Interview with Eileen Cook

www.eileencook.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?

My parents were both big readers. I can’t remember a time without books. As soon as I understood that someone made up the stories that went in books, I knew that is what I wanted to do. I’ve always written and have folders stuffed full of stories and poetry. I went through a REALLY bad poetry phase in high school where I made emo kids look upbeat and perky.

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

I have a theory there is no road to publishing. There is a faint path that winds through wild and overgrown woods. A road sounds as if you can see where you are going and plan a step by step journey.

I knew I always wanted to be a writer, but for a number of years I had convinced myself that it wasn’t a “real” job. I continued to write, but never sent anything out. Someone pointed out that I already wasn’t published. The worse thing that would happen if I sent things out is that I still wouldn’t be published. Suddenly it seemed stupid not to at least try. I began to send things out and collect rejections along with selling a few small pieces here and there. Things fell into place for me when I hooked up with my literary agent, Rachel Vater. She sold my first book, Unpredictable and then encouraged me to try writing YA. We sold What Would Emma Do after that.

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?

Here is the summary for What Would Emma Do?

While juggling friendship issues (her best friend isn't speaking to her), a love triangle-turned-square (okay, maybe she shouldn't have kissed her best friend's boyfriend...but it was totally an accident!...sort of), and escalating mayhem in her small religious town (uh-oh...what would Jesus do?), Emma realizes she has to stop trying to please everyone around her and figure out what she wants for herself. It's time to start asking, "What would Emma do?"

The one thing I would say to try and convince you to read it is that I guarantee that you’ll laugh out loud as you watch Emma make her way through a difficult situation.

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

I think my brain is like freshly washed black slacks attracting cat hair and dirt. I collect ideas and inspiration here and there. I see something and fie it away to a corner of my brain. I never know where it will show up. I read a lot, I listen in to other people’s conversations, and I people watch whenever I’m in public.

All those ideas and images mill about inside my head until a story pops out. I wish I could point to one moment of inspiration, but I have no idea how it happens.

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

My parents are so excited. I think my dad keeps finding new ways to slip it into conversations. “Yep, sure is cold today. Good day for reading a book though. Have I mentioned my daughter writes them?”

My mom had saved a homework assignment I did in second grade. At the bottom of the page the teacher wrote: “I’m sure someday you’ll be an author.” After I sold my first book my dad hunted down my old teacher. She was 93 and living in a nursing home. We went to see her and bring her a signed book. She didn’t remember me. It wasn’t entirely clear if she remembered who she was. She spent the whole visit talking about getting her bunions scraped.

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

My favorite comfort food is warm bread fresh out of the oven. Mmmm. Having said that, I never say no to a good piece of dark chocolate. Heck, I won’t say no to a piece of mediocre chocolate.

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

I walk the dog, make myself a cup of tea and check my email. I am a compulsive email checker. I think I have the hope that at any moment an email is going to show up in my mailbox that is super exciting. Most of the times they are spam emails from someone in Africa who wants to share their fortune with me, but I keep hoping.

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

Overall my home is pretty organized and not very surprising. Except for my office. If you looked in my office you would wonder if I was going to turn into one of those people who hordes everything and ends up being crushed to death by a pile of their own stuff. Thankfully, the only room in our house like this is my office.

There is a giant wicker basket full of yarn (I knit), stacks and stacks of books, file folders full of newspaper clippings and half started stories, notebooks (some full some still blank), and a few candles here and there. I have a chair that always has a blanket on it (and usually my dog), and whatever book I am currently reading propped open. My laptop is on my desk waiting for me to get back to work.

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 love the water. My life long dream is to have a house overlooking the ocean or a huge lake. As a result my favorite colors would be water- blue, gray and green.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

I’ve always loved all things Winnie the Pooh. My favorite character is Eyeore. I love his gloom. It makes me want to give him a hug.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I think I most resemble Hobbes from Calvin and Hobbes. I have a huge love of play and adventure, but tend to be the thoughtful logical one.

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?

Oooh hard question. There are tons of places I would love to go and see. I love history. I’d love to go to ancient Egypt or Tudor England. Renaissance Italy would be nice too. Of course if I’m honest I’m pretty fond of indoor plumbing and other modern conveniences like my iPod. In the end I would most likely stay home- my dog and husband would miss me.

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

I like a little bit of everything, what I listen to depends on my mood. I’m a big jazz fan and Diana Krall is a favorite.

