Debut Author Interviews

Paula Chase is the author of So Not The Drama (Dafina/Kensington, Spring 2007)

• Paula Chase on...Dream Editors
• Paula Chase on...Writing Process
• Paula Chase on...First Novels
• Paula Chase on...Family Appreciation
• Paula Chase on...Completion
• Paula Chase on...Critique Groups
• Paula Chase on...The Call
• Paula Chase on...Audience
• Paula Chase on...Surprises
• Paula Chase on...Writing Schedule
• Paula Chase on...Other Careers
• Paula Chase on...After-Sale Revisions
• Paula Chase on...Agents
• Paula Chase on...Promotion
• Paula Chase on...Ideas
• Paula Chase on...Training
• Paula Chase on...Why Kids?
• Paula Chase on...Setting
• Paula Chase on...Celebrations
• Paula Chase on...Influential Books
• Paula Chase on...Ideal Reader
• Paula Chase on...What's Next?
• Paula Chase on...Outlines
• Paula Chase on...Impact on Readers
• Paula Chase on...Why Write?
• Paula Chase on...Favorite Teacher
• Paula Chase on...Book Memory
• Paula Chase on...Website
• Paula Chase on...Favorite Library
• Paula Chase on...Favorite Book
• Paula Chase on...Character's Conflict
• Paula Chase on...Taste in Books
• Paula Chase on...Actor for Character
• Paula Chase on...Favorite Bookstore

How did you choose your editor and was he or she the “dream editor” you wanted?

I’m right in the middle of edits and am witnessing first-hand how a novel transforms from a story into a good/great/better/fill-in-the-blank story. It amazes how my editor is able to look at the story and pick out things that need more definition or inconsistencies.

I did not pick my editor. My agent and I agreed that we’d so small rounds to a pool of editors. She chose them. I did not have enough background to have any significant impact on the editors she chose. I rellied heavily on my agent’s expertise, contacts etc..when it came to the pool of potential editors/publishers.

My editor, Stacey Barney, had recently moved from a very large publishing house to Kensington’s Dafina imprint to launch their YA line. My assumption was she wanted to be in the forefront of something new. It’s exciting to be in on the ground floor with her on this new line. It’s also pretty nerve-wracking. I feel the pressure - even if I’m the one putting the pressure on - to make sure the line gets off to a great start so it can make it’s mark in YA literature.

Now I’m a little more aware of the different editors acquiring YA. I read Publishers Weekly to stay abreast of moves and such. But, ultimately, I’ll continue to rely on my agent’s perspective here. There are so many components that need juggling - writing, publicity, marketing, etc…it’s nice when someone else can take the lead on the industry issues.

What is your writing process?

My writing process continues to evolve. But one thing is for sure, I’m a muse-writer.

When I wrote my first two mss, I was writing full-time, fresh from a lay-off. It was amazing how clear my head was without worries of commuting, corporate networking etc… My characters, the plot and everything about the world I created for the Del Rio Bay clique spoke so loudly to me. I’d sit down in front of the PC and the words would flow from my fingers as if someone else were writing and I was just the vessel. Seriously.

However, after a year, I returned to work full-time. No surprise, the creative part of my mind had to battle fiercely with the organizational/analytical side of my brain for any face time with me. Luckily, I was editing and it didn’t require quite as much creative vigor as writing from scratch.

My third mss was the product of sheer exhaustion - mss fatigue, that is. I was so GLAD to have my first mss finished and off to my agent that I jumped right into my third novel. It had nothing to do with my first two. So it felt great to be on to new characters and a completely new world. Again, I sat in front of the PC and the words flowed.

However, now that I have a full-time job AND churning the wheels to get my first two novels ready for publication my creative side is multi-tasking as much as my analytical side. I’ve stopped and stuttered on my WIP. The characters aren’t speaking as clearly to me. The plot is all over the place and I feel like a stranger in the world I’ve started.

I don’t do very well if my muse is distracted. My only hope is to get a serious flash of inspiration, attempt some sort of sabbatical at work, wait until I’m writing full-time before I get another full mss written or hope that the books I have now will become a series (as planned) so that I’ll be able to work within a world I’m already familiar.

Was this the first full-length novel you wrote, or rather the first that you sold?

SO NOT THE DRAMA was the very first manuscript I wrote. I wrote it over a period of four weeks and was shocked how easily the words flowed. Then reality sank in. It took me two full years of editing before it sold.

