"FEATURING Kate I. Foley" - an Interview from Sasha at "Midnight Book Girl"

Sasha from "Midnight Book Girl" was kind enough to review my poetry collection, Instructions For Flight, on her Bookstagram a couple months ago.

Look how gorgeous this is!

Now she's just published an interview she did with me, and if you're curious to hear more about the projects I'm working on, what fictional characters I relate to, and some of the obstacles I encountered in writing/publishing Instructions For Flight, you should definitely check it out!

What projects are you working on right now? Leave a comment!

"No, Mum, I'm Not a Millennial" (an interview with Lara Liz about her move to a new blog)

I know I said I was taking a blogging hiatus in November, but this post was scheduled aaages ago, so really it's like I stepped into a time machine to bring you this extra special blog post. You're reading words written by Kate-from-the-past!

It's been over two years since I last interviewed Lara Liz on my blog, but it seems like yesterday! Lara is a smart, witty, thoughtful, warm, and welcoming blogger and friend. It's always a blast getting to feature her here on "The Magic Violinist" and I hope you'll check out her own blog, too! You may recognize Lara from "Another Teen Reader," where she wrote about books, blogging, and everything in between. Today we're talking about a variety of topics, including her move to a new blog, which is titled "No, Mum, I'm Not a Millennial." Enjoy!

Lara Liz is a teenage blogger, writer and procrastinator who is passionate about education, fascinated by her generational identity, and proudly disabled. She’s a recovering book blogger who tweets @otherteenreader, blogs at the soon-to-be-launched No, Mum, I’m Not A Millennial … and yes. She was named after Lara Croft.

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1. Welcome back to the blog, Lara! Changing things up in regards to our online presence is something with which I think all of us bloggers can identify. What prompted the move from one blog to another?

It was kind of bittersweet realisation for me, actually. I'd just finished exams (insert Kate rolling her eyes because I've gone on about these exams approximately ten billion times) and I was starting to realise that, despite the fact I now had the time to read, I didn't really want to. After a few existential crises, I started to realise it was partly because I felt pressure to create some kind of post out of everything I read, and because I'd been posting so little as exams got serious, I wasn't really in the habit of doing that anymore.

I'd been wanting to branch out into other topics and a more typically journalistic style for a while, and I realised that if I wanted to keep loving reading in the way I had since I was a kid, I needed to take that leap. No, Mum, I'm Not A Millennial was a new, shiny thing that I was excited about, and frankly I hadn't been excited about blogging in that way for a really long time.

Also, I got to make a new blog design. I mean, what's not to love?

2. It should be noted that I was not, in fact, rolling my eyes at the mention of exams, but I did giggle at that parenthetical. ;) What theme will your posts focus on?

I'm rather pretentiously calling No, Mum "an account of Generation Z life", so I'll mostly be focusing on the things that I hope everyone in my generation can relate to: school, trying to understand how exactly we're supposed to grow up in a digital age, and the desire to make the world a better place. Posts about blogging were also really popular on Another Teen Reader, so I'll be writing a lot of those too.

3. What are you most excited about with your blog?

Reaching a new audience! As much as I adore the book bloggersphere and everything it's done for me, it does have a tendency to be quite insular: you don't interact with many people who don't write a blog themselves. I'm hoping that because No, Mum deals with topics everyone can relate to - even adults were teenagers at one point or another - I'll get to meet an even larger group of people.

4. Who are some of your favorite bloggers right now?

I'll be honest, Kate, I'm having to work quite hard not to insert a British "u" into the word favourite in the question right now. Hopefully you won't object to me using one or two of them in my answer.

[Ha! No objections here.]

One of the best (and scariest) things I've discovered while developing No, Mum is that I need to find a whole new circle of blogs to read: one that doesn't just deal in books and reading. I mean, Paper Fury and Pages Unbound will always be in my Bloglovin' feed, but lately I've also been loving the work of the team behind Eco Warrior Princess, which is a blog focusing on environmental activism and truly sustainable living. Their pieces are really erudite but still easy to read and identify with - I think the phrase "peak late-stage capitalism" was used in the last post I read, which pretty much says it all. I aspire to create a similar tone at No, Mum, I'm Not A Millennial.

And of course, I'm a religious Magic Violinist reader, but that goes without saying. :-)

[*insert blushing/smiling emoji here*]

5. I know diversity is an important issue to you, so do you have any books, blogs, or other forms of media you can recommend that are written by diverse authors?

I'm probably going to go on a bit of a rant about books in a few questions' time, so I'm going to introduce you to something a bit artistically ... different. She's not a writer as far as I know, but Ali Stroker is always the first person that comes to mind when I think about the fight that many minority groups - especially people with disabilities - have to go through to be seen on an artistic level.

Here she is performing on the Glee Project in 2012:

Ali was the first person to perform on Broadway in a wheelchair. Ever. And at the time I'm writing this, I'm pretty sure no-one in a wheelchair has ever performed on the West End. Disability representation has a long way to go across the arts, from blogging to writing to speed sculpture, but I think musical theatre is one of the most stark illustrations of just how undiverse the world can be sometimes.

6. The title of your blog is so catchy and fascinating! How did you come up with it and what does it mean to you?

Actually, it started while I was sat on a gym mat trying to avoid doing anything in P.E. I was talking to my friend Briony about the potential of our generation (or whether we are actually doomed) and she kept saying "Gen Z".

Gen Z? What the heck is that?

Well, I asked, and was astounded to learn that, contrary to what my family and the internet had always told me, I was not one of those darn millennials. And here's the really cool thing: if you were born after about 1995, neither are you.

It really shook me because I started to understand why I'd never quite identified with the humour and experiences of my generation - the generation I was trying to identify with wasn't actually mine to begin with. What made me laugh, though, was the prospect of trying to explain this minor epiphany to the people around me. Briony just about got it, but my Mum?

And so a blog name was born.

7. Your bio mentions that you're passionate about education. Can you expand on that? What specifically interests you?

A few years ago, I read Malala Yousafzai's autobiography, and it hit me really, really hard. I'd always loved school: I was that nerdy kid who was constantly buried in a book, and up until the age of about eleven, people actually called me Larapedia. I knew I was lucky to like school, and to be good at it, but it had never occurred to me that I was lucky to be there. It had never occurred to me that, because I was white and living in a first world country with a reasonable education system with reasonably well-off parents, I had more opportunities than most people do.

And sure, there's inequality everywhere in the world, and most of it needs tackling, but education inequality is one of the most unfair things to me because schooling is the basis of all of our lives. If a person doesn't get a fair education when they're young, they have less of a chance of getting a good job, of earning money, and sending their children somewhere they can be well educated. Then those children have less of a chance ... and I think you know what I'm getting at.

Education is the best weapon humanity has to break the cycle of inequality. When we educate girls in countries with poor gender rights histories, they have the tools to fight for a seat at the table. When we properly educate and inspire low-income teens in the inner city, they have a way out from the gang violence that threatens their lives. When we invest in the necessary tools to educate disabled children at the same level as their peers, we create a generation that is able to campaign for better access in the whole of society.

That's why I'm passionate about education.

8. And on that passionate note, let's do some top threes! What are your top three favorite books?

Oh, Kate, you know this is hard. I have so many books that I love and would like to shove in the hands of as many people as possible. But I guess there's not much point me telling you how amazing the Harry Potter series is, so here are three books that I love to pieces and you might not have heard of.

