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 never intended to become a professional writer. It happened by accident.
I began writing stories for fun in first grade. In fourth grade, I wrote a 50+ page science fiction story and started reading the dictionary and thesaurus for fun on rainy Saturdays. In sixth grade, I wrote a 220+ page book about ancient Egypt.
In first grade, I wanted to become a "rocket scientist." From fourth to ninth grade, I wanted to become a chemist. Throughout high school, I wanted to become a geneticist or biochemist, and I wanted to find a genetic-based cure for cancer.
In college, I wrote science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror stories for fun while sitting through classes. In my early twenties, I wrote about 500 pages of drivel-novel. In my late twenties, I wrote a 499-page drivel-novel, a 55-page drivel-story and a 300-page drivel-novel.
I ended up being a writer because it was the only thing I truly enjoyed doing. Ultimately, it became the only thing that I was any good at doing.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
The 55-page drivel-story referenced above almost sold 3 times. The next 12+ stories that I wrote after the 55-pager sold to professional-level magazines and anthologies. At that point, for better or worse, there was no turning back.
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?
I've been hooked on vampire stories since I was 13 years old, so The Twilight Companion is a fan's book about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series. I hope that the book is fun, entertaining, and interesting. I don't want to try and convince anyone to buy The Twilight Companion. If people like my books, it means I'm touching them in some small way, and this makes me happy.
Look for the Second Edition of The Twilight Companion in October 2009. I'm writing a few new chapters right now.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
That's hard to say because each story is different. The common thread among all my published work is that I aim to touch readers and help them see the world in slightly different ways. I try to go far beyond simple facts and stories. I want people to think as they read, and I want to entertain them. One of the beauties of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Series, I think, is that it has provoked so much discussion about the meaning of love, relationships, men and women and how we interact. She definitely is true to herself, and you have to respect that.
Let's hear about your family, who I'm sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I have one son and one daughter. Both are used to mom being a writer. I even wrote a few books with my son when he was 10 and 12 years old, so he's a published author, too.
Now for some fun facts. What's your greatest comfort food?
chocolate
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
groan
roll over and try to fall back asleep
groan
Then I get up, make some coffee, and start my work day.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what's the one thing that would surprise me the most?
There are books everywhere. Well, maybe that wouldn't surprise you!
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?
Blue is my favorite color these days (for many years, I preferred green). Blues, aquamarines: they remind me of the ocean, which I love. Blue is tranquil.
Who is your favorite cartoon character?
Pinky from Pinky and the Brain
Pinky is totally whacky, and the Brain is cold and calculating.
Which cartoon character is most like you?
Pinky from Pinky and the Brain
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?
Well, it would be interesting to meet Moses as he came down the mountain with the 10 commandments.
So what's your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you're writing?
I prefer quiet while I'm writing. I enjoy all types of music, actually.
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?
The last movie I saw at the theater was (of course!) Twilight. As for TV, I've watched some Law and Order episodes five or six times. Office Space, Misery, and Throw Mama from the Train are a few movies that I've seen over and over again. I never grow tired of them.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Be true to yourself.
This is what Bella does in Twilight. And it means:
Be yourself and believe in yourself.
Stand by your true friends.
Don't let anyone push you around or make you do things you really don't want to do.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
I'm working on the Second edition of The Twilight Companion right now, as well as something totally new and exciting that I cannot talk about yet.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thanks for interviewing me. It was fun! And keep in touch!
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