Interview with Leah Cypess

http://leahcypess.com

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

Since long before I can remember. But I do have it on others’ authority that I (a) wrote my first short story in first grade, and (b) told my grandmother, when I was eight years old, that I wanted to be a writer.

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

It was long! I started submitting manuscripts when I was 15 years old, and had four books rejected by every publisher in the universe before I finally got an offer with MISTWOOD. Not that everything before MISTWOOD was a waste; I submitted directly to editors, and those manuscripts got me out of the slush pile at many imprints, when editors liked my writing enough to request future works.

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?

That a lot of people have told me they can usually figure out what’s going to happen in fantasy novels, but the twists in MISTWOOD took them completely by surprise. :)

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

I didn’t realize this until lately, but the greatest inspiration for MISTWOOD was undoubtedly THE LAST UNICORN. I watched the movie version about twice a year every year when I was a teenager, so I guess it’s no surprise that it seeped into my subconscious a little bit.

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

They are definitely my biggest fans! My father is a long-time speculative fiction fan – I got my start in this genre by reading his science-fiction and fantasy books from the ‘60s, which were stacked in dozens of boxes in the garage. My mother is most definitely not a speculative fiction fan, but she’s still very excited for me. (And when she saw my cover, she said, “Wow, that looks good. Even I might read the book now.”)

I have 3 sisters and a brother. My two youngest sisters are (a) my first editor, (b) my web tech, and (c) my biggest fans. The older two… have made efforts to read the book. Or at least, so they claim.

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

Maccaroni & cheese.

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

Right now? Pick up baby. Take baby to computer. Nurse baby while checking emails.

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 a collection of pristine, classy business suits. They are from my previous life as a lawyer. I kind of wish I had reason to wear them occasionally… they’re really nice!

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, because it’s the color of the sky and the sea.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

I have to say Homer Simpson, because my husband might read this.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

None springs to mind. My husband (the cartoon authority in this household) says Daria.

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?

If I could change the past, I’d like to go somewhere where I could warn people before a terrible tragedy took place. If I was just going to be an observer, I’d love to go to 16th-century Istanbul – it would help a lot with my current research!

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 modern country – Keith Urban, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood, etc. I also like Irish-inspired music like the Corrs and Bellefire.

I don’t listen to music when I’m writing my first drafts, but I often do while I’m revising.

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?

Current favorite TV shows are Lost (for one more episode, anyhow!) and Fastforward; old favorites include Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars, both of which I have watched over and over again. I honestly can’t remember the last movie I saw at the theater; I always rent movies, because I rarely have the time or childcare available to go out to see a movie, or even to watch an entire movie in one sitting.

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

Don’t text while you drive. Seriously.

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

I’m currently revising a companion book to MISTWOOD, tentatively scheduled for release in the spring of 2011.

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

Interview with Michele Ashman Bell

www.micheleashmanbell.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.

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

:) (Jen, you are such a kook! Love the waitress joke.)

I was a writer before I knew I wanted to be an author. I’ve always loved books and reading. In 3rd grade my teacher read the book, MY FATHER'S DRAGON to our class and it was magical! I felt as though I could see the book in my head, like a movie, and I was transported into the story. After that I always had my nose in a book. In high school I used to hide my novels inside my textbooks during class and get in so much trouble when I got caught. (I am not recommending you kids do this!) Anyway, in 8th grade I started keeping a journal and immediately discovered how therapeutic and fulfilling it was to write my feelings down. It was then that I discovered how powerful words are. (I highly recommend that you do THIS!)

Making this connection of putting my thoughts and emotions on paper was the beginning of becoming a writer. That and the fact that I was a daydreamer and have always had a vivid imagination. (This also got me in trouble in school. Pay attention in school or you’ll get labeled, like me! I’m talking about you Mrs. Boyack. Yes. Me, the “Daydreamer.”)

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

That road was long, bumpy, twisty, filled with potholes, dead ends and a lot of detours. It took me TEN YEARS to get my first book published. And I kept every stinking rejection letter I ever received and put them in a scrapbook. (I’ve counted them and there are 67) I knew that one day I would look back and see them as proof of all the hard work and all the barriers I had to break through to reach my goal. Ten years is a long time to try and fail at something, but I believed in myself, sometimes when nobody else did. And that’s what kept me going. In my heart, I knew I could do it, as long as I didn’t give up. Hard work and persistence are more powerful than natural talent and ability. I believe that with all my heart. And that doesn’t just apply to 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?

My book, SUMMER IN PARIS, is a riches to rags story about a girl who has everything and loses it all when her father declares bankruptcy and her parents tell her they are getting separated. She is sent to live with relatives in the small town of Paris, Idaho, and during her summer she learns that in the end what really matters is family and being true to yourself. When you have these things, nothing else really matters.

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

I get inspiration from the weirdest places. For SUMMER IN PARIS the inspiration came when our family went on a vacation to Bear Lake which is right by Paris, Idaho. I was floored when I learned of a town on the Utah/Idaho border called Paris. Of course, the sequel to SUMMER IN PARIS is going to take place in Paris, France. This may require a vacat . . . I mean, a research trip to Paris, don’t you think?

As far as the main character in the story, I drew upon my experience not only with my own teenage daughter but her friends and the young adults I associate with. Fitting in, being part of the “in crowd,” is important, and sometimes it comes with the cost of compromising what is important to you personally. Staying true to oneself, holding on to your own core values, isn’t easy, but it is important to getting through those difficult teen years. I wanted to write a story about this theme. It may sound all fluffy and sweet but it is a powerful message that can empower a person.

