Author Interview: Anna Jarzab

Today I have the privilege of sharing an author interview with the wonderful Anna Jarzab who has written All Unquiet Things, The Opposite of Hallelujah, and the soon to be published first in a sci-fi trilogy Tandem! Read on for more about Anna's books, her inspirations, and her strategy for surviving the zombie apocalypse.

THC: Describe your newest novel, The Opposite of Hallelujah, in 5 words.

AJ: Sisters, faith, love, friendship, possibility.


THC: In The Opposite of Hallelujah, Pawel is obsessed with Rube Goldberg machines. Did you make any in preparation for the book or were they just something that fascinated you?

AJ: To tell the truth, I can't remember exactly why I decided to have Pawel build Rube Goldberg machines for a hobby--I think it traces all the way back to this X-Files episode, "The Goldberg Variation", which is all about a guy who creates Goldberg machines whose life ends up basically becoming a Goldberg machine--but I didn't actually make one, no. I don't think I have the skills for that! I just looked at a lot of them on Google images and watched videos on YouTube to get a sense of how they were built and how to describe the machines in the book. The game Mousetrap is basically a Rube Goldberg machine, though, and I played that as a kid. Everything is research!

THC: What five books do you think we would find on Caro's bookshelf?

AJ: Oooooooooh, this is a very, very good question. Caro and I are similar in a lot of ways, so we'd probably read a lot of the same books. I'm going to say: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.

THC: What are the biggest things you hope a reader will take away from The Opposite of Hallelujah?

AJ: That people are complex (and imperfect!!!) and relationships are hard and take work and that the world is not done being created, that we're creating it with every choice we make, so we ought to respect that process, try to contribute to it positively, and also take the time to wonder at the results.

THC: What influenced you to become a writer?

AJ: Lots of things, but chief among them was a love of books and a dreamy disposition.

THC: Have you ever based some of the characters you've written off of yourself or off of people you know/have known? Have any events in your stories happened in real life but have been tweaked for the page?

AJ: All my characters have elements of me in them, and kernels of other people, but the character who's probably the most like anybody is Caro, who's a self-portrait of myself as a teenager (give or take some details, like I'm really terrible at math and math-y science, like physics, but Caro's really good at those things). Some things in the stories did happen in real life--I'm constantly using small details from my own life and the lives of the people I know in my books, it adds authenticity--but I try to be careful to make sure that my books are works of fiction in a pretty strict sense of the word.

THC: You have a new book called Tandem coming out in October 2013. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

AJ: Yes! First of all, I'm really super excited about it. Second of all, it's about a girl named Sasha who gets pulled into a universe parallel to her own and has to pose as her double. It's soft sci-fi, by which I mean you don't need to love sci-fi to like it, although I think (I hope) sci-fi lovers will also enjoy it, but the "science" in the book is more like mythology (by which I mean invented rules of the world, like how magic works in Harry Potter) than real physics. It's got romance and chase scenes and puzzles and twists and I really love it. It's also the first in a trilogy, so the story goes beyond the scope of just one book. I'm really nervous about how people will react to it, but I'm looking forward to it coming out in 2013.

THC: All Unquiet Things is a mystery, The Opposite of Hallelujah is a contemporary, and Tandem sounds like an adventure/fantasy. Have you always wanted to write in a lot of different genres or is that just something that sort of happened?

AJ: It was kind of an accident? After AUT came out I tried to write a book that was similar and it was a crash and burn, so I turned away from the mystery thing to give my brain a rest (writing mysteries is hard; how Agatha Christie wrote like 70 of them I will never know) and since I'd already written a huge chunk of Hallelujah as a side project the year before, I felt it was a good place to start. Before I knew it, I'd finished the book and submitted it to my editor, although I would argue that it is also a mystery in some ways (the difference is that it's not a crime novel like AUT). Then Tandem blew in and took over my life, but I didn't consciously move into a sci-fi/fantasy realm. Ultimately, I think of Tandem as a love story with science fictional elements, and it's also got a mystery in it.
Now, however, I am trying to be more strategic about future projects and am consciously mixing it up. I'm working on an adult "paranormal" mystery thing (a bit genre bend-y but not too much) and another contemporary and a really high-concept contemporary and a high-fantasy and another crime novel. I keep trying to challenge myself; writing the same book over and over is not for me.

THC: If you could marry one fictional character, who would it be and why?

AJ: This is a really hard question to answer. My first thought is, of course, Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, but I could probably find it in my heart to turn him down if Etienne St. Clair from Stephanie Perkins' ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS came calling.

THC: You are caught in the zombie apocalypse. What is your strategy for survival?

AJ: Find a baseball bat and just keep swinging. Although, I'd probably be one of the first men down in a zombie apocalypse. I can't run very fast.

