Interview With Robin Benway

So, I was wrong when I said Susan Colasanti would be the next author on the blog, Robin Benway in fact is the next author to be interviewed for the blog. Robin Benway is the author of the popular teen novel Audrey! Wait. She was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions about her career and the book. (I loved her book, in fact it passed around my group of friends at school because I loved it so much!)

Me: What inspired Audrey! Wait?

Robin: "Audrey" was like a perfect storm of inspiration. I had recently quit my job with the vague idea of writing some sort of book, but I didn't know what it would be about. In lieu of having an actual job, I was listening to a lot of music, and I heard so many songs that referenced someone's ex-girlfriend. They all seemed a bit one-sided and I was curious what the ex-girlfriend would say about the lyrics. Also, I went to visit my grandmother and her neighbor's kids had a band in their garage and they kept playing these pop songs with such enthusiasm that it was hard not to enjoy it. That inspired the idea of Evan & his band, and everything just started to fall into place.

Me: Were any of the characters based off of people you know?

Robin: I think all of the characters are influenced by people I know, even if it's in subtle ways. Audrey & I share a love of music; Victoria is very much like my best friend, Adriana; Jonah has the same laid-back attitude as my brother; etc. I was a little nervous that people would recognize themselves and be pissed off that I used their personalities in a book, but it turns out that no one ever recognizes themselves in a book! I gave Adriana the first third of the manuscript to read and I was terrified that she would be upset at Victoria's character since they're so similar, but all she said was, "I love it! Am I gonna make an appearance anywhere?" She had no clue that she was all over the book! That still cracks me up and I still tease her about it.

Me: What is your favorite part of being a published author?

Robin: My favorite part is getting letters from people who've read "Audrey". I really can't tell you what a thrill it is. Readers, if you're ever wondering if you should send an email to an author to tell them that you enjoyed their book, do it! You have to understand that I spend most of my day sitting in front a laptop, so any time I get an email or comment, it makes my day and, in a way, inspires me. I want to write books that are worthy of the people that read them.
I also love that I've been able to support myself by writing. When I was sixteen, when I was going through a difficult time in high school & just wanted to graduate and get the heck out of there, I wrote in my journal that all I wanted to do was move to a big city, get an apartment, and become a writer, and it seems I've done just that. What a relief!

Me: What did you think about the success of the book?

Robin: Hmm. Well, the book seems to have been pretty successful, so I'm absolutely thrilled by that. I don't google myself, I don't read reviews, and I never go on Amazon to look at sales rankings because that just stresses me out SO MUCH. So I feel like I'm in a bit of a tunnel as far as knowing about the success of "Audrey". I tend to judge those things by emails and comments from readers, as well as how happy I am with the book I've produced, and "Audrey" has well surpassed my expectations in both those areas. I love the book and when I find out that readers enjoy it too, that's what makes me happy. Everything else is just a wonderful bonus.

Me: I know many people compare this to choosing a favorite child, but do you have a favorite character?

Robin: Wow. All of my characters have wonderful qualities, but when I went back and read "Audrey" all the way through, I was surprised at how much I loved Jonah. He's just so calm, so mellow, and the perfect antidote to Victoria's bossiness and Audrey's craziness. He's also sweet and so tolerant throughout the whole book. I'm pretty sure he & Victoria get married one day. Pretty sure.

Me: What do you suggest to people, especially teens, who want to be authors?

Robin: If you want to be a writer, you have to write. This is something I have to tell myself every single day, especially when I have no idea what to put down on the page. I've been writing professionally for a few years now, and I've finally figured out that if you just keep going forward, eventually the pieces start to fall into place. Don't be afraid to try out an idea. Sometimes the "backspace" button is your best friend. And more than anything else, be extremely kind to yourself. If you can't seem to finish an idea or a story, don't worry about it. You'll either figure it out or come up with something better. I speak from personal experience on this!
Also, don't worry about rejection or not being "good enough" or never getting published. Just be tenacious, take care of your characters, and write everything down. I mean, everything! Some great ideas have slipped away because I didn't jot them down, and I SO regret that now! Learn from my mistakes!

Me: How did you get started as a writer?
Me: Did you always know you wanted to write?
Me: Have you done anything else but write?

Robin: I was always writing things down, especially as a little kid. I never liked school, even though I got good grades, so it was always nice to come home and escape into these fantasy worlds I had created. I was always the kid who had to have the window seat in the car, so I could look out and daydream throughout the trip. I think I always thought I would just write on the side and then have a "normal" job, but as I got older, I realized that writing on the side wasn't enough anymore. I needed to start doing it full-time, and that's when I decided to take a year and try my hand at writing a book. That book was "Audrey", so I'm so glad I made that decision!
As far as doing something else besides being a writer? Well, I've been a babysitter, a smoothie-maker, a sales rep, a book publicist, a bookstore employee, and a PR director for Book Soup, which is a fabulous independent bookstore in West Hollywood. I always thought that if I worked around books and authors, it would be enough, but it wasn't. It just made me want to write more!

