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Where are you from?
I am originally from New York state, and since then I've lived in New York City, Denver, Buffalo, some other random places, and now I'm back in the Denver area again... but considering a new adventure next summer! I'm a wanderer.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing as soon as I learned how to read. I wanted to make up my own stories and poems, so I did just that, all through elementary school and junior high. In high school I chronicled basically every moment in journals. But by the time I got to college, I kind of put creative writing aside. I followed the "you need to study and pick a major that can get you a real job and real money" advice. Luckily, I found my way back to journaling and then essay writing, which led me to take a YA fiction class. That was in 2003 and I haven't looked back! I've been writing professionally now since I sold my first novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER, in 2007.
What books have most influenced your life most?
This is such a tough question, because the answer is always evolving! There are lots of books I've adored, but in terms of books that have had a profound impact on my life... In junior high and high school, I read a ton of Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, Dean Koontz, and other horror type authors that really stuck with me, and when I look back on those times now, I realize just how much those books influenced me to write novels later in life. They just had a way of getting under your skin, keeping you turning the pages. I wanted to do that. After college, as I was finding my way back to writing creatively, I discovered Jack Kerouac, whose books left me with a desire to roam, and Anais Nin, whose diaries inspired me to reflect. The combination made me want to experience everything all at once, and then write about it! When I pick up their books now, I still get those same kind of creative butterflies.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I truly believe that every writer, every book, can teach you something, even if it's what kind of writer you *don't* want to be. But a writer I've recently discovered -- one whose books and writing advice blogs I've been devouring with the specific intent of learning -- is Maggie Steifvater. I don't know her personally, but her writing is phenomenal, and in that way I consider her books "mentor texts."
What book are you reading now?
I just finished HOLIER THAN THOU by Laura Buzo, and I bumped it up to the top of my new favorites shelf. It's a new adult that I believe showcases the full potential of what new adult can be -- the growing pains we go through after high school or college as we find ourselves facing career choices, changing friendships, romantic relationships, family dynamics, and just trying to figure things out. So tonight I get to pick a new book to start! I'm thinking of REALITY BOY by A.S. King, as I've heard great things about it.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Yes! I've just blurbed two new books that will hit the shelves later this year, LIFE BY COMMITTEE by Corey Ann Haydu and 17 FIRST KISSES by Rachael Allen. They're both contemporary YA realistic stories with lots of heart. I can't wait to check out more from those authors, including Corey's first book, OCD LOVE STORY, which I haven't read yet.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
This is another one of those impossible questions, but right now, if I have to pick just one, it's Maggie Steifvater. Her writing is stellar. I find her prose evocative and rich, layered with subtext. There's so much more than what's on the page, and I love reading between the lines of her work. I haven't read her Shiver series, but THE RAVEN BOYS, DREAM THIEVES, and THE SCORPIO RACES are incredible. She's an author that hits every mark for me: beautiful, stylized writing; complex characters that are both relatable and just a bit larger than life; a setting that you can feel and taste and breathe in as you're reading; page-turning plots; and a dash of magic and wonder for good measure. I need to read her earlier stuff!
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
It's different for every book, but the hardest part of writing my latest, THE BOOK OF BROKEN HEARTS, was the research into early onset Alzheimer's, the disease that the main character's father has. It's such a terrible illness; it tears apart entire families, and I really wanted to portray it authentically and sensitively. I read a lot of books and websites on the subject, watched a lot of videos and documentaries, and it's just so, so heartbreaking. :-(
Have you been an avid reader your entire life? (since you could read)
Absolutely. I learned how to read at a young age and have been devouring books ever since. You'll rarely catch me out without a book in my hand!
What character in your books do you relate to most?
There's a little bit of me in each of my stories, but I think I relate to Anna Reiley from TWENTY BOY SUMMER the most. That was my first novel, and I think I put a lot of my teen self into Anna. We have a lot in common. Not necessarily her experiences, but her feelings. Her fears and wishes. Her quiet observations. Her hopes. They were mine, at one point in my life. Also, the hair. ;-)
What is your favorite sport to watch and or play?
What is this "sports" you speak of?
Favorite Movie?
The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate. Is this a trick question?
Puppies! I love puppies.
Both! That's why I love the Pacific Northwest so much. You get the best of both worlds (and the forest)!
If you could be a color, what color would you be?
This question is much more challenging than it should be. My first instinct is to answer purple, but then I realized that's just because purple is my favorite color. My real answer is white, because white is the presence of ALL colors. Tricksy, eh? ;-)
Cannoli or cupcakes. But really, is there such a thing as a bad dessert? I don't think so.
If you could be a book character, what character would you be?
Blue Sargent from THE RAVEN BOYS.
Sarah has had a few books published, along with
#scandal coming out in mid June.
Lucy’s learned some important lessons from tabloid darling Jayla Heart’s all-too-public blunders: Avoid the spotlight, don’t feed the Internet trolls, and keep your secrets secret. The policy has served Lucy well all through high school, so when her best friend Ellie gets sick before prom and begs her to step in as Cole’s date, she accepts with a smile, silencing about ten different reservations. Like the one where she’d rather stay home shredding online zombies. And the one where she hates playing dress-up. And especially the one where she’s been secretly in love with Cole since the dawn of time.
When Cole surprises her at the after party with a kiss under the stars, it’s everything Lucy has ever dreamed of… and the biggest BFF deal-breaker ever. Despite Cole’s lingering sweetness, Lucy knows they’ll have to ’fess up to Ellie. But before they get the chance, Lucy’s own Facebook profile mysteriously explodes with compromising pics of her and Cole, along with tons of other students’ party indiscretions. Tagged. Liked. And furiously viral.
By Monday morning, Lucy’s been branded a slut, a backstabber, and a narc, mired in a tabloid-worthy scandal just weeks before graduation.
Lucy’s been battling undead masses online long enough to know there’s only one way to survive a disaster of this magnitude: Stand up and fight. Game plan? Uncover and expose the Facebook hacker, win back her best friend’s trust, and graduate with a clean slate.
There’s just one snag—Cole. Turns out Lucy’s not the only one who’s been harboring unrequited love...
Thousand Words
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