A HUGE thanks to Anna Jarzab for being kind enough to let me interview her! If you want to find out even more about Anna be sure to head on over to her awesome website and follow her on Twitter. Also, head on down to Goodreads and add Tandem to your want to read shelf! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! 

Julia :)

Author Interview: Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Today I have the lovely privilege of sharing an interview with author Natalie Dias Lorenzi!

Her debut novel Flying the Dragon came out from Charlesbridge earlier this month. Check out what she has to say about her novel, why she wrote about the Japanese culture, her journey to becoming a writer, and more!

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If you could choose 3 words to describe your novel The Flying Dragon what would they be and why?

Family: The family dynamics in this story are complicated at times, but by the end of the book, the characters all realize the importance of family ties how deep they run.

Home: I don’t just mean the houses where the characters live—but how both Hiroshi and Skye learn to feel at home in their own skin.

Hope: This is the feeling that I hope all readers will take with them once they’ve closed the book at the end. Hiroshi and Skye go through some tough times, but although we don’t know what will happen once the story has finished, we do have a sense of hope that they’ll both be just fine. 

What made you decide to write a story about Japanese culture?

I’d lived in Yokohama, Japan for two years where I taught at an international school. I was fascinated by the culture and so impressed by the respect that people show each other. There are so few children’s books on shelves with Asian main characters—some of my favorites have been written by Grace Lin, Mitali Perkins, Linda Sue Park, Cindy Pon, Wendy Shang and Lisa Yee. But although Japanese main characters appear in several picture books (I especially love Allen Say’s work), middle grade novels with Japanese main characters are scarce.

After reading Khaled Houssani’s The Kite Runner, I was fascinated by the sport of rokkaku, Japanese kite-fighting, and thought that kids might be interesting in learning about it, too.

Why did you decide to write a middle grade novel? Have you always wanted to write for children? Do you hope to write for an older or younger audience in the future?

Believe it or not, I actually thought this story would be a picture book when I first starting thinking about the characters and possible plotlines. The middle grade voice is probably the most comfortable and natural for me because, of my eighteen years as a teacher, sixteen of those years have been teaching middle grade readers, kids between the ages of 8 and 12. Also, two of my own kids are in the middle grade range, so that age group is the one I know best.

I did write a young adult manuscript that’s more on the “sweet” end of YA, so maybe that will morph into a middle grade novel in my revision future. I’ve also written some picture book manuscripts, so hopefully one day I’ll have a range of work out in the world!

Tell us about your writing journey. Have you always wanted to be a writer? What are some things in your life that have shaped your writing? 

I decided in 4^th grade that I wanted to be a teacher, but even at that age, I loved writing stories. By the time I went to college, I never thought about majoring in something that would lead to being a published author. Once I started teaching, I absolutely loved it and writing was one of my favorite things to teach.

But it wasn’t until I took a break from teaching to stay home with my kids that I actually took the time to explore writing. I took an online class in magazine writing from Writer’s Digest, and eventually wrote articles for American Baby, Parenting, and Scholastic’s Instructor magazine. But writing for children was my ultimate dream, so I also signed up for a course in writing for children. Soon after that, I joined SCWBI, where I found my critique partners, and then I joined Verla Kay’s forums for writers, all invaluable resources that I’d recommend to writers in all writing career stages.

What are some new themes and genres that you've seen popping up in literature that you're most excited about?

As a part-time elementary school librarian and part-time ESL teacher, I’ve been pleased to see a slight rise in the variety of multicultural books now available to kids. My school’s population is highly diverse, with 88% of our students speaking a language other than English at home. It’s important for kids to see their own realities reflected in literature and characters with whom they can identify. But multicultural fiction is also for those of us who were born and raised in the US in English-speaking homes, because these books give us a glimpse into the customs and behind-the-scenes realities of our neighbors.

I’m also super excited about the popularity of graphic novels in the last few years. My reluctant readers head straight for the graphic novel shelves in our library, and we cannot keep those shelves stocked to meet the demand. Graphic novels make both classic and new stories accessible to all kids, and I don’t see this trend waning anytime soon. This includes hybrids—books that are not officially graphic novels, but that are highly illustrated, like Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Ruth McNally Barshaw’s Ellie McDoodle series and Rachel Renee Russell’s Dork Diary series. I’ve seen these books turn kids into readers, which is powerful and potentially life-changing for those readers.

Who are some of your favorite authors and what are some of your favorite books?

Oh, this is a hard question, because there are too many to count! For plot, Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me is one of my favorites. For point of view, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief—who knew that Death as a narrator could be so sympathetic and compelling? For setting, Ammi-Joan Paquette’s Nowhere Girl is a delicious peek into the Thai countryside and the craziness of Bangkok, and Laura Resau’s What the Moon Saw made me want to travel to Mexico. For voice, Gary Schmidt’s Okay for Now left me feeling like Doug Swieteck, the main character, had become a friend. For strong characters, Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s One for the Murphys and Jeannie Mobley’s Katerina’s Wish are new releases with heart. There are many more beloved books that I’m leaving off this list, but this is a good start!

