Welcome, Justina Chen Headley!

Welcome to Day Six of the Super Blog Blast Tour. Today, I'm happy to welcome Justina Chen Headley, author of one of my most beloved YA titles, Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies). Justina is also one of the Readergirlz divas, a group of fabulous YA authors who are reaching out to readers with Readergirlz groups, manifestas, and monthly challenges.

Kelly: Recently, Justina, I profiled you and the other Readergirlz for The Edge of the Forest. (Read here.) How is the Readergirlz project going so far?

Justina: My co-founders--the amazing YA novelists Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, and Lorie Ann Grover--and I have been amazed and overwhelmed by the reception readergirlz has been getting from teen girls, librarians, teachers and booksellers.

That means so much to me personally since I wanted to tie teen girl literacy with community service: make books a springboard to thinking more deeply about life and our role on this planet. Give girls a true service learning experience. Show girls to put actions behind their words. Our world needs teen girls to be the next wave of strong, compassionate leaders in whatever they choose to do.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Justina: Pinot noir, preferably from my brother's vineyard, Patton Valley!

Kelly: What's next for the Readergirlz?

Justina: To celebrate YALSA's annual Teen Read Week in October, we are launching a new readergirlz program: 31 Flavorite Authors. Every day in the month of October, a different, acclaimed YA author will chat live for an hour with teen readers on the readergirlz group forum--groups.myspace.com/readergirlz. Already, Meg Cabot, Carolyn Mackler, Lisa Yee, Brent Hartinger, and Rachel Cohn have enthusiastically agreed to participate.

For the readergirlz divas, this is a wonderful realization of our dream to make authors more accessible to readers.

Kelly: Beach, city, or forest?

Justina: Mountains! There, you can get alpine lakes, unbelievable views, and a workout all at the same time.

Kelly: You've published one young adult novel [Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies)] and a picture book, The Patch. Your second young adult novel, Girl Overboard, will be out this year. Which genre do you prefer--picture book or young adult? Do you write Middle Grade fiction as well?

Justina: While I love picture books--and my picture book publisher, Charlesbridge--I must confess that I LOVE writing for young adults. It must be because I still feel like a teen...right down to these aggravating pimples I've been getting lately. I'm channeling too much teen angst, apparently.

Kelly: Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte?

Justina: Oh, yay! Let me introduce you to the delight of the authentic green tea frappucino--not the way they serve it here in the US, but in Asia. Order it at Starbucks but (this is key, pay attention) with NO syrup and cream, and double the matcha. Ordered this way, this drink is worthy of The Edge of the Forest review space. Ordered the U.S. way, well, can you say, repugnant?

Kelly: Why did you decide to write children's books and not, say, mystery, chick lit, or "literary fiction"?

Justina: I write for teens because these novels explore the mysteries of life, have all the cheeky fun of chick lit, and every bit the merit of literary fiction. Enough said.

Kelly: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Justina: Ummm...curling up on the couch with my hubby and kiddos, watching a movie and eating kettle corn (with said glass of Patton Valley pinot in my hand--really, it's a mouth party).

Kelly: If you had an entire week and unlimited resources to do whatever you'd like, what would you do and why?

Justina: While we're fantasizing, can I tack on another two weeks so that I could trek properly in Nepal and Tibet? I so want to see those countries and meet the people and be on those mountains.

Kelly: Halloween, New Year's, or Valentine's Day?

Justina: None of the above. I'm sorry; I am such a high-maintenance interviewee, aren't I?

It's all about my kids' birthdays. Yes, I am one of those moms.

Truth: I spend months planning their birthday parties, not that they're lavish, expensive events. Not at all. But they are fun and memorable and unique, I hope. Like the BARF (BrainiAck Race Fantastique) Scavenger Hunt that included math problems the kids had to solve before advancing to the next location, a gross foods taste test, and a literary Jeopardy! competition. And then there was Viva la Diva where the kids rocked out. And my all-time piece de resistance--the Star Wars Jedi Training Academy. (Call me Obi Mom Kenobi.)

