Author Interview: Sarah Dessen

I was so honored when I was asked to interview Sarah Dessen at her recent event in DC. I’ve met her before, and she is such a sweetheart, so I was very excited to get this one-on-one time. Sarah’s answers are paraphrased, not direct quotes unless it’s within quotes.

Aine: What was the inspiration for your latest novel, The Moon and More?

Sarah: I was at my favorite spot in North Carolina, Emerald Isle. I had finished What Happened to Goodbye and had no idea what to write next. A hot shirtless guy, who was rather chatty, spoke with me. He was from Emerald Isle and told me all about growing up there. A lot of my books are set in Colby, which is based on Emerald Isle, but I had never written about anyone from there. After speaking with him, I thought “There’s my book.”

Aine: If I recall correctly, it was announced under a different title. Why the name change?

Sarah: The Moon and More was my original title. But we were worried that people would think that with the word “moon” in the title, readers would think it was a sequel to Keeping the Moon even though that was published a long time ago. So it was announced under The Best After Ever, but it was a bit confusing as “after” and “ever” were often switched. The next title had the word “summer” in it, and we were worried that it would not stay on bookshelves once summer passed. So, we went back to my original title, The Moon and More.

Aine: I know you have a young daughter. Has she inspired anything in your books?

Sarah: Absolutely. It made me focus more on the mother/daughter relationship. It made me want to flesh out the teen characters’ mothers. I understand the mother’s more. There will likely be more children in the new novels.

Aine: Which character do you have the most in common with? Which would’ve been your BFF in high school.

Sarah: Halley from Someone Like You is the most like you. In high school, I often trailed after my friends, being more of a follower. Remy from This Lullaby and Emaline from The Moon and More would’ve been my best friends. They’re also the two characters I’m the least like.

Aine: What can you tell me about what you’re working on now?

Sarah: I don’t talk about what I’m working on, but there is something I’m writing. It’s secret.

Aine: Do you have any critique partners?

Sarah: No. I’m very secretive about my work. My agent reads it once a very polished draft is done. And then my editor. My husband, family, and friends, don’t even read it until it’s in ARC form.

Aine: What books would you recommend to your fans that are comparable to your work?

Sarah: John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, Jenny Hahn’s Summer series, and anything by Sara Zarr.

Aine: What’s on your tbr pile?

Sarah: The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan and The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. I just finished Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight which is like Gone Girl for teens.



Aine: I’ve heard your books referred to as YA light? Is that intentional?

Sarah: I think it’s just the way I write. I don’t write anything too dark or shocking. If I did, it probably wouldn’t feel genuine.

Aine: All of your books are written in first person. Is there a reason for that?

Sarah: It’s easier. I’ve always written in first person. It allows me to explore her in more depth. It gives the readers more insight. I tried writing The Moon and More in present tense, but I had to go back and change that.

Aine: This is your eleventh books. Is putting it out into the world just as exciting and/or nerve-wracking as the first one?

Sarah: It’s more so. There are more readers picking it up. Every release is scarier.

Aine: How do you feel about the new covers? Do you like them more than the old ones?

Sarah: I like all of my covers. I like the change. A fresh look is always good as it might draw in more readers. I think it makes them more timeless.

I asked twitter what questions they would like me to ask. Here is what I got from those.

Aine/Maggie: When your daughter is old enough, which if your books would you give her to read first?

Sarah: That Summer. It’s my first book, and I would want her to read them in the order they were written to see my evolution as an author.

Aine/Sandy: Have you considered writing a male protagonist?

Sarah: I get asked this all the time… not really. I don’t know what guys are thinking. I’d be worried he would be too much like the girls.

Aine/Maggie: How has your writing changed since becoming a mom?

Sarah: I’m more focused. I had to be. I’m also more relaxed and less obsessive about what I’m about to write or have just written. I’ve become more efficient, and I feel so much more sympathy for the mothers in my books.

Thank you so much to Sarah Dessen for the interview and Penguin for this opportunity.

Author Interview: Morgan Keyes

Today on the blog I have Morgan Keyes, author of Darkbeast, a middle grade fantasy, answering a few questions about her inspiration for her new novel. But first, check out the synopsis.

