Go forth and read!

Jackson Pearce is twenty-five years old and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with a slightly cross-eyed cat and a lot of secondhand furniture. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy. She auditioned for the circus once, but didn’t make it; other jobs she’s had include obituaries writer, biker bar waitress, and receptionist. In addition, Jackson coaches both colorguard and winterguard at a local high school.

Jackson began writing when she got angry that the school librarian couldn’t tell her of a book that contained a smart girl, horses, baby animals, and magic. Her solution was to write the book herself when she was twelve. Her parents thought it was cute at first, but have grown steadily more concerned for her ever since.

And now, the interview!

1. You coach a high school color/winterguard, which I think is AWESOME. Can you explain a little about what winterguard is and how you got into coaching? Also, does your coaching job help you with your writing?

Winterguard is similar to fall colorguard, only instead of performing with a marching band on the field we perform indoors and to a soundtrack. I was involved in winterguard and colorguard all throughout high school, and the year after I graduated had a chance to work with a group. I’ve been doing it ever since! I think coaching definitely helps with writing because it keeps me honest and in touch with my audience. I don’t necessarily get ideas from my students, but they remind me what being a young adult is about when I start to become a jaded grownup

(Pssst…check out the Winterguard Jackson Coaches. They are awesome!)

2.Your vlogs are really fun, opinionated, and informational (or sometimes just FUN). On Twitter last week, someone even referred to you as the Vlog Queen. What made you decide to get started on vlogging?

I thought it would just be fun one night, so I made one! It got such a positive response that I kept it up. I try to make them interesting/fun/funny, and tend to just not do videos if I don’t have anything exciting to video about. I’ve got one coming up I’m VERY excited for…

(Follow Jackson on YouTube – you will not be sorry.)

3. Moving onto your writing. What is your favorite thing about writing for young adults?

Young adults are shameless– they don’t care if something is a bestseller or a graylist book. They read what they think is good, and respond to it passionately. They’re the perfect audience.

4. On your live show a couple weeks ago, you mentioned that AS YOU WISH went through many renditions before it became what it is now. How many versions did you write before the final one? How did you know it was finally ready to see the world?

I genuinely have no idea how many renditions it went through– there were a bunch! I actually never KNEW it was ready, but trusted my editor’s gut feeling that it was polished and shiny.

5. Quick! You have four words to describe AS YOU WISH. Go:

Hopeful, romantic, melancholic, meaningful

6. Your next book, SISTERS RED, is also told from alternating points of view. What do you liked best about writing in this style?

I love writing from alternating POVs because it gives me a chance to show how more than one character is changing as a result of the story.

7.We all know how important it is to have others read our work and give us honest feedback. Who are your first readers and how did you find them?

I found my critique partners through online communities, mainly the 2009 Debutantes. My critique partners have changed a lot over the years, but now I feel like I have a really solid group that does an AMAZING job with the craziness that is my first drafts!

8. When you are struggling with your writing, how to you motivate yourself to keep going?

It’s funny you should ask this, because I’m definitely struggling right now with SWEETLY revisions! I just keep reminding myself that if I can get through this, I can get through anything writing-wise…

9. When you know you should be writing, but just aren’t, what is your favorite procrastinatory outlet?

DEADLIEST CATCH. And Glee. But seriously, I LOVE Deadliest Catch and Mythbusters and other nerd shows.

10. What is the best bit of advice you have for aspiring authors?

Don’t quit, and don’t be afraid to fail. They’re just words– you can delete them, rewrite them, start over, and no one is going to come yell at you. Relax and enjoy the act of creating!

11. Aside from your own, what are a couple books you love and would recommend we all read?

I loved Carrie Ryan’s The Dead-Tossed Waves and John Green/David Levithan’s Will Grayson, Will Grayson. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much time to read recently since I’ve been working on notes and new books.