When I’m writing I can’t have music with words on or I tend to start singing along instead of working. I make playlists of movie soundtracks. They write music for the movies to enhance a particular scene or emotion, so I find I can match them to what I’m working on. For example, the theme to Indiana Jones is great for writing action scenes.

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 loved Battlestar Gallatica. They’ve got great writing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of my all time favorites and I’ll watch re-runs of that show anytime.

The last movie I saw at the theatre was The Maltese Falcon. One of our local theatres does classic movies on Saturday mornings. I’m going to see Rebel Without a Cause next. It’s great to see the old movies on the big screen.

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

Be true to who you are. There are plenty of people who will tell you what you need to do/say/wear to fit in. Keep your mind open and follow your own path.

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

I’m working on a book about betrayal, friendship, revenge, and a love for classic movies. I’m having so much fun coming up with revenge ideas. I had no idea I could be so evil.

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

Thanks so much for having me! Much appreciated.

Interview with Cara Haycak

www.carahaycak.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 was around 30 years old at the time. But I’d been thinking about how to tell stories for a while…having spent a couple of years working as a story editor for a film company paved the way.

My mother’s story was the true inspiration for actually becoming a writer, or maybe it was more like the kernel that popped for me. Because when I heard the story of my mother’s childhood, the whole truth about her life growing up on an island in Ecuador I found my subject. I saw her life as a novel. Her story became the book RED PALMS.

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

It was a long and winding road. Probably about ten years.

My book started as my MFA thesis and at the time I thought I was writing a coming-of-age novel for adults. But then the story became a girl’s tale of adventure in this jungle setting, and I started thinking a younger reader would relate to it more. So I rewrote it after grad school, changing from a third to first person voice which helped give it more of that feeling that things were happening as fast as the reader was finding out about them.

All that time, I was working full time, first as a website producer, and then a magazine editor. That slowed down the writing process. The business side of things took a while, too. Finding an agent and an editor was a two-year process, trying to connect with that perfect person who loved the book.

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?

Bugs.

I’m not kidding. It’s about a troubled girl growing up in a college town in upstate NY. She gets caught shoplifting and her mother makes her get a job so she can learn something about the value of money. And the job she gets is a bit of a doozy…breeding flies at the university entomology lab.

This is a job I actually had in college, and it was fascinating watching the process of metamorphosis. And in this new novel, LIVING ON IMPULSE, everything changes in our heroine’s life…changes real fast. It’s coming out August 2009.

And I think even somebody who doesn’t like bugs, is going to be changed by this book.

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

I’d say being a teenager thing was a big inspiration for me. I loved it. I had a lot of freedom and I think of that time in my life as when I became the person I am. So I like telling stories about teens to teens, and hope they find themselves both entertained and inspired by my stories.

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

Well my mom wasn’t alive to see the publication of my first book, but she read my graduate school thesis and was very impressed. And I got to dedicate this book to her, so that is a thrill. My dad has a framed copy of the book jacket hanging on a wall in his office. And he tells me every time I talk to him just how good the book is. So that feels really good, that he’s so proud. And now that my son is born…I hope he’ll be proud of me, too!

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

French fries, lots of salt. Pasta is always good, and I can eat extraordinarily large amounts of it with marinara sauce.

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

Get my son out of his crib, watch Thomas the Train with him while I gulp down a cup of coffee.

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

I have an insane amount of jackets. Not heavy coats. Just jackets. It never gets really cold where I live, but the night is cool and jackets are perfect for that. Plus I’ve found a jacket very helpful in making a statement. Of whatever, mood or personality or if you’re in need of some body re-shaping. I live in my jackets.

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 like that question. Huh, I think I would be chartreuse. Kind of a tart green, and not the kind of beauty for every taste, but striking nonetheless. You can’t help notice it.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

That’s easy. Bugs Bunny. I totally dig the Bugs. He’s so fabulously dry witted, energetic, invincible, utterly ironic. Just totally cool. And he doesn’t know he looks goofy in a dress. That’s me too.

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?

Wow. Ancient Rome to view the architecture and live in Italy at the beginning of civilization. But also Paris in the 1920’s if I could hang out with Hemingway and Picasso and all those amazing artists. And the 60’s in America just to feel that kind of freedom and passion.

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

I can sometimes listen to music when I write, if it has no lyrics, and it’s just sound that moves around me.

