Interview with Lauren Henderson

http://www.tartcity.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?

As long as I can remember. It’s definitely always been my passion – I was trying to write Regency romances from the age of 11. I really hope I never find those old notebooks because I’d be quite embarrassed to read them now. For some reason, I was obsessed with counting how many words I’d written and I would write in a big notebook and count the words in every single line – that sounds so OCD, doesn’t it? But I always assumed that I would end up being a writer, and earn my living at it, which shows either an amazing amount of self-confidence or self-delusion. I never seriously considered that I'd have any other career.

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

I entered a competition to find a new female crime writer, and though I didn’t win, one of the judges was a literary agent and asked to read the full m/s of the book (I’d submitted sample chapters). She gave me good notes, but didn’t end up representing me. Still, her notes enabled me to cut the book and sharpen the plot, and I then sent it off to a girl I’d been at university with, who was working as an editor. My book, Dead White Female, was her first purchase – and the first book in my Sam Jones series. She paid me practically nothing, but having a publishing deal enabled me to get an agent, which was a huge step too. I was part of a writers’ group for a couple of years, too, which I would recommend to everyone as it really helped develop my writing.

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?

Well, it's called KISSES AND LIES, and the short answer is that there are two gorgeous boys in it, which for me is always enough reason to read a book! The longer one is that there's lots of twists and turns, and the mystery at the end of my first book, KISS ME KILL ME, gets resolved in this sequel. Scarlett, the heroine, has to travel to Scotland to search for clues to the mystery of Dan's death and there's a historic castle, crumbling ruins, and a very unexpected person waiting for her... it's quite dark but also very romantic.

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

Me - in the sense that I tell stories that I myself would want to read. I have to really care about a story to be interested enough to spend the time spinning it out and writing it down. And then, I get inspiration from all sorts of places – KISS ME KILL ME, the first Scarlett Wakefield book, came from an article in the Canadian press about a girl who kissed her boyfriend and he dropped dead – they thought it was because he had a nut allergy and she had eaten peanuts. Though that turned out to be a wrong assumption, I and my editor thought it would make a fantastic premise for a mystery novel. I’m also allergic to nuts myself, though much less so than Dan in KISS ME KILL ME, so it’s something I know quite a lot about! I decided I wanted this to be the heroine’s first kiss, because that would make it even more important to her to find out how Dan really died, and whether she was responsible. So that was my initial impetus for the book, and the series, because I wanted the mystery of Dan’s death to be complicated enough to have to run over more than one book.

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

Yes, though when my younger sister was reading my Sam Jones adult mystery series, she'd always get me and Sam confused and say things like “when you did this”, meaning Sam, which was a bit too close for comfort for me, as Sam can be very badly-behaved at times! My husband's incredibly supportive of my writing and my gay best friend is curled up in an armchair right now by the fire, reading a proof copy of KISSES AND LIES. Everyone round me is very good at understanding that being a writer means being unavailable at times because you're so deep in your own world. And my husband is also very good at making me nice strong cappuccinos in the morning and then leaving me alone to write.

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

PASTA! I love carbs but sadly don't have the metabolism to stuff them down without putting on weight, so I have to work out a lot to enjoy my favourite foods! I'm definitely a savoury, rather than sweet, person when it comes to my tastes – I'd always pick a bowl of pasta with cheese over ice-cream, for instance.

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

Go back to sleep, wake up again, drink coffee, go to the computer to start writing. That's four, actually....

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

Erm, that's a really embarrassing question! I'm going to go with my wig collection...

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?

Violet. I love the name, and it's a really beautiful, bright, stunning colour. You can't ignore violet!

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Wonder Woman.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Okay, I asked around for this one. My friend Marie says Pebbles, from the Flintstones. My husband, very annoyingly, said Donald Duck because I quack away all the time. And my gay best friend said Belle from Beauty And The Beast because I always have my nose in a book, and I have big brown eyes and chestnut curls. But he adds that I don't look good in yellow, so the resemblance isn't perfect...

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'd probably go back to the Regency period, because I'm obsessed with Jane Austen. I wrote a non-fiction dating guide, called Jane Austen's Guide To Dating, which really works – it's how I found my husband! So I think I'd go back to her time, take her a copy of my book and ask her if she thinks I've done her justice. I'd love to meet her. But generally, I wouldn't want to go back in time because it was so much harder to be a woman then. You had much less freedom, hardly any rights, you could barely go for a walk by yourself. I might be interested in going two hundred years into the future to see if we really do have tons of space travel...

