but then I took a lot of time to think about what kind of genre I should 'brand' myself in. Several years later, I wrote a short romantic comedy, but the line I was writing for tanked. Then I realized young adult novels could be short and fun and have romantic elements too, so I gave that a shot. The result was I Was a Teenage Popsicle, which came out in the Fall of 2006. The sequel, Beyond Cool, is due to be released on August 7th, 2007--woohoo!
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
Cryonically preserved, recently thawed teen heroine!!! (Also, you don't have to have read I Was a Teenage Popsicle to get Beyond Cool!)
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Well, I have one teen and one pre-teen at home, who are great about recommending books and giving me ideas.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Yeah, gives me some cred with my kids and their friends. And my hubby is my biggest fan.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
Mac and cheese, natch.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Drink three cups of coffee.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise me the most?
Everything in my closet is black or white. Except for my jeans. And one pair of khaki shorts. (I just find it easier to coordinate stuff. I'm like Jeff Goldblum in The Fly.)
Everyone asks the question, "If you could be a tree, which tree would you be?" so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Duh, black. 'Cuz it's my main wardrobe/decor color, plus it suits an angsty teen lit author.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons, for both. She's artistic and intelligent, but sometimes she messes up by overshooting.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world ("Beam me up, Scotty!") during any time in history, where and when would it be--and why?
I was alive in the 1960s, but I was just a kid. I would like to go back now and witness the major events firsthand. Such an exciting period in modern history.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you're writing?
I'm really eclectic in my listening tastes. Right now I'm really big on Feist, a Canadian singer who's exploding internationally. Aside from contemporary pop/rock/indie music, I love classical music and show tunes.
Do you have any favorite TV shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theatre?
I like The Simpsons and Futurama on TV. As for movies, I'm into flicks that are realistic but entertaining as well. Love the teen movie Saved. It being Summer, the last movie I saw in theatres was the most recent Pirates.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Follow your dreams--even if someone tries to crush them!
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