As I went through the submission process (to agents) a voice in the back of my head would remind me that not everyone sells their first mss. So there was a part of me that was skeptical that I’d actually sell it. While another part pushed along stubbornly believing it was good enough to get picked up.

:::moment of pure honesty forthcoming::

DRAMA is a great story — says the unbiased author — but I wrote my second mss directly after finishing the first and could definitely see the growth. Even though they were written back-to-back, there are less awkward passages in DON’T GET IT TWISTED. I grew more comfortable in my skin with it.

Thank god for my editor who is helping me whip DRAMA into place.

What my experience showed me was - even if your first mss is acquired, doesn’t mean there aren’t a few kinks to work out. And that story and voice speak pretty loudly. Both my agent and editor had to see the diamond in the rough of my mss. I’m in awe of that still.

Now that you’re under contract, does your family better appreciate your writing?

My family (husband, kids and parents) took my writing seriously once I said I was going to pursue it in hopes of going full-time. They know me. Once I set my sights on something, there’s very little that will discourage me. So from the start they were on board.

However, when it comes to giving me the proper time to write in peace - and I emphasize PEACE - that comes and goes in spurts. Now that I’m on deadline with edits my husband does try harder to keep the girls away from my office door. But when I’m not on deadline, it’s much harder for them to understand I need uninterrupted time to create.

How did you know you were “done” with your book and ready to submit it?

I’ve always said, there’s done and there’s DONE.

Initially, I was very ignorant to the process. I went it alone with no crit partners or groups. Once the manuscript was finished, I began subbing to agents. No walking away and coming back or anything - just said, “Okay, it’s finished” and mailed it off.

I was fortunate to get an agent to work with me - no official representation - for a year, right away.

The manuscript went through a lot of changes in that year. And eventually the agent officially declined to represent me.

A few more tweaks later, I knew my manuscript was done (enough to re-sub to agents, anyway) after having it professionally critiqued. I used the critique service of a former editor and current YA author whom I trusted, and let her critical eye have at my novel. After taking a majority of her advice, I tweaked my manuscript one last time and began a fresh round of agent subs. I secured my agent a few months later.

Now, three years, later the manuscript is thisclose to being DONE. It’s in the copyedit process, as we speak.

Do you belong to a writing group?

I never joined a writing group. Honestly, it never occurred to me until after I’d already gone it alone for a full year. By that time, I had enlisted the help of two people at my full-time job. One I called an “avid” reader and the other a “universal” reader (translation - occasional). Their perspectives were key in ensuring the book had a decent balance to appeal to both voracious readers and sometimey readers. They would read passages from the book and we’d discuss them over lunch.

Now, I belong to a very small crit circle (that’s what we call it). But we’re all so busy that we rarely have time for the actual critiquing.

What happened when you received ‘The Call’ that your book would be published?

Now, this is a fun question!

My call came right after a whirlwind weekend at SCBWI Mid-winter. So I was already high from the fumes of New York City aka my favorite place on earth.

My agent called me at my full-time gig on a Tuesday and indicated, very casually, that not one but three publishers were “very interested” in the book. Translation - this baby’s definitely gonna sell but I don’t want you going and doing anything stupid like quitting your job.

A few days later, there were still two in the race and by Friday, Kensington had put in their offer.

All day Friday I was on and off the phone with my agent as we discussed advance numbers and other details. It felt surreal. The phone seemed to ring every half hour with a fresh detail and I was giddy with happiness. I told my husband first thing. Most of the afternoon he was nearby as the phone kept ringing with a new piece of info.

The part that felt the most surrealistic was the first time my agent mentioned the monetary offer. I remember feeling dumbfounded. And it wasn’t that the number was HUGE.

But, after three years of trying to get an idea of what an “average” advance was, I really had pretty low expectations - so it wouldn’t have taken much for her to wow me with a number.

Yet hearing it articulated was very…have you ever gone into a high-end retail store and asked the sales rep for the cost of an item? And they say something like “Oh, that’s thirteen.” And you’re like “hundred?!” Because you know she doesn’t mean thirteen dollars! That’s how it felt.

I was walking on a cloud for a week. Then life went back to normal. It was another three months before the actual work began pouring in.

Who is the target audience for your book?

It’s funny. I started writing this book and my gut instinct said, the youngest the reader could be would be an eleven year-old (or a ten year-old who was a mature, avid reader). However, I felt the book could be enjoyed by any age beyond that.

The above age range is obviously too expansive for the purposes of marketing. I understood a publisher would choose a range and market accordingly.