1) The First Third by Will Kostakis, which is almost everything I've ever personally wanted in disability representation from the whole of young adult literature. One of its main characters has the same disability as me, and the way it is described in the first few pages of the novel resonated with me on such a personal level that I cried. It's also hilarious, massively Australian, and packed full of amazing descriptions of food, so what's not to love?

2) Waking In Time by Angie Stanton is amazing for three reasons. Firstly, it has one of the best first lines I've read in a really long time, secondly the time travel is amazing (I mean, university in the 50s? Sign me the hell up.) and thirdly ... the love interest is really cute. Don't shame me for that.

3) The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson will always have a special place in my heart because I quite literally found it by pulling random books off the library shelves until I found something that looked morbid enough. And boy, does this deliver. It's not overly gory, so I don't have any qualms about recommending it to people I don't know, but it is a ghostly Jack the Ripper, so exercise caution if you must. What makes it great for me, though, isn't the mystery or the fear factor. It's the characters and the setting, which meld together to create an amazing London-infused cocktail that kept me glued to the page.

Oops. That was a long answer. Sorry, Kate.

9. Top three favorite musical theatre soundtracks?

Right this moment? Honestly, I'm a very basic musical theatre fan, so these won't come as any surprise.

1) Hamilton: An American Musical, words and music by Lin-Manuel Miranda (yes, I can rap the entire thing)

2) Dear Evan Hansen, words and music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (yes, I flew across the Atlantic to see this last year, and yes, I sobbed through it)

3) Everybody's Talking About Jamie, words by Tom MacRae and music by Dan Gillespie Sells (this is the one you might not have heard of, so I'm going to call it a cross between Bad Education and RuPaul's drag race)

[You would be correct in that I haven't ever heard of that musical, but know that I'm pulling it up on Spotify as we speak!]

10. Top three foods?

1) Sushi (especially when delivered to me via conveyor belt) [Agreed.]
2) Chocolate fondant
3) Any sort of ice cream with cookies or brownie pieces in it
*drools*

Thank you so much again for visiting the blog, Lara! I encourage all of you lovely, loyal readers to check out "No, Mum, I'm Not a Millennial" and drop a comment to Lara. She's a writer you won't want to miss.

And in this comment section, let me know some of your top threes! Books, musical theatre soundtracks, foods, movies, bloggers, you name it.

A Chat About Blogging, Books, and Controversial Topics with Lara Liz

You might have seen the interview the amazing Lara Liz did with me on her blog, "Another Teen Reader" about my novel 'Til the Last Star Dies. To return the favor, Lara's hopping over onto my blog today to talk about blogging, books, and controversial topics.

Lara Liz is a teen reader and blogger from "Another Teen Reader." She writes with an addictive voice, sense of humor, and wit that keeps you clicking on yet another suggested bookish post or review. During the past couple of years, Lara has been a wonderful friend to me and a fantastic addition to the blogging community. Go check out her blog immediately. You won’t regret it.

On with the interview!

1. How did you first get into blogging?

Well this is an interesting one actually because it kind of involves you. It was the Easter holidays from school, so I sat at home trying to avoid doing this essay I've been set to doing over the week, and I'm on Go Teen Writers, which is one of my favorite blogs. They had this list of blogs you could read, and your blog was one of the ones on there, so I clicked on it and had a look. I realized that you were kind of my age, a bit older, and I remembered people saying that when authors do end up getting published, having an online following is really important. So I kind of thought, why don't I start one? Because, you know, I needed to avoid the essay, and if I said to my mum, "I started a blog," I assumed that that would be a good excuse. So that's basically how I started blogging.

2. What’s your favorite part about blogging?

Hmm, tricky. I think the community, probably. I mean, everything about blogging is great, but, the people you get to meet--you get friends from Australia and America. America isn't exotic to you, but it is to me! It's just incredible. People you never meet end up being so nice to you--it's kind of amazing. People are so supportive and I think that's one of the things I really love about it.

3.    What’s the hardest part?

There are lots of hard things about blogging. It takes a lot of commitment. One of my favorite things to say is anyone can start a blog. You don't have to be committed, I mean--when I started blogging, I think I blogged about once a month. I just did it when I had time for fun, but then slowly I decided I wanted to meet more people, and that means getting more followers, and that means being more committed with it. I think it does take up a lot of time, and while you can manage that, you do have to take advantage of the time you have. Especially if you go to school, or you're homeschooling, or whatever, if you have other work to do--it's really tricky, so you have to make sure you plan ahead. I'm up for a good planning ahead in general.

4. What advice do you have for newbie bloggers who are nervous to get started?

Well the first thing is that you don't need to be nervous to get started. I mean, I know it might seem at first that you're not doing very well or no one's reading, but--it comes over time. I think you basically just need to start enjoying it for yourself, and then slowly you'll get friends who enjoy doing it with you, and you'll feel that it's a part of you that you can't get back, that you can't give up. Do you know what I mean? I read this statistic online during my early blogging days, I can't remember if it was 90 or 120 days, but there was a statistic that 90% of blogs on the internet are abandoned before they get to 120 days, and I just didn't want to be part of that statistic. I just thought to myself, "I'm going to make it past that 120 days," and I did, and, well, that's what got me started, I think. You just have to keep going at the beginning and it'll get better. You just have to trust that it'll be okay.

5. Have you ever had to deal with internet trolls? If so, how do you handle them?

I was wondering if you were going to ask me this question, actually, because I blog about controversial topics sometimes. I've done blogs on disability, I've done blogs on feminism, I've done blogs on mental health. And especially when I published the one on feminism, I was really worried that I was going to get trolls, and I wrote this massive thing at the end of the post saying, "Please be nice in the comments," and I didn't get any comments, and I was kind of like, "Oh, okay. That's how it works." I think the only "troll" I think I've ever had was on Twitter--they tend to live on Twitter--I wrote a tweet for the #IAmaFeminist hashtag. It said, "#IAmaFeminist, because if I wasn't, I'd be a sexist," because that's what I believe, I believe it's basically a binary thing. And yeah, you don't have to call yourself a feminist, but if you're not sexist, that's what I believe you are, because you believe in equality for all genders. And this guy tweeted me, basically saying, "the word FEMinism is sexist, because it doesn't mention men." Okay. So I look at his account, and it's completely anonymous, it seems to have been made up for the sole purpose of trolling people like me. I really wanted to reply to this guy, because I wanted to say, "I don't think it is sexist," but it's not something you can very easily do in under 140 characters. That was actually why I wrote my blog post, I think it's called, "Why I Call Equality Between Genders Feminism," because I basically wanted to give this guy the link and say, "This is why." So that was my only real trolling incident I've ever handled.

6. What websites or tools have been the biggest help to you with blogging?

There's this really good one actually that not many people have found, it's called "portent.com," and I think they're basically a blog about blogging. I don't really read their blog, I just Googled "content generator." And it comes up with this, and you put in your keywords, like "books" or "authors" and it comes up with hilarious titles. I think my favorite was, "Homer Simpson's Guide to Reading." That's a hilarious title, and it got me thinking. I never actually wrote that post because it turns out I know nothing about the Simpsons, but that's helped me to get the ball rolling, and really it's just a lot of fun.

