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 today…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?
I was that kid that everyone thought would grow up to be a writer because I was such a readaholic. But I fooled everyone and became an actress instead. I spent most of my adult life doing voice-overs for radio and TV. I’ve done thousands of commercials. It wasn’t until much later in life that I decided to write.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
Getting published is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. WHISTLING IN THE DARK was rejected by over 130 agents for representation, so the temptation to give up was mighty. Thankfully, it all worked out.
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?
WHISTLING IN THE DARK is the kind of story that you don’t want to put down.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
I’m interested in writing about people and what goes on in our hearts, so just about anybody can inspire me.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
Yeah, they think it’s all pretty cool!
My husband Peter spends a lot of time running our Japanese restaurant. He loves music and was a tour manager for many years for Joe Cocker and Leon Russell, The Who, etc.
I have two kids who are the loves of my life. My daughter, Casey, is in law school in Viriginia and recently married a fine man, John-Michael Fleming. My son, Riley, attends the University of Wisconsin in Madison and is absolutely the funniest person I know when he isn’t driving me completely insane.
And my dog, Daisee, who is the cutest dog ever, which is good, because she’s incredibly dumb. And our horse, Bailey. Also our new kitten, Murphy.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
I am a complete sucker for fried chicken. And macaroni and cheese. And chips and dip. Ya know, all the healthy stuff.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Visualize having an excellent day
Drink a load of Earl Grey tea
Write
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?
That I own a gazillion shoes since about the only think I ever wear are sneakers.
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?
Pink! Because it doesn’t leave any room for interpretation.
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Eric Cartman
Which cartoon character is most like you?
Marge Simpson.
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?
Gosh, I guess it’d be the 1800’s. I’m pretty crazy about cowboys and horses and The Old West.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?
It so depends what mood I’m in. I love rock n’ roll and reggae. But my current favorite is the soundtrack from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.
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?
I LOVE TV! I watch all sorts of stuff. (I am an actress after all:) I also go to as many movies as I can. The last film I saw was JUNO. Wonderful! But my favorite movies of all time are TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Hard work pays off. And don’t EVER give up!
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
In August, my second book, LAND OF A HUNDRED WONDERS, will be released. I’m incredibly excited! It’s the story of a brain-damaged young woman, who attempts to solve a murder in hopes of restoring herself. Gibby McGraw is the most positive, tail-wagging protagonist ever.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
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