Kelly: I loved your Nothing But the Truth Scholarship Essay contest and the three winning essays. What inspired you to begin the contest and what have you learned from the experience?

Justina: Thanks--I loved the three winning essays, too!

My parents sacrificed so much to put four kids through college. College was expensive then and now, ridiculously so. I got through college on a combination of my parents' savings, scholarships and college loans. So in my small way, I wanted to help make college a tiny bit easier for a truly worthy student.

The best learning of all: there are so many wonderful, smart, thoughtful young adults in America. At the end of reading the hundreds and hundreds of submissions, I looked at my judges and told them: our world is in good hands.

BOOK QUESTIONS

Kelly: Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) was one of my favorite YA novels of 2006. (read review) Your protagonist, Patty Ho, is struggling to come to terms with her identity--she has a Taiwanese mother and a missing white father and is not quite sure where she belongs. In addition, Patty lives in a small town. Do you think small-town life adds to her struggle to find herself and her truth, or would Patty face the same issues if she lived, for example, in New York City?

Justina: I am so thrilled that my novel touched your heart, Kelly.

It's funny; one of the reviewers for my book has a hapa daughter who's growing up in NYC--and she told me that her daughter has no racial identity issues at all. So yes, I do think that being in a small-town defined Patty's experience. For one, she was always the Other. No one resembled her in her all-white town. No one knew that she felt perpetually scrutinized. And very few people understood what it was like to be the target of racism.

Kelly: Patty's Honors English teacher requires Patty to rewrite her truth statement (a practice run at a college essay, with a focus on "The Truth, and nothing but the Truth"), this time telling the whole truth about her life. I think this is an excellent high school assignment. Is it based on a real-life incident?

Justina: I was the kind of student who preferred to write papers than to study for tests. My husband thinks that's so weird, but what can I say? So I would have welcomed a Truth Statement, especially if meant no final exam!

I'm always so tickled by the number of teachers who've told me that they've been assigning the Truth Statement to their students. (While I would apologize to all those students, I hate to say this, but I'm thrilled! If I do say so myself, the essay topic is a great way to get to know who you are, what you stand for.)

Kelly: I adore The Mama Lecture Series. It begins with, "Greetings and welcome to The Mama Lecture Series, brought to you by the first-generation Mamas who left the Old Country for Brand-New America...While audience participation, such as talking back, is forbidden, tears of guilt and effusive apologies are more than welcome." Do you think Mama adds to Patty's struggles to find her truth?

Justina: I had such a great time writing The Mama Lecture Series--and love how everyone--regardless of race, age or gender--can identify with it. Come to think of it, I should have made an essay contest for the best Mama Lecture.

But in all seriousness, parental expectations and the fear of disappointing a parent colors the choices we make as children and young adults. And sometimes, even as adults! It's so hard, I think, separating from our parents. But that's part of growing up and that's part of Patty's journey--and every girl's journey.

Kelly: What can we look forward to next from Justina Chen Headley?

Justina: Well, I'll tell you this: you'll see me tying all of my books to some kind of philanthropy. That was the commitment I made with my first book contract. The way I see it, if I get 15 minutes of fame with each book release, I can share the stage with a worthy cause!

And in the immediate future, I'm super excited about my forthcoming novel, GIRL OVERBOARD, about a snowboard girl who seemingly has the golden touch. After all, her dad is a billionaire. So this is really an exploration of the dark side to uber-wealth.

I'm beyond excited that Burton Snowboards and Olympic Gold medallist in snowboarding, Hannah Teter, are partnering with me on a Challenge Grant for young adults. Details will come soon on my MySpace profile--and my website.

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Today's SBBT schedule:

Ysabeau Wilce at Shaken & Stirred

Dana Reinhardt at Bildungsroman
Julie Anne Peters at Finding Wonderland

Cecil Castellucci at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

Bennett Madison at Bookshelves of Doom
Holly Black at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Justine Larbalestier at Hip Writer Mama
Kirsten Miller at A Fuse #8 Production

Tim Tharp at Chasing Ray

======================

Check out HipWriterMama's SBBT interview with Justina!