7. Lots of bloggers are also huge readers (like me). What are the top three books you’ve read in the past year?

Oh, gosh. The first would probably be--I've recently reread Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star. It's about an American girl called Rory who ends up going to London for school. The whole thing is just hilarious, watching her interact with British culture, but it's mostly about a Jack the Ripper spree that goes on. Someone tries to emulate Jack the Ripper, and there are ghosts, and it's generally just a really good book, so that'd be one of them. Erm--you're making me decide, this is hard! I also like Maresi. I read it because everyone was saying it's this amazing feminist read. It's about an island where only females are allowed and it's a sanctuary from the rest of the world. But it was translated from Finnish, so some of the prose is a bit telling rather than showing? Which I only noticed because I spend so much time trying not to tell rather than show as a writer! But that was a really cool book, as well.

8. Is there anything you wish you could see more of in the blogs you read? Whether it be post topics, the style of blogging, or anything else?

Ooh, I was thinking about this the other day. Ely from "Tea and Titles," I got talking to her because she is really into disability blogging, as well. She has Type 1 Diabetes and a limp from a club foot when she was young, and she wrote this post about basically what her disability was. I was thinking that I'd actually love to see more of that in the blogging community. And sure, disability blogs are great, but the people that aren't in the disability community don't always see it, so that's why I like when it crosses over with books--because Ely is a book blogger--and other kinds of blogs because other people get to see it, too.

I think it helps to explain something unfamiliar to people in a familiar format, if that makes sense.

Exactly!

9. Gifs or no gifs?

First of all it is gif [with the hard "g" sound as in "goat"--I'd been saying it the opposite way]--we're not going to have a fight over this. [Laughing.] I love gifs. I think they're amazing, because I struggle a lot with finding copyright images. I know some people don't mind the copyright thing, but I just heard this horror story with someone who had to pay so much money to this photographer, and I just didn't want to get involved, so about three months ago I replaced all of the photos on my blog and it took--considering I had nine months of archives at this point, it took a month to do? It was pretty hard work, but I was really glad I did it. And gifs are great, because they're made from films and TV shows, so they're made for you to share. So no one really seems to mind if you use them, which I think is great.

10. Where does most of your inspiration come from for your blog?

Some of it seems to arrive when I'm on the toilet, which is really weird. But if I'm looking for inspiration, I'll often look at other people's blog posts. That's a big inspiration for me. I'll see someone do something and I'll go, "Ooh, maybe I can twist that, maybe I can change that somehow," and that's usually how I do it. But, if you're going to take an idea and remix an idea from someone else, unless it's wildly different, it's usually a good idea to tweet them first just checking if it's okay. Because plagiarism, you know, isn't great.

11. Do you ever find yourself holding back from posting something because it's controversial?

Sometimes. I get very nervous about posts. The one post I remember getting completely worked up about was a post called, "The One Word I Hate Reading." It was the first post I'd ever written about being disabled, I'd never mentioned that I was disabled before that post. And it's about how much I hate the word "spaz." It's basically about how much it doesn't have to be directed at you, it can be everywhere. It was really personal to me and I hadn't really posted much non-book content on the blog before--I mean, now I do it all the time--but I wasn't sure how people were going to react to it. That was before I had loads of blogging friends, so I shared it on Facebook, and my real life friends were so supportive. I think if you're ever nervous about posting, don't be, because as long as it represents how you feel and your opinion, then you can't go wrong, really.

12. Who are some of your favorite bloggers?

Well, you, first off. I like Cait from "Paper Fury," as well, I think a lot of people love her. [They do.] Ely, who I already mentioned. Julia from "The Tree of Books." You'll probably have seen her in the comments section of my posts. She's on every single post, she's amazing. I also really admire Amber from "The Mile Long Bookshelf." She basically just posts amazing stuff, and it's also really good to hear because she has anxiety, and I don't but I like to understand other people's situations, and she's really open about it, and I really admire that about her and her work.

13. What are some of the lessons you've learned throughout your blogging journey?

First of all, don't expect to be able to comment about a book the day it's supposed to go live. Secondly, if you feel like you need a break, take it. If you feel better posting on your blog and saying, "Hey, I'm just going to take a break for a week so I can rejuvenate," that's fine. But if you'd rather just go off the grid and not say anything, that's fine, too. No one will assume you've died. And number three, just be yourself. Blogging is fun, and it should be, and if it isn't, then you're not going to keep up with it, and that would make us all sad, so make sure you do whatever you can to make it fun.

I actually haven't been blogging for that long--maybe a year, slightly over?--and you've been blogging for like eight years, which is mad. I think a lot of people feel like they won't get there, that it's impossible to be as big or as professional as Cait from "Paper Fury" or you Kate, and I just feel like it is. You just start small, and you build up, and you see where it goes.

Thank you for being here, Lara! If anyone wants to have a chat with Lara, please visit her blog or talk to her on Twitter @otherteenreader.

Book Trailer + Interview

The wonderful Lara Liz over at "Another Teen Reader" interviewed me about writing, blogging, and my YA fantasy romance novel, 'Til the Last Star Dies. Go check it out, and I highly suggest following her blog!

In other 'Til the Last Star Dies news, my book trailer came out last week! You can watch the video below. :)



And don't forget, you have until November 1st to pre-order a copy. You can do so HERE.

Interview With YA Author A.S. King

I'm so excited about this! :D (Especially since I've read her book and met her several times. She's awesome!) Please welcome A.S. King, author of Reality Boy (as well as several other novels, one of them a Printz Honor book)! You can find Amy at her blog, "Here's Me Using the Word Blog In a Sentence."

 

1. What inspired you to write Reality Boy?

So many things, but I will limit myself to three main ideas that sparked the book, in order. 1. If one in three or four teenagers are dealing with trauma or abuse in real life, then does this same statistic carry over into our television shows--more specifically, reality TV shows where children are not trained actors, but participants due to their parents' decisions? And if we are entertained by children who are dealing with trauma, what does it say about us? 2. Why do we ignore and blow off the emotions of teenagers? Especially anger or sadness? 3. When people watch reality TV, are they aware that it is not real? And on a wider level, what can we believe anymore on TV?

2. What are your top three favorite novels?

This is a cruel question! But I will say Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut (or all Kurt Vonnegut for that matter), Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, and The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.

3. What is your favorite thing about writing?

I love everything about the actual writing. I write by the seat of my pants, so every day is exciting. Okay, sometimes in the middle of a novel it isn't so exciting, but most of the time, it's just so much fun writing a book. Even the revision is fun. Sometimes revision is the most fun because that's where certain themes really polish up and become solid parts of a book (like the ants in Everybody Sees the Ants.)

4. What is the hardest thing you've had to do in your writing?

I think the hardest thing I had to do was getting here. It took me 15 years to get published. By that time I'd written 8 novels. It was frustrating and soul-sucking sometimes. In my actual writing, I guess one of the hardest things I've done is rewrite the last third of Ask the Passengers twice.

5. What is the best piece of advice you could give to teen writers who want to get published?

Being a writer means you write as much as you can. It also means you read as much as you can. Avoid making any professional decisions out of desperation. It's hard to get into the business, but your real business as a writer is to write the best books you can, so what really matters is that you are always writing and reading. When you move into the business side of it, remember: If you're not getting rejected, then you're not working.

Buy Reality Boy on Amazon.
Buy Reality Boy on IndieBound.

Edit: Amy will be answering questions and comments! Leave one below, if you wish!

Friday the 13th Surprises

Happy Friday the 13th! :D Instead of the unluckiness today is supposed to bring, I got lucky and was able to interview Marissa Meyer!!!!! (Yes, the author of the incredible book Cinder)! Here it is:

1. What inspired you to write Cinder?

It started when I entered a writing contest a few years ago in which the host had listed about ten random prompts and writers had to choose two of them to include in their stories. My two prompts: set it in the future and include a fairy-tale character. My contest entry was a sci-fi version of Puss in Boots and I had so much fun writing it that I thought I would try to do an entire series of sci-fi fairy tales! (The ironic part of that story is that only two stories were submitted for the contest—and mine didn’t win!)

