| Interview with M. Apostolina |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My
name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of
your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted
to be a writer?
When I was very young. I was always writing, or putting on plays or making short films. Basically any medium
that allowed me to tell a story.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
It was a winding one. Early in my career, I was an executive at Vestron Pictures and later Miramax, where part
of my job was to work with the screenwriters and help them get their stories in better shape. One part of my
brain said, “Geez, I should be the one writing,” and the other part of my brain said, “Oh, really? Prove it.”
So I left Miramax – and a very nice expense account! – and at first started to write screenplays, which is how I
primarily made my living before “Meri.” I enjoy writing for film and TV, but the challenge of a novel was too
tempting.
After completing several drafts of “Hazing Meri Sugarman,” my road thereafter was fairly typical; it took forever
to find the right agent, forever to find a publisher that was interested. But I lucked out. I have a wonderful
agent, Jennifer DeChiera, and a terrific editor, Julia Richardson, at Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
More Meri! In “Hazing Meri Sugarman 2: Meri Strikes Back,” Meri comes back fighting!
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Everyday life, though I know that’s not the “exciting answer.” But just observing everything around me is
enough to inspire me. That and a good strong espresso!
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
They’re thrilled, especially my parents. I’m from a family of three kids (I’m the youngest), and years ago, when
we all decided to become artists, my parents were freaked. Where were the lawyers and doctors they had
hoped for?
But they’re delighted now. I’m a published author and screenwriter, my brother is a talented voice-over artist,
and my sister is a successful fine arts painter and sculptor.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Mmmm. Vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup and salted peanuts. The best!
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Feed Boomer (my cat) (he’s 18 years old this March!), make coffee, take a shower.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me
the most?
Too many books! I can’t seem to throw any of them away.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you
could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Probably red. I don’t know why. It’s always been my favorite color since I can remember.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite is Snoopy. I’m not sure if I’m like Snoopy, but I’d like to think I am in some ways.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history, where
and when would it be—and why?
New York during the 1920s! The Jazz Age! I just think it would be fun.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re
writing?
I always listen to music when I write, usually Billie Holiday or I’ll turn on a pop, rock or rap radio station. I like all
kinds of music.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you
saw at the theater?
I’m addicted to “American Idol!” (I admit it). The last movie I saw in a theater was “Something New.” Fun!
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
More stories everywhere – in books, on screen, TV. I created an animated TV series, “Pussycat Hustle,” which
will be premiering on MTV soon.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
You’re welcome!
name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of
your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted
to be a writer?
When I was very young. I was always writing, or putting on plays or making short films. Basically any medium
that allowed me to tell a story.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
It was a winding one. Early in my career, I was an executive at Vestron Pictures and later Miramax, where part
of my job was to work with the screenwriters and help them get their stories in better shape. One part of my
brain said, “Geez, I should be the one writing,” and the other part of my brain said, “Oh, really? Prove it.”
So I left Miramax – and a very nice expense account! – and at first started to write screenplays, which is how I
primarily made my living before “Meri.” I enjoy writing for film and TV, but the challenge of a novel was too
tempting.
After completing several drafts of “Hazing Meri Sugarman,” my road thereafter was fairly typical; it took forever
to find the right agent, forever to find a publisher that was interested. But I lucked out. I have a wonderful
agent, Jennifer DeChiera, and a terrific editor, Julia Richardson, at Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing
about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
More Meri! In “Hazing Meri Sugarman 2: Meri Strikes Back,” Meri comes back fighting!
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Everyday life, though I know that’s not the “exciting answer.” But just observing everything around me is
enough to inspire me. That and a good strong espresso!
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
They’re thrilled, especially my parents. I’m from a family of three kids (I’m the youngest), and years ago, when
we all decided to become artists, my parents were freaked. Where were the lawyers and doctors they had
hoped for?
But they’re delighted now. I’m a published author and screenwriter, my brother is a talented voice-over artist,
and my sister is a successful fine arts painter and sculptor.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Mmmm. Vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup and salted peanuts. The best!
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Feed Boomer (my cat) (he’s 18 years old this March!), make coffee, take a shower.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me
the most?
Too many books! I can’t seem to throw any of them away.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you
could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Probably red. I don’t know why. It’s always been my favorite color since I can remember.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
My favorite is Snoopy. I’m not sure if I’m like Snoopy, but I’d like to think I am in some ways.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history, where
and when would it be—and why?
New York during the 1920s! The Jazz Age! I just think it would be fun.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re
writing?
I always listen to music when I write, usually Billie Holiday or I’ll turn on a pop, rock or rap radio station. I like all
kinds of music.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you
saw at the theater?
I’m addicted to “American Idol!” (I admit it). The last movie I saw in a theater was “Something New.” Fun!
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
More stories everywhere – in books, on screen, TV. I created an animated TV series, “Pussycat Hustle,” which
will be premiering on MTV soon.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
You’re welcome!
| Visit Ms. Apostolina On MySpace! |