Ellen Hopkins - The TeenBookCon Interview

Hello again everybody! Welcome back to the blog. Today we’re excited to be talking with Ellen Hopkins who will be joining us in just a little over a week on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at TeenBookCon! We’ve got a few questions for Ellen so let’s get right down to it!

TeenBookCon:  Is there a particular character from any of your books that you either loved writing or had a really hard time writing?

Ellen Hopkins:  My favorite character out of all my books is Tony, from Impulse. I loved writing him because he is representative of so many of my readers--a kid whose childhood was anything but what it should be. Abandoned. Hurt. Abused. And yet, he still deals with life through humor. And he still opens himself to love.

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

EH:  Top three books if stranded on a desert island? Definitely not Lord of the Flies. Faith fix: Annie Lamott's Traveling Mercies. Classic fix: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. And a big, fat journal.

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

EH:  My next YA will be Perfect (September 2011), about four teens' drive to reach that unattainable state. These young people are tightly connected, but their stories are very different. A month later, my first adult verse novel, Triangles, debuts. This is a story about two sisters and a best friend, in meltdown mode as they approach "middle age." It's about friendship, betrayal,  infidelity, raising teens and dealing with a child's fatal illness. The interesting thing about writing the adult book was creating teens with stories of their own. You'll get these stories in Tilt, my 2012 YA.

TBC:  Sounds fantastic and we’re so looking forward to reading those and more from you. Thanks so much, Ellen, for taking time out of your hectic schedule to speak with us and let our teens know a few more tidbits about you before they get to meet you at TeenBookCon!

Ellen Hopkins is the author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout and the upcoming Perfect.

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

Catch you all @ TeenBookCon on April 9^th! Until then, check back soon for more interviews!

Andrea Cremer - The TeenBookCon Interview

Hey everybody, welcome back to the blog! Today we’re continuing our meet-the author series by talking with the awesome Andrea Cremer. It’s just over a week until you can meet her at TeenBookCon! Time for the Q&A to start…

TeenBookCon:  What was your inspiration for the female-led Guardian wolves in Nightshade?

Andrea Cremer:  Calla was the inspiration for Nightshade. I walked around for about a week knowing that there was a girl who wanted her story told. I knew she was strong, independent, a leader...and also a wolf. While I was trying to figure out more of who she was I came across a poem by Margaret Atwood with this as the first stanza: Not you I fear but that other/she who can walk through flesh/Queen of the two dimensions. I knew instantly that these lines perfectly depicted Calla's role and her world. I grew up loving fantasy with strong heroines - from Eowyn in Lord of the Rings to Buffy the Vampire slayer - and I wanted my novel to follow the journey of a young woman who wasn't swept up into a magical world by someone else's power, but who was trying to master her own power.

TBC:  You are a vocal supporter of the freedom to read and Banned Books Week awareness--can you tell us a little more about your passion for that subject and what your favorite banned book is?

AC:  I'm a teacher and I believe that censorship is based on fear and ignorance that will only prevent our society from becoming a better place. Books are censored because of limiting views about subject matter, and frequently about difficult topics deemed 'inappropriate' for young readers. The truth is young readers, as much as older readers, are faced with the realities of life in all its joys and sorrows. Books offer safe spaces in which readers can encounter challenging subjects without judgment. These books also create important opportunities for parents to discuss the harder sides of life with their children - they should open dialogues rather than be silenced. I have so many favorite banned books it's hard to choose! Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Alice Walker's The Color Purple are definitely two of my favorites.

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

AC:   Watership Down by Richard Adams, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling, and A Field Guide to Desert Island Botany.

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

AC:   Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) will be in stores July 26! Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) will be published in March 2012 and a companion novel to the series, the story of how the Witches War began in the Middle Ages, will be published in fall 2012.

TBC:  That sounds like a busy schedule. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us and share some of what you have going on with our teens before they get to meet you on April 9^th @ TeenBookCon!

Andrea Cremer is the author of Nightshade and the upcoming Wolfsbane. Find her on Twitter.

Andrea 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 here again for another interview! ‘Til then, let us know what you’re thinking by leaving comments below…

Raina Telgemeier - The TeenBookCon Interview

Today we are speaking with another of our graphic novelists who will be attending TeenBookCon. Raina Telgemeier has graciously agreed to answer a few of our questions before you all get a chance to meet her at Alief Taylor HS on 4/9/2011—just a few days from now! And now here come the questions…

TBC:  What was your inspiration to tell the story in your latest graphic novel, Smile?