A girl’s love for her raven may put her life in jeopardy in this gripping tale.

In Keara’s world, every child has a darkbeast—a creature that takes dark emotions like anger, pride, and rebellion. Keara’s darkbeast is Caw, a raven, and Keara can be free of her worst feelings by transferring them to Caw. He is her constant companion, and they are magically bound to each other until Keara’s twelfth birthday. For on that day Keara must kill her darkbeast—that is the law. Refusing to kill a darkbeast is an offense to the gods, and such heresy is harshly punished by the feared Inquisitors.

But Keara cannot imagine life without Caw. And she finds herself drawn to the Travelers, actors who tour the country performing revels. Keara is fascinated by their hints of a grand life beyond her tiny village. As her birthday approaches, Keara readies herself to leave childhood—and Caw—behind forever. But when the time comes for the sacrifice, will she be able to kill the creature that is so close to her? And if she cannot, where will she turn, and how can she escape the Inquisitors?

1. Where did the idea for Darkbeast originate?

Darkbeast, the novel, grew out of a short story that I wrote for a Canadian anthology for "reluctant readers" – all of the works in that volume were fantasy stories about children and animals. At the time I wrote the story, I'd been thinking a lot about "cost" – about what we're willing to do for the people we love. I decided to test Keara's devotion to Caw in the most direct way I could think of – challenging her to sacrifice her beloved friend so that she could achieve everything her society expects of her.

2. Why a raven?

I had originally hoped to write a short story about a griffin, but that animal was already chosen for the anthology! Ultimately, I settled on a raven because of their "split personality" in traditional literature. Ravens can be wise, and they can be witty, but they are also often harbingers of doom. I liked playing with those images as Caw developed.

3. I love the name Keara. (It was actually one of the top names my mom had picked out for me when I was born.) Where did you come up with the name? Was she inspired by someone specific?

In the original short story, all of the names were based on Middle French names. When I shifted to a novel, though, I decided to shift the "palette" of names. Gods and goddesses were drawn from Latin (much as the original concept of my pantheon was taken from Olympus.) Human names were drawn from Celtic tradition. I wanted names that were somewhat familiar to my readers, ideally ones that people identify with strongly (and I succeeded with you – yay!)

Keara is not based on one person; she's an amalgamation of all of my friends from when I was twelve (one person's rebellious streak, another person's willingness to stand up for what she thought was right…) In the end, Keara is a unique character, not directly tied to any one real person.

4. How was writing Darkbeast different from your adult novels? Was it easier? Harder?

I didn't focus on the specific age of my readers as I wrote Darkbeast. A lot of authors will say that they created their middle grade books with those particular readers in mind, adding in a lot of fart jokes and other favorites of tween kids, but that's not the way I work.

Instead, I thought back to the books I loved to read at that age – A Wrinkle in Time, the Narnia series, The Hobbit. Those books had great ideas, strong characters, and superior writing, but I never felt like they were written by adults who were specifically targeting kids. My favorite authors didn't dumb down their ideas or their vocabulary – and neither did I.

Therefore, it wasn't easier or harder to write Darkbeast, compared to my other novels. (There were a few authorial choices I made based on the age group – I didn't include any love scenes, for example. And I didn't add swear words. But my story didn't require either of those, so there was no sacrifice involved!)

5. Are there plans for a Darkbeast 2? Any ideas for other middle grade books?

Darkbeast Rebellion will be published in 2013; it's a sequel that picks up shortly after Darkbeast ends. I have several ideas for stories that continue in Keara's world (but no set plans to write them yet.) I also have ideas for other middle grade books – including one about a boy who lives in a giant library. That one includes dragons. And magic. And … well, I don't have all the details worked out yet!

6. Without giving spoilers, is there anything you'd like to go back and change in Darkbeast?

I love the novel, and I really would not change any part of it. I also love the cover – I am constantly told by readers that they identify with the picture of Keara and Caw. My one concern is that some boys won't read Darkbeast because it has a girl on the cover, but I'd be hard-pressed to give up the beautiful artwork I have.