12. It is no secret that I ADORE the South. In fact, I might be making a list of reasons why the husband and I need to move to warmer climates. What is your favorite thing about living in the South?

I love the South. Love it love it love it. I think my favorite thing about the South is the people. Even though the small-town-feel is somewhat a thing of the past, people are largely polite, kind, and interesting. There’s an attitude here that you just can’t find anywhere else.

13. Finally, it’s time for the Fast Five! What are five random things we might not know about Jackson Pearce?

-I collect My Little Ponies.
-I have owned two purple couches in the last two years.
-One of my favorite books is actually a graphic novel called BLANKETS by Craig Thompson.
-I have never left the country, but got a passport just in case. I really want to travel!
-I have pink luggage. Because pink is awesome.

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Thanks so much, Jackson!

Don’t forget to sign up for a chance to win a signed copy of As You Wish.

For more Jackson Pearce, be sure to check out her website, follow her on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook (or do all three!).

A little about Carrie:

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Carrie Ryan is a graduate of Williams College and Duke University School of Law. A former litigator, she now writes full time. She lives with her writer/lawyer fiancé husband, two fat cats and one large puppy in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are not at all prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

Also, she got married last week! Yay Carrie. Join me in congratulating her and JP  on her blog or her Twitter.

And now…on to the good stuff!

You didn’t always write YA. What made you decide to try your hand at the genre?

Honestly, I think I hadn’t considered writing YA earlier because it hadn’t occurred to me that I could.  I’d decided to write romance novels when I was in high school and I guess I was fairly narrow-minded with my goal.  I never thought twice about writing romance novels until I saw so many amazing YA books hitting the market and I remembered how much I loved reading them when I was a teen and the idea I could be a part of that thrilled me.

What is your favorite thing about writing for young adults?

There are so many things I love about writing for young adults.  First, I love that all our books are shelved together so you don’t have to worry about being put on the romance or horror or thriller or fantasy shelf — you don’t have to follow any traditional rules of those genres but instead can meld them all together.  Second, sometimes teens aren’t as jaded to tropes — your book might be the first time they encounter something that an adult might think was overdone or common.  It’s pretty cool to think that your book might be the first time a teen realizes that not all stories have happy endings or that a narrator can be unreliable.  Finally I feel like there’s not a ton of difference between the way a teen experiences the world and the way an adult does — we all have fears and have to deal with things like rejection, first kisses, uncertainty, etc.  The only difference is that for a teen this might be the first time they experience such things and so it takes on a bigger role in their lives — they might not have figured out how to deal with it from experience the same way an adult might have.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth opens with the narrator talking about the ocean, and the ocean is a glimmer of hope for Mary throughout the book. So, which do you prefer: the forest or the ocean?

Haha, good question!  I think it all depends on my mood.  I love the tranquility of the forest — how you can just be enveloped by nature.  The ocean feels more expansive to me.  Both make me dream.

Quick! You have four words to describe The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Go:

Post apocalypse zombie romance.

Your next book, The Dead-Tossed Waves, is more of a companion novel than a direct sequel. Why did you decide to go this route instead of following The Forest of Hands and Teeth more closely?

I’d never really planned on writing a sequel but when my editor started mentioning it I was thrilled because I loved the world and the narrator.  However, when I sat down to write it I realized that Mary’s story was pretty much done.  I spent a long time trying to decide whether to re-open her story and start something new for her or to leave her as she was and move on.  In the end I chose to move on because I wanted to experience the world from someone else’s point of view — show how different people can approach the same world in different ways.

HELP! The unconsecrated are coming! What is your best advice to help me survive the zombie apocalypse?

You’re toast  I actually think survival ultimately is based on a lot of luck.  I’d get out of a city as fast as possible and try to find a place with enough room to farm and build a new world but also has natural barriers to keep the zombies at bay.  Then, of course, you have to start worrying about people trying to take your safe haven from you.