Raina Telgemeier:  Smile is the true story of my experiences in middle school and high school, a time in my life when I was dealing with a bunch of dental drama! I was constantly telling the story to people, and they were always fascinated by it — I guess because they couldn’t believe it had really happened to me. But even telling the story didn’t feel like it was enough — I wanted to show the story, too. A graphic novel is a great way to do that!

TBC:  You've worked with your husband before on graphic novel projects. How does that compare to working on your own, as with Smile?

RT:  Working with my husband is fun because we can generate ideas together and bounce them off of one another. Sometimes we share writing duties, and sometimes he handles all of the writing and I handle all of the drawing. With books of my own, like Smile, I’m in control of every aspect of the project — although Dave still reads my drafts, and sometimes gives me feedback on what directions the story could go in. Even when we’re working on our own projects, we are usually in the same room together. It’s a lot of fun!

TBC:  What are your top three “Books or graphic novels to have if stranded on a desert island”?

RT:  The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, To Kill a Mockingbird, and the BONE series!

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

RT:  My next graphic novel (still untitled) is going to be about a group of kids who are on their school’s stage crew. We see them design and build sets, work together, and interact with the kids who act in the school play — all with a huge amount of drama, humor, and romance, of course! I’m about halfway through drawing the book, which should be out sometime in 2012.

TBC:  Can’t wait! Well, we want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule to talk with us and share a little insight into you and your work. Our teens are looking forward to meeting you on April 9^th at TeenBookCon!

Raina Telgemeier is the author and illustrator of The Babysitters’ Club graphic novel series, X-Men: Misfits, and Smile. Find her on Twitter.

Raina will be speaking on the Graphic Novelists Galore panel with Mark Crilley, Misako Rocks, and Doug TenNapel.

Check back soon for another interview…and as always, we love to hear from you so give us some feedback!

Elizabeth Scott - The TeenBookCon Interview

We’re less than two weeks away from TeenBookCon! Hard to believe it’s almost here. Today we continue with our meet-the-authors-before-you-meet-the-authors interview series by talking with wonderful Elizabeth Scott.

TeenBookCon:  You've written both "light" and "dark" books--can you say which you prefer writing? Which do you prefer reading?

Elizabeth Scott:  I actually like writing both--I like writing all kinds of things, and I've been so very lucky because I've been able to! As for reading, it depends on my mood--sometimes I want something really intense, and sometimes I just want a fun read.

TBC:  With both of your parents being teachers, did you ever consider a career in teaching?

ES:  Not a chance! Teachers work so hard and deal with so many things—they don't just teach, they have to help out with at least one activity and there's bus duty and...well, let's just say it's not an eight or even ten hour a day job. Plus, my parents only ever had one thing to say about what they'd hope I'd do, post-college: "Don't teach!"

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

ES:  Three?? I can't pick just three--even thinking about it make me panic--sorry!

TBC:  No need to panic! We’ll move on to the next question… Do you have any upcoming book projects you can tell us about?

ES:  My newest book, Between Here and Forever, will be out on May 24th, and it's about Abby, who accepted that she can't measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby's life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she'd never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

AND! For those of you that have read my first novel, Bloom, there are appearances in Between Here and Forever by some familiar—but unexpected!—characters.

TBC:  Are there any authors you are looking forward to meeting at TeenBookCon?

ES:  All of them! :-)

TBC: And I’m sure the feeling is mutual! We’ve got some really anxious teens who can’t wait to meet you and our other authors at TeenBookCon on April 9^th! Thanks for talking with us a bit and letting our teens get a peek into your head before meeting you.

Elizabeth Scott is the author of Bloom, Perfect You, Stealing Heaven, Living Dead Girl, Something Maybe, Love You Hate You Miss You, The Unwritten Rule, Grace and the upcoming books Between Here and Forever and As I Wake. Find her on Twitter.

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

See you soon! Until then, let us know what you think by leaving feedback below!

Kristen Tracy - The TeenBookCon Interview

Welcome back to the blog, guys. Today we’re going to talk with Kristen Tracy so you can get to know her a bit better before you meet her on 04/09/11 at TeenBOokCon! Let’s jump into the questions…

TeenBookCon:  In A Field Guide for Heartbreakers, Dessy and Veronica are such opposites--are they based on people you have known in your life?  

Kristen Tracy:  Well, I guess I think of myself as Dessy. And every crazy alpha friend I've ever had comprises Veronica. 

