First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
It’s a little Type A to admit this, but I knew I was going to be a writer since I was 8. OF COURSE, life and a mean-spirited professor got in the way. But here I am, writing! For a living! Living my lifelong dream!
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Did I mention the mean-spirited professor who told me that I had no talent in writing?! Scary, but I’ve been back to Stanford to speak twice now and students have guessed which prof majored in demoralizing would-be writers. I never confirm nor deny, but it’s sad to think how many potential authors he’s dissuaded and dismissed.
Anyhoo, I worked at Microsoft for a couple of years, had my kids, started reading children’s books to them, and fell back in love with YA novels. I realized what an awful role model I was being for my kiddos by allowing a BITTER professor derail my dreams. So I hauled myself to the University of Washington where I had two fantastic, nurturing teachers. And I sold my first book on the last day of class. Soon after, I sold my debut novel, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (AND A FEW WHITE LIES), at auction in a two-book contract. GIRL OVERBOARD ended up being that second book.
So that professor? He can eat my words.
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?
One thing? GIRL OVERBOARD is the book to read for the times when life beats you up and you need a reminder of how truly awesome you are. I mean that.
And now for the rest of my reasons! So think about GIRL OVERBOARD as the dark side to the rags-to-richest story. Syrah is the golden girl—how could her life be any better as a billionaire’s trust fund daughter? But she knows exactly why everyone orbits around her like she’s the sun in their universe. And then an accident exiles her from the one place that’s been her sanctuary: the mountains where she’s judged by her snowboarding, not her last name. And Syrah needs to find her true self-worth off the mountain.
Check out the Girl Overboard Book Channel on YouTube! Olympic Gold Medalist Hannah Teter reads from my book, being a snowboard girl who is changing the world with her amazing service projects.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/GirlOverBoardBook
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
I love it when high schoolers ask me that when I visit schools around the country. Because here’s the honest truth: THEY inspire me. I love teenagers: their power and vulnerability; their convictions and doubts; their idealism and slight cynicism. I love them and their stories.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Yes, and no on the whole loving a published author among them.
My kids were psyched when Burton Snowboards (who’ve put me on tour with Olympic Gold Medalist Hannah Teter to inspire teens to change the world!) scored me VIP tickets to the X-Games in Aspen. That was epic!
BUT then again, it’s hard on the fam when I’m in my head, working on a story. Or traveling on my book tour. Or having a bad writing day. Or have forgotten to eat because I’ve been so engrossed in my book… Oh…you don’t want to be around me when I’ve skipped a meal or two.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
French fries. What can I say? Yum in a crispy crunch.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Aside from going to the bathroom?
Make my kids breakfast, go to yoga, and check my readergirlz site.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?
My scream of embarrassment.
Definitely.
Honestly, I would body block you from peeking in my closet, which is a physical manifestation of my head right now. There are piles of dirty clothes. And piles of clothes that I thought I might want to pack but didn’t. And piles of clothes I should pack for the next city. And clothes that need to go to the dry cleaner but haven’t because I haven’t been home to drive them to the dry cleaner.
Everyone asks the question about “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?
I’d be red, the color of hot and zesty life.
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Right now, I’m slightly obsessed with the Tokidoki cartoon characters. They are major cuteness.
Which cartoon character is most like you?
Umm…the road runner. Beep! Beep!
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 would beam myself into the medieval times so long as I could beam myself out in one piece and beam in a toothbrush and toothpaste. And saniwipes.
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 in hunt of new music. Help, people! The amazing librarian Dawn Rutherford has taken me under her musical tutelage.
For some books, I need quiet to write; for others, I need loud hip hop and loud punk music. So it depends on what the book dictates and how loud my inner critic is. Sometimes I need to drown her out.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?
Love Heroes. Love Gilmore Girls (except for the last dismal ruinous season). I love love love Before Sunset, would watch that time and again.
Last weekend we went to see National Treasure. It’s no Indiana Jones.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Your words and ideas and actions are truly powerful. You are today’s changemakers. So please check out the Go Overboard Challenge Grant that I’m co-sponsoring with Burton Snowboards and Youth Venture. We’re giving away 12 grants, $1,000 each, to fund the best youth-led ideas that will rock the world.
Web: www.burton.com/GoOverboardGrant (click on U.S.)
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FGgsDxo07I
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
My next novel, NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, is coming out in November, 2009. That book tackles the whole notion of beauty and True Beauty.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
IT IS AN HONOR TO BE HERE.
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