Stephanie Perkins - The TeenBookCon Interview

Tomorrow is TeenBookCon, so this will be our last interview before you get to meet all 21 authors and illustrators coming to TeenBookCon! Today, we’re chatting with Stephanie Perkins a bit before you can see her tomorrow at TeenBookCon. Let’s jump right in…

TeenBookCon:  Was it a challenge to write about Anna's experience at school in France, since you didn't attend boarding school yourself?

Stephanie Perkins:  Yes and no. The boarding school part wasn't too difficult, because I supposed leaving home and building a new life at that age would be similar to going off to college, so I built up that aspect by digging into my own college freshman experience.

But the Paris part? VERY challenging. I didn’t have the money to travel, so for several years, I read every book about France that I could get my hands on, listened to French music, watched French films, ate French food, and took a French language class. In other words, hurrah for research!

TBC:  If you could work in any other profession than writing, what would you like to do and what would you hate to do?

SP:  I adore Jane Goodall, and I've always thought it would be fascinating to study chimpanzees in Africa. As for the worst, it's a tie between a wedding planner for the exceedingly wealthy and a social director on the Disney Cruise Line.

TBC:  Did you change to green streaks in your hair for St. Patrick's Day or did you stay with the blue?

SP:  Ha! Actually, my blue streaks DID look green on St. Patrick's Day. It fell on the same day as my hair appointment, and the blue had faded to a pale green/blue turquoise. In the morning, several people assumed the green was on purpose, but thankfully, by the evening, I had been re-blued. Phew.

TBC:  What are your top three "Books to have if stranded on a desert island"?

SP:  How about books on outdoor survival skills, local flora/fauna, and raft building?

Oh. That's not what you were interested in? Hee hee.

The Harry Potter series—that counts as one, right?—Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, and whatever Dickens novel is the longest. Gotta go with length.

TBC:  Do you have any upcoming book projects you can tell us about?

SP:  I've written two companion novels to Anna and the French Kiss. The first one is Lola and the Boy Next Door, and it'll be released this September. Isla and the Happily Ever After will be released in late 2012. Both books are connected to Anna through overlapping characters, but each can be read as a standalone.

Lola's story is about a budding costume designer with an outrageous style and her changing relationship with Cricket Bell, the gifted and odd inventor who lives next door. It's set in colorful San Francisco, my favorite city in America. I can't say much about Isla's story yet, but it does wrap things up back in Paris!

TBC:  Wow! Looking forward to both of those. Well thanks so much, Stephanie, for letting our teens get to know you a bit more before meeting you tomorrow at TeenBookCon.

 

Stephanie Perkins is the author of Anna and the French Kiss and the upcoming Lola and the Boy Next Door. Find her on Twitter.

Stephanie will be speaking on The Lighter Side, with Some Bumps Along the Way panel with Deb Caletti, Lindsey Leavitt, and Kristen Tracy.

And that’s it for our 2011 author interview series, guys. Catch you all tomorrow at Alief Taylor High School for TeenBookCon 2011! Don’t miss it!

Lauren Myracle - The TeenBookCon Interview

Hey guys, it’s time for anther interview to get you ready for TeenBookCon. This morning we’re talking with the always bubbly Lauren Myracle! Can you believe you’ll all get to meet her tomorrow at TeenBookCon right here in Houston, Texas at Alief Taylor High School from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.? We at TeenBookCon can hardly believe it ourselves! Anyway, how about some questions?

TeenBookCon:  Do you prefer writing books for tweens or teens or does a book that you're writing have a particular audience when you first start writing it?

Lauren Myracle:  I like to alternate. Books for teens tend to delve into deeper topics, and they can be emotionally grueling to write. Shine, for example, was heart-wrenching to write because of the bigotry, the homophobia, the drug addiction...yeah, you see what I mean. That's not to say that tweens don't face real and heart-wrenching situations, too. But, as a forty-one year old (wh-hoo!), I have the perspective to see that losing your treasured bobble-head turtle isn't the worst hardship life is going to throw at a person, so it's easier to write my tween books with a light and goofy sensibility.

TBC:  Who wore the PaJants after you (http://75.126.21.145/blog-o-love/2011/03/i-done-it-i-done-it-i-wore-the-pajants/)?

Lauren in the traveling PaJants.

LM:  My beloved friend, author Sarah Mlynowski, WHO WAS VERY NAUGHTY AND *WASHED* THE PANTS AFTER WEARING THEM! Yes, unbelievable, I know! Anyone who has read the Traveling Pants books knows that the first (albeit disgusting) rule is 1) NEVER WASH THE PANTS. But Sarah did, I suppose because she didn't want the next wearer to think she stunk the pants up or something, and the extremely beautiful and sparkly unicorn  I drew on the PaJants disappeared into the cycling tides of her washing machine. Here is a picture of the unicorn before its untimely death:

I hope you will join me in mourning its departure into other realms. And this is a BEE-YOO-TEE-FUL unicorn author and illustrator Daniel Kirk drew for me to help me get through my time of pain. 

Daniel Kirk rocks!