TBC:  What is the allure of gardening on Alcatraz?

KT:  After moving to San Francisco I found that I no longer touched the earth. I only touched concrete. So I needed to garden somewhere, and they were restoring the historic gardens on Alcatraz. So I signed up. It's an amazing project. I love the gardens there. 

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

KT:  I'd take the Bible, because it's big and has a bunch of characters and will stir memories of my childhood. I'd bring Grimm's fairy tales because there's a bunch of layers to those stories and I could textually analyze plotlines in the sand during my downtown in the afternoon.  And I'd bring some sort of survival handbook that teaches me which plants and fish I could eat and also maybe how to build a signal fire.

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

KT:  YES! My middle-grade novel THE REINVENTION OF BESSICA LEFTER just came out and it's packed with middle school drama and useful bear information. My next teen novel SHARKS & BOYS comes out this summer. It's about a group of teenagers adrift at sea in a life raft that get attacked by sharks. And I just started teaching YA novel-writing classes in the Bay Area with my friend Nina LaCour.  www.writeteen.com  They are awesome!

TBC:  Lucky San Franciscans! Well, thanks for spending some time with us and letting our teens get to know you a little bit better. We can’t wait to meet you in person on the 9^th!

Kristen Tracy is the author of Lost It, A Field Guide for Heartbreakers, Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus, Crimes of the Sarahs, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter and the upcoming Sharks and Boys. Find her on Twitter.

 

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

More interviews coming your way soon. See you at TeenBookCon on the 9^th!

Misako Rocks! - The TeenBookCon Interview

Back again with another interview! This is our second interview with one of our graphic novelists coming to TeenBookCon. Before becoming a graphic novelist, Misako Rocks! was an exchange student and a puppeteer among other things. We’re excited to be able to speak with her before meeting Misako at TeenBookCon…

TeenBookCon:  Your main character in Rock and Roll Love is named Misako. How much, if any, of her adventures are autobiographical?

Misako Rocks:  Actually every part of the story is true! My punk rock friends and Zac did so many things to make my high school life fun and the best!

Also some parts of Detective Jermain are based on my experience too!

TBC:  Do you still make Japanese hip-hop music or are those days behind you?

MR:  Hmm... I don't have a time to make hip-hop music that much. But my boyfriend and I try to make music, play the guitar when we have a time.

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

MR:

1. MAUS
2. YUKAN CLUB (Japanese manga)
3. Mikeneko series by Jiro Akagawa

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

MR:  Yes. I just published my first Japanese kid comic-text book, "Eigojuku" on March 22^nd in Japan! I'm going to Japan to visit schools and bookstores to promote in May and June.

Also I'm working on two manga for adult with two Japanese publishers.

I'm working on another arty-corky autobiography (my childhood) with Henry Holt.

TBC:  It sounds like you’ve got lots of adventures to keep you busy! We can’t wait to meet you at TeenBookCon on April 9^th! Until then, stay tuned for more author interviews here on the blog!

Misako Rocks! is the author/illustrator of Biker Girl, Rock and Roll Love, and Detective Jermain.

Misako will be speaking on the Graphic Novelists Galore panel with Mark Crilley, Raina Telgemeier, and Doug TenNapel.

Catch you at TeenBookCon…

Joy Preble - The TeenBookCon Interview

We’re baaaack!...and ready to chat with another of our TeenBookCon 2011 authors! Today, we have Texas author Joy Preble in the hot seat answering a few of our questions. It’s time to get to know Joy!

TeenBookCon:  What was the inspiration for the inclusion of the Russian folklore in Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted?

Joy Preble:  I'd always had an interest in Russian stories, both folkloric and fiction. My maternal grandmother - a woman who was gloriously unhappy on the grand scale of say, a Tolstoy novel - had sparked that interest in me with her stories of "the old country." I wanted something organically Russian to ground the magic for the fantasy elements. This is, after all, a story connected to the Romanovs. And so I began extensive reading and research - both of the folk tales and characters as well as of Russian fairy tale structure. There's a guy named Vladmir Propp who actually wrote the seminal analysis of Russian story form way back in the early 1900's. The more I read, the more excited I became about how these tales would not only give my novel a fokloric structure, but would also serve as thematics and metaphors. Baba Yaga's forest, for example, is always a place of change and transformation. Her house is indeed on chicken legs in the stories. (btw, if anyone has ever seen the anime movie, Howl's Moving Castle, that's basically Baba Yaga's house in the all the fairy tales) After that, I stirred in a Russian lacquer box - which is a traditional form of folk art) and the nesting dolls (stories within stories). The rest all flowed from there. 

