Monday YA Author Interview With Rita Arens

Where are you from?
 I'm originally from small-town Iowa, just like my characters in THE OBVIOUS GAME.

When and why did you begin writing?
My first memory of writing was poetry and short stories in probably fifth or sixth grade.
What books have most influenced your life most?
THE STRANGER by Camus; CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller; anything by Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Tom Robbins or John Irving; the A WRINKLE IN TIME trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle; THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA by C.S. Lewis; LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding, and the young adult novels of Judy Blume and Paula Danzinger. Among my contemporaries, I like the work of John Green, Coert Voorhees, A.S. King, Gayle Forman, and CJ Omololu in the realistic young adult space.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
 I've been mentored by Jean Kwok, who wrote GIRL IN TRANSLATION, and Michael Pritchett, author of THE MELANCHOLY FATE OF CAPT. LEWIS.

What book are you reading now?
 I just finished Hugh Howey's WOOL trilogy (it was amazing) and now I'm reading SOULBOUND by Heather Brewer.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
I've really enjoyed getting to know new authors by reading a ton of YA to see what's out there. The authors I listed earlier aren't necessarily new, but they were new to me.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
My absolute favorite author is John Irving, even though my favorite book is CATCH-22. A close second would be A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY. The reason John Irving edges ahead of Joseph Heller is consistency. I haven't loved every one of his novels, but I've loved more than half. That's pretty incredible, since they are all so different.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
 It's very humbling to write a novel, especially when you don't know what you're doing. The learning curve was very steep for me with this novel. I'm working on a new novel now, and it hasn't felt nearly as painful.

Have you been an avid reader your entire life? (since you could read)
 Oh, for sure. My sister actually thought that's why my parents named me Rita.


Ok now some fun questions:

What is your favorite sport to watch and or play?
 I like to watch major league soccer, thanks to my husband's new obsession. I like to be at baseball games, but I don't like watching them on TV. I like to listen to football on the radio, but only if I'm outside. I don't play sports, never have, never will. I work out a lot, but not in a sporty way.

Favorite TV Show?
 LOST
Chocolate or Vanilla?
 Chocolate

Puppy's or Kittens?
 Kittens

Beach or Mountains?
Beach -- I got married on a beach.

If you could be a color, what color would you be?
 Blue

Favorite Dessert?
Apple pie

If you could be a book character, what character would you be?

That's tough, because all the books I love are really hard on their characters. Probably Meg in A WRINKLE IN TIME. I named my main character in my new novel after her.


“Everyone trusted me back then. Good old, dependable Diana. Which is why most people didn’t notice at first.”

"Your shirt is yellow."
"Your eyes are blue."
"You have to stop running away from your problems."
"You're too skinny."

Fifteen-year-old Diana Keller accidentally begins teaching The Obvious Game to new kid Jesse on his sixteenth birthday. As their relationship deepens, Diana avoids Jesse's past with her own secrets -- which she'll protect at any cost