Me:Do you love music as much as Audrey does in the book?

Robin: Audrey got ALL her love of music from me! Right now, I'm listening to my "morning" playlist, which is actually called "Morning 3" because I already have "Morning 1" and "Morning 2" playlists. It's a bit obsessive, I know. It includes Cat Stevens, Neko Case, the Weepies, Laura Marling, and now Bon Iver because I woke up today and needed to hear "Re: Stacks". Music is probably my number one inspiration when I have to write. Or pay bills. Or cook dinner. Or go to bed. Like I said, it's obsessive.

Me: Are you working on any new books?

Robin: I am in fact working on a new book right now, and I'm so excited because I JUST figured out this weekend how it's going to end! I've been working on it for six months without having a clue about its conclusion and now that I know it, I can't wait to work on it. This is when my job gets really fun.

Me: As part of my blog I’ll give readers a topic to think about. Do you have a topic that you would like readers to think about? (It can be anything- current events to pop culture, anything that you would like others to think about.)

Robin: The thing that keeps coming back to mind is the idea of gossip websites, the paparazzi, & privacy issues. I know it relates to "Audrey" in a way, but I'm curious to see what other people think about this. Is it out of hand, or is this something that famous people have to deal with because of the professional they've chosen? How much is too much? I used to read a lot of gossip websites, but after a while, I realized they were depressing me. It just started to seem invasive and the commenters could be so cruel. I don't know, I'm just interested in seeing other people's opinions on the subject.

Thank you so much to Robin Benway and I can't wait for her new book! If you haven't read Audrey! Wait you should go find a copy of the book and read it as it is very good.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Ruth planned to wait out the last few months before she turned eighteen on her own until people discovered her mother was gone. But when it is discovered that her mother abandoned her, Ruth is sent to live with her sister who is ten years her senior and her sister's husband. Ruth hasn't seen her sister in ten years when she left for college. She is given a chance to start over, with new clothes, a new school and a new home. No one understands what she is going through, except for her neighbor, who happens to be the most popular guy at her new school, who may be hiding a pretty big secret himself.

Personally, I loved this book. It had the right balance of the serious topics of abuse and child abandonment and humor. The characters were easy to like, had depth and most importantly were believable. The plot, as mentioned dealt with some pretty serious issues, but still was very enjoyable and not overwhelming. With many teen novels being about trivial things that have no substance, it was nice to find one that had substance while still written for teens. Now don't get me wrong, I love these books about trivial things with no substance, especially during the school year when many of the books you read are depressing (Night by Elie Wiesel anyone?), but what I liked about this book was that it had substance but it wasn't overwhelming and depressing, as those topics are kind of depressing. This book gets five stars.

Updates

Hey everyone! I know there hasn't been a new review in awhile and I am very sorry. I have a bunch of books to review and they keep piling up, so there should be a few new ones this week as I don't have school. There also should be a new author interview soon, once I figure out the questions and email them. The author is Susane Colasanti author of When It Happens.

New Topic To Think About

          So, since it's been big in the news the past few days, the new topic is steroid use in professional sports. Most recently Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has admitted to using steroids after si.com reported that he had tested positive in 2003. Also Miguel Tejada, the 2002 AL MVP in the MLB has been charged with lying under oath, he now joins the ranks of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.
         My opinion on this is that using steroids or performance enhancing drugs is wrong and stupid, but I understand why the players do it. No one is blameless in this horrible era in baseball in particular. Fans, the media and management loved it when the huge home run numbers started coming in and the immense pressure already on the players grew. I am getting entirely fed up with people saying that these sports stars who used steroids don't deserve the records they got and are ragging on them because a) they have never felt the same pressure and b) steroids and performance enhancing drugs do not make a player great, they make it so they work out longer and build muscle faster. A bad hitter isn't going to become a good hitter just because he takes steroids, it takes a talented player to make steroids work to their advantage. It doesn't make it right, but we as fans or members of the media need to remember that we put the pressure on the sports stars to perform, and this is what they felt they had to do to perform to our expectations.

Now I want to hear your opinions, so post comments on this post or in the C-box, or you can email me at exerciseyourmindreadbooks@hotmail.com

Uglies

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is a sci-fi novel that is set in a Utopian society. Tally lives in a world where being pretty is valued over everything. At age 16 you get the surgery and enter the world of the Pretties. Before that you are an Ugly and even before that you are a Littlie. A few weeks before Tally turns sixteen she meets Shay, a girl who is planning on running away before her surgery. After Shay runs away, the authorities tell Tally either she helps them find Shay and turn her in or not be pretty. When Tally decides to find Shay, she has no idea what she has gotten herself into.