A couple months after that I was drifting off to sleep when the lightning bolt struck: Cinderella… as a cyborg! I crawled out of bed and spent about an hour brainstorming and jotting notes. Thus, The Lunar Chronicles was born.

2. Wow, that's an awesome story! I'd love to read a sci-fi version of Puss in Boots. What are your top three favorite novels?

Only 3?! Let's see...

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
3. Fire by Kristin Cashore

3. You have good taste. ;) What is your favorite thing about writing?

Getting to work in my pajamas! Oh, and seeing fanart of my characters - I LOVE that!!

4. Yes! Working in your pajamas has to be one of the best things about writing. What is the hardest thing you've had to do in your writing?

Every now and then you have to kill off a character that you really, really love. I don't know that it ever gets 'easy' to do it. One book that I'm working on that will follow the Lunar Chronicles has an incredibly heart-wrenching death scene in it. I cried like a wee child when I wrote it.

5. Killing your characters is a little bit like killing yourself. It's always so hard! What is the best piece of advice you could give to teen writers who want to get published?

Have fun with it!! There will be time to worry about agents and editors and book deals later, but when you're first getting started, the only thing you should be thinking about is writing the story that appeals to you and enjoying the process of imagining and creating. Writing is work, but it can also be a lot of fun.

Thank you so much, Marissa! :D

Proust's Questionnaire

What is Proust's Questionnaire? Well apparently it's a great list of questions to ask your characters! I'm joined today by two people. Give it up for Cosmo Moonshine and Celeste Smitherson!

Celeste: Why does Cosmo get introduced first?

Kate: Because she's the main character.

Celeste: In your opinion.

Kate: It's my opinion that counts. I'm the author.

Celeste: But--

Cosmo: Question number one please!

Kate: All right. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Cosmo: Freedom from worrying.

Celeste: A purple bunny.

Kate: Are you being serious?

Celeste: When am I ever serious? No, really my idea of perfect happiness is complete and total peace in the world.

Kate: What is your greatest fear?

Cosmo: That my mom and I are going to get evicted.

Celeste: Strange noises at night. I know, I know, it's stupid. But it really creeps the heck out of me!

Kate: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Cosmo: My low self-esteem.

Celeste: My inability to shut up.

Kate: What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Cosmo: Just plain meanness.

Celeste: Lack of empathy.

Kate: Which living person do you most admire?

Cosmo and Celeste (simultaneously): Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Kate: What is your greatest extravagance?

Cosmo: My computer, for sure. I'm surprised I'm even still allowed to keep it what with the situation we're in.

Celeste: My fancy artist's kit, complete with paints, stencils, paper, an easel, crayons, colored pencils, pastels, and more!

Kate: What is your current state of mind?

Cosmo: Relief.

Kate: Why is that?

Cosmo: Because Celeste is still my friend and Nana and Pop-Pop left after days of fighting with Mom.

Kate: And you, Celeste?

Celeste: Sadness.

Kate: Why is that?

Celeste: Because the bullies at school destroyed all of my best artwork.

Kate: What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Cosmo: Piousness.

Celeste: Faith.

Kate: I sense a theme here.

Cosmo: We're not religious.

Kate: Ah. That explains it. On what occasion do you lie?

Cosmo: To avoid the truth.

Kate: Ha ha. But specifically?

Cosmo: To protect someone. To be able to "explain" where you were when you were actually getting someone a Christmas present.

Kate: Celeste?

Celeste: Ditto.

Kate: What do you most dislike about your appearance?

Cosmo: My fingernails. I can't stop biting them.

Celeste: My toes.

Cosmo: Your toes?

Celeste: They're kind of crooked.

Cosmo: When do you have time to examine your toes between this ridiculous amount of homework?

Celeste: I have sleeping issues. I look at my toes when I'm trying to fall asleep.

Kate: Ahem. Which living person do you most despise?

Cosmo (through gritted teeth): Samantha Waters.

Celeste: Same here.

Kate: What is the quality you most like in a man?

Cosmo: Um . . . confidence I guess? I like guys who aren't afraid to like art or cooking, something that's considered "girly." The guys who aren't confident with themselves resort to being walking stereotypes so they're accepted by the "cool kids."

Celeste: Patience. I have a lot of quirks to get used to. You know that, Cosmo.

Cosmo: Oh, boy do I.

Kate: What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Cosmo: I like take-charge women, like Rosa Parks and Katniss Everdeen--and don't worry, I know she's not real. Someone who can do things by themselves. It'd get tiring to have to rely on someone all the time, wouldn't it?

Celeste: Agreed.

Kate: Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Cosmo: Fine. Mostly when agreeing to do some absurd thing that Celeste suggests.

Celeste: Hey!

Cosmo: It's the truth.

Celeste: ... Yeah, you're right.

Kate: And you, Celeste?

Celeste: You don't know . . . ? What a blog is? Who Neil deGrasse Tyson is? What "Thrift Shop" is? Why Samantha Waters is determined to ruin our lives?

Kate: What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Cosmo: Polaris, my mom, and Muffins, who, sadly, isn't alive anymore.

Celeste: My parents.

Kate: When and where were you happiest?

Cosmo: Pennsylvania, where I first went camping with my parents. They were both happily married--I think--and if they weren't I was clueless. It was the first time I really saw the night sky and at the time we were one not-so-big happy family.

Celeste: Spanish class, Classroom C, the desk next to Cosmo. That was when I met my first true friend. It was either that or the table in the corner of the cafeteria on January 3rd when "the incident" came to be.

Cosmo: Oh, that was pretty awesome, too.

Kate: For the sake of our readers, what is "the incident?"

(Cosmo and Celeste exchange grins).

Celeste: They'll have to wait and see.

Kate: Which talent would you most like to have?

Cosmo (sighing): The ability to fly.

Celeste: Which talent? As in singular? God, it's like "Sophie's Choice!" Um . . . the ability to make my nose hair grow at will.

Cosmo: Eww, what?!

Celeste: Yeah! Because then I could freak people out so much that they're just staring at me and I can make a quick getaway from any sticky situation before they realize what happened!

Cosmo: You really are something.

Kate: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Cosmo: To rid myself of this curse that is being unpopular. Then Samantha wouldn't torture me.

Celeste: Absolutely nothing. I like myself the way I am.

Kate: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Cosmo: Um . . . when I . . . er . . . I got nothing.

Celeste: Come on, there's gotta be something.

Cosmo: Maybe the time I got an A plus on the pop quiz in math. You know, 'cause I suck at math.

Celeste: Apparently straight B's means that you suck at math.

Cosmo: All right, what's your big achievement?

Celeste: That time in the cafeteria where I quoted Shakespeare, made a speech, and most of the people clapped. Or maybe that time at the dance I made a short speech before a song and people cheered. Large groups of people rarely like me.

Kate: If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Cosmo: A beloved stuffed animal, because I would receive unconditional love.

Celeste: A dog. Dogs always get spoiled and pampered.

Kate: Where would you most like to live?

Cosmo: Anywhere that isn't here.

Celeste: Paris, France. Food, people speaking French, and Cafe's? I'm there!

Kate: What is your most treasured possession?

Cosmo: Ugh, it's a tie between my my teddy bear, my computer, and my very worn copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Celeste: A button.