I still believe the 11+ range to be accurate - after all, there are older readers who absorb any book as long as the story is good - but, if I have to pinpoint an age range I’d say my book is primarily targeted to 11-13 year olds.

While doing a school visit in 2005, I found that the 6th graders and 8th graders were really into me. The 6th graders acted like I was a celebrity (and the book wasn’t even out) and the 8th graders had great interest in the writing craft. The 7th graders were blah and pretty much bored to tears. I plan to use that experience to temper how I do future visits and focus on the extreme ends of my age range.

What has surprised you the most so far?

There have been many surprises for me along the way. I openly admit, I knew very little about publishing and the process of getting a book from concept to bookstore. Yet, still I came into writing with many pre-conceived notions about the industry.

A few surprises for me:

- The writing community (especially YA authors) is very supportive!! I never imagined that information between authors about agents or editors looking for YA and the submission process would flow so freely.

- An author is expected to be very active in the promotion of the book. Early on, I equated book publishing with launching a music CD. I really thought the publisher put a lot more into the promotional end. Very quickly I learned that while the publisher may initiate comprehensive marketing efforts, promotion is still very much the author’s domain. To be clear, I’m talking about book signings, book festival appearances and school visits.

- The industry is extremly subjective. I knew publishing was a subjective industry. But knowing and experiencing are very different.

- Digesting editorial feedback is humbling. As a writer, you’re forced to have enough confidence in your writing to submit it to agents/editors. Yet, upon a sale, you must be willing to look your writing weaknesses in the face via an editorial letter and margin notes from the editor.

- The work never ends. The writing process is a never-ending cycle. Write, revise, revise, revise, promote - start over!

What is your writing schedule?

It’s always my goal to write everyday. But I rarely meet that goal.

Two things drive my writing schedule:

1) Deadlines imposed by my editor or agent
2) Inspiration

Lately, I’ve been a slave to deadlines and have had to write daily to stay on top of them.

When not on a deadline, it’s a challenge to write daily - even when inspiration strikes - because I have a full-time job. A majority of my writing is done late into the night. As I get closer to book release day, I’m finding it harder and harder to juggle day job, writing, family and the other things I’ve made a commitment to.

Going forward, I’d like to establish a block of time for writing. I’ve tried and failed this method before. But I believe it’s like trying to fit exercise into your schedule - it has to be done even if you’re forcing it in there.

What career would you pursue if you weren’t a writer?

Warning! sappy cliche ahead - I didn’t pursue writing, it chose me.

I’ve always written stories. I took writing more seriously in high school and went on to declare journalism my major, freshman year in college. However, I changed course to public relations, the very next year.

I changed course, because as a 19 year old I had a very narrow view of journalism. It didn’t strike me, at the time, that I could eventually be an author or write for magazines (which I do now and love). I kept thinking journalism was more newspaper writing. It didn’t appeal to me.

But after 15 years in PR, the fact that I came back to writing is sign enough for me that I was meant to be a writer all along. And my PR background will be a great asset when it comes to book promotion.

How much revision did you do AFTER you sold your book to your publisher?

Once my book was under contract, I was anxious to get to edits. However, my editor indicated she edited based on priority, focusing on those books that needed the most editorial attention first. She indicated mine was right in the middle - didn’t need the most/didn’t need the least.

My editorial letter was about seven pages long and most of it was about making two of the characters more distinct.

For the second round, the editorial letter was only a page long and it was primarily things that needed to be “cleaned” up a bit.

All total, edits took six weeks. And I believe I could have cut that in half if I had the luxury of writing full-time. Since I have to switch gears from one career to another, it can take some time to get comfortable in my character’s skin…and that adds time to my revisions.

I have to admit, the editorial process was very humbling for me. There’s a certain level of pride you take in reaching each new step in the process. It’s easy to forget that the story can always be made tighter or better focused.

Is an agent useful or necessary for a first-time author?

I really think that whether an agent is necessary or useful is dependent upon 1) how much you have on your plate as you’re establishing a writer career and 2) how far you want to take it.

I’ve heard of many authors who went it without an agent. I admire each and every one of them.

For me, I felt having an agent was necessary. Why?

Like any industry, there’s turnover in the publishing industry. Editors move from one house to another. As a matter-of-fact the editor that acquired So Not The Drama had just moved from Hyperion to Kensington right before we subbed to her.

Keeping up with what editors were where was something I didn’t have the time or patience for. There are so many imprints and houses to research to find the editor that may be most attracted to your work. When I set out to sub, those things overwhelmed me. The pool of agents who acquired YA was a much more manageable thing for me.