SBBT: Justine Larbalestier

Good morning and a Happy Thursday to you all! This morning Justine Larbalestier stops by. Larbalestier is the author of the stunning and brilliant Magic or Madness trilogy (you can read my review of Magic or Madness, Magic Lessons, and Magic's Child here), a trio of books that wowed me. Justine has more in the works (check out the last question) and writes a smart, entertaining blog here.

There are spoilers in the Book Questions portion of this interview. I apologize for that, but I was still too engaged in the series when I wrote the interview questions.

Now onto the interview...

Kelly: Tell us a little bit about Justine Larbalestier. How do you spend your days? How do you pronounce your last name?

Justine: I spend my days avoiding doing work. So I'm online a lot. Or eating yummy food. Or planning my next meal.

There are three basic variations: Lar-bal-est-ee-er, Lar-bal-est-ee-ay, and Lar-bal-est-ee-air.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Justine: Wine. Definitely good wine.

Kelly: Who is your favorite writer?

Justine: Right this minute it's probably Dorothy Dunnett. But if you ask me again later it will be someone different. I'm pretty besotted by E. Lockhart's Dramarama and Coe Booth's Tyrell.

Kelly: Beach, city, or forest?

Justine: All of the above. Sydney is a city that's got tonnes of great beaches and many wonderful national forests in and around it. I get the best of all three just by living in my favourite city.

Kelly: What draws you to Young Adult literature in particular? What I mean is, why teen fiction and not, say, mystery, chick lit, or "literary fiction"?

Justine: Because when I write YA I can write any of those: mystery, chick lit, "lit fic" (whatever that is). I can write whatever genre I want and all my books will be shelved side by side in the YA section. It's very liberating.

Kelly: Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte?

Justine: None of the above. I hate coffee. And will only drink tea if I'm dying of thirst and there's no water around. I love water.

Kelly: You've written and edited scholarly works in addition to fiction. (I LOVED the Habermas/Foucault joke in Magic Lessons, by the way)* Do you plan to continue scholarly work on science fiction and fantasy?

Justine: No. Too much hard work. Writing fiction is way more fun. I'm glad you enjoyed the Habermas and Foucault jokes. They were aimed at making my parents giggle. (As are many of the things I write.) They're anthropologists. I grew up in a house whose shelves groaned under the weight of tomes by those two gentlemen and many others. As a kid I thought they had the funniest names in the world. Still do.

Kelly: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Justine: Hmmm. Depends on what's on offer. I'm hopeless at these types of choices. I'm all about both/and rather than either/or. I want it all!

Kelly: If you had an entire week and unlimited resources to do whatever you'd like, what would you do and why?

Justine: Other than reverse global warming and ending poverty and social inequality, you mean? You know, I think I'm already doing it. I've always wanted to make a living writing fiction and have my pyjamas be my work uniform. I've always wanted to travel and meet lots of cool people. I have the life I want. I'm unbelievably lucky.

Kelly: Halloween, New Year's, or Valentine's Day?

Justine: New Year's. But it's not really much of a choice for me because we don't really have Halloween or Valentine's Day in Australia. Or at least we didn't when I was growing up. Those days don't mean anything to me. Whereas New Year's means fireworks and the Sydney Harbour Bridge blowing up. Awesome!

BOOK QUESTIONS

Kelly: In your Magic or Madness trilogy, the costs of magic are high. Each use of magic causes pain and reduces lifespan. Do you see a real-life analogy to magic in your books? (Power, money, fame?)

Justine: What do you think? Seriously that question's more useful for readers to answer than the writer. Writers rarely have anything smart to say about their own books. We're way too close to them. I can tell you that I wasn't thinking of a real-life analogy when I wrote I was just telling a story set in a world where magic has bigtime consequences that are worse than a headache or feeling tired. (That's my one quibble with your question: there's no pain when using magic. That's part of its seductiveness. The dire consequences are long term not short. At least not until you're about to die.) I was, however, definitely thinking about the ethical choices my characters had to make. But then I believe everyone has to make ethical choices every single day of their lives. Getting out of bed is an ethical choice.