I like mostly alternative type music, and that’s pretty broad. It could be the White Stripes or Bright Eyes or some freak folk group. But I’m also sucker for a girl singer with a killer voice. Check out Sia…she’s number one for me right now.

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 do watch a lot of TV. Rescue Me with Dennis Leary is my favorite show on the air. But I’m addicted to Sex and the City still. All feels right in the world when I’m watching that.

Last movie I saw in a theater was Watchmen. It gave me a huge headache but I liked it anyway. The movie I could see over and over…that would have to be anything with Kate Winslet.

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

Figure out what you love to do and do it. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you not to do it. Unless it involves high-speed vehicles and a brick wall.

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

I’ll have a new book out this summer, about the girl who works with bugs. And after that, I’m working on a book about two best friends who take a bike trip to Cape Cod in the summer after they graduate from high school, and over the course of the trip their friendship falls apart.

Find out more at www.carahaycak.com

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

Interview with Greg Logsted

www.greglogsted.com

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 toda…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.

No. Thank you, Jen. It’s a pleasure.

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 guess it was in third grade. I wrote a story about a mouse. That’s all I remember about it - a mouse doing mouse-type things, fighting for cheese, running from cats. My teacher really liked it and made a big deal about it and I thought, ‘Hey, I like this attention.’

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

It’s taken me a while; I definitely have a day job and don’t plan on dropping that anytime in the future (but wouldn’t that be nice…just give me a moment here to dream about it…yes, that would be nice).

My wife is also a published writer (Lauren Baratz-Logsted). She’s been a huge help. I mean HUGE. One of the hardest parts of getting published is just knowing which doors to knock on.

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?

SOMETHING HAPPENED is the story of thirteen-year-old Billy Romero five months after his dad’s unexpected death. Billy struggles to make sense of the loss of his father. His friends expect him to move on but he just can’t. His mother is struggling with work and the loss of her husband leaving Billy basically on his own. No one seems to understand how alone he feels…except his new English teacher, the young and beautiful Miss Gate. She offers him the support and friendship he craves. It’s a little weird but it’s also kind of exciting that someone like Miss Gate wants to hang out with him. But the closer they get, the more Billy wonders what kind of friendship this really is.

The one thing is…don’t you want to know what happens between Billy and his teacher?

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

My teenage years are very vivid to me. I enjoy writing from that viewpoint.

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

I live with my wife Lauren Baratz-Logsted and our nine-year-old daughter Jackie. Believe it or not we’re all published writers. Jackie and I worked with my wife on a series of books called The Sisters Eight. Check it out… www.sisterseight.com - oh yeah, that’s right: you reviewed the first two books! My parents live in Florida and my brother lives down there too.

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

I’d have to say, scrambled eggs on toast with ketchup. (Is that gross?)

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

I’ve got a large cannon in the front yard that I fire off every morning. The neighbors hate it. Just kidding. Let’s see…three things. Turn on my computer. Make a cup of tea. Start hunting for the newspaper.

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

Most people notice the portal to a different dimension.

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 guess blue. Blue just has a way of making me feel good, relaxed and contented. Besides, I know Blue…the guy’s rich. All the other colors envy him.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Sponge Bob can always cheer me up.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Sometimes I feel like Yosemite Sam when he was shipwrecked on that desert Island living on coconuts. Coconuts for breakfast, Coconuts for lunch, Coconuts for dinner until he breaks down and screams, “I HATE COCONUTS!”

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?

That’s a tough one but I’d have to pick the Great Empire of Greenland around 2096. Imagine being there when they first discovered time travel!

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

It’s always changing. Always. If you looked at my iPod artist list you’d see it’s all over the place. But right now it’s been Radiohead, Coldplay and the latest B.B. King. They’ve been on my CD loop for the past few weeks. If I listen to music while I’m writing it’s something without lyrics, because lyrics bounce around in my head making it impossible for me to write.

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?

House, Rescue Me, Dexter, Entourage, Weeds.

I can watch Vanilla Sky over and over again.

My last movie in the theater was Slumdog Millionaire.

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

The biggest piece of advice is to write every day, which means…every day. Got it?