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

I have four wonderful children and an amazing daughter-in-law and a granddaughter who is my greatest joy in life. My oldest, a son, is married and lives with his wife and daughter twenty minutes away. My oldest daughter just graduated from college and moved to New York City where my third child, also a daughter, already lives. She (my third child) is a junior in high school and studies ballet at the School of American Ballet, which just happens to be where the main character in SUMMER IN PARIS happens to want to go to pursue her ballet training. My daughter definitely helped me with my research for the book. Finally, I have an 11-year-old daughter at home. There is a sixteen year difference between my oldest and my youngest and it’s awesome.

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

This may sound trite, but mostly it’s chocolate. I keep a hidden stash in our house so I always have it available. White chocolate is my favorite. White chocolate Reeses are my weakness. I also love, love, love French fries, with lots of ketchup.

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

What a great question! Since I teach aerobics (1) (Zumba and step classes) five mornings a week, the first thing I do is work out. Then, once I get everyone off to work and school, I catch up on email (2) and then I write (3) for a little while. Not very exciting but it works for me.

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

That I am a freaking pack rat! But there is a good reason for it, I promise. I was scarred in my childhood and my mother is to blame. You see, when I was 21 years old, I went to Germany to live for a year and a half. When I came home my mother had THROWN AWAY all my stuff! I’m talking cheerleader outfits, all my keepsakes from dances and school functions, prom dresses, memorabilia from trips and special occasions . . . ALL GONE! I looked at my mom and said, “Did you not think I was going to come home?” Seriously, I was traumatized by this and consequently, I don’t like to throw anything out, especially when it comes to my kids stuff because I never want them to come up to me one day and say, “How could you throw away all my Ninja Turtles? Those were my favorite toys in the world!” I probably need therapy. But, in my defense, it’s all neatly stored in little bins stacked to the ceiling.

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 have never heard the question about the tree. What has that got to do with anything???? Anyway, if I had to be a color I would be red! Red’s the best. It’s vibrant and powerful and exciting!

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. I love his optimistic outlook on life and how stinking funny he is. The show cracks me up.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Oh my gosh, where did you come up with these questions? Growing up, the cartoons I watched were Bugs Bunny, Roadrunner, and Mickey Mouse and of course, all the Disney princess cartoons. I want to say I’m like Belle from Beauty and the Beast, because she loves books and she’s kind, but I’m probably more like Mrs. Potts because I’m bossy and in charge.

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?

This is so hard. I want to go so many places and visit so many different eras. Right now, today, I would like to be beamed to Paris since seriously I’m dying to go there and I could pack my bags in a split-second. But as far as different time in history I would not want to go backwards, I would want to go ahead into the future – but that’s not history is it? Well, then I choose to go back to 1969 and go to the moon with Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11.

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

My favorite group of all time is Earth, Wind and Fire. They are the best ever! Music from my era, the 70’s and 80’s is such great stuff. Michael Jackson definitely. Right now I really love some of the current stuff too though. I’ve got Train, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Mika, and Coldplay on my iPod. I also listen to a lot of Latin music because of Zumba. There are some incredible Latino artists. I cannot listen to music when I write. I get too distracted by the music (refer to the daydream comment earlier).

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?

Favorite show right now is iCarly. The character Spencer on that show kills me. I love that show. I’m also an Office fan and Modern Family. I don’t watch much TV but I make time for these shows. I LOVE movies! I own every Doris Day movie ever made, so I love classics. I could watch Pillow Talk a million times and never get sick of it. Last movie I saw at the theater was The Blind Side. I am anxious to see Iron Man 2. I love action movies!

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

It’s the advice that I’ve proven over and over again to myself. If you want something badly enough and you are willing to work hard enough, you can make your dreams come true. It is so, so, so true! Don’t let anything stand in your way. I’ve taught my kids this and they are living their dreams.

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

The sequel to SUMMER IN PARIS is definitely going to be next on my list. Like I said, it will take place in Paris, France and the romance will get amped up a bit in the sequel. There’s also some mystery surrounding the hero of the story, Adam White. I’ve got some ideas for some fun fantasy stories, so stay tuned!

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

It has been a blast! I love connecting with fans and especially writing for teens. Thanks for having me. I hope I didn’t embarrass my children.

Interview with Y.S. Lee

http://yslee.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 always secretly wanted to be a writer but was afraid to admit it until recently. I guess I thought it was arrogant or pretentious.

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

I’ve been incredibly lucky. The first novel I sat down to write was the book that eventually became A SPY IN THE HOUSE. I wrote it first as an adult novel, though. It was my agent who pointed out that it was a coming-of-age story, and suggested I revise it for YA readers. She was absolutely right, so I cut about 30,000 words. It was important to me, though, not to sacrifice the book’s darker aspects and I think I’ve managed to keep them. It’s a much tighter novel for having been pruned.

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 recent release is the first novel in THE AGENCY series, A SPY IN THE HOUSE. It’s got secrets, spies, and stench. What’s not to like? ;)

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

The inspiration came from the summer I spent living in London while I researched my PhD thesis. I loved walking the city, partly because the Victorian era feels so real when you’re there. It’s all around you! I wanted to try to recreate that feeling.

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

I have the ideal husband. He helps me talk through plot problems, reads my drafts, supports my writing in really thoughtful, practical ways, and makes me coffee every morning. And he’s very, very funny.

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

Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and its close cousins.

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

Curse the time (if it’s early, which it always is), drink some water, put on my glasses. Glamorous, hey?