What it all boiled down to, for me, was time and expertise. When I began submitting my mss I was coming off of a layoff and back into the workforce. Realistically, I couldn’t juggle the editor research as well. So I stuck with agent research.

I knew I wanted to agressively pursue writing full-time and figured it would be much easier to let my agent know that so she/he could help me set a realistic timetable. Not to mention, the ready-made connections my agent would bring to the table.

Since it’s equally as difficult to secure an agent vs. an editor, my advice is to pursue both avenues, if you have the time to do so diligently.

What is your plan to get the word out to the public about your book?

This question shouldn’t be as hard to answer as it is. But the truth is, so much of what I plan to do may not ever see the light of day. I believe, at the end of the day, I’ll do whatever I can to supplement my publisher’s lead.

But some of the activities I already have in the works:

- attend as many book fairs/festivals and conferences that I can along the East Coast
- create a virtual street team of readers that will help spread the word-of-mouth
- serve on writer’s panels talking about publishing and my own experience
- make sure I go down every avenue I’ve traveled to let them know about the book (my sorority, alma mater, the team I coach) in other words, try to find the “common” bond I have with as many organizations and folks as possible
- of course have friends and family help talk it up
- find a few “angles” and try to get media attention regionally, nationally and of course, locally
- hook up with the Divine Literary Tour, a group of authors who also belong to one of the nine historicaly black service organizations. They tour the nation, focused primarily on the national and regional conferences of the 9 service groups

Where did you get the idea for your book?

I know no one ever believes me when I tell this story. But it’s the truth, I swear.

One Saturday morning, I woke up and all of my main characters, along with how their friendship evolved was in my head. It was one of those moments of clarity where in your gut you realize that either you can write down the info flowing through your head to preserve it for later thought. Or, dismiss it as an early morning whim that will become foggier as the morning progresses.

I mean, I’ve had some great ideas emerging from sleep. If I acted on all of them I’d be hopping from venture to venture all the time. The key was knowing or at least having that feeling, this time the idea was meant to be captured.

So I came into my office and quickly began outlining the characters and plot lines. I started writing that same day.

What writing training have you had?

Hmm…that would be no formal training beyond mandatory English classes throughout high school and college.

I was a Communication major, concentrating on Public Relations. So any formal training revolved around the principles of PR and how to create marketing material. None of it was focused on writing, specifically.

I’ve enjoyed creating stories since I was a small child and writing definitely comes naturally to me. I convey my feelings best when I can write them down.

Now that I’ve written a few manuscripts, the thought of taking a creative writing course to strengthen my natural skill runs through my mind now and then. I don’t think a class can teach me to write, but it could certainly help me break down the story development process and get inside my own head better.

But with the time constraints of writing, working and raising a family…taking a class isn’t very high on my priority list.

Why write for children and teens?

Honestly, I still feel like a 16-year-old at heart. So writing YA was a natural for me.

My own high school years were among the best times in my life - those times when drama, literally, is your life. When every high seems 50,000 feet in the air and every low feels like the depths of your worst hell. I’m still very drawn to reality TV shows like Two-A-Days because the experiences they portray- not getting asked out by the guy you adore, or having your boyfriend creep on you with someone else - those things are so life or death to a teenager. It’s fascinating to watch. On one hand you want to scream, Hey if you think this is tough wait until you’re an adult. But on the other, you can feel the extreme angst and joy they’re experiencing and it anchors you - helps put life in perspective sometimes.

My books are like that, telling the story about how things, that to an adult is so easily solved or at least easily shrugged off, just aren’t when the word “teen” is after your age. I also write the type of books I liked as a young reader. So writing for kids was less a choice as it was an outlet for my fascination with that time in my life.

Where is your novel set, and why there?

So Not The Drama is set in a fictional town based on my own hometown of Annapolis, MD. It’s Annapolis but the Annapolis I would have liked to grow up in, thus the close proximity to the beach and hangouts in my book.

I set it there for two reasons:

1) I know Annapolis best. So naturally, it was easier to create around geography I was familiar.

2) One of the things that’s always struck me about Annapolis is how despite how small it is (population 35,000) there’s a definite difference in vibe and attitude between those who live in the suburban outskirts and those who live in the “city” of Annapolis. And I use the word city lightly. It’s a very small area!

I inserted a lot of that vibe into Del Rio Bay, my book’s version of Annapolis. And it’s fun to poke fun at some of the quirks of the area. Probably no one will get that I’m poking fun of it unless they’re from the area. But it was fun for me.