TBC:  Cool! Another of our TBC authors this year has weird ideas about washing pants (hint: he wrote Carter Finally Gets It and Carter’s Big Break). So, what are your top three "Books to have if stranded on a desert island"?

LM:  To Kill a Mockingbird (fine, call me boring, but you can't say I don't have fab taste!), the Bible (cuz it's long, and juicy, and I really should get around to reading the whole damn thing), and...hmmm. Ooo! The Collected Works of Flannery O'Connor (and don't tell me it doesn't count, or I will bite my thumb at you).

TBC:  Do you have any upcoming book projects you can tell us about?

LM:  Well, the thing is, if I told you, I'd have to kill you... Ah, I'm teasing. I haven't killed a single reader yet. Only characters. How 'bout I tell y'all about new projects--and ANYTHING else you want to know--when I see y'all? And will there be cookies at TeenBookCon? I really like cookies. And Dr. Pepper. Mmmmm....

Cheerio, friends! I'm so psyched about getting to hang with y'all!

TBC:  We’re psyched, too! And we’ll see what we can do about the Cookies and Dr. Pepper. :) Thanks so much, Lauren, for speaking with us this morning and letting our teens get to know you a bit before meeting you tomorrow at TeenBookCon!

Lauren Myracle is the author of Peace Love and Baby Ducks, Bliss, ttyl, ttfn, l8r g8r, bff, Joyride, Kissing Kate, Rhymes with Witches, Eleven, Twelve, The Fashion Disaster that Changed My Life, How to be Bad, Thirteen, Winnie's Journal, Luv Ya Bunches, Thirteen Plus One, and the upcoming Shine and Ten. Find her on Twitter.

Lauren will be speaking on the A Walk on the Dark Side panel with Gail Giles, Ellen Hopkins, and Elizabeth Scott.

As a super-special get-you-ready-for-TeenBookCon treat, we’ll have one more interview today, so keep your eyes peeled! And we’ll be seeing you Saturday!

Rachel Hawkins - The TeenBookCon Interview

Today on the blog, we’re checking in with Rachel Hawkins to see what she’s been up to lately and let you get a bit more info about her before meeting her in just a few short days at TeenBookCon…

TeenBookCon:  Did you find it hard to balance the paranormal aspects of Hex Hall with the humor you infused in Sophie's character?

Rachel Hawkins:  Sometimes! I admit, it's hard to have characters cracking jokes when people are dying left and right! ;-) But one of my biggest influences on the Hex Hall series was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so I tried to use that show as a good example of how humor and darkness can still go together well.

TBC:  If you could be paranormal yourself, which would you choose (vampire, shapeshifter, etc.)?

RH:  Ooh, witch FOR SURE! Those powers are a lot more limitless!

TBC:  What are your top three "Books to have if stranded on a desert island"?

RH:  The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. Seriously, I could read that book over and over again, and find new little details every time. Love it.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, because I've been trying to read it for the past 6 years, and a desert island would DEFINITELY offer that opportunity, haha!

And, (cheating!) The complete set of Anne of Green Gables. Those were some of my favorite stories as a kid.

TBC:  Do you have any upcoming book projects you can tell us about?

RH:   In addition to the third Hex Hall book, I have a new trilogy starting with Rebel Belle coming out in Summer 2012. It's about a high school Queen Bee who accidentally gets super powers. Then, in 2013, I'll have a spin-off of the Hex Hall series!

TBC:  That’s a full schedule! Well, thanks so much Rachel, for taking the time to talk to us today and let our teens get to know you a bit better in anticipation of meeting you this weekend at TeenBookCon!

Rachel Hawkins is the author of Hex Hall and DemonGlass. Find her on Twitter.

Rachel will be speaking on the Here There Be Ghosts…And Werewolves and Everything Else! panel with Andrea Cremer, Stacey Kade, Saundra Mitchell, and Joy Preble.

All right, guys, that’s it for today. See you back here soon for another interview. And then we’ll see you this Saturday at Alief Taylor High School with Rachel and 20 more authors and illustrators!!!

Saundra Mitchell - The TeenBookCon Interview

Welcome back to the blog, everybody! Today we’re going to be catching up with author Saundra Mitchell. She’s going to be giving you a peek into her psyche before you get to meet her this weekend at TeenBookCon. Let’s get going with some questions!

TeenBookCon:  After doing research into the Victorian Era for The Vespertine, if given the choice would you rather live back then or are you happy to live with the modern conveniences of our current "plugged in" world today?

Saundra Mitchell:  I really enjoy camping and one of my favorite daydreams is building a cabin in the woods with nothing but candles and books to keep me company.

Cooking on a fire, and rising and setting with the sun holds a thoroughly romantic appeal for me. I do a lot of Victorian-esque things now just for fun- making bread from scratch, milling my own soap, making paper...

But civil rights and modern medicine keep me firmly grounded in the 21st century. I may like to visit the past in books, but I'm not suited to living there. I enjoy voting and owning property, for one. And maybe it's just me, but I think it would be deeply depressing to die of the measles.

TBC:  Will we get to meet your characters from The Vespertine again one day?