7. Do you read reviews of your books? Have you ever commented on a review that you disagree with?

I read some reviews of my books, most often the ones that are published in the first couple of months after a book hits the market. It can be exhilarating to discover where I've truly connected with readers (although it's also disappointing to see where I fail to build bonds…)

I never comment on reviews, positive or negative. Reviewers are entitled to their opinions, and I feel as if I'm invading reviewers' "space" if I write a response.

8. Where is your favorite place to write? Do you write the first draft by hand or do you type it?

I write in my home office, on the ground floor of my townhouse, sitting at a computer desk, in front of my iMac desktop computer. I use a software program, Scrivener, that helps me to organize chapters and keep track of research.

One of my major challenges as a writer is tuning out distractions, focusing on the chapter at hand and completing my word count for the day. For that reason, I don't write in coffee shops, libraries, or other public spaces.

9. What are some of your favorite middle grade books?

The most entertaining middle grade book that I've read in the past couple of months was Jonathan Auxier's Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes. It is a very imaginative novel that balances the macabre with traditional quest fantasy. (One of the earliest images in the book is an infant boy whose eyes were pecked out by ravens! He grows up to become the finest thief in the world…)

10. What were some of your favorite children's books while growing up?

I read voraciously when I was in school. In addition to the fantasy novels mentioned above, I was always a big fan of animal stories – Albert Payson Terhune's Lad books, Jim Kjelgaard's Big Red books, and Rascal by Sterling North. As I grew older, I read a lot of traditional fantasy series – Katherine Kurtz's Deryni books, anything by Patricia McKillip, early David Eddings… I also read a lot of biographies; I enjoyed learning details about people who lived in different times and places.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to answer such interesting questions!

Thank you, Morgan!

Visit Morgan Keyes at her site and follow her on Twitter. And don't forget to add Darkbeast to your Goodreads.

Author Interview: Sarah Diemer (and giveaway)

If you follow my blog or follow my reviews on Goodreads, then you know that I absolutely love Sarah Diemer's work. I can't get enough of her stories. It's some of the most unique stuff out there. It's very original, and I find that very refreshing considering so many YA books are similar to other YA books.

I was lucky enough to score a little interview with Sarah!

1. What inspired you to become an author?

I've been writing books since I was six years old when I illustrated an EPIC VOLUME about a unicorn with a rainbow horn (and by EPIC, I mean RIDICULOUS). I was deeply influenced by my mother, and my Polish grandmother, Donda, who were constantly putting books into my hands or reading to me--at my insistence--almost constantly since I launched from the womb. My earliest memory is sitting in my grandmother's lap, being read to about a unicorn. You know, which explains everything about me. :D

2. You release books as both Sarah Diemer and Elora Bishop. How are they different?

I write my lesbian YA (Young Adult) fiction under Sarah Diemer, and my lesbian adult fiction under Elora Bishop. I chose to do it this way to differentiate as much as possible between the two genres, but my Elora works are read by my YA fans, and my Sarah works are read by my adult fans, and there’s lots of cross over. My works are categorized as “Adult” under Elora because they have older heroines, and are written differently, but there’s nothing super “adult” (THE OTHER MEANING ;D) about them at all, and they’re very comparable to my YA work. You know. Since I wrote both sets of stories. You can certainly read my Elora works if you’re a teen.

3. Your wife Jennifer is also an author. Are you the first to read each others work? Do you edit each others writing?

Definitely! Jenn is actually an editor, too, so that makes everything awesome and wonderful. We really ARE a cottage industry! *laughing* I also have a team of incredible women who beta my stuff--they're editors or writers or both, and they're absolutely priceless in their feedback. So much of what I'm capable of as a writer is because of the incredible support that my wife and these lovely ladies give me--they push me to the best I can be.