Kelly: (Spolier Alert!) As a reader, I most appreciated how completely complex some of your characters were, particularly Reason's grandmother, Esmeralda. To the end, the reader is not sure if Esmeralda is good or bad. In fact, at the very end, she's still a complex character, even though we finally see her love for Reason is true. Was it a struggle to maintain the complex nature of her character over the course of the trilogy?

Justine: Now, that I did on purpose. One of my pet peeves is the cardboard villain. All memorable villains are complex. They don't just do bad for the sake of doing bad. They have reasons. And often from their point of view what they're doing isn't bad at all. I wanted to write characters who were complex, who were neither entirely good nor entirely bad. I wanted to understand why they did what they did. Even Jason Blake, who's as close to a villain as the trilogy has, even he has reasons for his behaviour. I was hoping that some readers would feel some sympathy for him. (Didn't work for my dad. He was very disappointed that I didn't have Jason Blake die a hideous and prolonged death.)

Kelly: Magic, reason, and insanity coexist in your trilogy like a set of Booromean rings, each touching upon and sharing an element of the other. Magic shares some reason (Fibs, mathematics, shapes) and some insanity. When Sarafina tries to live in reason, she succumbs to insanity if not using magic. Why did you decide to set up your magical world in this particular way?

Justine: That's a fascinating reading of the trilogy. I hadn't thought of it like that. When I came up with the idea of magic shortening your life span so dramatically. My first thought was, "Well, why use it then?" Obviously there had to be some dire consequence that was not death. Insanity just made sense. And made the damned if you do/damned if you don't set up perfect.
It's really fascinating to me how different writing fiction is from analysing it. When I was a scholar and my job was the analysing of it, my eyes were wide open to all sorts of fascinating and complicated readings, but now that I write fiction story and character and verisimilitude are foremost in my mind as I write, not themes etc. I'm not sure why that's so. Writers are probably too close to ever really know what's going on in their works.

Kelly: (Spoiler Alert!) At the end of your Magic's Child (vol. 3), we learn two things: Tom does not give up his magic and Reason's child has the magic in her. So, I have two questions:

a. Am I wrong to think that Tom may be different? Of all the characters in the Magic or Madness Trilogy, he's the most inherently good and the most interested in the people around him. Does he have a shot of living beyond 30?

b. Will we be seeing more of Magic, Reason's child?

Justine: a. I wish I knew. I would love for Tom to have a long life (for a magic wielder). But who knows how desperate he'll get when he's facing death? It could get ugly. I don't think Esmeralda ever intended to take magic from anyone and yet she did. He's definitely going to be exposed to a lot of temptation.

b. I have no immediate plans to write more in that world. Right now I have no clue what happens to any of them after the final page of Magic's Child. But who knows? I might get a cool idea that I have to write.

Kelly: Speaking of Tom, I thought the dichotomy between Tom and Danny was very interesting. Both of them have a particular talent--Tom designs clothing and Danny plays basketball. Both are not only good at what they do, but exceptional. One has magic and the other doesn't. Are you saying that Tom might be every bit as good a designer without the magic?

Justine: I think he would still be good without the magic but he wouldn't be magical. Tom would see the difference but those without magic wouldn't.

Kelly: I have to admit that I found your portrayal of teenage sex and love compassionate, sensitive, and finely drawn. Has anyone objected to the minimal sexual content present in the Magic or Madness books?

Justine: Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. I thought long and hard about how to write the sex scene and Reason's pregnancy.

There's been one objection from a lovely Texas librarian. She wrote to me about it and I explained to her what I intended and why I had written the books the way I did. She put Magic Lessons back on the shelf. I've heard that a (very) few schools in Australia decided not to take the second and third books because of the teenage pregnancy. And I've seen comments online from people who are squicked by the idea of teenagers having sex and getting pregnant. I appreciate where they're coming from--I'm certainly not advocating teenage pregnancy! However, the vast majority of people have sex for the first time when they're still teenagers and usually when they're not married. Teenagers do get pregnant. And even those teenagers who don't have sex are thinking and wondering about it. I find teen books that don't touch on sex in some way to be fundamentally dishonest to the experience of being a teenager.