Kate: A button? What makes this button so special?

Celeste: My grandmother had this ginormous button collection. She had a shoebox overflowing with them, buttons of all shapes, sizes, and colors. She'd collect them from old coats and shirts, she'd buy some of them, she'd find some of them on the ground. Any time she'd find a button, she'd keep it. She said each button had a story, like every person had a story. And she knew the stories of some of her favorite buttons, the ones she'd put on display. One of her favorite buttons belonged to Paul McCartney. It popped off of his shirt during a concert right in front of her--she was in the front row--and she grabbed it. Well, she got diagnosed with breast cancer and the last day I saw her, she gave me the Paul McCartney button. I still have it--under lock and key, of course--and it reminds me of her.

Kate: Aww, that's so sweet!

(Cosmo punches Celeste on the arm).

Celeste: Ow! What was that for?

Cosmo: We played truth or dare, you picked truth, and I asked you if you owned anything that belonged to your parents or grandparents and you said no.

Celeste: Well, I never knew my blood relatives! I'm adopted, remember?

Cosmo: Then why didn't you tell me the button story?

Celeste: It must've slipped my mind.

Kate: Next question! What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Cosmo: Losing someone you love forever.

Celeste: The realization afterwards when you realize you'll never see them again.

Kate: What is your favorite occupation?

Cosmo: I can't be sure, since I've never worked, but I think an author.

Celeste: Dessert sampler. I do it all the time at home.

Kate: What is your most marked characteristic?

Cosmo: Um . . . I guess my nerdiness.

Celeste: I am so obviously quirky, you'd have to be blind and deaf not to realize it.

Kate: What do you most value in your friends?

Cosmo: Loyalty. I could have a hundred friends who come and go, but the only person I'd care about is the one who stays by me forever.

Celeste: I can't agree more.

Kate: Who are your favorite writers?

Cosmo and Celeste (simultaneously): L. Frank Baum.

Cosmo: Ooh, and J.K. Rowling. She's a recent discovery.

Celeste: Thanks to moi.

Kate: Who is your hero of fiction?

Cosmo: Hermione Granger. She's smart and witty, but she's generally not made fun of for it. She's one of the cool kids who gets to hang out with Harry Potter and take down evil. It's nice to know that those kinds of people can be considered cool instead of freakish.

Celeste: Luna Lovegood. She's my twin sister, minus the spaciness.

Cosmo: And the Crumple Horned Snorkaks.

Celeste: What?! You mean those don't exist?!

Kate: Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Cosmo: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Celeste: Ha! That's what I was going to say!

Kate: Who are your heroes in real life?

Cosmo: Again . . .

Celeste: Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Cosmo: Definitely. And my mom, for not giving up no matter how hard things got.

Celeste: Aw, that's sweet. My parents, too.

Cosmo: Copycat!

Celeste: My hero is you, Kate!

Kate: I am not letting you go first.

(Celeste sticks her tongue out at me).

Celeste: You're no fun.

Kate: What are your favorite names?

Cosmo: Besides my own? I like unique names that aren't too weird. Names that are used, but not often. Like Lena, Indie, or Mika.

Celeste: Cactus!

Kate: Excuse me?

Celeste: Cactus! That's my favorite name. I'm gonna try and convince my parents to let me get a middle name. If they say yes, that's what it's going to be.

Kate: Okay . . . Next question! What is it that you most dislike?

Cosmo: Mean people.

Celeste: Samantha Waters.

Cosmo: Giant spiders.

Celeste: Not being able to stay up late.

Cosmo: Having to live next door to a guy who makes pot.

Celeste: Getting up early.

Kate: What is your greatest regret?

Cosmo: That I went on a camping trip to Pennsylvania for school. I wasn't able to say goodbye to Muffins.

Celeste: That I didn't forgive Cosmo sooner.

Kate: How would you like to die?

Cosmo: Peacefully, in my bed, surrounded by the people I love, of old age.

Celeste: Me, too.

Kate: What is your motto?

Cosmo: "Keep your friends close."

Celeste: "Eat cheese."

Kate: Really?

Celeste: Sorry, that's my other motto. My main motto is, "Shrug it off."

Kate: That concludes our interview. Thanks for coming, you guys!

Cosmo: No problem!

Celeste: Eat cheese!

Would anyone else like to ask Cosmo or Celeste a question? Leave a comment! :D

Also, be sure to check out the interview with Em Garner below! :D She's giving away a signed copy of Contaminated!

Interview With Em Garner + Giveaway

Ladies and gentlemen! The time has come to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 74th annual Hunger Games!

I'm only joking.

Get ready for an awesome interview with Em Garner! :D

Check out the awesome purple hair!

Em Garner writes books.
She began writing at a very young age, always preferring the stories about what goes bump in the night. An avid reader of horror, science-fiction and fantasy, she first turned her hand to short stories about the sorts of things that hide under the bed…and she kept right on going.
Now Em spends most of her time in front of her computer, writing away at all the ideas she has swirling around in her head and hoping she can get them into a story before she forgets them.
She loves zombies, unicorns, and rainbows, the color purple and the smell of roses. She hates the smell of lilies, the feeling of corduroy and biting sandpaper. (Well. Who doesn’t?)
She lives at the beach with her family, where she spends a lot of time reading and sticking her feet in the sand. She is afraid of sharks, but that doesn’t stop her from going in the water.




1. Who or what inspired you to write?

I've always told stories, and I've been writing since elementary school. When I was in sixth grade, I figured out that people write books for a living! As a job! And I decided then that's what I wanted to be when I grew up.

2. What are your top three favorite novels?

Imajica, Clive Barker. Boy's Life, Robert McCammon. Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carey.

3. What is your favorite thing about writing?

Being able to tell stories and make stuff up. I love it!

4. Me, too! What inspired you to write Contaminated?

I was driving home from the beach and a line came to me "They keep them in cages. The unclaimed." I'd been tossing around an idea about contaminated protein water that made zombies, and I LOVE zombies, so it all fell into place. I wrote a few pages long hand and finished the rest of the book in a couple weeks.

5. A couple weeks! That's impressive! What is the hardest thing you've had to do in your writing?

Balance my time. I often work and work without taking a break, because it's so hard to finish anything.

6. What is the best piece of advice you could give to teen writers who want to get published?

Write. And write. And write some more. Read what you like. Write what you want to read. Learn how to spell and use proper grammar, but also discover your voice -- that's what will set your writing apart from everyone else's. DREAM BIG.

7. Finally, what is your favorite thing to munch on (or sip) while writing?

Can't live without my Coke Zero!

If you'd like to win a signed copy of Contaminated, check out the Rafflecopter giveaway below! :D Thanks for doing this, Em!
Sorry, USA only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview With "Go Teen Writers" Authors, Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson

(I'm so excited about this)!

Please welcome Stephanie Morrill and Jill Williamson, the lovely ladies who run the blog "Go Teen Writers!" They are also the authors of Go Teen Writers: How To Turn Your First Draft Into a Published Book  (which I can personally say is excellent). I asked them both a few questions about writing (and reading). I think you'll all really enjoy what they had to say!

1. Who or what inspired you to write?

Stephanie: My parents are both readers and read to me a lot, so I’m sure that inspired me. And then I attended an elementary school that really emphasized creative writing. In first grade we had writing
time everyday where we could write our own stories, and from then on I started saying I wanted to be a novelist.