If you could have one crazy superpower what would it be and why?

That’s a good question! I’d love to have the power to transport myself from one place to another in a matter of two seconds. I’d love to be able to pop into far-flung places for a quick visit. This superpower would come in handy if I ever needed to get myself out of any scrapes, or if I needed a quick chocolate fix in the middle of a thunderstorm—I could zip to the store and back again without an umbrella. :-)

If you were an animal instead of a human which animal would you be and why?

I think I’d have to say a cat—one who rules the house in a family of cat fans. As a human, I’m definitely more of a dog person, but if I had to be an animal, I think I could definitely handle lounging around the house all day!

Thanks so much Natalie!

Thank you, Julia, for hosting me on That Hapa Chick!

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Want to know more about Natalie's book Flying the Dragon? Check it out on Goodreads here! You can also find out more about Natalie and her writing on her official website here.

Julia :)

The Immortal Rules Q&A with Julie Kagawa!

Today Harlequin Teen has provided me with some great Q&A from Julie Kagawa all about her new book The Immortal Rules! Read on if you want to find out about Julie's favorite butt kicking heroines, why she decided to write a vampire book after all, and whether or not she would choose to die or become a vampire!

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After writing the Iron Fey series for so many years, how difficult was it to immerse yourself in a futuristic world filled with vampires, rabids, and an enslaved human race?

It was... very different. I think the hardest thing for me was the fact that this tory does take place in the real world - a futuristic, vampire-infested world, but the real world nonetheless. Things had to make sense, for example: how far can a large group walk in a single day if there were no roads, they were going through thick woods, and there were children in the group? I had to have logical reasons for everything; I couldn't just make something work" because of faery magic," lol.

Just like Meghan Chase in the Iron Fey series, the main character in The Immortal Rules, Allison Sekemoto is a "take charge and kick butt" kind of girl. Is this intentional? What woman - real or fictional, alive or deceased - do you look up to or admire?

Yes, Allison comes from a very different world than Meghan Chase. Meghan's upbringing was pretty normal; Allison grew up among vampires and monsters, where every day was a fight to live, so she couldn't afford to be weak. While Meghan had to learn to "take charge and kick butt," Allison's first impulse is stab first, talk later.

As for female role models, the first that comes to mind - when it comes to kicking vampire butt anyway - is Buffy Summers. Thank you Joss Whedon , for making me love feisty, snarky, heroines who can dust all sorts of nasties but who also look good in a cheerleading outfit! ;)

You mention in your acknowledgements of The Immortal Rules that at the beginning of your writing career you promised yourself you wouldn't write a vampire book. What changed your mind?

Well, there were already so many really good books about our favorite bloodsuckers, so many stories and ideas, I thought I didn't have anything new to add to the masses. I was actually toying with a post-apocalyptic YA novel when my agent mentioned I might want to try writing a vampire series. I wasn't intrigued with the idea at first, but then I thought about combining vampires with the post-apocalyptic novel and then the rest sort of fell into place.

Allison claims she hates vampires and believes they are monsters yet when faced with a choice of die or become one, she becomes a vampire. Would you have made that same decision?

Me personally? No. I'm like Zeke in the belief that there is something better waiting for me beyond this life and I just have to do my best until it's time for me to go on. Besides, I love pizza and Mountain Dew too much to give it up.

Who do you think the most complex character is in The Immortal Rules?

Probably, Kanin Allie's sire. He's a vampire who has made his peace about being a monster, yet chooses to live by his own set of moral rules. He warns Allison about getting too close to humans, yet he does not kill unless he absolutely has to. He is tormented about something in his past that he refuses to share with anyone. He is certainly the most mysterious of all the characters, if not the most complex.

Before starting writing full time you were a professional dog trainer. Do the professions share any similarities?

Lol, well you have to think on your feet a lot. And some of the small dogs could be compared to tiny snapping goblins, but writing requires less dodging skills, though perhaps the same amount of creativity and problem solving.

When starting a new series, like Blood of Eden, do you have the entire series mapped out in detail or do you let the story develop book by book?

I have a high point that I write toward in each story; I know this and this has to happen, but getting from point A to point B usually develops as I go along.


And for the speed round:

What book have you read, and re-read, and read yet again?

Any of the Harry Potter books.



Favorite song to play when writing a fight scene?

My "favorites" change daily. Right now it's "Awake and Alive" by Skillet.

Worst job?

Working a kiosk in the mall during Christmas. It sold glass figurines, and the maneuvering space around hundreds of very breakable merchandise was quite small. I was like a bull in a china shop.