How did you celebrate your book sale?

I recall there were a lot of “Oh my God’s” involved and feeling like I was walking on clouds for about a week.

Then I went and bought a pair of Gucci shades. And no, they don’t block the sun any better than my cheapie sunglasses, but they look hot.

What books had an impact on you when you were growing up?

Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and May The Circle Go Unbroken. Especially, Roll of Thunder. Taylor’s portrayal of a proud, hard working family in the ‘30’s really translated over the decades.

As a kid I had no real connection to the time period that Cassie (the MC) grew up in. Yet, Taylor’s description of Cassie’s life could have been any girl in any period.

Also, pretty much any (every) thing by Judy Blume. She has such a way of capturing the teen spirit and experience.

Her books made me think and kept me grounded in reality (i.e. bad things happen but you get over them).

Finally, Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High was my guilty pleasure. It was the teen soap opera that I couldn’t get enough of.

I’d say these three authors made up the foundation of my reading as a young reader.

If you had an ideal reader, who would that be and why?

If I were to use marketing speak, my ideal reader is likely an African American girl ages 10-13.

But that’s about as narrow a definition as ever and not my vision of the ideal reader. My vision of that person is any young reader who enjoys a little soap opera in their lit. Young teens and tweens who think having an argument with their friend is the end of the world and will appreciate that for them and my characters, drama is life.

I also think older teens who are reluctant readers may enjoy it because of the story’s simple essence.

But, an adult who would like to tap into the “secret” world of teens or relive some of their own teen drama would find it interesting to.

I wish there were some sort of radar to find the readers who pick up my book and get lost in it, giggle at portions that may personify their clique, or think, “hmm…that’s not a bad way to handle that situation,” because those are my ideal readers.

What’s next after your debut novel?

Don’t Get It Twisted, a sequel to So Not The Drama will hit shelves December ‘07. Meanwhile, there’s the prospect of more Del Rio Bay Clique novels, but no numbers are set in stone regarding how many will be in the series.

I’m re-writing my upper YA and am thoroughly enjoying it. I love my DRB Clique characters, but it’s so much fun writing other characters, especially since the characters are older and live in a completely different environment.

My hope is that I keep selling DRB Clique novels and establish a foot in the door of upper YA - making for a nice balance of my own personalities - the sweet and the sassy.

Do you outline before writing?

No, I don’t outline first. I’m very much a pantster and while I have moments of great panic when a vision of what I’d like to happen doesn’t come to me fast enough, it seems to work best for me.

I’ve attempted outlines. I’ve found they help jog my thoughts. But ultimately, I find it too much paper to keep nearby as I’m writing. I end up either not looking at the outline or veering away from some of the points I thought I wanted to cover.

What should readers get from your book?

I hope that readers will get that even though teen angst can be overwhelming it’s a natural thing and most things we angst over can be put into perspective as long as you have a support base - be it friends and/or family.

Why do you write?

Writing is my favorite form of communication. I’m able to better express myself when it flows from my fingers. I write to get things off my chest, share what makes me happy, purge myself of things that make me sad. I write for many reasons.

When it comes to my novels, I write because these are the type of stories I would have loved as a young reader. Writing fiction is like day dreaming, for me. So it’s as much an escape for me as I hope it will be for my readers.

Describe your favorite teacher when you were your protagonist’s age.

When I was my MC’s age, 9th graders were still in Jr. High. My junior high was connected to my middle school, which makes for this hazy mix memory in my head of the teachers and which teacher was actually at what school. Call it old age, if you want, but it’s really that the two schools were so closely linked that it’s hard to separate them.

Still, the one teacher that stood out was Mr. Johnson, one of the P.E. teachers. He was a gruff teacher with a soft heart and also the soccer coach. Well, when the soccer segment of P.E. rolled around he amped it up. Class always became more competitive during the soccer segment and God help you if you had any of his players in your class (I did). It was brutal because they had to look good in front of their coach.

Well, I hated soccer! I can remember standing in the middle of the field, one day, praying the ball wouldn’t come my way. When it finally did, I moved out of the way. Literally stepped aside so the goons chasing it could have it instead of trampling me for it.

To this day, I remember Mr. Johnson rolling his eyes, throwing up his hands and hollering “Jesus Christ, Tippy Toes!” across the field at me. He used to call me “tippy toes” because I ran real girly on my toes, like I was trying not to get my shoes dirty. Which is weird because I also ran track (and he was the coach) and that I excelled in. I just hated soccer! So yeah, I never tried.