Jill: I had recently quit working in the fashion industry—which was the career I’d gone to college for—and was trying to figure out what I was supposed to be when I grew up. Since I had a pretty interesting childhood/life story growing up in Alaska, I thought that maybe I could be a motivational speaker for teens. I discovered that sometimes, people hire speakers based on articles written by the speaker. So I looked into writing articles. I was shocked at how hard that was! Meanwhile, a new Harry Potter book came out (book four, I believe), and a new barrage of debates within the Christian community flared up as to whether or not Christians should read the books. The debate inspired me to write my own teen novel that everyone would love. Yep, I was TOTALLY naïve and have since learned that no one likes every book. But that’s how I got started writing fiction. And once I’d created Spencer, I was hooked. I left article writing in the dust and never looked back.

2. What are your top three favorite novels?

Stephanie: THREE? That’s impossible! Not nearly as bad as being asked to pick one, though. Currently my three favorite novels are Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson, and This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. And the Harry Potter series. Oh, and Wuthering Heights. And…I’ll let Jill talk now.

Jill: I also can’t pick only three! I’ll try. But just know that every time I answer this question, it’s a different answer. I will also choose Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for the amazing dialogue, the Lord of the Rings for the wonderful story of good vs. evil, and the Harry Potter series for incredible storyworld and characters she built.

Stephanie: How funny that we write such different books but have similar favorites!

3. What is your favorite thing about writing?

Stephanie: Gosh, that might be more impossible than the book question. I’m in love with all of it, honestly. From brainstorming to writing to having a box of freshly printed books land on my doorstep. I love it all! Though if I had to pick one favorite, I would probably say the brainstorming. I often get exhausted or burned out during writing or edits, but I always deeply enjoy the brainstorming.

Jill: I love storyworld building. It’s my favorite part of the process. I love drawing maps, thinking about the people and where they live, creating a new culture and figuring out why the people are the way they are. Sometimes I wish I could stay there forever and not even write the book, but that would be silly!

4. What were your favorite things about writing Go Teen Writers: How to Turn Your First Draft Into a Published Book with each other? How about your least favorite things?

Stephanie: I loved getting to know Jill better during the process. We talk to each other a fair amount
anyway, but it was fun having a reason to talk so often. And it was great knowing that we were creating something that would be a helpful tool for teen writers. The hardest part? We were both on deadline for fiction projects, plus we were committed to keeping up the quality of the blog. It was hard to keep our energy level up, and that’s when it was really nice to be co-writing. We could help each other push through the fatigue.

Jill: It was fun getting to know Stephanie too. I wish we lived in the same town, or at least state. Also, I really enjoyed doing the typesetting for the book. That’s not something I get to do often, and I had a lot of fun creating clip arts in Photoshop that matched the cover. I likely wasted way too much time on that… I also agree with Stephanie on the least favorite thing. I never have enough time for anything, and squeezing out a quality nonfiction book wasn’t easy. I think we were both a little naïve about how long it would take us. But I know we’re both proud of the finished product.

Stephanie: Yeah, I agree with that. I think if we had known how much work we’d invest in it, we might never have started. We’re both perfectionist though, so neither of us were willing to publish something that we didn’t feel was our very best. And I was blown away by the amazing job Jill did on the typesetting. The girl’s got skills.

5. What is the hardest thing you've had to do in your writing?

Stephanie: Ooh, good question. *Sits and ponders for a long time.* Continue writing stories in the face of rejection, or criticism, or disappointing sales numbers. Normally, I have no problems sitting and writing - it’s where I want to be. But in those times, I definitely have to push through the pain to keep going.

Jill: I have to say writing and editing to very tight deadlines. This was another place I was totally naïve. I just wasn’t prepared to write that fast. There isn’t enough time to get the books to the level I want them to be at before they’re published. In fact, this is so difficult and frustrating for me that I don’t think I want to sell books off proposals anymore, just for my own sanity.

6. What is the best piece of advice you could give to teen writers who want to get published?

Stephanie: If I can do this, you can do this. I didn’t know a single person in the book industry - not even a bookstore employee - but I worked hard to develop my storytelling abilities, I learned how publishing worked, I networked, and I kept at it year after year.

Jill: Finish your novel all the way, then edit it, rewrite it, then write another book. Practice makes perfect, and only by writing and rewriting and learning will your writing be ready for publication. This is true for teen and adult writers. We’re all competing for the same publishing slots, and we all need to respect our dreams enough to put in the hard work of honing our craft.

Thank you guys so much for taking the time to do this! I really enjoyed reading your responses.

An Interview With Celeste Smitherson

A while back I interviewed Cosmo Moonshine, the main character of my current WIP, Cosmo. I took a short break so I could finish up The Sorceress, but when I came back I found a new character waiting for me. Well, maybe she wasn't new, exactly, but her personality had changed. Cosmo's best friend, Celeste Smitherson, was no longer just the funny, goofy, new best friend for Cosmo. She still is, but then I realized that she had more depth to her. Her childhood was hard for her in many ways and I discovered some new hobbies of hers. She has quickly become one of the most interesting characters in the book.

Cosmo Moonshine, here, interviewing my new best friend (since Vanessa is no longer talking to me) Celeste Smitherson!

Celeste: Thank you, thank you.


*Celeste takes a bow*

Please introduce yourself.

Celeste: My name is Celeste Smitherson, I'm fourteen years old, and I'm a complete and total spaz.

We can see that . . . very easily, might I add. Tell us about your family.

Celeste: Well, there are my parents who I don't see very often because they're always working, and that's it. Unless you let me adopt Polaris. Pleeeeaaasseeee?

Absolutely not. That little, white fuzzball of a kitten is mine.

Celeste. Aww.

Can you tell us more about your hobbies?

Celeste: I like to read, but writing's not really my thing. I really like art: painting, coloring, sketching, pottery, anything that's creative and involves using your hands a lot.

Writing involves using your hands.

Celeste: You know what I mean. Oh, and I also like acting, but that's just a hobby, while art is going to be--hopefully--my career someday.

Who do you think is more in control: Yourself or Kate?

*Celeste laughs*

Celeste: Oh, so definitely me. My dialogue practically writes itself! I know what I'm going to say before Kate does. It's hilarious to see the look on her face when I say something.

Who is your greatest enemy and why?

Celeste: Anyone who is a bully. I've been transferred to fourteen different schools due to either bullying or having to move for my dad's job. Sometimes I've had to move to different states because of bullying problems. I've lived in five different states and I haven't ever lived in a house for longer than a year. It sucks.

Who (or what) do you think inspired Kate most when she was creating you?

Celeste: I honestly don't know--and I don't think Kate does, either--but I know that I inspired her to put a quote at the beginning of each chapter she writes. We have some pretty good quotes on there: lots of song lyrics, book quotes--including stuff from the Harry Potter series and stuff from The Wizard of Oz--, and quotes from people like Martin Luther King Jr and Neil deGrasse Tyson. The Wizard of Oz is my favorite book. Ever.

Mine, too. What is your biggest dream?

Celeste: To be a famous artist. I'd like to do book covers, I think. I should do the book cover for Halley's Comet.


It's not even finished yet!

Celeste: But it's awesome so far! You need to put up another blog post, soon. Your followers are waiting.

You're my only follower.

Celeste: Yeah, but did you check your stat counter? Your getting hits from places like India and Japan!

Yet no one has commented on my posts except for you, yet.

Celeste: Maybe they're just a little shy.

Kate: Okayyyy, we're getting a little off topic here. Sorry, guys, but I need to wrap up the post.