Best vacation spot?

Walt Disney World

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet.

One thing most people don't know about you - and would never guess!

I used to play the flute when I was a kid. I was really good at it too, but my instructor stopped teaching to have a family and I never went back to it.

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A big thanks to Harlequin Teen for providing this awesome Q&A!

Be sure to add The Immortal Rules to your shelf on Goodreads here and enter my giveaway for a copy here!

To find out more about Julie Kagawa  and her books be sure to check out her official website and follow her on Twitter!

Julia :)

Asian Author Spotlight: Melissa de la Cruz

Today I've got an interview with Asian author Melissa de la Cruz! You might know her from her popular Blue Bloods series or her The Au Pairs Novels. The first book in her new series Wolf Pact is coming out from Disney Hyperion this fall. Read on as Melissa shares with us what inspires her to write, her advice for young writers, and how her Asian heritage influenced her writing!

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What were your favorite books as a kid?
As a kid I loved everything from Dr. Seuss to A.A. Milne, graduating to Anne of Green Gables series, Little Women, Sweet Valley High, Stephen King, Anne Rice.
 
What inspires you to write your book(s)? 
Everything, anything. You overhear something. Or your friends talk about something. Or you read something in the newspaper or a magazine or you see something in TV. For my first novel Cat's Meow about a fashionista, I was inspired by an article I read in Vogue about this socialite who bought Sammy Davis Jr's wardrobe and WORE it--it was so fabulous. For Blue Bloods I was inspired by something I read online about how all these famous, wealthy and illustrious Americans - like the Roosevelts and Bushes and even famous people like Marilyn Monroe and Oprah - could trace their ancestry to the Mayflower. I thought, what if the reason these people are so entrenched in power and influence is because they're undead? Because they're vampires?
 
What advice would you give to another writer? 
I have an entire section on advice on my website!
 
http://melissa-delacruz.com/index.php/info/advice/
 
If you could have any supernatural power, what would it be?
I would make the days much, much longer so that I have enough time for everything - all my deadlines, time with my family, time for myself, time for my friends.  

What are some of your favorite books with Asian characters?
Joy Luck Club was definitely very influential for me. I loved and hated it at the same time. As I've grown up, I've loved it more. I think as a young and angry Asian-American woman, I didn't like it very much when I first read it, I thought it was very much "victim-y" but now I realize how wise it is, and how it told HER story, but not mine and that was fine.
 
Do you think Asian characters and/or authors are prominent enough in young adult fiction?
I don't know what you mean really - I think Shaun Tan is very prominent and respected, and there are a lot of great writers out there in YA who have published books and made a name for themselves- Cherry Cheva, Paula Yoo, Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon, Marie Lu, so our voices are being heard.
 

Do you feel like your Asian heritage influenced your writing at all?
Yes, it's part of me so it's in my writing. I think New York is very much like Manila, my parents always said New York was "Manila with money." Society is the same everywhere --people are the same, they have the same cliques the same foibles. When I was writing about the Blue Bloods, even though they are WASPs from the Mayflower, the way they act, the way they lived, it was very much influenced by what I saw growing up as a kid in Manila, my dad had his own investment bank and my mom was prominent socially and written about in magazines.

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Thanks for such an awesome interview Melissa! To find out more about Melissa de la Cruz and her books be sure to check out her official website. You can also follower her on Twitter here.

Be sure to hit up our All Things Asian event page for all the posts and giveaways! Click HERE to see more awesomeness. (And no, you don't have to be Asian to participate!) And don't forget to check out iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books,  and My Words Ate Me today for more posts!

Julia :)

Asian Author Spotlight: Ellen Oh + Giveaway

Today I get the privilege of spotlighting Asian author Ellen Oh!

Her debut novel Prophecy - The Dragon King Chronicles (it's the first in a trilogy!) won't be coming out till January 2nd 2013 from HarperCollins but that doesn't mean we can't highlight her now right? Enjoy this great interview where Ellen shares with us why she thinks diversity is important, talks about her love for spicy food, and tells us her favorite Asian dish!

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What made you choose to write the genre you do?
I don’t think I chose to write in this genre, my story dictated what I wrote. It just happened to be YA. But subconsciously it probably helped that I had small children and I was reading a lot of children’s books at the time. In fact, I preferred them to adult books. Still do!

What inspired you to write your book(s)?  I'd become fascinated with Ancient Asian history after reading a biography on Genghis Khan back in the year 2000. It led to years of obsessive research that led to a kernel of an idea -- an idea that I could write a fantasy novel using a mix of history, mythology and legend.