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

Maybe the 40-lb sacks of wood pellets in the coat closet? They heat our house via the pellet stove.

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’d be red, because it rocks and I aspire to rock, too.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Mina Murray in Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I like Snoopy’s vivid fantasy life. And I love suppertime, 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?

Right now, I’d go to SE Asia in the 1940s to research this idea I have for a book.

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 lush, extravagant singer-songwriters like Rufus Wainwright and Florence and the Machine, and slightly more austere classical music (Brahms). I can’t listen to music while I write – I’d never get any work done!

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 adore Dr. Who. My favourite movies are action flicks – the dumber the better – but I don’t really watch them again. The last movie I saw at the theatre was probably Quantum of Solace (yes, all those many eons ago).

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

You have to be a reader before you can be a writer.

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

More AGENCY novels, for sure – book 2, THE BODY AT THE TOWER, comes out in August and book 3, THE TRAITOR AND THE TUNNEL is out in 2011. And I hope to be around for a good long time after that!

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

Thank you so much for inviting me here. It’s been fun.

Interview with Adam Selzer

www.adamselzer.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.

I see you suffer from waitress dreams? I used to get those - I'd be 2/3rds asleep and wake up hearing someone say "excuse me" or the back-of-house guy shouting "hands in the kitchen!" I gradually learned to tell myself it was a dream and I could tell the person to shut up and let me sleep. Took a lot of practice, though!

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?

It was one of the careers I always imagined for myself, along with “baseball player,” “cartoonist,” “movie star,” and all of that. Then, in fourth grade, my teacher wrote that she was impressed by my stories on my report card. I’m not the kind of guy who got a lot of great marks on my report cards (even my preschool one says “Adam often seems to be in his own little world,”), I wasn’t much good in the coupe of dozen retail or restaurant gigs I worked, and I sure don’t want to be an executive... I never made it as a rock star. But few things in rock music match the subversive thrill of suggesting that people go read HOWL by Allen Ginsberg in a book marketed as “Ages 10+.”

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

When I was in about 8th grade, I started sending fantasy and horror stories to magazines, where they were roundly rejected. In 10th grade I wrote a Dean Koontz-type novel called Instant Karma and sent it to a couple of agents, who wisely rejected it. Thank goodness they rejected it. I know a lot of great teen writers, but I don’t know anyone who looks back on the stuff they wrote in high school and wishes it was out. In college I got an agent to represent a religious satire I wrote with a friend, but it never did sell. Then I got another book, another agent, and got a deal. So I failed about every way you can fail on the way to being published, and I still fail from time to time. This is life as I know it.

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 KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT is a satire on the paranormal romance genre. If you can’t stand TWILIGHT, you’ll love it. But even if you LOVE TWILIGHT, you might still dig this one. My job as a satirist is pretty much to job onto a bandwagon and stick a Garfield doll in the window, but I also have to be able to drive the thing. I wanted that book to be simultaneously hilarious and genuinely, heart-breakingly romantic (this, too, is life as I know it).

THE SMART ALECK’S GUIDE TO AMERICAN HISTORY can help you become the biggest pain in the history of your history teacher’s butt, and tell you all the stuff the Texas school boards don’t want you to know! It’s about time some history book had the courage to say General Ambrose Burnside’s facial hair made him look like a goofball, if I do say so myself. Usually when the book makes fun of a historical figure, it’s in that Rodney Dangerfield way, where you take a shot at their foibles or their hat and then say “but, hey, let’s hear it for him, folks. He’s all right!” Not Burnside, though. He wasn’t much of a general. History’s full of the type of people where making fun of their haircut is probably more polite than talking about their wretched careers.

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

Looking at the world from a sort of sideways angle. I try not to write anything too autobiographical into my books, but just thinking about the statue of the naked angel on a tricycle that they used to have at the mall where I grew up and wondering what some kid who thought his dad was a spy would make of that thing. Getting ideas is all about making connections.

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

Did you ever watch Modern Family? That’s pretty much my family. My family is interracial, interfaith, and inter-all kinds of stuff. Our family portraits look like posters for Diversity Day or something. It’s pretty awesome.

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

Good mashed potatoes. And, for writing, cotton candy flavored gum. I used to chew that stuff while I worked in fantasy stories in middle school, and chewing it now still puts me in the mood to write.

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

Check my email, eat some breakfast, and head for the coffee shop.

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

Hmm…I don’t really have any of those! We live in a small apartment in Chicago. My wife sort of took over the closets, so my stuff is all in one of those “rolling wardrobes.” But if you dug under the bed or on top of the shelves or in any of the other clever places we’ve made into storage, you’d fine a LOT of old Star Wars stuff. Just a LOT of Star Wars stuff. There’s some pretty weird stuff, but it’s not labeled, so you probably wouldn’t be surprised. Like, (uh, strictly hypothetically) you wouldn’t know that the bent up clothes hanger came from Bob Dylan’s garbage.

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?

Smoky gray, because smoky gray is cool, daddy-o. I’d drift through the streets beneath the El tracks and haunt jazz clubs. Gray was my favorite color for years, but I gradually came to realize that I like enamel orange (think Old Volkswagon Orange) better.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Man, what a great question! I’m going to go with Troy McClure, whom I remember from such films as “Lead Paint: Delicious but Deadly” and “The Decapitation of Larry Leadfoot.”

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Probably TJ from Recess.