This is the great dilemma of writing for teenagers: the tension between writing to reflect teenage experience or writing to be instructive and good for teenagers. I want to write books that even while they're full of fantasy elements remain true to many teenagers' lives. I see the trilogy as a realist fantasy. At the same time, while I love the idea of my books getting people to think about the big ethical questions of responsibility and loyalty etc. I also hope they're entertaining. Story is foremost.

Kelly: What can we look forward to next from Justine Larbalestier?

Justine: My next book will be out in either September or October of 2008. It's called The Ultimate Fairy Book and will be published by Bloomsbury in North America. It's about a fourteen year old girl who has a parking fairy. She hates cars and can't drive but she has a parking fairy and is endlessly borrowed by relatives so that they can get the perfect parking spot. The novel is the story of her struggle to get rid of it. It's much lighter and funnier than the trilogy and was a great relief to write let me tell you. I can only stay in the darkness so long!

==============================

* Here's the Habermas/Foucault passage that had me on the floor:

"Tom's father taught sociology at Sydney Uni and had lots of books with tedious titles like Archaeology of the Meaning of the City or The Idea of the Theory of Knowledge, which were written by people with names like Habermas, who Tom privately thought of as Mighty Mouse, and Foucault, who Tom thought of as...well, something pretty rude." (Magic Lessons, 198)

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Today's SBBT schedule:

Eddie Campbell at Chasing Ray
Sara Zarr at Writing and Ruminating
Brent Hartinger at Interactive Reader
Cecil Castellucci at Shaken & Stirred
Ysabeau Wilce at Bildungsroman
Jordan Sonnenblick at Jen Robinson's Book Page
Chris Crutcher at Finding Wonderland
Kazu Kibuishi at lectitans
Mitali Perkins at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Laura Ruby at The YA YA YAs

Today's SBBT schedule

I have a break today from the Summer Blog Blast Tour. But authors and interviewers are talking up a storm all over the internet. Here's today's schedule:

Mitali Perkins at Hip Writer Mama
Svetlana Chmakova at Finding Wonderland
Dana Reinhardt at Interactive Reader
Laura Ruby at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Holly Black at Shaken & Stirred
Hilary McKay at Bookshelves of Doom
Kirsten Miller at Miss Erin
Julie Ann Peters at A Fuse #8 Production
Carolyn Mackler at The YA YA YAs
Jordan Sonnenblick at Writing and Ruminating

Enjoy!

Say hey to Sara Zarr!

Good morning! Today's SBBT's guest is Sara Zarr, whose first novel Story of a Girl was released this spring. (You can read my review here.) When she's not writing, you can find Sara at her blog-- The Story of a Girl

Kelly: Tell us a little bit about Sara Zarr. Where do you live? How do you spend your days?

Sara: I've lived in Salt Lake City ever since my husband moved here for work about seven years ago, and I have to say I love it. There are a lot of displaced Californians like me here who feel like we've discovered this amazing secret of the quality of life available in Utah. Others are catching on, though. I think right now two of the fastest-growing cities in country are in Utah. Right now I'm writing full-time and spend my days creatively avoiding work.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Sara: I'm really sort of addicted to water, but in the summer there's nothing like a great local microbrew with friends. It may surprise people to know that Salt Lake City has several outstanding microbreweries.

Kelly: Who is your favorite writer?

Sara: Oh, I can never name favorites. Of anything. Robert Cormier is the writer who made me want to write.

Kelly: Beach, city, or forest?

Sara: City!

Kelly: What draws you to Young Adult literature in particular? What I mean is, why Young Adult fiction and not, say, mystery, chick lit, or "literary fiction"?