(Yes! I am safe. Bubba’s parents live on a farm in a very small community in the mountains. I just have to make sure I always have enough fuel in the car to get there in the event of zombies. And, um, hope Star Valley hasn’t been hit yet.)

You have a short story coming out in the new anthology Zombies Vs. Unicorns.  Obviously, you are team zombie. What makes zombies so much better than unicorns?

Zombies don’t poop rainbows.  Nuff said.

We all know how important it is to have others read our work and give us honest feedback. Who are your first readers and how did you find them?

My ultimate first reader is my fiance, JP (husband now…yay!).  He’s a fantastic editor and I always trust everything he says implicitly.  I’m really amazingly lucky to have him.  Other readers include a group of friends I met through the 2009 Debutantes (a group of authors with middle grade and YA books debuting in 2009).

When you are struggling with your writing, how to you motivate yourself to keep going?

For me it’s just not an option to not keep going.  For some reason I’ve just been able to convince myself that there’s no other choice but to struggle through.  Often it can be really tough, especially since I don’t write with an outline and can feel really lost.  Now when I’m going through that I just remind myself that I’ve made it through all of this before so I need to have confidence in myself that I can do it again.

When you know you should be writing, but just aren’t, what is your favorite procrastinatory outlet?

I have way too many!  Twitter, Skype, iChat, email.  I think of those things as my water cooler — my way of hanging with other authors during the day.

What is the best bit of advice you have for aspiring authors?

To write.  I know that seems pretty basic but there are so many distractions out there that it’s easy to forget about the basics — writing.  I’ve also benefited tremendously from meeting other authors online — I’ve found the community to be so supportive which is really wonderful.

Aside from your own, what are a couple books you love and would recommend we all read?

I love so many books and being away from home and my bookshelves it’s hard to pick out only a few!  Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell, Dull Boy by Sarah Cross, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, anything by Sarah MacLean, Liar by Justine Larbalestier, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.  Seriously I could go on and on and on.

It is no secret that I ADORE the South. In fact, I might be making a list of reasons why the husband and I need to move to warmer climates. What is your favorite thing about living in the South?

Spring!  Short winters!  I love a good winter — but I like it to be a short winter.  I find that when March/April comes around I’m itching to spend as much time outside as I can.

Finally, it’s time for the Fast Five! What are five random things we might not know about Carrie Ryan?

• I worked in the coroner’s office one summer in college.
• I also worked on a Mayan archeological dig in Guatemala.
• I once busted my knee open to the bone hiking in the Wind River Wilderness mountains in Wyoming and had to hike out five miles on snowshoes with a hip to ankle splint made out of sticks and a 50lb pack on.
• I’m an optimist.
• I can make my tongue into the shape of a clover.

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Thanks so much for stopping by, Carrie! I feel better knowing a safe plan for the Zombie Apocalypse.

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Be sure to follow the blog for your chance to win a signed copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth (or The Dead-Tossed Waves if you already have the first). April 27th is fast approaching!

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You mention on your blog that you have not always written YA. What made you try your hand at YA?

I loved YA as I was growing up, and I still have most of my collection.  I reread some of my favorites from time to time.  It finally occurred to me that if I liked this genre so much, I should try to write it.

What is your favorite thing about writing for young adults?

There’s an intensity to that time of life, and an intensity in the way young adults read.  The books I read when I was younger would fill my head; they really felt life-changing.

THE SECRET YEAR is a very emotional book. How did you keep yourself upbeat when you were writing it? (Or, did you have to be bummed out the whole time you were working on it?  )

Even though the main character deals with a fair amount of longing and loss, those are actually cathartic subjects to write about, and they can be cathartic to read about.  To me, there’s something comforting in reading books where the characters cope with tough situations.  Also, the central relationship in the book was so important to the characters involved, and it was so full of their testing and challenging one another, that it was highly interesting to write about.

The hardest part of THE SECRET YEAR for me is knowing that poor Colt has to suffer alone. What was the hardest part for you to write?