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

ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH, my first hardcover! June 23 2009. It’s more action-packed than my first. It’s about a thirteen-year-old boy, Cody Saron, accustomed to living a globetrotting James Bond lifestyle with his mysterious dad. Cody must suddenly learn to cope with regular school life for the first time after he's forced into hiding when a secret mission turns bad. He thinks after everything he’s done that going to a small Connecticut junior high school will be easy, a piece of cake…boy, is he ever wrong.

This book is a whole lot of fun. I love the cover! They did a great job. It’s so cool - check it out at www.greglogsted.com

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

NO. Thank you! It’s been a whole lot of fun!

Interview with Justin Allen

www.justin-allen.com

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.

My pleasure.

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 loved exciting stories. As a kid I read comics, adventure stories, science-fiction and fantasy, classics and a lot of claptrap. Reading was my most constant pleasure, my most consistent entertainment. Certain characters seemed to jump off the page. They seemed more real than the people I knew, certainly more real than the people we read about in history class. I loved Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Batman and Spider-man, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, Conan the Barbarian, Gandalf the Gray, and so many others. I thought about them all the time and felt like I KNEW them. I wondered if you couldn’t really go to Baker Street and see Sherlock’s rooms, if there wasn’t really a Middle Earth some-where or some-when, and if Conan might not have really prowled the grizzled lands of pre-history. These characters have all gone well beyond their creators wildest dreams. They exist in our minds and in our culture, independent of the pages that gave them birth. I still hope to one day create a character that others care so much about that they too want to write about him, think about her, to search out the places those characters inhabited. I think that is the dream of all writers, and one I probably first formulated when I was about ten years old, reading the Adventures of Tom Sawyer for the first time.

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

Getting published for the first time is pretty dang hard. I studied writing in college, and then went to writing school. I spent years working on my first novel, “Slaves of the Shinar”, finding an agent who believed in it and me, and then working with her to find a publishing house that had a similar vision for what that book could be. All told, I think I worked on that novel from 1999 to 2007. That’s a lot of work! But I had a great time, too. For my new novel, “Year of the Horse”, I was lucky to already have a publishing house that I knew shared my love for characters, stories and quirky adventure.

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?

”Year of the Horse” tells the story of a first-generation American boy by the name of Yen Tzu-lu (his friends call him Lu). He is the child of Chinese immigrants who gets taken along on an adventure by a famous gun-fighter and mystic named Jack Straw, and Jack’s gang of outlaws. They aim to steal a gold mine, and Lu has been hired on as an explosives expert (he doesn’t know a thing about explosives, by the way). Needless to say, they have all sorts of adventures, encountering Native American Tribes, cowboys, ghosts, wild animals, legendary characters like the Headless Horseman and Coyote the Trickster, and finally what may well be the Devil himself. If they succeed they’ll be rich, and if they fail they’ll likely be dead.

But if I were to mention one single aspect of the book that I think should make you want to read “Year of the Horse,” it would be to simply reiterate the following:

They have to beat the Devil. THE DEVIL! That’s one tough challenge for any boy to face.

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

As I said before, I have been inspired by so many wonderful characters. But as a writer, probably my biggest inspiration has come from the works of Mark Twain. I love his sense of adventure, humor, and the way he captures a time and a place so perfectly you feel as though you are right there with the characters. What a story-teller!

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

I hope my family is thrilled, and that they will be equally thrilled to read “Year of the Horse”. I’ll let you in on a little secret. My family, both sides, helped to settle the American West. They sod-busted in Nebraska, were part of the Mormon migration to Utah, and crossed the country on the Oregon Trail. So, when I needed some characters and stories to include in the novel, I actually went back to some old family stories I remembered. I even put one of my great-great-grandmothers into the book, who went blind as a result of an outbreak of Spanish Flu in Eastern Idaho. I never knew her, but I remember all the things my grandmother told me about her, how she fixed her family’s windmill, helped her husband in his blacksmith shop, and even gardened and quilted, in spite of the fact that she was completely blind. I think she must have been an amazing woman, and I thought it would be neat to have a character with some of the same challenges she faced. But remember, this is a secret, just for you all, so don’t tell anyone in my family until they have a chance to read the book for themselves.

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

For some reason I eat a huge amount of rice. I like eggs and rice and beans, and rice with sausage, and fried rice, and rice pudding. I wouldn’t say that rice was my favorite food, but I sure do eat a lot of it.

Probably my favorite food is apple pie made by my grandmother, Jeane Hammond. I don’t know why her pies are so much better than anyone else’s, they just are.