Sara: I'm sure some of it has to do with the influence of Cormier, and M.E. Kerr, and the other great YA authors I've always admired, but really it's just that when I think of stories they usually involve teenagers. There's something about adolescence that is ripe for storytelling, I guess, and I love the straightforward, concise sort of storytelling that seems to be one of the hallmarks of YA.

Kelly: Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte?

Sara: Why thank you for offering! Coffee with real half and half, no sweetener.

Kelly: Story of a Girl is your first novel. How long did it take you to write? And I mean from the very beginning--from the spark in your eye to the lovely product I just received?

Sara: I started writing the first draft in 2001, I think, so...six years? That's a bit deceptive, though, as there were huge chunks of time in there spent waiting to hear back from potential agents and editors and contests. I'd say about half that time was waiting.

Kelly: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Sara: Movie. Unless the concert is a rock concert in a small venue starring a band or songwriter I love.

Kelly: If you had an entire week and unlimited resources to do whatever you'd like, what would you do and why?

Sara: I'd tour Europe. I've never been off the North American continent!

Kelly: Halloween, New Year's, or Valentine's Day?

Sara: New Year's. I love fresh starts.

BOOK QUESTIONS

Kelly: Story of a Girl really resonated with me, in part because Pacifica reminded me so much of the town I grew up in. You really nailed that California small town down on its luck. Did you grow up in a small town as well?

Sara: I actually lived in San Francisco, a few blocks from Golden Gate Park, until age eleven when we moved to Pacifica. So I have direct experience! Even though Deanna's particular story is not autobiographical, her high school was my high school, her landscape was my landscape, her sense of being trapped in that town was mine (and every teen's who lived in Pacifica without a car). Originally I was going to have it be a fictional town like Pacifica, but then I decided why try to disguise it? I can sort of appreciate it now when I go back to visit as an adult, but it is what it is. I've had a lot of strong response to the setting.

Kelly: Story of a Girl concerns, in many ways, forgiveness and redemption. It seems to me, that Deanna has to forgive others before she can let herself off the hook. Was this theme of forgiveness and redemption one you brought into the book consciously, or did it develop organically as you were writing?

Sara: A little of both, I'm sure. The forgiveness and redemption aspects seem to be part of my writer's DNA---they keep coming up in everything I do; I don't know if I could stop them if I tried. But you can't really go into a book sure of what you want to say. If you do, you close yourself off to other possibilities and perhaps become blind to the other important tasks of writing a good book.

Kelly: In the process of figuring things out and forgiving others around her (Tommy, her father), Deanna makes a few mistakes along the way: kissing her best friend and saying hateful things to her best girlfriend. What are you saying about the nature of friendships and growing up in Story of a Girl?

Sara: I guess that it's hard. People let us down, we let them down. You can't go through a meaningful life and have real connections without occasionally inflicting pain on yourself and others. I think the temptation for most of us when we do that is to walk away and start over with someone else in hopes that we won't mess it up this time. But you can't walk away from yourself, which is something Deanna figures out. The real triumph of her friendship with Lee and Jason is in that last moment of the book, when they are going toward each other instead of away.

Kelly: I absolutely adore the title of your novel and think it fits the book perfectly. Was Story of a Girl the title from the very beginning or did you come to it later on?

Sara: Thank you! Coming up with a title can be one of the hardest parts of writing a book or story. When I started the book, it was called The Miracle of Life. Then it was Together Alone. There was that line on the first page where Deanna has that line,...in my head I wrote the story of a girl… and I went with that. For a long time it was THE Story of a Girl, but the "the" got dropped in the cover design process and I never looked back!

Kelly: What can we look forward to next from Sara Zarr? My second book with Little, Brown is about to go into production. It's called Sweethearts, and it's about childhood sweethearts who experience something traumatic together as kids, are separated for years, and then find each other again during their senior year of high school. Drama ensues. By the way, I've decided that's what I want on my headstone: "Drama ensued."

Thanks, Sara!