His suffering alone is a consequence of certain choices he made, but yes, the penalty is sadly severe.  The ending was by far the hardest part to write, because that is when he faces certain truths he’s been avoiding throughout the book.

All of your characters, down to the pretty minor supporting ones, are so vivid and real. Do you draw from people you know when you write?

No.  But I try to distill everything I see and hear in the world, and let it influence my characters in a general way.

I love the use of journals and letters in THE SECRET YEAR. What is your favorite part about writing multiple points of view in one book?

I think many of us would like to know what other people think of us, would like to know what certain situations look like from the other side of the table.  Colt gets this chance, although he doesn’t always like what he reads.

Julia’s journal entries were a way for me to show how stories change when point of view changes; there is not just one true account of an incident or a relationship.

What is your favorite line from THE SECRET YEAR?

“He’d taken pictures of potatoes for his freshman art project.”

That was one of my favorite lines, too! It seems so random, but the more you get to know the character, it just seems to fit. Moving on to some more general questions now:

We all know how important it is to have others read our work and give us honest feedback. Who are your first readers and how did you find them?

I’ve discussed this at length on my blog, but they are all writers I met through SCBWI or through writer friends.

(note from Rachel: Jennifer’s blog posts about finding her crit partners can be found here, here, and here.

When you are struggling with your writing, how do you motivate yourself to keep going?

The struggle is never about whether I want to be writing, because I always want to write.  It’s about whether I can do the story justice, whether I can reach the level I’m trying to reach.  And so there’s a very strong motivation to keep going.  Mostly, in those situations I need reassurance that I can only do so much in a day, and I don’t have to try for immediate perfection.

When you know you should be writing, but just aren’t, what is your favorite procrastinatory outlet?

There are so many other things I have to do, chores and obligations, that it’s more a question of my getting through them so I can get to the writing.  Writing is more often a reward than something I put off.

What is the best bit of advice you have for aspiring authors?

Read a lot.  Write a lot.

Aside from your own, what are a couple books you love and would recommend we all read?

Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You, by Peter Cameron, has been my top pick for a while. Some others I like, off the top of my head:

Geography Club, by Brent Hartinger.

Shift, by Jennifer Bradbury.

Unwind, by Neal Shusterman.

Struts and Frets, by Jon Skovron.

I just realized every one of those has a male main character. So here are a couple with female main characters:

Watersmeet, by Ellen Jensen Abbott.

Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr.

Wow. That’s quite a list; I will definitely have to check those out. Finally, it’s time for the Fast Five! What are five random things we might not know about Jennifer Hubbard?

1) I haven’t read the big Russian novels (Crime and Punishment, War and Peace, etc.).

(For Shame! Crime and Punishment is my favorite book!)

2) I vote every year, and I’ve twice served on juries.

3) I’ve lived in five different states.

4) I like Brussels sprouts (and you thought nobody did!).

(True story: Bubba and I both love Brussels sprouts.)

5) I try to watch the Academy Awards every year, even though I see very few movies.

(Confession time: I work in movies, but still see very few and never watch the awards.)

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Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us, Jennifer.

If you haven’t read The Secret Year, I suggest you find it and do so. You won’t regret it. Promise.

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A couple housekeeping things about the giveaway:

1. The contest is open internationally. I haven’t been asked yet, but I am noticing a few of you are popping up from all across the globe, so I thought I would just clarify. Anyone can win!

2. In order to keep shipping costs down, As You Wish and The Forest of Hands and Teeth will be signed via bookplate (this way I didn’t have to send the books cross-county and back and then pay to send them to the winner). Keeping these costs down is what allows me to keep the giveaway international.

3. Since I am using a bookplate, you (the winner…that’s you) can substitute The Dead-Tossed Waves if you already have The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

4. There will be a winner for every 50 followers, not just one winner for all three books. That’s right: three winners (assuming, of course, there are that many followers).