IJF asks: What have you just finished?

"My latest novel is ""Of All the Stupid Things"". It's written in the perspective of three different friends: Tara the runner, Whitney Blaire the drama queen, and Pinkie the worrier. They have been friends forever, until Tara starts falling for the new girl and all the rules change. I am currently working on my next novel, also for young adults."

IJF asks: What book(s) have been life changing for you?

"Panky and William" by Nancy Saxon was one of the first books I read on my own. I was very behind on my reading skills and didn't understand why people enjoyed reading. When I read that book, I found that not only could I understand the words, the story was really interesting as well. The fact that it had horses in it certainly helped too! From that day, I loved reading and getting lost in the world of the characters. To this day, I find it hard to put a good book down.

IJF asks: Can you tell us your best fan encounter story?

Shortly after my book came out, a girl emailed me saying how much she loved the book and how she would love to be considered to play one of the girls if it ever became a movie. It was my first fan letter and for that is my favorite encounter. I also enjoyed being at BEA and seeing the continuous line of people waiting to get a signed copy of my book. I couldn't believe that many people knew of me and my book.

Have you had any negative reactions to the subject matter of your book?

Am actually surprised that I haven't. I was initially hesitant and afraid that people would be bothered by the content. Still, I felt I had to be true to the story and go in the direction it was taking me. I'm surprised and very pleased with the positive reactions and encouragement I have received from the readers.

How did you come up with the storyline for Of All the Stupid Things?

The idea for the storyline came from a statement that popped into my head, "Brent Staple is such a jerk". From there I started wondering why he was such a jerk, what he did wrong, and what effects did it have on the people around him. From the start I knew I wanted three protagonists and that they each had a journey to go through. Through the course of an evening I had a pretty basic idea of what I wanted to write and where it was going to go. Of course many things changed along the way but the core remained the same.

Do you write adult fiction too?

I have written short plays for adult audiences, but I've always been interested in writing fiction for children and teens. It probably has to do with writing what I'm familiar with and what I like to read. I honestly prefer reading a children or young adult novel over a novel for adults versus most of the plays I see are for adults. On the other hand, it is possible that I might write adult fiction in the future. You never know.

Who are some of your current favorite authors?

I always enjoy Jaclyn Moriarty's books for their wit and humor, and there is something very comforting about J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter that I never tire of. The best books I have read this year have been by Leah Cypess, Swati Avashti, and Simone Elkeles and are authors who I look forward to reading more of their books. And yes, all the authors mentioned here write for children/teens!

How long did it take from completion to publication for Of All the Stupid Things?

That is kind of a gray area. There were many times that I thought I was done and then went back and edited it more before it went out for publishers. But I guess "officially" it was 15 months from the time it was sent out to publishers to the time it hit the stores.