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 currently obsessed with the Kings of Leon's new album and I also like the Twilight soundtrack a lot. I like all sorts of pop stuff – Pink's new album is great – and for working out I like very fast dancey stuff like, well, Pink. I also love sentimental country, like Carrie Underwood, Sugarland, Taylor Swift. I know it's not fashionable but I've made my peace with not having remotely hip tastes in music. If I had to pick one favourite band, it would definitely be Depeche Mode. And no, I don't usually listen to music while I'm writing – the words distract me.

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'm obsessed by Law and Order – the original and best. SVU is okay, but is getting really gruesome and bizarre, and in Criminal Intent they're all overacting and the stories are basic. I love Dexter, Burn Notice and The Closer as well – they're all very cleverly-told and have great senses of humour. The last movie I saw in the theatre was Quantum of Solace – very disappointing. It's ridiculous to have a Bond villain who's just a skinny European woopsie in a floral shirt (and I say that as someone many of whose friends are skinny European woopsies in floral shirts).

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

Only one?? Help! Um, YOU'RE NOT FAT. REALLY. YOU ARE NORMAL. I spent all my teen years and a lot of my twenties convinced I was clinically obese and I look back at pictures of a perfectly normal girl who should just have put on a bikini and gone to the beach more. EVERYONE'S tummy sticks out when you sit down. Also: find a gay best friend who will tell you that you resemble Belle from Beauty and the Beast, rather than a husband who will tell you that you're Donald Duck. Sigh.

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

Ooh, lots! I'm writing the third Scarlett Wakefield book, KISS IN THE DARK, at the moment – it'll come out in January 2010. And I've just finished a bonkbuster- that's what in England we call a big beach read of a book with lots of sex, shopping and intrigue – it's called DIVAS and it comes out in the UK in August under the name Rebecca Chance. Its heroines are a spoilt beautiful heiress and a blonde pole dancer and they have to team up to retrieve their inheritances from their nemesis, an evil stepmother with cold Siberian-husky-blue eyes. It's a ton of fun.

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

Thank you, Jen, you've been a great server. Now can I have another plate of pasta, please?

Interview with Laurie Halse Anderson

http://www.writerlady.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 have always made up stories and written for fun. I didn’t think about trying to become a published author until I was 30 years old.

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

I made every mistake possible. I did not understand how to revise and thus sent off some very-poorly written books. Great ideas, lousy execution. They were all rejected. They deserved it. For three long years I accumulated hundreds of rejection letters.

Once it got through my thick head that revision is a critical part of the writing process, and I developed the discipline to actually do it, the rejection letters turned into nice, friendly phone calls from editors who wanted to send me contracts.

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?

WINTERGIRLS is darker and more intense than SPEAK.

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

My readers. Many of them write to me and come out to my book signings so I know the kinds of things they are struggling with.

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

I fell in love with my husband, Scot, when I was 3 years old and he was 6. He is a carpenter, he does most of the cooking at our house, and he doesn’t mind that I usually have my nose stuck in a book.

We have four kids. Stephanie is 23 and works in a bookstore. Jessica just turned 23 and is a physical education teacher. Meredith is 21 and is about to graduate from college. She is hoping for a job as a middle school science teacher. Christian is almost 17 and is a high school junior.

I’ve been a published author most of their lives, so it’s not a big deal to them, unless a new friend or teacher freaks out when they find out the kids are related to me.

I think my children do get a little bored when I blabber on and on and on and on and on about my latest project.

Oh, and we have a dog, Kezzie. She is not impressed with my work yet because I haven’t been on Oprah.

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

Popcorn with butter. Second-place: mashed potatoes. Oatmeal will do in a pinch.

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

Turn off the alarm clock, kiss my husband, start the tea water boiling.

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 office is in the attic. You might be surprised to find out I still don’t have bookshelves, just mountains of books piled under the eaves.

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?

Red. Red is blood life anger power fire dawn muscle kiss.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Toss-up between Bugs Bunny and Spider Man.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Raven.

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?

With George Washington from December 20, 1776 – January 9, 1777. This was when his army was falling apart and he made the very daring crossing of the Delaware River and attacks upon British and German troops in Princeton and Trenton, NJ. Critical turning point in the American Revolution.

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

I listen to a lot of ambient and trance music when I’m writing. I love Coldplay and Sigur Ros. But I like blues, classic rock, and country, too. It all depends on my mood.

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 don’t watch much television. Mostly college basketball and NFL football. I do like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, um…, and …., er (trying to think of other shows here)… Oh – Ace of Cakes is cool, and the original Iron Chef, set in Japan.

I love Van Helsing. Can’t remember the last movie I saw in a theater. It could have been the last X-Men movie. Not sure.

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

Don’t worry so much. People put absurd, bogus pressure on things like SATs, as if the college you get into when you are 18 years old will determine your success or failure as a human being for the rest of your life.

It doesn’t.

If you focus more on learning how to live a life that is healthy for your body, your mind, and your soul, you’ll be in a better position to take advantage of opportunities as they arise, and it will be easier for you to figure out which paths through life you want to try.