TBC:  Do you imagine Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted as movies and if so, who do you see in the lead roles?

JP:  Every author would love to see their novels become movies. What's weird and wonderful is that now that I'm a working author, I actually know people who I count as friends whose books have indeed been optioned for movies and/or tv, which is totally cool. So I keep my fingers crossed. As for cast, I think I would prefer unknowns. That way no one is sitting there thinking, "Hey that's Minka Kelly playing Anne." That being said, if my dreams came true, I would love to see Ian Somerhadler, who's Damon Salvatore on Vampire Diaries, play Ethan. Love is probably not a strong enough word. Ian, are you listening?? And because writers are also rock stars to me, I'd like Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, who write eps for Vampire Diaries and who used to write for Buffy, to write the screenplay. (Okay, yes, I've thought about this way too much)

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

JP:  This is always such a hard question for me! But I guess if I was forced to pick only three, I'd choose The Hunger Games so I could study up on how to survive the stupid island; A Wrinkle in Time because I never tire of re-reading it; and the first Harry Potter so just possibly I could figure out a way to transform my muggle self into something more Hogwarts' worthy. (it could happen)

 

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

JP:  Right now I'm working to finish book three of the Dreaming Anastasia trilogy, so that's pretty all consuming. It's slated for spring 2012.  Beyond that, I've got at least two projects in the works, both YA. The first one, set here in Houston is a novel that I like to say is about love, faith, football and double pecan waffles. The other one I'll keep under wraps for right now, but I'm very excited about it! Hopefully, readers will get to see one or both of these novels in the not so distant future.

TBC: Excellent! We can’t wait for your upcoming books and we’re so excited to meet you on April 9^th at TeenBookCon. Thanks so much, Joy, for taking the time to answer a few questions and let our teens get to know you a bit better before meeting you!

Joy Preble is the author of Dreaming Anastasia and Haunted. Find her on Twitter.

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

More interviews coming soon! ‘Til then, let us know what you’re thinking by leaving comments below…

Mark Crilley - The TeenBookCon Interview

Today’s blog post is the first interview with one of our four graphic novelists attending TeenBookCon 2011. Mark Crilley is not only a graphic novelist, but he is also a prolific YouTube user. His instructional videos on how to draw have garnered him thousands of followers. If you haven’t already seen his YouTube channel, it may be about time for that.

And now on to the questions…

TeenBookCon:  What drew you to the Manga style for the Miki Falls and Brody's Ghost series?

Mark Crilley:  My life has been intertwined with Japan for quite some time, and I have long admired manga and anime artwork. I lived and taught in Japan for more than two years, 1991-93, and my wife is Japanese, so we continue to visit the country regularly. With the ‘Miki Falls’ story being set in Japan it was a natural to do that story with a significant manga influence. With ‘Brody’s Ghost,’ I wanted to continue to refine my use of the style, and see if I could create something more along the lines a of a boy’s manga series.

TBC:  If you weren't able to be an author/illustrator, what other profession would
you like to attempt? Which profession would you never want to be in?

MC:  I would love to host a radio interview show. Think of all the fascinating people you’d meet! I’d be terrible as the boss of any group of people in any profession. Telling other people what to do goes completely against my instincts.

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

MC:  I’ll go for ‘Into the Wild’ by Jon Krakauer, Chris Ware’s ‘Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth’ graphic novel, and Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace.’ I’ve never read that last one, but hey, if I’m stuck on a desert island, now's my chance!

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

MC:  My latest project is a ‘How to Draw Manga’ book for Impact Books. I’m almost done with it, but it won’t be out until 2012. It has lots of lessons that many such books leave out: How to draw elderly or overweight characters, 50 ways to draw hands, how to draw a character walking, etc. It’s got so much reference stuff in it I’ll probably end up using it myself!

TBC: Cool! No doubt your many YouTube channel subscribers are already chomping at the bit to get their hands on that one!

Well, we can’t wait to meet you at TeenBookCon on April 9^th.

Mark Crilley is the author/illustrator of the following series: Miki Falls, Akiko, Billy Clikk, and Brody's Ghost.  Find him on Twitter.

Mark will be speaking on the Graphic Novelists Galore panel with Misako Rocks, Raina Telgemeier, and Doug TenNapel.

More author interviews coming soon…and as always, we love to hear from you so give us some feedback!