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

I make coffee and breakfast for myself and my wife, Day, make Day’s lunch (I’m mighty smitten with my wife. I just think she’s the sweetest, prettiest, most wonderful woman in the whole world), and then check my email and the sports scores (college football is a fairly new passion of mine).

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

I don’t have a closet! My clothes are spread throughout a number of drawers, shelves, and closets. I have to go all over the house to pick out what I am going to wear that day. Isn’t that ridiculous? My suits and coats are in the hall closet, my shoes are in the bottom of my wife’s closet in our bedroom, my pants are in a drawer, and my shirts are in the closet in our library/home office. Man, I need to get more organized.

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 green. But I would be green because trees are green, grass is green, leaves on flowers are green – so many of the wonderful, peaceful, gloriously beautiful living things on this planet are green. Plus, if I was green like them I could make my own food via chlorophyll – just think of the money you could save!

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Easy! Spider-man. No, wait, Batman. Hmmm, but what about Foghorn Leghorn? This question is deceptively puzzling. I’ll have to get back to you.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I would like to say He-Man for looks and Goofy for Gee-whiz humor and kindness. But I am probably more like Yosemite Sam.

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 think I would like to be in the United States just after World War Two. The country was making some pretty righteous cars around then, and you could still ride down Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles and just sort of take it all in… Doesn’t that sound nice?

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

I never, ever listen to music while I am writing. Don’t know why, I just don’t. But I do listen to music a lot. I like a good beat, something you can dance to. I like big band jazz, hippie era oldies from the ‘60’s (The Doors), trashy electronic stuff from the ‘80’s. Heck, I like all sorts of stuff. You know those songs that make you feel like the artist knows you personally? Where you listen to it and it you get a lump in your throat? Those are my favorites.

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, Day and I have been watching old Star Trek episodes on hulu. We went to see the new Star Trek movie this summer, LOVED IT, and decided to devote ourselves to a study of all things Kirk, McCoy and Spock. So many great episodes. If you get a chance, check out the episode titled “The City on the Edge of Forever.” Also “Balance of Terror”. Both have amazingly complex and interesting stories. Just try to ignore the “special” effects.

The last movie I watched in the theater was “Julie and Julia”. Generally that is the sort of movie my wife takes me to with the promise that someone will get bitten by a vampire toward the end. I am almost always disappointed. But this movie was very good, in spite of the lack of vampires. I came to really be interested in Julia Child. Quite a lady. Made me want to do some cooking.

My all-time, never miss it, favorite movie may well be Star Wars. No, I won’t call it Star Wars IV. To me it was and ever will be just Star Wars. Loved Han Solo. There is another of those characters I was talking about earlier. By the way, if you ask me, the problem with the new Star Wars movies was that they had no one like Han. Han is successful because he is brave, skillful, works hard, and is a good friend. He has no magical powers. He is just an all around cool guy.

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

I will give you two pieces of advice – one for free, the other you will just have to owe me for.

First. Whatever you dream of doing, at least give it a serious try. Want to play baseball? Be a writer? Dancer? Actor? Nuclear physicist? Astronaut? At least give your dream a serious try. It will be a struggle, but the joy of life is in the struggle.

Throughout the next few years, all sorts of adults, maybe even your parents, will urge you to do something safe. They will do this because they love you. But they are WRONG!!!!! Remember this, the only thing of real value in this life is time, so use yours wisely. Work toward what YOU want. Be brave. Have the integrity of your own convictions. Never do it for the money. And seriously, seriously try to do what you want to do. It may not work out. I offer you no promises. But even if it doesn’t, at least you can look yourself in the mirror, know you were courageous, and say “I gave it my best shot.”

My second piece of advice is: For Heaven’s Sake, DON’T SMOKE!!!! And if you already smoke, QUIT NOW!!!!

It doesn’t matter what dream you choose to pursue, smoking will be a detriment. I promise you that. People across all walks of life will judge you harshly for smoking. They will look on you with scorn, think you are stupid, question your rationality and sanity, won’t want to work with you or even be around you. They will punish you for smoking. Think you don’t care? You don’t want to be around anyone with that sort of small mind? Well, let me just pass along this fact to you – the prejudice against tobacco use is huge and growing every day. If you don’t want to be around those who would judge you for being a smoker, fine. But in no time you will be all alone. And where will your dreams be then? No one ever accomplishes anything by themselves. Think of the actors, writers and singers who you have seen getting awards. They have huge lists of people they want to thank. That is because alone you simply fail. Don’t be alone! Follow your dreams, and DON’T SMOKE.