What advice would you give to another writer?  "Shut up and listen carefully" should be your new mantra. Before you get offended or confused, let me explain. Writers can be very opinionated and defensive and yet at the same time really insecure and paranoid. This comes out in how you interact with other people, how you talk, how you act, and even how you write. In order to become a better writer, I had to tell myself to shut up already and start listening carefully to what's really being said.

How do you listen carefully? First, you have to take ego out of the equation. All the ego - not just the "I'm the best writer in the world" ego, but the "I suck and can't even write 'how to' manuals for a can opener" ego. It is inevitable that most of us are our own worst critics. It's just as important to tell your critic to shut up. You know the one that sounds like Joan Rivers and says you suck and you're ugly. That guy. You need to punch that guy in the face and tell him to shut up. Listen to your gut not your critic. Your gut wants to help you succeed. Your critic wants to make you stab yourself in the eye with a spoon. So who do you really want to listen to?

Listening carefully also means to weed out the negativity. To weed out the naysayers. The people who just want to bring you down (whether on purpose or unconsciously) and say things that undermine your confidence. Listening carefully means recognizing truth from untruths. Not easy to do when your inner critic is bitching at you about how badly you stink. He helps all that negativity take root and you begin to second guess yourself. He needs an ass whooping. And you need to listen carefully. When you take your ego and your critic out of the equation, then a negative criticism becomes easier to analyze. It's easier to consider whether it really has merit or if it's just trash talk.

One naysayer told me that my first book (which I shelved) was "too oriental for western sensibilities." After I kicked in his teeth (in my head), I listened carefully to what that criticism was really about. In my first book, I had some difficult Korean names. The kind that make you scratch your head wondering how to even attempt pronouncing them. Fair enough, I thought. I never did like the fact that I had no idea how to pronounce all the Elvish names in Lord of the Rings. I kept that in mind when I wrote Prophecy. Now I have names in my book that are easier to pronounce. Did I sell myself out to do that? Absolutely not. I listened carefully. I disregarded the inherent racism in the implied criticism and instead focused on how to address it.

As a writer, there will be many times when your ego and your critic will get in the way of your writing. Don't let them control you. Don't let them block your forward progress. Tell them to shut up so you can listen carefully. Only then can you find the truths that will work best for you.

If you could have any supernatural power, what would it be?
I would want to be like superman strong, but without the kryptonite.



What is your opinion on spicy food?
I’m Korean, does that answer your question? ;o) I’m the type of person that will try to add Tabasco to everything I eat (except sweets). So yeah, I pretty much adore spicy food. But as I get older, the spicy food isn’t loving me back as much so Zantac has become my new best friend.

Do you think there needs to be more diversity in young adult fiction?
Hell yes! We need a lot more diversity in YA fiction. I just did a blog post on this subject here:

http://elloecho.blogspot.com/2012/03/why-pretty-white-girl-ya-book-cover.html

One of the reasons I wrote up this post was because my oldest daughter, who is 12, has now been haunting the YA sections of the bookstore and she commented on how “white” it was. It made me sad because she felt excluded without even really knowing why.

I will also be doing a blog series where I ask authors of diverse books to talk about what diversity means to them and why it is so important.


How close would you say you are to Asian culture?
Well I wrote a book about ancient Korea because I was fascinated by Asian history. I am a huge K-pop and K-drama fan and I adore Korean food. Well actually, I love all food, especially Asian food. There is no doubting my Americanism, but I respect and admire my Korean roots.

What is your favorite Asian dish?
This is way too hard! Because the answer is – it depends on my mood. When I’m in the mood for noodles, my favorite food is Pho. If I want comfort food – it’s Korean bibimbap. Then there are days where the only thing that I want to eat is sushi. And when I just gotta have meat, kalbi is the only way to go.

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Thanks for such an awesome interview Ellen! To find out more about Ellen's debut novel Prophecy check out Ellen's official website here and take the time to check out her blog here where you can see the posts she mentioned on cultural diversity! Totally awesome right?

And now for the GIVEAWAY! *throws confetti in air*

Reading Confessions with the Dark Days authors!

Last week I attending the Dark Days tour stop at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tucson Arizona which consisted of Ellen Schreiber (author of Vampire Kisses and Once in a Full Moon), Veronica Rossi (author of Under the Never Sky), and Tahereh Mafi (author of Shatter Me)! All three authors were really nice and I loved getting to hear more about their writing process and characters. I've been getting spoiled on author events these past few months! Here are some (not so flattering) shots I got of me and Veronica Rossi and Tahereh Mafi:

 *cringe* But on the bright side my t-shirt is awesome!

At this particular event I was on a mission for my Library to try to get Reading Confession interviews from the authors. Fortunately all three authors were kind enough to agree to doing a confession. You can watch each of their mini interviews below as they answer questions about their favorite childhood reads, what they love to read now, their inspirations, and more!