SM:  You'll get to follow one of them to Oklahoma Territory next year in The Springsweet! Even though we only saw fire and air in The Vespertine, water was there, too. Readers with super-sharp eyes will notice a few clues as to water's identity!

TBC:   What are your top three "Books to have if stranded on a desert island"?

SM:  Oh wow, this answer changes depending on the minute of the day and the day of the week!  But right this minute, I don't think I could do without Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Outsiders.

TBC:  Do you have any upcoming book projects you can tell us about?

SM:  I'll be doing copyedits on The Springsweet soon, to get it ready for publication next year. I can't wait to get to work on those!

In May, I have a short story coming out in Liz Miles' YA anthology TRUTH & DARE—my very first YA anthology! Then this fall, I'll have a non-fiction piece in Carrie Jones and Megan Kelley Hall's DEAR BULLY. It's a crazy busy year for me already, and it's only April!

TBC:  Well, all we can say is “stay busy!” We can’t wait to read them. So thanks a bunch for speaking with us today, Saundra. We’re excited to get to see you at TeenBookCon!

Saundra Mitchell is the author of Shadowed Summer and The Vespertine. Find her on Twitter.

Saundra will be speaking on the Here There Be Ghosts…And Werewolves and Everything Else! panel with Rachel Hawkins, Stacey Kade, Saundra Mitchell, and Joy Preble.

Check back again soon for another interview. And we’ll see you all April 9^th for TeenBookCon!

Lindsey Leavitt - The TeenBookCon Interview

Hey guys, today we’re going to be speaking with the fantastic Lindsey Leavitt. She’ll be at TeenBookCon on April 9^th, but until then, you can get to know her a bit here with our Q&A. Let’s get to it…

TeenBookCon:  What was your inspiration for writing Sean Griswold's Head?

Lindsey Leavitt:  I had a dream.

Which is a writerly cliche right up there with Every Author Is Rich and Famous/We All Drink Gallons of Coffee a Day/We Live in Our Pajamas (okay, not cliched. Documented fact)

But that's how this idea started--a dream. I was sitting in my 10th grade English class, listening to Mr. Dunn go on about... something. I don't know---it was Charlie Brown speak. Anyway, I felt super anxious about something, like to the point of tears, and I had to figure out a way to settle down. I didn't know why I was upset, but I knew the reason had something to do with home. I didn't want to go back there, I just wanted something to distract me. Anyway, I pulled out a pencil and looked up and there was a boy with blond hair who sat in front of me. For whatever reason, I knew his name was Sean Griswold. And I thought, hmmmm, I should write a poem about his head.

And then I woke up.

I know. Lame dream. No tightrope walkers, no kissing, not even a nice brownie sundae. But that name, Sean Griswold, was so imprinted on my conscious that I kept thinking about him all day, and about the girl I embodied in my dream. What was her deal? How did she know Sean? And why was she writing such awful poetry?

I wrote down that poem, which has since been lost, and even tried writing the first chapter in free verse. When I went back to the story the next day, I rewrote the beginning with Payton's first Focus Exercise. And on the top of the paper, in my very own spiraled notebook, I titled the quirky little idea SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD.

TBC:  Do you listen to music or do any other special thing to get in the mood of a particular character when you're writing?

LL:  I listen to quiet. It's a lovely sound, one I don't hear much during the day whilst chasing my three children. And if I must do music, it's "Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel. On repeat.

I'm kind of a let's-sit-down-and-do-this-thing kind of author, but sometimes if I'm having a hard time getting into the groove, I'll write a letter to my character, or have a character write a letter to me, or write a scene like a script--pure dialogue. It helps me to get words down so I can, you know, get better words down.

TBC:  What are your top three "Books to have if stranded on a desert island"?

LL:  HATCHET by Gary Paulsen

ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS by Scott O'Dell

HOW TO GET OFF A DESERTED ISLAND by That guy who made it off the desert island.

TBC:  Do you have any upcoming book projects you can tell us about?

LL:  THE ROYAL TREATMENT, the second book in the PRINCES FOR HIRE series, comes out May 3, 2011 and the third and final (still untitled) book will follow next year.

In the contemporary vein, my next project is called AUTHENTICALLY VINTAGE, about a girl who decides to go vintage - foreswearing 21st century technology and accomplishing the goals her grandma set for herself at 16 - when she discovers her boyfriend cheating on her with a cyber wife in his online Authentic Life game, in the process figuring out the truths and illusions of life and love, both in the nostalgic past and in the very real now. (my agent wrote that. I suck at summaries).

TBC:  Sounds like you’ve got your hands full! Well, we can’t wait to meet you at TeenBookCon on Saturday! Thanks so much, Lindsey, for talking with us and letting everyone get to know you just a bit better today!

Lindsey Leavitt is the author of Princess for Hire, Sean Griswold's Head and the upcoming book The Royal Treatment. Find her on Twitter.

Lindsey will be speaking on The Lighter Side, with Some Bumps Along the Way panel with Deb Caletti, Stephanie Perkins, and Kristen Tracy.

Thanks for stopping by today to read the blog. We’ll see you on the 9^th!