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

I hope you will be able to read some science fiction stories from me. I have been working on a novel called “Tomorrowland,” about the unintended consequences of technology, science and advancement. For instance, you know how they make you take your shoes off, take the belt out of your belt loops, and take off your jewelry etc., when you go through airport security now? Well, not too long ago I saw a woman get stopped because the under-wire in her bra was setting off the alarms. Follow that thought through to the level of the ridiculous and see if it doesn’t make you blush. And what if we had to go through security to get into the post office? The bank? School? How would our world, and the people in it, have to change?

That’s the sort of unintended consequence I am talking about.

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

Thanks for having me.

Interview with Lauren Strasnick

www.laurenstrasnick.com

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 toda…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 had my haiku moment in 4th grade. By 5th, I'd started a story about a performing arts sleepaway camp. Ballet, boys, a lake -- riveting fiction! Too intense to complete. In high school I wrote an awful little play about vampire love. It got produced. A VHS copy of the performance still exists somewhere out there. If you or someone you know owns a copy -- please burn it.

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

I wrote one other novel before completing Nothing Like You. It was my MFA thesis project, and I spent the year following graduation sending that book out to agents. After a ton of rejection (some upbeat and encouraging, but still), I set that book aside and started Nothing Like You. I had a draft in six weeks, spent three months revising, then started the querying process all over again. This time things went quick. After about a month I signed with Michelle Andelman, then of ABLA, and together we started the revision process. Two months of rewrites, and she was subbing the book. Two weeks after that, it sold to Anica Rissi at Simon Pulse.

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?

Nothing Like You is, at its core, a book about grief, love & friendship. Who doesn't love all those things?! Okay, grief, not so much, but love & friendship?? Also featured: sandy Malibu beaches! Sea anemone! Potato tacos! And a ton of really good classic rock.

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

Great fiction, movies and music. Some episodic TV. Terrific friends & family. People i've loved and loathed.

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

I have an outstanding dad and brother. Some very supportive aunts and fake aunts and cousins. I have extraordinary friends.

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

Pickled vegetables, cabbage in any form (boiled, raw, fermented), burritos, apples w/ peanut butter, olives, cooked greens, chocolate w/ rock salt, spaghetti squash casserole, tuna on stoned wheat crackers, & that carrot-ginger dressing they put on salads at Japanese restaurants (okay, I've just reread this list and I've made myself sound crazy).

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

Brush teeth, feed kitty (who bites my ankles EVERY SINGLE MORNING while waiting for me to put out his food), check email.

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 Gunne Sax dress collection? I went through a prairie-revival phase. I may still be going through it, I'm not sure.

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?

Orange. Orange is Autumn and 70s cinema.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

A friend says I remind her of SpongeBob SquarePants. Because, she says, I'm "blindly optimistic." Perhaps. I also tend toward catastrophic thinking. Interesting combo!

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?

East coast, rural, early 1900s. I did a lot of parading around in petticoats as a kid, reading books about my town at the turn of the century.

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

I love everything. Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Martha & Rufus Wainwright, Leonard Cohen, The Beatles, Queen, Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, Fiona Apple, Al Green, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks (& Fleetwood Mac), Rickie Lee Jones, Simon & Garfunkel, old Aerosmith, The Zombies! The initial spark of inspiration for Nothing Like You came from a Billy Joel song called Vienna. Sadly, I can't listen to music while I write. Before I write, sure. Or after.

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?

Oh yes. Some TV favorites: Twin Peaks, Skins, Battlestar Galactica, My So-Called Life, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, Lost, Mad Men. Movies: Heathers, Clue, Me Without You, Kicking and Screaming, Before Sunset, St. Elmo's Fire, Sixteen Candles, The Royal Tenenbaums, Annie Hall. Last movie I saw in theaters? (500) Days of Summer.

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

Sounds so cheesy but this little nugget of wisdom (from my mother) has gotten me far: be true to yourself.

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

Right now I'm working on a second book. A project I lovingly call "Creepy Twin Book."

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

Oh, thank YOU!