I started reading this book and almost gave up on it. With a creative plot, you would think that the author could come up with better names. Come on! Uglies, Pretties, Littlies, New Pretty Town, Uglyville. Seriously those are the least creative names for places and groups of people I have ever heard! But once I put that aside I enjoyed the book. The plot dragged at points, especially when Tally was alone. I thought the idea was not quite original, a supposedly Utopian society that isn't as perfect as it seems, in ways it reminded me of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The way the story was told though, was what set it apart. In Fahrenheit 451, free thinking was banned while in Uglies it was never really banned. I give this book 3 stars.

Inauguration

Hey everyone! Tomorrow is the inauguration of President Elect Barack Obama. I'm down in D.C for the festivities, and let me tell you this city is ready to party! So because of this, there may be no new reviews for a few days. When I get them up however, there will be a lot as I just finished a bunch of books. Have fun tomorrow!!!!!

Author Chat: Elizabeth Scott

Elizabeth Scott is the author of many young adult novels, including Perfect You, Living Dead Girl and Stealing Heaven. 

Me: You have written a good number of books, do you have a favorite?
 
Elizabeth: Nope! I can't pick a favorite--all of them have good memories for me!
 

Me: When writing one of your books, has an idea for another occurred   during the writing process?
 
Elizabeth: Always--which is how I can tell I have to keep going and finish. I  
write the idea down, and then turn back to what I'm working on. It's  
hard, but otherwise, I'd never get anything finished!
 

Me: You have a few new books coming out soon, what are they about?
 
Elizabeth:Something, Maybe will be out on March 24th and it's about Hannah, who  
has parents who redefine the word embarrassing. Her dad made a  
fortune showing pretty girls--and his "party" lifestyle--all over the  
Internet, and her mom, who was once one of her dad's girlfriends, is  
now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of  
attention for far too long, Hannah has learned how to stay out of  
sight...and that's how she likes it.
Of course, being unknown isn't helping her get noticed by gorgeous,  
confident Josh, who Hannah knows is her soul mate. Between trying to  
figure out a way to get him to notice her, dealing with her parents,  
and wondering why she can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn,  
Hannah feels like she's going crazy. She's determined to make things  
work out the way she wants....only what she wants may not be what she  
needs.
 
Love You Hate You Miss You will be out on June 2nd, and it's about  
loss, grief, love, and learning to give yourself--and life--a chance.
 

Me: When did you decide to become an author?
 
Elizabeth: I didn't actually decide to be an author--I sort of fell into the  
whole thing! I started writing for fun when I was 27 (old, I know!)  
and after years of my friends trying to talk me into getting an agent/ 
seeing if I could be published, I decided to go for it (to get them  
to quit asking me, quite honestly! :-) ) and got *very* lucky.
 

Me:What do you suggest to teens who want to pursue writing?
 
Elizabeth:Well, I'm guessing you've already gotten the writing part down, so  
I'd suggest learning as much as you can about the publishing industry  
and the business end of it (and it is a business!) and also to just  
read as much as you can--and don't just read one kind of book, read  
all kinds!
 

 Questions about Perfect You **May Include Spoilers**
 

Me:What was the inspiration behind this book?
Elizabeth: I decided to write Perfect You after getting an idea for a story  
about a family who had to deal with an extremely demanding relative  
moving in. The original idea was very (*very*) different from how the  
story ended up, but that's one of the fun things about writing ---  
there are always surprises along the way!

Me: Kate’s father quit his job to sell infomercial vitamins, why did   you choose vitamins over everything else sold in infomercials?
 
Elizabeth: Because that's what I knew he'd be selling, plus the brand name made  
the perfect book title! :-)
 

Me: For most of the book Kate has trouble trusting Will who has been  nothing but nice to her, but easily trusts Anna who had ditched   Kate for her new popular friends. Why did she trust Anna again so   easily but not Will?
 
Elizabeth: Because when you've had a friendship end unexpectedly and you miss  
that person, really and truly miss them, how can you not hope, if  
even secretly, that they'll decide they miss you and want to be  
friends again? Loosing a friendship is, in many ways--I think--even  
harder than a breakup. Friendships tend to last for a long time and  
play a huge role in your life, and do have one just stop--it's life- 
shattering.
 
As for Will, well, he does have a reputation, and Kate--and everyone  
else--knows all about it! Plus, she's been burned pretty badly--her  
family is falling apart, she misses her best friend, she's dealing  
with her grandmother--is it any wonder she finds it hard to believe  
that something good could happen to her?

Thank you Elizabeth!

Caribbean Cruising

Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne. Lindsey's mom is getting remarried, on a cruise full of hot single guys! Lindsey has never been on a cruise before, but she does have some ideas for what she is going to do with her ten days at sea- snorkel, meet cute guys, kiss cute guys, climb a waterfall, have some margaritas and find the perfect guy for a summer fling. But, unfortunately for this planner, her plans start to fall apart, especially in the area of finding a guy. Lindsey soon discovers it's impossible to have a fling when you're actually falling in love...