Most hilarious thing in the world. I’m sure many would be appalled at a teacher using the lord’s name in vain in front of student’s no less. But Mr. Johnson was everybody’s favorite. He’d give you a hard time but it always came from a sincere place. You could tell he loved the students as much as they loved him.

The cool teachers are always the ones that seem to know how to talk to students just right. Which is a lot like writing for YA. When people ask “how” do I write for young people. How can I capture that voice. I don’t know. It’s like being the cool teacher with the great vibe with students - it’s something you either have or you don’t.

What is your earliest book memory?

I remember sitting on a couch at home reading aloud from a book, whose title I can’t recall. My parents were busy getting ready, as we were on our way out. I was in my own little world, lost in the words I was either making up or had memorized. I wasn’t actually reading, merely mocking what I’d heard read to me. I was probably about four or five.

Books have always been a huge part of entertainment. Whether or not it started with that day, I can’t say. But that day stands out to me. So, I’ll call that my first.

Do you have a website for your book? How did you handle setting it up?

I have a website. It was one thing I didn’t mind putting money into when it came to promotion.

I went around to various author sites of books similiar to mine in vibe and flavor. I kept notes of the different functions I wanted. It wasn’t until I visited Ally Carter’s website that I found a designer I believed could give me the feel I wanted for the site. I was excited to learn that the designer, Xuni.com, specializes in author sites. That was great because it took a lot of burden off me.

As authors we already have to do a lot of leg work on our own. So it’s nice to turn the reigns of the web design and maintenance over to someone else.

www.paulachasehyman.com

Describe your favorite library.

Normally, I don’t like to play favorites. But…my fav local library is the Broadneck Branch. It’s a small library and its hours are odd. When I lived closer to it I had a terrible time remembering when they were open. But at the very back of the branch is this carpeted bench built into the wall, near the Children’s section. It sits up against a window, which only gives you a view of bushes because the entire area is “sunken.”

I used to take my daughter there and let her sit in the circular area in front of the bench, while I sat slightly above her soaking in the warmth that came in through the windows.

It was incredibly cozy.

I think one of the reasons B&N and Borders grew in popularity is the warmth of the atmosphere. In many, it feels very much like a library should feel.

What was your favorite book when you were your protagonist’s age?

Yikes, my memory is really not that good! I hope I’m getting the dates straight…but when I was my protag’s age I believe that was my V.C. Andrews stage. I read Flowers in The Attic in the early 80s and was probably about fourteen or so. By the time I was my MC’s age I was reading adult fiction quite a bit. So if I were reading any YA it was probably of the Sweet Valley High variety because by then I’d already consumed a lot of Judy Blume.

What drew you to the conflict you created for your main character?

My own experiences as a teen and watching my daughter go through the same is what drew me to my character’s conflict. A lot of African American suburban teens go through this…identity crisis, for lack of a better word, at some point in their young lives. It’s the point where they suddenly realize that despite sharing a lot in common with their white peers, there are still some things that are different. And sometimes those differences can cause you to re-evaluate your friendships.

I’m fascinated by the issue because I’ve noticed that although the generations are becoming more and more color blind, this “awareness” seems to be inevitable.

Do you have different taste in kids’ books as an adult writer than as a kid?

Actually, no. You would think my taste would have matured. It hasn’t.

What I’ve found is that when reading adult literature I’m drawn to horror, mystery, true-crime and suspense novels. However, when reading YA I’m attracted to light-hearted, soap operaish, wish-fulfillment dramedy. It’s what I liked as a tween and it’s what I write as an author. Without doubt I write the type of books I would have liked reading as a young person.

I think it’s because my adult fiction tastes lean to the dark side that my YA tastes are 100% opposite. Ironically, I’ve never been into very serious, dark YA books…even before I started reading up.

Who would play your book character in a movie?

I have no idea. Most of the young black actresses out there now are older than my MC. So it would have to be a fresh face who is actually a pro. It would be cool to see some new actress make a name for herself playing Mina Mooney.

Do you have a favorite bookstore?

I really don’t. I love being in any bookstore, especially the type with benches and seats scattered around the store inviting you to sit and have a read.

When I was a kid, my cousin and I would often visit a bookstore in the Rotunda off Security Blvd. We’d sit in the aisles and read and read until her mom, who worked in the building, came and got us. How wonderful that no one ever chased us out, considering we rarely bought anything.