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 in the sixth grade and I loved to write scary stories. I was influenced by Alvin Schwartz and his Scary Stories books, and the only thing I thought about was seeing my name on a book cover.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
After many years of writing short stories I wrote my first manuscript for a novel in 2005. Although the novel was intended for adults, I was eager to get it out there for people to read. The only possibility I had at the time was to self publish, and that’s what I did. Although it was successful, self publishing is very hard work.
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?
The latest book I have available for teens is Bittersweet: The Diary of Brandy Morgan. It’s a novel that simultaneously focuses on hate crimes and teen love. I recognize that some teens experience racism and hate on a regular basis. I expect teens to gravitate toward Bittersweet for a look at real teen issues and behavior, and help themselves to recognize similar thoughts and feelings and what to do about them. That’s why in the back matter of Bittersweet: The Diary of Brandy Morgan I added some information about racism and hate crimes to help teens and parents understand more about the issue.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My passion for writing and creating a world of characters has been my inspiration. Creating has been a big part of my individuality for most of my life. I like to bring my ideas to life and share it with as many people as possible. Hopefully, I will be an inspiration to someone else and their life.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I come from a big family of one brother and six sisters who are very proud of me. My mom encourages me to keep writing and to do the things that make me happy. My soon-to-be husband is a very positive motivator in my life as well. He supports me like no other, and I am very grateful!
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
I love anything that makes a crunch in my mouth. My family calls me Noche (no-chee) because as a child I loved to sit and eat crunchy foods like chips and pickles.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I check my emails, have some breakfast, and prepare to write for the day. And all that usually takes up my whole morning and afternoon. Yes, I usually have a backache when I’m through.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?
Finding my painting supplies and my music albums in my closet would surprise most people, because a lot of people don’t know that I paint landscapes and make music as a hobby. I’ve been painting and singing for years and that’s part of my personality. I love to create.
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 would love to be the color purple because it’s everything that I think I am. It’s unique, bold, and it’s a bit mysterious. There’s something about the color purple that draws a person in.
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
I love Bugs Bunny! He’s smart, funny, energetic, clever, witty, and squeezable. He’s everything that I like in a friend.
Which cartoon character is most like you?
Jerry the mouse (from the Tom and Jerry cartoons). Although Tom is very quick-tempered and easily upset, Jerry is independent and opportunistic. Tom is no match for Jerry's brains and wits.
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 go back to the seventh grade where I had an opportunity to publish some of my scary stories in a magazine, and I would submit them. I didn’t do it then because I wasn’t motivated. Thankfully, I learn from my mistakes. I would never let an opportunity like that pass me by again.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?
I get teased a lot for this, but I love the Backstreet Boys. I often listen to their latest album while writing. I like most Pop and R&B like Beyonce, Danity Kane, Chris Brown, and Rihanna. I also like some rock like MCR (My Chemical Romance).
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 recently watched Run, Fat Boy, Run, starring Simon Pegg. I love every movie he and Nick Frost acts in especially Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I watched them over and over and recite some scenes by heart.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Do what you love to do and stay positive. Know that there is no such thing as “never.”
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
In the near future I will publish a scary story book for teens who like the thrill of horror. It has always been a dream of mine to create an anthology of scary stories to share since I was in the sixth grade. Very soon that dream will come true for me.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
0 comments:
Post a Comment