Interview with Pam Bachorz

www.pambachorz.com

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 toda…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 dictated my first book, featuring Pooh Bear, to my mother when I was four. I lived the dream until college, writing and even publishing a few short stories in teen author mags like READ and MERLYN”S PEN. Come college, I decided writing was Thoroughly Impractical and focused on journalism, environmental science, an MBA, a Masters in Library Science… you know, anything except writing because that was SCARY. After a friend was nearly killed in a car accident, I re-examined my life and realized that if I had been in that car, my only regret would have been that I didn’t give my writing a real chance. That’s when I started writing again in earnest.

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

A few months after I started writing, I joined a critique group and we took a road trip to my first SCBWI conference. From there, I networked and made some great writing friends (both online and in person) while learning how to improve my writing and behave professionally. (That last lesson may not have entirely stuck, since my publisher has heard my wobbly rendition of “Goodnight Someone” from “The Music Man”). Five years from my writing “re-start”, I finished CANDOR (as well as two other novels that will never, ever see light of day). A writing friend pointed me to a new agent’s post on Verla Kay’s Blue Boards and promised we’d be perfect for each other. She was right. Elana Roth rocks, and she sold my book to the equally amazing Egmont USA.

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?

CANDOR is a story about a perfect planned community where everyone is brainwashed—except the main character, Oscar. He’s found a secret way to fight the Messages, but his survival is thrown into jeopardy when sweet-tart Nia Silva moves to town.

Buy CANDOR if you want a book that will keep you up late with surprises and chills.

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

My stories wouldn’t be the same if I hadn’t read Lois Duncan’s teen thrillers, growing up. I still think about DOWN A DARK HALL, which was another story about teens losing control of their minds and their wills… obviously I’m still working out some issues from reading that one, huh? These days I still devour YA novels of all sorts, and every book I read teaches me something new. I’ve also been so lucky to have a passel of inspiring and challenging teachers in my life, plus librarians who always seemed to know which book I should read next.

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


My family is entirely supportive. We are a family full of educators and teachers, and I don’t think the school districts of St. Louis or upstate NY will escape a pitch for CANDOR from my family! Closer to home, I like to call my husband my Patron Of The Arts (he prefers CHIEF Patron Of The Arts… I only grant that on nights he brings me cupcakes) because he keeps the home ticking while I vanish into my study to write on nights, weekends, and early mornings. And then there’s my son, who I thanked in CANDOR’s dedication for inducting me into the world of boy. Even though he’s small, I believe he gave me the insider knowledge of boy brains that enabled me to write a novel from a boy’s perspective.

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

Salsa and chips. I could live off that stuff. And of course, cupcakes. I loved them before everyone started paying five bucks a pop for them.

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

I pick up the book closest to my nightstand and brush my teeth and wash my face while I read—many apologies to my local library if you ever discover water spots on the pages of a book I’ve borrowed. Then I head into my study and write until my son wakes and commands my computer to play Dinosaur Train games.

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

You would probably be surprised and a little scared by The Scary Door in our basement, which opens to steps that lead to absolutely nowhere, since the driveway was poured over them years ago. It’s just the sort of dank, dark spot for little magical creatures to set up residence in. I always make lots of noise before I pop the door open, just in case they need time to hide. Hey. It never hurts to be cautious.

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?

Orange—my hair is orange and the spot color on CANDOR is orange. It’s actually been my favorite color for a very long time. It’s vibrant and unusual and makes a darn good beverage too.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

You know, Mulan doesn’t get enough love. Why? She’s fierce. Sorry Tink, I think I’ll go with Mulan on this one.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Probably Tinkerbell, though I would have found my way out of that cage a lot faster. And I don’t wear my skirts quite so short.

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?

My father is a retired social studies teacher so I’m really feeling the pressure on this one. I think I’d like to head over to Prince Edward Island at the turn of the century and meet a young L.M. Montgomery, just after she published ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. That was my very favorite book, growing up, and I’d love to meet the woman who created the characters who feel like a part of my family. If this didn’t break some kind of time-travel rule, I’d love to tell her how beloved her books are, even now. She didn’t have the easiest life and maybe knowing that would have brought her some happiness during dark times.

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

I love to listen to music while I’m writing, of all genres. My current fave is Brandi Carlile; she goes for broke in her performances and her music is just gorgeous. When I’m feeling nervous about my writing, I cue up Brandi and she reminds me to type without fear or limits, just like she sings. The Fratellis are on frequent rotation on my iPod too.