A big thanks to Ellen Schreiber, Veronica Rossi, and Tahereh Mafi for being wonderful enough to let me conduct these interviews! You guys are amazing.

You can find out more about each of these authors below:

Ellen Schreiber

Veronica Rossi

Tahereh Mafi

Also be sure to enter my giveaway for a signed copy of Tahereh Mafi's book Shatter Me and some fun signed swag here.

Julia :)

Author Interview: Cat Patrick

So last week I posted my review of the absolutely amazing book Forgotten by Cat Patrick. Seriously, I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! Anyway today I have an interview with the lovely author Cat Patrick! I literally squealed with excitement when she said that she would do an interview with me! So here's the interview!

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Where did the idea for Forgotten come from and what were some things that influenced your writing? 

I got the idea for FORGOTTEN when my twins were really little and I wasn't getting enough sleep. I forgot what I was doing in the middle of an activity. I wondered what it'd be like to have amnesia--particularly in high school. Then I thought, "but what if you could remember the future instead?" That's the day I started writing; FORGOTTEN was born.

Very cool! Who is your favorite character in Forgotten?

 

That's like asking me to choose between my children: I love them all, even the side characters!

I can imagine it would be hard to choose. Personally I like Luke Henry! In Forgotten London has the ability to see some of her future and because of this she sometimes tries to change it. Are there any moments in your past that you think you might have wanted to change if you could've seen the future like London?

It's easy to wish certain things never happened, but I really believe that everything we experience in our lives--bad or good--makes us who we are. So, I'd hold on to everything because that's what makes me...me.

Very true! I don't know if I would change anything about my past either.
Forgotten has been given a lot of different cover designs. Which one is your favorite?

I love all of the covers for different reasons. US is really bold--I can find it in the bookstore in a flash! Australia and France are both very surreal and pretty--they remind me of London's nicer memories of the future. I love the UK cover for the model's hair color and the windy setting; it looks the most like the setting in  my mind. Taiwan is very funky cool; Sweden is creepy beautiful; Russia is so completely unique! Honestly, they're all amazing.

I love all of them too though I have to say that France and Australia are my favorites. (You can see all the covers of Forgotten here.) Forgotten had a very open ending. Have you considered writing a sequel?

I considered it, but ultimately decided against it because I think the ending suits the story. Like London’s future, the ending isn’t set in stone; like London’s outlook, the ending is hopeful. I like that it isn’t tied up with a shiny red or any other color bow. Cause I’ve never really been a bow person. And when it comes down to it, I like that my book lets people go bow-less.

Awww that makes sense. I'm not really a bow person either. Do you have any fun writing quirks like needing to eat skittles during revisions or always wearing your pajamas? 

Hmm...well, I like it to be quiet--I can't listen to music--and I like to eat crunchy snacks when I'm trying to come up with something new because I think they wake up my brain.

Your new book Revived is coming out this May 2012. Could you tell us a little bit about it? 

Sure! REVIVED is the story of Daisy Appleby, a teen girl who's part of a secret government program to test a drug that brings you back from the dead. The drug is called Revive, and at the start of the book, Daisy dies and is Revived for the fifth time. With each death comes a new home, so Daisy moves to a new town, and with it come a friendship and a romantic relationship that make her understand the fragility of life. 

Wow that just sounds amazing! I'm definitely looking forward to reading it. 

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Big thanks to Cat Patrick for doing the interview with me!!!

If you want to know more about Forgotten you can check out my review here. You can also add Cat Patricks new book Revived on GoodReads here.

Also be sure to check out her author website and blog!!!

Julia :)

Author Interview: Cathy Ostlere

Today I have a great interview with the awesome author Cathy Ostlere! We talk about her new YA book Karma, why she loves writing, and more.  

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Karma is a book in verse. Why did you decide to write it that way? Have you always been drawn to writing poetry? Did you find it difficult to craft a story in verse?

I am not a poet but I do love poetic prose. I love beauty in language - sounds and sight. I love the sound of individual words and the  rhythms of a spoken poem. I love implied meaning and irony.

What I enjoyed most about writing a verse novel was the freedom that comes with entering uncharted territory (for myself). Karma's different form allowed more possibility, more narrative risk-taking. What if a character's thoughts appear as a list? What if one thought or one sentence takes up an entire page? What does the white space say to the reader? Is the reader uncomfortable or does the emptiness allow them to rest with the words? Is a verse novel more contemplative? Or is the reader caught in an accelerated pace because there are fewer words on each page?

I believe that a verse novel offers a kind of freedom to a reader as well. The mind is neither contained nor organized by complete sentences, paragraphs or conventional dialogue. The reader is invited to enter the poem in her own way. Will she choose to read the left column first, then the right? Or will she allow her eye to jump back and forth crisscrossing the page? And then, the question must be asked: how does the experience affect understanding? Are characters deepened because the reader must stay alert to the changing pattern of poems? Does new meaning emerge out of non-traditional narratives?