Stacey Kade - The TeenBookCon Interview

Continuing with our meet-the-author series, today we’ll be picking the brain of Stacey Kade! April 9^th can’t come too soon. Until then, our interview will have to satisfy your author cravings! Time for some questions…

TeenBookCon:  So you've got Queen of the Dead coming out soon--is it too early to ask if we will see more of Alona and Will beyond Queen of the Dead?

Stacey Kade:  You will definitely be seeing more of Alona and Will! :) There's a third book in the series in progress right now. No title yet, but we're working on it. 

TBC:  What profession, other than yours, would you like to attempt?

SK:  Hmmm. Realistically or not realistically? Realistically, librarian or psychologist. Not realistically? Archeologist! :) It's not realistic for me because I hate dirt, bugs, sleeping outside and not having easy access to daily hot showers. But I LOVE reading about all the discoveries and what they tell us about the past. I'm particularly fascinated by Pompeii, the Egyptian pyramids, and bog mummies! 

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

SK:  This question always makes me nervous--three books only? Can I have my Kindle and a wireless connection? :) But most likely, if I were to be trapped on a desert island the books I had along with me would be the ones I tend to re-read and those are:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Avalon High by Meg Cabot

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

SK:  Yes! I'm so excited about my new series with Hyperion. The first book is called The Rules. It's about a girl who was created as a genetic experiment and raised in a lab for the first part of her life. She's now living as a "normal" sixteen year old, hiding in plain sight from her creators by following a set of rules that keep her safe but also confine her existence. And then she meets a guy with troubles of his own who tempts her to break those rules for the possibility of love.

Wow! That sounds wild. Can’t wait to read it when it comes out. And we’re looking forward to meeting you at TeenBookCon! See you April 9^th.

Stacey Kade is the author of The Ghost and the Goth and the upcoming Queen of the Dead.

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

Look for another author interview here soon and in the meantime, leave us some feedback! We love to hear from you!

Blake Nelson - The TeenBookCon Interview

Hey everybody! We’re back with another interview leading up to TeenBookCon… Today we talk with novelist Blake Nelson to see what’s going on with him and let you guys get to know him a bit before you meet him at TeenBookCon!

TeenBookCon: What inspired you to write about addiction and recovery in your latest novel Recovery Road?

Blake Nelson: I think teenagers are at the age where they are learning about drugs and alcohol and having their first experiences with them, so it's a very topical subject.  The rehab stuff, and the concepts of recovery are things that people hear about and see on TV a lot, so I thought it would be interesting to show one girl’s personal journey through it, and not just the first weeks or months, but how it will affect her whole life.  

TBC:  Do you listen to a certain kind of music or do anything else to help get in the mood of the current novel you are writing?

BN: I always listen to a lot of music while writing and often have a favorite CD for a particular book.  With this one I was in the midst of BEATLES discovery kick.  I'm embarrassed to say I had never really listened closely to them, and so that's what I was listening to...all the early records.   But the current record that was kind of affecting the book perhaps was Coldplay's XY.  

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

BN: ROBINSON CRUSOE by Dan Dafoe, so I'd have someone to relate to.   THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury, for its interesting structure.   Maybe WAR AND PEACE or some big Tolstoy book to kill time.

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

BN: I am on Tour with Sister Spit right now, which is a 35 day tour of the United States with a bunch of other writers.   It's been a blast so far!!

That does sound like a blast and we are so excited to meet you on April 9^th for TeenBookCon! Thanks so much for taking the time for our teens to get a chance to meet you before they meet you. 

Blake Nelson is the author of Paranoid Park, The New Rules of High School, Destroy All Cars, They Came from Below, Prom Anonymous, Gender Blender, Rock Star Superstar, User, Exile, Girl and the upcoming Recovery Road. Find him on Twitter.

Blake will be speaking on the Guys Write Great Stuff panel with Brent Crawford, R. A. Nelson, and Brian Yansky.

More interviews are on the way…stop back by soon and don’t forget to leave us feedback. We love to hear from you!

Gail Giles - The TeenBookCon Interview

We are continuing our TeenBookCon author interview series with the wonderful Gail Giles. Thanks, Gail, for taking a bit of time out of your busy schedule to let our teens get to know you before they meet you April 9^th! Let’s get right to the questions…

TeenBookCon: Do you listen to specific music or use any other technique to get into the minds of your characters?

Gail Giles: No, sorry.  I just sit down and write.  I don't write to music at all.