4. What is it like to self-publish? How does that process work?

Self publishing is intensely hard, but incredibly rewarding. You must write something worth reading, pay an editor to edit (or marry one! NO AUTHOR CAN EDIT THEIR OWN WORK PERFECTLY, IT DOESN'T WORK, PLEASE TRUST ME ON THIS.), pay a cover designer to design a cover (or have graphic knowledge), pay a formatter to format it (or have formatting knowledge), and then you must upload it, market it and do eleventy billion other tasks that you weren't ever told about. In return, you hold your destiny in your own hands, and you have the possibility of living the proverbial dream every writer has: working for yourself and being a self employed author. Every time I talk about self publishing, I sort of want to tell people: "it's dangerous to go alone! Take this!" and then give them a volume of hard-earned knowledge that took me almost two years to make enough mistakes to earn. But such a book doesn't exist. If you're looking to do self publishing, do enough research until you think you know everything. Then do a few more month's worth. And then try it. :)

5. Many self-published books have rather plain covers. And I know it's up to the author to get the cover done. Where do your beautiful covers come from and how much say do you have in how they turn out?

Aw, thank you so much! :) I really appreciate that. One of my very first jobs was a graphic designer, and I'm obsessed with design still--so I do all of my covers myself. :) AS SUCH, I get tons of say in how they turn out! *laughing*

6. You write romantic relationships between girls. Why do you choose to write it, and how important do you think it is for lesbian literature to be available for children, teens, and adults?

I personally believe that I have no choice. I'm a lesbian, madly in love with my wife, and I'm a writer. From the earliest of ages, I desperately looked for girls like me in the books and stories I was reading, and I never found them. It was devastating to me. So much so, that from a really early age, I was writing gay stories, because I wanted them so very much. There are so many people like me--girls and women who want stories that reflect them. So I *have* to tell these stories. It's also so incredibly important that straight people read stories about lesbians--you can't have empathy for people if they're invisible to you.

7. I know you're openly pagan. (So am I.) Does your faith influence your work? How?

I think that every aspect of an author is going to influence their writing. We write about experiences we've never had, but who we are is going to color that. Being Pagan is a deep core in my identity, as Sarah, as a woman, as a lesbian, as a writer. I think that my spirituality is very apparent in THE DARK WIFE, my retelling of the Persephone myth. Persephone is my matron Goddess, and I wanted to retell the tale for Her. But I also think it's visible, but not as apparent, in everything else I tell. I write a *lot* about death, the culture surrounding it and what happens to your soul after you've passed on. I don't believe that there are monsters who snatch you (like in my novel TWIXT), or a machine that recycles your spirit (like in my short story, "Far"), but I do believe that our souls live on, and that reflects itself in all of my stories.

8. What has been the hardest project you've worked on? The easiest? The most enjoyable?

The hardest project I've ever worked on is my novel, TWIXT. I've been working on variations of it for over five years now, and no single one has ever been what I wanted that story to be. I call it my "heartache" book--but I know it's going to get finished one of these days. Soon. :) The easiest and most enjoyable one has to be ONE SOLSTICE NIGHT. I LOVE that little book--it's such a happy romp, and those characters are some of my favorites I've ever written. A bumbling witch? A shape-shifting deer? A town where everyone can do magic? *laughing* People always tell me they'd love to live in Benevolence, the town in the story, and I always tell them I would, too. ;)

9. What are you working on now? Any exciting writing news to share?

I actually have some VERY exciting news to share. :) I am now represented by Liza Dawson and Judith Engracia of Liza Dawson Associates. This means that all of my current projects are VERY up in the air, and I'm hopefully going to have some extremely awesome news to share very soon--but until then, I must keep mum. :)

10. Have you and Jennifer ever co-written a story? If so, how did that compare to writing on your own?

Jenn and I have, and it's wonderful. Our writing styles are dissimilar enough, but similar enough where writing with each other is exciting and challenging and really kind of wonderful. Jenn and I have been working on--FOR YEARS!--the "sequel" to THE DARK WIFE, called ALIGHT. It's the first story we told together, back when we first got together, almost nine years now. :) Writing together has always been one of the things we did together that brought us closer.

11. Besides writing, what other artistic endeavors are you pursuing?

*laughing* What am I NOT pursuing would be a shorter answer! :) I'm a really creative person, and I'm always coming up with ideas and dreams and GLITTER PROJECTS. Together, Jenn and I run The Fable Tribe, where we make magical pendants out of old, unloved fairy tale books and original poetry. We're always working on an update for the shop--we fill it with shrines and magical objects and strange, sparkly things. We love that little shop. :) I'm working on knitting a prayer shawl for Jenn, a couple of pairs of fingerless gloves...a few sets of prayer beads and Goddess rosaries, and some Yule presents. Every area in our house is covered in glue and glitter and unfinished-but-patiently-waiting dreams.