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 should probably be responsible and go to some major historical event where an eyewitness could clear up a lot of mysteries (like “which side fired the first shot at Concord?” or “Did Christopher Marlowe really accidentally stab himself to death in a bar fight?”) But it’s safer just to go observe – I mean, what if I went to see some big religious event and found out it never happened? That could really screw things up back here. So I guess I’d go to one of Charles Dickens’s public readings – one of the nights where he did the scene from OLIVER TWIST where Sikes kills Nancy. Apparently that scared the crap out of people back then, but there’s no way to see it or hear it now. Ask me again next week and I might just want to go to see a Doors concert or something, though.

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

The big three for me are Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Waits. But every project develops its own soundtrack – sometimes the playlist is songs with the right “vibe” for a project, or songs the main character would probably like, or songs that I’m just into at the moment. My playlist for my current project has a lot of Jonathan Richman, some Mika and Lady Gaga, Gaslight Anthem, Dead Milkmen, Counting Crows, and 80s metal. The playlist for my book TANGLED UP IN BLUE, which’ll be out next year, had a lot of Beach Boys, Hold Steady and Moldy Peaches.

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?

We went to Alice in Wonderland with Claudia Gray a few weeks ago – that was pretty cool. I couldn’t help wondering if we’d think the movie was endlessly fresh and brilliant or a complete mess if we didn’t already know the Alice story. Around the house we watch an awful lot of Dr. Who these days. I watch “Almost Famous” again and again, and I’m probably due for another Rocky Horror outing. I have to go to Rocky Horror now and then just to keep my head in order. Sort of like how some people have to go camping occasionally.

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

Pay no attention to the miserable people who tell you high school should be the best years of your life. I hate to be one of those guys who says “in 10 years, none of this will matter,” because that won’t do you much good until 10 years from now, but no one ever looks back on middle school and thinks it was the best years of their life, and high school is just something to survive. Keep reading. Especially the classics and my books.

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

Next year I’ll have a book out called TANGLED UP IN BLUE, a John Hughes-esque romantic comedy about a girl who gets over an unrequited crush by embarking on a “holy quest” with a couple of misfits who have invented their own religion. I’m also working on this project called “the Satanic YA” book that’s building up some notoriety already, and a handful of other projects. I’m getting superstitious about mentioning works in progress before they sell, though, so I should shut up.

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

Interview with Elizabeth Aston

www.elizabeth-aston.com

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

When I was at school.

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

I was lucky, because I’d worked in publishing, and my ex-boss put me in touch with an ex-editor who was just setting up as an agent. He gave me some brilliant advice: he looked at the chapters I sent him, ringed a page, and said, ‘There, that’s your voice. Write like that, and you’ll be a published author.’

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?

WRITING JANE AUSTEN is a book about writing a book, and it’s a book about a young woman discovering Jane Austen. It’s a contemporary romantic comedy, intended to make you laugh.

After reading this book, if you’ve never read Jane Austen, you’ll want to; if you have, you’ll dive straight back into PRIDE & PREJUDICE – and you’ll never feel bad about procrastinating again

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

All the writers I’ve read since I could read. Jane Austen, of course, but others too numerous to mention, from ancient Greeks to modern authors.

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

There’s my husband, who doesn’t get to read my books until it’s too late for me to take any notice of his comments, a son (who’s also a writer – he writes fantasy) and a daughter who’s my chief beta reader. And two great cats, Basil and Mefisto.

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

Chocolate! Need you ask?

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

Apart from yawn, stretch and put my feet on the floor? Look at the sea, to check out what mood it’s in, make coffee, and flip through overnight RSS feeds and the news.

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

Dead computers. I’m a long-time techno-freak, which is something most people don’t expect writers to be.

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?

Purple, because I love amethysts, and it’s a color that glows with life.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Bart Simpson.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I’d like to think it was Emily Strange. Lots of pizzazz!

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?

Rome, March 15 44BC. The day of Julius Caesar’s assassination. Mind you, that’s a dangerous place to be!

Why there and then? Because it’s a key moment in history, and because I adore Rome, and would love to see it as it was then.

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 Baroque music when I’m writing, it’s supposed to help the brain waves, and I find it really works.

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?

Oldies like Friends and The West Wing. And now, Glee.

A film I often watch is Legally Blonde - perfect after a hard day’s work. With a square of chocolate at hand, of course.

The last movie I saw was Alice in Wonderland. I’m a huge Tim Burton fan, and it’s a great film.

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

If you want to be a writer, read and read and read. And if you don’t, read just the same – it’s one of the great pleasures of life.

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

I’m working on a new rom com, this time set in Italy with a few excursions into the past.

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

Interview with Matthew Quick

http://matthewquickwriter.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?

Q (most people call me Q): My 11th grade English teacher submitted my poetry to a contest of sorts. We were put on a bus and driven to a local university where a professor critiqued our poems. The professor didn’t love my work, but he took it very seriously, just like my English teacher had. I really liked it when others took my words seriously. I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was talked into becoming an English teacher and it took about 13 more years for me to fully commit to writing.

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

Q: Around thirty, I had an early mid-life crisis. I was teaching high school English, and while I loved the profession, it was demanding and left little time for writing. Many years had slipped by and I still wasn’t any closer to publishing a novel. So my wife and I quit our jobs, sold our house, traveled to Peru, backpacked around southern Africa, and then moved in with Alicia’s parents. I began writing full-time in their basement. I did that for three years—working on my craft, learning about publishing, and reaching out to other authors. I also earned my Creative Writing MFA via Goddard College. I emerged from the basement with my first novel, THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, and a movie deal.

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?

