Interview with Danielle Joseph

www.daniellejoseph.com

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’ve known that I wanted to be a writer since I was in first grade. My teacher, Mrs. Peterson, had us write and illustrate our own stories. Then she typed up our words and laminated the books. I still have mine, “Mommy, Can I go to the Zoo?” I was hooked after that. I couldn’t believe that we were allowed to write whatever we wanted.

Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?

It’s one filled with perseverance. I have quite a few novels tucked away in my cyber drawer. I had a few close calls with a couple of earlier books before I got my offer on Shrinking Violet. I learned a lot from my bumpy road to publication and with each rejection I feel that my writing grew. I do believe that if you want something bad enough, you should never give up! And of course it helps to have an agent that believes in your work and sticks by you.

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?

My story, Shrinking Violet, is about real people. The main character Tere is painfully shy but that does not mean that she doesn’t have goals and dreams. It just means that she has obstacles to overcome if she wants to shine, like most people.

What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?

Again, I garner my inspiration from real people, including my own experiences as a teen. I listen to those around me and learn from the greats too. Tere gathers strength from reading Helen Keller’s autobiography, The Story of My Life, and from reading Helen’s book I learned so much too about being yourself and never giving up, no matter what obstacles you have to face.

Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!

They are all very excited and have been cheering me along my whole journey! My husband has been very supportive in many ways so he was particularly thrilled. Even my sons were involved in the process and have become very familiar with the girl on the cover! And of course my parents and siblings are very happy too since they know I’ve been writing since I was a kid.

Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?

Chocolate most definitely—couldn’t live without it! And I also love pineapple, strawberries and pickles (not topped with chocolate, though!).

What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?

Usually I’m rushing to get the kids ready for school, so it’s just the essentials: shower, brush my teeth, dress, yell at the boys to hurry up and hopefully sneak off for a few minutes to check my email. On the weekends I like to sleep in a bit if I can and let the morning unwind.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?

Some of the things that I have saved from my childhood, like my first teddy bear, the book I wrote in first grade, my middle and high school yearbooks-cringe, and all the clothes that I never wear!

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 be Indigo because it is a combination of two colors, blue and violet, making it both a cool and warm color. It means inner harmony, something I always strive for and has a sense of peace to it.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

I was a big fan of the Smurfs growing up and I just went online to www.bluebuddies.com/smurf_fun and after entering my real name, found out that my smurf name is Sassafras Smurf. Sounds good to me!

Which cartoon character is most like you?

This is definitely a tough one but I’ll choose Snoopy. He is independent, is expressive without needing to be the center of attention, and is very easy going. So I feel like we share some common traits.

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’ve liked to have been around in the 1930’s in South Africa when my grandfather was a kid. I always admired him as a young child so I’d want to know how he grew up and know what shaped his humble personality.

So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?

I am such a huge fan of music, all types. Just like my main character, Tere, I could not live without music. I like everything from hip to reggage to world music to alternative rock. Sometimes I listen to music when I write and even have a playlist on my web site for Shrinking Violet. But when I edit I like it to be quiet.

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?

For the past few years I’ve been watching American Idol and E/R. Since E/R is ending this season I need to pick a new favorite show. The last movie I saw in the theater was Slumdog Millionaire, which I loved! The movies that I like to watch over and over again are some 80’s/90’s classics like Heathers, Breakfast club and Say Anything.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?

To be yourself and try not to be a victim of peer pressure. Everyone finds their place in life, but not all at the same time. If things are tough, hang in there, you can make it!

One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?

Stories from the heart with characters that readers can identify with. And there will always be a dose of humor, love and intrigue to my books.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!

Thanks for this interview. I had a lot of fun answering your questions!