The names our parents gave us when we were born are Tyler, Katelyn, Courtney, Hannah, and Sarah. We are five friends who decided to come together and share our love of books.
We are currently a site that shares news about authors, writes reviews, writing advice, and every now and then we might toss in an interview to make the experience even more fun.
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Interview #2: Susane Colasanti
We had the gargantuan privilege to interview the amazing Susane Colasanti (pictured above, left), and what’s even better is that she is our very first interview for the year of 2011!- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Book Queens: How did you go from being a science teacher to a published writer? Now that you’re a full-time author, do you still have a strong interest in science?
Susane Colasanti: You know those people who seem to be able to do lots of things effortlessly? Like they can have a career and kids and organize bake sales and still find time to write books on top of everything else? I am not one of those people. I wrote both When It Happens and Take Me There while I was still teaching. I was hoping that I could keep being both a teacher and an author. But doing both was just too exhausting for me. I like to bring 100% to whatever I do. Anything less is unacceptable. So in 2007, I made the switch from teacher to full-time author. Deciding to resign from teaching wasn’t easy. Ever since the start of my horrifying teen years, I’ve known that my purpose in life is to reach out to teens. I want to make them feel less alone and maybe even help them improve their lives in some way. By writing books, I can reach way more teens than I could as a teacher.
I’ll always love science. Physics and astronomy will never stop fascinating me. I guess that’s why they somehow keep finding ways to sneak into my books!
BQ: What is a quote that you live by, or what is your own philosophy of life?
SC: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” - Thoreau
BQ: Who was your favorite author when you were growing up?
SC: When I was little, I adored Shel Silverstein’s books. Lafcadio, The Missing Piece, and The Giving Tree (which still makes me cry every time I read it) all had an enormous impact on me. I even recorded an audio book of Lafcadio before I knew that audio books would ever exist! When I was older, I fell in love with books by Judy Blume and Louise Fitzhugh. But it wasn’t until I read S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders that I thought about writing my own teen novel. I wanted to help teens the way that book helped me when I felt so alone. Those authors all inspired me and I am eternally thankful.
BQ: What was the very first book you read in Children’s Lit and Young Adult?
SC: Wow, it’s hard to remember. I’m obsessed with Leo Lionni. There were children’s books before his, but his writing and artwork really touched my heart. Frederick, Swimmy, and Pezzettino are all remarkable. Eric Carle is another outstanding writer and artist. If I ever have children, their bookshelves will be filled with every book by Leo Lionni and Eric Carle for sure.
Remembering the first teen novel I read is even more difficult. Back in the day, bookstores didn’t have a teen section. There were just one or two random shelves of young-adult books in the children’s section. I love that readers now have so many awesome choices in a relatively massive teen section. I would have been ecstatic if all of these amazing books were available back then! I’m guessing that Judy Blume’s books were probably my first middle-grade reads, along with Sandra Scoppettone and the Sweet Valley High series. But teen novels? Sadly, there just weren’t that many outstanding ones around.
BQ: Where do you find inspiration for your books? Does any of it come from fanmail?
SC:Hearing from readers definitely inspires my drive to keep writing more. Connecting with readers is the best part of my job, especially when I get to see them at events. I sit in front of a computer screen all day, which sometimes makes me feel isolated. When readers tell me that they related to my characters or that my books helped them in some way, I know that what I’m doing is working.
BQ: Which of your characters do you relate to the most? The least?
SC: Sara from When It Happens is me in so many ways. I think a writer’s first book is usually the most autobiographical one. When It Happens was influenced by my own experiences during senior year. You can find lots of things from my real life in that book. Sara’s teddy bear Chez who wears a Late Night with David Letterman tee? Real. Her bootleg bookshelves made out of cinderblocks and burlap? Real. And the whole scrapbooking thing? Also real. Since I can relate to all of my characters on some level, it’s not easy to identify one to whom I relate the least. I guess I’d say Gloria from Take Me There. What was her deal?
BQ: How do you prefer to write? By computer or by hand?
SC: All of my books are written on my computer. Specifically, on my sexy iMac. But I do have notebooks that correspond to each of my books. Those are where I record character profiles, setting details, playlists, class schedules, research…really anything that corresponds to each book that may not necessarily show up in the book. I also keep a little notebook by my bed for ideas that come to me in dreams so I can write them down as soon as I wake up.
BQ: How do you handle writer’s block?
SC: My feeling about writer’s block is this: If you’re not excited about what you’re writing, then you need to write about something else. Write about what makes you feel alive. If you’re excited about what you’re writing, the words will flow. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t bad days. We all have them. Some days it takes six hours for me to finish my writing, while other days I can do the same amount of writing in two hours. But I’ve never not had something I wanted to write about.
BQ: How long did it take before your first book was published? How does one go about finding an agent, publisher, etc.?
SC: I started writing the first draft of When It Happens in 1996 when I was in grad school. Most of my writing time was on weekends and over the summer. The manuscript was ready to start submitting to publishers in 2000. Penguin took an interest in the book in 2001 and it was published in 2006. So it took 10 years for my first book to go from its initial stages to a published novel.