Q: SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR is about a teenager named Amber Appleton. She’s been kicked in the teeth by life again and again, but she tries to stay hopeful. Amber spends most of her time doing very interesting (and often hilarious) community service projects, even though she is homeless and therefore needs help herself. When a fatal tragedy strikes, Amber falls into a depression and must learn to accept help as her community rallies in a beautiful and life-altering way.

Here is the reason you should buy this book: The ending will have you throwing sky punches in celebration.

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

Q: Everyone and everything inspires my stories. But my wife has been my greatest supporter and best friend. She is also a novelist, so she understands what I do and her work inspires me. Alicia keeps me moving forward.

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

Q: My family is very supportive now that I am publishing, but they were not happy when I quit my job, sold my house, and started writing full-time. My father actually called me an idiot when I did that. (He’s a fan now.) Most families want to protect their members and as the writing life can often be precarious, my family initially worried about me, and probably still does. There are much easier ways to make a living, but if you are a writer, you must write, and that’s all there is to it.

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

Q: How can anyone live without pizza? I am totally down with the local pizza makers. Antonio’s pizza rules!

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

Q: Make coffee, check e-mail, and hug my wife.

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

Q: I have a shoebox full of letters from my high school pen pal—actual written letters that were delivered once upon a time (before e-mail) by postal workers who carried the letters to your house! Don’t know why I keep these letters, but I do. Writing to Jessica was probably the start of my writing addiction. We wrote so many letters!

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?

Q: My favorite color is black, which sounds depressing, but I look best in black. And also, black absorbs all colors of light, which is sort of inclusive. I’m all about inclusion. I’d be black.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Q: Hmmm. I should probably say something manly, like Wolverine, but maybe Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid?

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Q: Again, I should probably say something manly, like Wolverine, but maybe Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid?

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?

Q: It would be awesome to walk amongst dinosaurs, although I’d be pretty terrified. I would like to meet my parents when they were first dating, when they were young.

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

Q: I love all types of music. I’m always saying, the more you love the happier you are. I listen to everything from Paganini to The Pogues. Metallica to The Killers. Ani DiFranco to Public Enemy. Flobots to Johnny Cash. Fugazi to Neutral Milk Hotel to Regina Spektor. Everything! I will always have a special place in my heart for The Smiths. However, I can write only to instrumental music. I love writing to Rachel’s. The SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR book trailer features a song by Rachel’s.

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?

Q: TV shows: Buffy, Angel, Lost. Movies: Harold and Maude, It’s A Wonderful Life, Lars And The Real Girl, The Shawshank Redemption, everything Wes Anderson and David O. Russell. Last movie I saw in the theater: Greenberg.

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

Q: Talk about what you love, not what you hate. And if you are a writer, write about the things you love. Care about things. Be passionate. Be compassionate too.

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

Q: My next YA book—after SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR—will also be published by Little, Brown & Company. It’s called BOY21. Look for it in 18 or so months. I’m really excited about that one too. It’s about love, poverty, basketball, mental health, forgiveness, and outer space—but mostly it’s about growing up. More details to come…

Thanks so much for interviewing me and thanks to all the readers too.

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

Interview with Jaclyn Dolamore

http://jaclyndolamore.com

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I really have been writing all my life. In fact, I almost hate this question just because I'm afraid I'm going to discourage someone who is just getting started. But, I've pretty much kept all my childhood writing so I know I was writing at least since I was five. I have little stories and a few diary entries from back then.

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

I've wanted to be a published writer since I was a teenager. I think I was 12 the first time I checked the Writers Market out of the library. But, I didn't seriously pursue it until I was 23, and I quickly found out that I had a lot to learn, but I also sort of realized it was actually possible. For three years, I treated writing like a full-time unpaid job. I worked in retail part-time, had crazy budgeting skills, and wrote and submitted and rewrote and submitted again. MAGIC UNDER GLASS was completely written from the ground up three different times. But when it finally happened, it happened fast. It was about three weeks from accepting my agent's offer to represent me to accepting a publishing deal from Bloomsbury.

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, my next book, BETWEEN THE SEA AND SKY, is a love story between a mermaid and a winged guy. And do I really need to say more? Such a setup for romantic agony. If you enjoy a little romantic agony, you may enjoy this. (Although it is not just agony. It can also be quite funny in places. At least, that is the intention!)

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

It's hard to name one thing. But I was a huge anime fan as a teenager. And even before that, a huge fan of Final Fantasy games. Japanese storytelling had a big influence on me. They have a whole category of stories for girls with fantasy and romance and relationship stories all tangled up, and we don't have anything quite like that here.

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

My family is awesome. I have a sister 2 1/2 years younger than me who was a collaborator in all my pretend games and story worlds when I was a kid and teenager. I could not have asked for a better sister. And my mom is kind of a hippie and she homeschooled us. We were really free and had tons of time to be creative. My dad was at work a lot but some of my earliest memories are of him reading THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and LITTLE HOUSE to us. So I really couldn't have asked for a more supportive environment. And yeah, they are all really proud of me and it's really cute. =)

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

German and Polish food. Goulash and red cabbage with apples and things like that. Although if I have a physical illness, I crave big kale salads.

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

Well, I have a disintegrating wedding veil from the 1920s in a box. You might wonder why I have that. It came from a sort-of relative and it's too awesome to get rid of, but also fairly useless.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

That's hard. I don't think I should include anime because that is so vast. Well, I've always had a thing for Scrooge McDuck since I was five or six and Duck Tales was on. Yes. I know. I was a little girl idolizing a stingy duck. Don't ask what that was about. I have a Scrooge McDuck toy in front of my computer monitor now.