You really put a lot of thought into it! I would never have thought of all those variables but its so true. That's part of why I love books in verse so much. They are very open to interpretation.

Karma is your first young adult book. How was it different writing to a younger audience?

I actually don't think I did anything very different just because this book was aimed at young adults. This was the story I set out to tell. This was how I chose to write it. If anything, I think I knew Karma would have a more accepting audience with a young adult reader than with an older reader. That says something doesn't it? Young readers are more flexible and curious!

If I had geared this story towards adults only perhaps I would have delved a little deeper into the politics and religious issues of the era. And I may have explored Sandeep's and Maya's physical relationship in a different way but even as I write that statement I'm not sure. Their restraint in each other is very mature and wise (not something we see often in adult novels). I feel very strongly that my responsibility in writing for YA is greater than if I was writing solely for an adult audience. Every book a young person reads builds their knowledge and experience of the world. Everything in Karma had to be accurate and believable - the facts as well as the emotional lives of the characters. I believe YA readers are demanding in their desire for truth.

That is very true! I think that's a large reason why Dystopian novels are so popular right now, because they often delve into finding truth. 

Why did you decide to write a novel about the Indian culture?


India is a passionate, complex, often corrupt, yet interesting country with a long history and an exciting future. The nation does not fall easily into labels: it is multi-cultural; it is forward thinking and frighteningly backward; it is rich in literature, art, architecture, and myth; it is religiously significant and layered. And it is a thrilling culture. Once you've visited, it beckons again.


Do you have a favorite character in Karma?

By and far, Maya. And who can't adore Sandeep? But also Maya's father, Amar, who struggles so much in this book - I admire him a great deal.


What inspired you to become a writer?

Beauty. I love to stumble upon 'the exquisite' in books, art, people, nature. My 'art' is writing so I try to show a reader what is beautiful in language, humanity, and our world stories.


Do you have any rituals that you have to do while you write like listening to certain music or drinking coffee?

One cup of coffee is the reward for sitting in my chair for two hours. No music, it's too distracting, and makes me want to dance. And though my cat is not a ritual, he has no pattern, Sam is like an extension of my writerly self. He's allowed to go out into the world and explore while I mist stay at my desk and work!

Your house is on fire and you only have time to save 5 books. Which 5 would you save?

Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient; Tolstoy's Anna Karenina; George Elliot Clarke's Whyla Falls, my memoir, Lost: A Memoir and finally a dictionary.


Wow, I would never think to bring a Dictionary but now that you say it that is such a smart idea!

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Thanks so much Cathy for taking the time to answer my questions! I haven't been able to read Karma yet (my Library doesn't have it! Grrrr...) but I definitely want to. I LOVE books in verse and the whole Indian culture is very fascinating to me as well!

Have any of you guys read Karma? Did you enjoy it?

Julia :)

Author Interview: Megan McCafferty

Hey guys! About a week ago I posted a review of the book Bumped. Well today I have an interview from the wonderful author Megan McCafferty!

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1. The world you created in Bumped was amazing. What was it like as an author to create something so real and vivid? Was it difficult or did it come easily to you?

Thank you! I did about a year's worth of research before I started writing BUMPED. I read a lot about the history of surrogate motherhood, teen pregnancy, adoption and sex education because I wanted to ground my frightening future in reality. (if you go to my Goodreads page, you can check out my "research for Bumped" shelf.) As for the slang, slogans and technology, my Sci-Fi loving husband cautioned me against trying to accurately predict what would be happening 25 years from now. He advised me to just have fun with it, and that's what I did.

2. What was it that made you decide to write a story about two sisters?

Genetics play a huge role in the world of BUMPED. Splitting the narrative between identical twin sisters opened up so many plot possibilities based around their shared DNA. 

3. The two sisters Harmony and Melody come from two very different backgrounds: The Church and kind of a modern family. Why did you choose those particular backgrounds?

BUMPED is a satirical cautionary tale about what happens when extreme thinking crowds out more moderate approaches to social problems. It seemed natural to pit an oversexed culture against a dogmatic religious culture against a dogmatic religious culture because that's what you often see battling it out in the media. In doing so, I hope readers will realize just how much the two sides - as personified by Melody and Harmony - have in common.

4. Zen is one of the few biracial characters I've found in literature. Why did you decide to include a character like that in Bumped? (he was totally my favorite by the way!)

According to the Census, white Americans will be the minority by mid-century. The book is set in Princeton, NJ in the year 2036. Current day Princeton is already a very multicultural town and I imagine that it will be much more so 25 years from now.