For information about finding an agent and identifying which publishing houses would be right for your manuscript, I recommend checking out the writers market section of your local bookstore or library. There are plenty of good resources out there with detailed information that can guide you in the right direction.
BQ: What advice can you give to aspiring writers?
SC: I’m feeling three pieces of advice today.
1. Read. A lot. There’s no way I’d be an author if I didn’t have such a passionate love for reading. Reading taught me how to write. I’ve never even taken a creative writing class. The more you read, the better your writing will become.
2. Do not listen to negative idiots who try to discourage you. You have no time for them. You have a dream and you’re determined to make it reality. Never give up.
3. Be honest with your writing. It can be really hard to share things that we’re afraid to say on the page. I’ve definitely been there. But it’s that honest, uncensored voice that will make your story relatable. Always tell the story that’s in your heart.
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Susane’s upcoming book, So Much Closer (pictured above, right), will be released on Tuesday, May 3rd. We highly encourage you all to go out and buy it.
Another gigantic thank you to Susane for allowing us to interview her!
You can connect with Susane in the following ways:
Website: http://www.susanecolasanti.com
Blog: http://windowlight.livejournal.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susanecolasanti
Fan page: http://tinyurl.com/susanefan
Twitter: http://twitter.com/susanecolasanti -
Interview #1: Cheryl Renee Herbsman
We got a chance to interview Cheryl Renee Herbsman, the author of Breathing, and are excited to post it as our first official interview. Enjoy. =)
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Cheryl Herbsman: Hi you guys, thanks for having me!
The Book Queens: Tell us about yourself.
CH: I live in Northern California with my husband and two children and our dog, who is a Border Collie mix. I love sunny weather and chocolate and get gloomy on gray, wet days. I grew up in North Carolina and came to California to go to graduate school in psychology.
BQ: For those who haven’t read Breathing, tell us about it.
CH: Breathing is the story of fifteen-year-old Savannah Brown, who is growing up on the coast of the Carolinas . Her mom calls her a hopeless romantic, but Savannah prefers to think of herself as a hopeFUL romantic. When she meets Jackson on the beach, she becomes convinced that he’s not only her true love and soul mate, but the cure for her life-threatening asthma. When Jackson is called away to deal with some family responsibilities in another town, Savannah has to learn to breathe all on her own. It’s a romantic story, but it’s also about family relationships and following your dreams.
BQ: Were there any true experiences you’ve had included in the book?
CH: When I was a young teen, I fell in love with an older boy and we carried on a long-distance relationship. So that played into Savannah and Jackson ’s story. I married my teen sweetheart, which explains why Savannah is such a hopeful romantic.
BQ: Where did you get the idea for Breathing?
CH: Breathing was inspired by my own teen romance. But the idea came to me one night in my writing group. A woman joined the group that night who had a very strong Carolinian accent. I grew up in the South, but hadn’t been back in a long time. When I heard her speak, it somehow brought Savannah to life. Once Savannah existed, she always had a lot to say and wanted to tell me her story.
BQ: Do you prefer hand-writing or typing?
CH: I usually prefer writing by hand. I feel like it taps into a more creative part of my brain.
BQ: I read this thing in creative writing last year that had all the weird ways authors like to write. What are some quirks you have while you write? Like, maybe you need snacks or music playing or like to be outside when you do.
CH: I need to be in a quiet room with no distractions. I absolutely cannot write in a busy, noisy place like a café, though I know a lot of writers who do that. I prefer to be in my bedroom. I always light candles and sometimes incense to create an atmosphere that is different from the everyday.
BQ: Which character was the easiest/most fun to work with? The most difficult?
CH: Savannah was the easiest for me because she just told me everything I needed to write. All I had to do was listen. I guess the most difficult character was her mom’s boyfriend, DC.
BQ: Do any of the characters in Breathing reflect people that you know in real life?
CH: Jackson is inspired by my husband – just a good, caring, decent human being, who always wants to do right by others. Savannah’s little brother, Dog, was loosely based on the brother of one of my friends growing up.
BQ: What were you doing as a job before becoming published?
CH: I was, and still am, a full-time mom.
BQ: To finish up this interview, can you tell us about the whole process of finding an agent and publisher and whatnot?
CH: Before I wrote Breathing, I wrote a young adult fairytale/fantasy. I tried to sell it for about two years and found a lot of interest and received a lot of rejection. It was hard to go through that, but in the process I learned a lot about how to do it right. So when Breathing was ready to send out, I knew how to write a really good query letter and how to research agents. At first, I sent out only three query letters. One of the agencies was really excited, but asked me to do a revision. They gave me lots of good suggestions for how to strengthen the manuscript. Ultimately, they sent me a rejection letter. But I feel really grateful for the feedback they gave me. Then I sent out five more queries, got three requests, and had an agent within a week. She sold the book two weeks later. It felt like a whirlwind and was really exciting!
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For more information, visit:
www.cherylreneeherbsman.com
www.twitter.com/cherylherbsman
www.myspace.com/cherylreneeherbsman - 2 years ago
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