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?

It would be pretty sweet to be in the audience of David Bowie's performance on the Midnight Special from 1973. I'd like to take the place of the girl who grabs his bracelet off his arm...

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

David Bowie and Roxy Music. For sure. But I like a lot of weird music. World music and old music. Kind of like my writing. If I'm browsing CDs somewhere and I see like, "folk songs of Norway" or "1920s railroad music" I'm like OOH WHAT IS THAT?

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?

Favorite TV: Lost (if it ends badly, I retract this). Tim and Eric Awesome Show. The Venture Brothers. Avatar: The Last Airbender. Family Guy. King of the Hill. Look Around You. I think my TV tastes might belong to a boy, actually; a nerdy boy who likes Adult Swim programming. (It doesn't hurt that I never turn on the TV. My boyfriend does and I get sucked in.) Movies I am very picky about. I hardly see anything in the theater. I probably watch 20 movies a year. But when I do love one, I love it passionately. My Fair Lady, Auntie Mame, Lost in Translation, Ghost World, Marie Antoinette, the Lord of the Rings movies, Metropolis, pretty much anything Studio Ghibli.

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

Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for doing what you're passionate about. Don't let anyone tell you art is a waste of time. Sometimes I think people believe they are on the planet to make money, not to be joyful or to bring others joy or to do what makes them uniquely themselves. Sometimes if you follow your heart, people will scoff at you. Try, try not to listen.

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

Well, there is the mermaid and winged guy book, BETWEEN THE SEA AND SKY. Then, the further adventures of Nimira and Erris in MAGIC UNDER STONE. And I certainly have other projects in various stages of completion, but I won't tease you with them until I have a better idea whether they will be published or not!

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

Interview with Becca Wilhite

www.beccawilhite.com/blog

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.

Thanks for having me, Jen. I’m hungry – what are you serving?

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 loved writing in college (where I didn’t take a single creative writing class). I knew I loved words - and books - always. And then, almost by accident, I realized that I could do words and books, too. So a writer was born. (Okay, and really? It was when I made people laugh out loud because of something I wrote that I really, really knew I was hooked.)

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

WARNING: Please don’t read this if you’re susceptible to hating Lucky People.
I am a slush pile success story. I sent in an unsolicited full manuscript, and it was plucked out, dusted off, maybe even ironed, and turned into a book. I know. Way lucky. And I’m way, way grateful.

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 RIDICULOUS ROMANTIC OBSESSIONS s a romantic comedy (could you have guessed?) and there is all manner of hotness, and some variety of comedy, and smoothie, and ice cream, and shopping, and roommate drama, and mixed messages and plenty of voices in the head. Also, it’s clean, which I’m all for.

The one thing? It will make you laugh. (DISCLAIMER: unless you have no sense of humor)

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

I have four amazing kids. And they EAT books. Okay, not literally, except for the last one, and we’re pretty sure we’ve cured him of that nasty habit. But knowing that my kids will read everything out there? That makes me eager to help get fun, happy stuff out there.

Also, life is funny. And I like funny things. So I write about them (but it’s hard to dedicate a book “to Life, because you’re funny”).

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

You know how some people have a family tree? I’m sort of a forest girl, myself. My kids have 25 aunts and uncles. I’m totally not making that up. They’re almost all respectable adults by now. And they think I’m fabulous, natch. Just ask them. :)

I have the greatest husband in the world, and all four of my favorite kids are actually my children, so I get to see them every day. Being the Mom is my first (and favorite) job, even though it doesn’t pay that much. But, on the upside, nobody fires me when I decide not to clean the house, or when there’s cold cereal for dinner. So it’s good work, and I recommend it if you can get it.

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

Popcorn. With a great deal of butter. Mmm. Crunchy things. Salty things.

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

Really? That’s sort of personal. :) (Brush teeth, get a drink, say a prayer). Then, after I leave the bedroom/bathroom, I sit down to write (most days). That lasts about an hour, till kids get up and I get busy doing Momness. Then I send the lovelies all off to school (!!) and I either write some more, exercise, or have a shower. Some days all three! (I know. I’m a marvel.)

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 such beautiful photos in our house. My husband takes amazing shots. So the thing that would surprise you is that we don’t actually look quite as glowy in person as we look in the pictures on the walls.

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?

Chartreuse. Because I can spell it. Also, I really do love green things (and chartreuse is green did you know?) like all the green things that are currently hiding under 18 inches of front-yard snow. Yes. It is March. Yes, that is, um, difficult. Yes, spring will come to the frozen mountaintops. Someday.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

For years, it was Pinky (of Pinky and the Brain, from the Animaniacs) but I’ve just become introduced to Phineas and Ferb, and so I’m going to go with Perry the Platypus.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Once again, I’ll have to go with Perry, since I spend a great deal of time in disguise, foiling the plans of Evil.

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 have the right figure for Regency England. And I can fake the accent. Jane Austen would have loved 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’m a huge Musical Theater nerd. My girls love that. My husband? Not so much. I have a pretty wide range of music that I like, but I can’t listen to any of it while I write. I don’t have enough character to stay focused. I’d end up writing lyrics into every scene (which isn’t as great an idea as it sounds like).

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 went years without watching TV for anything other than PBS kid stuff (I love me some Sesame Street – I think it’s got some of the best writing anywhere). Then my MIL introduced me to Pushing Daisies (which, apparently nobody but my MIL and me watched, because it was only on 2 seasons), which gave me dialog envy and made me laugh every episode. And now, I’m starting to watch MONK. I know. I’m only 8 years late, but what can you do?