12. What are some of your favorite books?

Oh gosh! So many! THE LAST UNICORN by Peter S. Beagle is my bible. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA are my favorite books in existence. Every book Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Tamora Pierce and Sarah Waters ever wrote is a glowing gem in my library. I love Libba Bray and Astrid Lindgren, Robin McKinley and Mercedes Lackey. But PATIENCE AND SARAH by Isabel Miller is my favorite book of all time. :) I think I could go on for hours...

13. What is your favorite sabbat?

*laughing* I always joke with Jenn that it's whatever happens to be around the corner. ;D But no, seriously, I'd have to say Samhain. I'm a Halloween girl, to my bones and back, and there's something about Samhain that fills my heart.

My site: Oceanid
My blog: Muse Rising
My Twitter: SarahDiemer
My Tumblr: Oceanid

And because I love Sarah's stuff so much, I'm giving away one copy of anything in Sappho's Boutique. Winner's choice! (Note: If you want a paperback, you must have a US address I can ship to. If you're out of the US, you get a choice of ebook.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: Dianne Salerni (and giveaway)

I’ve wanted to do author interviews at Aine’s Realm for a while now and, unfortunately, had been rather lazy about it. A few weeks ago I met a bunch of wonderful authors at PAYA, including the lovely Dianne K Salerni, and she graciously agreed to be my first author interviewee.

Aine: First off, Dianne, can you tell us about your book, We Hear the Dead?

Dianne: We Hear the Dead is a fictional retelling of the story of Maggie Fox, one of two girls credited with starting the spiritualist movement in the 19^th century. Maggie was a fun-loving and mischievous girl who became caught up in the 1800’s equivalent of a “viral video.” The clever prank that she and her sister Kate pulled on family and neighbors snowballed into a phenomenon, a social pastime, and even a religion. Pretending to be spirit mediums lifted Maggie and her family out of poverty, but she was never fully comfortable with the deception. When she fell in love with a famous Arctic explorer from a higher social class, Maggie was forced into a crisis of conscience, deciding between the man she loved and her family duties.

Aine: I absolutely loved We Hear the Dead. There were so many good scenes. Which scene was your favorite to write?

Dianne: I loved writing the romantic scenes between Maggie and her beau, Elisha Kane. As part of my research, I read many of the actual love letters between these historical people. They were both very playful and enjoyed using clever words to needle each other. Elisha called Maggie a fraud, and Maggie punctured holes in Elisha’s (rather large) ego. While I was writing, I became totally caught up in weaving the real words exchanged between these lovers 150 years ago into their conversations on the page.

Aine: Were there any events that happened in Maggie’s life that you wanted to include, but had to cut for length or storyline purposes? Can you tell us about one of them?

Dianne: One event that had to be cut involved a narrow escape from exposure. A sister-in-law of their sister-in-law (if you follow that) overheard Maggie and Kate discussing the manner in which they really produced the ghostly knocking sounds. This woman spilled the beans to a gentleman named C. Chauncy Burr who was trying to discredit the Fox sisters. Burr went around the state denouncing the girls and demonstrating how they faked the knocking sounds. Maggie and Kate’s older sister Leah salvaged the situation through good marketing! Leah reduced the prices for the séances and made sure clients were happy, while Burr insulted believers and made more enemies than friends.

Aine: I know you originally self published a few years ago. How much editing/rewriting happened between High Spirits and We Hear the Dead?

Dianne: 30,000 words worth of editing happened! I cut that much out of the original version. Events lost along the way included the Burr episode, various small things that happened to Kate, and a long story about Elisha Kane’s Arctic adventures.

Aine: How is the We Hear the Dead screenplay coming along? Any movie news you can share?