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Today's SBBT schedule:

Sonya Hartnett at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
David Brin at Chasing Ray
Laura Ruby at Miss Erin
Bennett Madison at Shaken & Stirred
Shaun Tan at A Fuse #8 Production:
Chris Crutcher at Bookshelves of Doom
Holly Black at The YA YA YAs
Kazu Kibuishi at Finding Wonderland
Christopher Golden at Bildungsroman
Kirsten Miller at Jen Robinson's Book Page

SBBT:Welcome, Mitali!

A bright Good Morning to Mitali Perkins!

Mitali is the author of many a great book including Rickshaw Girl and First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover. Recently, I interviewed Sameera Righton, the teen hero of First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, right here. Now it's Mitali's turn...

Kelly: Tell us a little bit about Mitali Perkins. Where do you live? How do you spend your days?

Mitali: Reading kid lit blogs. :) No, seriously, I'm still a mommy, even though our boys are (yow!) teenagers, so I drive around Newton, Massachusetts (our town), fold a bottomless pile of t-shirts and cargo pants, keep Trader Joe's in business, and chat and chill with my boys and their friends --when I'm wanted, that is. Mostly I'm on mommy-hold these days, waiting for an invite. I'm also a daughter who lives on the wrong coast, so I Jet Blue to California several weekends a year to stock up on home loving and cooking. Last but not least, I'm a minister's wife (double-yow!) so I co-lead a Bible Study and cheer on the hubby. In my spare time, I play tennis, tend the Labradors, and frequent Thai restaurants to gorge on cheapo extra-spicy lunch specials with various buddies. Oh, and professionally, I'm a writer, blogger, speaker, and reader.

Kelly: Beer, wine, or a soft drink?

Mitali: I'm a one Diet Coke a day kind of girl; I sip it slowly until it's flat and warm.

Kelly: Who is your favorite writer?

Mitali: I favor dead children's book writers--literary mothers like L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Johanna Spyri, Maud Hart Lovelace, and others. When it comes to the living, I had lunch with Katherine Paterson recently, which was a dream come true. But in all the genres, children's fiction included, I tend to read broadly and widely; my skeptical soul likes to roam and listen to many storytellers instead of sitting at the feet of just one or two.

Kelly: Beach, city, or forest?

Mitali: As an oft-displaced daughter of a harbor engineer, if I have any sense of place at all, it's the ocean. Instant cure for writer's block: a barefoot, solitary walk along the California coast at twilight.

Kelly: What draws you to children's literature in particular? What I mean is, why children's fiction and not, say, mystery, chick lit, or "literary fiction"?

Mitali: One of life's greatest joys is to create spaces where children feel safe, welcome, and beloved. Stories are one such space. For a comprehensive list of eight reasons to write for children, though, check out my blog series called Why I Write For Kids:

Kelly: Coffee, tea, or a triple skinny latte?

Mitali: Latte in a handmade ceramic cup served by an artistic barista. I'm a Berkeley girl like you, remember? My husband's lattes are fabulous on a wintry afternoon by the fire.

Kelly: First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover is the first in a series about Sameera Righton, a teen who becomes first daughter. How many books will be in the series?

Mitali: The next one is First Daughter: White House Rules, and is due out in Spring 2008.

Kelly: Movie, Theater, or a Concert?

Mitali: I like watching movies in my jammies with a snoring puppy on my feet.

Kelly: If you had an entire week and unlimited resources to do whatever you'd like, what would you do and why?

Mitali: That's easy. I'd give every village girl in Bangladesh the same opportunity I gave Naima, my fictional character in Rickshaw Girl (Charlesbridge, 2007), to escape poverty.
If you want a more frivolous answer, I'd take my Dad to Wimbledon to watch the finals at centre court, lavish him and my Mom with five-star hotel splendour, and linger over Darjeeling tea, scones, and clotted cream.

Kelly: Halloween, New Year's, or Valentine's Day?

Mitali: No contest. After twenty-one years of marriage, my husband still puts in the effort to make V-Day a big romantic event and sweeps me off my feet every February 14th.