This book was extremely entertaining. The plot was kind of reversed from your normal teen romance, instead of the teen looking for love and instead finding a bunch of flings (or the right guy without the flings) it was a girl looking for a fling who found love instead. While you will have seen many similar characters in other books and tv shows, the story is told in a way that makes these characters unique. With interesting plot turns, and some actual morals, this book leads to a good read. 5 out of 5 stars.

Interview With Megan McCafferty

Megan McCafferty is the author of the popular teen books Sloppy Firsts, Second Helping, Charmed Thirds, Fourth Comings and the upcoming Perfect Fifths which will be available for purchase on April 14, 2009. I was able to interview Megan on her books and how the Jessica Darling books were born.




Rachel: One of the things I liked about the character Jessica was she wasn’t extremely perky, and actually seemed real. In the first two books I loved reading her views on high school and the popular students. Were you in anyway like Jessica in high school?

Megan: Thank you! Perky is booooooring. Jessica is very moody, but her imperfections are what makes her relatable. As for how much she's like me, you can actually read my (retro)blog where I've posted journal entries and creative writing from my high school years to form your own opinion. But my stock response is that I started out with the truth and then started lying my butt off. However, I was most like Jessica in Sloppy Firsts. That's the book that is closest to my real life when I was in high school. For example, I was devastated when my best friend moved away, felt misunderstood by my parents, resented my shallow friends and—yes!--was obsessed with the disreputable bad boy in my class. That said, very little in any of the books happened to me in the same way it happens to Jessica. As the series progresses she really comes into her own as a character to the point where I was cringing as I wrote some of the things I made her say and do because I would never say or do those things myself.

Rachel: How did Sloppy Firsts come to be, what was the inspiration behind it?

Megan: I wrote the type of book that I enjoy reading. Yet of all the comic coming of age novels I had read, none came close to reflecting what my life was like in high school. So instead of complaining about it, I started writing that book. I kept a journal between the ages of ten and twenty-six and had taken numerous creative writing classes over the years so I had a lot of raw material to turn to for inspiration. I took some of the most vivid writings—about my crappy job on the Boardwalk, how bored I was in school or the pain of all my unrequited crushes—and added, subtracted, rewrote and revised until it started to make sense as a novel.

Rachel: Of the four books so far, they range from being a week in Jessica’s life to a few years. Which do you find harder to write, the shorter length of time or the longer?

Megan: FYI: Perfect Fifths (which comes out on April 14th!) takes place over eighteen hours that Jessica and Marcus spend in/around an airport. The pacing is radically different than Sloppy Firsts which covered a whole year. Writing this book required working in miniature—to examine and express each fleeting gesture and half-sentence. All five books posed different challenges, but that's one of the reasons why I varied the format from book to book. I'd get bored writing the same book over and over again.

Rachel: What do you recommend to teens who want to get into writing?

Megan: Read as much as you can. And write even more than you read. Period.

Rachel: Did you ever expect the books to be as popular as they are, and when they became popular what was your reaction?
Megan: The only time I think about the popularity of my books is when I'm asked a question like this! I'm proud to have invented characters who resonate with so many different readers all around the world. I've gotten email from an insomniac track star in Bulgaria who said that reading about Jessica Darling changed her life. I mean, that's craaaaaaazy to me. But making that kind of connection and getting readers excited about books gives me the greatest sense of satisfaction. That's what motivates me to do what I do and why I can't imagine doing else.


Thank you for Megan for doing this.

Kissing Snowflakes

Kissing Snowflakes by Abby Sher. Sam has been dragged along with her brother to Vermont for a "family" ski trip. Sam's father has just remarried, and this is their honeymoon, but Sam's dad decides that this is the perfect opportunity for Sam and her brother Jeremy to get to know Kathy their new and impossibly perfect and perky stepmom. Sam's plan is to stay at the Vermont inn they are staying at and not ski at all, but is persuaded to give it a try, where she meets Drew. Drew is a gorgeous ski instructor, who shows Sam how to ski and how to kiss. But is Drew the right guy, or is someone else the one Sam should be with?

So, to start off, this book has a fairly typical plot, which would have been okay, but some of the characters got on my nerves. First off, though in the book Sam points it out, Drew is extremely corny and uses horrible pick up lines. And Kathy, well she is closer to a 12 year old in personality than a grown woman. By the end, I was enjoying the book, and the end was good- exactly how you want it to end. It was well written, but some of the characters just seemed pretty fake. I liked it, but I'm not going to say you have to read this book or go get it now like I do with great books. It gets 3 out of 5 stars, it would have been 3 1/2 or 4, but Kathy was too perky.