1. What would you consider to be your Kryptonite as an author?

This is kind of a depressing answer, but grief. Each time I lose someone close to me it knocks the stuffing out of me and just recently it happened and my writing suffers because of it.

2. If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

To stop judging yourself on whether or not you get published and to appreciate the writing process before you ever get published because someone told me you’ll never have that pure joy of writing ever again once you’re published. They were right.

3. What book do you feel is under-appreciated? How about overrated?

I wish I could get the book Goodbye Glamour Girl by Erika Tamar into everyone’s hands. It would make a great movie. It’s a YA novel set during WWII and deals with a girl from Europe just trying to fit in and find love and yet inside of her she’s dealing with what they escaped in Europe and how her relatives might be dead. It’s so powerful. For overrated books…there’s a lot, but I know if I name one then somehow, I’ll end up seated next to the author at some event and it’ll be awkward LOL.

4. Favorite childhood memory involving books?

My mom used to take me to the bookstore at the beginning of the month when the new series books came out and it was the best day ever. I remember going home and just diving into a new book. I was lucky to have parents that were readers and understood (and supported) my love of reading. The best part was my parents never stopped me from reading any of the fun books or forced me to read any list books that suck the fun out of reading.

5. What fantastical fictional world would you want to live in (if any) given the chance?

I’d say Harry Potter’s world and to be at Hogwarts, but honestly, I’m so chicken that when the bad stuff started going down, I’d probably go and hide in the bathroom until the all clear was given. Actually, scratch that, those sitting rooms with fireplaces looked cozy, so I’d probably hide out in one of those.

6. Did you want to be an author when you grew up?

Yes, I was obsessed with books and always writing stories. I had stacks of notebooks with bits of story ideas in them and nothing has changed.

7. What is your most unusual writing quirk?

I was watching a game on TV once and the expression on a player’s face brought to life a whole character for me that completely changed the story I was working on. I’ve done that a few times actually when seeing someone on TV and noticing an expression that triggers an entire character.

8. What’s one movie you like recommending to others?

I always tell people to watch the version of “The Great Gatsby” with Mira Sorvino in it because she has a different take on the Daisy character and it gives the story a different feel. Also, “Last Call” about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s life.

9. If you could own any animal as a pet, what would it be?

I would want a polar bear or a red panda. There was a polar bear at the Columbus Zoo that I was absolutely crazy about and I sobbed my heart out when he passed away.

10. Have you ever met anyone famous?

I used to be in journalism, but I mainly met professional athletes I was covering. I guess of all of those Tiger Woods would be the one people would know the best. In the writing world, the most famous author I met was Thomas Keneally who wrote Schindler's Ark that was later known as Schindler's List.

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