Movies are a different story. I love movies. I watch lots of movies over and over. When I was in High School, it was Ghostbusters (I really am that old), and I watched it so often that I have (still) every line, every camera move, and every sound effect in my brain, taking up valuable space. I’m pretty varied in my movie tastes, too. I love sappy, cheesy romance stuff, artsy romance stuff, heist-style romance stuff, and action-romance stuff. See? I’m totally diverse.

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

Read many great books. Don’t know any? Ask your mom. Ask your English teacher. Ask your librarian. There are so many wonderful words (and worlds) out there, so get a taste of lots of them. Then go home and write your own. Because that? Is really fun.

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

I’m working on several (cause I’m disheveled like that), but I think I’ve found my mojo in the contemporary YA fiction/romantic comedy world. We’ll see how that changes when (if) I decide to grow up. Don’t count on it.

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

Interview with Matt Beam

www.mattbeam.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 knew I wanted to be a writer some time in high school, but I didn’t do much about it until my late-twenties. I call 0-28 my research years!

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

My road to publishing, while always a road – and I truly appreciated that some writers bushwhack for years before they even see a path – has had all kinds of bumps along the way. The first publisher to buy one of my books, CAN YOU SPELL REVOLUTION?, took a full year and a half to actually say yes, and then a week later it went bankrupt and my manuscript became a frozen asset. It wasn’t until I sold my second book, GETTING TO FIRST BASE WITH DANALDA CHASE, that the original first was resold and became my second. Got it? :) For those first two novels, I did many and significant edits for the US market, which was a whole Odyssey unto itself.

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?

LAST DECEMBER, my most recent YA novel, was my attempt at doing two things: to authentically and honestly represent what it is like to be a 15-year-old male, and to express this reality in a lyrical and (I hope!) aesthetically pleasing way. The novel is written in the form of a letter from said young man, Steven, to his unborn sister, Sam, and it is his attempt at trying to explain to her why it is he has to do what it is he has to do. :)

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

I would have to say the greatest inspiration for my stories are my own memories of childhood and adolescence. It seems that I’ve retained this part of my life in incident and feeling. It’s just not all that hard for me to recall the dizzying affects of a first crush, or the awkward attempts one makes as a teen at being cool.

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

I come from a family of teachers, so while they are thrilled at my becoming an author, I think they are still sort of scratching their heads about how it all came to be. To tell you the truth, I sometimes pinch myself – it’s still pretty amazing to me that I’ve become an author.

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

I am addicted to Eggs Benedict and spicy, spicy wings.

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

A coffee, a few moves of online Scrabble, and then to work!

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

All my camping gear might make you scratch your head a bit. I go on canoe trips annually and there is a preponderance of little containers, water-proof bags, and cooking equipment, which all must come on these trips. The food goes into a big, tightly-sealed, bear-proof can, with shoulder-straps for carrying.

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?

It would be the color blue because after having green as my favourite colour for years and years, I’ve just made the big switch. Blue is beautiful, no? I don’t know why I never saw it. Also, Sky Blue Sky is the name of an album by one of my favourite bands, Wilco. It’s a great album and a great album name.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Bart Simpson

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Bart Simpson

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 like this question because “beam” is a word, nay, a name that I am very familiar with. When I introduce myself, I say, “I’m Matt Beam, as in sun, moon, laser – not fava, black, jumping.” I’ve always wanted to go to India. It is an exciting place to be these days, and I’ve always gravitated toward the people.

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 all kinds of music but I err toward something called Indie Pop. Some of my favourite bands/singer-songwriters include Metric, Hayden, Grandaddy, and Okkervil River. I tend to write in cafés and I find the sonic background helps me focus in. There’s nothing more daunting than the silence of my home office!

Do you have any favorite T.V. shows?

Da Vinci’s Inquest was my favourite show for years.

Movies you watch over and over again?

Down by Law by Jim Jarmusch changed my life when I saw it at 16. I watch it every couple of years.

What was the last movie you saw at the theater?

Broken Embraces by Pedro Almodovar.

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

Keep reading! Along with being a great and wonderful pastime, it quietly makes you smarter, more eloquent, more knowledgeable, and better at arguing for the most important person in the world: you!

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

I am about to write my first novel with a female protagonist! I’ve been excited about doing this for years. The rest is a secret. Oh yeah, and I’m a photographer. My first book of photography, CITY ALPHABET, was a big hit, so I’m doing a follow up for 2011!

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

Interview with Alice Rene

www.alicerene.com

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?

I started writing my memoir after my grandson interviewed me for a paper he was writing for a social studies class in which he chose the Holocaust as his subject.

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

After my interview I decided that if I was to write anything, I would try to do it the best I could. I took writing classes and joined workshops in which I read my work to other writers who critiqued my work. They were intrigued by my story and encouraged me to get it published.

Initially I tried to get an agent and get my memoir, BECOMING ALICE, into the hands of a traditional publisher. After spending some months with that effort, I decided to put it into the hands of a POD, iUniverse. It was one of the smartest decisions I have ever made. The book has been very well received. It has won a number of awards in contests I have entered. (See the Awards Page on my website) and I am still being asked to be a speaker and participant in events locally. (See the Events Page on my website)

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 have been asked by many people to whom I have spoken, “What happened next?” Or, what happened to your brother, your best girlfriend, or your parents?” I’ve decided to answer some of those questions, perhaps in short story format.

