When you're overthinking a thought like the way I do, I can get completely pulled away from something I'm in the middle of because my thought channel just won't help me get from point A to point B without any difficulty.
My favorite uncle died when I was eleven, and that was two months after 9/11, so that was a particularly difficult time with my family.
I'm building this reputation as YA heartbreaker, I know. Some people like 'happily ever after,' but I don't think that's me.
I'm always writing from some difficult place and seeing how the character survives... or doesn't.
When I really want to be comforted myself, what I look for is a story about how somebody could survive something really difficult.
There are happy stories out there, but I think some of them may raise false expectations for teens.
I was very lucky to befriend many authors before even signing with an agent, and they were all so supportive of me when I told them I was in the middle of my first book.
The book industry is all about community, and it never really feels like anyone is competing against anyone, thankfully.
It wasn't until I hit 20 that I became an obsessive reader, I think, which feels a little funny considering I was a bookseller for five years and have been reviewing YA novels for four years.