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 was JULIE & JULIA (loved it). I’m not a big repeat movie watcher—there are too many ones I haven’t seen yet!—but I will happily re-watch John Hughes movies and, yes, the Anne of Green Gables miniseries. As for TV, I will be the first to admit I watch far too much of it. Current faves include LOST, THE AMAZING RACE, PROJECT RUNWAY, and GLEE!

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

Question everything you’re told to believe. Just because an authority figure tells you something doesn’t always mean it’s something that rings true for you.

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

I’m working on another YA for Egmont—another dark speculative tale. And already there’s another idea knocking in my head (yep, another dark YA!); the characters are talking to me and insisting I get going on their story. But they’re going to have to wait in line!

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

Interview with Megan Crewe

www.megancrewe.com

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 toda…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 always knew I wanted to tell stories—it was just something I did, from when I was very young. And as soon as I could write, I started writing them down. I didn’t think that I might make a career out of it until I was about ten years old. I had a teacher who loved one of my stories and read it to the whole class, and seeing the other kids get wrapped up in it, I started to realize this was something I could do for more than just me.

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

I’d say my path was pretty traditional. You’ll sometimes hear people say that you need to have connections to get published, but that’s not the case for most authors I know, and it definitely wasn’t for me. During my teens and early twenties I wrote a number of novels that helped me develop my skill but weren’t quite ready yet. When I wrote GIVE UP THE GHOST, I felt it was “the one”. I queried agents and was offered representation; my agent submitted the book and after a few close calls and a revision, we got a couple of offers and sold the book.

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?

GIVE UP THE GHOST is about a girl whose only friends are ghosts—which is okay, because they help her expose the crimes and backstabbing of the popular kids at her school. To find out why and how that changes, you’ll have to read the book.

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

It’s impossible to pinpoint one specific thing, but it’s definitely other art. I read stories and watch movies, and wonder what if that subplot were taken in a different direction, or that sort of character were put in this other situation. I see visual art and imagine the story behind the images. I listen to music, and the mood and lyrics bring scenes to mind.

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

They are! My mom and dad have always been supportive of my writing, though they were also practical and encouraged me to have back-up plans as well. They’re the first people I call when I have good writing news. My mom used to be a teacher and she’s the one who taught me how to read, before they taught us in school, and both she and my dad love books. They’re big speculative fiction fans so they very much nurtured my love for all things fantastical!

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

If we’re talking meals, pizza. For a snack, Doritos.

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

Check my e-mail, eat breakfast, write. Usually in approximately that order.

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 little there is! We’ve moved twice in the last three years so I’ve really been paring down how much I hang on to. I do, however, still have all my old journals, yearbooks, and writing notebooks.

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?

Probably blue. Blue is calming, but also can suggest deep thought and emotion. And it’s the color of the sky and the ocean.

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

I’ve always loved the fox Robin Hood from the Disney movie—clever and brave and rather, um, foxy too! I’m probably most like Lisa Simpson—hard-working and always trying to keep everything in order, but with a strong creative side as well.

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?

Wow, that’s a hard one! It’d depend on what story I’m working on at the time—imagine the research possibilities! :D

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 pretty wide range, but most of my favorite artists would probably be labeled alternative and folk rock. I enjoy Ani Difranco, Radiohead, Suzanne Vega, and Throwing Muses among many others. I don’t usually listen to music while I’m writing as I find it distracting, but I do make playlists for all of my books that help me brainstorm ideas and get me in the mood of the story before I start.

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?

My favorite shows currently on TV are Dexter, In Treatment, and 30 Rock. I also have old faves like Monty Python, Seinfeld, and Star Trek: TNG, and I enjoy some anime series like Cowboy Bebop and Princess Tutu as well. Movies I never get tired of: The Princess Bride, Willow, Watership Down, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Hudsucker Proxy. The last movie I saw in the theater was (500) Days of Summer, which I enjoyed a lot.

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

Try to focus most on what you want to do with your life, and who you’d like to be, and not about what other people are going to think about that. There were a lot of things I wanted to do when I was in my early teens but didn’t because I was worried people would think I was weird—but as I got older I started doing them anyway, and I was happier for it. And I think other people respect you if you’re doing what you want, even if they also think it’s a little weird. ;)

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

Definitely more YA novels, probably some more ghosts. That’s all I can say right now!

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

Thank you for having me!