Dianne: I am working on another draft of the screenplay this fall – it’s the 8^th draft by my count. This draft will mostly stick to the previous version, but add one layer of depth over top of what I already have. I am really excited about the proposed changes, because I think it will give the whole movie a better sense of purpose. The producer, Amy Green of One Eye Open Studio, plans to roll out the screenplay to financial backers this fall. She would like to see filming start in late 2011!

Aine: What do your students (or past students) think about having a teacher who is also a published author? Have any of them read We Hear the Dead and if so what kind of feedback have you gotten?

Dianne: My students (and their parents) have been some of my best supporters. I know the students were excited to see the book on the shelves of stores last spring, and I can’t wait to see their reaction when they spot it in the Scholastic TAB Book Club flyer this September! We Hear the Dead is geared toward older readers, but some of my fifth graders have read the book anyway. One of last year’s students even read the original (longer) version and wrote a wonderful review of it on our classroom blog! I can also credit my students with naming the book. When Sourcebooks decided to change my original title (High Spirits), it was one of my students who suggested “We Can Hear the Dead.”

Aine: What can you tell us about the book you’re working on?

Dianne: I have two projects I’m working on right now. I’m working on the first draft of a historical mystery surrounding two caged graves in a lonely mountain town in Pennsylvania. The graves really do exist, and the story behind the cages is shrouded in mystery. I also have a manuscript set in the Victorian age about a girl orphaned under mysterious circumstances who confounds a group of scientists investigating psychics. This story is also based on true events, and I am working on revisions to plot structure and pacing.

Aine: How much of your summer vacation did you spend writing? And do you prefer to write your first drafts long hand or on the computer?

Dianne: I spent ALL of my summer vacation writing -- first the screenplay, and then the caged graves manuscript, with periodic revisions on the other piece as I collected feedback. I write completely on the computer. The only time you’ll catch me working long hand is during a faculty meeting, when I’m pretending to take notes.

Aine: Any chance we’ll see more from you about the Fox sisters? I, personally, have my fingers crossed for a Kate story.

Dianne: Well, there are eight drafts of a screenplay about the Fox sisters! LOL! I’ll never say never regarding a follow-up novel, but Kate is a tricky subject. Unlike Maggie, she never confessed to fraud, nor did she commit her inner thoughts and personal dilemmas to paper. I can historically justify what I wrote about Maggie based on her letters, but Kate … is an enigma.

Aine: How did you celebrate the release of We Hear the Dead?

Dianne: Coincidentally, the same day We Hear the Dead was released, my husband and I were scheduled to attend a Sweetheart’s Ball at the local Rotary Club. It was originally a Valentine’s Day event that was postponed to May because of a blizzard. So, on my release day, I had my hair done, dressed up in a fancy gown, and had a night on the town with my husband.

Aine: And some random questions, because those are sometimes the most fun… What book are you most looking forward to that is released this fall?

Dianne: In the YA genre, I am looking forward to Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. In adult fiction, I’ve preordered a copy of a novel called Cryoburn, by one of my favorite science fiction authors, Lois McMaster Bujold.

Aine: What is your favorite sweet treat?

Dianne: Cheesecake – or my husband’s homemade vanilla ice cream.

Aine: What toppings do you like on your pizza?

Dianne: Black olives, spinach, and feta cheese.

Aine: What is the one place you want to visit most in the world?

Dianne: I’d like to visit Greece someday and possibly take a cruise around the Greek islands. I’m especially interested in visiting Minoan ruins.

Aine: And… what does the K in Dianne K Salerni stand for?

Dianne: The K stands for Katherine, my middle name. I get some ribbing because I have a Facebook account under Dianne Marenco Salerni – so high school and college friends can locate me by my maiden name. But then people want to know if I think Marenco starts with a K! I probably ought to fix that.

Aine: Thanks again, Dianne, for allowing me to do this interview. I don't think we could split a pizza, but I'm definitely in for some cheesecake. =P

Don't forget to check out Dianne's website for information on her other works and her blog to read more about her upcoming projects, the Fox sisters, random musings, and book reviews by her daughter.

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Now for the winner of WE HEAR THE DEAD, signed by the one and only Dianne. As chosen by random.org, our winner is Maggie. Congrats!