BOOK QUESTIONS

Kelly: Blogs and social networking software play a big role in First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover--structurally and thematically. What implications do you see for Sameera (and for teens today) in that journals have become public--either to just 29 friends or to the world at large?

Mitali: Persistent blogging, on-line journaling, and/or commenting can build community and give young writers venues to play with words and improve their craft. But as always (take the printing press, for example), the potential for good or evil depends more on the character and intentions of the people using new tools than on the tools themselves.

Kelly: When you were writing First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, I imagine it was difficult to choose a party for Sameera's father. Why did you decide to make him a Republican candidate?

Mitali: So much of the money and power in the American storytelling industry is concentrated along the coasts. Is that why it's rare to find a teen book featuring Republican characters? I don't know, Kelly, but I like to remove labels and shatter stereotypes, so making Righton a "crunchy-nouveau-conservative" (and if you ask what that means, I'll make something up) seemed right, especially in a novel about politics penned by a "multicultural" Massachusetts writer published by a New York house.

Kelly: One of the most touching and compelling moments in First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover is when Sameera's smalltown cousin, Miranda, glams it up for the cameras in tight clothing, makeup, and with an affected Smalltown accent. How will she do when she moves to Washington to live with the Rightons for an extended period of time?

Mitali: Yes, indeedy, that's what a lot of book two's about; you'll get no spoilers from me, my dear. Ms. Rowling would be appalled if I told you what happens next.

Kelly: You are writing a blog from Sameera/Sparrow's point of view--Sparrowblog--and are active on MySpace as Sparrow. How are teens responding so far? Are you ready for what will happen when the book is released?

Mitali: Sparrow's site stats show a steady increase of visitors from week to week, but I wish I knew if they were teens, and certainly hope she starts getting more comments. On pub date, I'm giving away free books to the five libraries who've sent the most visitors to Sparrowblog via hyperlink. What's going to happen when the book's released? I have no idea, but I'm excited to introduce Sparrow to readers and vice a versa!

Kelly: What can we look forward to next from Mitali Perkins?

Mitali: I'll be blogging sporadically from odd places during the months of July and August as I travel across America and back with my family in a rented 29' RV. The labs are coming along; the ferrets can't as they're illegal in California.

Professionally, Sparrow's sequel, First Daughter: White House Rules, releases in the spring of 2008 (Dutton) and a more literary YA novel will be published by Delacorte / Random House in the fall of 2008, tentatively titled The Secret Keeper. A major revision is due to Francoise Bui (editor of Monsoon Summer) on Labor Day. In 2009, Charlesbridge will publish The Bamboo People, the story of a Burmese boy soldier and the Karenni refugee he meets in the jungle. It's my first novel to feature a male protagonist (two, actually), and I'm going to be working again with editor Judy O'Malley. Whew. It's good to be working, that's for sure--if only the stress of deadlines sent me gym-wards instead of fridge-wards.

Thanks for a fun interview, Kelly!
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Today's SBBT schedule:

Tom & Dorothy Hoobler at Chasing Ray
Sara Zarr at Interactive Reader
Justina Chen Headley at Hip Writer Mama
Justine Larbalestier at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Dana Reinhardt at lectitans
Brent Hartinger at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast:
Laura Ruby at Writing and Ruminating
Jordan Sonnenblick by Bildungsroman
Ysabeau Wilce at Finding Wonderland

SBBT is here!

The Summer Blog Blast Tour has begun, with the first interview appearing on its own today. Check out today's interview with Gene Yang at Finding Wonderland.

You can find the entire schedule here at Chasing Ray. I have the pleasure of hosting Mitali Perkins here tomorrow!

SBBT is nigh!

The Summer Blog Blast Tour is almost upon us. A million and a half thank yous go to Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray who heroically organized this massive, multi-author, multi-blog tour.

I have four talented authors visiting this site during the next week. They are:

Monday, June 18: Mitali Perkins
Tuesday, June 19: Sara Zarr
Thursday, June 21: Justine Larbalestier
Friday, June 22: Justina Chen Headley