Celeste: Aww, just a few more minutes? Plleeeeeaaaassseee? This is as famous as I'll ever get when it comes to blogging. You have way more subscribers than I do (*cough* four *cough*).

Kate: Maybe next time. Now scoot!

Celeste: See ya'!

Bye!

Let's spice things up on here. Do you have any questions for Cosmo or Celeste? How about Cassandra or Cornelia? Katherine or Kristen? Leave a comment and they'll get back to you as soon as possible! :D

Interview With Teen Author Miriam Joy

Here it is! The long-awaited recently announced interview with fantastic (and hilarious) teen author Miriam Joy, author of St. Mallory's Forever! Miriam will be responding to comments and answering any questions you might have, so be sure to leave her one! Enjoy! :D

1. Who or what inspired you to write?

I've been writing for so long that I can't really remember how I got started. However, the first thing I properly remember writing of my own accord was a play that was heavily influenced by JRR Tolkien. Oh, and I wrote Lord of the Rings fan fiction, though I didn't know what "fan fiction" was at the time. Later, the author Kate Thompson was a massive inspiration for me. Her novel "The New Policeman" was one of the main reasons I got interested in Celtic mythology, something that I write about a lot now. What was more, when I was about eleven or twelve I emailed her explaining how much she meant to me; after some correspondence, I sent her a story of mine and she encouraged me to keep writing. So she was a huge influence on me. But I think generally it was books that inspired me to write. Which would make sense.

2. What are your top three favorite novels?

Wow, so that's a difficult question. I find it hard to differentiate between "novels that influenced me" and "novels that are AMAZING", so I'm going to choose three that are on both lists. That means that even if something was awesome, it might not be here, because it didn't influence me. Maggie Stiefvater's "Ballad" is one of my all-time favourites and I re-read it whenever I'm sad. I absolutely adore the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, too, but my favourite of those would be "Ptolemy's Gate". And "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett will forever hold a very special place in my heart because it is the funniest novel about the apocalypse that I have ever read.

3. What is your favorite genre?

Well, I love Young Adult fiction, but that's a very broad term, as it incorporates a whole load of other genres. I think my favourite genre would have to be science fiction / fantasy, even if I have particular subgenres I prefer (for example, I'm a MASSIVE fan of 'urban fantasy' but not of 'paranormal romance'. The latter is similar to the former but with more kissing and less torture. Ugh). When I stray into Adult fiction, which is often, it's usually the SF section of the library, though I particularly like humorous fantasy such as Tom Holt or Terry Pratchett.

4. What is your favorite thing about writing?

Being able to take revenge on people I know in a way that doesn't get me arrested, i.e. writing them into books and then killing them painfully. No, I'm kidding. I just love writing. I love having the chance to live entirely different lives through my characters, and experience things I won't do in real life. It's also a great emotional outlet and sometimes I use my characters' problems to work through my own. I love the idea that one day I might help someone else work through their problems. And I like watching my beta readers' reactions when I do something awful to their favourite characters. There's a lot of that evil-genius style glee involved in my writing process, I'm not going to lie.

5. What inspired you to write St. Mallory's Forever!?

This question is difficult, because it wasn't actually my idea -- it was Mark's (one half of the Saffina Desforges writing partnership; yes, there are two of them). He's always wanted to write a novel set in a boarding school, and when he found out that Charley actually went to a boarding school, he wanted to collaborate. Initially, I just kind of came along for the ride. While I formed just as many of the characters and plot points as, say, Charley, the initial idea process wasn't mine.

6. What is your favorite thing about writing the same book with other authors? How about your least favorite thing?

Favourite thing is knowing that I'll get a reaction immediately, so I'll know if something works (and if it does, I get to watch them crack up over a line or whatever). Also, if I get stuck I knew I could just ask one of the others to work on it. However, I'm a control freak and it's hard to get over that to relinquish aspects of plot to other people; it can also be frustrating when documents cross in emails, edits don't go through, or people seem to be working to a different timescale! Fortunately we managed to overcome our difficulties though.

7. What advice would you give to other teen authors who want to get published?

Have a blog (that's how I met Mark). Talk to other writers on the internet (that's how I met Charley). Keep writing, keep improving, and make sure you're always learning. Be willing to take advice. Read craft blogs and industry blogs so you know what the writing world is doing before you send out a novel. And don't let anyone tell you that you're too young to be a writer. Follow your dreams! :)

8. Is there anything else you would like to add?

A fifty foot inflatable pink aardvark? Every blog post needs one ... what? That's not possible? Okay, I think we're done here.

Thank you so much, Miriam, for letting me interview you! And remember, she will be responding to comments so feel free to leave her a question, compliment, and anything else that comes to mind.

An Interview With Cosmo Moonshine and Funny Lyrics

While Cosmo and her interviewer are preparing for the interview, I thought I would tell you about some hilarious lyrics that I misheard. In Phillip Phillips "Gone, Gone, Gone" there's a part where he says "You're my crutch when my legs stop moving" but it sounds like he's saying "You're my crotch when my legs stop moving." Now nobody in my family can help but laugh whenever he says that. They should really fix that.

Anyway, I can see that Cosmo is politely tapping her foot, so on with the interview! Please welcome Cosmo Moonshine, the protagonist from the novel I am currently writing Cosmo. And here to interview her, her best friend Celeste Smitherson!


Will you please introduce yourself?


Cosmo: But you already know me!


Celeste: Yes, but the rest of the world doesn't.

Cosmo: I know, I know! I was just kidding. My name is Cosmo Moonshine, I'm fourteen-years-old, and I am not a unicorn.

Celeste: Then what are you?

Cosmo: ... A human? That was kind of what I was implying.

Celeste: Of course. But Moonshine . . . isn't that--?


Cosmo: An illegal alcohol? Yeah. An unfortunate last name, I know, but Kate didn't realize that until after she created my name, and after that there was no going back. But I like it. It's pretty! Plus it makes for some good jokes in the book about me.

Tell us about your family.

Cosmo: Well, there's Muffins, my white and brown speckled cat, and then there's my mom. Her name's Sandry Moonshine since she kept her maiden name. A good idea since my dad divorced her when I was nine!

Please tell us more about your hobbies. 

Cosmo: I looooove astronomy. I've always loved studying the sky and space and anything that appears in the sky: the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, you name it! But the stars can get kind of hard to see when you live in NYC. I want to go to college and study astronomy. I also want to be a famous astronomer. But I also like hanging out with my mom and my cat. Writing is another thing I love to do.

Who do you think is more in control: Yourself or Kate?

Cosmo: Mostly Kate, but I jump in and give her some ideas. She'll start writing a short paragraph describing my room and then I'll interrupt and give an elaborate story about why my ceiling is painted black. If you were wondering, I painted it that way because it looks like the night sky when I'm falling asleep. I also painted white stars and constellations on the black ceiling. 

Who is your greatest enemy and why?

Cosmo: It's not really a who as much as a what. Ever since after my dad divorced my mom we've barely been able to keep our apartment and have a hot meal on the table at the end of the day. So I'd say that poverty is my greatest enemy, as well as my mom's.

Who (or what) do you think inspired Kate most when she was creating you?

Cosmo: NOVA. NOVA is a PBS show and she watched twenty minutes of one of the episodes about space. They kept explaining things about "the cosmos" and she thought of my name. Cosmo is practically writing itself ever since she went to the planetarium! That gave her tons of ideas!

What is your biggest dream?

Cosmo: To be able to afford going to college. Then I can be an astronomer. For now I'll just keep on dreaming.