As you can see from my website, my book has special appeal for the teenage/young adult market, as well as the adult market. Teenagers especially can relate to the young Alice who had been damaged by the threat to her life by Nazi persecution of Jews in WWII. That situation was made even more difficult by growing up within a troubled family. This effected her entire childhood and adolescence. Young people often ask me how I got beyond that time to become the woman I am today. I tell them to read my book.

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

I think the books written by people who have had to overcome enormous odds such as the story of Anne Frank, Hellen Keller, Barack Obama, etc. etc.

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

Fortunately for me, the main characters in my book, namely my mother, father, and brother, have not been able to read the book. Lucky for me, because I think my dad wouldn’t have liked to look back at some of his behavior that wasn’t exactly admirable.

However, my husband and my kids are all very, very proud of me. … Thank God!

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

Comfort food? Well, there are so many things: chocolate, coffee, cookies (my own Viennese Almond Cookies, of course) and then there’s pizza and Caesar salad and … and … how long is this interview? I could go on and on.

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

1) Stumble into the kitchen 2) Make my first cup of coffee 3) Feed the dog who’s been barking at me ever since I got into the kitchen.

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 basement or attic. My closet has lots of comfy clothes: jeans, sweatshirts, tennis clothes, a couple of dressy things … for just in case someone asks me to speak to their group.

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 blue. Maybe that’s because people tell me I look good in that color … it brings out the blue in my eyes. But … blue is a cold color and I don’t think of myself as a cold person. I guess I’d like to be yellow because it’s cheerful , or green, because I’m into the environment. This is a hard question. Maybe after you talk to me, you’ll choose a color for me.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Easy. Snoopy!

Which cartoon character is most like you?

I dunno. A non-nearsighted Mr. Magoo.

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?

Maybe …the turn of the century. We’ve been watching discs of the old “Upstairs Downstairs” episodes done by the BBC in the 1970’s and they are GREAT!!! ( We get them from Netflix)

Not only is the writing and acting superb, but the costumes. Oh my God, they are BEAUTIFUL!! Of course, you have to have a Parlor Maid to help you get in and out of them.

And, it’s best to have a ton of money. How much fun all that would be, even for a little while.

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

I don’t listen to music while I’m writing. I need to concentrate and the music takes my attention away. I like classical music. My favorites are Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, etc. To me how can you beat Vivaldi’s Four Seasons?

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 a lot of scrolling on TV. I often stop at Animal Planet, the Smithsonian, all the tennis tournaments, the Olympics, and any movies that I missed on screen.

Last movie I saw was Julia and Julie. There’s no one better than Meryl Streep in my book.

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

The most important piece of advice I can give teen readers, as well as any genre of readers, is to keep reading. It’s so much fun and the added benefit might be that you may learn something in the process.

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

Right now I’m working on a piece about a stalker.

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

Interview with Carmen Catalina

Carmen on Goodreads

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 writing my first stories when I was in the fourth grade, and I’ve known ever since then.

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

It took me a very long time to take myself seriously as a writer. In my 20s I desperately wanted to be a writer but really thought that unless I had something profound to say that I probably shouldn’t pursue it. When I read a very simple book called JEMIMA J by Jane Green and it changed my life, that’s when I realized that all stories are worth telling because anything can impact your life, even if it isn’t Pulitzer Prize winning material. That’s when I began writing for real and started pursuing my dream of publication. Before I wrote my first book, I did see my name in print when I wrote letters to the editor and wrote for my college newspapers.

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 book ...BY DAPHNE is a tale about a teenager who experiences all the angst imaginable and has quite a magical life, but it isn’t supernatural magic. It’s a real magic.

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

I’d have to say life is my biggest influence. Just living and observing has made me full of inspiration.

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

My six-year-old daughter Mia is my biggest fan. She tells everyone that her mom is a “book signer” and likes to pretend she is my assistant. She is the most fun. My family is a little shocked because to hear me talk about something I wanted to do for so long and finally doing it is a huge deal. I’m lucky to have a few friends who are tremendously supportive and excited about my writing adventures.

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

Pizza is my weakness. For celebrations, we get pizza. If we’re upset, pizza makes it all better.

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

I ignore the buzzer for way too long, then I take too much time checking my email and the daily headlines, then I rush around trying to get us ready to begin our 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?

My closet is surprising because I have a small wardrobe. Then you’d notice the six years worth of magazines that I can’t let go of.

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’d want to be the color black because I associate power, mystery, class and sophistication with black, so I’d definitely want to be black.

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Right now, Candace from Phineas and Ferb cracks me up.

Which cartoon character is most like you?

Rex from Toy Story.

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 have to meet my grandmother’s parents in probably the early 1900s. I feel a tremendous connection to my great-grandmother who died during childbirth when my grandmother was very young. I’d like to see her, and watch her and try to figure out the connection I have to her.

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

Musically I’m totally stuck in the 80s. Van Halen, Psychedelic Furs, Depeche Mode and Night Ranger are my favorites. I love Shakira and Shania Twain. I don’t listen to music when I write because it distracts me. Sometimes when I hear music I just have to dance, and I can’t dance and write at the same time.

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 haven’t watched TV regularly since Friends went off the air. Sometimes I have been known to be a couch potato during marathons like House, The Real Housewives or Tori and Dean. Movies I can watch over and over again are You’ve Got Mail, Sunset Boulevard, National Treasure and Sex and the City. The last movie I saw in the theater was the Hannah Montana Movie. Can’t wait for Fame.

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

Try not to forget who you are and always remember to dream big.

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

I’m working on the sequel to ...BY DAPHNE and a screenplay. I’ll definitely keep you posted.

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