TBC: What is it about writing for teens that appeals to you?

GG: So much happens in such a short amount of time in a teen's life and I taught that age and was there to watch the drama of it all.  Fascinating stuff.  Adults keep stuff so bottled up, teens don't do that at all.

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

GG: Lord of the Flies, The Old Man and the Sea and something else.

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

GG: I am working on a ghost story, not the fall in the love with the he's so hot kind of ghost, but a scary, ugly ghost, and something kind of out of my usual ball park.  I think that's all I'll tell you about them.  Mysterious and all that.

TBC:  Sounds awesome. Can’t wait to hear more about that project and we really can’t wait to meet you at TeenBookCon 2011! See you then!

Gail Giles is the author of Dark Song, What Happened to Cass McBride?, Right Behind You, Playing in Traffic, Dead Girls Don't Write Letters, Shattering Glass, and Breath of a Dragon. Check out her blog.

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

Stay tuned for more of our meet-the-author interview series and make sure to leave us feedback. We love hearing from you!

TeenBookCon 2011 Panels

It's time to see which authors have been paired up together for TBC'11! Watch the video for all the details...

 

See you there!

Deb Caletti - The TeenBookCon Interview

To help get you all in the mood for TeenBookCon '11, we are beginning a series of interviews with the authors who will soon grace us with their presence on April 9th. Until they get here, we will be sharing a few questions that we've asked of our authors and their answers.

And what better way to start it all off than with an interview with the TeenBookCon 2011 Keynote Speaker: Deb Caletti!

TeenBookCon: What inspired you to write about a teenager who comes in to such a large amount of money in The Fortunes of Indigo Skye?

Deb Caletti: I wish I could say it happened to me in real life! When I began the book, though, I was ending a few years where, through a series of life circumstances, I’d spent a lot of time around people who were wealthy. Very wealthy. And the experience of that was strange for me, a person who had been a single mother, a person who turned the radio up so as not to hear that scary car noise that was sure to mean expensive car repairs. I felt like a National Geographic reporter dropped down into a strange, foreign land. But more than that, what I saw bothered me. The excess and the twisted focus, the unhappiness – it bothered me so much that of course it became my next book, the thing I could spend the next year thinking about and writing about. I felt like we as a society had gotten so far off track. All the clichéd adages about money not buying happiness – the words had stopped having meaning somewhere along the line. So the book was a question for me – what are we hungry for, and why? What is enough?

TBC: While many YA novels focus almost exclusively on the teens in the story, your novels tend to feature a multigenerational cast of characters. Would you say that's a happy accident or are you conscious of it when writing?

DC: It is definitely purposeful, though I don’t do it so that my books will be different from other Y/A books. I do it because our lives (both teens’ and adults’) are filled with all different kinds of people. Yeah, sure, we have our friends, but we also have our wacky grandma, and the strange neighbor guy next door, and our dog. Not to mention the complicated (or not) lives of our parents and siblings, which affect us on a daily basis. Our relationships with them will affect us profoundly throughout our lives, no matter how old we are. How can they, especially, not appear? I have those other people in the books because a) it’s the truth, and b) it’s more interesting that way.

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

DC: Some of my favorite books are, “A Farewell to Arms,” by Ernest Hemingway, “The Sportswriter,” by Richard Ford, and “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” by C.S, Lewis, to name only the required three. Still, a deserted island… An old encyclopedia set, so I don’t run out of material any time soon? “The Boy Scout Handbook,” so that I can learn how to make a lean-to or a phone out of a coconut?

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

DC: My newest book, “Stay,” will be released April 5. It’s a story about a girl and her father who run to a remote beach town to escape her obsessive boyfriend. Next up is “The Story of Us” (April 2012), which is about a young woman facing loss and change after graduation. As her entire family gathers one crazy weekend for the wedding of her mother (who historically leaves men at airports), she herself must decide whether or not to leave the young man who has been a part of her life forever.

Great answers! Thanks so much to Deb Caletti for spending some time letting our fans get to know you a little better before they get to meet you at TeenBookCon.

Deb Caletti is the author of The Six Rules of Maybe, The Secret Life of Prince Charming, Queen of Everything, The Nature of Jade, Wild Roses, Honey Baby Sweetheart, The Fortunes of Indigo Skye and the upcoming Stay. Find her on Facebook.

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

We'll have more interviews coming up, so make sure to stop back by soon.

And we love feedback, so make sure you let us know your thoughts in the comments section!