Thank you for coming, Cosmo! And be sure to read Day 18 of my 30-Day Blogging Challenge! :D

An Interview With Cassandra Day and Cornelia Moonstone

Please give a warm welcome to Cassandra Day and Cornelia Moonstone, the protagonists of my completely edited novel Fantasya: A Giant Problem. A Giant Problem is the first book in the Fantasya series. I wrote it in 2010 and have only recently finished editing it. I'm currently trying to find an agent to represent me, so if you know of any really good ones, let me know. ;) Cassandra and Cornelia have traveled here all the way from Fantasya (with a little pinch of pixie dust each). And here to interview them, their friend Cecilia!

Will you please introduce yourselves?

Cassandra: No way!


Cecilia: ...


Cassandra: Just kidding.


(Cassandra winks).


Cassandra: I'm Cassandra Day, as you already know, I am ten-years-old, which is the age you are officially an adult as a unicorn, I am a unicorn, and I have the ultra-rare golden horn that only three unicorns in history have had. In legends that means that I'm destined for greatness, but having a golden horn didn't seem to help my sister Cindy, who has been either dead or missing for years.


Cornelia: My name is Cornelia Moonstone, I am also ten-years-old, and I'm a unicorn. Oh, and I have a silver horn, which is semi-rare.


Tell us about your families.

Cassandra: Well, I'm an orphan. Both of my parents died in the war. My sister Cindy went after my dad and hasn't been seen since. A kind unicorn with a white horn, which is the most common and almost every unicorn has, named Caroline has adopted me. She and Cornelia are all I've got. And Cornelia's not even related to me!


Cornelia: You and I both know that it's possible we're sisters and just don't know it.


Cassandra: True.


Cornelia: My dad died in the war, but my mom is still alive. They both have, or had, white horns. I have no siblings.



Please tell us more about your hobbies. 


Cassandra: I love to fly, run around, goof off with Corny, and eat.


Cornelia: Yes, everyone knows you love to eat.


Cassandra: What are you implying?

Cornelia: That you're (*ahem*) bigger than most unicorns?

Cecilia (as Cassandra opens her mouth to argue): Please, let's get back to the interview.

Cornelia: Right. Sorry, Cece. My hobbies . . . hmm. I guess mostly the same as Cassandra. I like doing anything with her, really.

Who do you think is more in control: Yourselves or Kate?


Cassandra: It's a mix. Kate already had most of the story planned when she started writing it. Well, mostly the beginning and the end.


Cornelia: We were pretty much in control by the middle, though.

Cassandra: Yeah.

Who is your greatest enemy and why?

(Cassandra and Cornelia shudder).

Cassandra: Gargamouth the giant. He and his wife Gorgina want to take over Fantasya! The Pegasi and unicorns are fighting against Gargamouth's minions, which are the trolls and elves, but we're really fighting a losing battle. Corny and I want to stop him, though.

Cornelia: Mostly you. I'm not too keen on the idea of fighting him by ourselves, but I'll help Cassie out when it comes to saving Fantasya.

(Cassandra smiles at Cornelia and Cornelia smiles back).

Who (or what) do you think inspired Kate most when she was creating both of you?

Cassandra: Fantasy novels. Harry Potter, Fablehaven, you name it! Listening to music and filling out the NaNoWriMo YWP (Young Writer's Program) folders really helped, too.

Cornelia: And I think Kate, without realizing it, patterned Cassie and I after herself and her best friend Kirsten! I find a ton of similarities between my personality and Kirsten's personality. And Cassie could be Kate's twin, if it weren't for the wilder bits of Cassie's personality and the fact that she's a unicorn.

Cassandra: The funniest part of all that, though, is that Kate didn't even notice the similarities until 2012 when she finished editing the book!

(Cassandra and Cornelia laugh).

Thank you guys for being on my blog!

Cassandra: It was a pleasure!

Cornelia: Anything for our creator!

(Cassandra and Cornelia wink).

Coming up next, an interview with my most recent character: Cosmo Moonshine! She's a human living in NYC. She's the protagonist of my first realistic fiction book: Cosmo.

An Interview With Katherine Fauccet and Kristen Willowfeather

Please give a warm welcome to Katherine Fauccet and Kristen Willowfeather, the protagonists of my most recently completed NaNoWriMo novel Secrets. They ventured here all the way from Zundra. And here to interview them, Hermione Granger! (Just kidding). No, the person who is really interviewing them is a random maid from the castle in the Kingdom of Zundra. And, who knows? Maybe the maid is the person who is trying to kill the queen. (Dun dun dunnnnnn).

Will you please introduce yourselves and give us the basics? 

Katherine: Of course! My name is Katherine Fauccet, I'm 12-years-old, and I will tell your more about my family later. (Katherine winks).

Kristen: I'm Kristen Willowfeather, I'm also 12-years-old, and I will also tell you more about my family later.

Katherine: Copycat.

Well then, tell us about your families.

Katherine: Well, there's my mom, who has a strange obsession with sewing and making clothes, and then there's my dog Sweetie. My dad was bitten by a werewolf when I was a baby and died soon after that. Apparently the werewolf was very aggressive.

Kristen: My mom died giving birth to my youngest sister. I have my dad, who taught Katherine everything he knows about carpentry, then there's Alyssa, who is lazy and always wants to be the center of attention, then there's Sophia who loves dancing, and Hope who copies everything her older sisters do. I also have a dog named Lion, though he doesn't look remotely scary or like a lion at all, really.

Please tell us more about your hobbies. 

Katherine: I love anything that has to do with the outdoors. I like to explore, build things made of wood, and practice my combat skills.

Kristen: I like to sew, listen to music people play in town, read, write, and relax. Katherine and I are very different from each other.

What are your favorite outfits?

Katherine: A simple tunic and a pair of trousers. You can't get much more simple and comfortable than that.

Kristen: A plain dress. Nothing too fancy, but nothing dirty or old.


Who do you think is more in control: Yourselves or Kate?

(Katherine laughs).

Katherine: Verrrry much ourselves. I think Kate likes to think she's in control, but we're really the ones running the show.

Kristen: Same. We take Kate all over the place. I'm not sure what she had in mind, but whatever it was, we sure spiced it up.

Who is your greatest enemy and why?

Katherine: Whoever is trying to kill the queen. We're not sure who it is, but we know where their diary is and we keep reading it for clues. We'll find and catch them eventually.

Kristen: With some help from our closest friends Selena and Esther. I'd say our other greatest enemies would be any monsters in the Forest of Yojar.

Katherine: Especially the werewolves.

(Katherine and Kristen shudder).

What similarities do you see between yourselves and the two people your characters were based off of: Kate and Kirsten?

Katherine: Well Kate is funny, saracastic, and outgoing, but sometimes I can be a bit too . . . much. And Kate can plan ahead wayyyy better than I can.

Kristen: Kirsten can be shy and timid, but not nearly as much as I am. And I'm the main planner, most of the time, while in real life Kate is the main planner. I also think Kirsten's a bit more brave than I am.


Thank you for being on my blog, you guys! It's nice to see you out and about.

Katherine: You're welcome! But now we really have to go. We need to meet Esther and Selena. We're trying to figure out how to reveal the evil maid who is trying to kill Queen Talia Snowflower!

Kristen: Yes, thank you for having us!

Though I'm not sure who I will be interviewing next, you can be sure that I will interview two other characters soon! And be sure to read Day 14 of my 30-Day Blogging Challenge! :D