Oh, one more thing – stop watching so much TV. It is a waste of your precious time.

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

I am going to be bouncing back and forth between historical fiction and contemporary YA novels. I’ve also been thinking about writing a book about writing, and maybe trying my hand at speculative fiction.

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

Thank YOU!!!

Interview with Barbara Dee

http://www.barbaradeebooks.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?

Actually, I always knew. When I was ten, I used to tell people I wanted to be an “authoress,” probably as a result of reading too much Louisa May Alcott.

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

I found that road after exploring some others: teaching high school English, practicing (and I do mean practicing) law, being a stay-at-home mom. When my youngest kid started first grade, I thought, “Okay, here’s my chance. If it doesn’t work out, at least I gave it a shot.” I wrote three manuscripts: tossed the first, sent the second around, sold the third. Getting published isn’t easy: you have to embrace rejection. And if some editor takes the time to tell you what you’re doing wrong, you have to view that feedback as a gift.

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?

Solving Zoe is about the scary, exciting process of figuring out who you are and where you belong. It’s also about secret codes, chocolate ice cream, best friend problems, an impossible family, a weird school, a weirder non-boyfriend, and a cute iguana.

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

Hard to say. I never base characters on actual people. I do steal vocal mannerisms, though, which means I do a lot of eavesdropping.

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

Seriously, they are. I have three kids, Alex (19), Josh (15), and Lizzy (12). They’re all great readers and highly critical editors of my manuscripts. Which is a good thing. No, really.

My husband, Chris, has been incredibly supportive. Whenever I feel discouraged, he gives me a pep talk. Several times I’ve felt like quitting, and he wouldn’t allow it. He’s a fantastic writer and editor and reader, and I honestly couldn’t be doing this without him.

And I have to mention my parents. They go to every Barnes & Noble and Borders they can, rearranging my books on the shelves so that they’re displayed for maximum visibility. Nobody loves you like your parents.

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

Oh, that’s easy. Definitely chocolate. Chocolate anything.

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

Nudge cat out of the way. Shower. Brush teeth.

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

How messy they all are. I’m an incredibly disciplined person—I think you have to be to write on a daily basis. But the way I deal with old clothes and scraps of paper and broken shoes is to toss them all in closets and hope they’ll go away.

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?

A sycamore, because it has the most—oh, sorry. I thought you said “tree.”

Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?

Calvin from “Calvin and Hobbes” is my absolute favorite. In real life I’m probably more like his frazzled mom, but let’s not go there.

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’ve always thought Ancient Greece was fascinating, but I’m not sure how much fun it would have been to be a woman there, or a commoner. Same for Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Elizabethan England, Renaissance Italy. Actually, come to think of it, maybe I’ll just stay put, Scotty.

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

Right now I’m obsessed with Bob Dylan. I really didn’t get him when I was a kid, but now I think he’s a visionary genius, a completely fearless, iconoclastic original. But I can’t listen to any music when I’m writing. Must—have—total—silence.

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?

Lately I’ve been watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report when I’m on the treadmill. Sometimes I laugh so hard I lose my footing, so I don’t recommend this method of TV viewing. As for movies, there are certain ones I HAVE to watch whenever they’re on, like The Godfather (I and II), Annie Hall, Casablanca, ET, Tootsie, and That Thing You Do. Any Christopher Guest movie (e.g., Best in Show, This Is Spinal Tap, For Your Consideration) is also must-viewing for me. And there are certain actors I’ll watch no matter what they’re in, like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kate Winslet.

The last movie I saw in a theater? Probably Wall-E. Which I loved, even though it made me sad.

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

You don’t have to figure out everything all at once. If you want to do something creative, or just hard, give yourself time. Allow yourself to fail a little; it’s really okay! And try to tune out negative people. Figure out who can give you truly constructive criticism, and try to hear it without freaking out.

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

My third book, for now titled The Francesca Earthquake, will be out next spring as an Aladdin MIX paperback. It’s about a seventh grade girl named Evie whose life is predictable and boring—until she’s forced to do a U.S. History project with wild, gorgeous, untrustworthy Francesca. While they’re tracking down a diary about the San Francisco Earthquake, they get sidetracked by various romantic escapades and ice cream. (Hmm. Another book about ice cream. Do you think I have an ice cream problem?) This book was a lot of fun to write, and I have to admit I think it’s funny.

I’m currently writing a fourth book, about a girl named Marigold trying to cope with a mom who’s a performance artist. I’m trying to capture that feeling almost every middle schooler has, at least once: that their mom is the most embarrassing person on the planet. Except in Marigold’s case, it’s true.

Again, thanks so much for joining us at http://www.teensreadtoo.com/!