5. Who is your favorite character from Bumped? Any character you particularly enjoyed writing?

It's hard for me to choose a favorite character because I have affection for them all...even the ones I kind of hate. In fact, the more loathsome or despicable characters like Ventura Vida or Lib - Melody's rival and Reproductive Representative, respectively - can be the most fun to write because they say and do such outrageous things.

6. What is the main message you hope a reader will get from Bumped?

When people first hear the plot of BUMPED, they think, "Oh, that's crazy." But is it really so far fetched? When "surrogacy tourism" is gaining in popularity, and the girls from 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom get tabloid covers, and Abercrombie and Fitch sells padded bikini tops for eight year olds? I hope readers draw parallels between real life and futuristic fiction, especially in the way teens feel trapped by parental/peer/cultural expectations, or how the media sells messages about sex and virginity. If readers get to the end of BUMPED and can't stop thinking about it, then I've succeeded.

7. Bumped ended at a sort of a cliffhanger. Can you tell us anything about the sequel?

I'm in the middle of revisions right now, so I don't want to say too much. The sequel picks up eight and a half months after BUMPED ends. And there won't be a third book. I always saw it as two narrators, two books.

8. If Bumped were to become a movie who would be in your dream cast?

Oh, I have absolutely no idea! I'll leave that fun to the readers...or hopefully the casting director!

9. What was it that inspired you to become an author?

I've been making up stories since I learned how to talk, and started writing them down right after I learned my ABCs. I've never wanted to be anything else. My last non-writing related job was at Lucky Leo's Arcade on the Seaside Heights boardwalk (Yes, the same Seaside made famous by Jersey Shore.)

10. A crazy natural disaster occurs and you are only able to save 5 books. What 5 would you save?

The Catcher in the Rye, A Good Man is Hard to Find (Flannery O'Connor), Naked (David Sedaris), Feed (M.T. Anderson), and for my husband and son, The Lord of the Rings.

That's so nice of you to save books for your husband and son! I don't know if I would be able to do that. Hehe. I would definitely want to save The Lord of the Rings too. 

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Thank you so much Megan McCafferty for the lovely interview! I definitely can't wait for Bumped's sequel to come out. If you haven't read Bumped yet you should really pick it up! Its an awesome book.

Julia :)

Author Interview: Denise Jaden

Today on my blog I am super excited to be able to highlight the wonderful author Denise Jaden! I recently read Denise Jaden's debut novel Losing Faith and I absolutely loved it.

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When Brie’s sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie’s world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral further and further off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but. As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don’t line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night….a secret that puts her own life in danger.

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Describe Losing Faith in 5 words

Sisters, grief, mystery, unlikely friends

 

What influenced you to write Losing Faith?

When I was sixteen, I lost a close friend of mine. Even though I didn’t learn any serious secrets about my friend after she was gone, as Brie did in Losing Faith, I was amazed (and regretful) over how much I hadn’t known and noticed while she was alive.

 

Which of the characters in Losing Faith is your favorite and why?

I love Brie, and being in her head was amazingly fun and interesting, but I think if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say Tessa Lockbaum. Tessa wasn’t in my original outline. She appeared during the writing and tried to take over ever scene she was in. I love her because she’s so gutsy and honest.

 

What made you decide to write a YA novel as compared to one for adults or middle grade?

The first novel I ever attempted writing was officially aimed at the adult market, but when critique partners read it, they all said it had a YA vibe. I didn’t believe them at first, but looking back at this manuscript now, I can see it. I think I’ve always been meant to write YA. My inner-teen is very strong!

 

Have you always wanted to be a writer? What made you get interested in writing?

No, I’m one of the few authors I know that has not wanted this their whole life. I only fell in love with reading and writing about seven years ago. I read a book by Jane Hamilton (A Map of the World) and I stopped to re-read sentences over and over again. I couldn’t get over how well the words were put together to evoke the exact right mood. I wanted to do that!

 

Who are some of your favorite literary characters?

I love Katniss from Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games. I also really love a lot of best friends and love interests in books. I love Wes from Sarah Dessen’s The Truth About Forever and Dean from Sarra Manning’s Guitar Girl.

 

Oh no! Your house is burning down and you only have time to save 5 books. What 5 would you save?

Oh, this is a mean question! (and makes me want to move my entire library to a fireproof box somewhere!) Well, I’ll try…The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, and Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson. I’m not nearly done with the books I’d want to save, but I’ll hold myself back and leave it at that.

 

A genie magically appears and gives you three wishes. What do you wish for?

Well, since it’s magic, I’d ask for an extra uninterrupted three hours per day first! An unlimited credit card that I don’t need to repay would be next. And my final wish…for three more wishes, of course!

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Thanks for the awesome interview Denise!

If you would like to know more about Denise Jaden's debut novel Losing Faith you can read my review here or watch the book trailer below.

Julia :)